| Friday, February 17, 2023 |
| IHL grants initial approval for MSU-Meridian's master's degree nursing program | |
 | Mississippi State University received approval from the Institutions of Higher Learning on Thursday to begin initial preparations for a master's degree program in nursing at its Riley campus of MSU-Meridian. Aimed at addressing the state's nursing shortage, MSU-Meridian's accelerated master's degree program will be the first graduate entry-level nurse licensure program in Mississippi. "This program is a game-changing opportunity for our university and the people and communities we serve," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said in a prepared statement announcing the action taken by the Board of Trustees of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. "This master's level nursing program is expanding access and options for those interested in pursing this noble profession, and it is addressing a dire shortage in our state and region." Like national trends, Mississippi has witnessed a nursing shortage in recent years especially in the state's east central region where one in four nursing positions in Meridian is vacant, according to the release. "MSU is taking care of what matters by creating a program that will help generations of future nursing students fulfill their calling to care for others and ultimately improve quality of life in communities across Mississippi," Keenum said. The accelerated, 12-month, fast-track pathway is aimed at college graduates who hold degrees in non-nursing fields but are seeking a new career and a direct entry route to a registered nursing license, said Dr. Terry Dale Cruse, MSU-Meridian's head of campus and associate vice president. |
| Mississippi State's Dr. David Buys named Diversity Educator of the Year | |
 | Mississippi State Associate Professor Dr. David Buys has been named Mississippi Diversity Educator of the Year by the State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). The MSU professor was acknowledged during the IHL's board of trustees' annual diversity and inclusion awards ceremony held in honor of Black History Month. Buys, a state health specialist, has fostered intellectual spaces that stimulate thought about inclusive excellence, diversity, and access. He is a recognized voice in academic spheres for exploring social causes of inequity in health and disease, particularly for people of color and aging adults. "Dr. Buys' commitment to an inclusive environment has been demonstrated through numerous activities representing teaching, research, and service. In partnership with the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, he led a series of educational and learning initiatives focused on work with underrepresented populations to advance equity," MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum stated. "Through his continued engagement, he allowed diverse groups of students to feel empowered as leaders, while also elevating his colleagues' understanding of the need for culturally responsive practices in leadership." |
| Black History Month: Espy speaks about searching for her family history, building family-like relationships with non-relatives | |
 | Portia Ballard Espy's grandmother carried her purse everywhere -- to the dinner table and even to the bathroom. It never left her side. It wasn't until her grandmother's passing that Espy discovered the treasures it held. "I was gifted family photos that she had kept safely tucked away in her purse," Espy said. "... She kept the purse with her and no one knew what was in it, but it was the pictures. She was not comfortable talking about our family history, and she kept them hidden." Some were faces Espy recognized, people she had come to know. Others were people she had never met. There were photos dating back to the late 1800s that had deteriorated to the point Espy had to get them restored. That's how Espy's grandmother protected the family history. Espy is taking a different tack. Espy, president and CEO of the Mississippi Urban League and wife of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and ex-Congressman Mike Espy, was invited to tell the story of her hidden relatives as a part of the Mississippi State University Shackouls Honors College's "The Orators" series on Wednesday. The timing of her speech corresponded with recognition of Black History Month. |
| Magnolia Film Fest Showcases Local Talent in Starkville | |
| With a reputation for its filmmaker focus and intimate atmosphere, the Magnolia Independent Film Festival in Starkville, Miss., embarks on its 26th year with a lineup both international and state-specific, along with a welcome that embraces returning alums, fresh voices, emerging creatives and experimental forays. The festival takes place from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25 this year at UEC Hollywood Premier Cinema (101 Hollywood Blvd., Starkville), with a workshop and panel on the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 25, at Hobie's on Main (217 E. Main St.) -- formerly the State Theatre -- in downtown Starkville. Nearly 50 filmmakers are expected for the weekend event this year, festival director Chris Misun says -- a nice bump up from previous years, particularly after COVID-19 swept the world in 2020. "A lot of these filmmakers are bringing larger groups. ... This year, I think people are excited to get back out, go and promote their films." "I think the reputation of The Mag is also a part of that," Misun says. "We have several alumni coming back, and we have a reputation for being a very hospitable and fun festival." The craft of filmmaking is one theme at work at this year's festival. "We really tried to find a variety of different films that highlight different crafts, different animation styles," Misun says. |
| Lent takes on many forms in Mississippi | |
| As Mardi Gras season concludes on Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras Day), a new season begins. Lent, a season of repentance, fasting, prayer, and spiritual preparation begins on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is aptly named for its Catholic-based tradition. The palms, dried from the year before, are burned, and the ashes are used to mark the heads of those wishing to participate in the ancient tradition, modeling a spirit of repentance leading into the 40 days of Lent. "In the Gospels, Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for forty days," said Cecilia Carlton, Director of Liturgy at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Flowood. "So, you've got a tradition that's dating back 2,000 years." If you're following Catholic tradition, there are 6 weeks of Lent, with 36 weekdays and four Saturdays. Those between the ages of 18 and 59 fast from meat every Friday, as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, though Lent officially ends on Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. Sundays are not included in the fasting period. "We don't fast or abstain from meat on those days," said Carlton. "It's a day of feasting to celebrate the resurrection." While the Lenten season has been widely known and accepted in the past as a Catholic tradition, Protestant churches and even those who are not religiously affiliated at all are taking the time during that sacred forty days for a spiritual spring cleaning. |
| Ag Commissioner Gipson urges federal officials to finish Yazoo Pumps Project | |
| Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson joined the EPA and Army Department to stress the urgency to finish the Yazoo Backwater Area pumps during the Agricultural Leader Roundtable Meeting in Vicksburg. For years, statewide officials have pushed for the completion of the project, stressing the need for the federal government to construct a pumping station to successfully deliver effective flood protection to the Yazoo Backwater Area of the South Delta. "The Yazoo Backwater Area of Mississippi has experienced significant flooding nine out of the past 12 years, which has devastated local economies and natural resources. If the pump station was in place, much of this man-made devastation could have been prevented," Gipson stated. "If action is not taken, it will happen again. The time for talk is over, and the time for action is now. It is time to finish the pumps." The region experienced the highest backwater flood events in 2019 and 2020 since the Yazoo Backwater Levee and Drainage Structures were constructed in 1978. "We desperately need reliable access to this South Delta farmland so our farmers can continue doing the work to keep America fed and clothed," Gipson added. |
