| Tuesday, March 15, 2022 |
| MSU researchers use AI to evaluate lumber | |
 | A $500,000 federal grant will help Mississippi State University researchers use artificial intelligence to increase the accuracy of lumber evaluation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded funds for an innovative research project in MSU's Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, which aims to improve lumber grading systems with a machine-learning model. The research will identify characteristics that human graders and current auto-grading technologies might otherwise miss, especially characteristics which, relative to their nature and extent, impact the value of each piece of lumber. The MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center team will create an image dataset of common wood strength reducing characteristics, curate and annotate these images, and then process them into deep learning-based image segmentation models. They then will integrate the machine-learned algorithm into user-friendly software in partnership with MSU's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, or NSPARC. |
| For dogs with arthritis, daily activities don't have to be painful | |
 | Mississippi State University's Michael Jaffe and Tracy Jaffe write for The Conversation: Otis was our bighearted bloodhound, whom we loved dearly. He had an active life playing with our three other dogs and going for long walks every morning and evening with us. But when he was 8 years old, his lifestyle completely changed. He experienced a knee injury that required surgery, and he later developed osteoarthritis from that injury. As faculty members at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, we see approximately 100 dogs and cats in our hospital daily. Our job is to diagnose and treat medical conditions these animals are experiencing, and when necessary, perform surgery on patients whose condition is severe. Like Otis, many of our patients suffer from canine osteoarthritis -- the most common orthopedic disorder that we see in our clinic. More than 20% of dogs over the age of 1 in North America are thought to be affected by osteoarthritis. Common activities like going for long walks, running and playing often become more difficult for dogs with this condition. |
| Starkville leaders discussing extending city's leisure and recreation district | |
 | Starkville city leaders could be extending the city's leisure and recreation district. The Board of Aldermen will consider calling for the first public hearing on moving the borders of the entertainment district from University Drive up to Collegeview Drive and Adkerson Place. In leisure and recreation districts patrons are allowed to have open containers of alcohol outside of bars and restaurants. The district also encourages pedestrian traffic and allows more access to outdoor dining options. Business development has been increasing in the Collegeview Drive area. If the expansion is approved, it would also include the Collegeview development. |
| Unvaccinated Starkville employees not required to wear masks | |
 | Starkville will no longer require masks for unvaccinated employees in city buildings. The board of aldermen passed a COVID-19 policy in September requiring all city employees who chose not to be vaccinated to wear masks in city buildings and pay an additional $75 monthly health insurance surcharge. The board decided Friday at its work session to remove the mask requirement, citing that cases are steadily decreasing. The measure is on the consent agenda for this evening's regular aldermen meeting, which means it will pass without further discussion. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the city can bring back the mask requirement at any time if it feels cases begin to rise again and believes wearing masks will help alleviate the spread of the virus. All other aspects of the policy, such as the insurance surcharge, will remain in place. "I believe it's time for that particular aspect of the COVID requirement to go away," Spruill said. "I think we've reached a point where masks are not required and we certainly have the option to reinstate them if we need to, but I think the general nature of COVID has diminished to the point where we can go back to some normal operation." |
| Federal Reserve to begin risky pursuit of a 'soft landing' | |
 | The Federal Reserve on Wednesday will launch one of the most difficult tasks a central bank can attempt: Raise borrowing costs enough to slow growth and tame high inflation, but not so much as to topple the economy into recession. With a war raging in Europe and price increases at a four-decade high, Fed Chair Jerome Powell will seek to engineer a "soft landing": A gradual slowdown in economic activity that helps curb surging prices, while keeping the job market and economy expanding. Yet many economists worry that with the price of gas and commodities spiking, the additional burden of higher interest rates could choke off growth entirely. "You've got to be both lucky and good" to avoid causing a downturn, said Alan Blinder, a Princeton University economist who served as vice chair of the Fed from 1994 to 1996, when the central bank was widely seen as achieving a soft landing. As a first step, the Fed is set to raise borrowing rates several times this year, beginning this week with a quarter-point increase in its benchmark short-term rate. Policymakers will also discuss when and how fast to shrink the Fed's $9 trillion in bond holdings, a step that would also have the effect of tightening credit for consumers and businesses. Yet the Fed faces a dizzying array of uncertainties that will make its task particularly challenging. The economy is still working through shortages of labor and parts stemming from the disruptions of the pandemic. And now prices are rising further for oil, gas, wheat, and other commodities because of Russia's war against Ukraine. |
| Forecasters sees growing chance of a recession as Fed hikes rates this year to fight inflation | |
| Forecasters have raised their outlooks for a recession and boosted their inflation outlook as the Federal Reserve faces the quandary of fast-rising prices and greater uncertainty from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the latest CNBC Fed Survey. The probability of recession in the U.S. was raised to 33% in the next 12 months, up 10 percentage points from the Feb. 1 survey. The chance of a recession in Europe stands at 50%. Respondents debated whether the recent surge in commodity prices would prompt the Fed to hike rates faster because it adds to inflation or raise rates less because they reduce growth. "The tax impact of higher commodities prices is likely to slow the pace of hiking more than the inflationary impact is to accelerate it," wrote Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott. But Rob Morgan, senior vice president at MOSAIC, wrote, "I expect six quarter-point rate hikes from the Fed in 2022. If CPI reaches 9% in the March or April report, the Fed might be pressured into a 50-basis point hike in May." While inflation forecasts rose and growth forecasts declined, the outlook for stocks is relatively bullish. Respondents lowered their outlook for equities, but only 53% now say stocks are overvalued relative to the outlook for earnings and growth. That's down from 88% a year ago, and the least bearish respondents have been since the pandemic began. |
