Tuesday, April 19, 2022   
 
Biosecurity efforts keep avian influenza at bay
Keeping buffalo wings on menus is a supply chain issue that goes all the way back to procedures farm workers follow to protect the health of commercially grown chickens. National Public Radio reports that a highly pathogenic bird flu virus has spread to at least 24 states less than two months after the first outbreak was reported in a commercial flock. Nearly 23 million birds have died in the worst U.S. outbreak of the avian flu since 2015, when more than 50 million birds died. Deaths come both from the disease itself and from flocks being culled to try to stop the spread of the disease. This outbreak is driving up consumer egg and chicken meat prices, which had already been rising due to inflation like many other costs. Jonathan Moon, research coordinator for the Mississippi State University Department of Poultry Science and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said HPAI has not yet been detected in Mississippi. Despite the fact that there have been no reported HPAI cases in the state to date, Moon said, Mississippi producers and backyard flock owners must remain vigilant to avoid avian influenza. In commercial poultry production, that vigilance means companies must implement and adhere to a strict biosecurity program. Jessica Wells, MSU Extension Service poultry specialist, said that commercial poultry producers have their livelihoods threatened in the battle against avian influenza, but backyard flock owners must also be diligent to keep the state disease-free.
 
Theatre MSU hosts actor-in-residence
Mississippi State's Theatre MSU is hosting former student and Shakespearean and commedia clown actor Jarrod Bates on campus Monday through Friday for a week of performances, acting lessons and lectures as actor-in-residence. Bates will present a hybrid lecture/comedy show -- "Shaking Up Shakespeare: a comedic, radically irreverent resuscitation of the bard" -- on Wednesday at 5 p.m. on McComas Hall's main stage. The event is free and open to the public. In addition, the actor will conduct a masterclass workshop for aspiring comedy actors, coach the LabRats Comedy group and provide private coaching for graduate auditions, as well as give guest lectures in some theater classes. Bates has made appearances with Cirque du Soleil and Bryant Park Shakespeare, among others. He is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and was an apprentice under master clown teacher Christopher Bayes at the Funny School of Good Acting, both in New York City, and Yale School of Drama.
 
MSU-Meridian to celebrate International Women's Day
Mississippi State University Meridian will celebrate International Women's Day with Lunch & Learn on Thursday, April 28 from noon to 1 p.m at the MSU Rosenbaum building on the Riley Campus in downtown Meridian. The event is organized by Shey Washburn, interim associate director of the Physician Assistant program and coordinator of clinical experiences at MSU-Meridian. The main speaker is Dr. Inez Kelleher, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Gulfport. The event will feature two break-out sessions: Women in Leadership -- with Betty Cryer, retired Chief Nursing Officer at Anderson with 40+ years of nursing service; and Avoiding Burnout -- with Heidi Vonderheide, PA program faculty member will lead discussion on identifying symptoms of and strategies to avoid burnout. A free boxed lunch will be provided for the first 50 registrants.
 
Retired professor recounts hiking Appalachian Trail
With 32 pounds strapped to his back, a walking stick to his side and an itinerary mapping out his journey, John Giesemann has trekked through the wilderness of some of the oldest mountains on the continent and had some run-ins with black bears. "I was on the trail 84 days before I saw a bear," Giesemann said. "I heard this snort when I was walking along on a 'flat section,' and I looked up, and this bear and her cub running off down the side." After retirement from Mississippi State University where he was a professor in the Extension Service, Giesemann needed something to do. He has served as an assistant Scoutmaster with Scouts BSA, formerly Boy Scouts of America, and has always had a passion for hiking. The Appalachian Trail, or AT, just happens to be the shortest trail among three main trails for hikers in North America, but don't be fooled. It is 2,200 miles long. It falls behind the Pacific Crest Trail at 2,650 miles long and the Continental Divide Trail at 3,100 miles long. However, of the three, the AT has the largest difference between elevation loss and gain of 515,000 feet. That is a 115,000 difference from the Continental Divide at 400,000 feet. "I read an article one time that said, 'Don't let anyone call you a wimp for hiking the AT,' which is the shortest of the three," Giesemann told Starkville Rotary Club on Monday. "I tell people if there's a section from here to here that's 'flat,' well, that's a relative term." When Giesemann, a professor emeritus, is on the AT, he averages roughly 10 miles a day but has made it 16 miles a day.
 
