| Thursday, June 13, 2024 |
| MSU hosts conference to improve ag and forestry industries | |
 | The future of Mississippi State University and forestry was the topic of discussion at the Bost Conference Center. "Ours is a very dynamic industry because there are a lot of things that are changing," said Keith Coble MSU's Vice President of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. The school brought together leaders in the ag, forestry and veterinarian industries for the conference. Mississippi State President Mark Keenum said having ... leaders on campus, is a great way to have a better understanding of how to better MSU's future. "Our global population is expanding at an unbelievable pace. Mississippi is well positioned to help produce the food we need as a nation and to help meet the needs globally. It will take innovation and technology to produce while maintaining the sustainability of our natural resources," said Keenum. Executive Director of the Mississippi Forestry Association Casey Anderson said meetings like this, create more opportunities for Mississippians. "We have identified that it is really important for a lot of these commodity groups to come together to help bring more industry to our state, and maybe open up some new pathways for new markets within Mississippi," said Anderson. |
| Mississippi sees increase in cotton acreage in 2024 | |
 | Officials with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service said the state is seeing an increase in cotton planting with an expected 500,000 acres in 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture made that acreage estimate and said the crop was 94% planted by June 9, 2024. Of that acreage, 80% was either in good or excellent condition, with 19% in fair and just 1% in poor condition. Brian Pieralisi, cotton specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said cotton planting began in late April in most places. "The planting window depends on where you are in the state," Pieralisi said. "We got a lot of cotton planted in those first few weeks, then there was a gap where some people were finished, and others couldn't get in the field because of wet pockets." Will Maples, MSU Extension agricultural economist, said the state's increased cotton acreage is due to lower corn prices. The acreage expected in Mississippi is in line with recent cotton acreage and up from the 390,000 acres grown in 2023. |
| Farm Bill Proposals Boost Research Facilities and HBCUs | |
 | Public land-grant universities across the country could get some much-needed help from Congress to improve their aging research facilities, which are facing $11.5 billion in deferred maintenance costs. The latest proposals to reauthorize the sprawling farm bill, which includes funding for research at public land-grants, would put anywhere from $100 million to $2.5 billion toward a competitive grant program to pay for infrastructure projects that was created -- but not funded -- in 2018. The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) had asked for $5 billion over the next five years. But the $2.5 billion included in the House agriculture committee's proposal would be a "huge win," said Doug Steele, the APLU's vice president for food, agriculture and natural resources. "If the United States is going to maintain our status as the world leader in ag research and development, we have to have facilities to conduct modern research and think about the topics of today that are major concerns such as climate, carbon, and healthier, more nutritious food," he said. The infrastructure funding is one of several provisions in the wide-ranging farm bill -- which sets policy for agriculture, nutrition, conservation and forestry -- that affect colleges and universities and their students. |
| Green to serve as interim MSU Bagley College of Engineering dean | |
 | A longtime Mississippi State engineering administrator will serve as interim dean of the Bagley College of Engineering. Bagley College of Engineering Assistant Dean Robert A. Green will serve as interim dean. He succeeds former Dean Jason Keith, who was recently named provost at Iowa State University. Green assumes his new role on Aug. 1. "We are confident that Dr. Green will help us maintain the momentum of the Bagley College of Engineering and provide consistent and effective leadership," said David R. Shaw, MSU provost and executive vice president. "Dean Keith has created tremendous momentum in the college, and we greatly appreciate his leadership that has stimulated the growth the college has seen. It is important to have someone step into the interim role who shares that vision and is not a candidate for the position while we search for the right person to take the college to even greater heights." Shaw will immediately begin the election and appointment process for the composition of a search committee, which will be chaired by MSU College of Business Dean Scott Grawe. Shaw said a search firm will be hired and an aggressive national search will be conducted to bring in a visionary leader for the Bagley College of Engineering. |
| MSU-Meridian gains two new administrators | |
 | Mississippi State University is promoting two key administrators to guide the rapidly developing health sciences units at MSU-Meridian's Riley Campus. David Buys is the new associate vice provost for Health Sciences, and Harold Jones is the interim dean of Health Professions. The two are important additions to a university team continuing to strengthen MSU's leadership position in training students to meet critical healthcare needs in the state and region. The appointments are pending final approval by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. "This is an exciting and inspiring time in the history of MSU-Meridian and for East Mississippi and West Alabama communities," said MSU Provost David R. Shaw. "These very competent and experienced administrators will bring great focus and enthusiasm that will build on the solid foundation of MSU-Meridian and our commitment to growing our health sciences units in this wonderful community." MSU-Meridian is accepting its first cohort of students this fall in the Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing program and graduated the inaugural class of Master of Physician Assistant Studies students in spring 2023. The growing campus in the state's Queen City also offers a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and a Doctor of Psychology in Combined Health Service Psychology. |
| Mississippi State researcher to play vital role in NASA artificial star mission | |
 | A Mississippi State University astrophysicist will lead a $19.5 million NASA space mission to put an artificial star in orbit around the Earth. Angelle Tanner, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Mississippi State, is serving as the principal investigator on the Landolt mission, part of the NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program. The program's artificial star will allow scientists to calibrate telescopes and more accurately measure the brightness of stars ranging from those nearby to the distant explosions of supernovas in far-off galaxies. By establishing absolute flux calibration, the mission will address several open challenges in astrophysics including the speed and acceleration of the universe expansion. Working with the team at George Mason University in Virginia, the mission is named in honor of LSU Professor Arlo Landolt, who Tanner calls the "the father of photometry." |
| Mississippi joins national network aimed at helping rural school districts | |
 | Through efforts to help education in rural communities, Mississippi has formally been admitted to the Rural Schools Collaborative, a national network of educators aimed at strengthening rural school districts. On May 31, the Rural Schools Collaborative officially selected Mississippi, according to a press release from William Carey University. For the last four years, WCU and Mississippi State University partnered to form the Mississippi Rural Education Association, or MSREA, which aims to support school districts and teachers in rural areas throughout the state. The work of the MSREA over those last four years is the reason Mississippi was admitted into the Rural Schools Collaborative. "Partnering with Williams Carey University to lead the MSREA and collaborating with the RSC and other regional hub partners to advance rural education in MS and the nation is mutually beneficial and leads to a far more significant impact than any of our organizations could have separately," said Amanda Tullos, the project manager for rural education outreach at MSU's Social Science Research Center in a statement. "Together is best. With our partnership, we are able to best serve and leverage our resources to support Mississippi educators, schools, and communities." |
