Tuesday, April 24, 2018   
 
White House taps Mississippi State's Mark Keenum to chair BIFAD board
Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum was designated chairman of the Board for International Food and Agriculture Development by President Donald J. Trump, the White House announced. BIFAD's mission is to draw on higher education's scientific knowledge to advise U.S. international assistance efforts. The President appoints BIFAD's members, comprised primarily of members of the academic community with expertise in global food security and world hunger. "During my tenure at MSU, our university has continued to build on our longtime reputation as one of the top agricultural schools in the nation," Keenum said. "As an agricultural economist, I have long recognized the challenge facing our planet with both a growing population and serious challenges to future food supplies. Finding ways to enhance food security is literally a matter of life and death. It is important to preventing conflict among nations and is in our own national security interests."
 
Trump appoints Mark Keenum, Richard Lackey to BIFAD ahead of spring meetings
President Donald Trump last week announced his intent to nominate Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University, to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development for a four-year term expiring July 28, 2020, and to designate him as chair of the board, which advises the U.S. Agency for International Development. Trump also announced his intent to appoint Richard Lackey of Colorado, chairman and CEO of the World Food Bank and founder of the for-profit Global Food Exchange, for the remainder of a four-year term expiring July 28, 2020. The appointments were announced ahead of public meetings scheduled in Washington on May 8 and 9 for BIFAD, which is managed by the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities.
 
State OKs $25 million in bonds for bridges
Top Mississippi officials have approved the state's borrowing $25 million to help repair or replace dangerous bridges. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Treasurer Lynn Fitch make up the state Bond Commission. Legislators voted several weeks ago to give the commission permission to issue $50 million in bonds for bridges. The commissioners met Monday and voted unanimously to issue half of that. Bryant spokesman Clay Chandler said the other half could be issued in July.
 
Jim Hood leads Tate Reeves in poll for 2019 governor's race
A poll released Tuesday indicates Mississippi may be poised to do something that hasn't happened since 1999 -- elect a Democrat for governor. The Mason-Dixon survey of 625 registered Mississippi voters revealed Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood holds a 44 percent to 39 percent advantage over Republican Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves in a one-on-one matchup. The remaining 17 percent was undecided. The margin of error is plus or minus four percent. Results from this survey taken April 12 to April 14 are similar to one taken in December.
 
U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel shows weak start to fundraising
U.S. Senate candidate and tea party darling state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, raised less than $100,000 since announcing his candidacy in March. The donations technically came during his run for Incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's seat, though they'll be transferred to his new campaign for the seat vacated this month by former U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. One of Wicker's Democratic opponents, Rep. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, surpassed McDaniel in donations, raising over $120,000. McDaniel, who has been discussing running for Senate since his failed bid in the primary runoff against Cochran in 2014, raised $99,290, a sign of the candidate's weak fundraising start regardless of the seat for which he's vying. He received donations from 61 people, plus $1,000 from the Jones County GOP and $500 from Mississippi TEA Party PAC.
 
Global race to develop self-navigating ships leaves U.S. behind
The day in which unmanned "ghost ships" ply the seas laden with cargo is fast approaching. But don't expect the drone vessels to be flying a U.S. flag. The United States is not among the global hotspots where a revolution in autonomous commercial shipping is unfolding. One needs to look to places like Norway, Finland, Singapore and China to observe the competition for unmanned shipping. A shipyard in Norway will soon begin building a 237-foot battery-powered electric container ship that will operate with nary a sailor aboard by 2020. Announcement of that project and several others over the past year have rippled through maritime circles worldwide. The U.S. isn't losing the race because a lack of technological know-how. In fact, U.S. technology in autonomous systems is world beating -- but it's largely confined to the military.
 
Scott Pruitt to unveil controversial 'transparency' rule limiting what research EPA can use
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is expected to propose a rule Tuesday that would establish new standards for what science could be used in writing agency regulations, according to individuals briefed on the plan. It is a sweeping change long sought by conservatives. The rule, which Pruitt has described in interviews with select media over the past month, would only allow EPA to consider studies for which the underlying data are made available publicly. Advocates describe this approach as an advance for transparency, but critics say it would effectively block the agency from relying on long-standing, landmark studies linking air pollution and pesticide exposure to harmful health effects. On Monday, 985 scientists signed a letter organized by the Union of Concerned Scientists urging Pruitt not to forge ahead with the policy change.
 
