| Friday, February 18, 2022 |
| MSU makes sure that students are safe during severe weather | |
 | Education is important at Mississippi State University but there is also a strong focus on safety. And Mississippi State University wants to make sure its students have all the information they need to stay safe in case the weather turns severe. Chief Communication Officer Sid Salter says safety on and off campus is addressed even before those students have their first class. "It begins in orientation when students and their families first connect with the university and we begin at that point trying to educate them about what we do in terms of emergency operations," said Salter. Salter says they can't guarantee 100% safety but every precaution is being taken to prevent injuries and keep students out of harm's way. "What we can offer is an environment that every safety step is taken to ensure safety and to respond quickly when that safety is threatened or interrupted and that's our commitment to parents and the Starkville community to have maintained an environment which every possible action to keep our folks safe has been taken and observed," said Salter. The university also makes sure that students are notified about what is happening on campus as soon as possible. "Through Maroon Alerts which are communications through student-faculty and staff that are circulated on Twitter and by other social media by direct emails and through our website we notify the campus community of a threat or danger and we give them instructions on next step actions," said Salter. Students on campus say they receive those alerts pretty frequently, but it helps them feel safer. "With the Maroon Alert system and their Twitter and social handles, I believe they continuously give us updates with the weather," said MSU student Christopher Williams. |
| Rental property owners to pay inspection fee | |
 | Rental property owners will soon be required to pay fees for unit inspections. The board of aldermen approved an amendment to the city's unified development code Tuesday requiring property owners to pay a one-time $15 inspection fee per rental unit for housing inspections to determine units are in livable conditions. After the discovery of several uninhabitable units across the city, such as units at Brookville Garden Apartments, Mayor Lynn Spruill, City Attorney Chris Latimer and City Planner Daniel Havelin crafted a document laying out regulations for unit inspections to prevent additional properties from becoming dilapidated or unlivable. Though every rental property owner must pay the fee, units will only be inspected if a complaint is given to the city or a structure looks rundown on the outside. The city must gain entry approval from the tenants, landlords and property owners to conduct the inspection, and if that approval is denied, the city must obtain a warrant. "There will either be entry by consent or from a warrant," Latimer said. "So if a tenant says, 'We don't want you in,' well then you go get a search warrant in that event to ensure there's no forced entry. There's no non-consensual entry." Ward 4 Alderman Mike Brooks, an appraiser who was one of the two opposing votes along with Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver at Tuesday's meeting, said he is concerned for property owners who have multiple units throughout town and will have to pay several thousand dollars in the coming months for these inspections. "I do think that we have codified this and it's something good," Brooks said. "Hopefully, it will keep us from having problems, but I'm just concerned about these fees." |
| Nissan to invest $500 million for new electric vehicle line, preserve 2,000 jobs at Canton plant | |
 | Nissan is investing $500 million to transform the Canton Assembly Plant to build the company's new electric vehicle line with production beginning in 2025. The move will preserve and upskill 2,000 jobs, company officials said during a Thursday morning press conference at the facility near Jackson. "Nissan is prepared to capitalize (on the interest of electric vehicles) by introducing more EVs and more electrified models to its lineup," said Ashwani Gupta Nissan, chief operating officer. "With our long-term vision, we will invest $18 billion (internationally) over the next five years." Production of the new Nissan and Infiniti electric vehicles is expected to begin in 2025, and Nissan has now invested $13.5 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations, Gupta said. Gov. Tate Reeves joined Nissan officials in making the announcement before an international audience of visitors and media assembled at the Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant. "We are going to work together with (Nissan's) leadership team to make sure that Mississippi remains the best place, not only in America but the best place on the globe to invest capital and the best place on the globe to create jobs," Reeves said. David Johnson, Nissan North America's incoming senior vice president for manufacturing and supply chain management, said the new electric Nissan and Infiniti models will be produced at the Canton plant. Company officials also said batteries for the new electric vehicles and others will be assembled in Canton. |
| Nissan to produce all-electric vehicles in Mississippi | |
 | Nissan Motor Co. officials announced Thursday that the company will manufacture two new models of all-electric vehicles in Mississippi. The company said it will invest $500 million in its Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant and will improve the skills of nearly 2,000 employees there. Production of the new Nissan and Infiniti EV vehicles is scheduled to begin in 2025. "Today's announcement is the first of several new investments that will drive the EV revolution in the United States," Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer, Nissan Motor Corp., said in a news release. "Nissan is making a strong investment in Canton's future, bringing the latest technology, training and process to create a truly best-in-class EV manufacturing team." The Canton plant employs about 5,000 people. Workers have assembled nearly 5 million vehicles since the plant opened in 2003. The state of Mississippi is providing assistance for building improvements, equipment installation and workforce training for Nissan's electric vehicle project. Electric vehicles currently make up only a small percentage of the U.S. market, but major automakers believe electric vehicles will dominate their industry in the years ahead as costs fall, battery technology improves and more charging stations are created. |
| Mortgage Rates Close In On 4%, Making Home Affordability Tougher | |
 | Mortgage rates hit their highest level in almost three years, further straining affordability in a market where prices have risen steeply. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan was 3.92% for the week ended Thursday, according to mortgage-finance giant Freddie Mac, up from 3.69% a week earlier. That is the highest level since May 2019. Expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates several times this year to control inflation are driving up mortgage rates, which are closely tied to the 10-year U.S. Treasury. The yield on the benchmark note traded near a recent high of 2% Thursday. At their meeting last month, officials at the central bank discussed accelerating the pace of planned rate increases if inflation doesn't subside. Mortgage rates have now risen for three straight weeks. A year ago, the rate on America's most popular home loan was 2.73%, just above its record low of 2.65%. Still, rates remain near historic lows. "As rates and home prices rise, affordability has become a substantial hurdle for potential homebuyers," Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said in a written statement. |
| January home sales rise ahead of expected rate hikes | |
| Sales of previously occupied homes rose in January as a surge in buyers with cash and others eager to avoid higher mortgage rates snapped up properties, leaving the number of available houses on the market at a record low. Existing home sales rose 6.7% last month from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.5 million, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. That's more than the roughly 6.08 million sales that economists had been expecting, according to FactSet. Sales slipped 2.3% from January 2021 as the median home price jumped 15.4% from last year at this time, to $350,300. Those prices are being driven higher with so many potential buyers hunting for a shrinking number of properties still on the market. The number of homes for sale at the end of January totaled just 860,000 -- the fewest since the NAR began tracking it in 1999, and there are few signs that pressure will let up soon. The inventory of unsold homes fell 2.3% from December and 16.5% from a year ago. At the current sales pace, that amounts to a record low 1.6 months' supply, the NAR said. While it's normal for fewer homes to go on sale in the months leading up to the annual spring homebuying season, the ultra-low level of properties on the market continues to give sellers a big edge on buyers. Housing market demand looks to remain healthy this year, bolstered by ongoing demographic change as younger millennials and Gen-Zers come of age and look to become homeowners. But with housing in short supply since well before the pandemic, higher prices and rising interest rates will make it even harder for house hunters this spring to secure a new home. |
| Forget stagflation. Retail sales point to a 'boomflation' economy | |
 | The latest data on retail sales for January, out Wednesday, shows that people are spending a lot on a wide range of things. The increase was 3.8% month over month, the biggest gain since March. But the number is not adjusted for inflation, so does it mean we are buying more, or just paying more? Recent surveys show that Americans are pretty down on the economy right now. But according to PNC Chief Economist Gus Faucher, the spending data tells the real story on sentiment. "Pay attention to what consumers do rather than what they say. They say they're concerned about inflation. They say they're concerned about the economy, but they're certainly not spending like that. They continue to buy a lot more things," Faucher said. Inflation did play a role in retail sales data, but how much? "What you find is we got an actual jump in sales, even once one takes into account rising prices," Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM said. E-commerce sales were up by 15% in January, and inflation hasn't reached anywhere near that level. Brusuelas called this environment boomflation. "The U.S. economy is booming, as it reflates following the shock of the pandemic," he said, even though inflation is sticking around for now. BMO Capital Markets senior economist Sal Guatieri said the retail sales figures, combined with a blockbuster jobs report earlier this month, complicate the task ahead for the Federal Reserve. |
| Mississippi legislators push 1st round of budget proposals | |
