| Thursday, May 30, 2024 |
| US economic growth last quarter is revised down from 1.6% rate to 1.3%, but consumers kept spending | |
 | The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 1.3% annual pace from January through March, the government said Thursday in a downgrade from its previous estimate. Consumer spending rose but at a slower pace than previously thought. The Commerce Department had previously estimated that the nation's gross domestic product -- the total output of goods and services -- expanded at a 1.6% rate last quarter. The first quarter's GDP growth marked a sharp slowdown from the vigorous 3.4% rate in the final three months of 2023. But last quarter's pullback was due mainly to two factors -- a surge in imports and a reduction in business inventories -- that tend to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Thursday's report showed that imports subtracted more than 1 percentage point from last quarter's growth. A reduction in business inventories took off an nearly half a percentage point. Consumer spending, which fuels about 70% of economic growth, rose at a 2% annual rate, down from 2.5% in the first estimate and from 3%-plus rates in the previous two quarters. Spending on goods such as appliances and furniture fell at a 1.9% annual pace, the biggest such quarterly drop since 2021. But services spending rose at a healthy 3.9% clip, the most since mid-2021. |
| New solar project up and running in Lowndes County | |
 | An Origis Energy solar project in Lowndes County is up and running, adding energy to the Tennessee Valley Authority's electrical grid. Golden Triangle II is a solar farm, battery bank and substation, Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said. The 150 megawatt alternating current solar project, with 50 megawatts of battery storage, started generating electricity on May 21, according to a Wednesday press release from Origis. "Its location, next to the Golden Triangle megaplex, will provide renewable power on a large scale," Higgins said in the release. "The project will also provide millions of dollars to our schools and county government." Higgins told The Dispatch the solar project is "east and south" of the new Aluminum Dynamics mill, and power will enter the TVA grid just north of the aluminum mill. Golden Triangle II is one of Origis's three renewable energy sites in the region. The renewable energy provider is also constructing Golden Triangle I in Lowndes County and Optimist in Clay County. Higgins said the two Lowndes sites take up about 3,500 acres, while the Clay County site is about 2,200 acres. "As a national clean energy leader, TVA is on the forefront to drive carbon reduction across all sectors of the economy and provide the clean power needed to fuel our region's growth," said TVA Southwest Region Executive Amy Tate in the press release. |
| Busy weekend of sports, activities planned in Meridian | |
 | First Saturday and State Games of Mississippi events will overlap in Meridian this weekend, offering community residents and out-of-town visitors an array of fun activities to keep them entertained. Following the States Games opening ceremony Friday night on the Meridian City Hall lawn, Saturday will mark a full day of sporting events in the Queen City, including a 5k road race, youth soccer tournament, table tennis and the masters swimming competition. In addition, First Saturday events that regularly happen at the first of the month in downtown Meridian will also take place. Earth's Bounty Festival will kick off the day's events at 8 a.m. and go until noon at Singing Brakeman Park on Front Street downtown. Earth's Bounty draws hundreds of shoppers to the outdoor market with vendors offering a range of products. Just a short walk away at the intersection of Front Street and 22nd Avenue, the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, more commonly known as The MAX, will celebrate First Saturday with a songwriter workshop, songwriter performances and a songwriter jam session. Two full moons will shine bright on Fifth Street Saturday night to close out the day's activities as the Arts & Community Events Society hosts Full Moon on 5th with the Daniel Houze Band headlining the event. A laid-back block party open to all community residents, Full Moon on 5th will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Fifth Street between 22nd and 23rd avenues downtown. |
| ERDC announces new projects | |
 | The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has announced four military construction (MILCON) projects have been approved for construction in 2024, three of which are located in Vicksburg. The ERDC announcement includes the following projects: Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's Permafrost Tunnel Expansion in Fox, Alaska, as well as the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory's Projection Penetration Research Facility and Military Pavements Research Facility and the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory's Watercraft and Ship Simulator for Multi-domain Operations Facility, all located in Vicksburg. "These projects focus on cutting-edge technologies, advancing the Department of Defense Critical Technology Areas and total $43 million," ERDC official said. Michael Harding, ERDC master planner, shared the strategic vision for enhancing operations, infrastructure and maintenance within the organization's installations. According to Harding, premier facilities are one of the five Ps of ERDC's director, Dr. David Pittman, which aims to integrate the growth and development of ERDC's programs, people and properties. "Each of our laboratories has partnerships with universities, private industries and other government/military agencies," Harding said. "These relationships help inform the requirement on where we can physically do the research by leveraging the shared space. When it comes to modernizing or constructing new facilities, ERDC prioritizes the requirements developed by the individual laboratories. If shared or external funding is needed, the requirements are presented to the installation support team." |
| 2024 Shrimp Season kicks off on the Mississippi Sound | |
 | Quality, not quantity. That's the theme for day one of the 2024 Shrimp Season on the Mississippi Sound. As the 2024 season kicked off at 6 a.m. this morning, a total of 46 boats made their way out on the water. While there weren't many boats, those who did drop their nets found some decent-sized shrimp to sell back at the docks. "We saw about 46 boats from the preliminary estimates," Mississippi DMR Shrimp & Crab Bureau Director Jason Saucier said. "We did see the largest group of boats inside of Horn Island." Saucier's message to locals is simple: buy local shrimp and support the industry. "We want to do everything we can to support the industry, so obviously our goal is to get the season open when they're at market size." |
| Branning kicks off campaign for judge | |