| RFPs now being accepted for design, construction of new Mississippi ABC distribution center | |
| The State of Mississippi is moving forward with the construction of a new Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) warehouse utilizing $95 million in state bonds. On Tuesday, the Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR) announced that the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) is now accepting Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the design and construction of the new ABC distribution center. The deadline for proposals to be submitted is Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. In the 2022 legislative session, Senate Bill 2844 authorized $55 million for the DOR to work through the DFA to construct and equip a new distribution center within 50 miles of the state Capitol. This year, House Bill 1354 authorized an additional $40 million. The current distribution center was established in 1983 and is located in Gluckstadt. To store the amount of inventory needed, increase efficiency and improve distribution, officials say a modern, larger warehouse is needed to accommodate demand. The effective date of the contract for the construction is anticipated to be no later than August 15, with a desired groundbreaking on the first phase of construction on or before February 15, 2025, and a desired substantial completion of construction on or before August 15, 2026. |
| Anduril defense technology company expands Mississippi operations; adding 60 new jobs | |
 | Anduril Industries, a company based in Costa Mesa, California, is expanding its operations in the McHenry community of Stone County. The $75 million investment will create 60 new jobs. "We're incredibly excited to welcome this amazing investment from Anduril Industries," Gov. Tate Reeves said. "Mississippi continues to set records and make history as great companies like Anduril discover that our state is an ideal location for their production needs." The company held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, with state and local officials on hand to welcome the new development, an addition to the Adranos rocket motor production facility that was purchased by Anduril last year. The expansion will enhance the capabilities of the facility to increase the propellant mixing and solid rocket motor annual production capacity from 600 to more than 6,000 tactical-scale solid rocket motors, company officials said in a news release. The expansion is expected to accommodate increasing customer needs. "We are proud to produce solid rocket motors at scale in Mississippi," said Anduril Industries Senior Vice President, retired Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood. "Our advanced manufacturing process for solid rocket motors is already faster and more efficient than existing techniques used across the industry." "Mississippi is recognized globally for its advancements in aerospace," said MDA Executive Director Bill Cork. |
| Skydweller launches summer program to help high school students develop interests in STEM | |
 | Skydweller's Aerospace Engineering is encouraging youngsters to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through its new summer camp at Stennis. Skydweller is working to teach students about the nuts and bolts of aerodynamics as well as designing planes. This is a multi-day event where 20 high school students learn the basics of engineering. The Hancock County Chamber of Commerce awarded Skydweller with a small business grant that the company is using to encourage students to pursue STEM careers through this program. Xander McGarrity is a recent graduate of Hancock High School. He found himself amid another learning journey at Skydweller's Aerospace Engineering Experience on Wednesday. McGarrity said that other high schoolers learned the basics of engineering at the Pearl River Community College. They built wooden gliders to learn about flying capability. The Hancock County Chamber of Commerce awarded Skydweller a Small Business grant that the company is using to encourage students to pursue STEM careers through this program. Skydweller's operations director David Tyler says this is an awesome way to build the workforce on the Coast. "It gives them a base of knowledge of how to construct these things," said Pearl River Community College Vice President Raymunda Barnes. |
| NASA's Stennis Space Center new director in Mississippi wants growth to continue | |
| John Bailey came to work at NASA's Stennis Space Center at a time when the space site was forging its first partnership with a commercial aerospace company. In the 30-plus years since then, the growth of the commercial space industry and the shifting aerospace culture is, "without a doubt," the biggest change since Bailey arrived at the Hancock County center. "Name an aerospace company, and there is good chance we may have worked with them in some way," Bailey said. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrup Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Rolls-Royce are among those ventures. "We are working with a number of these on ongoing test projects right now," he said. "In many ways, a sea change is underway, and NASA Stennis really has been at the forefront of adapting to the new landscape. That process continues, and I am excited to be a part of it." In announcing Bailey's appointment to center director in April, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson acknowledged Hancock County's long-standing role in the space agency's work. "So much of NASA runs through Stennis," Nelson said. "It is where we hone new and exciting capabilities in aerospace, technology, and deep space exploration." Bailey said among his goals and priorities as center director is continued growth for NASA Stennis, considered the nation's largest propulsion test site, by partnering with more commercial companies and resident agencies. |
| 120-year-old industrial manufacturing company expanding operations in Jones County | |
| One of Mississippi's oldest industrial manufacturing companies is expanding operations in Jones County with a more than $3 million corporate investment. Laurel Machine & Foundry plans to construct a 20,000-square-foot machining facility and a 7,500-square-foot warehouse, as well purchase and install new equipment. At least seven new jobs are expected to be created. Established in 1904, the company offers a variety of industrial and manufacturing services, including computer numerical control and manual machining, plate and structural fabrication, metal processing, and iron casting. The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive program. Laurel Machine & Foundry expects to complete the expansion within one year and plans to fill the new jobs within three years. "Industrial manufacturing is at the core of Mississippi's economy. When companies like Laurel Machine & Foundry expand in Mississippi, they show the world that we have the tools and the workforce to drive growth in this important sector," Gov. Tate Reeves said. "I thank the Laurel Machine & Foundry team for its commitment to Jones County and for creating new employment opportunities for the area's workforce." |
| North Mississippi attorney Wil Colom to challenge Rep. Cheikh Taylor for chair of Democratic Party | |
| Wil Colom, an attorney and businessman from Columbus, will run for chairman of the state Democratic Party and challenge its current chairman, Cheikh Taylor, for the position, according to an email he sent to several members of the party's executive committee. Colom's email, obtained by Mississippi Today, said that if he were elected leader of the party, he would work to implement a rigorous fundraising program, decentralize the party's operations, create an outreach and training program, establish a communications arm for the party, and recruit candidates to run for office in 2027. "I'm not going to be a candidate," Colom wrote. "Others can call the press conferences and give the speeches. My job, if I become chair, would be to amplify the messages of the candidates by ensuring resources are available." Taylor, a state representative from Oktibbeha County, is the party's current chairman and is up for reelection to a full term this year. Colom told Mississippi Today that he knows Taylor and his family personally since they're from the same area of the state, and his decision to run for party leadership is not a personal attack on the current chairman. "I don't want anyone to get the impression that (Taylor) is a bad guy," Colom said. "I just think I have a different skill set." Taylor told Mississippi Today that he also plans to run and welcomes Colom's challenge. |
| Mississippi House Speaker Jason White talks to press | |
