| Thursday, October 26, 2023 |
| Pumpkinpalooza, fall festivals and trunk-or-treats, oh my! | |
 | Halloween is once again on the horizon, filling the Golden Triangle with pumpkins, bats, ghosts, and all things spooky. While not everyone can get out on Halloween night, a week full of fall festivals and trunk-or-treats offer everyone a chance to get in on the fun. From 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Starkville's Main Street will be taken over by Pumpkinpalooza, a massive Halloween celebration hosted by the Starkville Main Street Association and sponsored by Chick-fil-A. Paige Watson, director for Main Street for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, said this year's festival will include the Hail State Spirit Squad, a fire truck to touch, trunk-or-treat stations set up by nonprofits and a pumpkin patch with free pumpkins. "There's just a lot to do," Watson said. "It's a great way to get people out downtown in our retail businesses and our restaurants, and a fun time for the kids. And it's all free and very family-friendly and family-oriented." The palooza will also include the Talladegourd 500, Watson said, where pumpkins are put on wheels and race down the road starting at 6 p.m. at the MSU IDEA Shop. Watson said there are more than 15 entries so far this year, with registration starting at $25 per family and $50 per business. "You decorate it to your liking, and then they put it on a chassis, and it races down a ramp in different heats, and then the winner gets $250 to donate to a local charity," Watson said. |
| MSU Rodeo Team hosts mechanical bull riding fundraiser | |
 | Students at Mississippi State put their bull riding skills to the test to see if they could hang on for eight seconds. This MSU Rodeo team hosted a mechanical bull riding fundraiser to help raise money for their school membership fee. The membership ensures they will be able to participate in the college rodeo association under Mississippi State. Participants were able to ride for fun or enter the Jackpot pool for a chance to win a custom belt buckle and a cash prize. "We are a smaller sport at MSU and we don't have a lot of funding and support compared to other college rodeo programs in the state of Mississippi. But hopefully one day through fundraising events and even donations made to our donation account, we can grow our sport," said Joy Nabors, Social Media Manager and Member of the Rodeo Team. |
| Hurricane Otis: Social media videos show the severity of the storm | |
 | People stuck in Acapulco posted videos to social media overnight, showing the destruction caused by Hurricane Otis as destructive winds and heavy rains battered the resort city. Roxy Van Ruiten, a meteorology student at Mississippi State University, was on vacation when the hurricane made landfall. Late Tuesday night, she posted a video from a balcony showing the city in darkness after losing power. "It's going to be a long night," she said on social media platform X. "I keep thinking of my storm-chasing professor. He loves to talk about all of the hurricanes he's experienced in his life in our class, now I'm going to experience my first hurricane." The coastal city took a direct hit from what forecasters described as a "catastrophic" hurricane. Now a tropical storm, Otis was forecast to produce an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain through Thursday. |
| Natchez winery, a family-run business for over 40 years, is ready to expand | |
 | Nestled on a hill in Natchez, not far from the Mississippi River, is a family-run winery that has been going strong since 1979. Alongside the winery are rows of muscadine vines, one of the few grape varieties that can handle the heat and humidity in the Southeast, said owner Scott Galbreath III, whose parents Dr. Scott Galbreath Jr., a veterinarian, and Edeen Galbreath founded the business. In the more than 40 years since the Old South Winery began producing both sweet and dry varieties, it has outgrown its patch of muscadines and began buying from other local growers to keep up with production. Now, Galbreath said, it's time to expand even more. He purchased several acres of land and is clearing the land to plant muscadines and other grape varieties that he has found will thrive in the area. The plan is to eventually move the winery to the vineyard. The winery's story began much earlier than 1979, when "Doc" Galbreath was a teenager. According to the winery's website, "Doc" and his cousin Louise would gather the muscadines and learn to make wine from their grandmother. It was many years later that Doc and Edeen Galbreath decided to bring back the craft of wine-making and turned it into a second career. When the winery opened its doors in Spring 1980, Scott Galbreath already had experience in the family business. Over the years, other family members helped around the winery, but it wasn't until 1995 that the Galbreaths got some permanent help from their children, Diane and Scott, according to the website. In 2006, Scott officially took over the family business with help from his sister and continued to see the winery grow. Scott Galbreath, who earned a master's degree in business administration, decided the winery was a good fit, with the wealth of knowledge in wines he learned from his father and the business side from Mississippi State University. |
| Cadence to cut workforce by another 80 in fourth quarter | |
 | While the sale of Cadence Insurance will bolster Cadence Bank's efforts to boost shareholder value, reduce borrowings and improve earnings, its efforts to improve efficiency will also mean another 80 workers will be let go. Cadence chairman and CEO Dan Rollins, in an investor call following the insurance company sale announcement on Tuesday, said more than 300 had been let go in the third quarter, and more than 400 in the past year. The insurance company deal came on the heels of Cadence Bank reporting third-quarter net income of $92.6 million, or 49 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for nonrecurring costs, came to 56 cents per share. Rollins noted that the sale represented a sale price 5.4 times the revenue produced by Cadence Insurance over the past 12 months. The sale for $904 million to Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. will provide about $650 million after taxes and expenses related to the sale. "While we've repeatedly said we like the insurance business, the opportunity to monetize this business at historically high valuation levels is a huge win for our shareholders," Rollins said in the earnings call. On top of the workforce cuts in the third quarter, the bank also completed the closure of 35 bank branches, a 12% reduction to about 350 locations. As for pursuing mergers and acquisitions of other banks, Rollins said it is not a primary focus at this time. |
| US economic growth accelerated to strong 4.9% rate last quarter as consumers shrugged off Fed hikes | |
 | The nation's economy expanded at a robust 4.9% annual rate from July through September as Americans defied higher prices, rising interest rates and widespread forecasts of a recession to spend at a brisk pace. The Commerce Department said the economy expanded last quarter at the fastest pace in nearly two years -- and more than twice the 2.1% annual rate of the previous quarter. Thursday's report on the nation's gross domestic product -- the economy's total output of goods and services -- showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals. Even though the painful inflation of the past two years has soured many people's view of the economy, millions have remained willing to splurge on vacations, concert tickets and sports events. "This is just a very resilient economy that continues to take hit after hit and keep on," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, a tax and consulting firm. Yet the robust growth may prove to be a high-water mark for the economy before a steady slowdown begins in the current October-December quarter and extends into 2024. The breakneck pace is expected to ease as higher long-term borrowing rates, on top of the Federal Reserve's short-term rate hikes, cool spending by businesses and consumers. The growth figures for the third quarter revealed that federal, state, and local governments ramped up their spending, and businesses built up their stockpiles of goods in warehouses and on shelves, which helped drive growth higher. The increase in inventories, which accounted for about a quarter of the July-September growth, isn't likely to be repeated in the coming months, economists say. |
| Testimonies heard by Mississippi study committee on foreign purchase of farmland | |
 | The Mississippi Study Committee on Foreign Purchase of Farmland met last week to discuss a recent development in their investigation into foreign owned land in the state. The committee was formed in Mississippi after lawmakers were made aware that there were laws on the books to regulate foreign land ownership but that law wasn't being followed. The committee members to determine whether or not any of the current land owned is within those statutory guidelines and recommend action, if necessary. "My intent was to make sure that our foreign adversarial countries weren't here buying our land, and unfortunately they are," said State Representative Becky Currie who authored the legislation that created the committee. But Mississippi is not the only state taking a look at who owns and leases land within their borders. On October 17, it was reported that the state of Arkansas had moved to regulate foreign ownership of farmland in what is considered the first such action in the country. A company, Syngenta Seeds, with ties to the Chinese Communist government, has been ordered to divest its land after the passage and implementation of Act 636. At this month's meeting, Mississippi committee members heard a number of testimonies from state and federal officials who discussed the pros and cons of foreign farmland investment, whether that be from an ally or adversarial nation. State Senator Brice Wiggins also sits on the task force. He said through the proceedings he has learned that the Dutch are actually the largest foreign land owners in Mississippi, with China owning roughly 0.2%. Since he has never considered the Dutch an enemy of the United States, he questioned what actions would result from this information. |
| Food insecurity climbed in 2022 as pandemic aid ended | |