| State Sen. Jenifer Branning has announced she is seeking a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Branning, a Republican Senator from Philadelphia, has been representing District 18, which includes parts of Leake, Neshoba, and Winston counties, since she was first elected to the Senate in 2016. "I believe I am the only constitutional conservative in this race," she said. "I am running because I want to make Mississippi a better place by providing fair and impartial decisions on the Supreme Court." For Branning, a constitutional conservative is someone who applies the law strictly as written, nothing more and nothing less, without adding or subtracting anything. Branning said she hears concerns on the campaign trail from voters hoping to elect judges who follow the law and operate impartiality, with no ulterior motives. "If we don't elect justices who are willing to be fair and impartial and interpret the laws exactly as written, then are we really a republic?" she asked. "We have to ask ourselves that question." Long before her political career, while majoring in business administration at Mississippi State University, Branning always knew she wanted to return home and work in Philadelphia. "I entered the Master of Business Administration program at Mississippi State and took a class in business law," she said. "That is when I realized the law fascinates me." |
| White hopes to learn from 2022 effort as he attempts major tax cut | |
| Jason White hopes to learn from the ambitious 2022 plan of his predecessor -- former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn -- to reduce the state's tax on groceries and eliminate the personal income tax. White recently announced his intention to form a select committee of House members to look at the state's tax structure in advance of the 2025 legislative session. White said he hopes the task force can create consensus on how to achieve his goals. Such consensus never materialized in the 2022 session when Gunn and other members of the House leadership, including then Speaker Pro-Tem White, unveiled a plan to phase out the income tax and cut the state's 7% tax on groceries. Referring to the 2022 effort, White recently said, "We probably learned a valuable political lesson. A lot of folks got really upset really fast because it impacted a lot of different industries ... so lessons learned there." While Gunn was unsuccessful in passing his plan, the Legislature in 2022 did approve a major, $525 million reduction in the state income tax that will be fully enacted in 2026. But accomplishing the goal of completely eliminating the income tax and cutting in half the 7% grocery tax would have a much larger impact on state revenue. Despite the pitfalls, White is optimistic that a consensus on tax reduction can be reached for the 2025 session. |
| Absentee ballot access expanded, drop boxes prohibited in Mississippi | |
| A new law will expand access to absentee ballots in Mississippi while prohibiting drop boxes in the state. Mississippi law allows for absentee voting under certain circumstances. HB 1406, authored by State Representative Mark Tullos (R), provides two additional eligible reasons to qualify to vote absentee. The first allows voters employed in jobs that require them to be on-call on Election Day to vote absentee. Example professions include first responders and those working in the medical field, such as nurses and doctors. The second allows voters who are incarcerated in a facility in the county where they are registered to vote to receive an absentee ballot. Those voters must not have been convicted of a disenfranchising crime. Current law allows inmates being held outside of their registered county to request a mail-in ballot. During discussion of the bill in the Senate, State Senator Angela Hill (R) expressed concern of the potential for unregistered persons and those who have committed disenfranchising crimes to obtain ballots while in prison. Senate Elections Committee Chairman Senator Jeremy England (R), who presented the legislation to the chamber, assured Hill that only registered, eligible voters in those facilities would receive a ballot. "Nobody can get a ballot mailed to them if they're not a registered and qualified elector," England explained. |
| McConnell sees incumbency as obstacle to GOP takeover of Senate | |
 | Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) views incumbency as a significant advantage for Democrats in the battle for the Senate, an acknowledgement that the quality of the veteran incumbents running for reelection is a problem for his party. Former President Trump is leading President Biden in several battleground states, yet Senate GOP candidates are trailing Senate incumbents in some of the same states, including Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) face much tougher climates in states that Trump is expected to win easily, but they are hanging tough and have won out over tough odds in the past. McConnell says the power of incumbency explains the divergence between Trump and Senate GOP candidates in battleground polls. He also argued it was a lesson Republicans already learned painfully in the midterm elections two years ago, when they failed to take back the Senate. "I think incumbency, as we learned in '22, is an advantage. Not a single incumbent lost in '22. Sen. Daines and I have never said we thought this was going to be easy," McConnell told reporters during a recent press conference with National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines (Mont.). McConnell's respect for the power of incumbency five months out from Election Day is notable, given that competitive Senate races overwhelmingly broke the same way as the presidential race in 2016 and 2020. But this is an unusual election in that both Biden and Trump are well known to voters and are weighed down with an array of political problems tied to how voters view them personally. |
| Biden's problems with younger voters are glaring, poll finds | |
 | Younger voters have been a crucial voting bloc for Democrats for decades. Voters 18-29 years old made up roughly 1 in 6 voters in 2020, and President Biden won them by more than 20 points, according to exit polls. He won voters under 45, who were 40% of the electorate, by double-digits, too. But surveys have found Biden struggling with the groups, and the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll underscores the depth of his problems with them. It's a reason why Biden is locked in a tight race with former President Donald Trump and falls behind when third-party candidates are introduced, according to the survey. In a head-to-head match up with Trump, Biden and Trump are in a statistical tie, with Biden narrowly ahead 50%-48%. He leads by just 4 points with voters under 45 and by 6 with Gen Z/Millennials. But when independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, as well as Green Party candidate Jill Stein are introduced, Biden trails Trump by 4 points. Trump leads by 6 with Gen Z/Millennials and by 8 with the under 45 group in this scenario. "They don't see a lot of connection to him," Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the survey, said of younger voters. Younger voters don't approve of the job Biden is doing, don't particularly like him very much, don't think he has the mental fitness to be president and don't think he's handling the most important issues very well --- be it the economy, immigration or the war between Israel and Hamas. |
| Biden's Black voter troubles are setting off alarm bells | |