Stuck in Jail: Poor Mississippi Inmates Wait Long for Trial
Jerry Sanders has been sitting in a jail cell on a relatively minor charge of methamphetamine possession for more than a year --- longer than the sentence he could get if he's convicted. And with no money to post bail or hire his own lawyer, he may be sitting there for weeks or months more. Long pretrial detentions are not unheard of elsewhere in the United States. But poverty, scarce resources, and a pattern of locking up people for low-level crimes make them particularly prevalent here, in the country's poorest state. A recent survey of Mississippi jails conducted by the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law -- released exclusively to The Associated Press -- shows that 2,500 defendants -- more than one-third of all of those jailed before trial -- have been in jail 90 or more consecutive days. More than 600 have been in jail longer than a year.
 
Gender Pay Gap? Maybe Not in the Corner Office, a Study Shows
The pay gap between men and women has rightly become an important topic of conversation in offices and boardrooms across the country. Despite the efforts of some companies to address the disparity, women last year earned 82 percent of what men earned, according to a Pew Research Center report. Now comes a bit of news that may spark some more discussion: There may be no pay gap at all between male and female chief executives of publicly traded companies. That's the stunning conclusion of a new study by two professors who looked at the compensation of corporate leaders at 2,282 companies from 1996 to 2014. The authors of the study, Sandra Mortal, from the University of Alabama, and Vishal K. Gupta of the University of Mississippi (along with a researcher, Xiaohu Guo), called it a "welcome finding in today's zeitgeist of gender equality."
 
Ole Miss Magee Center: alcohol, drug education attracts wide support
When William Magee, a University of Mississippi young alumnus, lost his battle with drug addiction, parents Kent and David Magee, of Oxford, shared his story and started an ongoing movement to help students. Student organizations, alumni, parents, aunts, uncles, faculty, staff, friends, a foundation, a corporation and an Oxford church congregation have collectively given more than $1 million in a 12-month period to establish the William Magee Center for Wellness Education Endowment. The first student organization to make a major gift of $25,000 to the Magee Center, Sigma Nu fraternity, has followed up with another $50,000 commitment to take fundraising over the million-dollar mark. Another fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, hosted weekend events to increase its original $30,000 gift, and Phi Mu fraternity has stepped forward with a $25,000 gift. "What has been so exciting about this campaign has been the level of engagement and support from our campus community," said Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs. "I am especially impressed with our student-led support.
 
USM exhibit looks at aftermath of sexual assault
Running shorts and a tank top, sweats and a ball cap, cargo pants and a T-shirt --- those are just three of the exhibits on display in the Southern Miss art exhibit "What Were You Wearing When You Were Sexually Assaulted?" The installation, on display through May at the Cook Library Art Gallery on campus, features representations of actual outfits worn by survivors of sexual assault. Stacy Creel, associate professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences, said the exhibit is aimed at getting across one message: "That sexual assault can happen to anyone and it's never the victim's fault," she said. Melanie Leuty, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, said people might be surprised by what they see.
 
Southern Miss sorority saves the last dance for WWII veteran
It was a special night for a local World War II veteran. The ladies of Phi Mu Sorority at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg hosted a dance for 92-year-old Navy veteran Paul Sonnier. Jessica Moreau, a social work intern at SouthernCare Hospice Services, said she would often visit with Sonnier. "He'd always ask me if I wanted to go to Ropers, the local bar," Moreau said. "He says I'll teach you how to jitterbug and the Waltz." Moreau said one day Sonnier told her his final wish would be "to dance with a beautiful woman." Moreau, who is a member of Phi Mu Sorority, gathered her sisters together to throw Sonnier the dance of his life. "We as a chapter always like to get involved with the community," Phi Mu President Cameron Ponder said.
 
Pearl River Community College tuition to remain the same despite statewide university tuition spikes
State universities across Mississippi have announced that increases to tuition will occur, according to coverage by the Associated Press. Because the state's education budget was cut approximately two years ago, these universities have been forced to find other ways to fill the financial gap. In response, the universities expect to have to increase tuition by an average of four percent, which will go into effect this coming fall, AP coverage states. While this change will affect students planning to attend state universities, the outlook may be brighter for those starting their education at a community college. Pearl River Community College president Dr. Adam Breerwood said there are no plans to raise tuition at PRCC. He said providing low tuition to students is a top priority, so raising the cost would only be considered as a last resort.
 
