| Tuesday, July 23, 2019 |
| Mississippi State University Police Department Goes Electric With Zero | |
 | Mississippi State University's police department just became the latest law enforcement organization to invest in a brand-new form of patrol vehicle: two shiny electric Zero Motorcycles. The department is interested in supporting safety on campus, as well as environmental sustainability. While patrolling on foot or by bicycle works in some situations, neither is consistently great for quick response times, reported the Commercial Dispatch. The advantages for officers in running Zeros seem pretty clear. Near-instant power, extremely low maintenance, and incredible stealthiness are all great selling points. Packing all that capability into a relatively lightweight, nimble enduro bike seems almost ideal for that purpose. |
| 'They are pretty much gone:' Bonnet Carre closure too late for Pass seafood workers | |
 | Tim Kulikowski and Jeremy Forte are hoping for a good crop of white shrimp. That's all they can do. The men who work for Pass Christian wholesaler Jerry Forte Seafood were pleased with Monday's news that the Bonnet Carre Spillway was being closed. But the damage has already been done to brown shrimp harvests, they said. "This is by far the fewest brown shrimp we've ever seen in a brown shrimp season," Forte said. "I think they are pretty much gone." 2019 marked the first time since the spillway's completion in 1931 that it has been opened twice in a single year, and the first time it's been opened in back to back years. The spillway is expected to be completely closed by the weekend if the weather permits. The spillway funnels freshwater from the Mississippi River that eventually ends up in the Mississippi Sound, changing the Sound's ecosystem. Shrimp are disappearing. Oysters, once a big moneymaker, can't move and are dead or dying. Fish are covered in lesions. Harmful toxic algae are blooming. |
| What to expect from Tuesday's Republican gubernatorial debate | |
| The three Republican candidates for Governor will face off in a primary debate tomorrow night. While it will be round two on a debate stage for Bill Waller and Robert Foster, it will be Tate Reeves' first debate this election season. Republican analyst Austin Barbour says the timing of the debate, two weeks out from election day, makes a difference in terms of gathering momentum. "For many voters, it is the first time that they're having the opportunity to hear from these candidates, particularly in a comprehensive way," said Barbour. "Most voters aren't going to stick around for the full time of the debate. But if they stick in for 10 minutes or 20 minutes, it is important." But the end goal could be slightly different for each of the three candidates. "Tate Reeves is the overwhelming favorite in this race," added Barbour. "So, if you're Tate Reeves you just want to have a debate, perform, do well and not have any bad moments. If you're Bill Waller or Robert Foster, you're looking for a chance to find a way to make the front page of the paper. Find a way to be on Facebook, to be trending on Twitter. Those are the things that you're looking for." |
| Republican gubernatorial candidates go head to head in televised debate Tuesday night | |
| A debate featuring all three Republican candidates for governor will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday on WJTV, Channel 12 in Jackson and aired on multiple television and radio stations statewide. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of Rankin County, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. of Jackson and state Rep. Robert Foster of DeSoto will debate for 60 minutes on a closed set. Waller and Foster have participated in other debates earlier this year but Tuesday will mark the first time Reeves, viewed as the front-runner in the Aug. 6 primary, also will participate. The candidates will be questioned by members of the WJTV news team. The debate also will be carried on various Nexstar-owned television stations and web sites in Hattiesburg, Columbus, Meridian, Memphis, Mobile, Baton Rouge and on Mississippi Public Radio. |
| GOP Gubernatorial Debate -- tune in Tuesday night | |
| Join SuperTalk Mississippi on Tuesday night from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a GOP Gubernatorial Debate featuring State Rep. Robert Foster, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and former Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. The debate, hosted by WJTV-TV, can be heard on all SuperTalk stations across the state. You can listen online at http://www.supertalk.fm/listen. The debate will be moderated by WJTV-TV local news anchors Byron Brown and Melanie Christopher, as well as political reporter Gerald Harris, who will deliver questions to the candidates focused on local and regional issues impacting communities across Mississippi. |
| Gubernatorial debate set for Tuesday night | |
