| Wednesday, June 8, 2022 |
| MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine marks milestone | |
 | Mississippi State's College of Veterinary Medicine celebrated a major milestone within its Shelter Medicine Program. Officials said more than 100,000 animals that have benefited from spay and neuter surgeries over the past 17 years of service and outreach. The program provides critically needed spay and neuter surgeries throughout the region. Additionally, the Shelter Medicine Program formalized a partnership with the Oktibbeha County Humane Society in 2020. "We have trained over 1,200 veterinary students in highly efficient spay/neuter techniques since 2006. Over 1,200 veterinarians have graduated, not only having superior surgical skills, but understanding pet overpopulation and the issues that shelters and rescues deal with on a day-to-day basis," said Dr. Phil Bushby, a professor at MSU. MSU is one of only 32 accredited veterinary medicine programs throughout the U.S. |
| MSU offers students interactive STEM camp | |
| A group of young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are interested in science, technology and related fields are getting a new chance to learn about physics and other topics as part of an innovative camp at Mississippi State University (MSU). MSU Assistant Professor of Physics Ben Crider is using a $600,000 National Science Foundation 2019 Career Grant to advance his nuclear physics research, which includes a highly interactive summer experience for students with autism that was delayed due to COVID-19. rom June 5 to 11, the residential camp is hosting six high school students, who are taking part in hands-on demonstrations, touring research centers and playing games that drive home scientific concepts. In addition to learning about nuclear physics, they also are learning about electricity, aerodynamics and astronomy, among other topics. The camp will culminate with the "Physics Olympics" on Friday. "As far as I know -- and I can't say this with absolute certainty -- but we believe this is the only physics-focused camp for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the country," Crider said. "At MSU, we have a lot of resources for folks with ASD, so this is not only a camp to come and learn physics, but also to come and see what the campus has to offer in terms of resources that are both fun and interesting regarding research and support for other needs." |
| Meridian welcomes summer interns | |
 | Photo: The City of Meridian is welcoming five college students who will serve as summer interns across the city's departments. While on the job, interns will learn about city government and gain job experience to help them move forward in their careers. Pictured, from left, are Finance Department intern Thomas Cottrill from MSU-Meridian, Public Works intern Christina Gorman from MSU-Meridian, Mayor's Office intern Evelyn Adams from MSU-Meridian, Mayor Jimmie Smith, Community Development intern Reine Campbell from Millsaps College, and Marketing intern Veronica Shaffer from MSU-Meridian. |
| Oktibbeha asks for quotes to decommission lake; David Garraway appointed to vacant library board seat | |
 | Oktibbeha County supervisors voted 4-1 Monday to request cost quotes for decommissioning the Oktibbeha County Lake dam. Supervisors gave the go-ahead March 7 for a design plan to repair the dam. The county intended to use much of its $9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project -- estimated at $15 million to $17 million to complete -- with hopes of obtaining state ARPA matching funds to cover the difference. Last week, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality informed the county ARPA rules would not allow the state to provide matching funds for the project, since the lake was not a "drinking water" lake. There are also questions of how much of the county's ARPA funds can legally be used toward fixing the dam. ... The board unanimously appointed David Garraway to fill a vacant seat on the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library Board of Trustees. The board seat has been vacant since it was vacated by Roy Smith, who resigned in fall 2021 over concerns about LGBTQ+ books on display at the library. "Libraries are at the heart of the community. They serve as gathering spaces to learn and share knowledge and a healthy library is a sign of a healthy community," Garraway told The Dispatch. "I come from a family that includes career librarians and educators and believe we have a responsibility to advocate for public institutions." A Starkville resident since 2010 residing in District 4, Garraway also serves as director of the Mississippi State University Television Center, a role he has been in since 2014. |
| TVA: No need to worry about power blackouts | |
 | The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) recently released a report that said the nation's power grid could buckle under the strain of "energy emergencies" this summer. Roughly two-thirds of the country could be affected, with the midwest and midsouth affected the most. But the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said its nearly 10 million customers in seven states need not worry. Scott Brooks, a spokesman for the utility, said, "TVA has never experienced a demand-related blackout, even through difficult winter storms in February 2021 and 2022. We have 99.999% reliability for more than 15 years in a row. That's one of the best records in the industry." TVA provides power to more than 10 million people in seven states across the Southeast via 153 local power companies. It is the nation's third-largest utility. Northeast Mississippi's electricity needs are serviced by nearly two dozen companies. In fiscal year 2020, the largest portion of TVA's power came from nuclear, at 42%. Gas accounted for 28%, coal for 15% with hydro generation just behind at 12%. Only 3% of TVA's power came from wind and solar. "TVA has a majority of its natural gas fleet in the west region, including Mississippi, which is a benefit for grid stability in the region," Brooks said. He said TVA proactively plans and prepares to meet peak demands in both the summer and winter, which is why blackouts and brownouts are unlikely. |
