| Thursday, July 1, 2021 |
| Mississippi State shuts down Vandy again for 1st national title | |
 | Mississippi State's first national championship had been building since 1985, when "Thunder and Lightning" -- Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro -- were the stars on what's known as the best team to not win a College World Series. The 2021 Bulldogs got the job done. Finally. Will Bednar and Landon Sims combined on a one-hitter, the Bulldogs scored early and built on their lead, and at the end they were in a dogpile celebrating a 9-0 victory over Vanderbilt in the deciding third game of the College World Series finals Wednesday night. There to see it was Ron Polk, the godfather of Mississippi State baseball and the coach of that '85 team. "Coach Polk is the one who built this and started it," coach Chris Lemonis said. "We run out there and play in front of the big crowds, but Polk was a big reason why, and our former players, too. This is a lot of years in the making, and a lot of fun. And I know our fans will enjoy this." Oh, they enjoyed it. It seemed the whole town of Starkville, Mississippi, was at TD Ameritrade Park -- loud and proud -- for all three games of the finals. When third baseman Kamren James threw to first for the final out, the Bulldogs' dugout emptied and about 100 fans jumped out of the stands to celebrate. The players walked the warning track and reached up to high-five the fans. |
| Bulldogs make history with win over Vandy in CWS final | |
 | Mississippi State erased decades of heartbreak with nine nearly perfect innings of baseball on Wednesday in Game 3 of the College World Series final against Vanderbilt at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. The Bulldogs routed the Commodores 9-0 to come back and win the best-of-three series, claiming their first national championship and the first team title in any sport in school history. "It's a special night for all of us," coach Chris Lemonis said. Mississippi State faced elimination three times in the NCAA tournament -- in Super Regionals against Notre Dame and twice in the College World Series, facing Texas and Vanderbilt. But on each occasion, the Bulldogs responded with phenomenal play to stay alive -- and, now, claim college baseball's biggest prize. "It's been a long year," Lemonis said. "We've had our backs against the wall a lot of times." Starting pitcher Will Bednar helped the Bulldogs push away from that foreboding fence. On short rest, Bednar allowed no hits and no runs in six innings. Landon Sims pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit. Logan Tanner and Kellum Clark each hit home runs for Mississippi State. Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen, seniors playing their final games as Bulldogs, combined for five hits as MSU knocked Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker from the game in the fifth inning. |
| NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Mississippi State pummels Vanderbilt in Game 3 | |
 | The Mississippi State baseball team has won the national championship. No. 7 national seed MSU blew out No. 4 seed Vanderbilt, 9-0, in Wednesday night's Game 3 of the College World Series championship series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. Mississippi State (50-18) took the best-of-three series, 2-1, after winning Game 2, 13-2, late Tuesday night. It's the first national championship in Mississippi State school history in any team sport. "It's so awesome to bring back the trophy to Starkville," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It's our community and how much they love their baseball, it's pretty special. ... When you're going to do something legendary for the first time, it was going to have to be tough. And it's pretty surreal right now. But the reason we are champions is we just have a really tough, resilient group." Will Bednar (9-1), who was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player, started on the mound for Mississippi State on only three-days rest, the shortest rest he's pitched on in his career. He was facing Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (14-4), who entered the game 3-0 in his career in CWS games. And despite being on short rest, Bednar out-dueled Kumar and tossed six hitless innings against Vanderbilt batters. |
| National champs! Mississippi State baseball routs Vanderbilt, wins College World Series title | |
 | For the first time in program history, Mississippi State fans can ring cowbells with a ring on their finger. Mississippi State won the College World Series on Wednesday night, defeating Vanderbilt 9-0 to bring home the first team sport national championship in school history. This College World Series win is Mississippi State's first in 12 trips and makes MSU the seventh current member of the SEC to win a College World Series. "You lose the first game of this series, and you're sitting there and you know how bad our community, our school, our program wants this trophy," Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said. "We talked about it Saturday night, how it wouldn't be easy. When you're going to do something legendary for the first time, it's going to be tough. It's pretty surreal right now. But the reason we are champions right now is we're tough." The Bulldogs (50-18) controlled the game from the jump. Mississippi State tagged Vanderbilt (49-18) ace Kumar Rocker for three runs on two hits, two walks and an error in the first two innings to build a 3-0 lead. After Rocker stabilized in the third and fourth innings, the top of Mississippi State's order chased one of the top MLB Draft prospects with two runs on four hits to lead off the fifth inning. Rocker didn't have his best stuff pitching on short rest, but Mississippi State ace Will Bednar did. Bednar threw six shutout, no-hit innings, walking three and striking out four. Bednar retired the last 15 batters he faced. |
| Mississippi State Fulfills Grand Vision With First College World Series Championship | |
 | Dudy Noble Field stands at the corner of the Mississippi State campus, a college baseball palace built on what used to be a cow pasture. The grandest stadium in the country built for perhaps the most audacious program in the country. Because it took an audacious vision to turn Mississippi State into a powerhouse. On Wednesday in Omaha, the wait ended. Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt, 9-0, in game 3 of the College World Series finals to win the national championship. Mississippi State did it big, the only way befitting the program. Its fans flooded TD Ameritrade Park, which on Wednesday packed in 24,052 fans and set a record for a CWS finals game. Among those fans were Polk, former Mississippi State righthander Jonathan Papelbon and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, one of Mississippi State's most beloved alumni. They were there to see history as the championship was not just the first in program history but the first team sports championship in school history. In short, it was an exemplary all-around effort. Mississippi State turned a cow pasture into a palace. It brought thunder and lightning to college baseball. Its most revered coach is known as the Godfather of SEC baseball for his role in turning the conference into a power. But only now is the grand vision complete. The Bulldogs are finally national champions. |
| 'We deserve this': How Mississippi State baseball fans reacted to first national championship | |
| Pete Sneed is a man of his word. The lifelong Mississippi State fan said there would be tears littered across his face if the Bulldogs finally won their elusive first baseball national championship. "You are going to see a grown man cry," he said after the second inning. "Actually you are going to see a bunch of grown men cry tonight." They got their chance when Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt 9-0 Wednesday to win the College World Series for the school's first national championship in a team sport. The Tupelo native made a point to come to Starkville for the College World Series. He sat surrounded by Bulldogs faithful in a packed Two Brothers Smoked Meats and wishfully waited for his opportunity to bawl. He was far from the only person overcome with emotion. Brian Groves stood in disbelief Wednesday night as the Bulldogs were one out away from the championship. Groves is a second-generation Mississippi State alumnus and the thought of his school winning it all -- especially on his 35th birthday -- was overwhelming. "This is so pure," Groves said seconds before champagne bottles began to pop in Two Brothers "This means everything. I've been waiting on this my entire life. We deserve this. Sometimes, the good guys win." |
| Starkville to hold parade to honor Mississippi State baseball team Friday | |
| Mississippi State University will hold a parade to honor the 2021 Diamond Dawgs on their championship win at the College World Series. The parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The route will begin at Little Dooey and run along University Drive, ending at Dudy Noble Field. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to tailgate along the parade route, according to an MSU press release. The event will conclude with a public celebration inside Dudy Noble. Gates for the celebration will open at 2:30 p.m. and seating will be on a first come first serve basis. Concession stands will not be open, but fans can bring personal coolers, snacks and beverages inside the stadium. "The ceremony at Dudy Noble Field will begin approximately 45 minutes following the parade and will honor head coach Chris Lemonis and his 2021 National Champion Diamond Dawgs who bested Vanderbilt in the three-game championship series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska this week," Associate Athletics Director of Communications Brandon Langlois said in a press release Wednesday night. While the MSU Athletic Department is hosting the event, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said this parade is an opportunity for the city of Starkville to honor the baseball team on the university's first ever national championship. "They are champions," Spruill said. "All that they have done has made us so proud and so delighted that Starkville is home for them and that Mississippi State University is part of our community. We look forward to all of the successes and celebrations in the coming days." |
| Mississippi State to host parade, celebration after College World Series championship win | |
 | The party ain't over! Mississippi State will be hosting a National Celebration parade and celebration on Friday following its historic College World Series win. The Bulldogs shut out Vanderbilt 9-0 on Wednesday night to secure the university's first team national championship win. According to the university, there will be a parade at 5:30 p.m. Friday through downtown Starkville, followed by a celebration at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium. The parade route will begin at The Little Dooey on University Drive and will end outside the home plate gate at Dudy Noble. Athletes, coaches, administrators and other invited guests will be part of the parade. Fans are encouraged to tailgate along the parade route, the university said. The free celebration at Dudy Noble will begin about 45 minutes after the parade. Gates open at 2:30 p.m. Personal coolers, snacks and drinks will be allowed inside the stadium as concession stands will not be open. Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis and the team will be honored. Lemonis, MSU President Mark Keenum, athletics director John Cohen, City of Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill, student-athletes and other special guests will speak at the event. |