| The United States Department of Agriculture is out with its its latest report on Household Food Security. While the vast majority of people are well fed, 17 million households struggled to put food on the table at least once in 2022. That's just under 13%, which is almost 5 million more households than the year before. Several groups saw increases in food insecurity last year, according to the USDA. There was a nearly 45% jump for families with children, noted Lisa Davis with advocacy group Share Our Strength. "This report comes on the tails of the most recent child poverty report," she added, "which showed the largest one year spike in child poverty rates in history." All this was avoidable, said USDA deputy undersecretary for food and nutrition Stacy Dean. "We saw significant withdrawal in government assistance associated with the pandemic. And as that was pulling back, we see the consequences, which was unfortunately a rise in food insecurity," she said. And that rise was not even. "So we see twice the levels of food insecurity for Black and Latinx households," said Geri Henchy with the Food Research and Action Center. Another group particularly affected were single-parent households headed by women, with food insecurity in about a third of those families. |
| Saturday in-person absentee voting for Mississippi's general election begins | |
| Mississippi residents who are planning to submit an absentee ballot for the 2023 general elections in person will be able to cast their vote at circuit clerk offices on Saturdays. Circuit clerk offices will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for in-person absentee voting on Saturday, October 28. The last day to vote in-person absentee is Saturday, November 4. At this time, the Statewide Election Management System (SEMS) is reporting that over 23,000 absentee ballots have been requested throughout Mississippi, with 15,858 of those already being filled out and received for the upcoming statewide elections. The SEMS has added that the number of absentee ballots requested reflects the number of Mississippi voters that asked for a ballot through their local circuit clerk's office while the received total shows the number of completed ballots that were returned. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day on November 7 and received within five business days of Election Day in order to count. The resolution board can begin processing absentee ballots at 7:00 a.m. on Election Day and county election officials can tabulate ballots at the closing of the polls at 7:00 p.m. |
| Democrats keep hammering Gov. Tate Reeves for refusing Medicaid expansion | |
| Less than two weeks before the Nov. 7 statewide election, top Democratic leaders are continuing to pound the drum on Mississippi's hospital crisis and the need for state officials to expand Medicaid coverage to the working poor. Speaking on the front steps of the state Capitol on Wednesday morning, three Democratic lawmakers sharply criticized Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for standing in the way of expansion, which experts estimate would generate billions for the state. "He'll tell you over and over that it's Mississippi's time," House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III said. "For who, governor? Who are you talking about? You and your donors? Because I don't think the people in my district and community will describe what they see as Mississippi momentum." Reeves' campaign did not respond to a request for comment, but the governor has said in previous remarks that he remains opposed to expansion and derisively calls the proposal "welfare expansion." The governor's Democratic challenger Brandon Presley, meanwhile, has made health care one of the major themes of his campaign platform and has promised to expand Medicaid on "day one" that he's sworn into office. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, believes the coordinated message around expansion and the hospital crisis will be different this year and translate into actual results at the ballot box next month. Blount used previous legislative efforts to give poor mothers additional Medicaid benefits after they give birth as an example to show how the party's constant push for additional benefits for vulnerable Mississippians can lead to actual results. |
| Mississippi Drug Overdose Deaths Declined 10% in 2022 | |
| Mississippi's drug overdose death rate declined 10% in 2022 after more than doubling over the preceding five years as a coalition of state agencies banded together to tackle the crisis, State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney says. "When I took over last August, I placed it in our top three priorities. Number one being infant and maternal death; number two being diabetes and the impact of chronic illnesses; and number three was the opioid overdose crisis," he told the Mississippi Free Press on Oct. 4. "Thankfully, what we saw in 2022 was a 10% reduction in death." The Mississippi State Health Department, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have always worked together to combat overdoses, but they specifically teamed up to fight to reduce overdose deaths starting in July 2017 after the Mississippi Opioid and Heroin Drug Summit started the Opioid and Heroin Data Collaborative, Director of the Public Health Pharmacy Meg Pearson said. The state's overdose death rate increased from 352 deaths at a rate of 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 787 deaths at a rate of 28.4 per 100,000 people by 2021, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control shows. About 700 people died of overdoses in 2022, Edney said, meaning overdose deaths are still about double where they were in 2016. The CDC has not published its official 2022 data yet. "When you get your first year of improvement, you never know if it's a sporadic drop or if it's the beginning of the trend. So, we want to make that trend, obviously," Edney said. |
| Louisiana's Mike Johnson elected speaker of the U.S. House, ending weeks of chaos | |
 | Ending weeks of chaos, the U.S. House finally elected a speaker Wednesday, one few had expected: Rep. Mike Johnson, a conservative Republican from Benton, in northwest Louisiana. Johnson, the first-ever House speaker from Louisiana, was supported by every one of the 220 Republicans present to win the speakership, something the three previous GOP contenders couldn't manage. He needed 215 votes to claim the gavel. "The people's House is back in business," Johnson said after being sworn in as the leader of the House Republicans, administrator for the full chamber, and just behind the vice president in the presidential succession. "You're going to see an aggressive schedule in the days and weeks ahead. You're going to see Congress working as hard as it's ever worked and we are going to deliver for the American people," Johnson said. "We've gone through a little bit of suffering. We've gone through a little bit of character building, and you know what has produced more strength, more perseverance and a lot of hope, and that's what we're about to deliver to the American people." His ascent means both of the top leaders in the House are from Louisiana -- Johnson as speaker and Rep. Steve Scalise, of Jefferson, as majority leader. Scalise and Johnson have known each other since their LSU days. Johnson attended Captain Shreve High School, a public school, before heading off to LSU. He and his wife, Kelly, have four children. They live in the small town of Benton, the parish seat of Bossier Parish. |
| How Mississippi's congressional delegation voted for U.S. House speaker | |
| Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, won the election to become the new Speaker of the House on Wednesday. The final vote was 220-209. All 220 Republicans gave Johnson the leverage to surpass the 215-vote total that was required to win. All 209 Democrats voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the party's House leader. Johnson was the first of four Republican nominees who secured support from within his party to win a majority of votes on the House floor. He took the place of Rep. Tom Emmer, whose candidacy lasted less than five hours on Tuesday. Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan were the other two candidates, but they withdrew their names from consideration earlier in the process after garnering limited support from the party. According to congressional voting records, all of Mississippi's three Republican representatives voted for Johnson on the fourth and final day. During the first three days of voting, the state's Republican representatives voted for Jordan. The state's Democratic representative, Bennie Thompson, consistently voted for Jeffries over the four-day period. A statement from U.S. Rep. Michael Guest's Third Congressional District office on the new speaker vote was released demonstrating Guest's approval of Johnson. "Speaker Johnson is a humble, godly man who loves this great nation and who shares our conservative values. Mike will provide leadership to the House as we pass conservative legislation, rein in out-of-control spending, secure our Southern border, and provide critical support for the state of Israel," the statement read. "Republicans must work diligently to support our Speaker as he leads the fight to protect our morals and values. I'm proud to have voted for Speaker Mike Johnson." |
| Gaetz: Johnson victory proves MAGA power over Republican party | |
 | Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) held up newly-elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as a shining example of the strength of the "MAGA movement," after every GOP member of Congress voted for him to be Speaker on Wednesday, ending three weeks of chaos in the House. Gaetz has worked with Johnson on the House Judiciary Committee for seven years, he told talk show host and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon during an appearance on his show Wednesday. "He is sharp. He will be as respected in the homes of our most meaningful, righteous and patriotic donors as he will at the rallies with our most enthusiastic and meaningful activists," Gaetz said. House Republicans made Johnson Speaker after three previous Republicans could not gather enough support after being named Speaker nominee. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was kicked out of the job more than three weeks ago and the House had passed no bills from then until Johnson was elected. "The swamp is on the run, MAGA is ascendant and if you don't think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you're not paying attention," Gaetz said. "They are crying, they are hand-wringing, they are bed-wetting over on K Street because we have an honorable, righteous man who is about to take this position," he continued. "He's going to do great things for the country." |
| The Republican Party puts off, once more, a reckoning over Trump's election lie | |
 | Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was hours away from winning the speakership when a reporter asked him about the instrumental role he played in the effort to deny certifying the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6. Next question, he responded. Whether the Republican Party can ever reconcile its divergent response to Jan. 6 is not the next question. It's the question defining this turbulent political moment in Washington and beyond -- roiling and coursing just below the surface. These days, all roads lead back to the original lie that Donald Trump won. Consider that deposed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ascended to the speakership thanks to his quick work to repair his relationship with Trump after calling his behavior on Jan. 6 "atrocious and totally wrong." There was no such luck for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), whose rise to the gavel encountered the opposition of, among others, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who said he wouldn't vote for an election denier. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) lasted approximately four hours as the party's third nominee -- his effort sunk, in large part, because Trump attacked him over his vote to certify the election results on Jan. 6. Johnson, by contrast, would prove an acceptable speaker in Trump's estimation, having been the chief architect of an effort to overturn 2020 election results in four swing states. Eventually, even Buck would make the strained distinction that Johnson's actions were different, because Jordan took his challenge to the floor but Johnson kept his reservation for the courts. At virtually the same time as all this was happening, ABC reported that Trump's ex-chief of staff Mark Meadows -- granted immunity by special counsel Jack Smith as he investigates the former president's effort to overturn the election -- had told federal investigators Trump had been "dishonest" with the public after polls closed on Nov. 3, 2020. Meadows himself had also told Trump allegations of widespread voter fraud were baseless, according to the report. The week's splitscreen cast into stark relief just how much the Republican Party remains riven over whether to believe the lie that Trump won, a perhaps unbridgeable divide. |
| Will the GOP's House speaker battle matter in 2024? | |
 | Three weeks have passed since eight House Republicans dethroned Speaker Kevin McCarthy, yet there are still two valid questions: How'd we get here? And will it matter in 2024? This will come as a surprise, but there seems to be a disconnect between what some House members say and how they act. "I think everyone is approaching this pragmatically and realizing, again, there's gonna be some compromise, some give and take, because it takes 218," Virginia Rep. Bob Good told CBN News the day after the McCarthy ouster, citing the number of votes needed to elect a speaker if everyone is present and votes for someone. Good, who was one of the eight Republicans to support the move to declare the speaker's office vacant, went on to describe the attributes of McCarthy's potential successor. "[I] think it'll be someone who has, is gonna require somebody who has widespread respect and stature and influence within the conference to get to that 218," Good said, without a sense of irony that he helped oust a speaker who had the widespread support of 96 percent of the House Republican Conference. Good and others have an alternative definition of compromise. To many members on Capitol Hill, the word doesn't mean each side concedes something they want to find a middle-ground alternative. Increasingly, those who refuse to make concessions call the resulting one-sided deal a compromise. There's also a temptation for members, elected to represent less than one quarter of 1 percent of the country, to require the rest of the country bow to the needs and beliefs of the constituents (or in some cases, primary voters) in their congressional district. If everyone adopts that mentality, then there won't be any significant agreement based on the political and geographic diversity of the country. |
| TikTok in 2024? Some Democrats are going all in on the social media platform | |
 | Cheyenne Hunt is running for Congress as a 26-year-old, first-time candidate. In a recent TikTok, she leveled with her 91,000 followers: campaigning is hard. "You learn really quickly that this process can be brutal," Hunt explained. "People will not hesitate to kick you when you're down." But that's not the point of her video. Instead, it was to showcase a new milestone, her first campaign banner, hanging up in her office. Before choosing to run for Congress, Hunt built up a healthy following on TikTok, breaking down current events and political issues or spotlighting her career as a progressive attorney. Now, with over a year until voters cast ballots in the 2024 general election, the account has morphed into part of her campaign strategy. Hunt isn't alone in going from TikTok influencer to candidate. Other young Democrats with large followings have also launched recent campaigns for state and federal offices. But while some first-time, grassroots candidates only know a political playing field that includes TikTok, uncertainty lingers over the best way for national Democrats to embrace it. Especially when the vast majority of the party isn't on the platform. Plus, as potential national security concerns remain over the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, an official presence from the White House is missing. The app is banned on government devices. And as President Biden runs for reelection, his campaign is mirroring his administration in staying away. "Whether or not we have a TikTok account for the campaign doesn't actually have much bearing on the strategy that we would execute," explained Rob Flaherty, Biden's Deputy Campaign Manager and previous White House director of digital strategy. Instead, the solution remains expanding the Biden influencer network, Flaherty said. |
| Smuggling Migrants Toward the U.S. Is a Booming Business | |
 | Anderson Giraldo delivered a smooth sales pitch to migrants, peddling clandestine trips across open sea or thick jungle like vacation packages. In audio and video clips on social media, he sold himself and his partners as trusted guides to clients who angled to get into the U.S. "I run this group in charge of all the routes," Giraldo said in one audio recording heard by The Wall Street Journal. "Everyone knows my work. I do it right. I'm serious, sincere and very responsible." Colombian prosecutors and special operations police working with U.S. officials recently dismantled the group, arresting 11 people in four cities. They called it an important strike against migrant smuggling through the country. But success stories in that fight are fleeting, Colombian and U.S. authorities say, because others are always eager to step into the void. "They see opportunity for business," said Hugo Tovar, the top prosecutor overseeing migrant trafficking investigations for the Colombian attorney general's office. Pervasive networks of smugglers and freelance guides have thrived on demand from a desperate clientele looking to begin new lives in America. U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimates 2.4 million migrants arrived at the country's southwestern border in the year ending Sept. 30, topping the previous year's total -- a minority of them at legal border crossings. Moving them up north has become big business from South America to northern Mexico, and a source of income for residents of poor towns and cities where well-paid employment is scarce. |
| Manhunt continues for 'person of interest' in deadly Maine shootings | |
| A manhunt is underway for a man who is considered a "person of interest" following two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left "multiple casualites," officials said Wednesday night. Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said during a Wednesday night news conference that 40-year-old Robert Card of Bowdoin, Maine, should be considered armed and dangerous, and that his car had been found in the nearby town of Lisbon. Sauschuck said there have been multiple casualties, but declined to give a number of those killed and injured, saying the numbers "are all over the map." Sauschuck said the shootings began at 6:56 p.m. ET. In a Facebook post, the Lewiston Police Department released what appeared to be a driver's license picture of Card. He appears to be the same person shown in surveillance images wearing a brown sweatshirt and carrying an AR-style long gun as he entered a bowling alley in an earlier photo release by authorities. The White House said President Biden has been briefed on the shooting, and has spoken to a variety of government officials in Maine, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins, and Rep. Jared Golden. Biden has offered "full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack," according to the statement. Lewiston is the second-largest city in Maine, with a population of about 40,000 people. |
| Schools and Public Buildings in Southern Maine Close as Manhunt Continues | |
| As the police in Maine continue their search early Thursday for the suspect, dozens of government buildings, local school districts and universities in the southern portion of the state are closed, following advice from the authorities for residents of the area to stay home or shelter in place. Bates College in Lewiston canceled classes Thursday. The school, where students have been sheltering in place since the shooting was reported Wednesday evening, has been authorized to shuttle students from academic and administrative buildings to their residence halls on campus, a college official said in a letter. The University of New England in Biddeford and Portland and the University of Maine in Machias and Orono closed their campuses. Bowdoin College canceled in-person classes but is allowing faculty members to conduct classes online if they choose. Public schools in the towns of Gray and New Gloucester, south of Lewiston, are closed. All municipal buildings and programs in Lewiston are closed. Across the river in Auburn, City Hall is closed. The CityLink bus system serving the two cities is not running. A number of schools, day care centers, recreational facilities and municipal buildings are closed in other towns and cities across southern Maine, including in Augusta, Portland, Vassalboro and Wells. |
| Maine Mass Shooting Disinformation Floods Social Media as Suspect Remains at Large | |