 | All Republican gubernatorial candidates will meet in a televised debate to air live Tuesday night, starting at 7 p.m. The debate will be hosted by Jackson-area television station WJTV and will be broadcast throughout most of Northeast Mississippi on WCBI. WJTV will also broadcast the debate online at its website and Supertalk Radio will also air the debate. Rep. Robert Foster, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and former state Supreme Court Justice William "Bill" Waller will compete on the Aug. 6 primary ballot for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, with a runoff following later in the month if no candidate captures more than 50 percent of the vote. This will be the only televised debate of this year's gubernatorial primary season and the only time Foster, Reeves and Waller will all share a debate stage. |
| Tate Reeves presents workforce training plan at Meridian Community College visit | |
 | Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves outlined a proposed $100 million workforce training and development plan at Meridian Community College's Riley Workforce Development Center on Monday. Reeves is a Republican running for governor. "We are here today because we want to promote a culture of work and enable Mississippi's workforce to compete with anyone, anywhere in the country," he said. "In fact, anyone, anywhere in the world." Under the plan, $75 million would go toward "modernizing workforce training capabilities," according to Reeves' website. Another $2.5 million would be devoted to grants to make communities Work Ready certified. In addition, the plan would provide $1 million in incentives for students to earn industry credentials, $20 million in grants that would cover childcare and transportation and $1.5 million to teach software development at K-12 schools. Every high school student would be exposed to a coding or computer science class. |
| Franklin Graham weighs in on Robert Foster: 'It's just common sense' | |
 | The Rev. Franklin Graham weighed in on a Mississippi gubernatorial candidate's decision to not allow a female reporter to follow with him on the campaign trail without a male colleague. Monday morning, Graham, the son of the late Rev. Billy Graham and a spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump, voiced his support for state Rep. Robert Foster, saying the gubernatorial candidate exercised "common sense" when choosing not to allow a female reporter to follow him on the campaign trail without a male colleague tagging along. In the post, Graham asked his followers their thoughts on the matter. As of late Monday morning, it had over 11,000 comments. "Some critics are upset and are calling the 'Billy Graham Rule' sexist, but I believe it's just common sense, and I appreciate Robert Foster's desire to honor his wife," Graham wrote. "I think this couple is wise to try to protect their marriage. What about you?" |
| GOP Race for Mississippi Secretary of State Grows Pointed | |
 | The contest between two candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Mississippi secretary of state has become one of the most pointed among 2019's primary elections, while the former mayor of Hattiesburg faces a novice politician for the Democratic nomination. Voters in both major parties choose their nominees on Aug. 6. State Sen. Michael Watson and Public Service Commissioner Sam Britton are running as Republicans, while former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Lexington resident Maryra Hodges Hunt are running as Democrats. The candidates offer different visions for the office. Britton and Watson have been trading charges in an increasingly edgy race. |
| It's legal: Candidates could lose election, but pocket campaign cash through loophole | |
| A loophole in Mississippi law allows politicians to personally profit from their campaign funds -- as long as they use money raised before 2018. Want a new car? How about some cowboy boots? Maybe you want to cut yourself a check using your excess campaign cash? It's all legal, as long as it's money raised before Jan. 1, 2018. Many candidates running in upcoming statewide elections still have significant campaign cash saved up from back then, a Clarion Ledger review of secretary of state filings found. While lawmakers drew praise for campaign finance reform they passed in 2017, Mississippi's current law -- including the lack of spending rules for old money -- remains among the most relaxed in the country. Under a grandfather clause lawmakers included when they passed reforms, several high-profile candidates could lose in next month's primary and walk away hundreds of thousands of dollars richer. |
| Politicians have been slashing taxes, but poll indicates Mississippians willing to pay higher taxes | |
| The state Legislature has been busy the past eight sessions cutting taxes, yet, at least 60 percent of Mississippians, based on a NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll, would be willing or somewhat willing to pay more taxes for education and for infrastructure. In terms of education, 19 percent were very willing and 41 percent somewhat willing, compared to 22 percent not too willing and 17 percent not at all willing to pay higher taxes, the poll respondents said. Results from a September poll asking the same question were near identical. The NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll of 1,042 registered voters released Friday was conducted earlier this month and has an "error estimate" of plus or minus 4.2 percent. According to the poll, done in collaboration with Mississippi Today, 22 percent would be very willing "to pay higher taxes" for infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, and 42 percent would be somewhat willing. |