| Mississippi State national championship merchandise selling briskly | |
| Mississippi State fans are rejoicing. The baseball team won the school's first team national championship at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night, beating Vanderbilt 9-0 in the College World Series title game, and within hours, T-shirts celebrating the squad's success were being printed at a shop in Pontotoc for State fans who couldn't buy them in Omaha. The shirts were still warm when they arrived at Reed's department store in downtown Tupelo and the Mall at Barnes Crossing location, which opened early in anticipation of high demand. And it didn't take long before Bulldog fans began snapping them up. Jillian Flowers was among the first customers downtown, and she bought three T-shirts. "I got one for me, one for my husband and one for a friend," she said. "This is the first anything we've ever won," she said, with tears welling up. "It's exciting for our state." Through the years, Reed's has printed T-shirts celebrating the Egg Bowl winner, as well as other significant sporting events. The top-seller has been the 1996 MSU Final Four shirt, but the baseball shirt will no doubt surpass that record. Reed's President Bennett Mize said "hundreds of hundreds" of T-shirts have been ordered, with more coming through the days ahead. |
| 'There's gonna be a big party tonight': Mississippi State baseball wins national championship | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: It began as a baseball game. It ended as a wild, maroon and white celebration. After 129 years of playing college baseball -- mostly high quality baseball -- Mississippi State claimed its first national championship in any team sport Wednesday night. The Diamond Dogs body-slammed defending national champion Vanderbilt 9-0, as more than 20,000 Bulldog fans roared their approval. State fans cheered, they chanted, they clapped, they high-fived, they hugged, they sang, they danced. And some cried. The last few days, they have painted Omaha, a 13-hour drive from Mississippi, solid maroon. The 2021 Bulldogs have accomplished what so many Bulldog legends -- and so many splendid Mississippi State teams -- could not. Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro, Thunder and Lightning, couldn't do it. The great Ron Polk, in two stints as State's coach, couldn't do it. John Cohen couldn't do as a player or a coach -- but he did as an athletic director. He hired the guy who finally did it: Chris Lemonis. ... Decades from now State fans will talk about how Will Bednar came back on three days rest and pitched six innings of no-hit baseball against the defending national champions. They'll talk about how Landon Sims almost preserved the no-hitter. They'll talk about the sharp-fielding Bulldogs played error-less, sometimes spectacular defensive baseball for the entire College World Series. And so many of them -- especially the younger ones -- will talk about how they were here when it happened. How they helped will their heroes to victory. |
| Summer Scholars returns with productions Friday, Saturday at Mississippi State | |
| Summer Scholars students are thrilled to be back after a year away from the stage due to the pandemic. The 39 teenagers from this year's annual theater production camp at Mississippi State will present their festival called "Dreamscapes" this weekend on the MSU campus, following a two-week production camp and only three days to write their one-act musicals. The performances will be at 6 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday in the theater of McComas Hall on the Mississippi State University campus, according to an MSU press release. Attendance is limited to 75-percent capacity, and priority for admission will be given to family and relatives of the campers. These campers formed three different production companies -- The Space Cowboys, Swagville Productions and The Ridiculams -- and their plays feature stories on circus performers, island towns and high school cliques, all inspired by this year's theme of dreams, the press release said. The students hail from Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas under the supervision of a creative staff of playwrights, musicians, teachers and authors who worked with the students to create original scripts for each musical comedy. Initially created after a one-week theater camp in 1982, Summer Scholars On Stage boasts a wide, devout alumni network, with area instructors from universities and high schools working with students. |
| Mississippi State awards $1.15 million to overseas aquaculture projects | |
| Six aquaculture-related projects in Bangladesh, Ghana, Malawi and Zambia have been awarded a share of $1.15 million in grant funding by the Fish Innovation Lab at Mississippi State University. As part of the US Government's Feed the Future programme and funded by the US Agency for International Development, the Fish Innovation Lab works to reduce poverty and improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in developing countries by supporting research on sustainable aquaculture and fisheries systems. "Fish are an essential source of animal protein and income for people in developing countries. These new projects expand the Fish Innovation Lab's work to ensure more people can access fish as part of their diet and benefit from livelihoods in aquaculture and fisheries sectors," said Dr Mark Lawrence, director of the lab. Building on the lab's existing portfolio of 13 research-for-development projects worldwide, the newly awarded grants supports six projects spanning aquaculture and fisheries activities along the fish value chain in Bangladesh, Ghana, Malawi and Zambia. The new projects aim to improve market access for aquaculture producers and consumers, boost aquaculture productivity through genetically improved species, investigate the micronutrient impacts of shellfish in diets, develop vaccines for bacterial diseases in farmed fish, produce insects for fish feed in aquaculture, and explore the ecology and market potential of introduced shellfish. |
| Butcher shop and seafood store open in Starkville | |
| For four months, Artie Sutherland has been delivering fresh seafood to the Starkville area. Less than a month ago, he officially opened The Blind Tiger Butcher Shop and Seafood Express at 332 Hwy 12. Customers can pick up from a selection of prime meat and fresh gulf shrimp, crawfish, crab, oysters and more Monday through Friday 4-7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. TBT is closed on Thursdays so Sutherland can go to the coast and restock. "We are so excited to be in Starkville," the Mississippi State alum said. "The support has been unreal quite honestly. We're hoping to continue being a Starkville store. We want to be a store of the people and make sure we grow with what everyone wants." Over time, Sutherland said he hopes to expand to offering lunch and dinner plates and possibly delivery. Customers can also order specialty items online at tbtbutchershop.com for pick up on Fridays. Be sure to keep up with TBT on social media for updates, specialty items and more. |
| MHP partners with neighboring agencies for 4th of July safety initiative | |
| Ahead of the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend, Mississippi and its neighboring states have partnered up for a safety initiative. The Mississippi Highway Patrol, along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Louisiana State Police, will participate in the "10-8 on 10, One Road, One Mission" enforcement effort. Preceding the 4th of July holiday travel period, the initiative will see each agency place troopers all across Interstate 10 to remove impaired drivers, reduce crashes, promote seatbelt usage, and deter speeding. In addition, troopers will also focus on drivers who fail to move over to the left hand lane when a law enforcement, emergency or tow vehicle is parked on the side of the road. "In joining with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Louisiana State Police, we are committed to one mission, keeping the public safe," Colonel Randy Ginn, Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, said. "As Troopers, we share not only borders, but the same goals in saving lives and providing safe travel to and through our states." This high visibility enforcement detail is designed to keep motorists safe during peak travel times. |
| Delta Native Martha Scott Poindexter Named to D.C. Post | |
| Having just served as Staff Director for U.S. Arkansas Senator John Boozman, Ranking Republican Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Martha Scott Poindexter will now take on the role of Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Dairy Export Council on July 8. She had served with Boozman since November and had also held the same Staff Director position for eight years under Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA-R). Poindexter is the first female to lead both the agriculture and intelligence committees in the Senate, also having served as Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Select Subcommittee on Intelligence. The Morgan City native, raised on a cotton, rice and soybean farm, (who now lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband Robert Guenther, a prominent lobbyist) attended Mississippi State University, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics. "I had wanted to approach Senator Thad Cochran about an interview for a job I had heard about," she recalls, "and one day in 1990 I actually saw him walking on the street in Jackson. We stopped to talk, because he knew my Uncle Will Green Poindexter -- who had served in the State legislature -- and told me to call his Chief of Staff at the time, Bill LaForge, who later became the president of Delta State University. Two weeks later, Bill hired me to work in Cochran's personal office. The 1990 Farm Bill was being written and as a nutrition major I was brought on to help Dr. Mark Keenum (currently serving as President of Mississippi State) who was working in the office at the time." Poindexter's list of accomplishments, accolades and work on major projects are many and extensive. |
| Alcohol home delivery, license reciprocity, parole eligibility: New state laws take effect July 1 | |