| Mississippi legislators are working on proposals to fund state government for the year that begins July 1. The Republican-controlled House and Senate on Thursday passed the first draft of budget bills for schools, health care, mental health services, foster care, transportation, courts and other state services. "We're far from the finish line," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Briggs Hopson, a Republican from Vicksburg. The state-funded portion of the budget is proposed to be more than $6 billion. Most agencies are expected to receive roughly the same amount of money as they are during the current year. House Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Karl Oliver, a Republican from Winona, said Thursday that the current budget proposals are "way under" what many agencies are requesting but numbers will change before the final plan is set. Hopson said budget writers are aware that inflation could increase agencies' costs for fuel, supplies and other needs. "Inflation is more of a concern this year than it has been in my time here in the Legislature," said Hopson, who was first elected in 2007. Budget writers face extra work this year because they must decide how Mississippi will spend $1.8 billion that the state is receiving from the federal government for pandemic relief. Legislative leaders have said they want to use the money for transformative projects, including improvements to local drinking-water and wastewater systems, repairs to buildings on campuses of universities and community colleges and improvements for foster care and mental health services. |
| State Medicaid director: Banning Centene contract would be hazardous | |
 | The leader of the state's Medicaid division on Thursday warned a group of senators that banning contracts between the state and health care companies that have settled lawsuits over fraud allegations would lead to chaos. The House last week voted to functionally end the state's contract with health care giant Centene, a company that has been investigated by two state agencies for overcharging Mississippi million of dollars, after a state lawmaker offered an amendment to a separate Medicaid bill. Drew Snyder, director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, said the amendment authored by Republican Rep. Becky Currie of Brookhaven would be hazardous and potentially exclude other health care organizations from doing business in the state. "If passed, the amendment would subject 162,328 Medicaid beneficiaries to a hurried reassignment process that would disrupt care services," Snyder said. "It likely would result in litigation against the Division of Medicaid." The amendment specifically prohibits the Medicaid division from contracting with any organizations that have settled with the state for more than $50 million over allegations of fraud and misspending. The amendment is clearly targeted toward Centene, though it does not name the company. Centene has injected thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of some of Mississippi's most powerful politicians and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to prominent lobbyists, according to public documents on the Mississippi Secretary of State's website. |
| A year after winter storms paralyzed Mississippi, PSC calls for upgrades to aging utilities | |
| On the week of Valentine's Day, 2021, winter storms Uri and Viola incapacitated utilities in Mississippi and across the country. Southern cities and utility companies were especially unprepared, lacking shelter for their distribution systems that left customers without water and powers for extended periods after the storms. In preparing for the possibility of more frequent winter storms, Mississippi's Public Service Commission on Thursday released the results of a year-long investigation into the state's public utility infrastructure. The PSC regulates rates and services from telecommunications, electric, gas, water and sewer utilities, but has no authority for appropriating funds to those utilities. "One year ago this week, Mississippi was in the grip of historic winter storms," Central District Public Service Commissioner Brent Bailey said. "The combination of freezing rain, snow and days of below freezing temperatures brought road travel to a halt, caused nearly 200,000 customers to lose power, caused more than 80 water systems to have low or no water pressure, and some telecommunications were even disrupted. "For a few days it seemed almost as if the entire state was paralyzed." In the wide-ranging report, which also looked at recent damages from hurricanes, thunderstorms and tornadoes, the PSC looked at the most common vulnerabilities among utilities and ways to address them. Although the report didn't include specific funding amounts, it did recommend more proactive communication between lawmakers and utilities to discuss mitigation investments. Between the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Bills, Bailey said lawmakers could help upgrade aging systems, especially water and sewer plants. |
| House, Senate propose separate plans for federal funds for water and sewer improvements | |
| The Mississippi Legislature is crafting plans to put together a matching fund grant program to help municipalities and counties statewide with water and sewer upgrades and repairs. The bills now active in the Legislature would use some of the $1.8 billion given to the state under the American Rescue Plan Act. In addition to the state government, individual municipalities also received funds from ARPA. Jackson received $42 million, the most statewide. According to data from the National League of Cities. Gulfport was second with $19.5 million, Hattiesburg was third with $12.8 million and Biloxi received the fourth-most at $11 million. Senate Bill 2822 will create separate matching grant programs for local governments and rural water associations to be managed by the state Department of Environment Quality and is sponsored by state Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland. Local governments would receive matching funds for every dollar they spend from federal relief funds given to them directly for water and sewer projects. House Bill 1421 would create the Rural Water Associations Grant Program under the state Department of Health, which would approve grant applications and ensure that the terms of each project agreement were honored. The bill was sponsored by state Rep. John Read, R-Gautier. Lawmakers will outlay $200 million in ARPA funds for the grant program. HB 1640 would provide $42 million for improvements to the city of Jackson's embattled water system. |
| Mississippi's plan to keep teachers amid burnout, culture wars? Give them more money | |
 | Spend enough time around teachers and it won't be long until you hear some version of this: Don't go into teaching for the money. Of course, that doesn't mean teachers don't care about the size of that paycheck. And with educators burnt out and leaving the profession, Mississippi lawmakers are considering the tactics used by other employers struggling to keep workers -- raises. Dueling plans from the state House and Senate promise to bump teacher salaries by thousands of dollars -- enough to change new Mississippi teachers from being the worst paid in the nation, to getting more than the 2020 national average of $41,000. The state hopes more money will keep teachers from leaving for neighboring states like Louisiana and Alabama to make a better wage -- both considering their own salary bumps to address a national teacher shortage. Pay, however, isn't the only thing driving teachers away. The past two, exhausting years of COVID learning -- from virtual, masked or hopscotching between both -- have put extra strain on teachers. It's also placed them at the center of political fights, along with the latest one brewing over critical race theory. "Teachers are trained in how to teach," Kelly Riley, executive director of the Mississippi Professional Educators, said. "They get very frustrated when non-educators try to tell them how or what to teach -- i.e. the legislature micromanaging them." George Stewart, a teacher at Whitten Middle School in Jackson, thought the Mississippi Legislature was finally supporting teachers with multiple, significant teacher pay raise bills. The anti-CRT bill has him questioning that. "The education pay bill does say we respect you," Stewart said. "But at the same time, we want to monitor what you teach, as if we're not capable of teaching the truth." |
| House leader proposes merging nonprofit prison corporation into state corrections department | |
| A key representative wants to dissolve a nonprofit prison corporation intended to give incarcerated people job training and merge its duties with the state-run corrections department. House Corrections Chairman Kevin Horan told the Daily Journal that he and state senators are crafting legislation that would allow the Mississippi Prison Industry Corporation's goals to be carried out under the umbrella of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. "We just don't need a separate group out here acting outside of MDOC," said Horan, a Republican from Grenada. Although there has yet to be any concrete legislation to change the nonprofit organization, Horan did introduce a bill that keeps the code sections pertaining to MPIC alive. The House passed Horan's bill 120-1. Bradley Lum, CEO of MPIC, which recently changed its name to MAGCOR Industries, did not specifically address Horan's proposal when asked about it on Wednesday. Instead, he spoke in generalities about the organization's goals. Horan's proposal comes after a legislative watchdog group released a report this summer questioning the financial future and the overall effectiveness of the nonprofit organization. |
| Mental health advocates want input on how federal funds are spent | |
| Advocates want Mississippians who rely on mental health services to have a say in how the embattled Department of Mental Health spends $104.5 million in proposed federal relief funds, and they're hoping the Legislature will make it happen. On Feb. 11, leaders of four advocacy groups sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker Philip Gunn asking them to create a "stakeholder committee" to advise DMH on its spending of the American Rescue Plan Act money and monitor the outcomes. Members would include service recipients and their families, care providers, community health centers, law enforcement and others. "This inclusive and holistic approach would increase the likelihood of better outcomes for people with mental illness and their families," wrote the leaders of Disability Rights Mississippi, Families As Allies, the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, and the Mississippi Psychiatric Association. The federal money would flow to DMH, which employs more people than any other state agency, as it works to expand community-based mental health services. In her presentation to the ARPA subcommittee in December, DMH Director Wendy Bailey proposed using funds to add 60 beds at crisis stabilization units to help divert people from state hospitals, train first responders in mental health first aid, implement the 988 suicide prevention lifeline as it launches in July 2022, and address the agency's staffing shortage. |
| House Agriculture's Scott says farm bill should address cannabis | |