Trendy and eco-friendly: Why more Mississippi gardeners are using native plants
Native plants are the most significant trend in gardening throughout the nation, including Mississippi. With Earth Day coming on Friday, experts and business owners in the state point out why natives are so important. Dudley Phelps, Research and Development associate at Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries in West Point, says there is no doubt that the average consumer is more conscious of buying native plants. "I think people are just now starting to understand natives," Phelps said. He said there is even a new buzzword going around called pocket prairies, where people will plant natives around mailboxes and allow them to grow organically. "People are absolutely buying in. We started out only selling trees," Phelps said. "We have shifted our focus to native trees, native grasses, and native wildflowers because of the demand. The trend has taken over." Pat Drackett at the Crosby Arboretum said native plant sales at its spring sale were more than any other sale in the 15 years she has been at the Arboretum Popular plants at the sale were (all of these are native species) fruiting species such as persimmon, blueberry, mayhaw, showy garden species such as oakleaf hydrangea, Grancy Graybeard, parsley hawthorn and honeysuckle azaleas, and the perennials for pollinators such as Coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, and Iris (including Louisiana Iris), trees such as river birch, red maple, sweetbay magnolia, and bald cypress.
 
Oktibbeha County to begin GPS-monitored bond program
The board of supervisors approved a program Monday that will give pretrial detainees the opportunity for a lower bond. Supervisors approved a contract with Sentinel Offender Services, a GPS-monitoring company that lowers bonds while tracking alleged offenders. The detainees would pay the reduced bond rate while agreeing to wear an ankle bracelet that will monitor their activity 24 hours a day, Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office Capt. Brett Watson said. "What we are attempting to do is use GPS monitoring on people who are out on bail for certain crimes -- this doesn't cover everybody -- prior to the time they get up and go to court and have the trial," Watson said. Judges will decide if a defendant can be out on bail through the program. Watson said this will be a 12-month pilot program with the goal of having 100 people using it by the end of the period. Other states use Sentinel, but Watson said he believes Oktibbeha County will be the first in Mississippi to launch this kind of program. Sentinel will not cost the county any money as long as 10 people are using it per month. With the program costing a little over $1,000 monthly, if each defendant on the program pays a daily rate of $3.98, the county will not owe any money to the company. All justice and circuit court judges, along with the candidates for county court judge, support this program, Watson said. Board Attorney Rob Roberson said he believes there are too many people housed at the jail, and this program will relieve some space. He also said this will help prosecutors because it eliminates prison time, while also helping defense attorneys because an alleged offender being out of jail is a positive dynamic.
 
Congress seeks compromise to boost computer chip industry
A global computer chip shortage has made it harder for consumers to get their hands on cars, computers and other modern-day necessities, so Congress is looking to boost chip manufacturing and research in the United States with billions of dollars from the federal government. Both the House and the Senate have passed major legislation on the matter, and the effort is one of lawmakers' final opportunities before the November elections to show voters they are addressing the nation's strained supply chains. Now they have to work out considerable differences in the two bills. And Senate Republicans are already digging in before the negotiations formally begin. President Joe Biden has made the semiconductor legislation a top priority, but he'll need the support of 10 Senate Republicans, and perhaps more, to get a bill to his desk. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell emphasized that point when congressional leaders recently announced which lawmakers will serve on the committee that works to reconcile the two bills. The Senate and House bills allot more than $52 billion for semiconductor production and research. Both bills authorize a big boost in spending for the National Science Foundation, but they have different priorities for the research receiving funding. The two bills also establish regional technology hubs. The seed money would go to regional organizations seeking to advance a variety of economic and national security priorities. The approach has bipartisan support from lawmakers with big rural and minority constituencies who want to ensure the money is not concentrated in universities or communities where a lot of tech research is already done.
 
