Friday, January 28, 2022   
 
Routine Maroon Alert test planned for Friday, Jan. 28, at noon
Mississippi State University will conduct a routine test of the Maroon Alert Emergency Notification System on Friday, Jan. 28, at noon. This test is vital in making sure we are able to share important information with our faculty, staff, students and community in a timely manner. This test will include notifications to mobile devices, university desktops, digital signage, social media, university email accounts, and the Emergency Web Page. The Maroon Alert test message will include instructions for acknowledging the message. This will let us know how you received the message and will halt further attempts to reach you. Follow @MaroonAlert on Twitter for important advisory information and emergency updates. For more information about Maroon Alert and registration instructions, visit https://www.emergency.msstate.edu/maroon-alert. If you have any questions, email Brent Crocker at brent.crocker@msstate.edu.
 
Starkville seeks input on future street art project
The city of Starkville is seeking community input on an arts project that aims to beautify University Drive intersections and crosswalks. Starkville is one of only 26 cities nationwide recently awarded a Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative grant. It was secured by the Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center, in collaboration with Starkville Area Arts Council. The center is a community design center in Mississippi State University's College of Architecture, Art and Design. The project will help connect the one-mile stretch between downtown Starkville and the Mississippi State campus at nine intersections on University Drive, from Camp Street to Washington Street. Intersections will be painted with designs to progressively lead pedestrians along the corridor, creating a means of connecting Downtown, Midtown and the Cotton District. "Remediating barriers to walking and increasing connectivity of this corridor through the installation of public art and intersection safety improvements also will allow greater social interactions, thus strengthening the sense of community," said Small Town Center Director Leah Kemp. The Small Town Center's team of designers will create the asphalt art designs and intersection improvement designs based on feedback and input gathered from the public.
 
Don't pay too much attention to guesses about how US Supreme Court will vote on abortion rights -- experts are often wrong
Mississippi State University Associate Professor Lawrence Strout writes for The Conversation: The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will not be handed down until late spring or early summer 2022, when the court typically issues verdicts. The potentially historic case challenges a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This case could overturn or uphold the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which protects women's right to abortion before the third trimester of pregnancy. There are other ongoing court challenges to restrict abortions in different states, including Texas. But this Mississippi case is arguably the most important abortion case since 1992, when the court last reaffirmed Roe v. Wade. Scholars and experts have made various bold predictions about the Dobbs case. But, as I have told students for more than a decade while teaching mass media law, guesses about Supreme Court rulings are often not correct. Supreme Court expert Ian Millhiser has speculated that the high court will either "explicitly overrule Roe" or "eliminate it in a more backhanded way." This "backhanded way" could leave Roe's precedent intact, but weaken it so states can legally restrict abortion as they see fit. Attorney and political commentator Sarah Isgur also has written that the most likely outcome is the court overturning Roe. Abortion would then no longer be a constitutional right, and states could restrict or make abortion altogether illegal. On the other hand, others have predicted the court "will vote to uphold the central holding of Roe."
 
Brown, Haug and Turner qualify for county court judge
Three candidates have qualified for Oktibbeha County's newly formed county court. Charles Bruce Brown, C. Marty Haug and Lee Ann Turner -- all Starkville attorneys -- will run for county court judge in November. Due to Oktibbeha County's population growth since the 2010 Census, it is required by state laws to have a county court to oversee both civil and criminal cases with jurisdictions ranging from $3,500 to $200,000. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves approved the creation of the court Jan. 18. A third generation Starkville attorney, Brown has been practicing law in Oktibbeha County for 31 years. Brown said he is running because he wants to represent his fellow Oktibbeha County residents. Haug has served Oktibbeha County as a justice court judge since 2015 and practiced law in Starkville since 2009. He served six years as an attorney with Florida's first judicial circuit before that. A graduate from the University of Alabama School of Law, Turner has practiced law for 26 years. She has worked as a staff attorney for chancery court judges in the district, as well as done extensive work in the youth court system. The deadline to qualify for the newly created county judge seat is Feb. 1. The general election for the position will be Nov. 8.
 
BancorpSouth is changing its name to Cadence Bank after companies 'join forces'
BancorpSouth announced to customers in an email Thursday it would be changing its name to Cadence Bank. "BancorpSouth Bank and Cadence Bank joined forces in the fall of 2021, creating a premier regional bank that has equipped us to serve our customers better," company officials said in the email. The transition has already begun, bank officials said, but the process will take some time. "We will keep you informed and advise you of changes and actions you need to take along the way," BancorpSouth said. The companies hope the move will improve customer service and continue to grow in the future. "The Cadence Bank name best reflects the steady cadence of both organizations' growth throughout the years and better positions us to serve our customers across a broader geographic market in the future," bank officials said. BancorpSouth is one of the largest banks in Mississippi. The company is headquartered in Tupelo. Cadence Bank headquarters are in Houston, Texas.
 
Beau Rivage will spend millions on upgrades to restaurants, hotel rooms
The biggest splash of the multi-million dollar remodel at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is the redo of each of the more than 1,700 hotel rooms. The greatest transformation most people will notice is the new look and feel at Jia restaurant. Gone are the privacy slats and the waterfall at the entrance of the Asian-concept restaurant at the far side of the casino floor. Now Jia is open to the casino floor and new furniture and lighting will complete the redesign in time for Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. A noodle bar with seating for 18, built to the left of the entrance, incorporates fresh vegetables, meat and seafood into soups and noodle dishes. Also on the noodle bar is Bánh Mì -- traditional Vietnamese sandwiches dressed in pickled carrot, daikon and cucumber. The sandwiches are served on locally-sourced bread from Henry's Café & Bakery, a Vietnamese restaurant and sandwich shop in D'Iberville. "Coastal Mississippi has a strong Vietnamese influence," said Kristian Wade, Beau Rivage executive chef. All of the suites at the Beau Rivage were totally remodeled before the coronavirus and now the more than 1,700 guest rooms will get a makeover for a fresh look and to add technology upgrades. Just as guests probably weren't aware of the work in the suites, Spain said, they likely won't notice this remodel. "It's done in such a way it doesn't disrupt business," she said. The company has thousands of hotel rooms in Vegas that are continually updated.
 
