| Monday, March 7, 2022 |
| Renovated downtown HUB provides home for businesses | |
 | On the third floor of the newly renovated Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation Downtown Innovation HUB building, employees of Babel Street play video games or pool during their breaks from work. Working at Babel Street, a data-to-knowledge company with artificial intelligence linguistics, requires intensive thinking, Senior Vice President of Application Development Bryan O'Neill said, so the company brought in games to boost morale and create a more enjoyable workplace atmosphere. "People come in, work all day and then go into the break room to play pool or video games, have a couple of beers and just relax," O'Neill said. "That's an important part of the job -- ensuring your employees are happy. Happy employees do good work." Babel Street was the first tenant to sign on in 2019 when the Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation Downtown Innovation HUB purchased the old Cadence Bank building on Main Street. After Cadence moved to its new location on Russell Street, RTC renovated the building to create office space for growing companies wishing to locate downtown. The HUB installed new signage this past week, signifying the completion of renovations to the building. "When the bank moved out in June 2021, we started renovations in December," RTC Director Marc McGee said. "The whole premise is to bring innovative, economic development downtown. What we have in the research park, and those technology-based companies that we have, we would like to see some of those companies downtown." |
| 16th annual Charles Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival set for March 24-26 | |
| Mississippi State's Charles H. Templeton Ragtime & Jazz Festival is making its return to the university for a 16th year. The festival will be held March 24-26 in the Charles Templeton Music Museum, located on the fourth floor of Mitchell Memorial Library. Jazz music and its history are the focus of this year's event, which is making an in-person comeback after previously being held virtually in 2021. The festival begins with the annual Gatsby Gala in the lobby of Mitchell Memorial Library. The 6 p.m. show will present 1920s-inspired fashion created by MSU School of Human Sciences fashion design and merchandising students and modeled by MSU Fashion Board members. Admission is free, and era-appropriate outfits are encouraged. Tours and seminars are offered during the day March 25-26. Among the talks will be "The Life and Music of Janice Cleary," a seminar held at 1:30 p.m. March 25 dedicated to celebrating the late Cleary, who donated one of the largest sheet music collections in the U.S. to the university shortly before her death in 2021. A presentation of her sheet music will be held at 11 a.m. March 26, showcasing rarities from her collection. Concerts will be held March 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the McComas Hall Theater, with performances from this year's featured musicians. |
| SOCSD receives $1.5 million grant for intersessions | |
| Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will use $1.5 million in grant funds to fund intersessions in its modified school calendar over the next three years. The Learn More Program Grant, administered through the Mississippi Department of Education, will fund teacher and staff pay, as well as operations costs, for its two annual intersessions, which will begin the 2022-23 school year. SOCSD approved a modified calendar starting next school year, in which classes will begin in late July and end in early June. Though summer break will be shorter, there will be longer fall and spring breaks, making the school year the same amount of total days (180 for students and 187 for teachers). There will be 13 intersession days in addition to regular instruction days to remediate students who are falling behind in their classes or want enhanced learning opportunities. Those will be split between fall and spring. Assistant Superintendent Anna Guntharp said SOCSD is looking for 60 of its teachers, as well as other support staff, to work the intersessions. Since it exceeds their contract days, those employees will be paid extra for their work. Teachers will be paid $35 per hour for intersessions, Guntharp said. |
| Will Gunn hold ARPA funds hostage for his tax cut plan? | |
 | House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, flirted with the idea of not appropriating federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars until the entire Mississippi Legislature passes a bill eliminating the income tax, escalating an already tense relationship with the Senate. The two-term speaker went on radio network SuperTalk Mississippi earlier this week to say that Gov. Tate Reeves should call a special session for lawmakers to do away with the income tax if the Senate fails to do so within the next few weeks. "I believe that the time is now," Gunn said about the income tax. "If we can't get it done between now and the next two weeks, then we would hope that the governor would call a special session on income tax elimination before we spend a dime of ARPA money or capital expense money or anything else. I think it's that important." Gunn later told the Daily Journal on Friday that he is not necessarily wanting to hold the ARPA money hostage over tax cuts, but was rather pointing out what he views as inconsistent ideology coming from the 52-member Senate. "We are continuing to negotiate and talk," Gunn said. "Their position seems to be inconsistent." The basis for the speaker's harsh words hinges on an analysis that State Economist Corey Miller issued in mid-February that found if the House's tax cut plan became law, private employment would increase, and the state would experience a decrease in net revenue. Gunn and other House leaders have questioned the accuracy of the report, while Senate leaders have largely used it to justify that now isn't the time for the state to implement large tax cuts. |
