| Friday, November 1, 2024 |
| Mississippi ducks will soon be wearing backpacks and they could make you a better hunter | |
 | Mississippi State University is working on a project and the information they gather will give researchers a better idea of duck movement and habitat preference. The information will likely make Mississippi duck hunters more successful, and it will come from ducks wearing backpacks. "The idea there is to get updated information on bird movement in the state during winter," said Houston Havens, Waterfowl Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, a partner in the research project. "There's a lot of detailed information on habitat use that could be gathered with this." The backpacks will provide researchers information about where ducks go and when. It's been done in Mississippi before, but with older technology that could not provide as much data as the high-tech GPS units, complete with solar panels to power them, that are available today. "It was basically using older technology on the birds," Havens said. "There have been tremendous gains in the technology we put on these birds." According to James Callicutt, Mississippi State University waterfowl and game bird extension specialist, only mallards will be outfitted with the backpacks and the mallards also will receive leg bands. "Mallards are of high interest to the hunting public," Callicutt said. "They are a well-studied bird, but we still need to tease out some answers." |
| Around the Commercial Drone Industry: Mississippi State Drone Ag Program | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) has announced a partnership with Texas-based drone maker Hylio to conduct research into the agricultural spray drones. After MSU's Agricultural Autonomy Institute (AAI) and Hylio signed a cooperative agreement last summer, AAI, along with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences purchased an AG-230 spray drone platform, and an MSU team received flight training at Hylio's Houston headquarters. "With our products and MSU's programs, we can work together to pioneer best practices and teaching methods that will one day hopefully put this technology in the hands of a lot of American farmers," Hylio founder Arthur Erickson said. |
| Drew and Ellie Holcomb to come to MSU Riley Center | |
 | Nashville music couple Drew and Ellie Holcomb are set to take the stage at the MSU Riley Center in February following the Jan. 24 release of their new full-length studio album Memory Bank. The couple, who have pursued their separate and equally successful career paths over the last decade plus, dedicated time to writing together earlier this year when out on one of their annual You and Me tours. The result is an album that finds the partners sharing the spotlight equally, which can be heard on the album's title track "Memory Bank." The two will embark on their biggest US headline tour to date kicking off on Feb. 5 at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama, and culminating in Nashville, Tennessee at the Ryman Auditorium on May 3. The Holcombs first met while Drew, a native Memphian, and Ellie, a native of Nashville, were attending school together at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. When Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors originally formed in 2005, Ellie was a full-time member. The couple married in 2006 and in 2012, Ellie left the group to pursue a solo career. She has since gone on to release three studio albums of her own including her critically acclaimed 2021 LP Canyon. Ellie is a 4x GMA Dove Award winner and best-selling author, having written three children's books and a devotional selling a combined 500,000 copies. |
| First oyster season in five years slated for South Mississippi, but strict catch limits will apply | |
 | The Mississippi Coast will have an oyster season for the first time since 2018. The oyster season will open at sunrise, Nov. 13, but only for 10 days, the state Department of Marine Resources announced in a news release Wednesday. The oyster harvesting areas are shown on this map located on the DMR website. The agency has set harvest limits at 10 sacks per vessel for both commercial oyster tonging and dredging. Recreational harvest is limited to three sacks per recreationally licensed resident for a seven-day period. The season arrives with the approach of Thanksgiving, when Coast residents look forward to including Mississippi Sound oysters in dishes and holiday spreads. The state has invested millions to restore oyster reefs since the 2010 BP oil spill. But flooding has in subsequent years, decimated the beds, diluting salinity in the Mississippi Sound to the point that oysters couldn't survive. In 2019, Mississippi River water released through the Bonnet Carré Spillway killed almost all the oysters on the state's most productive reefs, which are in the western sound. "Through our monitoring efforts, we have seen positive growth over the last couple of years and are ready to open a limited season in certain areas," said Joe Spraggins, the DMR's director. "The season is to provide some access to the industry and get Mississippi oysters on the market." |
| MDOT recognizes October as Archaeology Month | |
 | For some, the idea of uncovering artifacts conjures up some "spooky" feelings. While October is unofficially spooky season, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) along with other state agencies and the Mississippi Archaeological Association recognize October as Archaeology Month in Mississippi. Archaeology is housed in the Environmental Division, and it plays a vital role in the planning and construction of MDOT projects. While an area might seem like the perfect place for a road or infrastructure project, it may already be home to buried artifacts. Led by Chief Archaeologist Jim Turner, MDOT's team of archaeologists has the responsibility of finding and uncovering these artifacts. Cultural resource management, the driving force behind most archaeological work in the United States, ensures that the proper areas are preserved and protected. "Here at MDOT, abiding by federal and state laws, we do cultural resource studies on every project that comes across our desk," said Turner. "Every time there is new right of way, it has to be surveyed to make sure that no archaeological sites are located there. And if so, we deal with it accordingly by shifting the right of way or excavating the site." One of MDOT's biggest archaeological projects was preserving the Pocahontas Mounds along U.S. 49 in Hinds County. |
