Tuesday, January 12, 2021   
 
Hyatt: No positive virus cases can be traced to in-person classroom instruction at MSU
As if managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic wasn't enough, Mississippi State University had to deal with a snowstorm on the first day of the spring 2021 semester Monday, Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt told the Starkville Rotary Club at its virtual meeting Monday. "There isn't a playbook for how to run a university during a pandemic," she said. "We have a little section in our crisis action team manual on pandemics, but it was like two pages long." Administrators' first meeting to discuss how to respond to COVID-19 was Feb. 26, 2020, before the virus came to Mississippi, so it focused mainly on students and faculty abroad, Hyatt said. Closing campus in March was "the surprise of a lifetime," she said, and MSU administration had learned by the summer that the pandemic would not be gone in time to resume normal campus operations in August. In addition to strict sanitation protocols and a campus-wide face mask requirement, MSU has rented two hotels in Starkville and part of one in Columbus for students to use as quarantine facilities if they test positive for COVID-19 or are exposed to it. Now, COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available. MSU does not have any yet but has applied to serve as a distribution site, Hyatt said.
 
18 million US children are at risk of hunger: How is the problem being addressed and what more can be done?
The economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic has increased the number of Americans who can't always get enough to eat, including children. The Conversation U.S. asked four experts to explain how common child hunger is and what's being done to address it. Kecia Johnson, assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi State University: Children who experience hunger are more likely to be sick, to recuperate from illness more slowly and to be hospitalized more frequently. Among other things, being food insecure increases the potential for obesity, heart disease and diabetes, including for children. And food-insecure children are at least twice as likely as other kids to have a variety of health problems, such as anemia, asthma and anxiety. Food-insecure kids can also have more trouble at school than other children and become more likely to experience social isolation.
 
MSU-Meridian, Meridian schools seek volunteers for literacy program
The Meridian Public School District and MSU-Meridian are looking for volunteers to be part of the Jumpstart literacy program. The project, which is funded through a three-year grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation, is allowing MSU-Meridian to partner with Meridian Public School District to provide leaders in identified schools to work with pre-K4 students, according to a media release. The Jumpstart program is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students to serve pre-school children and help them develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten. Jeff Leffler, assistant professor at MSU-Meridian, said the program will give young learners much-needed attention since schools are offering virtual instruction on some days. He said 15 volunteers will be needed to go into the classroom to assist students. Applications for the first cohort will be accepted until Jan. 22, and volunteers are scheduled to start helping students in February.
 
Starkville students of all ages make the most of snow day fun
At least in Starkville, Mississippi looked like a winter wonderland Monday morning. And kids all over the city made sure they got to enjoy it all before it melted away. "Just having as much fun as we can," said 14-year-old Jack Bourgeois. "We don't get snow much around here. It's Mississippi after all." With Starkville schools out, kids of all ages woke up to a day full of opportunities for snow-filled fun. Snowball fights and snowmen building were taking place all over Starkville as flakes kept falling all morning and even into the afternoon. Classes were still in session at Mississippi State but the campus was still the most popular spot for snow-related fun. MSU students say some of their classmates were out playing in the snow as early as 8:30 in the morning. "Tried sledding. It didn't work. Had a little snowball fight, the easiest thing to do," said MSU student Jackson Runnels.
 
Mansion that Ulysses S. Grant called home hits market in Mississippi for $2.1 million
A Mississippi mansion that was once home to a railroad business executive and his one-time roommate, a famous Civil War general, is officially up for grabs. The historic Walter Place estate hit the market with a $2.1 million asking price late last year, according to Realtor.com. The six-bedroom, six-bathroom abode sits on a sprawling 13-acre lot in Holly Springs. Dating back to 1859, the home was built for then-Mississippi Central Railroad president Harvey Washington Walter, who later invited Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia to stay with him during the Civil War, the listing states. The 7,000-square foot estate also served as a summer home for businessman Oscar Johnson, Jr., who co-founded the International Shoe Company. Walter Place is now among the most popular attractions in northern Mississippi and draws tourists from across the nation, according to a Facebook page for the property. It also remains "one of the last grand mansions completed before the Civil War" and has been fully "restored to her former glory."
 
MSDH reports 98 COVID-19 deaths, largest single-day total
The Mississippi State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 1,648 additional cases of COVID-19 and 98 deaths related to the virus as of 6 p.m. Jan 11. It's the largest single-day total of COVID-19 deaths since Jan. 5 when there were 91 deaths reported. Fifty-two deaths occurred between Jan. 5 and 11. During that time period, Itawamba, Lee, Marshall, Tishomingo and Union counties in Northeast Mississippi each reported one death. Lafayette County reported two deaths. Alcorn County reported three deaths. Forty-six deaths occurred between Oct. 28, 2020, and Jan. 8. During that time, Lafayette, Lee, Pontotoc and Tishomingo in Northeast Mississippi each reported one death. Alcorn and Monroe counties each reported two deaths. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020, is now 241,957, with a death toll of 5,284. Around 198,888 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus as of Jan. 10. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (43), Benton (8), Calhoun (3), Chickasaw (9), Clay (17), Itawamba (22), Lafayette (30), Lee (54), Marshall (27), Monroe (15), Oktibbeha (8), Pontotoc (31), Prentiss (21), Tippah (29), Tishomingo (18) and Union (29).
 
US shifts to speed vaccinations; won't hold back 2nd doses
Barely a month into a mass vaccination campaign to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration unexpectedly shifted gears Tuesday to speed the delivery of shots. A slow start had triggered widespread concern from states and public health officials. Now, Health and Human Services Alex Azar has announced two major changes. First, the government will no longer hold back required second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, practically doubling supply. Second, states should immediately start vaccinating other groups lower down the priority scale, including people age 65 and older, and younger people with certain health problems. The move better aligns the outgoing administration with the new Biden-Harris team. On Friday, President-elect Joe Biden said he will rapidly release most available vaccine doses to protect more people. He said he supported immediately releasing vaccines that health authorities were holding back out of caution, to guarantee they would be available for people needing their second dose. Simultaneously, he gave states the green light to dramatically expand the pool of people eligible to receive vaccines.
 