| Starting Thursday, people holding many professional licenses -- including public school teachers -- in good standing in other states can move to the Magnolia State and take a job or hang out a shingle. House Bill 1263 would require most of Mississippi's occupational licensing boards, agencies and commissions to issue licenses to people who hold a current license in good standing from another state and have been licensed at least a year. There are some exceptions, such as physicians and attorneys, but it covers dozens of other professions, such as accountants, cosmetologists, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and veterinarians. Gov. Tate Reeves at a press conference this week thanked the bill's author, state Rep. Becky Currie of Brookhaven, and Sen. Kevin Blackwell of Southaven for the bill's passage. Reeves said the measure is "a loss for governmental bureaucracy and red tape," that will help Mississippi attract residents and jobs. The measure is one of hundreds of new Mississippi laws and spending bills that take effect on Thursday, including a teacher pay raise, House Bill 852, of about $1,000 per year for Mississippi's more than 31,000 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and teacher assistants. The more than 100 appropriations bills that fund state agencies also will go into effect Thursday. |
| 'This thing's got a chance': As outside pressure mounts, Philip Gunn sees legislative path to changing state flag | |
| Speaker of the House Philip Gunn was watching his son play baseball in Louisiana on June 20, 2020, when he got a call from Rep. Jason White, the second highest-ranking House member and a top lieutenant of Gunn's. "Mr. Speaker, you're never going to believe who I just got off the phone with," White told Gunn. White paused a beat and said, "Karl Oliver," referring to the House Republican who famously wrote in 2017 that public officials who wanted to remove Confederate monuments from public spaces "should be lynched." "He's in," White said. That was the first moment Gunn genuinely believed he might be able to secure the House votes necessary to change the state flag, and it was a signal the progress he was making inside the building was beginning to match the fervor that was growing outside the building. Earlier that week, things looked significantly less promising. Gunn committed to a bipartisan group of House members who wanted to change the flag that he would take the temperature of his Republican caucus. Long the most prominent Republican official to publicly call for changing the flag, Gunn didn't think at the time he could whip anywhere close to the votes necessary to pass a flag bill. But as rallies over racial inequality raged across the state and nation, Gunn believed there was a window of opportunity, so he dispatched his three most trusted allies -- Rep. White, Rep. Trey Lamar, and his former chief of staff Nathan Wells -- to begin having conversations with House Republicans. |
| Mississippi elected officials, candidates owe thousands in unpaid campaign finance fines | |
| Mississippi politicians and candidates are required by law to file campaign finance reports, which reveal who is giving them money and how they are spending it -- but many of them aren't doing it. In hundreds of cases since 2018, state-level candidates and elected officials ignored or overlooked this basic transparency requirement. And the vast majority of the time they didn't pay their fines, which ranged from $50 to $500. The Daily Journal analyzed a list of hundreds of people who did not file at least one campaign finance report on time, or at all. Kept by the Mississippi Ethics Commission, the spreadsheet dates back to the start of 2018, when a new campaign finance reform law took effect. Since 2018, unpaid campaign finance fines outnumber paid ones nearly three-to-one. That adds up to real money: State politicians and candidates have stiffed the state out of nearly $150,000 by either refusing to pay their fine or not realizing one had been levied. Only about $30,000 worth of fines were paid -- or waived due to valid excuse -- over the three years. It appears dozens of officials and candidates never filed their delinquent campaign finance report at all after being fined, though the exact number is unclear. |
| Free admission at 2 Mississippi museums on Medgar Evers' birthday | |
| The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History are offering free admission Friday to celebrate civil rights icon Medgar Evers' birthday. Museum officials said in a news release that the free admission at the museums will also include access to its special exhibit, "I AM A MAN: Civil Rights Photographs in the American South, 1960-1070," The Clarion Ledger reported. The exhibit displays photographs of the civil rights movement across the South, including James Meredith's integration into the University of Mississippi in 1962 and the Poor People's Campaign in 1968. Medgar Evers, the NAACP's first field secretary for Mississippi, was assassinated in the driveway of his Jackson home in 1963. His death sparked protests and helped to inspire changes in both Mississippi and the nation. "Medgar Evers was an American hero, whose strength and tenacity is unequaled," Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the two Mississippi Museums, said. "In honor of the day that he was born, July 2, 1925, the two Mississippi Museums will offer free admission to our visitors to read and to learn more about this great man who wanted freedom for all." |
| Mississippi GOP House members oppose ouster of Capitol Confederate statutes | |
| A bid to oust Confederate statutes from the U.S. Capitol -- including those associated with Mississippi -- has drawn opposition from Mississippi Reps. Trent Kelly, Michael Guest and Steven Palazzo. On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved House Resolution 3005 on a 285-120 vote. This resolution would require the removal of any public statutes in the U.S. Capitol portraying "individual who served voluntarily at any time as a member of the Armed Forces of the Confederates States of America" or "who served as an official of the Government of the Confederate States of America." Under current law, each state selects for itself two statutes to be located in Statuary Hall. The legislature, together with the governor, of any state may request the replacement of its statutes. The 285 U.S. House members voting in favor of HR 3005 included a bipartisan coalition of 218 Democrats and 67 Republicans. All 120 opposing votes came from Republicans, including North Mississippi's Kelly, and Palazzo, who represents the Gulf Coast area. Guest, from the state's central area, was not present for the vote but said in a statement on Wednesday he would have voted against HR 3005 had he been present. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat representing the Delta, was the state's only House member to support the measure. "Our Capitol Building should represent those who fought for a more inclusive America," Thompson said in a statement on Twitter. "Confederate statues have no place on Capitol Hill!" Having cleared the House, HR 3005 now moves to the U.S. Senate, where both Mississippi's members have previously expressed opposition to such proposals. |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi to lead Jan. 6 panel | |
 | U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has been chosen to lead the panel to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Thompson is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named seven Democrats to the panel and a single Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. According to NBC News, the committee will have 13 House members, with five being chosen by Pelosi in consultation with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and will have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents. Congressman Michael Guest, R-Miss., voted against the resolution to create the committee. His office released this statement on Wednesday. "I am firmly opposing Speaker Pelosi's Select Committee to 'investigate' the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. Speaker Pelosi's Select Committee is set up to operate more like the partisan impeachment process than a real investigation, and it will only be used to attack the political opponents of the Democratic Party." |
| Speaker Pelosi names Representative Liz Cheney to serve on select committee investigating Capitol attack | |
 | Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday named Representative Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming and a harsh critic of former President Donald J. Trump, to a newly created special committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, taking the unusual step of designating one of her handpicked seats for a member of the opposing party. The selection of Ms. Cheney, who was ousted from her Republican leadership post for speaking out about the role of Mr. Trump and her own party in spreading the election lies that led to the riot, was an attempt to bring a degree of bipartisanship to an investigation that G.O.P. leaders have fought mightily to block and have already dismissed as an unfair and one-sided inquiry. Ms. Pelosi selected Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi, as its chairman and chose a number of her closest allies as well as centrists who represent conservative-leaning districts to serve on panel. "We have some of the best leaders in the Congress," Ms. Pelosi said of the team, which includes the chairs of several powerful committees. Under the measure that created the panel, adopted on Wednesday over the opposition of nearly every Republican, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, has the right to consult with Ms. Pelosi on five members from his party. He has yet to announce his choices. |
| Plenty of GOP earmarks in spending bill its members will oppose | |
 | The Interior-Environment appropriations bill being marked up by the full House Appropriations Committee on Thursday comes with a bipartisan bevy of more than 300 earmarks totaling $444.6 million. But some of the Republican lawmakers who attached earmarks for their constituencies to the bill are nevertheless unlikely to vote for the legislation. Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, the top Republican on the Interior-Environment subcommittee, said earlier this week that he can't support the bill in its current form, criticizing several provisions as well as its overall spending level. He has five earmarks that come to $9.4 million, a total that ranks sixth among more than 150 lawmakers with Interior-Environment earmarks. Joyce spokeswoman Katherine Sears said in a statement that the congressman takes seriously Congress' responsibility to scrutinize federal spending. Earmarks were shunned for years after various scandals and criticism from conservatives that they contribute to increased government spending. They have returned this appropriations cycle, however, coupled with renewed efforts to make them transparent and free of conflicts of interest. Earmarks were once seen as a way of building bipartisan support for spending bills, but it's clear that having an earmark in a bill doesn't necessarily mean voting for it. |
| Supreme Court sides with Arizona on voting restrictions | |