 | Prominent Black officials are warning the Biden campaign that the president's efforts to keep Black voters firmly and enthusiastically in his electoral coalition aren't working -- and that time is running out to get his message across. The publicly voiced concern from these Black Democrats isn't that the White House lacks policy achievements -- it's that Black voters aren't hearing about them. Worse, they fear that the Biden campaign has not fully grasped the severity of the information gap at hand, particularly in key battleground states. "I'm in a battleground state. I know what has and hasn't been done. I felt a level of disconnection earlier on the message, on the messengers and on mobilization," said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He said he has brought this issue directly to the campaign. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) said a balkanized news landscape -- where voters are increasingly tuning in to more nontraditional sources of information -- has contributed to the problem. "I think that the way that we communicate has changed in such a way that, if you don't invest earlier, it's going to be a problem," she said. "I'm not saying that it's the last minute, but we are in crunch time." But more privately, Democratic operatives express other fears, including that Black influencers and media personalities have soured on Biden and that the president himself has eschewed major interviews and less scripted campaign stops, making him less accessible to voters. Black leaders also see the community as open to the Donald Trump campaign's targeted entreaties. |
| Inside Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Growing Alliance | |
 | Donald Trump and Elon Musk have discussed a possible advisory role for the Tesla leader should the presumptive Republican nominee reclaim the White House, the latest sign that the once-frosty relationship between the two men has thawed. The role hasn't been fully hammered out and might not happen, people familiar with the talks said, but the two men discussed ways to give Musk formal input and influence over policies related to border security and the economy, both issues on which Musk has grown more vocal. Musk, along with the billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, has also briefed Trump on a plan they have developed to invest in a data-driven project to prevent voter fraud, according to some of the people. Peltz and Musk also told Trump of an influence campaign in elite circles that is already under way, in which Musk and his political allies host gatherings of powerful business leaders across the country to try to convince them not to support President Biden's re-election campaign. As recently as two years ago, Trump and Musk were publicly trading insults. But in recent months, the two men are developing a friendly rapport and talk on the phone several times a month as the election nears, the people familiar with their talks said. |
| Mississippi among states with fewest veterinarians: report | |
 | A recent report reveals that Mississippians may have a harder time finding care for their pets than most Americans. According to OneVet, Mississippi ranks 42nd in the country for employed veterinarians. At 18.9 per 100,000 people, the medical professionals are responsible for the pets owned by two-thirds of households. OneVet analyzed the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics's (BLS) 2020 Report on Veterinarians with a specific focus on the geographic profile of employment across all states and the District of Columbia. To account for variations in population between metropolitan areas and rural regions, the Team also factored in population data sourced from Statista. Veterinarians are in high demand in regions where agriculture and livestock play integral roles in a state's economy. According to BLS, the median pay for veterinarians is $119,100 annually. The agency predicts a 20% increase in veterinarian jobs between 2022-2032. |
| Alcorn State new president shares visions and goals for the university | |
 | Nearly 60 days into his tenure, Alcorn State University President Tracy Cook shared his plans and visions for the future of the institution. It's a future, he said, that will be built on acquiring resources, economic development and accessibility. Cook, who had served as interim president of the historically Black university since July 8, 2023, was elevated to the president position permanently after being appointed by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees in April 2024. Before joining the Alcorn staff, Cook served in various roles, including superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, athletic director and teacher in the Jefferson and Claiborne County Schools. Cook is the 21st president at Alcorn State, which is also his alma mater. Following the changes of the university's previous presidents, Cook said he plans to continue the "rich legacy" of Alcorn State by focusing on "building capacity, efficiency and customer service." "Alcorn is located in southwest Mississippi. Southwest Mississippi is a tough sale. The State of Mississippi is a tough sale, but we have a lot of great people here and around this area. There is a great opportunity for growth here," Cook said. Cook said he plans to increase numbers by enhancing academic programs, exposing students to internship co-ops and forming scholarship programs to provide funding to students. |
| Historian 'loved' Andrew Jackson project that's bringing honors to U. of Tennessee | |
 | Andrew Jackson was a president who was quite visible because of his decisive actions that brought both praise and criticism. Recent Tennessee legislation has in turn put the lower-key University of Tennessee research project "The Papers of Andrew Jackson" more into the public light as well. Under a bill signed by Gov. Bill Lee in April, the Jackson project is now one of 10 recently approved official state books and will be listed in the Tennessee Blue Book. For the former director of the project, Dr. Daniel Feller, the news is flattering and surprising. "This is a singular mark of recognition, one which it seems to me should not go unnoticed or unacknowledged," he wrote in an email to colleagues and acquaintances. Although now retired and not speaking for the university, he added in a follow-up phone interview that he does not know the story behind how the Jackson project made the list along with books by such noted Tennessee-related authors. "It is unlike the other books," he said. "It is the only one of the 10 books still in actual production. It is also the only scholarly work not on the best-seller list and the only one published by a state university press." "Jackson is a fascinating figure," he said. "He was considered a hero and a villain. The more you learn about him, the more complicated and more fascinating he becomes." |
| Before she hoisted controversial flags, Kentucky native Martha-Ann Alito was a Wildcat | |
 | Kentucky native and University of Kentucky alum Martha-Ann Alito is at the center of one of the US Supreme Court's biggest controversies. Due to highly debated flags allegedly put up by Alito, her husband, US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, has faced calls to recuse himself from potential Supreme Court cases involving the US Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and the 2020 presidential election. The justice has been adamant in his refusal to recuse, emphasizing Martha-Ann's role in putting the flags, which have ties to the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. They've been seen in rallies supporting former President Donald Trump, who's likely to win the GOP's presidential nomination this summer. An upside-down US flag flew at the Alito home in Northern Virginia in early 2021. And a second flag with ties to the Jan. 6 riot, the "Appeal to Heaven," dates back to the Revolutionary War and flew at the family's New Jersey vacation home. In letters to Congress this week, the justice reiterated his flag-hoisting wife is to blame, and he supports her right to fly them. Martha-Ann Alito, formerly Martha-Ann Bomgardner received her bachelor's degree in comparative literature from UK in 1975, according to a copy of the University of Kentucky yearbook from that year reviewed Wednesday by the Herald-Leader. She then received a master's degree in library science at the UK School of Library and Information Science in 1977. |
