| Wednesday, April 9, 2025 |
| 'Want to be respected': Tim Tebow gives talk at Humphrey Coliseum | |
 | The lower bowl of Humphrey Coliseum was almost completely full on one sideline Monday night, and the upper bowl filled in nicely on that side as well. The man of the hour was former college football and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who gave a lecture on Mississippi State's campus as part of Delta Gamma sorority's "Leadership in Values and Ethics" speaker series. Tebow discussed his two-sport playing career -- he also spent three years playing Minor League Baseball in the New York Mets organization -- as well as his Christian faith and life lessons he has learned as an athlete. "I wanted to be a people-pleaser," Tebow said. "Sometimes when you want to be liked so badly, you conform to things that you shouldn't conform to. I really had to switch my mindset from wanting to be liked to choosing to want to be respected." Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen and former interim head coach Greg Knox, now MSU's director of career and professional development, introduced Tebow, while two Delta Gamma members moderated the conversation. Shapen said he would always look forward to watching Tebow's games as a kid, while Knox worked at MSU with Dan Mullen, who had been Tebow's offensive coordinator at Florida. "He changed the game of college football. He forced every coach to go out and find the most athletic and talented dual-threat quarterback in the country," Knox said. "He was special, he was blessed, he was gifted, he was talented." |
| Alpha Chi Omega to receive long-awaited chapter house by fall 2026 | |
 | Alpha Chi Omega, Mississippi State University's youngest Panhellenic chapter, is officially set to start construction on its house, effective immediately. The announcement, made April 3 during a chapter meeting, confirmed that construction will begin within 30 to 60 days on a new house located on Sorority Row between the Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Delta Pi houses. The chapter plans to move in by fall 2026 according to Brooke Collier, AXO's chapter president. Collier shared how excited the chapter was to hear those plans. "It almost didn't feel real at first," Collier said, "but once we heard the words 'effective immediately,' we all just started jumping and screaming." Alpha Chi Omega established its MSU chapter in the fall of 2021 after national organizations submitted proposals to join the campus. Jackie Mullen, the assistant vice president for student affairs, previously served as the university’s Panhellenic advisor during the selection process. She said the university saw a need to expand Panhellenic offerings and began the process of searching for a national organization willing to put roots down on campus. “Once AXO was selected, it was always the plan for them to have a house,” Mullen said. “But when the pandemic hit, construction costs soared, and that delayed everything.” |
| Oktibbeha humane society opens new $1.2M medical facilities, animal housing | |
| It's not the easiest time for animal rescue efforts, Bert Troughton told a crowd Tuesday at the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. As the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' senior vice president for shelter and veterinary services, Troughton knows firsthand that funding is constricting and it's getting harder to find both animal rescue personnel and veterinarians. The crowd had gathered, however, to celebrate a bright spot amid all those challenges -- the grand opening of Oktibbeha County Humane Society's new Animal Support Center. The new facilities will be used for animal transit, along with spaying and neutering. "What (OCHS) is doing here is absolutely extraordinary," Troughton said. "Extraordinary. Animal sheltering is hard work, physically and emotionally. ... We're seeing organizations across the country close their doors and pull back on their services and partnerships. What we're seeing here is you all leaning forward. ... That is leadership. Competent, capable, courageous leadership with heart and grit." But Troughton and other ASPCA personnel hadn't just come to heap praise on OCHS. They also presented the organization with another $100,000 in funding, on top of the $900,000 ASPCA contributed to the construction of the new buildings. OCHS had hoped to open the doors of its new facilities by the fall, but Executive Director Michele Anderson told The Dispatch on Tuesday that construction delays moved the timeline back. |
| Sweet potato to become official state vegetable of Mississippi | |
| Roast 'em, bake 'em, stick 'em in a pie. The Magnolia State has a new state vegetable that's delectable no matter how you prepare it -- the sweet potato. Gov. Tate Reeves signed Senate Bill 2383 into law, officially making the tasty tater Mississippi's chief veggie. But the sweet potato has had deep roots in the state long before SB 2382 passed, home to more than 170 sweet potato farms and the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World" in Vardaman. Mississippi ranks third in the U.S. for domestic sweet potato production, producing more than $100 million worth of the vegetable each year. It's also home to the venerable Sweet Potato Queens, a women's organization that spans 20 countries and is based in Jackson. In fact, one of the bill's proponents, Rep. Jon Lancaster, R-Chickasaw, was asked if the Queens have given their stamp of approval to the legislation. "I haven't talked to them, but I can only assume they'd be on board," Rep. Lancaster said on the House floor. The governor's signature will add the sweet potato to the Magnolia State's growing list of state symbols, such as the blueberry being named the state fruit two years ago, the Kemp's ridley sea turtle being tabbed the state sea turtle and the American Quarter Horse being cemented as the state horse in 2024. |
| Annual beef and poultry expo in Laurel Thursday | |
| The annual Magnolia Beef and Poultry Expo will take place Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Center at the Laurel Fairgrounds. Beef and poultry producers from across the state will have the opportunity to attend educational seminars and browse the trade show. The trade show, featuring a variety of agribusinesses and organizations, opens at 8 a.m. Following the welcome at 9 a.m., the Charles Waldrup Memorial Scholarship will be presented to a graduating high school senior or a current college student pursuing an education in the field of agriculture. The expo is hosted by Covington, Jones, Jasper, Newton, Rankin, Scott, Simpson and Smith County Extension Service Offices. The expo is sponsored by Community Bank, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Pro Flow Motorsports, First Financial Bank, John Deere AGUP Equipment, Mississippi Poultry Association, Inc., Ozark-Ag, Farm Systems, Inc., Circle C Tractor, Farm Systems, Inc. and Mississippi State University Extension Service. |
| East Mississippi Correctional Facility Hosts Horticulture Graduation Ceremony | |
 | On Tuesday, the East Mississippi Correctional Facility hosted its Horticulture Graduation Ceremony. This ceremony honored the 15 residents who completed the 6-month class, gaining knowledge and skills on the science and art of growing gardens, learning about pest control, maintenance, and irrigation while partnering with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Each student walked in with their heads held high and smiles on their faces, draped in their cap and gown, celebrating this joyous milestone with their friends and family. Tammie Jennings, Horticulture Instructor, says it is important for students to have the skills and be armed with what they need to move forward. "We want to arm them with the knowledge and skills so they can support themselves and their families when they go home. We want them to have more than what they came in with, so it's imperative that while they're here, not only the horticulture program, but we have several other programs. We have forklifts; we have American history, we're starting college classes, and so we want to arm them with all the knowledge that we can, so when they leave, they're armed with their own way of life. The way to sustain and support themselves and not only themselves but their families as well," says Jennings. |