 | The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of the state of Arizona in a high-profile voting rights case, once again reining in the impact of the Voting Rights Act by taking a narrow view of when state voting practices can be held to violate the rights of minorities. The justices split 6-3 along ideological lines, with the Republican-appointed majority concluding that disparate impacts on minority groups would typically not be enough to render voting rules illegal under the act. The decision, in a pair of cases from Arizona about out-of-precinct voting and collection of mail-in ballots, could make it more difficult for voting rights activists to challenge a slew of new voting restrictions Republicans are seeking to implement in states across the country. The court's majority opinion, from Justice Samuel Alito, does not offer a bright-line test for future cases. However, he stressed that rules posing only a modest burden on voters would not usually amount to a violation of the act. "Every voting rule imposes a burden of some sort. Voting takes time and, for almost everyone, some travel, even if only to a nearby mailbox. Casting a vote, whether by following the directions for using a voting machine or completing a paper ballot, requires compliance with certain rules," Alito wrote. Alito also stressed that not every disparity in impact on minority voters would run afoul of the law. |
| Supreme Court rules for conservative charities in challenge to donor disclosure | |
 | The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted two conservative charities to keep their largest donors anonymous. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for a 6-3 majority. Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent joined by the court's liberal wing. "The upshot is that California casts a dragnet for sensitive donor information from tens of thousands of charities each year, even though that information will become relevant in only a small number of cases involving filed complaints," Roberts wrote. California requires nonprofits to disclose their largest donors to state regulators. Two conservative groups, the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and the Thomas More Law Center, sued and asserted the mandate violates their donors' First Amendment right "peaceably to assemble." The groups told the court that donors, fearing retribution, might be hesitant to give if their identities were revealed. The charities told the court about a rash of incidents they said demonstrated their donors' safety would be jeopardized by the disclosure. During a 2012 rally in Michigan, for instance, protesters tore down an Americans for Prosperity event tent, trapping several elderly attendees inside, the group said. Others affiliated with the charities have received death threats, the charities said. Though the foundation is tied to Republican megadonor Charles Koch, the suit drew support from progressive and conservative charities who said people should be able to give to causes without being identified. California countered that the need to investigate groups that receive tax benefits outweighs those privacy concerns. |
| We Just Got Our Clearest Picture Yet Of How Biden Won In 2020 | |
 | We know that President Biden won the 2020 election (regardless of what former President Donald Trump and his allies say). We just haven't had a great picture of how Biden won. That is until Wednesday, when we got the clearest data yet on how different groups voted, and crucially, how those votes shifted from 2016. The Pew Research Center just released its validated voters' report, considered a more accurate measure of the electorate than exit polls, which have the potential for significant inaccuracies. The new Pew data shows that shifts among suburban voters, white men and independents helped Biden win in November, even while white women and Hispanics swung toward Trump from 2016 to 2020. Suburban voters appear to have been a major factor helping Biden win. While Pew found Trump winning the suburbs by 2 points in 2016, Biden won them by 11 points in 2020, a 13-point overall swing. Considering that the suburbs accounted for just over half of all voters, it was a big demographic win for Biden. That said, Trump gained in both rural and urban areas. He won 65% of rural voters, a 6-point jump from 2016. And while cities were still majority-Democratic, his support there jumped by 9 points, to 33%. |
| Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg Surrenders to Authorities | |
 | The Trump Organization's finance chief Allen Weisselberg surrendered to New York prosecutors Thursday morning as he and the company's lawyers prepared to face the first criminal charges stemming from a multiyear investigation into former President Donald Trump's business affairs. Mr. Weisselberg voluntarily turned himself in at 6:15 a.m. ET Thursday, his lawyer said. The district attorney's office filed an indictment Wednesday against the Trump Organization and Mr. Weisselberg on charges that will be made public Thursday afternoon, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The defendants are expected to be arraigned on allegations that the company and Mr. Weisselberg, the company's chief financial officer, illegally evaded taxes on fringe benefits, the Journal has reported. Prosecutors' investigation has included perks such as car leases, Manhattan apartments and private-school tuition, the Journal has reported. Mr. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, represented by its lawyers, are expected to plead not guilty, as is typical in most arraignments. The judge is unlikely to set bail, since New York law mandates that most defendants be released without conditions except when accused of certain violent crimes. The charges stem from an investigation by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. , which has been working with New York State Attorney General Letitia James on the probe. |
| 'Hillbilly Elegy' author JD Vance signals US Senate campaign for Ohio seat | |
| The venture capitalist and author of "Hillbilly Elegy" appears poised to join the crowded Republican race for the Ohio U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Rob Portman. JD Vance, whose book was widely seen in 2016 as helping explain Republican Donald Trump's appeal to struggling white, working-class voters, plans a "special announcement" and rally at the steel fabricator Middletown Tube Works in his Ohio hometown on Thursday. If he enters the race, Vance would face former state GOP chair Jane Timken, former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, and two Cleveland businesspeople, Mike Gibbons and Bernie Moreno, in next year's GOP primary. Portman, a Republican, decided earlier this year not to seek a third term, citing dismay at partisan gridlock. While Vance, 38, hasn't run for elective office before, a political action committee formed this year to encourage his candidacy got an eyebrow-raising $10 million contribution from PayPal founder Peter Thiel. Vance had worked for the billionaire venture capitalist and entrepreneur in California. Vance returned to his home state to live after Trump was elected in 2016, which was the first of two times the former president carried Ohio by 8 percentage points. |
| CDC director: Vaccinated people 'safe' from delta variant, do not need to wear masks | |
 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that fully vaccinated people are "safe" from the current variants and do not need to wear masks, doubling down on CDC guidance as some others call for a return to mask wearing. The question of mask wearing has come back to the forefront given recommendations from Los Angeles County health officials, and from the World Health Organization, that even fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks indoors in public as a precaution due to the rise of the highly transmissible delta variant of the virus. But Walensky said that the CDC's guidance has not changed and that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks, echoing other health experts who note that the vaccines are highly effective even against the delta variant. "If you are vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the United States," Walensky said on NBC's "Today," adding it was "exactly right" that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks. She responded to the WHO by saying they are dealing with a worldwide situation where far fewer people are vaccinated than in the United States, given global vaccine disparities, and are therefore issuing more cautious advice. |
| Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dies at 88 | |
| Donald Rumsfeld, the two-time defense secretary and one-time presidential candidate whose reputation as a skilled bureaucrat and visionary of a modern U.S. military was unraveled by the long and costly Iraq war, died Tuesday. He was 88. In a statement Wednesday, Rumsfeld's family said he "was surrounded by family in his beloved Taos, New Mexico." President George W. Bush, under whom Rumsfeld served as Pentagon chief, hailed his "steady service as a wartime secretary of defense -- a duty he carried out with strength, skill, and honor." Regarded by former colleagues as equally smart and combative, patriotic and politically cunning, Rumsfeld had a storied career in government under four presidents and nearly a quarter century in corporate America. "Rummy," as he was often called, was ambitious, witty, energetic, engaging and capable of great personal warmth. But he irritated many with his confrontational style. An accomplished wrestler in college, Rumsfeld relished verbal sparring and elevated it to an art form; a biting humor was a favorite weapon. For all Rumsfeld's achievements, it was the setbacks in Iraq in the twilight of his career that will likely etch the most vivid features of his legacy. |
| New microscope allowing USM to go above and beyond in its research | |
 | A new microscope is helping deliver cutting-edge research for the University of Southern Mississippi. The microscope comes by the way of the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, an imaging facility that's headquartered at the university. USM's Dr. Alex Flynt of the Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences explains how they plan to use it. "It's going to be used for lots of different sorts of research that include microbiology and Alzheimer's and also material science," Flynt said. "And so, faculty from biology and chemistry and polymer science are all going to be able to be users of this." Flynt says other universities like the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University could be using the microscope in the future as well. |
| It's back to business as usual for East Central Community College this fall | |