| Texas A&M explores possible nuclear reactor on RELLIS campus | |
 | Chancellor John Sharp announced Wednesday that the Texas A&M System had conducted a feasibility study to construct a modular nuclear reactor on the RELLIS campus in Bryan. Sharp said the rise in power demands across the nation has only further been accelerated by the development of artificial intelligence -- which requires large, power-hungry data centers. The obvious solution to this, according to Sharp, is to further the development of modular nuclear reactors. Sharp said that to be at the forefront of this initiative, the Texas A&M System will begin seeking information and proposals from manufacturers of modular reactors. "The next great crisis, I think domestically in this county, is going to be a shortage of electricity," Sharp said at a press conference. "Look at what's happening to artificial intelligence and the power needs that are doubling seemingly every month in their estimates. ... Don't ask me, ask Google, ask Microsoft, ask Elon Musk. ... The solution we believe, at Texas A&M, is nuclear power." When it comes to safety, Sean McDeavitt, Texas A&M nuclear engineering professor and associate vice chancellor of national laboratories, said modular reactors are unparalleled compared to traditional nuclear power plants. These modular designs are also more efficient and pose less radiation risk than a single average banana, McDeavitt said. |
| New climate-smart farming projects launching in Missouri | |
 | Researchers at the University of Missouri are launching new major programs to help local farmers adopt climate-friendly practices, thanks, in part, to the largest federal grant in the university's history. At the same time, a new farm bill in Congress could bring more support for environmentally friendly farming and build upon opportunities created by the Inflation Reduction Act, a law that included the largest investment in renewable energy in U.S. history. With the threat of more extreme storms and other climate-related incidents, experts say these new programs and techniques can help farmers adapt to their changing environment. MU has two research centers, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and the Center for Agroforestry, working to provide local farming communities with education and information about sustainable agriculture. Now they will also be able to work directly with farmers and support them financially. Another piece of legislation that could have a significant impact on the future of sustainable agriculture this year is the farm bill. It is "the single largest piece of legislation that impacts our food system," said Melissa Vatterott, policy director at the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. "We need to have a farm bill that has funding to invest in farmers using sustainable agriculture practices for sustainable agriculture research," Vatterott said. |
| Colleges Don't Know Much About the Mental-Health Apps They're Buying | |
 | College students' levels of clinically significant mental-health symptoms have doubled during the last decade, with more than 60 percent of students meeting the criteria for one or more psychological problems. Counseling centers have been overwhelmed by demand, and mental-health apps have helped pick up the slack. But how effective are those apps? How many students are using them, and for how long? Good questions -- but the answers are scarce. Sarah K. Lipson, an associate professor of health law, policy, and management at Boston University, says there is a remarkable lack of evidence about the use of digital mental-health interventions and their effectiveness. With an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 such offerings in the health-tech market today, many of which are targeted toward higher education, college administrators are often overwhelmed trying to pick one. A team of seven researchers hopes to start changing that with a new report, released Thursday. The authors review in some detail available evidence for nine of the digital mental-health interventions most often purchased by colleges for their students. In many of those cases they found little, no, or outdated evidence of effectiveness. More broadly, the researchers analyzed services at 200 randomly selected colleges and interviewed administrators and other experts at 20 institutions. In that wider look, too, the researchers found surprisingly little evidence on the apps' use and effectiveness. |
| Colleges get good news on enrollment, but face FAFSA problems, shifting job market | |
| Colleges have seen a recent uptick in enrollment, but a variety of factors -- from changes in the employment market to this year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) mess -- mean the signs of hope could be short-lived. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released data this month showing an increase in enrollment this spring, but the numbers are still below prepandemic levels, as universities face a tumultuous future amid changing job requirements and demographic troubles. Undergraduate enrollment peaked in 2010 with around 18.1 million students. By 2021, during the height of the pandemic, it had fallen to 15.4 million. "Whether it's a fluke or not, there are a lot of factors that are indicating that the downward trend may well continue," said Stephen Henn, adjunct professor of economics at Sacred Heart University. The report found undergraduate enrollment went up 2.5 percent this spring, the second annual increase in a row after years of declines. The most immediate issue that could affect those gains in the fall are this year's FAFSA forms. While the FAFSA season typically begins in October, the applications weren't available until January. From there, numerous delays occurred, from issues with the website to incorrect amounts of aid sent to students. |
| VP Harris to address US Air Force Academy graduates | |
| Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation on Thursday in Colorado, her first address at the ceremony that launches cadets into the Air Force or Space Force with pomp and the roar of jets. President Joe Biden spoke last year to graduates, who will become second lieutenants, thanking them for choosing "service over self," and noting the challenges ahead for the country and the world, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to America's rivalry with China. After greeting graduates with salutes and handshakes, the president took a spill on stage, later saying he'd tripped over a sandbag. He was uninjured. Harris will speak in Falcon Stadium, which can host upwards of 46,000 people, during an election year, as details of a debate between Harris and Donald Trump's yet-to-be-chosen running mate are being negotiated. The commencement in Colorado Springs, Colorado, about an hour's drive south of Denver, will wrap with graduates pitching their caps into the air as the world-renowned U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, zip past overhead. |
