| Monday, October 21, 2024 |
| MSU's unmanned aircraft give FEMA an advantage in hurricane relief efforts | |
 | Every second counts in the wake of a disaster, and information about which areas are unsafe to enter becomes an invaluable asset for first responders. Unmanned aircraft systems, equipped with the ability to record and transmit real-time video feeds and data, provide rescue workers a much-needed advantage when navigating the chaos. "When you see something like a hurricane that affects an entire state or half of a state, no matter how many people are responding, you're not going to have an update that you know everything," said Bryan Farrell, interim director of the Raspet Flight Research Lab at Mississippi State University. "That's where something like a large UA, or potentially multiple large UAs, ... can respond quickly to requests." After Hurricane Helene decimated areas across the Southeast in September, Raspet Flight Research Lab and the Northern Gulf Institute, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative institute composed of six academic institutions including Mississippi State, deployed its largest unmanned aircraft to impacted areas in Georgia along with pilots and scientists. Because the unmanned aircraft can collect and transmit large amounts of data while also staying in the air for hours at a time, they're uniquely capable to survey damage after a disaster and aid first responders' decisions. |
| Vicksburg's Randolph crowned Miss Mississippi State University | |
 | The Miss Mississippi State University pageant crowned Vicksburg's Sarah Randolph its winner Thursday night. Randolph, a senior biological sciences major, was named first alternate in the 2023 pageant, which serves as a preliminary pageant for Miss Mississippi and Miss America. Randolph took part in the 2024 Miss Mississippi competition in Vicksburg in June as Miss Heart of the South, where she tied with Miss Lafayette County Madison Belk in the evening gown preliminary phase and was ultimately crowned as a runner-up to Miss Mississippi, along with Vicksburg's Morgan Nelson. "It was unbelievable every time I heard my name," Randolph said in June. "I was just thanking God for everything. From being in the top 15 last year, not even making it into the top 10 competing my first year, it showed me that hard work and dedication goes a long way. Third runner-up still sounds absolutely crazy to me, but being a part of this organization has grown me so much as a person and has strengthened my mindset to truly believe in myself." Miss MSU receives a full-tuition scholarship, with the first, second and third runners up receiving $1,000, $750 and $500 scholarships respectively. |
| From classes and choir practice to the Miss MSU crown | |
| Sarah Randolph woke up early on Thursday morning, too anxious to go back to sleep. Despite her nerves, she spent the day doing many of the normal things in her routine: going to classes, taking a quiz and going to choir practice. But by Thursday evening, Randolph would be crowned the 2025 Miss Mississippi State University, along with sweeping the awards in the talent, evening gown and interview categories during the 66th annual Miss MSU competition in Bettersworth Auditorium at Lee Hall. "That was absolutely unbelievable," Randolph told The Dispatch on the auditorium's stage after her crowning. "I competed in Miss MSU last year, actually, and I was runner-up last year, but I don't think I won any of the preliminary awards last year." Miss MSU is a preliminary pageant for Miss Mississippi and Miss America. The competition included a private 10-minute interview with the judges earlier in the day worth 30% of each woman's score, a coordinated dance routine to open the show, a health and fitness portion worth 20%, a talent portion at 20%, an evening gown portion at 20% and on-stage interview question at 10%. |
| SOCSD intersession geared toward career exploration, extra learning opportunities | |
| Third-grader Grace Campbell finished coding a series of actions on an iPad before staring down at the little blue robot on the floor in front of her. Nothing happened. "It's my first time doing this," she said. "It's very difficult to try to program it. If you don't program it to do something, it's not going to do it." After a few more rounds of coding and waiting, the robot backed up, spun around and made an enthusiastic sound, just as Campbell had programmed it. It can be difficult to figure out the problem, she said, but the challenge is her favorite part. "I like when I figure out something that I can't do," Campbell told The Dispatch. Campbell was enrolled in the beginner coding and robotics enrichment camp during Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District's fall intersession this week, which wrapped up Friday. The district has two intersession periods each year when students can attend additional days of school outside of regular instruction. Students can either attend enrichment camps, where they explore new areas or interests, or accelerated learning, where students get extra help in reading and math. The exploration is a part of a districtwide initiative to expose students to career options early, so that they have a better idea of how they want to plan their high school careers. The goal is for career exploration to eventually shift into workforce development. |
| Dr. Shawn Lambert to discuss enslavement project at Prospect Hill Plantation | |
 | Dr. Shawn Lambert, associate professor and undergraduate coordinator at Mississippi State University, is inviting the public to his presentation on the Prospect Hill Plantation. Lambert's talk will focus on the archaeology of his enslavement project at Prospect Hill. His topic is, "Before They were Settlers: Material Culture and Spaces of Enslavement at the Prospect Hill Plantation." Lambert will deliver his hour-long presentation at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Dumas Hall, Room 107, Alcorn State University, Lorman Campus. He will also share his presentation at 1 p.m. Friday, October 25, 2024, at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, 301 Main St., Natchez. The programs are sponsored by the Southwest Mississippi Center for Culture and learning at Alcorn. They are free and open to the public. According to Lambert, the research at Prospect Hill has global significance. "It is research that represents the collaboration with diverse communities and descendent communities as well as researchers from other disciplines such as archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, historians, and biological anthropologists," he said. Prospect Hill is located in Jefferson County. Lambert described it as "an early-to-mid 19th century plantation site that, until recently, has had very little anthropological research." |
| Landscape architect teaches club about historic gardens across the world | |
| Jeff Fulton, a landscape architect from Mississippi State University, presented "The History of Landscapes Starting in France and Culminating in the United States" at the Oct. 3 meeting of the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club held at the home of Lynda McReynolds. "It was interesting to learn about some of the historic gardens across Europe. I especially enjoyed learning about Middleton Place, America's oldest landscaped gardens and a National Historic Landmark, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina," said Kathryn Davis, president of the Starkville Town and Country Garden Club. "We also learned a lot about the Central Park gardens in New York City." Fulton moved back to Mississippi 22 years ago, and he co-owned a plant nursery for about seven years. He has been teaching in the Interior Design Department at Mississippi State University for the past 10 years where he and Beth Miller established a Master of Art degree in historic preservation. Fulton received his undergraduate degree in landscape architecture from Mississippi State University and his master's degree in interior design from Pratt Institute in New York City. |