| Analysis: Mississippi legislators face pocketbook decisions | |
 | Mississippi legislators are supposed to make big decisions about the state's pocketbook in the next few weeks, setting a budget that exceeds $6 billion and deciding whether to approve tax cuts. House and Senate leaders have substantial disagreements over tax cut proposals. It's not clear they will overcome their differences, even though Republicans control both chambers. Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn says his priority is a complete phaseout of the income tax, the source of 34% of state revenue. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says a better idea is to erase part, but not all, of the income tax. He also wants the state to send $100 to $1,000 rebates to people who pay income taxes -- a proposal that could be for a single year or could be extended if Mississippi continues to see robust tax collections. Gunn said that if the House and Senate don't agree on an income tax elimination by the middle of March, he wants Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to call a special session "to eliminate the income tax before we spend a dime of any other money." March 26 is the deadline for House and Senate negotiators to set final versions of tax and budget bills. The new state budget year begins July 1, but it's important for state agencies to know how much money to expect. Schools, for example, will soon start offering contracts to teachers for the coming year. |
| States Push Tax Cuts Amid Big Budgets, Inflationary Pressures | |
 | States flush with cash are aiming to slash taxes as the nation's economic recovery and infusions of federal pandemic-relief funds have stoked budget surpluses. In Mississippi, the state Senate voted in late February to trim its grocery and state income taxes. Gov. Tate Reeves has said he wants to eliminate state income tax completely. Tennessee's governor has proposed reducing the state's sales tax, while Kentucky, Georgia and Wisconsin are looking into giving tax rebates or credits. Tax revenue throughout the U.S. has been on upswing amid improving economic conditions after the shutdowns early in the pandemic hammered state tax collections. The growing tax revenue, along with federal Covid-19 relief funds for states, has fueled budget surpluses throughout the nation. Revenue for all 50 states collectively grew 14.5% in fiscal 2021, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Tax revenue is projected to continue growing at the state level for the coming fiscal year, said Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies for the organization. State lawmakers and governors, many of whom are up for re-election, are pointing to those improving figures and rising inflation in their calls for tax relief. |
| State economist says Mississippi economy tenth best in nation in Covid resiliency | |
 | State economist Corey Miller said the Mississippi economy has survived Covid far better than the nation as a whole, contracting only 1.8 percent. This was the tenth best result of all the states in the nation, which contracted 3.4 percent as a whole. Mississippi payrolls decreased 4.3 percent in Mississippi compared to 5.8 percent nationwide. During the pandemic, Mississippi's personal income actually increased 7.4 percent thanks to federal transfer payments. Mississippi's economy today has already surpassed the pre-recession high, which occured during the fourth quarter of 2019. This recovery is better than the Great Recession recovery. In his talk, Miller saw little difference in the tax cut proposals from the state House and Senate, both increasing state GDP a few tenths of one percent over time, despite causing minor decreases in government revenues. |
| Health officials discuss the future of the pandemic in Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi's coronavirus transmission rate has declined in recent weeks, but health officials say this type of disease is still unpredictable in how it behaves. Recently, the CDC issued national guidance that people who are up to date on their coronavirus vaccinations do not need to wear face coverings in public, unless in a confined space. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says the CDC has also released a new tool that offers further guidance on the county level. "And it has a series of individual behaviors that a person can take, but also for the community at large, so for those who are at low a mask is not recommended," says Dr. Byers. "For those at a medium, a mask is not recommended in those indoor public areas." The Department of Health's lab receives coronavirus tests from across the state which are monitored for variants of the virus. Dr Byers says it will be important to continue monitoring the disease to identify any potential rise in cases early. He says it is unclear if transmission will surge again, or if the pandemic could transition into an endemic. "Very similar to what we see with Flu. Flu is an endemic illness. If you look hard enough for Flu, you're going to see Flu year-round," says Dr. Byers. "Eventually, we may get to that in COVID. I don't think we're ready to say that we're in endemic yet, I think we need to really see what these next few weeks and months are going to roll out for us with COVID." Dr. Byers says being up to date on vaccines is the most effective protection against COVID-19. |
| Pushback on anti-critical race theory bill continues | |
