| Tuesday, July 2, 2019 |
| Programing greater diversity among Mississippi's computer science grads | |
 | Makenzie, Mariah and Makayla are triplets who, by the age of 13, have created websites, programmed a handheld Raspberry Pi computer and given orders to a small, white robot called Sphero. The three black girls are part of a Mississippi State University program called Bulldog Bytes -- an initiative that aims to give girls and teachers hands-on experience with computer science. Nationwide, girls who take classes in computer science are a minority, and black girls, proportionately, make up an even smaller group. Because of their exposure in this program since the fourth grade, the triplets are all interested in using computer science in their dream careers. Mississippi State's Sarah Lee said computer science programs need to do three things in order to bring a larger and more diverse group of students into the field: start in elementary school; go out to communities that have a high population of students of color who may not be exposed to computer science; and inspire teachers to incorporate computer science into subjects they are already teaching. |
| Skilled to Work: Mississippi Construction Education Foundation trains students in construction | |
 | A state wide organization has expanded their summer camp with a goal to educate and train high school students in the field of construction. "I'm proud to see that these kids who know nothing to start with have been able to put something together," President of the Mississippi Construction Education Foundation Mike Barkett said. This is the third year MCEF has hosted their iBuild camp and the first year to host one at Mississippi State University. This camp is open to students in eighth through 12th grade. "We've modified them," Barkett said. "We've put sinks in them. We've run electricity in them. So, they got to see what a carpenter will do, what an electrician does and what a plumber does." The next iBuild camp this summer will be held at the University of Southern Mississippi from July 14th through July 18th. |
| Independence Day festivities offer music, food and fireworks | |
 | Events during the first two weekends in July offer the Golden Triangle opportunities to celebrate the "Spirit of '76," even after Independence Day. On Thursday, the Fourth of July, Starkville Parks and Recreation will host festivities starting at 5 p.m. at the Starkville Sportsplex, 405 Lynn Lane. Activities include inflatables, a petting zoo, vendors and musical entertainment, and conclude with a grand finale fireworks show at 9 p.m. "This year we've added vendors, which has been a goal the last couple of years," said Parks and Recreation Executive Director Gerry Logan. "We also thought the fireworks show was fantastic last year, and they are back this year; it's coordinated to music." Lawn chairs or blankets to sit on are encouraged, and families are welcome to bring frisbees, soccer balls or other sports equipment to play with. Concessions will be available on site, and families are welcome to bring their favorite foods with them, Logan said -- but no alcohol. Organizers recommend leaving pets at home, due to the likelihood they will be frightened by fireworks. |
| Troopers urge motorists to 'drive right' during holiday enforcement period | |
 | The Mississippi Highway Patrol will have an increased presence on the roads for the Fourth of July and are asking drivers to drive safely. The holiday enforcement period will begin Wednesday morning at 12:01 and continue through Thursday, July 4 at midnight. All available troopers will be assigned to saturation patrols and checkpoints to promote traffic safety. "In conjunction with the holiday period, MHP is launching the new traffic safety initiative 'Drive Right Mississippi' which will run through the month of July," said MHP spokesman Capt. Johnny Poulos. The initiative focuses on the left hand lane law, distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and seatbelt usage. During the Fourth of July holiday period in 2018, troopers investigated 61 crashes with 2 fatalities and made 41 driving under the influence arrests on state and federal highway systems. |
| Bonnet Carre spillway opening triggers 'uncharted territory' for dolphins, oysters, algae blooms | |
 | Liz Reinhardt Delsa was driving home from the airport on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on June 16 when she heard what she thought was heavy rain hitting her windshield. But instead of sliding off as water droplets normally do, the rain seemed to stick. That's when she realized: "It was bugs," she said. Steve Pavlovich, an entomologist for Mosquito Control Inc. of Metairie, said midges may be swarming in higher numbers due to increased freshwater in the area. The tiny bugs are just one indicator of a broader disruption that can be traced to the opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway. Water from the Mississippi River has thundered through the spillway for a record-breaking number of days this year. While the spillway has served its purpose of protecting New Orleans, experts say the influx of freshwater and all that it carries with it has tilted the environmental scales. |
| Spillway's impact up for discussion at US Conference of Mayors | |