| Mississippi primary election results are in. Well, kind of. | |
 | Two of Mississippi's incumbent congressmen are advancing to the November general election. One is headed to a runoff June 28. The fate of the fourth is still uncertain as of Wednesday morning. Fourth District Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo, who in the past has dominated at the polls, will face a challenger in either Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell or retired banker Clay Wagner in the June 28 runoff, according to incomplete and unofficial results posted Wednesday morning. Approximately 97% of the district's precinct tallies were recorded. Fellow Republican Rep. Michael Guest, who represents Mississippi's 3rd District, also appears to be headed to a runoff with challenger Michael Cassidy, but with only 89% of the precincts reporting and both men close to reaching the required 50% plus one votes, the race is still too close to call as of Wednesday morning with 89% of the precinct votes recorded. Congressmen Trent Kelly, R-District 1, and Bennie Thompson, D-District 2, took decisive wins in Tuesday's primary elections. District 2 Republican candidate Brian Flowers will be one of the challengers and will face either Ronald Eller or Michael Carson. The candidate who will be advancing will be decided when the complete and official results are tallied. The winner of District 3's Republican race will face Democrat Shuwaski Young, who had no opposition in the primary. In District 4, former Hattiesburg mayor Johnny DuPree will advance to the November ballot after defeating fellow Hattiesburger David Sellers. |
| US Rep. Michael Guest in close race with GOP challenger | |
 | U.S. Rep. Michael Guest battled Republican challengers in Tuesday's primary election. "We're going to wait for all of the votes," Guest said late Tuesday night. "A lot of absentee votes that are outstanding that will be counted probably sometime (Wednesday). It does appear that there's a very substantial likelihood of a runoff and so, we'll be prepared to energize our people." Michael Cassidy, a former U.S. Navy pilot who is still active in the Reserves, was in a tight race with Guest throughout Election Night. The race was still too close to call by Wednesday morning. Guest, of Brandon, is serving his second term representing Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District. Guest is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and on the House Committee on Transportation. He was also appointed to the House Committee on Ethics. Prior to taking office in 2019, Guest was the district attorney for Rankin and Madison counties. Runoffs, if needed, are on June 28. The general election is on Nov. 8, where the Republican nominee will face Democrat Shuwaski Young. |
| Guest wins Neshoba in tight primary | |
| Incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Guest won Neshoba County with about 47.4% of the vote in a tight race in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary Tuesday that was undecided early Wednesday, according to early returns. Guest was in a three-way GOP primary race with Michael Cassidy, who had 47.8% of the vote districtwide and Thomas Griffin with 5.5%, the early numbers showed. In Neshoba County, Guest had 827 votes or 47.4%, Cassidy 823 or 47.2% and Griffin 94 or 5.4%, complete but unofficial early totals showed with about 98.98% of the votes counted. Neshoba County native Rep. Trent Kelly handily won his primary in Mississippi's First Congressional District with 89.7% of the vote with over 90% of the votes counted. |
| Trent Kelly, Dianne Black win party nominations in 1st Congressional District race | |
| Incumbent U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly and political newcomer Dianne Black have captured their respective party's nominations in their bids to represent Northeast Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to projections from the Associated Press. Kelly, who is running for a fifth term, won the Republican nomination by defeating DeSoto County resident Mark Strauss. Black, who is seeking her first term, won the Democratic nomination by defeating Tishomingo County resident Hunter Avery. The two will now face one another in the general election on November 8. Kelly, a resident of Saltillo, in a statement to the Daily Journal thanked the voters of Northeast Mississippi for nominating him in his bid for re-election. "I will continue to work hard for the people of Mississippi and prepare for the November election," Kelly said. Black, a resident of Marshall County, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Northeast Mississippi is a reliably conservative region in the Magnolia State, making a Democratic challenge an uphill battle. |
| Trump endorsed 16 candidates in Tuesday's primaries. Here are the winners. | |
 | Donald Trump came into Tuesday's primaries on the heels of a dismal May 24 performance, when his endorsements in Georgia largely proved to be a flop. This time around, he didn't have as much at stake: Trump didn't endorse in any heavily contested primaries, nor did he support any challengers to Republican incumbents. For the most part, the former president backed incumbents who were expected to easily dispatch little-known opponents and a few open-seat House candidates in California. Among his endorsements this week: GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. Notably, Trump refrained from backing a primary challenger to California Rep. David Valadao, who was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year. Trump did not endorse any candidates at all in two of the seven states that voted Tuesday: New Jersey and New Mexico. Both were blue states where he lost by double-digits in 2020. Here is a look at the Trump-endorsed candidates who won Tuesday, including Mississippi where Rep. Trent Kelly won with 90 percent. He voted to overturn 2020 election results. |
| Key results from Tuesday's primaries in seven states | |