| Mississippi legislative leaders advocate Medicaid expansion, heading to conflict with the governor | |
| Mississippi's Republican legislative leaders said Thursday that they plan to push for Medicaid expansion to cover working people who earn too little to afford private insurance -- a position that business groups have advocated but that Republican Gov. Tate Reeves opposes. House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann spoke about their 2025 policy priorities to hundreds of business people and community leaders at Hobnob, a social gathering hosted by Mississippi Economic Council, the state chamber of commerce. Medicaid expansion is an option under the health overhaul that then-President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the U.S., and it's one of 10 states that have not expanded the program. The vast majority of funding for the expansion would come from the federal government, but the state would have to cover some costs. Reeves, though, refers to Medicaid as "welfare" and has frequently said he does not want more people to enroll. The governor usually speaks at Hobnob, which is held at the Mississippi Coliseum on the state fairgrounds. But he did not appear at the event this year. Hosemann said Thursday that Medicaid expansion could help about 75,000 working people who can't afford insurance, and he noted: "There's a governor that doesn't necessarily agree with some of our proposals." |
| Hobnob '24: Mississippi's top two lawmakers pitch Medicaid expansion, tax cuts; remain divided on details | |
| House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Thursday both pitched plans to cut state taxes and expand Medicaid coverage to the working poor but differed on their specific approach, offering a preview of crucial legislation that will headline the 2025 legislative session in January. White, a Republican from West, told business leaders at the Mississippi Economic Council's annual Hobnob event, that he will propose legislation to eventually eliminate Mississippi's 4% tax on all earned income over $10,000 and reduce the state's sales tax on groceries from 7% to 3.5% over time. "We are hoping to construct a tax system that, yes, prioritizes certain needs in our state but it also protects and rewards taxpayers," White said. Hosemann, the two-term Republican leader of the Senate, did not mention the income tax in his speech but said he is encouraging the Senate next year to introduce legislation that will cut the grocery tax. He did not say how much the tax should be reduced or how long it would take to phase in the tax cut. Six of the state's eight statewide officials, all Republicans, spoke at the annual event. Gov. Tate Reeves and Secretary of State Michael Watson did not attend. |
| Attorneys asking for rehearing for man sentenced to die for decades-old murder of two MSU students | |
| A man sentenced to die for killing two Mississippi State University students decades ago is asking for a rehearing. On Thursday, Willie Jerome Manning filed a motion for a rehearing with the Mississippi Supreme Court. Attorneys for the 56-year-old are asking for oral arguments. "Manning provided the court with evidence of debunked forensic science and newly discovered evidence with the recantation of several key witnesses... In denying Manning's petition, a majority of the court misapprehended the facts and the law," his attorneys wrote. Manning is being represented by David Voisin, out of Hammon, Louisiana, Robert S. Mink, out of Jackson, and Krissy Nobile, with the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel. The 20-page filing comes more than a month after the high court rejected Manning's previous motion for an evidentiary hearing in circuit court. In a 5-4 split decision, justices ruled the evidence would not have changed the outcome of the case. Manning was sentenced to die in 1994 for the murders of Tiffany Miller and Jon Steckler, two students at MSU. |
| U.S. Added 12,000 Jobs in October as Storms Sidelined Workers | |
 | Job growth slowed sharply last month, with workers sidelined by hurricane effects and the continuing Boeing strike. The Labor Department on Friday reported that the economy added a seasonally adjusted 12,000 jobs in October, versus a September gain of 223,000. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal, anticipating storm and strike effects, expected a gain of 100,000. The unemployment rate stayed steady at 4.1%, in line with economists' expectations. Stocks were up in morning trading. Hurricanes Helene and Milton put thousands of people out of work across the Southeast, while the Boeing strike took more people off the job. The sharp drop in growth could indicate that disruptions played a much larger role than anticipated. Still, the downturn is likely temporary, and didn't impact the larger dynamics of the market. Unemployment remained low and wages continued to rise. Average hourly earnings were up 4% from a year earlier. Federal Reserve policymakers have signaled that they expect to lower their benchmark interest-rate target range by a quarter-point when they conclude their two-day meeting on Thursday next week. Friday's report is unlikely to dissuade them from that plan. |
| Johnson, facing uncertain future, seeks to save House GOP | |
 | Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), in an interview with The Hill from the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, said he "probably underestimated" just how much work it would be to lead the House GOP's massive political operation. Johnson has been on the road constantly this fall, crisscrossing the country to raise money and preserve -- and try to grow -- a fragile GOP majority. "We had a big challenge ahead of us, and I knew there was some travel involved. But I think I've had to travel more than my predecessors, because I was introducing myself to people for the first time," said Johnson, who recently reached the one-year mark as Speaker. "It's been all-encompassing," he added. Johnson has been tasked with leading a fractious House GOP conference with an excruciatingly small majority, and it could stay that way even if Republicans keep the lower chamber. "I spent half my day as the Speaker of the House, the other half as a mental health counselor. The solution is to grow that majority and to have people who can come in on day one and perform for the people who govern," Johnson said. The irony is that Johnson's future is in question whether he succeeds or fails. Many Republicans expect that Johnson wouldn't be elected to leadership if the GOP is relegated to the minority. |
