Friday, July 29, 2022   
 
Mississippi, Alabama Colleges Receive Bomb Threats
Multiple higher education institutions in Mississippi and Alabama received bomb threats this week. Hinds Community College Nursing and Allied Health Center in Jackson, Miss., received a threat Thursday morning, WAPT news reported. Mississippi State University, William Carey University, Meridian Community College and three Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College campuses all received threats yesterday as well, WLOX news reported. A news release from Mississippi State University also mentioned that Alcorn State University, a historically Black land-grant institution, and Itawamba Community College also received threats Thursday. All the campuses have reportedly issued all-clear messages, and no bombs were found. These incidents follow at least 13 threats to colleges and universities in Alabama on Wednesday. These institutions also issued all-clear messages. Holmes Community College received a threat around 2:30 p.m. Thursday and was on lockdown as of yesterday afternoon, according to The Clarion-Ledger. Caron Blanton, director of communications for Mississippi Public Universities, said an investigation is ongoing to find the perpetrator. "All bomb threats received by the universities are taken seriously, with the appropriate precautions taken and law enforcement utilized to investigate and assist as needed," Blanton said in a press release.
 
Bomb threats reported at ICC Tupelo, Mississippi State University
Two local colleges reported receiving bomb threats on Thursday, although law enforcement's searches of both campuses turned up no evidence of explosives. Itawamba Community College said at 12:35 p.m. that its Tupelo campus would evacuate immediately to allow authorities to conduct a thorough sweep of the buildings. ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said that following multiple threats across the state at other community colleges this morning, the college was prepared for a possible threat. Around 2 p.m., employees were cleared to return to campus and normal operations resume at 2:30 p.m. A similar threat was made at Mississippi State University in Starkville. The college said at 12:32 p.m. that a bomb threat had been reported near the Cullis Wade Depot and Barnes & Noble bookstore. "Officials are responding. Avoid the area," the university said. "Numerous reports have been made at other institutions, but the university is taking all necessary precautions." Sid Salter, MSU's Director of Public Affairs, said other universities had recently received similar threats that were false alarms, but MSU was evacuating and searching specific buildings mentioned in the threat out of an abundance of caution. After a diligent search by the MSU police department, including canine assets, the university declared "all clear" around 1:30 p.m. and returned to normal operations.
 
Bomb threats cleared at Mississippi schools
Bomb threats at seven Mississippi university, college, and community college campuses have now been cleared. The seven campuses that received false threats were Mississippi State's Starkville campus, Southern Miss' Hattiesburg campus, William Carey University's Traditions campus, Meridian Community College, as well as three of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's campuses. Mississippi State was the latest school to receive a threat with an "all clear" given at 1:19 p.m. "While incidents of this nature are the subject of frequent MSU Crisis Action Team training and drills, I am extremely grateful for the prompt and professional actions of MSU's first responders today," Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum said. "They work hard every day to keep our students, faculty, staff and visitors safe, and I am proud of them."
 
MSU declares 'all clear,' returns to normal activities following bomb threat
Mississippi State University has returned to normal operations after temporarily evacuating parts of the campus Thursday due to a bomb threat. "After a diligent search with MSUPD and canine assets, MSU is declaring 'all clear' and returning to normal operations," university spokesman Sid Salter on Twitter. "The university will issue a more comprehensive response later today." MSU is one of several institutions of higher learning impacted by a bomb threat Thursday. Earlier in the day, bomb threats were reported at other college and community college campuses in South Mississippi. In Starkville, MSU temporarily evacuated Cullis Wade Depot, which is home to the university's welcome center and Barnes & Noble bookstore.
 
'All clear' given at MCC, MSU, other college campuses after bogus bomb threats
Emergency responders Thursday checked out a possible bomb threat at Meridian Community College and other Mississippi institutions Thursday. Lauderdale Emergency Management Director Odie Barrett said there was no viable evidence of a bomb and the 'all clear' was given. Mississippi State University also returned to normal operations, giving the 'all clear', Thursday afternoon after a bomb threat caused evacuations of the Cullis Wade Depot, including Barnes & Noble Bookstore, as well as Bost Extension Center. "While incidents of this nature are the subject of frequent MSU Crisis Action Team training and drills, I am extremely grateful for the prompt and professional actions of MSU's first responders today," said MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum. "They work hard every day to keep our students, faculty, staff and visitors safe, and I am proud of them." There were similar threats that proved to be not credible at several colleges on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Alcorn State University's Natchez campus, Hinds Community College's Nursing and Allied Health Center and Itawamba Community College's Tupelo campus.
 
Mississippi universities receive on-campus bomb threats
Colleges and universities throughout Mississippi received on-campus bomb threats Thursday as a wave of similar threats spread across the country. Mississippi State University sent out an alert regarding a bomb threat reported on campus near Barnes and Noble and Cullis Wade Depot at 12:32 p.m. Less than an hour later, the university announced an all-clear. "While incidents of this nature are the subject of frequent MSU Crisis Action Team training and drills, I am extremely grateful for the prompt and professional actions of MSU's first responders today," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said in a news release. "They work hard every day to keep our students, faculty, staff and visitors safe, and I am proud of them." A university spokesperson told the Clarion Ledger other four-year universities, including Southern Miss, the Natchez Campus of Alcorn State University, the Tupelo and DeSoto campuses of the University of Mississippi and William Carey University also received threats. All reported the threats were false, and the universities were cleared for normal functions. Some campuses were evacuated and specific buildings searched out of an abundance of caution, the spokesperson added. Canines were being used with MSU. Caron Blanton, director of communications for Mississippi Public Universities confirmed the reports. "All bomb threats received by the universities are taken seriously, with the appropriate precautions taken and law enforcement utilized to investigate and assist as needed," Blanton said in a press release.
 
MSU one of several colleges targeted by Thursday bomb threat
Mississippi State University was one of seven higher education institutions targeted by a bomb threat Thursday. The bomb threat came in just after 12:30 p.m. near the Cullis Wade Depot and Barnes and Noble Bookstore, according to university officials. MSU issued a Maroon Alert and evacuated the depot, bookstore and Bost Extension Center, according to a subsequent MSU Maroon Alert that was issued. The university police department used canine units to search the area, and gave the all-clear for MSU to resume normal operations at 1:19 p.m. after nothing was found. "While incidents of this nature are the subject of frequent MSU Crisis Action Team training and drills, I am extremely grateful for the prompt and professional actions of MSU's first responders today," MSU President Mark Keenum said in a press release. "They work hard everyday to keep our students, faculty, staff and visitors safe, I am proud of them."
 
Multiple bomb threats made at colleges and universities in Mississippi
A number of bomb threats are made at colleges and universities in Mississippi Thursday. This was the scene near Barnes & Noble Bookstore and Bost Extension Center on the Mississippi State campus Thursday. A Maroon Alert was sent out at about 12:30 this afternoon. Buildings were evacuated while university K9s searched the area. A bomb threat was also made at ICC's Tupelo campus. According to ICC President Doctor Jay Allen, the call was specific to the ICC Tupelo Campus, but for a building that doesn't exist at that location. The campus was evacuated to insure the safety of the students, faculty, and staff, and Tupelo and ICC Police carried out a sweep of the campus. The threats turned out to be bogus, along with several others called in at institutions in south Mississippi.
 