Public Service Commission greenlights solar farm in Walls
A planned solar farm in Walls was given the green light to begin construction by the Mississippi Public Service Commission during a public hearing Thursday night at the DeSoto County Courthouse in Hernando. Wildflower Solar LLC petitioned the Public Service Commission to build a $90 million 100 megawatt facility on 550 acres near Walls in August 2021. The company is a subsidiary of San Francisco-based Clearway Energy Group. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said the power generated by the solar facility will not be sold directly to any customers in Mississippi. Customers in DeSoto County are served by Entergy, Northcentral Electric Cooperative, and Coahoma Electric Power Association, which are publicly regulated by the state and have a monopoly on the territory. Instead, Wildflower will sell the power to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an independent, not-for-profit, member-based organization responsible for buying and selling electricity to the power grid across 15 U.S. states. "This facility is different in nature," Presley said. "This project in no way has any effect at all related to your electric service from those utilities." Barry Matchett, Clearway Energy head of external affairs, said the power will then be sold by MISO to TVA, who will in turn sell it to the Toyota Manufacturing facility in Blue Springs.
 
A key inflation gauge rose 5.8% in 2021, most in 39 years
A measure of prices that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 5.8% last year, the sharpest increase since 1982, as brisk consumer spending collided with snarled supply chains to raise the costs of food, furniture, appliances and other goods. The report Friday from the Commerce Department also said that consumer spending fell 0.6% in December. A wave of omicron cases discouraged many Americans from traveling, eating out or visiting theaters and other entertainment venues. At the same time, incomes rose 0.3% last month, providing fuel for future spending. Stubbornly high inflation has hammered household budgets, wiped out last year's healthy wage gains and posed a severe political challenge to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. It also led the Federal Reserve to signal Wednesday that it plans to raise interest rates multiple times this year beginning in March to try to get accelerating prices under control. Chair Jerome Powell also made clear that the Fed will move to shrink its huge $8.9 trillion of bond holdings soon after it starts raising rates, another step that will likely tighten credit, slow spending and potentially weaken the economy. The inflation figure that the government reported Friday is its personal consumption expenditures index. Though the consumer price index is a better-known barometer, the Fed tends to track the PCE in setting its interest rate policies. The PCE index tracks actual purchases consumers make each month, while the CPI follows a fixed market basket of goods.
 
U.S. Labor Costs Grew at Fastest Pace in Two Decades as Inflation Picked Up
Employers spent 4% more on wages and benefits last year as workers received larger pay raises in a tight labor market and period of higher inflation, marking an increase not seen since 2001. The U.S. employment-cost index -- a quarterly measure of wages and benefits paid by employers -- showed that costs continued to rise at the highest rate in two decades of available records, with a seasonally adjusted increase of 1% in the fourth quarter of 2021 over the prior three months. The fourth quarter gain, compared with a year ago, rose 4% on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists caution that there are numerous factors contributing to high inflation during the pandemic, especially an overwhelmed supply chain and lopsided demand for physical goods rather than services, leading to mismatches between demand and available goods. But labor costs are a significant contributor to rising prices. And the current tight labor market is encouraging many workers with bargaining power to switch jobs and demand more pay, raising the risk of a destabilizing inflation dynamic known as a wage-price spiral. "Inflation has fundamentally picked up and I think it's fair to say that price gains are feeding back into wage gains as well," said Ben Herzon, executive director at IHS Markit. "There's a lot of pressure on the supply side on both commodities and labor."
 
How long will it take the Fed's rate hikes to show up in interest rates we pay and earn?
The Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates "soon." Many investors and economists are expecting that will happen when the central bank leadership next meets in March. When the Fed raises its interest rate target, borrowing throughout the U.S. feels the effects. In some cases, the Fed's plan to hike rates alone has affected borrowing costs. "Rates have started to move up with mortgages. On the 30-year fixed rate," said Peter Alden, the CEO of Bay State Savings Bank in Massachusetts. According to Alden, mortgage rates started rising before the end of 2021, and his bank had to react. "We obviously survey our competitors and things like that, and rates did start to go up competitively. So we decided to move ours as well," Alden said. Loans with variable interest rates will get more expensive once the Fed actually makes a move. That's according to Jim Vogel, the director of interest rate strategies at FHN Financial. "Almost all home equity loans are on some sort of variable rate, and so they should increase right in step with Fed changes," Vogel said. Interest rates on credit cards and auto loans will go up too, he said. But those also depend on other factors, like a borrower's creditworthiness. "They may not go up quite as quickly as the Fed moves monetary policy, but they will increase," Vogel said.
 
'This cannot go on': Severe nursing shortage equals fewer and fewer staffed hospital beds
There are almost 3,000 registered nurse vacancies in Mississippi pushing the state's hospitals to the brink of failure. Since the startling number was released in the last quarter of 2021, some hospitals have had even greater losses, as much as 40% amid a pandemic that refuses to relent, according to Kim Hoover, chief operating officer of Mississippi Hospital Association. It's Center for Quality and Workforce gathered the data. "Hospitals will continue to close beds until they close doors," she said. "We will be dealing with it for years to come. Our state could however, raise hospital staffing to top priority and bring nursing leaders to the table when discussing potential solutions." Chief nursing officers across Mississippi report nurses are submitting their resignations "on a daily basis," Hoover said. The reasons behind the nursing exodus are varied. Some are leaving for high-paying travel nursing positions with price tags Mississippi cannot match; others because they're mentally and physically exhausted, Hoover said. The startling surge in nursing vacancies comes as the delta variant's decimation has receded and been replaced by the highly infectious omicron variant. "I am amazed with the number of people across the state that assume the COVID pandemic is over," Tim Moore, Mississippi Hospital Association president, said. "Make no mistake, our hospitals are facing the greatest challenges they have yet seen." While omicron is said to cause less severe illness compared to delta, it is highly transmissible and Mississippi hospitals are, again, fielding high levels of COVID-19 patients.This time with even fewer staff.
 
House passes bill barring public bodies from implementing COVID-19 vaccine requirements
The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation that essentially bars municipalities, counties, and state agencies from implementing COVID-19 vaccine requirements for their employees. House Bill 1509, authored by Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, does not technically say public bodies cannot enact a vaccine mandate, but does say it is unlawful for them to deny services, employment and educational opportunities to people on the basis of their vaccine status. The House passed the measure 74-41. Nearly every Democratic House member voted against it. "Today we're telling the citizens of Mississippi that ... at this point you cannot refuse services or deny employment based on a person refusing to get the vaccine or not," said Rep. Sam Mims, the chairman of the House Public Welfare Committee. The bill also requires both public bodies and private organizations who have a vaccine mandate in place to allow their employees to refuse the vaccine if they have a sincerely held religious objection to it. "So we're opening up all of our private employers, all of our small businesses, all of our large businesses in Mississippi, to employment lawsuits?" asked Shanda Yates, an independent lawmaker from Jackson. "Our pro-business, Republican-led, super-majority Legislature is going after our private businesses?" Mims, R-McComb, disagreed with Yates and said the legislation is trying to protect the religious values and liberties of Mississippians.
 