 | Following a mass shooting at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, yesterday evening that left at least 18 people dead, state police urgently warned residents to "stay inside your home with the doors locked" as they mounted a manhunt for the suspect. Misinformation about the suspect flooded social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok moments after the shooting. On X, verified accounts pushed out bogus claims that the threat had been neutralized and a suspect had been arrested. Police have since identified 40-year-old Robert Card as a "person of interest" in the shooting. While Card remains at large as of 10 am ET this morning, posts featured videos of the supposed arrest that have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. While misinformation about the mass shooting proliferated across social media, the problem was acute on X, where owner Elon Musk has incentivized people to post engaging and viral content even if it's not accurate. As a result, users rushed to be the first to post updates about the shooting despite being blatantly false. "It's as if everyone thinks disinformation is a problem, but not for them personally---only for other people," Caroline Orr, a behavioral scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland who tracks disinformation online, wrote on X, adding: "When 20+ people are murdered in a mass shooting, and the reaction of most people on this website is: 'How can I use this to push a political agenda?' or 'How can I use this to attack XYZ person?' ... that reflects something far more disturbing." |
| Maine shooting angers parent of college student | |
| At least 18 people were killed in mass shootings at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, sparking a massive search for a person of interest who is a trained firearms instructor. Meanwhile, authorities urged residents to lock themselves in their homes and schools announced closures on Thursday. Diana Florence said her son, a sophomore at Bates College in Lewiston, stayed in his dorm with his roommate with the blinds closed. Her daughter is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was locked down twice last month, once when a professor was killed and again two weeks later when a man brandished a gun in the student union building. "I could not believe it -- that this is happening again. It's happening to my son after it just happened to my daughter," she said in a phone interview Thursday. Florence, of New York, said she and her son spoke and texted late into the night and he was shaken up but OK. Meanwhile, she was left angry. "I think this is about our laws, frankly. That we cannot seem to pass any sort of sensible gun laws or attack mental health in the way we should," she said. "And our kids are paying the price. And even if they're not killed or injured the trauma that is going to linger long past the semester is palpable." |
| Former Taiwan finance minister to discuss trade war, policy at UM | |
| The University of Mississippi will host Christina Liu, former finance minister of Taiwan, for two talks next week. Liu will speak on "The Role of the Central Banker in the World Economy: Monetary Policy During the COVID Crisis" at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, in the Overby Center auditorium. She will present "The Effects of the U.S.-China Trade War" at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, in the Paul B. Johnson Sr. Commons ballroom. Both events are free and open to the public. "Dr. Liu has a unique perspective on how policymakers approached the COVID crisis from the point of view of a former finance minister watching her colleagues around the world respond," said John Conlon, UM professor of economics. "She also spends a lot of time with her extensive contacts in mainland China, as well as in the U.S., so she has a lot to say about the U.S.-China trade war. "She has very strong and interesting opinions about public policy issues and a lot of wisdom about how to get things done. She is also a very engaging, charismatic speaker." Christian Sellar, professor of public policy leadership, said that Liu would be a "fantastic mentor" for any young woman who is thinking about taking a leadership position. "Dr. Liu is an accomplished academic and politician who managed to have a really stellar career both in finance, but also as an active official," Sellar said. |
| Students hold protest for Palestinians | |
 | Everybody here is numb. The oppression has been ongoing for 75 years, and everybody is numb to it. Palestinians will be killed for the rest of our lives, and that's something that people are okay with," Khalil Abualya, a senior pharmacy major, said. "We're here to change that today, God willing." Approximately 50 students of all races and creeds assembled in the Grove on Wednesday, Oct. 25 to peacefully protest the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. The event was organized by the Muslim Student Association, but Abualya, president of the MSA, made clear that the protest was not religious in nature. Abualya spent much of his life in Palestine, and some of his family members are counted in the 5,000 death toll in Gaza and the West Bank due to the recent Israeli bombing campaign in retaliation to a Hamas offensive on Oct. 7, in which over a thousand Israeli civilians were killed and held hostage. The University of Mississippi Hillel held a candlelight vigil for victims of the attack on Oct. 13. Associate Dean of Students Brent Marsh facilitated the event along with seven uniformed officers from the University Police Department. "Freedom of expression is fundamental to the university's mission to create, evaluate, share and apply knowledge in a free, open and inclusive environment. As a university, we support the rights of our students to express their views and assemble in a respectful and peaceful manner," Marsh said. "The organizers worked with UM officials in advance allowing the university to foster a safe event through which the group could achieve its goals." |
| UMMC School of Population Health advances research agenda with 'explosive growth' | |
| The John D. Bower School of Population Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has amassed more than $16.7 million in research funding so far this year, a feat Dr. Thomas Dobbs, dean, said represents "explosive growth." With 18 grants, the SOPH has "more than doubled our total funding in the past six months," said Dobbs: "There is great interest among funders to support our work, and the quality of our researchers has engendered the necessary trust to bring in these investments." Grant funding is critical to all aspects of the school's mission because it supports scholarship, education and the community health outcomes to which the SOPH is committed, Dobbs said, allowing better research opportunities for students. Dr. Abigail Gamble, associate professor of preventive medicine, was awarded nearly $9 million in funding as principal investigator of five projects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the largest award: $5 million for the Mississippi Diabetes Project, which, over the next five years, will allow researchers to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of community-driven strategies to improve diabetes care and prevention across 41 of the state's highest-needs counties, reaching more than 1 million people. |
| Familiar face named official curator of USM's de Grummond children's literature collection | |
 | A familiar face was appointed curator Wednesday of the University of Southern Mississippi's de Grummond Children's Literature Collection. USM's University Libraries removed the "interim" designation from in front of Karlie Herndon's name, officially naming her curator of a collection she has "I'm stepping into a line of curators who have championed the de Grummond Collection, children's literature and so much more that is vital to so many fields," Herndon said. "Becoming curator means shouldering a responsibility that feels both light and heavy: light because I am so passionate about the work we do here, and heavy because de Grummond represents excellence in children's literature curation, preservation and scholarship, and I plan to maintain that reputation." Herndon is well acquainted with USM and the de Grummond Collection. She was a student employee for two summers and completed a practicum as well as an internship that allowed her to spend time in the Collection, developing skills in archival processing and creating research guides. Herndon returned to USM in August of 2022 as the assistant curator, and in June of 2023, was named interim curator, following the retirement of Ellen Ruffin. |
| Recruiting the next generation of skilled labor? Bring a nail gun. | |
| As West Lowndes High School eighth-grader DeMarion McCoy considers his options for a career track next school year, all he knows is he wants to be a skilled laborer. On Wednesday, after receiving hands-on experience with a cargo loading and bulldozer simulator at the East Mississippi Community College Communiversity, he might have narrowed that down a little more. "This was really cool," McCoy said. "I'm getting a chance to play around with stuff and learn things I've never learned how to do before. It interests me because I think I want to do some of this stuff for my career." He was one of more than 2,800 area eighth-graders who will engage with the FORGE Foundation's three-day interactive skilled trades expo. During the event, students interact with exhibits ranging from an excavator and bulldozer simulator, a "nail bar" where they drive nails into wood and a booth where students learn how to lay brick, among others. Founded in 2018 as Family Organizations Recruiting Great Employees to represent its five founding members -- Burns Dirt, McCrary-West Construction, Graham Roofing, APAC and West Brothers Construction -- FORGE has expanded to include other area businesses such as PACCAR. Businesses within FORGE work together on recruiting the next generation of skilled laborers. Melinda Lowe, who joined FORGE as its executive director in July, said this expo was the biggest one yet, featuring 28 schools in 11 counties, 30 career coaches, 150 volunteers and 35 vendors, including area Career Tech Education programs, businesses, universities and other organizations. |
| HPD: 2 juveniles, ages 13 & 17, charged with shots being fired near William Carey University campus | |