MCC closed Thursday due to bomb threat
Meridian Community College officials have learned from Emergency Management Director Odie Barrett there was no viable evidence of a bomb that led to students, faculty, and staff being evacuated from the campus in connection with a threat that was submitted Thursday, July 28. The campus will remain closed today and re-open for business on Friday, July 29. MCC President Dr. Tom Huebner, who is in contact with local emergency management officials, said, "While we believe this threat is not serious, we have to treat it like it is," in connection with the Thursday closing. Dr. Huebner added multiple colleges in surrounding states received similar threats in the last two days, and numerous colleges in Mississippi received threats today. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Mississippi State University said it had also received a bomb threat against Cullis Wade Depot, which houses the university's Barnes & Noble bookstore. In a Maroon Alert sent at 1:19 p.m. the university announced police had finished their search and the campus would resume normal operations.
 
Law enforcement, campuses work quickly to respond to bomb threats
There were some frightening moments Thursday morning bomb threats targeted multiple college campuses in South Mississippi. It was a repeat of what happened just one day earlier in Alabama. And with all of those threats coming at the same time, law enforcement resources were stretched thin. It didn't take long for backup to get to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Bryant Center. "Around 9:33 this morning is when the call came to me," said MGCCC police officer Kyle Craig. "When I came to the front office, Harrison County deputies were already here." At the same time, members of the Biloxi Police Department's Bomb Squad were responding to William Carey University's campus next door on Highway 67. "It absolutely stretches resources thin," Craig said. "Recognizing there's not a ton of bomb-sniffing dogs, and not all dogs are trained in all fields. So, we were lucky to have a dog that got here very quickly." Craig said the call was dubious to begin with. "It used a lab number for a lab we don't have here, and it said it was under a piece of equipment that this specific facility doesn't have either," he said. But every call is taken seriously. Emergency exercises are performed regularly on all MGCCC campuses. By the end of the day, several Mississippi campuses would receive similar bomb threats.
 
USM included in bomb threats to Mississippi colleges; police say 'all clear'
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is the latest school to confirm they were targeted in a string of bomb threats made to multiple Mississippi college and university campuses. The University Police reported that USM officials received notice of a bomb threat on Thursday, July 28. However, the threat did not reference a specific campus or location. An investigation determined the threat was not credible, and police cleared all campuses to continue regular operations. "Although the threat was false, an investigation is ongoing to identify and prosecute the source of the call," reads a statement from the USM Office of University Communications. So far, 12 colleges and universities in Mississippi have reported bomb threats. William Carey President Ben Burnett issued a clarifying statement Thursday afternoon concerning WCU's Tradition Campus. "The Tradition campus was not specifically mentioned in the threat," Burnett said. "It was the local community college, and out of precaution, the (Harrison County) Sherriff's Department searched the Tradition campus as well. No direct threat was made to the Tradition campus." The FBI has taken over the investigation. No suspects have been identified or arrests made concerning any of the threats.
 
Anonymous caller threatens to bomb Alcorn Natchez, other colleges
Alcorn School of Nursing in Natchez was one of many college campuses nationwide that received a bomb threat on Thursday morning, authorities said. Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said the Adams County Sheriff's Office received a call around 10:20 a.m. to the department's landline, not 911. "The caller stated they had a bomb in a backpack and were standing outside of the Alcorn School of Nursing building in Natchez," Patten said. Adams County Sheriff's Office, Natchez Police and Mississippi Highway Patrol responded and gave the all-clear at Alcorn Natchez's campus as well as the nearby Copiah Lincoln Community College and Natchez Early College campus just over an hour later. Day-to-day activities resumed as normal, he said. Patten said no suspect has been found and the agencies are working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify the caller. The caller reportedly was using a "spoof number" which is a random phone number generated by an app to mask the original source of the call. Patten said he later learned that colleges nationwide, including 6 campuses in Mississippi alone, received similar threats on Thursday morning. "This matter is still under investigation. When we find this person, they will be arrested," Patten said.
 
Is the US in a recession? Well, that depends on whom you ask -- and what measure they use
Mississippi State University's Brian Blank talks with The Conversation: The U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate 0.9% from April through June, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated on July 28, 2022. It follows a contraction in gross domestic product of 1.6% recorded in the first quarter of the year. Some observers suggest the two quarters of contraction constitute a "technical recession" or the "unofficial start" of one, while others suggest it at least raises fears or signals it's on the way. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell apparently thinks otherwise. On July 27, after raising interest rates 0.75 percentage point, Powell told reporters, "it's a strong economy and nothing about it suggests that it's close to or vulnerable to a recession." Confused about whether the U.S. is in a recession or how to know when one hits? If you are, join the club. So The Conversation U.S. asked Brian Blank, a financial economist at Mississippi State University, to explain what's going on in the economy and what factors determine if it is in recession.
 
MSU grad student gets $50K to advance bone measuring device
When it comes to inventions, most people think of the wheel or a lightbulb. Few people know what an osteometric device is. But archaeologists and anthropologists everywhere will soon have the chance to benefit from Mississippi State University graduate student Eric Anderson's invention, which he recently was awarded $50,000 to advance development. Anderson's Portable Osteometric Device is an improvement on the standard osteometric device scientists and researchers use to measure bones. His uses lasers and offers a more accurate reading as opposed to users having to read an analog measurement. "The POD is based off of the osteometric board, which hasn't really changed since the 19th century," Anderson said. "The osteometric board is basically a board and ruler with two panels. You put a bone in between the panels and you smush them together, and it gives you the bone length." The board is used by researchers to determine bone length, which can be an indicator for a variety of things including stature, growth and development patterns and sex. Considering all the things the device is used for, Anderson was shocked that a modernized version of the device hadn't been invented, to his knowledge. "I decided to try to remake it, make something more modern for the new researcher. I looked into everything from velcro to magnets --- I was all over the place. My house looked like it was the nutty professor and I was trying to figure out something," he said.
 
Mississippi to cut prices with tax-free weekend
With inflation at a record high, Mississippi's tax-free weekend could not come at a better time. Between 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 29, and 12:00 midnight Saturday, July 30, Mississippi shoppers won't have to worry about paying a 7% sales tax on all clothing, footwear, and school supplies purchases under $100. It's worth noting that the tax exemption is based on the individual item's price rather than the total. For example, if a customer purchases two shirts at $50 each as well as a pair of pants for $75, no sales tax is due even though the combined total ($175) exceeds $100. If a customer buys a pair of $120 shoes, sales tax will still be due as the individual item price exceeds $100. Even if you're not in the mood to get out and about, you can still save as Mississippi's 2022 tax-free weekend includes all online purchases of eligible items under $100.
 
Frenzy building for $1.1 billion Mega Millions drawing Friday night
If you could spend $1 million in a day, what would you do? Now imagine having that much to spend every day for more than three years -- that's how much the Mega Millions jackpot is worth (as of now). We'll do the math for you: $1.1 billion. It's only the third time in its 20-year history that the Mega Millions jackpot has reached $1 billion. The largest was $1.537 billion, which had one winning ticket in South Carolina in 2018. The second largest was won in 2021, when one winning ticket in Michigan was worth $1.05 billion. Friday's jackpot has grown since the last winner on April 19, a span covering 29 drawings. At the Blue Sky store at the corner of West Main Street and Coley Road, manager Tina Adams said lottery ticket sales have been brisk. "They're stronger than they've been in a while," she said. "Some people by three to four tickets, some buy 10. I had one guy who wanted to buy 20." Customers can do a Quick Pick, which allows the computer to randomly draw the numbers, or they can mark their own numbers. Most do the Quick Pick, Adams said. At the Sprint Mart on McCullough Boulevard, a cashier said she expects a rush of lottery ticket buyers Thursday night leading up to Friday night. "It's going to be rough because they'll start in the morning hoping to try to beat the crowd," she said. "But they'll still run into a crowd.
 
