| Thursday, June 9, 2022 |
| James Beard Media Awards Become Another Front In Streaming Wars For Services Big And Small | |
 | Here in Emmy nomination season, the big video streaming services are once again festooning Los Angeles streets with billboards, and hosting screenings and creator showcases at a furious rate. Meanwhile another, lower-key battle is brewing over equally beloved awards in one particular corner of the streaming universe, food. It comes to a head this weekend, as the James Beard Media Awards are handed out for, among other categories, the best food-related video shows, documentaries and reality competitions. And the video nominees include not just programs from giant media companies such as Netflix (which has four nominees across three video categories), Hulu and Peacock. All three categories also feature nominated programs from far smaller organizations, including the wine-focused startup Somm TV, Mississippi State University, and ABC's New York City affiliate, ABC7. ... But it's not just the world's biggest media companies (Disney, Netflix, Comcast) getting a taste of the James Beard Foundation's love. Mississippi State University Films is nominated in the documentary/docuseries visual media category for The Hungriest State, a series that details food insecurity and hunger in the university's backyard, the impoverished Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast. |
| MSU alum named director of National Weather Service | |
 | On Tuesday, June 7, Kenneth Graham, an alum of the Mississippi State University (MSU) geosciences master's degree program, was named director of the National Weather Service (NWS). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Graham has served as the director of the National Hurricane Center since April 2018 and has lead the nation through numerous hurricanes, including 30 named storms during the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season. Graham worked his way up through the ranks at NWS, mostly in field offices, starting out as an intern meteorologist in 1994 at the New Orleans/Baton Rouge weather forecast office. He earned a bachelor's degree in atmospheric science from the University of Arizona and a master's degree in geoscience from MSU. Graham is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Association and the International Association of Emergency Managers. |
| Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks | |
 | Though estimates vary, roughly 53 million U.S. residents -- about 17% of the population -- rely on private wells, according to a study conducted in part by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. Most live in rural areas. But others are in subdivisions near fast-growing metro regions or otherwise beyond the reach of public water pipes. While many private wells provide safe water, the absence of regulation and treatment afforded by larger municipal systems may expose some users to health risks, from bacteria and viruses to chemicals and lead, studies have found. Risks are elevated after flooding or heavy rainfall, when animal and human feces, dirt, nutrients such as nitrogen and other contaminants can seep into wells. And experts say the threat is growing as the warming climate fuels more intense rainstorms and stronger and wetter hurricanes. Experts recommend testing after a flood and decontaminating wells with chlorine if a problem is found. Indiana's health department offers testing for bacteria, lead, copper, fluoride and other contaminants. Some land-grant universities and private labs provide similar services. While many owners know how to maintain their wells, others ignore problems even if the water isn't sanitary. Water that tastes fine can still be contaminated. "I wish I had a nickel for everyone who's walked into a workshop and said, 'I've been drinking this water forever and it's fine,'" said Jason Barrett, who directs a Mississippi State University program that educates well owners. It provides free testing. But where such assistance isn't available, costs can run to a few hundred dollars, according to experts. Some owners avoid testing because they are concerned it will reveal an expensive problem. |
| Alderman approve two paid parking kiosks in Cotton District on trial basis | |
 | Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize Mayor Lynn Spruill to arrange and coordinate the installation of two pay-to-park kiosks in the Cotton District on a trial basis. The kiosks will likely be placed on opposite ends of the area, which runs from Montgomery Street east to Mississippi State University, where drivers are being asked to pay to park their vehicles for longer than 15 minutes. The kiosks only accept payment from credit cards and are an alternative for residents and visitors who do not wish to pay for parking using the ParkMobile app or website. "This is something that is customary and that is done in college towns," Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty said. "Short of putting meters at every parking space, this is the best way to give people an alternative to using the ParkMobile app." Beatty has long been an advocate for the installation of kiosks as an alternative to the app, especially for residents or visitors who may not have smartphones. The kiosks communicate with ParkMobile. The kiosks are solar powered, feature a large touchscreen and are ADA compliant. Aldermen briefly discussed how long the kiosks should remain downtown on trial and ultimately agreed to place them on the street for three months or throughout the duration of football season, whichever comes first depending on how quickly the kiosks are able to be ordered and installed. |
| Mary Means Business: Big Dawgs under new ownership | |
| Matthew and Britney Haddix are the new owners of Big Dawgs Station 26 at 804 Old West Point Road. Matthew, the son of former store owners Michael and Yulanda Haddix, is changing things up a bit without losing the same at-home environment as Big Dawgs. "We are going to make it more into a café and a coffee house, serve breakfast and brunch," Haddix said. "But we're still going to have barbecue and even implement that into different types of foods." You can check out the new setup up Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Matthew has already expanded the menu, adding coffee, chicken and waffles, brisket quiche, paninis and more. In addition, the new couple is bringing in items from their online mercantile shop. Folks can drink fresh coffee and shop for candles, beard oils, soaps, skin care products, wallets and more. As far as future plans, Matthew said he hopes to start selling gas again in the old service station and even add an electric car charging station. Other than incredible barbecue, he intends to continue his parents' tradition of hosting various events and uplifting the community. "We love the small town vibe, the people here, the atmosphere," Matthew said. "We wanted to bring something down here that a lot of people weren't familiar with. ...We wanted to bring a fun atmosphere with new products and new foods." |
| Monitoring internet use is key to cybersecurity for kids | |
| The world changes fast, Jeremy Bandre told the Columbus Rotary Club Tuesday afternoon at Lion Hills Center. "In the 1950s the word sex was taboo," he said. "In the 1960s culture, the taboo was abortion and divorce. In the '70s it was casual nudity and lewd language. In the '80s it was drug abuse. In the '90s, it was homosexuality and pornography. In the 2000s, it was cloning humans and suicide." Bandre, the president of Exceed Technologies, said that "really quick" progression from taboo to normalization could be traced back to desensitization. "If you want to desensitize society, all you need is a method of mass distribution and to slowly increase the severity of the delivered content," he said. "In just the matter of a few minutes, anybody in this room could go home, sit in your living room and watch real murder, real decapitations, sex, rape ... or anything you can imagine, for free. Just pull up your phone." As both an information technologies professional and a parent, Bandre is very aware of the dangers posed by the internet and that children more commonly have internet access via cell phones and tablets. He offered Rotarians tips on how to mitigate the dangers kids can encounter through technology, especially when dealing with browsing and social media. |
| ERDC establishes new center focused on public health and infrastructure research | |