Tribal Elders Are Dying From the Pandemic, Causing a Cultural Crisis for American Indians
The virus took Grandma Delores first, silencing an 86-year-old voice that rang with Lakota songs and stories. Then it came for Uncle Ralph, a stoic Vietnam veteran. And just after Christmas, two more elders of the Taken Alive family were buried on the frozen North Dakota prairie: Jesse and Cheryl, husband and wife, who died a month apart. "It takes your breath away," said Ira Taken Alive, the couple's oldest son. "The amount of knowledge they held, and connection to our past." One by one, those connections are being severed as the coronavirus tears through ranks of Native American elders, inflicting an incalculable toll on bonds of language and tradition that flow from older generations to the young. The virus claimed fluent Choctaw speakers and dressmakers from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
 
Mississippi governor signs law for flag without rebel emblem
Mississippi hoisted a new state flag without the Confederate battle emblem on Monday, just over six months after legislators retired the last state banner in the U.S. that included the divisive rebel symbol. The new flag has a magnolia and the phrase, "In God We Trust." Voters approved the design in November, and Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday signed a law to make it an official state symbol. "A new chapter in our history begins today," one of the leaders in changing the flag, Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, told more than 100 people who gathered in near-freezing weather to watch the new flag being raised outside the state Capitol. Just before signing the law, Reeves said the old flag with the Confederate symbol was "a prominent roadblock to unity." "When many looked at our former flag, they just saw a symbol of the state and heritage they love. But many felt dismissed, diminished and even hated because of that flag," Reeves said. "That is not a firm foundation for our state. So today, we turn the page."
 
New Mississippi flag signed into law, flies over state Capitol
Six months after Mississippi's 126-year-old Confederate-themed banner was pulled down and placed into storage, a new flag featuring a white magnolia blossom and 20 stars rose above the Capitol building on Monday afternoon. Monday's flag-raising ceremony capped a stunning series of events that began late last spring as protests over racial injustice swept the country. Under mounting pressure from businesses, athletic and religious groups, state lawmakers voted in June to remove the old banner and its divisive symbol and set the process for finding a new one. Felder Rushing, the horticulturist, radio host and writer who lives in Jackson, came to see the Reeves bill signing himself after pushing for years for Mississippi to change its banner to something featuring a magnolia. He said the "sturdy, stately" magnolia flower is well-known around the world, so Mississippi's new flag should soon be as recognizable as Texas' lone star design, or South Carolina's palmetto. "Nothing but feel-good," was Rushing's reaction to the new flag's final approval. "It's unifying."
 
'It's a great day': Mississippi raises new state flag after 126 years
A new state flag was raised over the Mississippi State Capitol on Monday to replace the old flag, which flew for 126 years and featured the divisive Confederate battle emblem. Flags were raised on the Capitol grounds and over the domes of both the House and Senate in a Monday afternoon ceremony. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who this past summer steered passage of historic legislation to retire the old flag and to place a new flag on the November ballot, presided over the flag-raising ceremony. Before the new flag was raised over the Capitol, where it flapped proudly thanks to the cold northwesterly wind, Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill into law making the banner approved by voters in November the official flag of the state. More than 70% of voters approved the new flag in November 2020, and the Legislature ratified that vote last week. Reeves signed the legislation into law in the auditorium of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, flanked by the commission that selected the new flag design.
 
Vicksburg secures funding to complete $18.2M IT center
Public and private technology organizations will have a new, innovative space in Vicksburg to create jobs and generate wealth to benefit Mississippians. The Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation (EDF) announced Friday the Sen. Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Information and Technology (MCITy) has secured much-needed financing to complete a project that started in 2019. That's when the Mississippi legislature allocated a total of $8.9M. Now through a combination of conventional financing, historic and new market tax credits, this dream will be real. Affectionately called MCITy, the center will be a technology space where all the right businesses and organizations will collaborate to secure tech transfers and multi-million dollar government contracting opportunities to generate economic opportunities in the magnolia state. The MCITy project began as part of a vision that the late Senator Thad Cochran had for Mississippi to fully capitalize on tech transfer and federal contracting opportunities to create high-paying jobs.
 
EPA Administrator talks Yazoo pumps, agriculture pest control in Mississippi visit
On Monday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler wrapped up his visit to Mississippi announcing a multi-million-dollar grant initiative dedicated to sustainable pest control in agriculture. While in Mississippi, he also held meetings with elected officials, hosted a press conference on the Yazoo Backwater Area Pumps Project, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Mississippi Farm Bureau. Yesterday, Administrator Wheeler participated in a series of meetings with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Director Chris Wells. At an event with the Mississippi Farm Bureau, Administrator Wheeler announced a $2 million dollar initiative that encourages smart, sensible, and sustainable pest control in agriculture. "We are honored to host EPA Administrator Wheeler in Bolton, MS today, and are pleased to be a part of this important announcement. We are truly happy to formally sign this MOU with EPA Region 4. Continuing and enhancing the relationship between Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and the regional EPA office is key to the success of Mississippi agriculture," said Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick.
 
Yazoo Pumps project receives green light after clearing environmental hurdles
Efforts to build pumps to remove floodwaters from the lower Mississippi have crossed a major hurdle. Outgoing EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, Governor Tate Reeves and other state and federal leaders were all at the Army Corp of Engineers headquarters in Vicksburg on Monday to announce that the Corp Of Engineers now has the green light to begin the Yazoo Backwater Pump Project. E.P.A. Administrator Andrew Wheeler said, "We understand that 9 of the past 10 years, the backwater area has experienced significant flooding that has caused hardship on lives and threatened property of people in the region." Part of the funding for the project would come out of the Corps budget, but additional funding from Congress would be needed to complete it. Previous concerns about impacts to wildlife and the environment now in the past after a new pump design and location were put in the plans. Colonel Robert Hillard of the Corp of Engineers said, "From now through planning it, through construction to getting it operational to be a realistic, it's roughly about a four year process." Once built, the pumps would keep backwater levels at 87-feet during flood events, keeping it off thousands of acres of farmland where, in recent years, millions of dollars in crops were lost.
 
