| Tuesday, June 28, 2022 |
| Grammy winner Dionne Warwick to kickoff annual MSU Lyceum Series | |
 | Award winning, R&B legend Dionne Warwick will kickoff the 75th annual Mississippi State's Lyceum Series with a performance on Thursday, September 29. The performance will begin a five-show season featuring a variety of acts, from theater and dance troupes to a brass band. Each show will be held at 7:00 p.m. in Lee Hall's historic Bettersworth Auditorium. The renewal period for season ticket holders is open now through Friday, July 8, and new season tickets will go on sale Monday, July 11. Miniseries tickets will be available August 1-19, and individual event tickets go on sale August 22. MSU students may attend each performance other than the Warwick show for free. For more information about the 2022-2023 season and tickets, visit www.lyceum.msstate.edu. |
| Vote Tuesday: Hotly contested Republican runoffs in Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi voters return to the polls on Tuesday to decide three Republican primaries in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th congressional districts. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Any voter who voted in the June 7 Republican primary or who was registered but did not vote can cast a ballot on Tuesday. Only those who voted in a Democratic primary on June 7, or were not registered to vote before the deadline for the primary, are prohibited from voting. In the 3rd and 4th districts, incumbent Republican congressmen face challengers who forced them into runoffs, and the races are hotly contested for seats expected to remain in GOP control. In the 2nd District, a crowded field of Republican primary candidates brought a runoff, although the seat is not expected to flip from Democratic in November. In the 3rd central Mississippi district, Rep. Michael Guest faces challenger Navy veteran Michael Cassidy. Any voter registered before the June 7 primary deadline can vote in this runoff Tuesday, since there was no Democratic primary then. |
| Crunch time for multiple incumbents as seven states hold elections | |
 | There's a pair of member-versus-member primaries in Illinois, incumbents facing elimination in Mississippi runoffs and an empty seat being filled in Nebraska on Tuesday as seven states hold elections. A Utah senator faces challengers, while Oklahoma is holding two Senate primaries, one of which is a special election to fill a vacancy that won't actually occur until January. New York's House primaries are not until August, but two sitting House members are on the ballot Tuesday running for governor along with a recently resigned member vying for lieutenant governor, the job he was just appointed to fill. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado is vulnerable in a GOP wave this fall, and his party has been meddling in Republicans' choice of his opponent. And a seat that Colorado gained through reapportionment is just one of the many open districts where nominees are being chosen. In Mississippi, Republican Reps. Michael Guest and Steven M. Palazzo could both be denied spots on the November ballot in runoffs Tuesday. Guest finished second by just 300 votes to Navy veteran Michale Cassidy in the June 7 primary in the 3rd District. In the 4th, Palazzo finished first in a seven-candidate field, but he had less than 32 percent and his other challengers have since endorsed second-place finisher Mike Ezell. Both incumbents have led in fundraising and support from outside groups since the primary. And Mississippi Rep. Trent Kelly held a series of "emergency" fundraising receptions for them, according to an invitation obtained by CQ Roll Call. |
| Voters Head to Polls for New York, Illinois Primaries | |
 | Voters in seven states, including New York and Illinois, will head to the polls for primaries Tuesday, including races that will test progressives' power on the Democratic side and former President Donald Trump's endorsement in Republican contests. In Mississippi, Rep. Michael Guest, one of 35 Republicans who voted to establish a Jan. 6 commission last year, finished second behind his challenger earlier this month, sending the race to a surprise runoff and causing him to hurry to raise and spend money against former Navy instructor pilot Michael Cassidy. Mr. Guest, who represents the central part of the state, including parts of Jackson, has attacked Mr. Cassidy for being a "Maryland carpetbagger." The Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC aligned with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), is spending money to help Mr. Guest. Elsewhere in Mississippi, six-term GOP Rep. Steven Palazzo is in a runoff against Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell. Mr. Palazzo is facing a House ethics investigation into whether he funneled $200,000 in campaign funds to companies he and his wife own. Mr. Palazzo's lawyer has previously dismissed the allegations as having been drummed up by a political opponent. |
| They voted for a Jan. 6 commission. Now, they face heat in GOP primaries. | |
