| Thursday, May 2, 2024 |
| UIR, Mississippi State Pledge to Foster Cooperation in Scientific Research | |
 | The International University of Rabat (UIR) and Mississippi State University (MSU) signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony chaired by the Moroccan Ambassador to the US, Youssef Amrani. Signed by the presidents of the two universities, Noureddine Mouaddib of UIR and Mark Keenum of MSU, the agreement aims to enhance the exchange and fruitful cooperation between the two universities in various fields of scientific research. Ambassador Amrani described this partnership as representing a new stage in strengthening education cooperation not just between the two universities, but also between the US and Morocco. The president of MSU, who is also the honorary consul of Morocco, noted that the signing of this agreement is part of the ongoing partnership between the two countries. This cooperation is part of a broader effort to strengthen ties between Morocco and the United States in the fields of education and research, as well as in other areas such as diplomacy and trade. The Moroccan government has been actively promoting international cooperation in these fields, with a focus on fostering partnerships that can contribute to the country's socio-economic development. |
| How NASA Continues Inspiring Engineer's Future | |
| Work at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, takes one site engineer back to a childhood memory, where a dream of being a member of the NASA team began. Now, Briou Bourgeois is working to launch a career with even bigger aspirations. The Bay St. Louis native recalls childhood watching the Apollo 13 movie with his dad. He became fascinated with the story of how astronauts overcame challenges when NASA attempted the third lunar landing in 1970. Even as the lunar portion of the mission was aborted due to the rupture of a service module oxygen tank, Bourgeois was fascinated by how everybody on the ground at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston fought through challenges to come up with solutions. Bourgeois said he did not understand the gravity of the situation he was watching unfold, but he was not short of questions. He wanted to learn more. "That probably spurred me into wanting to become part of the NASA team but, even more so, to become an astronaut and be sort of the tip of the spear when it comes to space exploration and doing the hard things that allow humanity to further understand the universe and space in general," Bourgeois said. Now in his seventh year at NASA Stennis, the Mississippi State University graduate said the wide range of testing capabilities at the south Mississippi site, coupled with working alongside a variety of people "highly specialized in the aerospace operations realm" is what he enjoys most. |
| Experts share ways to prevent termites from severely damaging homes | |
 | It's the time of year homeowners dread -- termites are back and swarming all over the Gulf Coast. Chris Mosley with Redd Pest Solutions said callers are reporting Eastern Subterranean and Formosan Termites. Both kinds can cause damage. "It's usually the week before Mother's Day or the week after Mother's Day," explains Mosley. "We probably had 40 to 50 calls overnight already. Any kind of little void, crack, and crevice that they can find they can build tunnels, made out of mud and go straight up into the living space of your home." Mississippi State University Horticulturalist Tim Ray notes Formosan Termites are attracted to light. "Keep your outside lights off," Ray said. "If you're going to have a light on inside the house -- which it's reasonable to do that -- try to have your blinds closed and your curtains closed." Ray said you should have an expert deal with the issue, because household infestation can swell to thousands if not treated properly. |
| Mary Means Business: Another Castleberry development coming to Starkville | |
 | Starkville developer Mark Castleberry already has another project on his plate. Coming soon to Starkville: 110 Mill, a mixed-use development on Mill Street. Castleberry purchased and tore down three houses behind Mugshots to make way for 45 high-end apartments and approximately 10,000 square feet of retail and office space. He added two of the houses had sat vacant for at least a decade. Though still in the early phases, construction is expected to start early 2025. "We just really believe in this market," said Castleberry, who most recently completed the larger Triangle Crossing Development on Highway 12. "... We feel that good quality apartments and retail in this great area is only going to make this area better." Speaking of the Triangle Crossing development, the last two stores have officially opened. The development is at a full capacity with Starbucks and Verizon now welcoming customers. Moving to the other side of town, Castleberry purchased the former Cadence Bank headquarters about a year ago. With exterior renovation and ongoing interior renovations the new Professional Park, 12183 Hwy. 182, is ready for tenants. Professional Park is about 36,000 square feet, half of which is already occupied by law offices, financial companies and more. |
| In the barge business, this year has been 'consistent, predictable and profitable' | |
| The Federal Reserve decided Wednesday to hold interest rates steady, signaling that its fight against inflation isn't over yet. But despite sticky inflation, the economy overall has been looking pretty strong, with gross domestic product increasing last quarter and consumers continuing to spend. So, what do today's economic conditions mean for businesses? "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal checked in with Austin Golding, CEO of Golding Barge Line, a family-run business in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to find out. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation. "Volumes are good. We’re seeing our business is definitely better this year than when I’ve talked to you in years past. I think we’ve seen a lot of stabilization in our volumes and demand. And we haven’t had things like pandemics to try to recover from or go through. We have had low water, which we dealt with. we had a low water condition in the entire lower Mississippi River Valley. But we persevered, and this year has been pretty consistent, predictable and profitable," Golding said |
| CREATE's Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi to host State of the Region meeting | |
 | CREATE Foundation's Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi will host its annual State of the Region meeting on Wednesday, May 8. The event will take place at the Cadence Bank Conference Center in Tupelo from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., with a coffee hour beginning at 8:30 a.m. "Communities matter" is the theme of the meeting, and it will focus on education and community affiliates. The Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi has functioned as the program arm of the CREATE Foundation since 1995. Its purpose is to strengthen the regional community and cooperation through regional-community development. The Commission consists of 55 volunteer leaders with representation from 17 counties in the CREATE region. At the State of the Region meeting, attendees will hear from regional leaders, community affiliates pouring into their communities, and a school district that is setting the standard for school accountability in Northeast Mississippi. The Community Affiliate Panel includes Alison Buehler of the Starkville Community Foundation in Oktibbeha County, Gus Clark of PACE (Partners in Achieving Community Excellence) in Chickasaw County, and Amanda Angle of LEAD (Lee County Empowering Advancing and Developing) in Lee County. CREATE Foundation director of development P.K. Thomas will act as facilitator. |
| Aerospace and Defense Alliance of Mississippi announces inaugural leadership team | |
| The Aerospace and Defense Alliance of Mississippi (ADAM) recently announced its founding board of directors, inaugurated its chairman and appointed its first executive director. Leading the helm of ADAM as its chairman is Davis Pace, president and CEO of MSET, Mississippi's Office of Space and Technology. Davis brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role, having established himself as a distinguished leader in the aerospace and defense industry. Under his guidance, ADAM is poised to chart a course toward new horizons and further fortify Mississippi's standing as a frontrunner in this sector. Joining Davis on the inaugural board are esteemed industry leaders, including: Dr. Neil Thurgood, executive vice president, Anduril Industries; Dr. Gary Butler, CEO, Camgian; Frankie Adair, site executive, Raytheon-Forest; and Jamie Miller, president and CEO, Gulf Coast Business Council. Spearheading the operational endeavors of ADAM is Sara Doss, who assumes the role of its first executive director. |