Some Mississippi Republican lawmakers don't support impeachment, removal of President Trump
Days into the new year when Congress is typically making new members feel welcome and preparing for a full slate of new laws to consider, they instead are preparing an article of impeachment for a second time against President Donald Trump. House Republicans blocked a resolution aimed at encouraging the removal of Trump through the 25th Amendment, according to USA TODAY, while Democrats introduced a new impeachment article against the president. The two-pronged effort to remove Trump from office in the waning days of his presidency comes after a pro-Trump mob broke into the U.S. Capitol last week in a deadly riot. Although the resolution was blocked, Democrats can bring up the 25th Amendment resolution on Tuesday and the House could consider the impeachment article Wednesday. But Congress is not united in the endeavor, including Mississippi lawmakers. Third District Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, said he opposed the actions led by House Democrats to unseat Trump. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, also opposed efforts to remove the president from office. "In accordance with our Constitution, the orderly transfer of power will occur at noon on Jan. 20," he said. "The best way for our country to heal and move past the events of last week would be for this process to continue."
 
'As far as I'm concerned, Congress declared war on the American people,' Mississippi 'patriot' group rallies in Hernando following Capitol riot
Between 60-75 people gathered outside the DeSoto County Courthouse on Sunday for a rally organized by a local conservative group called the Patriot Party of Mississippi. Members of the Patriot Party of Mississippi were among those who attended protests in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 during Congress' certification of electoral votes. The group's leader, John Williams, spent an hour detailing the experience of group members that traveled to Washington last Wednesday to demonstrate at the Capitol. During the rally, Williams also covered the group's laundry list of grievances, which included railing against establishment Republicans and parroting conspiracy theories related to the presidential election and the deadly Capitol riot. "On January 6, 2021 (the federal government) became tyrannical," Williams said at the rally. "I'm just telling you, as far as I'm concerned, Congress declared war on the American people and the American Constitution on January 6. So we're at that point." Williams wants to turn the Patriot Party group into a registered political party in Mississippi to challenge Republican candidates in down the ticket races.
 
House GOP leader tells members to quit spreading lies on riot, antifa
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told members of his GOP conference on a call Monday that the riot at the Capitol was not caused by antifa, urging lawmakers not to further spread misinformation about the pro-Trump mob that stormed the House and Senate last week. "McCarthy told all members on the call that he has been receiving FBI briefings and it is clear that antifa was not behind this," one source familiar with the call said. "That it was in fact right-wing extremists and QAnon adherents, and he urged members to stop spreading false information to the contrary." McCarthy's comments come in the wake of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who made the unsubstantiated claim on the House floor that antifa was behind the violence that broke out at the Capitol on Wednesday after the riot took place in an attempt to delay the official count of Electoral College votes. The FBI said on Friday that it determined that no members of the left-wing movement antifa were involved in the storming of the Capitol. "We have no indication of that at this time," Washington Field Office assistant director Steven D'Antuono said when asked about any potential involvement of antifa last week.
 
McCarthy says Trump accepted some responsibility for Capitol riot
GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy told House Republicans Monday that President Donald Trump bears some blame for last week's deadly Capitol riots and has accepted some responsibility, according to four Republican sources on a private call. McCarthy's remarks came during a House GOP-wide conference call -- their first meeting since a mob of pro-Trump rioters assaulted the Capitol building and left five people dead in an attempt to halt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory. McCarthy also told members that he urged Trump to call up Biden and congratulate him for his win, sources said. The California Republican's description of his conversation with Trump runs counter to the public stance held by the president, who hasn't accepted any blame for encouraging his supporters to go to the Capitol and pressure lawmakers into overturning his 2020 loss. McCarthy -- who is one of Trump's closest allies and is opposed to impeachment -- acknowledged that they have some serious work to do in uniting the GOP conference, which is now bitterly divided.
 
FBI warns of plans for nationwide armed protests next week
The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week's deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC. The FBI said it wasn't focused on peaceful protests but "on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property." Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country.
 
Capitol police in Mississippi aware of possible armed protests at statehouses
Officials from the department which oversees the Capitol Police in Mississippi said Monday they are aware of upcoming nationwide protests at state capitols this weekend. But when questioned, a Department of Finance and Administration official offered few details on what they are doing in response. "We are aware of the protests, but unfortunately we are not able to discuss protocols or security measures that are in place," said spokeswoman Marcy Scroggins concerning the State Capitol. Groups tracking right-wing extremist organizations have said preparations for more violence are underway, and the FBI was warning of the possible protests at state capitol buildings beginning Jan. 17 and through the inauguration, according to USA TODAY. At least two Mississippians were charged in connection with the deadly riot that broke out at the U.S. Capitol. Toney "Sheldon" Bray, 43, and Ethan Bray, 22, were charged with violating curfew following the event in which rioters stormed the Capitol, causing evacuations and other protective measures in the House.
 
Remember the Alamo? Donald Trump heads to Texas to defend legacy tarnished by Capitol riot
As lawmakers call for his immediate removal -- and plan a second impeachment -- President Donald Trump is likely to defend himself Tuesday with a speech in Alamo, Texas. No, not that Alamo. This Alamo is a small town on the Texas-Mexico border where the outgoing president plans to promote his immigration policy and defend his presidential legacy -- a legacy tarnished by last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol by enraged Trump supporters who the president had urged to "fight like hell" earlier in the day. The White House has billed Trump's visit as a chance to "mark the completion of more than 400 miles of border wall -- a promise made, promise kept -- and his Administration's efforts to reform our broken immigration system." Trump is leaving behind a Washington, D.C., still gripped with fear over last week's insurrection, while the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic ramifications continue to batter the country. And there are concerns about even more violence, with the FBI on Monday warning of events planned at statehouses in all 50 states. Jennifer Mercieca, an associate professor of communication at Texas A&M University, said the event serves as a chance for Trump to try to shape the narrative around his final days in office.
 