| NOAA Fisheries looking for AI solutions to improve fishery surveys | |
| NOAA Fisheries is looking for large-scale imagery and artificial intelligence products that can supplement or replace the way it is currently conducting its fishery surveys, according to a request for information (RFI) put out for the agency's Optics Strategic Initiative (OSI) Working Group. NOAA Fisheries currently relies on a fleet of research vessels, chartered fishing vessels, planes, and autonomous vehicles to collect data for its surveys. However, all those efforts depend on human observers who can sift through the images and data to provide counts. "Traditional methods of identification rely heavily on manual observation by trained experts, which are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to errors," NOAA Fisheries noted in the RFI. The promise of artificial intelligence applications is that they can automate that time-consuming work, processing millions of images of fish and other marine life quickly to create useful insights for researchers. NOAA Fisheries has been keen to use advanced technologies to support its operations. The agency has experimented with using uncrewed surface vessels to collect data around offshore wind sites where its traditional survey vessels cannot operate effectively. NOAA Fisheries has also explored using artificial intelligence for electronic monitoring, another area where manual review of videos and images is time-consuming. In 2023, NOAA Fisheries partnered with Mississippi State University-Northern Gulf Institute and Kitware Inc. on developing an artificial intelligence application that can automatically process video and imagery to detect fish, track species movements, and annotate videos for researchers. |
| Starkville Christmas Parade announces date, names Oswalt grand marshal | |
| The Starkville Main Street Association has announced Starkville's annual Christmas Parade presented by Reed's will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 on Main Street. Being honored as this year's Grand Marshal is former Major League Baseball pitcher Roy Oswalt. Oswalt has been inducted into both the Houston Astros Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Oswalt was drafted in 1996 and was a three-time All-Star, Olympic Gold Medalist, and named the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 National League Championship Series. Oswalt's honor stems from his outstanding professional baseball career and investments made into the Starkville community since retiring and making Starkville home. Bo Summerford, President of Reed's said, "Reed's continues to support the annual Starkville Christmas parade as this event celebrates the best of the community and Mississippi State University while creating such a joyous occasion for everyone during Christmastime." All local and community organizations are encouraged to participate and attend. |
| Starkville PD makes arrests in connection to recent auto burglaries | |
 | The Starkville Police Department made two arrests in connection with recent auto burglaries. On Thursday, October 17, 25-year-old Lafredrick Yates of Crawford was arrested and charged with two counts of auto burglary. 19-year-old Lacedrick Rice of Starkville was arrested and charged with one count of auto burglary and possession of a stolen firearm. The recovered firearm had been stolen in an unrelated auto burglary. Rice remains in the Oktibbeha County Jail. Additional arrests and charges are expected. Starkville PD says to remember to always lock your vehicle doors and secure valuables before going to bed each night. So far in October, five firearms have been stolen in auto burglaries within the city limits of Starkville. |
| Starkville man charged with intimidating witness | |
 | The ongoing investigation into the theft of a stolen car landed a Starkville man in jail facing at least three felony charges. The Starkville Police Department initially took a report on a stolen vehicle on Sept. 27. Nearly three weeks later, the investigation led to the Oct. 17 arrest of Davonte Ivy, 26, of Starkville, charged with intimidating a witness, false reporting of a crime and directing a juvenile to commit a felony. Ivy remained in the Oktibbeha County Jail Friday afternoon. |
| Study: Economic matters of highest priority among likely general election voters in Mississippi | |
| As election season hits its stride, we now have a better read on what will be on the forefront of Mississippi voters' minds when they cast their ballots. Nationally respected firm Cygnal surveyed 500 likely general election voters in the Magnolia State from August 26-27 and found that matters of money were chief among concerns. Inflation, the economy, and the cost of living ranked at the top of the list followed by tax policies. According to World Population Review, Mississippi has the highest rate of poverty and lowest median household income. Tax policies also ranked highly among likely voters. Mississippi's top elected officials, Governor Tate Reeves and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, have recently proposed contrasting ideas to cut taxes in the state. Reeves has promised to exhaust all efforts into eliminating the state income tax, whereas Hosemann has vied for lowering Mississippi's highest-in-the-nation sales tax on groceries. Healthcare was the third-highest issue of importance among voters. Mississippi has been at the forefront of a hospital crisis in recent years with multiple systems on the verge of shutting doors for good. Additionally, the Magnolia State has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates as well as one of the highest rates of obesity nationally. |
| How AI legislation fares globally and in Mississippi | |
| With Mississippi on the precipice of passing meaningful AI legislation, state lawmakers are studying how other states and countries are managing AI lawmaking. Earlier this year, the European Union adopted a comprehensive yet controversial AI law. China has initiated its own regulatory framework. Canada's first stab at AI legislation via Bill C-27, introduced in 2022, remains in limbo; the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology began scrutinizing it clause-by-clause last month. "The EU bill is concerning because it may inhibit innovation," said Sen. Bart Williams (R-Starkville), Chair of the Senate Technology Committee. "We've got to be very cautious about replicating elements that would stifle AI's advancement." In the U.S., the Biden administration's Executive Order on AI has addressed a few AI opportunities and challenges but lacks uniform model legislation. "Without unified AI legislation at the federal level, states are operating independently to draft their own policies," explained Chelsea Canada, a policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). "Some states have been very proactive, and there are lessons to be learned from their successes and challenges," said Rep. Jill Ford (R-Madison), Chair of the House Technology Committee. "I appreciate the efforts to ensure transparency, ethical use, and workforce protection, but we need to ensure any legislation we pass reflects Mississippi's specific needs, particularly in rural areas where AI can both help and create new challenges." |
| This week in politics: Thousands disenfranchised in Mississippi | |