How natural gas cutbacks in the EU could impact U.S. farming
One of the world's largest chemical companies, Germany's BASF, is planning to cut production of ammonia at plants that depend heavily on natural gas to stay up and running. This, as natural gas prices soar amid tensions between Europe and Russia. Industries on the continent are under pressure to curb how much natural gas they use, which could mean a variety of effects on agriculture. Most of the ammonia used to make the nitrogen-based fertilizers that are essential to modern farming comes from natural gas. So when ammonia producers like BASF cut back on natural gas, Kevin McNew, chief economist at Farmers Business Network, said that can impact the supply of fertilizer needed to grow a variety of crops. "Things like corn, things like wheat, things like cotton are heavily reliant on what's in the soil. And the way we get most of our nitrogen in commercial agriculture is through applications of fertilizer," he said. Fertilizer prices had been rising already because of supply chain constraints that began before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said Patrick Westhoff of the University of Missouri. And as they rise even higher, he adds, consumers should expect food prices to go up as well.
 
U.S. GDP Fell at 0.9% Annual Rate in Second Quarter; Recession Fears Loom Over Economy
The U.S. economy shrank for a second quarter in a row -- a common definition of recession -- as the housing market buckled under rising interest rates and high inflation took steam out of business and consumer spending. Gross domestic product, a broad measure of the goods and services produced across the economy, fell at an inflation and seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.9% in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That followed a 1.6% pace of contraction in the first three months of 2022. The GDP report underscored the challenges facing U.S. businesses, households and policy makers -- including high inflation, weakening consumer sentiment and supply-chain volatility. Americans still have relatively healthy balance sheets. After the pandemic hit the U.S. economy in early 2020, increased household saving, government stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits boosted household finances. The resulting "excess savings" -- the amount above what they would have had there been no pandemic -- remains elevated. According to Moody's Analytics, excess savings totaled $2.5 trillion in May.
 
Inflation and wage data suggest US prices will keep climbing
Inflation surged in June and workers' average wages accelerated in the spring --- signs that Americans won't likely feel any relief from rising prices anytime soon and that the Federal Reserve will feel compelled to further raise borrowing costs. An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Fed jumped 6.8% in June from a year ago, the government said Friday, the biggest such jump in four decades. Much of the increase was driven by energy and food. On a month-to-month basis, too, prices surged 1% in June, the biggest such rise since 2005. Even excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices climbed 0.6% from May to June. Employees' wages, excluding government workers, jumped 1.6% in the April-June quarter, matching a record high reached last fall. Higher wages tend to fuel inflation if companies pass their higher labor costs on to their customers, as they often do. Friday's figures underscored the persistence of the inflation that is eroding Americans' purchasing power, dimming their confidence in the economy and threatening Democrats in Congress in the run-up to the November midterm elections. "This is a (report) that's going to keep Fed officials up at night," said Omair Sharif, president of Inflation Insights.
 
Republicans at Neshoba County Fair call for voters to bring a 'red wave' in November
For one week every summer, the Neshoba County Fair is the place to be to hear from Mississippi's elected officials and those with ambitions to join them in office. This year, on Wednesday and Thursday, the state's most powerful leaders made their pitch for why they believe Republicans are due to win big in November. "A red wave is coming in November," Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said during his speech Thursday. "Joe Biden has driven us towards a cliff. Now, I would say that Joe Biden fell asleep at the wheel, but I'm pretty sure he nodded off long before he came to power." Reeves said he is more optimistic than he has ever been for Mississippi and the U.S, despite his views on the state of the country under the Biden administration. Secretary of State Michael Watson also referred to Biden as "asleep at the wheel," and said his office works closely with a number of local leaders. "We need leadership at the state and local level because we are not getting it at the federal level," Watson said. Attorney General Lynn Fitch celebrated her victory in overturning Roe v. Wade, revoking nationwide protections for abortion access and making the procedure almost entirely banned in Mississippi.
 
Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson announces re-election bid for 2023
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson has announced that he will be running for re-election come 2023. "It is my intention to run for re-election," Gipson said on Thursday's episode of MidDays with Gerard Gibert. "I'm passionate about this, and I'm passionate about Mississippi." Gipson also used his time on air to talk about some of the achievements the department has seen during his five-year tenure, citing the creation of the Genuine Mississippi program, the incorporation of new timber markets, as well as the consolidation of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds, the Central Farmers Market Board, and the Department of Agriculture itself. "When it comes to agriculture, I'm really proud of the work our team has accomplished," he said. "The work we do is more important now than it's ever been, and we're going to keep on keeping on. We're going to apply good old fashioned conservative policies and we're going to speak up for our farmers every chance we get." Agriculture is currently Mississippi's largest industry, employing approximately 17.4% of the state's workforce either directly or indirectly.
 
Gov. Tate Reeves says ousted welfare scandal lawyer had 'political agenda,' wanted media spotlight
Gov. Tate Reeves and attorney Brad Pigott agree on one thing: that Pigott was dismissed from overseeing the state's lawsuit to recoup millions of dollars stolen or misspent in the Mississippi welfare fraud scandal because of politics. Pigott said it was because he was looking into the roles of former Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, the USM Athletic Foundation and other powerful and connected people or entities Reeves and others didn't want him looking at. Reeves on Thursday said he signed off on firing Pigott because the attorney wasn't up to the task, had a "political agenda" and wanted to be in the media spotlight. "I think the way in which (Pigott) ... has acted since they chose not to renew his contract shows exactly why many of us were concerned about the way in which he conducted himself in the year in which he was employed," Reeves said at the Neshoba County Fair. "He seemed much more focused on the political side of things. He seemed much more interested in getting his name in print and hopefully bigger and bigger print, not just Mississippi stories. He wants this to go national, wants to talk to the press." Pigott declined comment on Reeves' statements Thursday. But he has said he was fired on orders from Reeves to protect the USM Athletic Foundation. The foundation is comprised of many business and political leaders, including many large donors to Reeves' campaign coffers. And repaying the welfare money spent on the volleyball stadium would be a big blow to USM athletics.
 
Gov. Tate Reeves defends agency's decision firing welfare scandal attorney Brad Pigott
The state's welfare department did the right thing by firing its attorney in the middle of a high-profile lawsuit attempting to claw back millions of potentially misspent federal funds, according to Gov. Tate Reeves. Reeves, a Republican, doubled down on the decision the Mississippi Department of Human Services made in firing former U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott while he was investigating any role former Republican Gov. Phil Bryant and the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation might have played in the scandal. "(Pigott) seemed much more focused on the political side of things," Reeves said Thursday at the Neshoba County Fair. "He seemed much more interested in getting his name in print -- and hopefully bigger and bigger print -- not just Mississippi stories." Pigott, a former U.S. attorney during President Bill Clinton's administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He was working to help MSDH recoup $20 million in what has been described as fraudulently spent welfare money. State Auditor Shad White disagrees with the governor and told reporters that he believes it was a wrong move for the welfare agency to decide against renewing Pigott's contract. White said the state needs a broad spectrum of lawyers handling the litigation. "I think that firing him was a mistake," White said. "From the very beginning of the DHS case, my position was that it was going to be important to have a bipartisan group of people look at that case." White, a Republican, said he has not pressed the governor or leaders at MDHS for clear answers on why they decided not to renew Pigott's contract.
 