| The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) is establishing an Engineering for Public Health and Human Factors (EPH) Center. The new center's focus will be developing engineering and public health research and data analytics before, during and after crisis events for all manner of activities and applications, anywhere in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers realized there was a significant gap in capability in how the federal government deals with human factors in the context of engineered infrastructure questions. "Everything comes back to three things: money, labor and lives," said Dr. Benjamin Trump, ERDC research social scientist and EPH lead. "Our research will help reduce spending, help reduce the amount of time it takes to either build up a service or remove unnecessary redundancies and help minimize risks to life." The EPH Center will work to accomplish two objectives. First, the EPH Center will house ample capability to address a wide range of infrastructure, health and human factor-based questions for any type of crisis. Second, when there is no crisis, the EPH Center will investigate how human factors and health-based inputs and outputs should be considered when making infrastructure planning and analysis. The EPH Center will help bridge the gap between engineering solutions and public health needs and human factors. |
| Job seekers look for new opportunities at Governor's Job Fair | |
| A steady stream of people continuously moved through the glass atrium at the East Mississippi Community College Communiversity on Tuesday morning as 40 area employers looked to hire new employees. The job fair was part of the Governor's Job Fair Network, which is through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Many businesses from the Golden Triangle attended the event looking to hire individuals who best fit their needs. Businesses with a large international presence, like Airbus and International Paper, were present, as well as area construction businesses like McCrary-West Construction Company. Adam Todd, the director for the Governor's Job Fair Network, said the number of businesses present reflects the state of the local economy. "Anytime you have this many companies under one roof and you have this many individuals coming to seek work, essentially what this is, this is a barometer for your local economy," Todd said. "This lets you know what industry is hot, which is not, which industry is actively recruiting and going places because things are busy at their corporate offices. This is an indicator of where this area is headed, so there's a lot of good things happening for this area." For those who are on the hunt for a job but missed the job fair at the Communiversity, Todd said there is no need to worry. There are many other job fairs throughout the state with just as many businesses, and all of the information for the next fair is available online at jobfairs.ms.gov. |
| More Americans apply for jobless benefits last week | |
| More Americans applied for jobless aid last week, but the total number of Americans collecting unemployment remains at a five-decade low. Applications for unemployment benefits rose by 27,000 to 229,000 for the week ending June 4, the most since mid-January, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time applications generally track the number of layoffs. The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, rose by 8,000 from the previous week to 215,000. The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits for the week ending May 28 remained unchanged from the previous week at 1,306,000, the fewest since Jan. 10, 1970. American workers are enjoying historically strong job security two years after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the economy into a short but devastating recession. Weekly applications for unemployment aid have been consistently below the pre-pandemic level of 225,000 for most of 2022, even as the overall economy contracted in the first quarter and concerns over inflation persist. Last week, the government reported that U.S. employers added 390,000 jobs in May, extending a streak of solid hiring that has bolstered an economy under pressure from high inflation and rising interest rates. |
| Mississippi honored with Silver Shovel Award for economic development | |
| Due to its economic growth, Mississippi has been recognized for its success by Area Development magazine. Mississippi was honored with a Silver Shovel Award in the "fewer than 3 million population" category. The Shovel Awards are given to state economic development agencies that utilize innovative policies to create jobs, entice employers to open businesses, and improve infrastructure. "Mississippi is committed to competing on all fronts for new business investments. We want to make our state the best in the nation to live, work, and build a business. This award is validation of our ongoing work towards that end," Governor Tate Reeves said. "I want to especially congratulate the Mississippi Development Authority, economic developers throughout the state, and the vast range of private partners that have recognized Mississippi's economic value and chosen to invest in our state." The top project in the state in 2021 was Milwaukee Tool's new accessories manufacturing facility in Grenada County. 1,200 total jobs were created with 800 set to be located in Grenada and 400 scattered throughout Mississippi's other locations. |
| Amazon working to ensure workers' safety after shooting at Horn Lake facility | |
 | After a Friday incident in which a man shot and killed a woman in an Amazon facility at Horn Lake before later being shot to death by Memphis police, the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Madison County continues to prepare for a July 18 opening. "We're heartbroken by this violent act, and we extend our deepest sympathy to the victim's family," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. "We are working to support our team and ensure their safety. We're also working closely with the police department as they lead the response and investigate." The Horn Lake facility is one of two operational facilities in Mississippi, with a third center to come online in Canton on July 18. The 700,000 square-foot facility at the Madison County Mega Site will bring more than 1,000 full-time jobs to the area. It will function as a holding and sorting facility for many of the products Amazon sells and ships and as a place where human workers will work alongside robots to fill orders and deliver packages. The onboarding process will begin the first week of June and will continue for 45 days until the beginning of operations. While the commitment is for 1,000 jobs, he said the number could jump to as many as 1,800 during the holiday season in November and December. |
| In a stunning election, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest headed to runoff with Michael Cassidy | |
 | In a surprising race that shocked political observers and momentarily upended conservative politics, incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Guest appears to be headed to a runoff election fight for his political life. Guest, a Republican who represents central Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, came in second place in a three-person GOP primary on Tuesday night, allowing Michael Cassidy, a far-right Republican who has played up his allegiance to former President Donald Trump, to take the lead. According to a tally by the Daily Journal, Cassidy holds less than a 200-vote lead over Guest. The latest results from the Associated Press show that Cassidy, a former Navy pilot living in Meridian, received 21,831 votes, around 47.7%. Guest, a former district attorney for Madison and Rankin counties, received 21,430 votes, or 46.8%. The third place candidate, Thomas Griffin, received about 5.5% of the vote. Since neither candidate captured a majority of the Republican electorate, Guest and Cassidy will head to a runoff election on June 28. Guest's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cassidy, in a statement on social media, thanked the voters of central Mississippi for supporting him and challenged Guest to a debate. "Micheal Guest has been a good conservative vote for the 3rd District, but he got Trumped," state Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven said. "I don't think people realize how popular Donald Trump is, especially during times like these." But both candidates spent a surprising amount of campaign cash on the race. |
| District 3 U.S. House Runoff: 'It's gonna be a very competitive run off and it's a sprint' | |
