| Monday, June 27, 2022 |
| Miss Mississippi State wins the crown | |
 | Miss Mississippi 2022 was crowned at the Vicksburg Convention Center Saturday night. Miss Mississippi State University Emmie Perkins won the title and will now represent the state at the Miss America competition. The Top 10 were announced shortly after the Miss Mississippi competition began. After competing in Talent and Red Carpet Evening Wear, the judges selected the Top 5. Charity Lockridge, Miss Leaf River Valley, was named the 1st alternate, and Miss Mississippi State University, Emmie Perkins, won the title of Miss Mississippi 2022. Perkins said, "I've worked very hard to be where I am today. I think, ultimately, I'm very passionate about what I do with music for our state of Mississippi. I was born and raised here in Mississippi. I'm an avid lover of the arts. It's what shaped me into the young woman that I am today. So I'm so excited to spread that to our state. I couldn't ask for a better platform and a larger platform to do that on." The new Miss Mississippi says she can't wait for the opportunity to spread the message on the importance of the arts and music. Perking said, "I go into classrooms very often, and as Miss Mississippi State, it was something that I absolutely love to do. I've actually partnered with the Mississippi Department of Education with Lemuel Eubanks, the Arts Director, and we are working on implementing SEAL curriculum that basically takes music and learning in the arts and implements it all in one with mental health as the emphasis as well." She will also begin preparations for Miss America. |
| New Miss Mississippi crowned in final night of competition in Vicksburg | |
 | Emmie Perkins of Hattiesburg was crowned Miss Mississippi 2022 at the organization's annual competition Saturday night in Vicksburg. Perkins, an advocate for the arts who sang a rendition of Brandi Carlile's "The Story" during the talent portion, came into the competition as the reigning Miss Mississippi State University. Moments after receiving her crown from 2021 Miss Mississippi Holly Brand, Perkins said her younger self could have never imagined winning. "I don't think I would have ever imagined myself on this stage and in this role because I grew up doing theater. I never was a dancer, I never played sports, it never worked out for me, but when I found my love for the arts everything changed," Perkins said. "To be standing where I am today is a testament to young girls that Miss America, Miss Mississippi, is a shape shifter. She fits the time that she is needed. I'm a representative of what it means to take your talents and gifts and pour it into this organization and be able to spread your true love to the state of Mississippi and now to Miss America." During the interview portion of the competition, Perkins was asked whether children's use of technology like smartphones has a negative impact on their education. Perkins said despite negatives, she believes in technology as an educational tool. "I think we need to focus on teaching kids what is important," Perkins said. "We can use technology for the better." |
| Emmie Perkins crowned winner of Miss Mississippi 2022 | |
| After a week filled with interviews, performances, and social events, this year's title of Miss Mississippi has been awarded to Hattiesburg native Emmie Perkins. Perkins, formerly Miss Mississippi State University, received the crown and title following a high-ranking score from the judges during the preliminary rounds of the competition. During Thursday night's preliminary round, Perkins was named the winner of the Red Carpet portion while wearing an evening gown from Mia Bella Prom and Pageant located in Flowood. On top of the title and crown, Perkins is also the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship funded by Ameristar Casino and Hotel. Now, Perkins will represent the Magnolia State in next year's Miss America competition in hopes that she will bring the winning title home for the fifth time in Mississippi history. As for the other 30 contestants, numerous scholarships were distributed to the four alternates and five semi-finalists. Each of the five semi-finalists was awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Miss Mississippi Corporation. |
| 'It's surreal': Miss Mississippi Emmie Perkins reflects on competition week, win | |
| After only two hours of sleep and a little more than 12 hours after winning the state title, Miss Mississippi 2022 Emmie Perkins was still in awe -- especially after seeing the pictures of former Miss Mississippi titleholders that line the wall of the Miss Mississippi Corporation office. "It's surreal. Even entering this office, I keep having these little moments of surrealness when I see the pictures on the wall of all these legendary women who have come before me," Perkins said. "And to be another name and a face here in Mississippi to help further our state is just completely unimaginable." During the weeklong events surrounding the Miss Mississippi Competition, Perkins, who is a Hattiesburg native and represented Mississippi State University during the competition, was the winner of the Red Carpet phase of the second round of preliminary competitions. Perkins said, as a lifelong advocate of the public school system, another one of her goals is to bring a curriculum into school systems called Social Emotional Learning, which will be aimed at using music to make sure students are engaged in the classroom as well as checking in on their mental health issues. "I want to make sure that it's (Social Emotional Learning) in every classroom," she said, adding, that she also wants to visit at least one public school in all 82 counties of Mississippi. Perkins said it was the scholarship program offered through the Miss Mississippi Organization that motivated her to compete. |