 | Voters in seven states picked nominees in primaries, and one district held a special election to fill a House vacancy on Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights of the results. The only Republican in Mississippi's delegation to vote to have an independent commission investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol was in a race too close to call after Tuesday's primary and likely faces a runoff in June. Two-term Rep. Michael Guest, a former prosecutor and self-described "conservative Christian leader" who listed his top priorities in 2018 as securing the border and building a wall, was running behind Navy veteran and one-time test pilot Michael Cassidy. Cassidy cited Guest's vote for the Jan. 6 commission on his campaign website, deriding the incumbent as a "pro-amnesty RINO" who has "been silent on the spread of Leftist social values." He pledged to "hold the Establishment's feet to the fire on numerous America First issues, including election integrity and the removal of all COVID mandates and restrictions." The commission, which would have been bipartisan and modeled after one that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, passed the House with support from 35 Republicans, but it did not advance in the Senate. After that, House Democrats and two Republicans -- Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois -- voted to create a select committee that was more under the Democrats' control. |
| US sees heightened extremist threat heading into midterms | |
 | A looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday. The U.S. was in a "heightened threat environment" already, and these factors may worsen the situation, DHS said in the latest National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin. "In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets," DHS said. It's the latest attempt by Homeland Security to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a shift from alerts about international terrorism that were a hallmark of the agency following its creation after the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Indeed, the threats from overseas rate only passing mentions in this bulletin. It notes that al-Qaida supporters celebrated the January standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. And it mentions that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the killings of the group's leader and spokesman. DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations seek to foment divisions within the U.S. to weaken the country and its standing in the world. In part, they do this by amplifying conspiracy theories and false reports that proliferate in American society. Domestic violent extremists, however, present the most pressing and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing, for example, the racist attack in which a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May. |
| Jan. 6 committee Chair Bennie Thompson says the U.S. came close to losing democracy | |
 | Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson is facing one of the most high profile moments in a political career spanning more than 50 years -- leading this month's hearings intended to show Americans what fueled the violence of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Some who tune in to Thursday's prime-time hearing will encounter for the first time the chairman, a political leader from rural Mississippi with deep roots in civil rights activism. "I'm a passionate believer that, in a democracy you have to follow the rule of law," Thompson told NPR. "It has nothing to do with individuals, it has nothing to do with wealth. It has nothing to do with status in the community. It's the law. The law is colorblind." That personal history, said Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, made Thompson the perfect fit to chair the select committee investigating the insurrection. "We have so many people over here who are much more interested in the headline than they are in making headway," Clyburn recently told NPR. "Bennie is not interested in making the headlines." "It's kind of interesting that somebody like Bennie Thompson, with the experiences he had growing up in Mississippi, would be the one that was out there trying to keep this democracy on track," said Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who is a bit of a kindred spirit and is often seen having extended conversations with him during hours long floor votes. |
| Retailers have an inventory problem as lockdown lifestyle fades | |
| The big-box retailer Target said Tuesday that it's having inventory troubles. Target has a lot of stuff, including furniture and appliances, that nobody seems to want to buy. And it's not the only company sitting on too much of the wrong goods. The last couple of years have been tricky for folks who manage retail inventory. "My goodness. I think I would rank that up there with having the job of a central banker these days, what your strategy would be," said Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets. Spending trends have taken some sharp turns, she said. Early in the pandemic, retailers braced for a recession that turned out to last only a few months. Coming out of it, relief checks meant lots of us had extra cash. "Consumers figured out how to do online shopping, and that caught businesses off guard, so they started ramping up their inventories to meet this new demand," Lee said. Demand for things like casual clothes and stuff to make our homes more comfortable. But now, "higher prices are probably scaring consumers off a little bit," Lee added. How do they get rid of that stuff and make room for things people want to buy these days? "We're going to see Black Friday bonus values in the middle of June," said Stephanie Wissink, a senior research analyst at Jefferies. So if you're in the market for that patio set or "an air fryer, a blender, home decor, electronics," Wissink said, now's the time to look for deals. |
| Russia open to Ukraine grain exports but demands conditions | |