| Some Mississippians are bracing for more campaigning, ads and mailers the Republican primary is going to a runoff in the third congressional district race. Michael Cassidy and Michael Guest both received about 47 percent of the vote. Experience is a dividing point in the race and something that both candidates are trying to play to their favor. Michael Guest as the incumbent says he's got a record to run on. Michael Cassidy says he thinks the voters like that he doesn't have political experience. Just less than 300 votes separated Michael Cassidy and Michael Guest...forcing a runoff. We asked Republican strategist Henry Barbour about it. "It certainly surprised people," said Barbour. "It always surprises people when an incumbent doesn't win. But I think it shows you where the electorate is, or you know, ever looking for change. And it's gonna be a very competitive run off and it's a sprint. It's a three-week sprint." Strategy from the Michael Guest campaign is going to shift now. "We've got to set the record straight," said Guest. "You know, we've allowed these attacks to go on now for weeks, we've not answered the attacks. And people have begun to believe this information, because we've not fought back. And so now is the time for us, again, to talk about who we are, what we've done for the state." |
| GOP incumbents on defense, and other takeaways from primaries | |
 | Rep. Michael Guest touts his endorsement from Donald Trump in a pinned post on the top of his campaign Twitter feed. But that endorsement was from 2020 -- the Mississippi Republican did not get one this year -- and it didn't help him Tuesday, when he was forced into a runoff against a pro-Trump challenger who attacked Guest for his vote to establish an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Guest was among a handful of Republicans who voted for the commission who faced challenges from their right in primaries Tuesday. Here are some takeaways from those elections. Guest, a former prosecutor who describes himself as a "conservative Christian leader," was the only Republican in Mississippi's delegation to vote for the Jan. 6 commission. Early Wednesday afternoon, The Associated Press made the call that he and Navy veteran Michael Cassidy will meet in a runoff in less than two weeks. With an estimated 96 percent of the vote counted, Cassidy had 47.5 percent and Guest 46.9 percent in the three-candidate field. Candidates in Mississippi have to get more than 50 percent to win primaries or the top two finishers meet in a June 28 runoff. "I think people are confused about who we are and what we stand for," Guest told local television news reporters Tuesday. "We've allowed our opponent to define that. So if this does go to a runoff, then we are going to make sure that people of the 3rd District know who we are, they know our conservative values." Also forced into a runoff in Mississippi was Republican Rep. Steven M. Palazzo, but that was after a contest that centered on more traditional critiques of alleged ethical lapses and "no-show" representation in Washington. |
| Trump coming to Mississippi. Will he endorse in GOP midterm runoffs? | |
| Former President Donald Trump, headlining his "American Freedom Tour," is scheduled to be in Southaven on June 18. This visit comes ahead of Mississippi's June 28 GOP primary runoffs, with two incumbent Republican congressmen struggling to keep their seats. With Trump remaining popular with Mississippi Republicans, his endorsement in either race could be a deciding factor for incumbents or challengers. Incumbent Rep. Michael Guest trailed Republican challenger Michael Cassidy in unofficial results from Tuesday 46.6% to 47.8%, forcing a runoff with no candidate breaking 50%. Cassidy, a former Navy pilot, tried to run to the right of Guest, including criticizing Guest for voting with Democrats to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by those trying to overturn Trump's loss to President Joe Biden. Trump's American Freedom Tour event is billed as being for Memphis on the group's website, but is set to be held at the Landers Center in Southaven on June 18 from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. The daylong event schedule includes roundtable discussions, meet-and-greet and photo ops and speeches. Speakers include Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, conservative commentators and authors Candace Owens and Dinesh D'Souza. |
| Jackson mayor, police chief attend Gipson's crime summit | |
| The Jackson mayor and police chief were among those who attended a crime summit put on Wednesday by Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. The "Rebuilding the Walls of Safety" was held at the Mississippi Trade Mart. Gipson announced the summit after rival teens opened fire on each other at the Mississippi Mudbug Festival earlier this month. Representatives from state and local agencies came together for a group session on finding solutions to the crime problem. Jackson police have investigated 63 homicides this year. The conversation during the summit covered a variety of topics; however, teen crime prevention steered the conversation. "They're called disconnected youth," said youth engagement specialist Ingrid Cloy. The term is used to describe young people who aren't in school or working. Cloy said in Hinds County alone, there are more than 4,700 youths between the ages of 16 and 24 who aren't connected to education. Cloy said holding facilities might work, but getting Jackson out of the crime crisis starts with teen crime prevention. State Rep. Ronnie Crudup said there are few outlets for teenagers. "South Jackson has over 50,000 residents. We don't have one outdoor basketball court," Crudup said. |
| Record Fuel Prices Upend Businesses, U.S. Economy | |
 | As U.S. gasoline prices approach a record average of $5 a gallon, fuel costs are rippling through almost every corner of business, with signs emerging that the rising expenses are beginning to alter consumer behavior. The price of regular gasoline averaged about $4.97 Thursday, up about 26 cents from the prior week and nearly $2-a-gallon higher compared with this time last year, according to AAA. The steady climb in prices comes as the U.S. economy's recovery from the pandemic has let loose pent-up demand for travel, by road and by air, and with many returning to work commutes. Prices of gasoline, as well as diesel and jet fuel, continue to face upward pressure for many reasons that are unlikely to go away soon. The results are being widely felt---from the food, automobile and trucking industries, to airlines, retail stores and service stations, and even in the oil-and-gas business itself -- with potential political consequences for President Biden and Democrats seeking to maintain their control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Record-high prices threaten to curb some fuel demand, according to analysts, economists and executives. Drivers are now buying fewer gallons on each visit to gas stations, but making more frequent trips to fuel up, they said. Higher gasoline prices tend to reduce consumption as people adjust their driving patterns, economists say. In the short term, a 10% rise in gasoline prices results in a 2% to 3% decline in consumption, said Lucas Davis, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. |
| Biden approval rating at all-time low in new poll | |
 | President Biden's approval rating among Americans has hit an all-time low, according to a new Morning Consult poll. The poll published on Wednesday found that 58 percent of those surveyed disapprove of Biden's performance as president, while 39 percent of respondents approve. That's down from 42 percent of respondents who approved of Biden's performance in a Morning Consult poll taken last month. Morning Consult noted that Biden's latest polling numbers are worse than his predecessor, former President Trump, at this time in his presidency four years ago. This was also Biden's lowest approval rating and highest disapproval rating since he took office in January 2021, according to Morning Consult's polling. Eighty percent of respondents who are registered Republicans strongly disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president, while 37 percent of respondents who are registered Democrats strongly approve of his handling of his position. Biden is heading into the midterms struggling with soaring inflation and record gas prices, as well as Russia's grinding war in Ukraine, a recent string of gun violence and a pending Supreme Court decision likely overturning Roe v. Wade. |
| Biden picks USDA veteran for USTR agriculture negotiator post | |
