| Wednesday, February 23, 2022 |
| MSU professor compares Russia-Ukraine conflict to 1930s Germany | |
 | Russia's threats to invade Ukraine have sent people looking at maps of Eastern Europe. But to understand the implications, it's probably better to look at a globe, Vasabjit Barnajee said during Monday's Starkville Rotary Club meeting. Banerjee, an associate professor of political science and public policy at Mississippi State, said Russian aggression, left unchecked, has worldwide implications not seen since the German takeover of the Sudetenland portions of Czechoslovakia and the forced annexation of Austria in 1938 that were a prelude to World War II. "This all has a Sudetenland feel to it for those who are familiar with history," Banerjee said. In 1938, Germany took possession of the Sudetenland and Austria under the pretense of relieving oppressed Germans living there. It's much the same with Russia today, Banerjee said, but the mechanisms that are allowing Russia to aid Russians in Ukraine (17 percent of the population) were deliberately set up with the formation of the Soviet Union in the years after World War II. While current events may not lead to World War III, the implications are troubling, Banerjee said. "(Vladimir) Putin has opened a can of worms about territorial integrity," Banerjee said. "Since 1945, there was a complicit agreement among the powers that territorial boundaries cannot be drawn in blood. There have been exceptions -- Pakistan, the Falklands, Yugoslavia. But if Putin opens this can of worms that says ethnic groups can secede, we're talking about instability we haven't seen. I'm worried about places like the Congo, where there are multiple claims by multiple groups. China has bigger claims on Taiwan than Russia has on Ukraine. What's to say Argentina doesn't invade the Falklands again? Banerjee said Russian aggression is more about pride and strategic positioning than anything else. |
| MSU adds online communication, media studies bachelor's degree | |
 | A new online degree program at Mississippi State University (MSU) is giving new options for students interested in earning a communication bachelor's degree with an emphasis in communication and media studies. Offered through Mississippi State's Center for Distance Education and directed by the Department of Communication, the degree equips students to "specialize in the theory, critique and practice of communication, equipping students to communicate effectively and ethically in diverse contexts," according to the curriculum description. "Coordinator Dr. Melanie Loehwing, and now Interim Coordinator Dr. Pete Smith, along with innovative faculty, have led this charge," said Terry Likes, professor and head of the communication department. "This evolution brought about a name change to 'communication and media studies' to better reflect the nature of the concentration and its future." The earlier name was communication studies. The new degree program, approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board, requires a 2.0 minimum GPA for entry. For more information or to apply, visit online.msstate.edu/comm. |
| Starkville leaders looking for public input on new art initiative | |
 | Starkville leaders are asking for public input on what a new art initiative in the city should look like. In October the city was awarded a $25,000 Bloomberg Asphalt Initiative Grant to fund art installations in the city. These artworks will be designed to revitalize public spaces and improve street safety. The City of Starkville is working with the Starkville Arts Council and the Fred Carl Junior Small Town Center at Mississippi State to find out what the public would like to see in these spaces. "Once the community engagement feedback is assessed we are going to begin the design phase of the project. We will take all that public input and incorporate that into the design phase which will be this spring, and then hopefully implement the project in July," said Leah Kemp, Director of Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center. If you would like to add your input and opinions you can find the survey on the Fred Carl Small Town Center social media accounts. |
| Bob Dylan fans can see his 'Rough and Rowdy Ways' at this Mississippi venue | |
 | Bob Dylan fans might think they're knocking on heaven's door when they walk into Mississippi State University's Riley Center theater April 8. Dylan, 80, will perform in Meridian as part of his "Rough and Rowdy Ways" tour. The singer-songwriter's work spans six decades and includes around 40 studio albums and nearly 100 singles. The most recent album, "Rough and Rowdy Ways," was released in 2020. The album's title is perhaps a nod to Mississippi's Jimmie Rodgers, known as the father of country music, who recorded a song in 1929 with a similar title, "My Rough and Rowdy Ways." Dylan often acknowledges Rodgers' impact on him as an artist. In 1997, he and other musicians recorded a tribute album to Rodgers, a Meridian native. "Bob Dylan's influence on American arts and culture is undeniable, and to have someone of his caliber perform in a historic venue in Meridian, Mississippi, is a rare opportunity," said Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of Mississippi State University's Meridian campus. Tickets are $70 to $140 and will go on sale to the public starting at 9 a.m. Friday at msurileycenter.com. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at the theater, 2200 Fifth St. |
| 25th Magnolia Film Festival to be held this week | |
| Mississippi State University senior communication major Chase Lee has always appreciated the art of filmmaking. From the time he was a kid, he watched various kinds of films and saw them as a means of escape and a way to tell stories. As Lee entered college, he saw there was more tangibility in filmmaking than he previously realized. Any time there was a new film class or opportunity to execute his creativity, he found a way to participate in that project, including a music video that will be shown at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival this weekend. "I'm always trying to get involved in new film projects," Lee said. "I took a music video class at MSU, and to me, music videos are very close-knit to films themselves, and I think they are a unique form of art in themselves." Lee, alongside a group, won a contest to direct and produce a music video for Mississippi-artist Brandon Green's song, "Float." To truly illustrate the essence of floating, Lee's group shot the video at a nearby lake, capturing Green driving down the road and enjoying the countryside. "We had the opportunity to make a music video for him, which was an amazing opportunity for anyone," Lee said. "(Everyone in my class) took his song and all came up with our own ideas, and we all presented our ideas to Brandon Green. Brandon Green was the one who ended up picking which group got picked for the music video." The Magnolia Independent Film Festival will be Thursday through Sunday in the Golden Triangle showing around 40 films, including Lee's. While the festival has been typically held solely in Starkville, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the longest-running Mississippi film festival, the festival board decided to have the Thursday night showing of films in Columbus at the Malco Columbus Cinema, Festival Director Chris Misun said. |
| Oktibbeha County approves redistricting plan | |
| The Oktibbeha County board of supervisors approved a plan Monday to redraw district lines to create a more even population across supervisor and justice court districts. According to the 2020 census, Oktibbeha County has a population of 51,788, growing roughly 4,000 people since the last census, but not evenly across all five districts. After several potential presented plans over the last few months, the board accepted a design that not only properly redistributes residents, but also creates smoother district lines. The plan, created by Golden Triangle Planning and Development District Geographic Information Systems Director Toby Sanford, gives District 1 10,691 residents, District 2 10,161 residents, District 3 10,472 residents, District 4 9,766 residents and District 5 10,698 residents. The highest and lowest population percentages subtracted from each other determine if a county needs redistricting, with the maximum percentage allowed being only 10 percent. Because District 2 had a percentage of 9.7 over and District 5 had a percentage of 5.04 under, the percentage was 14.73. With the new plan, the population percentage is 9 percent. The area west of the Oktibbeha County Community Safe Room in Starkville will move from District 4 to District 1, giving District 1 a new voting precinct at the Safe Room but not affecting any residents. he area west of West Line Road, a zero-populated area, will move from District 4 to District 5, creating the district line between Starkville and Mississippi State University. Also on campus, the area west of George Perry Street, which includes roughly 700 students, will move from District 2 to District 3 to give District 3 more residents and clean up the boundary line. |
| NorthStar projected to be Starkville's next commercial hot spot after receiving $3.4 million grant | |
 | The state recently awarded Golden Triangle Development LINK a $3.4 million grant for site improvements at the NorthStar Industrial Park. NorthStar Industrial Park is located near Starkville's northwest intersection of Highway 82 and 389. Though the park is mostly an undeveloped plot of land now, the grant will help create a foundation site that can hold a 100,000 square-foot building. Ward 6 Alderman and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins predicts that NorthStar will one day be a hot spot for businesses like Highway 12 is now. "We're really excited to have the state's support here," LINK Chief Operating Officer Macaulay Whitaker said. "I think it's very indicative of how marketable they think Oktibbeha County, Starkville and the Golden Triangle really are." Mayor Lynn Spruill expressed her enthusiasm and gratitude toward the grant. "The grant is a huge benefit to the industrial park and therefore to the city because it's going to allow us to make improvements and be ready for further development that we could not necessarily have done as quickly without that grant," Spruill said. Spruill and Perkins both expressed gratitude toward Gov. Reeves for allocating funds to LINK for this project. "We're just very glad and very appreciative that the governor saw the value of enhancing the Starkville area, the Mississippi State (University) community and our ability to attract further industry," Spruill said. |
| Reaction: Will your town opt out of medical marijuana? | |
 | Medical marijuana is a big topic now in Mississippi after the state legislature passed a law to make it legal in the state. Governor Tate Reeves signed a new law to allow the medical use of marijuana for people with debilitating conditions like cancer and aids. This law gives cities and counties 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana facilities for growing or selling. Elizabeth Orr is a student at Mississippi State University. She said she is kind of on both sides of the issue, but she understands why it would be necessary. "I am indifferent about it, she said. "For the health and well being of people in pain, I do understand that on the medical side of it, it's good if it relieves pain." Starkville Vice Mayor and Alderman Roy A Perkins said he doesn't know what the city will decide for the medical marijuana. As of now, the city is opted in for it. "This is a great move for the state economically," said Perkins. "This medical marijuana is designed to help force individual medical conditions. This will be great way to enhance and promote economic development." Mayor Lynn Spruill gave the following statement about the medical marijuana: "We aren't going to do anything. I see no interest nor have I heard of any interest from the board members in opting out." |