| East Central Community College in Decatur is planning a return to "normal operations" this fall, including a return to a full schedule of in-person, traditional classes, open facilities, student activities and on-campus events. The return to normal also will apply to ECCC's college centers in Philadelphia, Choctaw, Louisville, Forest, and Carthage. "Recognizing that great strides have been made in efforts to control the virus through vaccinations and other measures, and based on ongoing guidance from the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, we appear to be turning a corner in efforts to control the spread of COVID-19," ECCC President Brent Gregory said. Gregory said the school would ask that everyone follow recommended health and safety guidelines, such as social distancing and staying home when sick. The school also will comply with any new mandates that are issued. "Fortunately, because of our successful experience at ECCC the past year with completely online and then hybrid and online classes, we can easily transition back if the need arises," Gregory said. Students, faculty, and others will no longer be required to wear face masks. However, those that prefer to wear them will be encouraged to do so. |
| New law takes effect that requires computer science curriculum in all K-12 public schools | |
 | A team at the Mississippi Department of Education is assessing the needs of nearly 900 public schools statewide, to ensure computer science learning takes place at every grade level. Aimee Brown is the Director of Career Technical Education. She says middle and high schools currently offer some courses. Brown says the biggest task is incorporating computer science into the elementary school curriculum. The Mississippi Computer Science and Cyber Education Quality Act has benchmarks school districts must meet. "Starting with the 2022-23 school year. I know that we have to have 50 percent of our elementary schools offering computer science instruction at every grade level," said Brown. The following year the remaining 50 percent must provide computer science learning weekly. There are deadlines for middle and high schools as well. Programming, cyber security and artificial intelligence are among the subjects every school must teach. Joe Nelson is superintendent of the Clarksdale Municipal School District. He says computer science education is important because that's where the job market is going and Mississippi students must be prepared. "It's very vital that we educate our students but also be able to teach them skills they'll be able to come out of high school and go to work," said Nelson. |
| Federal Lawsuits Say Antiracism and Critical Race Theory in Schools Violate Constitution | |
| A middle school drama teacher in a suburb of Chicago has filed a discrimination lawsuit against her school district alleging that mandated antiracist training has created a hostile environment for white students and educators. The complaint, filed in federal court Tuesday by a conservative-leaning public interest law firm, is the latest in a growing number of federal lawsuits that allege teachings related to race and racial identity in public schools are discriminatory and have suppressed free expression. In the past year, school boards around the country have faced protests and lawsuits over classroom curriculum and school policies -- sometimes referred to as "critical race theory" -- that litigants say put forward racial stereotyping and political activism. The latest complaint comes from Stacy Deemar, a white teacher in a K-8 school district in Evanston and Skokie, IIl., just north of Chicago. She alleges that teachers and students are required to participate in racially segregated antiracist exercises and that teachers are required to teach material depicting white people as inherently racist oppressors. The suit alleges the district's policies violate the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection and Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by race, color or national origin in public schools. The litigation is part of a conservative-led backlash to new curriculum and diversity training that many public school districts adopted in response to the killing last summer of George Floyd and other police killings of Black men. |
| U. of Alabama research: July 4 traffic crashes can be 'more severe and deadlier' | |
 | University of Alabama researchers say traffic accidents on Independence Day in Alabama are usually more severe and deadly than crashes on the days before and after the holiday. The conclusion was based on an analysis of state traffic records by UA researchers over the past five years. "Often the only difference between a severe injury and a fatality crash is a few miles per hour in speed and whether the occupants are buckled up," said David Brown, a researcher with the Center for Advanced Public Safety, who led the study. "The high percentage of severe injuries and fatalities establishes that the crashes occurring on the Fourth of July, while fewer in number, tend to be significantly more severe." The analysis showed the July 4 holiday averaged 2.2 fatal crashes per year, or a total of 11 fatal crashes over the five-year period. Researchers said the number was higher than expected because Independence Day has the fewest total vehicle crashes out of the week surrounding the holiday. UA researchers also said there were more severe crashes on July 4, with most having major causes listed as impaired driving from alcohol or other drugs, as well as speeding. |
| Auburn students reflect on lack of on-campus LGBTQ resources | |
| As June, Pride Month, comes to a close, Auburn University students have reflected on the University's commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students, faculty and staff, including their responses to incidents on and around Auburn's campus some feel are homophobic and the availability of resources for LGBTQ individuals. In recent memory, there have been incidents in and around the University that some students feel are homophobic, from professor Bruce Murray's then-public Facebook posts -- in which he said the rainbow is "not a symbol we should cede to the homosexuals" and called a drag queen running for Congress a "gender-confused crossdresser" -- to a recent Toomer's Corner protest opposing gay marriage. Almost two years after Auburn issued its statement affirming inclusion and diversity, LGBTQ groups across campus are evaluating the University's actions, and they believe progress is less than satisfactory. However, the University has done most of what it said it would do in the 2019 statement. Since issuing the statement, the University has modified Banner to allow students to change their preferred name and pronouns and has also introduced Safe Zone, a training course implemented by the University to educate faculty, staff and students on sexual orientation and gender identity. |
| Bill created in response to LSU sexual misconduct scandal signed by governor | |
 | Gov. John Bel Edwards Wednesday announced that he signed the third bill in a package passed in reaction to the LSU sexual misconduct scandal. House Bill 409, sponsored by New Orleans Democratic Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman, mandates that whoever hears of the sexual harassment complaint at a public college or university must report it, imposes discipline on those who don't follow the new rules, details who will staff the offices that handle complaints and specifies how much the universities must pay them. "Born out of disappointment and frustration over the troubling allegations of sexual misconduct at our state's flagship university, the bill establishes the framework that strengthens and clarifies Title IX reporting and procedures on our college and university campuses. It ensures that when a student reports such a violation, the Title IX process happens timely and thoroughly and that there are severe penalties in place if it does not," Edwards said in a statement. LSU has reeled from reports that top administrators, particularly in the athletic department, knew of complaints made by women students but did nothing or covered up the conduct. LSU President Tom Galligan, who was not in charge at the time of the incidents, commissioned a law firm to investigate. In the scathing report, the Husch Blackwell law firm named names and detailed widespread coverups. |
| Vanderbilt student Andreas Giannitsopoulos among dead in Florida condo collapse | |
 | Vanderbilt University student Andreas Giannitsopoulos was among those killed in a Florida condominium building collapse last week. He was 21. The Miami-Dade Police Department named Giannitsopoulos among those confirmed dead. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in Houston in 2018 before heading to Vanderbilt, the high school's president, Father James Murphy, told The Tennessean on Thursday. Giannitsopoulos was visiting a close family friend, Manuel "Manny" LaFont, and staying at the Champlain Towers South during the June 24 collapse in Surfside, Florida. LaFont, 54, was also killed in the collapse. Murphy remembered Giannitsopoulos as a tall, striking young man and an excellent student with a loving family. He said Giannitsopoulos had a wonderful sense of humor and excelled as track and field athlete at St. Thomas. Giannitsopoulos is also pictured in a mural at the school's athletic center, Murphy said. "We've got him holding a discus -- this marvelous Greek young man holding a discus, it's like something out of a Marvel movie," he said. "He was very dedicated, very focused, very hard working." As of early Thursday morning, 18 people have been confirmed dead, with 145 unaccounted for in the collapse. President Joe Biden is expected to visit the site today. He declared a federal emergency in Florida last week, which authorizes federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts. |
| Florida governor signs bill shielding colleges, universities from student lawsuits seeking refunds | |
| Marking a victory for colleges and universities that shut down campuses last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday shielding the schools from lawsuits seeking refunds for students because of the closures. Campuses closed in March 2020 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with students forced to learn online. During this year's legislative session that ended April 30, Florida lawmakers set out to protect colleges and universities from class-action lawsuits seeking to recoup money for students after the shift to all-virtual instruction. The measure DeSantis signed Tuesday night (HB 1261) goes into effect on Thursday. "The provision of in-person or on-campus education and related services is deemed to have been impossible for educational institutions during any period of time in which such institutions took reasonably necessary actions" to protect people on campus, an introductory part of the bill said. Florida State University, which was hit with a lawsuit last month, was one of the schools that had been counting on the bill getting DeSantis' signature. "We were lucky enough to survive a while without a tuition and fees class-action case, unlike the University of Florida, the University of North Florida," Carolyn Egan, general counsel for Florida State, said during a meeting of the university's Board of Trustees on June 17. "We wondered if we would get a case, we waited, we watched our colleagues go through it. The state university system has been sued." |
| 'It's incredible': U. of Memphis unveils new $31 million, two-story student wellness center | |