| Russia and Turkey voiced support Wednesday for the creation of a safe maritime corridor in the Black Sea so Ukraine can export grain to global markets amid an escalating world food crisis. But Russia demanded that the Black Sea be demined and Turkey said allowing the Ukraine exports should be accompanied by easing Western sanctions against Russia. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu hosted his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Ankara for discussions focused on a U.N. proposal to free Ukraine's Black Sea ports and allow 22 million tons of grain sitting in silos to be shipped out. The two allies appeared eager to dictate the terms of Ukraine's exports -- which have been strongly affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- and cement further control over the Black Sea. Ukraine was not invited to the talks. Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war and a Russian blockade of its ports have halted much of that flow, endangering food supplies to many developing countries. Many of those ports are now also heavily mined. Ukraine, which was not represented at the Ankara meeting, says the Russian promise not to use safe shipping corridors to attack Odesa is not credible. The head of Ukraine's grain traders group has also scoffed at Turkey's effort to negotiate a deal with Russia to allow Ukrainian grain exports to resume, saying that Ankara is not powerful enough to act as a guarantor against Russia. |
| MUW hosting the NEW Leadership Mississippi Summer Institute | |
 | The nation's first publicly supported university for women continues its mission to encourage young women to take on leadership roles in the public arena. Mississippi University for Women is hosting the NEW Leadership Mississippi Summer Institute. NEW Leadership is a bipartisan effort to address the under-representation of women in national politics. The Summer Institute brings college women from different political, ethnic, and educational backgrounds together to explore the roles for women in leadership and politics. Tuesday, participants heard about Representative Dana McLean's second act as a state lawmaker. "I just want to inspire them to know that the sky is the limit. There are so many different avenues they can take; so many occupations within public policy, lobbying, actually being an elected official, support staff, lawyers, so there is so much they can do," said Mclean. |
| Funding secured for Mississippi's only children's hospital | |
 | The funding project for expanding the Mississippi Children's Hospital led by Kathy and Joe Sanderson has exceeded the campaign's goal. The Sanderson Tower opened in November of 2020 and helped serve children during the peaks of the coronavirus pandemic. Pediatric Chair Dr. Mary Taylor says the facility goes beyond the call of healthcare to make sure children and their families are comfortable during treatment. "In all of those intensive care unit areas, there's places for the families to be, restrooms for the families in the rooms so they can stay with their child when they're coming here from far away, says Dr. Taylor. "You know, this is a children's hospital for the whole state of Mississippi. So some of our patients are transferred here from the Gulf Coast or from North Mississippi, and their families can be with their children here." The final donation for the campaign is a $2.5 million gift from the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation. While the facility has been in operation for more than a year, hospital officials say there is more work to be done. Dr. LouAnn Woodward is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She says leaders have a long list of projects to come for both wings of the children's hospital. "We've actually got shell space in this building that can be built out and will be built out in the future. In our Batson Tower, we've got space that needs to be renovated," says Dr. Woodward. "We are starting very soon the renovation of our children's cancer clinic which is over in the lower level of the Batson Tower. We need to establish a child psychiatry unit, there's not one in the state of Mississippi." |
| Blue Cross, UMMC resolution moving at a 'snail's pace,' insurance commissioner says | |
| A resolution to the dispute between the state's largest insurer and hospital is off to a slow start. Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said mediation between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center has begun but is moving at a "snail's pace" so far. "Some preliminary groundwork has been set," he said. "... I expect by Monday of next week, it'll ramp up to full steam." While Chaney does not have authority to force the two parties to agree, he made a pointed statement: "I do have the authority to make them mediate. If either party tries to forestall or hinder mediation, they run the risk of damaging the University (of Mississippi) Medical Center possibly beyond repair. And they run the risk of damaging the health insurance side." Marc Rolph, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing at UMMC, told Mississippi Today that actual mediation will begin next week. Blue Cross officials said they could not comment on mediation because it was confidential. Meanwhile, patients are still in the lurch. |
| Auburn University assistant professor charged with possession of child pornography | |
 | An assistant professor at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine was arrested by Auburn police on Thursday and charged with possession of child pornography. Police arrested Amarjit Mishra, 42, from Auburn on felony warrants charging him with five counts of possession of child pornography, according to the police report from Auburn Police Department. Auburn University officials released the following statement to the media: "We are aware of the allegations against and arrest of Amarjit Mishra. He has been placed on administrative leave and is not on campus. Mishra will remain on leave while the University evaluates this matter." According to the press release, Auburn police and members of the Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children task force began an investigation on March 24. Mishra was developed as a suspect, arrested, charged and transported to the Lee County Jail, where he was held on a $50,000 bond, police said. |
| How U. of Tennessee's accelerator for clean tech companies will get startups ready for investors | |