| A conversation with Deason on Madison County growth | |
| Joey Deason is the executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCDEA). He grew up in Attala County and graduated from Ethel High School in a class of 36 students. He attended Mississippi State University where he met his wife, Annette. They have been married for close to 32 years and have one daughter, Hayden, who is married and has a four-month-old daughter. When he graduated MSU, he went to work for General Motors (GM) for 18 years in various states: Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Michigan and parts of Ohio. He came back to Mississippi and left GM to work for Governor Haley Barbour in the Mississippi Development Authority. He worked there for four to five years before working for a German stainless steel pipe company for three years. He then moved back into economic development working for the Golden Triangle Development Link. Four years ago, he accepted the position with MCDEA. Recently, he was awarded #5 on the Mississippi Top 50 Most Influential Leaders for 2021. |
| Why This Economic Boom Can't Lift America's Spirits | |
 | Americans normally are happiest when the economy is growing rapidly. The unusual nature of today's recovery has upended that pattern. Last year was the best year for job growth on record. Workers are commanding solid wage gains. Booming home and stock-market values have lifted household wealth to records. But the record job growth followed record job losses in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. Inflation at 7.5% is eating up those wage gains for many Americans. And the unsettling effects of the pandemic, such as product shortages, are still playing out. That explains why consumers say they feel as bad as they did in the financial-crisis year of 2009, a recent Gallup poll showed. For the first time, Americans who say they are "not too happy" outnumber those who say they're "very happy," according to a survey from the nonprofit group NORC at the University of Chicago. "GDP is a very abstract idea, whereas people can understand the concept of inflation and increasing prices," said John Sides, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. Adrienne Arthur, a 44-year-old mother of two in Florence, Miss., owns a business designing jewelry. Before the pandemic, she sold at flea markets, shows and other gatherings. Then most of those events shut down. Nearly two years later, Ms. Arthur says, the coronavirus still leaves her struggling to find events where she can sell her jewelry. "It will let up and then it will come back with something new," she said. For now, her family relies largely on her husband's income as a truck-fleet supervisor. Ms. Arthur is a lifelong Democrat who voted for Mr. Biden, but said she has lost confidence in him because of inflation. She said she considers him out of touch with the troubles that the pandemic and inflation have dealt to ordinary people, and is open to voting Republican in the midterms. |
| The last to use 3G phone service, rural America prepares to do without it | |
| Starting on Wednesday, phones and other devices connected to AT&T's 3G cellular network won't work anymore. The company is the first major U.S. telecom provider to shut down its 3G service to free up space for faster 5G networks. Other carriers say they'll follow suit before the end of the year. But in rural areas, the phase-out could cause some problems. In the early 2000s, 3G networks were the first to give our phones high-speed connectivity. While most Americans have long since moved on to more advanced tech, "rural communities are still on the wrong side of the digital divide," said Whitney Coe with the Center for Rural Strategies. In remote areas, she said providers were slower to build out 4G and 5G networks, so the residents who live there have been slower to upgrade. Plus, she said that compared to other areas, rural America has a higher proportion of low-income people. "So the likelihood of them not being able to afford a device is big." And it's not just phones. Some farm and industrial equipment rely on 3G, according to Carri Bennet with the Rural Wireless Association. "You might use it to monitor what's going on with an oil rig or a wind turbine or an irrigation system," she said. |
| Mississippi Senate panel: Reduce income tax, don't erase it | |
 | The Mississippi Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that would reduce the state income tax. It is one of two dueling proposals to change the tax structure in one of the poorest states in the nation. Republicans control the Mississippi House and Senate, and leaders say they want to cut taxes to limit the size of government and spur economic growth. Critics say Mississippi can ill afford to cut taxes because the state chronically underfunds its schools and is facing big financial obligations to improve its mental health and foster care systems. Senate Bill 3164 would eliminate part of the income tax, while House Bill 531 would phase out the income tax over several years. Both bills would reduce the 7% sales tax on groceries. Mississippi has a 7% sales tax on most other items, including clothing. The Senate plan would not change that, but the House plan would increase it to 8.5%. "We're taking a measured approach. We're not raising taxes on anyone," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Josh Harkins, a Republican from Brandon, said Tuesday. Increasing the sales tax would have a disproportionally larger impact on people with modest incomes. The poorest residents would see no gain from eliminating the income tax because they are not paying it now. The Finance Committee on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 3164. Harkins said he would bring it up for debate in the full Senate on Wednesday. |
| Senate Committee advances tax cut proposal, boosting battle with House tax plan | |
 | A group of senators on Tuesday approved legislation that would cut state taxes by reducing the grocery tax, doing away with state fees on car tags and eliminating an income tax bracket. "It's not very complicated," Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, said of the bill. "It does not raise any fees anywhere. It does not raise sales tax or any other taxes." Under the plan, the 4% income tax bracket would be eliminated over the next four years, doing away with around $46.2 million in income tax collections each year, according to estimates from the Legislative Budget Office. Under current state laws, Mississippi does not tax the first $3,000 of earned income. The state has a 3% tax on income from $3,000.01 to $5,000, a 4% tax on $5,000.01 to $10,000 and a 5% tax on all taxable income over $10,000. The plan would immediately reduce the tax on groceries from 7% to 5%. Taxpayers would also be able receive a one-time rebate if they pay taxes in 2022. The rebates would range from $100 to $1,000. The Senate's tax cut plan would cost about $317 million a year, plus a one-time cost of $130 million. The impetus for discussions on cutting state taxes is a $1 billion surplus the state saw in its previous fiscal year on top of strong tax collections expected in the future. But Democratic senators on the committee opposed the proposal because they believe it is foolish for the state to use its unique financial position to trim its taxes at a time when the officials could use it to improve other aspects of state government. Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, has been one of sharpest critics of tax cut proposals. |
| With Senate set to pass its income tax cut, House hasn't budged on its desire for elimination | |
| The Senate is expected to pass its state income and grocery tax cut plan on Wednesday's deadline to do so, sending it to an unreceptive House that wants to go further and eliminate the income tax altogether. "This is a measured approach, and we are doing something fiscally responsible, and we can come back in four years and see where we are and go from there," said Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins, author of the Senate plan. "I think we've taken into account inflation, all those other concerns -- I think there's going to be (an economic) downturn, a dip ... Our plan is easy to understand, it provides instant relief for taxpayers with a rebate and cut in the grocery tax, and it's responsible." As lawmakers enter the homestretch of the 2022 legislative session, the Republican House and Senate leadership are at loggerheads over tax cuts. The two appear so far apart on this major issue that many political observers fear it could hinder other legislation as lawmakers are scheduled to get down to brass tacks on setting a state budget, spending billions in federal pandemic relief and agreeing on other issues to wrap the session around the end of March. House Speaker Philip Gunn, who has vigorously championed the total phase-out of the state income tax (along with an increase in sales tax) for two years, has referred to the Senate plan as a "token" tax cut that would provide little relief to taxpayers. With state coffers overflowing, Gunn said now is the time to overhaul the state's tax structure and eliminate the individual income tax. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has decried the House plan as foolhardy, eliminating a third of the state's revenue and upending state tax structure at a time of great economic uncertainty and volatility. |
| Tax plan from Senate would cut taxes in Mississippi | |
 | Senate Bill 3164 would eliminate several taxes in Mississippi, including the state's 4% tax bracket, state car tag fees, and reduce the grocery tax. Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn says this plan is insufficient to do what the state needs to attract new residents and businesses. But Senator Josh Harkins who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, says the plan would allow the state more options to grow or cut spending in the future. "Everybody wants roads, everybody wants education, expects you to have Department of Public Safety, Corrections," says Senator Harkins. "All of these things that are core functions of government. I think what Mississippians should be in favor of is a responsible approach to do those things, and let any of the excesses that's there because of growth or whatever reason, let's put it back in the hands of the taxpayers." But some lawmakers disagree on how the reduction in revenue could affect the state. While experts say the state's economy is in one of the best positions it has been in for years, the state is also using billions of federal dollars to fund infrastructure and pandemic relief projects. Kyra Roby, Policy Analyst with advocacy group One Voice, says now is not the time to eliminate these taxes, and doing so could undercut the state's spending in future years. Roby says "We're still having a revenue discussion in the state of Mississippi, a priority discussion in terms of what is the state's budget, and is the state's budget adequate funding the services and programs that Mississippians want and that they need to survive, and their communities need to thrive." The Senate tax bill is expected to be taken up in the chamber today. |