| Iran Supreme Leader praises US college students for protests | |
 | Iran's Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei told pro-Palestinian American students they "are standing on the right side of history," in a letter directly addressing them. "You have now formed a branch of the Resistance Front and have begun an honorable struggle in the face of your government's ruthless pressure -- which openly supports Zionists," Khamenei wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that was part of his letter published Thursday For weeks, students on several campuses across America gathered to protest the Israel-Hamas War, calling for a ceasefire and their schools to divest from businesses tied to Israel. In his letter and posts Thursday, Khamenei said the actions are a part of a broader "Resistance Front." "I assure you that today the circumstances are changing," he wrote. "The people's conscience has awakened on a global scale & truth is coming to light. Besides you students from dozens of universities in U.S., there have also been uprisings in other countries among academics & general public." Khamenei also advised the students "to become familiar with the Quran." His praise sparked swift backlash and other reactions online, including from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. "When you've won the Ayatollah, you've lost America," Johnson wrote in a post on X. |
| Congress Got More Done When the Greatest Generation Ran It | |
| Columnist Gerald F. Seib writes for The Wall Street Journal: High above the cityscape in Battle Creek, Mich., rises a 15-story tower, the centerpiece of a complex of buildings with a winding past. The site once was a sanitarium that went bankrupt, became a hospital and ultimately was transformed into a federal office center. Yet the most significant aspect of the building may simply be its name: It's called the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center, named after three U.S. Senators who, long before achieving fame in Washington, happened to meet while being treated there when the complex served as a hospital for injured veterans returning from World War II. Those three Senators -- Phil Hart, Bob Dole and Daniel Inouye -- are gone now, as are the hundreds of other World War II veterans who once filled the halls of Congress and long formed a majority of its members. Indeed, this year marks a little-noticed anniversary of the mark those Greatest Generation veterans made on the Capitol: It has been 10 years since the last two World War II veterans departed from Congress, a milestone reached when Democratic Rep. John Dingell and Republican Rep. Ralph Hall stepped away at the end of 2014. That represents more than a historical footnote; it is a reminder of how much those veterans and their shared bonds are missed today. At a time when Congress finds it hard to perform even its most basic tasks, when comity is declining and consensus seemingly impossible to find, and when lawmakers define themselves less by what unites them than by what divides them, the experience of the World War II veterans shows that a different reality is possible. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State vs St. John's prediction for NCAA baseball regional | |
 | The Charlottesville Regional features a pair of programs looking to make the most of their return to the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State baseball is the No. 2 seed in the regional, marking the Bulldogs' first trip to the postseason since winning a national title in 2021. To open play Friday (6 p.m., ESPN+), MSU (38-21) faces No. 3 seed and Big East tournament champion St. John's (37-16-1) -- the Red Storm's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. In the other half of the regional, there are two teams familiar with recent postseason experience. No. 1 seed Virginia (41-15) is the host in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. No. 4 seed Penn (24-23), the winner of the Ivy League tournament, is making its second straight postseason appearance after making noise in the Auburn Regional last year. Here's our prediction for Mississippi State's meeting with St. John's: Mississippi State beats St. John's, 4-2: MSU's offense comes into the Charlottesville Regional off a sluggish offensive showing at the SEC tournament. Against a quality St. John's pitching staff, scoring could be difficult. However, with Khal Stephen on the mound, Mississippi State is hard to pick against. |
| Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball predicts Omaha run for Mississippi State | |
| Both Mississippi State and Southern Miss landed as two-seeds going into the NCAA Tournament this Friday. Kendall Rogers, managing editor of D1Baseball, recently joined SportsTalk Mississippi to break down the draws for both Mississippi programs. Rogers, speaking on the Bulldogs first, has high expectations for Chris Lemonis' squad as long as they can continue pitching at a high level. "I think if you look at what they've done, or what they're capable of, one of the big questions coming into this year was can they pitch enough," Rogers said. "You look at the front of the rotation, and I feel great about that." Rogers went on to say that Mississippi State's best hitters need to have big weekends in order to advance past the Charlottesville Regional that also includes Virginia, St. John's, and Penn. Rogers didn't shy away from predicting a great postseason for this Mississippi State team. Although they narrowly missed out on a host site, another trip to Omaha could be in their future. "I think Mississippi State is going to be dialed in this postseason. I actually think not hosting is going to put less pressure on the players," Rogers said. "Not to be a spoiler here, but I have Mississippi State going to the College World Series." |
| Jurrangelo Cijntje: What to know about Mississippi State baseball's ambidextrous pitcher | |
| Beer runs and bathroom trips are key ingredients to a successful break between half-innings at a baseball game. That won't be the case at Davenport Field this weekend when Mississippi State baseball takes part in the Charlottesville Regional. When Jurrangelo Cijntje is the first to emerge from the MSU dugout and runs to the mound, it's hard to look away. He throws a selection of his warmup pitches with his left hand. Then he does the same with his right hand. Mississippi State's ambidextrous sophomore is among the top pitchers in the SEC, and in the postseason, his skills will be put on display. "It's not a circus act," coach Chris Lemonis said last year. Cijntje owns a 3.55 ERA and has been Mississippi State's No. 2 starter, behind Khal Stephen, this season. He's lined up to face either No. 1 seed Virginia or No. 4 seed Penn on Saturday after No. 2 seed Mississippi State plays No. 3 seed St. John's on Friday (6 p.m., ESPN+). While a majority of his pitches have come from the right side this year, as opposed to a more-balanced attack last year, Cijntje has been among the unique talents to come through college baseball in recent history. |
| Cam Schuelke: How Mississippi State baseball pitcher honors Navy SEAL | |