 | The effect of the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening was one of the topics of conversation among our nation's mayor gathered this week in Hawaii at the 2019 US Conference of Mayors. The conference wrapped up Monday night in Honolulu. Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes was among several coast leaders attending the event. He said with fresh water pouring into the Mississippi Sound from the spillway taking a toll on both the environment and tourism, both he and Biloxi Mayor FoFo Gilich made a point of talking about the situation with other mayors from around the country. "One of the first things we got into is Mayor Gilich and I met with the Mayor's Water Council where we talked about a number of issues, including coast flooding. We talked about the Mississippi River and what we're dealing with the Bonnet Carre Spillway. We got it on the record so people would talk about it and look at more seriously," Hewes told WLOX News. |
| Mississippi National Guard will have its own Space Force, governor announces at Infinity | |
 | Gov. Phil Bryant made some out-of-this-world announcements at a press conference Monday at Infinity Science Center. He signed executive order 1445, establishing a Space Force within the Mississippi Army National Guard. Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, adjunct general for the state and commanding general of the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard, said several states are establishing a Space Force and some are already running missions. In Mississippi, he said those missions could be related to intelligence or mechanical equipment used in space. Bryant also named Patrick Scheuermann, former director of Stennis Space Center, to head the Space Commercialization Initiative for the state. He will be working with Mississippi Development Authority full-time to position the state as a leader for the next space race. These announcements come 50 years to the month after Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Rick Gilbrech, director of Stennis Space Center, said Mississippi needs to make sure people are aware of the Stennis buffer zone, which he said is "unique in the country," and the enhanced test stands that are testing rockets for NASA and commercial space companies. |
| How a park on the moon could lead to more consensus on space exploration | |
 | NASA maintains it wants to preserve some of the Apollo landing sites on the moon. But there's currently no binding international framework requiring future visitors -- whether other nations or private space tourists -- to protect the footprints of astronaut Neil Armstrong. That's where For All Moonkind comes in -- a Connecticut-based nonprofit focused on preserving such sites so future generations can marvel out how much space travel has advanced since the Apollo era. "Ideally it would be a park," says Michelle Hanlon, associate director of the National Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law who founded the group two years ago. "The whole point of preserving the boot print is so my children can go see it and laugh about how funny the [Lunar Excursion Module] looks." Hanlon also says she believes advancing the discussion on preservation is a non-confrontational way to launch a broader conversation about property and mining rights in space. |
| Tate Reeves seeks votes as debate looms | |
 | Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has taken his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination back to DeSoto County, speaking this week to party faithful in Southaven. While the candidates, Reeves, former state Chief Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. and Hernando state Rep. Robert Foster are all making separate appearances before county Republicans, they all will be appearing together at least one time before the Aug. 6 primary election. That will be when WJTV-TV in Jackson will host a debate between the trio the station plans to televise live on July 23, just a few short weeks before the August primary vote. "I look forward to talking about the issues," Reeves said about the July 23 debate. "I expect that we'll have a spirited conversation about the direction that our state needs to move ahead. I'm a strong conservative who believes that conservative fiscal policy works. I believe that lower taxes and a conservative public policy works." |
| Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians chief runoff set for Tuesday | |
 | The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are heading back to the polls Tuesday. The two remaining candidates are current Chief Phyliss J. Anderson and former council member and businessman Cyrus Ben. Ben won 45% of the nearly 3,700 votes in the June 11th primary, while Anderson won 36% of the votes. Both candidates are eager for runoff day. "It's been a very busy two and a half weeks, but very exciting, as the people continue to strive forward to see new leadership, but also coming together and uniting as one tribe has been a beautiful thing," said Ben. Anderson was unavailable to comment on camera Monday. However, she released a statement saying that she asks tribal members to continue to stand with her and help build upon their successes to create a stronger tribe for the next generation of Choctaw people. |
| Democrats running out of options to stop Trump from moving two USDA offices | |
 | Members of Congress representing many of the D.C.-based federal workers whose jobs are about to be reassigned or moved to the Midwest are running out of ways to try to stop the Trump administration from relocating those offices. Democratic lawmakers have written a flurry of letters, bills and amendments in a race to block the measures before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, with little success. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last month finalized plans to move about 550 jobs at two scientific agencies in the Agriculture Department from Southwest Washington to the greater Kansas City region. In a separate move, the administration has threatened to furlough and possibly lay off 150 workers at the Office of Personnel Management, the federal workforce's human resources agency, if Congress blocks the administration's plans to eliminate the department. |