 | House Agriculture Chairman David Scott on Thursday said the 2023 farm bill should address the barriers small businesses and Black entrepreneurs face when trying to start legal cannabis companies under state law. Those barriers include high startup costs, underfunded state social equity programs and the lack of access to banking, Amber Littlejohn, executive director of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, told Scott and other members of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protections and Financial Institutions. "Here we are, the fastest growing agricultural product, between hemp and cannabis," said Scott, D-Ga. "We're also going into our farm bill. We've got to address this issue. We can no longer hide it." Congress has previously used the legislation that reauthorizes agriculture and nutrition programs to address the legal status of cannabis. The 2018 farm law made it legal to grow hemp, derived from the cannabis plant, as an agricultural crop. However, jurisdiction over policies addressing cannabis cut across committees, potentially complicating Scott's efforts. In his role as Senate majority leader in 2018, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had to fend off opposition from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, then chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to include the hemp provisions. |
| Senate passes bill to avert shutdown, fund government through March 11 | |
 | The Senate on Thursday approved a measure to fund the federal government through March 11, marking the final legislative step toward preventing a shutdown that would have occurred by the end of the week. The measure now heads to President Biden's desk, where his signature will give lawmakers about three more weeks to reach the sort of longer-term deal that has eluded them for months -- a tricky debate that some hope will pave the way for billions of dollars in new coronavirus aid. The stopgap, known on Capitol Hill as a continuing resolution, largely preserves federal spending at its existing clip. The bipartisan, 65-27 vote followed days of partisan wrangling, after a crop of Republicans held up swift passage to take a series of political stands -- seeking to protest excessive federal spending, defund federal vaccine mandates and prevent the government from subsidizing crack pipes. Like before, the spending patch spares the government from significant disruption, particularly during an ever-evolving pandemic. But it also comes at the cost of Biden's agenda, preventing Democrats from ratcheting up spending in areas like health care, education, science and research as the president first proposed last spring. Republicans have rejected many of Biden's plans, believing instead the country should spend more on defense. |
| 'The brand is so toxic': Dems fear extinction in rural US | |
| Some Democrats here in rural Pennsylvania are afraid to tell you they're Democrats. The party's brand is so toxic in the small towns 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh that some liberals have removed bumper stickers and yard signs and refuse to acknowledge their party affiliation publicly. These Democrats are used to being outnumbered by the local Republican majority, but as their numbers continue to dwindle, the few that remain are feeling increasingly isolated and unwelcome in their own communities. "The hatred for Democrats is just unbelievable," said Tim Holohan, an accountant based in rural McKean County who recently encouraged his daughter to get rid of a pro-Joe Biden bumper sticker. "I feel like we're on the run." The climate across rural Pennsylvania is symptomatic of a larger political problem threatening the Democratic Party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Beyond losing votes in virtually every election since 2008, Democrats have been effectively ostracized from many parts of rural America, leaving party leaders with few options to reverse a cultural trend that is redefining the nation's political landscape. Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, who recently announced he would not seek reelection to Congress this fall, warns that the party is facing extinction in small-town America. "It's hard to sink lower than we are right now. You're almost automatically a pariah in rural areas if you have a D after your name," Cooper told The Associated Press. |
| GOP senators steer clear of Trump as rift deepens | |
 | The Breakers resort is about 3 miles from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. When more than 20 Republican senators headed there last weekend, though, only three attended an event with Donald Trump. And some say they steered clear of the former president intentionally as they raised money to take back the Senate. "People appreciate his input. But I think a lot of people see a lot of other opportunities elsewhere for 2024," said one Senate Republican, who was granted anonymity to describe the intraparty dynamics. "And so while he has a role to play, I think a lot of people are tired of looking backwards and they want to look forward," the senator added. "So, I did not go see him." Many GOP senators still speak regularly with Trump as he asserts outsized influence in party primaries and this fall's battle for control of the chamber. In fact, most Republicans are still hesitant to say anything on the record that might put them in the crosshairs of their presumed 2024 frontrunner -- which explains the reluctance to address why they decided not to see him in the Sunshine State. Some Republicans who traveled to Florida for the National Republican Senatorial Committee event said they weren't snubbing Trump, who has pushed in vain to depose Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and would be visiting with him soon. And several wouldn't be welcome, since some senators who voted to convict the president at his second impeachment trial were among those wooing donors at the NRSC events. But other Republicans said hanging out with their onetime commander-in-chief is the furthest thing from their minds. "I went down there to meet with National Republican Senatorial Committee supporters and honestly never even gave it a thought," said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), whom Trump has called a "jerk" for saying the 2020 election was fairly decided. |
| Judge Orders Trump to Testify in New York Civil-Fraud Probe | |
| A New York judge ruled Thursday that Donald Trump and two of his adult children must testify under oath as part of the New York attorney general's civil-fraud investigation into the former president and his company. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James sent subpoenas in December to Mr. Trump and two of his adult children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. , seeking testimony from all three, as well as documents from the elder Mr. Trump. State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron denied the Trumps' bid to block or delay the subpoenas and ordered them to appear for depositions within three weeks. He ordered Mr. Trump to hand over documents within two weeks. "A State Attorney General commences investigating a business entity, uncovers copious evidence of possible financial fraud, and wants to question, under oath, several of the entities' principals, including its namesake," Justice Engoron wrote in the eight-page ruling. "She has the clear right to do so." The judge rejected the Trumps' argument that the subpoenas would be used to improperly gather evidence for a separate criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney. The civil probe, he said, was spurred not by Ms. James's campaign promises, as the Trumps had claimed, but by previous congressional testimony from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The Trumps have disputed the allegations and accused Ms. James of political motivations. |
| As COVID restrictions ease, the full Congress is invited to attend State of the Union | |
 | All members of Congress have been invited to watch, in person, President Biden's upcoming State of the Union address --- a dramatic departure from his speech to Congress last year, for which seating capacity was capped at about 20% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Attendees of the March 1 event will need to submit a negative PCR test one day before the speech and wear "a high quality, properly fitted, medical-grade filtration mask (KN95 or N95) at all times," according to a Thursday memo from the House sergeant-at-arms. Representatives in the chamber must also "adhere to social distancing guidelines regarding seating separation distances," the memo said. While all members have been invited to the event, guest attendance is prohibited. The shift from last year's limited-seating address to full member capacity reflects the federal government's push to ease some of the most restrictive COVID-19 prevention measures, as Americans' patience with the pandemic -- now nearing its third spring -- has worn thin. "As a result of all this progress and the tools we now have, we are moving toward a time when COVID isn't a crisis, but is something we can protect against and treat," Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Wednesday. "The president and our COVID team are actively planning for this future." |
| They Wanted to Roll Back Tough-on-Crime Policies. Then Violent Crime Surged. | |
 | Four years ago, progressive prosecutors were in the sweet spot of Democratic politics. Aligned with the growing Black Lives Matter movement but pragmatic enough to draw establishment support, they racked up wins in cities across the country. Today, a political backlash is brewing. With violent crime rates rising in some cities and elections looming, their attempts to roll back the tough-on-crime policies of the 1990s are increasingly under attack -- from familiar critics on the right, but also from onetime allies within the Democratic Party. The combative resistance is a harsh turn for a group of leaders whom progressives hailed as an electoral success story. Rising homicide and violent crime rates have even Democrats in liberal cities calling for more law enforcement, not less -- forcing prosecutors to defend their policies against their own allies. And traditional boosters on the left aren't rushing to their aid, with some saying they've soured on the officials they once backed. Homicide rates spiked in 2020 and continued to rise last year, albeit less slowly, hitting levels not seen since the 1990s. Other violent crimes also are up. Both increases have occurred nationally, in cities with progressive prosecutors and in cities without. That's left no clear evidence linking progressive policies to these trends, but critics have been quick to make the connection, suggesting that prosecutors have let offenders walk and created an expectation that low-level offenses won't be charged. Those arguments have landed on voters and city leaders already grappling with a scourge of pandemic-related ills -- including mental health care needs and housing shortages, rising drug use, even traffic deaths. |
| Strum selected as Pharmacy School Dean | |