Political speeches wrap up at Neshoba County Fair
Thursday was the second and final day of political speeches at the Neshoba County Fair. Fairgoers heard from many office holders including Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agricultural Commissioner Andy Gipson and Gov. Tate Reeves. All of them laid out their positions and how it's important to prepare for the upcoming election year. Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Philip Gunn talked to fairgoers about the importance of Republicans maintaining control of the state. He said it's never too early to start gearing up for an election year. Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons spoke about Mississippi roads and the progress being made around the state. He talked about several projects going on right here in Meridian and also spoke about the ongoing project to make Highway 19 N. entirely four-lane. "Hopefully, when we finish this phase we will be able to have some recurring dollars coming in to get some grants and finish that project," Simmons said. Simmons said funding must be maintained to continue improvements. He also explained that they are working to make the industrial site on Highway 80 more marketable. Friday is the last day of the fair. Festivities will wrap up at midnight.
 
GOP politicians embrace God but shun Medicaid postpartum coverage at Neshoba
Attorney General Lynn Fitch told Neshoba County fairgoers that God chose a Mississippi case to be the catalyst to overturn the national right to an abortion. "God selected us," Fitch said on Thursday, referring to the Supreme Court decision in late June overturning Roe v. Wade. "We were chosen to go before the United States Supreme Court. "God selected the Mississippi case. God put us in this position." Numerous politicians on Thursday during the second day of the political speakings on a hot and humid day at the historic Neshoba County Fair evoked God, particularly as it related to the Mississippi abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. That landmark case, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court by Fitch's office, led to the overturning of a national right to an abortion. Fitch received a rousing ovation at the end of her speech under the tin-roof Founders Square Pavilion. Fitch and multiple other statewide officials who spoke at the Neshoba County Fair said their next focus is to ensure the mothers and children impacted by the reversal of Roe v. Wade have the support they need. But they offered few specifics. Even before the reversal of Roe, the state already had the nation's highest infant mortality rate and the most children per capita living in poverty.
 
State officials promote policies to 'support women,' but leave off postpartum Medicaid
Attorney General Lynn Fitch drew a round of applause when she told attendees at the Neshoba County Fair that Mississippians should step up to the plate and give mothers resources to raise a family now that the right to an abortion no longer exists. "We asked for this job. We are ready for the challenge. So what are our next steps? And this is on all of us," Fitch said. "Everyone here needs to be prepared to step up because we've now moved into a post-Roe v. Wade world." The Republican attorney general personally called on state lawmakers to pass laws establishing paid parental leave policies in workplaces, strengthening the state's adoption system and enforcing fathers to pay their share of child support. But one policy item she left out of her discussions about post-Roe policies is postpartum Medicaid enhancement -- a policy that health leaders and medical associations around the state have pleaded for state lawmakers to support. The state's current Medicaid policy only gives qualified mothers a 60-day window of coverage. But state senators have pushed other lawmakers to give mothers up to a full year of coverage under the insurance program that's funded by a mix of state and federal tax dollars. When pressed by reporters why she didn't include the policy that even the incoming state health officer supports, Fitch at first mistakenly said she couldn't talk about the policy because it was under "pending litigation," which is incorrect. When pressed by reporters about the litigation, the attorney general said she misunderstood the question, but still said she wouldn't advocate for lawmakers to pass the policy.
 
'Chips and science' bill on way to Biden's desk
The House on Thursday cleared legislation to incentivize domestic semiconductor manufacturing and spur research and development in other science and technology fields, sending the long-anticipated economic competitiveness measure to President Joe Biden for his signature. The House passed what lawmakers are now calling the "chips and science" bill by a bipartisan vote of 243-187, with 24 Republicans joining all but one Democrat in voting for the measure. That one Democrat, California Rep. Sara Jacobs, voted "present." The measure includes $54 billion in grants for semiconductor manufacturing and design and 5G wireless deployment and $24 billion to create a 25 percent tax credit for new semiconductor manufacturing facilities. It also includes various five-year funding authorizations to bolster U.S. scientific research, including $81 billion, or $36 billion over baseline funding, for the National Science Foundation; $11 billion, all above baseline, for the Commerce Department authorization; and $9.7 billion, or a $4 billion baseline increase, for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The measure also would authorize more than $67 billion for the Energy Department. That Senate passed the bill Wednesday on a 64-33 vote, with proponents arguing that it's one of the chamber's most significant bipartisan achievements this Congress.
 
APLU Hails House Passage of U.S. Competitiveness Legislation
APLU President Peter McPherson today issued the following statement on the House passage legislation to bolster U.S. competitiveness. "House passage of the CHIPS and Science Act is a critical victory for U.S. science and innovation. We're thrilled Congress has reauthorized vital federal sciences agencies and provided new authorities to the National Science Foundation to build on its reputation as the world's preeminent fundamental research agency to support more use-inspired research. We look forward to President Biden's signature, but the work in Congress must go on. We urge Congress to complete the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process as quickly as possible with strong funding levels for science to achieve the goals of this landmark legislation."
 
Inside the secret Manchin-Schumer deal: Dems shocked, GOP feels betrayed
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) reached their agreement on a major tax and climate package Tuesday evening but kept it a closely guard secret -- giving Democrats just enough time to pass a $280 billion chips and science bill that Republicans would have otherwise blocked. The announcement of the deal, which would raise $739 billion in new tax revenue, fund an array of new climate provisions and pay down $300 billion of the federal deficit, came as a complete surprise to their Senate colleagues. "I'd say it's somewhere between a surprise and a shock," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said after attending a special caucus meeting Thursday morning where Schumer explained the deal. It was all the more surprising because less than two weeks earlier, the talks between Schumer and Manchin fell apart in dramatic fashion, when Schumer signaled he would proceed with a scaled-down budget reconciliation bill that included only prescription drug reform and a two-year extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Manchin on Thursday insisted that he and Schumer didn't pull a "fast one" on Republicans by announcing the deal Wednesday afternoon. "No, you know, I sure hope they don't feel that way. I mean, I understand that they are, but I don't know why," he told reporters on a conference call.
 
The New Climate Bill's Secret Weapon? Tax Credits
On Wednesday, Democrats in the United States Senate announced they'd finally come to an agreement on a major climate bill, tucked inside the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. It would allocate $369 billion toward energy security and climate action, juice domestic manufacturing of clean energy technologies like wind and solar power, steel communities against climate change, and prepare American agriculture for extreme heat, among many other campaigns. Consumers, too, could benefit if this bill passes: It includes 10 years of tax credits to install all kinds of clean residential technologies, from rooftop solar to heat pumps. (Climate nerds love electric heat pumps, which extract heat from outdoor air, then reverse in the summer to cool like an air conditioner.) The bill would provide $9 billion in rebates for low-income Americans to switch to electric appliances and retrofit their homes to be more energy efficient, and give people a $7,500 tax credit for buying a new electric vehicle. "The tax credits are incredibly important for creating the market for the transition to clean energy," says Matt Casale, environment campaigns director at the US Public Interest Research Group. "People want to have cleaner appliances, people want to save money and not have to be beholden to volatile fossil fuel prices. But one of the initial barriers is that upfront cost. So having these consumer tax credits available for people is going to be extremely helpful." At the same time, the bill would set aside over $60 billion to boost manufacturing for clean energy technologies. All told, this bill would put the country on track to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by the year 2030.
 