| Newly elected Mississippi Speaker of the House of Representatives Jason White gave a 20-minute talk and answered questions from the press at the Stennis Press Forum this week at Hall & Mal's in downtown Jackson. White reviewed the most recent legislative session and talked at length about education reform, school choice, tax reform, Medicaid expansion, the initiative bill, repeal of the Certificate of Need regulations for health care providers and many other topics. White said he is sensitive to those who want school choice but he said his members are not solidly behind all-in school choice. White did say some limited school choice seems achievable, especially choice within public school districts. White said he is closely monitoring state tax receipts but that so far receipts are holding up and the state is taking in more than it is spending. He advocated reform of the way the Mississippi Department of Transportation is funded, saying that a more stable source of state funding is necessary to get maximum federal transportation grants. |
| Mississippi House playing Alabama lawmakers in softball game at Trustmark Park | |
| After the University of Mississippi's softball team was swept by the University of Alabama's earlier this year, it would appear Mississippi lawmakers are looking to reverse their luck. The Mississippi House of Representatives will play the Alabama House on June 22 in a charity softball game at Trustmark Park in Jackson at 11 a.m. Mississippi House Speaker Pro Tem. Manly Barton, R-Moss Point, said he was approached by Alabama House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, about playing a friendly game to raise money for charity. "We talked over a period of couple days; I sat down with our leadership... A lot of us thought it'd be a lot of fun and might be something we could do," Barton said. "So, I basically called (Stadthagen) back and said we're all in." Stadthagen and Barton both said the two-day event will also prove a great opportunity for Alabama and Mississippi lawmakers, as well as state leaders, to convene and discuss policy issues and other legislative agendas for the upcoming 2025 session. "Even when we go to conferences, we don't get a chance to really sit down and get to know our neighbors," Stadthagen said. "We handle a lot of the same problems that they do, and it'd be good to start building that relationship moving forward and go from there." |
| Protesters run on the field while GOP runs roughshod over Dems at Congressional Baseball Game | |
 | The most exciting action at the annual Congressional Baseball Game had nothing to do with watching America's pastime played by non-athletes. Protesters took to the field during the charity fundraising matchup between Democratic and Republican members of Congress on Wednesday night, temporarily disrupting the slow-paced, high-error game that ended with the GOP on top for the fourth year in a row, 31-11. With the bases juiced and GOP star Greg Steube of Florida at the plate, activists jumped from the stands at Nationals Park. Capitol Police immediately tackled and handcuffed several people dressed in white T-shirts reading "END FOSSIL FUELS," as other officers urged members of Congress to flee the field. Capitol Police confirmed on X that eight protesters had been arrested. As play resumed, officers surrounded the sides of the infield and the warning track, some sporting semi-automatic rifles. Earlier, just ahead of the national anthem, a separate group of pro-Palestinian protesters stood in the stands along the third baseline -- the Democrats' side -- holding signs and chanting "Free Palestine." A chant of "USA, USA" from the Republican side quickly drowned them out. While they might not have a cohesive line on IVF, Republicans were all about the RBIs Wednesday night, stringing together singles and doubles galore to drive in runs. Organizers announced they had raised more than $2.2 million, supporting more than 45 local charities . |
| Stung by Past Mistakes, a Wary Fed Takes Its Time | |
 | Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's approach to cutting interest rates based on forecasts that inflation will continue moving lower could be summed up by the phrase "Trust, but verify." On Wednesday, officials held rates steady and offered little evidence that they were prepared to begin lowering interest rates soon, as their counterparts in Canada and Europe began doing last week. Most officials projected they could lower rates once or twice at four remaining meetings this year, suggesting a start to cuts no sooner than September -- even after an inflation report earlier in the day suggested price pressures moderated last month. "We're looking for something that gives us confidence that inflation is moving sustainably down," Powell said at a press conference in which he used the word "confident" or "confidence" 20 times. The European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada cut interest rates last week and indicated additional reductions were possible even though inflation remains above their targets -- because they expect inflation to keep declining. But the U.S. is, for now, in a different position. Growth is stronger, and tight monetary policy might be transmitting more slowly to the economy. The U.S. financial system relies less on bank lending than in the past. Many homeowners are shielded from the rapid rate increases of 2022 and 2023 because they locked in ultralow rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, which aren't as prevalent elsewhere. |
| Supreme Court backs Starbucks over Biden labor board in 'Memphis 7' union case | |
 | The Supreme Court sided with Starbucks on Thursday in a high-profile labor dispute, issuing a ruling that could set back the Biden administration's push to strengthen unions. The decision is a disappointment for the labor movement at a time when it is winning significant union fights and is benefiting from the Biden administration's aggressive National Labor Relations Board. The decision could make it harder to force companies to reinstate workers who were fired for union organizing. The court ruled that judges have to consider more factors before ordering employers to reinstate fired workers. The National Labor Relations Board has relied on court orders when it thinks a company is trying to illegally squelch organizing campaigns. Starbucks had the support of business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, which had urged the court to intervene because of the agency's "aggressive anti-employer agenda." Labor sympathizers saw the case as part of a corporate backlash to the success of Biden's labor board, and to a rise in union organizing -- a backlash that includes recent legal filings by Starbucks, SpaceX, Amazon, and Trader Joe's challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB. |
| Supreme Court retains full access to abortion pill mifepristone | |
 | The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to limit access to a widely used abortion medication, rejecting a challenge from antiabortion doctors two years after the court's conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade on procedural grounds. In a unanimous ruling, the court sided with the Biden administration and the manufacturer of mifepristone and reversed a lower court decision that would have made it more difficult to obtain the drug used in more than 60 percent of U.S. abortions. The ruling was not on the substance of the case, but on a procedural ruling that the plaintiffs did not have legal grounds to bring the case. Writing for the court, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said the antiabortion doctors who brought the challenge do not prescribe or use mifepristone, and the FDA's relaxed regulation of the medication does not require those doctors to do or refrain from doing anything. "Rather, the plaintiffs want FDA to make mifepristone more difficult for other doctors to prescribe and for pregnant women to obtain," Kavanaugh wrote. Under the Constitution, he added, a group's "desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue. The justices were reviewing a decision from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that said that the Food and Drug Administration failed to follow proper procedures or thoroughly explain its reasoning when it loosened regulations for obtaining mifepristone in 2016 and 2021. |
| Weakened Leaders of the West Gather in Italy to Discuss an Unruly World | |
