| Monday, September 9, 2024 |
| Education: Miss. State officials, students: DEI is about access, not 'woke-ness' | |
 | When Nya Wiley started her freshman year at Mississippi State, she was admittedly shy. "I just didn't know the different opportunities and things that were put in place for me," she told The Dispatch on Thursday. But once she stepped foot in the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Wiley discovered a network of student organizations, programs and resources designed to help her feel included and successful while on campus. Wiley joined the Black Student Association, which led to joining the Black Voices of Mississippi State University Gospel Choir. Now a senior, she said the organizations at HCDC have had a major impact on her time as a MSU student. "These organizations are really how I got my footing on campus," she said. "It gives you a sense of normalcy. ... I tell people all the time, this school does not feel like a (predominately white institution) to me most of the time because there's just so many people that've connected with through (the Division of Access, Opportunity and Success)." Ra'Sheda Boddie-Forbes, vice president for the Division of Access, Opportunity and Success, said the division also supports students at-risk of homelessness, low-income students, those that have aged out of foster care and others. The mission is to provide avenues of access for all students, she said. "It's really about how we get students to our university, through our university and beyond our university, which is really about the work of access," Boddie-Forbes said. "It's about creating opportunities for students while they're here, and it's about ensuring the success of students once they leave." |
| MSU's Keenum visits West Lauderdale | |
 | Juniors and seniors at West Lauderdale High School welcomed a special guest Friday as Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum visited the campus to talk to students about the opportunities available to them after graduation. Keenum talked about the multitude of traditional and non-traditional degree paths offered at MSU and offered encouragement to the students as they work to determine the next stage of their lives. "This is an important time in your life," he said. The West Lauderdale students, Keenum said, will enter a field of study or career path that is wildly different than what was available just a few decades ago. Of the jobs available today, he said, 60% did not exist when he graduated from high school 44 years ago. Technology has changed, and continues to change fields ranging from data management to artificial intelligence to healthcare, he said. Knowledge, Keenum said, is the key to success. Classes at West Lauderdale give students the knowledge they need to be successful in college. College courses provide even more knowledge to be successful in a career. "Knowledge has value. Knowledge will open doors. Knowledge will give you a pathway for a wonderful, great life," he said. |
| MSU President stops by local high school to speak with students | |
 | Seniors at West Lauderdale High School heard some encouraging words from Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum as they journey through their final year of high school. He stopped by to share interesting facts about MSU, its programs, and important scholarship information. It was important for the students to hear the message as taking the next step to further their education is important. Dr. Keenum talks about how it's important for students to further their education. "I love going to different high schools and just having an opportunity to talk to students about the importance of getting an education and preparing themselves for their life and life journey. Of course, I talked about Mississippi State and the programs that we offer and urge them to think about that, but the main thing is to focus on getting a good education to get the knowledge that will equip them and prepare them for their life and if they can invite them to come to visit our campus as well." Students should start scheduling college visits now so that by graduation, they will already have applied to and been accepted into the college of their choosing. |
| MSU and MC Have Partnered for Accelerated Law Degree Program | |
 | Mississippi State students who are interested in becoming attorneys now have a new accelerated pathway into the legal profession thanks to a new university partnership with Mississippi College. Mississippi State and MC's School of Law have formally signed an agreement allowing qualified MSU students to enter MC's Juris Doctor program before fully completing an MSU bachelor's degree, accelerating the total length of undergraduate studies plus law school by one full year. MSU President Mark Keenum and MC President Blake Thompson signed the Memorandum of Understanding alongside MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw, MSU Executive Vice Provost Peter Ryan, MC Provost and Executive Vice President Mike Highfield, and MC School of Law Dean John Anderson. "Mississippi State and Mississippi College share similar values and a commitment to serve, and I'm so pleased we have been able to work with President Thompson and his leadership team to develop this accelerated academic pathway," said Keenum. "It's an exceptional opportunity for students, our institutions, and the state of Mississippi." |
| Starkville Civil War Roundtable announces first meeting of the year | |
| The Starkville Civil War Roundtable will be holding its first meeting of the academic year at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Golden Triangle Planning and Development on 106 Miley Dr., Starkville. Refreshments and social time will begin at 6:30, with the regular program at 7 p.m. Duffy Neubauer will speak about plans for the year. The Roundtable was founded nearly 40 years ago by Starkville Civil War historians William Parrish, Michael Ballard, and John Marszalek along with Duffy Neubauer, owner of the Starkville Civil War Arsenal. Through the years, many other well-known Civil War historians, authors and Mississippi State history faculty have been guest speakers. We encourage everyone interested in learning and discussing this important part of our history to come. We would especially like to invite high school and college students and their instructors to join Starkville's Civil War Roundtable. For more information, call Duffy Neubauer at (662) 617-9962 |
| Juliette Reid to take the helm at Starkville Area Arts Council | |