Rules of the last 50-50 Senate might not bind this one
A lot has changed in the 20 years since the Senate was last tied at 50-50. The 2001 power sharing agreement is sure to serve as the template for what the Senate looks like after President-elect Joe Biden takes office. But the world, and the chamber, has changed since that agreement was in effect. "On January 20, the hope will be to adopt an organizing resolution for the upcoming 50-50 Senate and for committees," a Senate aide said Monday. "As of now, the 2001 organizing resolution is serving as the basis for negotiations, but the hope is that there may an opportunity to improve upon the agreement." The 2001 agreement provided for equal numbers of members on Senate committees, with a process for discharging bills and nominations that deadlock, effectively giving the Republicans at the time a narrow advantage on setting the agenda on contentious issues. That could be all the more advantageous for Democrats in the current Senate, since a filibuster of a nomination can be cut off with a simple majority of senators, which was not the case in 2001. "If there was a tie vote in committee, either one of us could take it to the floor," former Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, who was the majority leader in the last 50-50 split and an architect of the organizing resolution, said Monday in recalling the agreement. Lott, appearing at Bipartisan Policy Center with his Democratic counterpart at the time, Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said it will be up to Schumer and current Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to figure out a workable process.
 
Capitol Riot Threatens Trump's Already Hurting Business
The storming of the Capitol last week by a pro-Trump mob will ratchet up the pressure on President Trump's family business at a moment when some of his most lucrative assets were already suffering from the pandemic and facing looming debt payments. One of the Trump Organization's most loyal partners, German lender Deutsche Bank AG , is moving to distance itself from the president's businesses and is unlikely to lend it more money, says a person familiar with the matter. The bank has lent the Trump Organization more than $300 million that will mature in 2023 and 2024, forcing the company to refinance the debt or pay it off by potentially selling assets. The other risk to the Trump Organization is that some customers stop patronizing its businesses, in particular its hotels and golf courses. The company has tried to sell its Washington, D.C., hotel, but the pandemic made buyers wary. The hotel was popular with supporters of Mr. Trump and with organizations trying to seek favor from the president. Business had already been expected to decline there once Mr. Trump leaves office. The Trump Organization's golf courses and resorts are particularly important, accounting for nearly half of the company's annual revenue. The courses are closely associated with the president and have used his name to attract customers in a weak market for golf. If the courses struggle to attract and keep members, it would weigh on the Trump Organization overall.
 
Ole Miss Doubles Down on Professor's Termination
The University of Mississippi is moving ahead with its termination of Garrett Felber, assistant professor of history, its provost said in a formal response to the American Historical Association. The group inquired about Felber's controversial termination, which many of his supporters have called politically motivated or retaliatory, given that his primary offense is insisting on emailing with his department chair during his research leave instead of videochatting with her. In his letter to the AHA, Noel Wilkin, Mississippi's provost, defended Felber's chair's decision to fire him, effective next academic year. Wilkin said the chair, Noell Wilson, "was doing exactly what all universities expect their chairs to do -- ensure that faculty members are willing and able to follow the rules and processes involved in securing external funding that commit the institution to a financial agreement. In fact, I respect that Dr. Wilson chose to make a very difficult recommendation when she lost confidence that an untenured faculty member would act in good faith and be responsive to her repeated efforts to help him succeed." Wilkin said Felber wasn't so much fired as given a 12-month notice of nonrenewal. While faculty members "clearly have a role in assessing the teaching, research and service of their colleagues," he said, "this decision had nothing to do with teaching, research, or service. Therefore, faculty were not consulted regarding Dr. Wilson's recommendation."
 
UM chooses enrollment veteran to fill new vice chancellor position
After four straight years of declining enrollment, the university announced that it has hired a vice chancellor for enrollment management. Eduardo Prieto, who worked at Winthrop University before coming to UM, will oversee the new Office of Enrollment Management, which combines the Office of Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid. Prieto, who will not begin in this role until March 15 -- pending IHL approval -- will oversee a staff of 70 professionals in this new role. According to an email sent to the university community, Prieto "will be responsible for designing and implementing the university's master enrollment strategy, incorporating recruitment plans and strategic enrollment initiatives and leading financial aid optimization efforts using data analysis, enrollment forecasting and industry best practices." This year, the student population in underrepresented minority groups went down by over 100 students. UM's retention rate, which represents the percentage of first-year students who choose to continue their education at the university, also fell from 86.6% last year to 85.7%. Before the pandemic began, the university closed Brown Hall, a traditional-style residence hall on campus, amid dropping enrollment.
 
Apollo landers, Neil Armstrong's bootprint and other human artifacts on Moon officially protected by new US law
Michelle L.D. Hanlon, a professor of air and space law at the University of Mississippi, writes for The Conversation: It's hard to care about bootprints sunk in soil 238,900 miles away as humanity suffers the combined burden of an unforgiving virus and a political unease. But how humans treat those bootprints and the historic lunar landing sites upon which they are found will speak volumes about who we humans are and who we seek to become. On Dec. 31, the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act became law. As far as laws go, it's pretty benign. It requires companies that are working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on lunar missions to agree to be bound by otherwise unenforceable guidelines intended to protect American landing sites on the Moon. That's a pretty small pool of affected entities. However, it is also the first law enacted by any nation that recognizes the existence of human heritage in outer space. That's important because it reaffirms our human commitment to protecting our history -- as we do on Earth with sites like the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, which is protected through instruments like the World Heritage Convention -- while also acknowledging that the human species is expanding into space.
 