| President Joe Biden said he has a new nominee for the job of chief agricultural negotiator who has deep roots at the Agriculture Department. Biden announced Wednesday that he will nominate Doug McKalip, a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to the negotiator post for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. McKalip has held a variety of USDA posts over nearly 29 years. He has had stints as senior adviser to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, senior adviser to the secretary, and legislative and public affairs director for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He also served as senior policy adviser on rural affairs for the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama administration. His responsibilities over the years make him familiar with commodity markets, trade issues and subjects such as biotechnology. With the announcement, Biden has nominees for two trade posts that agriculture organizations say are critical to opening export markets, defending market access and holding trading partners to agreements. The American Soybean Association, International Dairy Foods Association and U.S. Grains Council welcomed news of McKalip's pending nomination. |
| California man in custody after he said he wanted to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh | |
 | A man with a gun and a knife was detained by police early Wednesday near the Maryland home of Brett M. Kavanaugh after making threats against the Supreme Court justice, according to local and federal officials. Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., was charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice after he called authorities and said he was having suicidal thoughts and wanted to kill a specific justice, according to federal prosecutors. Roske was "upset" by the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that it is positioned to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 49-year-old decision that guarantees a person's constitutional right to abortion, as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Tex., according to an affidavit filed Wednesday in federal court. "Roske stated that he began thinking about how to give his life a purpose and decided that he would kill the Supreme Court Justice ...," the affidavit said, adding that he allegedly planned to break into the justice's home to kill him as well as himself. The affidavit does not identify which justice Roske was threatening, but Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said in a statement that a man was arrested near Kavanaugh's residence after making "threats against Justice Kavanaugh." Efforts to reach Roske's family were unsuccessful. Asked about the incident near Kavanaugh's home on Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned any acts or threats of violence against Supreme Court justices. |
| The Jan. 6 hearings' missing man: Mike Pence | |
 | The Jan. 6 select committee's hearings are all about one man, and it's not the one you think. It's Mike Pence. At nearly every turn, Donald Trump's crusade to stay in power ran through his vice president. Pence was the subject of Trump's last-ditch, possibly criminal, pressure campaign to overturn the election and a necessary component of the former president's plan to send friendly false electors to Congress. Not to mention that the domestic extremists who allegedly ignited the violent Capitol riot intended to prevent Pence from presiding over the transition of power to Joe Biden. Ultimately, Pence's refusal to support Trump's push enraged the former president, who used it to stoke his supporters' fury even further. Now the only remaining question is whether Pence -- who has been boosting his public profile for a potential 2024 bid -- will play any direct role in the select panel's effort to force a national reckoning with Trump's plot to subvert the election. Democrats say they haven't ruled out the possibility that he'll testify. "We've always had the effort to reach out and get the vice president's participation, so that's still there," the Jan. 6 committee's Chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told reporters, adding: "we're still engaging [Pence's lawyers]." The panel has clearly wrestled with how to approach the former vice president, treading cautiously around questions about their intentions. Meanwhile, Pence has shown no public interest in participating in the select committee's proceedings, though he's publicly defended his decision to break from Trump and rebuked the former president's push to overturn their loss to Biden. |
| PEER review raises question on whether Mississippi should have a single college governance board | |
 | The Joint Legislative PEER Committee released a report on Wednesday that took a look at the governance structure for Mississippi's institutions of higher learning, community colleges, and medical center. Currently, Mississippi's model consists of two postsecondary governance boards, one which oversees Universities (Institutions of Higher Learning, IHL) and the Mississippi Community College Board. In their conclusion, PEER reported that there are no current best practices for governance but did recommend some options for restructuring. The IHL oversees Mississippi's eight public universities. Originally, the state established individual boards for each institution but in 1943 Mississippians voted to create the IHL board which would oversee them all. The Mississippi Community College Board was originally the Commission of Junior Colleges in 1928. In 1986, the Legislature reconstituted the Commission as the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges. It was given its current name in 2011. If the state were to consider consolidating into one governance board they would need to take into account the regulatory and support provisions provided by the IHL as well as the support functions of the MCCB. |
| Anderson Regional Health System unveils nurse residency program | |
 | A residency program at Anderson Regional Health System will make the transition from school to work much smoother for new nurses. "Our schools do a great job at getting nurses prepared to pass their NCLEX test to become a registered nurse, but like many professions, the transition into the work world needs more time," Anderson's Chief Nursing Officer Wes Garrison said Wednesday. The RN residency is an extensive 12 month program for graduate nurses or licensed Registered Nurses with less than one year of experience. It aims to give them the clinical setting with classroom learning, simulations and clinical orientations with an experienced practitioner. "This program gives them the opportunity to have different exposure to other areas where they might fit or finding what specialty is right for them," Garrison said. Garrison said other institutions have seen success with their residency programs, and he wanted to bring similar opportunities to local students. "The results that I have seen in other other hospitals is the gateway to recruiting new nurses, and you are getting the graduates who are committed to you," Garrison said. "The physicians are happier, the staff is happier, it is just an overall better transition for them. My experience has shown that, so I wanted to bring that here." |
| Free line worker classes coming this fall at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | |
 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Mississippi Power are partnering to offer a line worker program at no cost to participants. Applications are currently being taken for classes beginning Sept. 6. "This class is part of a larger project funded by Accelerate Mississippi that supports line worker training district-wide," said Erin Riggins, associate vice president of workforce solutions at MGCCC. The electric line worker non-credit training program is a one-semester, 13-week program. Students receive specialized instruction in certification areas required by the electrical power industry. "We recognize the importance of properly trained students to enter the workforce and help us make and move electricity for our customers," said Stephen Schruff, transmission general manager at Mississippi Power. "This is a path we're putting out there, where you can a have a very good career, provide for your family and possibly stay within the area." Upon completion, students are prepared for an entry-level position as an electrical powerline installer or repairer. The curriculum focuses on basic safety, basic electricity, pole climbing and bucket truck operation, along with other basic skills needed for entry-level work in the utility field. In addition to the non-credit Electric Lineworker training, MGCCC also offers a credit Apprentice Electric Lineman program at the George County Center in Lucedale. |
| U. of South Carolina receives letters from Anne Frank's father, who published her famous diary | |