| Medicaid expansion would boost economy significantly more than Gunn income tax cut, studies show | |
| Expanding Medicaid would provide a significantly bigger boost to the Mississippi economy than the far-reaching tax cut proposed by House Speaker Philip Gunn, according to studies from the non-partisan state economist's office. The studies reveal that expanding Medicaid would create more jobs and grow the state's population and wealth more than would Gunn's tax cut proposal that has passed the House and is pending in the Senate. The Legislature is currently contemplating major tax legislation. The House plan, championed by Gunn, would eliminate the income tax, which accounts for about one-third of general fund revenue, cut the cost of car tags in half and reduce the tax on groceries from 7% to 4% while increasing the sales tax on other retail items from 7% to 8.5%. The Senate has proposed a more modest plan that would cut the income tax and grocery tax and eliminate a $3 to $5 fee on the cost of car tags. Gov. Tate Reeves has proposed eliminating the income tax. Neither the House nor Senate this legislative session is seriously considering Medicaid expansion, which would provide health coverage to at least 225,000 Mississippians. This projection mostly includes coverage for people who politicians often refer to as the "working poor" -- Mississippians who are employed but cannot afford health insurance. An analysis compiled in February by State Economist Corey Miller and Sondra Collins, a senior economist at the University Research Center, looks at Gunn's House tax cut plan. This analysis has not yet been released publicly, but has been delivered to legislative leaders. A September 2021 analysis was conducted by the same two economists to determine the impact of the state expanding Medicaid as is allowed by federal law and paid for in large part by federal funds. |
| Senate committee votes to put $300 million toward repairing roads, bridges | |
| The Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voted to place around $300 million in excess revenues into the state's emergency road and bridge repair program. "Our cities, counties and constituents have asked us to dedicate our resources to better maintaining our infrastructure," Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said. "We are listening and hope to send this legislation to the governor posthaste." If passed, the $300 million will come out of the state's capital expense fund, which is meant to repair and renovate state-owned properties and specific projects authorized by the Legislature. Whenever the state has excess revenues, part of that money goes to the state's rainy day fund and part of it goes to the capital expense fund, which currently has about $1.1 billion. Senate Appropriations Chairman Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, said the influx of federal dollars into the state's economy is what led to the excess dollars and likely means that the excess funds will not be recurring money. "We can take a bold step this session by dedicating significant resources to projects in our communities which will make a difference for our children and grandchildren," Hopson said. |
| Mississippi legislator wants to sell state-owned public hunting land | |
 | A Mississippi state lawmaker wants to sell a state-owned wildlife management area and has called for a meeting with the public to discuss it. It is an idea that has been met with opposition from conservationists who say that public access and conservation of the land is critical and generates income for the surrounding communities. Sen. Charles Younger, R-Columbus, is mulling the idea of selling Black Prairie Wildlife Management Area and, depending on public feedback, may introduce legislation to put the property back into private hands. "I asked my supervisors in Lowndes County to check into it -- just to open up discussion about it," Younger said. One aspect of the WMA Younger takes issue with is land taxes. Because it is state-owned, no taxes are paid. "I'm all for the public having a place to hunt, but they (Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Parks and Fisheries) need to lease the land and have their biologists run it," Younger said. "That way, there's taxes being paid on it. "In my area, there's 6,000 acres in Black Prairie WMA. I just think it's kind of ridiculous." Younger also said there are valuable structures on the property that are not used, including a house that sits empty. Russ Walsh, MDWFP Wildlife chief of staff, said all of the structures on the property are utilized, especially the house. "That is our WMA headquarters," Walsh said. "That's our base of operations. It's used all the time." |
| A look at criminal justice reform efforts at the State Capitol | |
| Clergy for Prison Reform is putting a focus on the idea that the state assigns inmates numbers but they have names. And they want the legislature to remember the needs that still exist for giving them a fair shot at a second chance. "We can't afford to lose time," said Wesley Bridges, CEO of Clergy for Prison Reform. "We can't afford to lose ground in the criminal justice space. We need comprehensive legislation that speaks to criminal justice reform." Clergy for Prison Reform is hoping to keep shining a light on the need for those reforms. So, let's look at some of the bills that have been filed. Each chamber has filed a bill aimed at creating a pilot program for "reentry courts" that would operate in a similar manner as drug courts do now. "There are a few that are exempted. The most violent of the violent can't take advantage of it," said Sen. Joey Fillingane, author of SB 2584. "But pretty much everyone else can. And so if you've got a circuit judge in your particular area, the state, if this bill passes, all the way through the process... you could get out. You take advantage of that, your sentences suspended and then erased if you successfully graduate from the program. So it's essentially a drug court for non-drug offenses." And House Bill 360 would expand the role of the state public defender's office. Right now, they are only utilized in death penalty or appeals cases. |
| Mississippi Senate seeks to divert wind pool moneys to buoy dwindling state employee insurance fund | |
 | Since its creation and subsequent revisions in 2007 following Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association, known as the wind pool, has had legislative appropriators seeing dollar signs despite the fact that it is not a state agency. In more sessions than not, lawmakers have routinely attempted to divert or sweep moneys generated from associated fees intended to stabilize the wind pool to fund other unrelated budget items. In the past, funds collected by the wind pool have been diverted to the capital improvement fund and even to purchase fire trucks. If the Mississippi Senate has their way in SB 2450, it will happen once again this year, this time using the dollars meant for the wind pool to buoy a dwindling State and School Employees' Insurance Fund, a self-insured state fund that provides for life and health insurance to employees of state agencies, local school districts, colleges, universities, community/junior colleges and public libraries through employee paid premiums and legislative appropriation. The Coast delegation has been adamantly opposed to any legislative action that would destabilize the wind pool. Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney agrees. He is not a fan of this attempt to divert the wind pool moneys to the state employees' insurance fund. He is at odds with Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann and the Senate backers of SB 2450. "I do not agree with what the Lieutenant Governor and the Senate want to do with the wind pool funds," Chaney told Y'all Politics on Monday. "Those fees should be used for what they were collected for, to stabilize rates across the state." |
| State weighs expanding access to rooftop solar program | |
| As utilities and clean energy advocates battle over expanding a seldom-used renewable energy program, the state's regulators must soon decide: what is rooftop solar worth in Mississippi? On March 1, the Public Service Commission will hold a final hearing on updating Mississippi's net metering rule, a system where homeowners can generate their own solar power and receive credits from their utility company for any leftover electricity. The program is relatively new in Mississippi, which became the 46th state to adopt net metering in 2015. By their most recent counts, Mississippi Power and Entergy Mississippi have roughly 300 net metering participants combined, or fewer than one in a thousand customers. Of states with a net metering law, Mississippi ranks second to last in the number of residential adopters. The idea of net metering is to create another path to clean energy outside of just what the utilities produce, helping reduce emissions and at the same time easing pressure on the state's existing power grid. Advocates also point to the economic benefits: friendlier policies would attract a booming solar industry into the state, as well as other companies hoping to offset their own emissions. But to the utility companies, the idea makes less sense in practice, especially in the short-term: home solar installations cost thousands of dollars, so in order to encourage homeowners to participate, the utility has to reimburse those customers at a rate that makes the investment worthwhile. They argue that such high reimbursement rates means less money those customers are contributing to maintain the power grid, and that those costs get shifted to the utility's other customers. |
| AG pushes against feds on abortion, vax mandates | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told the Columbus Rotary Club Tuesday afternoon that her office is about "freedom." Mississippians should be free from federal laws governing access to abortion and from mandates forcing COVID-19 vaccination on workers, she argued. Freedom from unseemly federal demands are evidence of the "rule of law," according to Fitch. Fitch described Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Clinic as "one of the biggest cases that has happened in my lifetime." The case, which was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 1, 2021, revolves around a state law that bans abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Lower courts had ruled against the enforcement of the law on the basis that it violated existing precedent allowing a woman to have an abortion within the first 24 weeks. "This is a rule of law question," she said, "meaning that the state should decide and be able to make a decision about certain theories or rules of law, and this is one." Fitch said she thinks states should take a "holistic approach to this issue." "Fifty years ago things were different, and those laws have been frozen since 1973," she said. "The workforce has changed for women. We have paternity and maternity leave now, and we had none of that 50 years ago. We talked about ... the opportunity to lift up women, and there was not an either/or choice they had to make at this point in life." |
| Trump praises Putin as 'savvy' amid new escalations on Russia-Ukraine border | |