Federal judge overturns travel mask mandate
The Biden administration Monday said it would not enforce the mask mandate for airplanes and transit after a federal judge in Florida struck it down. In a 59-page order, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority by requiring passengers to wear masks on public transportation, saying the mandate "exceeds the CDC's statutory authority and violates the procedures required for agency rulemaking." The Biden administration responded late Monday with a statement saying that the agencies are reviewing the decision and assessing possible next steps. "In the meantime, today's court decision means CDC's public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time," said an administration official. "Therefore, TSA will not enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs at this time." The CDC recommended that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings. In her decision, Mizelle, ruled that the CDC wrongfully imposed the mandate without allowing public participation through the Administrative Procedure Act's notice and comment procedures.
 
Global finance meeting focuses on war-driven food insecurity
Global finance leaders are putting the growing crisis over food insecurity and skyrocketing food prices at center stage as members of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank meet in Washington and grapple with the brutal effects of Russia's war against Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was convening a Tuesday morning meeting with leaders from the IMF, World Bank, Group of Seven and Group of 20 global organizations to "call on international financial institutions to accelerate and deepen their response" to countries affected by food issues exacerbated by Russia's aggression, the Treasury Department said. Russia and Ukraine produce 14% of the world's wheat supply, according to the United Nations, and the loss of commodities due to the war has resulted in soaring food prices and uncertainty about the future of food security globally, especially in impoverished countries. Anna Nagurney, a crisis management specialist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said Tuesday's meeting of global leaders was significant and "speaks to the growing fear and the increasing understanding that the world may be on the verge of a hunger catastrophe." Nagurney predicted that countries that have not yet provided clear support for Ukraine -- such as China and India -- will come to realize that the food insecurity from a prolonged war in Ukraine will affect their own national stability and the welfare of their citizens.
 
New CDC team: A weather service to forecast what's next in pandemic
A new team of federal health scientists officially embarks Tuesday on a mission to provide what has often been absent from the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic: better, faster information about what's likely to happen next in this public health emergency and in future outbreaks. "We think of ourselves like the National Weather Service, but for infectious diseases," said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and associate director for science at the initiative, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 100 scientists will analyze technical data and communicate policy options to decision-makers and the public about how the virus is behaving and who is most at risk -- in user-friendly terms. The Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which starts with $200 million in funding, was created last summer to improve understanding by the CDC and the government more broadly of the coronavirus -- and future outbreaks -- in real time. White House officials plan to formally launch the effort Tuesday at a summit on strengthening U.S. early-warning systems for health threats. The center comes into existence at an uncertain moment in the pandemic. As the United States plods wearily into the third year of the health crisis, covid-19 cases are rising. But it remains unclear whether new, highly transmissible versions of the omicron variant in New York state and Europe will trigger a new wave of infections.
 
The pandemic has been driving demand for bigger new homes
Today, the U.S. Census reports statistics on new residential construction for March, including housing starts -- that's the breaking of ground on new residential construction, as well as the establishing of building permits. One housing trend we've seen during the pandemic is demand for larger homes, a trend that could derail the momentum for smaller home construction. The average size of a new American home peaked at nearly 2,700 square feet in 2015. After that, Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, said it trended downward for several years as millennials started buying their first homes. Then, the pandemic hit. "Work from home increased, exercising at home, eating at home," he said. Now, Dietz said many buyers want bigger floor plans and more home office space. That works for buyers who can afford those larger homes. But Sonia Hirt, professor at the University of Georgia, said, "I think the situation is extremely difficult for first-time buyers." With the costs of building and maintaining homes on the rise, she said more and more potential buyers could be priced out of these larger homes.
 