Campus Career Closet helps Auburn students dress for the jobs they want
When Addye Buckley-Burnell began working at Auburn University six years ago, she began to notice a need on campus. Many students did not have the professional attire they needed to wear during interviews for a job or internship. As assistant director of career development, Buckley-Burnell knew that was an area in which the university's Career Center could help students. A project five years in the making, the Campus Career Closet opened its doors for the fall 2017 semester, with the goal of helping students dress for success. "We've had an amazing amount of donations from the community, the campus, faculty and student side," she said. "I paired with the SGA and the Auburn Cares program, and we've all worked really well on organizing things and making sure drives are going on continuously." The Campus Career Closet is a service available to every student on Auburn's campus.
 
Man possibly posing as Uber driver charged with raping UGA student
Athens-Clarke County police recently charged a Greene County man for the alleged rape of a University of Georgia student. Police believe Emerson Redd, 56, posed as an Uber driver and lured the victim into his van early Friday. Lt. Derek Scott, commanding officer of the Athens-Clarke County police Sex Crimes Unit, called Redd's capture "a big arrest" because his profile fit that of a predator whose violence might have escalated in future assaults. Detectives had yet to complete their interviews of the victims as of Monday morning, but Saulters said that it appeared that the suspect might have chosen his victims by cruising downtown Athens looking for young women holding cellphones to their ears while appearing to be waiting on a ride.
 
U. of Kentucky will have fall break starting in 2019
University of Kentucky students will get a two-day fall break beginning in the fall semester of 2019. The University Senate approved the measure Monday, the Kentucky Kernel reported. To make up for those days, classes in the fall semester would begin on a Monday rather than a Wednesday starting in 2019, according to the proposal. Residence halls would remain open during the October break. The proposal, submitted by Student Government Association President Ben Childress, suggested that the break would aid "mental health and wellness." The proposal indicated that 65 percent of the university's benchmark institutions have a fall break, and most are two days.
 
U. of Kentucky's Eli Capilouto responds to concerns over tuition waiver legislation
University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto told campus via email on Friday that the university is "reviewing" the possible impact of state legislation that would end required tuition waivers for employees of Kentucky public higher-educational institutions. According to the email, the legislation passed from the Kentucky General Assembly would no longer require that employees of state postsecondary schools get free or reduced tuition. "Because many of our employees already have registered for classes for this summer and fall, we understand the sense of urgency to provide answers," the email read. The Employee Education Program and the Family Education Program -- UK's two current programs that provide tuition waivers to UK employees taking courses on campus -- will not change.
 
'Being Not-Rich': Low-Income Students at Michigan Share Savvy Advice
An online guide to "Being Not-Rich" on the University of Michigan's flagship campus has been annotated with dozens of comments and suggestions from students and faculty and staff members since the Google Doc began spreading in January. Eager contributors have suggested the best part-time jobs in Ann Arbor, warned of tax pitfalls to work-study programs, and recommended good deals for eating and drinking: Taco Tuesday at Cantina, $1 well drinks at Rick's American Cafe. At a university with a median family income of $154,000 -- highest among its peer institutions -- the guide fills a need for help in sifting through resources and making connections to other low-income students. Even staff advisers, charged with being wells of resources for students facing a variety of problems, find useful tips in the student-created guide. They've shared it among themselves to better help low-income students.
 
At trustees' meeting, a focus on free speech
Virtually every major conference of higher education leaders in the last two years has had a session on the sexy and contentious topic of free speech, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, meeting here this week, was no different. What distinguished the panel here, if anything, may have been the high wattage of its participants -- moderator Frank Sesno, the former CNN anchor (and Middlebury College trustee), and as panelists the presidents of two institutions that have been the focus of some of the most visible confrontations and disputes in recent years, the University of Virginia and the University of California system. Given that free speech issues continue to vex college campuses, as evidenced just this month by disputes over a professor's social media statements about the late Barbara Bush, a faculty member's Twitter comments about Jewish students at a small private college, and yet another campus speaker shouted down, it's probably the case that the issues can't be discussed (and written about) too much.
 