| Two juveniles were arrested Wednesday for their involvement in separate incidents, including a shooting near William Carey University's Hattiesburg campus. The Hattiesburg Police Department says two teenagers, one 13-year-old male and one 17-year-old male, both from Hattiesburg were arrested and charged in connection to the shooting incident, among others, that happened the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 24, and the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 25. HPD says additional charges are in the works from Hattiesburg, Laurel and Petal police departments. Both juveniles have been taken to Forrest County Jail. According to the Hattiesburg Police Department, officers responded to shots fired in the 600 block of Tuscan Avenue, near the WCU campus, around 10 a.m. WCU said the Hattiesburg campus was placed on lockdown Wednesday after a shooting incident took place outside of campus. In a statement released by WCU, the incident that caused the lockdown happened on a public street in front of a campus building. WCU said officials placed the Hattiesburg campus on lockdown status, as students, faculty and staff were instructed to shelter in place. University president Dr. Ben Burnett said the campus was placed on lockdown for around an hour. WCU said additional security has been put in place until further notice. |
| Thousands of teen boys are being extorted in sexting scams | |
 | Lynn and Paul were sitting in their Seattle home one night earlier this year when their son, Michael, a 17-year-old high school football player, burst into the room and made a beeline for his mom's purse on the dining room table. Paul asked what he was up to. Their son paused, took a breath and leaned against the wall. "I'm being blackmailed," he said. He had been chatting with a person through Instagram and Snapchat who purported to be a 16-year-old girl. "She" saw his profile and told him he was cute. Michael had never met the person, but the account was filled with photos and details about the girl's life that made it appear real. The two flirted back and forth. The person behind the account asked to see a photo of him naked, and specifically requested he include his face. Alone in his room that night, Michael dashed off a picture he took with his phone. Suddenly, the person, who had seemed so sweet and fun while chatting for weeks, demanded Michael send hundreds of dollars through Zelle. Michael had fallen prey to what online safety and law enforcement experts call financial sextortion, in which predators befriend victims online under false pretenses, entice them to send incriminating photos and then demand payment under threat that they'll expose the photos to family and friends. The number of sextortion cases targeting young people "has exploded in the past couple of years," with teen boys being specific targets, said Lauren Coffren, executive director of the Exploited Children Division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). "They're using shame, embarrassment and fear, and they're tapping into that," Coffren said. "They're exploiting children's worst nightmares." |
| U. of Alabama finds success recruiting more top academic students | |
 | The University of Alabama has a reputation for hauling in an annual catch of blue-chip athletic recruits, but the university is increasingly casting a net to snare top-level academic recruits as well. The current academic year produced a record enrollment at UA with an overall class size of 39,623, a number that includes 3,184 freshmen. The overall enrollment includes 1,142 National Merit Scholars, which makes the University of Alabama one of the nation's largest enrolling institutions of National Merit Scholars. The freshman class has 43.4% of its members with a 4.0 high school grade point average, to go along with 300 National Merit Scholars. "With over 600 student organizations, experiential learning opportunities like our remarkable entrepreneurship program, and boundless undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, students choose the University of Alabama to become well-rounded global citizens, ready to make a difference," said President Stuart R. Bell. In 2018, the Carnegie Foundation recognized UA with its "Very High Research Activity" status, also known as the R-1 category, in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The R-1 research designation plays a big role in drawing top-performing students. The Carnegie R-1 research designation certainly plays a role in recruiting students, said James Dalton, UA's executive vice president and provost. "Undergraduate students considering a graduate degree consider those same factors and often look more closely at the graduate programs offered, the research interests of the faculty, the quality of the research facilities, and career outcomes," Dalton said. |
| Judge dismisses Birmingham-Southern's lawsuit seeking $30 million state loan | |
 | Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson on Wednesday dismissed Birmingham-Southern College's lawsuit against State Treasure Young Boozer over Boozer's denial of a $30 million loan request. After a one-hour hearing, Anderson told lawyers and others in the courtroom that he sympathized with Birmingham-Southern's position but said the law gave Boozer the authority to deny the loan. Birmingham-Southern had claimed Boozer exceeded his authority and undermined the intent of the Legislature when he denied the college's request for the loan, which school officials said they needed to keep the private institution open. The Legislature created the Alabama Distressed Institutions of Higher Education Revolving Loan Fund this year in response to Birmingham-Southern's requests. Boozer turned down Birmingham-Southern's loan application in an Oct. 13 letter. Boozer wrote that the college did not meet the qualification for the loan. Birmingham-Southern disputed that in the lawsuit. Birmingham-Southern President Daniel Coleman said the college is considering its next move. "The mountain y'all have got to get past is that word 'may," Anderson told Birmingham-Southern's lawyers at the start of Wednesday's hearing. |
| These boots were made for walking and worship: how cowboy church is rustlin' up Auburn students | |
| Adjacent to Highway 280 stands a church with an unexpected way of worship. The gravel driveway brings a new meaning to "off the beaten path" and leads churchgoers to a building that has an exterior resembling an old barn. On the top of the building are the words "COWBOY CHURCH." The Southern Plains Cowboy Church, an official affiliate of the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches, offers community to those looking for an Old Western-inspired way of worship. Will Aycock, the church's campus and young adult outreach leader, described a typical service as different from a Baptist or Methodist service, but still possessing the same values as many churches in Auburn, just with a twist. J.W. Yarbrough, an elder of the church for over ten years, summarized one of the church's principles as void of typical flourishes such as carpet and stained glass windows. Nonetheless, they believe in God, and "by no means will [they] go against the Bible." Aycock, senior in poultry science, couldn't imagine a better way of worshiping the Lord. Before moving to Auburn, Aycock attended a traditional church in his hometown until a friend suggested he attend a service at a nearby cowboy church. As campus and young adult outreach leader, Aycock acts as a support system for the roughly 30 attendees at the student meetings on Wednesday nights. Even though the weather has gotten crisper, the festivities still don't end at the arena; they've started back up their Church in the Dirt. Instead of sitting in the pews and listening, churchgoers get to worship and enjoy the Gospel in the arena. The band performs on a gooseneck trailer, and the chuckwagon team prepares their signature dishes. |
| 'A crown jewel': Iconic Huey P. Long Field House celebrates restoration with ribbon-cutting | |
| The Huey P. Long Field House, a historic LSU facility standing on the Baton Rouge campus for over 90 years, was honored Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting celebrating its restoration project. LSU President William Tate IV was joined by Gov. John Bel Edwards, College of Human Sciences & Education Dean Roland Mitchell and numerous prominent LSU faculty and administrators to acknowledge the newly restored field house. "In this state, that man Huey Long said LSU will be a great institution, and he put the political will and invested in this place and this building as one of the artifacts." Tate said. "Fast forward to today and I stand with Huey Long in this regard: This building will be the anchor for that bold vision that LSU will be the best university in this country." The field house will serve as the home of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education. Renovations on the 106,451-square-foot facility include a new four-story infill, four 40-seat classrooms, one 60-seat classroom and one 150-seat auditorium. Originally created as the first student union in 1932, the Huey P. Long Field House stood in the center of campus and cost approximately $1 million to build. LSU tabbed Baton Rouge based commercial architecture firm Tipton Associates to generate a master plan for the redevelopment of the field house in 2013 and, after a group was chosen for renovations in 2018, construction began on the restoration project in 2021. Through capital outlay funding, the project was able to secure $26 million from the Louisiana Legislature and another $6.35 million in corporate and private donations to complete the restoration, according to LSU. Of those corporate funds, Ochsner Health is providing $4 million for a wellness center aiming to serve as the state's premier location for educating future generations of professionals in health care and wellness. |
| Students' mental health is discussed; U. of Arkansas panel looks at stress points | |
| The stress and pressure of college often leads to mental health challenges for students, so it's paramount for them to find connections on campus, take advantage of resources, and remember to give themselves a little "grace" when they err, according to a panel of experts who discussed the issues Wednesday at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. "Make sure you have an outlet," someone to talk to, a "connection," because "talking saves lives," said Kymara Seals, who helped launch the D'Andre Seals Suicide Prevention Outreach Project -- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit -- in 2019 to educate and promote awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention after her son, D'Andre Seals, a 2012 Pine Bluff High School graduate, died by suicide in 2014. Too often, though, these discussions are not encouraged; instead, "we sit with our trauma." It behooves students to "get engaged and involved" to find their community and sense of belonging, said Xavier Smith, career counselor for Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and an alumnus of the Honors College. Also, "be patient with yourself," because building resilience when "you miss the mark" is more important than perfection. "Don't be afraid to put yourself out there" and meet new people, seconded Lia Childress, a mental health therapist and UA-Fayetteville graduate with a Master of Science in clinical psychology. "The most learning you'll do" is by getting to know people with different views and backgrounds. |