| Both the Mississippi Senate and House are giving the green light to a controversial bill that aims to ban critical race theory in public schools. The bill was held on a motion to reconsider. So, it could technically see some more debate before getting the final go-ahead to the Governor. The debate in the House may have lasted for hours Thursday, but the public debate in Mississippi started much earlier. The Speaker and Governor both featured the issue in their Neshoba County speeches last summer. In January, the pushback came in the form of a letter and website dubbed "Teach History, Mississippi" with backing from various groups and led by the Mississippi Center for Justice. And they're still concerned what the impacts might be. "I believe that it would have a chilling effect on teachers in the classroom by causing them not to teach certain topics, causing them not to give a full account of certain topics that would leave our children lacking one knowledge in the areas of history, social studies and civil rights, particularly in Mississippi." There's also questions about the fact that critical race theory is actually not defined in the bill, despite its title. "Read what critical race theory is before you vote on it," said Dr. Kathryn Green, Mississippi Valley State University History Professor. "I mean, we all want our lawmakers to have educated votes. So don't just go on the bandwagon." Jackson State Political Science Professor Dr. D'Andra Orey doesn't think it will ultimately impact anything other than elections. "Race relations has been Mississippi's Achilles heel," said Dr. Orey. "And the first word that comes to mind when I think about Senate Bill 2113 is fabrication. This is a solution looking for a problem." |
| Republican 'unforced errors' threaten path to Senate control | |
| As the prospect of a red wave grows, a series of Republican missteps including recruiting stumbles, weak fundraising and intense infighting is threatening the GOP's path to the Senate majority. Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey dealt his party its latest setback late last week by announcing he would not challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly this fall. His decision, which leaves no obvious front-runner in a crowded Republican primary, disappointed Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and his allies who had spent months privately encouraging Ducey to run. But the GOP's shortcomings extend well beyond Arizona. Republican candidates in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada are struggling to keep pace with Democratic fundraising. Recruiting failures have dashed GOP hopes in reach states like Maryland and threaten a prime pickup opportunity in New Hampshire. And a recent plan that would raise taxes on low-income Americans and seniors, released by the Republican Senate midterm chief, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is putting GOP candidates in a difficult position across states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. The challenges amount to an early warning sign for Republicans less than two months before the opening Senate primaries of the 2022 election season. |
| Bipartisan Senate group presses leadership for R&D tax break | |
 | Fifteen senators, including the most endangered Democrats up for reelection in November, are urging congressional leaders to include a bigger tax break for research and development and small-business incentives in any upcoming legislative package, days before the chamber may vote on a massive omnibus spending bill. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Todd Young, R-Ind., led a bipartisan letter Friday saying that unless Congress quickly restores full and immediate R&D expensing, American jobs and investment are at risk. The call comes as policymakers are aiming to pass an omnibus spending package for fiscal 2022 before a March 11 government funding deadline. That package is likely to be the quickest vehicle to enact changes, given even popular tax efforts are difficult to move on their own. In their letter, the senators asked Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to "support U.S. economic competitiveness and innovation in any upcoming legislative package by expanding the research and development tax credit for small businesses and preserving full and immediate expensing for R&D investments." Companies could deduct all of their R&D spending from their taxable income right away until this year. Then a change included in the GOP 2017 tax overhaul requiring companies to gradually write off those expenses over five years took effect starting in 2022. The switch could cost companies $8 billion in higher taxes by mid-April and $29 billion by the end of September, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. |
| Biden appointees split on key cyber bill | |
 | President Joe Biden's top national security officials are publicly split over legislation that would require critical infrastructure companies to report hacks to the government, in a remarkable display of disharmony over a bill with bipartisan support and industry backing. The squabbling over the cybersecurity bill comes just days after the Senate unanimously passed the measure and amid rising concerns that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to Kremlin-backed hackers attacking critical resources such as hospitals, power plants or fuel pipelines. The departments of Justice and Homeland Security have staked out opposing positions on the bill, S. 3600 (117th), which would require operators of critical infrastructure to report hacks to DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. CISA Director Jen Easterly has praised the reporting mandate as a critical tool for enhancing the nation's cyber defenses. But on Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the legislation would make the country "less safe" and FBI Director Christopher Wray said it had "serious flaws." An FBI official later told POLITICO that certain provisions might discourage companies from talking to the bureau and make it harder for the government to disrupt cybercrime gangs. The legislation's main Senate champions, Homeland Security Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and ranking member Rob Portman (R-Ohio), have expressed no interest in altering the bill. The legislation emerged after months of jockeying among House and Senate committees on how to toughen the nation's cyber defenses following a series of destructive and invasive attacks on industries including food, shipping, health care and energy. |