Bradford Cobb to deliver 2022 Commencement Address
Bradford Cobb (BA 96), a celebrated music industry executive and Ole Miss alumnus, will deliver the University of Mississippi's 2022 Commencement address on May 7. Morning convocation, where Cobb will speak, is scheduled for 8 a.m. in the Grove. Cobb is a partner at Direct Management Group, a Los Angeles-based music management company. During 25 years in the music business, Cobb has managed some of America's most beloved popular music artists, including Katy Perry, the Go-Go's, Adam Lambert, Tracy Chapman, Au/Ra, k.d. lang, Steve Perry and the B-52's. Cobb earned a bachelor's degree in English from UM in 1996. "I'm full of gratitude for the opportunity to speak at my alma mater and celebrate with the graduates," Cobb said. "In my line of work, artists take the stage, not managers – so this will be a bit different! I'd like to offer encouragement to the graduates during a time in their lives that's full of excitement, pride and anticipation, but also apprehension. I was right where they are 25 years ago, being pushed out of the nest, ready or not." A native of Tunica, Cobb grew up in the Mississippi Delta, working alongside his father on the family's farm throughout high school. During his time at Ole Miss, he majored in English, minored in business and was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity.
 
From educator to Hattiesburg business owner. A risk that paid off Laurel Thrailkill
Amanda Blackburn, owner of FASTSIGNS in Hattiesburg, never imagined she would own her own business, much less a sign shop one day. After years in education, she and her husband Justin Blackburn took a leap of faith and opened their cozy midtown shop in 2017. "It's important for people to own new businesses and take their ideas and take a risk," Amanda Blackburn said. "Because if they don't, then the industry will die." The shop creates custom signs for customers in Hattiesburg as well as across the country, offering graphic design, survey and permitting as well as installation services. The Southern Miss alumna said she and her husband spent almost everything they had to open the shop. Now, it sees hundreds of projects a month, despite recent supply chain issues causing price increases and making some goods unavailable. It buzzed with life Friday morning as employees used machinery to cut signs. As a resident of midtown, Blackburn, who is a member of the Midtown Merchants Association and Pine Belt Young Professionals, wanted to open a store close to home and near Southern Miss. The shop recently designed wall wraps and large hanging medallions for Southern Miss' Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families which opened in February.
 
Auburn University lifts mask mandate on Tiger Transit buses
Auburn University has lifted the last broadly applied mask mandate on campus, no longer requiring masks on the school's Tiger Transit buses and campus shuttles effective immediately. The university announced the policy change in a campus-wide email sent Tuesday morning. The move follows legal action Monday which saw a judge in Florida strike down the federal mandate requiring masks on airplanes, buses, trains and in other public transportation cabins. Auburn earlier this year lifted its mask requirement inside campus buildings, and the requirement to wear masks on buses was the university's last standing mask mandate.
 
New U. of South Carolina student housing being considered near Colonial Life Arena
The University of South Carolina Development Foundation is considering construction of a new student housing complex on land it owns a block from Colonial Life Arena. The proposal calls for up to 750 beds and 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to documents filed with the city of Columbia. The project, called Gadsden + Greene, is valued between $90 million and $100 million. The foundation is still in the exploratory phase of the project, said foundation President Jason Caskey, which would sit on the nearly 4-acre Gadsden Street lot purchased by the foundation about 20 years ago. Caskey said his organization is still finalizing the project scope and cost estimates to determine whether it is financially feasible amid rising national interest rates and construction costs. Over the years the property has been used for intramural sports fields. Two years ago it was leased to the university and converted to commuter parking. But that lease runs out June 30 and the foundation is considering other options. The proposed student housing would be similar to the foundation-owned 650 Lincoln housing complex just to the east, Caskey said. The foundation would hire a private developer to build the complex with units earmarked for USC students. Caskey said growth of the university within the past decade coupled with a market study showing a need for more student housing in close proximity to campus, is what drove the foundation to consider the project. "Studies show students do much better when they live on or close to campus," Caskey said. "So it makes sense to do another development there."
 