 | The Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina has received a donation of 100 cards and letters written by Anne Frank's father, Otto Frank. Cara Wilson-Granat, who wrote to Otto when she was 12 in 1957 after auditioning for the role of Anne Frank in the movie adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank," donated the correspondence from the father of the Jewish Dutch girl whose diary is considered one of the most iconic works about the Holocaust. "The letters are going to have a life where there's discussion," Wilson-Granat said during a news conference June 8. "We already have had the students sitting down and they're talking about antisemitism and racism and bullying and there's so much that I believe that we can grow from these letters." The donation establishes the Anne Frank Archive, which will be supported by USC's Anne Frank Center and University Libraries. USC opened the world's fourth Anne Frank Center in September as a partner to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. When Wilson-Granat told a friend of hers, John Nieman, who also wrote back and forth with Otto Frank, about her desire to donate her letters, Nieman told her about the center at USC. Last spring, Wilson-Granat, Nieman, and another friend and correspondent with Otto Frank, Ryan Cooper, visited the center. The three met and became friends when they realized they each wrote to famed diarist's father. "It was a moving reunion when they visited to examine the library and the vault to see whether this was a suitable home," Anne Frank Center Director Doyle Stevick told The Post and Courier. |
| George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum to host Bush Birthday Celebration | |
 | In honor of the late President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is hosting a free Bush Birthday Celebration for the couple Friday in the rotunda of the museum along George Bush Drive West in College Station. "This is the first time we have held this celebration since 2019, but we have been celebrating their birthdays for many years in the rotunda," Tracy Paine, director public programs with the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum said. "We will have have Blue Bell ice cream, Pepsi products, coffee, balloons and a show-stopping cake. We encourage people to wear pearls in honor of Barbara and crazy socks to celebrate the life of George." Barbara always wore three strands of pearls, while George was famous toward the end of his life for wearing crazy socks, she said. George would have turned 98 years old June 12 and Barbara would have turned 97 on Wednesday; and in celebration, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aggieland residents can gather to honor the Bush family. In addition to the birthday celebration, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is hosting numerous upcoming events including a Juneteenth celebration, a summer film series, history summer camp, Bill of Rights workshop for elementary and secondary educators and a Nelson Mandela exhibit. |
| U. of Missouri grad Juana Summers named co-host of NPR's 'All Things Considered' | |
 | Veteran journalist and 2009 University of Missouri graduate Juana Summers was named the next co-host of National Public Radio's hallmark program "All Things Considered," the news organization announced Wednesday. Summers, whose deep and wide career as a reporter has included stops at The Associated Press, Politico and CNN as well as previous tours at NPR, will join the show June 27, replacing Audie Cornish. The "All Things Considered" team of hosts includes Ailsa Chang, Mary Louise Kelly, Ari Shapiro and Michel Martin, NPR noted in an article. Summers, who is Black, takes the position "at a time when questions about diversity, equity and retention have sparked intense discussion inside NPR's newsroom and in public," the article said. Several female hosts of color have left NPR since last year, and the organization has pursued a "notably diverse cadre of hosts since." Summers stressed her desire to reach and reflect audiences who might not always be included in media narratives. In a 2015 MU article, Summers credited School of Journalism professors and editors such as Lynda Kraxberger, Karen Mitchell, Mary Kay Blakely and Katherine Reed as formative influences. The school's "Missouri Method," which allows students to gain real-world reporting experience, stoked her passion for the craft, she testified. |
| In Connecticut and across the U.S., undergraduate student employees are forming unions | |
| t's been a banner for year student worker organizing. Several new undergraduate student employee unions formed in the past few months, including at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, which became the first confirmed union of undergraduate student workers at a private college to be voluntarily recognized. And these student organizers are training student workers at other schools to follow their lead. When the pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020, student workers struggled with financial insecurity -- those who had relied on their on-campus employment to help pay for living expenses and tuition were now out of work. Even after returning to campus, student employees struggled. Esmeralda Abreu-Jerez, a student dining worker at Dartmouth College, said most of her co-workers contracted COVID at some point during the pandemic, and it was up to other employees to pick up the slack. She said shifts at the campus cafe where she works can be grueling, especially when they're short-staffed. At Wesleyan, Ruby Clarke, a student organizer for Wesleyan's Union of Student Employees (WesUSE), said residential life employees were suddenly expected to be on the front lines of enforcing the university's COVID prevention policies, like mask mandates and visitation bans. They were also required to stay on campus during a spike in COVID cases during the fall 2020 semester, when other students were asked to leave. The rise in undergraduate organizing isn't surprising, said Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of Labor Education Research at Cornell University. "Young people are looking at their futures and they're seeing that the opportunities are much worse for them than they were for their parents," Bronfenbrenner said. |
| Bacow to step down as Harvard's president after five years | |
 | Lawrence S. Bacow, who led Harvard University through the pandemic and spent more than 50 years studying, teaching at and presiding over three major universities in the Boston area, announced Wednesday that he would step down as Harvard's president next summer. "There is never a good time to leave a job like this one, but now seems right to me," Bacow said in a prepared statement. "Through our collective efforts, we have found our way through the pandemic. We have worked together to sustain Harvard through change and through storm, and collectively we have made Harvard better and stronger in countless ways." When Bacow stepped down as president of Tufts University, in 2016, he described a decade as the optimal length of a presidency. "I have often said that 10 years is about the right term for a university president. It is long enough for one individual to have a substantial impact but not so long that the institution, or the president, becomes comfortable." Bacow will leave Harvard after a presidential stint about half as long, but that period included two full years of the COVID-19 pandemic, each of which arguably counts as three. (He also spent seven previous years as a member of the Harvard Corporation, the university's main governing body.) The son of immigrants, he attended college at MIT and then earned three degrees from Harvard, including a Ph.D. in public policy. His scholarly work has included environmental policy, bargaining and negotiation, economics, law, public policy, and higher education. |
| Legislation to Limit Critical Race Theory at Colleges Has Reached Fever Pitch | |
 | Bills introduced in state legislatures across the country have increasingly taken aim at higher education and the discussion of race, racism, and gender in college classrooms and programs. That's according to new data from PEN America, an advocacy group for free expression, which began tracking all such bills, including those aimed at K-12, in January 2021. So far, 70 bills -- which PEN America calls "educational gag orders" -- have been introduced in 28 states, with 56 more coming in 2022. The upswing signals an increased effort by lawmakers in those states to limit the discussion of certain topics on campuses, according to the group. Over all, 42 percent of these legislative proposals have targeted higher ed in 2022, up from 26 percent last year. Most of them have been introduced by Republicans who are concerned about what they consider to be liberal indoctrination on campuses. Though the bills come from different statehouses across the U.S., most of them share a similar goal: combating the teaching of critical race theory and other topics that lawmakers have labeled "divisive concepts." On Wednesday, PEN America and the American Association of Colleges and Universities, which represents more than 1,000 colleges and is an advocate for liberal-arts education, issued a joint statement to bring attention to the threat these bills pose to higher education. Lynn Pasquerella, president of the AAC&U and a former president of Mount Holyoke College, said the legislation threatens colleges' independence, which is important for academic quality and integrity. Freedom from undue political influence is also required by accrediting agencies, she said. (Accreditors regulate colleges' access to federal financial aid.) |