Mississippi bill sets religious exemption on COVID vaccine
Mississippi government entities could not withhold services or refuse jobs to people who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 under a bill that passed the Republican-controlled state House on Thursday. That prohibition includes state agencies, city and county governments and schools, community colleges and universities. House Bill 1509 also says private businesses and government entities could not require a COVID-19 vaccination for any employee who has a "sincerely held religious objection." COVID-19 vaccine mandates have not been widespread in Mississippi, and the state has one of the lowest rates of vaccination against the virus in the United States. About 50% of eligible Mississippi residents have received at least two doses, according to a Mayo Clinic vaccine tracker. The national rate is 63.5%. Public health officials say COVID-19 vaccinations do not always prevent illness but are effective at decreasing severe cases leading to hospitalization or death. Mississippi House Public Health Committee Chairman Sam Mims of McComb, who is not a physician, argued for the bill Thursday. He said it would be up to employers to determine whether a worker's objection is sincere. "Maybe I missed something," Democratic Rep. Percy Watson of Hattiesburg said during the debate. "We are still in a pandemic aren't we?" "Yes, sir," Mims said. "Our cases are increasing." The 74-41 vote to pass the bill was largely along party lines. The only Democrat voting for it was Rep. Tom Miles of Forest.
 
Should MDOT commissioners be allowed to get salary and retirement benefits simultaneously?
A north Mississippi lawmaker has filed legislation that would allow elected Mississippi Department of Transportation officials to draw retirement benefits while in office, reigniting a debate on whether politicians should draw a state salary and state retirement simultaneously. Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, filed Senate Bill 2475, which makes it optional for the three MDOT commissioners to receive their full $78,000 salary. This provision would set the stage for allowing the commission to receive a reduced salary and getting benefits from the Public Employees' Retirement System, or PERS. McLendon said that John Caldwell, the transportation commissioner for the northern portion of the state, asked him to introduce the legislation. The DeSoto County lawmaker said he agreed to introduce the bill because it would save the state money in the long-term. Caldwell, who was a DeSoto County school district employee and DeSoto County supervisor for several years, told the Daily Journal that if he could get his PERS benefits and a reduced salary, he would make more money while saving MDOT money. "I'm not complaining about the pay -- it just seems like an efficient way to do business," Caldwell said. Retired state employees can draw up to 25% of their highest yours of salary as a public employee, often referred to as the "high four." But state politicians are currently not allowed to draw their PERS retirement and receive a reduced government salary.
 
Sen. McMahan files bill to make it harder for trans youth to change name, gender
A Northeast Mississippi lawmaker filed legislation that would largely ban incarcerated people from asking a court to change their legal name while also making it harder for a minor child to change a birth certificate as part of a gender transition. Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, filed Senate Bill 2356, titled the "Real You Act of 2022." It would prevent incarcerated people from filing petitions with chancery courts to change their name. It would also require three different notes of support before the gender or name listed on a minor child's birth certificate be altered as part of a gender transition. The three required notes must be from a doctor, a psychiatrist and an elected chancery clerk. A chancery clerk would be required to interview the minor child before offering a letter of support. The Lee County legislator said the bill is not meant to place restrictions on a minor child's right to transition to another gender, and it's only meant to give a child the chance to have a voice in the process. "This is to protect the gender of a minor from a parent," McMahan said. "Perhaps a parent wanted a son and they [have] a daughter. And they go back and change their identity against the wishes of the child. It doesn't say they can't do it. It just says they have to have a medical doctor or a psychiatrist look at it as well."
 
Bill in Mississippi Legislature would allow some municipal utilities to provide broadband service
A three-paragraph bill headed to the Senate floor could allow a handful of taxpayer-owned utilities to extend broadband service to their customers much like the electric power associations do. Senate Bill 2474 would allow any municipal utility that serves one third of its customers outside municipal boundaries to have the same powers as a non-profit electric power association (EPA), also known as a cooperative. Under the bill authored by state Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, municipal utilities could also enter interlocal agreements with an adjacent public utility. Bryan said at the committee meeting that the bill was specifically aimed at the cities of Okolona, New Albany and Holly Springs and would allow those municipal utilities in those cities to bring broadband to surrounding rural areas that are part of their service area but outside that of an EPA. "The goal of this bill is to allow these people to get internet service," Bryan said. "And to allow, if they want to, public schools to participate in that because one problem we've all encountered is the public schools need to talk to their students and their parents and they need to be able to talk back to the schools via the internet and they can't do it because they ain't got internet." There are 23 government-owned electric utilities in Mississippi, with Starkville, Oxford and Tupelo being the largest in terms of both customers and service area.
 
Black women's group says Mississippi equal pay proposals have 'glaring flaws'
When lawmakers arrived at the Capitol on Thursday, they found purses on their desks, each containing a cookie with "56c" on it -- to represent the 56 cents on the dollar Black women in Mississippi receive compared to white men for the same work. "Equal pay matters to women's pocketbooks," said Cassandra Welchlin, director of the Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable, flanked by more than a dozen women at the Capitol. The group put the purses on all 174 lawmakers' desks. They also contained the group's call to fix what it says are glaring flaws in pending equal pay legislation. In Mississippi, the last state in the nation to not provide state legal recourse for employees paid less for the same work based on sex, several equal pay bills are pending in the Legislature this year. The House last week overwhelmingly passed House Bill 770 passed on to the Senate, where two measures, Senate Bill 2451 and Senate Bill 2452, are also pending. The bills would create a state "actionable right" for any employee paid less for equal work based on sex. BWR called for lawmakers to amend the two bills at the forefront with the Legislature, or to instead support SB2452, authored by Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, which BWR said “has strong and inclusive language that should be supported.” Recent studies show women make up 51.5% of the population in Mississippi and nearly half of its workforce. They are the primary breadwinners for a majority -- 53.5% -- of families in this state, which is the highest rate in the nation.
 
Create separate judicial district to fight soaring Jackson crime, State Auditor urges
Creating a separate judicial district in Jackson to prosecute and adjudicate cases is one of the most effective ways to combat the soaring crime rate, State Auditor Shad White said on Thursday. With 155 homicides recorded in 2021, Jackson has the highest per capita murder rate in the nation. "Law and order, period, in Jackson is a problem," White said. "Whether we're talking about violent crime or we're talking about public procurement, or we're talking about white-collar crime, I can tell you that we get a lot of tips from Jackson," White told the Canton Rotary Club on Thursday. "I think those judges that you select have to be hard-nosed," he said. "And I think they have to be willing to send violent criminals, particularly, to prison for a little while." An arrangement should be made with Rankin and Madison counties to allow criminals arrested and prosecuted in the special district to be incarcerated in the surrounding counties so Hinds is not overwhelmed. Expanding the Capitol Police force extensively to take over a larger part of Jackson is another solution, he said. "I think that I would also expand the Capitol Police force by a lot," he said. "And I would allow them to take over a bigger area of Jackson so that if you police that one area, treat it like the Green Zone in Baghdad." "Basically, flood the zone with police officers, push people out, push crime out of that one zone, and then JPD could focus on the places outside of that zone that still have some crime.
 