| While Starkville Area Arts Council's mission to encourage the art scene in the city hasn't changed, the nonprofit has a new space and a new face to lead it. Former Executive Director Mary Switzer's last day was Friday. Switzer served on the SAAC Board of Directors for almost six years before taking the position in December 2021. Switzer said she is leaving the position to pursue her own artwork and to spend more time with her family. She thanked everyone who supported her during her tenure and said she has enjoyed getting to see the arts community grow throughout her time in the role. "I have absolutely loved the opportunity to serve the community in this position for the time that I've been there, and I hope to continue volunteering time to help them out as much as they need me," Switzer said. "It's taught me a lot of things, and I've really enjoyed getting to know the artists in our community and to help grow the arts community." With Switzer stepping away, Interim Executive Director Juliette Reid has taken the helm at the arts council. Reid has worked for the arts council since 2019, starting as an intern before becoming the nonprofit's first AmeriCorps VISTA and first program coordinator. SAAC Board Treasurer Jim "Nubbin" Herring said the board is excited for Reid to take the role from Switzer and move the arts council forward with the same mission it's had since it formed in 1996. |
| Hurricane expected to hit Louisiana this week. Here's how it could affect South Mississippi | |
 | A tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico will likely strengthen to a hurricane as it nears the Louisiana coast this week with strong winds, heavy rains and flash flood risks that extend through the Mississippi Coast, forecasters said. The system strengthened Monday morning to Tropical Storm Francine. Forecasters said it will make landfall Wednesday evening, likely as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm appears headed to the Louisiana coast, where hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect, forecasters said. Its circulation grew more defined Monday morning, but forecasters said its precise landfall is still uncertain. The storm also shifted slightly east on Monday. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the Louisiana coast from Cameron to Grand Isle. Forecasters warned of "increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds" in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, and also issued a tropical storm watch from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. It was "difficult to tell" Monday morning whether the South Mississippi could see Category 1 winds, said Shawn O'Neil, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in New Orleans. He said specific risks for the Mississippi Coast would become more clear later on Monday as the system's central circulation grows more defined. He said Louisiana and Mississippi residents should monitor forecasts closely. |
| Expected Hurricane Francine could affect Mississippi | |
 | A potential hurricane is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday and current models show the storm making landfall somewhere between the east Texas to the east Louisiana coastline. However, forecasters are saying Mississippi should be prepared for wind, flooding, potential tornadoes and extended power outages. "Our main impact for Mississippi looks to be Wednesday into Thursday," said Mike Edmonston, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Jackson. "On Wednesday going into Thursday, there's a tornado threat to the South. The eastern portions of Mississippi will likely be under a tornado threat on Thursday." The storm is currently in the Bay of Campeche in Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, it's expected to become a hurricane late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Landfall is expected late Wednesday. Edmonston said there is a threat of damaging wind in Mississippi, but the level of that threat hasn't been determined. He said the biggest threat is heavy rainfall and flash flooding south of a line between Vicksburg and Laurel. |
| Port of Vicksburg Expansion: Will create a dream site for future development | |
| The Port of Vicksburg has long been one of the biggest economic engines of Warren County and a major asset to the Delta and Mississippi. The current port is not directly on the river, but on the Yazoo Diversion Canal about 1.5 to three miles inland. The port hasn't been expanded since the 1980s, and currently is full with no room to grow. "As a community, we came together to analyze the potential for a port expansion," said Pablo Diaz, President and CEO, Vicksburg-Warren Partnership. "If you are a regional city, and don't have the space for development, you have to develop it. To say you are out of land, out of growth potential, isn't acceptable." Now, due to cooperative efforts among the Vicksburg-Warren Partnership, the Port of Vicksburg, the City of Vicksburg and state partners, a port expansion on the Mississippi River will open 1,200 acres for development with a new harbor 3,000 feet long and 900 feet wide that will maintain a depth of 25 feet even during historic lows of the Mississippi River. "From the time the project was envisioned starting in 2018 until today, Gov. Tate Reeves, the Mississippi Legislature and the Mississippi Development Authority have all been very supportive," said Diaz. |
| Mississippi revenue collections exceed estimates by $26.5 million in August | |
| The Legislative Budget Office reported Friday that Mississippi's revenue collections for the second month of the current fiscal year were up $26.5 million or over 5 percent above legislative estimates. Through two months, Mississippi revenues has exceeded estimates by $31.7 million. The total Fiscal Year 2025 revenue estimate is $7.6 billion. General Fund collections for August were $19.8 million or 3.76 percent above prior year collections for the same month. This included sales tax collections being up $5.3 million and corporate income tax collections rising $14.9 million over the prior year. Individual income tax collections for the month of August were below the prior year by $8.0 million. This continues to be largely due to the phase in of the 2022 income tax cut. Total revenue collections appear to be leveling off after a major spike following the pandemic. The reduction of individual income tax collections can also be clearly seen while sales tax collections continue to climb in the Magnolia State. The August report also noted that the prior year's revenue collections were over $7.7 billion, meaning the collections were $979.7 million above the FY 2024 estimate of $6.73 billion. The estimated excess includes reappropriations. |