| Mental Health Services Ending for Thousands in Mississippi | |
| Mental health services will soon end for thousands of adults and children in four Mississippi Gulf Coast counties because of a lack of funding. The Gulf Coast Mental Health Center notified the boards of supervisors in Harrison, Hancock, Pearl River and Stone counties that the grant-funded agency will be unable to fund services after Aug. 11, news outlets reported. And, officials said they will inform the state's chancery courts that the agency will be unable to accept involuntary commitments after Aug. 1. In the letter to county supervisors, the clinic's board of commissioners said it will begin referring all clients to community providers. The loss of services comes at a time when the U.S. Justice Department is suing the state for failing to provide adequate community mental health services. |
| $18.5M needed to cover nearly 10K educators left out of pay raise due to administrative error | |
| Almost 10,000 educators were omitted from a teacher pay raise, the Mississippi Department of Education announced on Monday. Nearly three months after the discovery that not enough money was set aside to ensure every public school teacher receives a pay raise, MDE stated in a news release that $18.5 million is necessary to cover the deficit for the 9,834 educators receiving the pay increase and benefits who were not included in the original estimate. In total, 40,991 teachers will receive a $1,500 pay raise, which costs the state $76.9 million, according to MDE. In the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers approved a $1,500 pay raise for public school teachers and assistant teachers and set aside $58 million in the state budget to cover that expense. In April, Mississippi Today first reported the Legislature did not appropriate enough funds because of an administrative error. Mississippi Department of Education officials blamed the error on an information system officials have warned lawmakers is old and unreliable. |
| Food stamps could end for 3 million under new USDA plan for SNAP | |
 | The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed new rules Tuesday to limit access to food stamps for households with savings and other assets, a measure that officials said would cut benefits to about 3 million people. In a telephone call with reporters, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps said the proposed new rules for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) were aimed at ending automatic eligibility for those who were already receiving federal and state assistance. "This proposal will save money and preserve the integrity of the program," Perdue said. "SNAP should be a temporary safety net." Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D.-Mich), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the proposed rule was an attempt to bypass Congress which has blocked earlier attempts by the Trump administration to cut food stamps. |
| White House, Hill leaders agree on two-year budget deal | |
 | House leaders released legislation late Monday that would implement the two-year accord on appropriations and the debt ceiling struck earlier in the day by the White House and top Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill. The 26-page draft bill, expected to get a House vote Thursday, calls for raising limits on discretionary spending by $321 billion over two years, compared to the strict caps imposed under a 2011 deficit reduction law. Less than a quarter of the cost of increased spending, or $77.4 billion, would be offset with an extension of fees on cargo and passengers arriving in the U.S. and automatic cuts to Medicare and other programs that are currently set to expire in 2027. That's down from the $150 billion in cuts sought by the White House, and those cuts aren't the upfront savings sought by conservatives. But the entirety of the package reflects a hard-fought compromise between the parties. |
| U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Encouraged by President's Budget Deal | |
 | U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today praised the announcement by President Donald Trump that a two-year budget agreement had been reached with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "The budget outline the President announced today is a responsible step that assures steady and adequate funding for our national security over the next two years," Wicker said. "This plan avoids the possibility of a government shutdown or a continuing resolution that would introduce uncertainty into every part of our government. This compromise agreement allows for Congress to pursue a responsible appropriations process between now and the end of the fiscal year." Last week, Wicker spoke from the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass a budget deal before the August recess that includes full support for the nation's military. |