 | When Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy convenes the leaders of the Group of 7 countries on Thursday at a luxury resort hotel overlooking the Adriatic Sea, she might be forgiven for thinking her guests are seeking a refuge. Except for Ms. Meloni herself, every one of the leaders is arriving at the meeting beleaguered, embattled or endangered -- an ill-starred convergence that speaks to the political tremors rattling across the West. It also doesn't bode well for the results of a gathering that already faced vexing challenges, ranging from Russia's war in Ukraine to China's global economic competition. A surge in populism could divide the Western leaders on some issues and play to advantage of their biggest rivals on others. Far-right parties tend to be more hostile to free trade but friendlier to China and less supportive of harsher sanctions on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. These are all issues that will loom large when the leaders sit down. For all the bickering over China trade or Russian sanctions, diplomats said the leaders were unified on the two great issues of the day: support for Ukraine, and for President Biden's attempts to broker a cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war. |
| Trump's private demand to Johnson: Help overturn my conviction | |
 | Donald Trump makes his first visit to Capitol Hill since leaving the presidency Thursday morning, meeting with Republican lawmakers in what is being billed as a resolutely forward-looking session focused on a potential 2025 legislative agenda. In fact, Trump has bigger, more immediate legislative priorities. He has been obsessed in recent weeks with harnessing the powers of Congress to fight on his own behalf and go to war against the Democrats he accuses of "weaponizing" the justice system against him. It's a campaign he orchestrated in the days after his May 31 conviction on 34 felony counts in New York, starting with a phone call to the man he wanted to lead it: Speaker Mike Johnson. Trump was still angry when he made the call, according to those who have heard accounts of it from Johnson, dropping frequent F-bombs as he spoke with the soft-spoken and pious GOP leader. "We have to overturn this," Trump insisted. The speaker didn't really need to be convinced, one person familiar with the conversation said: Johnson, a former attorney himself, already believed the House had a role to play in addressing Trump's predicament. The two have since spoken on the subject multiple times. But sympathy can only go so far. With a slim majority and skittish swing-district members, Johnson is already finding it difficult to deliver for Trump. |
| Alarmed by embryo destruction, Southern Baptists urge caution on IVF by couples and government | |
 | Southern Baptist delegates expressed alarm Wednesday over the way in vitro fertilization is routinely being practiced, approving a resolution lamenting that the creation of surplus frozen embryos often results in "destruction of embryonic human life." They urged members to carefully weigh the ethical implications of the technology while also expressing sympathy with couples "who experience the searing pain of infertility." The resolution -- approved near the end of the Southern Baptist Convention's two-day annual meeting -- affirms that embryos are human beings from the moment of fertilization, whether in the womb or generated in the laboratory via IVF. That's the same position held by the Alabama Supreme Court in ruling that frozen embryos have the full rights of people. In the wake of that decision, Alabama passed a law shielding IVF providers from prosecution and lawsuits -- reflecting that even in a state with strong anti-abortion sentiment, there is support for a technology used by many couples facing infertility. The resolution also urged couples to adopt surplus frozen embryos that would otherwise be destroyed. On the convention floor, some delegates gave impassioned testimony to how IVF enabled couples to have long-sought children. Others said that despite that laudable goal, the practice is ethically unacceptable. |
| Southern Baptists confront future change in wake of uncertainty and division | |
| Lynn Richmond and Phil Baker are among a small crew who refashioned an empty and expansive convention center into the two-day home of the nation's largest Protestant denomination. But they don't see their work coordinating setup for the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in grandiose terms. It's partly because they have it down to a science. "I really never felt overwhelmed or like I'm shouldering a lot," said Richmond, convention manager employed by the Nashville-based SBC Executive Committee. "I like to say that when I get here, my work is done." As Richmond and Baker finished last-minute set-up Monday night, a spirit of accomplishment and peacefulness filled the room of nearly 15,000 empty chairs. It was hard to imagine the next couple days would exhibit the opposite. The Nashville-based denomination left its annual business meeting here deeply divided over a host of issues with questions remaining about how the SBC will be able to handle them in the years to come. Political conflict and bureaucratic inefficiency aren't new for the SBC but this week's work in Indianapolis exacerbated those issues and could push this corner of American evangelical Christianity to new breaking points. The decisions here raise questions about how prepared the machinery of the SBC is to respond to these historic crises. A common thread throughout the many reports and legislative decisions this week was the shifting ways in which this large and opinionated group of believers addressed its collective needs. |
| What Mississippi Baptist leaders said about the Southern Baptist Convention ruling on women pastors | |
| Only "qualified men" can be leaders of Southern Baptist Churches. While the Southern Baptist Convention rejected an all-out constitutional ban on women pastors Wednesday at its convention in Indianapolis, Mississippi's SBC leadership says the vote was not needed and women still may not serve in a role of lead pastor. The decision was hailed as a major victory for those within the nation's largest Protestant denomination seeking to maintain local church autonomy and soften what many considered a growing antagonism toward women in ministry. "At the end of the day, I don't think there is much that is different," Shawn Parker, Executive Director-Treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board told the Clarion Ledger. "The constitution remains as it is. Amending the constitution really isn't necessary, because our Confession of Faith already confirms that we believe the office of pastor is reserved for qualified men. So, it really wasn't necessary for the constitution to be amended." Gregory T. Pouncey, lead pastor at First Baptist Church of Clinton made it clear that while the decision allows for pastoral positions for women at the lower levels, it does not allow for a leading role. "The SBC has had a struggle between the egalitarian (women are equal in all aspects, including the right to serve as pastors) and complementarian (women are equal but various roles are dictated by gender) positions," Pouncey told the Clarion Ledger in an email. |
| Southern Poverty Law Center lays off employees | |
 | The Southern Poverty Law Center will be laying off employees in what the civil rights nonprofit called an attempt to streamline operations. SPLC said in a statement Wednesday that they are taking actions to "streamline our activities and operations to strengthen our ability to advance a multiracial, inclusive democracy and ground our work in the perspectives and priorities of communities most affected by human rights violations." The SPLC did not release the number of people who were going to be laid off due to the changes. The Reflector had asked the SPLC to confirm an earlier statement from the nonprofit's union that at least 60 people would lose their jobs. SPLC said in a statement that the changes would allow them to better serve marginalized communities around the country, and particularly in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida. The SPLC Union said in a statement Wednesday said that the layoffs would harm the nonprofit's mission. "Are these the actions of an organization fighting for racial justice in the deep South?" the statement said. "How will today's layoffs help us achieve our goals of fighting hate, decarcerating Black and Brown people, defending democracy, and eradicating poverty? The answer is: they won't." |
| Nearly 50% of BMH residency doctors stay in state | |