| New statue gives you a chance to sit with Tennessee Williams | |
| A bronze statue of Tennessee Williams is now sitting by Main Street on a bench outside of the home he lived in for the first few years of his life. Board members of the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation unveiled the statue Tuesday outside of the Tennessee Williams Home and Welcome Center. CCHF CEO Nancy Carpenter said the idea for the statue, and the $75,000 to create it, came about five years ago from local resident and longtime educator Dixie Butler. The Tennessee Williams home was built as the rectory of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The famous American playwright was born in Columbus in 1911, and Williams spent the first few years of his life living in the Carpenter Gothic style house, as his grandfather was the reverend of the church at the time. St. Paul's expanded in the 1990s, and the home was moved to its current site on Main Street. CCHF reopened the home and welcome center in November, after closing the house for about six months for $300,000 in renovations. Those renovations included replacing exterior wood and interior plaster, along with others that came up as the project progressed. Since it reopened, Carpenter said, the home has seen visitors from more than 27 states and 12 countries. |
| Cultivating deep Magnolia State connections | |
| After listening to the needs of local Main Street directors, the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) recently unveiled a five-year community development grant strategy to make available more than $100,000 in community development funds to provide long-requested services to Designated communities. The "Mississippi Main Street Community Connected Character Program" will deliver planning and marketing services, such as branding campaigns, economic impact pieces, and community marketing videos, to Designated Main Street communities through 2030. "All these pieces help strengthen and elevate the work of our local Main Street programs," said Jim Miller, MMSA executive director. "Much of their efforts are often behind the scenes and not always visible, and these will be tools to further engage and advocate for supporting the work of Main Street." MMSA has 48 Designated Main Street communities, representing the most prestigious tier of membership. They pay higher annual dues than 38 associate members and five network communities, and meet rigorous requirements set annually from MMSA and Main Street America. |
| US egg giant Cal-Maine says government is investigating price increases | |
 | Shares of Cal-Maine Foods, the largest U.S. egg producer, fell in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company acknowledged it is being investigated by the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine said it received notice of the investigation into egg price increases last month. Cal-Maine said it is cooperating with the investigation. The company's shares fell more than 4% in after-hours trading. Egg prices have hit record highs in recent months, largely due to a bird flu epidemic that has forced farmers to slaughter more than 166 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. One dozen Grade A eggs cost an average of $5.90 in U.S. cities in February, up 10.4% from a year ago. That eclipsed January's record-high price of $4.95. The egg price increases have put Cal-Maine, which provides around 20% of the nation's eggs, under increased scrutiny. On Tuesday, Cal-Maine said its sales nearly doubled to $1.42 billion in its fiscal third quarter, which ended March 1. The company said that was primarily due to higher egg prices, which averaged $4.06 per dozen during the quarter, up from $2.25 per dozen a year ago. |
| Trump's tariffs have been a source of both hope and fear among Gulf South industries | |
 | As Wall Street continues its wild swings under the weight of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, reactions in the Gulf South are mixed. As fishers along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast celebrate the tariffs, auto workers in Alabama nervously check their 401(k)s. Businesses without ties to foreign trade shrug while those that rely on imports wonder how much of the cost they'll have to pass on to customers. Plenty are also waiting to see how this will shake out -- though that does not mean nerves are calm, with uncertainty leading to stress. "We don't know yet, because they're so new, exactly how they're going to impact all these (thousands) of businesses we have here," Bradley Byrne, CEO of the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and former U.S. Congressman, said. "And anytime you go through that as a business, you have some anxiety." Bosarge Boats in Pascagoula, Mississippi has been in Leann Bosarge's family for generations. She believes the tariffs will give southern shrimpers an even playing field. "It makes us feel like we've finally got someone looking out for the little guy, and we may be able to continue a heritage that we're very proud of and feed our country," Bosarge said. "That's all we want to do. Give us a fair fight. We'll win. Everyday." Byrne, with the Mobile Chamber, said President Trump deserves a pat on the back for how tariffs will help the seafood industry. The same goes for steel, with American steelmakers facing similar price dumping headwinds from China. But most of the other businesses Byrne works with are anxious. |
| Tupelo investor Scott Reed says don't panic at stock market fluctuations | |
 | Stay the course. That's been the rule of thumb for long-term investors, people who know the stock market roller coaster can be bumpy. With the markets responding negatively to President Donald Trump's stiff tariffs on foreign countries -- a move the president says will bring industry back to the United States but will also drive prices of everyday items higher in the interim -- an investor might be tempted to act rashly. Don't, said Scott Reed, CEO of Hardy Reed investment adviser firm in Tupelo. According to Reed, the most critical issue in building an investment portfolio depends on investors' time horizon -- when they need the money and what they need the money for. "Think about it in three buckets, and do you have enough money in each bucket to do what you want to do?" he said. Volatility in the markets is caused by uncertainty, and the effects of Trump's tariffs are a deepening concern for investors around the world. Reed said that "this thing, too, shall pass." Historically, all downturns have eventually turned around. "What we're going through right now is not permanent; we have down markets 30% of the time," he said. "It's a free market system, which is bigger than any president and bigger than any country." |
| Mississippi lawmaker 'outraged' after GOP colleagues fail to extend child support for disabled adults | |
| Whether the product of petty retribution in what was a publicly contentious legislative session or due to lawmakers sincerely believing some things should not become law, plenty of bills died at the Mississippi capitol during the waning days of the regular session. Of those bills that will more than likely have to wait until next year to be brought up again, the failure of legislation allowing parents of adults with developmental disabilities to continue receiving child support after the age of majority has Sen. Nicole Akins Boyd "frustrated in all kinds of ways." The Republican from Oxford, who is the mother of a child with special needs, wrote the bill after hearing concerns from other parents within her community. "We have to make sure people are taking care of their children. I'm outraged a little bit," Boyd said after the bill died. "This is not right in the state of Mississippi. I'm frustrated in all kinds of ways. Simply because your child turns 21, that doesn't mean their disability goes away. That disability continues." Boyd, in part, blames her Republican colleagues for not standing up for "what is right" when it comes to ensuring people with disabilities are taken care of. She said that in a pro-life state like Mississippi, where abortion is banned except in certain cases, conservatives should be taking every opportunity to give children the best life possible. "I didn't hear a single Republican colleague (in the House) stand up and say, 'Hey, we need to take care of our kids,'" Boyd said. "A lot of convenient conservatism." |