| Dixie National Rodeo multimillion-dollar economic boom for Mississippi | |
| The Dixie National Rodeo, the biggest rodeo event east of the Mississippi River, is bringing entertainment and business to the state in a big way. Another weekend of events is left to go, but already attendance is high, said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. "I can't wait to see the final numbers," said Gipson. "I tell people this is the best show on dirt, and thanks to what I call the Yellowstone Effect, people are coming out to enjoy the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson." Rodeo athletes come from all over the world to compete in the Dixie National Rodeo. "We have between 800 and 1,000 competitors," said Gipson. "There's seven different competitions: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddlebred riding, tie down roping, barrel racing and bull riding." The competitors are from all over the United States as well as from Canada, Australia, New Zealand–everywhere around the globe right here in Mississippi. "We have all this action that drives these big crowds, as well as the entertainment at the end of the two hour show," said Gipson. "We have all these concerts afterwards. It's the best deal in town." |
| Gov. Tate Reeves proposes $1.3 billion for economic development | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves proposed on Thursday a plan to submit to the Legislature that would use $1.3 billion on as many as 49 infrastructure and economic development projects throughout the state of Mississippi. The money would come from funds already secured by the state in the Capital Expense fund or could come from a combination of the Capital Expense Fund and the General Fund. The proposal includes proposed infrastructure investments throughout the state coupled with site development efforts to entice more high-paying jobs from businesses that may locate in Mississippi. "We need to keep investing in our state's infrastructure and take steps that will help companies bring their products to market faster by increasing the number of project-ready sites across Mississippi," Reeves said. "Mississippi can further establish itself as a leader in supporting the global supply chain."These projects are ready to begin construction upon receiving the necessary funds. Included in the $1.3 billion is an additional investment of $100 million into the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Program, which all 300 municipalities and 82 counties across Mississippi are eligible to apply for. The plan also includes $57 million in grants to develop project-ready sites across Mississippi. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves wants $1.3 billion from lawmakers for his new road plan | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday he has a plan for infrastructure improvements to drive economic development, and he's asking lawmakers for $1.3 billion this session so he can kick off road projects statewide. Reeves said the "vast majority" of the projects are already in the Mississippi Department of Transportation's three-year plan for road work, but he's picked ones that are shovel ready and that will help traffic capacity and give "Mississippi the competitive advantage it needs to land more economic development projects and deliver more high-quality, high-paying jobs for Mississippians." Reeves wants lawmakers to use a historically large budget surplus to fund his road plan, during an election year. Reeves announced his "plan to drive further economic development and growth in Mississippi" at a press conference on Thursday. He had a large state map showing numerous proposed projects dotted statewide, many of them long in the works by MDOT or requested by local leaders. It is unclear why Reeves would go around MDOT and normal channels and ask lawmakers to put $1.3 billion in a special account for his plan, or why it wasn't part of his budget recommendation to lawmakers in the fall. He said time is of the essence, particularly with high inflation rates driving up cost of road construction, although he acknowledged all the projects couldn't be completed during one fiscal year. |
| Gov. Reeves asks Legislature to fund $1.3 billion in new road projects | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday asked the Mississippi Legislature to use nearly $1.3 billion in excess state revenues to fund dozens of infrastructure projects around the state. "To better position our state for further economic growth, we need to invest in our state's roads and increase the number of project-ready sites across Mississippi," Reeves said. The governor is requesting lawmakers fund the projects from the state's historically high budget surpluses and from its capital expense fund. Of the total projects, the governor proposed to send around half a billion for new road projects in north Mississippi. Leaders at the Mississippi Department of Transportation typically develop their own plan for projects to remove politics out of the process, and Reeves acknowledged that most of the projects he's proposing are already listed on the Mississippi Department of Transportation's three-year road plan John Caldwell, north Mississippi's representative on the three-member transportation commission, confirmed a lot of the projects in Reeves' proposal are on MDOT's plan, but he noted that plan is subject to regular change. "This helps us go to a timeline that might have been a little optimistic when we put the road plan out there," Caldwell said. "This brings this to a reality instead of just a wish list." |
| Governor Reeves proposes $124 million to widen I-55 in massive infrastructure investment announcement | |
 | Governor Take Reeves announced on Thursday that he is proposing $124 million to widen I-55 as part of a package of "massive" infrastructure investments across the state. The proposed infrastructure investments total $1.3 billion and covers every region of the state -- from north Mississippi to the Delta and the coast. "This plan will benefit all of Mississippi," Reeves said during a press conference. "I am proposing funding some of the most construction ready projects in the state." Among the projects Reeves highlighted during the announcement was the widening of I-55. He said he agrees that widening I-55 is essential to the continued economic growth in DeSoto County. "Many of my friends in DeSoto County and across the state would tell you that it should come to Star Landing Road. Others would tell you that it should come to Hernando - a six lane-ing, and they're all right," Reeves said. "I completely agree with that. In fact, I believe that I-55 should be widened all way to Sanatoria at a minimum and eventually to Batesville. The reality is, when you look at this region of the state, economic growth is happening every single day." The announcement was greeted with cheers from officials in DeSoto County, who have long pleaded for the state to widen I-55. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves calls Jackson the 'murder capital of the world' | |