 | The number of people who have lost the right to vote in Mississippi, whether it's right or wrong, may be jarring to some. Criminal justice nonprofit, The Sentencing Project, has published an estimate of the number of people in Mississippi that have lost their voting rights due to one of 22 disenfranchising felony convictions. The study, which was published on Oct. 10, found that at least 68,871 Mississippians have been disenfranchised. According to its results, Mississippi is one of 10 states to institute disenfranchisement for people in prison, on parole, on probation and during post-sentence. Of the 68,871 in the magnolia state, 43,744 of them are Black. ... Last Tuesday, Senate and House Democratic lawmakers held a hearing on reform recommendations to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which is administered through the Mississippi Department of Human Services. During the hearing, MDHS Executive Director Bob Anderson told lawmakers the agency is still seeking an expert on TANF funds and additional staff to oversee the program. ... During a Senate hearing earlier this month, State Attorney General Lynn Fitch asked lawmakers to consider giving state employees paid maternity leave. The state has no paid leave for new mothers and fathers. |
| Senator Wicker announces $40 million project to improve Hwy 67 in Harrison County | |
 | A $40 million project is planned for Highway 67 in Harrison County. The funding stems from an infrastructure bill Senator Wicker helped negotiate as the then highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The project, part of a $127,296,812 freight corridor improvement plan, includes a comprehensive redesign of 43 intersections and median turns along the highway. 40 of the intersections will become Restricted Crossing U-Turns without traffic signals. The work is similar to MDOT's recent redesign along Highway 49 where crossovers were changed to left turns and U-Turns. The "Superstreet Corridor" design is aimed at making the roadway safer for drivers. "Infrastructure investments make Mississippi an even better place to live, work, and visit. These improvements will help attract more people and economic development to the Gulf Coast and Jackson area," Senator Wicker said. "Supporting infrastructure will continue to be one of my top priorities in Congress." Another part of the project will be to add a six-foot bike lane along each side of Highway 67. |
| Odds Are Improving for Lawmakers to Pass Several Critical Farmer Support Programs | |
| Farmers and lawmakers are focused on disaster relief, economic aid and completing the farm bill. Farmers are currently focusing on three major priorities: Disaster relief for 2023 and 2024 losses, exacerbated by severe hurricanes in the Southeast. Economic assistance for the 2024 crop year. Completion of a new farm bill to provide greater certainty for the future. The second priority is gaining momentum with the introduction of the "FARM Act" by Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss). The Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act (FARM Act) aims to provide emergency assistance to producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. Key features include: Eligibility: Crops such as barley, corn, cotton, dry peas, grain sorghum, lentils, chickpeas, oats, peanuts, rice, soybeans, other oilseeds, and wheat. (Some combination of purchases, block grants, or per acre payments for non-PLC/ARC eligible crops.) Payment formula: (Projected Cost - Projected Returns) x Eligible Acres x 60% = Total Payment. The FARM Act has garnered endorsements from various agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Cotton Council. Rep. Kelly is currently seeking cosponsors for the measure, with a deadline of 9 a.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 25, for original co-sponsorship. |
| Delta farmers ask Boozman for new farm bill and disaster relief | |
| The ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee says at a recent roundtable, Mississippi Delta farmers asked him to prioritize a new farm bill and disaster relief package in the lame duck session of Congress. John Boozman says challenging commodity prices and higher input costs aren't helping farmers and the quality of some crops have been affected by tropical storms. "Last year, we had our biggest drop in farm income we've ever seen. We're in a similar situation this year and next year, it doesn't look like there's much relief in sight." Boozman says combining natural disaster relief with some commodity-title based assistance shouldn't take away from one another. "It's just a matter of how it's crafted. This is possible to do and what we're trying to do is lay the groundwork with the various committees so we have a path forward." Boozman says negotiations on the new farm bill are on hold until after the election and Congress will have lots of work to do in the lame duck session. |
| Republicans and Democrats are both preparing for long legal battles over the 2024 election results | |
| Republican Donald Trump, who still refuses to accept that he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, says he wants a presidential victory Nov. 5 to be so overwhelming that the results are "too big to rig." "We want a landslide," he recently told supporters in Georgia. "We can't let anything happen." No matter the margins, Republicans and Democrats are preparing for a potentially lengthy battle over the results once they come in. Dozens of lawsuits that could set the stage for challenges after the votes are counted are already playing out in courts across the country. Most have been filed by Republicans and their allies. Many of the cases involve challenges to mail-in balloting, ballots from overseas voters and claims of voting by people who are not U.S citizens. Trump, who faces federal criminal charges over his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat, has repeatedly declined to state unequivocally that he will accept this year's results. Democrats, meanwhile, warn that election deniers installed in key voting-related positions nationwide may refuse to certify legitimate results and prompt litigation. "In 2020, the election deniers were improvisational. ... Now that same election denialist impulse is far more organized, far more strategic and far better funded," Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, told reporters during a telephone briefing. "At the same time, the election system is far better able, we believe, to handle something like this." |
| U.S. cybersecurity chief says election systems have 'never been more secure' | |
 | Amid widespread concerns of outside interference influencing the results this year's presidential election, the head of the country's cybersecurity agency says election infrastructure is more secure than ever. State and local election officials across the country have made big improvements to strengthen both physical and cyber security at polling and voting locations to preserve election integrity, said Jen Easterly, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in an interview with Weekend Edition. After Russia's attempts to influence the U.S. presidential election in 2016, CISA was created to work with state and local officials to make sure voting machines aren't vulnerable to hacks. "I can say with confidence based on all the work that we've done together since 2016, that election infrastructure has never been more secure," Easterly said. "There are cyber threats, there are physical threats to election officials, but we're at a point now with our election infrastructure secure and the election community prepared to meet the moment on the 5th of November." Her confidence in election integrity comes as intelligence officials warn that foreign adversaries -- mainly Russia, Iran and China -- are stepping up efforts to undermine voter trust in the democratic process, sway voters and inflame partisan divisions. |
| Is Trump 'exhausted'? Dems play the age card he used against Biden | |