Jackson senators call for 'all hands on deck' to deal with capital city woes
The five state senators who represent the city of Jackson said Thursday they would be working during the 2022 legislative session to increase the law enforcement presence and the number of prosecutors and judges to help fight the "war on crime" in the capital city. By some metrics, Jackson is the nation's most dangerous city. Homicide numbers have soared across the country the past two years, but based on cities with at least 100,000 population, Jackson's per capita murder rate is the highest in the United States. Sen. Sollie Norwood said "it would take an all hands on deck" approach by the local governments, schools, churches and parents, as well as the state Legislature, to deal with crime in the city. He said much of the crime is, unfortunately, being committed by young people who should be in school. Issues surrounding Jackson, the state's largest city, have been a focus at the Capitol in recent years. Those issues include crime and an aging water and sewer system that often collapses during extreme cold spells and is being investigated by federal officials concerned about poor water quality. For several years, Republican leadership of the Legislature and Democratic leaders of city government have been unable to agree on how to deal with those issues. "We are not here to play the blame game," said Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson. "We are here to say something needs to be done, and we all have roles." Horhn and the other senators pointed out that the legislative leadership and Gov. Tate Reeves are in agreement on increasing the number of state law enforcement officers in the Capitol Complex Improvement District, which runs from around the University of Mississippi Medical Center north of the Capitol building to Jackson State University south of the Capitol. Legislative leadership has called on increasing the approximately 75-member force by 50. Reeves, in his state-of-the-state address this week, called for doubling the number of Capitol Police officers.
 
Mississippi mayor withholds library funds over LGBTQ books
The director of a Mississippi library system says a mayor is withholding $110,000 from his city's library because LGBTQ books are on the shelves. Tonja Johnson, executive director of the Madison County Library System, told news outlets that Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee received citizen complaints about a handful of books that depicted members of the LGBTQ community. "Funding for this year was being withheld until we removed what he called 'homosexual material' from the library," Johnson told WAPT-TV. "His reasoning that he gave was that, as a Christian, he could not support that, and that he would not release funding until we remove the material." The move is part of a larger trend of conservatives across the country trying to limit the type of books that children are exposed to. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Holocaust was recently banned by a Tennessee school district, while the Republican governors in South Carolina and Texas have called on superintendents to perform a systemic review of "inappropriate" materials in their states' schools. The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen approved the city budget in the fall, and Alderman Ken Heard told WAPT that the mayor doesn't have the authority to unilaterally deny funds to the library.
 
Mississippi election 2022: Will Palazzo run again? Who plans to run against him?
South Mississippi has a field of candidates to choose from in the 2022 race for the 4th Congressional District congressional seat. Candidates began filing paperwork for their intent to seek office at the beginning of the year and have until March 1 to meet the qualifying deadline. Candidates registered with a political party file qualifying papers with their party. Independents file paperwork with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. Once candidates are certified eligible to run, they will either be put on the November ballot or a party-held primary race, which is scheduled for June 7. The winner of each party primary will be added to the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election. Gov. Tate Reeves recently approved the Legislature's new district lines, a process that is done every 10 years following the U.S. Census report of population shifts. District 4 changed slightly, now covering Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Pearl River, Perry, Stone and Wayne counties and parts of Jones County. Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Mississippi, has represented the state's southernmost counties since 2011. He was first elected in November 2010 and has won six consecutive races. As of Jan. 25, the congressman has not filed paperwork seeking a seventh term. Here are the District 4 candidates who hope to fill the shoes of the longtime incumbent as of Jan. 25.
 
Amid 'Jim Crow 2.0' rhetoric, some GOP candidates of color thrive
Wesley Hunt, who is running for the GOP nomination in Texas' 38th District, hauled in more than $1 million in the most recent fundraising quarter and holds $1.5 million in the bank. That seven-figure sum, which Hunt and his campaign shared first with CQ Roll Call ahead of a Monday filing deadline, puts the Army veteran, who is Black, in the top tier of congressional fundraisers. He's part of a growing Republican roster of House or Senate candidates or incumbents who are people of color raising eye-popping sums. Even as some Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have attacked the GOP as the party of Jim Crow 2.0 for opposition to bills to strengthen voting rights and overhaul elections nationwide, some of the Republican Party's rising fundraising stars are people of color, many of whom, like Hunt, take issue with Democrats' messaging. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina who is Black, raised nearly $7 million in last year's fourth quarter and had more than $21.5 million cash on hand, according to a campaign adviser. He previously endorsed Hunt. California GOP Rep. Young Kim, who was born in South Korea, plans to report raising $1.2 million in the fourth quarter with about $2.6 million in the bank. Georgia GOP Senate contender Herschel Walker, a former professional football player who is Black, hauled in $5.4 million in the fourth quarter, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freshman Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, who is Black, had raised $2.3 million as of Sept. 30. Those candidates and their fundraising receipts offer a more complex portrait of race and the Republican Party than Democrats' recent messaging, and show a party seeking more diverse candidates even as many of its members downplay the prominence of racism in America today.
 
China's ambassador to the U.S. warns of 'military conflict' over Taiwan
China's ambassador to the United States issued a warning Thursday: The U.S. could face "military conflict" with China over the future status of Taiwan. In his first one-on-one interview since assuming his post in Washington, D.C., last July, Qin Gang accused Taiwan of "walking down the road toward independence," and added, "If the Taiwanese authorities, emboldened by the United States, keep going down the road for independence, it most likely will involve China and the United States, the two big countries, in a military conflict." It was an unusually direct statement about the U.S. and Taiwan. Observers say China more commonly speaks in more general terms, such as saying that the U.S. is "playing with fire." Though American eyes may be focused thousands of miles away toward a threatened war in Ukraine, U.S. officials and analysts have voiced increasing concern about Taiwan's ability to defend itself. This week, 39 Chinese military aircraft flew near Taiwan, the latest of several such demonstrations. It's widely believed that the U.S. would defend Taiwan in the event of war, though no formal treaty requires it to do so. Qin arrived in Washington last year at a time of bipartisan disappointment with China. It's widely conceded in Washington that a decades-long policy of engagement with China produced great wealth for many companies, but failed to spark democratic reform. Qin told us that any ideas of "changing China" were always "an illusion."
 