| Why Your Electric Bill Is Soaring -- and Likely to Go Higher | |
 | U.S. electricity customers are facing some of the largest bills in years because of volatile natural-gas prices, which are being driven higher by winter demand and a global supply shortage being made worse by Russia's war against Ukraine. Already, the natural-gas supply crunch has made it substantially more expensive for utilities to purchase or produce electricity. As a result, some customers have seen winter power bills increase by 20% or more compared with the year before, in addition to seeing higher home-heating bills. Now, with sanctions against Russia threatening to further constrain global natural-gas supplies, higher prices are likely to persist, executives and analysts say, especially in regions heavily reliant on the fuel for power generation. Domestic natural-gas prices reached the highest levels in years ahead of winter as exporters shipped record amounts of it overseas, and prices have lately risen again on fears of another global shortage. "It will have an impact on customers' bills," said Nick Akins, chief executive of American Electric Power Co., a utility company that serves more than five million customers in 11 states. |
| Lt. Gov. Hosemann proposes suspending state gasoline tax to combat inflation | |
 | Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is proposing that state lawmakers pass legislation that would suspend the state's 18.4 cents per gallon gasoline tax for six months to give consumers relief at gas pumps while the country deals with record high inflation rates. "The number one concern citizens are discussing around their kitchen tables is the increased cost of goods and services," Hosemann said. "Reducing what Mississippians are paying at the pump is direct and immediate relief to families." The Mississippi Department of Transportation's operations are funded through the state and federal gasoline tax. To compensate for the budget deficit MDOT the suspension would cause, the first-term lieutenant governor is also proposing to appropriate an extra $215 million out of the state's capital expense fund to go toward the agency. The capital expense fund is intended to pay for repairs and renovations to state-owned properties and specific projects authorized by the Legislature. Whenever the state has excess revenues, the money is split between the state's rainy day fund and the capital expense fund, which currently has about $1.1 billion. The Senate has also passed legislation to use $300 million of the state's capital expense dollars to go into the emergency road and bridge repair fund to rehab the state's crumbling infrastructure. |
| Lt. Gov. Hosemann: Suspend Mississippi gas tax 6 months | |
| Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Monday that he and other Senate leaders are pushing to suspend the state's gasoline tax for six months to give drivers a break as gas prices continue climbing. Several states are making similar moves, and Hosemann's announcement adds a new twist to increasingly contentious legislative discussions about possible tax breaks in Mississippi. Republicans control the state House and Senate by wide margins, but leaders of the two chambers disagree about proposals to reduce or eliminate the income tax. The state gasoline tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, and money goes to the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Republican Hosemann proposes the state use money from a capital expense fund to give $215 million to the department to make up for the temporary loss of gas tax revenue. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, said the proposal to suspend the gas tax is a political gimmick. "The taxpayers come off substantially better from the initial phase of our income tax cut and ultimately the elimination of the income tax than a one-time, temporary pause of the gas tax," Lamar said Monday. |
| Mississippi lawmakers adjust tax reduction plans before deadline | |
 | Tax plans by both the House and Senate are being taken up this week before Wednesday's deadline. Both chambers entered the session with different priorities on how to modify tax law. House lawmakers have sought to fully eliminate the state income tax, and Senate lawmakers oppose raising additional taxes. Senator Josh Harkins says their income tax reduction plan now reduces the 5% tax bracket and eliminates the 4% bracket over 8 years. Harkins says "We're bringing capital expense money, we've had obviously record revenues coming in, we've had a lot of one-time money sitting there, and what we're doing is we are applying that to help provide some inflation relief to people not only at the grocery store but we're also, that's recurring revenue, but we're doing it in the rebate and the gas tax portion of our plan." Harkins says he is hopeful that these changes will make the Senate plan more attractive to the House. But House lawmakers have also modified their plan to accommodate what they say is every objection they heard from the Senate. Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar says their plan will no longer eliminate the income tax in Mississippi to meet the Senate's demands of not raising additional taxes. "There's a substantial tax cut for working people in this bill right out of the gate in the first year. It's not as large, it's not the $1300 number we used [in the original plan] but it's in the $800 maybe $900 range for working people. They will continue to realize income tax savings over the next 10+ years as the income tax is eliminated as well as cut their grocery tax from 7% to 4% over the next 12 years." |
| Tax cut battle continues: Hosemann wants to pause gas tax, House overhauls its plan | |
| The tax cut battle between Mississippi Republican House and Senate leaders continued Monday with each chamber overhauling its proposal. But the two sides still appear far apart as the legislative session enters its final weeks. The House wants to eliminate the state personal income tax. The Senate just wants cuts and rebates. Senate leaders have said the House plan is foolhardy during uncertain economic times. House leaders say the Senate cuts are a half measure. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, on Monday unveiled a proposal to suspend the state's 18.4-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax for six months, to help Mississippians facing skyrocketing fuel prices and other inflation. The Senate is also increasing its proposed income tax cuts, but spreading them out over eight years. Hosemann and Senate leaders are proposing the state, with coffers overflowing largely from an influx of federal stimulus spending, use $215 million in surplus to reimburse the Mississippi Department of Transportation for suspending the gas tax for six months. This would reduce prices at the pump by 18.4 cents a gallon. In the House, leaders overhauled their plan to eliminate the state's personal income tax, phasing in elimination more slowly and removing an accompanying increase in sales taxes. House leaders said they've addressed every concern Hosemann and Senate leaders have raised. |