 | In Illinois, a Republican congresswoman says her GOP colleague and rival "stabbed President Trump in the back." In Mississippi, an insurgent conservative suggested his House Republican opponent should apologize. And in Utah, a candidate running to the right of a Republican member says his adversary "caved to the radical left." All three were focusing attention on the vote last year by their competitors to create a bipartisan "National Commission" to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which was done by a pro-Trump mob. Such criticism has put dozens of House Republicans on the defensive in this year's primaries, forcing them to fend off condemnations from challengers who are using the vote to argue that the incumbents aren't conservative enough, even though the commission, as specified in legislation, was never approved by the full Congress, much less assembled. The prevalence of the criticism reflects the unease some Republicans have sensed among GOP base voters about the House select committee currently investigating the Jan. 6 attack, which held its latest public hearing Thursday. Even though only two Republicans -- Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), who now sit on the panel -- voted to create it, after the previous proposal failed in the Senate, many conservative candidates are zeroing in on the earlier vote for a commission as they try to tap into anger over the proceedings. Further muddying the waters, Donald Trump has recently mused that he wished there were more Republicans on the House select panel. Some of the GOP incumbents who backed the commission have pointed to his complaint as they've tried to explain their vote to primary voters, including Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss). "President Trump came out and I think he used the word 'foolish' that Republicans were not properly represented," Guest said in an interview on the Gallo Radio Show. "The vote that I took; we would have been represented." |
| Dispatch from a Michael Cassidy town hall | |
| "Can you expand on your background? Like, how did you get here? I mean, I don't know anything about you." It was Thursday, June 23, and Michael Cassidy was hosting a town hall at a small church in Brandon, Mississippi. The town hall was just one in a series of events and interviews Cassidy had conducted in the weeks after his surprise showing in Mississippi's primary election, beating the incumbent congressman Michael Guest by nearly 300 votes but not quite surpassing the 50-percent threshold that would have made him the victor. The Republican primary runoff against Michael Cassidy and Michael Guest is set for Tuesday. One of the first questions Cassidy received that night was a general one: Who are you? There has been somewhat of an air of mystery surrounding Cassidy, who was virtually unknown until the near-upset on primary day. As Cassidy himself admits, he has only lived in Mississippi for a little over a year. He also has no ties to the state. He has no wife and no children. His closest relative, a brother, lives in Florida. So how is a man with no political experience at all going into a runoff against a two-time incumbent who, just two years before, received 90-percent of the vote in the Republican primary for the same seat? According to Dr. Nathan Shrader, the director of American Studies at Millsaps College, Cassidy has an appealing profile: A veteran with a "pro-Trump" message who caught the Guest campaign by surprise. To sum it up, Shrader put the differences between Guest and Cassidy this way: Guest is original-MAGA, Cassidy is ultra-MAGA. |
| GOP Candidate Cassidy Disavows Own Medicare For 'All,' Family Plans | |
| Republican U.S. House candidate Michael Cassidy is distancing himself from policy proposals on health care and family spending plans after drawing criticism from conservative opposition. After an upset first-place finish in June 7's Republican primary for Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, he will face GOP incumbent Rep. Michael Guest in a Republican primary runoff Tuesday. The Guest campaign has struck hard at the expansive policies previously detailed on Cassidy's issues page, highlighting their significant cost. Cassidy's original proposals, which are still visible on an archived copy of his website, included support for large-scale spending on social welfare, including a plan that identified health care as an American right. "We are the wealthiest nation in the world and basic health care should be a dividend of being a citizen in our nation," Cassidy's issues page previously read. "I support allowing all citizens to enroll in Medicare, regardless of age. Medicare needs reform, but Americans should not feel obligated to stick with a bad job solely to have health care benefits," it continued. In a June 23, 2022, interview with the Mississippi Free Press, Cassidy denied that the text on his campaign website ever constituted a plan, or that the ideas were comparable to proposals like those of progressive U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. "That was a rough draft," Cassidy said. |
| Palazzo vs. Ezell: Congressional candidates use debate to accuse each other of lax work routines | |
 | U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo tried to flip the script Friday during a debate with his challenger in Tuesday's runoff election, Mike Ezell. The incumbent congressman is under an ethics investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds. He's also been widely criticized for a record of absenteeism in Congress and inaccessibility to constituents, lending some to call him "No-Show Palazzo." But Palazzo used Friday's debate -- the first he's attended of five debates held in the primary race -- to accuse Ezell of ethics violations and not showing up to his job as Jackson County sheriff while on the campaign trail. In Ezell's opening statement, the sheriff said the main complaint he'd heard from voters on the campaign trail was, "Where's Steven Palazzo?" Ezell noted Palazzo has voted by proxy in Congress 66 times. Palazzo acknowledged the proxy votes, but blamed many of his absences on contracting COVID, his daughter's high school graduation, and canceled flights. A tense exchange also occurred behind the scenes. In attendance at the debate, which was held at the WLOX-TV studio in Biloxi and not open to the public, was Clay Wagner, a former candidate for the congressional seat who has endorsed Ezell since dropping out. Wagner told the Sun Herald the Palazzo campaign demanded that he and his wife leave the studio, despite their attendance at the invitation of the Ezell campaign -- a demand Wagner found "inappropriate." |
| GOP runoff to choose challenger of US Rep. Bennie Thompson | |