| It started with a sidearm toss -- Cam Schuelke's natural motion toward home plate. Strike one. Then came a pitch from over the top -- a common delivery for a pitcher. Strike two. It was capped with a submarine throw -- the latest addition to his repertoire where Schuelke's hand nearly scrapes the dirt before the release of the ball. Strike three. Those three pitches made up an eight-second clip shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Prep Baseball's Ian Smith. It was later shared by Stephen Schoch who has become one of the top personalities across collegiate baseball. Ultimately, the clip of Schuelke pitching for College of Central Florida, generated more than 500,000 views. It was the crowning of one of the sport's "best weird arm slot guys," according to Schoch, and a moment that led to Schuelke's rise in the recruiting scene. "The next 48 hours, it went from -- he was already talking with Kansas and FAU and FIU and Florida State -- it went from that to almost every school in the country," his father, Mike Schuelke, told the Clarion Ledger. "I've never seen anything like it." |
| Entering the NCAA tournament, Virginia reliever Angelo Tonas is the sport's active leader in career pitching appearances | |
| His opportunity to transfer to Virginia was sparked by what defines pitcher Angelo Tonas' six-year career. He was willing to take the ball again. "Having the mentality that I want to be ready to go every day," the left-handed reliever said, "is something that I take pretty seriously." There's no doubting his approach either. Tonas is the NCAA's active leader at all levels in career pitching appearances with 117 as he and the Hoos gear up for this week's Charlottesville Regional, which begins Friday at noon against Penn. He's pitched in 50 games over the last two years since joining the Cavaliers. And two seasons ago when Tonas' former team, Georgetown, made a mid-week trek to Disharoon Park, the Hoyas were coming off a series win at Butler and Tonas had to decide whether or not he'd be able to pitch after the quick turnaround. Only three days earlier, he earned a save while throwing 48 pitches over the final 2.1 innings of that last contest against the Bulldogs. "We came to UVa on a Tuesday and I remember before the game, [Georgetown pitching coach George Capen] was like, 'Let me know how you feel,'" Tonas recalled. "I was like, 'Listen, I'm not feeling great.' But remember, for Georgetown going to play UVa, that was a big deal for us and we wanted to go in there and win that game, so I was like, 'I'm not feeling great, but I'm on the board. I want to be used.'" Unbeknownst at the time to Tonas, his resiliency led to an in-person scouting evaluation for the Cavaliers. |
| Report: 2024 Egg Bowl date changed, TV designation, game time leaked for Ole Miss, Mississippi State | |
| The Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State has typically been played on Thanksgiving Day. However, that will change in 2024. According to a report from Ross Dellenger, the game will take place on Black Friday -- Nov. 29 -- this season. The Egg Bowl will be televised by ABC, according to Dellenger. "The 2024 Egg Bowl, between Mississippi State & Ole Miss, is shifting off Thanksgiving and onto Black Friday, sources tell @YahooSports. The Rebels & Bulldogs kick off at 3:30 pm ET on Nov. 29 & will be televised on ABC -- a major viewership spot for deeply rooted hate," Dellenger posted on Twitter. Ole Miss and Mississippi State have split the past two Egg Bowls, with the Rebels winning 17-7 in Starkville last season and the Bulldogs earning a 24-22 victory in Oxford in 2022. This year's meeting will take place in Oxford. Ole Miss is led by head coach Lane Kiffin, who is entering his fifth season leading the Rebels program. The Bulldogs are led by Jeff Lebby, who is entering his first season as the head coach at Mississippi State. Adding to the intrigue for the Egg Bowl is the fact that Lebby used to coach at Ole Miss. He was the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss under Kiffin in 2020 and 2021. |
| Mississippi State golfer Chiara Horder to compete in U.S. Women's Open | |
| The last few months have been quite the whirlwind for Chiara Horder, and the grind is not slowing down any time soon. In early April, Horder competed at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, then later that month the junior helped Mississippi State win its first-ever Southeastern Conference title. She then helped the Bulldogs advance through the NCAA regionals and into the national championship event, where MSU placed 15th. Now, as spring turns to summer, Horder is heading to her first U.S. Women's Open at the Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The native of Munich, Germany, played in two majors last year -- the Evian Championship and the Women's British Open -- and qualified for the U.S. Open by winning The Women's Amateur Championship last June in Kent, England. "I'm really excited. It's such a pleasure, it's so nice being here," Horder said. "Obviously the U.S. Open is something big and something very special." Horder began playing golf in Germany from a young age and followed her older brother, Nico Horder, to the American collegiate ranks. Nico, who is two years older than Chiara, played at Arkansas-Little Rock after spending his freshman year at Rogers State University in Oklahoma. |
| Two-time Super Bowl champ Willie Gay to host free youth football camp in Starkville | |
| Two-time Super Bowl champion and former Mississippi State standout Willie Gay, Jr. will be hosting a free youth football camp in his hometown of Starkville this summer. This event will take place on Saturday, June 8 at Starkville High School. Youth ages 6-16 years old will be treated to a non-contact session of skills and games featuring current and former professional athletes who will coach the participants. Each child registered will be provided lunch, a t-shirt, and a gift bag to take home. Gay quickly became a hot commodity in the sport. A four-star commit out of Starkville High School and top player in the Magnolia State, the linebacker signed with Mississippi State in 2017. He logged 95 total tackles and six sacks in his three seasons with the Bulldogs and was an integral piece on one of the nation's top defensive squads in 2018. The Bulldog standout ended his college career one year early and looked to elevate to the next level after his junior season. Gay was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and won back-to-back Lombardi trophies before signing a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints as an unrestricted free agent in March. |
| Will SEC Baseball Tournament remain in Hoover? Greg Sankey talks future in 'special place' | |
 | Conference commissioner Greg Sankey was caught off guard at a Starbucks in Hoover ahead of the SEC Baseball Tournament finale between LSU and Tennessee on Sunday. "Is it true the tournament is moving to Nashville next year?" a fan asked. "What are you talking about?" Sankey responded. Discussions have swirled regarding the SEC's commitment to continue playing its annual baseball tournament at the Hoover Met, the home of the tournament since 1998. The SEC's current contract with the city runs through 2025, and conversations between the two sides have been ongoing. "We're going to be certainly in Hoover for a few more years. They've made commitments," Sankey said of the city's efforts. "You can see the entry. You can see the redone parking lot. You could walk through the facility and see enhancement plans before we play again next year. They've built the Finley Center, which is an all-purpose building that really accommodates our fans in an outstanding way. ... I made some notes about ingress and egress (this year). There's a direct way in. We were stacked up about a mile and a half on the 459 when I was driving in about two hours before the game. How do we reduce the fan friction to access the facility is top of mind. Now, credit to the city of Hoover. They actually sent people out to buy bottles of water that they were handing out, and they had done preparation in advance knowing that there'd be a great crowd and dealing with the heat. ... But we need to continue to work on reducing the challenges, if you will, for access for those big crowds." |