| It was a good day for the University of Memphis. School leaders cut the ribbon on the new $31 million wellness center during a sunny ceremony -- the morning after Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway, who attended the event, told Memphis he'd be sticking around. "Out of everyone who's here, I can say for sure that I think I'm the most excited about this facility opening," Matthew White, U of M student government president, told the crowd. "I still lose sleep about not being able to defend my intramural basketball title because of the pandemic." In addition to indoor and outdoor basketball courts, the two-story center, named for trustee and former interim president R. Brad Martin, also has four group fitness studios, an indoor track, tennis courts, field space and cardio and weight training areas. With full student wellness in mind, there is also a cafe, teaching kitchen and wellness patio and outdoor pool. "I can't imagine a more fitting building to carry the name of Brad Martin than the Student Wellness Center," U of M President M. David Rudd said, praising the trustee's dedication. The namesake is a reflection of Martin's longstanding commitment to the center rather than of a donation to the center, he said. |
| After Controversial Delay, UNC Awards Tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones | |
 | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Wednesday awarded tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, a dramatic turnabout in the saga that has come to symbolize public colleges' vulnerability to political forces in a polarized country. The university's Board of Trustees formally voted, 9 to 4, in favor of bestowing the status on Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist and lead author of the controversial "1619 Project," in a special meeting. The board's vote capped a hectic few days in which the university's student-body president, Lamar Richards, had petitioned his fellow board members to officially vote on Hannah-Jones before July 1, when she was scheduled to begin work as the holder of an endowed chair in UNC's Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Hannah-Jones's lawyers had written in a letter that she would not start her position without tenure. The American Association of University Professors hailed the vote. In a statement it called Hannah-Jones's tenuring "a victory for academic freedom and for shared governance." The process that led to the board's vote was a hazy one. Hannah-Jones was approved for tenure through the campus's typical process, but the bid came to a halt months ago, when a board member raised questions about her candidacy. University officials then changed Hannah-Jones's position from tenured to contract-based with the option to be considered for tenure at the end of a five-year term. The full board never formally considered the tenure bid until Wednesday. |
| Yale drama school turns $150 million gift into free tuition | |
 | Yale University's drama school is now tuition-free, compliments of a $150 million gift from billionaire entertainment executive and philanthropist David Geffen. The newly named David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University will no longer charge tuition for degree- and certificate-seeking students starting in fall 2021, the university announced Wednesday. "David Geffen's visionary generosity ensures that artists of extraordinary potential from all socioeconomic backgrounds will be able to cultivate their talent at Yale," Peter Salovey, president of Yale, said in a statement. "It is exciting to think about what will be made possible by increasing access to the premier theater education at the David Geffen School of Drama." The school enrolls about 200 students and admits about 60 new students each year, Karen Peart, a spokesperson for Yale, said in an email. Tuition costs for the most recent academic year totaled $33,800. Students will still have to pay for living expenses, supplies and books, which are estimated to cost up to $22,268. The tuition remission is not retroactive, but it will apply to both new and returning students. The decision to no longer charge tuition comes 16 years after the Yale School of Music went tuition-free in 2005 after receiving a $100 million gift from anonymous donors. Free tuition at the drama school may change the applicant pool, James Bundy, the drama school dean, told The New York Times. Prospective students who would have previously ruled out the university for its high price tag may now give its drama school a second look. Free tuition may also prompt more low-income students and students from underrepresented groups to apply. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State President Mark Keenum at CWS: 'We couldn't afford to buy this exposure' | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Here, in Omaha, State fans have packed the motels and hotels at outrageous prices, taken over entire taverns, gobbled down famous Omaha beef and yelled themselves hoarse at TD Ameritrade Park. Most made the 13-hour drive to get here, and some have been here for 10 days. Many came without tickets and have paid exorbitant prices for those. Mississippi State fans really are a college baseball phenomenon. "Don't you just love the passion?" Mark Keenum, the school's president and a 50-year Diamond Dog fan, said Wednesday, a few hours before State was to play Vanderbilt for the national championship. "The love our fans have for Mississippi State and Mississippi State baseball is remarkable," Keenum said. "It's in our blood. I am just so proud to see so many thousands of our fans here to support our team We are a family, a loyal family, and we want to celebrate together." "There's no doubt, athletics puts a university on the forefront in a huge way," Keenum said. "The exposure Mississippi State is getting here is wonderful. We couldn't afford to buy this exposure. People tune in and see the passion of our people and watch them having so much fun. It's like a three-hour commercial." |
| How Mississippi State's Will Bednar put together one of the best College World Series ever | |
| In the middle of the performance of a lifetime, Will Bednar found the time to confront his coach about a weeks-old grudge. "Will Bednar, he came off in the fourth and made a (pitcher fielding practice) play, and I've been giving him a hard time because he messed one up in the regionals, and he came and sprinted right off the field, came to me, was right in my face, giving me a hard time," Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said. That's the kind of groove Bednar was in this week as he led Mississippi State to a College World Series title. Bednar won the College World Series' Most Outstanding Player trophy for posting a 1.47 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings across three starts and three Mississippi State victories. His performance in Wednesday's 9-0 win to clinch the championship was nothing short of extraordinary. Bednar threw six no-hit, shutout innings, walking three batters and striking out four. "It hasn't really set in," Bednar said about the dominance of his performances. "I just kind of went out there treated it like every other outing, to be honest with you. So I just kind of treated it like it was any other game, and just kind of rolled with it." |
| Mississippi State's Will Bednar Wins College World Series Most Outstanding Player | |
| Welcome to the club of College World Series legends, Will Bednar. The Mississippi State righthander won CWS Most Outstanding Player honors after securing wins for the Bulldogs three different times in Omaha---against Texas to begin the CWS, against Texas again to advance MSU to the finals and in the national title-clinching 9-0 win against Vanderbilt. In those three games, he threw 18.1 innings, giving up five hits and three runs with six walks and 26 strikeouts. "The (award) was unreal," Bednar said. "I didn't really expect it, to be honest. But that was just a surreal feeling to get that." A Most Outstanding Player award and those kinds of numbers will elevate you to legend status on their own, but there was more to Bednar's performance in Omaha than what you can see in the numbers. After issuing three walks as he labored through the first two innings with a pitch count that neared 50, he really took off starting in the third and retired the last 15 batters he faced on the way to six scoreless innings. He didn't allow a ball out of the infield until the fifth. And by the way, he didn't allow a single hit. That allowed him to hand the ball off directly to Sims, who recorded the final nine outs without incident. "It was awesome. It was incredible," Bednar said. "Obviously those first two innings were a little shaky, but I was able to get into a groove there, really let my defense play behind me. We've got a lot of studs back there. So I might as well let them hit the ball. And it was good. It was good to be out there, and I got just a little tired there at the end. But it was awesome." |
| Will Bednar caps unbelievable Omaha run with standout performance in Game 3 of College World Series final | |
| Will Bednar calmly fielded a fourth-inning comebacker, jogged toward first base and flipped the baseball into the glove of teammate Luke Hancock. One out later, he sprinted off the field and into Mississippi State's dugout to rub it in his coach's face. Bednar had been getting a hard time from Chris Lemonis since flubbing a similar play in NCAA Regionals, and even in Wednesday's winner-take-all Game 3 of the College World Series final against Vanderbilt, the sophomore right-hander didn't miss an opportunity to enjoy the moment and give his coach a little payback. Then he went back on the mound and pitched two more hitless innings. Starting Wednesday on just three days' rest, Bednar was his dominant -- and happy-go-lucky -- self as he led the Bulldogs to a 9-0 win over the Commodores, clinching his school's first-ever national championship. "Mississippi State baseball fans deserve it," Bednar said. "We have the greatest fans in the world, and they've been supporting us from Day 1. It's awesome to be able to deliver that to them." The Pennsylvania native upped his MLB draft stock significantly over the past two weeks, entering Omaha as a late first-round pick if not a second-round selection and leaving as at least a mid-first-rounder. |
| Congrats pour in for radio broadcaster Jim Ellis on Mississippi State baseball title | |
| Jim Ellis has been doing the radio broadcast for Mississippi State baseball since 1979, make this his 43rd season calling Bulldogs games. That includes 11 trips to the College World Series with Mississippi State baseball. The 11th time was the charm. Mississippi State baseball captured the College World Series title on Wednesday night by defeating Vanderbilt 9-0 in Omaha, Nebraska. It's the program's first national title. Broadcasters from all over sent congratulations to Ellis on the team winning the national title. It started on the Mississippi State baseball postgame show when analyst Jay Powell got sentimental with Ellis. "You've watched a lot of ball, Jim," said Powell, who played baseball at Mississippi State from 1991-93. "I'm proud that you got this, too, along with (bus driver) Everett (Kennard), because ya'll have meant so much to State. And just to be somewhat of a sidekick on this thing was incredible. I never dreamed in my life I'd be on the radio for a national championship, much less sitting next to you. I'm proud for all of you guys. It means a lot to me, but I know it means a lot to you guys." Ellis responded to Powell by saying, "No doubt. This is something we always thought would happen for Mississippi State, and although we had some great years, disappointment at the end when you don't get all the way. But this year, they do, and it's a great feeling." |