| Lifestyles Briefs: Warwick to open MSU Lyceum Series | |
 | Mississippi State University's Lyceum Series will begin its 75th year of shows with a performance by legendary R&B singer Dionne Warwick. The performance, scheduled for Sept. 29, begins a five-show season featuring a variety of acts, from theater and dance troupes to a brass band. Each show will be held at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. Warwick, a six-time Grammy Award winner and the 2019 recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, is one of the most-charted singers of all time. A Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, three of her songs -- "Walk on By," "Alfie" and "Don't Make Me Over" -- were also inducted into the organization's hall of fame. The renewal period for season ticket holders is open now through July 8, and new season tickets will go on sale July 11. Miniseries tickets will be available Aug. 1-19, and individual event tickets go on sale Aug. 22. For the Warwick show, tickets per seat in the main front seating area are $65, $55 in the main back area, $45 in the first balcony and $35 in the second balcony. General public season tickets are $150 per person and $135 for MSU employees and senior citizens; miniseason tickets are $75 per person and $65 for employees and senior citizens; and individual tickets to events other than the Warwick performance are $30 per person, $25 for MSU employees and senior citizens, and $10 for children. |
| Brzuszek art coming to Columbus for first time | |
| July is shaping up to be a busy time for the Columbus Arts Council. It will feature new exhibits and its Summer Arts Academy, which is almost sold out. Shane Kinder, creative director, is back in the building after having a stroke in February. Starting around July 3, visitors will be able to see the artwork of Bob Brzuszek, a landscape architecture professor at Mississippi State University, in the main gallery. Artist Alley will feature the works of Rah Lowry, who specializes in digital painting and sculpture. Kinder said the exhibit will be the first time Brzuszek's work has been shown in Columbus. The exhibit, "Holding Glass to the Sky," will feature bottle trees, sculptures made with metal rods that hold bottles on the ends. Several of the trees are already at the CAC, Kinder said. There will also be multimedia art with various interpretations of bottle trees. Brzuszek has special interest in the regional sense of place and its expression in art, music and literature. He has worked with many of the state's art and cultural institutions. His paintings can be found on canvas, furniture and just about anything else that stays still. Brzuszek favors strongly textured and vibrantly painted pieces. |
| 2 GOP congressmen in Mississippi at risk of defeat in runoff | |
 | Congressional primary runoffs with incumbents are rare in Mississippi. This year, two of the state's Republican representatives are fighting to keep their jobs in runoffs against challengers from their own party. U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo is seeking a seventh term and was considered vulnerable after being accused in a 2021 congressional ethics report of abusing his office by misspending campaign funds. U.S. Rep. Michael Guest is seeking a third term. He voted to create an independent commission to investigate the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and was forced into a runoff amid criticism that he was disloyal to former President Donald Trump. Both Palazzo and Guest failed to cross the 50% threshold to win outright in their June 7 primaries. On Tuesday, Palazzo will go up against Mike Ezell, the sheriff of a coastal county, while Guest will face Michael Cassidy, a former Navy fighter pilot. The Associated Press researched state records dating back to 1952 and found that no U.S. representative from Mississippi has been in a party primary runoff during those 70 years. Guest calls his challenger a "carpetbagger" because Cassidy moved to Mississippi from the East Coast and only registered to vote here in 2021. Cassidy acknowledges the timing of his registration, saying he remained a voter in one state while being transferred to others. |
| With allies' help, Guest, Palazzo head into runoffs in Mississippi | |
 | In Mississippi, GOP Reps. Michael Guest and Steven M. Palazzo were forced on June 7 into primary runoffs, and their colleagues in Washington have been working to shore up support for both incumbents. In the days after the primary, the Southern States PAC, the leadership PAC of Mississippi GOP Rep. Trent Kelly, held a series of "emergency" fundraising receptions in their honor on Capitol Hill, according to an invitation obtained by CQ Roll Call. Guest, a former prosecutor who describes himself as a "conservative Christian leader," finished almost 300 votes behind Navy veteran Michael Cassidy in the primary. Since then, Guest has benefited from a surge of support during the runoff and worked to clarify parts of his record that Cassidy had wielded against him. That includes his vote for an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and his votes for bills funding the federal government that Cassidy claimed raised questions about his opposition to abortion rights. He issued an ad attacking Cassidy as a "carpetbagger" who was "grounded and put under investigation" by the Navy. Cassidy, a pilot, has said the Navy suspended his flight privileges during investigations related to his political activity as a reservist. Guest's campaign also launched a website raising questions about Cassidy's conservative credentials and alleging that Cassidy wants to spend taxpayer money like a "socialist liberal" for a social spending proposal that Cassidy proposed during his campaign but has since walked back. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, also stepped in on Guest's behalf, spending almost $450,000 attacking Cassidy and airing an ad that calls him a "lying RINO" who is hiding his "socialist agenda." |