 | Six sustainability focused companies want to make the world a greener place. But first, they need to set their businesses up for success. These clean technology companies are heading to Knoxville this summer to participate in the University of Tennessee Spark Innovation Center's first Cleantech Accelerator program. The goal of the program? "We want these companies to be investor-ready at the end of 12 weeks," said John Bruck, director of Spark Innovation Center. "That's the objective." To do that, the company founders will be answering the big question every investor wants to know before they invest: Why would a customer choose their product or service? "We take the big theories and boil them into practical steps that (founders) of a company are going to need to ultimately be successful," Bruck said. The 12-week in-person program, led by Bruck and Carol Seamons, the director of engagement for Spark, will help companies identify their ideal customers, create a financial model for their business, research potential investors and funding partners, build a market strategy and ultimately craft an elevator pitch. "When you're finished with the accelerator, we can put you in front of any investor and you can walk through your pitch. You will be able to speak their language and tell your story that will hopefully lead to investment," Bruck said. |
| U. of Kentucky's proposed budget is largest in school's history | |
 | A 2% tuition increase, more than $17 million in raises for employees and $250 million for a new health education building are among the initiatives included in the proposed University of Kentucky budget. The $5.6 billion budget for the 2022-23 academic year is the largest in UK's history, President Eli Capilouto said Monday. The budget is about $537 million larger than it was last year, with much of the growth generated by UK Healthcare, he said. The board of trustees will vote on the budget at its meeting next week. "We believe we are positioned, like never before, to do more for our state," Capilouto said. "We have big goals and far-reaching aspirations for Kentucky -- not only because it is what we want, but because it is what our state requires." Tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students would increase to $6,429 per semester next school year, up by $124 from $6,305 last school year, according to UK. UK is expecting a record-setting class of freshman this fall of 6,000 students, Capilouto said. That will result in nearly $50 million in the budget from tuition and fees, he said. UK will have $17.3 million available for employee raises next fiscal year. Eligible employees will receive at least a $1,000 raise, but could potentially receive a higher raise, said Angie Martin, UK's vice president for financial planning and chief budget officer. "It's critical to our faculty and staff, and in complete alignment with our strategic plan of supporting our employees," Martin said on Monday. "It's already in process, pending board approval." |
| U. of Missouri study: Trauma halts benefits of student behavior interventions | |
 | Positive behavior interventions can work to improve behavioral and academic outcomes for all students, research has shown. But after the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, those benefits stopped for Black students in the St. Louis area, new research by the University of Missouri shows. "Accounting for Traumatic Historical Events in Educational Randomized Controlled Trials" was published in School Psychology Review. The study looked at data from middle school and high school students. The lead author is Keith Herman, curators' distinguished professor in the MU College of Education and Human Development. The positive interventions include encouragement replacing reprimands, teachers communicating clear expectations to students and teachers moving around the classroom to monitor student behavior. "Before the shooting, Black and white students benefited equally," Herman said. "After the shooting, we saw that white students continued to benefit. For Black students, we saw no benefit." The interventions had stopped working for Black students. That outcome was one of the study's hypotheses, but another was that Black students could see improved benefits. The interventions can be helpful in disruptive situations, Herman said was the basis for the alternative hypothesis. "We were open to either hypothesis," Herman said. |
| Why 50% of Gen Z students say they see less value in college degrees | |
| Three refrains from the next generation of students and higher ed experts have bombarded college and university leaders over the past two years: they must create better career pathways, build shorter paths to credentials and be more affordable. But are institutions really listening? The fifth in a series of surveys done by ECMC and Vice Media of more than 1,000 14- to 18-year-olds shows their increasing disconnect with higher education, with around 50% believing that a college degree isn't necessary to get them where they want to go in the future. That number is down a staggering 20% from May of 2020 and 14% from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Generation Z's predecessors also have punctuated that trend since surveys began in January 2020, as higher education has lost more than 1.4 million students, including the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's latest report of another 4.7% falling off that cliff this spring year over year. Blame a robust job market and millions of openings -- 75% of those polled know about workforce shortages -- the embers of a still-smoldering pandemic and, maybe, the lack of seismic change among institutions to meet their needs. Nearly 90% of those surveyed in the latest Question The Quo Education Pulse Survey said colleges aren't doing enough to prepare students for future careers. |
| When public figures fudge their academic records | |