| Customs And Border Patrol Investigating Secret Facebook Border Patrol Group | |
 | Customs and Border Protection has launched an investigation into a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents in which members posted derogatory remarks targeting migrants and lawmakers. The group, which called itself "I'm 10-15" -- a reference to the Border Patrol code for "aliens in custody" -- was revealed Monday by ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization, as a delegation of Democratic congressional lawmakers toured three migrant detention facilities in southwestern Texas. Matthew Klein, assistant commissioner at the CBP, said that after learning of the "disturbing social media activity," the agency immediately informed the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General and initiated an investigation. |
| UGA study: Birth order influences CEO risk-taking | |
 | Younger siblings often take more risks as chief executives, just like they did when they were kids trying to keep up with their older brothers and sisters, according to University of Georgia management researchers. "They have to compete with siblings just to get their parents to spend time with them and to spend money on them. In order for them to get what they want, they had to take more risks," said co-author Scott Graffin, who holds the Synovus Chair in Servant Leadership at the Terry College of Business. A higher level of risk-taking is associated with those who are later in their birth order. Statistically, the results were 19% more risk for the second oldest, up to 38% more for the third born, according to "Born to Take Risk? The Effect of CEO Birth Order on Strategic Risk Taking." The study by Graffin and Robert J. Campbell, a doctoral student in strategic management who graduated in 2019, was published in the Academy of Management Journal. |
| Georgia growers fear cheaper Mexican produce will soon devastate their industry | |
 | Georgia farmers are increasingly worried that state-grown fruit and vegetables could one day disappear from the produce section because of competition from an influx of cheaper Mexican produce. Fruit and vegetable growers hope that the negotiation of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement would give them another tool to fight plummeting produce prices. But as the trade deal inches closer to congressional ratification -- so far without the trade protections Georgia growers had sought---produce farmers are growing increasingly worried. "It's a matter of time, whether it's five years, 10 years or 15 years, most of our southeastern produce growers are going to either go out of business and sell their lands into development or they're going to change over and start growing other crops or just retire," said Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. Mexican growers also face a lighter regulatory burden, enabling them to pay their workers less than their American counterparts, a University of Georgia economic study released in late April found. As a result the Mexican produce exported to the U.S. is often significantly cheaper than produce typically grown in Georgia and Florida. |
| President Michael Young: Texas A&M will investigate Snapchat video containing racial slurs | |
 | Texas A&M President Michael K. Young said the university will investigate after a video that contained racial slurs and appeared to feature a Texas A&M student went viral over the weekend. Young released a statement late Monday afternoon admonishing the video. "This behavior is abhorrent and against the core values that we share and to which we aspire in all we do, including those of respect, excellence and integrity," Young said in the statement. The video shows a man pointing to chalkboards that display several slang variations of a racial slur, while describing their meanings. The top of one chalkboard reads "TAMU '22." While the video was originally shot on the social media platform Snapchat, a Twitter user recorded the video and posted it to Twitter, asking Aggies to find the person featured in the video. The official A&M Twitter account replied to the post, saying A&M officials will investigate. According to Young's statement, the Student Conduct office will lead the investigation. |
| Little progress in diversifying faculty ranks, study finds, particularly at research universities | |
 | Despite more universities placing an emphasis on attempting to diversify their faculty ranks, a new study shows very little progress, particularly at research universities. And much of the success in faculty diversity has been in untenured positions. According to the study, which was published by the Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy from the South Texas College of Law, Houston, colleges in recent years have not seen substantial growth in racial diversity among faculty members. The study is based on federal data from 2013 to 2017. One of its authors, Julian Vasquez Heilig, the incoming dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky, said the motivation for the research came from his wondering if increased discussions of diversity and faculty recruiting programs had been successful in creating a more diverse professoriate. |
| Iowa governor accused of disenfranchising college students with special election date | |