| More than 1 million voters switch to GOP in warning for Dems | |
| A political shift is beginning to take hold across the U.S. as tens of thousands of suburban swing voters who helped fuel the Democratic Party's gains in recent years are becoming Republicans. More than 1 million voters across 43 states have switched to the Republican Party over the last year, according to voter registration data analyzed by The Associated Press. The previously unreported number reflects a phenomenon that is playing out in virtually every region of the country -- Democratic and Republican states along with cities and small towns -- in the period since President Joe Biden replaced former President Donald Trump. But nowhere is the shift more pronounced -- and dangerous for Democrats -- than in the suburbs, where well-educated swing voters who turned against Trump's Republican Party in recent years appear to be swinging back. Over the last year, far more people are switching to the GOP across suburban counties from Denver to Atlanta and Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Republicans also gained ground in counties around medium-size cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; and Des Moines, Iowa. The broad migration of more than 1 million voters, a small portion of the overall U.S. electorate, does not ensure widespread Republican success in the November midterm elections. Still, the details about party switchers present a dire warning for Democrats who were already concerned about the macro effects shaping the political landscape this fall. |
| Experts see risk with little upside in Biden's gas tax break | |
 | Experts are warning that President Biden's proposed gas tax holiday would do little to defray pain at the pump and actively take a toll on infrastructure and the environment. The 18-cent federal tax, which Biden has said should be suspended for three months amid steep gas prices, is "very little money" for individuals, said Beverly Moran, professor of law emerita at Vanderbilt Law School. "It just doesn't make any sense. If the government wants to do something to help people who are having problems with their, you know, the cost of gas, they can send out another check to people," Moran told The Hill in an interview. "They aren't even considering how they're going to stop companies from just eating up the difference ... keeping the same price and just pocketing the tax." Modeling by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania indicates that a gas tax suspension from July to September would only mean a per capita spending reduction of $4.79 to $14.31, depending on location, but would reduce overall government revenues by about $6 billion. A further complication is the potential political hurdle of restoring the tax after suspending it, said Robert Weiner, a professor of international finance, economics and strategy at George Washington University. "If you have a gas tax holiday, it might be hard to put the gas tax [back] once the crisis has receded," Weiner told The Hill in an interview. "In general, gas taxes are very unpopular. I think there's a real risk that we will end up with a permanent holiday on the gas tax, and the roads won't be as well-maintained as they are now because it's not clear where the money will come from." Progressive Democrats in Congress, meanwhile, are doubling down on their push for a windfall profits tax on oil companies which would be returned to consumers, arguing this would provide the greatest relief for consumers. |
| Author of Mississippi's 15-week ban says state leaders must pass reforms to help women or 'get out of the way' | |
| Becky Currie wrote the Mississippi law that changed the nation. Currie, a lawmaker, nurse, mom and devout Christian from Brookhaven, said she was "as happy as I can be" Friday, nearly five years after she began writing legislation to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks. Now, a 50-year-old U.S. Supreme Court precedent giving women the right to abortion is dead. The procedure will be illegal in Mississippi. As for Currie, she said the work has only begun. Currie, 65, will run for another four years in the Legislature, where she said she plans to fight against a hostile, patriarchal state leadership in order to advance policies that allow women to thrive. Mississippians have little reason to believe Currie will be successful, she concedes. "I don't have faith in the system. Because I have watched it fail time, after time, after time," she said. "But I can tell you, my next four years, I'm gonna be hell on wheels." Mississippi Today spoke with Currie on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Below is a condensed version of the conversation, edited for length and clarity. |
| State leaders say they should now do more to help mothers and babies | |