Russian invasion of Ukraine could redefine cyber warfare
The potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could give the world its first experience of a true cyber war. Ukraine was beset by attacks earlier this month when hackers defaced and disabled more than 70 government websites, and Microsoft discovered malware planted in Ukrainian government systems that could be triggered at any moment. While these instances raised concerns, they were only a hint of Russian cyber capabilities. In a full-scale cyber assault, Russia could take down the power grid, turn the heat off in the middle of winter and shut down Ukraine's military command centers and cellular communications systems. A communications blackout could also provide opportunities for a massive disinformation campaign to undermine the Ukrainian government. Such a nightmare for Ukraine could not only give Russian President Vladimir Putin an avenue to victory, but also provide a sneak peek into the future of warfare. That future also holds implications for Washington if Putin launches cyberattacks against the U.S. to retaliate against any sanctions President Joe Biden may impose. "We need to keep in mind who we are dealing with. These guys are not Boy Scouts. They are absolutely ruthless," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of the U.S. Army Europe, said in an interview. "They will do things that will ruin people and cause great harm. This is a serious thing. It's not just about making the lights go on and off." Underlying it all would be disinformation operations aimed at undermining and overthrowing the Ukrainian government and breaking the will of the people to fight back, which would be made easier if government communications channels -- including phone lines, email and internet access -- are taken out.
 
Pentagon IDs units put on alert; White House wonders if Russia is serious on diplomacy
The Pentagon announced Thursday that military units across the country have been placed on high alert for potential deployment to Europe in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's military buildup near Ukraine. They include units at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said. The 8,500 American troops would be part of a 40,000-member NATO quick-reaction force. It includes a "very high readiness joint task force of combat troops, warplanes, ships and special operation forces. NATO has yet to activate the unit. If it does, the first troops from the United States could deploy in as few as five days. The units have been notified but not activated, Kirby said. They would be sent to NATO's eastern flank, not to Ukraine, which is not a member of the alliance. NATO is obliged to come to the aid of a member that is attacked. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the heightened alert, allowing the potential movement of combat, aviation, logistics, medical and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance units. Putin has ordered more than 100,000 Russian troops to Ukraine's border, raising concerns of an imminent incursion or full-scale invasion. He wants assurances that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO and other concessions from the West.
 
Arizona bill would allow legislature to overturn election results
An arch conservative member of Arizona's state House of Representatives has proposed a mammoth overhaul of the state's voting procedures that would allow legislators to overturn the results of a primary or general election after months of unfounded allegations and partisan audits. The bill, introduced by state Rep. John Fillmore (R), would substantially change the way Arizonans vote by eliminating most early and absentee voting and requiring people to vote in their home precincts, rather than at vote centers set up around the state. Most dramatically, Fillmore's bill would require the legislature to hold a special session after an election to review election processes and results, and to "accept or reject the election results." The proposal comes after President Biden became the first Democrat since former President Clinton to win Arizona's electoral votes. He defeated former President Trump there by just under 11,000 votes, or about three-tenths of a percentage point. But Fillmore said at a committee hearing Wednesday he still does not believe the reports he has seen, though he maintained his skepticism has little to do with the ultimate winner. "I don't care what the press says. I don't trust ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox or anybody out there. Everybody's lying to me and I feel like I have a couple hundred ex-wives hanging around me," Fillmore said. "This is not a President Biden thing. This is not a the other red-headed guy thing." "We should have voting in my opinion in person, one day, on paper, with no electronic means and hand counting that day. We need to get back to 1958-style voting," he added.
 
U. of Mississippi Medical Center creates mental health program for employees burned out by COVID-19
Monday, University of Mississippi Medical Center announced that it is creating a new mental health support program to help employees manage the emotional exhaustion of the pandemic. "We have stressful jobs. All employees here, we're taking care of patients," says UMMC Grenada's clinical operations director Cristy Seibel. "You add the pandemic to it? We had no idea how overwhelming it would become." For doctors, nurses, or any healthcare worker, they know that long hours, stress, and an intense workload are part of the job. "It could be 16 hours and then have to sleep for a few hours and come right back in," Seibel says. But as COVID-19 continues to fill Mississippi hospitals, they need someone to take care of them. "The pandemic has been an emotional roller coaster for the employees," Seibel says. "Where the COVID cases have increased and staffing has decreased." UMMC Grenada's physician and community relations director Sara Frances Horan says it's not just doctors and nurses feeling the strain. "Our dietary team, our housekeeping team, they all play such a key role in what we do to care for patients," she says. "So across the board, they're all being affected." The mental wellness program includes access to screenings and treatment from mental health counselors and a psychiatry professor to determine the best course for counseling or further treatment options.
 
A way with words: Square Books and its continued success in the face of a challenging world around it
When walking around Oxford's Courthouse Square, the red brick, book-filled windows and stone marquee reading "Square Books" are hard to miss. It's hard to believe that such a charming and welcoming building is a cornerstone for storytellers in the South and how long the store has been giving authors this platform. Square Books and its branches, just like any other brick and mortar bookstore, have not been immune to the changing book-buying landscape. Amazon, the ongoing pandemic and supply chain issues with publishers have all been a part of a list of issues that most bookstores have been facing over the past couple of years. With the constant changes made at city and state level, Richard Howorth, one of the owners and founders of the family of Square Books stores, said that the stores simply did what they could at the beginning. Before the pandemic, Square Books primarily focused on selling books at their storefront. They had a functioning website, but not one that kept up with their current stock on hand -- and no way to deliver books. This was the first of many changes that the team at Square Books had to adapt to. In the pivot, Howorth said that they saw an increase in the number of gift cards bought in March 2020, when everything began to shut down. In the onslaught of the pandemic, Roberts believes that many people have realized the value in local businesses, especially local and independent bookstores. Another long-time friend of the bookstore, award winning legal novelist John Grisham, shares the same love for independent bookstores. When asked one message he wanted to give to UM students who are looking to become writers, he said to cherish the store. "To UM students: You have easy access to one of the greatest bookstores in the world. Enjoy it, even savor it, because one day soon you'll miss it," Grisham said.
 
USM hosted open house for new Hatchery Inspiration Lab
The USM College of Business and Economic Development hosted an open house for its newest lab. The Hatchery Inspiration Lab will now be a place for students to collaborate on ideas and innovation says James Wilcox, Professor of Practice School of Management and Director of Hatchery. "There needed to be a place for students to connect with other students whether they're in graphic design, nursing business and to work on ideas together. And really the goal is to have a place for collision to take place. For students who have ideas or identify problems to come together and start to formulate teams and tackle those problems together," says Wilcox. Students will be able to use different equipment that is offered in the lab such as a sewing machine, a laser cutter and etcher, and a 3D printer to bring their ideas to life. "There will be a safety training that students have to go through in order for them to use the equipment and there's a number of other specific trainings they'll have to go through, whether it's the software or how to actually design product. But it's open to any student on campus that has an interest in making and creating and innovating and who wants to be a part of that ecosystem," says Wilcox. Wilcox says they will constantly be bringing in faculty and staff from across the campus to mentor these students in the lab.
 