| Southwest Airlines to cut back on Jackson flights | |
 | Southwest Airlines is cutting back on flights to some airports -- and pulling out of a few others -- because of a disappointing financial start to 2024 and delays in receiving new planes. During its first-quarter 2024 call with investors on Thursday, April 25, Southwest said it would end service at four airports and cut the frequency of routes at two others. Some of those cuts affects flights at Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers Airport. "To improve our financial performance, we have intensified our network optimization efforts to address underperforming markets," Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement on the airline's first-quarter 2024 earnings call. Beginning in June, Southwest will reduce its daily flights in Jackson to four. However, it is maintaining service to all current markets of Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Houston, and Orlando. This adjustment represents a change from their usual five to seven daily flights. Southwest started back service in Jackson in June of 2021 after a seven year layoff. The airline's departure in 2014 after 17 years of service also dealt a blow to the Jackson airport, as it provided 27% of available seats out of Jackson at the time, according to a Jackson State University study. |
| Bill to protect women's spaces, define the two sexes revived in Mississippi | |
| Following reports that the SAFER Act died at Monday's deadline, lawmakers began receiving calls and messages urging them to find a way to pass the legislation this session and provide safe spaces for girls and women in Mississippi. As previously reported by Magnolia Tribune, the author of the bill, State Senator Josh Harkins (R), said Tuesday, he and his fellow Senate conferees were ready to move forward with the legislation. However, State Rep. Joey Hood (R), chairman of the House Judiciary A Committee, did not sign off on the conference report by the 8 p.m. deadline on Monday, choosing instead to let the bill die. On Wednesday, in a surprise move, the House offered a resolution to suspend the rules and revive the SAFER Act, giving conferees one more day to bring the bill before lawmakers for consideration. State Rep. Fred Shanks (R), chairman of the House Rules Committee, presented the resolution on the floor. It passed the chamber by a vote of 86-33. Shanks told Magnolia Tribune Thursday morning that he received "a lot" of messages from his constituents and others around the state on the need to pass the legislation, as did other lawmakers. "In talking with my colleagues, I definitely think there's support to pass it today [Thursday] and I know that the public wants it. They've reached out to us," Rep. Shanks said. "I think it would pass with no issues, at least out of the House, and I think it will pass the Senate as well." |
| Speaker wants voters to choose whether to expand Medicaid | |
| The Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives plans to offer the Senate a ballot referendum proposal for Mississippians to vote whether to expand Medicaid and how they want to do it. If accepted by the adjoining chamber, it could result in the first ballot referendum since 2020, when Mississippians voted to change the state flag. A referendum is a process by which lawmakers put legislation on a ballot for the voting populous to either approve or not. In a press release issued Wednesday evening, Speaker Jason White said he plans to give Senate lawmakers a new proposal for voters to decide whether to expand Medicaid, and whether that program should include a work requirement. White's new plan could face challenges in the Senate. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in a press release issued about one hour later that it will be met with little to no love from Senate members. "We had some discussions with Senators today about the possibility of a non-binding referendum on the ballot and the idea was not well received," Hosemann said. Over the last two months, Senate and House lawmakers have barely skirted past several legislative deadlines simply to continue negotiations over how a Medicaid expansion in Mississippi would work and what it would like. |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann shuts down House Republican idea to let voters decide Medicaid expansion | |
| After House Republicans asked Senate leaders to agree to a proposal that would place Medicaid expansion on November's statewide ballot, Senate leader Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said the idea had no legs in his chamber and added that expansion talks were likely done for the year. House Speaker Jason White, a Republican from West, announced the idea in a statement Wednesday night and pointed out it had become clear over the last few days that House and Senate Republicans were still far from agreement over the best way to expand Medicaid coverage. The bill narrowly escaped death on Wednesday afternoon until House Democrats forced a procedural vote that granted everyone more time to find compromise. About an hour after White announced the referendum idea, Hosemann poured cold water on the idea with a statement of his own. The House's full proposal was not made available on Wednesday night, but White's statement said the proposed referendum would be two-fold: Voters would decide if they think Medicaid should be expanded to the working poor and if the program should include work requirements for recipients. House Democratic caucus leadership supported the House Republican effort, saying in a statement Wednesday night that if the language in the House's referendum is "very clear" and allows working Mississippians to get the "health care we know that they need," then they would likely support the new proposal. |
| Judicial redistricting fails this session, will be back up for consideration in 2025 | |
| Despite attempts to stay ahead of the deadline, this year's judicial redistricting proposal (SB 2771) did not make it past the conference deadline during the 2024 legislative session. Circuit and Chancery court redistricting is required to be completed by the fifth year after a Census is taken. The cutoff for lawmakers to comply following the 2020 Census is 2025. If legislators do not act, the responsibility will shift to the Mississippi Supreme Court. The redistricting proposal that was presented in the Senate adjusted both court systems to function with 55 judges each. In the conference report, the Circuit Court count increased to 56. Also included were new and revised sub-districts across the state. State Senator Brice Wiggins (R), chairman of Senate Judiciary A Committee, led the process in the chamber. He said the plan largely reflects a greater balance of workload between the total number of judges, providing every district with at least two judges. Wiggins said there are some judges handling roughly 80 cases a year, with others balancing a case load of 1,400 to 1,500 cases. In order to spread the work, districts were slightly redrawn and judgeships were altered more evenly in the plan. He indicated lawmakers also attempted to line up the Circuit and Chancery counties. |
| Fed Chair Jerome Powell Projects Optimism, But Inflation Data Are in the Driver's Seat | |
 | Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell tried to keep the central bank's options open Wednesday by sticking with his view that interest rates are restrictive and that inflation was likely to resume its decline. But a string of disappointing readings on price and wage pressures have led investors to put less weight on the central bank's outlook and more attention on how the economic data unfold. "Powell can say whatever he wants, but ultimately the inflation numbers will dictate what happens," said Neil Dutta, head of economic research at Renaissance Macro Research. The Fed maintained language in its policy statement Wednesday that suggested an interest-rate cut was still more likely than an increase -- a so-called easing bias. But William English, a former senior Fed adviser, said it was possible that if inflation data continued to run hotter, the Fed would need to jettison that guidance, opening the door wider to hikes. "What we learned was they are still a ways from that," said English, a professor at Yale School of Management. "If they just don't make further progress on inflation, it will be right at some point to say, 'We don't know what direction rates are going to go.' " Indeed, while Powell cheered investors on Wednesday when he said he didn't think it was likely the central bank would have to resume rate increases, he left the possibility open. "In terms of the peak rate, I think...the data will have to answer that question for us," he said. |