| During a press conference Thursday to announce a proposal for $1.3 billion in infrastructure and economic development, Gov. Tate Reeves said that the capital city of Jackson is the "murder capital of the world." In response to a question about House Bill 1020, which would put the power to appoint judges solely in the hands of the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court and to appoint prosecutors solely in the hands of the attorney general, Reeves said, "Well, let me say this. I think that the individuals that are working on many of these bills that focus on the operations of the City of Jackson are well intentioned "I think in many instances, they are frustrated. Look, Jackson is the murder capital of the world, and that is not a title we should be proud of. The thought of doing nothing should not be an option." "Let's talk about what we are doing. We are investing millions in capitol police," Reeves said. "It's probably true that we have more capitol police officers that the Jackson Police Department has. In addition to that, last year the state funded additional prosecutors for the District Attorney's office to help ... What I would say about House Bill 1020, as is often the case, the initial proposal has changed from the time it passed committee. We are working closely with leaders on that particular bill." |
| Gov. Tate Reeves questions bills that would take over Jackson water, create new court system | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday said legislative efforts at state control of Jackson's troubled water system are "either a little bit too late or either a little bit premature." Reeves also appeared to question whether a controversial bill to create a new, separate court system for part of Jackson that would strip Jacksonians' right to elect their own judges is fully baked or "meets constitutional muster." Reeves was asked about the bills -- which have drawn national headlines and brought bitter debate on racial lines -- at the end of an unrelated press conference on Thursday. The two measures are among a bevy of bills that white, Republican lawmakers this session are pushing over protests from Jackson's legislative delegation and leaders of the Blackest large city in the country. Reeves himself has clashed with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba over state emergency actions to restore water and have state police start patrolling parts of the city he called "the murder capital of the world." But on Thursday Reeves took a toned-down approach while speaking about the fight between lawmakers and the city. |
| State GOP lets Lee County Senate candidate Lauren Smith stay on Republican ballot | |
| The Mississippi Republican Party's executive committee Thursday voted to reject a request from Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, to keep his Republican primary opponent off the ballot. Tate Lewis, the director of the state GOP, told the Daily Journal that a majority of the party's executive committee voted to let Lauren Smith, a Republican challenger, compete against McMahan in the August primary. McMahan's campaign attempted to argue that Smith's voting records show she does not meet residency requirements to run for the Legislature. The state Constitution requires legislative candidates to be a "qualified elector" in Mississippi for four years and a resident of the district they want to represent for at least two years before the date of the election. Smith in a statement called McMahan's residency challenge "frivolous and baseless." "He's nothing more than a typical politician who will use every dirty trick in the book to hide the truth about his unethical behavior and terrible voting record," Smith said. "He will do anything to keep that Senate seat." State law allows McMahan to appeal the GOP committee's decision to Hinds County Circuit Court, but he told the Daily Journal in a telephone interview that he will not seek any type of appeal in state court. |
| Mississippi GOP clears Gunasekara as candidate for Public Service Commission | |
| The Mississippi GOP has ruled Mandy Gunasekara an eligible candidate for public service commissioner in the state's northern district. Gunasekara, a former EPA official who had a residency challenge filed against her last Thursday, was alleged to have not lived in Mississippi for the required amount of time to seek public office. On Friday, leaders in the Mississippi Republican Party voted in favor of placing her on August's primary ballot. "Today, the State Executive Committee of the Mississippi Republican Party confirmed what we already knew: I have been a citizen of Mississippi my entire life," Gunasekara said in a statement. "I appreciate their willingness to look at the facts and come to a fair decision." Gunasekara was being questioned regarding public records that showed she and her husband had received a homestead reduction on property taxes in Washington, D.C. in 2021. According to the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, candidates for PSC must live in-state for at least five years before the date of the election. |
| Democrats disqualify Brandon Presley's primary challengers for governor | |
| Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley woke up Friday morning as the Democratic nominee for governor in this November's general election. The executive committee of the Mississippi Democratic Party on Thursday night ruled that both of Presley's opponents in the August party primary -- Gregory Wash and Bob Hickingbottom -- had not met the eligibility requirements to run for governor. Neither, the party found, had followed state law. Under state law, the candidates are required to file statements of economic interest with the Mississippi Ethics Commission. Neither Wash nor Hickingbottom had. Presley will likely face incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves in the general election. Reeves will face two little-known candidates in the party primary: John Witcher and David Grady Hardigree. Independent Gwendolyn Gray also is slated to be on the November ballot. |
| Senate renews private school funding program that a judge declared unconstitutional | |
| The state Senate, in a close vote, decided to renew a program that allows Mississippi's private K-12 schools to use federal stimulus dollars, despite a state judge declaring the program unconstitutional. The Senate on Thursday approved Senate Bill 3052 that authorizes state agencies to continue spending COVID-19 relief dollars that lawmakers appropriated last year. Part of the bill authorizes a state agency to award $10 million in stimulus money for private schools. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, attempted to amend the bill by removing the provision that reauthorized the American Rescue Plan Act money for private schools, but the amendment failed 19-26. "If this amendment passes, the $10 million would be returned to the ARPA account, that lawsuit would be over, the state wouldn't have to pay for it and the money would go back into ARPA and make its way through the appropriations process," Blount said. The Legislature passed two bills last year, which the governor signed. One created a grant program to help private schools pay for water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. The other allocated the $10 million of federal money for the program, starting July 1. The state constitution limits lawmakers to only passing spending bills in one-year increments, so the Legislature often has to pass bills to re-authorize state agencies to continue to spend tax dollars appropriated from previous years. |
| House votes to spend $80 million in state funds for health care instead of taking $1 billion in federal money | |
| House leaders introduced and passed legislation Thursday to provide $80 million in state funds for financially challenged hospitals instead of expanding Medicaid to provide more than a $1 billion per year in federal funds for Mississippi's litany of health care needs. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly, though some members made it clear that the $80 million is nothing more than a "Band-Aid" and that much more needs to be done to address the hospital crisis. During floor debate, Rep. Earl Banks, D-Jackson, asked House Public Health Chair Sam Mims, R-McComb, how many years would state funds be used to provide grants to hospitals. Mims said he did not know. "If Medicaid would be expanded, which I understand would bring about $1 billion, then it probably would not be necessary to give them $80 million and we could use those funds for other things," said Rep. Earl Banks, D-Jackson. Mims replied, "This piece of legislation has nothing to do with expanding Medicaid." Mims and other Republican leaders, such as Speaker Philip Gunn and Gov. Tate Reeves, have opposed expanding Medicaid to provide health care coverage for primarily the working poor. They say they oppose expanding government programs and also contend the state cannot afford the cost of expanding Medicaid. |