USM graduate places Top 10 in 2021 Hearst Journalism Awards
Mackenzie Hamilton, a recent graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi School of Communication, won eighth place in the prestigious Hearst Journalism Awards Program in the 2021-22 Television Features competition. Founded in 1960, the Hearst Journalism Awards, also known as "the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism," offer scholarships for outstanding performance in college-level journalism and are fully funded and administered by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. This is the first time USM has placed in the Top 10. "I consider the Hearst competition the best in the country because it makes no distinction between school size, geography or anything else. The goal is to honor the best collegiate journalism in the nation. That's it. We have always known that our students can stand next to any in the country and more than hold their own. This honor for Hamilton and her mentor, Dr. Lindsey Conlin Maxwell, is more proof of that. We are extremely proud of both of them," said Dr. Edgar Simpson, Director of the School of Communication. A native of Prosper, Texas, and a 2021 USM graduate, Hamilton earned a B.A. in Journalism with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. Most of her stories in class were about sports, her honors thesis topic was on sports reporting, and she worked with Southern Miss Athletics to produce a weekly show called "Season Pass."
 
Auburn student hopes to change the way greek life finds dates
Like many people, Avery Arasin picked up a new hobby during the pandemic. A year and a half later that hobby turned into BAE, a Tinder-like dating app aimed to connect college students for fraternity and sorority events. Arasin, junior in finance, wanted to diversify his skills and picked up coding in March 2020. By October he spent well over 300 hours practicing his new hobby and by February he began development on his first app. "The app for finding formal dates, function dates. Basically, an easy way where everybody else on the app is looking to be a formal date or for their own formal date." is how Arasin describes the app. BAE took about 6 months to develop, with Arasin as the only person working on the app. On September 11th, 2021, the app went public on the app store. Arasin says that despite the challenges with learning to code as well as making an app from the ground up he was still surprised with the work required. "It ended up being way more complicated than I thought just because of the kind of app I built. There was so much with databases I had to deal with," Arasin said. Arasin uses the lessons learned from his self-described side project to help with his company, Orange Eagle Consulting, which assists companies with database optimization. With the app now attracting a user base of over 1600 users across 103 campuses just 3 months into the app's infancy, Arasin says the main challenge is connecting to more Greek organizations.
 
Why do so many people, particularly teens, think about suicide? This LSU prof is studying it.
An LSU professor is probing the mysteries of suicide -- specifically why so many people have active thoughts of killing themselves but don't act on them. "Suicidal thoughts happen in too great a frequency to be really great predictors of suicidal behavior," said Raymond Tucker, an assistant professor of psychology at LSU. At least 15 million people in this country seriously considered killing themselves in 2020, according to the latest data. Yet far fewer Americans each year attempt suicide -- 2 million -- and even fewer succeed -- 47,500. Close to half of those experiencing suicidal thoughts, about 7 million, are 25 years old or younger. About 1.2 million of them attempt suicide each year and 6,500 succeed. "The desire for death can be extremely high but it doesn't mean that it will reach such a high that it actually results in a fatal suicide attempt," Tucker said. The suicide data for men and women vary greatly. It results in what Tucker calls a "gender paradox" where women are three times more likely to attempt suicide than men, but three times less likely to manage to kill themselves. "Men are more likely to use fatal means, things like firearms," Tucker explained.
 
If the Russians invade Ukraine, research by renowned U. of South Carolina scientist could be derailed
In the years after his first trip to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site, scientist Tim Mousseau made a series of eye-opening discoveries: Birds had developed tumors, butterfly populations were suffering, and some animals had genetic damage. Mousseau, a University of South Carolina researcher, was among the first to document the toxic, long-term effects of the 1986 accident on the environment – and his efforts have made him one of the foremost authorities on how radiation affected wildlife in the area. But an international dispute threatens to set back Mousseau's ongoing research at Chernobyl. Russia is upset that Ukraine is becoming too friendly with the United States and Europe, stoking fears of an invasion that could put scientific work on hold. One of the most direct worries for scientists is if Russia invades Ukraine through Chernobyl, a possibility outlined in a Jan. 23 New York Times story. The shortest route for the Russians to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is through Chernobyl, the newspaper reported. Russian troops marching through the area could not only limit access by scientists but also trample the landscape where research is ongoing. Already, Ukrainian troops are on guard near Chernobyl. But even if Russia were to invade another part of Ukraine, the aftershocks would still be felt at Chernobyl, Mousseau said. "Any kind of military conflict would be very, very disruptive,'' said Mousseau, who has been to Chernobyl more than 40 times since he began studying the area in 1999.
 
Georgia Board of Regents sends initial guidance on tenure changes at college campuses
Changes to tenure policy have been sent to University System of Georgia campuses, beginning the implementation process. The Board of Regents altered their policies on tenure and post-tenure review last year. The American Association of University Professors have called the changes the end of tenure. Mostly the document re-iterated the changes and solicited feedback from provosts and presidents. "The one thing that did surprise me and was disappointing was the summary of changes... it listed summary of elements not changed, and due process and tenure were listed under 'not changed,'" said Georgia AAUP President Matthew Boedy, an associate professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, of the potential censure. "That is not accurate... And it's just disappointing that they claim those things are not changed." Currently, tenured faculty undergo an annual review and a post tenure review every five years. Under the new guidelines, if they fail a post tenure review, or two annual reviews in a row, they would be given a performance improvement plan. If the faculty fail to improve as part of that plan, then they could be disciplined or dismissed. The University System of Georgia has disputed that it it is damaging tenure protections in a Dec. 3 letter to the AAUP.
 
Tennessee Promise scholarship proposal gives students second chance
A determined community college student is fighting to make a fix to one of Tennessee's most popular scholarship programs. Anika Schultz, a student at Pellissippi State Community College, proposed an amendment to the Tennessee Promise scholarship that would give community college-bound students another chance to get the scholarship, even if they've lost it once or missed the deadline. All she has to do is get it through the Tennessee General Assembly. Schultz, along with her professor Jesse Cragwall, recognized the need as they continued to hear stories of friends and students having to drop out of college because they lost their Tennessee Promise scholarship. "I know a lot of people who have both utilized it and have lost it," Schultz said. Right now, if a Tennessee Promise scholarship recipient falls below 12 credit hours, they lose the scholarship and there is no opportunity for them to get it back. That means if a student has to cut back to deal with a family issue or take advantage of a job opportunity, they miss out. "A lot of students have to work or, you know, they're a mom and they have to provide for their children, and they have responsibilities outside of school," Schultz said. "To expect someone to be able to maintain, you know, full-time credit hours for their entire two years of community college, sometimes that's just not reasonable."
 