| Mississippi gov signs law limiting race in lessons | |
| Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill Monday to limit how race can be discussed in classrooms, and it became law immediately. "Contrary to what some critics may claim, this bill in no way, in no shape and in no form prohibits the teaching of history," Republican Reeves said in a video posted on social media. "Any claim that this bill will somehow stop Mississippi kids from learning about American history is just flat-out wrong." The short title of Senate Bill 2113 says it would prohibit "critical race theory." But the main text of the legislation does not mention or define the theory, and many supporters of the bill also have said they cannot define it. The new law says no school, community college or university could teach that any "sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin is inherently superior or inferior." The ACLU of Mississippi said in a statement that laws opposing critical race theory "are thinly veiled attempts to silence discussions of race and gender amongst student and educators." Republicans across the country have been raising money by saying critical race theory is a threat and multiple Republican-led states have banned or limited the teaching of critical race theory or similar concepts through laws or administrative actions. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves signs anti-critical race theory bill into law | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a controversial bill into law that prescribes public educators cannot force students to affirm "that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion or nationality is inherently superior or inferior." Reeves' signature makes Mississippi one of several states across the country to have passed such legislation, which aims to ban the teaching of "critical race theory" in K-12 public schools, community colleges and public universities. The new law, which goes into effect immediately, does not mention teaching, does not define CRT and does not even mention the theory. Reeves, in a pre-recorded video his office released on social media, spread several inaccurate statements about the theory and said that students are being "force fed an unhealthy dose of progressive fundamentalism that runs counter to the principles of America's founding." Proponents of the theory say that CRT does not force anyone to admit they are an "oppressor" or a "victim." Rather, CRT originated in various fields of academia and holds that racism is embedded in institutions like legal systems and other policies, often without any conscious intent by the people who work in those systems. Supporters believe it describes how racially disparate outcomes continue to exist in many areas of American life. The only public school that teaches a CRT course as an elective is the University of Mississippi School of Law. |
| Natchez lawmaker responds to CRT bill being signed into law, 'It's not a law that Mississippi should have' | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves today signed a bill into law that sets limits on how race is talked about in Mississippi classrooms. Senate Bill 2113, which Reeves signed, states that no Mississippi student will be forced to affirm that "any sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin is inherently superior or inferior." In signing the bill, Reeves said the legislation would "help keep Critical Race Theory out of schools," and the short title of Senate Bill 2113 says it would prohibit "critical race theory." However, "critical race theory" is not cited in the law, nor is it defined in the law. Some who have opposed the bill have argued that it could inhibit or censor any discussion about the harmful effects of racism in schools. "It's ridiculous. It inhibits teachers' freedom to feel like they can teach history. It's a censorship," said Rep. Robert Johnson III, D-Natchez, in regard to the bill. "I hope that at some point it will come back to the courts and be reversed." Johnson argued that because the theory is not defined in the law, it could set limitations on how true feelings about racism can be discussed in the classroom. "It doesn't define what critical race theory is," he said. "A person could say I feel this way or that way about anything that is taught and then you can't tell those stories anymore. You would stop a teacher from telling the true facts about the evilness of slavery and the people who opposed the civil rights movement." Sen. Melanie Sojourner, R-Natchez, said the bill supports "fact-based" lessons and inhibits "subjective theories." "With only so many hours in the day, taxpayers are demanding our teachers be focused on teaching a fact-based curriculum that helps students become productive citizens. Schools should not be spending valuable time teaching subjective theories that have no basis in fact. Nor should they be teaching our children to be victims," she said. |
| Mississippi could renew push to extend Medicaid for new moms | |
| Mississippi's Republican-led Senate will try to revive a proposal to let mothers keep Medicaid coverage for a year after giving birth, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Monday. The state allows two months of postpartum coverage. Advocates for low-income women say longer coverage by the government health insurance program could reduce Mississippi's high rate of maternal mortality. "This is not Medicaid expansion," Hosemann said during a news conference Monday. "This is a good-faith effort to keep our babies healthy and our mothers healthy." Senate Bill 2033 passed the Republican-controlled Senate 46-5 on Feb. 2. The bill passed the House Medicaid Committee March 1 but died Wednesday when House Speaker Philip Gunn and House Medicaid Committee Chairman Joey Hood chose not to bring it up for a vote before a deadline. The Rev. Ronnie Crudup Sr., senior pastor of New Horizon Church in Jackson and bishop of the Mid-South Region of the Fellowship of International Churches, said the federal government would cover most of the cost of extending Medicaid coverage after birth. "If we love our mothers and their children, then we must pass this bill," Crudup said Monday at the Jackson Medical Mall. He appeared with others supporting the extended coverage. |
| Senate revives plan to give postpartum Medicaid benefits to new mothers | |
| The state Senate is attempting to revive a plan that would let new mothers in Mississippi – the deadliest state in America for newborn children – keep their Medicaid coverage for up to a year after they give birth. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Monday told reporters that he and other senators will make changes to an unrelated Medicaid bill to include the postpartum provisions, though it's unclear which actual bill the lawmakers will amend. "This is not a Medicaid expansion as some may have led you to believe," Hosemann said. "This is a good faith effort to keep our babies healthy and our mothers healthy. When our mothers are healthy, what do they do? They take care of their children and they go back to work." The GOP-led Senate initially passed Senate Bill 2033 in February with a bipartisan 46-5 vote. The bill would have provided new mothers who qualify for Medicaid to keep their benefits for an entire year after giving birth. The state's current Medicaid regulations allow for qualifying new mothers who qualify to receive health care for 60 days after giving birth. But House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, and House Medicaid Committee Chairman Joey Hood, R-Ackerman, chose not to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote, killing it on the calendar. |