| UGA study at Savannah River Ecology Lab looks at havoc wreaked by wild pigs | |
 | An ongoing study dedicated to the wild pig population has revealed the impact wild pigs have on agriculture and ecosystems. "My research group has been studying wild pigs for the last 10 years," said James Beasley, professor at the University of Georgia and Savannah River Ecology Lab located in Aiken. "Our work is dedicated to the movement and behavior of wild pigs to better understand them. We're also looking at the impact these animals have on agriculture and ecosystems." "Wild pigs root in the soil, which means that they use their very powerful nose to overturn the soil," said Beasley. "It's almost like tilling up a garden. They're able to do that to the soil. So, in natural ecosystems like forested areas they root up the soil, which can contribute to erosion. It can impact native plants that grow in those areas. There's also some concern for potential impact to native wildlife." "In agricultural areas, pigs will actually destroy the crops," said Beasley. "They root under the soil and dig up, for example, peanuts. When corn is planted they will root along the rows and eat all the seeds in a row. They can cause substantial impacts to crop fields." Wild pigs have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources throughout the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia is estimated at more than $150 million, according to the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts. "Another concern is that pigs can carry a number of diseases that can affect livestock, humans and other wildlife," said Beasley. "This study was part of a much larger group of studies done across 13 different southeastern states," said Beasley. |
| Georgia colleges and schools face criticism responding to Israel-Hamas war | |
| Students and demonstrators, about 100 of them, gathered on the main greenspace of Georgia Tech's campus Wednesday to talk about the war between Israel and Hamas and how the school has responded to the ongoing crisis. The demonstrators demanded an apology from the school's president, Ángel Cabrera, for statements some feel diminished the plight of Palestinians. They called for support and solidarity for Palestinians and condemned Georgia Tech, saying it has failed to do the same. Some messages from education leaders in Georgia have failed to satisfy the activists, students and parents, who have conflicting opinions on the war. Cabrera acknowledged suffering on both sides, saying "many more innocent lives, both Palestinian and Israeli, will be lost in the ensuing war." He also urged students to be kind to one another and "to treat others with respect --- especially those we may disagree with." Georgia Tech said in a statement late Wednesday that Cabrera and other administrators have met with Muslim student leaders to answer questions, hear concerns and to provide support. Colleges are "reaping what they've sown" from their decisions in recent years to weigh in on sociopolitical issues both big and small, said Alex Morey, an attorney with the nonprofit campus free speech organization Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Schools that issued milquetoast statements on the war are being criticized, and so are those that came out with strong language, she said. "Now we have a situation where campuses are split, and they're being asked to get on one side or another," she said. "And, universities are going, 'We get on one side or another all the time, which side do we get on?'" FIRE recommends universities maintain "institutional neutrality" on such issues. But instead, some leaders have deepened campus divides, Morey said. |
| U. of South Carolina workers to rally for higher wages | |
| The United Campus Workers union of South Carolina is set to speak-out for higher wages at the University of South Carolina on Thursday. The speak-out is set to take place at 11:30 am on the Russell House Patio. Staff, faculty and student workers are set to call on President Amiridis to raise wages for employees throughout the university system. In recent years, unionized workers fought for $15/hour wages for full time staff at USC. "We've come too far to turn back now," said Ben Brown, a groundskeeper and union member at USC. Workers are gathering to win the demands of their new living wage campaign, which are listed in a petition launched earlier in August. Demands include a minimum wage of $20/hour for all hourly workers, a minimum of $40,000/year for salaried workers and a minimum annual stipend of $20,000/year for graduate workers. Workers are also calling for increases based on years of service, increases to reflect the rising cost of living and living wages for contract workers. "All campus workers need and deserve a living wage," said Jaimee Wishon, a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Chair of United Campus Workers at USC, "but we will only get what we are organized to take." |
| Gainesville pro-Palestinian groups lead march through UF campus | |
| A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered Florida universities to deactivate pro-Palestinian student groups, a crowd of over 250 people rallied on UF's campus with Palestinian flags draped over their shoulders and drawn onto cardboard signs. UF students and Gainesville community members gathered Wednesday at 5 p.m. for a walkout and vigil demanding an end to Israel's siege on Gaza. The event was a collaboration between on- and off-campus organizations including Students for Justice in Palestine and the Gainesville Solidarity Network. Protesters met at the corner of 13th Street and University Avenue, where event organizers led chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Palestine will never die." Club members circulated the crowd, passing out water bottles and flyers as police officers monitored from a few steps away. The group faced the street as it waved posters reading "stop killing children with our taxes" and "Gazan children were not born to die." After 30 minutes, organizers led participants in a march down Southwest 13th Street and across Plaza of the Americas before stopping outside Turlington Hall. The group clustered around a table while club leaders gave speeches calling for the U.S. government to end its support of Israel. While authorities like UF President Ben Sasse have voiced support for Israel since the conflict, others call for the release of Palestine from Israeli occupation. |
| Texas A&M Chancellor Sharp says he, regents would value faculty's input on presidential search | |
 | Though Texas A&M University's next permanent president has yet to be named, A&M Chancellor John Sharp told the school's Faculty Senate speaker Tracy Hammond that he and the Board of Regents would value their assessment and opinions on the presidential search and whether or not they believe interim president Mark Welsh should be elevated to the permanent position. Sharp's sentiment was expressed in a letter Tuesday that was shared by a source with The Eagle. The A&M System has yet to announce any search committee or plans on how it will move forward to name its next president. Welsh has served as interim president since July 21. The former dean of A&M's Bush School took over for M. Katherine Banks, who resigned July 20 amid the fallout of the mishandled hiring of Kathleen McElroy to become A&M's journalism director. "We need to move forward to obtain a permanent president as soon as possible, and shared governance and opinions are an integral part of that decision," Sharp wrote. "I believe the Faculty Senate could perform a great service to our university by vetting General Welsh thoroughly and transparently within Texas A&M University." Sharp's response was to a letter Hammond sent to him earlier Tuesday, which was also shared with The Eagle. Hammond's letter asked Sharp if the Faculty Senate could lead an open search or vetting process for the president position. |
| As Texas bans diversity and equity offices at public colleges, Rice University's inclusion efforts march on | |
| It's 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in September and Alexander X. Byrd's daylong, meeting-packed marathon across Rice University's lush grounds is just ramping up. He's having his team in the diversity, equity and inclusion office discuss a divisive debate that erupted at Yale University after a professor portrayed administrators' guidance against racially offensive Halloween costumes as an affront to free speech. But Byrd didn't want to debate costume etiquette. He focused on a larger, admittedly abstract and difficult goal: How to confront conflicting opinions while fostering a campus culture where everyone feels heard and respected. For Byrd, this kind of conversation lies at the heart of his goals as vice provost for the Rice's DEI office. "You don't have to make people all of the sudden agree with each other," Byrd said. "That can't happen. It doesn't have to happen." Over the past year, the term diversity, equity and inclusion has become a lightning rod for debate in American higher education. In Texas, Republican lawmakers banned DEI offices at public colleges and universities starting next year, arguing they emphasize divisions between different racial or ethnic groups and force liberal ideology onto students. The DEI office ban is forcing public universities to tamp down efforts that highlight diversity or end targeted support for underrepresented groups. Many spent the summer figuring out how to comply with the new requirements. It's also already hindered hiring, public university officials say. But Rice, located in Texas' largest city that is celebrated for its diversity, is moving in the opposite direction. The prestigious private research institution is doubling down on its support of equity for all students regardless of their background or lived experience. |
| Proposition 5 would create $3.9B endowment for research at Texas public universities | |