UF Health researchers help develop highly accurate, 30-second coronavirus test
The most accurate COVID-19 test often takes 24 hours or longer to return results from a lab. At-home test kits offer results in minutes but are far less accurate. UF Health researchers, however, have helped to develop a device that provides a highly accurate, 30-second coronavirus test. The motherboard of a COVID-19 rapid testing device that UF Health researchers helped develop can return a coronavirus test result as accurately and sensitively as the gold standard of testing, a PCR test, in 30 seconds. UF Health researchers are working with scientists at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. The device, researchers said, could transform public health officials' ability to quickly detect and respond to the coronavirus -- or the next pandemic. And, UF has entered into a licensing agreement with a New Jersey company, Houndstoothe Analytics, in hopes of ultimately manufacturing and selling the device, not just to medical professionals but also to consumers, according to a news release from UF Health Communications. Like the PCR test, the device is 90% accurate, researchers said. "There is nothing available like it," said Josephine Esquivel-Upshaw, a professor in the UF College of Dentistry's department of restorative dental sciences and member of the research team that developed the device. "It's true point of care. It's access to care. We think it will revolutionize diagnostics."
 
Students with disabilities question UF's accessibility efforts
Even before Jacob Frisch was diagnosed with autism in middle school, his classmates often hurled ableist slurs at him. The negative language stayed with him through college. When browsing UF's autism support group SOCIAL Gators online, he was disappointed with the outlook of autism as something to overcome. "There is this kind of reinforcement of autism as being negative ... rather than being a sort of self identity that's part of you and part of who you are -- something that can be positive," Frisch said. For Frisch and four students who share their experiences on college campuses, challenges associated with a lack of accessibility are commonplace. At UF, barriers send a message that they don't belong -- such as construction, neglect of funds, hurtful language and classroom inaccessibility. Though the UF Disability Resource Center has been helpful, students feel like more needs to be done. Carlos Dougnac, assistant vice president for UF College of Planning, Construction and Design, and Russell Froman, assistant vice president for UF Office of Accessibility and Gender Equity, declined to comment on issues regarding construction.
 
Pulitzer Prize finalist Roy S. Johnson at U. of Tennessee
Columnist Roy S. Johnson has spent four decades creating challenging commentary for newspapers, magazines and television. He was a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist in commentary for his "evocative columns on race and remembrance written with style, urgency, and moral clarity." He's coming to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to start an open dialogue about the importance of "Shouting Truth to Power" from 7-8 p.m. April 21 at Lindsay Young Auditorium. "We wanted to bring Roy into our community (because of the) idea of needing those challenging conversations and we're excited about him bringing that to our community," said UT journalism professor and event organizer Dr. Lori Amber Roessner. Knox News chatted with Johnson, the Director of Content Development for the Alabama Media Group, ahead of his lecture.
 
Brazos County looks at partnership with Texas A&M for medical examiner's office
Brazos County may see a medical examiner's office in the next few years as discussion continues to move forward. In February, the Brazos County Commissioners Court approved a retainer agreement for legal services related to the development of a county medical examiner's office with Austin-based law firm Allison, Bass and Magee, LLP. An update to the 2014 study via SmithGroup, an international architectural, engineering and planning firm, also was passed by the Commissioners Court, Judge Duane Peters said. A potential partnership with Texas A&M University's Health Science Center also could be on the horizon, Peters said. "Without A&M, I don't think we would be pushing forward with a medical examiner's office," Peters said. "A&M brings the level of health doctors to a much higher level. I think that would help us bring in a top-notch medical examiner." According to College Station Mayor Karl Mooney, Texas A&M University's College of Medicine Dean Amy Wear has stated the medical school will be involved with the medical examiner's office. Texas A&M eyes the partnership as not only a teaching opportunity but as a community service, Mooney said. "There are estimated to be a shortage of over 2,500 medical examiners in the United States alone and that's one of the reasons you have the backlogs at the existing medical examiners' offices. A&M feels they could make a significant dent in that deficit," Mooney said.
 
Shawnee State to pay professor $400,000 in settlement over student's preferred pronouns
Shawnee State University will pay a professor $400,000 in damages and attorney's fees to settle a lawsuit over not using a student's preferred pronoun. In 2018, Shawnee State philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether called a transgender student "sir" during a lecture when she raised her hand, which sparked an investigation by school officials who found that Meriwether had created a "hostile environment." He was given a written warning that he could be fired or suspended without pay for violating the university's nondiscrimination policy. On March 26, 2021, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled that Meriwether could sue the university for what he said was a violation of his constitutional rights. The settlement, which was reached on April 14, rescinds the written warning the university issued in June 2018 and "affirms his right to address students consistent with his beliefs," according to the the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian nonprofit organization based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that represented Meriwether in the case. "We believe this not only protects the rights of Dr. Meriwether, it protects the rights of all professors to not be punished for simply declining to express an ideological belief that they disagree with," said Tyson Langhofer, ADF's senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom. The ruling by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals means professors don't have to adhere to a student's preferred pronouns, Langhofer said.
 