| Federal judges hear arguments from NAACP, state officials over new legislative districts | |
| A federal three-judge panel on Tuesday did not indicate whether it would accept the state Legislature's plan to redraw 15 legislative districts or demand that candidates run under a different map in a November special election. Attorneys for the NAACP and state officials appeared in federal court in Jackson to argue whether the Legislature's proposed maps satisfy a previous court order that determined state officials diluted Black voting strength when they redrew the state's 174 legislative districts in 2022. Two U.S. district judges, Daniel Jordan III and Sul Ozerden, and one U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge, Leslie Southwick, ordered the state to create new legislative maps that redraw a House district around the Chickasaw County area, a Senate district in DeSoto County and a Senate district in the Hattiesburg area. The Legislature proposed a new Senate map that creates one new majority-Black district each in DeSoto County and the Hattiesburg area, with no incumbent senator in either district. To account for the new districts, two pairs of incumbents were placed in other districts. The Legislature also proposed a new House map that tweaked five districts in north Mississippi and made the House district in Chickasaw County a majority-Black district. |
| Grassley says Congress 'delegated too much authority to the president' on trade | |
 | Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to limit President Trump's trade authority, said Tuesday that he thinks Congress has "delegated too much authority to the president." "I made very clear throughout my public service that I'm a free and fair trader. The Constitution gives Congress the authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. I believe that Congress delegated too much authority to the president in the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Trade Act of 1974," Grassley said. "That said, I support President Trump's agenda to lower tariffs and non-tariff barriers other countries impose on American goods. I support President Trump's agenda to get a better deal from China and other countries for our farmers and manufacturers," he added. His comments Tuesday morning came as the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as part of a hearing focused on the president's trade policy agenda. "My question to you is: In the medium to the long term, do you plan to turn these tariffs into trade deals to reduce tariffs and nontariff barriers?" he asked Greer. "I support that. On the other hand, if the purpose is to stall on negotiations in order to keep tariffs high for the sole purpose of feeding the U.S. Treasury, I oppose that." |
| Trump disrupts global economic order even though the US is dominant | |
| By declaring a trade war on the rest of the world, President Donald Trump has panicked global financial markets, raised the risk of a recession and broken the political and economic alliances that made much of the world stable for business after World War II. Trump's latest round of tariffs went into full effect at midnight Wednesday, with higher import tax rates on dozens of countries and territories taking hold. Economists are puzzled to see Trump trying to overhaul the existing economic order and doing it so soon after inheriting the strongest economy in the world. Many of the trading partners he accuses of ripping off U.S. businesses and workers were already floundering. "There is a deep irony in Trump claiming unfair treatment of the American economy at a time when it was growing robustly while every other major economy had stalled or was losing growth momentum," said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University. "In an even greater irony, the Trump tariffs are likely to end America's remarkable run of success and crash the economy, job growth and financial markets.'' Trump and his trade advisers insist that the rules governing global commerce put the United States at a distinct disadvantage. But mainstream economists -- whose views Trump and his advisers disdain -- say the president has a warped idea of world trade, especially a preoccupation with trade deficits, which they say do nothing to impede growth. |
| China Has Readied a Trade-War Arsenal That Takes Aim at U.S. Companies | |
 | In the years since President Trump's first trade war with China, Beijing has built an arsenal of tools to hit the U.S. where it hurts. Now, it is getting ready to deploy them in full. On Wednesday, China said it would increase tariffs on all U.S. imports to 84%, a response to new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports of 104% that went into effect at midnight. It also added six U.S. companies including defense and aerospace-related firms Shield AI and Sierra Nevada to a trade blacklist, and imposed export controls on a dozen American companies including manufacturer American Photonics and BRINC Drones. While Trump has focused on tariffs as his trade weapon of choice, China's strategy goes well beyond imposing its own levies, relying on the lure of the Chinese market for U.S. companies. A central thread running through its calculus is how to inflict hardship on companies that bank on their ties with the world's second-largest economy. The toolbox underscores leader Xi Jinping's capacity to engage in a prolonged economic warfare with the U.S. As both capitals appear to move toward decoupling, it also highlights the ever-rising risks for U.S. companies operating or investing in China, or simply trading with the country. |
| Tariffs Will Make Electronics More Expensive. If You Need a New Gadget, 'Buy It Now' | |
 | If there's one word on your mind this week, it's probably tariffs. Last week, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on foreign goods imported into the US, setting the stage for a global trade war and stoking fears of a recession. A blanket 10 percent tariff on all imports kicked off on Saturday, April 5, with additional reciprocal tariffs on 60 countries to take effect by April 9. It's a wildly dynamic situation that's changing by the day, but you might wonder how this affects you. The first thing to know is that tariffs are paid by the company importing a product into the country. In short, that fee affects their bottom line, so companies often pass those costs on to consumers by increasing the price of the goods. While many product categories will likely see prices rise, electronics is a big one. "There's not any major electronics-producing nation that's not substantially affected by tariffs," Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, says, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and India. He believes tariffs will be negotiated for many countries, but expects the tariffs on China to stay. His advice? If you were planning on upgrading your laptop, tablet, or smartphone soon -- maybe the battery is lackluster or it's just too old -- do it now. |
| Many lawyers who argue for Trump at Supreme Court are heading for the exit | |
