Friday, January 22, 2021   
 
MSU plans routine Maroon Alert emergency messaging system test for Friday at noon
Mississippi State will conduct a routine test of its Maroon Alert emergency notification system Friday [Jan. 22] at noon. The testing will encompass notifications via Maroon Alert text messaging to mobile devices, as well as alerts on university desktops, digital signage, social media, university email accounts and MSU's emergency web page. The Maroon Alert test message will include instructions for acknowledging the message. This will let those administering Maroon Alert know how you received the message and will halt further attempts to reach you. "The university takes the responsibility of preparedness very seriously," said Regina Hyatt, vice president for student affairs who also serves as the university's emergency operation center director. "Testing our Maroon Alert system helps us to ensure that our emergency messaging tools are working as intended. The test also serves to exercise the professionals who are part of our Crisis Action Team as we discuss emergency procedures."
 
Crafted Identities Exhibit at MSU
Mississippi State University is currently hosting an art exhibit titled "Crafted Identities" that examines how an artist's craft informs his or her personal identity, a release from MSU says. The exhibit features pieces from 12 artists across the United States and will remain on display in MSU's Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery through Friday, Feb. 19. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Cullis Wade Depot. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is also available for online viewing at caad.msstate.edu/exhibitions. MSU's Department of Art galleries organized the exhibit with support from a Starkville Area Arts Council community grant.
 
Past week sees fewer new COVID cases in Golden Triangle
All four Golden Triangle counties are seeing fewer new COVID-19 cases per week after several weeks of sharp spikes, according to Mississippi State Department of Health data. Lowndes County still leads the region in cases and deaths, with 5,463 total cases and 119 deaths as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the most recent update to the MSDH website. The 277 cases in a week decreased from 355 new cases the week before that, according to archived MSDH data. Oktibbeha County has 4,016 cases and 81 deaths, with 174 new cases in the past week compared to 176 the week before. Area school districts have resumed reporting their case data weekly now that the spring semester has begun. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District had 11 positive student cases and two positive staff cases the week of Jan. 11-15, the second week of classes, according to data on the SOCSD website. Mississippi State University has 100 positive cases as of Thursday, according to data reported daily on the MSU website, with 89 student cases and 11 employee cases after two weeks of classes. Mississippi University for Women reported four new student cases between Jan. 15 and this morning, according to data updated daily on the MUW website.
 
MSDH reports 2,050 new COVID-19 cases, 45 deaths
The Mississippi State Department of Health on Friday reported 2,050 additional cases of COVID-19 and 45 deaths related to the virus as of 6 p.m. Jan 21. Calhoun, Itawamba, Lafayette, Monroe and Prentiss counties in Northeast Mississippi reported one additional death. Clay, Lee and Pontotoc counties each reported two new deaths. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020, is now 261,167, with a death toll of 5,713. Around 207,769 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus as of Jan. 17. There are currently 201 outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (19), Benton (8), Calhoun (19), Chickasaw (23), Clay (15), Itawamba (4), Lafayette (44), Lee (33), Marshall (25), Monroe (23), Oktibbeha (19), Pontotoc (26), Prentiss (16), Tippah (17), Tishomingo (14) and Union (27).
 
With no supply increase yet, here's the plan for COVID vaccinations in Mississippi
At the current rate, it would take almost nine months to vaccinate Mississippians now eligible to receive COVID-19 shots, with the majority receiving their doses at Mississippi State Department of Health drive-thru clinics. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said MSDH is currently receiving 37,000 first doses per week of COVID-19 vaccines. He and other state health officers have not been briefed yet on President Joe Biden's plans to ramp up vaccine production, Dobbs said in a media briefing Thursday. Although Mississippi is using all the doses it receives, Dobbs said he wanted to "temper expectations" about any increase in Mississippi's vaccine allocation. "There's a natural bottleneck for vaccine production," he said. "We're not going to see a doubling of vaccine availability any time soon." Dobbs said he believes Mississippi could meet its numbers as part of President Joe Biden's goal to administer 100 million doses in 100 days, but the problem is supply and it won't be easily resolved. MSDH is still working to resolve one logistical issues. Residents can't schedule their second-dose of the vaccine when they receive the first dose at one of the state's drive-thru clinics.
 
Mississippi opens new drive-thru vaccination site in Jackson
Mississippi has opened its first drive-thru site for coronavirus vaccinations in the capital city, a move that officials said they hoped would make shots more accessible to African Americans, who have received the vaccine in much smaller numbers than whites. The state's 19th drive-thru site opened Thursday at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson, said Jim Craig, senior deputy and director of health protection at the state Department of Health. "It was welcome to see a lot of Mississippians who had appointments coming in to get their shots," Craig said during a Department of Health briefing. The state previously allocated small numbers of doses to some private clinics and community health centers in the Jackson area. Until Thursday, however, there was no vaccination site in Jackson or in the rest of Hinds County, the state's most populous, and also majority Black. Residents reported traveling upwards of an hour for vaccinations because of an influx of demand at the sites nearest to the capital. Craig said the state is looking at adding more vaccination sites in the coming weeks.
 
Innovation keeps Lazy Magnolia successful
Lazy Magnolia, the oldest brewery in Mississippi and the first packaging brewery built since prohibition, could also be considered the most innovative. Faced with sudden disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Lazy Magnolia owners Leslie and Mark Henderson managed to come up with new customers and product lines that have nothing to do with beer. The big shift in their Hancock County operations came last March when bars and restaurants shut down and 40 percent of Lazy Magnolia's business dropped off overnight. Facing uncertainty about when business would return, the Hendersons decided to shift gears and diversify. They set about making hand sanitizer, which was in huge demand at the outset of the pandemic, using raw materials that was stockpiled as part of their ongoing development of new products. Lazy Magnolia remains focused on its original product. "We continued to innovate on the beer side as well, launching several new brands, and packages (cans mostly). We also delayed some of our seasonal, very high end beers, that were aging in barrels, and those are just being released now," Henderson said. One of the new beers is aptly named "New Normal."
 
2020 revenue for Mississippi casinos was lowest it's been since 1995
The Mississippi Gaming Commission released its report this week on how casinos fared during a rocky 2020. Coast casinos grossed just more than a billion dollars. The last time the annual revenues for casinos on the Coast was that low was 2014. If you add all of the state's casino properties together, the gross gaming total is a bit more alarming. The industry grossed just under $1.8 billion dollars last year. That was the lowest combined total for casinos in the state since 1995. COVID-19 shut down the state's casino industry for just more than two months. In the fall, hurricanes again shut down casinos on the Coast for several days. Those temporary closures clearly took a significant bite out of the casino industry's 2020 revenue totals.
 