 | Two military veterans are competing in a Republican primary runoff in a western Mississippi congressional district. The 2nd District race is between Ronald Eller and Brian Flowers. The winner will advance to the November general election to face Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson. Thompson is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and chairman of a committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thompson has been in Congress since winning a 1993 special election. The 2nd District now encompasses most of western Mississippi and much of the metro Jackson area. Flowers lost to Thompson in 2020 and now says Thompson "is trying to intimidate American patriots" with the Jan. 6 investigation. Eller has campaigned on free enterprise and limited government. |
| Mississippi clinic challenges law banning most abortions | |
| Mississippi's only abortion clinic filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block a state law that will ban most abortions. The lawsuit says the Mississippi Supreme Court issued a ruling in 1998 that recognized a right to abortion in the state constitution. A hearing on the new lawsuit was not immediately set. A 2007 Mississippi law says if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will be legal only if the pregnant woman's life is in danger or if a pregnancy was caused by a rape reported to law enforcement. The law takes effect 10 days after the state attorney general publishes a notice about Roe v. Wade being overturned. The Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe in a case that originated in Mississippi. Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch published the notice Monday, so the law banning most abortions is set to take effect July 7. Diane Derzis, who owns the Mississippi clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, had previously said she planned to close the clinic once the ban on most abortions becomes law. The clinic continued to see patients Friday and Saturday. Monday was a regularly scheduled day off. Mississippi legislative leaders, meanwhile, are creating committees to explore whether the state should update laws or policies after the Supreme Court ruling. |
| 1998 state court ruling leads to lawsuit that could prolong Mississippi abortion fight | |
| An all but forgotten 1998 ruling by the state Supreme Court declaring a right to an abortion is granted in the state Constitution could prolong the fight over abortion in Mississippi despite last week's landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The Mississippi Supreme Court in the 1998 decision, Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Kirk Fordice, said that the state Constitution -- not just the U.S. Constitution -- also granted abortion rights. The Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Fordice decision would supersede Mississippi's trigger law, passed in 2007 by the Legislature, that stated that abortion would be illegal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Jackson Women's Health Organization has filed a lawsuit in Hinds County Chancery Court arguing the trigger law is invalid because of the constitutional right to an abortion spelled out by the state Supreme Court in the 1998 decision. The lawsuit also will contend a separate state law that bans abortions after six weeks also should be invalid because of the same ruling. "The Mississippi Supreme Court's 1998 decision interpreting the Mississippi Constitution exists completely independent of the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions about the federal Constitution. It is binding precedent." said Rob McDuff of the Mississippi Center for Justice and who was an attorney on the 1998 lawsuit. "As confirmed by the Mississippi Supreme Court in that case, the decision about whether and when to have children belongs to individuals and families, not to the state's politicians." |
| Jackson clinic files lawsuit against Mississippi's 'trigger ban' on abortions | |
 | Mississippi's only abortion clinic is continuing to fight to provide legal abortions to patients after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last week. Jackson Women's Health Organization on Monday filed a lawsuit in Hinds County Chancery Court against state officials seeking to prevent Mississippi's "trigger ban" on nearly all abortions from going into effect in 10 days. The clinic, through its attorneys, are relying on a 1998 decision from the Mississippi Supreme Court that determined Mississippi's Constitution -- not just the landmark Roe v. Wade decision -- gives its citizens "autonomous bodily integrity" under the right to privacy. "The Mississippi Supreme Court's 1998 decision interpreting the Mississippi Constitution exists completely independent of the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions about the federal constitution. It is binding precedent." said Rob McDuff, an attorney with the Mississippi Center of Justice, who is representing the clinic. In the 1998 decision Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Fordice, the state's highest court determined that the state Constitution does not give citizens an "explicit right" to an abortion, but it determined independent bodily integrity is protected. "Protected within the right of autonomous bodily integrity is an implicit right to have an abortion," the decision reads. |
| Hosemann appoints study group on women, children and families | |
 | Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann Monday named a 9-member Senate Study Group on Women, Children and Families, to be chaired by Sen. Nicole Boyd. It's tasked with making legislative recommendations related to families and young children (birth to 3 years old). Hosemann said these may include easing adoption and foster care, supporting children who are under the care of the state, maximizing child support, growing the childcare workforce, increasing the availability of affordable childcare and early intervention. Boyd was elected in 2019 and previously served as a special assistant attorney general, prosecuting and advocating for children and family issues. She is the vice-chair of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee and is currently serving as Gov. Reeves' representative from the Senate on the Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council. Other members of the new study group include Senators Kevin Blackwell, Hob Bryan, Dean Kirby, Rod Hickman, Angela Hill, Chad McMahan, Angela Turner-Ford and Brice Wiggins. The group will hold public hearings in late summer or early fall and hear testimony from state agencies, experts, and others. |
| Pence leans in as abortion ruling leaves Trump, other potential 2024 GOP candidates cautious | |
| In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, former vice president Mike Pence says abortion should be banned nationwide and is planning behind the scenes to focus on the issue in the coming weeks, according to advisers. Former president Donald Trump, in contrast, fears the ruling could hurt the GOP's election chances, his advisers said, even as he hailed the ruling as "victory for life" at a Saturday rally. And some ambitious Republican governors have called for tightening restrictions in their states while other leading figures in the party have avoided such ideas, as strategists say it remains unclear how abortion will reshape key races in future elections. The court's ruling has opened up new fissures among potential 2024 Republican presidential candidates, offering early clues about the contours of the primary. The differing reactions underscore the dilemma confronting Republicans in the aftermath of a far-reaching court decision that animates their base but could alienate other parts of the electorate. The responses from potential 2024 contenders in the GOP "have been all over the map," said Bob Heckman, a Republican political strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns and counts the antiabortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America among his clients. Democrats, while united in their outrage with the court's ruling, are also confronting divisions about the path forward. But in the Republican Party, there is a debate underway about whether the ruling could come back to haunt candidates in future elections. |
| Jan. 6 panel to hear from top aide in Trump's White House | |
| The House panel investigating the Capitol insurrection will hear testimony Tuesday from Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide in Donald Trump's White House who is a vital witness in the sweeping investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Hutchinson, a special assistant and aide to Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has already provided a trove of information to the committee and its investigators and sat for multiple interviews behind closed doors. In brief excerpts of testimony revealed in court filings, Hutchinson told the committee she was in the room for White House meetings where challenges to the election were debated and discussed, including with Republican lawmakers. The House panel has not explained why it abruptly scheduled the 1 p.m. hearing as lawmakers were away from Washington on a two-week recess. The committee had said last week that there would be no more hearings until July. Hutchinson previously told the committee that Meadows had been advised of intelligence reports showing the potential for violence on Jan. 6 and that several Republican lawmakers who had been involved in efforts to reject the electoral tally or submit "fake electors" had sought pardons to avoid potential criminal prosecution. |
| New Covid Vaccines Targeting Variants Are Weighed for Fall Booster Campaign | |
| Advisers to U.S. health regulators are meeting Tuesday to consider whether and how Covid-19 vaccines should be updated to better target circulating variants of the coronavirus, in preparation for a fall booster-shot campaign. The advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration, which includes doctors and public-health specialists, is expected to vote later in the day on whether to recommend updating Covid-19 vaccines to target the Omicron variant. The options for a fall booster shot include sticking with current vaccines or using updated, Omicron-targeted vaccines that have shown promise in clinical studies. Another option: Use boosters that target more recent Omicron subvariants, including BA. 4 and BA. 5, but which haven't been tested in people. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee said in April the Covid-19 shots should be updated if there is evidence they will be more effective than current shots, and that vaccine manufacturers should target the same strains in their updated shots. The FDA's staff recently expressed support for updating the vaccines to improve their effectiveness against variants, but each choice has trade-offs. About 47% of fully vaccinated people have received a first booster dose. Of these, only about 26% received a second booster, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
| Engineer Research and Development Center takes listeners Beyond the Gates with new radio show | |