| Lawsuit seeks white woman's arrest in Emmett Till kidnapping | |
 | A relative of Emmett Till is suing to try to make a Mississippi sheriff serve a 1955 arrest warrant on a white woman in the kidnapping that led to the Black teenager's brutal lynching. The torture and killing of Till in the Mississippi Delta became a catalyst for the civil rights movement after his mother insisted on an open-casket funeral in Chicago and Jet magazine published photos of his mutilated body. Last June, a team doing research at the courthouse in Leflore County, Mississippi, found an unserved 1955 arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant, listed on that document as "Mrs. Roy Bryant." Till's cousin Priscilla Sterling of Jackson, Mississippi, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the current Leflore County sheriff, Ricky Banks. The suit seeks to compel Banks to serve the warrant on Carolyn Bryant, who has since remarried and is named Carolyn Bryant Donham. The U.S. Justice Department announced in December 2021 that it had ended its latest investigation into the lynching of Till, without bringing charges against anyone. After researchers found the arrest warrant last June, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in July there was no new evidence to try to pursue a criminal case against Donham. In August, a district attorney said a Leflore County grand jury had declined to indict Donham. |
| For the 2023 Farm Bill, expect a political showdown over SNAP benefits | |
| Negotiations for the 2023 Farm Bill are getting underway. That massive government spending package gets a refresh roughly every five years. And despite its name, the bulk of the Farm Bill has to do with anti-hunger policy. Lawmakers have an opportunity to tinker with programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, and debate its budget. And this is happening just as extra pandemic-era funding for that program runs out, and as grocery costs remain stubbornly high. The Farm Bill has propped up American agriculture since the Great Depression. But it wasn't until the 1970s that lawmakers tied crop subsidies to food assistance, per Vincent Smith with the American Enterprise Institute. "To ensure that farm districts and urban districts would coalesce to support funding for farm programs and for nutrition programs," he said. But every five years, it takes a political showdown to reach that consensus -- particularly when it comes to spending on SNAP benefits, which got a boost during the pandemic. That will be a debate flashpoint, "about whether the overall change, which increased underlying benefits, was appropriate and whether it was too much," said Elaine Waxman at the Urban Institute. During a Congressional hearing on Thursday, Republican lawmakers took aim at the overall size of the SNAP budget. |
| The 2023 farm bill should be a climate bill, Democrats say | |
 | Don't look now, but the divided Congress could pass a major climate change bill. No, it's not version 2.0 of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats' sweeping climate and health-care package. Rather, the farm bill -- the five-year reauthorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in agriculture and food programs -- could help farmers tackle the climate crisis while feeding the nation. Congress has until the end of September to reauthorize the farm bill, which typically passes with bipartisan support. Already, House Democrats are working to include provisions aimed at helping farmers store more carbon in the soil, plant more trees and become more resilient in the face of extreme weather, Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) told The Climate 202. "We've already started planning for the farm bill and how to push the policies that are great for farmers, great for soil health and also great for the planet," said Schrier, who is co-chairing the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition's Climate and Agriculture Task Force. The coalition, a group of more than 80 climate-conscious House Democrats, will formally launch the task force today with an eye toward ensuring that the farm bill contains robust climate provisions. Andrew Walmsley, senior director of government affairs at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in an email that members of the lobbying group have "long been supporters of climate-smart ag practices" through voluntary conservation programs in the farm bill. |
| Tim Scott sidesteps Haley endorsement as he kicks off national listening tour in South Carolina | |
 | U.S. Sen. Tim Scott declined to endorse Nikki Haley's presidential bid one day after her campaign kickoff in Charleston, a reluctance that suggests he could see a lane for himself in the 2024 Republican field. Scott, R-S.C., sidestepped the chance to give his support Feb. 16 before delivering remarks at the Charleston County Republican Party's fifth annual Black History Banquet. Scott has enjoyed a friendly relationship with Haley. As governor, she appointed him to the U.S. Senate in 2012 when Jim DeMint resigned. When asked by The Post and Courier if he had any plans to endorse Haley, South Carolina's junior senator replied: "Next question." Scott's comment to local media came moments before he launched his national "Faith in America" listening tour, a cross-country endeavor that next week will take him to Iowa, the leadoff state in the Republican presidential nominating calendar. When asked what circumstances would get him into the presidential race, Scott continued to play coy. "I'm not going to dodge your question, but I'm also not going to answer it," Scott said, laughing. "The truth is that as I continue on my Faith in America tour, it will give me a lot of information about what Americans are looking for and where their focus is." As the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate and a rising star in his party, Scott is widely seen as a presidential candidate in-waiting. |
| Will Republicans become a Christian nationalist party? Can they win if they do? | |
 | With the 2024 presidential campaign already underway, the nation's two major political parties are each struggling for a clear identity, one that might allow them to break out of the current cycle of repeated stalemates. Democrats, whose partisans have moved sharply to the left over the past decade, seem likely to defer their debate until after the election, with President Biden on track to claim the party's nomination without serious challenge. On the Republican side, by contrast, the struggles are increasingly out in the open as the party, long defined by a Reagan-era ideology of low taxes, small government and strong defense, tries to figure out what it now stands for. Many of the party's wealthy donors favor a libertarian ideology of low taxes and small government. Other GOP activists dream of a a multiracial, multiethnic blue-collar party, hoping to peel a larger share of Black and Latino voters away from Democrats. But one of the most powerful strands within the party is Christian nationalism, the belief that the U.S. is properly a Christian nation that should be governed by followers of traditional Christian beliefs. Two big, new studies over the last couple of weeks shed fresh light on those internal debates. One, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago for the Associated Press, examined how much confidence each party's voters have in their leaders. The other, by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Religion Research Institute, offers a comprehensive look at Christian nationalism. |