| With the U.S. Supreme Court's decision Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 court case that made abortion legal in the U.S., Republican leaders from across Mississippi said it's time for the state with the highest rate of infant mortality to focus on the well-being of mothers and babies as strenuously as they had lobbied for protecting the unborn. Rep. Sam Mims, R-McComb, who had a hand in much of the abortion legislation written in Mississippi over the past decade as chairman of the House Public Health Committee, said state lawmakers had a significant role in what is sure to be among the biggest court decisions in America since Roe 49 years ago. Mims went on to say that Mississippi, which has the highest rate of teen births in addition to the most infant mortality in the nation, must do more to help mothers and babies. "We must find alternatives to abortions such as improving our adoption and foster care programs while continuing to work on funding our crisis pregnancy centers," he said. Mims' statement, as well as those from other state officials all had a common theme: praising the overturning of Roe and calling for more social help for women and children. "I am pro-life. I am also pro-child," Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said. "In addition to protecting the unborn, we must also focus on other ways to support women, children and families." |
| After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, what is next for Mississippi? | |
 | The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade in a ruling on a case that originated in Mississippi. In doing so, states now have the right to regulate and even ban abortions. Justices voted 6-3 in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization over a 2018 law enacted by the Mississippi Legislature that bans most abortions after 15 weeks. But nearly all abortions will soon be outlawed in Mississippi. The 2007 trigger law only allows physicians to conduct abortions when a mother's life is at stake or when the pregnancy resulted from a rape that has been reported to law enforcement. The law does not allow for an exception for incest. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, at a media briefing in the House chamber said he would not advocate for tweaking the trigger law to include more exceptions and didn't know if there would be much of an appetite among the House's conservative supermajority to change the law either. When asked if he thought a survivor of incest should be forced to carry a child to full term, the speaker said yes. "My personal belief is that life begins at conception," Gunn said. With Roe overturned, state leaders say they now have to do more to help mothers and young children as an increase in births is expected. For his part, Gunn announced the creation of a commission to recommend "Next Steps for Life" policies that the House could pass during its next legislative session. The speaker said the commission would be made up of physicians, pregnancy resource officials and House lawmakers. Gov. Tate Reeves, who has declined interviews with the Daily Journal and most other Mississippi media outlets, spoke to the Daily Wire about how the state will continue to work toward creating a "culture of life" that will help mothers and children. |
| Fitch certifies Mississippi's trigger law banning abortion in nearly all cases | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch on Monday certified the state's 2007 trigger law banning abortion except in cases where the mother's life is in danger or a rape has been reported to law enforcement. The law will not officially take effect until 10 days from Monday. Officials at Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state's sole abortion clinic, have promised to continue providing services as long as the law allows. "Mississippi's laws to promote life are solid and thanks to the Court's clear and strong opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, they can now go into effect," said Fitch. "As we have said throughout this case, Roe v. Wade presented a false choice between a woman's future and her child's life. As we proceed in this post-Roe world, the people of Mississippi and of all the states will be able to fully engage in the work of both empowering women and promoting life. I am grateful that the Court has given us this opportunity." Mississippi law required Fitch to first publish her determination that Roe is overturned and second that it is "reasonably probable" the law would be upheld by the Court as constitutional. |
| The Final Days of Mississippi's Last Abortion Clinic | |
 | A young woman entered the parking lot of the only abortion clinic in Mississippi, her shoulders hunched. She was accompanied by an older woman and a stone-faced young man with a handgun on his hip. She appeared terrified. All around them, the noise was deafening. It was early Saturday morning, and a man with a powerful P.A. system was preaching about Jezebel being eaten by dogs. Dozens of evangelical Christians had come to pray. Volunteer clinic escorts, sweating in the summer heat, directed patients' cars through the throng and blasted music they thought the evangelicals would hate. Soon all of this -- the preaching, the frightened patients, the rock music, the bloody posters -- will disappear. But before it does, there are guaranteed to be a few more days of roaring, passionate crescendo, as the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the pink-painted clinic at the heart of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, tries to see as many patients as possible before it is forced to close. The protesters have long been a fixture in Jackson's Fondren neighborhood, coexisting uneasily among its hip shops and cafes. They have been the subject of City Council ordinances, police consent decrees and incessant complaints from business owners. And they have been just one of the complications that have made operating the only abortion clinic in Mississippi exceedingly difficult. As the temperature headed toward 100 degrees on Saturday, the frustration of the clinic escorts was palpable. |