Indianola mother, baby now home after long COVID-19 battle
Cessie Stringer is home rocking her newborn son thanks to the University of Mississippi Medical Center team who saved their lives. The certified nursing assistant was taken to UMMC on September 24, 2020. The mother of two, 21 weeks pregnant with her third child, was in respiratory failure from COVID-19. In the intensive care unit, Stringer was faced with the choice of a lifetime: whether to go on a ventilator. "I couldn't give up," she said. "I had two children and one on the way." After praying, Stringer said she made one request before being sedated for ventilation. "I said, 'Don't give up on me.'" Her medical team didn't. Stringer was in critical condition for weeks and was intubated for more than a month. "She required blood pressure support to keep her alive, and countless medications," said Dr. Rachael Morris, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of Stringer's medical team. "She developed kidney failure from COVID-19 and required dialysis for several weeks." Morris said doctors are learning more about the ways COVID-19 can affect pregnancies. "We know that COVID is associated with increased rates of fetal growth restriction, miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm delivery, and pre-eclampsia."
 
Jones College altering on-site class schedules this spring
Jones College students returning to campus for the start of the spring semester on Feb. 1, for "traditional" classes will notice a few changes. "Students enrolled in a Monday/Wednesday/Friday or a Tuesday/Thursday regularly scheduled class will be required to attend class in person, or face-to-face, at a minimum of once a week," JC chief academic officer Rick Youngblood said. "Required face-to-face meetings will be assigned during the meeting pattern currently set for each class. Students will be divided into three groups for the M/W/F classes and four groups for the T/Th classes to meet safety standards set forth by local, state and federal guidelines." JC delayed the start of the spring semester to help lessen the spread of the COVID-19 virus. A list of all class meeting periods will be released on Jan. 13, on the Jones College website and through campus email. Not changing this yea: The required wearing of face masks and health checks for everyone who enters campus. Other CDC and state guidelines, like social/physical distancing and frequent sanitizing also will be required.
 
U. of Alabama Offers Employees COVID-19 Leave
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa announced Monday it will provide up to 80 hours of paid leave to employees affected by COVID-19 or related complications. The program aims to replace federal benefits that expired Dec. 31. "We have implemented this program to protect the campus community from the spread of the coronavirus while acknowledging that balancing work and our personal lives is an important part of the University's mission," Stuart Bell, the university's president, said in a press release. "We want to assist our outstanding faculty, staff and student workers when they need time for illness or to care for their children during this unprecedented pandemic." All full-time, part-time, on-call, temporary and student workers are eligible for the program. The 80 hours of paid leave will be prorated for employees who work less than full-time. The pay rate for COVID-19 leave days is two-thirds of an employee's regular rate. Employees can supplement the remaining one-third with accrued sick leave, annual leave or compensatory time they have available.
 
Supporters of Auburn University Provost Hardgrave speak up ahead of Tuesday's no-confidence vote
Auburn's University Senate Provost Bill Hardgrave faces a no-confidence vote Tuesday, spurred by faculty members who are unhappy with his performance; however, several others have stepped forward in recent days to speak out against the vote. Math Professor Hal Schenck, Rosemary Kopel Brown Eminent Scholars Chair, circulated the following statement via email to campus faculty Sunday: "We believe moving to a [vote of] no-confidence is inappropriate and will be damaging to our students, our faculty and our university. We do not support a vote of no-confidence." Schenck told the Opelika-Auburn News Monday that he doesn't think the vote is merited. Over 50 faculty members have lent their support to Schenck's statement so far, all of them in named chairs and senior members of the business, engineering, math and science departments. "I think this is a really difficult time for everyone and I think, in general, my perception is that the [university] administration has been operating in good faith and doing the best that they can with limited information," said Schenck, who joined the math faculty in 2019 from Iowa State University.
 
Auburn students and employees to receive COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccinations will soon be available to high-risk staff and students, Auburn University announced in an email on Friday. The University asked "those who feel they are at a higher risk for COVID-19" to complete a vaccination reservation form detailing the health information that they believe puts them at risk, according to the email. The University has already received its first shipments of the Moderna vaccine, totaling 3,500 doses. Vaccines will be distributed over a three-stage program, with healthcare workers and first responders receiving vaccinations first. The program's next phase, according to the University's COVID-19 Resource Center, will include distribution to high-risk campus employees who are over 65, then to other employees and students "involved in remote or off-campus clinical settings." Other individuals, students and community members will be offered the vaccine "as [it] becomes available," the University said. "There will be no costs associated with the vaccine," the email read.
 
Weekend death of Auburn University student ruled suicide
The Auburn University student who fell from the sixth floor of a downtown Auburn apartment building died by suicide, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said. Preliminary investigation of the death of the 20-year-old man on Saturday indicates that he died of multiple blunt force internal injuries from an intentional act and his death has been ruled a suicide, Harris said Monday. The investigation into the man's death is still ongoing. The name of the victim and where he was from will not be released by the coroner's office. Auburn police received a 911 call at about 3:55 p.m. Saturday for a medical assist call in the 200 block of North Gay Street at the Standard Apartment Complex. First responders located a male subject on the sidewalk that had apparently fallen from a sixth-floor balcony of the apartment building when they arrived, Harris said.
 
U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville boosts in-person classes; majority of courses remain online for the spring semester
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville began its spring semester Monday with some students saying they welcomed a return to more in-person courses after a fall term of mostly online instruction. "I am excited to be in person. I feel like we need more of that, because last semester it was really hard to focus," said Anthony Mihelich, a junior from Riverside, Calif. He said he did not have any face-to-face classes last semester. This term, his introductory marketing class is meeting regularly in-person, he said. "I'm paying a lot for the year. So it's like, I kind of want to be on campus," Mihelich, 22, said. But while the first day brought some back to the classroom, data on course formats provided by UA showed an uptick in face-to-face instruction rather than a large increase, as the ongoing pandemic continues to affect how college classes are taught around the state. The spring semester at UA-Fayetteville began with a majority of course sections -- 2,529 out of 4,573, or about 55% -- taught remotely rather than in-person, university spokesman John Post said.
 