 | Donna Strum has been named Dean of the Pharmacy School and Executive Director of Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences after the Institutions of Higher Learning's Board of Trustees approved her appointment during their regular meeting on Feb 17. According to a memo from University of Mississippi Provost Noel Wilkin, Strum was appointed after a nationwide search which yielded many qualified candidates. She has a long history of involvement and service with and to the UM School of Pharmacy. Strum is a three time graduate of the UM School of Pharmacy. Prior to being named dean she chaired the Department of Pharmacy Administration and more recently served the university as an associate provost. She has been interim-Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Executive Director of RIPS since July 2021. "I am honored to lead one of the best pharmacy schools and research enterprises in the nation. We have a strong foundation of excellence on both our Oxford and Jackson campuses and throughout our vast network of alumni, preceptors and professional community," Strum said in a School of Pharmacy news release. "I look forward to building on this success as we continue to support an inclusiveness and diverse environment. We'll work on advancing our missions through innovation and collaboratively enhance our impact on public health." |
| UM researchers sending sonic experiment to space station | |
| A device that can move liquids without physical contact sounds like the stuff of science fiction, so perhaps it's appropriate that a prototype of just such a marvel is headed to the International Space Station for an out-of-this-world test of its capabilities. When NASA's next resupply mission to the ISS, Cygnus NG-17, blasts off Saturday morning (Feb. 19) from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, an acoustic tweezers device conceived and built at the University of Mississippi will be among its cargo. Likun Zhang, assistant professor of physics and astronomy and a researcher at the university's National Center for Physical Acoustics, and Robert Lirette, a former UM doctoral student in physics and postdoctoral research associate, hope to explore the ability of the device to control fluids in the zero-gravity environment of space. "NASA is interested in being able to manipulate fluids in space, and I think we can help with that," Zhang said. "As you might imagine, fluids present problems in zero gravity, so a way of controlling them without physical contact would be a valuable thing on space flights." Being able to control liquids on a spacecraft or space station has applications for propulsion, power generation, temperature control and life support functions, he said. In zero gravity or microgravity, droplets can float freely in a spacecraft, posing danger to crew and equipment. Zhang hopes to develop acoustic technologies that could help astronauts contain and control liquids on long-duration space missions. |
| State Board of Education votes to award $17.6M grant to UMMC to provide telehealth services to K-12 students | |
 | On Thursday, the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) voted to approve a $17.6 million grant to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). The grant would be used to create a telehealth delivery system within K-12 schools to provide remote healthcare and healthcare provider access to students. "Healthy students learn better. Implementing this telehealth program for Mississippi's K-12 students will better ensure health issues are identified and treated," said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. "This program can potentially reduce absenteeism, help parents and guardians get quicker access to services for a child and even save lives." The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is using American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III funds to cover the grant. In December 2021, the U.S. Department of Education approved Mississippi's plan for use of American Rescue Plan funds to support K-12 schools and students and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to the state. The ARP ESSER state plans approved by the Department, including Mississippi's, show how states are using the funds to support the social, emotional, mental health and academic needs of students. The grant period is from July 1, 2022 through Sept. 30 2024, with a liquidation period ending Dec. 31, 2024. |
| Alcorn alumni ask university to respond to allegations of widespread issues on campus | |
| A report by a group of Alcorn State University alumni alleges widespread issues contributed to falling enrollment and dozens of employee resignations in the last year at the nation's oldest historically Black land grant university. Alcornites for Change is now calling on the president, Felecia Nave, and her administration to address their concerns at next month's mid-winter conference, an annual gathering of national alumni chapters, in Atlanta, Ga. The report is based on records requests and a series of workshops held by Alcornites for Change to investigate the "current student conditions" and was presented to members during a Zoom meeting last week. "It's time to separate the drama from reality," April Gilmore, a 2004 graduate, said during the meeting. "I went from not caring to angry in a matter of months. We need to invest in ourselves, we need to be heard. We want the leadership to respond to us." The 64-page report covered nine areas of concern, including that fall freshman enrollment has dropped by half over the last five years, from 1,286 students in fall 2017 to 641 students in fall 2021. It also included a survey of 252 alumni which found almost 80% were dissatisfied with the current administration's "willingness to listen to or address" their concerns. The group has said in meetings that its goal is not to see Nave fired -- which some students called for in a protest on the campus green last fall -- but to "be a conduit of improvement" for Alcorn State. |
| Alcorn Jazz Festival honored with Mississippi Governor's Arts award | |
| Alcorn State University's Jazz Festival, which is held annually in Vicksburg, has received the 2022 Governor's Arts Award's Arts in Community Award. "It feels great to be recognized after 36 years," said Dr. Dave Miller, a professor of Music at Alcorn and festival director. "It's been my life's work, really, so it's very nice to be recognized and for the festival to get recognition after serving as many people as it has over the years. It (the award) really means a lot coming from the governor and the Arts Commission; it's statewide so it's really a big deal." The awards program will be shown on MPB Television Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. It will also be broadcast Sunday at 5 p.m. on MPB Think Radio. Presented by the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Governor's Arts Awards are given to individuals and organizations to recognize outstanding work in the artistic disciplines and arts-based community development and arts patronage in Mississippi. The Alcorn Jazz Festival is nationally recognized and brought some of the most important jazz performers in the history of the genre to the state, at times it is the only time many of these musicians perform in the state. Under Miller's direction, the festival educates students and others through workshops and discussions with artists. It has inspired generations of student musicians and is free and open to the public. Miller is presently developing the schedule for the 41st festival, which will run for three days beginning April 7. |
| U. of Alabama students' dance marathon will raise money for children's hospital | |
 | Some University of Alabama students will put on their dancing shoes this weekend, for a good cause. BAMAthon, a 12-hour dance marathon for charity, returns Saturday to the Student Center ballroom. Last year, BAMAthon was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event still managed to raise $303,126 for Children's of Alabama hospital in Birmingham. "Last year was a phenomenal year, and we are still beyond proud of our team for hosting a 12-hour livestream. However, we cannot wait to be back in the Student Center Ballroom for BAMAthon," said Grace Muncy, president of University of Alabama Dance Marathon. "Having BAMAthon back in person allows us to share our passion with as many students as we can while also making memories that will last a lifetime," she said. Current and former patients of Children's of Alabama, known as "Miracle Kids," will attend the BAMAthon on Saturday to share their stories of pediatric illness. In addition to the Miracle Kids, BAMAthon will feature performances, guest speakers, dancing, games and more. UADM has raised close to $2 million for Children's of Alabama through the BAMAthon, which is now in its 11th year. Dance Marathon is part of a nationwide movement that involves college and high school students who raise money for local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. UADM was created in 2011 with the mission of providing yearlong support for children being treated at Children's of Alabama in Birmingham. |
| Students frustrated with limited counseling help in Auburn | |
| Auburn University Student Counseling & Psychological Services offers students 10 free individual therapy sessions for every academic school year. While there are many positives to the mental health services that Auburn offers, students have expressed that there is also a need for reform in some areas. "I think that they should be more flexible to offer more sessions," said Brandon Rowand, senior in counseling psychology. "Just because sometimes 10 doesn't work for a lot of people, they may need more sessions than that." The limit on sessions can deter people from trying to seek help, especially if they are not looking for group therapy. Students also were unimpressed with the lack of options when it came to seeking help outside of Auburn University. Rowand pointed out that the duration of the counseling sessions was an issue for him. He expressed the need for longer sessions and also pointed out the fact that many of the group therapy sessions felt poorly monitored. "I have a lot of friends who were very frustrated that it was harder to see counselors in like the general Auburn area just because they didn't like to come on campus, but I was pretty fine with it," Rowand said. The process for getting into one-on-one therapy can be a bit difficult due to some extra hoops students have to jump through just to get an appointment scheduled. In order to reform this issue, SGA President Jake Haston, junior in journalism, spoke about what his administration plans to do regarding mental health services at Auburn University. "One aspect of my platform is introducing a web portal for medical clinic appointments," Haston said. "I believe this will make getting medical care easier for students. I plan to advocate for this with administrators in the coming weeks." |
| 'Architecture as an artifact': Auburn professors scan 3D digital reconstructions of historic Rosenwald Schools | Education | |
 | Even with the trusses exposed, and roofs caving in, the Rosenwald Schools from the segregation era still have a lesson to teach. As the ashy paint that clings to the outside of the buildings across Alabama peel more and more with every passing year, two Auburn University professors saw the value in preserving what is left of the 40 remaining Rosenwald schoolhouses before it's too late. Gorham Bird and Junsn Liuha are using drones, 360-degree photography, photogrammetry and laser scanners to create 3D digital reconstructions to keep these buildings "standing" in an online archive. "Buildings are historical records," Bird said. "I think the Rosenwald Schools serving as a way to educate African-American kids during segregation is a great example of architecture as an artifact." In the early 1900s, Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald -- the early president of Sears, Roebuck and Company -- founded these schools, which educated over 600,000 Black students during the Jim Crow era. There once were 400 of these schoolhouses across the state. Today, less than 50 remain. Bird and Liu have scanned one of the still-standing buildings outside Montgomery, with active plans to scan three more. Bird, visiting assistant professor in Auburn's school of architecture, and Liu, associate professor in the McWhorter School of Building Science, hope to expand the project from there. Bird and Liu first began this project during the period of civil unrest in America in the summer of 2020. Combining their passion for architecture and technology, they came up with the idea of online models of the historical Rosenwald schoolhouses. |