| US grapples with shortage of cybersecurity workers, braces for Russian attacks | |
| Cybersecurity watchers around the world have been on high alert as the war in Ukraine continues to escalate. Cyberattacks from Russia have so far played only a minor role, but security experts have warned those attacks could intensify, including against targets in the U.S. Although the federal government and many companies have moved to beef up cybersecurity in recent years, there's still a big gap in this workforce. The good news is that the U.S. added more than 250,000 people to the cybersecurity workforce between 2020 and 2021. The bad news? "The need for cybersecurity professionals increased by 30% in 2021," said Clar Rosso, CEO of the non-profit cybersecurity association (ISC)². That leaves about 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., she said. "In any period of time, this is concerning. It is especially concerning now." International business services firm Accenture currently has hundreds of openings in cybersecurity, said Ryan LaSalle, who leads the North America practice for Accenture Security. Accenture runs an apprenticeship program that recruits and trains early-career workers, many without college degrees. The company has also helped high schools create curricula to attract young people to the profession. |
| Russian war in world's 'breadbasket' threatens food supply | |
| The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands of the Black Sea region -- known as the "breadbasket of the world." Ukrainian farmers have been forced to neglect their fields as millions flee, fight or try to stay alive. Ports are shut down that send wheat and other food staples worldwide to be made into bread, noodles and animal feed. And there are worries Russia, another agricultural powerhouse, could have its grain exports upended by Western sanctions. While there have not yet been global disruptions to wheat supplies, prices have surged 55% since a week before the invasion amid concerns about what could happen next. If the war is prolonged, countries that rely on affordable wheat exports from Ukraine could face shortages starting in July, International Grains Council director Arnaud Petit told The Associated Press. That could create food insecurity and throw more people into poverty in places like Egypt and Lebanon, where diets are dominated by government-subsidized bread. Russia and Ukraine combine for nearly a third of the world's wheat and barley exports. Ukraine also is a major supplier of corn and the global leader in sunflower oil, used in food processing. The war could reduce food supplies just when prices are at their highest levels since 2011. |
| Russian Artillery Kills Ukrainian Civilians Fleeing Kyiv Suburb | |
| A line of yellow school buses pulled up on a forested roadside in this once-prosperous suburb of Kyiv on Sunday, ready to evacuate Ukrainian civilians. Then the Russian shells started falling. People dove for cover, hugging the ground. Frightened pets ran into the woods. A man, woman and child were killed. The three bodies fell near one another by a monument to local soldiers who died fighting Germany in World War II. Their gray suitcase stood nearby, untouched by the blast. In total, eight Irpin civilians were killed by the afternoon, as relentless shelling continued, said mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. A nearby house was on fire after receiving a direct hit. In the distance, plumes of gray smoke rose above Irpin, where Ukrainian forces fought to repel a Russian attack on what is a critical gateway to Kyiv. Russia's military insists it isn't targeting civilians and blames Ukrainian "nationalists" for shelling their own, without any evidence. But deaths are mounting from Russian strikes on residential areas in cities throughout the country, while agreements to evacuate other towns and cities have fallen through. On Sunday, just before the shelling of the evacuation route started, Ukrainian soldiers were helping women and children climb over the highway railing and into buses, passing prams and suitcases. Some of the elderly had to be carried over, clutching canes. |
| A local college kicks off Women's History Month on the right note | |
 | The Mississippi University for Women started Women's History Month with music. MUW, the first public college for women in Mississippi, held its' 6th annual Music by Women's Festival. Fifteen concerts were presented to the public; performers from eight universities showcased vocal or instrumental tunes composed by women over the years. "The enthusiasm is overwhelming just to network and exchange ideas and continue spreading the music of women composers throughout the year," said festival director Julia Mortyakova. Mortyakova said the event grows every year; in fact, this is the highest number of festival goers compared to previous years. Mortyakova said funds from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts supported the project. "I think what's important is that we start the event right now but we continue the work throughout the year so we celebrate women composers everyday not just in women's history month. We just have the event because there's more interest in the subject matter," said Mortyakova. |
| Active Minds Returns to Curb Campus Suicides | |