Golden Moon cuts ribbon for new restaurant
The Golden Moon Casino at the Pearl River Resort has a new restaurant for patrons to enjoy. Officials cut the ribbon Thursday for Mama 'n' Em Southern Table & Bar. It's the newest addition to the resort. The diverse menu ranges from Gulf-style seafood to burgers and fries. The look of the restaurant even has a southern feel, with paper table coverings and wooden barrels. Choctaw Chief Cyrus Ben says the past year has been a challenge for everyone. "What a refreshing moment that we can have and celebrate today to open up one of our venues and be able to celebrate together," Ben said at the grand opening. You can dine-in or carry-out. Mama 'n' Em also has socially distant seating available.
 
Work patterns altered at Mississippi Capitol during pandemic
Mississippi legislators are changing some of their work habits to try to avoid a repeat of last year's coronavirus outbreak at the state Capitol. At least two senators and at least one House member recently tested positive for the virus, and some other legislators are being told to quarantine and get tested after being near those colleagues. "We will get through this together," Republican Speaker Philip Gunn told the House on Thursday. In normal times, it's common for lobbyists, journalists and state agency leaders to sit or stand shoulder to shoulder to watch legislators work during committee meetings. The goal now is to put more space between people. Small rooms that crowd easily are now off-limits. House and Senate leaders said Thursday that committees will conduct some business online starting next week. Legislators will able to debate and vote on bills through a meeting app commonly used by businesses. The public won't be able to connect through the app, but people can watch on the Mississippi Legislature YouTube channel.
 
Lawmakers will work via internet as COVID-19 spreads at the Capitol
House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, said Thursday that the House will start meeting online as COVID-19 spreads at the Capitol, but he expressed no interest in recessing the legislative session as a safety precaution. By Thursday afternoon, at least two senators and possibly more have contracted the coronavirus since lawmakers began the 2021 session on Jan. 5. One House member had tested positive. Though legislative leaders adopted safety guidelines this session, many lawmakers at the Capitol have been regularly seen without masks, and others have held maskless meetings in small spaces. Visitors to the Capitol have also been seen wearing masks improperly or not at all. Gunn said the one member in his chamber who tested positive had the coronavirus last week. He said based on that test, an unspecified number of House members were quarantined. That quarantine is slated to end Friday. Gunn said the House leadership was following the recommendations of State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
 
COVID-19 spreads at the Capitol, quarantine orders expected for some senators
Some members of the Mississippi Senate are expected to receive a quarantine notice from the Mississippi State Department of Health, notifying them not to return to the state Capitol until they receive a negative test for COVID-19. On Thursday morning, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, abruptly adjourned the upper chamber until Monday. After gaveling out, Hosemann told Mississippi Today that one senator had received the quarantine notice. He anticipated others would, though he did not have a number. Members who receive the notice would be those who had close contact with the two senators -- perhaps more -- who have contracted COVID-19 the past few days. As of midday Thursday, a third senator was displaying symptoms but had yet to test positive. Before the Senate adjourned for the weekend on Thursday, the Senate Rules Committee announced that when senators return to Jackson on Monday, safety precautions will be strengthened. Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland, who is the vice chair of the Rules Committee, said the goal is to post committee agendas online the day before any called meeting. But Michel stressed that in order to establish a quorum for the meetings, enough senators would have to show up in person. They could then leave the room and participate via Zoom.
 
Mississippi lawmakers will conduct meetings by Zoom amid positive virus cases
The Mississippi Legislature will continue working amid a handful of positive coronavirus cases, though lawmakers will conduct meetings partly over videoconference for the next few weeks. House Speaker Philip Gunn said Thursday that social distancing and masking protocols have allowed lawmakers to continue their work at the Capitol this session. Still, both chambers on Thursday agreed they must take further steps to prevent a large outbreak -- including conducting committee meetings virtually over the videoconference service Zoom. The Senate has already been livestreaming many of its committee meetings on YouTube this year, and starting next week the House will do the same in two of its committee rooms. In the House, Gunn said lawmakers will not need to come into the chamber at all until early February, but instead check in daily via Zoom. "This is a road we've never been down before," the House leader told his colleagues Thursday. "There's no playbook, so we're proceeding in the manner we think is best and still allows us to accomplish the work."
 
Teacher pay raise unanimously passes Mississippi Senate, moves to House
The Mississippi Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a $1,000 pay raise for all teachers at an estimated cost of $51 million. Other than the pay hike, Senate Bill 2001 would also increase starting teacher pay to $37,000 -- an uptick of about $1,100 -- and bring the minimum salary for assistant teachers to $15,000. The legislation is identical to a bill that was expected to win approval last year but was ultimately nixed due to COVID-19 budget problems. SB 2001 now heads to the House for consideration. Any changes made to the bill there will require the agreement of the Senate. Ahead of the bill's speedy course through the Senate, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann ranked a teacher pay raise among his top legislative priorities this year. "Our public educators are on the front lines of this pandemic, continuing to make sure Mississippi children receive first-rate instruction. Today, the Senate showed their gratitude by unanimously sending a pay increase to the House," Hosemann said in a written statement. "Thank you to all of our Mississippi educators."
 
Senate votes unanimously to pass teacher pay raise bill
Legislators in the Senate unanimously voted yes to passing Senate Bill 2001. The measure would provide beginning teachers with a $1,110 raise. The average teacher and teacher assistant would receive $1,000. Republican Senator Dennis DeBar of Leakesville, chairs the Education Committee. "It's definitely a priority. This proves that education and taking care of teacher pay and getting as close to the southeastern average as soon as possible is a priority for the Senate. Last year teachers were on track to get this raise, but due to the coronavirus pandemic the bill was shelved after it passed the Senate. Democratic Senator Sollie Norwood of Jackson, is on the Education Committee. "This is going to be an extremely critical year because of the pandemic and losing a lot of teachers to retirement and so forth. The raise is probably going to be good to attract new teachers as well as to retain the current teachers," said Norwood. The bill would raise a starting teacher's salary to $37,000. Nancy Loome is with the Parent's Campaign. She says it's a step in the right direction but most teachers wish the raise was more. "When you make a state to state comparison our teachers are woefully underpaid and so we have a long way to go. We have a very serious teacher shortage. We're very concerned about being able to fill teaching slots into the future," said Loome.
 