 | When Dr. Jack Reed first arrived at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in June 1976, there wasn't much time for dreaming. In his first few years of working there, he said, the hospital was facing a staffing shortage. "In the '70s, there was little dreaming and a lot less sleep because we didn't have enough doctors to work day and night, and we had no emergency medicine doctors," Reed said. Reed worked at Baptist-Golden Triangle for 45 years, until he retired in 2021. But Wednesday afternoon, Reed saw a few of his dreams realized, as the hospital dedicated and hosted a ribbon cutting for the newly renamed "John E. Reed Jr., MD, FACP Graduate Medical Education Building." The building houses Baptist's internal medicine residency program, a three-year program that trains new doctors to practice medicine in a hospital or clinic setting. Baptist Golden Triangle Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Martin said Reed was one of the original drivers of the program's creation, which is why the building was renamed after him. The residency program accepted its first class in 2017, with its first graduation in 2020. Since then, Martin said, the program has graduated 20 doctors, with seven more slated to graduate in two weeks. Out of the 27 doctors that have passed through the program, Martin said, 13 have stayed in Mississippi. Five of those have stayed at Baptist-Golden Triangle. |
| How Georgia is training workers to make EVs at Hyundai's massive Metaplant | |
| On a given day, more than 5,000 people show up to a construction site 30 minutes outside Savannah, Georgia. It's massive -- six times the size of California Disneyland -- and construction is happening at a fast clip. A dirt road today may not exist tomorrow. When the Metaplant comes online, the carmaker Hyundai, in collaboration with nearby suppliers, expects to pump out up to 300,000 electric vehicles per year as well as batteries. When you think of Savannah, great food, Southern hospitality and the city's port come to mind. But it's not known for building cars. "There isn't an automotive ecosystem here, but what we know is that we can teach people how to build cars," said Brent Stubbs, head of learning and development for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America. You can also teach them how to drive a forklift in a car factory. Or how to use spongy foam in 3D shapes. "I mean, I never worked with anything with my hands, but I said, 'Let's go ahead and do it,'" said Ka'Lana Lewis, a trainee at a Hyundai supplier called Transys, which makes the device in the car that holds your behind. "That young lady right there is a 100% seat expert," said Billy Baker, operations manager for Hyundai Transys, Savannah. "She knew nothing about manufacturing. She knew nothing about seat assembly. She knew nothing about automotive industry." How does a delivery driver make this metamorphosis? "By pushing her through the Quick Start program," Baker said. The Quick Start program is part of Georgia's technical college system. |
| Jean Becker, Jon Meacham pay tribute to President Bush with launch of new biographies | |
 | Jean Becker, former chief of staff for George H.W. Bush, said she thinks the 41st president would have some reservations of the celebrations being hosted at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center on the week of his would-be 100th birthday. Speaking at Wednesday's "Service and Character" launch of her book "Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush," Becker painted a picture of the commander-in-chief's sense of self to audience members at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. "A few months before the [presidential] library opened, he was invited to walk through the library one last time and he had a chance to make last-minute changes," Becker said. "We get in the car to drive back to Houston and he turns to me and he says, 'I have a big problem with the museum,' and my first thought was, 'And you're telling me now, why?' ... He said, 'Jean, it's too much about me.' ... He thought it should be more about the team." Alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham and the debut of his book "The Call to Serve: The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush," Becker provided insight into Bush's presidency from 1989 to 1993 that witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first Gulf War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Throughout the discussion, the pair emphasized the mentality of serving others that Bush carried with him throughout his life. emphasized the mentality of serving others that Bush carried with him throughout his life. "He was the world's best boss," Becker said. "That's because he was funny, he was a lot of fun, he had a lot of great ideas, but he also wanted to help make the world a better place to live. ... We love getting together and talking about him because it was fun to talk about him, fun to work with him." |
| U. of Texas schools ranked among most innovative universities in the country | |
| Soaring innovation in Texas has spawned a biotech boom that has made Dallas a hotbed for medical research, with numerous inventions emerging from its research universities. Texas universities play a crucial role in the state's economy and medical research, with the University of Texas system taking the lead. Their innovations in turn leads to growth in the state's life sciences sector. The impact is quantified in recent data that shows University of Texas institutions rank third among the nation's most innovative universities, according to a study by the National Academy of Inventors. UT schools received 235 U.S. utility patents in the 2023 calendar year, surpassing the 225 patents from the previous year. The University of California system had the most patents, with 546, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology secured the second-most patents, with 365. The economic landscape of Texas both fuels innovation and sustains it, said Shalini Prasad, a researcher and head of the department of bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas. Prasad's research is focused on cancer, and she was granted two U.S. patents and four foreign patents in 2023. "The environment in Texas allows us to do truly innovative work, and the output of innovative work is intellectual property," she said. "And it's important to take that intellectual property and to convert that into something that's a product ... it's not just creating it and putting it on the shelf, it's about then converting that." |
| One voice for many: First-generation U. of Missouri students explain what's driving them to the polls | |
 | University of Missouri senior Maria Yepez Damian was 7 when she began wrestling with government bureaucracy. The first person in a family of Mexican immigrants to be born in the United States, she was the one her mom relied on to translate legal documents as she applied for permanent U.S. residency. From a young age, Yepez Damian realized she had privileges her older sisters didn't. She could join her high school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corp, while her oldest sister -- the first in the family to express interest in the program -- couldn't. From the time she was in high school, Yepez Damian has been able to spend part of her summers in Mexico, getting to know grandparents and other family members. Her older sisters could not. When she was 13, Yepez Damian's mom explained the family's bifurcated status to her: "You're the only one who has papers. You're the first American in the family." This year, she's also the only one who will be able to vote. Her older sisters aren't yet U.S. citizens; they received green cards, making them permanent U.S. residents, just this year. In a year when apathy and alienation threaten to keep young voters from the polls, some first-generation Latino voters stand out as exceptions to the trend: They feel pressure to exercise their voting power on behalf of friends and family who don't have the same privilege. And that pressure is made quite explicit by some of their loved ones. |
| U. of Missouri System Clashes with Donors over Race-based Scholarships | |
| Almost as soon as the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action last June, Missouri attorney general Andrew Bailey fired off a response. Within hours of the rulings in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill cases (SFFA), Bailey ordered the state's public colleges and universities to comply -- which in his view meant removing race-conscious policies "not just [in] college admissions, but also scholarships," an extrapolation that many legal experts say is unnecessary. University officials quickly began amending institutional grants and scholarships across the system's four campuses, according to Christian Basi, the Missouri system's director of public affairs. Since then, they've worked methodically to bring other awards in line -- including endowed scholarships that donors specified should go only to members of certain racial or ethnic groups. Such scholarships represent 2.3 percent of all financial aid awarded at the system's flagship in Columbia, and 6.7 percent at the St. Louis campus. Many of the scholarships have already been amended regardless of donor consent, thanks to a clause officials began adding to donor contracts about 15 years ago that allows for revisions in the event of a change in federal law, Basi said. Over the past year, the university has been contacting benefactors of scholarships established before then, working with them to make the awards race-neutral. But there are holdouts -- 53 of them -- who Basi said the university has either been unable to reach or who have "disagreements" over the change. |