| Is the farm economy in a recession? | |
| Another government spending package facing an end-of-month expiration date: the Farm Bill, which has a tremendous impact on agribusiness in this country. But the lack of movement on that legislation is just part of what has the farm sector feeling so gloomy. Purdue's Farmer Sentiment Index hit an 8-year low in August, and half of agricultural economists surveyed by the University of Missouri last month say the farm economy is in a recession. One of the economists behind Purdue's Index, Michael Langemeier, said it's a pretty good time to be raising livestock, with beef and dairy prices up slightly over last year. "Not so much for growing corn or soybeans," he said -- which is how most U.S. producers make a living. Input costs for those producers are still high, Lagemeier added. Meanwhile, prices for their commodities have been trending down, and this year's strong harvests didn't help. "Demand will eventually eat through these very large stocks," Langemeier said. "It just takes a while." Which is why Rabail Chandio, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, isn't calling it a "recession" just yet. |
| Ag groups hit the Hill | |
 | As Congress returns this week from an extended August recess, a number of influential agriculture groups are holding fly-ins and launching ad campaigns to remind lawmakers -- and their constituents -- of the need for a new farm bill this year. Among those in town this week are: The National Association of Wheat Growers, National Association of Corn Growers, American Soybean Association, National Farmers Union, National Cotton Council, U.S. Peanut Federation, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, National Sorghum Producers, USA Rice, Farm Credit and American Bankers Association. The official deadline to pass a new farm bill is Sept. 30. But negotiators generally agree the real deadline falls at the end of the year when key commodity programs expire. However, leaders of some of the commodity groups leading this week's push argue that waiting too long for a new bill, or another extension, could create problems for producers across the country. More than 300 state and national agriculture groups signed a letter sent to congressional leaders today urging action on a new farm bill, citing economic conditions, natural disasters and other challenges facing farmers. The push comes on the heels of a recent USDA report forecasting a 6.8 percent decline in net farm income in 2024 -- a statistic American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall told us he hopes will add pressure to pass a new farm bill. |
| Washington Week Ahead: Farmers team up for last-ditch farm bill appeal | |
| Farmers who grow the crops being hammered the hardest by commodity market declines are hitting Capitol Hill this week, accompanied by ag bankers and Farm Credit lenders, to make a last-ditch push for a new farm bill. In an unusual lobbying move, teams of farmers representing the row crops that depend on the major commodity title programs plan to visit House and Senate offices, with the groups accompanied by an ag lender to help the case that many farmers will face a dire financial situation heading into next year because of the price declines. "Congress must act before the end of the year to get that [the farm bill" across the finish line," said Jake Westlin, vice president of policy and communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers. "It's not going to be any easier next year." A veteran lobbyist told Agri-Pulse the use of cross-commodity teams of farmers to lobby Congress was done at least once before, in lobbying for what became the 2002 farm bill. Commodity groups generally don't coordinate with each other in visiting lawmakers and their staffs. Time is fast running out on passing a new farm bill. The Senate Agriculture Committee has taken no action on a bill, and the House Agriculture Committee's farm bill still has a $33 billion funding gap that needs to be addressed before it can be put on the House floor. After September, Congress won't be in session again until after the Nov. 5 election. Senate GOP Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said in August that Congress was likely to pass another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. |
| Stabenow says she will 'do everything in my power to pass a farm bill' | |
| With Congress resuming work after its summer recess, Senate Agriculture chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said she would do "everything in my power to pass a farm bill" this year. Farm-state lawmakers have been deadlocked for weeks over SNAP funding, higher crop subsidy spending, and climate mitigation. "We need a farm bill that protects critical food assistance for families and provides support farmers need to thrive," said Stabenow. "That has always been the foundation of the farm bill, pairing farm and family coalitions together and working toward a common goal -- not pitting one against the other." House and Senate Republicans have insisted on a 15% increase in so-called reference prices, which would make it easier to trigger subsidy payments for row crops, with the cost offset in part by a $29 billion cut in SNAP funding. They also would allow a windfall of $13 billion for climate mitigation to be spent on conservation practices that do not reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon. Stabenow's description of the ideal farm bill coalition was similar to previous statements. She has proposed an increase of at least 5% in reference prices, no cut in SNAP funding, and keeping the guardrails on climate funding. In a statement on Friday, Stabenow said USDA reports showing an increase in food insecurity and a decline in farm income were proof it was time for action. |
| Fall Legislative Preview: Congress returns for busy fall session | |