 | Donald Trump's repeated gaffes, non sequiturs, and plain odd behavior have opened the door to questions from opponents about the 78-year-old candidate's mental and physical fitness. From bopping to the beat of his music playlist for nearly 40 minutes at a recent swing state town hall to blaming Ukraine for Russia's invasion, to riffing on locker room gossip about a pro golfer's anatomy, Trump is providing plenty of fodder for rivals who've declared him "unhinged" and worse. As Republicans did to 81-year-old President Joe Biden earlier this year, Democrats including horror novelist Stephen King and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are seizing every opportunity to bash Trump -- and it's a target-rich environment. Other critics say Trump has always been erratic but more people are noticing since Biden left the presidential race in July. Trump's allies reply that the former reality TV star simply has a unique style and that any attention paid to his unconventional behavior on the stump is political. Yet Trump repeatedly his raised eyebrows with his comments and behavior in the closing stretch of his third presidential campaign. His age and refusal to release detailed health records are adding to the questions. Trump, who's previously called himself as a "very stable genius," said critics are just playing politics. "I'm not even tired," Trump told reporters Friday in Detroit. "I'm really exhilarated. You know why? We're killing her in the polls, because the American people don't want her." |
| The Powerful Companies Driving Local Drugstores Out of Business | |
 | The small-town drugstore closed for the last time on a clear and chilly afternoon in February. Jon Jacobs, who owned Yough Valley Pharmacy, hugged his employees goodbye. He cleared the shelves and packed pill bottles into plastic bins. Mr. Jacobs, a 70-year-old pharmacist, had spent more than half his life building his drugstore into a bedrock of Confluence, Pa., a rural community of roughly 1,000 people. Now the town was losing its only health care provider. Obscure but powerful health care middlemen -- companies known as pharmacy benefit managers, or P.B.M.s -- had destroyed his business. This has been happening all over the country, a New York Times investigation found. P.B.M.s, which employers and government programs hire to oversee prescription drug benefits, have been systematically underpaying small pharmacies, helping to drive hundreds out of business. The pattern is benefiting the largest P.B.M.s, whose parent companies run their own competing pharmacies. When local drugstores fold, the benefit managers often scoop up their customers, according to dozens of patients and pharmacists. Regulators are paying more attention to these disparities. In Mississippi, for example, the state board that regulates pharmacies said this month that Optum Rx paid independent pharmacies less than it paid itself to dispense generic drugs. On a single day in 2022, Optum Rx paid itself 22 times what it paid six independent drugstores to fill generic Prilosec, a heartburn medication. Optum Rx declined to comment on the audit. |
| Tougaloo College opens clinic to provide free cybersecurity to underserved entities | |
| As cyber attacks become more common, Tougaloo College has established a cybersecurity clinic to protect and educate the underserved. The clinic, which opened earlier this month, provides free cybersecurity services to entities that cannot afford them. Specifically, they are serving churches, healthcare entities, small businesses, and community organizations. The clinic also provides cyber awareness training for Tougaloo's students, faculty, staff and community clients. "Every aspect of [how] we live, there's always a cyber threat," said Demetria White, director of the clinic. "And that's a growing field that our students really need to be exposed to, they need to receive training in it." Tougaloo received a $1 million grant from the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund, which gives colleges and universities funding to start their own cybersecurity clinics. They serve their communities while giving students hands-on experience in the field. Sharron Streeter, the clinic's client liaison, warned about the lack of cybersecurity awareness. "Most people think, 'well, it's not going to be me, I'm just a little fry.' But, it can happen to anyone, and we know that one single breach can impact millions of people at a time." |
| Alabama faculty say new DEI law, pay impact decisions to leave state, retire: Survey | |
 | Faculty members across the state are considering leaving Alabama due to concerns about salary and a new anti-DEI law. About 29% of Alabama professors who responded to a recent survey have applied to jobs outside of the state, according to the American Association of University Professors. This reflects a national trend among higher education in the South. "I am about to leave the school and move to a position in a new, blue state due to the overall political climate in Alabama," one survey respondent said. "I conduct government funded research and am taking my grants with me, costing the school hundreds of thousands of dollars." Many of the 88 survey respondents mentioned SB 129, the so-called "anti-DEI" legislation. Starting Oct. 1, no state institution can use public funding for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Gender, race, and sexual orientation are considered "divisive concepts." The law also mandates people use bathrooms according to their biological sex. In response, universities closed DEI offices and some campus resource centers, or asked students and staff to pivot. One survey respondent said the law is "an impediment to inclusive learning communities. It is also a challenge to how we work in our classrooms and a threat to our freedom." A third respondent said art teachers were no longer allowed to post artwork that reflects diversity. |
| LSU plans $107 million construction management building, announces $36.3 million in gifts | |
 | LSU is planning a stand-alone building for its construction management department and says it has raised more than a third of the money needed for the $107 million project. The fundraising effort has been spearheaded by Art Favre, founder of Performance Contractors. Favre, who was a graduate in the first construction management class in 1972, donated $15 million for the building. The Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building will be located on South Stadium Drive, across the street from Tiger Stadium. Groundbreaking on the building should start in 2026, said Charles Berryman, chair of the construction management department. The work should be completed by spring 2028. LSU President William Tate IV, who announced plans for the school Friday, said the stand-alone building will help the university accomplish its goal of making the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management a leader in the industry. "This is a booming industry in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast. Many of our alumni are now leading companies that are shaping the future of the construction industry," Tate said in a statement. LSU awarded 174 construction management degrees in the spring. Berryman said by expanding the program, its research capabilities and industry partnerships, the number of graduates could go up by 25% to 30%, "if not more." |
| Politics and tradition collide at U. of Missouri Homecoming Parade | |
 | Dozens of floats for political causes and organizations joined local and student groups Saturday in the University of Missouri's Homecoming Parade, less than three weeks before the November general election. Hundreds of parade-watchers gathered on the streets of downtown Columbia before the MU Homecoming game against Auburn, some even filling apartment balconies to peer down on the procession. This year marks MU's 113th annual Homecoming celebration. As some parade attendees rejoiced in the Homecoming tradition, others were disappointed by abundant political messaging that they felt was divisive. Nancy Lewandowski and Maggie Peters went to the parade together in hopes of getting excited for the game but were surprised when it took an unexpectedly political turn. Lewandowski had seen promotions for local elections but didn't expect to encounter signs advocating for candidates at the national level. She said that since she felt the parade was overly politicized anyway, she cheered when parade-walkers came by holding signs that called on audience members to vote "yes" on Amendment 3. "This is supposed to be a uniting experience," Lewandowski said. "That's fully been changed by the political floats." |