Purdue Welcomes Ukrainian Scholar Refugees
As part of its new Ukrainian Scholars Initiative, Purdue University has so far matched 11 scholars fleeing war-torn Ukraine with campus hosts. The program seeks to help visiting scholars continue their scholarship safely in the U.S. for about a year. "If we can make a home, at least temporarily, here for these outstanding talents in academics, that's what America has always done throughout its history," said Mitch Daniels, Purdue's president. "Purdue feels a deep calling to create this opportunity for our Ukrainian academic colleagues on our campus, which already has one of this nation's most globally diverse faculty." The university's goal is to host up to 20 Ukrainian scholars displaced by the Russian invasion. About 50 scholars have voiced interest in the program so far. Purdue is currently considering another 15 Ukrainian scholars to join the initiative. The scholars would likely arrive on campus in late spring or early summer. The initiative is open to those who have faculty positions at Ukrainian universities and whose academic work has been derailed due to the war. Ukrainian students in doctoral programs who are at the dissertation research stage are also eligible. Each scholar in the program would be assigned a tenure-track faculty sponsor at Purdue in their academic area. They would hold J-1 visa status, though they would not be eligible to enroll in a degree-granting program at Purdue.
 
Study suggests high school seniors prefer more expensive college
College administrators have long worried that fear of the cost of enrolling could scare off potential students. As a result, college leaders regularly discuss whether they should spend as much money as they do on amenities that are not strictly academic, such as dormitory rooms, dining halls or entertainment for students. A study being released today found that three-quarters of high school seniors who plan to attend a four-year college in the fall are concerned about being able to afford it. One-quarter of those had major concerns. Those from lower- and middle-income households, Black, Latinx, and first-generation students were more likely to have major concerns. None of those findings were surprising. But the research from the Art & Science Group also asked students about how they view well-resourced colleges versus less well-resourced colleges. "To address this question, we began by asking students whether or not they would, generally, prefer to attend a less expensive college or university that has fewer non-essential features and services or a more expensive school with more such features and services (related to residential life, athletics, fitness, dining, etc.), assuming each college had similarly strong academic programs and offerings," said a report issued on the survey. Forty-four percent preferred more features/more expensive colleges, and 39 percent preferred few features and a less expensive college. (Note that adjustments were only on the nonacademic parts of the college.)
 
Cyberattacks Pose 'Existential Risk' To Colleges -- And Sealed One Small College's Fate
On the Sunday before last Christmas, a ransom note suddenly appeared in computer printer trays at Lincoln College in Illinois. While the note was written in broken English, the cyber criminals' destructive message was clear: they had encrypted many of the rural college's files and the institution no longer had access to critical enrollment, admissions and fundraising information. The college paid the ransom -- which was not insignificant but far less than $100,000 -- via its cyber insurance policy, said David Gerlach, president of Lincoln. Still, it took months for employees to regain access to all of their systems, at which point college officials realized that enrollment projections for the next academic year were disastrously low. In late March, Lincoln's Board of Trustees voted to close the school after the current spring semester. "The cyberattack was just another kick in the shin," for the struggling college, said Gerlach. Cyberattacks like the one Lincoln experienced are extremely costly for institutions, and they are becoming more frequent. Henry Stoever, president and CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, says more boards of trustees are now realizing the cyberattacks pose a serious risk to their institutions. "It can pose existential threats to any organization---large or small, public or private," Stoever said. "If you cannot operate your business, if you can't operate your college, then you may not be able to exist."
 