| Election means first test for changes to electoral vote process | |
 | In the coming months, the main legislative change Congress enacted in response to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol faces its first major test -- and election experts expect it to pass. Many of those experts think that the new law, the Electoral Count Reform Act, made enough changes to plug vulnerabilities exposed by President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the election results in 2020. And they say it will be enough to reject efforts from Trump or other Republicans to dispute the presidential election results in court if they lose again this year. Ben Ginsberg, a longtime election lawyer at Jones Day and Squire Patton Boggs who has represented Republican presidential candidates, said he felt the new provisions that specify how certification and court challenges would be conducted were a "big step forward" to resolving ambiguities about any post-Election Day disputes. "You never know how any statute, let alone an elections statute, is going to hold up in an unprecedented situation," Ginsberg said. "So you do your best, and the Electoral Count Reform Act is a huge step forward in clarifying issues that needed clarifying since the statute was drafted in the 1870s." The law, passed in 2022 as part of a bipartisan reaction to the attack on the Capitol, laid out specific procedures for presidential election certification, challenges and more. |
| White House altered record of Biden's 'garbage' remarks despite stenographer concerns: AP sources | |
| White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which President Joe Biden appeared to take a swipe at supporters of Donald Trump, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Biden created an uproar earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to racist comments at a Trump rally made by the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage." Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, "The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters -- his -- his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American." The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading "supporter's" rather than "supporters," which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president. The change was made after the press office "conferred with the president," according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter "a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices." |
| Cheney: Trump firing-squad threats are 'how dictators destroy free nations' | |
 | Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney warned on Friday that Donald Trump is an "unstable man who wants to be a tyrant," her response to the former president's suggestion that the Kamala Harris surrogate should stand before a firing squad. "This is how dictators destroy free nations," Cheney, a one-time member of GOP House leadership who was ousted from Congress over her vocal Trump criticism, said on X. "They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant." During a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday night, Trump referred to Cheney as a "radical war hawk" before suggesting he hoped to see her staring down the barrel of a rifle. "Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK?" Trump said. "And let's see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face." Cheney and Trump have long feuded, and their rivalry came to a head when Cheney took a seat on the congressional committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In the closing weeks of his campaign, revenge has been at the forefront of the message for Trump, who has frequently referred to his opponents as "the enemy from within." |
| A world without seed oils and pesticides? The food industry braces for RFK Jr. era. | |
| Donald Trump's embrace of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his fringe health theories is triggering a flurry of outreach in Washington and beyond, with powerful ag interests rushing to defend their industries from Kennedy's threats. Trade groups representing farmers say they're pushing the Trump campaign over concerns about Kennedy's rhetoric on American agriculture. And lobbyists for packaged food companies and other major industry players are rushing to defend their use of additives and other ingredients under fire in the heat of the campaign. The reaction to RFK Jr.'s agenda marks one of countless ways the business world is bracing for the possibility of a disruptive return of Trump. While many businesses achieved their aims during Trump's first term, the latest rhetoric on the campaign trail is spurring a wave of concern about a more radical set of changes in a second Trump term. As one food industry lobbyist put it, Kennedy has "taken on a whole life of his own in the last few weeks." Banning pesticides -- not to mention food additives, seed oils or ultra-processed foods, as Kennedy has also advocated -- would completely upend the existing U.S. food system. And if Trump truly lets Kennedy "go wild" on food and health, as he promised in remarks at a recent campaign rally, it would represent a 180 degree reversal from the agriculture agenda during his first term, which included rolling back pesticide restrictions and other food-related regulations. |
| Completing the FAFSA is an important step toward success | |
| Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Mississippi's commissioner of higher education, writes: There is a lot of talk going on right now about the labor force participation rate in Mississippi. This rate, defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "the population that is either working or actively seeking work," is an important standard in our economic growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor force participation rate in America for the month of August 2024 was 62.7 percent; in Mississippi, it was 54.4 percent. Helping more Mississippians get and keep jobs is a critical component in our state's success. Earning a degree at one of our eight public universities is a critical component for the success of our citizens. I recently had the opportunity to speak before the Labor Force Participation Study Group, created this year by Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. I shared data from the National Center for Education Statistics, including that the 2023 employment rate for Mississippians between the ages of 25-34 who have earned a college degree was 88 percent. The employment rate for those who had only completed high school was 74 percent. The value of a college degree is evident. In 2023, Mississippi's universities awarded 19,605 degrees. Those graduates worked hard for those degrees, and they are well-positioned to make a good living, hopefully here in Mississippi. Earning a degree in and of itself can be a heavy task, especially given the financial challenges many individuals face when looking at going to college. An important step is in beating those challenges is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). |
| MUW expands pathways for technical students to earn advanced degrees | |
 | A partnership between Mississippi University for Women and East Central Community College is giving students a chance to secure advanced business degrees in less time and at a lower cost. Under a memorandum of understanding signed by both institutions' presidents Tuesday, students in select career and technical education programs have a streamlined opportunity to earn an associate's, bachelor's and master's degree in certain fields in only five years. "It's affordable, it's obtainable, and they have a reduction in credit loss," said Dee Larson, chair for the MUW Department of Business. After earning their associate's degree over three years at ECCC, students on the "3+1+1" pathway will transfer to The W to earn their bachelor's of applied sciences degree in a year. Then they have the option to also secure a master's degree in one of 17 degree pathways at MUW. The goal of the program is to help students transfer seamlessly without transfer credit loss, which can be difficult normally because many universities don't accept credit transfer students have earned for technical classes, Larson said. Degree pathway options include culinary arts, health care management, sports management and information technology. |
| JSU homecoming festivities continue with alumni block party | |
| Jackson State homecoming festivities are in full swing, with alumni getting in their share of fun. Patrease Edwards, president of the JSU Alumni Association, shares what it takes to put on these events. "A lot of detail, a lot of thought goes into it," Edwards said. "It's very rewarding just to see the excitement on the faces of our scholars when they're at the games, the excitement of our alum just listening to them, watching their feed on social media, it's just really fulfilling," Edwards said. These events are another way for JSU alumni to have the chance to push things forward -- giving back to current students. "We get students worldwide that sometimes just don't have the checkbook to complete whatever the task is, so events like this help organizations like the Jackson State University development foundation to support those kids," said Caramu Cunning with "We Came to Play." JSU alumnus Brandon Barclow traveled from Texas for homecoming weekend, bringing along his son and nephew, allowing them to experience Tiger Nation. "Coming to homecoming, I think they need to absorb the experience and doctorate them a little bit to what we have going on here at Jackson State," Barclow said. |
| JSU's homecoming expected to bring economic boost to capital city | |
 | For one week every year, Jackson State University (JSU) welcomes Jackson residents as honorary Tigers. Thousands of former students, professors and first-time visitors will pack the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday to celebrate JSU's homecoming. The crowd is expected to bring an economic boost to the capital city. "T-shirt vendors and different businesses are being impacted by this weekend. People coming in, they're tailgating. So, they're going to grocery stores. They're going to shop for the game, hair salons, barber shops, you know, every facet of of the industry here in the city that makes up economic vitality is being impacted by this game," said Yolanda Clay-Moore, with Visit Jackson. The economic impact is estimated to reach above $7 million for the City of Jackson. It's a weekend that many local businesses, vendors and hotels have been preparing for year-round. |
| Millsaps' new president prepared to meet challenges facing higher education; plus grow college | |
| Millsaps College had an enrollment of 1,000-1,200 students in the 1990s and that's what the current president would like to see again. "It was built for that type of community," said Frank Neville, who became the 12th president of the college in June. "I think that's the size of the community that was dynamic and flourishing and something we need to return to." The college, which sits on 100 acres in the center of Jackson and dates to 1890, currently has enrollment of 600 students, 550 of which are undergraduates and 50 graduate students, he said. It employs 73 full-time faculty members and 138 full-time staff members. Neville, who describes his work as president as "creating a vision, building alignment and managing it and implementation," isn't deterred by the challenges that face higher education. Efforts are under way to market Millsaps to students who desire an experience where most of the student body lives on campus all four years, classes are small in size so it's difficult for a shy student to be overlooked during discussion and professors actually get to know the students they teach. "We're serving a particular student, the student who wants to go to med school, go to law school or run a business," Neville said. "If you're that type of student then this is the place where the investment in your education has a significant return." |