Senate passes teacher pay raise. Now it's up to the House.
The state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a $1,000 a year teacher pay raise that will bring starting teachers' salary to $37,000 a year. The measure now heads to the state House, but Speaker Philip Gunn this week said the House will not tackle the issue until later in the session, once state revenue and budget estimates become more firm. Under Senate Bill 2001 teachers with zero to three years experience with a bachelor's degree would see a $1,110 increase, bringing their annual pay to $37,000. This is still below the Southeastern regional average of $38,420 and national average of $40,154. A study by the National Education Association of starting teacher salaries for 2018-2019 ranked Mississippi's pay 46th among states. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is pushing the pay raise and promising more in subsequent years -- a major campaign promise in his successful campaign in 2019. Hosemann noted the bill was "No. 1," the first filed and assigned in the Senate.
 
Key MS House leader offers bill to restructure authority over Division of Medicaid
A new bill from the Mississippi House of Representatives, HB 1013 authored by House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar (R) would establish a Medicaid Commission to oversee the Division of Medicaid currently operated under the instruction of the Governor's office. The proposed Commission would be made up of seven members. Three would be appointed by the Governor and four by the Lt. Governor initially, with later appointments made with the advice and consent of the state Senate. The Speaker of the House would have the ability to nominate two of the Lt. Governor's appointees. This marks a departure from the current circumstance as Medicaid is part of the executive branch with the Executive Director appointed by and reporting to the Governor. The bill further clarifies the qualifications of the members and what experience they bring to the table, requiring some be a representative of Medicaid providers or from each Supreme Court or Congressional District. It will then be up to the Commission of seven to appoint an Executive Director, who is required to either be a physician with administrative experience or a person holding a graduate degree in medical care administration, public health, hospital administration or something similar. "House bill 1013 would essentially remove the Division of Medicaid from underneath the Governor and place a seven member board over the Division of Medicaid," said Representative Lamar.
 
Session Bills: Legislators pushing for online driver's licenses renewal, teacher raises and no more cons
Lawmakers are busy submitting bills for consideration as the Mississippi Legislature goes into its second week of work. Bills that could renew driver's licenses online, provide a pay hike for teachers, increase transparency for county budgets, purge voter rolls, reform the state's civil asset forfeiture system and end the state's certificate of need program are some of the ones that have been submitted. The first big deadline of the session will be February 2, which is the deadline for committees to approve bills for floor votes. House Bill 10, authored by House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, would allow an expired driver's license to be renewed online regardless of how much time has transpired after the expiration date of the license. The House Transportation Committee has been assigned the bill. HB 88 would prohibit agencies, governing authorities and universities and colleges from hiring contract lobbyists. It is sponsored by state Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville and will be handled by the House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee. SB 2173 would allow alcohol sales at package stores on Sunday and was authored by state Sen. Joel Carter, R-Gulfport. The Senate Finance Committee has been assigned the bill.
 
Eubanks introduces bills to criminalize abortion, forbid mandatory COVID-19 vaccination
DeSoto County legislators introduced two bills yesterday that would criminalize abortion in the state and prohibit employers from requiring their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Rep. Dan Eubanks (R-Dist. 25) introduced House Bill 338, which would make anyone who "willfully causes an abortion" guilty of a felony. Violating the law is punishable by 1-10 years in the state penitentiary with fines between $25,000 and $50,000, the bill states. The bill not only applies to women who receive abortions and the doctors who perform them, but also anyone who provides someone with the information they need to obtain an abortion. The penalties listed above would also apply to anyone who distributes information orally or in print, or through advertisements that helps someone receive an abortion. Eubanks and Rep. Dana Criswell (R-Dist. 6) also introduced House Bill 719 on Tuesday that would prevent private Mississippi businesses as well as public employers from requiring their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Eubanks and Criswell are also members of the Mississippi Freedom Caucus, a group of five conservative House members, which also includes DeSoto County Rep. Steve Hopkins. Eubanks told supporters in an audio message on Jan. 3 that vaccine requirements would mean a loss of bodily autonomy.
 
Mississippi Center for Public Policy appoints Davis as executive vice president
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy has appointed Lesley Davis as its Executive Vice President. Davis previously served as the Interim President & CEO, during which time, the organization conducted a global search over multiple months that ultimately led to the selection of Douglas Carswell, Brexit leader and former Member of British Parliament, as the new President & CEO. To this new position, Davis brings a passion for her fellow Mississippians as well as extensive policy, legal, and development experience. She will play a critical leadership role through strategic planning, policy advancement, and development. She received her BA in political science with a minor in English from Mississippi State University, where she served as Executive Director of the College Republicans, President of the Pre-Law Society, Student Association Attorney General, and Campaign Director for Senator Trent Lott's senatorial campaign on the MSU campus. She was a starting guard for the MSU Women's Basketball team and was voted MSU's Homecoming Queen.
 
Mississippians Break Previous ACA Enrollment Record Almost a Year into COVID-19
More Mississippians signed up for health insurance through the federal insurance exchange in 2020 than any year prior. Nearly 111,000 Mississippians found health plans through the exchange, surpassing the previous 2015 record by more than 2,000. This year's enrollment grew 12% over the 98,892 who signed up for 2020 health insurance -- and nearly doubled sign-ups from the exchange's early days' enrollment in 2013. Only six states -- Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina and Missouri -- had bigger gains over last year. Factoring in state size, Mississippi had the fourth-largest enrollment increases over last year, with about 400 more enrollees per 100,000 residents. The exchange, or marketplace, is part of the omnibus 2010 Affordable Care Act that allows insurance consumers to shop for and compare insurance plans, and offers tax credits based on income. Enrollment has varied since the marketplace launched in 2013, with its steepest declines from 2016 to 2018 when prices ballooned as insurers fled the exchange after President Trump cut budgets for ACA programs.
 
Sen. Wicker thanks Miss. National Guard members who served in D.C.
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker met with members of the Mississippi National Guard to thank them for their role in securing the Capitol during Wednesday's presidential inauguration. In a speech to the soldiers from the Clinton base, 114th Military Police Company, Wicker said he couldn't be any prouder of them and their role in upholding something that is sacred and that something the whole world looks to. Mississippi sent roughly 100 Guard members to help secure Washington, D.C. during the inaugural events.
 