| Post-Helene campus repairs and recovery will cost about $32 million, UNC System estimates | |
| Campus repairs and other costs associated with recovery from Hurricane Helene for the UNC System will total about $32 million, university officials said Thursday. Helene, which devastated western North Carolina in late September, forced closures and knocked out critical infrastructure at UNC-Asheville, Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University, among other campuses. Repairs to structural damage on UNC System campuses are estimated to cost about $18 million, chief financial officer Jennifer Haygood told the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. Multiple campuses saw buildings flood, and a 4-H youth camp and PBS NC also sustained infrastructure damage. Additional costs from debris removal, cleanup, minor repairs and mutual aid will total another $14 million. Haygood said all things considered, the university was left in a "very fortunate position." "While those are not anything to blink at, I do think our system fared very well," she said. The system is estimated to lost about $19 million in revenue as a result of the storm. But that number doesn't include potential enrollment drops for the coming spring semester. |
| How College Students Beat Boeing in a Battle to Take Down Drones | |
 | In an antidrone technology competition earlier this year, Boeing showcased a futuristic laser weapon that can punch a hole straight through a hostile aerial threat. The multinational -- and several other defense giants -- lost to four college students who knocked drones out of the sky using sound waves. The rookies' device was developed in the backyard of one of the student's parents, using an old car speaker. The students' success in the technology competition, hosted by the Canadian military, highlights a shifting dynamic in one part of the defense industry. While giant companies have long dominated the weapons business, the advent of drone warfare is giving minnows more of a chance to compete. Drones used in Ukraine and the Middle East, for example, are often made cheaply with off-the-shelf components by smaller companies or even individuals. Huge demand is prompting governments to cast a wider net for new equipment. In Ukraine, there are more than 200, mainly small, drone makers. The U.S. and its allies want to foster more companies that develop drones, and ways to defend against them. The four University of Toronto engineering students spent around $17,000 of their own money to develop their antidrone technology. Their speakerlike device blasts ultrasound waves that destabilize a drone's navigation systems, sending them off course or crashing to the ground. Now comes the hard part. The newbies want to turn their prototype into battlefield-ready equipment. They need to raise funds, refine their technology and turn initial interest into orders. |
| Faculty Overwhelmingly Back Harris in November. But They Won't Tell Students to Do the Same. | |
 | Of the more than 1,100 faculty members across the U.S. who responded to a new Inside Higher Ed/Hanover Research survey, almost none said they're sitting this presidential election out. Ninety-six percent said they plan to vote. And they overwhelmingly intend to vote for Democrats. Seventy-eight percent support Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz, while only 8 percent of the respondents back Donald Trump and JD Vance, according to the survey, which has a 2.9 percent margin of error. But while their personal support for Democrats was overwhelming, almost no respondents said they plan to tell students which party or candidate to vote for. Most faculty respondents said they don't intend to discuss the election in class or one-on-one with students. Almost half of respondents said they feel less free to discuss federal politics than a year ago. And, beyond just this election, most said their personal politics don't affect their research or teaching very much. These results all cut against conservative criticisms that left-leaning professors are indoctrinating students. The survey, conducted from Sept. 16 to Oct. 4, also suggested there's a partisan enthusiasm gap in the professoriate. The Trump-Vance ticket only received the backing of two-thirds of Republican respondents, whereas 98 percent of Democratic faculty members support Harris-Walz. |
| At Homecoming, Howard Alumni Are Excited and Anxious for Harris | |
| As Vice President Kamala Harris fired up voters in Detroit and Atlanta this weekend, some of her most fervent backers were just two miles from her home in the District of Columbia, where her alma mater, Howard University, celebrated its 100th homecoming. The historically Black college, known to its alumni as "The Mecca," was hosting a week of events bringing thousands of alumni from all over the country to its campus for parties and a concert before its marquee football game. Ms. Harris did not attend this year, campaigning instead in the battleground states of Michigan and Georgia while avoiding the complicated security logistics of taking a sitting vice president and presidential candidate to a major event. But on and off campus, excitement for the prospect of the nation's first Black woman -- and H.B.C.U. graduate -- as president was palpable. Students posed for photos with cardboard cutouts of Ms. Harris's face at a booth on the university's main yard. Vendors selling T-shirts with Ms. Harris's photo and noteworthy quotations lined Georgia Avenue, the main street leading to Howard's campus. After the annual parade, the Harris campaign hosted alumni at a rally for her. Yet in the final weeks of the presidential race, the vice president's candidacy is also the subject of much anxiety. While most alumni said they were overjoyed to see one of their own heading a presidential ticket, they were eyeing the razor-thin margins of the race nervously. It has spurred even more to scramble to organize on her behalf. |
| Why Campus Gaza Protests Aren't Hurting Harris as Much as Biden | |
| The main quad at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is normally a place of academic repose, but in the spring, it was a political battleground. Dozens of students protesting Israel's military campaign in Gaza set up tents, demanding that the school divest itself of companies tied to the war. Officials cleared the quad. The demonstrators took down the Stars and Stripes and put up the Palestinian flag. Administrators put the American flag back, and a standoff ensued. Despite the fever pitch of protests at Chapel Hill and other campuses this past spring, many students are now focused on other issues when they think about the presidential election, according to interviews The Wall Street Journal conducted for its "Chasing the Vote" podcast series. Some highly engaged students, including those who joined the protests, said they are unhappy with both former President Donald Trump's and Vice President Kamala Harris's positions on the conflict in Gaza. Chelsea Coleman, a sophomore, walked by the encampment this past spring but generally focused on her studies. This is the first presidential election in which she is eligible to vote, and she said she is excited to support Harris. She was attracted to the vice president's position on abortion rights. |
| Top 5 ways education would look different under Harris vs. Trump | |