Trump blamed as U.S. colleges lure fewer foreign students
American universities are losing out to colleges in other countries in the race to enroll international students, and they're blaming President Donald Trump. Foreign competitors are taking advantage of Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric, aggressively recruiting the types of foreign students and faculty who would have typically come to the United States for their higher education. The data already show that U.S. colleges are falling behind foreign competitors during the Trump era. New foreign student enrollment in the U.S. dropped by 3 percent during the 2016-17 school year, and that decline is projected to double this school year, data show. At the same time, universities overseas are seeing increases as high as the double digits. The decline in foreign students enrolling in American colleges is just the latest evidence of Trump's immigration policies shutting doors in America. The U.S. is also granting fewer visitor visas to people from around the world.
 
Slot machines, taxes have much in common
Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "Income tax season is over for another year, meaning most people are no longer thinking about how much Mississippi and Uncle Sam claim from their wages -- which, of course, is just how Mississippi and Uncle Sam like it. It's a natural thing. We look at our checks, not the list of deductions. So, where did the money go? As it happens, the researchers at TIME magazine provided a breakdown as it relates to the federal dollar. It's staggering stuff. ... Mississippians and other Americans spend a lot of time getting all sweaty over who pays taxes and who doesn't. That's really a diversion and a waste of energy. The vastly more important topic is how local, state and federal governments choose to allocate the funds they receive from all sources. If the public focused attention on where their dollars actually go, Congress might tend to be a tad more accountable."


SPORTS
 
Bulldogs want to keep rolling against Rebels
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Mississippi State's baseball season seemed to be spiraling downhill before the Bulldogs pulled off a series win over instate rival and then-No. 3 Ole Miss to reignite hope. Now two weeks later, MSU meets the Rebels again looking to keep up the momentum originally started in the two teams' first encounter. Mississippi State (22-19, 8-10) faces No. 6 Ole Miss (32-9, 10-8) Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in Pearl in the annual Governor's Cup game. The matchup doesn't count in the Southeastern Conference standings, but it does give the Bulldogs the opportunity to continue their late-season turnaround. There is perhaps no better setting for the Bulldogs to try and continue their recent winning ways than tonight's venue of Trustmark Park. MSU has won its last two Governor's Cup meetings against Ole Miss in Pearl.
 
Rebels, Bulldogs play in Pearl tonight
Ole Miss and Mississippi State both had successful baseball weekends, but one will come up short tonight. The Rebels, No. 6 in the latest D1Baseball.com top 25, will face the Bulldogs in the annual Governor's Cup game at Trustmark Park in Pearl. First pitch is 6 p.m., and the game will air on the SEC Network. The game does not count in the SEC standings. MSU won the regular season series 2-1 the weekend of April 6-8 in Starkville. Ole Miss swept a doubleheader on Saturday to take the series from Georgia after losing the opener 3-2 on Friday night. MSU swept then-No. 3 Arkansas in Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend with 6-5, 5-3 and 7-5 victories. Mississippi State (22-19) has claimed the last two Governor's Cup games to take a 7-4 lead in that series and also have 20-18 edge since the non-conference game began as the Mayor's Trophy in 1980.
 
How Mississippi State outfielder Elijah MacNamee learned to 'trust it'
Elijah MacNamee's phone buzzed three weeks ago before he went out for dinner. This was shortly after Mississippi State baseball lost another game in which MacNamee again struggled at the plate. The call was from MacNamee's father Phillip Horton. "You need to trust it," Horton told MacNamee, the Bulldogs' starting right fielder. Then, as MacNamee recently recalled, there was a pause. After a moment, Horton asked MacNamee if he could tell him something else. MacNamee listened. "You're Elijah MacNamee," Horton said, "not Brent Rooker." MacNamee attributed his eye-opening success in Mississippi State's sweep over then-No. 3 Arkansas last weekend to hearing those words and having that conversation.
 