| A proposed amendment to the Texas constitution would create a $3.9 billion permanent endowment for eligible public universities to use toward research, with the hope of elevating their national prominence and boosting the state economy. The fund would received $100 million for fiscal year 2024 if the amendment is passed, and it would be adjusted for inflation in future years but capped at 2% growth, according to the secretary of state's office. The endowment would not be fed by taxpayers. Instead, it would be created by a one-time grant from the state's budget surplus combined with the National Research University fund, charitable donations, and the rainy day fund's interest, dividends and investment earnings. Proposition 5 would rename the National University Research Fund, maing it the Texas University Fund, and annually allocate money to eligible institutions for research. Right now, Texas State University, the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University and the University of Houston would be eligible to receive money from the fund. Schools in the University of Texas and Texas A&M University systems would be excluded as they receive money from the Permanent University Fund. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board would distribute money to schools based on national, merit-based criteria used by agencies such as the National Science Foundation. |
| Time magazine names ORNL's supercomputer Frontier one of 2023's best inventions | |
 | Time magazine published its annual Best Inventions issue, and a marvel of engineering in Knoxville's backyard took a central place among the year's 200 greatest innovations. Frontier, the world's fastest and most powerful supercomputer housed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was praised by the magazine for its scale and range of research capabilities. It is the world's first exascale computer, meaning it can complete more than one quintillion calculations in a single second. The $600 million system was built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise with next-generation processors from Advanced Micro Devices. It was delivered to ORNL in 2021 and became available to a select group of scientists in 2022. It went fully online earlier this year for research across fields and around the globe. "People compare it to the equivalent of landing on the moon in our generation, in terms of an engineering feat," Nic Dubé, who led the Frontier project for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, told Time. "This is more than a miracle. This is statistical impossibility." In its first year, Frontier has helped scientists simulate a Milky Way-like galaxy, the Zika virus, the genetics behind Alzheimer's and autism, the flow of pollutants through the atmosphere and a new kind of commercial jet engine architecture that could reduce carbon emissions drastically. No matter what scientific field, Frontier allows researchers to process more data points more quickly, unlocking answers that were previously out of reach. "To answer some of the most pressing questions we have -- will Earth heat up by one degree Celsius in the next 50 years, or a catastrophic six? -- we need supercomputers that work faster and in much greater detail than typical computers," Time said in its entry on Frontier. |
| For the First Time Since the Pandemic Began, Colleges Saw Undergraduate-Enrollment Gains This Fall | |
 | The latest enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provides an early sign of a long-awaited turnaround in college attendance: Undergraduate enrollment was up for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The preliminary data, released Thursday, reveal that undergraduate enrollment across all types of institutions rose 2.1 percent in the fall of 2023 compared with the same time last fall. This fall's increase in undergraduate enrollment -- an additional 160,000 students -- was fueled largely by community colleges, where attendance was up 4.4 percent from a year earlier. For-profit institutions saw the highest undergraduate growth rate of 6.4 percent, but they represent a small slice of the overall students reflected in the data, or just 2.4 percent. Another driver of undergraduate-enrollment growth was historically Black colleges and universities, where attendance was up 6.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the center's report on the data. In recent months, individual HBCUs have reported jumps in enrollment, including North Carolina A&T State University, Grambling State University, and Coppin State University. Undergraduate enrollment was up for Black, Asian, and Latino/a students this fall, but down for white, international, and Native American students. Despite the generally good news for the sector, there was also a troubling sign: While overall undergraduate growth was up, freshman attendance declined. "It's hard to know what's really driving this divergence between freshmen and continuing students," said Douglas Shapiro, the center's executive director, in a call with reporters. "It's certainly counterintuitive." |
| Broken threads: College clothing made in factories rife with labor violations, poverty wages | |
| Dimas Misael Cardona Bahr works nine-hour days in a Honduras factory, churning out Nike-branded university logo apparel that's eventually shipped to the United States. The college football fans who buy it pay more for a single T-shirt than he makes in a day. He flinched at the $35 price tag for a polyester University of Arizona alumni Nike T-shirt that his factory helped produce, as he recounted his struggle to afford a modest lifestyle for his wife and two young children on his weekly salary of about 2,400 Honduran lempira -- the equivalent of $97. That's slightly below what the Global Living Wage Coalition considers to be a living wage in Honduras. "Everything that we have to do, what the struggle is for us in a week, it does not seem fair," Cardona Bahr, who works in the factory's ironing press room on upwards of 750 shirts per day, said through an interpreter who works with labor advocates in Honduras. Those advocates put Lee Enterprises in touch with Cardona Bahr. "The truth is no, it is not enough money to really maintain a home. Our salaries are low. We aren't able to cover all of our expenses with this salary." Cardona Bahr and the nearly 1,500 workers at that factory, Southern Apparel Contractors, are one piece of the global supply chain that fuels the estimated $5 billion licensed collegiate apparel business. U.S. universities earn millions each year in royalty revenue from sales of licensed gear, though it represents a small percentage of the schools' overall revenue. Worker advocates and apparel industry experts say universities -- especially public colleges funded by taxpayers -- could do more to protect workers in a system that prioritizes profits. |
| Israel-Hamas war continues to roil American colleges, sparking walkouts | |
 | Dozens of U.S. colleges and universities are increasingly riven by tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas, offering a window into how a rising generation perceives the conflict in the Middle East and the U.S. government's foreign policy in the region. In recent days, protests and demonstrations have broken out on several campuses, in some cases drawing national attention and putting intense scrutiny on young people that some observers consider unfair. In some situations, student activism around the war has overlapped with volatile debates about free speech. The conflict between the Israeli government and the Palestinian people has long been the subject of intense debate in the U.S., especially on college campuses, where political activism is common. But the new war has raised the temperature dramatically, giving rise to social environments on campus that mirror the country's similarly polarized politics. Students at more than 100 colleges and universities from coast to coast planned walkouts in support of the Palestinian people on Wednesday afternoon, according to various posts on Instagram and X. The recent public opinion polling paints a complicated portrait of how young people feel about the war and the U.S. government's immediate response. In a Quinnipiac poll published last Tuesday, registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 said they disapproved of the U.S. sending weapons and military equipment to Israel in response to the Hamas attack by a margin of 51% to 39%, and just 21% of voters in that age group said they approved of President Joe Biden's handling of the nation's policy toward Israel. Meanwhile, a Generation Lab poll released the same day found that a majority of American college students blamed Hamas for the Oct. 7 assault on Israel, while two-thirds described the attack as an act of terrorism by Hamas. |
| Overhaul of federal aid formula to boost Pell eligibility | |
 | Nearly 220,000 students will gain eligibility for the Pell Grant, a key tool for helping low-income students access college, when the federal government finalizes revisions to the system for applying for financial aid later this year, according to a new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. The increase in Pell-eligible students could mean more than $617 million in additional federal aid going to students and colleges. About $29.8 billion was available for students in Pell Grant funding in 2023–24, according to federal budget documents. The report precedes the highly anticipated overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the underlying formula that determines how aid is disbursed, which are both scheduled to be released by the U.S. Department of Education in December. The report examines the impact the revamp will have not only on Pell Grant eligibility but also on anticipated out-of-pocket costs for students in specific states, higher ed sectors and demographic groups. Under the new FAFSA, students will not only have fewer questions to answer, they also will likely be eligible for more federal aid. Combined with changes in awards for previously Pell-eligible students, the net increase of total Pell aid is expected to be approximately $7.85 billion, an increase of about 25 percent over the current spending level, according to the report. Experts say the alterations to FAFSA are significant and will have wide-reaching consequences for higher education. But the SHEEO report is the first to assess the impact of those changes at the state level, said Rachel Burns, a senior policy analyst at SHEEO and author of the report. |
SPORTS
| No. 21 Bulldogs Set to Battle No. 10 Razorbacks in the Regular Season Finale | |