 | Former President Donald Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin's moves in Ukraine, calling him "savvy," after the Kremlin recognized the independence of two breakaway, Russian separatist-controlled regions in eastern Ukraine. "I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion ... of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent," Trump said in an interview Tuesday on the conservative Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show. The former president was referencing two rebel-controlled territories, Luhansk and Donetsk, which make up a larger region called Donbas that borders Russia. The two territories have been led by pro-Russia separatists for nearly a decade. Putin on Monday recognized the independence of the two territories and ordered Russian troops to conduct "peacekeeping" operations there -- sparking international concern that the Kremlin was readying for an attack. President Biden on Tuesday called the arrival of troops to Donbas "the beginning of a Russian invasion," and ordered sanctions in response to Putin's "flagrant violation of international law." Trump criticized Biden's response, falsely alleging that Biden was only in the White House because the 2020 election had been "rigged." "This never would have happened with us," Trump said in the interview recorded at his Mar-a-Lago property, calling Biden a "man that has no concept of what he's doing." |
| Republicans descend into foreign policy factionalism over Russia-Ukraine standoff | |
 | While Russia's reinvasion of Ukraine this week stress-tests the Biden administration, it's also forcing Republicans to confront their own divisions. The GOP is all over the map politically, as Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to redraw his own boundaries. Former President Donald Trump privately has signaled a split with more isolationist voices from the MAGA wing of the party who have excused Russia's aggression, who themselves are at odds with more establishment Republicans over how to confront Russian aggression, if at all. To an extent, these camps reflect a new evolution of long-standing GOP foreign policy factionalism. But as Putin moves troops into Ukraine, Republicans' divergent approaches to the crisis are complicating their pushback on President Joe Biden's response to the crisis. That discordant chorus is making it harder for Republicans to craft a unified message on Russia the way it did during last year's chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan or during Putin's invasion of Crimea when Barack Obama was president in 2014. Conservatives in the third, self-described "America First" camp contend that the GOP base is on their side, even as congressional Republicans are for the most part in line behind Ukraine and NATO. |
| It's Tough to Build a Corporate Culture in a Remote-Work World | |
 | For all the triumphs of remote work, social connection remains a pain point. One survey of 700 remote workers, who had previously worked in offices, found that social connection was the thing people missed most about offices, outranking office banter, a dedicated workspace, and face-to-face meetings. And yet, despite the obvious need, most companies haven't figured out how best to broker connections in the virtual world. No one wants to attend another virtual happy hour or digital offsite. But without a sense of friendship among coworkers -- a shared connection beyond a shared to-do list -- employee ennui sets in. Without personal connections, "it's just a job, it's just a list of tasks, there's no loyalty to the company," says Chris Collins, an assistant professor at Cornell, who runs a research center for HR studies. He compares isolated employees to gig workers, who may do the same tasks for different companies. People can still feel productive, even content, working by themselves. But when work feels transactional, it's very easy to trade one laptop for another. "It's not surprising that turnover is so high." At its essence, workplace culture is defined by shared norms and routines. Something as simple as providing free coffee can create an office routine for employees to meet each other or socialize. At their best, those small interactions open the door to friendships or collaboration. Even when they don't, they give people a sense that they belong to a larger group. Remote work challenges these routines and office norms -- when people come in, when they leave, what they wear, and whom they interact with. |
| The C.D.C. Isn't Publishing Large Portions of the Covid Data It Collects | |
 | For more than a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected data on hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the United States and broken it down by age, race and vaccination status. But it has not made most of the information public. When the C.D.C. published the first significant data on the effectiveness of boosters in adults younger than 65 two weeks ago, it left out the numbers for a huge portion of that population: 18- to 49-year-olds, the group least likely to benefit from extra shots, because the first two doses already left them well-protected. The agency recently debuted a dashboard of wastewater data on its website that will be updated daily and might provide early signals of an oncoming surge of Covid cases. Some states and localities had been sharing wastewater information with the agency since the start of the pandemic, but it had never before released those findings. Two full years into the pandemic, the agency leading the country's response to the public health emergency has published only a tiny fraction of the data it has collected, several people familiar with the data said. Much of the withheld information could help state and local health officials better target their efforts to bring the virus under control. Some outside public health experts were stunned to hear that information exists. "We have been begging for that sort of granularity of data for two years," said Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist and part of the team that ran Covid Tracking Project, an independent effort that compiled data on the pandemic till March 2021. A detailed analysis, she said, "builds public trust, and it paints a much clearer picture of what's actually going on." |
| Covid vaccine protection was much weaker against omicron, data shows | |
 | While coronavirus shots still provided protection during the omicron wave, the shield of coverage they offered was weaker than during other surges, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change resulted in much higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death for fully vaccinated adults and even for people who had received boosters. The decline in protection continued a pattern driven by coronavirus vaccines' reduced effectiveness over time, combined with the increasing contagiousness of the delta and omicron waves. Before delta struck the United States in July, there were five to 10 cases of covid-19 for every 100,000 fully vaccinated adults each week, while the rate for unvaccinated people was 50 to 90 cases. In the delta wave, unvaccinated people were five times as likely to get infected as vaccinated people. With omicron, that difference dropped to less than three times as likely. Omicron caused unprecedented hospitalization along with infections. The new data shows that vaccines provided greater protection against hospitalization than for infection during the omicron wave, even as that protection waned. Before omicron, unvaccinated people were 15 times as likely to be hospitalized as were fully vaccinated people. With the latest coronavirus variant, the difference in rates dropped to about seven times as much. Younger unvaccinated people were about five times as likely to be hospitalized as their peers with boosters. |
| 'Fear the Virus, Not the Vaccine': Leadership Urges Vaccinations for Pregnant Women | |
| The current wave of COVID-19 is on the decline in Mississippi, but state health leadership is urging residents -- especially vulnerable populations like pregnant women -- to get vaccinated, and to keep up with booster shots. Dr. Rachael Morris, COVID obstetrics director at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, recalled how both the delta and omicron variants caused surges in pregnant patients over the course of the pandemic. "The game changes constantly with COVID, and every time I think I know what's expected next, or what's coming, something different comes around and we have to respond," Morris said in a Feb. 18 press briefing with the Mississippi State Medical Association. Morris recalled how "devastating" the delta variant was for the healthcare system but noted that omicron introduced a no-less-severe set of challenges. "Omicron has been a very different variant for us," she said. "Not the severity of disease that we saw with delta, thank goodness -- delta was devastating -- (but) the sheer volume of patients that we have seen through just the university, the pregnant mothers with COVID, I have never seen this volume." To contextualize, Morris says she saw around 25 pregnant patients who contracted COVID per month during the early days of the pandemic, while just after Christmas 2021 she saw over 50 pregnant women who were ill in a single day. Morris and other leadership noted that studies show that vaccination is safe for mothers-to-be, they and urged people not to pay heed to misinformation. |
| MacKenzie Scott makes record $50 million donation to National 4-H Council | |
| Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott pledged a $50 million gift to the National 4-H Council in a gesture that will "help close the opportunity gap for America's youth," the club announced Tuesday. The donation by the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and her husband Dan Jewett is the largest-ever single donation in the organization's 120-year history, the organization said. Scott did not comment publicly on the donation. "This investment will support positive youth development for nearly six million kids and their families in every U.S. county, parish, and territory," National 4-H Council officials said in a published statement. The organization engages youth around the country with programs in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as healthy living, civic engagement, and agriculture. The programs are backed by a network of 100 land-grant universities. "This extraordinary gift is a rare and special occurrence," said National 4-H Council Board Chair Krysta Harden. "With such a significant gift comes great responsibility. We will engage our stakeholders to ensure these resources lift the diverse voices of young people and create equitable and inclusive opportunities for this generation, and many future generations to come," she added. |
| Bulldog Burger sous chef gets creative with desserts | |
| A month before Ashley Roberts was set to graduate from Ripley High School, she made a decision that changed the direction of her life. "I had always said I was going to be an accountant," Roberts said. "It was something I was good at. But my dad said, 'If you do that, you aren't going to love your life.'" So the family sat down and brainstormed, thinking about what Roberts might choose as a career that would make her happy. "We have a picture of me when I'm about 3 or 4, and I'm standing in a chair decorating cookies," said Roberts, 27. "That was something we always enjoyed doing as a family. We'd much rather cook together at home than go out to eat." Roberts and her folks, Mary and Randy, started looking around at culinary programs in the area, and learned Mississippi University for Women in Columbus was the only school that offered a culinary degree. Turns out, it was the perfect move for Roberts, who is now a sous chef at Bulldog Burger Co. in Tupelo. "When you get into the culinary program, you have to pick an emphasis," Roberts said. "I did the entrepreneurship side, which had a lot of business classes. I knew going into it that the dream was to one day have my own bakery." While Roberts was a senior at MUW, she did an internship at Southern Flour Bakery in Columbus. After graduation, she was offered a job at the bakery, and she stayed there for a year. "A lot of my talent and knowledge came from there," she said. |