| MSU wins 2021 College World Series | |
| Plenty of Neshoba countians were on hand to see Mississippi State baseball win the team's first-ever national title after dominating Vanderbilt in the winner-take-all game of the 2021 College World Series on Wednesday at TD Ameritrade Park. Neshoba Countians spotted in Omaha this week were: Stanley Salter, Lacie Wilkerson Murphy and Jenny Lynn Wilkerson; Abby, Steve and Miriam Seale; Alli Vick and Christa Cumbest; Bill and Jan Copeland; Cassidy and Brax Byars; Davis Cumberland, Hayes McDade and Grayson McDade; Frank Moore, Michelle Lyons, Kent Moore and Curtis Moore; John and Susan Burt; Kent and Mitzi Stribling; Tommy and Beth Jackson; Susan Bates, Austin McNair and Vikki McNair; Adrienne and Jim Sisson. The pitching duo of Will Bednar and Landon Sims combined to hold the Commodore offense to just one hit and allowed only five base runners to post the eighth shutout of the season for the pitching staff on college baseball's biggest stage. Bednar (9-1), working on short rest, didn't allow a hit through six innings of work and scattered three walks to earn his second win of the College World Series. Sims (13) posted his third save at the event with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Mississippi State announced Thursday morning it will celebrate its 2021 Baseball National Championship on Friday, July 2, with a parade through downtown Starkville that will culminate with an event inside Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium. The parade will kick off at 5:30 p.m. CT. The route will begin at The Little Dooey on University Drive and end outside the home plate gate at Dudy Noble Field. The parade will include Diamond Dawg student-athletes and coaches, athletics and campus administrators, as well as other invited guests and honorees. |
| Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis gets emotional talking about championship, parents | |
| One out before the defining moment of his coaching career, Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis turned to assistant coach Kyle Cheesebrough. It was the moment kids practice alone in their backyards. Two outs. Bottom of the ninth inning. Clinching game of the College World Series. Lemonis had his All-America closer on the mound and his Bulldogs led Vanderbilt 9-0 at TD Ameritrade Park. Lemonis had done the best to keep his composure all game. Any time a celebratory thought crept into his head, he literally shook it out. He didn't want those thoughts to encroach on his ability to focus on what was happening on the field. But one out away from his first national championship and the first national championship in Mississippi State history, Lemonis let himself have one moment with Cheesebrough. "We both lost parents in the last year, and I turned to him and I said: Man, I hope they have a good seat tonight," Lemonis said. Lemonis made it through the year. Lord knows he would've had every excuse not to. He lost his mom in the fall. His dad has been sick all spring and couldn't make it out to the College World Series because he's been in the hospital for the last two weeks. He had to deal with the same restrictions and precautions set upon a world beset with COVID-19 that his players did. Through all that, Lemonis coached the team that finally got Mississippi State some hardware. "Coach Lem is unbelievable, man," senior outfielder Tanner Allen said. "He's a players' coach. I tell people all the time. That guy is somebody you want to play for. He knows when to be serious and he knows when to be loose. To be honest with you, when we're loose and he's loose, it just clicks." |
| See Dak Prescott speak to Mississippi State baseball in the locker room after CWS title | |
| Dak Prescott was in the stands to watch the Mississippi State baseball team face Vanderbilt during the College World Series on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bulldogs won both games, and Wednesday's 9-0 win captured the national championship. Prescott, who played quarterback for Mississippi State from 2012-15, came to the baseball team's locker room after the game to celebrate and congratulate the team. "I was told to give an intro, but I don't think I need to," Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis said after the team cheered when Prescott walked in the locker room. "You have so many people behind you, you never realize it. So many people who walk before you in every sport in the school. Dak just wanted to stop by and say hey, so we appreciate you for being here." Prescott then spoke to the team briefly. "Congratulations fellas, hell of a job," Prescott said. "Y'all are living legends, man. This school, this fan base, trust me, man, we're all so proud of you. We're all so thankful for each and every one of you. Man, way to go finish this. ... I'm excited for you guys. Congrats. You're living legends right now. Embrace it." Lemonis and Prescott hugged at the end of the video Mississippi State shared. Prescott is currently a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. |
| Rocked: Vanderbilt falls to Mississippi State, 9-0, in final game of College World Series | |
| In the end, it was red and white confetti that fell from the sky while Vanderbilt players remained still in their own dugout, watching the celebration unfold at the end of the College World Series. Vanderbilt had things set up just the way it wanted, with Kumar Rocker on the mound and the best relievers rested. But the Commodores failed in all three aspects of the game Wednesday night at TD Ameritrade Park. It was instead Mississippi State that rode an ace starter and a lockdown reliever to its first-ever national championship with a 9-0 win. Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin put his full trust in Rocker, up to Wednesday possibly the best postseason pitcher in Vanderbilt history. He left the bullpen stocked. On Tuesday night, Corbin said of Rocker, "He'll go out there and compete." But Rocker didn't have his best stuff on short rest and got hit hard. He didn't help himself, either, making a throwing error in the first inning on what could have been a double-play ball that eventually led to a run. In all, Rocker gave up five runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts. And the pitching was the least of Vanderbilt's problems. The Commodores didn't have a hit until the eighth inning, when Carter Young poked a line-drive single into right-center field. Outside of four walks, Vanderbilt simply couldn't muster anything at the plate, continuing its trend of struggling offensively in Omaha. |
| College Baseball Top 25 Rankings: Mississippi State Headlines Final Top 25 | |
| After winning the College World Series, Mississippi State tops 2021's final Baseball America Top 25. Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt to win the College World Series finals, clinching the championship with a 9-0 victory in Game 3. The Bulldogs went 10-3 in the NCAA Tournament, sweeping through the Starkville Regional, beating Notre Dame in the Starkville Super Regional and then going 5-2 in Omaha, beating Texas, Virginia and Vanderbilt along the way. The national championship is the first in program history for Mississippi State. Its previous best finish in the Top 25 was No. 2, which it did in 2013, when it lost in the CWS finals to UCLA. Arkansas spent most of the regular season ranked No. 1, holding the top spot for 14 straight weeks going into the NCAA Tournament. But North Carolina State upset the Razorbacks in super regionals and they finish the year No. 5. The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are through the end of the season. |
| Starkville car dealership among the first to offer MSU student athletes endorsement deals once state NIL law is official | |
 | Mississippi State fans were hoping for the Bulldogs to make history at the College World Series on Wednesday. But some members of the Diamond Dawgs also have the chance to be part of history on Thursday. "It's always been the joke that the only job in the world that you can't get paid for at 18 is playing college sports," says MSU Associate Professor Philip Poe. It's a joke that's likely gotten old for many NCAA athletes. But starting July 1st, it's one they may not have to hear that much longer. On Thursday, the new Mississippi law allowing student-athletes to be paid by third parties for using their name and likeness goes into effect. It has the support of all the state's major universities. Parker-McGill Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Starkville will be one of the first local businesses offering the chance for State players, specifically members of the Diamond Dawgs, to make money through sponsorships or endorsements. "The timing is incredible," says General Manager Kristi Snyder. "Everyone's sitting on the edge of their seat waiting to see what's gonna happen (in the CWS) and I just think the possibilities for us are limitless." "It's gonna be a little bit like the Wild West, initially," Dr. Poe says. "I think you're going to see some star athletes who, (Thursday) are going to be announcing six-figure deals." However, Dr. Poe expects the majority of student-athletes to work with local small businesses. Which can give the athletes an early start on possible career paths once their time on the field is over, as well as boost local economies. |
| NCAA clears athletes for compensation as state laws kick in | |
| The NCAA cleared the way for athletes to profit off their name Thursday, the eve of legislation becoming law in several states that would allow for such compensation. The expected approval from the NCAA Board of Directors came a few days after a recommendation from the Division I Council to allow athletes in every state to pursue compensation for their name, image and likeness without jeopardizing their college eligibility. The NCAA's decision to suspend restrictions on payments to athletes for things such as sponsorship deals, online endorsements and personal appearances applies to all three divisions or some 460,000 athletes. The NCAA also is allowing athletes to enter into agreements with agents while encouraging them to keep schools informed. The NCAA said schools are responsible "for determining whether those activities are consistent with state law." "This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level." The NCAA's stopgap measure comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the association in a case involving education-related benefits. That 9-0 ruling is expected to impact issues related to compensation for athletes. |