| Jill Biden to L.A. college grads: 'Never forget your path' | |
| Jill Biden urged graduates of a Los Angeles community college on Tuesday to "never forget where you came from," saying they can learn from their past without being defined by it. The first lady, a community college English professor, singled out a few Los Angeles City College graduates in her brief remarks, including a 46-year-old woman who realized a childhood dream of becoming a teacher after losing her 25-year career as a graphic designer during the pandemic. She also told the stories of a woman from the Ivory Coast who went into labor with her third child during her final exam, but still completed her test, and of the U.S. Marine diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour in Afghanistan but found treatment and enrolled at LACC. In her first address of the 2022 commencement season, Biden told the more than 1,000 graduates that "you astonish me with your grit and your determination and that is why I love teaching community college." As first lady, she continues to teach at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has taught since 2009. The first lady was in Los Angeles to help host, with President Biden, the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of leaders of democracies in the Western Hemisphere. |
| How Would Student-Loan Forgiveness Really Work? | |
| Nearly 18 months into the term of President Biden, his administration continues to grapple with whether and how to provide blanket forgiveness to the more than 40 million people who hold nearly $1.6 trillion in student-loan debt. Since he was a candidate in 2020, the president has consistently said he wanted to erase up to $10,000 of debt for each borrower, preferably by an act of Congress rather than executive action. So far, Congress has failed to act, and Biden's campaign proposal remains just that, with little indication from the administration if or when an executive action will be announced. The White House has denied that any plan is imminent, though news accounts in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal indicate otherwise. Those reports outline a plan consistent with the president's original target amount, perhaps with an income cap to limit who will be eligible. Such a measure would erase the debt of nearly a third of borrowers and halve the debt of an additional 20 percent. A proposal to cancel student loans would make more sense if it were part of a broader discussion about how to finance a college education, said Matthew M. Chingos, who directs the Center on Education Data and Policy at the Urban Institute. Instead, Chingos said, the current debate focuses on whether the president should pick a somewhat random amount for cancellation, without discussing who should benefit from loan forgiveness and without taking steps to prevent future college students from ending up with intractable debts. |
| Many for-profits would fail under gainful-employment rule change | |
| Under the Biden administration's proposed gainful-employment rule, 40 percent of programs at for-profit colleges would fail, potentially risking their ability to qualify for federal student aid, according to a new study released Wednesday by the Institute for College Access and Success. Under the proposed change, the study found, nearly double the number of for-profit colleges would not meet gainful-employment standards compared to the original 2014 rule. "The basic economics of a college education, even if a student does not complete it, is supposed to be associated with higher earnings than if that student had not attended college at all," said Marshall Anthony, research director at TICAS. "Failing GE programs, especially the disproportionately substantial share of failing GE programs at for-profits, are in fact not ensuring students an adequate return on their education." The first gainful-employment rule was revoked under the Trump administration in 2019, removing this check on the outcomes of educational programs. Supporters of gainful employment argued that without the metric, colleges -- particularly for-profit colleges -- could not be evaluated to ensure graduates were being placed in jobs with incomes needed to cover their student debt. "I think there's a lot of concern, obviously, that there are some programs that consistently lead to bad outcomes for their students and there shouldn't be any programs that lead to bad outcomes for their students," said Jon Fansmith, assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education. "So in terms of gainful employment as a tool to keep that from happening, I think colleges and universities are supportive of that." In January, the Education Department proposed reinstating the gainful-employment metric. |
| Just when things were looking predictable for Mississippi Republicans | |
| Alan Lange writes for Y'all Politics: Just when things were looking somewhat predictable, the midterm primaries happened. It's understandable with 8 of 8 statewide elected officials, both U.S. Senators, 3 out of 4 Congressmen, and supermajorities in both chamber of the state legislature that Republicans have gotten spoiled with not a lot of electoral intrigue the past few years. With incredibly underwhelming turnout, two Republican incumbents, Michael Guest and Steven Palazzo, struggled. Here are some things that really stood out. ... assidy snuck up on Guest: There's really no other way to put it. Guest's bet was probably not that he would run up the score but being in a runoff and having had the real possibility of actually losing on the first ballot had to have surprised the Guest team substantially. Cassidy ran an "America First" campaign but didn't have any of the Trump machine behind him formally. There was just disaffection with the political environment in general and it's easy to get washed up in those dynamics if you're not careful. ... Statewide elected officials and legislative candidates ignore last night's election results at their own peril. The energy is clearly in the Trump-y section of the party. Voters are pretty furious right now, but in a primary election there's not much of a place to focus it. |
| Can Michael Guest regain his footing in runoff with Michael Cassidy? | |
| The Daily Journal's Sam R. Hall writes: Virtually nobody expected U.S. Rep. Michael Guest to be heading to a runoff in the Third Congressional District. Even fewer -- if anyone -- would have put money on newcomer Michael Cassidy to lead the night. Nevertheless, unofficial results Wednesday morning had Cassidy leading by less than 300 votes with neither candidate breaking the 50% margin needed to win. Cassidy is more than just a political newcomer. The former Navy pilot is relatively new to Mississippi, having moved to Meridian about four years ago. He didn't raise much money, but he spent plenty of his own dough on social media, television and mail to spread his hard-right, pro-MAGA message and to label Guest as a Republican In Name Only -- a laughable claim for anyone who knows Guest or has watched his political career. But it worked. And it worked -- at least largely -- because Guest did not campaign like someone with an opponent. Politicos, politicians and elected officials with whom I spoke Wednesday morning all said the same things: Guest was lazy. Guest didn't take Cassidy seriously. Guest thought he was going to win 3-to-1. It's easy to understand not taking Cassidy seriously at first. His campaign ads were filled with typical far-right soundbites that even most conservatives would not take seriously, and many of the policy points on his website are mind-blowingly outlandish, not to mention largely not conservative. ... But Cassidy tapped into the pro-Trump political zeitgeist, spent more than $200,000 of his own money and worked his butt off. He went hard at Guest for his vote to create the Jan. 6 Commission and made wild accusations about other votes. |
SPORTS
| MSU Delivers Three Finals Appearances on Nationals' Opening Day | |