 | Before Herschel Walker entered Georgia politics as a Trump-endorsed Republican Senate candidate, he was perhaps best known in the state for his connection to the University of Georgia. As a star football player in the early 1980s, he put the Bulldogs in the national spotlight, helping them win three consecutive SEC championships and becoming the college football powerhouse's second ever athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Walker, who won his Senate primary last month, put his alma mater back in the headlines earlier this spring by repeatedly lying about his academic record during his campaign. The former NFL running back claimed he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and graduated in the top 1 percent of his class at UGA. In reality, he did not graduate at all: he left UGA in his junior year to play in the short-lived United States Football League before moving to the NFL. Walker is far from the first U.S. politician to be caught fudging his academic record. Candidates for state Legislature in Oregon and Florida have dropped out of their races after claiming degrees they never attained. North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorn lied about being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy. And former Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell faced backlash in 2010 when two universities denied she'd earned the degrees she claimed. James Thurber, a professor of government at American University who has studied ethics in political campaigns, said the main reasons politicians lie about their academic records are salesmanship and pride. "Politicians have egos, and sometimes they just want to make their narrative sound a little better than it really is," he said. "I think one of the reasons they do it is they feel a little insecure, and they want to build up their reputation by exaggerating." |
| Georgetown Reinstated Him After a Controversial Tweet. He Quit Anyway. | |
 | Ilya Shapiro quit his job at Georgetown University's law school before he ever really started it. Shapiro, a former vice president at the Cato Institute, had been hired to be executive director of the law school's Georgetown Center for the Constitution. Before he officially stepped into that position, though, he sent a tweet about President Biden's stated intention to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Shapiro wrote that he thought Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, would be the best pick but "alas doesn't fit into the latest intersectionality hierarchy so we'll get lesser black woman." Those three words -- "lesser black woman" -- led to a lot of outrage. He apologized, said his wording was "inartful," and took down the tweet. The dean of the law school, William Treanor, called the language "appalling" and said it was "at odds with everything we stand for at Georgetown Law." Shapiro was suspended with pay, and an investigation began. After four months, the university reinstated him, a decision Shapiro initially celebrated. Then, on Monday, he announced that, on second thought, he would resign. A report from the university's Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action said that any similar remarks in the future would very likely create "a hostile environment based on race, gender, and sex" -- a warning that, Shapiro wrote, amounted to a "slow-motion firing." |
| NIH Should Strengthen Oversight of Foreign Funding Disclosure, Watchdog Says | |
 | The National Institutes of Health should improve its oversight of federal grant recipients who do sensitive medical research and whose scientists receive foreign funding or support, according to a new report from federal health investigators. Roughly two-thirds of the more than 600 biomedical research institutions recently surveyed by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services had violated one or more disclosure requirements, the watchdog said in its report, which was released Tuesday. NIH grant recipients often didn't require researchers to disclose nonpublicly traded equity interests from foreign entities and in-kind resources, professional affiliations or participation in a foreign "talents" program, the report found. The inspector general said the NIH could strengthen overall compliance of grant recipients in the biomedical field -- which are often universities -- by improving its oversight of their disclosure processes. NIH began to raise concerns in 2018 about foreign threats to the integrity of medical research and intellectual property in government-funded work. That same year, it increased its efforts to enforce disclosure requirements and clarified that researchers applying for grants must detail all outside funding or support. Participating in foreign-funded academic research isn't illegal. Findings are usually shared among groups of scientists and many universities say that since the research is meant to be published, there is nothing to steal. |
| No clear answer on school shootings | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Freedom is paid for with blood. The Ukrainians are seeing that reality in a real and horrible way. America has seen it in numerous wars. We see it in the tens of thousands of car wrecks that maim and kill every year. We witnessed this reality last month in a rash of school shootings. More than any other nation in the history of this earth, Americans cherish their freedom. The founding principle of our nation is individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But one man's freedom is another child's nightmarish end. And so it goes. Your freedom to swing your fist ends at the tip of another man's nose. That's understood. The problem is policing and enforcing the inevitable complexity inherent in maximum freedom. Guns are inextricably linked to American freedom. It's written into our Constitution. We feared the English would try again to subjugate us so we wanted armed state militias. And we got them. By far the largest standing army in the world is armed American gun owners -- 81 million of us. That makes the biggest national army in the world -- China's at 1.6 million -- look puny in comparison. ... So we must tread lightly on the idea of gun control. This is not a no brainer. If the solution were simple, it would have been implemented a long time ago. The reason we haven't solved the problem of school shootings is because there is no easy answer. Beware of the law of unintended consequences. |