| A national traveling exhibit designed to help prevent campus suicides is coming to the University of Mississippi on Monday (March 7). The "Send Silence Packing" display containing more than 1,000 backpacks will be in the Grove that day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (In case of rain, the display will be moved to the great room of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.) The backpacks, each with a story attached to them, represent the number of college students lost to suicide each year. The program is designed to raise awareness about the incidence and impact of suicide, connect students to needed mental health resources, and inspire action for suicide prevention. "The purpose of 'Send Silence Packing' is to give students a visualization of how pertinent suicide has been to our demographic, also known as college students," said Ivonne Perez, of Eugene, Oregon, a senior integrated marketing and communications major and co-president for the event. "I also think a purpose for this exhibition is to share the stories of lost ones and appreciate their legacy, rather than dwindling them down to a statistic. We hope that SSP starts some good conversations between students and that awareness builds for the situation." The Ole Miss chapter of Active Minds hosted the event for the first time in 2018. Trained professionals from the national Active Minds organization are onsite at every display. |
| UM administrators and student leaders speak at State of the University Forum | |
 | On Friday, March 4, several University of Mississippi administrators and student leaders spoke at the State of the University Forum as part of the weekend's Black Alumni Reunion. The forum was held from 3-5 p.m. in Butler Auditorium in the Triplett Alumni Center and was moderated by Teresa Jones, a student at the University of Mississippi School of Law. Shawnboda Mead, Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement, spoke about the growth of her division. When Mead started working for the office of Diversity and Community Engagement, her division consisted of herself and two graduate assistants. Her staff has now grown to 20, and the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement now employs a director, three assistant directors, a coordinator and four graduate assistants and has a permanent physical location in the Student Union. "There cannot be diversity and inclusion work without community engagement work," Mead said while describing the creation of the Center for Community Engagement. |
| USM teaming with Rowan to boost academics | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's School of Education and L.J. Rowan Elementary School in Hattiesburg will be teaming up for the next four years. USM has amassed about $350,000 in federal grant money to offer academic support, especially in reading and writing, through the program at Rowan called "i.R.O.C.K.+." Jo Hawkins-Jones, assistant teaching professor in the School of Education at USM, secured the funding through a Nita M. Lowey "21st Century Community Learning Centers" grant from the United States Department of Education. "Having personally grown up in a financially-disadvantaged community in Mississippi, the struggles of students at Rowan Elementary are dear to my heart," Hawkins-Jones said. "For many years, I have dreamed and prayed about opportunities to give back to the Black community and contribute to the improvement of learning experiences of future teachers." The money will support the i.R.O.C.K. Academy and its program at L.J. Rowan Elementary School in Hattiesburg over the course of four years, expanding its ability to offer academic support and mentoring to at-risk youth. |
| Mississippi community college to open new music facility | |
| A Mississippi community college is opening a new music complex. East Central Community College will dedicate its new Thomas W. Carson Band Hall on Tuesday, The Meridian Star reported. The ceremony will be held inside the new facility, which is north of the existing Vickers Fine Arts Center on the Decatur campus. The $3.5 million facility will house the college's Wall O' Sound Marching Band practice hall, music practice studios, teaching studios, instrument storage, a music library, and office space, officials said. The building is named after the late Carson, who was associated with East Central for more than half his life, as a student, music instructor and director of bands. He died May 6, 2013. |
| Florida bill follows trend of closed presidential searches | |
 | The Florida Legislature passed a bill Friday that would close presidential searches at state colleges and universities, effectively keeping applicants' identities hidden from the public until the institution decides on three finalists. Under Florida's existing open records laws, the names of applicants are available to the public throughout the search process. The state House of Representatives approved the bill 86 to 26, and the state Senate passed the measure last month. Now it awaits approval from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Advocates of the bill, including state senators Jeff Brandes and Darryl Rouson, say the legislation would help state institutions attract a more qualified and diverse pool of candidates, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. At least five of the state's 12 public universities will seek a new president in the next few years, and the University of Florida plans to begin a search for its next president this month. Henry Stoever, president of the Association of Governing Boards, supports the bill. "They need to attract the best talent," Stoever said. "Having a requirement to disclose who is in that candidate pool will significantly reduce the quality of the talent pool that they are considering." Sitting presidents and provosts are unlikely to apply to an open search, said Rod McDavis, managing principal at AGB Search, a higher education executive search firm. |
| Vladimir Putin made 'terrible mistake' invading Ukraine, U. of Missouri prof says | |
 | Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine isn't working out the way he had planned, said Stephen Quackenbush, an associate professor at the University of Missouri. He's director of the Defense and Strategic Studies Program in the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. "I think he has made a terrible mistake," Quackenbush said of the Ukraine invasion. "It has been a terrible mistake to attack. He thought the Ukrainian people would welcome the advance and it would be an easy victory." Instead Russian forces are meeting stiff resistance, taking control of just one major city as of Friday. There have been large protests in Russia. "This is very unpopular in Russia, especially among those who understand what's happening," Quackenbush said. If Putin loses power related to this, it will be because he loses the support of the oligarchs who back him, not because of public protests, Quackenbush said. Sanctions announced this week by U.S. President Joe Biden are targeted at Russian oligarchs. "These economic sanctions are devastating the economy," Quackenbush said. |
| Film students get new space on MU campus, but some prefer old location | |
 | While the True/False Film Fest is underway in downtown Columbia, University of Missouri film students are preparing to move to their new home in the center of campus. However, some film students say they want to stay at their old location because it's more isolated and has immediate parking access. The School of Visual Studies plans to move film students this summer from their current location at the Academic Support Center a block west of the Francis Quadrangle to the soon-to-be-renovated basement of the Arts & Science Building, which is southeast of the Quadrangle. The school also received about $100,000 from the Enhancing Student Success awards to buy new film equipment. "It would be far more convenient (to go to the Arts & Science Building), but at the same time, it's nice having our bubble here," said Abigail McKee, an MU freshman studying digital storytelling. McKee said that there hasn't been enough working equipment in her classes or for the Shot Reverse Shot film club on campus. The film production degree has doubled in enrollment in the past four years, with 150 students pursuing the degree in 2021 compared to only 74 students four years earlier, said Lee Ann Garrison, School of Visual Studies director. "(Film students) have every right to complain," Garrison said. "They have grown so much since they started the production track. Even though we do buy new equipment every semester, but to keep up with that demand, we just needed a big influx of it." |
| Yik Yak re-emerges after shutdown | |
| Yik Yak is back. The social media app founded in 2013, which allows users to create anonymous, localized posts, shut down in April 2017 following a series of campus controversies involving bullying and racist threats. When the app moved to limit anonymous postings, users lost interest. Unnamed new owners purchased the app from Square Inc., a mobile payments company that also owns Snapchat, in February 2021, Forbes reported. In August, they announced they were relaunching it with some changes, including new "community guardrails" to prohibit "bullying messages," threats and sharing private information. The app still works by allowing users, mostly college students, to make anonymous posts -- known as "yaks" -- that can be seen by other users within a five-mile radius. The posts are then voted up or down, and nearby "yakkers" can comment on them. Users earn reputation points, known as "yakarma," based on the up votes they receive. Now a whole new generation of college students is discovering the app. Some have no idea of its past history of cyberbullying and threats. Yik Yak can propagate the spread of misinformation on campuses. Maggie Alexander, a junior at Baylor University, said she decided to write an op-ed for The Baylor Lariat about Yik Yak as an outlet for cyberbullying after watching students use the app to post misinformation about Greek life's spring rush. Students on Baylor's campus tend to post whatever they want, even if it's untrue or just mean, because the anonymity means there are no repercussions, she said. Still, she can't imagine Baylor banning the app on campus. "I don't think Baylor has any control over it," Alexander said. "If Baylor were to say, 'Ban Yik Yak from campus,' I don't really think there's a way to reinforce that. But I think Yik Yak could be doing a better job of censoring harassment." |
| Tuition-free college movement gains momentum, despite Biden's stalled plan | |
 | President Biden may have tabled his bid for universal free community college, but states and municipalities are keeping the momentum going with new or expanded programs to cover tuition. At least seven tuition-free initiatives have publicly launched since November, according to the College Promise campaign, which advocates making the first two or more years of college free. The governors of Pennsylvania and Maine are pushing for new programs, while the University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved a $300 million endowment to cover tuition for more students at its public institutions. College Promise programs, as tuition-free initiatives are commonly known, enjoy widespread support across the political spectrum. Forty-seven states and D.C. have at least one such program at the college, city or state level. There are 33 statewide programs that cover tuition at community colleges or universities and higher education, and experts say the number is likely to grow. A handful of bills have been introduced this Congress to provide tuition-free access to community college or public universities, but none have advanced. Biden is still calling for the federal government to step up its role in subsidizing college. In his first State of the Union address this week, the president urged Congress to "invest in what Jill, our first lady, ... calls America's best-kept secret: community colleges." |
| Klain: White House may extend freeze on student loan payments again | |