| After Roe's demise, clergy lead faithful in praise, laments | |
| Praise and lament for the overturning of abortion rights filled sacred spaces this weekend as clergy across the U.S. rearranged worship plans or rewrote sermons to provide their religious context -- and competing messages -- about the historic moment. Abortion is a visceral issue for deeply divided religious Americans. Some are sad or angry in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's seismic Dobbs v. Jackson decision Friday. Others are grateful and elated. At St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh, the Very Rev. Kris Stubna discarded his planned Sunday homily and focused on the decision, calling it "a day of great joy and blessing." He said the overturning of the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade ruling was the result of prayers and efforts of many Catholics and others. Stubna's comments would be considered divisive by some since U.S. Catholics disagree on abortion rights. Supporters include high-profile members of the faith like President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who face Communion restrictions as a result. Views on abortions are not just polarizing within denominations; the divisions span the religious landscape. Southern Baptists, who are members of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, are staunch supporters of anti-abortion views. On Sunday, several pastors praised the ruling from their pulpits. The congregation at First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tennessee, broke into applause when Pastor John Mark Harrison addressed it. |
| Churches Move Cautiously on Abortion and Call for Calm Post-Roe | |
 | Members of the clergy treaded carefully in discussing abortion on the first Sunday after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and they called for respectful discussions over an issue that divides many congregations. "For many in our country who've been fighting for this for so long, this felt like a huge win," said pastor Andy Stanley at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga. "But for others in our country, this felt like a gut punch. These are the cultural moments where the church has an opportunity to shine, even when we don't necessarily agree." Mr. Stanley told parishioners he had strong personal feelings about the issue but didn't discuss what they were. At the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C., priests didn't mention the court's decision at two celebrations of Mass on Sunday morning. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined the court's majority in ruling that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, is a member of the church. Some churches and clergy had called for Roe v. Wade to be upheld and spoke out Sunday morning. At one Episcopal church in the Washington area, the priest read a statement by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who criticized the decision as harmful to women. "We pray for the poor and vulnerable who may not have other options for access" to abortion, said Bishop Curry. Lauren Holtzblatt, co-senior rabbi of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., said some congregants felt fear or stress, especially given Jewish precepts that put a pregnant woman's health ahead of that of her fetus. |
| Supreme Court rules for coach whose prayers on football field raised questions about church-state separation | |
 | The Supreme Court ruled Monday for a former high school football coach whose prayers at the 50-yard line drew crowds and controversy, declaring his public prayers were protected as free speech. The 6-3 decision is a symbolic victory for those who seek a larger role for prayers and religion in the public schools. The court stressed that Coach Joe Kennedy's prayers began as private and personal expression and were not official acts of promoting religion at school. Writing for the majority, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said, "Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the 1st Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy's. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment's Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike." What began with the coach kneeling by himself on the 50-yard line became a highly publicized event in 2015 that drew a crowd of players and spectators onto the field at the end of games. The 1st Amendment protects the freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion while prohibiting an "establishment of religion," and all three clauses were at the issue in the case of Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District. |
| U. of Alabama police officer honored for saving woman in river | |
 | An officer with the University of Alabama Police Department has been hailed as a hero for rescuing a woman from the Black Warrior River. Officer Albert Canzoneri, who has been with UAPD for nearly eight years, earned the Chief of Police's Medal of Honor for saving the woman, who could not swim. "I didn't expect a medal or even the Medal of Honor. I was just surprised and shocked. But very, very thankful," said Canzoneri, a Birmingham native and a graduate of UA. Canzoneri was working his usual shift on May 10 when he responded to a police radio call radio about a woman who was attempting to jump into the Black Warrior River at the Park at Manderson Landing. The Tuscaloosa park off Jack Warner Parkway, features 8 acres of waterfront walking trails along the river. Canzoneri was the first officer to arrive at the scene, where he found a woman who was standing on a concrete ledge over the river. As more officers arrived, Canzoneri said he used methods learned in his police training to persuade the woman to climb off the ledge and sit on a nearby bench to talk for a few minutes. "Some people just need a friend and someone to listen to them. Most people feel better after venting their problems even when its to a stranger," Canzoneri said. "She was talking about how she was just kind of tired everything." Canzoneri said the woman agreed to be checked by paramedics, but when the ambulances arrived, the tension escalated. The woman jumped into the river and soon began to panic since she didn't know how to swim. Canzoneri immediately removed his utility vest, belt and boots, then he jumped into the river and pulled the woman to safety. |