 | Education issues have flown under the radar this election cycle despite both major candidates having big ideas about how the K-12 and college systems should work. From student loans to transgender rights, American students, teachers and parents would see completely different and sometimes directly opposing proposals if Vice President Harris or former President Trump were elected. More than 45 million Americans currently hold billions of dollars in student loan debt. Under a Harris presidency, borrowers are likely to see a continuation of the defense of student loan initiatives started under the Biden administration, such as the new Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan and the president's Plan B student debt relief measure that is going through the negotiated rulemaking process. The Biden-Harris administration has forgiven the most student debt out of any presidency, recently forgiving loans for 60,000 public service workers. She is likely to receive a lot of pressure from the left to enact some form of universal debt forgiveness, though President Biden's efforts along those lines have struggled under legal challenges. Trump, who has been vocally critical of the White House's efforts, would likely not support much student debt relief, after doing little on the issue during his previous presidency. He could back the government out of the SAVE plan that aimed to lower monthly payments and give debt relief to some borrowers. |
| Why Some Students Say They Don't Plan to Vote | |
| Only a handful of college students -- 8 percent of those surveyed by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab in late September -- say that they are not planning to vote in the 2024 presidential election. It's certainly an extreme underestimation of how many students will actually forgo casting a ballot this year; college student voter turnout in 2020 was 66 percent, a record. But of those who have made the choice not to vote this year, the majority indicated that that decision was tied to distrust and dislike of American politics and the politicians on the ballot this year. "Those are the folks that no get-out-the-vote campaign is going to reach," said Anil Cacodcar, chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, which runs the largest poll of young Americans' political opinions. "Seven out of 10 of them are saying they don't like the candidates, and they think their vote won't matter, and those aren't beliefs you can change in two weeks. Some of them are almost as committed to not voting as some folks are to voting for one or the other." Just over 1,000 college students across the United States responded to the Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent. Ninety-eight students said they weren't planning to vote while 15 percent said they were undecided. |
| MDOT still needs recurring revenues | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Legislators are once again considering MDOT's request for a recurring stream of revenues to repair roads and bridges. So, how long has this issue been on the table? The following excerpts from a column I wrote in 2018 give a hint. "Will our reluctant legislators finally get off their duffs and do something to fix roads and bridges across Mississippi? "Gov. Phil Bryant called Friday for a special session on August 23rd to deal with the issue. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves still have not found common ground on the issue, formerly a prerequisite Bryant had for the session. Heaven forbid that all those other legislators would do something without Gunn's and Reeves' permission." ... "'While raising a gas tax is often unpopular, aligning user fees, like a gas tax, with the associated spending projects, like road construction, is a sound financing approach for states,' says the Tax Foundation. "This has been the conservative approach to financing necessary government services for years. "So what course, if any, will our legislators' choose?" They chose none of the above in 2018. And, with limited exceptions, they have continued with none of the above. The exceptions include a portion of the taxes from the state lottery and a diversion from use taxes going for road bridge construction and maintenance. But that is far from what MDOT needs. |
| The key to Jim Kitchens' reelection to the Mississippi Supreme Court: Kamala Harris voters | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Democrat Joe Biden won in the Mississippi Supreme Court central district by a comfortable margin of 220,405 votes to 193,785 votes against Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. While losing the 2020 election nationwide, Trump won Mississippi by an also comfortable margin of 756,764 votes to 539,393 votes. But the central district was a different story. In elections with big turnouts, especially presidential elections, the central district is often a Democratic stronghold. This November, it is a safe assumption that Vice President Kamala Harris will lose the state of Mississippi but will do as well if not better than Biden did in the central district. And if Harris does have a strong showing in the 22-county central district, that should bode well for Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens, who currently is campaigning for a third term on the state's highest court representing the aforementioned district. What may be Kitchens' easiest path to win reelection is to convince the central district voters he is more aligned with Harris than is his primary and most well funded opponent, state Sen. Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia. ... There are not expected to be many competitive races this election cycle in Mississippi, but the central district Supreme Court race stands out. It also is vitally important. Supreme Court justices have significant impact on many aspects of the state. |
SPORTS
| No. 3 Mississippi State Defeats Ole Miss 2-0 For Fifth Straight Magnolia Cup Victory | |
| The No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-1-0, 7-0-0 SEC) continue to make history, claiming their fifth consecutive Magnolia Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over in-state rival Ole Miss (5-11-1, 0-7-1 SEC) on Friday night. The win extends MSU's current winning streak to 10 games, ties the program record for most victories in a single season, and marks the team's 12th shutout of the year. In addition, the Bulldogs' perfect 7-0-0 start in SEC play is a new milestone for the program, reflecting their unprecedented dominance this season. From the opening whistle, Mississippi State set the tone. Sophomore forward Zoe Main wasted no time getting her team on the board, scoring just over a minute into the match. Assisted by midfielder Ally Perry, Main delivered a clinical finish to give the Bulldogs an early lead that would stand for the remainder of the contest. The goal marked the fastest scored for either program in the history of the Magnolia Cup. The game saw moments of heightened physicality, especially in the second half when four yellow cards were handed out. Both teams showed intensity typical of this storied rivalry, but Mississippi State kept its composure under pressure. MSU doubled its advantage in the 87th minute when Main found the back of the net once again, this time with perfect service from Aitana Martinez-Montoya, sealing the victory with the brace to give State their fifth straight Magnolia Cup, a feat not seen by either program until Friday night. The Bulldogs return home for the final time in the 2024 regular season when they welcome Kentucky to the MSU Soccer Field at 6:30 p.m. |
| No. 3 Mississippi State defeats Ole Miss 2-0 to retain Magnolia Cup | |
| The Mississippi State University soccer program is bringing the Magnolia Cup back to Starkville for the fifth consecutive year after defeating Ole Miss 2-0 on Friday night at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium. Under a full moon and chilly weather in Oxford, the Bulldogs hit the pitch for the 31st contest against their in-state rivals. As the match kicked off, MSU forward Zoe Main wasted no time netting the first goal to put her squad ahead of the Rebels in the first minute of the battle for the Magnolia Cup. "It was so big for us because the five-pear has never happened, so our big mission was to take it game by game," Main said following her two-goal performance. Throughout the remaining minutes of the first half, both squads brought their own respective physical and gritty play to the pitch. The Rebels and Bulldogs traded possessions, shots and corner kicks under the bright lights. When it mattered the most, the Bulldogs did what this year's squad has continued to do each week. They captured the Magnolia Cup and are bringing it back to Starkville, where it has resided for the last five years. "We said it was going to be a dog fight," head coach James Armstrong said. "There's a lot of moments in the game where there were a lot of tackles flying, 50-50s and all sorts of stuff, but that's what rivalry games are all about. The players knew we were prepared for it but it's different when you are actually in the moment in front of the fans." The win over the Rebels marks MSU's 12th shutout of the year and the Bulldogs remain undefeated in conference play. |