| Texas A&M's surging baseball team wants to be a national powerhouse | |
| In three seasons at Texas A&M, Jim Schlossnagle won the Aggies' first game in the Men's College World Series since 1993, led them to a No. 1 ranking this year and to a No. 3 overall NCAA tournament seed, their highest in school history. In College Station preparing for the Aggies' regional matchup against Grambling (Friday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+/ESPN App), he has his sights set on a run to Omaha, in search of a national championship. The title has eluded both the Aggies and Schlossnagle, who had three 50-win seasons at TCU and led the Horned Frogs to the MCWS five times. Despite all that success in Fort Worth, he came to College Station because he doesn't want to just build a championship program. He wants to make a monster. He believes at a place like Texas A&M, he can shake things up, and he's not afraid to tell you. He "gets" the Aggie traditions, including choosing a senior each year to wear No. 12 to represent the school's famed 12th Man. "Traditions are awesome, but traditional thinking is not awesome," he said. "We've worked hard to try and find that blend of honoring A&M and everything that it is and its core traditions. But at the same time, we're making our game and our program attractive to a 15-year-old because that's who we're recruiting." |
| SEC gathers to sort through consequences of settlement, comes away with more questions than answers | |
| The Southeastern Conference gathered on the Gulf Coast for its annual spring meetings this week with news of a landmark $2.8 billion settlement that will transform how athletes are compensated still reverberating through college sports. After two days of discussions with coaches, athletic directors and conference officials, no one seemed to be leaving the beach with much clarity about how -- exactly -- this is going to work. "Came in with a lot of questions, leaving with a lot more," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Wednesday. "It's going to be a process," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. "And each step in that process is going to give us a little bit more information, but it may be several months before we have a clear path here." Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne compared the change to other relatively new benefits to athletes that have caused an uptick in expenditures, such as providing unlimited meals or the so-called Alston payments, which amount to a few thousands dollars a year for staying academically eligible. "This is different. This is a big deal," Byrne said. "We have to recognize we don't have all the answers right now." Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin said college football is awkwardly stuck between two worlds: Trending toward professionalism but still rooted in a model tied to higher education. |
| SEC leaders await clarity on how Title IX ties into House v. NCAA settlement | |
| As SEC presidents and chancellors met Wednesday for the first time this week at the conference's annual spring meetings, they emerged from the daylong session with no further clarity on how the federal Title IX regulation will tie into revenue distribution resulting from the historic settlement of House v. NCAA. Title IX requires colleges to provide equal opportunities for men and women to compete in varsity sports and provide equitable benefits to those athletes. The law, written long before athletes were earning money beyond their scholarships, does not clearly state how the federal government views direct payments to athletes. Texas president Jay Hartzell told ESPN the league's presidents and chancellors are still learning how the money ties into the law. The NCAA will pay more than $2.7 billion in damages over 10 years to past and current athletes, and the Power 5 conferences also have agreed to a revenue-sharing plan allowing each school to share up to roughly $20 million per year with its athletes. "As I understand it, the law was not written from the standpoint of this particular kind of payment," he said. "It's a new thing. What's been explained to us is the judge in the main case has not opined or ruled in a way that gives much direction about how Title IX fits into the settlement. We're having to chart the course we think is best. That's why we're talking so much about it." |
| The issue most concerning to SEC football coaches not trending their way | |
 | The boardrooms of Destin aren't known for universal agreement. At least not the week after Memorial Day when the SEC takes over the gulf-side resort for its annual spring meetings. One topic, however, seems to have all 16 league football coaches playing for the same team. Where they were split a year ago on setting conference schedules at eight or nine games, they're universally in agreement about keeping roster sizes from shrinking. It's issue has dominated discussions in the football coaches meetings Tuesday and Wednesday and that's notable given the multiple seismic shifts underway in collegiate sports. And while they're not all connected, this one has a direct tie to the most consequential tidal shift -- the House vs. NCAA court settlement. Changes to allowable roster sizes are among the possible resolutions to the case involving compensation going directly to athletes from athletics departments. In football, rosters that are as large as 120 when including walk-ons could be trimmed down to just the 85 players on scholarship. Complete elimination of those walk-on programs wouldn't necessarily be seen on Saturday afternoons but would completely shift the way coaches build programs and conduct practices. Scout teams are often largely built from the walk-on corps who toil outside the spotlight but have always played a large part in on-field success. |
| Sources: NCAA officials mulling change to allow on-field corporate sponsorships | |
| Outside of the Hilton Sandestin, a beachside resort where the Southeastern Conference historically holds its annual conference meetings, the league's logo illuminates the hotel's exterior in the dark of night. This week, it is the SEC Hilton Sandestin. Or the Hilton Sandestin presented by the SEC. It is fitting. Soon, perhaps in this very conference, sponsorships will be expanded to football fields and, even, player jerseys. Within the NCAA's government structure, officials are seriously considering legislative changes to permit schools to display corporate logos on their football fields. While more debate is expected next month within the NCAA playing rules oversight committee, administrators expect a resolution that opens the door for on-field sponsorships -- and, perhaps eventually, corporate patches on player jerseys. Two days into the SEC's three-day administrative meetings here on the Florida panhandle, questions loom about the future college sports model: Will football rosters be reduced to 85 players? How will a school distribute revenue amid Title IX requirements? What entity will be responsible for enforcing the revenue-sharing cap? Of all the swirling uncertainty, the many doubts and the unanswered questions, one thing is quite clear: College athletic departments, in the age of direct athlete compensation, are exploring ways to find untapped revenue sources. And it appears that corporate signage is chief among them, as well as renewed interest in playing a ninth conference game. |