 | At least half of the front-line lawyers in the elite Justice Department office that represents the Trump administration at the Supreme Court are preparing to leave or have already announced their departures --- an unusually high amount of turnover at a time of intense litigation involving the president's initiatives. The people planning to leave the solicitor general's office have various reasons, according to several people close to the workforce, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss upcoming personnel changes. Many are uncomfortable or turned off by directives from Justice Department leaders, including Attorney General Pam Bondi's demand for "zealous advocacy" of President Donald Trump's agenda, these people said. The planned departures, and the newly announced retirement of veteran Edwin S. Kneedler, come as the Trump administration has repeatedly asked the high court to clear the way for its efforts to dramatically reshape the federal government, expand immigration enforcement and halt federal spending. Attrition from the office also coincides with an abrupt restructuring in leadership following the arrival of Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who was confirmed by the Senate last week along party lines. |
| RFK Jr. vowed to upend American health care. It's happening faster than expected. | |
 | Shortly after Donald Trump picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead his health department, a group of pharmaceutical executives traveled to Mar-a-Lago to personally express their reservations about the man who the president promised would "go wild" on health care. But Trump, confronted with their concerns about his history of anti-vaccine work and lack of government experience, waved the executives off, according to two people briefed on the conversation. Don't worry about Bobby, he assured them. I'll keep Kennedy under control. Five months later, federal health officials, industry executives and the public health community say they're more worried than ever. Kennedy in his first seven weeks atop the Department and Health and Human Services has dramatically reshaped the U.S. health apparatus, eliminating entire agency divisions, abruptly shifting policy priorities and leaving the sprawling department in what six current and former employees described as an unprecedented state of upheaval. The health secretary and his team forced out top scientists in charge of developing new vaccines and evaluating the safety of medicines, stripping away centuries of collective expertise and institutional knowledge. Government offices that manage key functions like ensuring safe drinking water and alerting Americans to contaminated drugs have been decimated. In the meantime, Kennedy appointees have sought greater control over scientific decision-making in agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration -- going against longstanding norms and roiling a health sector that accounts for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. economy. |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he 'encourages' people to get the measles vaccine | |
 | Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, said in an interview Tuesday that he encourages people to get vaccinated against measles after an outbreak killed two children in Texas. "We encourage people to get the measles vaccine," Kennedy told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook during his Make America Healthy Again tour in Arizona. While he had previously said in a post on X that the MMR vaccine was "the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles," he hadn't categorically encouraged people to get the vaccine. "The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy in a post on the social media platform X. That post was met with social media backlash from anti-vaxxers. Kennedy has previously linked the MMR vaccine to autism. But during the CBS interview, Kennedy said that he was all for the vaccine. "My position is people should get the vaccine," he said. "But that the government should not be mandating this. What I'm gonna do is make sure that we have good science so that people can make an informed choice." |
| NOAA contracts are being reviewed one by one. It's throwing the agency into chaos | |
 | The secretary of commerce is personally reviewing all contracts with commitments above $100,000 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, causing backups and uncertainty in the agency that is responsible for the country's weather forecasts, marine fisheries management and coastal management. NOAA is housed within the Department of Commerce. Howard Lutnick is reviewing all NOAA contracts above $100,000, according to three agency employees who spoke anonymously out of fear of retribution at work. There are hundreds of such contracts across the agency that need to be reviewed each year and several that have been paused or otherwise impacted by the secretary's review, according to an agency employee familiar with the contracting process. In the past, NOAA contracts would be reviewed when end dates neared, or during prescheduled interim reviews. Rarely did contracts lapse. It is out of the ordinary for the commerce secretary to personally review them, current and former NOAA officials told NPR. "Decisions are being made with little or no regard for the technical merit of the value of the contracts," says Rick Spinrad, who led NOAA during the Biden administration. The Commerce Department did not return NPR's request for comment. |
| Passover begins soon. For many Jews, the celebrations will occur amid anxieties and divisions | |
| Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over seven or eight days each year, commemorating the exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. It is considered the most widely observed of any Jewish holiday, symbolizing freedom and the birth of a Jewish nation. This year, the celebrations again occur amid anxieties and divisions among many Jews related to the unresolved Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the specter of widespread antisemitism. A year ago, for many Jews, any celebratory mood was muted by the scores of hostages captured by Hamas in Israel and held in Gaza. Many Seder tables, in Israel and elsewhere, had empty seats, representing those killed or taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023. Even after the recent release of some hostages, others remain held. Hopes for a formal end to conflict have been dampened by the collapse of a ceasefire and resumption of fighting. As was the case last year, there also is intense concern in some countries about a high level of antisemitic incidents. More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the United States were reported between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 24, 2024 -- the most ever recorded by the Anti-Defamation League. One notable change this year: Pro-Palestinian protests that roiled many college campuses in spring 2024 have been fewer and less disruptive, in part because of Trump administration pressure. |
| Mississippi libraries ordered to delete academic research in response to state laws | |
| A state commission scrubbed academic research from a database used by Mississippi libraries and public schools -- a move made to comply with recent state laws changing what content can be offered in libraries. The Mississippi Library Commission ordered the deletion of two research collections that might violate state law, a March 31 internal memo obtained by Mississippi Today shows. One of the now deleted research collections focused on "race relations" and the other on "gender studies." The memo, written by Mississippi Library Commission Executive Director Hulen Bivins, confirmed the scrubbing of scholarly material from a database used by publicly funded schools, libraries, community colleges, universities and state agencies. The database, MAGNOLIA, is funded by the Mississippi Legislature. Bivins' memo was emailed to a small group of library and academic administrators who oversee the state-run research database, telling them state laws affecting library collections prompted the deletion. Bivins said the Library Commission received a tip in late February or early March that the two databases might violate state law. By the end of March, the material had been deleted. "In all cases we comply with state law," Bivins said. "We're not acting fast. We are acting as we discern." |