| Disney World to host exhibit of George W. Bush paintings | |
 | Former President George W. Bush's paintings are going to Disney World. EPCOT, one of the theme parks at Disney's resort in Orlando, Fla., announced Wednesday it soon will be home to a special exhibit of Bush's artwork. "Portraits of Courage: A Commander's Tribute to America's Warriors" will feature more than 60 paintings from Bush of "service members and veterans who have served our nation with honor since 9/11, and whom the president has come to know personally since leaving office." The exhibit from the George W. Bush Institute will be on display for a year inside EPCOT's American Adventure Pavilion beginning June 9. Each piece of art will be accompanied by a story penned by Bush about the veteran depicted. The exhibit will also highlight resources to support those serving in the military since Sept. 11, 2001. It's not the first time that Bush's paintings have hit the road. In 2019, the portraits went on display at the Kennedy Center as part of an exhibit honoring service members. The 77-year-old former commander in chief picked up a penchant for painting after leaving the White House in 2009. |
| RNC co-chair Lara Trump coming to Mississippi | |
| Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, former President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, is coming to Mississippi. The Mississippi Republican Party announced on Wednesday that the RNC co-chair will be their special guest for the party's convention kickoff set for Friday, May 10th at the Trade Mart in Jackson. She will speak at the MSGOP Chairman's Reception. Frank Bordeaux, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, told Magnolia Tribune that the party is excited to hear from Lara Trump. "We're excited to have Lara Trump join us Friday night before the convention to fire up our members talk about the current direction of the Republican Party and its vision for succeeding in November," Bordeaux said. Lara Trump was elected RNC co-chair in early March. Former North Carolina Republican Party chairman Michael Whatley was also elected at that time, replacing Ronna McDaniel who stepped down following the former President expressing his desire to make changes in RNC leadership. Former President Trump, the party's presidential nominee for a third consecutive election cycle, backed both Whatley and his daughter-in-law for their new roles. |
| In interview, Trump doesn't commit to accepting Wisconsin election results if he loses | |
| Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday didn't commit to accepting the results of Wisconsin's presidential election in November if he does not win and again promoted the falsehood that he won the Badger State in 2020. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the former president said he would accept the results of the November election showing he lost "if everything's honest." "If everything's honest, I'd gladly accept the results," Trump said in an interview Wednesday. "If it's not, you have to fight for the right of the country. But if everything's honest, which we anticipate it will be -- a lot of changes have been made over the last few years -- but if everything's honest, I will absolutely accept the results," he said. He offered similar conditions when asked the same question by news outlets in 2016 and 2020. Trump said he would "let it be known" if he thought something was wrong with the election. "I'd be doing a disservice to the country if I said otherwise," he said. "But no, I expect an honest election and we expect to win maybe very big." Wisconsin is one of a handful of swing states expected to determine the outcome this fall. Trump's refusal to accept the results of the last presidential election in Wisconsin and his new comments placing conditions on when he would accept the results of the next election come as Republicans are seeking to persuade GOP voters to restore their trust in the state's system of elections and embrace absentee voting. There's no evidence to support that Wisconsin's election was tainted by cheating or fraud in 2020. |
| Extremist Militias Are Coordinating in More Than 100 Facebook Groups | |
 | After lying low for several years in the aftermath of the US Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorganizing, ramping up recruitment and rhetoric on Facebook -- with apparently little concern that Meta will enforce its ban against them, according to new research by the Tech Transparency Project, shared exclusively with WIRED. Individuals across the US with long-standing ties to militia groups are creating networks of Facebook pages, urging others to recruit "active patriots" and attend meetups, and openly associating themselves with known militia-related sub-ideologies like that of the anti-government Three Percenter movement. They're also advertising combat training and telling their followers to be "prepared" for whatever lies ahead. These groups are trying to facilitate local organizing, state by state and county by county. Their goals are vague, but many of their posts convey a general sense of urgency about the need to prepare for "war" or to "stand up" against many supposed enemies, including drag queens, immigrants, pro-Palestine college students, communists -- and the US government. These groups are also rebuilding at a moment when anti-government rhetoric has continued to surge in mainstream political discourse ahead of a contentious, high-stakes presidential election. And by doing all of this on Facebook, they're hoping to reach a broader pool of prospective recruits than they would on a comparatively fringe platform like Telegram. |
| Commencement speakers for 2024 Mississippi colleges | |
 | Graduation season is officially in full swing. One of the most notable aspects of a university or college's commencement ceremony is its keynote speaker, who provides some words of wisdom as the graduating students enter the next phase in their lives. Some universities, such as Belhaven, have already conducted graduation ceremonies. Read on to see who will speak at some of Mississippi's other universities and colleges. |
| Brick by brick: Building a bigger UM | |
 | With numerous construction projects underway at the University of Mississippi, facility planners and students alike are looking forward to what is in store for the 2024 fall semester. Some students have come to view construction as a new norm. "In a way, it's a good thing that we have the construction because it's a positive sign of growth that people want to come to the university," sophomore history major Nina Poiroux said. "We see that with the increasing student population the campus is going to have to expand even if it means we live with construction projects for a short time. The complaints about construction are really just growing pains that we have to deal with in order to keep the university beautiful and welcoming for students." Chad Hunter, director of facilities planning and university architect, explained that although demolition of Kincannon Hall took longer than expected, the project is on schedule. "The plan all along was to take advantage of summer months for both demolition and construction," Hunter said. "Due to complexities within the Kincannon structure, it didn't come down as fast as we had planned, but we were still able to finish demolition on time. We wanted to get it done by summer 2023, but construction of the new dorms was never intended to be that summer; it was always intended to be this upcoming summer 2024." Hunter said construction on the three-building dormitory project to replace Kincannon Hall is to begin August 2024 and to be completed in summer 2026. |
| U. of Alabama students protest war in Gaza, campus investments | |