| U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently premiered its new radio show, "Beyond the Gates: How ERDC Research Affects YOU" on 107.7-FM and Newstalk 1490-AM. The program is a weekly 45-minute talk show hosted by Annette Kirklin, the ERDC public affairs specialist. It airs on Thursdays at 8:15 a.m. and replays at 9:15 a.m. Listeners will also be able to stream it live online at http://vicksburgradio.com/stream-now/ and find archived shows at http://vicksburgradio.com/erdcbtg/. Each week, Kirklin will interview researchers from one of the seven ERDC laboratories to describe how their work impacts the community and the region. As one of the world's premier public engineering and environmental sciences research and development organizations, ERDC's impact is vast, and this program will be vital in educating listeners about that impact. It will also showcase ERDC accomplishments in its own neighborhood. To date, guests have included Jenny Laird, ERDC Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program manager with the Environmental Laboratory; she discusses how ERDC's UAS have been used for monitoring levees, wildlife surveys and algal blooms and to help manage the mudslides at the Vicksburg National Military Park and Dr. Jarrell Smith, research civil engineer with the Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory; he discusses the importance of hopper dredging to protect beaches and the ecosystems that depend on them. |
| Hardy gift helps build the Accountancy School of Tomorrow | |
| When Larry Hardy graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1969 with a master's degree in accountancy, he knew he wanted to provide a similarly excellent education for others by making a positive impact on his alma mater. With $50,000 to the Patterson School of Accountancy Building Fund, his most recent of many gifts to the program will help shape the school's new home. "The new building will be in a prime location on campus and will provide our school an opportunity to pursue our aspirational goal of having the top accounting program in the nation," Dean Mark Wilder said. "Over a long period of time, Larry has been one of our most faithful and loyal donors, and we appreciate his support of this truly transformational opportunity for the Patterson School." Hardy, a Memphis resident, attributes his successful career in tax accounting to the education he had at Ole Miss. After graduation, Hardy worked at Ernst & Young for 31 years, becoming a partner at the company. He later became vice president of tax for AutoZone before retiring in 2006. In recognition of Hardy's gift, the school will honor the alumnus with the Larry Hardy Dean's Suite Conference Room to be located in the new building at the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop. |
| USM to host Drum Corps International Tour | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will host the Drum Corps International Tour on Wednesday, July 27 for the first time in two years. For the 50th Anniversary edition of DCI Southern Mississippi, the Pride of Mississippi Marching Band at USM will host more than 1,000 student musicians and performers for the event. The event will return to M.M. Roberts Stadium after a two year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The public can purchase tickets for $25. They will also be sold at the stadium box office on the day of the show. Group rates are available. |
| U. of Alabama names three new deans, including dean of students | |
 | The University of Alabama has named three new deans this spring, with two of them set to assume their leadership roles this summer. Brian S. Butler will begin his tenure as dean at the College of Communication and Information Sciences on Friday, while Clifford L. Henderson will start as the dean of College of Engineering on Aug. 1. Stacy L. Jones was named UA's dean of students in late April, after serving as interim dean of students since August 2020. The retirement of Mark Nelson led to Butler's hiring. Henderson will replace interim dean Ed Back, who on Aug. 1 will return to his role as chair of the department of civil, construction and environmental engineering. Butler comes to UA from the University of Maryland and Henderson comes to Tuscaloosa from the University of South Florida, while Jones has had a nearly 30-year career at the Capstone. "The late Tom Strong, dean of students emeritus, planted a seed in 2000 when I became a part of his team in the UA Office of the Dean of Students," Jones said. "I am hopeful each day that I have indeed blossomed into the kind of servant leader that would make him proud. I will continue to honor his memory by serving the students and families of my beloved alma mater with honesty, compassion, integrity and kindness." |
| Gov. DeSantis signs update to Bright Futures scholarship requirements | |
| Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor City Campus. DeSantis signed a law updating eligibility requirements for the state's Bright Futures scholarship, allowing work hours to count in place of community service for students who work jobs while in school. Referring to the bills presented after the 2022 legislative session, DeSantis said it "felt like" the state's lawmakers had given him more bills to look over this year than before. Then he introduced the gathered officials before discussing the bill he'd be signing. DeSantis was joined by Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez, new Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., and current Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby), among others. He also thanked the crowd for wishing First Lady Casey DeSantis a happy birthday, and said he'd taken her to see Top Gun: Maverick, which the governor said she'd enjoyed. The governor said Florida residents should have access to high quality higher education, affordable higher education, in the state. He referenced how since his taking office as governor, tuition in Florida had not been increased. DeSantis said attainable, affordable education that won't give students a "millstone of debt" was a priority for the state. |
| U. of Missouri Extension, College of Engineering offering technology training | |