| East Central Community College gets $1.25 million grant for new workforce center | |
| East Central Community College (ECCC) has received a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding, secured by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, will help build a new workforce facility in Philadelphia, located at the intersection of Highways 15 and 16. The new center will provide training and certifications for local residents in high-demand jobs, especially in fields like healthcare. ECCC President Dr. Brent Gregory emphasized the importance of the grant. "We are grateful for this investment in our community," Dr. Gregory said. "This facility will help people find good-paying jobs and support businesses looking for skilled workers." The center will not only serve as a training resource but will also help attract and keep businesses in the area to boost the local economy. ECCC also plans to offer educational programs that match the needs of local industries, giving residents the skills needed for better job opportunities. |
| Jean Williams selected Mississippi College's 2024 Alumna of the Year | |
| For years, Mississippi College has enjoyed musical performances and stage productions in the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall in the Aven Fine Arts Building. The Founding Scholarship for the Mississippi College Women's Council -- an organization dedicated to advancing the University's mission through philanthropic initiatives -- is the Jean Pittman Williams Scholarship. Through her varied contributions, Jean Pittman Williams' name is almost synonymous with the university. Therefore, she was selected MC's 2024 Alumna of the Year, according to Jim Turcotte, vice president and special assistant to the president. "Jean Williams is unwavering in her love and support for MC," Turcotte said. "She is always interested in whatever we share about MC and in those who are serving the college. She is deserving of our thanks for all she does to lift up Mississippi College." |
| A&M Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Ramirez announces retirement | |
 | After serving as the Texas A&M Vice-President for Student Affairs for almost four years, Joe Ramirez announced he would be retiring effective Jan. 1, 2025. Ramirez served in a variety of positions at his alma mater, including the 45th Commandant of the Corps of Cadets from 2010 to 2021, before becoming Vice-President of Student Affairs. He announced his retirement on Wednesday, thanking co-workers and students alike for their continued dedication to the university. He said he looks forward to spending time with his nine children and eight grandchildren. "Because of the nature of the work I chose to do over the years, my family has had to endure many sacrifices as a result. As much as I love what I do, I also realize that I need to dedicate time and energy to spend quality time with the ones I love the most, my family," he wrote in the email obtained by The Eagle. Ramirez said the Division of Student Affairs was a unique and remarkable place to work and he was humbled to be able to serve the university in his job. "I am also going to miss you all, my colleagues, co-workers, and friends in the Division of Student Affairs. Texas A&M boasts the nation's No. 1 student experience, and it is because of the tireless effort and compassion you all put into your work every day," he wrote. "You truly are the best of the best." |
| 'Chief student advocate': How the new U. of Texas dean of students plans to operate | |
| When Katie McGee was a graduate student, she found her calling. And after 20 years working in education, she achieved it. On Sept. 1, McGee became the University of Texas dean of students, a dream role for her, after having served in the position on an interim basis for six months. She follows Sonica Regains-Lilly, who in January retired from the job and her joint role as vice president of student affairs. In this role, McGee oversees an extensive office under the UT Division of Student Affairs with 10 units and 65 full-time employees. Its responsibilities span student safety; legal assistance; student conduct and discipline; veteran services; sponsored organizations; student support; and advising student government and fraternities and sororities. McGee is coming to this office at a time when student discipline and support is under scrutiny as pro-Palestinian protests broke out across the nation and at UT in the spring and a state law went into effect in January that banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs and training at public universities. Earlier this month, McGee spoke with the American-Statesman about how she wants the campus to perceive her office and the support it can provide. Coming to this role with a history of helping students from Louisiana to Texas, McGee said she understands student success, student support and education systems, which she said will help her lead as "the chief student advocate." |
| Law School Application Surge Projected | |
 | Law school applications are on track to increase this year, according to early predictive data from the Law School Admissions Council. The data shows that applications are up by 35.5 percent over this time last year. That gap is likely to narrow by the end of the cycle, since this year's applicants got a head start: In 2023, law schools delayed opening their applications in order to review admissions practices in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action. But there is reason to expect a significant boost in applications anyway. The number of students who have taken the LSAT is up by nearly 4,000 from this time last fall, bringing the total to 14,233---higher than it's been at this point in any of the past five admissions cycles. Interest in law school exploded in 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to the workforce drove students to consider alternative postgraduate pathways. Application rates have slowed significantly since then, decreasing every year. If the early signs are accurate, this could be the first cycle since to indicate a similar level of interest. |