| NCAA lifts athlete endorsement rules as states scramble to court players | |
| College athletes are poised to start cashing in on their stardom this week, a move set off by states and sports officials that's roiling a multibillion-dollar industry and quickly rewriting how schools compete for prized talent. The NCAA gave its member institutions sweeping discretion Wednesday to set rules that allow players to make money on everything from product pitches to autograph signings after a bruising Supreme Court defeat last week weakened the association's player pay restrictions. The retreat by top college sports administrators arrived partly because governors and state lawmakers are already on the move. New athlete compensation laws taking effect in at least 12 states by Thursday clear students to have commercial side hustles without jeopardizing their ability to play. Now, schools are leveraging their business school faculty to coach athletes on their taxes and finances to keep pace, while others stand ready to help players build their brand on social media. "There is definitely going to be an arms race around this," said former Rep. Tom McMillen, who heads the LEAD1 Association trade group representing athletic directors competing in the top tier of college football. "Our ADs are worried that they don't want to get behind in the race, and they're going to do everything they can to try to keep up with the Joneses." |
| Gators are ready to cash in on NIL law | |
| Florida gymnast Leah Clapper is as good in the kitchen as she is on the balance beam. So a Gainesville restaurant figured she would be an ideal person to promote its healthy menu. Like almost everybody else, she would even get paid for it. "I would totally love to," Clapper told the restaurant owner, "but it's totally against the rules." Not anymore. When the clock struck midnight Wednesday, the NIL revolution officially began. The acronym stands for Name, Image and Likeness -- three personal attributes the NCAA has long said it owns. Governments, courts and public opinion have increasingly said otherwise. The Florida Legislature passed an NIL law last March that took effect July 1, 2021. College athletes can now make money off their Ns, their Is and their Ls. They won't be paid by their schools, but they can be compensated for activities like endorsing products, signing autographs and posting sponsored content on social media. How much money? That question has as many answers as there are newly-minted student-athlete-entrepreneurs. Analysts say a backup point guard might make a few hundred bucks a year signing autographs and eating at the local pizza joint. Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas is one of the athletes with the $5,000 offer on the table. She hasn't said if she'll take it, but the prospective deal illustrates how open the marketplace is to all athletes. The key driver will be social media and marketing savvy. |
| On the first day of NIL era, Kentucky athletes begin cashing in with policy finalized | |
| Given how much Kentucky basketball fans obsessed about whether former Mr. Basketball Dontaie Allen was playing enough last season, perhaps it should come as no surprise that Allen was the first UK athlete to announce he was cashing in on his name, image and likeness Thursday. The executive order signed by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness – commonly known as NIL – went into effect on July 1. The NCAA also adopted a policy Wednesday allowing all athletes, even those in states without NIL laws or executive orders, to profit off NIL without violating the college sports governing body's amateurism rules. At 12:34 a.m., Allen announced he would be selling personalized merchandise through the Players Trunk, a website founded by former college sports team managers and athletes designed to allow athletes to sell their own branded merchandise and autographs. Former UK basketball player Charles Matthews, who ended his college career at Michigan, is one of the founders of the website. Allen's Players' Trunk page includes a t-shirt ($29.99), hoodie ($59.99), personalized video message ($50) and 10-15 minute Zoom call ($80). Allen's announcement came just hours after UK released its final NIL policy for athletes. UK requires athletes disclose all NIL contracts through the INFLCR Verified software platform for approval from the compliance department at least seven days prior to the proposed activity. |
| A look at Alabama football and other UA athletes who have signed NIL deals | |
| The floodgates are open, and as of midnight on July 1, Alabama athletes can capitalize on their name, image and likeness. A few athletes around the nation have announced deals and have already started promoting products. More are sure to come soon. WR Traeshon Holden became the first Alabama football player to announce partnerships early Thursday morning. Holden, who has about 28,000 Instagram followers, has collaborated with College Football Edits, a designer who creates content such as edits for social media posts. Holden also partnered with Yoke gaming, which is an app that gives fans the chance to play video games with athletes. Holden saw time in five games in 2020 as a true freshman. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. DB DeMarcco Hellams also announced a partnership with Yoke gaming, making the deal known Thursday morning on his Instagram with about 9,000 followers. Hellams has played in 13 games each of the past two seasons. In 2020, Hellams tallied 62 total tackles, three passes defensed and a sack. |
| The first NIL success story for Auburn? Look no further than Sunisa Lee | |
 | The new NIL era has hit Auburn. For instant impact, look no further than Sunisa Lee. As much as fans might have expected a big-name quarterback or slam dunking hoops star to represent the new world on Auburn's campus, it's a five-foot gymnast who towers as the first name, image and likeness success story for the Tigers. In another time, the Olympian would have had to choose between going pro or walking a tight rope thinner than the balance beam in order keep her amateur status and compete in college. Starting Thursday, she doesn't have to choose. She's now free to make the most of her time on the world's stage in Tokyo, and still come compete in Auburn Arena next season. One thing's for certain: Auburn won big when the rule changes came through just in time for Lee, who leapt her way into the national spotlight last weekend by earning a spot on the U.S. gymnastics team at the Olympics in July. Lee signed with Auburn last December. She shined at the U.S. Team Trials last weekend, finishing second in the all-around behind only superstar Simone Biles. She's going to be in a starring role in her own right when she goes for gold in Tokyo, competing in one of the Olympics' most-watched sports, and then she's coming to Auburn. With new rules in place, she has the chance to pick up endorsements just like Biles and the others and still have her NCAA eligibility. |
| Auburn quarterback Bo Nix picks an Alabama-based product for his first endorsement deal | |
| Auburn junior quarterback Bo Nix didn't waste much time in announcing his first endorsement deal on Thursday. Nix shared a post just after midnight Wednesday night announcing an endorsement deal with Milo's Tea. Nix was one of several Auburn players who announced deals shortly after the state of Alabama's new name, image and likeness law went into effect on July 1. "How SWEET it is to partner with [Milo's Tea] for my first sponsorship as a college athlete," Nix wrote in part on social media. "Milo's Tea is a family tradition at the Nix house -- especially for holidays -- so I'm excited to represent the best sweet tea ever!" Milo's Tea is a family-owned business based in Bessemer, Ala. Milo's was originally started as a restaurant in 1946 by Milo and Bea Carlton but now focuses on making sweet and unsweet tea and lemonade. Nix has been Auburn's starting quarterback for the past two seasons. In that time, he's thrown for 4,957 yards and 28 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. The Tigers have posted a 15-9 record during his time behind center. Nix was not alone in announcing deals late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. |
| The rules are in. What Gamecock players can (and can't) do to make money in NIL era | |
 | The University of South Carolina and its athletes are on board with the new era of personal branding. The school's athletics department confirmed in a news release that its "student-athletes will have the opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness beginning Thursday," consistent with the NCAA decision to allow college athletes to sign endorsement deals nationwide. "I consider it a part of our education mission in the athletics department for our student-athletes to understand how to market themselves and be the CEO of their brand," USC athletics director Ray Tanner said Thursday morning in a statement. "I want to make sure that our student-athletes are able to take advantage of all the opportunities that NIL can bring." South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley was among those weighing in on the issue via social media Thursday. "#NILDAY #studentathletes Also note.....the more money you make the more impact it has on pell grant funds," Staley said via Twitter. "And if you are your dependents of your parents taxes...it impacts them too. #educateyourself #please" |
| College athletes unite to launch organization aimed at sustaining empowerment efforts | |
 | When the coronavirus pandemic threatened their safety, and then racial justice movements compelled them to protest, college athletes tried something new. They talked -- not just with their on-campus teammates but with their counterparts scattered around the country. Hundreds of athletes, spanning conferences and sports, connected through video calls and group messages. They launched initiatives and demanded more rights. It prompted an unprecedented wave of athlete empowerment. Now a group of current and former college athletes hope to have found the long-term fix. They launched a nonprofit organization, United College Athlete Advocates (UCAA), that aims to foster a community of college athletes by giving them a communication tool hosted on Discord, a service similar to Slack, with channels tailored to a person's sport, school and interests. Through that platform, athletes can work together on initiatives in areas such as economic rights, racial justice and mental health. The seven co-founders view this type of collaboration as a key step in improving the college athlete experience. Building an expansive network of college athletes is UCAA's first priority. When athletes join UCAA, they provide information related to their school and sport, but they can also select the cause they're most passionate about. Those areas of focus -- racial justice, gender equity, mental health, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and economic rights -- will become the organization's impact coalitions. |
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