 | In an effort to provide businesses with technology training for workers, the University of Missouri Extension and the MU College of Engineering have partnered to launch the Digital Transformation Consortium. Three noncredit, six-week online courses in Business Analytics, Introduction to Coding and Programming, and Introduction to Geographical Information Systems and Geospatial Analytics are now available through MU Extension, according to a news release. The courses are available at no cost to certificate-seekers through the end of June. Sharan Srinivas, assistant professor in the College of Engineering, said the courses allow participants to "up-skill, re-skill and remain competitive in today's digital age." Each course takes about 50-60 hours to complete, and individuals receive a certificate upon completion. Those who complete all three courses receive an MU Extension continuing education certificate in digital transformation, according to the release. Rob Russell, MU Extension director of labor and workforce development, cited research showing a significant portion of the American workforce have limited or no digital skills. "Ensuring that workers have the necessary skills to compete in the 21st century has to be a priority to businesses in Missouri if they want to succeed," Russell said. |
| Colleges use teletherapy to support students outside of the academic year | |
| In October, the counseling center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had a waitlist for the first time in 14 years. It would take a week before students could receive support. The center's solution was virtual. "The university really leapt into action and found us a telehealth option to help expand our capacity quickly," said Avery Cook, interim director of counseling and psychological services at UNC-Chapel Hill. The center, which already employed 36 health professionals when fully staffed, saw the wait time disappear almost immediately, according to Cook. This month, the university signed its second contract with Uwill, a Massachusetts-based teletherapy company. The first agreement ran from October to the end of May, covering most of the traditional academic year. Some 166 students have used the service through UNC-Chapel Hill since mid-October. The renewal runs through November, giving students the option of teletherapy during summer break. Students are eligible to access all of the counseling center's services, including its remote mental health services, without enrolling in class and paying the university's summer semester health fee. More and more, colleges are turning to outsourced telehealth services as a way to offer counseling support to students even when class is out of session. |
| Oh, the Places They'll Go With a Ph.D. | |
 | It's that season when scholars are busy preparing to enter the academic job market -- a path that has long been unpredictable for new Ph.D. recipients, especially those who want to be tenure track professors. But federal data shows that over a three-decade period, a growing number of people with doctoral degrees are finding work in other sectors. Of the roughly 19,500 Ph.D. recipients in 2020 who said they had accepted jobs in the United States, almost 40 percent of them were set to work in academe, according to the most recent Survey of Earned Doctorates. That's down from 51.5 percent in 1990. During that same 30-year period, the share of Ph.D.s planning to work in industry rose from 21.9 percent to 40 percent -- a jump of 18.1 percentage points. Unsurprisingly, in every broad field of study reflected in the survey, the pay was markedly better in industry than in postdoc positions or jobs in academe. The annual census of doctorate degree holders, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and several other federal agencies, reflects data about more than 55,000 people who received a research doctorate during the 2019-20 academic year. Of the Ph.D. recipients who reported having post-graduation commitments, 70 percent had definite employment or postdoctoral study plans in 2020. |
| Conservative colleges celebrate the demise of Roe v. Wade | |
 | Conservative religious colleges are taking a victory lap after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion established in Roe v. Wade. While many secular institutions issued condemnations of the decision, conservative religious colleges are celebrating a win against abortion rights. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued a 6-to-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to reverse the long-standing federally protected right to obtain an abortion. Some conservative states with so-called trigger laws have already outlawed abortion, literally changing the rules around reproductive health in moments Friday morning. But among religious colleges, the response has not been uniform. While conservative institutions are celebrating, more moderate or liberal religious colleges have issued neutral statements, and some have even condemned the ruling. Emory University, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church -- and located in Georgia, where abortion could soon be banned -- issued a statement disagreeing with the Supreme Court decision, a rare move among religious colleges. Emory's response lands closer to comments from public peer institutions than from religious colleges. A statement from Emory president Gregory L. Fenves called the ruling "a painful regression." Fenves also warned of the challenges to come, including for Emory's obstetrics program. |
| Higher ed leaders decry the overturning of Roe v. Wade | |