| ASB Senate votes to condemn Mississippi Senate's passage of Senate Bill 2113 | |
 | The University of Mississippi's Associated Student Body Senate voted Tuesday evening to condemn the Mississippi State Senate's passage of Senate Bill 2113, "Critical Race Theory; prohibit." Thirty-eight senators voted to pass the resolution. "Mississippi Senate Bill 2113 undermines the quality and fundamental purpose of public higher education, which the University of Mississippi has financially invested in to bolster its merit and reputation in the past decades," the resolution reads. The resolution also points to SB 2113's ambiguous language, the precedent Mississisippi would set by legislating academic material and the University of Mississippi's own historical connections to slavery and injustice. Jen Purcell, graduate student and senator at-large, is an author on the resolution. "The MS State Senate passage of SB 2113 is a clear infringement on our academic freedom as students. What is so significant about attending a public higher education institution is that we have the opportunity to learn about the world through multiple lenses," she said as to why she thinks considering the resolution was important. "As students, we are supposed to be training to be future leaders. How can we do that if we are not given the chance to look at all sides of the story? Why would they want us to be underprepared?" Senate Bill 2113 is one of many anti-critical race theory bills nationwide, but Mississippi garnered national attention for 2113 when all 14 of Mississippi's black senators walked out of the senate chamber in opposition to the bill, which their white colleagues proceeded to pass. |
| UMMC announces $17.6 million grant to expand Telehealth to Mississippi students | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center will provide more of the state's students access to Telehealth thanks to a $17.6 million grant from the State Department of Education. Funding for the grant is provided through American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III. The grant will create a Telehealth delivery system within kindergarten through 12th grade schools to give students greater access to care including urgent care and behavioral health care during school hours. This will also increase accessibility to healthcare for students in rural areas. The goals of the grant are "far-reaching and visionary" said Dr. Saurabh Chandra, UMMC's chief telehealth officer. "This has the potential to not only improve the health outcomes in the school-going population, but it is an investment in the future of Mississippi by helping create a healthy and educated workforce." UMMC's Center for Telehealth has more than 200 sites in 73 of Mississippi's 82 counties. "The Center for Telehealth at UMMC has a long history of implementing innovative telehealth programs throughout the state, including schools," Chandra said, "and we share the vision of the Department of Education to enhance access to health care in schools for every K-12 student in our state." |
| USM receives reaccreditation for business, accounting | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) received reaccreditation for the College of Business and Economic Development and School of Accountancy. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) extended 48 schools' accreditation this year. Of those, 17 received reaccreditation for both business and accounting. Schools receive the accreditation for factors like excellence in degree programs, faculty research, teaching, community service and a commitment to continuous advancement in development. Currently, 926 institutions across 60 countries have earned AACSB accreditation for business and 189 have accreditation for accounting. USM's College of Business and Economic Development has held the accreditation since 1976 and the School of Accountancy has held the accreditation since 1982. |
| Spring 2022 USM University Forum | |
| How art engages life, including race and Southern culture, shapes the theme for The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) spring 2022 University Forum programming, which kicked off on Feb. 8 with an online presentation by Dr. Sarah Lewis, a renowned author, art historian and curator. University Forum lectures and programs, which are presented by the USM Honors College with support from the USM Office of the President, are free and open to the public. Dr. Lewis is a faculty member of Harvard University's Department of the History of Art and Architecture and the author of the widely acclaimed The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery. University Forum Director Dr. Andrew Haley said he's excited that this semester's programming is dedicated to exploring the role of the arts in our lives and how artists, writers, and composers -- past and present -- use their creativity to explore the politics and culture of their times. "Two of our speakers are historians who will examine the role the arts have played in creating and challenging myths of white supremacy and two are creators -- an author and composer -- whose artistic accomplishments challenge us to rethink the world and our responsibility for it," Dr. Haley continued. "Forum's commitment to engaging issues that matter has never been more visceral or timely." |
| Peasant Joins Carey School of Education | |
| Dr. Eddie Peasant, superintendent of the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District, will join William Carey University's School of Education as assistant dean on July 1. "We are so fortunate to have Dr. Peasant join us. His experience and educational background make him an ideal person to help lead the growth of the WCU School of Education," said WCU President Dr. Tommy King. Peasant announced his upcoming retirement as superintendent earlier this month. In his new position at William Carey University, Peasant will lead accreditation and assessment efforts for the School of Education and supervise the Educational Leadership programs and faculty. Peasant's career in education spans three decades. Since 2017, he has been superintendent of Starkville-Oktibbeha School District, where he oversaw construction of Partnership Middle School on the campus of Mississippi State University, implemented classroom to career learning experiences through the Academic Houses at Starkville High School, established a free Pre-K program, launched an $11 million capital improvement campaign, and safely navigated a pandemic to return to in-person learning. "I've known of Dr. Peasant's abilities and passion for education since he was a student-teacher under my supervision in the early 1990s. He has served brilliantly as a teacher and school leader all over the state, which gives him a great perspective on training the next generation of teachers and leaders," said Dr. Ben Burnett, WCU executive vice president. |
| Auburn University's Tiger Giving Day launches with record 51 campaigns | |
 | Aviation, engineering, fishing and the arts are among the 51 fundraising campaigns spotlighted in Auburn University's list of projects available to crowdfund during its Tiger Giving Day initiative this year. It's a record number of campaigns, according to Sheryl Caldwell, a communications and marketing specialist for the Auburn University Foundation, which has organized the initiative annually since 2015. "People are familiar with it now, and they've seen how successful this can be for a project, program or organization," Caldwell said. "A good example of that is wheelchair basketball -- Tiger Giving Day has been a huge part of them growing for everything from rehabilitation equipment to scholarships for recruits and student athletes." Tiger Giving Day is officially on Wednesday, but the site went live and open for donations Tuesday. Some of the projects were already fully funded as of Tuesday afternoon, including one from the Auburn wheelchair basketball team, which is seeking funds to purchase a van for transportation to games and outreach events. Several projects are focused on the university's continued efforts to increase diversity among its student body as well as in supporting Alabama's Black history. A campaign organized by Auburn men's basketball head coach Bruce Pearl seeks to back the university's Together We Will Scholarship. Another wants to create a graduate student workshop intended to welcome underrepresented students to the university's hospitality management program. |
| UT-Knoxville draws $10M pledge for engineering scholarship | |
| The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has drawn a pledged donation of $10 million to support an engineering scholarship. The state's flagship campus says the gift from Dwight Hutchins of the information technology company Accenture will support the Fred D. Brown Jr. Minority Engineering Scholarship. Hutchins is stationed in Singapore as the Asia Pacific managing director of strategy consulting practice for products for Accenture. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering from UT-Knoxville in 1986. Hutchins was a member of the scholarship program that supports engineering students from historically underrepresented populations. He went on to earn an MBA from Northwestern University and a master's in public administration from Harvard University. |
| Land Acknowledgments Spur Controversies | |
 | A controversial land acknowledgment in a class syllabus has Stuart Reges at odds with the University of Washington after administrators chastised the professor for a section they deemed inappropriate, offensive and irrelevant to the content of the course. For Reges, a longtime computer science professor at UW, the irrelevance is the point. In an act of protest, Reges broke from the boilerplate land acknowledgment text that UW encourages -- but does not require -- professors to use as a suggested best practice. He wrote, "I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." Invoking John Locke, Reges essentially argued that Native Americans of the area have no claim to property built out and developed after it was taken from them. But his larger point, Reges said, is about pushing back on a practice that he believes offers nothing but political pandering. "It seems to me that one of the things people are using this for is to set the tone for a course," Reges said. "It sends the message that progressive politics are the dominant politics in this course. I dislike that. I wish that we didn't have politics in courses at all, but if we're going to have politics, I don't think that we should be favoring progressive political points of view." Land acknowledgments---formal statements intended to recognize and respect Native people and acknowledge their presence and historic ties to the land---are often part of conferences and other events, popping up in email signature lines and even Twitter bios. Like the practice itself, controversy around land acknowledgments isn't new. And Reges, a white libertarian, isn't the only one speaking up. Some Native scholars have also taken exception with land acknowledgments, particularly when done in ways that they see as clumsy or performative. |