| Students on two Iowa campuses are accusing the state's Republican governor of trying to suppress the college vote -- which tends to swing liberal -- in an upcoming special election for a state seat. This is the latest in a series of voter suppression allegations against GOP politicians nationwide over the last few years. Particularly before the last midterm election, which was viewed as a chance for Democrats to reclaim offices that have been controlled by conservatives both in the states and federally, Republican lawmakers were denounced for trying to limit college students' voting rights, through legislation and otherwise. Iowa governor Kim Reynolds now faces such criticism after she scheduled a special election on Aug. 6 to replace former state representative Lisa Heddens, a nine-term Democrat who left the Legislature last month for a seat in a county government. The election date occurs before Iowa State University students -- who would be voting in the open district -- return to campus for classes, and so many of them will likely not be able to participate. |
| UNCF kicks off college social justice initiative in Atlanta | |
| Representatives from several dozen historically black colleges, including some in Atlanta, gathered here Monday to begin an initiative to create and support ongoing social justice efforts at the schools. The United Negro College Fund-led initiative is being supported by an undisclosed grant from the National Football League. The NFL last year committed $20 million in grants to social justice organizations nationwide after intense debate concerning on-field protests by some players during the National Anthem to raise complaints about police shootings of unarmed African Americans. The initiative will bolster current social justice efforts by some schools and build other campaigns, said Ashley C. Harrington, director of the UNCF's social justice program. Organizers hope the initiative will educate and train students to become social justice advocates and also prepare them for careers as prosecutors and judges. |
SPORTS
| This Mississippi State football player could be an All-American | |
 | Junior cornerback Cameron Dantzler was recently tabbed a pre-season All-American by college football guru Phil Steele, and Dantzler has earned that recognition. But there's another member of the Mississippi State defense who could be the team's best and most important player in 2019. Junior linebacker Erroll Thompson. Thompson, who was voted a team captain by his teammates earlier this year, didn't get much acclaim for his stellar sophomore season. He finished second on the team in tackles with 87. He also had two interceptions, which tied Danztler and two others for the team lead. Those statistics landed Thompson on the All-SEC second team, but he was not nationally recognized. Three Bulldogs earned All-America honors last season, but have left the program. Now Thompson is in line to take the torch and run with it. |
| Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead looks for new leaders on defensive line | |
| It's no secret that Mississippi State is replacing plenty of production on the defensive line. With defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and defensive ends Montez Sweat and Gerri Green off to the NFL, the MSU defense is in desperate need of playmakers up front. And while the pieces may be inexperienced, senior defensive end Chauncey Rivers figures to bridge that gap. At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, Rivers has the size to take over Sweat's spot on the edge. A one-time Georgia player, he recorded 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 13 games last season. And though Rivers saw action in every game in 2018, MSU coach Joe Moorhead explained that with another year of defensive coordinator Bob Shoop's scheme under his belt the Bulldog coaching staff are expecting big numbers from Rivers. |
| Mississippi State sends 11 to summer leagues | |
| Mississippi State players got a late start to their summer schedules due to the Diamond Dogs' deep run at the College World Series. But MSU will still have 11 players participating in five summer leagues across the country, including four Bulldogs in the Cape Cod League. Tanner Allen, Rowdey Jordan and Jordan Westburg will team up once again for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League -- where they will play for MSU legend Ron Polk, who is an assistant coach. Justin Foscue is also scheduled to play in the Cape for the Wareham Gatemen although he, Allen and Westburg are currently attempting to make the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in which coach Chris Lemonis is serving on the team's task force. Former Houston standout Luke Hancock will be behind the plate for the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plains League while fellow catcher Hayden Jones is set to suit up for the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. |
| WATCH: Beloved former Mississippi State standout Jake Mangum records first professional hit | |
| Professional pitchers are going to learn to hate Jake Mangum as much as SEC pitchers. The scrappy switch-hitting lefty started his professional career off the right way Monday night with his first hit, an infield single. That's only appropriate for the speedy beat-it-out style Mangum brings to the plate every single game. He's a tough out. Mangum set a ton of SEC and school records at Mississippi State, but he'll also be remembered as one of the best ambassadors in college baseball history after his passionate post-game interviews emotionally saying goodbye and pleading with the NCAA to add a third paid assistant. The New York Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft, and he currently plays for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets' short-season A ball team. Here's Mangum's hit, the first of many |