| Marshall Ramsey hired to launch new Ole Miss news operation | |
| The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media has hired award-winning journalist Marshall Ramsey as the inaugural director of the Mississippi Media Lab. Ramsey, who serves as Mississippi Today editor-at-large, will lead the new lab that promises to connect student-produced news content with media outlets around the nation. He will also work as civic coordinator of the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation at UM. An author, host of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's "Now You're Talking" program and Emmy winner, Ramsey brings an incomparable wealth of experience to the position, said Andrea Hickerson, dean of the journalism school. "This is such a natural fit for Marshall because part of Jordan Center's mission is to advocate for the role of journalism in communities, why it's important to have news and how citizens need to know what's going on in their towns," she said. "The fact that Marshall has credibility in these communities already makes him the ideal advocate for that Mississippi." |
| UMMC launches Mississippi Center for Violence Research | |
 | The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) launched the Mississippi Center for Violence Research (MCVR). The center is a result of the Mississippi Violence Injury Prevention Program (MS-VIP) research funded by a $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, said Dr. Lei Zhang, associate dean for research and scholarship at the UMMC School of Nursing, Harriet G. Williamson Endowed Chair of Population Health Nursing and a nationally renowned researcher in preventive health and public health surveillance. According to UMMC, the center will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary research, education and evidence-based practices, addressing the root causes and consequences of violence while working toward safer communities across Mississippi and beyond. MCVR will focus on improving health outcomes, fostering community partnerships, and training the next generation of researchers and practitioners in violence prevention strategies. MS-VIP clinical research manager Leila Seidfaraji said the study is vital in Mississippi, which has the nation's highest rate of firearm-related deaths. |
| Vice President Vance touts 'Mississippi Miracle,' calls the education reform 'pretty incredible' | |
| Vice President J.D. Vance (R) entered the "Mississippi Miracle" chat on Tuesday, sharing a thread on X (formerly Twitter) that showed the Magnolia State with the best demographic-adjusted National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP scores for 4th and 8th grades in 2024. "This is pretty incredible," Vice President Vance wrote on X. "Smart education reform drastically improved Mississippi's schools." The reforms began in 2012 under then-Governor Phil Bryant (R), Lt. Governor Tate Reeves (R) and Speaker Philip Gunn (R). As previously noted by Laurie Todd-Smith in a 2023 Magnolia Tribune column on the making of the "Mississippi Miracle," only 33 percent of third graders and 32 percent of 8th graders were reading proficiently on state tests that year. She led the governor's education policy team and is now the Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Education at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bryant presented lawmakers with an education vision titled "Framing Mississippi's Future" and in 2013, reforms such as the Literacy Based Promotion Act (3rd Grade Reading Gate), the Pre-K Collaborative, the Mississippi Charter School Act, Dyslexia Education Scholarships, and more were passed and signed into law. Over the next decade, Mississippi lawmakers, students, teachers and communities responded to the new education standards by implementing policies and evidence-based strategies that saw major investments in teacher pay and training as well as student support systems through reading and career coaches. |
| New video shows police arresting U. of Florida student now held by immigration agents | |
 | Newly released law enforcement video Tuesday shows police pulling over a University of Florida international student from Colombia whose family says he is now being held by immigration agents in South Florida. In the body camera video, released under Florida's public records law, Gainesville police officers acknowledge that the circumstances of the traffic stop will almost certainly prevent Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, from lawfully remaining in the United States. "At some point, you've got to get some kind of consequence," said officer Brandon Vidal. "That's life." Zapata Velásquez was stopped on March 28 driving near the UF football stadium and ticketed because his sedan's registration had expired in July 2024 and his driver's license had expired in 2023, according to court records. The ticket identified one of the officers as Vidal, and the department said the other officer was Tyler Allen. Zapata Velásquez, a junior studying food and resource economics, had been living in Florida for four years, according to court records. He was previously ticketed in December 2023 for an expired registration and driving without a valid license, and never paid the traffic fines, court records showed. |
| UGA study: Fear of rejection influences how children conform to peers | |
 | Imagine you're a child in a classroom, and your teacher tells everyone to form groups for a project. You sit and wait, watching as other kids pair up and wondering if anyone will pick you. This fear of rejection -- familiar to many children and adults -- can significantly impact how kids behave in their peer groups, according to new research from the University of Georgia. The study found that children who feel anxious about being rejected are more likely to conform to academic expectations like studying harder or following classroom rules. They're also less likely to engage in troublemaking behaviors. On the other hand, children who actively expect rejection tend to resist conforming to both academic behaviors and popular trends. The research, led by recent UGA graduate Cayenne Predix, involved more than 350 fourth- and fifth-grade students. Participants completed questionnaires with scenarios to measure how likely they were to follow their friends' behaviors in three areas: academics, trend-following and troublemaking. |
| Feds revoke visas of 9 international Texas A&M students | |
 | Nine international students at Texas A&M University had their visas revoked Monday by the federal government and their legal statuses terminated. As of press time, university officials have not responded to questions about the situation except to issue this statement: "Texas A&M has had nine students with Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated by the U.S. government as of Monday morning. The university's International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) team has been in contact with the affected students, and ISSS has been in communication with the international student and scholar community on campus to provide appropriate information and support. Texas A&M follows all federal and state laws, while ensuring a campus culture that supports every Aggie every day." A person answering the phones at Texas A&M University International Student & Scholar Services said no one there was taking questions from the media. International student visa revocations have been quietly taking place across the country since President Donald Trump took office. |
| Colleges, including U. of Missouri, say some international students' visas are being revoked | |