| Clinton to speak at memorial of late Mississippi gov, wife | |
| Democratic former President Bill Clinton, Republican former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson are scheduled to speak May 3 at an event celebrating the lives of the late Gov. William Winter and his wife, Elise Winter. William Winter, a Democrat, was governor from 1980 to 1984 and was known as a champion of public education. He was 97 when he died in December 2020. Elise Winter was 95 when she died in July 2021. She was a founder of the Jackson area chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The state Department of Archives and History said in a news release Monday that the event in memory of the Winters will be at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, and it will be sponsored by the Foundation for Mississippi History. "With Elise Winter by his side, Gov. Winter enjoyed a remarkable political career, but his commitment to public service extended well beyond electoral office," Katie Blount, executive director of the state Department of Archives and History, said in a news release Monday. William Winter joined the Mississippi Archives and History Board of Trustees in 1957. As board president, he oversaw the opening of the Eudora Welty House & Garden, the restoration of the Old Capitol and the construction of an archives and history building that the Legislature named for him. |
| As US Navy rethinks its fleet, Ingalls Shipbuilding faces uncertain future | |
 | As recently as three years ago, the U.S. Navy's long-term shipbuilding plan laid out a stable path for Ingalls Shipbuilding. The Navy planned to buy two or three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers each year, splitting the work between the Pascagoula, Mississippi-based Ingalls shipyard and General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works in Maine. The service was also set to purchase San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks well into the future, initially at one every other year but eventually moving to one per year. While the next America-class amphibious assault ship, LHA-6, would be stretched over a longer-than-ideal construction timeline, the Navy would eventually buy one every three or four years. And though the Coast Guard's Legend-class National Security Cutter program was coming to an end, there were several options for the Navy to replace that work. But over the past three years, the service has tightened its budget and changed its requirements, making the future look far less rosy for Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The Navy has started moving to a distributed maritime operations mindset, prioritizing small and unmanned ships to distribute the fleet's firepower in more places -- compared to the traditionally large ships that concentrate firepower among fewer hulls. And it's prioritizing readiness over fleet size, limiting the number of new ships it buys. This strategic shift raises questions about the Navy's future interest in what served as the workhorses of the surface fleet, and what that means for the hot production lines at Ingalls -- the sole builder of the nation's largest conventional warships. "On paper, there are a lot of issues facing Ingalls," said Byron Callan, managing director at Capital Alpha Partners. |
| Half of Americans Doubt Biden Will Run in 2024, WSJ Poll Shows | |
| President Biden enters this year's midterm elections with roughly half of Americans doubting he will seek re-election in 2024, with some citing the toll of the office on the country's oldest president as the nation is facing a pandemic, high inflation and Russia's war with Ukraine. A new Wall Street Journal poll found that 52% of Americans don't think Mr. Biden will run for re-election in two years, while 29% do expect him to pursue a second term. Nineteen percent are undecided about his future. Among Democrats, 41% said they think Mr. Biden will run again, while 32% said they didn't think he would. The poll found 26% of those Democrats unsure. Mr. Biden and the White House have said he intends to run for re-election. People close to the president have suggested he will make a final decision after November's midterm elections. But interviews conducted in recent weeks with dozens of voters, activists and local officials in the nation's top battleground states, along with poll respondents, found a degree of ambivalence and uncertainty over whether Mr. Biden, who is 79 years old, should seek another term. The interviews also showed a lack of consensus on who should succeed him as the party's standard-bearer should he retire from politics. The public doubt over whether Mr. Biden will run for re-election comes as the party is staring down challenging midterm elections, which could see them lose seats in Congress and underscores continuing tensions in the party over the future policy direction. |
| Covid, Russia and crime: GOP presidential hopefuls take swipes at Trump's record | |
 | Republicans looking to run in 2024 once lived in fear of crossing former President Donald Trump. That's starting to change. Over the past few weeks, three would-be presidential candidates who hail from the conservative wing of the Republican Party -- Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis -- have prodded at or even outright criticized the former president's record. After spending years lavishing praise on Trump and touting his policies, they are zeroing in on key moments from his tenure in office, from his pandemic response, to his words and actions regarding Russia, to the prison reform legislation he signed into law. Unlike several potential 2024 contenders who hail from the more moderate wing of the GOP, the three are being guarded in their criticism of Trump. But each critique has attracted special attention given the near-lockstep party support Trump has commanded for years. Taken together, they highlight how the prospective candidates are staking out calculated distance from Trump with an eye toward establishing their own political identities, making clear that they aren't carbon copies of the former president and signaling to donors and party activists that they're serious about running in 2024. "The clock is ticking for anyone thinking about 2024. If you're interested in the next cycle, you have to start defining yourself and your potential opponents," said Republican strategist Tucker Martin, who was a top adviser to former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. |
| White House tells China of its 'deep concerns' about providing assistance to Russia | |