| Raccoon falls through LSU's 459 Dining Hall ceiling in room of packed students | |
| A raccoon fell through the ceiling of the 459 Dining Hall into the dining area Wednesday night as students were eating. Pictures and videos taken by students capture diners watching as the confused raccoon looked around and rummaged through a student's booksack. Custodial staff eventually captured the animal. Danielle Gipson, an LSU Freshman, heard a scream when she entered the dining hall. "All I hear was a raccoon was in the 459," Gipson said. "Everyone is standing up and looking around for it. I went and still got my food because I thought that it was fake. The raccoon then ran underneath my table and I immediately got on top of the chair." Gipson then saw the raccoon leap on the table. As she returned to her table, friends told her that the raccoon had been on top of her bag and items. She was never able to finish her food. "I am just scared that my bag has a disease," Gipson said. "Right now it's funny to look back at, but at the moment, I was traumatized. My appetite is definitely gone." Hannah Accius, an LSU Freshman, entered the 459 as the raccoon still rummaged the building. "The raccoon was trapped by the pasta area by LSU students so it would not run," Accius said. "The workers still allowed students to enter even though they knew that a raccoon was inside." |
| Conservative report affects higher education anti-diversity bill | |
| A conservative report critiquing Tennessee universities' emphasis on "diversity, equity and inclusion" is circulating the state Legislature, and some lawmakers believe it is the impetus for a bill blocking "critical race theory" in state colleges. House Bill 2670 sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and backed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is similar to the critical race theory law passed in 2021, a measure that caused an uproar in the Legislature and hard feelings over the teaching of historical horrors such as the Holocaust and American slavery. The higher education bill is designed to protect students and staff who disagree with so-called "divisive concepts and ideologies" and enables them to challenge universities in court for trying to "indoctrinate" them in views that the white race should feel bad for oppressing the Black race for centuries. The legislation isn't necessarily based on the report being passed around by lawmakers, "Critical Social Justice in Tennessee Higher Education: An Overview." But it provides insight into the mindset lawmakers are developing after receiving the information. The report calls for lawmakers to take several steps against universities, including reducing funding to those that emphasize "diversity, equity and inclusion," saying those words are now used to divide the world into "aggrieved minorities and oppressive majorities." It contends many Tennessee public universities are "dedicating themselves" to the ideology and points toward the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as the primary offender, reporting it has more administrators working on critical social justice than the rest of the UT system combined. |
| Blinn College, Texas A&M University System boards approve construction projects at Bryan sites | |
 | The Blinn College District Board of Trustees and the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents both approved improvements to the RELLIS Campus this week. Officially part of the Texas A&M University System, the Blinn College District also has a presence on the Brazos County educational site as a member of the RELLIS Academic Alliance. During Thursday's regular meeting, the Texas A&M University System regents approved to add the RELLIS infrastructure project labeled as 4B to the university system's fiscal year 2022-2026 capital budget. The total amount will be $7,744,000 and is part of a multi-billion dollar capital plan across the system's universities and agencies. The infrastructure and utility improvements include utility extensions -- electrical, fiber, sanitary sewer, surface storm water, domestic water, roadway lighting and thermal distribution -- in the northeast portion of the campus that will tie in with current infrastructure, according to information included in support documents for the meeting. The documents state the lighting package will light Bryan Road from Fourth Street to the RELLIS Parkway intersection. Fiber cabling will support a 5G cellular network and future growth. According to the supporting documents, the work will support the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center building and other future developments in the northeastern quadrant of the campus. |
| Clemson pitches $140M wind turbine facility expansion to Dept. of Energy secretary | |
 | U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm toured Clemson University's wind turbine testing campus and discussed Clemson's hope of a $140 million expansion. The wind turbine components currently tested at the site, called the Dominion Energy Innovation Center, can be the size of a city bus, but some of the next-generation offshore wind turbines are even larger than the space can handle. "In order to test those massive turbines you're going to need massive equipment," Granholm said. "Nowhere in this United States is (there) such a facility, at the moment." Clemson hopes that such an expansion could be on the old Navy base as an expansion of the existing one, and officials believe $140 million would allow that to happen. The tests conducted at the existing operation have mostly been on smaller land-based wind turbines, and each test can last years. It's not an immediate problem, but it's inevitable that the coming offshore wind machines will need more testing capacity than the Clemson facility offers, although it's among the largest in the world. "We're working with industry to put together a scope of what industry needs to test the next generation," said Meredyth Crichton, executive director of Clemson's Dominion Energy Innovation Center. "We want to get this on their radar." Granholm made no promise of funding but said a U.S. offering that could test larger offshore wind turbine components is crucial to meeting clean energy goals, and growing the domestic industry. |
| U. of Kansas plans to cut 42 academic programs | |
 | Faculty members at the University of Kansas are pushing back on a plan that would eliminate 42 academic programs, arguing that a number of the proposed cuts are not in the best interest of the university and would undermine its educational mission to serve students. The KU University Senate agrees with 28 of the 42 proposed cuts, mainly programs that are largely inactive and will not affect students and faculty if eliminated. But faculty members have deemed 14 others too important to cut, leading to a standoff with the administration. Both the University Senate -- which is comprised of staff, faculty and students -- and the Faculty Senate have raised objections with KU leadership over the depth of the proposed cuts. The 14 programs that faculty members want to save include bachelor's degrees in humanities, Latin American and Caribbean studies, visual art education, and a variety of minors, master's and Ph.D. programs spanning a broad range of disciplines. According to online statements from faculty members, some programs---such as humanities---were being considered for discontinuation as early as 2020. Plans for program elimination became clearer last year, when Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer discussed cutting certain programs at a Kansas Board of Regents meeting in February 2021. Meeting minutes note that KU sought to discontinue or consolidate low-enrollment programs as the university grappled with a $75 million budget shortfall. Bichelmeyer then brought the recommendations forward to faculty last fall. |
| CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro resigns amid scrutiny over handling of sexual misconduct case | |
 | California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro, confronted with growing criticism of his handling of sexual harassment and bullying allegations involving a former top assistant, announced his resignation Thursday. The announcement marks a stunning fall for Castro, who was hailed as a passionate advocate for students and employees and particularly praised for increasing graduation rates and narrowing achievement gaps while president of Fresno State before he was named chancellor in September 2020. His resignation came after an all-day closed-door session with the Board of Trustees. Castro's resignation comes amid widespread criticism after reports that as president of Fresno State in 2020, he quietly authorized a $260,000 payout and a retirement package for former Vice President of Student Affairs Frank Lamas, who was the subject of complaints of bullying and sexual harassment that began in 2014. Castro also provided a glowing letter of recommendation to Lamas without disclosing university investigative findings supporting the allegations of sexual misconduct. Three weeks later, the Board of Trustees named Castro as the eighth chancellor of the 23-campus Cal State system. Castro said he did not inform the board about the investigation or the settlement. Faculty at Fresno State, where Castro became the university's first Latino president in 2013, said Thursday night that they were shocked by the news but believed that resigning was in Cal State's best interests. |
| Sexual assault reports increase at US military academies | |
| Reported sexual assaults at the U.S. military academies increased sharply during the 2020-21 school year, as students returned to in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic. The increase continues what officials believe is an upward trend at the academies, despite an influx of new sexual assault prevention and treatment programs. Comparing the totals over the past three years, however, is tricky. The number of reports dropped at all the academies during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 school year, when in-person classes were canceled and students were sent home in the spring to finish the semester online. Although there were fewer reports that year than the previous year, one senior defense official said that based on trends the total likely would have shown an increase if students had not left early. In addition, the number of reported assaults in 2020-21 was also higher than the pre-pandemic school year of 2018-19. According to the Pentagon report released Thursday, the overall jump in cases was driven by increases at the Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. There were 131 assaults reported by cadets or midshipmen in 2020-21, compared with 88 the previous year and 122 a year earlier. The latest increase comes as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other leaders struggle to curb sexual assaults across the military, amid escalating criticism from Capitol Hill. Lawmaker are demanding better prevention efforts and more aggressive prosecutions. |