| Shell giving $27.5 million to LSU for new energy innovation institute | |
 | Shell USA Inc. pledged $27.5 million to LSU on Thursday to establish an energy research institute and to help construct a new science building already backed with major funding by Our Lady of the Lake. Of its total donation, $25 million will set up the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation. University President William F. Tate said it would make LSU "a national model" for science and engineering in energy-related fields involving hydrogen, carbon capture, storage of electricity, and low-carbon fuels. The remainder of the gift would be dedicated to the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science building that will house LSU's College of Science. The gift is LSU's largest from a for-profit corporation. It is also a major step in Tate's "Scholarship First" agenda, which has set five key priorities for LSU: agriculture, biotechnology, coast, defense and energy. "I want to emphasize the connection," Tate said. "This gift is how we advance industry priority and will maximize the state's investment of one-time funds in industry-related initiatives." Tate's vision for the energy portion of the plan involves building a collaborative research platform within Louisiana's energy industry, creating a national energy hub focused on safe and sustained energy sources and partnering with industry to cultivate talent for the evolution of energy-related jobs in Louisiana for the future. |
| A Bright Spot for Enrollment Is Showing Signs of Strain | |
 | Graduate-student enrollment has been a rare bright spot for higher education in recent years, as the number of undergraduates has declined. But a new analysis suggests that institutions' increasing reliance on graduate admissions is based on unrealistic targets, and is putting strain on the staff members who recruit for these programs. Nearly half of graduate-enrollment professionals are considering leaving their posts, according to a new report from EAB and Nagap: The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management. The reasons for that, the paper finds, are clear: Increased workloads for understaffed departments. Just about every department in higher ed is coping with similar challenges, but people working in graduate enrollment are facing distinct frictions. For one, graduate enrollments have experienced healthy growth across higher ed during the pandemic, with year-over-year increases of 2.4 percent and 2.1 percent in 2020 and 2021, respectively, EAB/Nagap estimated. But that enrollment bump hasn't been spread evenly across the sector -- in fact, one in three institutions saw declining graduate enrollment between 2019 and 2020. And recent data signal a softening in demand: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center observed a nearly 1-percent drop in enrollment in graduate and professional programs this spring from the previous year. |
| Gun violence research is deeply underdeveloped but growing | |
 | Firearm-related deaths in the U.S. reached a new peak across age groups and surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in 2020, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as noted in a May letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine calling for an update to how the field understands youth mortality. These data are subject to some qualification: the peak designation refers to number of deaths, not rate of deaths, for instance. Yet however one approaches the statistics, gun violence is undeniably a leading cause of preventable death and a grave public health issue. Despite this, the research landscape on guns and gun violence is seriously underdeveloped. One 2017 study found that in relation to mortality rates, gun violence was the least researched cause of death and second-least funded cause of death after falls; while gun violence killed as many people as sepsis, funding for gun violence research was 0.7 percent of that for sepsis, and the relative publication volume was 4 percent, that study found. There's still no dedicated scholarly journal or association for gun and gun violence research, either. A dearth of available funding and data for research on guns and gun violence have contributed to this gap in knowledge. The politically charged nature of the topic and academe's tendency to frame complex problems as within specific disciplines present additional barriers to development. There are signs that things are changing, however. |
| Supreme Court Ruling Will Upend Reproductive Rights for College Students and Complicate Medical Training | |