Senators vet Buttigieg to run Transportation Department
Senators vetted former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Thursday, President Biden's pick to lead the Transportation Department. Buttigieg, an Army veteran who ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, would make history as the first openly gay Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate, if he wins approval. In opening remarks at his confirmation hearing, Buttigieg emphasized the need for safety in the transportation sector amid the pandemic, and highlighted infrastructure as an area where there is "a lot of work to do." "I believe that good transportation policy can play no less a role than making possible the American Dream, getting people and goods to where they need to be, directly and indirectly creating good-paying jobs," Buttigieg said, while adding that misguided policies can reinforce racial and economic inequity and divide neighborhoods. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, welcomed Buttigieg and his "valuable perspective" as a former local official.
 
Mayor Pete Gets Friendly Reception At Senate Hearing
Senate confirmation hearings can get a little heated. But Pete Buttigieg, President Biden's high-profile nominee for secretary of transportation, got a reception that was downright warm. "You know what the hell you're talking about, and that's pretty damn refreshing," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., when he got a chance at the mic at Buttigieg's hearing on Thursday. The senators on the Commerce Committee, including many Republicans, embraced Buttigieg's background as the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., and appreciated his willingness to dive deep into granular policy issues at the hearing. "I look forward to your confirmation," said Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., after she engaged with Buttigieg in a discussion about restrictions on truckers' working hours and how they affect egg and livestock shipments. Meanwhile, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said he was "quite certain" that Buttigieg would be confirmed and cordially invited the nominee to come to Mississippi and see the Amtrak route along the Gulf Coast. (Buttigieg accepted, while also saying yes to invitations to visit Cape Cod and Alaska.)
 
Mayor Pete soon Secretary Pete? Bipartisan senators say yes
Pete Buttigieg, displaying the political acumen that fueled his surge from mayoral obscurity to political stardom, sailed through a Senate hearing Thursday that was every bit an audition for a potential future presidential turn as it was for his impending role as Transportation secretary. Buttigieg, President Joe Biden's pick to head the Department of Transportation, easily fielded wonky questions about policy arcana from both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee -- aside from one stumble on a question about whether he'd consider raising the federal gasoline tax. His reception at Thursday's hearing suggests an easy road to confirmation, with the committee's top Republican, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, saying he's "quite certain he will be confirmed." Wicker dwelled on his education at Harvard and at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and praised his "impressive credentials" and "intellect." He comes into office with a much higher profile than any other Department of Transportation nominee. It's a dynamic that didn't escape senators in charge of vetting his nomination Thursday. Wicker teased Buttigieg about his recent spate of TV appearances, saying: "You were on The Tonight Show last night with Jimmy Fallon, and you were on the Morning Joe show this morning. In terms of thrilling experiences, how does being before this committee compare to those?" "I would characterize this as a unique experience," Buttigieg answered.
 
Biden ordering stopgap help as talks start on big aid plan
President Joe Biden plans to take executive action Friday to provide a stopgap measure of financial relief to millions of Americans while Congress begins to consider his much larger $1.9 trillion package to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The two executive orders that Biden is to sign would increase food aid, protect job seekers on unemployment and clear a path for federal workers and contractors to get a $15 hourly minimum wage. "The American people cannot afford to wait," said Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council. "So many are hanging by a thread. They need help, and we're committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible." One of Biden's orders asks the Agriculture Department to consider adjusting the rules for food assistance, so that the government could be obligated to provide more money to the hungry. Biden's second executive order would restore union bargaining rights revoked by the Trump administration, protect the civil service system and promote a $15 hourly minimum wage for all federal workers.
 
Banished by Trump but Brought Back by Biden, Fauci Aims to 'Let the Science Speak'
Most of the times Dr. Anthony S. Fauci made an appearance in the White House briefing room in 2020 -- before eventually being banished from public view for his grim assessments of the coronavirus pandemic -- he had President Donald J. Trump glowering over his shoulder. On Thursday, Dr. Fauci, the nation's foremost infectious disease specialist, was back, this time with no one telling him what to say. And he made no effort to hide how he felt about it. "The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know -- what the evidence, what the science is -- and know that's it, let the science speak," Dr. Fauci said, pausing for a second. "It is somewhat of a liberating feeling." Dr. Fauci's presence in the room where Mr. Trump and other administration officials repeatedly spread misleading and false information about the virus was part of a daylong effort by the Biden administration to show a willingness to level with the public about how severe the pandemic is and what can be done to slow its spread. Using the kind of blunt language that had so often infuriated Mr. Trump, Dr. Fauci said that the health threat from the virus was still "a very serious situation" and called the pandemic "historic, in the very bad sense."
 
'Pics or it didn't happen.' FBI flags selfies, posts of many accused in US Capitol riots
As she approached the U.S. Capitol doors, Jenna Ryan lined up her face in the frame of a Facebook Live video. "Y'all know who to hire for your Realtor. Jenna Ryan for your Realtor," she said to the camera. University of Kentucky student Gracyn Courtright posted a photo of herself on Instagram from just outside the Capitol doors, arms lifted in celebration. "Can't wait to tell my grandkids I was here!" the caption read. And in posts on Instagram and Facebook, Edward "Jake" Lang shared his confrontation with police officers at the Capitol. Using a finger-pointing emoji toward the front of the crowd, Lang wrote, "This is me." All three had publicly documented their roles in the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five dead and sent lawmakers fleeing for safety, and all three saw that documentation used against them in charges filed by the Department of Justice. They are hardly anomalies. Of the 119 people facing federal charges in connection to the riot as of Thursday afternoon, at least 71 cases involve photos, posts or footage from social media. At least 47 people saw screenshots of their own selfies, live streams, videos or posts in their charges, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the federal charging documents. "While it's not unheard of for criminals to brag about their crimes on social media, what is unique about this particular incident is the treasure trove of information that was released by the subjects themselves in the form of both video, pictures and conversations on different social media platforms," said Adam Scott Wandt, assistant professor of public policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
 
Trump Businesses See Sharp Revenue Decline at Key Properties
Former President Donald Trump saw sharp revenue declines across his family businesses last year as the Covid-19 pandemic took a steep toll on the Trump Organization's hotels and golf resorts, a marker of the many financial challenges Mr. Trump faces after leaving the White House. Newly released data from the Office of Government Ethics shows that the minimum revenue generated by Mr. Trump's businesses fell by nearly 40% from a year earlier, and declined even more at some of the company's most lucrative properties. The issues facing the Trump Organization are likely to get worse in the coming months. Some of the business's partners and clients said they would cut ties to Mr. Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to overturn President Biden's election win. Eric Trump, who has been running the Trump Organization since his father took the White House, said in an interview Thursday that the family business was in strong financial shape. "I have 75 million people who would follow my father to the ends of the Earth," he said. "He's got probably the most famous brand in the world. The opportunities for somebody like that are going to be endless." It is still unknown what role Mr. Trump will play at his businesses. People who know the family have been divided in recent months over how hands-on the former president would be after leaving office.
 