U. of Florida semester begins, many happy to return to in-person classes despite COVID-19
The usual coffee-fueled hustle and bustle of a new semester at the University of Florida was quiet Monday as thousands woke up to the fourth semester ruled by the coronavirus pandemic. Birds chirped, wind blew and most students seemingly stayed home. Just a handful braved the chilly morning to study and eat breakfast outdoors on benches across campus, while others rushed to class, masks on. Julia Mohanty, a 19-year-old psychology major, joined the few students outdoors and followed her stomach to Chick-fil-A. She said she has just one class in person this spring -- chemistry. Her first semester last fall was taught entirely online. "I'm excited," Mohanty said, so much so that she couldn't sleep Sunday night despite taking a dose of melatonin. "It's different meeting people in class than in your hall." The freshman said she tested negative for COVID-19 last week and hopes to make new friends in the Tuesday-Thursday chemistry class now that she's cleared to return to campus.
 
UF plans in-person Spring commencement and 2020 makeup ceremonies
After a year of waiting, the class of 2020 may finally get its in-person commencement ceremony. While many factors remain uncertain, the university is making an effort to hold both Spring 2021 commencement and 2020 makeup ceremonies in person at the end of the Spring semester, UF Director of Commencements Stephanie McBride said. Because of COVID-19, UF has held graduation ceremonies virtually since last Spring. "We're planning for the unplannable and the unknown, having never gone through a situation where you're trying to plan for a year's worth of makeup ceremonies," McBride said. Although the venues are reserved, the decision to hold in-person commencement depends on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, McBride said. The university will decide whether to proceed with its plans for in-person ceremonies by March, so students and their guests can make arrangements, she said. If the vaccine has not been made available to the general public, the events will be further postponed and possibly changed to an alternate format, she wrote.
 
Hopeful for a vaccine, U. of South Carolina begins spring semester amid coronavirus pandemic
The University of South Carolina resumed in-person classes Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic that continues to disrupt normal campus life. Classes, when held on campus, will be limited to 100 students in classrooms; faculty can choose to work remotely; staff will be cleaning nearly every touchable thing on campus; masks will be required in every building and nearly everyone who studies or works on campus will have to provide monthly COVID-19 test results. "We've learned valuable lessons since last March, and I thank each of you for demonstrating your commitment to the health and safety of our university community by testing often, maintaining physical distancing and wearing face coverings," USC President Robert Caslen said in a Monday message to students. "Even as we hopefully anticipate widespread vaccine administration this year, we cannot become complacent," Caslen said in the letter. Despite all the changes, undergraduate Whit Ashley said he is "excited" to begin classes on campus. Ashley, 35, has had a different journey to get on campus than many undergraduates. After receiving his associates degree from Nashville State Community College in 2009, Ashley recently decided to enroll at USC to get a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.
 
Celebrating 60th anniversary, UGA desegregation history on display at library
In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of the University of Georgia, the Main Library at UGA is hosting an exhibit that chronicles the historic events of 1961, when Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter (now Hunter-Gault) became the first African American students admitted to the university. Honored guests, including the Holmes family and members of the UGA Black Alumni Council, were among the first to tour the exhibit, "Georgia Trailblazers: Honoring the 60th Anniversary of Desegregation at UGA," on the day it opened, Jan. 9, 2021, the 60th anniversary of Holmes' and Hunter's enrollment. The day began with remarks by UGA President Jere W. Morehead and others before a ceremonial ringing of the Chapel Bell by African American UGA alumni from each decade since the university's desegregation. "This anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as an institution. It also reminds us that our work is not done," Morehead said. "This progress continues today as students, faculty, staff and alumni work together to build a diverse university community that is welcoming to all."
 
One A&M professor fired, one disciplined after investigations into conduct and commentary
One Texas A&M anthropology professor has been fired and another disciplined following investigations into their classroom conduct and sociopolitical commentary. The Office of Risk, Ethics and Compliance investigated complaints received about archaeology professor Filipe Castro, who was dismissed from the university Thursday pending a possible appeal, and anthropology professor Michael Alvard, who received a written reprimand. Documents obtained from A&M by The Eagle through a public records request do not provide information on how long Castro and Alvard were under investigation, but documents state that five years of department evaluations, known departmental complaints and anonymous student course evaluations were reviewed. Alvard has been an anthropology professor at A&M since 2000. Castro earned his doctorate at A&M in 2001 and has taught in the university's anthropology department since then. Both Castro and Alvard made headlines last summer due to their criticism of the Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue on the Texas A&M campus and of some conservative politicians. A Texas A&M official said in a statement that the investigations set aside free speech questions and focused on classroom conduct.
 
Colleges spent millions on COVID-19 expenses this fall, even as sources of income shrank, data show
The pandemic presented an enormous financial challenge for colleges and universities this past fall as they reopened online or in person. Institutions large and small had to cough up money for expenses related to COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment and online learning resources. At the same time, they were bleeding tuition, housing and auxiliary services revenue. Now data from higher education associations are starting to show how large the financial hits have been -- and how widely they range for different types of institutions. One thing doesn't vary by institution type, according to experts at the associations. College leaders head into the spring term with several months of pandemic experience under their belt, but the financial burdens of COVID-19 are unlikely to ease up before the end of the academic year. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities conducted a similar survey of its members and received 56 responses. The respondents were representative of APLU's membership and included some flagship research institutions and a couple of historically Black colleges, said Bryan Cook, vice president of data and policy analysis at APLU. Of all revenue categories, auxiliary services declines were the highest on average. Half of respondents reported losing between $5 million and $35 million in auxiliary services revenue compared with the previous fall. One institution reported losing $335 million.
 
Higher education's reopening decisions affected the most vulnerable students
The COVID-19 pandemic hit higher education on March 6, 2020 when the University of Washington became the first major U.S. university to cancel in-person classes and have students take courses and finals remotely. What followed was a tidal wave of shuttered campuses, canceled study abroad programs, and students and faculty alike scrambling to make sense of remote learning amid spiking infection rates across the country. Surviving the end of the academic year, however, was only the beginning of a larger, looming higher education crisis. Over the summer, schools wrestled with the difficult question: what should be done about the fall? Davidson College's College Crisis Initiative (C2i) collaboration with the Chronicle of Higher Education tracked colleges' fall decisions, categorizing them as online, in-person, or some combination of the two. We use that data to examine trends in schools' decision-making, shedding light on the contributing factors and eventual consequences of those decisions.
 