| College sports departments gearing up for 'economic earthquake' with direct pay for athletes looming | |
| Iowa State has already scrapped plans for a new wrestling facility. Texas A&M laid off a dozen or so athletic staffers. That could be the tip of the iceberg when millions in college revenue starts going directly to the athletes and away from escalating coaching salaries, facilities and growing athletic department staffs. A revenue-sharing model outlined in last week's $2.8 billion antitrust settlement proposal from the NCAA and the five largest college conferences would allow schools to each provide up to $21 million annually to athletes or up to 22% of the average power league school's annual revenue. That means budget wrangling and an untold number of potentially difficult decisions are looming for athletic departments across the country. "At the end of the day, this is an economic earthquake within the system," said Andrew Zimbalist, economics professor emeritus at Smith College. "And the system is in a very uncertain and risky and volatile state right now." "When you have a shift of revenue up to 22% things won't remain the same," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said at the league's spring meetings in Destin, Florida. "That predicts that people will have to make decisions. That may be any number of wide range of issues that I haven't even begun to consider, some of which I can imagine, some of which I'm certain will look at this week and in the weeks that follow." |
| The next evolution of NIL collectives and the battles that await: 'This is a big inflection point' | |
| The NCAA and power conferences are in the midst of finalizing a historic settlement of three antitrust cases. While featuring nearly $2.8 billion in back damages and overhauling the NCAA's scholarship structure, the settlement creates a future model in which schools can disburse millions of dollars annually to athletes. Plenty of questions remain unanswered. But one of them stands apart from the rest: Will schools continue to use third-party entities, such as collectives, to distribute cash to athletes? At the top of college sports, the collective space is a multi-million dollar, hotly competitive industry. School-affiliated collectives, pitted against one another in what often evolves into a bidding war, use booster funds to promise and pay prospects salaries disguised as agreements to use their name, image and likeness (NIL). Some of the most lucrative collectives in the country, many of them within the Southeastern Conference, are gearing up for their next evolution. Often with their schools' support, the collectives are planning to, or have already, transitioned into marketing agencies, funded not solely by booster dollars but by the athletic department itself or the university's fundraising foundation. For some, the wheels of such an evolution aren't just now cranking to life. They've been rolling for a while. In Mississippi, for instance, university and collective leaders led a campaign this spring to change their state statute to permit such a move. In Missouri, a state law has existed for more than a year permitting the school's collective to receive institution funds for distribution to athletes. Other states, as well as the collectives within those states, are marching toward a similar goal, said Walker Jones, a former agent and apparel executive who leads the Ole Miss collective, The Grove. On July 1, The Grove will transition from a booster-funded collective to a school-financed third-party agency. |
| Charges dropped against Scottie Scheffler following Louisville arrest | |
| All charges have been dropped against Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 golfer, who was accused of assaulting a Louisville police officer during a traffic incident outside the PGA Championship earlier this month. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell made a motion to dismiss the charges Wednesday, following widespread criticism over how Louisville officials handled the arrest. The motion was accepted by Jefferson District Judge Anne Delahanty. "Mr. Scheffler's characterization that this was 'a big misunderstanding' is corroborated by the evidence," O'Connell said when making the motion. Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, said while there are "absolutely grounds for a lawsuit," the golf star does not plan to sue over the arrest. "As I've said repeatedly, the more evidence that comes out, the more it shows that Scottie was the victim here," Romines said. Outside the Hall of Justice on Wednesday, Romines denounced the charges Scheffler faced, saying police "overcharge every day." "That's what happens," he said. "Why? Because it gives them more leverage in negotiations. In this case, they didn't have any leverage because A, we had our witnesses. B, we had video. And C, Scottie had the resources to defend it. That changes everything." "I think everybody sees something like this happen and realizes they're one wrong turn -- or running into the wrong person -- away from going to jail themselves," he added. |
| Political putts: Golf rivalry has Biden and Trump teeing off | |
| President Biden and his rival former President Donald Trump are in the midst of a heated general election, taking shots at each other over issues including inflation, immigration and a rash of foreign policy conflicts. But recently, another topic has been teed up in the race: golf. Trump earlier this month used the upcoming debate with Biden to broach the subject of the links. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, the former president said that before daring him to a debate, Biden challenged him to a round on the links. Earlier this spring, Biden invited Trump to face off on the golf course, when he appeared on stage at a fundraiser alongside former Presidents Obama and Clinton. During the event, Biden told late night host Stephen Colbert -- who moderated the conversation at the fundraiser -- that he would be "happy to play" Trump in a round of golf. Golf has long been a presidential pastime, where commanders in chief have escaped the stress of the office by hitting the fairway on weekends and holidays. Sources tell The Hill that while Biden has spent some time on the golf course over the years and is a longtime member at Fieldstone Golf Club in Delaware, he hasn't devoted much time to the sport since becoming president. Trump -- who owns 17 golf courses and was mocked as president for playing 307 days during his presidency -- has spent much of his downtime on the course, including an outing late last month when he spent one of the off days of his criminal trial on the course at his club in New Jersey. |
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