Mississippi Today adds two reporters to the newsroom
Mississippi Today is pleased to announce two new members of the Mississippi Today team: Molly Minta, higher education reporter, and Candace Mckenzie, an emerging reporters fellow. A Florida native, Minta joins Mississippi Today as the newest member of the education team. Her work will be in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit news organization focused on higher education, and the Woodward Hines Education Foundation, a Mississippi nonprofit that believes postsecondary degrees and credentials are vital in improving the lives of Mississippians, building communities, and strengthening our workforce. "Higher education in Mississippi is a sorely under-covered beat, and I can't wait for Molly to start digging into complex and important issues facing Mississippians such as access to financial aid, declining state funding or how the pandemic has affected student learning," said Managing Editor Kayleigh Skinner. "It's incredibly important to have a reporter covering Mississippi's higher education landscape, which plays a role in everything from our state workforce's preparedness to residents' earning potential and willingness to stay in Mississippi."
 
UM to roll out new diversity strategic plan today
The University of Mississippi will roll out its new diversity strategic plan "Pathways to Equity" today at the virtual 2021 Diversity Summit. Students involved with drafting the plan said it will address issues like UM's racial history, the minority student experience at UM and the creation of a multicultural center on campus. According to EJ Edney, the director of the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement (CICCE) and an organizer of the summit, "Pathways to Equity" has been in the works for the past year and will be the guideline for offices across campus to create individualized "equity and action plans." The university-wide plan will be made public after its introduction at the summit, and the office-specific plans will be made available after they are approved through a peer review process. "The most important takeaway from this plan is the transparent commitment from the division of diversity and community engagement to address institutional inequities that have been plaguing the university for a while now," Associated Student Body President Joshua Mannery said. "It's rare that we see such a large commitment to something like this from the university, to be honest."
 
Task Force Preparing for Campuswide COVID-19 Vaccinations
Although the exact date when doses will arrive is pending, the University of Mississippi Vaccine Distribution and Administration Task Force is preparing to launch a campuswide vaccination program as soon as shipments are available. The task force is working with the Mississippi State Department of Health to obtain doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Ole Miss officials are hopeful that once it arrives, the process to offer immunizations to the entire campus community can begin quickly. "I am extremely confident in our vaccine administration team," Provost Noel Wilkin said. "They have been administering vaccines on our campus for about a decade and conduct Operation Immunization each year for influenza vaccines. With the planning and competence of our team and the expertise and guidance of the Vaccine Distribution and Administration Task Force, I am confident that we will be able to begin administering vaccine to people on our campus within hours of it arriving." Taskforce members are very confident about the safety of the vaccines, said Dr. Hubert Spears, staff physician in the Employee Health Center.
 
Health clinic opens at William Carey University for students, staff
William Carey University students no longer have to travel off campus to access a health clinic thanks to a partnership between Hattiesburg Clinic and WCU. Instead, they can utilize the newly established William Carey Student Health, located in Crawford Hall. The site, which once housed the university's Baptist Student Union, is open to both students and employees from 1-4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The clinic offers a variety of services, including testing for the coronavirus. "As a university, we have been discussing for some time now the student health needs and the health needs of our campus community," Valerie Bridgeforth, WCU vice president for student support, said. The clinic is particularly important amid the pandemic, she said.
 
State school board suspends some requirements for assessments, evaluations for 2020-21 school year
The Mississippi State Board of Education voted Thursday to suspend some policies regarding statewide student assessments for the 2020-21 school year as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Third-grade students will not be required to pass the reading and language arts assessment to pass into fourth grade this year. In addition, high school students will not be required to pass end-of-course assessments in order to graduate. Those students will still need to pass all other district and state requirements to qualify for advancement and graduation. During a presentation to the Mississippi Legislature on Jan. 6, State Superintendent Casey Wright said the state wanted to have statewide tests to determine how much impact the pandemic has had on learning in schools. Processes have been disrupted statewide as some districts have shifted to online-only or a hybrid model of virtual and in-person classes, which is why Wright said she feels easing some policies is best this year. Districts statewide will also not receive letter grades to assess their performance because the Mississippi Department of Education feels there will not be enough data to calculate those scores appropriately. The board said districts will carry over the same grade they received during the 2018-19 school year, the last time performance evaluations were given.
 
Auburn College Democrats watch Biden, Harris inauguration
After a closely contested election with results not fully certified for at least an entire month, citizens across the United States tuned in to see the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday morning. Among those watching were the membership of the Auburn College Democrats who held a watch party in a large room in the Melton Student Center. Carsten Grove, senior in industrial systems engineering and president of AUCD, expressed hope for more policy change after the Democratic Party gained control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. However, Grove also conceded he felt Democrats don't always fulfill their election promises. Though Biden won, some students voiced displeasure with the newly elected Republican senator from Alabama, former Auburn Tigers football coach Tommy Tuberville. "I don't like him," said Alexa Kloske, freshman in environmental science. "I don't know anything about him except the fact that he was the coach here. I haven't heard him giving any plans for anything. So as far as I know, he's just there to have a good time. And I don't think he's gonna enact any good change."
 