Republicans dominate rainy Congressional Baseball Game
Climate activists had promised to disrupt Thursday's Congressional Baseball Game, but in the end it was pouring rain that delayed the action. The skies opened up in the fourth inning, sending lawmakers running for the dugouts. It took more than half an hour to get them back on the field, but Republicans kept their momentum going. They beat Democrats for the second year in a row, by a final score of 10-0. In the stands, people unfurled a banner reading "Climate Emergency," while protesters outside locked arms and tried to block the entrances to Nationals Park. Three were arrested for unlawful entry, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. "Activists will continue pushing until Democrats' climate promises are signed, sealed and delivered," said Now or Never member Michael Greenberg in a statement before the game. His group started planning the protest when they thought climate legislation was dead in the Senate. After news broke Wednesday that it might not be so dead after all, they decided not to cancel. Members of Congress sounded off about the protesters as they warmed up for the game. "No one takes them seriously," said Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., calling them "idiots." The point of the game is to raise money for charity, he stressed, like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Capitol Police Memorial Fund. This year organizers raised more than $1.5 million with about 17,000 tickets sold.
 
Justices Sotomayor and Barrett Say the Supreme Court Remains Collegial
Two members of the Supreme Court, one liberal and the other conservative, insisted during a joint interview made public on Thursday that relations among the justices remained warm and respectful. "Fundamentally, I understand they're good people," Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, said of her colleagues. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, likened the court to an arranged marriage. "We have life tenure, so we get along," she said. "You're not going to rupture relationships with people you're going to be spending your career with." The interview, presented at a conference on education sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, was recorded on May 12, 10 days after Politico published a leaked draft of the majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade and about six weeks before the court actually did away with the constitutional right to abortion that had been guaranteed by Roe. By the time the two justices spoke, they also knew that the court, in a series of 6-to-3 decisions divided along ideological lines, would expand gun rights, limit the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to address climate change and expand the role of religion in public life. "They knew more than we knew at the time," Janet Tran, an institute official who helped organize the conversation, said in an interview this week. Justice Clarence Thomas, speaking at a conference in Dallas the day after the conversation with his two colleagues was recorded, gave a less sanguine account of relations at the court, likening the leak to infidelity and saying it had led to a loss of trust.
 
Alito mocks foreign critics of Supreme Court abortion ruling
Justice Samuel Alito, the author of the Supreme Court's earth-shaking decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade, is mocking foreign leaders who lamented his opinion doing away with a half-century of federal constitutional protection for abortion rights in the U.S. During a surprise appearance as a keynote speaker at a religious freedom conference in Rome last week, sponsored by the University of Notre Dame, Alito poked fun at the torrent of international criticism of his opinion for the five-justice court majority. "I had the honor this term of writing, I think, the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders, who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law," the appointee of President George W. Bush declared in his speech, according to a video posted online by the university on Thursday -- one week after the address was delivered. Most of Alito's 36-minute speech was devoted to a discussion of religious liberty, with the conservative justice arguing that support for religious liberty is eroding because so many people now say they lack religious belief. The conference that hosted Alito was organized by the Religious Liberty Institute at Notre Dame, which was founded in 2020. While the conference was announced and promoted to journalists in advance, Alito's role was kept under wraps. The institute or its faculty members have filed amicus briefs in at least five Supreme Court cases on religious freedom issues.
 
Navy expedites waterborne drones to close gap with China
Facing a growing threat from China, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harm's way. The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep pace with China's growing fleet while vowing not to repeat costly shipbuilding blunders from recent years. The four largest drone ships are being used together this summer during a multination naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean. Other smaller waterborne drones are already being deployed by the Navy's 5th Fleet in the waters off the Middle East. The goal in coming years is to see how these research vessels' radar and sensors can be combined with artificial intelligence, and integrated with traditional cruisers, destroyers, submarine and aircraft carriers, to create a networked fleet that's resilient because it's spread over greater distances and more difficult for enemies to destroy, the Navy says. The Navy believes the technology can help with the three keys for military success -- weapons range, scouting, and command and control -- at a lower cost and risk to personnel, said James Holmes, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. But all of those benefits must be proven, along with long-term durability in a harsh saltwater environment, he said. Before moving forward, the Navy must first to win over a skeptical Congress after a series of shipbuilding debacles.
 
Zelenskyy visits port as Ukraine prepares to ship out grain
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a Black Sea port Friday as crews prepared terminals to export grain trapped by Russia's five-month-old war, work that was inching forward a week after a deal was struck to allow critical food supplies to flow to millions of impoverished people facing hunger worldwide. "The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war," Zelenskyy said at a port in the Odesa region. He said, however, that the departure of wheat and other grain will begin with several ships that were already loaded but could not leave Ukrainian ports after Russia invaded in late February. Ukraine is a key global exporter of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil, and the loss of those supplies has raised global food prices, threatened political insecurity and helped push more people into poverty and hunger in already vulnerable countries. The goal over the next four months is to get some 20 million tons of grain out of three Ukrainian sea ports blocked since the Feb. 24 invasion. That provides time for about four to five large bulk carriers per day to transport grain from the ports to millions of people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, who are already facing food shortages and, in some cases, famine.
 
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi sues for defamation
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi on Thursday said it was suing three employees of the University of Mississippi Medical Center for allegedly spreading false information. The lawsuit is the latest development in a dispute between the state's largest health insurance provider and the hospital that surfaced in March when the two sides failed to reach an agreement over how much the insurer would pay for patient care. At the time the insurer said it had been working with the medical center to renew the contract with the network's hospitals since early 2021 but that UMMC was requiring significant payment increases. The medical center said it asked to be funded at the level of comparable academic medical centers in other regional cities. UMMC is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, filed in Rankin County, because it has immunity for defamation committed by its employees as a political subdivision of the state under Mississippi law, according to a press release from the insurer announcing the lawsuit. But, the employees -- Dr. LouAnn Woodward, dean of the School of Medicine and vice chancellor for health affairs; Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs; and Marc Rolph, executive director of communications and marketing -- don't have those safeguards, the insurer said. Rolph declined comment when asked for a statement from UMMC about the lawsuit.
 
Blue Cross sues top UMMC officials over PR campaign
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi is suing several top University of Mississippi Medical Center employees, alleging defamation and civil conspiracy over the public relations campaign the hospital has been waging against the insurer due to their contract dispute. Blue Cross filed a lawsuit in Rankin County's circuit court on Thursday against UMMC employees LouAnn Woodward, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, Alan Jones, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, Marc Rolph, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, and other unnamed UMMC employees. In the lawsuit, Blue Cross alleges that the public relations campaign was "designed to disseminate false and defamatory statements about Blue Cross to the public." The insurer also claims in the lawsuit that other public comments UMMC officials have made related to the contract dispute are false. Blue Cross is seeking an injunction against the continued publication and dissemination of the statements it considers defamatory as well as monetary damages from each of the defendants.
 