The Spring Semester to Come
Many colleges and universities are delaying the start to the spring semester or are keeping classes fully online in an effort to keep the coronavirus away from campus. Other schools discouraged or delayed travel, fearing students would bring the virus back to dorms and surrounding communities. But others planned to bring more students back this semester and offer more in-person learning, often despite protests from faculty and staff. "I didn't have any in-person classes last semester," McKensi Bryce, 19, a freshman at the University of North Texas, wrote to us. "This semester, I have three that are face-to-face." It is still unclear how the vaccine rollout will affect the spring semester. Depending on the state, college faculty and staff may or may not have priority access. Often, college students, mostly in their late teens and early 20s, are near the back of the queue.
 
'Many People Are Seeing Different Facts': Carnegie Mellon Official's Emails on Election Spark Outcry
Doubts about the validity of the 2020 presidential election emerged in an unlikely place late last week -- the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. "Many people are seeing different facts and parts of the story about what happened in each state," wrote Kiron K. Skinner, the institute's director and a professor, on Thursday to colleagues. "In many cases, there simply isn't just one set of facts. A research project for some group of us would be to investigate on our own the election outcome in a handful of states. We could be surprised at what we find." Skinner, who served on President Trump's transition team and worked in his administration in the State Department, sent this email and others just one day after a violent mob broke into the U.S. Capitol, spurred on by Trump and right-wing provocateurs falsely alleging election fraud. Her messages -- sent to, by some estimates, at least 100 colleagues -- at times appeared to express sympathy to those who supported these ideas. Carnegie Mellon is far from alone in employing or hosting current and former lawmakers and appointees, who often teach at colleges as fellows or visiting professors. President-elect Joe Biden is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania. But Trump officials have brought sharp criticism when they come to colleges, in part because of the president's propensity for lying and campuses' stated missions to seek truth.
 
Political science association apologizes for 'both sides' statement
Facing questions and critiques from its members, the American Political Science Association on Monday released an updated statement on last week's attack of the Capitol. The statement apologizes for a previous APSA statement saying that public officials on "both sides" of the political divide need to do better. It also acknowledges the racial dynamics at play Wednesday and in Trumpism more broadly. "No tolerance should be given to the insurrectionists and the hatred and lies that motivate them," says APSA's new take, which is signed by Steven Rathgeb Smith, executive director, and the group's three presidents, past, current and elect. APSA's new statement on the riot says the words "both sides" evoked "deeply harmful rhetoric." The new version asserts that "numerous elected Republicans in the Senate, the House, and the president of the United States acted dangerously and in ways that betrayed their oaths to the Constitution. They bear responsibility and are accountable for the horrific and deadly actions on Jan. 6."
 
Who's Next to Lead the White House Initiative on HBCUs?
Now that Dr. Miguel Cardona has been nominated to be the next U.S. secretary of education, speculation has turned to who will become the next executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order moving the initiative from the U.S. Department of Education to the White House in February 2017. Months later, in September, he chose Johnathan Holifield to be the executive director. The co-founder of ScaleUp Partners, a consulting firm focused on economic development for underrepresented communities, Holifield was not a traditional pick. But political observers said that Holifield did manage to secure some victories for HBCUs, including facilitating the Trump administration's support for the HBCU Propelling Agency Relations Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act (HBCU PARTNERS Act). In a series of interviews, HBCU leaders emphasized that they now want to see the next executive director come to the role with personal experience on an HBCU campus.


SPORTS
 
Molinar tabbed SEC Player of the Week
After a pair of 20-point performances, Mississippi State point guard was named the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Molinar, a sophomore, scored 20 points in MSU's win over No. 13 Missouri than contributed a career-high 24 points in the Bulldogs' win against Vanderbilt. It's Molinar's first career SEC Player of the Week honor. On the year, Molinar is averaging 18.6 points and four rebound per game. He's helped the Bulldogs to an 8-4 record and a 3-1 start in SEC play, the program's best league start since the 2016-2017 season. MSU is back in action at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Texas A&M at Humphrey Coliseum in what will be the first of a three-game homestand.
 
MSU's Molinar named SEC Player of the Week
Mississippi State's Iverson Molinar was named the SEC's Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. Molinar, a sophomore point guard, averaged 22 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2 steals per game in a 78-63 win over No. 13-ranked Missouri last Tuesday and a 84-81 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. He did most of his scoring damage in the second half of those games, with 30 of his 44 points coming after halftime. His 24 points and 8 rebounds against Vanderbilt was a career high. His efforts help guide the Bulldogs to a 3-1 start to SEC play. He is the first Bulldog to win the honor this season. Molinar, who missed the first three games of the season due to COVID, has scored in double-digits in every game he has played in this season while Mississippi State is 7-2 in games he has played this year. Mississippi State's next game is on Wednesday at home against Texas A&M at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the SECNetwork.
 
How the Mississippi State-Ole Miss women's basketball rivalry evolved Sunday
As Ole Miss guard Donnetta Johnson flung up a last-second attempt in the waning seconds of Mississippi State's 60-56 win over its in-state rival Sunday, those gathered at Humphrey Coliseum held their collective breath. For a brief moment, it appeared the Rebels had the tying bucket they needed as Johnson's heave tickled the net. Inches short, the shot missed entirely and MSU escaped with its 14th straight win over Ole Miss in a rivalry that's been anything but anxiety ridden. Thanks in large part to former head coach Vic Schaefer and the Bulldogs' rise to national prominence, the past decade-plus worth of in-state battles have followed a dominant trend in the series' history. After the Rebels took 50 of the first 51 meetings in the annual series, the Bulldogs have won 19 of the past 21 meetings, while Ole Miss hasn't beaten MSU in Starkville since 2007. But Sunday's contest offered a renewed look at the ever-developing rivalry and the immense gap between the two programs that continues to close. Whether Sunday's contest falls on an improved Ole Miss squad or a down MSU team is complex. Really, it's some of both.
 