U. of Florida students announce boycott against Aramark
Four organizations are taking a stand against the University of Florida's official food service provider to protest its use of prison labor. The Gainesville Chapter of the Dream Defenders, UF NAACP, the UF Black Student Union and the Coalition to Abolish Prison Slavery at UF launched a monetary boycott against Aramark, the food service giant, Tuesday. The goal is to pressure the university to contract a new food supplier that doesn't use prison labor, Dream Defenders member Ava Kaplan wrote in an email. UF Graduate Assistants United also announced its support for the Reitz Union Boycott Thursday through a Facebook post. Aramark has been UF's official food provider since 1995, and the university renewed its contract with the company in July of 2009. The contract was originally set to expire this June 30, according to the university's food service master plan. However, the contract with Aramark was extended until June 2022 because of COVID-19, UF spokesperson Hessy Fernandez wrote in a statement. The next contract period begins July 2022, and UF is still in the process of selecting a food service provider, she wrote.
 
Anti-racism activist Jane Elliott, others urge action at Texas A&M's annual MLK Breakfast
Anti-racism activist Jane Elliott headlined Texas A&M University's 14th annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast with a spirited and wide-ranging keynote conversation Thursday morning. "I intend to get people's attention and I intend to get them emotionally involved, because it is my impression that people of color are emotionally involved in racism," Elliott said during the more than 90-minute program hosted by A&M's MSC Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee. "I believe that words have power --- and I believe we should be careful about how we use them. ... Words are the most powerful weapon devised by humankind. We use them to divide and destroy people all day, every day." The mostly virtual event was organized by students and moderated by Texas A&M English professor Michael Collins. LAUNCH Program Coordinator Dustin Kemp opened the proceedings with a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing. A relative handful of presenters and participants attended in person on the A&M campus, with most, including Elliott, joining online. The Facebook feed drew more than 1,600 comments during the event and had been viewed online several thousand times as of Thursday evening.
 
U. of Missouri Faculty Council supports broader non-tenure-track representation
In a move designed to make it more representative of the university's faculty, the University of Missouri Faculty Council voted to include non-tenure-track faculty in the census for council representation and make them eligible for election. The motion still needs to undergo a full-faculty vote and approval from the UM System Board of Curators before it can go into effect. If approved, the council would undergo a gradual transition, according to the resolution. Right now, five non-tenure-track faculty can join the council in a process separate from regular elections, but non-tenure-track faculty overall do not have equal representation on the council. The new resolution requires a minimum of four tenured or tenure-track representatives on the council and a minimum of four non-tenure-track representatives. The council also voted to endorse a proposal allowing the MU Retirees Association to sponsor staff and faculty who wish to retain their ".edu" email accounts after retirement. MURA opposes a recent policy that all future MU retirees be phased out of the University of Missouri System email accounts unless otherwise approved by a dean.
 
'It's finally here': U. of Memphis to implement $15 minimum wage by June
The University of Memphis will implement at $15 minimum wage by June of this year, President David Rudd told faculty in an email Tuesday. Campus workers have been demanding this minimum wage increase in particular since at least 2017, they have said. While the university has announced increases in minimum wages over the last year, this is the first time during that stretch that U of M has said it has a sustainable plan to reach and maintain the $15 minimum wage the United Campus Workers union has demanded. The university came under fire for a previous commitment to a $15 minimum wage in summer of 2019. After Rudd publicly announced the university had a "definitive plan" for such wage increases, a records review by The Commercial Appeal revealed such a plan did not exist. Implementing the plan will not show up as an increase in student tuition, Rudd said. The increases will affect the campus' lowest paid workers, including custodians and physical plant workers "who have been on the front lines of keeping campus open and clean during the COVID-19 crisis," the United Campus Workers wrote in a press release Thursday.
 
Survey outlines student concerns 10 months into pandemic
Nearly one year into the pandemic that upended higher education, students continue to be concerned about mental health, catching COVID-19 and the quality and challenges of online education. New polling data collected in December for the nonprofit organizations New America and Third Way highlight some of these concerns, along with attitudes about college and university leadership, vaccines, and internet access. The organizations conducted similar polling in August of last year. For those students learning online through the pandemic, the modality continues to have its drawbacks, polling showed. Over half of students said they have had to make purchases, such as computers, microphones or desks, to be able to learn online. For 70 percent of those students, the purchases came at "significant" cost. That number was notably higher among students who are parents or guardians to a child or caregiver for a family member, at 91 percent. Internet access has been another barrier to online learning. Nearly 60 percent of respondents indicated that having access to stable, high-speed internet access was a challenge for them, though only 4 percent said they did not have sufficiently high-speed, reliable internet to complete their coursework.
 
Kansas Regents Make It Easier to Dismiss Tenured Professors
Kansas' Board of Regents voted unanimously on Wednesday to create a process by which the state's six public universities can more expeditiously suspend and fire employees, including tenured faculty members. It's an extreme move, Shane Bangerter, one of nine board members, acknowledged, but one that he felt was "absolutely necessary," given how Covid-19 has depressed higher education's finances. The temporary change, which will expire in December 2022, gives greater flexibility to university leaders, other regents argued. It's meant to be just one arrow in their quiver to deal with budget retrenchment. No one wants layoffs, Bangerter said during the meeting. But, he said, these are "extreme times." He called attention to Gov. Laura Kelly's proposed budget, which would deliver, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal, $33.4 million in cuts to the six state universities. That's a 5.3-percent reduction in the state's base appropriation for the University of Kansas, the flagship, and a 5.5-percent overall reduction for Kansas State University, the news outlet reported. The University of Kansas already projects a $74.6-million shortfall for the 2022 fiscal year, which "will require us to eliminate programs and departments, reduce services, and implement furloughs and layoffs on a large scale," the university's chancellor, Douglas A. Girod, wrote in a recent letter to faculty and staff members.
 
Biden faces Title IX battle complicated by politics and his own history
Joe Biden entered the White House this week with high and wide-ranging expectations from higher education leaders, advocates for survivors of sexual violence and students for how his new administration will require colleges to handle and reduce sexual assault on college campuses. In addition to addressing the public health and economic consequences of the pandemic, supporting the ongoing movement for social justice and equity for Black Americans, and trying to unite a politically polarized population, President Biden has also promised to strengthen Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded institutions, which mandates how colleges should respond to student reports of sexual misconduct. Through his time as a senator and vice president, violence against women and the prevalence of sexual assault has remained a "signature issue" and something the president "cares deeply about," said Shep Melnick, a professor of political science at Boston College and author The Transformation of Title IX: Regulating Gender Equality in Education (Brookings, 2018). Melnick noted that Biden was a "major factor" in the Obama administration's emphasis on reducing campus sexual assault.
 