| College Endowments Saw Stellar Returns as the Market Soared | |
 | During a fiscal year when stocks soared, college endowments posted annual returns that were up sharply from the year before, when the markets hit a volatile stretch early in the pandemic. According to the annual Nacubo-TIAA Study of Endowments, scheduled for release on Friday, college endowments had an average one-year return of 30.6 percent, net of fees, in the 2021 fiscal year. The year before, the endowments' overall average return was 1.8 percent. The positive results extended across endowments both large and small. Even the lowest rates of return were still more than 20 percent, the study found. The study's findings are "quite a different one-year snapshot" from the 2020 fiscal year, said Susan Whealler Johnston, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, in a conference call for reporters. The average size of endowments in the survey was $1.1 billion. However, the median endowment size was about $200 million; more than half of the endowments in the study were less than $250 million. Endowments also benefited from new gifts, which rose 15 percent from a year earlier -- part of a 2020-21 boom in philanthropy described earlier this week in a survey by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. |
| College endowments boomed in fiscal year 2021, study shows | |
| College and university endowments posted sky-high returns in fiscal year 2021, with endowments of all sizes growing by at least 20 percent, according to a new study. The average college endowment value increased by 35 percent, to $1.1 billion, and the median endowment size swelled to $200 million. The study -- conducted annually by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America -- surveyed 271 public colleges and universities and their affiliated foundations, as well as 442 private institutions and seven noncollegiate nonprofits. Combined, these institutions boasted $821 billion in assets during fiscal year 2021, which began on July 1, 2020, and ended on June 30, 2021. A strong U.S. market in fiscal 2021 drove high returns for endowments of all sizes, said Ken Redd, director of research and policy analysis at NACUBO. "For large endowments, private equity and venture capital were really the drivers of returns," Redd said. "For the smaller endowments, U.S. stocks were driving their performance." It's too soon to say whether colleges and universities can expect more good news at the end of fiscal year 2022, but it's unlikely to match the high returns they saw in fiscal 2021, according to Redd. Lately, Redd said, "Financial markets have been very choppy for two reasons: one, inflation. And two: the threat of possible military action between Russia and the Ukraine. We know that the Standard & Poor's 500 -- which is the major index that most schools follow -- in general has been down. So my guess in general is that endowments are also down a little bit this current year, but we'll know more about that when we do our next data collection." |
| Why 2 Federal Lawmakers Decided to Target Legacy Admissions | |
| As colleges face calls to become more inclusive, one refrain has grown in popularity in recent years. Why not ban legacy admissions? By giving a boost to the children of alumni, critics charge, the practice only adds an additional barrier for the underrepresented students striving to navigate higher education. On Capitol Hill, two Democratic lawmakers this month unveiled legislation to outlaw legacy preferences in admissions on many campuses. The bill's passage is unlikely, at least for now, but its introduction signals how prominent a target legacy admissions has become in progressive circles. Sen. Jeff Merkley, of Oregon, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, of New York, say the bill is a sure-fire way to make the college-admissions process more equitable. "Every child ... regardless of what community they live in, who is a focused individual wanting to explore the world and has worked hard in high school, should have a fair chance to apply and not have 10 or 25 percent of the seats set aside that are pre-allocated to the most privileged individuals," Senator Merkley said in an interview with The Chronicle. Merkley, who was the first person in his family to attend college, recalled being bewildered when he arrived at Stanford University and learned that he was the only person in his dorm who hadn't visited the campus before he enrolled. He says banning legacy admissions would be one step toward reducing the built-in advantages enjoyed by privileged students. |
| U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona: Pandemic can be 'reset button' for schools | |
 | U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said it is the job of school leaders to listen to parents, students and educators as they continue to grapple with the lingering effects of the pandemic on the nation's public schools. The nation's top education official, during a visit to rural Trousdale County in Tennessee Thursday, said education leaders can and should use the pandemic as a reset and a kick-off point to building on things that best work for students and educators. "The pandemic is the closest thing to a reset button we have in education and it's time for us to think outside the box and try to create more opportunities for students and the best way to do that is to listen to the students directly," Cardona said during a roundtable with Trousdale County High School students and other leaders in Hartsville, Tennessee, on Thursday morning. Later, during a fireside chat with Daniel Domenech, executive director of The School Superintendents Association at the AASA's National Conference on Education in Nashville, Cardona also noted the challenges both educators and families have faced throughout the pandemic. "I continue to be inspired by our educators, by our leaders, who have been dealing with one challenge after another since March 2020," Cardona told a room full of thousands of school leaders later Thursday afternoon. "This pandemic was supposed to last two weeks and, at first it was what how do we open schools, then it the delta variant, then it was books, then it was [critical race theory] and it just seems like it keeps coming." |
| Resignation leads to controversial division of White House science adviser's job | |
| President Joe Biden's decision to appoint two people to temporarily fill the White House's top science advice position -- a job typically held by one appointee -- is drawing mixed reactions from the U.S. research community, including opposing takes from two former presidential science advisers. The Biden administration said yesterday it is "doubling down on science" by appointing geneticist Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to serve as the president's science adviser and social scientist Alondra Nelson, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to serve as OSTP director. Both jobs had been held by geneticist Eric Lander, who announced on 7 February he was resigning after a White House investigation found "credible evidence" that Lander had bullied and disrespected staffers. Biden said he plans to nominate a permanent replacement for Lander, who took office in May 2021, but gave no timeline. (Neither Collins nor Nelson will be the nominee, sources say.) In the meantime, Biden said, this temporary arrangement would "allow OSTP and [my] science and technology agenda to move seamlessly forward under proven leadership." Others, however, aren't sure that splitting the OSTP and science adviser responsibilities is a good idea. "I don't understand it, and it doesn't make any sense to me," says Neal Lane, an emeritus physics professor at Rice University who served as former President Bill Clinton's science adviser while leading OSTP in the late 1990s. OSTP's primary role is to provide the president with the best advice on scientific issues, Lane says, and the new arrangement, which Lane calls "an unprecedented experiment," could undermine the office's authority. |
| 'Big Research' splits over R&D packages | |
| Tensions within the powerful research lobby -- poised to reap big benefits in new competitiveness legislation -- are rising ahead of an impending bill conference. The little-discussed research lobby's academic and industry wings were already at odds over divergent lawmaker plans to overhaul the National Science Foundation. Now, ahead of a conference for the House and Senate's competitiveness packages, cracks are emerging among university lobbyists over the expansion of a program meant to fund researchers in rural or overlooked states. During a Thursday call with several heads of research at universities across the country -- convened by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, one of the largest research lobbies in Washington -- Roger Wakimoto, the head of research at the University of California, Los Angeles, said he'd prefer an NSF focused more on "challenges, scientific questions" that won't necessarily lead right away to workable technologies. There's also a split within academia on the wisdom of the Senate bill's plan to set aside 20 percent of NSF's research dollars for states that have historically received little R&D funding, primarily rural states. The Senate bill puts the program on track to expand nearly tenfold, to just under $2 billion per year -- but doesn't add any extra research dollars to NSF's overall pot. The provision was spearheaded last year by Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee. The change is likely to funnel more federal research funding into universities in Mississippi and other rural states, but that money will likely come out of the pockets of research institutions in states like Massachusetts, California and Washington. There was tension on the APLU call when the rural state funding expansion was discussed. University representatives from states like Kentucky lauded the provision, while Wakimoto of UCLA warned it could cause "emerging research institutions" in his state to get "lost in the shuffle." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State baseball feels the fan support as season ticket sales skyrocket | |
| Even for the mecca of college baseball, this offseason has been unique. In Mike Richey's 22 years working for Mississippi State, an offseason clamoring for baseball is the norm. And yet, since the Bulldogs came home from Omaha with the first College World Series championship in program history, that clamoring has morphed into a fervor, inundating Richey -- an executive senior associate athletics director in charge of the Bulldog Club and ticket operations -- and his staff. The fans want tickets -- a lot of them. They want to see the reigning national champions play at Dudy Noble Field, elevating season ticket sales to never-before-seen levels. "The support's been there forever, and to think it could even get more intense than it has been is kind of hard to imagine," Richey said. "But it's been incredible." Mississippi State has sold more than 13,000 season tickets for this season, which gets underway Friday (2 p.m., SEC Network+) against Long Beach State. Athletics director John Cohen estimated that's about 4,000 to 5,000 more season tickets than the program has ever sold, with the number including those in suites, left field lounges, reserved seatbacks and standing-room only. That's what a World Series can do for a program -- even one with as much buy-in annually as the Bulldogs. "I'm never surprised by our fans," Cohen said, "because they just do such a good job supporting Mississippi State baseball." |