 | With the political conventions in the rearview mirror, Congress returns this week facing the traditional election year push and pull of members wanting to get out of Washington as quickly as possible while doing just enough to avoid a government shutdown. House conservatives have been agitating about attaching a noncitizen voting bill to the September stopgap spending bill, and for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pitch a plan to punt the spending debate into 2025. The stopgap bill released Friday night by House Republicans would combine a six-month continuing resolution with a House-passed bill that supporters say would help to ensure that noncitizens can't vote in federal elections -- something Democrats note is already against the law. If it becomes law, the continuing resolution would set a March 28 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown. As with any spending bill in the narrowly divided House, its path to passage is far from certain. And in any case, Senate Democrats are unlikely to seriously entertain the noncitizen voting legislation -- which likely would set up a scenario where the Democrat-led Senate would kick back a "clean" stopgap bill that would force a decision on Johnson's part. Spending won't be the only thing on the agenda, however. The farm bill lapses at the end of September, meaning it will need an extension either as part of the continuing resolution or in some other legislative vehicle. And the fiscal 2025 national defense authorization measure is still awaiting action. |
| State Auditor Shad White considering run for governor | |
 | State auditors are in an ideal position to identify wasteful spending, but they're not always so well situated to make it stop. That's why Shad White is considering a run for Governor when Tate Reeves' term ends in 2028. "I've done a ton of work over the past six years uncovering inefficiencies," White said. "As State Auditor, you can find it but you can't always fix it. I want my kids to live in a state that's as strong as it can possibly be. That means making sure we're eliminating bloated, wasteful spending and getting the best possible return on the investment of our state tax dollars." White has been building a political war chest of funds for a future run for some time, and he told the crowd at the Neshoba County Fair of his designs on the Governor's job last month. One of White's areas of identification for potential waste has been offices for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on college campuses. "We started looking at how much taxpayer money goes to DEI," White said. "Look at the DEI office at Ole Miss, my alma mater. The office has 20 staffers, and the top director is paid more than the Governor and the Lt. Governor combined. That's just not a wise investment. It's doing nothing to train the next generation of nurses, doctors, architects and engineers. It also doesn't create a good environment at the university." |
| Rep. Yates addresses abandoned properties | |
| The House Select Committee on Capital and Metro Revitalization kicked off its first meeting by focusing on the topic of abandoned properties, an issue in the city of Jackson. The city owns about 900 abandoned, dilapidated and vacant buildings, while the state of Mississippi owns another 1,900 of them in the Jackson city limits, according to the secretary of state's office. A property owner has two years to pay unpaid taxes and if he or she doesn't then the property goes up for sale during a tax sale. If the property is not sold at a tax sale, then it is deeded to the state. The secretary of state's office has a tax forfeited land staff that works on marketing and selling the state-owned properties. Last year, it sold about 2,300 parcels and broke even, Bill Cheney, assistant secretary of state lands, told the committee. Rep. Shanda Yates, an Independent who represents District 64 (Hinds and Madison counties), and Clay Mansell, a Republican who represents District 56 (Hinds and Madison counties), co-chairs of the committee, convened the meeting on Aug. 29. Removing blighted property, reducing crime and homelessness and considering the future of the city's water system are among issues Yates plans for the committee to delve into. |
| Harris hires rural vote director in bid to cut into Trump's battleground margins | |
| Vice President Kamala Harris is bringing on a new campaign hire as part of her team's push to clinch must-win states this fall by keeping former President Donald Trump from running up the score in rural counties. Harris is tapping Matt Hildreth of the progressive Rural Organizing group as her rural engagement director, according to four people familiar with the plans who were granted anonymity to discuss the matter. Democrats have been hemorrhaging support in rural America for years, but making even a small dent in Trump's steep rural margins could determine the outcome in battleground states that may be decided by razor-thin margins. Hiring Hildreth, whose grassroots organization is already knocking doors for Harris and Democratic candidates across the country this fall, signals the campaign is looking to seriously expand a resource-intensive ground game to reach rural voters who could swing the election. The Harris-Walz team doesn't expect the ticket to flip many rural counties. But some of Harris' top advisers have argued that simply losing by slightly fewer percentage points in these areas could help carry her and down-ballot Democrats to victory. In recent memos, the campaign has argued "the key to decreasing margins in rural areas is to show up and compete everywhere -- which is exactly what we're doing across the country." |
| Harris and Trump are getting ready for Tuesday's debate in sharply different ways | |
 | Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are veering sharply in how they gear up for Tuesday's presidential debate, setting up a showdown that reflects not just two separate visions for the country but two politicians who approach big moments very differently. The vice president is cloistered in a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh where she can focus on honing crisp two-minute answers, per the debate's rules. She's been working with aides since Thursday and chose a venue that allows the Democratic nominee the option of mingling with swing-state voters. Trump, the Republican nominee, publicly dismisses the value of studying for the debate. The former president is choosing instead to fill his days with campaign-related events on the premise that he'll know what he needs to do once he steps on the debate stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. "You can go in with all the strategy you want but you have to sort of feel it out as the debate's taking place," he said during a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Trump then quoted former boxing great Mike Tyson, who said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." |
| Trump's debate playbook: Call the rules 'rigged' and undermine the moderators | |