 | President Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, expressed "deep concerns" about China's close ties with Russia during a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in Rome on Monday, a senior administration official told reporters. "It was an intense seven-hour session reflecting the gravity of the moment as well as our commitment to maintaining open lines of communication," the official said, describing the conversation as "candid" and "direct." The official declined comment on whether the U.S. has information that China is providing or is open to providing Moscow with financial and military assistance but did say Sullivan spoke directly about concerns and the "potential implications and consequences of certain actions." Sullivan told CNN before the meeting that the U.S. was "communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them." The White House has been critical of China in recent weeks and has been frustrated that China has not joined the international coalition pressuring Russia to end its invasion. China and Russia have deepened their strategic partnership in recent years and China is Russia's biggest trade partner. |
| European leaders visit Kyiv; Zelenskiy hints at NATO compromise | |
| Three European prime ministers headed to Kyiv by train on Tuesday for the first visit of its kind since war began, even as buildings there were ablaze and rescue workers were trying to pull survivors from the rubble of fresh Russian bombardment. That foreign leaders could attempt to visit the Ukrainian capital was a striking symbol of Ukraine's success so far in fending off an assault that Western countries believe was aimed at seizing Kyiv weeks ago. "It is our duty to be where history is forged. Because it's not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny," said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who crossed the border with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Janez Jansa of Slovenia. Fiala said the aim was "to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." The visit comes at a time when Ukrainian officials are playing up the hope the war could end sooner than expected, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government on Kyiv by force. In the latest hint at compromise, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday Kyiv was prepared to accept security guarantees that stop short of its long-term objective of the NATO alliance membership, which Moscow opposes. |
| China's COVID outbreak causing new manufacturing slowdowns | |
| The conflict in Ukraine shows no signs of abating, and global supply chains have been affected by sanctions and other disruptions in recent weeks. Now they're being further snarled by a more familiar agent of chaos: omicron. The city of Shenzhen, a key Chinese manufacturing hub, is on full lockdown this week after recording a surge in COVID-19 cases. Shanghai and several other major cities are also under severe COVID restrictions. By American standards, China's virus surge is relatively small, but its zero-tolerance response is nevertheless having a major impact on American companies. The tech manufacturer Foxconn, which helps make Apple iPhones and iPads, is shutting down its factories in Shenzhen for at least this week, which is obviously not good for Apple. But analyst Angelo Zino at the consulting firm CFRA said the timing could have been worse. "If this were to happen, let's say, around September or October or around the holiday selling season, I think it'd have much more implication," Zino said. Manufacturers in Shenzhen can temporarily relocate production to other parts of China, but if omicron spreads throughout the country, what alternatives do companies like Apple have? "In the immediate near term, they really don't have much, to be honest with you," Zino said. Many U.S. firms are exploring longer-term plans to relocate portions of their supply chains to India or even reshore them to the U.S. David Dollar is a fellow at the Brookings Institution. He said even if U.S. companies are reluctant to criticize the Chinese government publicly, "I think privately they're telling the government this is really hampering their activity," Dollar said. |
| Alumnus Wayne Drinkwater finds 'win-win' to support University Libraries | |
| University of Mississippi alumnus Wayne Drinkwater is eager to see his alma mater attract the nation's top educators to its faculty, a goal he believes begins with enhancing the university's libraries. "To attract faculty members and graduate students who are ambitious in their fields, we need to show them we have strong research support for their areas of interest," said Drinkwater, an Oxford resident and president-elect of the Friends of the Library, the University Libraries' financial support society. Drinkwater, who earned bachelor's and Juris Doctor degrees from Ole Miss in 1971 and 1974, respectively, recently established a $150,000 charitable gift annuity that will ultimately provide support to the libraries' areas of greatest need. The retired trial lawyer's gift honors his wife, Ouida Creekmore Drinkwater, who earned a master's degree in journalism from Ole Miss in 1978 after completing her undergraduate education at Mississippi University for Women. "We are extraordinarily excited about the potential gifts like Wayne's hold: increasing our informational offerings in support of both instruction and research and providing access to technology, both established and emerging," said Cecilia Botero, UM library dean. Drinkwater said he was inspired to make a gift by two of his former English professors: the late John Pilkington and the late Charles Noyes. For decades, the two professors worked to improve the library, including by writing personal letters to former students, encouraging them to give back. |
| East Central Community College to honor beloved instructors April 1 | |
 | East Central Community College in Decatur, along with the family of the late Ovid and Carol Vickers, is hosting "Gladly Would They Teach, Gladly Would They Learn," a legacy fundraiser honoring the lives of the Vickers who were two of the college's most beloved and influential educators. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 1, in the Brackeen-Wood Physical Education Building. Lunch will be served with a special program to follow. Proceeds will be designated to renovations of Founders Gymnasium on campus. Daughter Nona Vickers of Trussville, Ala., said, "Our parents' goal as educators was to make sure that every student they encountered had opportunity for success. That passion for education is summed up in this quote---'Gladly would they learn and gladly teach' -- which they chose from The Canterbury Tales for their headstone. We're proud their legacy lives on through lessons we and others learned from their teaching, and that it will be passed down from generation to generation." Daughter Harriet Vickers Laird of Starkville agreed. "They always showed an excitement for helping improve the lives of others and had an enthusiasm for doing that at East Central. We know that choosing to build on their legacy by supporting the renovation of Founders Gym would have thrilled them because of the many memories they created there, whether it was celebrating the annual May Day festival, attending a homecoming dance, or watching a Warrior basketball game." |
| Students resume spring break travels, raising COVID risks | |