| Fan experience, young talent create ideal sales pitch for MSU's Lemonis entering title defense | |
| The grass is lined, the scoreboard ribbon and other stadium renovations are complete, the national championship trophy has its place behind home plate and despite any inclement weather rolling through, Mississippi State's run as defending champs is set to begin. MSU welcomes No. 24 Long Beach State to Dudy Noble Field for a three-game set beginning today at 2 p.m. -- moving from the original 3 p.m. first pitch due to weather concerns. All the talk about needing to flush the 2021 title run becomes a reality -- though some will continue to celebrate. Mississippi State lost key pieces from last season, as many successful collegiate baseball programs do, to the MLB. College World Series most outstanding player Will Bednar is gone from the rotation and key bats such as Tanner Allen and Rowdey Jordan are gone as well. There's a core of returning players including, Brad Cumbest, Logan Tanner and Landon Sims among others, looking to keep the momentum going. Some, such as Cumbest, believe this year's team can be better than last year's. That'll mean those who prompted the gifs Chris Lemonis tweets will need to produce. Lemonis posts on social media anytime a "new dude" is announced -- implying Mississippi State got a new commitment from a recruit. The gifs have become a routine across sports all over the nation, but Lemonis has been among the most active. Now it's time for some of the young faces to shine. |
| Big questions loom as Mississippi State baseball sets sights on repeat | |
| The Mississippi State baseball team lost two-thirds of its starting rotation in the very first weekend of the 2021 season. Will Bednar was scratched from his first start with neck soreness. Eric Cerantola never even made the trip to Texas. The Bulldogs needed some help, and they got it. "It made other guys be prepared, and we had other guys prepared, and they did a great job," coach Chris Lemonis said. Former Itawamba Community College pitcher Houston Harding and five relievers held TCU to three runs in MSU's second game. In the third, freshman Jackson Fristoe delivered three scoreless innings, and grad student Carlisle Koestler got the win against Texas Tech thanks to a strong relief appearance. It was the first time the Bulldogs had to deal with adverse circumstances in 2021. It wasn't the last. "I think some of those things that happened early to us made us stronger at the end," Lemonis said. The proof is clear: Mississippi State went on to capture the 2021 College World Series title, the first team national championship in school history. Now it's a year later, and the Bulldogs are facing questions before the 2022 season even starts at 2 p.m. Friday against No. 24 Long Beach State. Can they replace Tanner Allen and Rowdey Jordan? Can they make up for losing all three weekend starters? Can they replicate the success they found last season? It's time to find out. |
| Mississippi State baseball announces weekend rotation for Long Beach State series | |
| Former lights-out closer Landon Sims will lead things off on the mound for Mississippi State baseball in 2022, and two unproven pitchers are set to follow behind him. On Thursday afternoon, MSU released its weekend rotation for the season-opening series with No. 24 Long Beach State at Dudy Noble Field. Sims will start the opener against the Dirtbags at 2 p.m. Friday. Junior right-hander KC Hunt will start Saturday's game -- a 2 p.m. first pitch -- and sophomore righty Cade Smith will start Sunday's game, which begins at 1 p.m. Sims had an even 100 strikeouts in 56.1 innings of work in 2021, but he made all 25 of his appearances out of the bullpen. This year, he'll take on a new role with the Bulldogs forced to replace the entirety of their 2021 weekend rotation. "I'm really excited for it," Sims said. "It's a new challenge. It's a pretty special spot to be in. I'm very fortunate to be in that situation." Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis previously said six players were in contention for the starting rotation, likely including senior Preston Johnson and sophomore Jackson Fristoe. But for now, it's Hunt and Smith who will follow Sims as the Bulldogs' season begins. |
| Scouting report: Mississippi State set to face No. 24 Long Beach State | |
| Chris Lemonis' goal is for his 2022 Mississippi State baseball team to flush out the memories of the 2021 title run. The schedule he put together helps with that as MSU's tough road to back-to-back championships begins this weekend against No. 24 Long Beach State. The Dirtbags, after going 28-15 last season and 26-14 in conference play, were selected by the Big West coaches to be the conference champions this season. Long Beach State is coming off a season in which it went 4-4 against ranked opponents -- splitting four games sets with UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. Relief pitcher Devereaux Harrison, who was named a preseason All-American by D1Baseball, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball, will be a player to watch as he enters his sophomore season. He made 18 appearances out of the bullpen for the Dirtbags last season while posting a 1.57 earned run average. |
| Play Ball! College baseball begins Friday with high expectations | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: It's time to do what Mississippians do best when it comes to college sports. That is, play ball. Baseball. Defending national champion Mississippi State, NCAA regional champ Ole Miss, and perennial NCAA Tournament participant Southern Miss all begin their seasons Friday with home weekend series. To say the least, expectations are high. Mississippi State, ranked highly in most preseason polls including No. 4 by D1Baseball, will play host to West Coast baseball powerhouse Long Beach State, ranked No. 24 in the same poll. The Bulldogs and Dirtbags will play single games at 2 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. ... The 2021 college baseball season ended with State's All American closer Landon Sims getting the last out in the Bulldogs' 9-0 championship victory over Vanderbilt in the College World Series at Omaha. State's 2022 season will open with Sims on the mound at Dudy Noble, shifting roles from lock-down closer to Friday night starter. Sims, who saved so many of All American Will Bednar's victories last season, will inherit Bednar's role of front-line starter. The Bulldogs will be face a difficult foe. Long Beach won 15 of its last 17 games a year ago and features one of the nation's best closers of its own. Sophomore Devereaux Harrison finished with a 3-1 record and a team-leading 10 saves last season. He struck out 42 batters in 34 innings and opponents hit just .175 against him. |
| Mississippi State Hosts Bulldog Kickoff Classic | |
| Coming off a run-rule victory to complete a doubleheader sweep in its home opener, Mississippi State will look to keep momentum rolling at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic this weekend. State (3-3) will play five games over the three-day event (Feb. 18-20). MSU is set to meet Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. CT and Central Arkansas at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The Bulldogs will play Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. and Central Arkansas again at 3 p.m. on Saturday with those games available on SEC Network+. The tournament concludes with a rematch against Georgia Tech at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Southern Illinois is making a trip to Starkville for a tournament for the second year in a row. Last year, the Salukis played in The Snowman in late February and defeated MSU in extra innings. Central Arkansas and MSU played a midweek contest last spring as well, with MSU winning in walk-off fashion, 4-3. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets last met in the 2019 edition of the Snowman and played three times. State won two of those matchups, including one by run rule. Admission to MSU softball games is always free. The Friday night contest against Central Arkansas is State's Greek Attendance Challenge with a prize for the Greek house with the highest percentage of its members in attendance. Fans are encouraged to wear maroon on Friday. Sunday's game is MSU's military appreciation game. |
| Let's play two: Struggling Mississippi State faces Missouri twice in three days | |
| For a Mississippi State basketball team that has lost four straight games and six of its past seven, playing the same team two times in three days probably isn't a recipe for success. So it's a good thing for the Bulldogs that the opponent they'll see twice in quick succession is Missouri. Mississippi State (14-11, 5-7 Southeastern Conference) faces the Tigers (10-15, 4-8 SEC) at 6 p.m. Friday in Starkville and again at 7 p.m. Sunday in Columbia, Missouri. For an MSU team rapidly falling out of the NCAA tournament picture, winning both games is practically paramount if the Bulldogs hope to return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. After Wednesday's loss at No. 25 Alabama, that seems unlikely. Before that game, Mississippi State was already on the wrong side of the bubble, not even among the First Four Out according to ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Then MSU blew a seven-point lead, lost 80-75 and fell to just 2-8 in Quadrant 1 games. Neither contest with Missouri, the No. 146 team in the NCAA's NET rankings, is currently Quad 1 or even Quad 2. Sunday's game could move into the second category should Mississippi State lose Friday, but if that were to happen, NET rankings wouldn't mean all that much at that point. That's because Missouri is the second-worst team in the SEC by KenPom.com and NET, ahead of only Georgia. The Tigers are 12th in the conference standings with their 4-8 record, ahead of only Ole Miss (3-10) and UGA (1-12). |
| Mississippi State's Howland says team needs to win out, starting with pair against Missouri | |
| If Mississippi State has any slim chance of saving its season, it'll need to have Missouri's number down pat. The Bulldogs open a stretch of two games in three days against the Tigers on Friday. The opening game will be at 6 p.m. inside Humphrey Coliseum --- what should be immediately after the conclusion of MSU baseball's season-opener against No. 24 Long Beach State. The latter, a rescheduled game, will be Sunday night at Missouri. MSU head coach Ben Howland knows the task at hand. To get into the NCAA tournament, Mississippi State likely needs to win its six remaining regular season games and add a win or two in the conference tournament. But following his team's loss Wednesday at Alabama, Howland refused to let the lofty odds be more than they are. He wants his team to worry about winning one game before it concerns itself with six -- especially considering the four-game skid MSU is on. Humphrey Coliseum has been in the bottom quarter of the SEC in attendance numbers. MSU's failure to reach expectations has been part of why, though the crowd in a crucial game against No. 16 Tennessee last week wasn't inspiring. Howland hopes that changes Friday with fans making the short walk from Dudy Noble Field to Humphrey Coliseum. |