| Biden hosts formal ceremony to celebrate federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions | |
| President Joe Biden hosted a formal ceremony Wednesday to publicly celebrate his executive order establishing an initiative to increase funding for Hispanic-serving institutions and create a board of advisors on HSIs. Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs, which are not-for-profit schools with a full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least a quarter Hispanic, are vital to the goals of equality in educational and economic opportunities, according to the White House. With Hispanic people accounting for almost three-quarters of the nation's population gain, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from 2022 to 2023, higher education leaders are urging the president to spread the word about the new initiative, given its potential to help Hispanic students catch up to peers from some other backgrounds. The ceremony came after the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a nonprofit advocacy group, released a petition for Biden to host a public event to promote the HSI initiative. Higher education advocates in Latino communities say that they are optimistic about the federal effort to support hundreds of local colleges and universities. The more than 500 HSIs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico serve more than 4.7 million students every year, according to federal data. Many students are low-income, and nearly a third are eligible for Pell grants, which are federal scholarships for students in need. |
| As Election Looms, Undocumented Students Worry | |
| Katherine Narvaez, a third-year medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University, has felt an all-too-familiar fear and sense of uncertainty as the country nears Election Day. Those same feelings welled up when former president Donald Trump moved to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2017. The Obama-era program protects some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and allows them to work legally. That includes Narvaez, whose family came to the U.S. from Guatemala when she was 6 years old. Narvaez was again hit with uncertainty when the Trump administration refused to process new DACA applications in 2020, in seeming defiance of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed the program to continue. She delayed going to medical school until after Trump's term because she was concerned that all her schooling would be for nothing if DACA was ultimately rescinded and she wasn't allowed to work in the U.S. On the brink of an election that could return Trump to office -- after a campaign in which he promised mass deportations -- those worries have come rushing back. Approximately 400,000 undocumented students are enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities -- most without DACA protections. They find themselves in a precarious position, awaiting the outcome of an election where the candidates are expected to pursue vastly different immigration policy agendas. The results could potentially have far-reaching effects on them and their families. |
| College students voted at historic rates in 2020. Will they turn out again? | |
 | The organizers call out to the Grand Valley State University students as they dart across campus, headphones on and eyes down. They show up in classrooms. They knock on dorm room doors. More than a half-dozen groups -- most of them left leaning -- have flooded the west Michigan campus this fall as part of a massive effort to get its 20,000 students to cast ballots on Election Day. On a cool afternoon in mid-October, Gabi DeVoogd, a 22-year-old field organizer for Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign, was one of them. "Are you registered to vote?" she yelled in the direction of a student racing past her on a skateboard. "Can I help you find your polling place?" she asked another student who approached her in search of a Harris sign for her dorm room. In the 2020 presidential election, a historically high 66 percent of college students voted, up 12 percent over 2016, according to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education. A big question for the Harris campaign in swing states like Michigan is whether college students, who voted by large margins for Joe Biden in 2020, will show up again in 2024. In Michigan, the Harris campaign's efforts have focused less on high-profile visits by the vice president than on the labor-intensive work of ensuring that college students register and vote. So far the campaign has deployed more than 40 field organizers to 14 campuses across the state. |
| Vance suggests upper- and middle-class kids 'become trans' for college admissions, says Trump may earn 'normal gay guy vote' | |
 | Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance suggested in an interview that aired Thursday that White upper- and middle-class children are incentivized to identify as transgender to gain admission to elite colleges. "Think about the incentives," Vance told prominent podcast host Joe Rogan. "If you are a, you know, middle-class or upper middle-class White parent and the only thing that you care about is whether your child goes into Harvard or Yale, like obviously, that pathway has become a lot harder for a lot of upper middle-class kids, but the one way that those people can participate in the DEI bureaucracy in this country is to be trans, and is there a dynamic that's going on where, if you become trans, that is the way to reject your White privilege." "That's the social signifier. The only one that's available in the hyper-woke mindset is if you become gender nonbinary," the Ohio senator added. Studies have found that because of the discrimination, harassment and lack of support they generally experience in earlier grades, students who identify as transgender would be a lot less likely to have access to higher education in general, let alone an Ivy League school that is difficult to get into, compared with those people who identify with the gender that matches the sex they were assigned at birth. |
| 3 Things College Leaders Said in a New Congressional Report on Campus Antisemitism | |