JP France offers strong relief outing as part of Mississippi State's sweep
JP France has spent years as the guy his coach does what's needed to get him matched up against Southeastern Conference lineups. As the marquee arm for Tulane in the first three seasons of his college career, he was the man the Green Wave turned to for crucial Ratings Percentage Index win opportunities. Becoming a SEC player himself has not slowed France down. France has been dominant against conference foes for most of the season, with his 2.08 earned run average and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings. The dominance reached new levels Friday, as he pitched four perfect innings of relief against No. 4 Arkansas (28-13, 10-8 SEC) as the Bulldogs pulled a weekend sweep. France struck out nine of the 12 Razorbacks he faced in the 6-5 Friday win. "That's the best outing I've had since I've been here. It was kind of weird, after that first inning I kind of went on autopilot and everything was working," France said. "It was the best I've felt this year, all my stuff was working."
 
Mississippi State athletes, coaches honored at Maroon & White Night
It was a red carpet affair not likely to be forgotten anytime soon, as athletic attire gave way to glamorous dresses and stylish suits Monday at the Mill Conference Center for Mississippi State's inaugural Maroon & White Night. MSU honored all 16 of its sports, recognizing those who had garnered All-American and All-SEC accolades and outstanding achievements in the classroom and community in addition to other specials awards such as Athletes of the Year, Coaches of the Year, Moments of the Year and the Newsom Awards. Hosted by the "Voice of the Bulldogs," Neil Price, with special appearances from athletics director John Cohen, 11 different awards were presented. The highlight of the evening was when Victoria Vivians and Nuno Borges were named female and male athletes of the year, respectively.
 
Kylin Hill shows speed, strength in Maroon & White Game
Comfort was an acquired taste through Kylin Hill's freshman season. The Columbus native and Mississippi State running back had enough on the surface, 30 minutes removed from home and playing in an offense resembling the high school system that made him one of the nation's top prospects at his position. All that was missing was the details. He thinks he has those in order now. The spring game might be the first sign. In Saturday's Maroon & White game, Hill led all running backs with nine carries, taking them for 50 yards and a game-high three touchdowns. He exits the spring just as he entered it -- as the favorite for the No. 2 running back spot, forming a tandem with West Point native Aeris Williams. "That's an awesome 1-2 punch there," MSU coach Joe Moorhead said. "Kylin's got a unique skillset, he's very fast, size and elusiveness. He had a good spring and I was happy to see him cap it off that way."
 
Ole Miss' right-field terrace will open for LSU series, but students need to 'control the behavior' after bullpen incident
The right-field terrace above the visitors' bullpen at Oxford-University Stadium will be open when No. 6 Ole Miss begins its series against LSU on Thursday and will remain that way throughout the weekend. At least that's the plan as long as the students sitting there behave themselves better than they did last weekend when Ole Miss' gameday operations staff cleared out the section during the nightcap of the Rebels' doubleheader against Georgia on Saturday after multiple students threw rocks into the bullpen, which is located directly below the terrace. "We can't have anymore relapses of behavior out there," Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork said. "Otherwise there could be further consequences. We have to continue to provide security out there, educate the students that are out there and make sure we protect the visiting team." Bjork said there have been "isolated" incidents involving students seated in the terrace and the visitors' bullpen since he took over as athletic director in 2012 but nothing that escalated to the point it did Saturday.
 
Ole Miss AD feels 'the cloud is gone' as Matt Luke returns home to Gulfport
When Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork and his former football coach, Hugh Freeze, made the trek to Pascagoula last April for their annual Coast stop on the Rebel Road Trip, it was somewhat of a gloomy affair that involved questions about an NCAA investigation and the future of the football program. A year removed from that Pascagoula trip, Bjork stepped off the bus in Gulfport on Monday in much better spirits with two new, beaming faces following him -- football coach Matt Luke, a Gulfport native, and men's basketball coach Kermit Davis. Freeze was forced out in July after an alleged phone call to an escort service was made public, allowing Luke to be elevated to the top job. He was given the position on a permanent basis in November.
 
Former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer concerned about future of college football
Former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer received the Robert R. Neyland Award on Saturday morning. "I want to thank you for this award," Kramer said in his speech accepting the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame brunch at The Foundry. "I'm truly honored." The Neyland Award is for contributions to college football and has been presented annually by Knoxville Quarterback Club since 1967. Before leading the SEC, Kramer was AD at Vanderbilt and coach at Central Michigan. "The game teaches so many things," Kramer said. "The lessons of toughness, teamwork, and striving for success are taught better on the football field than in any classroom." During his speech, Kramer expressed concern over the future of football and growing concern over health risks associated with playing the sport.



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