| Behind scenes, Fox News stars derided Trump camp's claims of election fraud | |
 | In the days and weeks after the 2020 elections, the Fox News Channel repeatedly broadcast false claims that then-President Donald Trump had been cheated of victory. Off the air, the network's stars, producers and executives expressed contempt for those same conspiracies, calling them "mind-blowingly nuts," "totally off the rails" and "completely bs" -- often in far earthier terms. The network's top primetime stars -- Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity -- texted contemptuously of the claims in group chats, but also denounced colleagues pointing that out publicly or on television. Those revelations and far more surfaced in legal filings made public late Thursday afternoon as part of Dominion Voting System's blockbuster $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox and its parent company. Dominion sued after Fox hosts and guests repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the company had switched Trump votes to Biden. The material presented in the remarkable 178-page brief reflects there were no illusions that there was heft to the allegations of election fraud even among those Fox figures who gave the most intense embrace to Trump allies peddling those lies. "Dominion has mischaracterized the record, cherry-picked quotes stripped of key context, and spilled considerable ink on facts that are irrelevant under black-letter principles of defamation law," a Fox News spokesperson said. |
| IHL approves Slabach as new Dean of Ole Miss School of Law | |
| On Thursday, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) approved Professor Frederick G. (Fred) Slabach to serve as Dean of the Ole Miss School of Law. He begins his new position with the university on July 1, 2023. Slabach will be joining the University of Mississippi from Texas Wesleyan University, where he currently serves as President and University Professor. "I want to make sure that all potential students and their future employers know what a great law school Ole Miss has," Slabach said upon being selected in January. "The quality is there from the faculty, the staff, the skills training, the doctrinal education, all of it. I want to make sure everybody knows what we do, so that we can attract the top-quality students that I know want our quality education. According to Dr. Noel Wilkin, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the offer was extended to Slabach after a national search that attracted "a well-qualified pool of applicants." Slabach is no stranger to Mississippi, having received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Mississippi College, his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law, and his LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law. Slabach's wife, Melany Neilson is a twice-published author who was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for her 1989 book, "Even Mississippi." The two have three children. |
| USM President shares vision for growing Coastal operations | |
 | It's been three months since Dr. Joe Paul officially became the President of the University of Southern Mississippi. This week, WLOX toured USM's Gulf Park campus with Dr. Paul. He also discussed where the school's Coastal operations fit in with his master plan for the University. Dr. Joe Paul's passion for Southern Miss is easy to see. That passion includes growing USM's Gulf Coast footprint. "It is a strong and high priority for me to grow our enrollment at Coastal USM and particularly at Gulf Park," Paul said. Paul's goals are ambitious. Right now, about 1,000 students study on the Gulf Park campus, and Paul's vision would double or even triple enrollment over the next four years. "We're focusing strategically on Coastal academic programs for Coastal people for Coastal jobs," Paul said. The plan to boost Gulf Park is backed up with cash. $1.6 million was spent last year on enhancing programs on the Long Beach Campus. Next year, a $13 million dollar long-range master plan begins taking shape. The upgrades already in place include making the library a one stop for academic support and improving classroom technology for multimedia -- arts and film studies. Also a big part of the Coast focus centers around the water, offering students hands on experience in programs like hydrographic science and ocean engineering. While the blue economy offers new opportunities, Paul says students can also be set up for success at Gulf Park for traditional career paths including a big area of need, nursing. The accelerated nursing pathway program just launched this year. |
| IHL board voted to renew Hudson's contract a week before no-confidence vote | |
| One week before the faculty senate at Jackson State University voted "no confidence" in President Thomas Hudson, the college board voted to renew his contract for another four years. During an executive session after its regular monthly board meeting on Jan. 19, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees voted to renew Hudson's contract through 2027. They also renewed the contract for Jerryl Briggs, the president of Mississippi Valley State University, for another four years. The contract renewals were made public in this month's board book. The contract renewal does not mean Hudson or Briggs received a raise, according to IHL spokesperson Caron Blanton. As of last year, both presidents received a $300,000 annual salary from the state of Mississippi and an additional $5,000 foundation bonus. The contract renewal signals the IHL board is supportive of Hudson as he is now dealing with the fallout from the faculty senate's no-confidence vote. A JSU alum, Hudson was appointed president in the wake of a scandal after former president William Bynum was arrested in a prostitution sting. Tom Duff, the IHL Board president, said the board is "very pleased" with Hudson and that the contract renewal was not connected to the no confidence vote. "Candidly, Jackson State is moving forward," Duff said, citing the university's financial and enrollment metrics and graduation rate. |
| Jackson State Tigers get first bobblehead in HBCU Series | |
| Fans of JSU athletics can now boast their pride in the capital city university with the unveiling of the first HBCU Bobblehead Series by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. Friday morning's release features officially licensed bobbleheads of 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in celebration of Black History Month, including Wavee Dave, Jackson States' beloved mascot. "We're excited to release this long-overdue collection of HBCU bobbleheads," National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. "We hope the alumni, students, faculty, staff, and entire Jackson State community will enjoy this new Bobblehead. Bobbleheads are often passed down from generation to generation, and we think the bobbleheads in this new HBCU Series will certainly become cherished keepsakes." The Wavee Dave mascot bobblehead can be purchased sporting the JSU logo and school colors, wearing a white or blue jersey. Sklar says a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Jackson State bobblehead will go back to the university. |
| To Increase Equity, School Districts Eliminate Honors Classes | |