| UCLA has a new chancellor: Julio Frenk, U. of Miami president, global health expert | |
 | University of Miami President Julio Frenk, a Mexico-born global health expert, will become the next chancellor of UCLA and first Latino tapped to lead the nation's top public research university as the campus faces a dark time of divisive protests. Frenk, 70, will bring deep expertise in public health, a medical degree and experience as Mexico's former health minister to the Westwood campus -- equipping him to oversee its comprehensive network of hospitals and clinics along with the large academic enterprise of 46,700 students. Frenk has also proved to be a prodigious fundraiser, leading a $2.5-billion campaign for the University of Miami's centennial next year and quadrupling contributions as Harvard's dean of the school of public health -- helping secure a historic $350-million endowment gift. Frenk will succeed Chancellor Gene Block, who will step down July 31 after a 17-year tenure that included steering UCLA through a financial crisis and global pandemic to reach new heights in expanding enrollment, diversity, philanthropy and research funding. Frenk will not take the reins until January 2025. Darnell Hunt, UCLA's executive vice chancellor and provost, will serve as interim chancellor until then after Block returns to his faculty position as a researcher in sleep cycles and circadian rhythms. UC regents unanimously approved the appointment of Frenk, who was recommended by UC President Michael V. Drake. He will earn an annual base salary of $978,904 -- a significant reduction from his University of Miami base pay of $1.68 million. |
| While women outnumber men on campus, their later earnings remain stuck | |
 | The number of college-educated women in the workforce has now overtaken the number of college-educated men, according to the Pew Research Center. While this would seem to have significant implications for society and the economy -- since college graduates make more money over their lifetimes than people who haven't finished college -- other obstacles have stubbornly prevented women from closing leadership and earnings gaps. Women still earn 82 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men, Pew reports -- a figure that is nearly unchanged since 2002. And after steadily increasing for more than a decade, the proportion of top managers of companies who are women declined last year, to less than 12%, according to the credit ratings and research company S&P Global. That slow progress comes despite the fact that women now significantly outnumber men in college. The proportion of college students who are women is closing in on a record 60%, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Women who go to college are also 7 percentage points more likely than men to graduate, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Even with enrollment now female dominated, women make up only a little more than a third of full professors, according to the American Association of University Women, and a third of college presidents, says a report from the American Council on Education. |
| Record settlement over China funding puts U.S. research institutions on notice | |
| Over the past 5 years, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has won only a handful of criminal cases in which it prosecuted scientists alleged to have defrauded the government by not disclosing research support they received from China. But last month DOJ sent a clear message that, despite that poor track record, research institutions will be held accountable for mistakes in monitoring outside support to their faculty. A 17 May settlement with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) requires the medical colossus to pay the government $7.6 million to resolve allegations it mismanaged three grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It's a record amount for a case involving foreign research support, a mechanism U.S. policymakers believe China has used to steal U.S. technology. "Today's settlement illustrates the importance of being truthful at every stage of the grants process," U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko said in a statement announcing the settlement. In addition to the fine, the settlement requires a top CCF administrator "to personally attest" to the accuracy of all information it submits to NIH. "That is a very meaningful sanction or burden on an institution," says attorney Michael Vernick of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, who has represented research institutions in similar settlements but was not involved in the CCF case. |
| As Barron Trump college choice looms, here's where his family graduated (and who didn't) | |
 | Now that Barron Trump is a class of 2024 high school graduate, what's next for the youngest son of Donald Trump? Barron Trump, the only child of former president Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump, received his high school diploma May 17, 2024, from Oxbridge Academy near West Palm Beach, Florida. Will Barron Trump go to college? The former first couple has not said much. One possibility could be New York University in Manhattan, where Barron Trump spent much of his childhood -- and lived until his father was sworn in as the 45th president in early 2017. Trump said on Fox News this month that Barron had been accepted "everywhere" he applied, adding the recent high school graduate is "very sought after from the standpoint he's a very smart guy." Almost a year ago, Donald Trump said his youngest son, then a senior at Oxbridge Academy, was "thinking" about the University of Pennsylvania, from where the former president graduated and studied at the Wharton School. In fact, Barron Trump's half-siblings -- Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump (born to Donald Trump and Ivana Trump) and Tiffany Trump (born to Donald Trump and Marla Maples) -- have ties to the University of Pennsylvania or Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. |
| The Impossible College Presidency: Leaders face unreasonable demands and intolerable critics | |
 | Brian Rosenberg, president emeritus of Macalester College and a visiting professor in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, writes for The Chronicle of Higher Education: I suspect that I am not the only former college president who has experienced a mild bout of PTSD during the past several months, as the frequency, intensity, and visibility of attacks on presidents have increased to a level that would have been difficult to imagine even on my worst days. During my 17-year run as a president, I experienced many moments of joy and satisfaction. I also received criticism at faculty meetings and in the student newspaper, some temperate and some less so, and was faced with a number of sit-ins and building occupations. Most years at commencement a few students refused, for one reason or another, to shake my hand. My compensation was a pretty regular source of outrage. None of this was enjoyable, but only rarely did the attacks cross the line into something truly awful. ... The combination of this year's campus protests, the politically motivated scapegoating of higher education, economic stressors, social media, and a general coarsening of our public discourse has made things significantly worse for current presidents -- or for those who were presidents before being chased from office. ... The focus of everyone from student protesters to powerful donors to self-serving members of Congress on the actions of the president reflects a deep and unhelpful misunderstanding of how colleges work. Put simply, presidents have less authority than most people think and little ability or desire to control the wide range of daily actions on their campuses. |
SPORTS
| 2023-24 Mississippi State Sports Year in Review | |
| The conclusion of the NCAA outdoor track and field championships last week in Eugene, Oregon, marked the end of the 2023-24 season for Mississippi State athletics. With fall sports still more than two months away, The Dispatch is taking time this week to look back on the year that was, presenting individual and team awards for the 2023-24 Bulldogs, including Game of the Year: Women's Basketball upset win over LSU. Head coach Sam Purcell called on Bulldogs fans at SEC media days to sell out at least one game at Humphrey Coliseum, and on Jan. 29 with the defending national champion Tigers in town, Purcell got his wish -- and then some. MSU trailed by five points at halftime but rode a 28-point third quarter to a 77-73 win behind 24 points from Jerkaila Jordan, who grew up in Louisiana. Darrione Rogers added 19 points as the Bulldogs finished 9-for-17 from 3-point range, including 4-for-6 in that magical third quarter. That was enough to overcome a 20-point, 18-rebound performance from LSU star Angel Reese as the Tigers finished just 3-for-14 from behind the arc. |