 | Jess Riley, a senior at Boston University, packed her bags last week and traveled to London and Paris to celebrate spring break with her friends -- something she wasn't able to do last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Like many institutions, BU pushed back the start of its spring semester in 2021 and canceled spring break, hoping to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Riley was thrilled to be able to travel again this spring after two years of the pandemic. She chose London because her friends had studied abroad there and were familiar with the city, and then they journeyed by train to Paris, where, she said, they had such a lovely time that they can't wait to go back. Riley fully appreciates just how fortunate she is. "I can't even describe how amazing it feels to be back," Riley said by phone from her hotel room in Paris. "Although the people of Ukraine are really on my mind, given that I'm much closer physically to where the war is happening, I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be here." Spring break hot spots are already seeing a swarm of college students ready to party. NBC Miami reported in early March that Fort Lauderdale officials were expecting almost triple the number of college students this year compared to last year. Britain's Daily Mail posted photos of big groups of young people gathered in swimsuits on Florida's beaches. Because many students will spend time in large crowds and potentially partying during their break, some experts are urging caution -- especially for those traveling to COVID-19 hot spots. Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Association's COVID-19 task force, said travel increases the risk of exposure to COVID-19, particularly since so many states have dropped mask mandates. |
| Judge OKs professor's free speech case against U. of North Texas | |
| A former University of North Texas math instructor's First Amendment case against the institution may proceed, in large part, according to a federal court in Texas. The case involves "bedrock constitutional principles protecting freedom of thought and expression," Judge Sean D. Jordan wrote in his 69-page opinion. And amid "a slew of constitutional claims" by the defendant, "a single question is paramount: What can a public employee say, and what can he choose not to say, without fear of reprisal from his employer?" Some background: Nathaniel Hiers, then a recent Ph.D., started teaching multiple courses off the tenure track at UNT in 2019. In November of that year, according to his original complaint, someone anonymously left a stack of educational-style fliers about the harms of microaggressions in the math faculty lounge. Hiers says that he disagrees with microaggression theory on the grounds that it "promotes a culture of victimhood" and "suppresses alternative viewpoints." Yet it was in the spirit of lounge "banter" that he drew an arrow pointing to the fliers on the room's chalkboard and wrote, "Please don't leave garbage lying around." One of Hiers's lawyers, Tom Brandon, said that the opinion bodes well for his client. Brandon said the case wasn't a referendum on microaggressions but rather about how institutions address thorny speech issues with their employees. "I believe it could have been dealt with privately rather than a termination," he said. "More emphasis on that would have probably yielded a different result." |
| In lawsuit, Kansas teacher says school district's pronoun policy violates her religious beliefs on gender identity | |
 | Last spring, a math teacher at a middle school in Fort Riley, Kan., called a student "miss" to get the student's attention at the end of class, court records state. After class, another classmate emailed the teacher, Pamela Ricard, to let her know that the student now used he/him pronouns and a different first name. But the next day, when Ricard used the student's last name -- avoiding the new name or any pronouns at all -- the classmate grew frustrated, leaving a note on Ricard's desk accusing the teacher of being "transphobic." The note ended with a remark on the classmate's own gender identity: "my pronouns are he/they btw." In a lawsuit, Ricard -- who is Christian -- says she was uncomfortable with referring to the students by names and pronouns that were different from what was listed in the district's enrollment system. After some disagreement with school officials on how to handle the situation, Ricard was suspended and later issued a written reprimand for her refusal to comply with the district's policies on diversity and inclusion. Now, Ricard is suing Geary County Schools Unified School District board members, the superintendent and Fort Riley Middle School's principal, alleging that they violated her First Amendment rights by forcing her to use language and implementing policies that breached her personal and religious beliefs. The teacher is suing at a pivotal moment in the fight for transgender rights in schools across the country. |
| The Ukraine Dilemma: U.S. Colleges Debate Whether to Sever or Sustain Ties With Russia | |
 | Apple, Netflix, McDonald's, General Motors -- these American brands are among nearly 400 companies to announce they are pulling out of Russia in protest of its invasion of Ukraine. Should American colleges do the same, cutting off joint research projects and student and scholarly exchange with Russia? Some already have. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said it would dissolve its partnership with a Russian research university it helped found. Arizona's Board of Regents ordered the state's public colleges to end all collaborative work with Russian universities and to divest their pension, retirement, and foundation funds from Russia. edX, the online-course provider, said it would stop offering courses from Russian institutions. Scholarly conferences to be held in Russia have been canceled, and some academic journals have said they would not publish papers from researchers at Russian institutions. Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science has called for an academic boycott of Russia. Yet as leaders of American colleges condemn Russian aggression, the consequences of severing academic connections are under debate. Even during the Cold War, higher-education linkages between the West and the Soviet Union were never completely decoupled, as scholars maintained relationships across the Iron Curtain. Breaking ties with Russia could end up penalizing one of the country's most moderating forces, its professors. Thousands of Russian scientists have signed a letter opposing the invasion of Ukraine, although Vladimir Putin's government has criminalized such criticism. |
| Faith-based institutions rally behind Ukraine | |