| Lottery board VP interested in becoming Ole Miss chancellor | |
| The vice chairman of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation says he's interested in becoming chancellor of the University of Mississippi. In response to reporters' questions about the Ole Miss job, Gerard Gibert of Ridgeland said Monday, "I was approached by some people that thought I might have an interest in that, and I made clear that I do. I have been through several pieces of that process. Don't really want to disclose specifically what those are." He said it began with others approaching him, and that he did not initiate the process. Gibert earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi in 1980. University leaders typically hold at doctorate or other advanced degree. Gibert founded Venture Technologies in 1986, and said he sold the Ridgeland-based company in January for $92 million. He spoke Monday at a forum hosted by Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government and the Capitol press corps. |
| Literary Conference at UM Examines Family in William Faulkner's Work | |
| A literary conference at the University of Mississippi is focusing on the theme of families in William Faulkner's work. The 46th annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference opens Sunday and runs through Thursday. The conference includes lectures, exhibits, panel presentations, guided tours of north Mississippi and the Delta and sessions about teaching Faulkner. The Nobel laureate lived in Oxford near the Ole Miss campus, and his home, Rowan Oak, is still a top tourist attraction in north Mississippi. He died in 1962. The conference coordinator is Jay Watson, the university's Howry Professor of Faulkner Studies. He said two distinguished Faulkner scholars, Jim Carothers and the late Noel Polk, repeatedly suggested that the conference focus on Faulkner and the family. |
| Construction on Gertrude Ford Boulevard begins | |
| Oxford's Board of Aldermen approved a request from the University of Mississippi planning department four months ago to close Gertrude Ford Boulevard for the month of July to work on constructing a retaining wall near the University Avenue bridge to match the one already built. Four weeks after the project was scheduled to begin, construction is underway. The university announced on Friday the project would start on Monday and run through Aug. 31. The board approved the university's request on the condition of working from July 1-31, with the road closed to make sure the project was completed before school started for Oxford and Lafayette County on Aug. 7. Issues with the Mississippi Department of Transportation kept the project from starting on time, but the university got those issues worked out last week, allowing the project to begin. |
| What happened to Ally Kostial? Details start to emerge | |
| Ally Kostial, 21, was last seen stopping at the door of a bar on the square Friday night. She didn't go in, she just turned and walked out of the camera's view. Authorities close to the case say she went home around midnight, but at some point she left the house again. Her roommates didn't hear her leave. On Saturday morning, the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department says one of their deputies was on routine patrol at Buford's Ridge, a remote area with a fishing camp that both locals and college students would go to on the weekends to ride their ATVs in the lake bottom when the water is low. Only last weekend it was pretty high, which cut down on the traffic to the area considerably. That deputy found her body, shot eight times, as he patrolled. People in the area have wondered what happened to Ally Kostial, and could it happen to them? Coeds on campus are understandably shocked. |
| Man charged with murder held in Lafayette County Detention Center | |
| An arrest has been made with a charge of murder by the Lafayette County Sheriffs Department. Brandon Theesfeld, 22, who was booked at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, is being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center. Next to Theesfeld's name, "hold" was written under the charge line in the jail docket. However, the word was crossed out Tuesday morning, and written above it in bold letters was the word "murder." When reached for comment on Tuesday morning neither The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department or the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation responded to verify if Theesfeld is being charged in connection with Alexandria "Ally" Kostial's death. Kostial was found at 10:23 a.m. Saturday near the Buford Ridge area of Harmontown. No further details have been released by the authorities regarding how Kostial died, though other reports claim she was shot multiple times. |
| Title IX case at LSU could blame universities for hazing deaths | |