| Three of the four Bulldogs competed on the opening day of the National Championships, and all three advanced to their respective finals. Navasky Anderson advanced to Friday's final by running the fastest time of the entire 800m semifinal (1:45.94). The run was only 0.05 seconds away from tying his personal best that crowned him as the Southeastern Conference champion. Cameron Crump's first jump of the evening found him tied for sixth (7.60m | 24-11.25). From there, the Bulldog jumped his way into the finals where he finished ninth, solidifying his second team All-American status. Though the Bulldog fell short of the individual title, Crump still improved his performance from last season's national's appearance where he finished 13th. DJ Jónsson's final throw of the semifinal round (74.51m | 244-5) secured the Icelander his appearance in the finals. His final throw of his 2022 campaign went 76.29m (250-3) to secure the SEC champion his first team All-American status with a top-seven performance. Sydney Steely will be the lone Bulldog to compete at Hayward Field Thursday evening when she competes in the semifinal of the 800m. The top two finishers of the three heats, along with the next three best times, will all advance to Saturday's final. |
| How Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans retained key players | |
| Forward Tolu Smith was no different from most Mississippi State fans when the basketball coaching search began. He was on social media and saw the rumors of Chris Jans coming to Starkville, so he got to work. "I'm not going to lie, I looked into him," Smith said Wednesday. That stemmed beyond a Google search. Smith reached out to his friend Trevelin Queen -- the 2022 G League MVP and former standout at New Mexico State -- to ask about Jans. Smith tuned in to watch Jans and the Aggies play in the NCAA Tournament and win their first-round game against UConn. Smith admits he was close with former coach Ben Howland and entering the transfer portal was considered. But after Jans arrived, Smith and his family met with the staff, including assistant George Brooks, who was retained. After an injury-riddled season, Smith felt returning to complete unfinished business was his best option. "I just love what they have going here and the energy that they're bringing." Smith said. But keeping him was only a start. |
| Mississippi State Announces First Saturday In StarkVegas Ticket Package And Other Plans | |
| Mark your calendars now to be part of First Saturday in StarkVegas, Mississippi State football's exciting 2022 season kickoff event. This can't miss weekend features your first chance to Experience StarkVegas for the 2022 season as the Junction officially opens for tailgating, the Dawg Walk makes its way to Davis Wade Stadium, and the Air Raid returns to Scott Field for another exciting season! The weekend will include a variety of events throughout the City of Starkville and on campus, headlined by State's 6:30 p.m. contest against Memphis under the lights at Davis Wade Stadium. Beginning today (Wednesday, June 8), fans can secure tickets to MSU's Sept. 3 season opener via the new First Saturday in StarkVegas four-ticket package which provides an opportunity to enjoy Bulldog Football for a great price point. For only $59, fans will receive a parking pass and four tickets with seats located in the upper east side of the venue, which features an enclosed, air-conditioned fan concourse. The $59 First Saturday in StarkVegas package cost will only be available at this rate through July 7. The price increases to $69 on Friday, July 8, and goes up to $79 on Monday, Aug. 8. Further details related to First Saturday, including a full weekend schedule of events can be found at HailState.com/FirstSaturday. Check back throughout the summer as more events get added to this full-weekend experience in StarkVegas. |
| Former Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk has answers for transfer portal, NIL | |
| More than a decade has passed since Ron Polk was a college baseball coach, and it's not a job he envies much today. The longtime Mississippi State coach, regarded by many as the father of SEC baseball, has well-documented gripes with the NCAA -- calling it the enemy of college baseball. The institution's handling of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness is among his more recent displeasures. Polk retired from Mississippi State in 2008 at a time when roster sizes and scholarships were shrinking. He never cut players based on performance, Polk told the Clarion Ledger on Wednesday, and he didn't want to begin then. The transfer portal has made that a regularity. Patience for developing talent has diminished, forcing coaches to push players to leave. The same goes for players who are often unhappy with playing time and elect to go elsewhere. Thousands of players are entering the portal across college sports, including 10 from Mississippi State baseball since its season ended May 21. "The portal is out of control," Polk said. "I can solve the problem if the NCAA would listen to me, but they never listen to me." |
| Politicians make Twitter hashtag wager for Southern Miss baseball vs. Ole Miss super regional | |
 | It takes a certain amount of hype around a sporting event to inspire area politicians to start making wagers. The NCAA super regional between Southern Miss baseball and Ole Miss has officially reached that threshold. Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker, a Southern Miss graduate, accepted a hashtag challenge from Ole Miss alumnus and state auditor Shad White on Twitter. The best-of-three series starts Saturday. Here's what is at stake. "College baseball has always been big in the state of Mississippi, but I think it just got a lot bigger this weekend in all honesty," Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. "We're proud of it. We're proud of how it's moved forward. We're extremely proud of our program and the investments that were made in it in facilities and everything else that enables you to get a chance to go to Omaha." Southern Miss is expecting a sellout at Pete Taylor Park after tickets were released to season ticket holders and Eagle Club members this week. The cheapest ticket on the secondary market site StubHub is listed at $350, as of Wednesday evening. |
| Stores prepare for Hattiesburg Super Regional business | |
 | It's been a busy day on campus at the University of Southern Mississippi. New student orientation, cheerleader camp and people on the hunt for golden eagle swag. USM Bookstore General Manager Andy Beckwith says, "we've been seeing a lot of extra traffic." Beckwith added that USM baseball fever is boosting sales with people buying last-minute gear. Fans can grab their swag on campus and at the Campus Book Mart along Hardy Street. Campus Book Mart Manager Kathleen Sick says, "yes, we were here till probably seven or eight o'clock at night. The fans were really up and wanted to get all that gear for the next day's game." Campus Book Mart will have super regional gear just in time for the big series games. |
| SEC plenty strong with 5 remaining teams | |
| There were growing rumblings from about the midway point of conference play that the Southeastern Conference was lacking in quality depth behind national front-runner Tennessee, which won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, and is the odds-on favorite to win the College World Series. Yet the SEC flexed its collective muscle at NCAA regionals last weekend, qualifying five of the 16 teams in this weekend's NCAA super regionals. Hosts Tennessee (the national No. 1 seed), Texas A&M (5 seed) and Auburn (14) all advanced, in addition to second-seeded Arkansas and third-seeded Ole Miss. Host and No. 13 national seed Florida did not advance, but the Gators reached a regional final before losing, as did two seeds LSU and Vanderbilt. The rugged SEC West placed more than half its members into the final 16, accounting for a full quarter of the remaining teams. SEC West champion Texas A&M, runner-up Arkansas, fourth-place Auburn and fifth-place Ole Miss spoke to the strength of the division. The Atlantic Coast Conference has four remaining teams (4 seed Virginia Tech, 10 seed North Carolina, 12 seed Louisville and Notre Dame); the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Texas) and the Pac-12 (Oregon State, Stanford) have two; while the American Athletic Conference (East Carolina), Conference USA (Southern Miss) and Big East (UConn) have one apiece. So the SEC is alive and well aiming for a three-peat as College World Series champion, all with different teams. |
| How Georgia football's Kendall Milton turned love of cars into new NIL opportunity | |