| Dak Prescott back to Mississippi State football, rings giant cowbell before Texas A&M game | |
| Mississippi State mesmerized the college football world 10 years ago with arguably its greatest team of the century. On Saturday, those 2014 Bulldogs, including Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and former coach Dan Mullen, were honored for a 10-year anniversary during MSU's game against Texas A&M at Davis Wade Stadium. Before kickoff, the 2014 team stood in the south end zone around MSU's giant cowbell. Prescott rang the cowbell, with Mullen standing next to him. Then, the team was brought back on to the field in between the first and second quarters with a video tribute. The 2014 team holds the accolade of being the first-ever No. 1 ranked team in the inaugural College Football Playoff. MSU began the season 9-0, with three consecutive wins over top-10 teams (LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn). It stayed No. 1 in the CFP poll for three weeks until losing its first game of the season at Alabama. Five players from the 2014 team are currently playing in the NFL, including Prescott and defensive lineman Chris Jones. Prescott signed a new four-year contract with the Cowboys in September that made him the highest-paid player in the league with a $60 million average annual value. Jones, in his ninth season with the Kansas City Chiefs, is the second-highest paid defensive player in the NFL with a $31.75 million average annual value, according to Spotrac. |
| Josh Hubbard wins 3-point contest: Best moments from Mississippi State basketball ‘Junction Jam’ | |
| It wasn't about how Josh Hubbard started, rather how he finished. The sophomore guard clanked four consecutive shots to begin Friday night's 3-point contest. He then swished nine of his next 11 attempts to advance to the championship. There, he made 11-of-15 3-pointers to outlast women's basketball guard Jerkaila Jordan and a student competitor who had as many air balls as he had makes. It was part of Mississippi State basketball's outdoor "Junction Jam" pep rally just steps away from Davis Wade Stadium. A crowd of fans, cheerleaders and the marching band all huddled around the makeshift court on the crisp fall evening with the start of the men's and women's seasons less than three weeks away. And if Hubbard's improvement throughout the 3-point contest is reflective of his college career, one has to wonder what could be in store for him after an All-SEC freshman season. The women's team did not participate in the dunk contest, but had a skills contest instead. Sophomore forward/center Quanirah Montague was the winner. Contestants wove down the court between dummy defenders, made a left-handed layup at one basket, then went back the other way for another left-handed layup and a free throw. |
| From Starkville to the World Series, former Bulldog Travis Chapman prepares for biggest stage | |
| Parrish Alford writes for the Magnolia Tribune: One day Travis Chapman can pull grandchildren around him and tell them tales of his time as a Major League baseball player. He won't be telling whoppers. He played in one game. If you're looking for a Mississippi connection to the World Series, Chapman is it. And as first base coach and director of infield for the Yankees, he's a good one. He played seven minor league seasons starting with Philadelphia, which drafted the Mississippi State star in the 17th round in 2000. He played one Major League game, coming off the bench for the Phillies against the Braves in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter on a summer day in 2003. He flied out. Now he impacts the futures of players for the most storied franchise in professional sports. It's not surprising that the Yankees identified Chapman's potential as a coach after he spent time with the Kansas City, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh organizations before ending his playing career following the 2006 season. Chapman, an infielder, was a good contact hitter for Mississippi State. He had 26 home runs from 1997-2000. He hit.404 as a junior and .350 as a senior. The Jacksonville, Florida native helped the Bulldogs to College World Series appearances under Ron Polk in 1997 and Pat McMahon in 1998. |
| Southern Miss fires Will Hall after 1-6 start in his 4th season; Reed Stringer named interim coach | |
| Southern Mississippi football coach Will Hall was fired Sunday after a 1-6 start to his fourth season and assistant head coach Reed Stringer was named interim coach for the rest of the season. Hall was 14-30 following a 44-28 home loss to Arkansas State. The Golden Eagles' only win this season was against Southeastern Louisiana of the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision. "We are grateful to Will and his family for their dedication to Southern Miss over the past four years," Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain said. "Will poured his heart and soul into this program and into shaping these young men. Unfortunately, the results on the field didn't align with our shared goals and expectations." Hall has deep ties to the state. He grew up in Amory, the son of a longtime Mississippi high school coach and was a two-time junior-college All-America quarterback at Northwest Mississippi. He transferred to North Alabama and won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II. The Golden Eagles improved from 3-9 in 2021 to 7-6 with a bowl win the next season. Southern Miss slipped to 3-9 last year with one of its wins against an FCS opponent, prompting Hall to hire new offensive and defensive coordinators. The Eagles are last in the Sun Belt in scoring (18.3 ppg) and second to last in scoring defense (34.1 ppg). |
| Southern Miss fires head coach Will Hall after 14-30 record | |
| Southern Miss has fired coach Will Hall, ending his tenure at 14-30 over four seasons, it was announced Sunday. Hall will be owed nearly $860,000, per his contract. The Golden Eagles are 1-6 this season after Saturday's 44-28 loss to Arkansas State. He went 7-6 in his second season at Southern Miss, including a win in the LendingTree Bowl, but he has gone 4-15 since, prompting the administration to make a change. Assistant head coach Reed Stringer will take over as interim head coach. The Golden Eagles play at James Madison next week. Hall got high marks for building the culture and recruiting the area, but he just couldn't continue the trajectory he'd set during his second season. Southern Miss officials believe the job will draw a strong candidate pool, as it has a good tradition and championship ambitions. It sits in one of the country's most fertile recruiting areas and has a strong fan base. |
| Title IX violations alleged at Alcorn State soccer. 'Bats and snakes in showers' | |