'I Want to Believe': At BYU, Opponents of Rules on Same-Sex Couples Welcome Federal Action
Brigham Young University has faced simmering criticism for years over its treatment of LGBTQ students. News broke last week in The Salt Lake Tribune that the U.S. Department of Education had opened a civil-rights investigation into whether the university, which is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is violating the gender-equity law known as Title IX. Word spread quickly, on and off campus, with critics of the university's differing standards for heterosexual and LGBTQ students, based on religious grounds, expressing a mix of excitement and tentative apprehension over what such an investigation could mean. "It felt like a massive relief," said Calvin Burke, a former BYU student and well-known LGBTQ advocate in the community. "Most people outside of BYU don't understand how bad things are for queer students there or how many queer students there are at BYU, so it felt like finally someone has heard what's going on and can hopefully come and help." Just short of 1,000 out of 7,600 undergraduates who participated in a recent survey identified themselves as LGBTQ, or about 13 percent, according to a study by two local clinical psychologists. If the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, which is conducting the investigation, finds that BYU violated Title IX by going beyond what it is permitted to do under its religious exemptions, one remotely possible penalty is the university's loss of access to federal student aid, although that sanction has never been applied. The outcome of the investigation will reveal just how durable the religious university's strict rules are in a country that in recent years has become vastly more accepting of its LGBTQ community.
 
Oklahoma City University closes two teacher ed programs
With enrollments dwindling, Oklahoma City University is phasing out its early childhood and elementary teacher preparation programs. Just three students remain in the combined programs. While the decision to close the programs was quietly made in 2020, pre–COVID-19, the news only recently became widely known. In additional to local media coverage, it's prompted questions about the health of teacher education programs elsewhere---especially as Oklahoma and other states face a possible wave of teacher retirements and resignations this year. "That's the biggest concern of all," said Heather Sparks, director of teacher education at OCU. "We know we're going to continue to need teachers, and yet we're not doing a good enough job, collectively, at getting folks into the pipeline." Sparks, who graduated from OCU's education program some 30 years ago and only returned to teach there recently, said early childhood and elementary teacher education classes historically enrolled 10 to 12 students. But about 10 years ago, enrollments began to "trickle," Sparks said, prompting the university to finally deem the two programs unsustainable. Nationally, total enrollment in teacher preparation programs declined by more than one-third between 2010 and 2017, even as overall undergraduate enrollment increased over the same period, according to a 2019 analysis by American Progress. Oklahoma fared worst in the state-by-state portion of the analysis, with an enrollment crash of 80 percent. COVID-19 stands to make things worse in some places.
 
VMI's first Black superintendent blasts white critics of diversity and equity reform
Retired Army Maj. General Cedric Wins had a message he wanted to send. The first Black superintendent of Virginia Military Institute went onto Facebook Jan. 21 and set off a social media skirmish. His target: a well-connected white alumnus who'd questioned VMI's push for diversity, equity and inclusion at the nation's oldest state-supported military college. Carmen D. Villani Jr., a member of the Class of 1976, had appeared on a Richmond radio show and urged fellow graduates to ask the state legislature to "look very seriously" at an extra $6.1 million for their alma mater, which received $21.6 million in state funding for the 2021-22 academic year. He also warned that critical race theory -- an academic framework for examining system racism under attack by conservatives -- had "entered into the VMI realm." The additional $6.1 million had been requested by VMI to cover the cost of a host of reforms in the wake of a state-ordered investigation that found the college suffers from a "racist and sexist culture." "Mr. Villani," Wins wrote on a public VMI Facebook group for parents, cadets, and alumni that boasts more than 3,700 members. "You advised the listeners to urge the members of the General Assembly to 'look very seriously' at VMI's funding request, a request you have no understanding about. VMI's funding request will pale in comparison to that of the other public colleges in the state. You have no understanding of [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] or what it means, or how much of the funding for DEI is represented in our request." The scathing Facebook post stunned VMI's tightknit network of students, parents and alumni and exposed the ongoing battle over the college's future. If approved by General Assembly this year, the money would pay for expanded Title IX and diversity offices, three admissions counselors who would target underrepresented populations, and an ongoing effort to rebrand and re-contextualize the college's numerous Confederate tributes.
 
Instructors express fewer concerns about online cheating
Faculty concerns over academic integrity in online courses have eased since 2020, when the transition to online learning first began, according to a new study from Wiley. The research and education company found that 77 percent of instructors surveyed last year believed students were more likely to cheat online than in person -- a decline of 16 percent over Wiley's spring 2020 survey, in which 93 percent of instructors responded that way. Jason Jordan, senior vice president of digital education, said the shift most likely stems from instructors' adjustment to online learning. "We don't have a definitive answer, but we believe it's likely that as instructors have acquired vastly more experience with online learning in recent months, their concerns about academic integrity have lessened," Jordan said. "It may also be that instructors now have more experience with mitigating techniques than they did in 2020." The study, which surveyed over 2,800 college instructors and 682 students in the U.S. and Canada in September, found that chemistry instructors were the most likely to believe students cheated more online than in person, at 85 percent, followed by instructors in anatomy/physiology and physics, at 84 percent each. David Rettinger, president emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity, which is conducting its own survey on academic integrity, said the high level of concern about online cheating at the start of the pandemic may have reflected the stress and anxiety students and faculty faced when institutions abruptly shut down and moved classes online.
 
Rethinking the Act of Applying to College
Applying to college is a big, complex, nerve-fraying chore. For low-income and first-generation students, it can be an insurmountable barrier. That's why admissions officials, policy makers, researchers, and technology companies have long been weighing a crucial question: What would a simpler, more streamlined admissions process look like? On Thursday, the Coalition for College, a membership group of 162 institutions with a shared online application, announced a plan to ease the challenge of applying. As part of a new partnership, the organization will embed its application process into Scoir, an online college-advising platform used by students at more than 2,000 high schools nationwide. Instead of creating a Coalition application and typing information into a separate website, students with a Scoir account will soon be able to apply to any Coalition college by transmitting an admission form prepopulated with information -- demographic data, grades, test scores, and so on -- that would already reside under the same virtual roof. "Our goal," Stacey Kostell, the Coalition's chief executive, told The Chronicle last week, "is that everything could be done in one place, with more of it happening in an automated way, so that applying is more seamless." The Coalition's plan is among the latest examples of how the traditional definition of an admission application is evolving.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State offense, Texas Tech defense set to battle in Big 12/SEC Challenge
Mississippi State's overtime loss on Tuesday night at Kentucky, while simultaneously boosting its NET ranking despite the unfortunate result, served as something coach Ben Howland felt his team could build from. In an environment where he felt his team needed mental toughness and an "us against the world" approach, the Bulldogs did just that. They competed on the road. They had the skill to overcome a 16-point deficit in the second half. And they had a player in Iverson Molinar who showed he can take over a game and score 30 points any given night. MSU showed on national television it has key components to becoming the NCAA tournament team it expected to be. But those components haven't always combined together for a full 40-minute performance -- something MSU needs to learn to do. There was the Minnesota game in early December where MSU fell into a 14-0 hole from the jump and, despite a valiant effort late, couldn't pull out a win. There were the Colorado State and Florida games where MSU was away from home and led for a majority of the game, only to allow a late detrimental run. Mississippi State can make its jump in the rankings through tight losses against ranked teams. But those determining the tournament field in March will look at wins and losses, and if MSU can't turn moral victories into real victories, it will be left out. That's why Howland knows the upcoming stretch starting Saturday at No. 13 Texas Tech and continuing against teams such as No. 18 Tennessee and No. 19 LSU will need to include upsets.
 