 | Colleges around the country are reporting some of their international students' visas are being revoked unexpectedly, expressing alarm over what appears to be a new level of government scrutiny. Visas can be canceled for a number of reasons, but college leaders say the government has been quietly terminating students' legal residency status with little notice to students or schools. That marks a shift from past practice and leaves students vulnerable to detention and deportation. The list of colleges that have discovered students have had their legal status terminated includes Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, UCLA, Ohio State University and the University of Missouri System. Many college officials and students have only found out about the changes when they have checked a federal database and seen changes to an individual's immigration status. "The University of Missouri has learned that a small number of students have had their Student Exchange Visitor Information System records terminated by the Department of Homeland Security," said Christopher Ave, spokesperson at MU. "When we become aware of this happening, we provide students with academic support while they seek legal advice from their own attorneys. We have published guidance to international students and scholars." To date, no students have been impacted at other schools in the UM System but they aware and proactively taking steps to inform international students of the guidelines in place. |
| Va. research colleges poised to face 'devastating' consequences from federal cuts, experts say | |
| Research colleges and universities in Virginia are at risk of taking significant cuts, state lawmakers in the House of Delegates and education experts revealed Tuesday, as the country's executive branch continues to trim down operations and funding in the federal government. According to data collected by the National Center for Science and Engineering, Virginia ranks 13th in the nation in research and development (R&D) performance. "R&D is important to Virginia, and changes in federal R&D funding and policies will have ripple effects on your entire state and the Virginia Public and Land Grant Universities," Deborah Altenburg, vice president of research policy and advocacy at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), said to lawmakers on Tuesday in Alexandria. "Universities are really in uncharted waters, and each institution will need to make decisions based on their institutions' resources and risk tolerances," Altenburg said. Some of the top federal funding recipients in the commonwealth include the University of Virginia, which received $354.7 million in 2023, followed by Virginia Tech with $282.1 million. |
| Trump administration halts $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell, $790 million for Northwestern | |
| More than $1 billion in federal funding for Cornell University and around $790 million for Northwestern University has been frozen while the government investigates alleged civil rights violations at the schools, the White House said. It's part of a broader push to use government funding to get major academic institutions to comply with President Donald Trump's political agenda. The White House confirmed the funding pauses late Tuesday night but offered no further details on what they entail or what grants to the schools are being affected. The moves come as Trump's Republican administration has increasingly begun using governmental grant funding as a spigot to try to influence campus policy, previously cutting off money to schools including Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. That has left universities across the country struggling to navigate cuts to grants for research institutions. In a statement, Cornell said that it had received more than 75 stop work orders earlier Tuesday from the Defense Department related to research "profoundly significant to American national defense, cybersecurity, and health" but that it had not otherwise received any information confirming $1 billion in frozen grants. "We are actively seeking information from federal officials to learn more about the basis for these decisions," said the statement from Michael I. Kotlikoff, the university president, and other top school officials. |
| Americans without a degree still believe in the value of college, a new poll says | |
| Just 18% of American adults without a college degree believe four-year colleges charge a "fair" price -- but they still find value in getting a college degree. Those are the findings of a new Lumina Foundation and Gallup poll of nearly 14,000 people between the ages of 18 and 59, surveyed last October. Respondents included current students and people who started but never finished their degrees, among others. While overall perceptions of the value of college degrees have dropped roughly 5% over the last year, the majority of the respondents, across all ages, races and political affiliations, said at least one degree -- associate or bachelor's -- is valuable. "They know that a degree is gonna open doors for them. They know that a degree is the opportunity to a better job and a better life," says Courtney Brown, a Lumina Foundation executive who oversees this annual report. "We're dealing with this paradox of sorts where people want it, they value it, but it's becoming harder to actually get it." And according to survey respondents, not all degrees are created equal: While 70% of adults without a college degree said a bachelor's degree is "extremely" or "very" valuable, only 55% said the same about an associate degree. |
| Parents About to Tap 529 College Accounts Can't Wait Out Market Turmoil | |
| Financial professionals say leave your money alone in a roller-coaster market. Parents with college-age children don't necessarily have that option. The stock-market selloff that has sent the S&P 500 down 19% from its peak is delivering a particular blow to people who need to use the money soon. Parents often spend 18 years or more saving in tax-advantaged 529 investment accounts, then draw the savings down to pay tuition. "I'm a little afraid to look," says Amy Rademacher of her family's 529 accounts. Her son is starting college in August, and she expects the savings to cover about a quarter of his expenses. More people have poured money into 529 plans in recent years, and their balances had been rising along with the markets. There were more than 17 million accounts holding $525 billion in assets at the end of last year, according to ISS Market Intelligence, a financial data analysis company. That is up from $157 billion in 2010. Over the past decade, 529 plans have expanded beyond college tuition to cover qualifying K-12 expenses, student-loan repayment and apprenticeship programs. Unused balances can be rolled into the beneficiary's Roth IRA. Part of the allure of a 529 is the ability to select from a menu of investment options, ranging from conservative to aggressive, then forgetting about the money until it is needed. As with a 401(k) retirement plan or saving for a house down payment, the ups and downs of the market might not matter until it comes time to pull the money out. |
| New Report: Most Students Say Colleges Promote Free Speech | |
 | While freedom of speech remains a hot-button issue in higher ed, most undergraduates feel like they're free to speak their minds on campus, according to a new report by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup. The report, released Tuesday, found that roughly three-quarters of students earning bachelor's degrees believe their college does an "excellent" or "good" job of fostering free speech, including 73 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of Democrats. More than two-thirds of students of all races, genders and major political parties report feeling like they belong on campus, and at least three-quarters say they feel respected by faculty members. But some topics are more easily discussed than others. Most students feel like they can freely discuss race (66 percent), gender and sexual orientation (67 percent), and religion (62 percent). Discussing the Israel-Hamas war appears to be more fraught. Half of students report that pro-Israel views are welcome on campus, while 57 percent say the same of pro-Palestinian views. Students are also divided on how campuses have handled protests -- a little over half, 54 percent, described their campus as doing an "excellent" or "good" job responding to protests and other disruptions. "At a time when public discourse often questions whether free speech is still alive on college campuses, students are telling us a more hopeful story," Courtney Brown, Lumina's vice president of impact and planning, said in a news release. "It's a powerful reminder that, despite the national narrative of polarization, many campuses are doing what higher education is meant to do: foster open dialogue, encourage learning and create a sense of belonging." |