| Why Kim Mulkey thinks Mississippi State's Doug Novak deserves Coach of the Year award | |
| As the officials went to the monitor for a review with about five seconds left in Mississippi State women's basketball's loss to No. 12 LSU, interim coach Doug Novak took a moment to venture to the other bench. He approached Tigers coach Kim Mulkey on Thursday, and at the end of the exchange, Mulkey patted Novak on the head. Novak appreciated what he described as the "nice things" Mulkey told him, but he elected to keep them to himself. Mulkey, though, was fine sharing her thoughts on Novak. "Coach of the Year," Mulkey told Novak. "What you're doing, buddy, you ought to get Coach of the Year." Novak has held Mississippi State (15-9, 6-7 SEC) above water this season. He was hired in September to coach Nikki McCray-Penson's staff, but her resignation in October prompted him to take the interim role. In that time, he's seen three players transfer -- including Rickea Jackson, the conference's leading scorer at the time. With injuries and other absences, the Bulldogs have navigated a compact end-of-season schedule with just seven players. Assistant coach Malikah Willis also resigned last week, slimming his bench. Still, Mississippi State kept it close against LSU. And while the Bulldogs have lost two straight games, they haven't folded, even with the odds stacked against them. "Just put in a difficult situation," Mulkey said. "Lose a player, leading scorer in the SEC, and he keeps winning. He's getting the most out of his team based upon their talents. Much respect. Much respect." |
| Mulkey calls Novak 'coach of the year' after No. 11 LSU takes down Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State's fairytale story of overcoming most every obstacle thrown its way nearly added its most impressive chapter Thursday night. But a 24-10 edge in the fourth quarter proved No. 11 LSU the better, deeper team inside Humphrey Coliseum en route to a 71-59 win. Mississippi State never led by more than three, but it led with 6:43 left and had a small but raucous crowd on its side. From there, LSU took over. The game was put away. LSU led by 10 with five seconds to go, but officials decided to review something. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey hated it just as much as the impatient MSU crowd as she lifted her hands in the air in disgust. As officials continued to delay the inevitable, Novak walked from his sideline to the LSU bench. There, he and Mulkey -- a three-time national champion coach at Baylor -- exchanged words before she gave him a tap on the head and Novak headed back to his team's sideline. "Coach of the year," Mulkey told him. "What you're doing, buddy, you oughta get coach of the year." Mulkey has watched from afar as this was the first time she was on Novak's opposing sideline. But it's clear she, and the rest of the SEC coaches, are aware of Novak's situation. Novak returned the respect he got from the hall of fame coach, though he didn't want to discuss the details of what Mulkey said to him. "She has been very kind to me in my interactions with her," Novak said. "I have nothing but respect for her as a coach and as a human being too. She doesn't have to be nice to me." |
| No. 18 Bulldogs Host Florida State On Saturday | |
| The 18th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team returns to their home courts to battle it out with Florida State. The match will mark the 18th clash between the two teams and will go down on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. MSU is 10-7 all-time against Florida State. The Bulldogs have won seven of the last nine matches and have a perfect 2-0 record at home against the Seminoles. Florida State won the last meeting 5-2 in Tallahassee in 2020. Mississippi State heads into the weekend with a 7-2 overall record after dropping a highly-contested match last Friday in Fort Worth, Texas against No. 4 TCU. Florida State enters Saturday's contest with a 7-2 overall record with six of those wins coming at home. During the Seminoles last outing, they downed UCF in a very close match 4-3. FSU does not feature any ranked players but four of its six starting singles players have winning records in dual match play this season. The match against the Bulldogs will be the first road contest of the season for FSU. Seminole assistant coach Chris Doerr played at Mississippi State from 2006-2010. |
| Networking Night Prepares Bulldogs For The Future | |
| Allison Florian was once just a wide-eyed freshman softball player. That was more than five years ago now and the Mississippi State graduate student outfielder has grown a lot since then. These days, Florian fully realizes softball won't last forever. It's why she's one of many Bulldogs who'll soon be utilizing MSU's Student-Athlete Networking Night to get a potential jumpstart towards a future career. "We put in a lot of hours with our sports, so we don't always have the schedule to go out of our way to talk to other individuals or potential employers or potential people to hire you," Florian said. "It really means a lot that there are people behind us, who have our back, that are putting in efforts to put us out there to talk to others and lead us on our way outside of Mississippi State." State's Networking Night is presented by MSU's Student-Athlete Development department. It's set to be held on Monday (Feb. 21) and Tuesday (Feb. 22) in the suites at Davis Wade Stadium. More than two dozen companies and organizations representing careers of all kinds are slated to be in attendance over the course of the two-night event, giving MSU's student-athletes the chance to learn more about specific fields, or potentially land internships or jobs. "Ultimately, it's about the opportunity to give them the chance to talk to people," Mississippi State Deputy Athletic Director Ann Carr said. "We want them to learn how to interview with people and make them comfortable talking to someone other than a coach or their best friend in a real-life situation when it's time to get that job." |
| UK Board of Trustees to consider proposal for renovation to football indoor facility | |
| The long-talked about renovation to the Kentucky football indoor practice facility is about to move ahead. The university Board of Trustees consider two proposals related to the project Friday: the construction of a new indoor track and field facility and the renovation of the Nutter Fieldhouse to create a "football-focused environment." Both proposals were approved by the board's athletics committee Thursday. The current fieldhouse setup includes the turf football field surrounded by the indoor track. The presence of the track means the football field tapers off in each end zone. "We need a 100-yard field," UK coach Mark Stoops said in December. "...You can tell where we're located geographically that we need the indoor because of the weather. ... We just need the room. It gets condensed, it gets dangerous. You need to practice. "I'm not asking for something that we don't need." Stoops' December comments came after he agreed to a contract extension to remain at Kentucky. As part of those negotiations, Stoops received assurances from UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart other investments to the program were coming. Also on the board agenda Friday is a $5 million renovation to Kroger Field to install new video display boards. That proposal was also approved by the athletics committee Thursday. |
| Texas A&M Regents vote to name Reed Arena court after Gary Blair | |
| The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted Thursday to name the basketball court at Reed Arena after A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, who will retire at the end of the 2021-22 season. Blair, in his 19th season, won the 2011 national championship and has taken the Aggies to 15 straight NCAA tournament appearances. He is the winningest coach in school history and currently has 443 wins at A&M and 852 for his career. The naming of the court is due in part to a donation from Wayne Roberts, A&M Class of 1985. Blair will be the third women's basketball coach to have a court named after them, joining Tennessee's Pat Summitt and North Carolina State's Kay Yow. "Coach Blair is the winningest coach in Aggie basketball history, one of only three current Texas A&M coaches to win a national championship at A&M, and has built a perennial winner at A&M from the ground up." Roberts said in the statement. "He's a Hall of Fame coach, but an even better person and a wonderful representative of Texas A&M." The unveiling of "Gary Blair Court" will be held in a pregame ceremony before A&M plays South Carolina on Thursday, which will be Blair's final home game at Reed Arena. |
| Proposals to End Use of Test Scores Advance Within NCAA | |
| For more than 30 years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has based decisions about whether athletes are academically eligible to compete as freshmen in part based on their SAT or ACT scores -- despite legal and other attempts to block their use as racially discriminatory. But proposals that would eliminate the use of standardized test scores in the rules for initial eligibility for the association's Divisions I and II have advanced in the NCAA's governance process and are on track to be voted on next January. The rules changes were proposed by a special NCAA committee that was formed as part of the sports group's plan to advance racial equity, in the wake of 2020's national reckoning with racial justice. "We firmly believe in making values-based and data-driven decisions in the best interest of prospective and current student-athletes," said Dianne Harrison, president emerita at California State University, Northridge, and co-chair of the Division I Committee on Academics. "Admissions requirements are evolving, and we must shift our athletics initial-eligibility standards accordingly." |
| CFP to remain 4 teams through '25 after expansion talks fail | |
| The College Football Playoff is set to remain a four-team format through the 2025 season after the administrators who manage the postseason failed to agree on a plan to expand before the current contracts run out. The CFP management committee, comprised of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, met by video conference earlier this week, Executive Director Bill Hancock said Friday in a statement. Unable to break an impasse, the commissioners decided to abandon efforts to implement a new 12-team format for the 2024 season and recommended staying with the current model to the presidents who oversee the playoff. The Board of Managers accepted the recommendation and directed the commissioners to continue discussions on a new format to go into effect for the 2026 season. "Even though the outcome did not lead to a recommendation for an early expansion before the end of the current 12-year contract, the discussions have been helpful and informative," Hancock said. "I am sure they will serve as a useful guide for the Board of Managers and for the Management Committee as we determine what the playoff will look like beginning in the 2026-2027 season." |
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