| Higher ed leaders largely decried the Supreme Court's June 24 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with some campus leaders pledging to support their students and employees in obtaining abortions. The Supreme Court's decision overturned nearly a half-century of precedent that gave people in the U.S. the right to an abortion until a fetus became viable outside of the womb. At least 13 states either immediately banned abortion access after the decision or will do so in a couple of weeks because of so-called trigger laws, according to U.S. World & News Report. Another 13 states are expected to restrict abortion access in the near future. With over half the country experiencing or expecting a decrease in medical care options, colleges and other higher ed-affiliated organizations released statements about the news. University of California President Michael Drake called the Supreme Court's decision antithetical to the university system's mission and values. Drake, a physician, also expressed concern that the court's decision will endanger lives and lead to the removal of other rights. While many higher ed groups decried the reversal of the constitutional right to an abortion, some colleges, including several with religious ties, supported the Supreme Court's decision. Liberty University, a private evangelical institution in Virginia, fully supported the ruling. University of Notre Dame, a Catholic university in Indiana, struck a softer tone with its support. "As a Catholic university, Notre Dame is committed to the sanctity of all human life, and I have for many years joined with others in advocating for the protection of unborn life," said President John Jenkins in a statement. "We must work with those who share our views and particularly with those who don't, as we examine the profound and complex moral, legal and social questions involved." |
| Student-Loan Forgiveness for Public-Service Workers Totals $8.1 Billion Since October | |
| The Biden administration's overhaul of a largely moribund student debt forgiveness program for public-service employees has led to $8.1 billion in approved relief for 145,000 borrowers since October. Last fall, the Education Department instituted a waiver for its Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which was created by Congress in 2007 to encourage students to enter professions like teaching, nursing and public-interest law. The waiver was intended to make it easier for more public-service workers to qualify for debt relief, after the Education Department revealed that since its creation only 5,500 borrowers had seen their debt wiped clean under the program. Last June, the department said the program's rules have "spawned much confusion and frustration," but since then it has become a key element of President Biden's multipronged approach to student debt forgiveness, while he continues to mull debt cancellation at a broader scale. When combined, the Biden administration's efforts to cancel debts held by borrowers with disabilities, students who were defrauded by their schools, borrowers in the public-service program and other moves have resulted in around $26 billion in forgiven loans. |
SPORTS
| 'A family affair': Former Mississippi State OL Tyre Phillips hosts first football camp in hometown Grenada | |
 | Tyre Phillips couldn't run his inaugural football camp on Saturday at Grenada High School alone. No, he had plenty of help. Phillips' father manned the grill. His sister handled registration. His little brother and cousin helped out with coaching. His aunt picked the music "It's a family affair," Phillips said. Add in the host of former Mississippi State teammates who came to help out, and it was easy to see why Phillips' first endeavor at a camp was a success. "This is my first camp, so it's amazing just to have some of the guys who are here," Phillips said. "Obviously, we were all teammates at Mississippi State, but they didn't have to come and help me. I'm so grateful that they came to support me and my city." Phillips, who played at MSU from 2017-2019, is entering his third season as an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. The NFL standouts who joined him Saturday mostly played the same position, and Phillips said that made it easy to get everyone together. Former Bulldog O-linemen Elgton Jenkins, Greg Eiland, Martinas Rankin and Deion "Shaq" Calhoun all helped out with the camp. So did former MSU defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and Grenada native Genard Avery, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. New Orleans Saints safety J.T. Gray, a two-time All-Pro on special teams after a strong career in Starkville, rounded out the group. "It's like family," Gray said. "It feels like the good old days we had at Mississippi State." |
| Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has Senior Bowl connection with 2 teammates from Alabama | |
 | Six of the nine players picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft played in the Reese's Senior Bowl on Feb. 5 in Mobile. Two of those six had been Alabama prep stars -- South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert at McGill-Toolen in Mobile and Ole Miss defensive end Sam Williams at Lee in Montgomery. The Cowboys drafted Williams in the second round and Tolbert in the third round on April 29. When they arrived in Dallas, the Alabama pair became teammates of the Most Valuable Player of the 2016 Reese's Senior Bowl – Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. "We didn't necessarily talk about the Senior Bowl," Prescott said of his new teammates, "but to have two of those guys, two great guys -- obviously, one of them being from here and both of them being from this area -- we're thankful to have them. But I think this is a great opportunity for guys to come in and prepare themselves and to see where they rank and just to take advantage of an opportunity and put yourself in front of scouts and in front of more coaches to make a chance to, hopefully, be drafted." Dallas drafted Prescott in the fourth round in 2016 about three months after the Cowboys' coaching staff had been across the field as the Mississippi State QB helped the South score a 27-16 victory over the North at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Prescott said he thought his performance during Senior Bowl week played a part in Dallas' decision to draft him. |
| Deion Sanders to host birthday bash at Sheraton Refuge Hotel in Flowood on Aug. 6 | |