Without Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State women's basketball runs away vs Missouri
There wasn't much time to ponder the sudden loss of Rickea Jackson before Mississippi State women's basketball found itself back on the floor. Jackson entered the transfer portal Monday. By Thursday night, the Bulldogs were playing against Missouri at Humphrey Coliseum. They had lost the SEC's leading scorer, leaving the team even smaller -- in physical stature and general depth. And yet, when the final buzzer sounded, Mississippi State had beaten Missouri, 77-62. "You can choose to follow the distractions, or you can choose to focus on the task at hand," Mississippi State interim coach Doug Novak said. "And obviously, our team chose the latter." The Bulldogs had lost their best player but played one of their best games, following a script of what a small-ball team must accomplish. They hit 3-pointers. They forced the Tigers (15-6, 4-4 SEC) to commit turnovers. They turned those turnovers into baskets. That formula allowed Mississippi State (12-7, 3-4) to weather the departure of Jackson -- at least for one game -- with Caterrion Thompson and Anastasia Hayes leading the offense. "I've been at college for a while, so I know the ups and downs to a season," Thompson said. "Really, just trying to keep the team together, play hard for each other. I think that's the most important thing we can do right now."
 
Thompson steps in for Jackson, leads MSU women past Missouri
Amidst the questions surrounding the direction of the program, Mississippi State women's basketball continued its season Thursday night with a home matchup against Missouri. It was the fourth time MSU has taken the floor without Rickea Jackson this season, but it was the first since the SEC's leading scorer entered the transfer portal -- leaving State as a bubble team now looking to make up a loss of 20 points per game. Mississippi State made the transition look seamless with a 77-62 win against Mizzou. Graduate guard Caterrion Thompson stepped into Jackson's spot for her third start of the season. Thompson averaged five points in 17 minutes per game this season. On an MSU team which shot an SEC-worst 26.6 percent from deep entering the game, Thompson's 31 percent clip ranked second on the team. "While it was a fantastic game that she played, it's not that big of a surprise because of what she has been showing us in practice," interim head coach Doug Novak said. Mississippi State took advantage of sloppy play by Mizzou, forcing 20 turnovers. State scored 24 points off those turnovers compared to Missouri's eight points off MSU's 10 turnovers.
 
Missouri outplayed in Starkville, ending two game winning streak
Mississippi State is not a team known for its 3-point shooting like Missouri. But that wasn't the case Thursday night in Starkville, Mississippi. The Bulldogs came in averaging 5.8 3s per game but largely appeared to have switched roles with the Tigers. Guards Caterrion Thompson, Anastasia Hayes and Aislynn Hayes flipped the script as they hit shots from beyond the arc as Mississippi State beat Missouri 77-62. "They're not statistically typically a great 3-point shooting team," Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said. "But after they had their first couple, we said we wanted to tighten up on other shooters, and we just didn't do a very good job of that." With Missouri struggling from deep, Aijha Blackwell stepped up. Though Ladazhia Williams started in her place for a size-heavy approach, Blackwell came off the bench and immediately got to work. Blackwell finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds, with seven points coming in the first quarter and four in the second. By that time, Mississippi State already had two players in double-digit scoring figures, with Thompson leading the charge with 15 points, including four 3s in the first half. It was almost as if there wasn't much the Tigers could do defensively to stop Thompson and others from scoring. Despite Blackwell's bursts of energy coming off of the bench, Mississippi State couldn't be stopped. Mississippi State not only outplayed Missouri but it was the grittier team, an aspect of the game that Pingeton harps on. After losing their lead scorer Rickea Jackson to the transfer portal and being down to only eight players, the Bulldogs were playing with a chip on their shoulder and Missouri was the team to feel the brunt of that chip.
 
Jessika Carter plans to return to Mississippi State women's basketball next season
Jessika Carter has re-enrolled at Mississippi State and plans to return to the women's basketball program next season, interim coach Doug Novak said. Carter was on the bench for the Bulldogs' 77-62 win against Missouri on Thursday, but she isn't eligible to play this season. She has worked out individually and participated in film study with her teammates this semester. "We have her working out with (assistant coach) Bob Thornton, and then with (strength and conditioning coordinator Hannah Wilkinson), making sure her body's right," Novak said. "Her workouts are fantastic. She is really getting after it. She's in a full sweat every day. "The dangerous thing is having her around that team and having her close to that bench, and I'm looking down that bench and I see her," Novak continued. "It'll be for next year, but man, do I want to put her in right now." Carter was a critical piece for the Bulldogs across the previous two seasons, and her absence has been acutely felt this season, with Mississippi State lacking much size down low. With Carter's return, Mississippi State's roster receives a major boost next season, although forward Rickea Jackson entered the transfer portal. Guard Myah Taylor received an additional season of eligibility from the NCAA, so she could return to Starkville. With the addition of Michigan State transfer Alyza Winston and incoming freshman Debreasha Powe, a shorthanded roster should be more filled out.
 
Mississippi State women's basketball game at Kentucky rescheduled
Mississippi State women's basketball will play at Kentucky on Feb. 15, the SEC announced Friday morning. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. MSU's trip to Lexington was originally scheduled for Jan. 3, but COVID-19 cases within Kentucky's program forced a postponement. The game was rescheduled for Jan. 13, but that was postponed due to positive cases within MSU's program. Kentucky has lost five of its last six games and fell out of the AP poll this week for the first time in 66 weeks. The Wildcats are led by potential first overall pick Rhyne Howard whose 20.3 points per game leads all active SEC players. Mississippi State broke a three-game skid Thursday with a win at home against Missouri. It was MSU's first game since Rickea Jackson -- who matched Howard's 20.3 points per game this season -- entered the transfer portal.



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