 | A group of parents stepped to the lectern Tuesday night at a school board meeting in this middle-class, Los Angeles-area city to push back against a racial-equity initiative. The high school, they argued, should reinstate honors English classes that were eliminated because they didn't enroll enough Black and Latino students. The district earlier this school year replaced the honors classes at Culver City High School with uniform courses that officials say will ensure students of all races receive an equal, rigorous education. These parents disagreed. "We really feel equity means offering opportunities to students of diverse backgrounds, not taking away opportunities for advanced education and study," Joanna Schaenman, a Culver City parent who helped spearhead the effort, said in the run-up to the meeting. The parental pushback in Culver City mirrors resistance that has taken place in Wisconsin, Rhode Island and elsewhere in California over the last year in response to schools stripping away the honors designation on some high school classes. "I just don't see how removing something from some kids all of a sudden helps other kids learn faster," said Scott Peters, a senior research scientist at education research nonprofit NWEA who has studied equity in gifted and talented programs. |
| 'It's basically telehealth on steroids': Auburn University opens virtual health care station in LaFayette | |
 | The Alabama Cooperative Extension Office and Auburn University are bringing a high-tech health care alternative to rural Chambers County. Auburn University recently installed an OnMed virtual care station in LaFayette to help provide residents with quick and convenient health care services without having to drive to Opelika or Valley. The automated health care station is set to give patients private, real-time visits with doctors and nurses through a virtual setting. The station is set to open for service in April. According to LaFayette Fire and EMS Chief Jim Doody, OnMed can take care of 85-90% of anything that can be done at a regular doctor's office. "This thing is absolutely amazing, what it can do," Doody said. "It's basically telehealth on steroids." The OnMed care station is part of a multi-disciplinary health care effort that Auburn University is rolling out in LaFayette. Through Auburn's Rural Health Initiative, the colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Human Sciences will also provide medical services at the new Chambers County Community Health and Wellness Center where the OnMed care station is located. According to Hollie Cost, assistant vice president of University Outreach and Public Service, those services will include nutrition-based health and wellness education, and speech and hearing evaluations, among other offerings. |
| U. of Kentucky environmental health team wants to study long-term effects of Ohio chemical disaster | |
 | The University of Kentucky is looking to pilot a research study about the long-term effects of the East Palestine, Ohio, chemical disaster. Officials are monitoring the area and the Ohio River after the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train along the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Several tanker cars ruptured and burned in the incident and released vinyl choride and butyl acrylate, emergency officials have said. Those chemicals are used in the production of plastics and resins. Residents of East Palestine were told to evacuate, and while the order was lifted last week, some remain away from their homes, concerned about safety. A statement released Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated, "air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community that are attributed to the train derailment." Low levels of butyl acrylate were detected in the Ohio River, traveling from Little Beaver Creek. The river is a water source for millions. Erin Haynes, chairperson of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at UK, is building a team seeking opportunities for collaboration to begin a study on the long-term effects of the toxic disaster. Possible partners include academic institutions and local and federal agencies, she said in an email to the Herald-Leader. Haynes said the university will utilize several funding sources, including the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. |
| Controversial 'divisive concepts' bill quietly reappears in survey sent to all UT students, faculty | |
| Last March, when the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation concerning a list of so-called "divisive concepts," it also required public colleges and universities to survey students, staff and faculty once every two years "to assess the campus climate with regard to diversity of thought and the respondents' comfort level in speaking freely on campus, regardless of political affiliation or ideology," according to the language of the bill. The first of these surveys, which will be collected until 2028, arrived in the inboxes of students, staff and faculty on University of Tennessee campuses across the state on the first day of classes for the spring 2023 semester and it will close Monday, Feb. 20. Data from the survey will be made available to the public on the UT System website, as mandated by the law. The survey, created in partnership with Gallup, the Washington D.C.-based analytics giant and creator of CliftonStrengths, includes seven multiple choice questions and takes around one minute to complete. After asking respondents to rate their perception of their campus's commitment to free expression and their own ability to speak their opinion freely, the survey asks for respondents' gender and racial identity, as well as political ideology, ranging from conservative to liberal. While the questions themselves are non-partisan, the survey was mandated in a partisan vote by the 112th General Assembly of 132 representatives across the senate and house of representatives, of which only 32 representatives, or roughly one quarter, were Democrats. |
| U. of Missouri Faculty Council reviews job satisfaction survey with low marks for top leaders | |
 | University of Missouri faculty like the people they work with, but they don't like MU leadership as much, according to a 2022 survey of faculty members. The MU Faculty Council on Thursday discussed the survey results during a meeting in Cornell Hall. MU Provost Latha Ramchand, who has read the survey, will make recommendations at the March 2 Faculty Council meeting. The information is in the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education, or COACHE, survey. It's a consortium of more than 300 colleges and universities overseen by Harvard University. This report is from spring 2022, with the previous most recent survey in 2019. Committee co-chairs Daryl Smith and Shelly Rodgers presented the findings. It had a 51% response rate from MU faculty, which is 10% higher than the response in 2019. The response rate of underrepresented minorities -- Blacks and Hispanics -- was 52% compared with 37% of peer institutions Peer institutions were State University of New York-Buffalo, Purdue University, University of Arkansas, University of Kansas and Washington State University. The top results on the survey were departmental collegiality, leadership and quality and teaching and collaboration with colleagues. |
| Michigan State University gunman's note had possible motive | |
| The man who shot eight students at Michigan State University, killing three, was found with two handguns and a note containing a possible motive for the attack, police said Thursday. The 9 mm guns, dozens of rounds of ammunition and the two-page note were found with Anthony McRae when he killed himself Monday night after being confronted by police, said campus deputy chief Chris Rozman. Investigators said they still were trying to pin down a motive, three days after the violence at the 50,000-student campus in East Lansing, but the note was a key point. "It appears based on the content of the note that he felt he was slighted in some way by people or businesses," Rozman said at a news conference. "Did a mental health issue amplify that or was it a component of that? We're not sure at this point. We're working our best to try to determine that as best as possible." McRae, 43, was the lone shooter and had no connection to the victims or to Michigan State as a student or employee, police said. One of the five wounded students was upgraded to stable condition at Sparrow Hospital. The others remained in critical condition but with "signs of improvement," interim university President Teresa Woodruff said. |