 | A court ruling in a civil lawsuit against Louisiana State University could make universities culpable for fraternity hazing deaths nationally. The parents of Max Gruver are seeking damages from the university after the 18-year-old died in 2017 following a fraternity hazing ritual that involved drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol. The family's attorneys contend the university has failed to protect male students in Greek life in the same way it had with women in sororities. In a ruling on the suit, Judge Shelly Dick on Friday partially denied the university's attempt to dismiss the case and said, "If these facts are proven, a jury may infer that LSU's policy created the heightened risk to Greek male student of serious injury or death by hazing, thereby inflicting the injury alleged herein." Gruver's family is seeking $25 million. Among other things, the suit argues the university had failed to warn male students about the dangers of hazing and failed to address the bad behaviors of fraternities while disciplining sororities that acted out of line. |
| Why Matthew Naquin's felony conviction makes LSU case stand out from other hazing trials | |
 | Max Gruver was one of four fraternity pledges to die in an American college in 2017 after a night of coerced drinking. The liquors that killed the pledges ranged from Everclear to Wild Turkey bourbon; their blood-alcohol levels ranging from four to six times the legal limit. But what came nearly two years after Gruver's death now sets his case apart from the others, as a Baton Rouge jury this week convicted former LSU student and Phi Delta Theta member Matthew Naquin on a charge of negligent homicide. t's the only case from that year that has resulted in a felony criminal conviction for a fraternity member accused of hazing. And more broadly, it's rare for prosecutors to secure convictions on any charge more serious than misdemeanor hazing, according to attorneys and academics from around the country who track hazing cases. What remains to be seen, however, is whether Naquin’s conviction is enough to make a dent in the culture of hazing at LSU’s fraternities. |
| Former LSU employee says school threw him 'under the bus' for botched project | |
| LSU's president recently blamed a former employee for botching the commercialization of a promising medical computer program. But the targeted former employee, Dr. Frank Opelka M.D., said Monday LSU administrators and lawyers, not he, came up with the public-private structure the Legislative Auditor called incompetent at best and bordering on improper. "Well, it's LSU. That's the way Louisiana rolls. Somebody has to throw somebody under the bus for it to be a happy day," said Opelka, who had been LSU's Executive Vice President for Health Care and Medical Education Redesign until shortly after Gov. John Bel Edwards was elected in late 2015. President F. King Alexander, who is under fire by critics for his handling of this transaction, says it's not his fault. |
| Hundreds of Kentucky students forced to live in makeshift dorm rooms as enrollment soars | |
 | The University of Kentucky has overbooked its student dorms by the hundreds, leaving many incoming freshmen and resident advisers stressed ahead of the new semester. To help accommodate a record-high freshman enrollment of 5,450, which is 239 more than the previous record set in 2015, UK is converting multipurpose rooms in residence halls into overflow housing and assigning roommates to resident advisers who normally have a private room. Rooms are being converted in Blazer Hall, Chellgren Hall, Haggin Hall, Holmes Hall, Jewell Hall, Lewis Hall, Woodland Glen II, Woodland Glen III, Woodland Glen IV and Woodland Glen V. The solution is ongoing, according to UK spokesman Jay Blanton. "Our residence life and housing staff are developing solutions in partnership with our resident advisers," Blanton said. "We will communicate a more specific plan this week and will be communicating directly with students and parents." |
| Incoming U. of South Carolina President Robert Caslen lays out his vision for the school's future | |
 | Before incoming University of South Carolina President Robert Caslen can start beating Clemson University or advancing the school's national profile, he has to mend some bridges with faculty and students. That was the message Caslen delivered Monday, at his first press conference since being named USC's next president. To start, Caslen spent part of his weekend reading the hundreds of public comments from students, faculty and alumni, the majority of which were critical of his then-candidacy, according to a previous article from The State. "Any inflated opinion of myself was quickly deflated, and it was healthy," said Caslen, who will start Aug. 1 and be paid an annual salary of $650,000. Before the press conference, Caslen met with a group of 15 student leaders and asked about their concerns and for some advice, said Jawaun McClam, a senior geography major who attended the meeting. "He seems open," McClam said. "He seems genuinely concerned." |
| U. of Arkansas Researchers Awarded $4.6M NSF Grant For Cybersecurity Progam | |