| A group of students from Yeshiva University, an Orthodox Jewish institution in New York City, boarded a flight Sunday from New York to Vienna, each of them carrying festive costumes in their luggage. They plan to don the outfits, a tradition on the Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins Wednesday, to bring some cheer to Ukrainian refugees in Vienna as a part of a weeklong humanitarian aid mission. The 27 students, led by an administrator and a rabbi from the university, are helping Vienna's Jewish community support an influx of Jewish Ukrainian refugees by distributing various supplies, helping keep track of donations, running social activities and educational programming for children, and doing other tasks. Elazar Abrahams, student council president of the men's campus at Yeshiva, said he and other students were eager to go despite scheduling conflicts. Some of the students will be taking their midterms exams online while in Vienna. Abrahams, who is in his senior year, is foregoing spending his last Purim on campus, where the holiday is a highly anticipated event. Many religious colleges and universities have come out in full force to show support for Ukrainians as Russia's assault on their country continues. Some institutions are drawing on their religious traditions and ties to Ukrainian faith communities to engage students in prayer services and discussions and launch humanitarian relief efforts. Students, scholars and leaders at the University of Notre Dame, a Catholic institution in Indiana, are also responding to the war by staying in close contact with Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. The two institutions have a relationship dating back to 2003, born out of an effort by Notre Dame leaders to support Catholic institutions in Eastern Europe, which were persecuted under the Soviet Union. Administrators of the two universities kept in touch, and scholars visited each other's campuses and worked together on joint programming and conferences during those difficult years. |
| Critical race theory bill unusually progressive | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Let's see. Last summer at the Neshoba County Fair, Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn pledged to prevent Mississippi schools from teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT). Reeves called CRT "a push from radical leftists." Gunn called it a ""socialist agenda item." Sen. Mike McLendon of Hernando introduced legislation, he said, to ensure Critical Race Theory would not be taught in Mississippi. The Legislature passed McLendon's bill and sent it to Reeves for his signature. But one key thing is missing. "The term 'Critical Race Theory' is not mentioned once in the three-page bill, meaning it's very unlikely that the term will make it into the state code books" - Mississippi Today. "The bill is entitled 'Critical Race Theory; prohibit' but with no direct language to CRT in the bill, confusion still surrounds whether or not it directly pertains to CRT curriculum" – Y'all Politics. Instead of actually prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory, the bill prohibits public schools, community colleges, and universities from compelling students "to personally affirm, adopt or adhere to" any of these tenets: "(a) That any sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin is inherently superior or inferior; or (b) That individuals should be adversely treated on the basis of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin." ... Political rhetoric aside, without the specific anti-CRT provisions the bill is actually unusually progressive. The text repudiates tenets long held in Mississippi, if not so much today. |
| Can Mississippi afford income tax relief? House and Senate fiscal analysis say... Yes. | |
 | Alan Lange writes for Y'all Politics: As the debate began in earnest in the early parts of the 2022 session, Mississippi House and Senate leaders scrambled to win the war of datapoints on their tax cut proposals. Mississippi, flush with over a billion dollars in recurring revenues in excess of expected collections, has what many lawmakers have characterized as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to "do something big" with regards to tax reform. Both Senate and House leaders looked to State Economist Corey Miller to essentially have their proposals scored. Miller and his team use a relatively basic tool from Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) called Tax-Pi which models fiscal impact of potential policy changes. ... This analysis is "in the weeds" but it is critical that policymakers arrive at some agreed upon benchmark for accurately projecting the impact of these proposals. It has been difficult for policymakers the last several years as actual revenues have exceeded projected revenues by a three year average of about $600 million. But the numbers provided seem to indicate that Mississippi does have room on its fiscal horizon for meaningful tax reform. |
| Top 5 Reasons Mississippi Lawmakers and Elected Officials are Feeling the Heat | |
| Frank Corder writes for Y'all Politics: Over the past week or so, tempers around the Mississippi Capitol have flared in both chambers, raising the ire of lawmakers and citizens alike. Casual observers of Mississippi politics, specifically as it relates to the Legislature, would assume that since Republicans hold a supermajority, much of the big issue debates would be a mere formality as everyone is on the same team. However, that could not be further from the truth as unlike in Democratic Party ranks, Republicans routinely engage in friendly fire that ultimately undermines the "big things" that Republican voters expect. Such is the case as it relates to eliminating the income tax, increasing teacher pay, providing free market competition, and ensuring personal liberties while restricting an overreaching government. Here are the top 5 reasons lawmakers are feeling the heat and Republicans in Mississippi are at odds as the 2022 legislative session winds down. |
SPORTS
| Late rally lifts No. 23 Mississippi State baseball against Binghamton | |
| Monday's 13-5 win for Mississippi State against Binghamton wasn't the smooth-sailing performance many expected. It looked to be that way after State responded to a first inning run from the visitors with a three-run bottom half. But a three-run second from the Bearcats set the tone for what was going to be a tougher evening than anticipated -- after all, it was one that started 30 minutes later than expected due to travel delays. Freshman Jack Walker took the mound for No. 23 Mississippi State and was credited with the four runs allowed in the first two innings. An error paired with Hunter Hines and Kellum Clark staying hot kept State in the game offensively. The teams see-sawed in the middle innings with State scoring one in the fourth on an RJ Yeager home run, Binghamton's Connor Aoki responding with one of his one and Logan Tanner drawing a bases loaded walk to even things up in the sixth. Following a 7-6 loss Feb. 25 against Northern Kentucky, Chris Lemonis was unhappy postgame with MSU's lack of competitiveness and focus on doing too much. The game was ugly, but in similar situations last season, State found ways to win last year. Monday, it appeared to be a small step back toward that with a big eighth inning. |
| Mississippi State ace Landon Sims announces he's having Tommy John surgery, out for year | |