Biden orders more guidance on college reopening decisions
President Biden signed an executive order Thursday directing the secretary of education to provide, in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, "evidence-based guidance to institutions of higher education on safely reopening for in-person learning, which shall take into account considerations such as the institution's setting, resources, and the population it serves." The "Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers" was one of 10 orders signed by Biden in conjunction with the release of a new 200-page strategy from the White House on COVID-19 response. The strategy includes a goal of administering 100 million vaccines in Biden's first 100 days in office and a plan to invoke the Defense Production Act to address supply gaps in production of vaccines, tests, personal protective equipment and other needed supplies. The strategy calls for expanding testing and face mask wearing, including through new masking requirements for interstate travel. One of the seven goals listed in the strategy is to support schools, colleges and businesses in safely reopening while supporting workers. The document calls for more guidance to colleges to that end.
 
Appreciate individual needs to maximize learning outcomes
Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University, writes: While there are always students for whom school assignments are relatively easy and those for whom they are very difficult, there are also students who struggle in one area and excel in others. In simple language, these students are often referred to as twice exceptional. They, for example, may have an astounding command of numerical sense and calculations and even complex applications. On the other hand, these same amazing students may struggle in areas such as in reading comprehension or even social engagement. This is just one of an almost limitless combination of student outcomes which are now recognized as twice exceptional, or 2e. According to the National Association of Gifted Children's (NAGC) website, 2e describes children who have gifted abilities in at least one area, combined with one or more learning domains where they demonstrate eligibility for federal or state disability status. Even though these children have gifted abilities in select emphasis areas, they often encounter difficulty with the entire scholastic experience.


SPORTS
 
No. 7 Mississippi State to open season with top-10 matchups against TCU, Texas and Texas Tech in Arlington
Mississippi State baseball is starting with a bang. Ranked the No. 7 team in America by D1Baseball, MSU will begin its season in the State Farm College Baseball Showdown held at Globe Life Field -- home of the Texas Rangers -- with matchups against No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 9 Texas and No. 10 TCU. MSU is also joined by No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 8 Arkansas in the six-team field, announced Thursday. "We're excited to open our season against three quality opponents in an amazing facility like Globe Life Field," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said. "The opportunity for our guys to compete against some of the best programs in college baseball in a professional park will only help us later in the season." MSU will open the tournament on Feb. 19 against Texas, followed by a Feb. 20 meeting with TCU and a final contest against Texas Tech on Feb. 21. The Bulldogs notably closed the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign with a two-game sweep of the Red Raiders in Biloxi in March. Due to COVID-19 measures, fan attendance will be limited to between 14 and 15,000 and spectators will be required to wear masks. Tickets for the event went on sale at 1 p.m. Thursday.
 
Bulldogs, Rebels will open baseball season in Texas
Both the Mississippi State and Ole Miss baseball programs are joining a handful of Top-10 teams opening the season next month at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. Ole Miss, ranked No. 6 by D1Baseball's preseason rankings, and Mississippi State, ranked No. 7, are both playing in the inaugural State Farm College Baseball Showdown on Feb. 19-21 to begin the season. The tournament will feature six teams -- three from the SEC and three from the Big 12. No. 8 Arkansas, No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 9 Texas and No. 10 TCU are all joining the Mississippi SEC programs. Mississippi State will lead the tournament off and will play the 11 a.m. game each day of the weekend. The Bulldogs will play Texas on Friday, TCU on Saturday and Texas Tech on Sunday. "This is a time when most rosters are better than they've ever been," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said about the talent level in the tournament. "With all the players that are going to be here and be scouted, I think you're seeing some of the best players in college baseball all in one weekend and that's the exciting part of it. I would imagine every professional organization will be watching us that weekend."
 
NCAA alters format for CWS to guarantee games on both weekends
The NCAA wants to guarantee that the College World Series has games on back-to-back weekends so it's announced plans to restructure the format starting in 2022. Instead of opening action on a Saturday, the CWS will begin on a Friday. And the championship series will run Saturday-Monday (instead of Monday-Wednesday). The change trims the CWS schedule by one day. It's the format that the CWS had from 2003 to 2007, when it first featured a best-of-three showdown between the winners of the two brackets. "You're always trying to tweak things, to try to make it better," said Jeff Altier, the chair of the NCAA's Division I baseball committee. "We felt it was time to condense (the CWS) a little bit." This year's CWS format remains unchanged. It's set to be played from June 19-30. But college baseball, like other NCAA sports, is still working to solidify its best course of action to conduct a season during the pandemic. Jack Diesing, chairman of CWS Inc., said in a statement that the change will benefit local businesses because there will be a guaranteed second weekend of games to entice visiting fans to stay or attract new ones to travel in.
 
Ole Miss baseball updates attendance plan
Just like other sports events affected by COVID-19 restrictions, Ole Miss baseball's Swayze Field will be limited to 25% capacity for the upcoming season. Ole Miss's baseball attendance plan is based on guidelines from the SEC and the state of Mississippi in response to COVID-19 to safely proceed with the 2020-2021 season. "We are blessed with the most passionate fans in college baseball," Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter said. "We have been extremely thoughtful in our planning in order to welcome as many of our loyal supporters as possible to Swayze Field over the course of the season. We regret that we will not be able to accommodate everyone, but unfortunately, there is no perfect solution in these challenging times." Camping chairs in groups of two and four will be provided in the left and right fields. No seating outside of permitted areas will be allowed, and there will also be a limited number of general admission single-game tickets available for midweek games. Right field student tickets will be $5, going on sale every Monday before home games.
 
LSU to cap Alex Box Stadium at 25% capacity, prohibit tailgating before baseball games
LSU will maintain its stadium policies related to the coronavirus pandemic during the 2021 baseball season, capping Alex Box Stadium's capacity at 25% and prohibiting tailgates around campus, according to an email sent Wednesday to season-ticket holders. With the reduced capacity, the athletic department will let season-ticket holders opt out of their seats this season. Those who retain tickets will receive a limited number of games as LSU divides home games into packages. In the email, LSU said the packages depend on how many fans keep their tickets. LSU also said in the email it will sell alcohol inside Alex Box Stadium, which can normally hold 10,326 people. LSU said in the email it won't allow tailgating in parking lots and around campus "before any games during the 2021 season." The school has let fans gather near their vehicles with small groups or household members, but it doesn't permit tents, trailers, outdoor cooking or communal food and beverage areas.
 