| Alcorn State has quietly canceled its 2024 women's soccer season, leaving players without a team, opponents without a game and questions looming about the future of the program. Alcorn State didn't have enough players to field a team for the season, the school acknowledged to the Clarion Ledger. The school also confirmed the existence of two letters that contain allegations of possible Title IX violations within the program. The HBCU of around 3,000 students located near Lorman also faces sanctions from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. "Our previous interim head coach left the university, and we had a short period of time to recruit additional players after the new soccer coach arrived," Alcorn State interim vice president of marketing and communication Maxine Greenleaf said in an email to the Clarion Ledger. The Clarion Ledger obtained a copy of one of the letters that was sent to Alcorn State's Title IX director. It's signed by 15 former or current players and contains two pages worth of mistreatment claims that they allege "may be considered Title IX violations." Among them are allegations of facilities with "no running hot water for athletes or coaches," and "bats and snakes in showers and locker room;" promised soccer equipment, like cleats, that were never fulfilled; and a training room "understaffed and not compliant with numerous undergraduate students attending and performing medical treatments with no experience or training." |
| Back to earth: Hogs fumble Boot after big win, bye week | |
| No. 8 LSU brought the Arkansas Razorbacks back to earth in a convincing fashion on Saturday in the Battle for the Golden Boot. The Tigers turned a trio of takeaways into two scores and controlled the University of Arkansas running game en route to a resounding 34-10 win before an announced homecoming crowd of 75,893 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC) won on the road for the fifth consecutive time in the series and remained atop the SEC and in the thick of the College Football Playoff picture with a big battle looming against Texas A&M next week. Arkansas (4-3, 2-2), riding a high after an upset of then-No. 4 Tennessee two weeks ago, lost for only the second time while coming off an open date under Coach Sam Pittman. The Razorbacks played consecutive top 10 opponents for the 17th time in school history and lost a chance to sweep both games for the first time. "We couldn't run the football on them and we couldn't get off on third downs," Pittman said. "I thought this was a really good LSU team coming in here and I think they are now too. But 50 offensive snaps and three turnovers. We have to do better there and we have to get off the field on third down." |
| Another No. 1 Bites the Dust in College Football's Season of Chaos | |
| The bottles from the Texas student section were raining down on the end zone faster than anyone could pick them up. In their biggest game of the season, against No. 5 Georgia, the home fans were furious about a botched pass interference call. And now, as Texas clung to its No. 1 ranking, the Longhorns were voicing their anger with a game-stopping barrage of airborne plastic and liquid and trash. The game had ground to a standstill, as stadium staff and cheerleaders scrambled to clear the field. Even Texas coach Steve Sarkisian ran across to beg his own fans to hold their fire. Only the confusion was just beginning. As the Longhorns crashed to a 30-15 defeat here on Saturday night, one thing became abundantly clear to the 100,000 supporters inside this hulking stadium: The 2024 college season had spiraled completely out of control. "Nobody gave us a chance," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "Nobody believed in us." Before a single football was snapped, this season was already shaping up to be more unpredictable than usual. Conference realignment had redrawn the map of the sport. Player transfers had yet again shuffled the pack. And the game's most powerful coach, Nick Saban, had ridden off into retirement, leaving a power vacuum behind him. But now, with the season in full swing, what's happening on the field is somehow even crazier. |
| The hidden NIL economy of college sports | |
 | It's been three years since the NCAA started allowing college athletes to make money from their personal brands -- their "name, image and likeness," or NIL. In that time, college athletes, previously limited to scholarship money and under-the-table handouts, have earned payments for brand endorsements, charity work, autograph signings and other services big and small. Many have done so while driving exposure and revenue for massive public universities. But what this NIL economy actually looks like has remained largely hidden, limited to sporadic anecdotes, unreliable estimates from the NIL industry and anonymous summary data compiled by the NCAA. Colleges and boosters say that secrecy protects student-athletes. But efforts by The Washington Post to obtain NIL records from public schools reveal a lack of transparency that forces many athletes to navigate an unfamiliar economy in the dark, leaving their interests at the whims of the powers holding the purse strings. The Post used public records laws to request NIL records from 56 public universities in major college sports conferences. Though most schools refused to release any information, reporters ultimately obtained and analyzed records encompassing $125 million in deals from 14 Division I public schools. The result is an unprecedented look into the first three years of the NIL economy -- a period of financial chaos, legal confusion and secret deals in the fierce competition for top players. |
| Former NCAA athletes can now file claims in $2.8 billion House settlement | |
| Former college athletes can now begin filing claims for their piece of the $2.8 billion the NCAA is set to pay in back damages as part of the House v. NCAA settlement agreement. The payday is for the thousands of athletes who were not allowed to capitalize on NIL, participate in revenue sharing or profit from video games. Judge Claudia Wilken preliminarily approved the landscape-shifting House v. NCAA settlement last week. The settlement paves a new college sports landscape with new roster limits and revenue sharing. But for former athletes who missed on financial opportunities, it's the chance to earn a share of a market that wasn't accessible during their careers. As part of athletes submitting back damage claims, collegeathletecompensation.com has launched for athletes. Those eligible at any point for competition from June 15, 2016, through Sept. 15, 2024 can apply. The claim period will also close on Jan. 31. The first back-damage payment is due May 15, 2025, or within 45 days of the settlement's finalization. According to the long-form settlement agreement, the average damages award for a football or men's basketball player at a Power Five conference school will be approximately $135,000. |
| MLB Gets Dream Matchup: Dodgers-Yanks in World Series | |
| Major League Baseball and its broadcast partners have exactly what they want in the upcoming World Series: the New York Yankees vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. The biggest TV markets on the East Coast vs. the biggest on the West Coast. Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani, the game's two biggest stars, both presumptive league MVPs, who will grace the Fall Classic for the first time. "I really feel like we finally arrived, I finally arrived at this stage," Ohtani said Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The clubs are the two top-priced teams, according to Sportico's own most recent valuations. They are among the top revenue generators and biggest spenders. To get to the best-of-seven World Series beginning Friday evening at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers eliminated the New York Mets, 10-5, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, using an opener and six relievers. The Yankees had previously defeated Cleveland in Game 5 on Saturday night to wrap up the American League championship. The Yankees are going to the World Series for the 41st time and have won 27 of them. The Dodgers have won it all six times. It's the 12th time the Yanks will be facing the Dodgers in the World Series, but first since 1981. New York has won eight of the first 11 between the two teams. |
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