| With secret moves against international students, feds spread fear | |
| On college campuses, an untold number of international students are navigating their days without knowing whether they are about to be kicked out of the country. Dozens of universities reported a new wave of student visa revocations over the weekend, the latest salvo in the Trump administration's aggressive campaign against international students. The move comes after the administration said it would use all the information at its disposal to help identify international students to deport for their anti-Israel protests, which the government alleges support Hamas's goals. The administration has not said how many student visas it has revoked or why affected colleges were not notified. So far, about a dozen students, some whose identity remains unknown, have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to various groups tracking the detentions. The furtiveness shrouding the revocations and arrests is fueling the fear that almost any immigrant could be targeted, with no warning, for protesting the Gaza-Israel war, or for something as minor as a traffic violation. Compounding the fear and confusion are deep-seated concerns that the Trump administration's deportation actions violate First Amendment and due process rights. "It's never been the case that the government would go in and terminate someone's status before the proceedings were allowed to happen and the student had their day in court," said Adam Cohen, a partner at Siskind Susser, an immigration law firm. "What's happening now is unprecedented." |
| Student Visas Are Being Revoked Without Reason or Warning, Colleges Say | |
| Colleges and universities across the country say the visas of some international students have been revoked in recent days without notice, causing confusion on campuses and panic among students, some of whom have filed lawsuits. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in an interview Tuesday that universities should do more to vet whether students have any terrorist leanings or "are not necessarily supportive of the United States" before they come to campuses. She cited the increased activity by Rubio in taking away student visas. The Trump administration has been escalating its crackdown on international students, which began with arrests of several students who participated in pro-Palestine protests. Though the number of visas revoked remains relatively small, recent cases have created widespread fear among foreign students that they could be targeted for unpredictable reasons. "It seems like they're going lower and lower on the list of flags in the system to terminate these students' status," said Elizabeth Goss, an immigration attorney specializing in higher education, referencing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement database of student visa holders. "It's totally unprecedented." Schools reporting revoked visas varied and were spread from coast-to-coast, from University of Kentucky to Minnesota State University, Mankato, to University of Massachusetts Boston. The move is hitting students from countries across the globe. Undergraduates, graduate students and even those working in the U.S. after graduation on their visas have been targeted. |
| NSF slashes prestigious PhD fellowship awards by half | |
| Each April, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a cohort of around 2,000 promising young researchers a prestigious fellowship to support their careers in science. Yesterday, the agency, which is a major funder of basic science, announced that it is awarding only 1,000 fellowships -- slashing the cohort by half. he NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) selectively offers five-year awards to students pursuing master's and PhD degrees in the sciences. Only about 16% of the more than 13,000 applicants are usually successful. Fellows receive an annual stipend of US$37,000 plus coverage of their tuition. The GRFP is one of the longest running programmes to fill the global pipeline of science talent: since 1952, it has funded more than 75,000 young researchers. The programme's goal, according to its website before US President Donald Trump took office, was to "ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce". A new version of the website replaces "diversity" -- a priority the Trump administration has sought to eradicate -- with "strength". The cuts to the GRFP add to the headwinds that the Trump administration has been stirring up for young scientists. |
| Conservatives Seize the Moment to Remake Higher Ed | |
| With the Trump administration taking special aim at higher education, conservative policymakers and college leaders are embracing the opportunity to force a cultural reset across academe. At a forum Tuesday morning called "Reclaiming the Culture of American Higher Education," the architects of Project 2025, an official from the U.S. Department of Education and four college presidents cast the sector as ripe for reform. The event offered insights into how conservative thinkers operating the levers of power at the Education Department view the current state of higher education and the need for change. "We're reclaiming institutions, we're reclaiming the culture broadly, we're certainly reclaiming policy," Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation president and Project 2025 mastermind, said in opening remarks. He praised the Trump administration as a valuable partner in driving reform. Jonathan Pidluzny, deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at the Department of Education, followed Roberts. Pidluzny, who previously worked under Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the America First Policy Institute, framed the culture of higher education as antithetical to American values and the sector as broken and unaccountable. In brief remarks, he offered a vision for reform that includes "a complete reorientation of civil rights enforcement." He blamed higher ed's troubles partly on the Biden administration and partly on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which Trump has also targeted. |
| 'Let's shake it up': Linda McMahon defends massive cuts at Education Department | |
| U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Tuesday defended the Trump administration's move to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, arguing it was necessary to eliminate bureaucracy, while reiterating the agency would preserve Pell Grants and other funding programs. "We just can't keep going along doing what we're doing," McMahon said at ASU+GSV Summit, an annual education, workforce and technology conference. "Let's shake it up. Let's do something different, and it's not through bureaucracy in Washington." McMahon acknowledged, however, that the Education Department can't be closed without congressional approval, saying the agency wants to work with lawmakers. McMahon also told conference attendees that the Education Department would preserve NAEP but left the door open on changing it. "Does NAEP need to get revised? I don't know that answer," McMahon said. "I'm not a technology expert, but I would really be interested in hearing what we need to do. How can we measure differently?" |