 | Holding a sign that read "Tide Against Genocide," a group of several dozen University of Alabama students gathered at the university's student center Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza -- and to urge the college to cut ties with a top defense contractor. "As students of the University of Alabama, we can no longer stand by in silent complicity as our institution funds a state-sponsored massacre of Palestinians," read a flyer for the demonstration. The group is calling on the university to end its relationship with Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor that it said has "supplied Israel with fighter jets, Hellfire missiles, and other weapons that are currently being used to slaughter Palestinians." Counter-protesters, some holding American flags and Trump banners, began to gather near the fountain a few minutes into the peaceful demonstration, according to social media accounts. University police cordoned the groups off with cones and ropes. Crimson White editor Maven Navarro captured video of one group of students chanting "Free, free Palestine," while the other sang the national anthem. The protests lasted about three hours. UA recently named a building after alumna Marillyn Hewson, then-CEO of Lockheed. In 2018, Hewson made a $15 million gift to the university -- then the largest in UA history. The university also has partnered with the company to create a data analytics lab, and has held multiple Lockheed recruiting events on campus. |
| Demonstrators show solidarity with Palestine, urge U. of Alabama to address issues | |
 | About 300 demonstrators gathered to express solidarity with Palestine in the University of Alabama's Student Center plaza Wednesday afternoon, chanting while waving signs, flags and placards. The group urged the institution to stop conducting research funded by the Department of Defense, cut ties to Lockheed Martin, and release a statement calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The event was organized by the the Leftist Collective at the University of Alabama and other student organizations, announced in advance, and followed guidelines laid down by the university, which included no sound amplification, no blocking vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian traffic, no interference with academic and administrative activities, and other prohibitions. The event ran two and a half-hours, and not without dissent from a boisterous group of counter-protestors along the west side of the plaza, less organized, shouting "USA," "Take a shower," "Go back to Russia" and "Stop supporting terrorism," some literally wrapped in U.S. flags, making obscene gestures toward the demonstrators. Some UA faculty and staff joined the demonstrators, while many others stood by, not lending voice to either side. One of the observers, Tuscaloosa District 4 City Councilor Lee Busby, noted that despite however you might feel about the Middle East issues, the UA event went smoothly. |
| Louisiana governor could hire university system presidents under proposal | |
| The Louisiana Legislature is considering a bill that would give Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and his successors unprecedented power over higher education: the ability to directly hire university system presidents. Senate Bill 462 by Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, gives the governor the authority to appoint chairs and other officers for hundreds of boards and commissions as long as he sends notice to the affected groups within 180 days of taking office. The provision in Hodges' bill that allows the governor to appoint officers of the boards is of concern to higher education leaders, as state law defines university system presidents as officers. "There shall be a president of each public postsecondary education system, who shall be the executive officer of the postsecondary system and shall serve as secretary to the system's governing board and its executive committee and standing and special committees," the law reads. Hodges' bill is supported by Landry, who has said higher education is the motivating factor for the bill. "This fight is all about universities," Landry said in an interview with WAFB-TV. "The people of this state are ready for these universities to start taking some responsibility for putting out students that are graduating with degrees that they can't even get a job for." |
| Protest against Israel occurs with backdrop of graduating UGA students taking pics at Arch | |
 | A group of protesters numbering at times from 30 to 40 gathered Wednesday afternoon in front of the University of Georgia's Arch, the metal gateway that is the university's symbol as an educational institute. The protest against the war that Israel is waging against Hamas in Gaza was loud, but peaceful. The protest, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, lasted about 90 minutes at the busy location on Broad Street amid a constant flow of vehicular traffic and people moving to and from campus. The protesters carried numerous signs from "Free Palestine" to "End All U.S. Aid to Israel." Protests are occurring on university campuses throughout the nation, some leading to violence between protesters and police. On Monday, a protest on UGA property in front of the building housing UGA President Jere Morehead's office ended with the arrests of 16 people on misdemeanor charges. Before Wednesday's protest began, two UGA officials from Student Affairs approached one of the protest organizers, Trey Holloway, and explained a boundary that exists. The protest, they explained, is not to occur on UGA property. The steps to the Arch is on university property, while the sidewalk belongs to Athens-Clarke County. The protesters were warned not to deliver their message from the steps. Holloway, who is a student, basically adhered to their admonishment. The speeches were made from the city's sidewalk. |
| U. of Tennessee students host vigil for Palestine to demand divestment by university | |
 | A solemn student vigil in support of Palestine on the University of Tennessee campus May 1 stands in contrast with the images of police tearing down encampments at other campuses across America. Like their peers at other campuses, Students for Justice in Palestine called for Knoxville campus leaders to disclose any investments tied to Israel and divest from them. "It's really tough to know that the money you earn and the money that you spend goes to oppress the people of Palestine. And the United States, as well as especially the University of Tennessee, should have no part in any of (this)," Students for Justice in Palestine co-founder Hamzah Saleh told the crowd of about 100. Saleh and the group also asked UT leaders to cancel a study abroad trip to Israel. Advocates said they gathered for peace, awareness and solidarity with the Palestinian people trapped by the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza on Oct 7. The attackers killed more than 1,100 people, most civilians, and took hostage about 205 people. Some people targeted in the attacks accuse Hamas fighters of raping and sexually assaulting some Israelis. A demonstration by students and community members separate from the vigil later formed at the Torchbearer statue, according to The Daily Beacon student news organization. A group in support of Israel gathered as well and the two groups moved from Circle Park to Cumberland Avenue. |
| Massive police operation dismantles UCLA pro-Palestinian camp | |
 | Police moved into the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA on Thursday morning, dismantling many of the tents, pushing out most of the protesters and making numerous arrests. The operation caps two days of upheaval that began when UCLA declared the camp "unlawful" and continued when a mob attacked the camp Tuesday night, with police taking hours to stop the violence. On Thursday morning, officers wearing body armor, helmets and face shields methodically pulled apart the barricade as protesters tried to hold together the assemblage of plywood and metal fencing. Flares arced overhead, igniting with piercing blasts, and smoke filled the air from fire extinguishers that demonstrators sprayed at the police. Police launched the flares over the encampment. Officers watched the scene from the high windows of Royce Hall, infuriating protesters who shone lights in their eyes and challenged them to come down. There were several fronts of the operation, with police using flash-bang type devices that echoed across campus and dismantling tents. They were able to move protesters out of Royce Hall after a series of tense scuffles. It is unclear how many people were taken into custody. But some protesters appeared to leave the scene on their own. But many remained at the scene and refused to leave. UCLA police repeatedly announced over loudspeakers that protesters should clear the area "immediately" and that those who failed to do so would be subject to arrest. |