Blue Cross sues UMMC employees over advertising campaign
In a conversation with SuperTalk Mississippi earlier this week, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney insinuated that the dispute between the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) was heading to the courtroom. That has proved to be true. On Thursday afternoon, BCBS filed a lawsuit against UMMC employees for their alleged campaign designed to defame the private insurance provider. UMMC, itself, cannot be named as a defendant as state law grants the academic medical center immunity for defamation committed by its employees. According to Jackson Jambalaya, UMMC has spent $278,796 advertising against BCBS since the two's divorce on April 1. Billboards with phrases such as "Blue Cross could cause you to drive hours to another children's hospital" can be found in at least nine different Mississippi cities. The lawsuit, which comes nearly four months after UMMC was dropped from BCBS due to an inability to agree on reimbursement values, was filed in the Rankin County Chancery Court.
 
Blue Cross files lawsuit against UMMC officials, claim defamation in PR campaign
It has been nearly five months since the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi parted ways. Instead of bridging the divide, a new lawsuit could create a wider gap between the hospital system and one of the state's largest health insurers. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi filed the lawsuit Thursday against UMMC Vice Chancellor Louann Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Dr. Alan Jones, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing Marc Rolph and other unnamed employees for "initiating and continuing a far-reaching public relations campaign designed to disseminate false and defamatory statements about Blue Cross to the public." "Defendants' public statements are demonstrably false: UMMC voluntarily terminated its contracts with Blue Cross. And it is UMMC, not Blue Cross, who is denying Blue Cross Members medical treatment at UMMC. Defendants' untrue statements are defamatory and were designed to cause, and have caused, damage to Blue Cross' reputation and business." An employee with the Brunini, Grantham, Grower and Hewes law firm said by policy the firm does not comment on client cases. UMMC officials declined to comment on the lawsuit. Attorneys for the defendants have not yet filed their responses to the lawsuit.
 
USM office to help area's homeless with homecoming service project
One small act can have a major impact on the lives of people in need. This is the message the University of Southern Mississippi's Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement hopes to convey with a special Homecoming Day of Service project. The event, titled #HashtagLunchbag, is set for Oct. 13, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the IME multipurpose space in the University's Hub building. The project will give students, faculty and staff an opportunity to bag lunches that will be distributed to community partners who serve the homeless population in the Hattiesburg area. IME Events and Volunteerism Coordinator Christina Bracey said sandwich lunches will be prepared, which will include a fully dressed sandwich, a bag of chips, a piece of fruit, cookies and a water bottle. Materials for each lunch will be provided via donations from campus and community partners, including Aramark, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Winn-Dixie. Bracey said the benefits gained from a humanitarian effort of this kind cannot be overstated. "It is important because it gives USM students, faculty and staff a chance to serve the community their institution is surrounded by," said Bracey. "It teaches an individual about the importance of how one small act can have a big impact on the lives of people around you."
 
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: ECCC guitar teacher pens theme song for movie
Chas Evans estimates he's composed the music for well over 1,000 songs over the past decade. But he's never composed music heard on the big screen. That is until now. The East Central Community College music instructor sat with family and friends in a Pearl, Miss., theatre recently as the sound of his work played throughout the theater and his name appeared in the closing credits. The first names to scroll by under "Music" were Chris White and Chas Evans. The movie is "High Expectations", and Evans wrote the music and the melody for the theme song by the same name. White wrote the lyrics to the song and wrote and produced the movie as well. The drama stars Kelsey Grammer, the Emmy and Golden Globe award winner of Cheers and Frasier sitcom fame; singer turned actress Ally Brooke, best known as a member of the all-girl singing group Fifth Harmony in her acting debut; and Taylor Gray, who was the voice of Ezra Bridger in the animated TV series Star Wars Rebels. Touted as the best American soccer drama in decades, High Expectations played in theaters one night only so that it would be eligible for the major cinematic awards. It's now available on streaming platforms. White is credited with getting Evans' music to the big screen. And it all happened by chance.
 
Schools will maintain relaxed COVID policies for new school year
Mississippi education leaders are largely planning to continue using their COVID policies from last school year, but some have dropped protections altogether. Schools have been required to offer in-person learning as their primary method of instruction since the start of last school year. Local school boards are allowed to develop their own specific policies regarding virtual options, but are required to ensure that students receive direct instruction from a teacher for the same number of minutes each day that they would in-person. Any other decisions regarding masking, quarantining, sanitation, and vaccination have been made by districts at the local level for the last year. The new school year begins as, COVID-19 cases are rising in Mississippi, with 1,705 positive cases on July 27 compared to 105 at the beginning of May. While high, they have not yet climbed to the levels seen during the delta and omicron waves. The Mississippi State Department of Health recently announced that families can receive eight rapid tests each month through their county health department. Policies vary from district to district, but most appear to be relaxing or maintaining relaxed COVID safety protocols for the upcoming school year, which begins for most districts in early August. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said MSDH will no longer be requiring weekly reporting from schools of positive cases or quarantined students as they "transition to more routine, sustainable surveillance."
 
UA's University Medical Center expands with new clinic in Livingston
All of Sumter County will benefit from a new health care clinic that opened in late July, Livingston's mayor said. "Any time you can offer more choices and places to receive medical services, it's always a plus," said Livingston Mayor Thomas Tartt. University Medical Center-Livingston, operated by the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, opened July 25 at 711 North Washington St. The clinic offers primary health care services to people and families in Sumter County. Tartt said Livingston is poised for growth over the next few years, with the city's population expected to increase and expansion planned at the University of West Alabama. That means access to quality medical care will become even more vital, he said. "We are very excited to have University Medical Center in our community to provide expanded health care opportunities in Livingston, for the university and for the entire county," Tartt said. In addition to the Livingston clinic, University Medical Center also has locations in Tuscaloosa, Northport, Demopolis, Fayette and Carrollton. Dr. Richard Friend, dean of UA's College of Community Health Sciences, said access to primary health care services is important, especially for rural communities in Alabama, where health care can sometimes be hard to find.
 
Auburn University expands its footprint in Birmingham with a new building downtown
Marking the 30-year anniversary of Auburn's Urban Studio and its work in Birmingham, Auburn University will soon have a permanent space in the downtown Birmingham area. Auburn University's College of Architecture Design and Construction and Harbert College of Business will soon be moving into the Hood McPherson Building located on Fourth Avenue North. This 44,000-square-foot building is currently dormant and will "undergo a comprehensive renovation to prepare it for Auburn's planned growth in the City of Birmingham," according to the release from Williams Blackstock Architects, an architecture firm in Birmingham. "I would like to congratulate all of you on 30 years," Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in the release. "But the work doesn't stop now. And it won't stop 30 years from now. Our mission of revitalization looms but we dance in parallel with the work you all do here. So, know that I feel that this city and this community will remain in good hands because of organizations like you." The Hood McPherson Building was previously a furniture gallery and warehouse, and the architects plan to modernize the space to accommodate events, offices and classrooms as well as reflect the university's work with the city through the Auburn's Urban Studio.
 