| President Trump's hints of 'methods' for a third term provide a powerful political distraction | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: How realistic are calls among his political followers for a third term in office for President Donald Trump? The 22nd Amendment stands as the most obvious impediment to a third Trump term. The operative language of the 22nd Amendment is as follows: ""No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." ... While the realistic chances for a third Trump term are very slim, the very discussion of the attempt is a whopping distraction that benefits the Trump Administration particularly during the early years of his second term -- when the pace of unprecedented changes in the operations and policies of the federal government has the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government back on their heels as Trump and his allies forge ahead, |
SPORTS
| Baseball: State Takes Midweek Victory Over UAB | |
| Mississippi State grabbed its seventh-consecutive midweek win on Tuesday night with an 8-3 victory over UAB at Young Memorial Field. Noah Sullivan had a big night for the Bulldog offense, going 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, a double and a home run. Gehrig Frei had a pair of hits of his own, including a double and an RBI. Ryan McPherson got the win on the mound for State, improving his record to 3-0 after pitching four frames. He struck out five batters, and allowed only one hit and two walks. The Bulldog pitching staff struck out a total of 12 Blazers over nine innings. Nate Williams had four of those in two scoreless innings of work while Luke Dotson had two punchouts in a perfect ninth to close things out. Mississippi State travels to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide in a weekend series that begins on Friday. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. Saturday is a 2 p.m. contest and Sunday's ballgame begins at 1 p.m. All games will be streamed on SEC Network+. |
| Baseball: Bullpen excels as Mississippi State wins midweek game at UAB | |
| Midweek games were not Mississippi State's strong suit last season, to the point where catcher Johnny Long admitted the Bulldogs did not always bring the same energy as they did for a Southeastern Conference weekend. While MSU has stumbled through the first half of SEC play this year, the Bulldogs do at least seem to have solved their midweek woes. After dropping its first two non-weekend games of the season to Southern Miss and Troy -- both of whom are currently ranked in the top 25 -- MSU has won seven consecutive midweek contests, the latest one coming Tuesday night in an 8-3 road victory over Alabama-Birmingham. "I don't know how locked in we were," Bulldogs head coach Chris Lemonis said. "We won, but I just chewed them a little bit because I feel like we can play a little better in the midweek. Our pitching really helps us out because we can match up with better arms than most. We have a little more depth than most." Two-way player Noah Sullivan made his fifth straight midweek start on the mound, and the Blazers were the first team to score against him. UAB scored twice in the second inning on back-to-back RBI doubles, and Sullivan was done after allowing five hits in just two frames. |
| Why Mississippi State football, Jeff Lebby will target these positions in spring transfer portal | |
| Mississippi State football's spring game isn't until April 19, but roster moves could already happen before then. That's because the spring transfer portal window opens on April 16. It's MSU's last chance to fill roster needs for the 2025 season. The spring window, which will be open until April 25, doesn't usually have as much volume as the winter opening, but there still can be some hidden gems. Davon Booth, for example, was a spring transfer last year and turned into the Bulldogs' leading rusher. Lebby said at the start of practices one month ago that the offensive line will be a targeted position in the spring transfer window. He reaffirmed it after Tuesday's practice. "I think offensive line will be priority one," Lebby said. It's likely a repercussion of MSU hiring Phil Loadholt as the new offensive line coach on Jan. 2, shortly after the winter transfer window had closed. Lebby said on Tuesday that MSU will also look to acquire a tight end in the transfer portal. |
| House bill seeks to prevent college athletes from being employees of schools, conference or NCAA | |
| U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), one of the highest-ranking Republicans in the House, said Tuesday that she has introduced a bill that would prevent college athletes from being employees of their schools, conferences or an athletic association. McClain said this during a hearing of the Committee on Education and the Workforce's Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee. The hearing was about college sports, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the possible impacts of athletes becoming school employees. McClain is the current House Republican Conference chair, which makes her the GOP's No. 4-ranking member in the House. As Tuesday's hearing concluded, subcommittee chair Rick Allen (R-Ga.) said: "It's my hope that my committee colleagues will join this effort ...". A release from McClain's office after the hearing included a statement from full committee chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) that endorsed the legislation. Power Four conference and school officials and athletes are set to spend Wednesday visiting lawmakers' offices in Washington in what is being billed as "College Sports Day on The Hill." Efforts toward further, more comprehensive legislation are ongoing in the Senate. |
| Scheffler is back to defend his Masters title, if he can make it through the Champions Dinner safely | |
| The prerogative of choosing the menu for the Champions Dinner at the Masters falls upon the defending champion, and Scottie Scheffler made an addition in his second go-around at those selections that underscored his wry sense of humor. His dad used to make wonderful meatballs. It was young Scottie's favorite dish growing up. And you can't very well have meatballs without some sort of pasta. So, the two-time Masters champion quite naturally thought: "ravioli." The same thing he was making in December, when the world's No. 1 player shredded his hand on a shard of glass. Come to think of it, maybe instead of just serving the ravioli Tuesday night, when the former Masters champions all gathered to celebrate Scheffler and reminisce with one another, he ought to have had some ravioli-making stations. "If I was trying to take out the competition," Scheffler said with a grin, "I would definitely do a demonstration, something along those lines. But yeah, hopefully avoid the injuries. Maybe they'll cut up my steak for me so I won't have to use a knife." Jokes aside, the funniest thing might be this: The idea that Scheffler has to sabotage anyone. |
| A Masters Tradition Unlike Any Other: Gifting Tickets to Government Officials | |
| Everyone knows the one thing that makes the city of Augusta, Ga. famous. For one week every spring, this otherwise sleepy town and its golf club come alive to host the Masters. An event of this magnitude, hosting tens of thousands of fans, staff, players, and guests requires close coordination between the City of Augusta and Augusta National Golf Club. Roads are shut down, cops take over traffic and a tiny regional airport suddenly swells with private jets. But, it turns out that the relationship between the local government and the world renowned private club is even closer than previously known. And those ties, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, test the limits of ethics laws that guide how public officials should interact with businesses within their purview. For years, Augusta National has gifted scores of highly coveted and valuable tickets to high-ranking city employees and elected officials, according to emails reviewed by The Journal in response to public records requests and people familiar with the matter. Some of those tickets -- the especially rare Masters Series Badges that grant access to all four rounds of the tournament -- can sell for more than $20,000 on the secondary market. |
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