| Donald Trump is laying the foundation for a "rigged" debate on ABC News before he squares off with Kamala Harris. In interviews, fundraising appeals, rallies, and posts on social media, the former president has repeatedly blasted the host network and accused its top talent of being biased against him. He's even accused the network, without evidence, of providing the questions in advance to the Harris campaign. "ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness," Trump said during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity recently. "They're very nasty, and I think a lot of people are going to be watching to see how nasty and how unfair they are." "Do you think ABC will give Kamala every question beforehand? We already know her liberal media cronies would do ANYTHING to keep her from getting embarrassed the same way Biden was!" Trump said in a fundraising appeal. "I'm coming into this at a disadvantage -- taking on Crooked Kamala AND the Fake News -- but with you in my ear, I'm NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!" Claiming he's up against unfair odds and working the refs ahead of a major event is a routine strategy from Trump -- one he employed ahead of his debate with President Joe Biden in June as well. And in recent days he has only escalated his criticism and allegations against ABC, which is hosting one of the most anticipated moments of the 2024 election on Tuesday. |
| 'No Politics Allowed': These Americans Are Avoiding the Conversation at All Costs | |
 | In a heated election season, with global conflicts intensifying, news abounds. Some Americans are avoiding it at all costs. They are canceling subscriptions, deleting apps, silencing notifications and unfollowing rabble-rousers. Many want no part of Tuesday night's presidential debate or its fallout. Political discourse has infiltrated everything from the Sunday church service to afternoon football, and they have had enough. Even those with firm political views say they feign ignorance rather than join impassioned discussions. It isn't, they say, that they are uninterested or uncaring about world events, but they are inundated by the sheer volume of news headlines. Deciding it is bad for their mental health, they are retreating or seeking apolitical havens. Cheryl's Amazingly Positive, No Politics Allowed, Interesting People Group, with 11,600 members, is one. "Not only do I not care who you voted for, in this group you aren't allowed to tell me," wrote creator Cheryl Obermiller, 66 years old, welcoming "fellow snowflakes" to post photos of flowers, funny road signs and tasteful jokes. About 62% of U.S. adults say they are worn out by so much coverage of the campaign and candidates, according to the Pew Research Center, which surveyed 8,709 adults in April. That fatigue was registered before election coverage ramped up even further with President Biden dropping out of the race, two national conventions and an assassination attempt. The onslaught of political news comes at the same time that coverage of escalating global conflicts has intensified, leaving many people overwhelmed. |
| USM admin say program cuts are necessary to afford future pay raises for faculty, staff | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi will look at cutting under-enrolled programs even though administrators say it is not facing a financial crisis. The budget is balanced, despite a four-year period of decreasing revenue and increasing costs, and USM has adequate cash reserves. The move is necessary, top leaders said at last month's convocation, so the research institution in Hattiesburg can survive the increasingly competitive future facing higher education in Mississippi by becoming a "unicorn" among its peers, offering programs students want and the state needs. "Colleagues, this is plain and simply the reality of where we are in higher education today, and progressive institutions all across the landscape are doing the same," President Joe Paul told faculty on Aug. 19, according to a video the university has since taken off YouTube after faculty and staff had a chance to watch it. "We can no longer simply kick the can down the road and hope things can get better. We will instead take charge of our future and crease a uniquely positioned, distinctive public research university of which we can all be proud and feel ownership." Low salaries are an issue across Mississippi's higher education system, which has struggled to attract and retain talented faculty. |
| Southern Miss art students create mural | |
 | Students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) created a ceramic mural called "Magnolia of Hope." The mural will be installed next to its predecessor mural "Destination Hub City" in the Luckyday Citizenship Hall Breezeway on USM's Hattiesburg campus. The piece will be revealed and dedicated during a ceremony on September 12 at 10:30 a.m. Members of the Southern Miss community are invited to attend. Inspired by the profound transformation the world underwent beginning in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Miss art students sought to capture what began as a sudden disruption from the pandemic and evolved into adaptation and resilience. "The central image of the magnolia, with its roots, branches, and leaves, gathers the sculpted stories of our shared journey," said Allen Chen, associate professor of ceramics in the School of Performing and Visual Arts. "The spreading seeds of the magnolia flower symbolize a collective sense of hope and unity for the future." |
| Civil rights film, panel highlights past, modern struggles for voting rights | |
 | "We have to remember the Civil Rights Movement still hasn't ended," filmmaker Loki Mulholland said Thursday during a panel highlighting decades of effort to expand voter access for Black people in the United States. Thursday on the Millsaps College campus in Jackson, Mulholland, in partnership with Mississippi Today, Dennis Dahmer, son of murdered Civil Rights activist Vernon Dahmer, and others gave a public screening of Mulholland's latest film, "Dying to Vote." Afterward, Mulholland, Dennis Dahmer and Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting Director Jerry Mitchell discussed the movement, their shared past and steps to push voter access in America. The film featured the history of Black people in America gaining the right to vote and the efforts to expand it. It shows this history from the reconstruction period after the Civil War in the mid 1800s, to the civil rights movement and what the film highlights as modern attempts to subvert democracy and voting rights. It specifically references several states and federal laws to ultimately restrict voter access and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Dahmer, who was featured in the film, told eventgoers the struggle to maintain civil and voting rights is far from over, and that it is difficult for some today to understand just how violent that struggle was less than 70 years ago. |