| Readers ponder the future of how we pay for future road and bridge maintenance | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: After a recent column on the soaring retail cost of gasoline and the concomitant impact those prices have on related fuel taxes and the proliferation of electric vehicles, readers weighed in with their ideas and questions. Nick Gerteis of Brooksville, an electric vehicle commuter, reminded me that Mississippi electric vehicle owners are being taxed as an offset to foregone fuel taxes by the state, depending on the type of electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle they own. ... Tupelo's Jim Missett offered his thoughts: "I have seen the swing in gas tax revenue as hybrid and fully electric vehicles come on line. Gas tax revenue decreases as these vehicles come on line because owners don't pay at the pump --- or at least as much with hybrids. "The problem/issue becomes how do hybrid and fully electric vehicles pay their share of maintenance for roads and bridges?" ... Both federal and state lawmakers have decisions to make about fuel taxes as a funding source for future highway construction and maintenance. Last year, the President Joe Biden administration first pushed then beat a rather hasty retreat from the concept of including a vehicle mile traveled or VMT tax component as a means to pay for Biden's massive national infrastructure proposal. ... While blue states applauded the proposal, the VMT plan was widely panned by members from rural red states across the South and the Midwest -- where rural taxpayers routinely drive long distances daily to work, seek education or medical care, and engage in farm-to-market commerce. |
SPORTS
| Bulldog Foursome Driven To Succeed At Nationals | |
| When individual national championships are on the line, it's not as though an athlete really needs much more motivation than the opportunity to be crowned as the best in the country. Nevertheless, the four Mississippi State Bulldogs in Eugene, Oregon, this week for the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field all have a little extra incentive to succeed anyway. Sydney Steely, DJ Jónsson, Cameron Crump and Navasky Anderson will all compete for titles in the coming days. Jónsson and Crump will each strive for crowns on Wednesday as Jónsson's final in the men's javelin takes place at 7:45 p.m. CT, while Crump's men's long jump final happens at 8 p.m. CT. Anderson and Steely will each have to advance through semifinal rounds in their respective 800m events first, with Anderson's men's event scheduled for Wednesday at 8:14 p.m. CT and Steely's women's race set for 9:14 p.m. CT on Thursday. Should they advance, Anderson's final would come at 9:14 p.m. CT on Friday, while Steely's would happen at 5:44 p.m. CT on Saturday. And again, aside from the championship chases alone, all four Bulldogs have their own individual chips on the shoulder to help push them towards their respective mountaintops. Here's a quick look at what's driving each Bulldog as they get ready to perform in Eugene. |
| Part of 'Jav U' tradition at Mississippi State, DJ Jónsson seeks first title at NCAA outdoor championships | |
| For the past few months, Dagbjartur "DJ" Jónsson has been remarkably consistent throwing the javelin. And that's the problem. Jónsson's throws have all clocked in around the same distance. He's posted marks of 76, 75, 75, 76 and 76 meters. For a thrower whose personal best is 79.57 meters, Jónsson knows that won't get it done. "That's the javelin," Jónsson said. "You can be in the best shape of your life and still be kind of struggling with the technique and not quite hitting it. It can just be a matter of milliseconds if you hit an 85 or a 75." Jónsson will have to find the sweet spot to bring home first place at NCAA outdoor championships. The Mississippi State sophomore will compete at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday in Eugene, Oregon. He'll be trying to capture a title that barely eluded him in 2021. Jónsson's 76.73-meter mark seemed good enough, but LSU's Tzuriel Pedigo beat it on his final throw with a 76.98. Jónsson's final attempt, at 73.17, wasn't enough. Pedigo won the event. "It kind of sucked, but that's the name of the game," Jónsson said. "It wasn't my best performance; I could have been better, so that's on me." It was a moment that sparked the Reykjavik, Iceland, native to reach greater heights in his second season with the Bulldogs. "It definitely lit a fire under me," Jónsson said. "That was kind of a heartbreaking scene. Most people would be enthusiastic about that, but it was kind of heartbreaking." |
| Kept busy with track and cross country, Mississippi State's Sydney Steely makes first trip to NCAA championships | |
| At NCAA East prelims in Bloomington, Indiana, Sydney Steely gave herself the most important gift she could. Peace of mind. During the 2021 Southeastern Conference championships, Steely didn't place high enough in her preliminary heat to automatically qualify for the final of the women's 800 meters. She still made it, but she received a "little q" -- qualifying on time rather than her spot in the heat. Steely sat on the edge of her seat while the other heats played out, hoping. "It worked out, but it was nerve-racking having to wait and find out," Steely said. More than a year later, Steely made sure she wouldn't have to do so again. On May 26, she finished second in her first-round heat of the 800, then repeated the feat in the quarterfinals two days later to earn two "big Q's" and clinch a spot in NCAA championships. "This year, the turn side of that was just knowing as soon as I crossed the line that I'd done what I needed to do, and it was a good feeling," Steely said. The Mississippi State redshirt junior will run in the semifinals of the event at 9:14 p.m. Thursday in Eugene, Oregon. The final will be contested at 5:44 p.m. Saturday. Steely, who hails from Hoover, Alabama, will make her first trip to nationals. She is one of four Bulldogs competing in Eugene, joining Navasky Anderson (men's 800), Cameron Crump (men's long jump) and DJ Jónsson (men's javelin). "It's the biggest stage that I've gotten to race at while I'm here, so it's going to be an honor," Steely said. "I'm excited to go with my other three teammates." |