| Mississippi State baseball: Dakota Jordan, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Khal Stephen named All-Americans | |
| Mississippi State had three players selected as All-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Wednesday. Ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and outfielder Dakota Jordan were tabbed as second team selections while righthander Khal Stephen was a third team player. Jordan adds to a decorated trophy case in his two-year career at Mississippi State. As a sophomore this season, the Canton, Mississippi, product hit .354 with 20 home runs and 72 runs batted in. He broke out of a late-season slump to be the Bulldogs' top hitter in the Charlottesville Regional. Across two games against St. John's and another two contests against host Virginia, Jordan collected three home runs and 10 hits. He is the No. 29 overall prospect in the upcoming MLB Draft, according to MLB.com. The postseason honors for Cijntje and Stephen highlight an impressive improvement for MSU's pitching staff in 2024. After owning the SEC's worst ERA in 2023, the Bulldogs fired former pitching coach Scott Foxhall and hired Justin Parker as his replacement. Mississippi State owned the SEC's fourth-best ERA this year. Cijntje and Stephen were the main reason why. |
| Bulldogs Repeat As ITA Kickoff Weekend Hosts | |
| Although there are still a few months to go before the calendar turns to 2025, the first pieces of Mississippi State's men's tennis schedule fell into place on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are set to host ITA Kickoff Weekend for the third time in the last four years and will be welcoming N.C. State, LSU and Pepperdine to the Rula Tennis Pavilion on Jan. 25-26. All four participants finished among the top 41 teams in the final ITA rankings this past season. "We're excited to be able to host ITA Kickoff Weekend again this year," said head coach Matt Roberts. "It's a tremendous opportunity for our team to square off against some top-notch competition early in the season and also for our fans to see some of the premier teams in the nation compete on our courts. We're looking forward to this challenge and testing ourselves against other elite programs to help us continue preparing for conference play." Top-seeded MSU will take on No. 4 seed Pepperdine in the opening round on Jan. 25 while No. 2 seed N.C. State meets No. 3 seed LSU. A consolation match will be held for the losing teams the following day along with a championship match to determine which program will advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Dallas and Waco, Texas in February. |
| Mississippi State Track and Field: Seven Mississippi State track and field athletes earn All-American honors | |
| Mississippi State sent 17 athletes to the NCAA outdoor track and field championships last week in Eugene, Oregon, the program's biggest group in a decade, and seven of them returned as All-Americans. Sophomore Peyton Bair finished second in the decathlon with a school-record 8,131 points, earning a First-Team All-American honor for that event as well as a second team honor as the anchor in the 4×100-meter relay. Bair, Shamar Rose, Jordan Ware and Sema'J Daniels placed 14th in the semifinals to earn the All-American nods. Junior Remi Routeget was MSU's other First-Team All-American thanks to his sixth-place finish in the javelin. Freshman Roury McCloyen finished 11th in the men's shot put and senior Jhordyn Stallworth did the same in the women's shot put, with both becoming Second-Team All-Americans. McCloyen was the highest-placing freshman in the event with a mark of 19.12 meters, while Stallworth became the first Bulldog on the women's side to become an All-American in the shot put. |
| High School Football: 'We owe it to the fans, players and coaches' | |
| A 2022 study by the National Federation of State High School Associations found that 50,000 referees registered in 2018 and 2019 nationwide did not continue working after the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to almost all high school sports in 2020-21. Football was particularly affected due to the number of officials needed to form a crew. At one point, area assignor Loren "Bo" Bell had 16 crews he could rely on, and that number has fallen to 11 now. If Bell is short a few officials for one week he can generally depend on other assignors to lend him some officials, but the method of spreading games out has also become a regular practice. "That's the big one," he said of having more Thursday night games to address the shortage. "It's still an ongoing process and we're working with our schools and athletic directors to make sure we can cover enough games, and our neighbor assignors have been helpful as well." Bell spoke about his experience officiating at a Starkville Kiwanis Club meeting this week. He's been an official in high school football for nearly 40 years and has remained an important part of the area's high school football over an accomplished career that includes multiple state title games for high school and junior college. Bell said an increase in clashes with players, coaches, and fans has been difficult to deal with, but the job is necessary for the sport. For him, it's about supporting each other and focusing on the job at hand to keep the sport they love going. |
| Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels shot and killed in Hattiesburg | |
| Southern Miss football player MJ Daniels was killed after he was shot in his vehicle on Tuesday night, Hattiesburg Police said Wednesday. He was 21. According to Hattiesburg Police, Daniels was pronounced dead where he was found at the 6300 block of Highway 49. An investigation is underway. "We are asking the community for their help and to come forward with any information pertaining to this tragic incident and the untimely death of Marcus Daniels," a Hattiesburg Police statement said. "We will share as much information as possible without jeopardizing the investigation. We are working closely with the university and local officials." No other details were released. "The University of Southern Mississippi and the Department of Athletics mourn the loss of M.J. Daniels whose life was lost Tuesday evening during an incident that occurred off campus," Southern Miss said in a statement. "We send our sincere condolences to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time." Daniels is from Lucedale, Mississippi. He was a Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection and a four-star prospect at George County. He played his first two seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to Southern Miss in 2023. |
| College World Series preview, schedule: ACC, SEC face off in Omaha | |
| There are a couple of ways to look at this year's College World Series field. On one hand, it isn't exactly a national event with only two conferences represented. But despite the SEC and ACC monopolizing all the reservations to Nebraska, it's likely that a first-time champion will be crowned. The Omaha octet can claim a total of just two past championships, one each for Florida (2017) and Virginia (2015). The other six are trying to hoist the trophy for the first time. That includes perennial bridesmaid Florida State, yet to win the whole thing despite making its 24th CWS appearance, second only to Texas. There's no disputing that the SEC comes in with recent history on its side, having claimed each of the last four CWS titles. But none of the four programs responsible for those are in this field. Schools representing the ACC, on the other hand, have left Omaha as champions just twice, with UVa adding to Wake Forest's lone title way back in 1955 -- just the third year of the league's existence. (Miami (Fla.) won four CWS titles, but all occurred before the Hurricanes joined the ACC.) So can one of the ACC squads break through, or will the SEC's dominance continue? |
| College World Series might offer glimpse of future with only SEC and ACC teams in the field | |