| Enrollment figures at Millsaps College tell interesting story | |
| As the first semester gets underway and students start going to class at Millsaps College in Midtown Jackson, there is good news and some challenges to report. Frank Neville officially took over as Millsaps College's 12th president in June and was under no illusion about the scope of the job he had in trying to turn around what has become a continuing cycle of dropping enrollment. However, as the initial numbers come on enrollment just three months into the job, there may be more work to do than Neville bargained for. The private liberal arts school has struggled in recent years with enrollment and retention. Millsaps has seen enrollment numbers drop from a high of around 1,200 students in the 1990s to 850 in 2019. In the fall of 2023, it had been reported there were around 160 freshmen that enrolled, and according to U.S. News data, Millsaps had 637 undergraduate students as of 2022. However, in an interview this week with the Clarion Ledger, Neville was straightforward in announcing numbers that were different for past years and numbers for 2024-25 that give mixed reviews. Instead of 160 freshmen at Millsaps last year, Neville says there were only 128 and the total enrollment for the Methodist-based school was 601 students for the 2023-24 school year. The good news is that first-year enrollment is up to 216. However, total enrollment is down to 594, and Neville admits there is work to do. |
| Auburn University announces 2025 fiscal budget and increase in tuition | |
| At the Sept. 6 Board of Trustees meeting, Kelli Shomaker, Auburn University senior vice president for business and administration and chief financial officer, requested the board's approval of Auburn University's 2025 budget and tuition. Shomaker announced a three percent increase in tuition for all Auburn University system campuses and dining and housing on the main campus. The increase in both tuition and budget is standard but excludes scholarship increases. Students paid approximately $12,890 for in-state tuition and approximately $34,922 for out-of-state tuition in fall 2024. Annual in-state tuition and student service fees for Auburn University's main campus for undergraduates will be $13,268 and graduates will be $13,256. Out-of-state undergraduates will pay $35,972 and graduates will pay $35,936 annually. For 2025, in-state undergraduates will pay $473 per credit hour and non-resident undergraduates will pay $1,419 per credit hour. Student service fees for all students are $958 per semester. Shomaker also announced the 2025 budget to be $1.85 billion for the entire university. Tuition and fees cover 42.5% of the budget, with 21% from state appropriations, 15.1% from restricted revenues, 13.7% from auxiliary Revenues, 5.5% from miscellaneous revenue and 2.2% from sales and services covering the rest. |
| Total SC college enrollment remains flat this fall, 'nowhere near the cliff' | |
| South Carolina college enrollment remains relatively stable, according to preliminary data from the state's higher education agency. About 158,000 students enrolled in four-year universities in the state this fall, a similar number to 2023. Those numbers reflect years of growth at the state's two largest research universities -- the University of South Carolina and Clemson University -- the newly appointed Commission on Higher Education President Jeff Perez told his agency's governing board Thursday. Overall enrollment remained steady at other public four years but dropped off at private colleges. "Thelma and Louise are nowhere near the cliff," Perez said, combining references to the 1990s film about a road trip gone wrong and the so-called "enrollment cliff" predicted by national experts as birth rates continue to drop and younger generations find college a less attractive option. Higher education officials in South Carolina are hopeful the Southeast will fare better as the state's population continues to rise. |
| More than 20 U. of South Carolina student groups object to 'hurtful' Kamala Harris roast on campus | |
 | Multicultural student groups at the University of South Carolina are banding together against a "roast" of Vice President Kamala Harris that will feature two far-right personalities with a history of hateful public rhetoric. "We stand united against any and all forms of racism and injustice," the university's chapter of the NAACP wrote on Instagram. Uncensored America, a student organization that claims to be a nonpartisan, nonprofit fighting for freedom of speech, is hosting a "roast" of Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, at the Russell House on Sept. 18. The event will be hosted by Gavin McInnes and Milo Yiannopoulos. McInnes, a writer and talk show host, is a founder of the Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled a hate group. He resigned from the group in 2018, Reuters reported, but remains deeply involved. Yiannopoulos, a right-wing media personality once nicknamed the "pop star of hate," is known for his misogynistic, racist, xenophobic and transphobic views. Besides the NAACP, more than 20 student groups have signed a statement against the Uncensored America event, calling it "hurtful" to USC's student body. A university spokesman declined to comment on the statement and the groups' request. Information on how many tickets have been sold for the event was not immediately available. The NAACP also wrote to USC President Michael Amiridis last Friday, arguing the event violated university policy and promotional materials violated South Carolina's laws against obscenity. |
| One Year After Massive Cuts, West Virginia Is Still Bleeding Faculty, Administrators | |
 | It's been almost a year since the West Virginia University Board of Governors voted to eliminate 143 faculty positions and 28 academic programs, including all foreign language and math graduate degrees, from its flagship Morgantown campus. About 8 percent of WVU's majors disappeared in that vote. Dozens of tenured professors were among the employees forced out. And as the fall semester gave way to spring, and concerns about future enrollment and finances continued, it became clear that those wouldn't be the only losses. More professors announced they were departing of their own accord, and more still are on their way out. National controversy over the slashing loomed over the start of WVU's 2023–24 academic year. Unlike the smaller institutions whose previous layoffs and degree cutting barely made the mainstream media, this was a flagship public university, with a top R-1 Carnegie classification for research universities, gutting programs and telling professors to clean out their desks even if they had tenure. With another fall semester beginning, things are quieter on the surface. But what is clear is that the university remains in flux: It's not just faculty members who continue to leave, but top administrators, too. |