| Tulane suspends some student protesters, seeks to 'contain' pro-Palestinian encampment | |
 | Tulane University suspended several students and an activist group Tuesday after pro-Palestinian demonstrators erected tents on the edge of the Uptown campus, where demonstrators remained throughout the day even as police surrounded the small encampment and warned protesters they could face arrest. The demonstrations at Tulane paled in comparison to the massive encampments and building takeovers at Columbia University and on other U.S. college campuses. At the protest site on a lawn alongside St. Charles Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, a core group of about two dozen protesters had pitched about a dozen tents and formed a circle behind a hastily assembled barrier of wooden pallets, tires and umbrellas, some 24 hours after a march and rally of around 200 people resulted in six protesters -- including one student -- being arrested on campus following a skirmish with police. During the day on Tuesday, Tulane police set up metal barricades to block demonstrators from moving farther onto campus. They also wheeled in a large electronic "No Trespassing" sign and blared pop music in an apparent effort to drown out chants, though the encampment remained and more people appeared to be arriving as Tuesday evening wore on. |
| Student protests take over some campuses. At others, attention is elsewhere | |
 | Boston College students held a protest rally against the Israel-Hamas war last week. Bullhorns were banned, lest the noise disturb studying for finals. Tents weren't allowed. Students who'd been arrested at other Boston campus protests were barred. After an allotted hour, the students went quietly back to their rooms. A student protest movement has washed over the country since police first tried to end an encampment at Columbia University in New York nearly two weeks ago. But while there have been fiery rhetoric and tumultuous arrests on high-profile campuses from New York to Los Angeles, millions of students across the country have continued with their daily routines of working their way through school, socializing and studying for exams. The protests are demonstrating wide differences among Americans in 2024, even for groups that have tended to unite during divisive times such as the 1960s. Boston College faculty and students had addressed the Israel-Hamas war in class discussions, through a faculty vigil and at a rally last week, "all of which were civil and respectful," Boston College spokesperson Jack Dunn wrote in an email. "It's an atmosphere where students are very polite," said Brinton Lykes, a professor of community psychology. "They will discuss things, debate things intellectually, but they are shockingly rule-bound." |
| What the First Amendment Means for Campus Protests | |
 | Protesters on college campuses have often cited the First Amendment as shelter for their tactics, whether they were simply waving signs or taking more dramatic steps, like setting up encampments, occupying buildings or chanting slogans that critics say are antisemitic. But many legal scholars, along with university lawyers and administrators, believe at least some of those free-speech assertions muddle, misstate, test or even flout the amendment, which is meant to guard against state suppression. Whose interpretation and principles prevail, whether in the courts or among the administrators in charge of meting out discipline, will do much to determine whether protesters face punishments for campus turmoil. Academic administrators and the courts alike often find comfort in frameworks, and the notion of "time, place and manner" is deeply embedded in case law involving free speech. For university leaders, the doctrine offers a template of sorts for protest policies that can survive legal scrutiny and withstand political backlashes. Some threatening behavior on campuses is illegal under federal civil rights law. Two men, for instance, pleaded guilty to using a threat of force to intimidate Black students and employees at the University of Mississippi after they placed a noose around a campus statue of James Meredith, the first Black student to enroll there, in 2014. One of the men was sentenced to prison. |
| House passes bill aimed to combat antisemitism amid college unrest | |
 | The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday aimed at addressing reports of rising antisemitism on college campuses, where activists angered by Israel's war against Hamas have been protesting for months and more recently set up encampments on campus grounds. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would see the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism for the enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws regarding education programs. The bill passed with a 320-91 vote. Seventy Democrats and 21 Republicans voted against the measure. The international group defines antisemitism as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews" and gives examples of the definition's application, which includes "accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagine wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group" and making " dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective." The bill goes further than an executive order former President Donald Trump signed in 2019. Opponents argue the measure could restrict free speech. "This definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance includes 'contemporary examples of antisemitism'," said Rep. Jerry Nadler in a speech on the House floor ahead of the vote. "The problem is that these examples may include protected speech in some context, particularly with respect to criticism of the state of Israel." |
| Fallout from campus protests felt on Capitol Hill | |
 | As protests of the war in Gaza roil college campuses, the issue has reverberated through Congress, provoking strong emotions and political sparring. Progressive staffers came out in support of encampments that Republicans -- and some Democrats -- have rushed to condemn, a day after police arrested around 300 people in New York City and opposing protestors clashed at UCLA. "As we watch students standing up, coming together, and speaking truth to power about the bombardment and blockade of Gaza, we see a generation of unheard voices rallying for justice in the same way civil rights and anti-war protestors have throughout American history," the Congressional Progressive Staff Association said in a statement Wednesday. The staff group "unequivocally stands alongside these nonviolent student protestors and their efforts to raise the alarm about the complicity of both their colleges and of the United States in the War on Gaza," the statement continues. The protests have raised questions about free speech on college campuses. And they've put Democrats in an awkward political position, especially as scenes have escalated and police have cracked down. On Wednesday, Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton held a press conference with a group of his GOP colleagues condemning the "hate-filled little Gazas." "It's time to stop these antisemitic, pro-Hamas mobs today. And if liberal college administrators won't take action, the mayors and the governors of these campuses should. And so should [President] Joe Biden," Cotton said during the press conference. |
| Don't Forget the Backlash to the '60s: Today's campus chaos carries a grim warning for Biden. | |