| Housing Operator Fights Students, Investors and Now a Wall St. Colossus | |
| A student-housing operator that tenants and investors say has badly mismanaged high-end properties across the country has added a Wall Street colossus to the list of legal opponents. Fortress Investment Group, an investment firm managing money for institutional and private clients, has mounted an attempt to seize control of a high-rise student apartment building in Denver from Patrick Nelson and his company, Nelson Partners Student Housing. Nelson Partners, which operates housing complexes in eight states, has been sued by investors who say Mr. Nelson owes them tens of millions of dollars. His tenants say they've been stuck in properties with elevators that are busted, fire alarms that malfunction, utilities that have been shut off for weeks at a time and piles of uncollected trash. For the past year, Mr. Nelson has fought with lenders and investors, putting three properties into bankruptcy in hopes of staving off foreclosure. Last week, a judge removed Mr. Nelson as the manager of another property, a luxury building near the University of Texas in Austin that had been subject to foreclosure by Axonic Capital, a $4 billion hedge fund. But Fortress, which manages $54 billion in hedge fund and private-equity assets, is an opponent with even deeper pockets. Mr. Nelson's firm, based in San Clemente, Calif., generates much of its revenue from working as a property manager on nearly two-dozen student-housing complexes. His bankruptcy gambit for three properties --- near the University of Mississippi, Texas Christian University and the University of Houston --- failed, and by the end of last year his firm was no longer in control of them. |
| A New Take on Gender and Productivity During COVID-19 | |
| A new study of COVID-19–era publication patterns by gender contradicts earlier research on the topic, suggesting that women haven't published less than they did prior to the pandemic, over all. What the study calls gender inequality has grown in some fields during this period of increased caregiving demands and quarantine, however -- in psychology, math and philosophy, specifically. "Our results do not offer a complete picture," says the study, published in the Journal of Information Science. Yet the results "clearly indicate that COVID-19 bias in gender publication patterns is not clear[;] the picture is complicated, and calls for further studies." Seeking to verify other evidence that women's research productivity has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, researchers involved in the new study considered 266,409 articles published in 2019, 2020 and January 2021 in 2,813 journals, across 21 disciplines, assuming all the authors' genders by their first names. All the articles were from the Springer-Nature database. The idea was to compare publication rates by gender in each of those three years, looking for major discrepancies between 2019, entirely before the pandemic, and after. Contrary to numerous other studies with different methodologies and different data sets showing that women have fallen behind men in terms of publishing since early 2020, this study found no significant differences between the three years. That's over all. There were significant differences in certain disciplines, however. The biggest decrease in proportion of women authors was in psychology (down 74.4 percent between 2019 and January 2021 and down 12.3 percent between 2020 and January 2021). The second-biggest drop was in math (down 12.9 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively), followed by philosophy (down 11.3 percent and 10.3 percent, respectively). Another significant finding: in disciplines where the share of women authors was higher, there were fewer single-authored articles. |
| Most Students Believe Faculty Adjusted Well to the Pandemic | |
| Students had positive perceptions of faculty teaching during the pandemic and of how professors adapted their courses despite online and hybrid teaching challenges. Those are the findings released Tuesday by the National Survey of Student Engagement. The results were part two of its annual report, "Engagement Insights-Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education," which said 73 percent of students believed that faculty and staff at their institution did "a good job" helping students adapt to remote instruction. Faculty members largely agreed with that conclusion; 86 percent of them said they believed they "substantially" did a good job helping students adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. The survey, which was conducted in spring 2021, received responses from 7,413 first-year students and 9,229 seniors from 47 bachelor's degree–granting institutions in the U.S. Jillian Kinzie, interim co-director of NSSE, said the survey results reflect how faculty and students worked together to teach and learn during an unprecedented time. "The fact that those stats are high across the board, and pretty close, suggests that there's been a lot of grace afforded to each other and appreciation for what faculty and staff did to help students adapt, and that faculty were really intentional about their efforts," Kinzie said. Kate Drezek McConnell, vice president for curricular and pedagogical innovation at the American Association of Colleges & Universities, said the pandemic made faculty members think more strategically to identify the core ideas in a course and to design courses more thoughtfully. |
| 'A Wake-Up Call': Student Parents of Color Endure High Basic Needs Insecurity | |
| Nearly a quarter of today's college students are parenting, yet advocates, experts, and student parents themselves say that this population is often overlooked with grave consequences. Among student parents of color in particular, especially Black fathers, the pandemic has brought higher rates of basic needs insecurity, according to a new brief from The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. "I think anyone who works directly with parenting college students will likely not be surprised by the findings," said Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and CEO of Generation Hope, a nonprofit focused on supporting teen parents in college. "It's what we see every single day. At Generation Hope, about 90% of the students in our program are students of color. Every single day, we're helping them juggle parenting, going to college, and all of the challenges with being students of color in a higher education system not designed for them." The Hope Center is an independent research center at Temple University that focuses on higher education equity and access issues. Titled "Parenting While In College: Racial Disparities in Basic Needs Insecurity During the Pandemic," the Center's brief draws on its nationwide survey of college students from fall 2020. About 32,560 student parents completed the survey, reporting their own lived experiences with basic needs insecurity (BNI). BNI in the brief includes students who endured food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness within the last year. |
| Universities see 50% rise in US students post-Brexit | |
| UK universities have seen an almost 50% increase in the number of US students applying for courses since Brexit. This has coincided with a 40% drop in the number of EU students coming to the UK between 2020 and 2021. The rise is the "largest proportional increase in applicants of any major nation", UCAS said in a report. One American University of Bristol student said that studying at a similarly regarded university in America would cost "much more". A firm that helps US students get visas believes this trend could alleviate some of the loss to universities from Brexit -- especially in the South West. When the UK was in the EU, students from other member countries only had to pay up to £9,250 per year, the same as British nationals. Since August 2021, tuition fees have been set by the universities, with some charging as much as £40,000 a year. Kareem Dus is the founder of Favisbrook -- a firm which helps around 3,000 American students get visas to study abroad every year. He said that the number of US-based students using the company's services to study in the UK has risen by around 39% since the country officially left the EU in 2020. As well as the lower cost in comparison to US fees, Mr Dus said he believes that the UK's move away from Brussels since Brexit and its apparent move towards America in many people's eyes is making it increasingly attractive to US-based students. |
| White House confronts political pressure to extend pause in student loan payments ahead of midterms | |
 | As the May 1 deadline to resume federal student loan payments approaches, President Joe Biden faces pressure from some Democrats and debt relief advocates to keep loan payments on pause at least through the midterm elections. Advocates for student debt relief argue that allowing the payments to resume ahead of the midterms could depress turnout of the Democratic base, especially as the president has been unable to deliver on key legislative priorities -- such as his Build Back Better agenda and voting rights -- and as inflation concerns continue to grip the country. Allowing payments to resume, some Democrats argue, could come at a political cost for the party as it tries to defend its slim majorities in the House and the Senate. "Democrats win when Democrats deliver," said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. "Failing to extend the pause on student loan payments and fulfill his promise to cancel student debt would be unconscionable." Debt relief advocates have been sharing polling data and research with the White House to try to convince the administration that the pause is popular among voters and that failing to extend it would negatively affect Democrats in November. Advocates who have been in conversation with the White House describe administration officials as reluctant to endorse another extension but keenly aware that allowing it to expire this close to the midterms could backfire. A White House official said Friday that the administration didn't have "any decisions to preview yet" about the payment pause but stressed that Americans haven't been required to "pay a single dime" in federal student loans since Biden took office. |
| States tackle free college after Biden failed to deliver | |
| When First Lady Jill Biden addressed a community college summit earlier this month, she conceded what conference attendees had known for months now -- the Biden administration's push to make two years of higher education free for all had sputtered and stalled. But there's still hope of expanding access to subsidized college this year, thanks to some states. A growing number of states are introducing legislation or using pandemic relief aid to make two years of community college free for their residents. The governors of Maine and New Mexico called for free college programs in their recent state of the state addresses, and last week, lawmakers in New Mexico passed legislation that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is poised to sign. There's been heightened activity at the local level lately because states have grown impatient with Washington and so many of them have surpluses, said Jee Hang Lee, the president and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees. States are also worried about the sharp decline in community college enrollment since the pandemic's start and see free tuition as a way to reverse that trend. As of last fall, 32 states and the District of Columbia had statewide "college promise" programs that offer funding and other aid to help students complete two or more years of postsecondary education. One of the nation's oldest programs is Tennessee Promise, which allows residents who graduate or get a GED before turning 19 to enroll full time at any of the state's community colleges as well as select public and independent universities. The legislation New Mexico’s Lujan Grisham is expected to sign into law soon will cover even more students, such as adults returning to college and students who want to enroll part time. |