| Free Speech Survey Signals Distrust and Disconnection | |
| Fifty-five percent of college students say they find it difficult to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on campus -- more than double the 26 percent who said as much last year, before the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's annual free speech survey. That figure represents the highest degree of discomfort FIRE has ever recorded on any issue. At the same time, 24 percent of respondents said it was "not very" or "not at all" clear that their administration protects free speech on campus -- down from 36 percent in last year's survey. The data, released last week, comes from two surveys that FIRE conducted earlier this year -- one before and one after the spring encampments and protests that rocked college campuses -- to gauge students' attitudes toward campus free speech. Combined, the results reveal mounting polarization and confusion over what counts as protected speech on campus. "The events of the past year, mainly since Oct. 7, have had a negative impact on students' perceptions [of free speech]," said Sean Stevens, FIRE's chief research adviser. "It seems like there's a good portion of students that have lost a good to great deal of confidence and trust in their administration to defend their expressive rights." |
| In U.S. presidential elections, not all votes are equal | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: A Mississippian's vote for president carries more weight than the vote of a Californian or than the vote of a resident of most other states. Mississippi, with just under 3 million people, has six electoral votes for president -- or one for every 496,880 of its citizens. California, on the other hand, has 54 electoral votes for about 39.5 million people -- or one for about every 732,190 of its citizens. But both Mississippi and California pale in comparison to sparsely populated Wyoming in terms of the weight of its electoral votes. Wyoming, with 576,851 people, has three electoral votes, or one vote for 192,284 Wyoming residents. The national average, based on the latest U.S. Census numbers, is 632,518 people for each of the nation's 538 electoral votes. Votes for president in America are not equal. The weight of electoral votes is of relevance as the nation goes through the cycle of electing the next president. The presidential election is viewed as a national race, but in a real sense it is about 10 separate campaigns in what has become known as swing states or purple states. |
| The credible and incredible in Auditor White's announcement | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: "Commonsense needed to move Mississippi forward," read the headline in the Magnolia Tribune. Who could disagree with that? But what followed was the latest PR blurb from State Auditor Shad White. "We are now at a critical moment," he said. "The future of the economy is unclear. Our population growth seems stagnant. We're still last in poverty rankings, with a new generation of kids in fatherless homes on the road to being dependent on government for the rest of their lives. All that is on point and important. ... Auditor White's bold rhetoric matched the intent of bold cuts Gov. Haley Barbour proposed to the legislature in 2009. That would have been a very active fat cutting chainsaw had the Legislature gone along with the governor. Against that backdrop Auditor White's chainsaw looks more like paper scissors. Eliminate DEI programs, he said, which are a pittance of IHL's $4 billion budget and mostly harmless. Deport all illegal aliens in advance to save $1.7 million in prison costs for those convicted of crimes, he said, another pittance compared to our prison budget of $459 million and with associated transportation costs and legal fees unlikely to save anything. There was more but you get the picture -- no big, chainsaw level cuts included darn it. |
| Home Base: Mississippi's 'DEI Scare' champion has lost his sense of decency | |
| Managing Editor Zack Plair writes for The Dispatch: As a U.S. senator, Joseph McCarthy made a name for himself during the "Red Scare" by claiming communists abounded in the State Department, Hollywood, labor unions and universities. Proof? Nah. He didn't need any. He craved the attention he could garner from political theater that preyed on citizens' basest fears. ... Today, the South is dealing with a "DEI Scare" in its government offices and universities. And wouldn't you know it? Mississippi has its own McCarthy figure in State Auditor Shad White – last seen trying to throw a gender studies major's lunch in the garbage because he doesn't think that person deserves to eat. White is very concerned about Black, Latino, LGBTQ or any other minority folks getting too much special attention because that might siphon it from him. He's also on a warpath to eliminate liberal arts programs from college campuses because their graduates don't "contribute to the economy." ... This week, White spent two days tweeting (X-ing? Hell, I don't know anymore.) about Mississippi State University's record as a proponent of diversity, equity and inclusion. He zeroed in on Sid Salter, MSU's director for public affairs, because Salter had previously defended the university against White's baseless attacks and said the auditor "isn't entitled to his own facts." ... Aside from his usual race-baiting, gay-hating, obnoxious fear mongering to get attention, White reveled in attacking a man who, where character is concerned, is well above the auditor's weight class. ... White could take a few lessons from Salter in character and leadership. Instead, he showed once again that no one is off limits when his feelings are hurt or his ego needs a boost. |
SPORTS
| Dak Prescott and the Cowboys agree on $240 million deal that is the first at $60 million per year | |