| Davidson Earns Academic All-American Accolades | |
| Consensus First Team All-American catcher Mia Davidson has also earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, the organization announced on Tuesday. Davidson earned Second Team honors from CoSIDA and is the 10th Bulldog to receive the prestigious honor. She is the fourth Bulldog to earn All-American honors both on the field and in the classroom, joining Keri McCallum (2000), Iyhia McMichael (2004) and Chelsea Bramlett (2008, 2009, 2010). Davidson is a two-time Academic All-District selection, but this is her first All-American award. The Hillsborough, North Carolina, native completed her undergraduate degree in May 2021 with a 3.40 GPA in kinesiology. Now in graduate school, Davidson boasts a 3.75 GPA as she pursues a master's degree in sport administration. She was nominated for the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Postgraduate Scholarship, which is presented to the conference's top male and female scholar-athletes each year. Off the field, Davidson has been named to the SEC Honor Roll four times and has interned within the MSU athletics department in the communications, marketing and softball offices. Her storied career closed in 2022 with her second USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist nod and 92 career home runs, which is tied for third in NCAA history. |
| Hattiesburg Super Regional expected to have 'sweet' economic impact on Hub City | |
 | The heat is not stopping University of Southern Mississippi fans from getting hyped about the super regional. Fans aren't the only ones who are excited. Local businesses have seen more customers wanting USM gear. With more baseball action this weekend against Ole Miss, more folks are expected to be in town. "I'm not really that much of a baseball fan, but I am really glad that a lot of people are going to be coming here, to Hattiesburg to see the game and hopefully, we get a lot of good business from that," said Joy Shearer, a Shipley Do-nuts employee. "Obviously, they're going to bring revenue to the city this weekend and that's something that all residents can benefit from," said Dana Devereaux, a Shipley Do-nuts manager. "It's great for our university. It will attract people to the university as well, so I think it's great." |
| Bruce Pearl: Biden's 'socialist government spending ... created inflation' | |
 | Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl took to social media Wednesday morning stating President Joe Biden's "socialist government spending flooded a recovering post COVID economy and created inflation." The comment came as a reply to Joe Biden's remarks on the state of the economy. "Your socialist government spending flooded a recovering post COVID economy and created inflation," Pearl tweeted. "Your energy policy created the gas shortage and record high prices! Your policies are hurting the working class! Call timeout! Change defenses! Do something different please!" Earlier this month, Biden made comments on the May jobs report, which he described as "excellent" and said unemployment remains "at a near-historic low of 3.6 percent." Biden will appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday night. |
| How college basketball's first graduate transfer touched off an unforeseen revolution | |
| Wisconsin Badgers coach Bo Ryan walked into the news conference looking unhappy. His team had just been knocked out of the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament by UNLV, which was led by Kevin Kruger's 16 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four 3-pointers. Less than a year earlier, Kruger had become the first college basketball player to take advantage of the NCAA's Rule 2005-54, which allowed him to graduate from Arizona State and transfer to UNLV to play for his father, Lon -- immediately. "I'm one of the hundreds of coaches out there who tried to stop the rule," Ryan complained to reporters. "I [thought about] a guy like Kevin Kruger and I thought, 'We're liable to play those guys and he's liable to beat us.' I said that a year ago. Then he beat us with some big shots." While Lon Kruger maintains Ryan's comments were made in jest, coaches are still bemoaning the graduate transfer rule -- and the ripple effect it has had on a sport where immediate transfer eligibility is the norm -- 16 years later. So how did Kevin Kruger -- now set to begin his second year as head coach at UNLV -- become a transfer trailblazer within the modern college basketball landscape? |
| Column: Saudi money could put college stars in tough spot | |
| Texas A&M senior Sam Bennett was a mixture of joy and exhaustion upon making it through 36-hole U.S. Open qualifying for the first time. Still to come is the toughest test in golf. All that might be a breeze considering what could await. The temptation of Saudi money from the LIV Golf Invitational series has yet to present itself to Bennett, the No. 5 player in the world amateur ranking. "I think they know that I'm coming back for my fifth year," he said. And if he wasn't? Bennett thought for a second. U.S. Amateur champion James Piot is in London this week, having received a signing bonus even before he gets to play for as much as $25 million in prize money. So is Andy Ogletree, another former U.S. Amateur champion. And then he broke into a smile and said, "Yeah, I'd probably take it." Where else would he have access to riches beyond his dreams right out of college without ever having to prove himself? ... Take the money now and they could always wait to begin their career on the PGA Tour, starting from scratch with Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school or trying to Monday qualify in PGA Tour events. That's the road Patrick Reed took long ago. But the good ones know they could be contending for majors not long after they get out of college. Jordan Spieth proved that. He was halfway to the Grand Slam his third year out of Texas. Collin Morikawa graduated from Cal in 2019. Two years later, he already had won two majors and was on the cusp of being No. 1 in the world. |
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