| Boys and men failing in Mississippi too? | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: "Where have all the real men gone?" asked Enterprise-Journal Publisher Jack Ryan in a recent editorial. He quoted entrepreneur and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang who said, "Here is one of the biggest problems facing America: Boys and men across all regions and ethnic groups have been failing, both absolutely and relatively for years." Huh? Yang had numbers to back up his claim -- boys are more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), five times more likely to spend time in a juvenile facility, and less likely to finish high school. Adult men, Yang said, now make up only 40.5% of college students, one-third of men are either unemployed or out of the workforce, and more men age 18 to 34 are living with their parents rather than with romantic partners. Yang aligns male failure nationally with the decline of manufacturing jobs from the economic transformation to technology from traditional industry, increasing numbers of father-less single-parent homes, and the decline in marriage rates. Ryan wrote, "If Yang's statistics are anywhere near accurate, it's going to take a long time to get a grip on these problems." Hmmm. |
| Ukraine situation is about freedom | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba summed it up this Sunday on 60 Minutes. "It doesn't make any difference which language (Ukrainian or Russian) you speak. What makes a difference is whether you support a democratic Ukraine being part of the collective West with functioning market economies and human rights or whether you want to live in an authoritarian country where police can beat you on the streets or where you cannot do business without bribing an official like it is the case in Russia. This is the difference." The 44 million Ukrainians have had a first-hand experience of what it's like living under the thumb of Russian mobsters. They don't like it one bit. They want to be part of the West with freedom, liberty and democracy. Who wouldn't? For those worried about world war, you can rest easy. There is zero chance Europe or America will fight a conventional war to stop the Russians from invading. Both sides have enough weapons to blow the world up a hundred times over. Ukraine isn't worth it and both sides know it. This is more about Putin's politics than anything. Appearing strong helps him in the polls and secures his dictatorship. And let's make no mistake about it, Putin is a dictator, aided by his coterie of billionaire thugs. It's a kleptocracy run by a criminal gang. But even criminal gangs can be responsive to the will of the people. |
| $73 million verdict in Sandy Hook lawsuit unlikely to impact red states like Mississippi | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Does the stunning $73 million verdict against gun manufacturer Remington in the 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and six educators signal a sea change in litigation against gun makers? In a word, no. Congress has provided near blanket legal immunity to gun manufacturers from lawsuits of this nature. In 2005, Congress adopted the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which shielded both sellers and manufacturers of qualified products from civil litigation brought by the victims of gun violence or their families alleging misuse of those same products. Specifically, Congress found in crafting the PLCAA that "businesses in the U.S. that are engaged in interstate and foreign commerce through the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, distribution, importation, or sale to the public of firearms or ammunition products that have been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce are not, and should not, be liable for the harm caused by those who criminally or unlawfully misuse firearm products or ammunition products that function as designed and intended." So just how did the Sandy Hook victims' families circumvent that federal legal protection? Attorneys for the plaintiffs successfully argued that Remington marketed the Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle used by shooter Adam Lanza through the video game "Call of Duty" in violation of Connecticut trades practices law. |
SPORTS
| Tanner Leggett shines as Mississippi State baseball beats up on Arkansas–Pine Bluff | |
| Tanner Leggett sat down in front of the microphone for his postgame media session and began it with four words. "Let's knock this out," the Mississippi State senior infielder said. It was fitting after Leggett did the same to yet another baseball just an hour before. Coming off the bench to play shortstop for the Bulldogs on Tuesday against Arkansas–Pine Bluff, Leggett tucked a ball inside the left-field foul pole for his team-leading second home run of the season. It was the perfect time for players like Leggett to shine as Mississippi State (2-2) took down UAPB (1-3) by a score of 17-1 on the seven-inning run rule Tuesday. The Bulldogs went up 8-0 in the first inning and played 16 position players and three different pitchers in the rout of the Lions. "It's always a hard game to manage, especially when it gets big that early," Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said. "But we got a lot of guys in the game. We got to see a lot of guys play." Among them, Leggett was perhaps the most impressive, going 2 for 3 with a team-high three RBIs in the blowout win. Four other Bulldogs, including backup outfielder Brayland Skinner, each drove in two runs. But Leggett's second home run in just six at-bats caught the attention of the small crowd that attended the game, which was moved up Monday afternoon to 11 a.m. because of forecasted storms later in the day. |
| Mississippi State baseball demolishes Arkansas-Pine Bluff in run-rule shortened game | |
| By the time 13 batters came to the plate in the first inning Tuesday, Mississippi State had already chased Arkansas-Pine Bluff starter Mike Gerwitz from the game. The No. 3 Bulldogs (2-2) added on from there, demolishing the Golden Lions 17-1 in a run-rule shortened seven-inning game at Dudy Noble Field. Mississippi State had moved the game up to 11 a.m. to miss any afternoon rain. "It's always a hard game to manage, especially when it gets big like that early," coach Chris Lemonis said. "But we got a lot of guys in the game, we got to see a lot of guys play." Lemonis gave right-hander Jackson Fristoe the start against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-3), and the sophomore allowed one run in four innings, striking out six batters. His slider looked especially strong against right-handed batters. Fristoe is building off a freshman season in which he recorded a 5.69 ERA with 68 strikeouts to 37 walks. He views himself as a weekend arm, and his performance Tuesday could warrant Lemonis giving Fristoe a look in an elevated role. "I felt really good about (my slider) as an early count pitch, just throwing it in there right down the middle," Fristoe said. "And then I also felt really good about it kind of breaking it down and throwing it as my two-strike pitch and throwing it in the dirt. It was getting a lot of swing and misses." |
| Leggett, Forsythe continue shortstop battle as Mississippi State beats Arkansas-Pine Bluff | |
| Tanner Leggett ranged to his right, fielded the grounder with ease and threw across his body to retire another unlucky Arkansas-Pine Bluff hitter. A tough play made effortlessly by someone who has repeated it plenty of times. It was an open gym on Tuesday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field with Mississippi State reaching into its full bag of weapons in a 17-1 win. On a day where Davis Meche was hitting tanks, Lane Forsythe was driving in two runs and Leggett was sending a ball over the left field wall, it was the latter's defensive gem creating a stir at shortstop. Forsythe has started all four games for Mississippi State (2-2) this season in large part to the defensive consistency he provides despite hitting .231 last season. But Leggett, who hit .235 in half the at-bats last season to go with a slugging percentage (.321) 50 points better than Forsythe's, proved his bat might have some more pop as his two home runs led the team to match his flashiness at shortstop. "He is pushing and that's probably one of my hardest decisions right now dealing with is him," MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. "Really good players, they force your hand. He's pushing." |
| 'There's a lot on the line here': Mississippi State men ready for rematch with South Carolina | |
| Mississippi State played some of its best basketball all season in its Feb. 1 win over South Carolina at Humphrey Coliseum. For most of the game, anyway. The Bulldogs led the Gamecocks by as many as 27 points in the second half but saw their advantage chipped down to 12 by a furious South Carolina run before the buzzer sounded. Mississippi State won 78-64, but coach Ben Howland wasn't exactly happy with his team's performance. "You've got to play the whole 40 minutes," Howland reminded reporters Tuesday. That will be paramount as MSU (16-11, 7-7 Southeastern Conference) goes on the road to face South Carolina (16-10, 7-7 SEC) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The second matchup of the year between the two schools will be a big one as the Bulldogs fight to stay on the NCAA tournament bubble and the Gamecocks fight to get on it in the first place. "Both teams are 7-7, fighting to get win No. 8 and stay above .500," Howland said. "There's a lot on the line here." ESPN's Joe Lunardi had Mississippi State as the 14th team out of the Big Dance as of Tuesday morning, so the Bulldogs would need much more than a win at Colonial Life Arena on Wednesday evening. But they'll have to start somewhere, and sweeping South Carolina -- a team with a similar record if not a particularly similar résumé -- would be a good beginning to whatever late-season surge MSU hopes to muster. |
| For Mississippi State basketball to be considered for NCAA Tournament, it needs a 'big-time win' | |
| Before the season, coach Ben Howland laid out his plans. His goal -- his expectation -- was for Mississippi State basketball to reach the NCAA Tournament. As February comes to a close, though, the Bulldogs' chances to make March Madness are dwindling. They aren't in the latest bubble watch ESPN's Joe Lunardi released, although they're close. Lunardi told the Clarion Ledger that Mississippi State would be the 80th team on his bracket -- 12 teams outside the 68-team field. "They're under consideration," Lunardi said, "but I wouldn't be buying plane fares yet if I was a Mississippi State fan." With four games left in the regular season, including a matchup Wednesday (5:30 p.m., SEC Network) against South Carolina, opportunities for a major victory are dwindling. The Bulldogs (16-11, 7-7 SEC) could remain in the conversation with wins against the Gamecocks, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M before making an impression in the SEC Tournament. But to solidify its chances of making the March Madness, Mississippi State needs a season-defining win. And the Bulldogs will have that opportunity, Lunardi said, when No. 4 Auburn comes to the Humphrey Coliseum on March 2. "Let's say they win the three non-Auburns. That's not going to move the needle a ton. It's just going to keep them from falling too much backward," Lunardi said. "Other teams could back up and they could move to 'Next Four Out'. But they need an Auburn kind of win. They don't have enough." |