In women's hoops, we suddenly have a real Mississippi rivalry
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Don't look now, but we suddenly have a competitive Ole Miss-Mississippi State women's basketball rivalry. At last. They've been playing one another for 45 years now, ever since Title IX compelled colleges and universities -- most reluctantly -- to field women's basketball teams. The Ole Miss-State rivalry just never has been really competitive. One or the other has dominated. That appears to have changed, what with 14th ranked Mississippi State's hard-earned 60-56 victory over Ole Miss on the Bulldogs' home floor Sunday. The Lady Rebels had two chances to tie the score in the final 90 seconds. "That is what a rivalry game should look like," Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said afterward. In women's basketball, Ole Miss-Mississippi State has rarely, if ever, looked like this before. Mississippi State, 8-2, now has won the last 14 meetings, most by decisive margins. Ole Miss, which dropped to 7-2, has not defeated State since Jan. 25, 2014 -- and even then the Rebels needed an overtime to achieve it. Before Sunday, State had won the previous eight meetings by an average of nearly 20 points per.
 
'We Did a Lot Right': SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Opens Up About Pandemic Football
The pandemic has, quite literally, changed Greg Sankey. No, really, he's a different-looking man. He's lost 35 pounds. The SEC commissioner has jogged at least three miles for 270 consecutive days. He's had to buy new pants and finds himself slipping into sport coats that are now three sizes too big. On April 14, as a coping mechanism amid the burgeoning pandemic, Sankey began his daily runs -- mental and physical therapy, he says. He's jogged in snow. He's jogged in a tropical storm. And he's jogged on 70-degree days in January, such as Monday, when, hours before Alabama is set to kick off against Ohio State, Sankey set out for run No. 270 along Miami Beach. From his hotel at the Ritz-Carlton on the famous South Beach strip, Sankey sat down with Sports Illustrated for an expansive interview. For a man normally closely guarded, the commissioner made pointed comments regarding Ohio State's inclusion in the playoff, those conferences that hurriedly canceled seasons only to reverse the decision and a Knight Commission report that suggested a split of FBS football from the NCAA. "We saw people not play games and access the College Football Playoff," he says flatly, pausing for three seconds and later suggesting a potential minimum game requirement for playoff inclusion.
 
Alabama football fans flood Tuscaloosa's Strip to celebrate national championship win
The celebration was on in Tuscaloosa after Alabama football's national championship victory, the COVID-19 pandemic be damned. Videos and photos captured on social media showed hundreds, if not thousands, of people celebrating the Crimson Tide's 52- 24 victory over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff on Monday night. Tuscaloosa Police quickly were dispatched to clear a path through town, according to social media reports. Within a half hour, traffic cameras showed the scene on University Blvd. mostly had been cleared, save for some remaining debris on the streets. The celebration comes as COVID-19 cases are spiking around the country. The Crimson Tide won their 18th national championship Monday -- and the sixth under head coach Nick Saban. The 2020 season was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced players, coaches and staff to undergo daily antigen testing in order to play. Saban tested positive for COVID-19 in November and made a full recovery.
 
Mullen talks playoff expansion, exhibition spring games
It's only a matter of time before the College Football Playoff expands from the current four-team format. That's according to Florida coach Dan Mullen, who said Monday on ESPN that playoff expansion will come at a price for the bowl system. The games have already lost their luster with the playoff, and Mullen thinks moving to eight teams will only make them more insignificant. "I think what we have to do to expand the playoffs is we have to be able to let go of the bowl system," Mullen said. "Now for a lot of people, that will be a sad day. ... What bowl games mean are really special." Mullen described himself as a college football nut whose favorite day growing up was New Year's Day because there were "games all day long." He told the story of when his 2014 Mississippi State team went to the Orange Bowl and had a beach day in Miami. "I had a bunch of guys come up to me and say, 'Coach, I've never seen the ocean before. This is the coolest thing.' Now the experience of going for a week to a bowl game to experience those things, enjoy the whole festivities is great," Mullen said. "But with the playoff, maybe I think that's moving college football in a different direction from that and we have to be ready to accept that if we are going to expand."
 
For epidemiology experts who are college football fans, this season often was painful to watch
They're epidemiology experts who also happen to fancy college football, so they're further proof of the tangled complexity of the human mind. They have spent recent months in combat with the worst public-health crisis in a century and occasionally in front of televisions watching a jalopy of a season that is set to reach its finish line Monday night. So bless them. None contend the season shouldn't have happened, but ... "I spent a lot of time grimacing," said John Swartzberg, a member of the Pac-12 medical advisory panel and an emeritus clinical professor of infectious diseases and vaccinology at the University of California at Berkeley. "A lot of it made me cringe," said George Rutherford, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. "I absolutely agree" that messaging during televised games should have been better, said Leslie Beitsch, a member of the ACC advisory panel and chair of behavioral sciences and social medicine at Florida State, focusing on health policy and public health. Swartzberg watched from Berkeley, where he long has followed Cal sports, as the Bears managed to eke out four games in the mire of cancellations and disruptions. "We learned an awful lot about what we can do and what we can't do," he said.
 
Division I Council tables proposals on name, image, likeness and transfers
The Division I Council on Monday announced it is committed to adopting new rules allowing student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness and expanding opportunities for student-athletes to compete immediately after transfer, but several external factors, including recent correspondence with the U.S. Department of Justice, prompted members to delay voting on the proposals. The group tabled the name, image and likeness and transfer proposals and adopted a resolution stating it is committed to modernizing its rules. The Board of Governors directed each division to change name, image and likeness rules by January 2021, but judicial, political and enforcement issues and a subsequent recommendation from NCAA President Mark Emmert influenced today's decision. Divisions II and III both have name, image and likeness proposals up for consideration during the NCAA Convention this week. Emmert is presenting his recommendation to delay a decision to both divisions. "The Council remains fully committed to modernizing Division I rules in ways that benefit all student-athletes," said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. "Unfortunately, external factors require this pause, and the Council will use this time to enhance the proposals." The Council asked the Division I Board of Directors to support the decision. The board meets Thursday.



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