| Mississippi State baseball is going to have to play the rest of its season without its ace. Junior right-hander Landon Sims announced Monday that he will have Tommy John surgery to repair the torn UCL in his throwing elbow and will miss the remainder of the season. Sims had a 1.15 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings across three starts before injuring his elbow last week versus Tulane. "Unfortunately I will be undergoing surgery on a torn UCL this week and will miss the remainder of my junior season," Sims wrote on Twitter. "Although this is not the way I want my season and possibly my Bulldog career to end, I know that it is part of a bigger plan that might sometimes be hard to understand. I know I will always find myself going down the path I'm supposed to be on." Sims was an integral part of Mississippi State's College World Series victory in 2021. He earned All-America honors as a closer, posting a 1.44 ERA across 25 appearances and logged 13 saves and averaged 15.98 strikeouts per nine innings. In the College World Series, Sims allowed one run in 10 innings with 15 strikeouts and Mississippi State won all four of the games he appeared in. Mississippi State has a 29-6 record in games Sims pitched in across the last three seasons. |
| Mississippi State's Sims, Simmons out for remainder of season with torn UCL | |
| Mississippi State's Friday night starter Landon Sims is out for the remainder of the season with a torn UCL that'll require surgery, he announced Monday. The same is the case for pitcher Stone Simmons, who announced that news on Monday as well. Sims, who moved into a starting role this season, was injured in State's March 4 win at Tulane after 3 2/3 innings of work. He was D1Baseball's top pitcher entering the season and his 10 strikeouts against the Green Wave before the injured showed why. He started three games for MSU this season and allowed two earned runs in 15 2/3 innings, but his legacy at Mississippi State -- if he decides to head toward his lofty MLB expectations and is done pitching in Starkville -- will be for his work out of the bullpen. Sims was among the most dominant arms in baseball last season and was the closer for Mississippi State's first national championship team. He pitched 56 1-3 innings last year with a 1.44 earned run average and collected 13 saves. Simmons emerged as one of top relievers this season. He threw 4 1/3 innings this season and allowed no runs while striking out six. |
| Why Mo Williams wants to 'prove the world wrong' as Jackson State basketball coach | |
 | Mo WIlliams walked to the podium in the Jackson State Student Center and settled into his speech. He reminisced about his early days in Jackson that set him on his path to a lengthy basketball career. The days when he'd get up at 5 a.m. to run four miles on the track at the YMCA on Fortification Street. The days when he'd play pick-up basketball in the morning before school, with individual skill workouts and testing his talent against his peers. Those days, right here in Jackson, led the Murrah High product to play for more than a decade in the NBA, where he became an All-Star (2009) and a champion (2016). On Monday, it all culminated in Williams being introduced as Jackson State's men's basketball coach. "I was blessed to be a really good basketball player coming out of high school," Williams said. "At that time, there were a lot of schools that recruited me, and Jackson State wasn't the school that I chose to attend. But with that being said, Jackson State University is getting the best version of me, so timing is everything. So instead of getting me for the one year or two that University of Alabama got, I've got a good 20 in me." Williams coached at Alabama State the past two seasons. Before that, he spent two seasons at Cal State Northridge as an assistant under Mark Gottfried, his college coach at Alabama. But Williams' coaching journey started long before he retired after helping the Cleveland Cavaliers win the championship in 2016. He started an AAU program in 2008. He wanted to coach his oldest son, who was in eighth grade. |
| When You're in the N.C.A.A. Tournament, but Not Fully In | |
 | Finally, a taut game began to turn in Texas Southern's favor. An automatic bid to the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament was within reach. An assistant coach knelt at the Texas Southern bench as if to start a decisive sprint to the finish line. Players jumped to their feet, waving towels the way trainers cool boxers between rounds. The knockout punch came on a 17-2 run that sent Texas Southern to an eventual 87-62 victory over top-seeded Alcorn State on Saturday in the championship game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament. The Tigers hugged and posed for photographs and climbed a ladder to cut down the nets. Josh White, a Texas Southern assistant, had clapped so hard during the pivotal stretch that he said, "My hands feel like they're on fire." Yet the reward for this stirring intensity, for this sixth title in the last eight S.W.A.C. tournaments, was underwhelming. Texas Southern (18-12), a historically Black university located in Houston, was given a No. 16 seed and relegated yet again to the First Four, or play-in round, of the men's N.C.A.A. tournament. The Tigers will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, also a No. 16 seed, on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. In effect, Texas Southern is in the 68-team field, but not fully in, and still has to prove that it belongs. Continued frustration has led to much discussion about how teams from historically Black colleges and universities can enhance their access, visibility and success in an era of more questioning about racial bias. |
| Frank Martin's tenure with Gamecocks ends after 10 years, one Final Four | |
 | There were many good moments, and the greatest moment stands to remain in its place for quite some time. But in the end, South Carolina basketball seemed to be stuck in place, and the only way out was to change. Frank Martin's 10-year reign as the Gamecocks' basketball coach ended on March 14, another year without a postseason match to spark the kindling that had been stacking under Martin's chair. Thus ends one of the strangest coaching tenures in the sport: Just one NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 seasons, but that one was the 2017 appearance in the Final Four. USC brought Martin back for this season after a prolonged 2021 discussion for a contract extension, one that featured some time for Martin to potentially find another job and the interference of a state senator, and it resulted in a reworked deal giving every advantage to the university. There was never a drawn line that said, "NCAA Tournament or else," but athletic director Ray Tanner made it clear that it's hard for him to understand why the Gamecocks aren't a consistent postseason team. He said that of course there are always peaks and valleys, and to be a constant NCAA Tournament team when USC has gone to nine tournaments in the 80-plus year history of the event is probably not feasible. But there has to be some sustaining of success, and USC has not done that the past five years. Martin amazingly guided the Gamecocks to the 2017 Final Four, the peak of his tenure after inheriting a disaster of a program and building it over five years into what some label the most impressive accomplishment in USC's athletic history, because it was so unexpected. USC hasn't come close since. |
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