| The Dallas Cowboys gave Dak Prescott everything he wanted. He intends to pay them back in full. Hours before the season opened, Prescott agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Cowboys, making the quarterback the NFL's highest paid player while giving him a chance to win a Super Bowl for a team he loves. "I wanted to be a Cowboy," he said. "I wanted to stay a Cowboy and it got done." Prescott is the first in league history to average $60 million per season, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. The runner-up in NFL MVP voting was entering the final year of a $160 million, four-year contract that was a franchise record before this deal. It includes $231 million guaranteed, the person said, $1 million more than the record fully guaranteed deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns two years ago. Prescott was in his Cleveland hotel room getting ready to leave for Sunday's game against the Browns when his agent told him the deal was complete. He then went out and threw one touchdown pass while leading the Cowboys to an easy 33-17 win in their season opener. Prescott was a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2016 when Tony Romo was entering his 10th full season as the starter. Romo injured his back in a preseason game, which led to Prescott starting from Week 1 of his rookie season after backup Kellen Moore also was injured before the opener. |
| Federal Appeals Court Sides With Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss in Discrimination Suit | |
| The former Ole Miss football player who secretly recorded a fiery conversation with Rebels head football coach Lane Kiffin had his bid to revive his lawsuit against Kiffin and the school denied by a federal appeals court. DeSanto Rollins appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills dismissed the civil case in February, saying that while Kiffin's treatment of Rollins was "offensive and imprudent," it did not amount to illegal discrimination. In a decision Thursday, a three-judge panel stated it found "no error in the district court's determination that Rollins has failed to carry his burden" to overturn the case's dismissal. Rollins, a defensive lineman, was on the Ole Miss roster last season, although he didn't play. He's currently a grad student at Ole Miss. Messages left with Rollins's lawyer as well as lawyers representing Kiffin and Ole Miss were not immediately returned. |
| NCAA Could Scrap Legal Playbook on House Case and Go for SCOTUS Review | |
| In the wake of Thursday's contentious hearing before U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken -- who objected to key features of a multibillion-dollar settlement to resolve the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations -- attorneys for the players, NCAA and power conferences need a new game plan. There's now a real possibility the settlement could collapse, which would lead Wilken to lift the stays on the three cases and return them to the docket on a potential track to the U.S. Supreme Court. The NCAA might figure it's time to make a game-breaking gamble by trying to win House. Wilken urged the attorneys to revise language regarding restrictions on name, image and likeness. She was especially troubled by the settlement's plan to launch an NCAA-backed entity that would (1) oversee NIL, (2) supposedly distinguish "real NIL" deals from those that cloak pay-for-play arrangements, (3) impose a so-called fair market value analysis, (4) require athlete and school disclosures on NIL deals that exceed $600 and establish a (5) court-like dispute resolution framework. Wilken worried this framework would chill the NIL marketplace and deprive athletes of commercial opportunities. Attorneys for both sides suggested Wilken's concerns were misplaced, but she was adamant and identified several apparent defects in their logic. |
| Will the House v. NCAA lawsuit still settle? | |
| College football closed Week 2 of the season on Saturday. But the impact of the House v. NCAA case even possibly going to trial remains one of sports' top headlines. During last Thursday's preliminary approval hearing in the Northern District of California, Judge Claudia Wilken poked holes in the settlement's framework for NIL collectives and boosters. She expressed concern the agreement would take away from the "large sums" of dollars currently going to athletes. The hearing left the NCAA with a major question: Move forward without enforcement around NIL collectives or possibly land a trial date. After Thursday's hearing, plaintiffs' attorney Jeffrey Kessler told On3 he's "100% serious" about heading to trial. Speaking with sources over the weekend, On3 learned leaving collective/booster restrictions out of the agreement could be a dealbreaker for certain conferences. Not only is the NCAA named as a defendant in the suit but so are the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. "Well, it needs to be resolved, because we entered into a settlement, and we expect that entire settlement to be accepted by the judge," Georgia president Jere Morehead told The Athletic. "She expressed some concerns, and hopefully those concerns will be addressed over the next three weeks." NIL collectives are not backing down, either. |
| What's next for NCAA, NIL collectives after House settlement talks hit roadblock from federal judge | |
| The federal judge overseeing the largest antitrust case in college sports history asked attorneys to "go back to the drawing board" during a preliminary settlement hearing and clean up or eliminate language tied to name, image and likeness regulations on athletes and NIL collectives. The hiccup in the preliminary hearing in the House v. NCAA case surprised some, but not many, in the college sports industry, particularly those in the NIL space. Language in the deal allows the NCAA to police NIL collectives and limit boosters from paying athletes through endorsement deals. In what Judge Claudia Wilken argued would amount to a salary cap, the enforcement language in the deal would force boosters to prove payments to athletes are for a "valid business purpose" rather than "pay-for-play." The crux of the issue is language and control, a charge the NCAA has led throughout the history of the House case, even as the organization loses other players' rights battles in courts across the country. Sports law attorneys, NIL collective leaders, and player advocates who spoke to CBS Sports were not surprised by Wilken's instructions or her siding with players regarding future compensation. "It feels like a lot of people in college athletics read the marketing literature on this settlement," said Charlie Winfield, founder of The Bulldog Initiative, Mississippi State's NIL collective. "They wanted to be rid of collectives, they wanted it to go away, and they just kind of kept hoping they could write it into a settlement, but it still faces the same legal hurdles that brought them to court in the first place, which are the antitrust and anti-competitive aspects." |
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