| After a Tragedy, Michigan State Will Resume In-Person Classes. Some Students Say They Aren't Ready. | |
 | After a harrowing mass shooting this week at Michigan State University that left three students dead and five others severely injured, some students are pushing for a temporary remote-learning option to accommodate those who don't yet feel safe going to classrooms. Michigan State suspended all classes and campus activities immediately after the shooting. University leaders said on Thursday that they planned to resume in-person classes on Monday. But more than 15,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling on the university, in East Lansing, to offer hybrid and online options for "students and parents who are uncomfortable with returning to campus with such haste." A Thursday editorial in The State News, the campus newspaper, declared: "We're not going to class Monday." Mikayla Stokes, a junior political-science major who signed the petition, told The Chronicle that while some of her peers wanted to "reclaim" the campus that is home to them, others felt it was too soon to try to resume normal activities. A similar scenario played out last fall at the University of Idaho: In November, students left the campus in droves after four of their peers were stabbed to death in an off-campus residence and no suspect was immediately named. The university offered a remote-learning option to students for the rest of the semester, which was nearly over. In late December, a Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University was arrested and charged in the students' murders. |
| Hazing prevention to be reviewed at New Mexico State | |
 | After suspending its men's basketball program last week and firing the team's head coach amid allegations of repeated sexual hazing of a player by teammates, New Mexico State University's top administrator said an internal investigation has started and an outside review will be launched. The university's Office of Institutional Equity, which investigates Title IX violation complaints and reports of sexual misconduct, along with campus police, and the university's Dean of Students Office are "among the groups working on this particular investigation" of the players' conduct, a university spokesman said in an email. Chancellor Dan Arvizu said during a press conference Wednesday that the university will also seek out an "independent" review to examine university processes. He said questions about how and why the hazing occurred are being asked of campus officials charged with safeguarding students, and that those questions extend beyond the athletic department. The only person fired immediately in the wake of the allegations was first-year head basketball coach Greg Heiar, who was let go Tuesday after the university suspended the basketball program indefinitely Feb. 10 and placed the coaching staff on paid administrative leave. Jamie Bronstein, a history professor and vice chair of the university's Faculty Senate, criticized the institution for caring too much about its image at the expense of other concerns. |
| A Rocky Stock Market Sent the Value of College Endowments Tumbling Last Year | |
| A volatile stock market during the last half of the 2022 fiscal year put a sharp dent in the returns and market value of college endowments. According to the annual Nacubo-TIAA Study of Endowments, released today, college endowments had an average one-year return of -8 percent, net of fees, in the 2022 fiscal year. The steep decline from the year before -- when endowments' overall average return was an eye-popping 30.6 percent -- shows the impact of external factors, such as inflationary pressures and the war in Ukraine. Despite the difficult year, colleges continued to use their endowments to support students and other institutional priorities, said Lynne C. Schaefer, Nacubo's interim president and chief executive officer. Institutional spending from endowments included in the study increased 10.7 percent to $25.9 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended on June 30 for most institutions. However, the average annual spending rate for college endowments fell to 4.2 percent, down from 4.8 percent in the prior fiscal year. Endowments of all sizes saw negative returns, although small endowments fared the worst. Endowments with less than $25 million in assets posted an average return of -11.5 percent. For endowments with assets of more than $1 billion, the average return was -4.5 percent, the study found. The Nacubo-TIAA study reflects responses from 678 institutions with endowment assets of $807 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, a total that was down about 4 percent from a year earlier. |
| College endowments dropped in fiscal year 2022 | |
| Soaring inflation put a squeeze on college endowments in the 2021–22 fiscal year, driving returns down, according to the annual report from the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The report, released today, is a marked change from the booming returns of fiscal year 2021, when endowments soared. The average return for all college endowments in fiscal 2022 was negative 8 percent, falling far short of the 30.6 percent overall average return in 2021. NACUBO also found that colleges increased their endowment spending, with dollars increasingly flowing toward institutional operating budgets, largely focused on student financial aid. The survey, conducted by NACUBO and the financial service company TIAA, counted 678 participating colleges and universities with a total of $807 billion in assets. Despite the rocky returns, NACUBO found that donations to endowments increased by an average of 22 percent in 2022, for institutions with both large and small endowments. Strong gifting, officials noted, helped offset endowment losses driven by a market downturn. The institutions with the five largest endowments remained unchanged from fiscal year 2021. Once again, in order, the largest endowments belong to Harvard University ($49.4 billion), the University of Texas system ($42.6 billion), Yale University ($41.3 billion), Stanford University ($36.3 billion) and Princeton University ($35.8 billion), according to NACUBO's figures. Endowments for all five have declined slightly when compared to fiscal year 2021. |
| Colleges look at TikTok profiles and other 'digital footprints' | |
| Aly Drake says she used TikTok like a diary. When she felt friendless, she'd make a video about it. When she noticed the symptoms of her bipolar disorder or wondered if an ex was still thinking about her, she'd open the app and press record. It helped that she was "obsessed" with understanding the app's algorithm and what content performed well, the 19-year-old said. On TikTok, her videos reached people who understood her and what she was going through, she said. But her videos also reached the coaches of the college water ski program she hoped to join. They sent her an email saying her videos were "too negative," she said. And she was denied a spot on the team. Drake ended up starting her college application process from scratch. She declined to name the program that denied her to protect her reputation as a current college athlete. Drake and her peers are in a tough spot. Raised on the internet and isolated by the pandemic, their social lives have played out on apps like TikTok. While corporate social media campaigns "raised awareness" around subjects like mental health and body positivity, young people shared their experiences in droves. But as they hit college or the working world, they're met with a harsh reality: The standard of professionalism among older generations hasn't changed, and it doesn't make room for the type of authenticity social media companies tend to encourage. |