 | A new report from a Republican-led congressional committee reveals private conversations between administrators, faculty members, and board members as they debated how to respond to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and the resulting pro-Palestinian encampments. The 325-page report stems from a monthslong investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce that has scrutinized campus anti-war activism. Student protests spiked in the spring, mostly in the form of encampments demanding that colleges sever financial ties with companies aiding Israel's military in carrying out strikes on Gaza. So far, nearly all colleges have refused to consider divestment. Republican lawmakers have for months argued that colleges permitted protests that veered into antisemitism in the name of protecting free speech. The new report doubled down on those claims. In describing "a stunning lack of accountability" by administrators, the report said that college leaders turned a blind eye to antisemitic harassment -- in possible violation of Title VI, the federal law barring discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics -- as well as trespassing and other criminal behavior. Even when students were disciplined, the report said, it was uneven and minimal. |
SPORTS
| Armstrong's invincibles: MSU soccer finishes 10-0 in SEC regular season | |
| Mississippi State soccer finished its Southeastern Conference regular season campaign a perfect 10-0 after a 2-1 win at South Carolina on Wednesday. Sensational goals from Hannah Johnson and Kennedy Husbands secured the second-half comeback for the Bulldogs and a 16-1 finish to a historic regular season. The Bulldogs conceded just the fourth goal of the season after Cat Berry beat goalkeeper Maddy Anderson in the 10th minute of the match, but MSU's No. 1 made three saves to keep the Gamecocks at bay, and a lockdown defensive performance in the second half allowed no shots from the hosts. Johnson's strike came just after the hour mark, her second of the season, and marked the turn of the tide in the game. The Bulldogs peppered South Carolina with six shots in the second half, and got in front with an audacious attempt from Husbands. She received the ball on the right wing before firing a lofted ball towards the back post. The ball had enough velocity to catch the keeper off guard, dipping at the perfect moment to evade her glove and rattle in. Anderson and Husbands were recognized for their performances, with the latter earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Anderson set a program record with her third SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season. |
| Mississippi State can end 6-game slide with win over UMass, which has 3 SEC matchups this season | |
| UMass (2-6) is at Mississippi State (1-7), Saturday, 3:15 p.m. CT (SEC). UMass seeks a breakthrough in the second of three meetings against SEC schools. The Minutemen lost 45-3 at Missouri two weeks ago and face No. 2 Georgia on Nov. 23. MSU takes a break from the SEC grind and aims to halt a six-game losing streak. The Bulldogs are hoping for a breather with a grueling home stretch against No. 7 Tennessee, No. 25 Missouri and No. 19 archrival Mississippi coming up. MSU won the previous meeting 34-23 in 2017 in Starkville. ... The Minutemen are playing as an independent before joining the Mid-American Conference as a full member on July 1. ... UMass has 14 transfers from Power Four schools but only kicker Jacob Lurie (Vanderbilt) has SEC experience. ... QB Taisun Phommachanh is tied for 68th nationally with 1,541 yards passing. ... MSU cornerback Isaac Smith ranks second in the SEC with 74 stops and tied for 13th in FBS. ... The Bulldogs averaged nearly 408 yards per game in October. |
| Mississippi State vs. UMass: Who has the edge? | |
| Mississippi State (1-7) hosts Massachusetts (2-6) on Saturday for a 3:15 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. Here's who has the edge at each position between the Bulldogs and the Minutemen. MSU freshman Michael Van Buren had his highest completion percentage in a game last week against Arkansas, but he did fumble twice on strip sacks and threw two late interceptions. Still, he threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, the third straight game he's had three total touchdowns. For UMass, Taisun Phommachanh is arguably more dangerous with his legs than his arm, but has had trouble staying upright when plays break down. He had three total touchdowns as well in a win last week over Wagner. Edge: Mississippi State |
| Mississippi State football vs Massachusetts score prediction, scouting report in Week 10 game | |
| A break in the conference schedule could be at a convenient time for Mississippi State football. The Bulldogs (1-7, 0-5 SEC) are losers of seven games in a row in coach Jeff Lebby's first season and haven't beaten an FBS team. They are also coming off one of their worst performances of the season in a 58-25 home loss to Arkansas. MSU plays UMass (2-6) at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday (3:15 p.m., SEC Network). It could be MSU's last chance to pick up a win before it closes the season with three games against ranked opponents. "We've been making progress. That's kind of the goal, but it's not," wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. said. "Progress with no wins is pointless. I know everyone out there when we had big games was like we played Georgia, we played the Texas teams close. We aren't trying to play them close. We are trying to win. Us just playing close is not good enough." |
| Revised SEC penalties for field invasions haven't ended them yet. But officials say they're safer | |
| If 16th-ranked LSU defeats No. 14 Alabama on an approaching Saturday night in November, and fans at Death Valley respond by rushing the field again, the Tigers' athletic program would have to pay up to $500,000 to the Crimson Tide. The high-stakes rivalry game on Nov. 9 could serve as the latest test of a Southeastern Conference policy on field invasions that was reworked before the previous football season. The goal was to stop such trespasses, but this season has seen a few nonetheless -- including at LSU when the Tigers beat Mississippi in overtime on Oct. 12. LSU had to pay $250,000 to the Rebels. If it happens again, LSU will have paid a combined total of up to $750,000 to rival SEC athletic programs during just this football season. While LSU coach Brian Kelly worries about safety when fans rush the field, he doesn't sound too concerned about the fines -- even in this NIL era, when schools are spending more on players than ever and presumably would rather not also be ordered to supplement the athletic budgets of their SEC opponents. "Those kinds of penalties are probably going to be passed off through administration, and I just don't see that impacting NIL to the point where there's a competitive advantage," Kelly said. |