| The College World Series begins this week and only two conferences will be represented on the game's biggest stage for the first time since the event expanded to eight teams in 1950. The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference each are sending four teams, the SEC for the fourth time since 2015 and seventh overall and the ACC for the first time since 2006. Their exclusivity this year hints at an even greater concentration of power in the sport as college athletics moves into an era where players, already able to transfer around freely, can make more money than ever, scholarship limits are likely to be removed and the richest schools pour more resources into facilities. The CWS opens Friday with an all-ACC matchup between North Carolina (47-14) and Virginia (46-15) and Tennessee (55-12) of the SEC playing Florida State (47-15) of the ACC. Games the next day match Kentucky (45-14) of the SEC against the ACC's North Carolina State (38-21) and Texas A&M (49-13) against Florida (34-28) in an all-SEC meeting. College baseball has never been better, coaches and administrators say. The shortening of the amateur draft since the pandemic has kept talented older players in school, regular-season television coverage has expanded and attendance has increased. "I honestly believe we're probably in a golden age of college baseball right now," American Baseball Coaches Association executive director Craig Keilitz said. Beneath the surface, there is concern the transformation of college athletics will further reduce the number of programs capable of competing at the highest level. |
| NCAA athletes settlement: How would new SEC sports facilities be affected | |
 | Nearly $179 million in major facility upgrades to athletic venues are slated to be completed at the University of Georgia over the next eight months. UGA athletic director Josh Brooks is glad that the majority of that construction is done as athletic departments assess how nearly $2.8 billon in NCAA proposed settlements in three antitrust cases with past and current athletes and additional future payments to athletes will affect their bottom lines going forward. "That's been a very common statement from a lot of athletic departments that the days of building, building, building are going to slow down," Brooks said. "I do anticipate that as revenues get shifted, that's a good possibility. That's why I'm glad we were able to get so much done these last few years to get us caught up to where we're in a great position facility-wise. I do anticipate that the era of building will slow down." Bryan McCaffrey, project executive for DPR Construction which has worked on facilities at Georgia, Clemson and Georgia Tech, said schools like UCF and Arizona State in the Big 12 and SMU in the ACC will still eye upgrades to compete in new conferences. "The institutions that need to get equalized will build facilities," McCaffrey told the Banner-Herald "But the top-tier institutions like Georgia or Alabama ... they're now going to turn to a couple of different approaches. Amenities in the stadium. How can it improve my ticket revenue, the fan experience?" |
| StayGainesville NIL program for Florida athletes provides housing discount | |
| A local business group will provide a Name, Image and Likeness program designed to benefit all University of Florida athletes. StayGainesville has announced its Refer, Launch and Post program (REP), which will help student-athletes find accommodations for their families for a discounted rate. Student-athletes for the Florida Gators who refer their families and fans to StayGainesville for temporary housing earn monetary rewards based on number of nights stayed and promotion of StayGainesville on their social media accounts. The families earn discounted rates on short-term rental properties that StayGainesville provides. "UF student-athletes dedicate themselves to excellence, and we want to ensure their families have a comfortable and supportive environment during visits," StayGainesville CEO Susannah Peddie said in a release. "This program allows us to give back to the UF community and athletes while providing exceptional housing solutions." It's not a big-money deal provided by a collective, but for Florida student-athletes in non-revenue sports, it can provide some relief in travel costs their families incur watching them play. "I'm so happy to be able to promote a program that will help students at UF give their families the Gainesville experience," Florida women's soccer standout Paloma Pena said. |
| Is the NCAA picking up traction on Capitol Hill surrounding athletes' employment? | |
| When the House Committee on Education and the Workforce meets for its markup hearing on Thursday, legislation on college sports will be up for a vote. The "Protecting Student Athlete's Economic Freedom Act" was first introduced by Rep. Bob Good last month. The bill would codify athletes are not employees of an institution, conference or association. In recent months, the NCAA and power brokers have had their attention affixed to crafting the framework of a settlement agreement in the House lawsuit. But Thursday's markup hearing brings a new twist. After a years-long battle to get Congress to deliver an NIL solution, a bill could move to the House floor. Unprecedented is a stretch, but the move would be notable. Good's bill is considered a "rider" bill, meant to be accompanied by a larger piece of legislation. Multiple sources have indicated to On3 in the last 48 hours that the NCAA and power conferences have made employment the top priority on Capitol Hill since the settlement agreement. Good's bill, which is co-sponsored by 10 other members of Congress, received more backing Wednesday morning. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC released a statement supporting the legislation ahead of Thursday's markup. The timing of the markup comes as Good faces a crucial primary, set for Tuesday. The U.S. representative is the incumbent but faces a challenge from John McGuire for the Republican bid in Virginia's 5th congressional district. |
| Congress to Consider Bill Declaring College Athletes Are Not Employees | |
| The U.S. House of Representatives Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a markup hearing Thursday that will test the NCAA's existential wager: If the NCAA agrees college athletes should be paid to play, will Congress agree those athletes aren't employees? The committee will examine H.R. 8534, dubbed the "Protecting Student Athletes' Economic Freedom Act." The bill would deny college athletes the chance to be declared employees of their colleges, conference or the NCAA. Since labor law requires that union members be employees, H.R. 8534 would also prevent college athletes from unionizing. In recent years the NCAA has lobbied Congress to pass legislation declaring college athletes are not employees. It has done so while the law has shifted in the other direction. In February, NLRB regional director Laura Sacks declared the 15 men's basketball players at Dartmouth College are school employees within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act. Those players then voted to unionize through the Service Employees International Union Local 560. Dartmouth has thus far refused to bargain with these employees and is hoping the agency's board will find the players are not employees. There are many reasons to believe H.R. 8534 faces long odds. Over the past decade, college sports federal legislation has netted bold headlines but produced no results. |
| The 2024 US Open Is Designed to Thwart Golf's Big Hitters | |
 | Ever since Tiger Woods and his soaring drives burst onto the scene in 1997, golfers have been driving the ball farther and farther, with courses lengthening their holes to mitigate the advantage---a practice both financially and environmentally unsustainable. But this week at the US Open, the United States Golf Association will showcase a course in Pinehurst No. 2 whose firm and fast conditions, along with slick, domed greens and considerable length off the tee, aim to challenge the biggest hitters without resorting to more yardage. This, the USGA hopes, will show how courses can stand the test of time. The Open could be a key turning point in golf's arms race with sports science and technology. These tactics, if successful, might bring about changes well beyond the major championships and PGA tour. The need to combat ever-longer drives goes far beyond the professional ranks, says Thomas Pagel, the USGA's chief governance officer. "You have the college game, you have state amateur tournaments, you have state opens, you have PGA section events -- these golf courses all are having to increase length in order to keep up." The need to keep the sport sufficiently testing at the top level "is an issue that impacts thousands of golf courses worldwide," Pagel says. In many ways, No. 2 is a showcase for all that a golf course can be, and if the USGA gets things right with its initiatives -- and how it sets up the course to play -- nearly all that a course will ever need to be, from a yardage standpoint at least. |
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