Demolition of radioactive building at U. of Missouri likely years away, but removal efforts resume
The University of Missouri and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are resuming efforts to demolish a building on campus contaminated by radiation, but it is not likely to be removed for at least three years or more. The commission held a virtual meeting with MU officials Thursday to assess decommission plans for Pickard Hall, which has been closed since 2013 after officials determined that radium experiments conducted in the building from the early 1910s through the late 1930s left the structure unusable. Decommissioning is the process of safely removing a site polluted with radioactive materials and reducing residual radioactivity. Christian Basi, spokesperson for MU, said the university intends to submit a new decommissioning plan no later than June 2023. "We have restarted the process, but we still intend to address the situation with Pickard Hall as safely and effectively as possible," he said. A decommissioning plan was first submitted to the NRC in 2019. In June, the plan was withdrawn by the commission and the university after both determined more information was needed. After Thursday's meeting, the efforts to safely remove Pickard Hall from Francis Quadrangle are back to square one in terms of the federal decommissioning process, Basi said. The meeting included a discussion about demolition possibly beginning in summer 2025. But after the meeting, Basi said that date was tentative, depending on what happens over the three years.
 
Colleges Look to Staffing Firms to Allow Remote Work
The ubiquity of remote work is one of the many ways the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped the world since March 2020. And while mask and vaccine mandates may be easing, remote work is here to stay. Employees in many fields now expect a certain degree of flexibility to allow them to take more control of their schedules, cut back on commute times and costs, and enjoy the freedom to live where they want. Higher education workers are no different. A recent survey from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources shows that many are willing to leave their jobs if remote work demands aren't met. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education recently sold its headquarters in Harrisburg, allowing the 27 employees of the system administration to go remote. But while remote work may be appealing to employees, it can create headaches for institutions trying to navigate legal issues and policy environments that vary by state. As colleges try to make sense of a rapidly changing world and a maze of legal and tax questions, some are looking to outside staffing services to help them remain in compliance and retain employees. A panel at the National Association of College and University Business Officers conference earlier this month identified some of the challenges regarding remote work.
 
New Reports Paint Gloomy Picture of Racial Economic Differences
That the American dream has not been equally attainable for all has become so clear that pointing it out can verge on cliché. However, two recent reports from the Brookings Institution, a Washington D.C. think tank, are shining a light on important new aspects of this reality that have not been previously studied. The reports show that job displacement -- losing work for reasons unrelated to performance -- and intragenerational wealth mobility -- how a person's net worth changes over their lifespan -- differ along racial lines. The effects of job displacement are both immediate and lingering. The report found that a displaced worker's earnings fell 57% in the following year and that, although they eventually recovered to their previous levels, still lagged behind the earnings of workers who hadn't been displaced 10 years later. Black workers were 67% more likely to be displaced than other workers on average, and, according to Dr. Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota who has written about job displacement, the reason is not what one might expect. "In general, it's not because Black workers have been concentrated in more layoff-prone occupations or in occupations that are more easily replaced by machines or more easily moved abroad," said Wrigley-Field. "Public sector jobs have historically played a crucial role as a pathway to economic mobility for African Americans. So, layoffs and job contractions in that sector really attack a part of the economy that has been uniquely vital for reducing inequality."
 
U.S. Senate calls for hefty research spending in 2023
The U.S. Senate's spending panel today unveiled its proposed 2023 budgets for every federal agency. Science agencies do well, thanks to an overall allocation of $1.7 trillion that allowed the panel to provide a 10% increase to all domestic agencies and a 9% boost to military programs. The numbers represent the latest turn in an annual budget cycle that is unlikely to be completed until after the midterm congressional election in November. Last week, the appropriations committee for the House of Representatives completed work on half of its 12 spending bills. Ultimately, the two bodies will have to agree on final numbers. Here are highlights from the Senate spending package for several research agencies. The Senate panel has proposed a $1.5 billion boost for NSF, to $10.34 billion. That's just $154 million shy of the administration's requested 19% increase, and $707 million more than approved by House appropriators. Within that total, the Senators have embraced the agency's bid to launch a $200 million network of regional innovation centers. And they go further than the administration's expression of support for geographic diversity in funding by specifying that at least 20% of the estimated 10 centers will be led by institutions from the 28 jurisdictions eligible to participate in the agency's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, NSF's attempt to level the playing field for poorer, mostly rural states.
 
The Education Department has a plan for canceling student debt -- if Biden gives the word
Top Education Department officials have developed detailed plans to carry out student loan forgiveness for millions of Americans as they wait on President Joe Biden to make a final decision, according to internal agency documents obtained by POLITICO. The documents sketch out the mechanics of how the agency expects to manage and operate a possible mass debt cancellation program on a scale that would be unprecedented in the history of the federal student loan program -- if the White House were to give it the green light. Education Department officials, the documents show, are prepared to provide debt relief automatically, within several months, to several million borrowers for whom the agency already has income information. Most other borrowers, according to the documents, would apply through a form on StudentAid.gov by self-certifying they qualify for relief. The department's plan contemplates that all types of federal student loans would be eligible for loan forgiveness, including Grad and Parent PLUS loans as well as federal loans owned by private entities. And it also suggests that borrowers who ever received a Pell grant, financial assistance for low-income families, could receive an additional amount of loan forgiveness. Senior department officials caution in the memo that some remaining policy and implementation issues need to be addressed. Among the ongoing concerns, the officials cite in the memo are "efforts to minimize legal risk."
 
Will Biden Forgive More Than $10,000 in Student Loans? Education Department Prepares Just in Case
While President Joe Biden draws out his decision on forgiving student loans, progressive lawmakers, civil rights groups, labor leaders and other advocates are taking the opportunity to press him to aim for more than $10,000 per borrower. They're getting a hand from policy experts within the Department of Education, who have started to study mechanisms to automatically forgive larger amounts of debt for low-income borrowers, according to two people familiar with the agency's work. The department is considering how to identify low-income borrowers, including former recipients of Pell grants, people receiving Social Security payments, and those who have had their wages garnished by the federal government for failure to repay student loans. The Education Department said its review of broad-based debt cancellation was continuing, and no decisions have been made. A White House spokesperson said the administration is still assessing its options and that no decision had been made. Advocates for deeper cuts to loan balances are seeking to persuade Biden to forgive a more meaningful level of debt -- $50,000 or more per low-income borrower. That would fulfill one of the progressive movement's top goals: wiping out large amounts of debt for millions of Americans, especially Black borrowers who carry disproportionately larger balances than White borrowers, as well as people who never earned a degree from their schooling.
 
Federal Student-Loan Program Cost Estimate Was Off By $311 Billion, Government Watchdog Says
The Education Department will likely lose $197 billion on loans it made over the past 25 years, a massive swing from its predicted $114 billion in income, according to a federal watchdog. The Government Accountability Office said in a report Friday that because of policy changes and updated estimates on how much borrowers will actually repay, the Direct Loan program, which had $1.4 trillion in debt outstanding at the end of the last fiscal year, will fall far short of its original plan to make money for the federal government. Instead, they said, it will run deep in the red. The biggest contributor to the new calculation was the pandemic relief package enacted by former President Donald Trump in early 2020, and which President Joe Biden last extended in April, to run at least through the end of August. Democratic lawmakers have pushed Mr. Biden to extend the loan payment pause beyond August, while Republicans say many borrowers can afford to begin repaying their debts, and should do so. According to Friday's GAO report, which examined the federal program dating back to 1997, it lost money on loans issued in all but one year over the past quarter-century. Originally, the Education Department estimated the loans would generate $6 in income per $100 lent out. The GAO analysis found the loans wouldn't make money, but actually cost the government $8.88 per $100 in loans.