Seniors are ready to say goodbye pandemic, hello workforce
A large majority of college seniors say they are prepared to enter the workforce and feel hopeful about the future, according to a new survey from TimelyMD. The telehealth company focused on higher ed surveyed more than 1,000 college seniors and found that 88 percent of the Class of 2022 felt prepared to enter the workforce, and 92 percent expressed hope for the future. Seli Fakorzi, director of mental health at TimelyMD, said those numbers are encouraging and show that students remained resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic -- even as they battled an onslaught of mental health challenges, as a previous TimelyMD survey found. "Students are avidly seeking care, support and education around their mental health," Fakorzi said. "And over all, this means that students are prepared and they do feel like the experience that they've gotten in higher ed has helped prepare them for their future." Certainly it helps that nearly two-thirds of college seniors -- 62 percent -- already have a job offer, the survey found. Among those, 87 percent said they have a position in their desired field, and 53 percent said they will earn a higher salary than they expected, while 40 percent said they would earn within the range they expected. Andy Chan, vice president for innovation and career development at Wake Forest University, said he was especially surprised that only 7 percent of seniors with job offers said they were hired for a lower rate of pay than they expected. That shows graduating students have some leverage in the workforce, he said. "I think it actually signifies that the market -- meaning employers -- are realizing they need to pay students fairly in order to get them to come," Chan said. "And we've seen students actually being able to negotiate salaries a little bit -- not everyone, but some of them get higher salaries."
 
Abortion training under threat for med students, residents
Browse any medical dictionary, and before hitting appendectomy and anesthesia, you'll find abortion. The first two procedures are part of standard physician education. But for many U.S. medical school students and residents who want to learn about abortions, options are scarce. And new restrictions are piling up: Within the past year, bills or laws seeking to limit abortion education have been proposed or enacted in at least eight states. The changes are coming from abortion opponents emboldened by new limits on the procedure itself, as well as a pending Supreme Court decision that could upend the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. OB-GYNs perform most U.S. abortions, followed by family medicine specialists. But these aren't always the first doctors that women encounter when they learn of an unintended pregnancy. Abortion rights supporters argue all physicians should know enough about the procedure to inform and counsel patients, and that such education should start in medical school. In 2020, Stanford University researchers said they found that half of medical schools included no formal abortion training or only a single lecture. "Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures," they wrote. "Yet abortion-related topics are glaringly absent from medical school curricula." Legislative efforts to curb abortion target all levels of medical education.
 
Slow Fed response to inflation will cost many Mississippians
Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Costs are up. Inflation is surging. Who's to blame? ... Inflation generally comes from too much demand in the face of too little supply. In the United States, the responsibility for controlling inflation lies with the Federal Reserve. It has two key duties -- controlling inflation and maximizing employment. The Fed attempts to control inflation through monetary policy by which it can affect interest rates, the supply and velocity of money, and liquidity. Fiscal policy (i.e., government spending) can affect demand. Supply chain hiccups and scarcity can affect supply. In this instance, we have both plus two. Federal spending skyrocketed under President Trump and continued under President Biden. The COVID-19 pandemic decimated production and interrupted supply chains worldwide causing scarcity that persists in some areas. Plus, the war in Ukraine disrupted oil supplies pushing prices to new highs and, now, bird flu is pushing poultry prices skyward. ... "Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man," said Ronald Reagan. That is particularly true for low-income individuals. Hello Mississippi, the state with the lowest annual incomes and lowest average annual wages, where high gas prices and high food prices can be devastating.


SPORTS
 
Diamond Dawg Gameday: vs. Jackson State
Mississippi State Baseball will close out its nine-game homestand by hosting in-state foe Jackson State in midweek action beginning at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 19, at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Tuesday's contest will be available on SEC Network+, while the game will also be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by LEARFIELD along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/plus. Mississippi State enters the week with a 21-16 overall record through 37 games, including a 6-9 record in SEC play following last weekend's series win vs. No. 16 Auburn at home. For the second week in a row, the Dawgs have a stretch of four games over the next five days, including Tuesday's midweek home contest against Jackson State prior to the upcoming three-game road series at Ole Miss, which begins Thursday in Oxford. Tuesday's contest will mark the 62nd time Mississippi State and Jackson State have met on the diamond in a series that dates back to 1976. Mississippi State holds a 53-8 edge over Jackson State in the all-time series between the two in-state schools. Last season, the Diamond Dawgs defeated Jackson State by a score of 7-3 on Feb. 24 in Starkville. Jackson State is led by head coach Omar Johnson, who is in his 16th season with the Tigers. Jackson State enters the midweek with an even 18-18 overall record on the season and 6-9 mark in SWAC play. The Tigers are 5-12 this season in road games, while JSU has posted a 5-3 mark in midweek contests in 2022.
 