Why Tennessee wanted Danny White of UCF as next Vols athletics director
Donde Plowman knew what she wanted in Tennessee's next athletics director: an experienced leader and forward thinker with a track record of hiring successful head coaches. It took the UT chancellor just days to achieve her goal. Tennessee made a statement hire Thursday by prying loose University of Central Florida athletics director Danny White to replace Phillip Fulmer, filling a job that opened Monday. "We're trying to go big and make a big change, a big turn and get some really positive things going in all of our sports, especially football," Plowman told Knox News in an exclusive interview Thursday. White's coaching hires helped elevate UCF football to national prominence, and he helped bring a modern game-day experience to the Bounce House, UCF's football stadium. White started at UCF in 2015, and previously was the AD at Buffalo. Both places achieved elevated success under his leadership. "I want people to see we're serious," Plowman said. "We're serious about Tennessee becoming a national brand and destination location for not only our academic side of the house, but athletics, as well." White is the son of Duke athletics director Kevin White and the brother of Florida Atlantic AD Brian White and Florida men's basketball coach Mike White. His sister, Mariah Chappell, is an assistant AD at Southern Methodist University.
 
Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek addresses revenue shortfall
University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek gave a revised financial update for the department on Thursday that projected a bigger fiscal year deficit than originally anticipated. However, Yurachek did not sound a dire alarm regarding the state of the department finances 10 months into the covid-19 pandemic. Speaking on a wide range of topics during a 30-minute video conference with the media, Yurachek said the revenue shortfall that was projected to be in the $20 million to $25 million range prior to the football season now looks to be steeper. "That's probably closer to $25-30 million dollars after we closed out football season," Yurachek said. "We're roughly halfway through basketball season, and we kind of feel like we know what we're going to be able to do with baseball season. "So we've had to make a few adjustments to our budget on the expense side because of those anticipated revenue shortfalls growing, but we feel like we're in pretty good shape still." The 2020-21 budget for UA athletics was projected to be about $124 million, with roughly $70 million of it tied to football, so fiscal-year revenues now project to be between 20% to 25% short.
 
Alabama names sports performance complex for former AD Bill Battle
The University of Alabama officially opened under a new name, the Bill Battle Athletic Performance Center, in an outdoor ceremony Thursday. The Performance Center, formerly known as the Alabama Strength and Conditioning Complex, was first opened in 2013, serving all 17 of Alabama's programs in the 37,000 square-foot space. "It was intriguing to me to have a building named next to Mal's (Moore) building," Battle said in a school release. "I thought that was a pretty cool thing, so that's what we decided to do. When I was in school here, there wasn't a brick on this whole area. The football fields were out here, and we would walk to practice some days. It's amazing to see everything that's gone on since then, and it's really an honor and a humbling experience to think about being here on this fantastic building." The performance center is the second athletics building on campus to bear Battle's name, joining the Bill Battle Academic Center, which was formally rededicated following a renovation in 2005. The Battles also provided a generous donation to fund all seven scholarships of Alabama softball's returning seniors for the 2020-21 season.
 
Does SEC basketball home-court advantage exist with small crowds? 'The environment is totally different'
John Calipari is used to making history at Rupp Arena. Just not this kind of history. Calipari started his Kentucky tenure by winning his first 54 games in the building. His first home loss as Kentucky's coach did not come until his fourth season on the job. None of Calipari's first 11 Kentucky teams lost more than two games at Rupp Arena. His current Kentucky basketball squad has lost three of its first five home games. "Our fans have an impact," Calipari said. "It impacts a game in a positive way for our team, in a negative way for their team. Everybody is saying people are winning road games. Yeah, it's like your just in a gym playing a game. I wish these kids could feel what that was like." Like every program, Kentucky is playing its home games this season in front of drastically reduced crowds. Rupp Arena capacity has been limited to 15% (around 3,000 fans) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Wednesday's games, road teams have won 45.2% of their games in Southeastern Conference play. That percentage would be higher than road teams' success rate in any of the last five seasons, though the sample size remains small with some teams having played as few as two road games due to COVID-19 postponements. Calipari has gone as far as to suggest to his boss, Kentucky athletic director and men's basketball selection committee chair Mitch Barnhart, that road wins should be given no added emphasis in the NCAA Tournament seeding process this season. While anecdotal evidence may support Calipari's assertion it is easier to win on the road with attendance limited, the evidence is far from conclusive that smaller crowds have completely negated home-court advantage.
 
College basketball wrestling with multiple hurdles caused by COVID-19 as conference tournaments loom
Thirty-two men's college basketball games have been postponed since Sunday and another 15 already have been removed from calendars for this weekend, in the latest example of how the 2020-21 season has struggled to move forward as scheduled against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. As with the football season, which piloted through outbreaks and cancellations to reach the College Football Playoff, college basketball's regular season is stumbling toward the established finish line of the NCAA tournament, which is scheduled to begin March 18. In this season of uncertainty, settling who rounds out the 68-team bracket is becoming trickier than usual. Even the easiest piece of that puzzle -- the automatic qualifiers from each of the 31 conferences in action -- has been deeply complicated by COVID-19. (The Ivy League cancelled its season because of the pandemic). Nearly every conference polled by USA TODAY Sports agreed on two points. Eighteen of the 31 conferences responded to requests for additional information. One, that there is a need to discuss and consider contingency plans for conference tournaments in case COVID-19 forces several teams into quarantine or an outbreak at the current host site forces a change in location. And two, should a tournament be canceled due to COVID-19, the automatic bid would go to the league's regular season champion.
 
Notre Dame football on NCAA probation for recruiting violations
Notre Dame's football program is on NCAA probation until next January after admitting to recruiting violations in 2019 in which a now-former assistant had an impermissible in-person meeting with one prospect and sent impermissible text messages to another. The NCAA announced the negotiated resolution Thursday after it was reviewed by the Division I Committee on Infractions. "Any violation of NCAA rules is unacceptable and Notre Dame Athletics takes full responsibility for its actions in this regard," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. "While we made clear to the NCAA our view that the agreed-upon penalties exceeded the nature of the infractions, we accept the final outcome of the case. In addition, the assistant coach involved is no longer employed by the university." Head coach Brian Kelly also was found to have had impermissible off-campus contact with a prospect when he had his picture taken with the prospect at his high school. Probation started Thursday, and the school also will pay a $5,000 fine.



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