 | New York City police, dressed in riot gear, descending on Columbia University, breaking up protests and arresting college students. It's hard not to have flashbacks to 1968. And if you're part of Joe Biden's presidential campaign, it should feel like political PTSD. Most media retrospectives of the 1960s celebrate the marchers, the protests, the peace signs along with the compulsory Buffalo Springfield lyrics ("There's something happening here/ But what it is ain't exactly clear"). The reality is those upheavals were an enormous in-kind contribution to the political fortunes of the right. And if history comes even close to repeating itself, then the latest episode will redound to Donald Trump's benefit. Begin with this, unfortunately accurate, generalization: Protests of any kind, even those most justified, produce a sense of unease among the public. Even when the civil rights movement was entirely peaceful, a plurality of Americans thought they did more harm than good. A 1963 Gallup poll found that shortly before Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington, only 27 percent of people believed mass demonstrations were likely to help the cause of racial equality, with 60 percent saying the protests would hurt it. When upheaval began on college campuses, largely triggered by the escalation of the Vietnam War, this sense of disapproval grew sharply, and so did the political consequences. |
| Researchers 'Shocked and Disappointed' After NSF Budget Cuts | |
 | Following contentious budget negotiations this year, Congress cut the National Science Foundation's (NSF) annual budget by 8 percent in a move that's worrying academic researchers. "Congressional failure to restore NSF's budget jeopardizes our country's future economic and national security," said an emailed statement from Barbara Snyder, president of the Association of American Universities, which represents 71 public and private research institutions. "America's continued scientific leadership and global competitiveness are at risk here---including in crucial areas like AI [artificial intelligence], quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, climate change, and creating the STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] workforce we need in order to continue as the world's technological and scientific leader," Snyder said. "Forcing NSF to make serious cuts also negatively impacts grant success for researchers interested in working on critical scientific advancements, further discouraging careers in STEM." Federal science agencies fund more than half of university-led research and development initiatives, and about 24 percent of that support comes directly from the NSF, an independent agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Of the $54 billion universities spent on federally funded research and development in Fiscal Year 2022, $6 billion came from the NSF. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Wins Governor's Cup | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Ole Miss Rebels in the Governor's Cup 5-1 on Wednesday night at Trustmark Park. The Maroon and White recorded 11 hits at the plate and struck out 12 to earn the midweek victory. The Diamond Dawgs have won 11 of the 16 Governor's Cup games and won the last two. Pico Kohn drew the start on the mound for the Bulldogs and went four innings. He gave up four hits and one earned run while punching out five. The duo of Karson Ligon and Cam Schuelke took over the fifth, sixth, and some of the seventh innings, giving up no hits or runs and striking out two each. The rest of the game was closed by Tyler Davis and Tyson Hardin. Davis earned the win tonight. In 2 1/3 innings of work, the duo gave up one hit and struck out five Rebels. Eight of nine Diamond Dawg starters accumulated a hit, but Dakota Jordan and Hunter Hines led the way at the plate tonight. Jordan went 3-for-5 in the game, and Hines went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Connor Hujsak went 1-for-2 with one run scored. In the eighth inning, Hujsak went first to third on a wild pitch and later scored the winning run. Joe Powell went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Bryce Chance and Logan Kohler had one RBI, and David Mershon had two RBIs from his eighth-inning double. |
| Baseball: Mississippi State rallies late to claim Governor's Cup with win over Ole Miss | |
| Connor Hujsak read the ball in the dirt, saw it bounce far away from Ole Miss catcher Eli Berch and decided to go for it. After being hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning of a tied game, Hujsak advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch. Amani Larry followed with a walk, and when the Rebels were unable to complete a double play on Logan Kohler's soft grounder to third, Hujsak scored what was ultimately the game-winning run for Mississippi State. The No. 16 Bulldogs broke the game open with three more runs in the inning to defeat Ole Miss 5-1 at Trustmark Park and claim the Governor's Cup for the second straight year. "(The two-base wild pitch) was the play of the game," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It put pressure on them and changed the whole dynamic, and then we were able to open it up a little bit. He's always been a really good baserunner. He's pretty aggressive, so it was nice to see." The floodgates opened after the run-scoring fielder's choice. Ethan Pulliam singled to center and Joe Powell and Bryce Chance each drew a walk to force in another run, and David Mershon capped the rally with a two-run hustle double to right-center field. The big inning backed another outstanding effort from the Bulldogs' top relief arms, who combined to hold the Rebels to one hit in five scoreless innings. |
| Mississippi State baseball prevails in Governor's Cup vs. Ole Miss, splits season series | |
| Mississippi State and Ole Miss baseball have had a knack for delivering drama when facing off on the diamond. The 2024 rendition of the rivalry, particularly the finale, was no exception. Playing in a nonconference meeting at Trustmark Park on Wednesday, with the game televised on ESPN2, the teams delivered a pitchers' duel that featured a 1-1 tie going into the eighth. However, by taking advantage of the Rebels' poor defensive play, Mississippi State blew open the game in the penultimate inning to win 5-1. With one out in the eighth, MSU outfielder Connor Hujsak was hit by a pitch. Shortly after, he advanced from first to third on a wild pitch. He scored what turned out to be the winning run when the Rebels (23-21) failed to turn a likely inning-ending double play off the bat of Logan Kohler. A bases-loaded walk to Bryce Chance followed by a two-run double from David Mershon gave MSU (30-15) its insurance runs. With the Governor's Cup victory, the rivals split the regular-season series. Mississippi State returns to Dudy Noble Field on Friday (6 p.m., SEC Network+) to open a series with Alabama. The Crimson Tide are three games back of the Bulldogs for third in the SEC West. |
| Mississippi State wins Governor's Cup | |
| For a second year in a row the Governor's Cup trophy is headed back to Starkville. Behind a big eighth inning along with a stellar bullpen performance Mississippi State got past rival Ole Miss 5-1 in the 45th annual Governor's Cup at Trustmark Park on Wednesday night. State now leads the Governor's Cup series 24-19 and has now won three in a row and eight of their last nine games. "We realized how important this game was and it's an extra SEC win on the line. It helps us in RPI and our resume," said Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis. "Connor going from first to third was the play of the game and put pressure on them." According to the NCAA website Mississippi State entered the game with a RPI of 26, while Ole Miss was 27. Mason Morris (1-2) took the loss on the mound for Ole Miss (23-21). "Tough night for us offensively. We pitched really well until we got to the eighth," said Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. "Runs can be at a premium in this park and we got to do a better job with the bats." |
| D1Baseball: Mississippi State in position to host regional | |
| It's been a whirlwind of a season for the No. 16 Mississippi State baseball team. From fans calling for Chris Lemonis' job after a poor start to Lemonis now being floated around in coach of the year conversations, the Bulldogs are in a good spot to host a regional, according to D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers. During an appearance on SportsTalk Mississippi, Rogers touted Mississippi State's record of late – which includes winning seven of its last eight -- while saying Starkville is destined to be a host site when the NCAA Division I baseball tournament begins later this month if the Bulldogs take care of business during the final 11 games of the regular season. "I will be the person who gets the discussion started. I think Mississippi State hosts," Rogers said. As for his reasoning, the managing editor vouched that the Bulldogs (29-15, 12-9 SEC) have the ability to get their conference win total up to 18 with a midweek game against Ole Miss on Wednesday plus future series against Alabama, Missouri, and Arkansas. Although the Governor's Cup against the Rebels doesn't count on paper as an SEC game, Rogers said that's not how the selection committee will view it. "If you look at Mississippi State right now at 12-9 in the conference, they're 28 in RPI, so they have some work to do there, right? But they get Ole Miss tonight," Rogers said. "I think they can win two of three against Alabama. I think they'll win two of three against Missouri. That gets us to [17] wins in conference. I tell you what, if they can win one at Arkansas and play decent enough in Hoover, I think this team is hosting." |