| Mississippi State's Jessika Carter converts late to top Japan | |
| Mississippi State's Jessika Carter answered the call when the team needed her the most, converting an and-one at the charity stripe to give USA Team a 79-78 victory over Japan in a friendly match before the World University Games. Down by two, Carter grabbed an offensive rebound under the basket and immediately went up with the ball to hit the game-tying bucket with 4.5 seconds left, while also drawing a foul on the play. With a chance to go ahead, she sank the free throw to complete her second and-one of the quarter and help the Red, White and Blue win. "I was proud of our ability to hang in there," said head coach Vic Schaefer. "We had a really rocky second quarter and got down by double digits. We cut it to 10 at the half. Just our resilience, we came out in the third quarter, and some of our players that have been in our program for a year started and got us out to an 8-0 run, causing Japan to call a timeout. Hopefully, the kids on the bench saw what it takes and how hard you have to play in order to play our style. I thought that set the tone." |
| Mississippi State's Curtis Thompson throws season best at American JavFest | |
| After finishing as the 2019 NCAA runner-up in the men's javelin, Curtis Thompson launched a throw that would rank second among collegians this year at the American JavFest on Saturday night. The Mississippi State senior finished third at the meet hosted by the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation. Current American national leader Michael Shuey, formerly of Penn State, won the event. Shuey was followed by Riley Dolezal, who claimed the USATF crown in 2015 and 2017. Thompson placed second at JavFest a year ago and won the 2016 event, giving him three podium finishes in his career. The Florence, New Jersey, native placed fifth in both 2015 and 2017. The Bulldog senior now turns his attention to the USATF Championships where he'll throw on July 27. Thompson is the reigning U.S. champion after winning last year's meet with a mark of 75.99m (249-3). |
| Mississippi State's Kat Moore joins NPF ranks with USSSA Pride | |
| After spending four seasons entertaining fans at Nusz Park and around the Southeastern Conference with her tremendous play in centerfield and offensive prowess at the plate, Kat Moore joins the professionally ranks, signing with the National Pro Fastpitch's USSSA Pride over the weekend. Moore becomes the 19th Bulldog to reach the professional softball ranks and the first to reach the NPF since standout pitcher Alexis Silkwood was drafted to the Akron Racers in the 2017 NPF Draft. Moore's first professional game on the Pride's roster will be Monday against the Beijing Eagles. "Since she was a little girl, Kat has always wanted to play professionally," said Mississippi State head coach Vann Stuedeman. "The options for women to play beyond the collegiate level are limited and competitive. This is a testament to her softball talent. She is just scratching the surface of what she can do on the field. I'm thrilled she has the opportunity to represent the Pride on the pinnacle stage of professional softball. It's exciting that she will have one of the coveted opportunities to continue growing the game." |
| Mississippi State volleyball announces 2019 schedule | |
| The Mississippi State volleyball program and head coach Julie Darty have announced the 30-match schedule for the 2019 season, which includes a pair of home tournaments and 15 total matches inside the Newell-Grissom Building. "We have a core group of returners and an exciting group of newcomers joining our program this fall and we are very excited with the schedule we have built," said Darty. "We are playing some really good teams, really close to home and I think that's something to note. We don't have to go far to find good teams and we are going to get tested early without traveling too far. We have a young group in terms of experience playing together, but we are a seasoned group. The maturity of our team has shown during the offseason with some very strong leadership emerging." Mississippi State will kick off the 2019 campaign by hosting the StarkVegas Classic on August 30-31. |
| Fairy tale places become reality for Mississippi State beat writer | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Tyler Horka writes: The sun was setting behind us as we rolled east down Interstate 20. When our 16-foot U-Haul crossed the bridge to carry us into Vicksburg, it was the first time I had ever been in the state of Mississippi -- the state I've now called home for the past year. It's been exactly 365 days since me, my dad and my dog crossed the state line for the first time in that moving truck. I started as The Clarion Ledger's Mississippi State University beat writer a year ago today. The Apple Maps app took us down Natchez Trace Parkway instead of going through Jackson to get on Highway 25 toward Starkville. We must've missed the "No trucks allowed" sign that would've prevented us from winding down the narrow twists and bends of the Trace in an over-sized vehicle. Driving through the pitch-black conditions while still two hours away from our destination with seemingly no civilization in sight, my dad turned to me and asked a question I'll never forget. "Are you sure you made a good choice by coming to work out here?" |