| The Biden administration is considering once again extending the freeze on federal student loan payments and interest for roughly 40 million Americans before it expires at the beginning of May, according to a top White House official. "The president is going to look at what we should do on student debt before the pause expires, or he'll extend the pause," White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said in an interview with the podcast Pod Save America that posted on Thursday evening. "Joe Biden right now is the only president in history where no one's paid on their student loans for the entirety of his presidency," Klain said, adding that the White House would make a decision on whether to use executive action to cancel student debt "before the payments resume." Monthly payments and interest have been suspended on the vast majority of federal student loans since March 2020 when Congress passed the CARES Act. The Trump administration and then the Biden administration both used executive action to further extend that relief. That latest extension is set to expire May 2. The Education Department has already extended some collections of defaulted loans until at least November. Klain's remarks are the clearest public comments from any Biden administration official in recent weeks indicating that the Education Department may further extend the freeze on federal student loan payments and interest. |
| What Anti-LGBTQ+ State Bills Mean for Higher Ed | |
| Last Thursday, the governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, signed a bill into law that will ban trans girls and women from playing sports in college and high school. This move comes less than a week after Wyoming's state senators passed a budget amendment to stop funding the University of Wyoming's women's and gender studies program. That amendment died in the House, but for scholars watching more and more anti-LGBTQ+ bills across states, concerns are mounting for LGBTQ+ students in higher education, especially trans women and girls. Since the start of this year, more than 170 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed by conservative state lawmakers, outpacing last year's total of 139, according to Freedom for All Americans, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections across the country. At least 69 of those bills this year center on K-12 school policies. In the first week of 2022 alone, at least seven states proposed laws to limit transgender and nonbinary youth from playing sports, using bathrooms, and receiving gender-affirming healthcare. "I really feel a slippery slope with these bills aimed at K-12 schools coming to colleges and universities," said Dr. Kristen Renn, a professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education at Michigan State University's College of Education and a past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). "There are a couple of ways to think about the impact of these bills on colleges. One is what this means for the pipeline of LGBTQ+ students potentially coming to higher education. And the other is what this means for LGBTQ+ students currently in higher education." |
| What 4 Billionaires With Russia Ties Have Donated to American Colleges | |
 | The United States and the European Union have set their sights on Russian billionaires as one focus of economic sanctions amid the country's invasion of Ukraine. By targeting the oligarchs in President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, the sanctions have already cost Russian billionaires more than $80 billion in wealth, Bloomberg News reported. A small handful of Russian billionaires and others whose business interests lie in Russia -- and who have not been targeted by recent sanctions -- have given money to American colleges. Though calls to sever ties with these wealthy donors have not reached the fever pitch that has plagued controversial philanthropists in recent years, the size of some of their donations is substantial. The donors are not among the U.S.'s most recent additions to its list of sanctioned actors, but some have been sanctioned before or their companies have appeared on sanctions lists. |
| Russian oligarchs have donated millions to U.S. charities, museums and universities, analysis shows | |
| American philanthropies, museums and universities have accepted millions of dollars from tycoons aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including several who are the targets of Western sanctions, according to an analysis by anti-corruption researchers. Among the many beneficiaries are such storied institutions as New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Mayo Clinic and the Guggenheim Museum, the research shows -- a reflection of how deeply money from Russian oligarchs has penetrated American society. The findings are likely to amplify demands that U.S. cultural organizations disavow donors believed to have profited from the Putin regime. It was produced by the Anti-Corruption Data Collective, a group of academics, data analysts and policy advocates working to expose transnational corruption. David Szakonyi, a political science professor at George Washington University and co-founder of the data collective, said some oligarchs have used extensive philanthropic contributions to "help launder their reputations and integrate themselves socially and financially in the West." These "contributions to charity and cultural institutions are done in hopes that Western society will look past questions about where their money comes from," said Szakonyi, who developed the research into charitable donations with Casey Michel, author of "American Kleptocracy." Szakonyi said the analysis highlights the need for stricter requirements on charities to disclose major donors. |