| How earlier series loss to Ole Miss has led Mississippi State baseball to keep host hopes alive | |
| It was a quiet, somber ride back to Starkville from Oxford three weeks ago. Mississippi State baseball, fresh off its first series loss to rival Ole Miss since 2015, boarded its maroon bus and took the 100-mile trek with uncertainty in its future. Sure, the Bulldogs could flush the loss and earn their first NCAA tournament bid since 2021. But was that enough for the storied program that won its first national title three years ago? Are they happy going on the road for a regional? It was time for them. to reflect on what they wanted to achieve this season. "I remember just going home sick," Dakota Jordan said. "Just sick to my stomach." A different feeling awaited Mississippi State (30-15) when it went on the 130-mile trip from Trustmark Park home to Starkville after a 5-1 Governor's Cup win over Ole Miss on Wednesday. The Bulldogs got to celebrate a season split with their rival. Amid studying for final exams that await Thursday morning, they can look ahead to larger aspirations than what it carried home from Oxford. MSU has a chance to host postseason play at Dudy Noble Field. While the win against Ole Miss (23-21) doesn't count toward the SEC standings, it's a top-30 victory in the RPI -- a metric used to determine the postseason field -- that improves the likelihood of Mississippi State staying home for the NCAA tournament. "We talk about it every day," Jordan said. |
| Jeff Lebby: 'We're nowhere close to where we're gonna be' | |
| New Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby has made it through his first Spring in Starkville. However, he still feels like the team isn't close to where it's going to become before the start of the season. Lebby is a coach known for his offensive system. It's an offense that has been influenced under by coaches like Art Briles, Josh Heupel, and Lane Kiffin. However, Lebby also knows that it's not an offense that can be learned overnight, and he explained there's still plenty to work on following Mississippi State's spring game. "Again, I like where we're at," Jeff Lebby said. "I think it's going to be completely different come fall. Just from the standpoint of understanding. I love that we got to live a bunch of game situations whether it was today or earlier in the three scrimmages we had in the spring, and our guys understand what this thing needs to look like." "We are nowhere close to where we are going to be. Again, we've got guys that have played a lot of ball, maybe not here, but all over the country that are going to play a lot of ball for us next year and I like that about our unit on offense." |
| Senior Bulldogs Set For Another Regional In Starkville | |
| It was a jovial Monday evening in the recruiting lounge of Davis Wade Stadium as the No. 16 Mississippi State's men's tennis team sat around a giant screen and waited to hear its name called for the upcoming NCAA Championships. Supporters lined the room, quieting down as the selections began to be announced. The silence was quickly shattered by cheers and clapping when State was officially announced as the top seed in the Starkville Regional for the second year in a row. Among the nine student-athletes seated were seniors Nemanja Malesevic and Carles Hernandez. The pair has been around through it all, and now, their wish of getting one last shot to play on their home courts to start postseason play has come true. It's something they've worked for all year. "Reaching that goal of getting to host the first two rounds of [the NCAA Championships] is pretty nice," Hernandez said. Malesevic echoed his teammate's thoughts, adding that the program's back-to-back years as a host site are a testament to the hard work that has been put in over the past few seasons. "It's just a good feeling and it's showing us that we were doing good things the last three, four years," Malesevic said. The Bulldogs are indeed no strangers to success. Men's tennis has a storied history in Starkville. This is MSU's 13th-consecutive year in the NCAA Championships and its 32nd appearance overall. In the past five years, the program has cruised through the first two rounds of action and advanced to the Sweet 16 four times. |
| Bulldog Men Earn Sixth Straight NCAA Championship Berth | |
| The No. 37 Mississippi State's men's golf program earned its 15th NCAA Championship berth as the field of 81 teams was announced Wednesday. It is the Bulldogs' sixth straight NCAA selection. State is slated to compete as the No. 7 seed in the West Lafayette Regional on May 13-15. MSU will travel to the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Excluding the 2020 tournament, which was not played, the Bulldogs have made the NCAA tournament in each of head coach Dusty Smith's seven years at the helm of the program. The six-year streak marks MSU's longest NCAA tournament streak in program history, and the Bulldogs had never made more than three consecutive regionals prior to the current run. Last season, MSU won the Morgan Hill Regional in California to advance to the NCAA Championship for just the fourth time in program history. "I am so proud of this team," Smith said. "Making the NCAA tournament is one of our core goals. Being able to watch this team work towards that goal and accomplish it brings great joy to myself and Coach K." The West Lafayette Regional is a loaded field that consists of four top-25 programs. The top seed in the regional is an SEC foe in No. 2 Vanderbilt. Joining the Commodores among the ranked squads will be No. 11 Arizona, No. 15 Florida and No. 25 New Mexico. The field will be rounded out by host Purdue, San Diego State, Indiana, Charleston, Stetson, Colorado State, Southern Illinois and Tennessee Tech. There are four conference champions within the regional. |
| Lopez Ramirez, Pina Ortega and Weed featured in SEC Postseason Women's Golf Awards | |
| Three Mississippi State Bulldogs collected postseason awards as voted on by league head coaches, the Southeastern Conference announced on Wednesday, May 1. Julia Lopez Ramirez once again earned the league's highest honor by being named the SEC Player of the Year. On top of being tabbed as the SEC's top golfer, Lopez Ramirez was also a First-Team All-SEC selection. Joining Lopez Ramirez in earning accolades from the league were Bulldogs Avery Weed and Ana Pina Ortega. Weed was selected to the Freshman All-SEC team, while Pina Ortega was voted to the SEC Community Service Team. Lopez Ramirez secured the title of SEC Player of the Year after her stellar performance at the SEC Championship. She finished as the individual champion of the SEC for the second year in a row, a feat that only four golfers in history have achieved. Throughout the season, Lopez Ramirez shot an average of 70.24, the third best in the league. She also took home a second individual title at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, where she shot her best round of the season and broke an event record at seven-under par. She shared the SEC Player of the Year honor this season with LSU's Ingrid Lindblad. Weed became the seventh golfer in program history to be named to the All-SEC Freshman team. Pina Ortega was named to the SEC Community Service Team for the first time in her career. |
| Southern Miss renderings, timeline for Reed Green Coliseum $35 million renovation plans | |