Mississippi State welcomes in Jackson State ahead of big week in Magnolia state
Mississippi State will gets its tour of the Magnolia State this week as it enters a crucial stretch of an inconsistent season. It starts at home, extends to Oxford and closes out in Pearl. MSU has five games in eight days without leaving the state of Mississippi, and it begins Tuesday with a matchup against Jackson State. The result of that midweek battle at Dudy Noble Field should follow the lines of last season's meeting between the teams. MSU beat Jackson State 7-3 and will look to follow a similar path this season. State is 3-0 against SWAC teams this season. However, the result, unless it's a loss, isn't too important for MSU. What matters is how MSU can set its pitching staff up for the weekend series at Ole Miss. Mississippi State's bullpen is deteriorating with depth and consistency, and the fewer arms Chris Lemonis has to use against Jackson State, the better. State saw six relievers take the bump in its three games against Auburn. Brooks Auger was among those, and he pulled himself out with an injury following 1 2/3 innings in the opener. That leaves five arms, with the status of Parker Stinnett unclear, Lemonis typically goes to in high-leverage situations. But with few other options, Lemonis needs some of the struggling arms can find a groove. "It'd be nice if we could be like softball and pitch one person all the time," Lemonis said. "But we don't have that luxury. We've got good guys. We can pitch better."
 
Busy Week Begins With Back-To-Back Midweek Games
A crowded week lies ahead for Mississippi State softball. The Bulldogs will play five games in the next six days with two midweek contests on the docket. State (26-17, 7-8 SEC) will open the week by hosting ULM on Tuesday, April 19 at 5 p.m. CT before hitting the road for a neutral-site game against UT Martin at Henderson County Sportsplex in Lexington, Tennessee. The Bulldogs will be the home team in that game, which is a makeup from a Feb. 23 rainout, with first pitch set for 5:30 p.m. Both opponents are coming off of sweeps in their respective conference series over the weekend, and UT Martin (25-12, 10-4 OVC) has won six straight games. Tuesday night's game against ULM (23-16, 9-9 Sun Belt) will be the teams' first meeting since 2010, but the Bulldogs have won each of the last four meetings dating back to the second game a doubleheader split on April 11, 2000. The Skyhawks are a much more recent foe. MSU and UT Martin played twice in 2020, with State winning both games by a combined score of 12-1. MSU is 7-0 in the all-time series. Admission to all MSU home games at Nusz Park is always free.
 
'It's everything': Mississippi State's Purcell reflects on Final Four run with Louisville
The hours spent away from family crossed his mind. The trips to recruits' homes crossed his mind. The sacrifices made to become a premiere collegiate head coach -- those crossed his mind. As Sam Purcell is taking videos and posting on social media the "ooahs" and "aahhs" he expresses while walking through the Final Four in Minnesota, it's hard to sense the numerous thoughts running through his head. But that's the reality of his business. It's why his daughters are up in Kentucky finishing the school year while he is in Starkville trying to build another program toward college basketball's highest level -- this time as Mississippi State's head coach. It's because Purcell has seen the successes which makes the sacrifices so worthy, and he wants his new staff and players to feel it too. "I mean, it's everything," Purcell said. Purcell was hired as Mississippi State's head women's basketball coach March 12, but wasn't quite ready to turn his full attention to the Bulldogs. He was previously a longtime assistant at Louisville -- a 1-seed in this year's NCAA tournament. He wanted to finish out the season with the Cardinals before heading to Starkville. The run turned out to be a long one, as expected, with Louisville reaching the Final Four. But Purcell's desire for winning at Mississippi State was evident.



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