| Mississippi State seeking crucial win against South Carolina, Jermaine Couisnard | |
| Few teams have seen Mississippi State at its best this season, but South Carolina is part of the unfortunate group on the shortlist. When the teams met three weeks ago, State led by as many as 27, shot better than 50 percent from the field and had a 17-rebound edge on the visitors in a 78-64 win in Starkville. Three starters scored in double figures while guard Rocket Watts added 11 off the bench. Derek Fountain added another seven, and by the end of the evening Mississippi State snapped a two-game skid and appeared to control its own destiny toward a possible NCAA tournament at-large bid. Then a four-game skid ensued -- one where MSU lost each game by single digits. And four Quadrant 1 opportunities slipped away. The bad fate continued for South Carolina as it lost its next two following the loss in Starkville, and it appeared the Gamecocks were joining the Bulldogs on the wrong side of the tournament picture. Then, State won back-to-back games against Missouri and South Carolina won its next three. And now both teams are back in the bubble picture with hopes on securing a Quadrant 2 win as they face off for a second time tonight. |
| Tennessee Lady Vols basketball vs. Mississippi State scouting report | |
 | The Tennessee Lady Vols will close out the regular season at home, facing Mississippi State first. The No. 14 Lady Vols (21-6, 10-4 SEC) will tip off against the Bulldogs (15-11, 6-8) in Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+). Tennessee is coming off a difficult week, getting upset at Alabama and losing Jordan Horston with an elbow injury for an unknown amount of time. Despite that, UT rallied and played with "elite level effort" in the loss to No. 1 South Carolina Sunday. Mississippi State has gone through three coaches in three seasons. After Vic Schaefer left, former Lady Vols standout Nikki McCray-Penson took over the program in April 2020. McCray-Penson stepped down a month before this season began to focus on her health. Associate head coach Doug Novak, who was hired just before the season began, took over as interim head coach. Then on Jan. 24, when the Bulldogs were 11-7 and 2-4 in SEC, star forward Rickea Jackson announced her decision to enter the transfer portal. Jackson was leading the SEC in scoring at 20.3 points and also was averaging 6.8 rebounds. But after Jackson's announcement, MSU went on to win four of its next five games, only losing to Florida and notching wins over Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn and Ole Miss. On top of it all, Denae Carter suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Texas A&M win. The Bulldogs are on a three-game losing skid, but this team has proved it can play through its losses and shouldn't be overlooked. |
| Mississippi State football adds Western Michigan to 2023 schedule | |
| Mississippi State football is making a change on its extended calendar. The program announced Tuesday that it will play Western Michigan on Oct. 7, 2023, at Davis Wade Stadium, the first time the teams will play in football against each other. The change shifts around the Bulldogs' 2023 nonconference slate, which includes Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 2), Arizona (Sept. 9) and Southern Miss (Nov. 18). The alteration was made to replace Tulane on Mississippi State's 2023 schedule, with the Oct. 7, 2023 matchup moving to Sept. 11, 2032, in New Orleans. It's the second time the Green Wave and Bulldogs have altered their prior contract. According to a public records request, the initial contract was signed in 2016, but amendments in 2017 and 2018 moved around the fixtures. A game originally scheduled in Starkville for Oct. 3, 2020 was moved to Sept. 7, 2030, because nonconference games were canceled that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- a change proposed by Mississippi State athletics director John Cohen, according to a copy of the addendum. A university spokesperson said the decision to move the 2023 Tulane game to the next decade came about to make the home-and-home games closer together. |
| Paul Finebaum calls out Pac-12, ACC, Big Ten commissioners for CFP stalemate: 'Utter disgrace' | |
 | Paul Finebaum called the College Football Playoff staying at four team an "utter disgrace" and the most "disgusting" moment in college football modern history. Four days after CFP executive director Bill Hancock made the announcement the format will remain the same through at least the 2025 season, Finebaum -- an SEC Network analyst -- blasted the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 commissioners. "This falls at the feet of the college commissioners," Finebaum said. "And what they didn't do, or what they did do, last Friday is an utter disgrace. It's truly one of the most disappointing and disgusting moments, I think, in the modern history of college football, for an organization that, in essence, approved the playoff and then saw the entire thing spiral out of control because of pettiness, because of jealousy and, quite frankly, ignorance, I think. I know people say, 'Well, these are all smart people.' If were smart people, they wouldn't have left half a billion dollars on the table, and they wouldn't have come to this conclusion. If you're playing the blame game, it's really not hard to figure out where to place the blame. The blame lies at the feet of Jim Phillips, the ACC commissioner; George Kliavkoff, the head of the Pac-12; and Kevin Warren (of the Big Ten). These are the 3 amigos who have absolutely hurt college football, but mostly hurt themselves, because the Pac-12 needs this more than any other league. The Big Ten can survive and the ACC, as long as Clemson has a quarterback, will probably make the playoffs. The Pac-12, by saying all the things that they have said, have hurt themselves badly, and the real question is will that league still be relevant by the time we get to the end of this contract and potentially expand again?" |
| New Orleans begins countdown to Men's Final Four; event to attract thousands | |
 | Soon after Mardi Gras New Orleans' tourism industry will get another huge boost as the city hosts the NCAA Men's Final Four in April. And city, state, and tourism leaders say the event and the activities surrounding it will be a slam dunk for the economy. Governor John Bel Edwards joined Mayor Latoya Cantrell at a joint event to tout what the event will mean to the city and the state. "This year is extra special. When you think about we in Louisiana, what this city, this region has been through over the last couple of years with the pandemic, it was about six months ago that one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit our state hit southeast Louisiana and through it all the NCAA has stuck with us," said Edwards. This is the sixth time the NCAA has chosen New Orleans to host the sporting event. Kelly Schulz of New Orleans and Company, the leading tourism marketing organization in the city says tens of thousands are expected to come to the city for the series of games. "It has millions of dollars of economic impact and really immeasurable impact, if you think about how many viewers are going to be watching these games all over the country and seeing New Orleans as one of the best host cities that there is for sporting events," said Schulz. And even before the Final Four, the carnival season that is underway is helping local hotels and restaurants that have suffered during the pandemic. "We're doing good, certainly we're not back to those pre-pandemic levels but we do have many things to be proud of, of course, Mardi Gras is underway right now. We know for Mardi Gras the hotels are at 80% or higher occupancy for this coming weekend. We have the Final Four which would bring 70,000 college basketball fans to the city," said Schulz. |
| College Presidents Created a Money Monster. Now Will They Tame It? | |
 | The way American colleges manage their most lucrative sports is crumbling under the weight of its own commercial success. The signs are legion. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 last summer that the National Collegiate Athletic Association, with its decades-old ban on player compensation, could not limit educational payments to athletes. State lawmakers nationwide defied the NCAA by passing laws that allowed athletes to make money from their names, images, and likenesses. And the National Labor Relations Board's top lawyer recently declared what much of society has come to internalize: College athletes who bring in the most revenue for their institutions are employees and should be treated as such. The NCAA's supremacy is coming undone, and the resulting impact on higher education could be profound, says Eric J. Barron, president of Pennsylvania State University. He and others warn that as the association's authority recedes, a corporate structure may emerge to control college football or that Congress could enact sweeping legislation to oversee all college athletics. While those developments may not be welcome, many are ready to see the NCAA take a back seat. The association has been "remarkably ineffective" at dealing with the current challenges, Barron says, and has lost some of its credibility among college presidents. Therein lies the irony. |
| The N.F.L. draft scouting combine will loosen its virus restrictions over fears of a player boycott. | |
| The National Invitational Camp, the organization that operates the N.F.L.'s annual scouting combine, relaxed Covid-19 restrictions for draft prospects scheduled to attend next week's event in Indianapolis amid fears of a potential boycott. In a memo distributed Monday to prospects, the N.I.C. reversed policies that would have severely limited players' movement during the weeklong event, the biggest talent evaluation showcase ahead of the N.F.L. draft. More than 300 players are expected to attend the weeklong event, which begins next Tuesday. Prospects are not required to be vaccinated and will be tested for the coronavirus only if they show symptoms. Last year's combine was canceled because of the pandemic, and this year's format, outlined in a memo last weekend, had called for a "bubble" environment where players would be sequestered to only "secure" locations throughout the combine venue while not performing medical examinations, on-field tests or interviews. According to a person familiar with the dispute who was not authorized to speak publicly, a group of agents representing more than 150 prospects were prepared to have their players withdraw from on-field workouts, the centerpiece of the N.F.L.'s prime time broadcast of the combine, in response to the restrictive bubble protocols. In a letter sent to agents, the N.F.L. Players Association signaled its support, calling the combine "antiquated" and said that it would back prospects who skipped the event if they felt they were being mistreated. (The union does not yet represent players who are not employed by the league.) |
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