| Stansbury Adds Cunningham As Associate Head Coach, Grant As Assistant Coach | |
| WKU Hilltopper Basketball head coach Rick Stansbury announced Monday the hiring of Phil Cunningham as associate head coach and Marcus Grant as assistant coach on his staff. "We're excited to have both Phil and Marcus be a part of our staff," Stansbury said. "I've known Phil for the majority of my life. I played for his father, and then Phil coached with me for several years at Mississippi State. He also did a remarkable job as head coach at Troy getting them to the NCAA Tournament, which isn't an easy task there. "Marcus played for me as a player and then coached eight years with me at Mississippi State. He was a terrific player for us and helped us get to the Sweet 16. He did a great job for me in his years as an assistant coach, and he did the same thing for Coach Cunningham at Troy. Both Marcus and Phil are terrific people, and we're excited to have them both as part of our basketball family." Both coaches have longtime experience working with Stansbury. |
| Police charge teen with manslaughter in deaths of Auburn announcer and his wife | |
 | A teenager was arrested Monday as a result of the car accident that killed longtime Auburn radio broadcaster Rod Bramblett and his wife, Paula Bramblett. Johnston Edward Taylor, 16, of Auburn, was charged with two counts of manslaughter, according to a release from the Auburn Police Department. The crash occurred on Saturday evening, May 25, on Shug Jordan Parkway near West Samford Avenue. An investigation into the crash concluded that Taylor's vehicle "was traveling at an excessive rate of speed, well over the posted 55-mph speed limit, when the crash occurred." A toxicological analysis report from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences also confirmed the presence of marijuana in Taylor's system. Rod Bramblett, 53, a 1988 graduate from Auburn University, had been calling games for the Tigers since 1993, starting with baseball. He took over the late Jim Fyffe as the voice of Auburn Tigers football and men's basketball in 2003. Paula Bramblett worked in the Auburn University IT department. |
| Alabama football's latest commitment: Conecuh Sausage | |
 | In the end, the allure of staying in-state was just too much for the state of Alabama's 5-star cylindrical meat product. Considered a state-wide fan favorite for years, Conecuh Sausage has verbally committed to and signed with Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. In a press release Monday, Conecuh Sausage will be the "Official Smoked Sausage" of the Alabama Crimson Tide starting this fall, per Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, the multimedia rightsholder for the University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. And yes, sports fans, Conecuh Sausage will be eligible this fall and in line for immediate playing time, being served as a menu item at Bryant-Denny Stadium and other on-campus sports venues during the collegiate athletics season. As you would expect, fans of the Crimson Tide and Conecuh Sausage voiced their approval, including Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne. "I'm guessing the Byrne family consumption of Conecuh Sausage gave the company the resources to make this deal happen," the AD tweeted. |
| Nike pulls 'Betsy Ross flag' sneakers after Colin Kaepernick complains | |
 | Nike Inc. removed Fourth of July sneakers from stores because they had a "Betsy Ross Flag" that some people view as offensive, pulling the sports apparel maker once again into America's culture wars. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was among the people who asked Nike to remove the shoe, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Air Max 1 USA was intended as a celebration of U.S. Independence Day, with a flag that featured 13 white stars in a circle on the heel. The design was created during the American Revolution and is often called the Betsy Ross Flag. Some far-right groups have claimed the flag as a symbol of their cause, and it has also been criticized as evocative of an era when slavery was still predominant in the U.S. "Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag," Mark Rhodes, a spokesman for the company, said in an email. It's the second time in two weeks that company has had to pull shoes over political concerns. Last week, Nike withdrew from China a line of limited-edition shoes after the Japanese designer behind them posted in support of the Hong Kong protests against a proposed extradition bill. |
| Why it matters that more athletes are talking about their mental health | |
| The great basketball writer Jackie MacMullan recently stood at the front of a hotel ballroom in Tampa taking questions after collecting a career achievement award from the Association for Women in Sports Media. I was in the audience that day. Initially, the questions focused on her early days in basketball as a reporter. But then someone brought up a series of stories MacMullan had written for ESPN last summer on NBA players' mental health problems. MacMullan called it "probably the most important thing I've ever done," and a nearly 10-minute discussion followed. The package featured All-Stars Kevin Love and Paul Pierce, among others, discussing their struggles with depression and anxiety. It's not just the NBA where athletes' struggles with mental health are under scrutiny, either. As the director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State University, I've noticed that mental health and sports is a topic gaining attention among athletes and the journalists who cover them. |
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