| Longtime dreams to renovate Reed Green Coliseum are turning into a reality. Southern Miss athletics unveiled renderings and project plans on Wednesday to renovate the 59-year-old home to men's and women's basketball. The project includes new entrances, a practice facility, scoreboards and more. It's expected to cost $35 million and be completed in 2027. "You saw the term 'turning legacy into a vision,' " athletics director Jeremy McClain said. "That's kind of how we feel about this. It's about taking this building and really building upon what it is and what it means to people in this community." One of the biggest components of the renovations is not having to expand the footprint of Reed Green Coliseum; all of the additions and improvements will be made on the existing land without affecting M K Turk Circle. Construction is expected to begin in early 2025. There will be no phases. "It's a start-to-finish project," McClain said. "We may have to sequence it in a way that's the least intrusive." Gearing for wins on the basketball court is an obvious benefit of new facilities, but it's not the only reason for excitement. "It's absolutely vital to the University of Southern Mississippi in terms of our growth," school president Joseph S. Paul said. "Athletics is your front porch; it's what invites people in. It's what welcomes alums back home. So, it becomes a catalyst for student enrollment growth, private giving and for national profile. It's invaluable." |
| Archie Manning to headline inaugural 'A Night of Champions' event at Delta State | |
| Archie Manning will be headlining Delta State University's inaugural "A Night of Champions" event. Manning, who was born at the old Cleveland hospital on Delta State's campus, will be joined by former Statesmen Hall of Famer Langston Rogers for a casual conversation. The event will occur on Thursday, August 1 at 6 p.m. in the Walter Sillers Coliseum. Rogers, a native of Calhoun City, is celebrated for his contributions both on and off the field. Rogers represented the Statesmen as a former Delta State baseball player under legendary coach Boo Ferriss. He later served as the sports information director (SID) for the university. His career continued at Ole Miss, where he garnered numerous accolades, including induction into the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame and Mississippi Sports Writers Hall of Fame. Archie Manning and Rogers became friends when the DSU alum was the SID at Ole Miss. In addition to the conversation between the two sports icons, the event will feature an auction and VIP opportunities to meet the guests of honor. Proceeds from "A Night of Champions" will directly support Delta State Athletics, funding scholarships, facility enhancements, academic support, staff supplements, and new program additions. |
| Say hello (again) to EA Sports College Football. The beloved video-game behemoth is back | |
| In a Michigan basement decked out in maize and blue, a father sat with his son. They'd bond over a football video game. One with a story mode that would transport the 7-year-old into a college dorm room, where letters from fans filled his mailbox, the campus newspaper teased a championship and a list of Heisman candidates adorned his computer screen. If he played well enough, his name might even appear there. It wasn't real. But who was to say it couldn't be? "You know, we'd always joke, because he was a big kid, that 'Hey, maybe you're going to be on there someday,'" says the father, Bill Swartout. Today, more than a decade later, that 7-year-old -- Brayden Swartout -- is an offensive lineman at Central Michigan, living the story mode in real life. Countless versions of that game, not made in over a decade, collect dust in basements alongside phased-out gaming systems. It's the inevitable fate of old discs, gaming cartridges, RCA connector wires and the like. Give it all a good blow, though, and the dust clears to reveal an enduring cultural phenomenon that, in this modern world, is on its way back. |
| 'More is more': Big 12's Yormark sounds off on potential CFP, NCAA basketball tournament expansion | |
| If Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has his way, the CFP needs a few more slots. Speaking with reporters following the conclusion of the conference's meetings Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., Yormark noted he'd be in favor of the CFP expanding to a 14-team format, but cautioned he'd like to see the 12-team model slated for 2024 play out. "My feeling is more access for student athletes is a great thing," he said. "Providing them with championship experiences is a wonderful thing. ... Hosting games on-campus is fantastic for all the right reasons. And if we ended up going to 14, and we can further enhance the championship experience for more teams and more student athletes, I think that's great. "I'm going to continue to bet on the Big 12 that we're going to take some of those at-large spots. In theory more is more. More is good. Proof is in the details, and obviously, I'm excited to see how this year plays out at 12." The CFP had been engrossed in discussions about format changes before the signing of a media rights extension with ESPN earlier this year. Potential changes, though, had been largely tabled as the conference commissioners navigated the media rights negotiations. For Yormark, the Big 12 occupies a unique spot in the enterprise following expansion to 16 teams with the additions of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State amid the collapse of the Pac-12. The league, however, is set to receive the lowest percentage (14%) of the CFP revenue generated from the new deal that takes effect in 2026 behind the Big Ten (29%), SEC (29%) and ACC (17%). |
| How many legal threats is the NCAA facing? Let's count them | |
| The NCAA can look in almost every direction these days and see legal fires. They are mounting by the month. The smoke is billowing. Ever since the high-profile and landmark O'Bannon and Alston cases exposed legal cracks in the association's amateurism construct, courts have been increasingly looking askance at the model's alignment with antitrust law. Now, a smorgasbord of consequential issues -- from NIL compensation in recruiting and the NCAA's multi-time transfer policy to whether athletes deserve a share of escalating broadcast media rights pies -- have found their into the courts. Legal threats also stem from two ongoing National Labor Relations Board proceedings weighing whether certain athletes are employees of their universities, leagues or the NCAA. There are two primary ways the NCAA can stave off further legal challenges: Secure its long-sought federal reform bill from Congress, which would grant the association some antitrust protection and codify that student-athletes are not employees. Or, following an anticipated settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust case in the coming months, create a new, sustainable financial model that enables athletes to collectively bargain with schools, leagues or the NCAA. "We're getting sued for nonsense," retiring American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco told On3 in the fall. "College sports is not the candy store for these lawyers -- that's how they view it now." |
| What will happen in House v. NCAA? Answering key questions as college athletics faces monumental change | |
| College sports leaders and lawyers are negotiating to reach a legal settlement in an antitrust lawsuit that would pave the way for revenue sharing with players. The long-expected resolution of House v. NCAA has been a hot topic among collegiate leaders for months, hastened Monday when reports surfaced that a turning point had been reached in discussions among plaintiff attorneys, the NCAA and general counsels for the four power conferences. On Tuesday, the inevitable march toward the professionalization of college athletics presented more questions with no answers -- and potentially an expedited timeline for conferences and universities to implement a new pay-for-play model, though that, too, is only a hypothetical. The most notable power players swaying in the wind are the athletic directors leading multi-million dollar athletic endeavors. They have prepared for multiple financial scenarios as House v. NCAA faces a potential settlement before a court date in January 2025. But with endless possibilities, there is exasperation. "At this point in time, there's a real lack of clarity," Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades told 247Sports. "I don't expect, if there is a settlement, any potential guidelines on how each athletic department distributes those monies. Who receives it? All student-athletes? Just revenue-generating sports? Is everybody the same? My guess is it's not. How do we figure that out?" The short answer to those questions (and more) is simple: it's up to the lawyers, and potentially the courts, as other lawsuits against the NCAA play out. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