| Lawmakers spent hours on a bill to ban critical race theory. But does it? | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: People reading controversial Senate Bill 2113, which all 54 African American members of the Mississippi Legislature voted against, will not find the money phrase banning critical race theory until the very bottom of the final page of the bill. In nondescript type, running along the bottom of the page is "ST: Critical Race Theory: prohibit." That is the only mention of CRT. The phrase cannot be found in the summary at the top of the legislation. It is not in the text of the three-page bill. Because of the unusual way in which the legislation was crafted, there is a real chance that the phrase "Critical Race Theory: prohibit" will not be placed in Mississippi's legal code. Or put another way, there is a possibility that the teaching of critical race theory will not be banned at all even after Gov. Tate Reeves does what is expected and signs the bill into law. "You can teach critical race theory because it is not in the text of this bill," proclaimed Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, the House minority leader, who is also an attorney. Each year the publisher of Mississippi's code (or laws) includes new laws passed by the Legislature. That updating process is far from exact. There is a joint legislative committee that oversees the code, but the members seldom meet, normally leaving the work of crafting the updates to the editors and legal staff. Perhaps the editors will seek out the short title -- "Critical Race Theory: prohibit" -- and incorporate those words in the code. But based on precedent, there is a good chance they will not. |
SPORTS
| Purvis Grand Slam, Kennedy Homer Power Bulldogs Against Alcorn State | |
| For the third time this weekend, Mississippi State softball claimed a run-rule victory, defeating Alcorn State, 14-1, in five innings on Sunday. The Bulldogs outscored their opponents, 38-9, over the five-game Bulldog Invitational. Once again, home runs provided a large portion of State's (14-8) offense. Addison Purvis launched a grand slam for her first career homer, and Madisyn Kennedy provided a two-run shot. MSU also collected four doubles from Mia Davidson, Chloe Malau'ulu, Paige Cook and Jackie McKenna. Seven different Bulldogs drove in at least one run and eight had a hit. "It was really nice to see it go over," Purvis said of her home run. "I didn't want to celebrate too much at first, but when I saw it go over, it opened my eyes to everything. I feel like we are finally seeing the ball really well. We are finally getting in the grove and realizing what kind of team we really are." The Bulldogs remain home to host North Alabama on March 9 in a final tune-up before opening conference play. State and the Lions will play at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday with the game airing on SEC Network+. |
| Mississippi State softball run-rules Furman, Alcorn State in Bulldog Invitational | |
| With a 7-0 lead and two Bulldogs on base in the fourth inning of Friday's game against Alcorn State, Mississippi State softball coach Samantha Ricketts issued shortstop Madisyn Kennedy a challenge: barrel up the ball and hit it to the opposite field. The Braves had a pitcher throwing with little velocity, and Ricketts wanted to see Kennedy make an adjustment to the slower speed -- practice for the change-ups the junior will see when Southeastern Conference play begins next week. Instead, Kennedy -- a right-handed hitter -- pulled the ball to left center field for a three-run home run. So much for oppo. "I thought she did a good job," Ricketts said. "It still didn't count because it wasn't (to the) right side of the field, but definitely more on time, which was the point of the challenge." In two run-rule wins on Friday, Kennedy and Mississippi State had plenty of time to work out the kinks MSU finished off a 10-2 win over Alcorn State after beating Furman 10-1 earlier Friday to begin the Bulldog Invitational. Both games lasted just five innings as Mississippi State's bats racked up 17 hits in all. "It's always good when you get that offensive production in both games, and it's nice to see it happening up and down the lineup and being able to get different people in there," Ricketts said. |
| New stadium for Jackson State put on back burner by lawmakers | |
| Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders continues to vie for a new stadium for the Tigers, but it does not look as if it will be happening this year. SB 3154, which would have provided a $40 million appropriation in seed money for Jackson State to build a new stadium, only lasted two days in the 2022 legislative session before dying in committee. Even though the appropriations bill did not make it during this year's session, Senator John Horhn explained where a new stadium could be if lawmakers pass a bill next year. "We had several selections, but the top two are across from WLBT actually on Jefferson Street and also on the JSU Metro Parkway on land that the foundation of the university owns," he explained. During the 2021 session, legislators approved a quarter of a million dollars to study the possibility of building the new stadium. Horhn said that the study has shown that at least $90 million will be needed. The Tigers have played in Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which is in desperate need of repairs, since 1970. |
| NCAA football rules committee recommends targeting appeal | |
| Players ejected for targeting in the second half of a college football game could be eligible to play the following game after an appeal through the conference office, if a recommendation handed down Friday by the NCAA rules committee is approved. After four days of meetings in Indianapolis, the committee also recommended penalizing all open field blocks below the waist and creating an investigation process for allegations of a team faking injuries that could lead to conferences penalizing schools and coaches. Recommendations need approval from the playing rules oversight panel in April. The committee discussed changing how the game clock is managed to shorten games by both time and number of plays, but decided not to act. The average FBS game was 3 hours, 28 minutes last season and included about 137 offensive plays. Shaving time and plays out of college football games has become a discussion point recently as conference commissioners considered possibly expanding the playoff, a move that could increase the maximum length of a season to 16 or even 17 games for a few teams. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