SPORTS
 
Mike Leach first impressions: 'Yo, what did we get ourselves into?!'
Anthony Gordon cleared his throat. When called upon to do your best impersonation of Mike Leach, you have to nail it. So, through the phone, the former Washington State quarterback took a couple of seconds to properly prepare to relive one of the -- if not the -- most momentous days of his life. In May 2016, Gordon was home in Pacifica, Calif., assuming he was going to return for another year of junior college football at City College of San Francisco. All the dream scenarios of getting his shot to be a Division I QB were fading then. To help ease his mind, he grabbed his bicycle and decided to ride to a friend's house in the quaint surf town an hour south of San Francisco. As Gordon pedaled away, his phone rang. It was an unidentified number. The pedaling stopped. When he slid his thumb across the touchscreen, he heard Mike Leach. "All I hear is this grumbling. I pretty much knew it was him," Gordon recalled before ultimately clearing his throat for his Leach close-up. "'Yeah, is this, uh ... Gordo? Is that what they're calling you?'" Entertaining and baffling stories go on forever in the Mike Leach galaxy. The Athletic went in search of first impressions of Leach from the recruiting realm to TV broadcasting to the practice fields and more. Leach-isms are full speed ahead in the SEC these days as Leach is entering his third season at Mississippi State this fall and recently received a two-year contract extension through 2025. Leach being perplexed by a simple nickname makes Gordon still chuckle to this day.
 
Scouting the schedule, Game 8: Mississippi State faces toughest test with road trip to Alabama
If Mississippi State was going to beat Alabama for the first time in more than a decade, the two teams' 2021 matchup seemed like a good time to do it. MSU took on a (supposedly) reeling Crimson Tide team coming off a loss to Texas A&M. The Bulldogs were fresh off a bye week, and they were hosting the game at Davis Wade Stadium. It didn't matter. Alabama crushed Mississippi State 49-9, and the Bulldogs must contend with less favorable circumstances this time around. In 2022, the Tide will host, although they won't be coming off a bye. But the return of quarterback Bryce Young, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and more will keep Alabama toward the top of the rankings and make MSU's mountain to climb considerably taller. Mississippi State will face Alabama on Oct. 22 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
 
Davis could be the extra piece to make Bulldogs' defense hum
Parrish Alford writes for the Daily Journal: Everybody likes that feeling that they're getting something extra -- kind of like free oil changes for a year when you buy a new car. When August camps open next week, Mississippi State will return every meaningful piece from a defensive line that was pretty productive last season. The Bulldogs ranked in the top 10 in run defense much of the way before falling out after giving up 260 rushing yards against Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl, as numerous key defensive players were unavailable. They finished at No. 12 with 113 yards per game allowed. Also on the field next week could be that wild card piece that makes the Bulldogs' defense hum -- defensive end Jordan Davis. While State was pretty consistent in slowing the run game, it was prone to giving up a big play here or there. Part of the problem was a spotty pass rush that could get near the quarterback but couldn't get him down enough to change games. Davis was expected to be one of the Bulldogs' top pass-rushers a year ago, but a torn ACL early in camp ended his season. Now he's back.
 
Ole Miss AD Keith Carter discusses Vaught-Hemingway renovation delays
In an interview with the Daily Journal, Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter discussed delayed renovations to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium -- specifically to the west side of the stadium -- that have been postponed due to increased construction rates, interest rates and inflation. The project is part of the school's Champions Now campaign and was itself budgeted to cost about $300 million, Carter said. The west side renovations were set to begin after the 2023 season. Ole Miss announced the delay in June. The Manning Center is set to finish its renovations next summer, while Swayze Field might be getting added capacity and an indoor turf infield in a potentially multi-phase project, according to Carter. "We just felt like we needed to press pause on that project. We want to revisit it, we still think it's a great project. We want to come back to it at some point. But we just felt like, we'll take that one off the table right now. It will kind of take a burden off of us from a monetary standpoint," Carter said. "We can focus on some of the other projects, which is the new softball stadium, soccer renovation, Phase Two of our golf renovation, and obviously our baseball stadium project. It'll allow us to focus more on those. But yeah, we have to revisit the west side of the stadium here in the future."
 
American Athletic Conference commish: Coordinated response needed to stabilize FBS
Mike Aresco says athlete compensation, the transfer portal and conference realignment have created a perfect storm for an unsettled situation, and the American Athletic Conference commissioner believes all FBS conferences need to have a coordinated approach toward stability while finding a middle ground between an amateur model of college athletics and increasing professionalism. "The amateur model we have embraced for decades is gone. We can't pretend that it still exists," he said Thursday. "But at the other end of the spectrum is pure NFL-style professionalism. Is that what we want? Is there a reasonable middle ground that retains the student-athlete experience and does not make our student-athletes employees or union members? I believe there is." Using prepared remarks in a nearly half-hour statement at the start of his league's football media day, Aresco addressed key issues facing college sports. He described a pivotal moment with so many critical issues at the same time, including FBS conferences potentially splitting from the NCAA. "We can lament realignment all we want, but we have to deal with it," Aresco said. "The realignment we have seen is of course driven by money and competitive positioning. ... Nevertheless, the health of our enterprise lies in the diversity of competition. We are not the NFL. We are not consolidated in one league or two leagues, regardless of that trend."
 
With NCAA silent on abortion bans, college sports face confusion
When a college athlete gets pregnant, school officials can turn to a "pregnancy tool kit," provided by the NCAA, where a simple flowchart lays out how to respond. After multiple positive pregnancy tests, the flowchart says, the athletic department should assemble a "decision-making team" of coaches, team doctors, athletic officials, family members, faith leaders and counselors. Then there is a choice, the flowchart says: The athlete can "elect to carry," deliver the baby and eventually return to training after six to eight weeks. Or the athlete "elects to abort" and "returns to sport." End of flowchart. In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leading to abortion bans in 20 states and threatening abortion access in many more, that choice may have disappeared for many athletes, including many elite athletes in top programs, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. The moment feels urgent for some coaches and athletic directors in states where abortion access is threatened. In interviews, they said the overturning of Roe has left them with little information about how to advise the young people in whose lives and health decisions they are expected to play significant roles. Some worry about recruiting women athletes to states where their reproductive rights have been curtailed. But the end of Roe has been met with silence from most of the college sports world, including the NCAA. Inside athletic departments dominated by men, three female Division I coaches in states with abortion restrictions told The Post they were afraid to speak publicly in support of abortion rights, worried they could be targeted by their bosses, politicians or the public.
 
Trump uses presidential seal at N.J. golf club amid ethics complaints
Former president Donald Trump was spotted using the presidential seal on multiple items during the LIV Golf tournament at his Bedminster, N.J., golf course. The seal was plastered on towels, golf carts and other items as the former president participated in the pro-am of the Saudi-sponsored tournament Thursday. It is against federal law to use the presidential and vice-presidential seals in ways that could convey "a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States." While violating this law could result in imprisonment of "not more than six months," a fine, or both, these punishments are rarely doled out. This is not the first time the display of the seal has been reported at Trump properties. The logo appeared on a marker at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla. in an Instagram post earlier this year, according to Forbes. WNYC and ProPublica reported in 2018 that the Trump Organization ordered golf course tee markers with the emblem on them. This week marks the third event of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, which Trump has joined forces with in Bedminster in the face of criticism, and its second in the United States. Asked by a reporter whether he intended to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, he said: "You're going to be so happy. ... We'll let you know pretty soon."



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