| No. 21 Mississippi State (10-3-4, 5-2-2 SEC) is set to for the conclusion of the regular season when they face No.10 Arkansas (11-3-4, 7-1-1 SEC) on Thursday in Fayetteville. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks will come into the matchup as two of the best in the Southeastern Conference and will be a treat for fans of women's collegiate soccer everywhere. Last time on the pitch, the Bulldogs picked up a historic three points in Tuscaloosa as they were able to tame the No.16 Crimson Tide at home, 2-0. Before Sunday night, Alabama had secured 28 straight results at home, including a stretch of 22 straight wins. The win marked backed-to-back ranked wins versus ranked opponents for the first time in program history and just the third ranked win on the road for State. n terms of rankings, the Dawgs secured a spot in the prestigious Top-25 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week. The No. 21 mark matches the highest United Soccer Ranking in program history as State achieved the ranking in 2022. In RPI, State is now 16th and is currently ranked 15th in the NCAA Committee Poll. On the other side of the pitch, the No. 10 Razorbacks clinched a share of the SEC Championship on Sunday when they defeated Ole Miss 5-1. Mississippi State and Arkansas are slated for a 6:30 PM CT kick and will be streamed on SEC Network +. |
| Bulldogs join Top 25, earn highest ranking in program history | |
| This week's United Soccer Coaches poll dropped on Tuesday, and Mississippi State women's soccer found itself in the top 25 for the first time all season. Following a ranked road win against Alabama, the Bulldogs entered the poll at No. 21, tying last year's ranking for the highest in program history. Mississippi State is one of three Southeastern Conference teams in the top 25, and the second-highest ranked of the three. The highest-ranked SEC team will be the Bulldogs' opponent in their final match of the regular season on Thursday night, a clash with No. 10 Arkansas in Fayetteville. Last year in Starkville, the Bulldogs upended the then-No. 14 Razorbacks in a 2-0 shutout. Mississippi State is looking to make it two-straight matches unbeaten against Arkansas and clinch the program's first-ever SEC West title, which the Bulldogs would do with a win. |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State at Auburn | |
| Following a grueling 7-3 win at Arkansas last Saturday, Mississippi State remains on the road this week as the Bulldogs travel to Auburn for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. The Tigers have lost their last four games and are still in search of their first Southeastern Conference victory, but they have played well at home, pushing No. 1 Georgia and No. 13 Ole Miss to their limits before falling to each by seven points. Auburn leads 65-29 with two ties, but the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings in dramatic fashion, overcoming an early 25-point deficit in 2021 and outlasting the Tigers in overtime last year. The teams have played each other every year since 1955. The Bulldogs notched their first conference win last week behind an unrelenting defense and an offense that did just enough. Senior Mike Wright made his first start of the season at quarterback and was solid, overcoming an early interception and completing eight of 12 passes while rushing 11 times for 60 yards. Linebacker Nathaniel "Bookie" Watson racked up 14 tackles and two sacks, winning multiple weekly awards for his performance. Will Rogers' status for Saturday remains uncertain, but MSU did get a number of key players back, including wide receiver Justin Robinson and defensive lineman De'Monte Russell. Lead running back Jo'Quavious "Woody" Marks played through a leg injury against Arkansas, and Russell's younger brother, redshirt freshman linebacker Donterry Russell, was helped off the field in the third quarter. |
| How Auburn freshman Connor Lew is preparing for his likely first college start | |
| In the moments after his freshman center played the most significant snaps of his college career, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze's first description of Connor Lew was mature. So come Tuesday when Lew talked to reporters for the first time as a college football player, Lew spoke with the poise and confidence of a player who had been here for years. It's indicative of how ready he may be for the moment coming his way far sooner than he ever anticipated. Lew entered the game in the first quarter of Auburn's eventual 28-21 loss to Ole Miss on Saturday after starting center Avery Jones went out with an injury. Auburn has not stated exactly what Jones' injury is, but he was not seen on the field during a practice window open to reporters Tuesday. Auburn is not anticipating Jones to play in Saturday's game against Mississippi State, which would put Lew in line to make his first collegiate start. "Treating this week as I do every week," Lew said Tuesday. "As normal as possible." Lew has been here in Auburn since spring ball, but he was among the trendy up-and-coming names during fall camp -- even though his only route to playing time was an injury. Auburn's defensive linemen said they noticed him immediately, and know he will develop into a good player. Offensive lineman Tate Johnson said he'd bet money on Lew being successful. When many of Lew's teammates on the offensive line were asked about who stood out in fall camp, Lew was the answer. |
| Auburn running back Damari Alston expected to return against Mississippi State | |
 | State, as running back Damari Alston is expected to return against the Bulldogs, Hugh Freeze said Wednesday. "I think they will let him go," Freeze said on the SEC coaches teleconference. "I'm not 100% on that, but I think it's trending that way." Freeze also added that Alston was a non-contact participant in Auburn's Monday and Tuesday practices, though Alston wasn't adorned in the usual non-contact yellow jersey during Tuesday's media viewing window. As Auburn's offense continues to search for answers, the return of Alston seems sorely needed. Alston rushed for 131 yards in Auburn's first four games, 12 of which came against Texas A&M, a game in which Alston played just three snaps before his injury, according to Pro Football Focus. While Jarquez Hunter was the presumptive favorite to be Auburn's starting running back this year, Alston was considered the top reserve in a room that included an All-American transfer in Brian Battie, and a true freshman who was a blue-chip prospect in Jeremiah Cobb. |
| Bulldogs Finish Second at The Ally | |
| The 2023 edition of The Ally concluded on Wednesday, leaving the Mississippi State Bulldogs with a second-place finish. The Dawgs had four golfers finish within the top-20. Surapa Janthamunee was at the top of the leaderboard for the Dawgs throughout all three days of the tournament. Janthamunee walked off the course in second place, the best finish of her career. SJ picked up 14 birdies throughout the three-day tournament, which was the second-most in the field. Avery Weed was able to secure her first career top-10 finish. The freshman used a one-under day on Wednesday to finish the tournament three-over par. Weed has now scored par or better in six of her 11 rounds played this season. Izzy Pellot and Jarutrawee Khotchagrai both concluded the tournament with their best finishes of the year. The pair finished tied for 17th at five-over par. "I keep learning that this team knows how to fight and how to finish well, and I think that's something they're starting to learn a lot about themselves," head coach Charlie Ewing said. "We're really excited about the way this team is growing and we have really high expectations. We know every one of our eight players are capable and we look forward to seeing how we fare in the spring." |
| NCAA DI committee delays vote on sports gambling suspension reinstatement policy | |
| Iowa defensive tackle Noah Shannon's immediate future remains in flux after the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee tabled a decision Wednesday to reinstate suspended athletes who engaged in sports wagering. The committee delayed its vote on proposals for changes to the reinstatement guidelines for two weeks at the request of the Conference Commissioners Association Executive Committee. Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the coordination committee and commissioner at the Mid-American Conference, said in a statement that the CCA executive committee sought more time for "membership feedback on the proposed adjustment." "The council agreed with commissioners earlier this month that the penalties for wagering violations in limited circumstances should be adjusted and the respective committees moved quickly to recommend possible changes," Steinbrecher added. On Oct. 4, the NCAA Division I Council announced it would reexamine reinstatement guidelines for suspended athletes who engaged in sports wagering, provided the athlete did not bet on their own team. All penalized athletes would become eligible to compete and receive only education for a first offense. The NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement finalized its recommendations and affirmed the guidelines earlier this month. The delay significantly impacts Shannon, who was suspended for a season after betting on the Iowa women's basketball team in the Final Four. Shannon remains enrolled in classes and became a student assistant working with the defensive line. The NCAA allowed Shannon to return to practice when the Division I Council recommended new reinstatement guidelines. |
| OSU, WSU ask court to strip all departing Pac-12 schools of board seats | |
| In the latest filing in Oregon State and Washington State's lawsuit against the Pac-12 and commissioner George Kliavkoff, the two schools introduced several exhibits obtained during discovery that establish the conference removed UCLA, USC and Colorado from its board after the schools announced they were leaving for the Big Ten and Big 12. The schools argued that application of the bylaws should also apply to the conference's seven other departing schools. "Today Oregon State and Washington State asked the court to confirm the departing schools lost their Board seats following their notices of withdrawal from the conference," OSU and WSU said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "The evidence we have uncovered thus far in discovery overwhelmingly shows this is consistent with the position that the conference and the departing members themselves had taken up until just weeks before Oregon State and Washington State were forced to file our litigation." The two remaining schools have argued from the beginning that as soon as the departing schools announced they were joining other conferences -- UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the Big 12; and Cal and Stanford to the ACC -- they no longer had the right to make decisions about the future of the conference. It is not clear what will happen with OSU and WSU's conference affiliations next year. On Sept. 21, presidents and ADs from both schools said they were hoping to have clarification within a month about the Pac-12's remaining assets -- a key factor in deciding whether to attempt to rebuild the Pac-12 or seek membership elsewhere. |
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