| Arkansas to charge 3 percent fee on concessions to offset costs from House v. NCAA settlement | |
 | Arkansas is asking fans to pay more for concessions ahead of rising expenses for the athletic department. Arkansas athletics will charge a 3 percent fee on all concessions at home games beginning with Saturday's game against Ole Miss, athletic director Hunter Yurachek wrote in an email to donors. The fee will help offset the costs of additional scholarships required by the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement, expected to be finalized in April and take effect before the next academic year. As part of the settlement, schools are expected to share more than $20 million in television revenue with athletes. "We must continue to maximize additional revenue opportunities while also being dutiful stewards of the resources which we have been afforded," Yurachek wrote. In September, Tennessee athletics announced it would add a 10 percent "talent fee" to ticket prices next year. According to Yuracheck, Arkansas is also reviewing its budget and operation in search of identifying $15 million annually in savings and increased revenue. |
| Big 12 says no games compromised by unsecured helmet comms | |
| The Big 12 determined Thursday that none of its games were compromised by unencrypted frequencies used with coach-to-player in-game communications this season. Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the coach-to-player communications for all Power 4 college football games this season have been on unencrypted frequencies, and Texas Tech requested a report from the Big 12 on its recent games against TCU and Baylor -- both losses -- to ensure the integrity of the games were not compromised. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said he raised the issue during a call with Big 12 athletic directors Tuesday, after learning that anyone with a scanner and knowledge of how to locate the frequencies had access to those in-game communications. "Following the industry-wide concerns surrounding helmet communications, the Big 12 conducted a review of conference games and helmet communications processes to address any issues member institutions raised regarding this matter," the Big 12 said in a statement issued Thursday. "The review showed that at no point was any Big 12 competition compromised." Texas Tech said in a statement Thursday that it "accepts the conclusion of the Big 12's review" and that it would have no further comment on the matter. |
| Rich Clark explains how potential Big Ten-SEC schedule agreement could impact College Football Playoff | |
| In early October, officials from the Big Ten and SEC met for seven hours at Nashville's Grand Hyatt to discuss the state of college athletics. Multiple topics were on the agenda, and the College Football Playoff was among the most notable. Reports indicated a potential scheduling partnership between the two conferences, widely viewed as the top in college football, would be discussed. Such a move could increase strength of schedule -- something CFP executive director Rich Clark noted while speaking with reporters Wednesday. While Clark didn't know the specifics of the conversations between the Big Ten and SEC, he pointed out the impact a scheduling agreement between those two leagues could have on the College Football Playoff. But with an increased strength of schedule, he said, comes the need to perform in such high-profile games. That's another way a partnership could impact CFP selection. "I wasn't really privy to the discussions that they had, so I'm not sure exactly where that's gonna go," Clark said. "I do think if you were playing teams from the Big Ten and the SEC exclusively, that that would have an impact on their strength of schedule. But I don't know if that's really what the discussion is or if that's what they're planning on. But the better teams that any team plays ... the greater their strength of schedule would be. And that would clearly help them in the committee room. But also, their performance against those teams also matters." |
| NFL owners' political donations surge to $28 million, lean Republican | |
 | NFL owners have donated at least $28 million to federal political candidates and causes during the 2023-24 election cycle − a hefty sum that, according to USA TODAY Sports research, marks a sevenfold increase from the amount spent over the same time period four years ago. The significant increase in owners' political giving can be attributed in large part -- though not exclusively -- to the addition of the Walton-Penner ownership group, which purchased the Denver Broncos in 2022. According to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by USA TODAY Sports, Broncos co-owner Rob Walton has donated more than $16.5 million between January 1, 2023 and October 1, while the team's controlling owner Greg Penner and co-owner Carrie Walton Penner are also among the biggest donors in NFL ownership. The Penners, who oversee day-to-day operations of the team, have given $1.2 million, including a $1 million donation from Carrie Walton Penner to a Democratic political action committee earlier this year. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank ($3.3 million), Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper ($2.9 million) and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson ($1.8 million) are among the other NFL leaders who have eclipsed seven figures in donations. Of the three, only Blank's political giving has favored Democrats. He had donated more than $1.3 million to Kamala Harris' joint fundraising committee as of October 1, while also speaking out publicly to support her. |
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