 | Kendall Milton wants to go fast and in a few weeks, he'll get to go faster than he's ever gone before. The junior running back grew up playing with Hot Wheels toy cars and watching car videos. That grew into a love and appreciation for cars, especially performance cars. Milton isn't super into NASCAR or newly popular F1 racing. "It's more about the street performance cars, whether it's muscle cars like HellCats or exotic cars like Ferrari or McLaren," he told the Athens Banner-Herald. "Those are the cars that I have a huge love for." Though he won't get to drive his dream car -- a 2020 McLaren 720S -- on June 26, he'll speed around in a BMW at the BMW Performance Driving School in Greer, South Carolina as part of a newly launched NIL opportunity with The Players' Lounge. The Players' Lounge, which connects student athletes with fans, was created last fall and launched The Players' Lounge Experiences this month with intention of providing fans with unique experiences alongside their favorite Georgia student athletes. Other upcoming experiences through The Players' Lounge include a round of golf with Ladd McConkey and hunting with Keith Marshall. |
| More improvements coming to Williams-Brice Stadium? It's possible, Ray Tanner says | |
 | Williams-Brice Stadium is debuting a handful of improvements in 2022, but it might not be the last set of upgrades in the not-too-distant future. South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner told The State at SEC spring meetings last week the school isn't closing the door on further changes to the facility and is currently kicking around ideas as the latest round of stadium renovations enter their final stages. "We've talked about other things we could do," Tanner said. "I don't want to get into too much detail, but yes, we're having conversations about maybe the future Williams-Brice and things that we can continue to do to provide a greater fan experience." Williams-Brice Stadium is set to showcase a slew of enhancements to its gameday setup this coming fall, adding another layer of excitement for those anxiously awaiting Shane Beamer's second season in charge in Columbia. A new lighting system -- examples of which have made the rounds on social media in recent weeks -- are atop the list of shiny new toys being added the facility. USC is also in the process of adding ribbon boards to the interior of the stadium. Tanner also noted the longstanding hope to build a permanent home for the USC Athletics Hall of Fame remains on the docket, although nothing is pending on that front. |
| Tennessee AD White discusses capacity, timeline for Lindsey Nelson Stadium renovations | |
| Tennessee's Lindsey Nelson Stadium has been filled beyond its official capacity for most of this season, shattering the Vols' baseball attendance records throughout what has been a historic year for the program. Athletic director Danny White wants Tennessee's planned facelift to the stadium to give the Vols more flexibility when it comes to attendance. During an appearance Tuesday on Knoxville's 99.1 The Sports Animal, White said he expects the upcoming renovations to Lindsey Nelson Stadium to expand seating capacity to between 6,500 to 8,000. But he said additional "standing-room" areas could allow crowds to expand by "as much as even a couple thousand." The stadium currently has an official capacity of 4,283. Tennessee has hosted several crowds of more than 4,500 this season, with the Vols spending most of the year as the nation's top-ranked team. "I think we'll be in that (6,500-to-8,000) range. We haven't finalized it yet," White said Tuesday afternoon on "SportsTalk." White said during Tuesday's radio appearance that he doesn't expect construction to begin until after the 2023 season, and he's "hopeful we can have it done" in time for the 2024 season. But he's not sure yet when the renovations might be completed. |
| Longtime LSU sports information director, historian Bud Johnson dies | |
 | Longtime LSU publicist Marvin L. "Bud" Johnson, who was a part of the LSU staff for its 1958 football national championship and the Pete Maravich basketball era, died Sunday at the age of 88. For the past several years, Johnson has been a part of many LSU and SEC/ESPN-driven documentaries and stories as a historian on sports at LSU and in Louisiana. Johnson was born in New Orleans and was a graduate of then Southeastern Louisiana College. By the age of 16, he was writing a sports column that was available in both weekly papers in Ponchatoula. His sports public relations work began at the age of 18 as he served as sports publicist for Southeastern Louisiana from 1952-56 while attending college. Johnson was hired by LSU athletic director Jim Corbett as an assistant sports publicity director on Feb. 1, 1958. He arrived just before one of the most important football seasons in LSU history as the Tigers went undefeated and were named the consensus national champions. From 1966-71, he was the LSU sports information director, which included the three years of varsity basketball in which Maravich became the game's all-time Division I career scorer. Most recently, Johnson served as director of the Jack and Priscilla Andonie Museum at LSU and as writer for the school's Alumni Association magazine. He was the author of the book "Perfect Season: LSU's Magic Year - 1958," which was published in 2007. |
| 'This Is Uncomfortable': Saudi Arabia Upends Genteel World of Pro Golf | |
 | The golf champions were settled in their chairs at a news conference to promote their new Saudi-financed tournament when a reporter raised the uncomfortable question of the oil-rich kingdom's human rights record. The 2010 United States Open champion, Graeme McDowell, to the obvious relief of the players sitting alongside him, took it on. "If Saudi Arabia want to use the game of golf as a way for them to get to where they want to be," McDowell said, "I think we're proud to help them on that journey." That journey, though, is the point: The Saudi-funded project, called the LIV Golf Invitational Series and kicking off on Thursday at an exclusive club outside London, represents nothing less than an attempt to supplant the elite level of an entire sport, taking place in real time, with golf's best players cast as the prize in a high-stakes, billion-dollar tug of war. Unlike the vanity purchase of a European soccer team or the hosting of a major global sporting event, Saudi Arabia's foray into golf is no mere branding exercise, not just another example of what critics say is a reputation-cleansing process that some deride as the "sportswashing" of its global image. Instead, Saudi Arabia's sudden entry into golf is part of a layered approach by the kingdom -- not just through investments in sports but also in spheres like business, education, entertainment and the arts -- to alter perceptions of itself, both externally and internally, as more than just a wealthy, conservative Muslim monarchy. While the Saudi plan's potential for success is far from clear -- the series does not yet have a major television rights deal, nor the array of corporate sponsors who typically line up to bankroll PGA Tour events -- its direct appeal to players and its seemingly bottomless financial resources could eventually have repercussions for the 93-year-old PGA Tour, as well as the corporations and broadcasters who have built professional golf into a multibillion-dollar business. |
| PGA Tour suspends LIV Golf Series participants as Saudi-backed league gets underway | |
 | Seventeen golfers who are currently playing in the LIV Golf Series have been suspended for an unspecified period, the PGA Tour announced Thursday, saying the players made their choice to play in the Saudi-backed league for "financial-based reasons." Those who chose to participate in the future will also be suspended, the Tour announced. The announcement came roughly 30 minutes after the LIV teed off in London for its first 54-hole, team-oriented tournament. Players who have resigned their PGA Tour membership won't be eligible for the FedEx Cup Playoffs and will not be allowed to play in PGA Tour events as "a non-member via a sponsor exemption or any other eligibility category." "I am certain our fans and partners -- who are surely tired of the all this talk of money, money and money -- will continue to be entertained and compelled by the world-class competition you display each and every week, where there are true consequences for every shot you take and your rightful place in history whenever you reach that elusive winner's circles," PGA Tour president Jay Monahan said in a statement. The tour has already landed a number of big names. Phil Mickelson, one of the first known PGA Tour players to support the league, says he doesn't plan to resign his PGA Tour membership. Dustin Johnson announced this week that he resigned from the PGA Tour and intends to participate only in LIV Golf events and majors in the immediate future. He reportedly received $125 million to join the tour. He joins Kevin Na, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Ian Poulter and others for the tour's inaugural event at the Centurion Golf Club outside of London. |
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