| UNC's Board Comes Under Scrutiny After Surprise Plan for 'Civic Life' School | |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Board of Trustees has been loudly promoting its plan to build a new School of Civic Life and Leadership to media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. But faculty members at the university say they've been left in the dark, and now the institution's accreditor has promised to determine if the board has overstepped its appropriate role. Late last month, the Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution requesting that the university administration "accelerate" the development of the leadership school, potentially within an existing college or school. The resolution talks about the need to develop skills in public discourse for "promoting democracy" and benefiting society. The school would offer undergraduate degrees and eventually aim to have at least 20 dedicated faculty members. Just a few hours after the vote, an editorial appeared in The Wall Street Journal praising the university's plans to hire professors "from across the ideological spectrum." Trustees told the newspaper that the school was intended to end "political constraints on what can be taught in university classes." A journalist at The Daily Tar Heel, UNC's student newspaper, discovered this week that some members of the Board of Trustees had emailed the Journal about the proposed school as early as January 24. Faculty members, on the other hand -- some of whom learned about the proposed school from The Wall Street Journal -- expressed shock that the Board of Trustees had not sought their input. Under the norms of shared governance, they said, faculty members have control over areas such as curriculum. |
SPORTS
| Diamond Dawg Gameday: VMI | |
| Opening weekend is here! The Mississippi State Bulldogs return to Dudy Noble Field for the first game of the 2023 season on Friday when they host VMI in a three-game series in Starkville. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. CT, with Saturday slated for a 2 p.m. start and the series finale is set for 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The series will also be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/Listen. The opening weekend against VMI is the first meeting between these two programs in school history. This will be the eighth team under Coach Lemonis that the Dawgs will see for the first time. VMI enters the 2023 season with a brand-new coach leading the program. Sam Roberts enters his first season as the head coach after being an assistant coach on staff since 2017. Last season the Keydets finished the season with a record of 16-40 on the season and 6-15 in the Southern Conference. Last season, the Keydets opened the season with a 10-5 victory at Duke. That was one of two wins over teams from the ACC and Big Ten. |
| Bulldogs' ambidextrous pitcher provides advantages and challenges too | |
| Luke Hancock remembers his first time catching for Jurrangelo Cijntje. Even for a veteran backstop like Hancock, it took some getting used to. "He threw 15 pitches right-handed, then he was like, 'Alright, I'm going to throw left-handed now,'" Hancock recalled. That's how it is with Cijntje, a freshman from Pembroke Pines, Florida, who throws with both arms -- the SEC's only ambidextrous pitcher. The Bulldogs open the season at home Friday at 3 against Virginia Military Institute. What Cijntje does is no gimmick, according to Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis. "It's not a circus act," Lemonis said. "He's really good with both." Per MLB.com, Cijntje reaches 94 to 96 miles per hour right-handed and 88 to 92 mph left-handed. He's a natural lefty, but he began throwing with both hands at age 6. And his talent is real. Cijntje earned looks from professional clubs and was even selected in the 18th round of July's draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He turned down the professional ranks, willing to bet on himself and bolster his draft stock while at MSU. "I'm honored of getting picked, but I'm still a Bulldog!!" Cijntje wrote on Twitter after the Brewers selected him. |
| Softball Takes National Spotlight At TaxAct Clearwater Invitational | |
| Mississippi State will play on a national stage with a pair of postseason rematches on tap at TaxAct Clearwater Invitational on Feb. 17-19. All games will be available on one of ESPN's platforms with two being televised nationally. Three of MSU's five opponents are ranked in this week's NFCA Coaches' Poll. The Bulldogs open the tournament with a nationally-televised contest against Indiana at 11:30 a.m. CT on SEC Network before a Super Regional rematch with No. 10/15 Arizona at 2 p.m. on ESPN+. Saturday will see State play just one game, meeting No. 25/RV Michigan for the first time since 2012 at 4 p.m. on ESPN+. The Wolverines will be MSU's third Big Ten opponent this season, matching the most from that conference the Bulldogs have ever played in a season. MSU's second postseason matchup comes on Sunday. The Bulldogs will play South Florida at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The teams last met in the 2022 Tallahassee Regional, and split a pair of games with State eliminating the Bulls from the tournament. The Bulldogs will open the season with 15 consecutive road games while construction continues on their new indoor facility. The road trip is necessary while bullpens are completed for game use. |
| College baseball is back, so whose turn is it in Mississippi? | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: In 2021, Mississippi State baseball won its own regional, then its own super regional and then its first-ever national championship, painting Omaha maroon and white in the process. In 2022, Ole Miss sneaked into the NCAA Tournament as the last at-large team chosen, won the Coral Gables regional, white-washed Southern Miss in the Hattiesburg Super regional, before a full-scale Rebel invasion of Omaha. Mike Bianco's Rebels won the national championship, sweeping Oklahoma in the championship series. And so, you ask, what can Mississippi's Boys of Spring do for a 2023 encore? Let's put it this way: Expectations are sky-high. ... All three of Mississippi's Division I baseball powers open at home this weekend. Ole Miss takes on Delaware for a three-game set that will feature three days of celebrating last year's championship. Southern Miss plays host to a strong Liberty team, which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament three consecutive years. And Mississippi State hosts VMI (16-40 a year ago) from the Southern Conference. Let's take a brief look at all three. |
| Federal Judges Express Skepticism College Athletes Are Not Employees of Institutions | |
 | Steven Katz, a lawyer representing the N.C.A.A., had barely cleared his throat Wednesday while appearing before a three-judge panel for a federal appeals court when he was peppered with questions. As Katz was asserting that the case before the court -- the former Villanova defensive back Trey Johnson argues he and other Division I athletes should be considered employees and thus entitled to be paid a minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act -- would set off a cascade of inequities between men's and women's collegiate sports, Judge Theodore A. McKee cut him off. "Don't we already have that?" he asked, referring to the highly publicized disparities between the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments two years ago. "The women's weight room was basically a closet with dumbbells, and the men's weight room looked like the spa at the Four Seasons." A few beats later, Judge L. Felipe Restrepo, noting that the service academies pay their athletes -- without any problems from the N.C.A.A. -- wondered about athletes raking in significant endorsement contracts: "How are they not employees of the universities given the regimes they report to?" The hearing was merely a procedural step -- the N.C.A.A. telling the appellate judges that a U.S. District judge had erred when he did not throw out the suit -- in a case that has broad implications. It is only one of several working their way through the judicial system that threatens to upend the collegiate-sports model. |
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