| College students will lose access to abortion across more than a dozen states with Friday's U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that established a constitutional right to the procedure. The 6-3 decision, while not unexpected after a draft opinion was leaked last month, provoked intense reactions across higher education as the ramifications for college students, campus health centers, and medical schools became clear. The ruling paves the way for roughly half of all states to outlaw abortion, which has been a constitutional right since Roe v. Wade and a 1992 case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, that upheld it. College students were among the throngs of people who turned out to both protest and celebrate the decision outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday. The ruling is expected to lead to near-total bans on abortion in about half of U.S. states. The impact will be felt most acutely in 13 with so-called trigger laws that will take effect in the coming weeks. About four million students, as of 2019, attended college in those states: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. David J. Skorton, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, issued a statement saying he was "deeply concerned" about the ruling's impact on women's health. "Laws and policies that restrict or otherwise interfere with the patient-physician relationship put a patient at risk by limiting access to quality, evidence-based care," he said. |
| Colleges aren't prepared for Roe's fall | |
 | The Supreme Court's dismantling of abortion rights Friday will likely expand the nation's ranks of pregnant students -- and colleges aren't ready. Rolling back Roe v. Wade -- allowing for broad restrictions on abortion access in at least 20 states -- will likely lead to an increase in the number of college-aged students stuck with two choices: raise children on college campuses or abandon their hopes of earning degrees. The former will prove difficult as institutions have struggled for decades to provide everything from private rooms and housing to flexible schedules for pregnant students. Now schools in states where abortion rights aren't codified into local laws will find themselves straining even more. "Colleges should be prepared for a larger population of students who are pregnant and parenting," said Bayliss Fiddiman, director of educational equity at the National Women's Law Center. "But we don't even have a system in place to support the ones that we currently have." Student-parents are 10 times less likely to graduate college on time than their peers without children. And without a degree, women -- who make up nearly 60 percent of all U.S. college students -- could face long-running financial losses: single mothers with associate degrees make an average of $152,927 more over their lifetimes than their peers with only a high school diploma, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a children's advocacy nonprofit. If colleges want to retain their student-parents, it's unclear how best to keep these students enrolled and get their classwork done amid excused absences for illnesses and doctors appointments for their kids. This will be especially crucial, advocates say, now that Biden's Education Department is interpreting Title IX, the federal education law that prohibits sex-based discrimination, to prevent discrimination against pregnant students. But it may be difficult to enforce without data on how many pregnant students are enrolled in schools as well as a lack of guidance. |
| Landmark tobacco lawsuit settled 25 years ago -- what happened to money? | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: If Mississippi's political leaders had stuck to their plan, the state would now have a trust fund of more than $4 billion earning about $320 million annually to spend on health care, based on projections made in 1999. But, as often is pointed out, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Such is the case with the health care trust fund that was created in 1999 with the money from the state's settlement with the tobacco companies of a landmark lawsuit to collect government funds spent treating smoking-related illnesses. The settlement funds have been delivered to Mississippi as promised, but the promise of a trust fund was broken long ago. The lawsuit, which originated in Mississippi, turned into a $365 billion national settlement that was announced by then-Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore and others on June 20, 1997 -- 25 years ago. The lawsuit guaranteed Mississippi $4 billion over 25-years with annual payments of $100 million or more, based on a formula, continuing forever. "The money is good, but the most important thing is when you look at kids smoking, it was 27% then and it is now less than 4%. We have done a lot of wonderful things in the last 25 years," said Moore who resides in Madison County near Jackson and remains active in groups combating cigarette use. "Adult smoking was around 30% and it is now 12%." ... Moore concedes that he is disappointed that the trust fund was fleeting. "It breaks my heart," Moore said recently. |