 | Jackson State coach Deion Sanders will host a birthday party at the Sheraton Hotel in Flowood on Aug. 6, he announced on Instagram. "If you were a the last party or event we threw, oh baby trust me, you don't want to miss this one. Save the date right now. I can't wait and we're going to be so clean, we're dirty." Sanders, who turns 55 on Aug. 9, also hosted a red carpet gala at the Jackson Convention Center in February to celebrate Jackson State's first SWAC football championship since 2007. Keshia Cole was the guest performer. Guests are asked to wear red, white, or blue. There will be a red carpet and a special celebrity guest, according to the announcement. According to the event's website, Sanders will host a VIP fishing tournament followed by a mixer on Aug. 5. Tickets for the party are $65 for general admission and $200 for VIP. Tickets for the mixer are $150. |
| Q&A: AD Greg Byrne on chances for alcohol sales at 2022 Alabama football games, Nick Saban contract update | |
| Alabama football will always be the talk heading into fall, but another item to monitor in the coming weeks is whether alcohol sales will begin at Bryant-Denny Stadium this season. A necessary step was taken June 15 when Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne said the department would reconsider alcohol sales at athletic events. This came after the university announced it had worked out a deal with the city of Tuscaloosa to lift the proposed service fee for events selling alcohol that was announced in February. Previously, the city and the university had been at an impasse over the service fee. In response to the fee, Byrne said in February that UA would not be moving forward with alcohol sales. In a conversation with The Tuscaloosa News, Byrne discussed the future of alcohol sales, the proposed new basketball arena, Nick Saban's contract, baseball coach Brad Bohannon's performance, NIL collectives and more. |
| Renovated Neyland Stadium will fit fewer fans. Here's what capacity will be in 2022 | |
 | Neyland Stadium's capacity will decrease to 101,915 for the 2022 season after renovations are completed. The previous capacity was 102,455 for Tennessee football's stadium. The stadium is undergoing renovations to the lower west level and the north end zone. UT is creating a premium experience on the lower west side of Neyland Stadium behind the Tennessee bench. It also is adding a north end zone video board and creating a standing room only area under the video board. The lower west side club and the north end zone project are revenue-generating projects expected to help fund part of the remaining upgrades. Neyland Stadium has had a capacity of more than 100,000 since 1995. The record attendance is 109,061, set on Sept. 18, 2004, against Florida. The renovations are part of ongoing changes to Neyland Stadium. The initial approval was in November 2017 and changes have continued to be made, including Thursday. |
| Sources: Big 12 Aiming to Hire Roc Nation Executive Brett Yormark as Next Commissioner | |
| The Big 12 is targeting a talent agency executive to be its next conference commissioner. Brett Yormark, the COO of Jay-Z's Roc Nation, is finalizing a deal to be the new leader of the Power 5 league, sources tell Sports Illustrated, a stunning move that brings yet another outsider into college sports' most exclusive and powerful group. Yormark, 55, has spent the last three years at Roc Nation, originally as co-CEO with twin brother Michael. In his various roles at Roc Nation, he's worked with artists, athletes, leagues, teams and brands and oversees sponsorship, licensing, content partnerships and brand strategy. These are essential elements and qualities especially beneficial in an ever-changing college sports landscape that entered a new phase last July with the lifting of the NCAA's amateurism rules. The era of name, image and likeness (NIL) has brought legalized athlete pay, agent involvement and player branding never before seen in college sports. Yormark is thought of as one of the more connected and bright executives within the entertainment agency industry. He was promoted in January to COO and president of business operations and strategy. Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, has referred to Yormark as "a fearless leader." For many, the move is shocking. But it does follow a similar decision last year when the Pac-12 hired George Kliavkoff, an MGM Resorts sports and entertainment executive. |
| Gap widens in spending on NCAA men's and women's teams | |
| Women are participating in college sports at higher rates than in the past, but men's participation still outpaces women's -- and the funding gap between women's and men's programs continues to widen, according to a recent report by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The report, released Thursday by the NCAA inclusion office, marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bans discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal funds and is well-known for opening up opportunities in college women's sports. "Title IX has been a federal law for 50 years," the report reads. "This milestone anniversary marks an opportune time to ask why aren't we there yet? How can we work together to eliminate sex discrimination in education? How can we succeed at providing equitable intercollegiate athletics participation opportunities; at using resources to provide equitable treatment and to create equitable experiences for all student-athletes; and at hiring and retaining diverse leaders who reflect the demographics of the increasingly diverse student-athlete population and serve as impactful role models?" The report found that the number of women competing in college sports has increased significantly over the decades. The overall women's participation rate in college athletics was 43.9 percent in 2020, compared to 27.8 percent in 1982, when the NCAA started hosting women's championships across divisions. |
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