| Questions remain as Ayers settlement ends | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: The 1975 Ayers higher education desegregation case ends June 30. Well, maybe. Thirty years ago this month the U.S. Supreme Court remanded the Ayers case back to federal district court. For four of us just appointed to the IHL Board by Gov. Kirk Fordice, dealing with Ayers would dominate our entire 12-year terms. The Supreme Court ordered the district court to see if "vestiges" of the state's de jure system of segregation remained and, if so, address them, particularly for admissions standards, program duplication, and mission statements. At the same time, the court rejected the notion that upgrades could be made to Alcorn State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State solely so they could better serve black students. For eight years the board fought in district court with the plaintiffs over vestiges and how to remedy them. After the court rejected proposed remedies related to closing or merging institutions, the board decided to settle. Many Mississippi leaders and educators wanted to put race-oriented court fights behind us. In 2000, I was among the group that negotiated a nominal $503 million 17-year settlement with court-appointed plaintiff representative Cong. Bennie Thompson. However, the board had to wrestle in court for another four years with a rump group of plaintiffs and the court itself to get the settlement finally approved. That 17-year payout period began July 1, 2004, right after our terms expired, and ends this week. (The Legislature authorized spending some remaining funds this coming year). |
SPORTS
| Why Will Rogers wants more consistency from Mississippi State football in 2022 season | |
| Will Rogers believes Mississippi State's football team is ready to take the next step into becoming a Southeastern Conference championship contender in 2022. The junior quarterback said they will have to become more consistent. Mississippi State had a 7-6 record with a 34-7 loss to Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl last season. "You just have to take it a week at a time," Rogers said while working as a camp counselor at the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls in Thibodaux on Friday. "We're trying to be consistent and more efficient. There were some games last year we probably should have won, which is why they say you have to take it week in and week out and one game at a time. "If we do that and we're able to compete every single week, then I think we'll have a pretty good chance." The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rogers played in 13 games as a sophomore last year. He passed for 4,739 yards, 36 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 364.5 yards per game. He completed 74% of his passes. Rogers said working in Mississippi State coach Mike Leach's "Air-Raid" offense system has helped him improve. As he prepares for the season, Rogers said he has worked to improve his techniques both physically and mentality. He spent time working with David Morris of QB Country in Mobile, Alabama. |
| Former Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright gives back with charity basketball game at Olive Branch High School | |
| K.J. Wright didn't shoulder much of the scoring load in Friday night's charity basketball game at Olive Branch High School. Then again, Wright has always preferred the other side of the ball. "I'm a defensive guy, rebounder and dunks," the former Mississippi State linebacker said before the exhibition contest. "That's my specialty." In front of a jam-packed crowd in his former high school gym, Wright put those first two skills -- although not the third -- on display. But basketball skill wasn't the point of a night dedicated to benefit Wright's alma mater. The first annual K.J. Wright Alumni Charity Basketball game sold 1,000 tickets online and more at the door, with all proceeds from the $10 passes going to Olive Branch athletics. "Sports are important," Wright said. "It's just a cool way to get kids out of the house, off social media, just doing something they can build with their teammates and stay in shape. Of course, it's something that helped me get to where I am today, and that's why I'm just trying to give back to these kids." A three-sport athlete in basketball, football and track at Olive Branch, Wright has spent the past 11 seasons in the NFL. He won Super Bowl 48 with Seattle and spent 10 years with the Seahawks before playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. Now a free agent, Wright has made it clear: Either Seattle brings him back, or his NFL career is over. "For me to go there as a rookie and play there for 10 years is pretty, pretty special," Wright said. "They mean so much to me. I want to retire a Seahawk when it's all said and done." He's one of several current NFL standouts to come out of Mississippi State, joining Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and more. |
| Wildlife commission makes changes to CWD management zones | |
 | As chronic wasting disease is discovered in new areas, more Mississippi counties will be added to CWD management zones, but a new change in the state's CWD management plan will also remove counties from CWD management zones. In its meeting on Wednesday, the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks passed a regulation to remove any county from a CWD management zone that has not had a positive case in three years. Counties removed would no longer be under CWD management regulations such as a ban of supplemental feeding of wildlife. Counties coming out of CWD management zones include Sharkey, Leflore, Tallahatchie and Pontotoc. Claiborne, Lafayette, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties will now be included in CWD management zones and will be subject to supplemental feeding bans and other regulations designed to slow the spread of the disease, which is fatal to white-tailed deer and other cervids such as moose and elk. "It's effective July 1," said Russ Walsh, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Wildlife chief of staff. "That's when the new sampling year begins and that's when we're really going to roll these zones out." Although there are no known cases of the disease in those counties, "there were positives found within 10 miles of those counties," Walsh said. |
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