 | A multi-disciplinary team of researchers at the University of Arkansas has been awarded a five-year, $4.63 million National Science Foundation grant to recruit, educate and train cybersecurity professionals. There is a national shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. According to a news release, the "Cyber-Centric Multidisciplinary Security Workforce Development" program will provide the knowledge and tools necessary to protect network and computer systems in three industries: cybersecurity, transportation security and critical infrastructure security, including the electrical power grid. The program will also focus on attracting students from underrepresented populations and will partner with Northwest Arkansas Community College to open paths for its students to pursue bachelor and advanced degrees at the university. |
| Another gossip app hits college campuses. Will this one be better? | |
 | Despite their relatively short shelf life, the development of campus-based social media platforms isn't slowing down. Pop, the latest social media app to target students, is hoping to become the next big thing on college campuses. Like other college social media apps before it, Pop takes elements of other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Slack, and brings them together with the aim of creating a digital community. The goal is to help students find each other, said Alex Kehr, the CEO of Pop. The app has only been launched on two college campuses so far, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Oregon. Kehr says his team picked the colleges at random. Around 3,000 students on each campus are using Pop, said Kehr. And there has been promising retention over the summer, when many other college apps such as Yik Yak, After School and Yeti saw their usage plummet. |
| Knight Foundation Commits Nearly $50M to Study Impact of Tech on Democracy | |
| The Knight Foundation will commit almost $50 million to help the public better understand how technology is changing the political landscape ahead of the 2020 presidential elections and beyond. A total of 11 American universities and research institutions will receive $38.7 million in funding, which includes the creation of five centers of study. The foundation has also pledged $11 million for future investments "that support policy and legal research on issues including internet governance and the implications of technology for democracy." Sam Gill, vice president for communities and impact at the Knight Foundation, said it can be difficult to get funding for studies of technology issues because such projects are expensive and often require scholars from multiple academic disciplines, like political science, computer science, and philosophy, to work together |
| Lawyer attempts first-ever class action lawsuit for college students accused of sexual assault | |
| In a groundbreaking move, the first-ever prospective class-action lawsuit that would benefit students accused of sexual assault has been filed against a university, potentially reversing the outcomes of dozens of sexual violence cases. Experts say the suit against Michigan State University is a clever legal maneuver that takes advantage of a significant ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judges determined in September 2018 that students accused of sexual assault, or their representatives, had a right to directly question their accuser, which legal experts said would reshape the notion of due process in these cases. The lawsuit could theoretically challenge, even retroactively, the results of any campus sexual violence case that didn't offer due process protections. |
| Teen Activists Lead An Effort In Excusing 'Mental Health Days' In Oregon Schools | |
 | Oregon's suicide rate has outpaced the national average for the past three decades. In an effort to combat stigma around mental illness, four local teen activists took matters into their own hands and championed a proposed state law. Oregon schools will now excuse student absences for mental or behavioral health reasons, as with regular sick days. In other words, if a student is feeling down, they can stay home from school without getting docked for missing classes. The law, signed by Gov. Kate Brown last month, will take effect this coming school year and is widely believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country to treat physical and mental health equally. The mental health of teens and young adults in the country has dropped dramatically since the mid-2000s. |
| Alaska president offers new plans following vote of financial exigency | |
| Facing a massive and unprecedented 41 percent cut in state funding, the University of Alaska's Board of Regents voted 10 to 1 to declare financial exigency, a move that will precede layoffs and program elimination. The vote comes as a financial crisis looms over the state's public higher education system -- the cut represents a loss of $135 million in funding. Moody's Investor Service has already downgraded the credit rating of the system to BAA1 as a result of the cuts, citing a "high likelihood of a material reduction in the university's liquidity over the next year." After the downgrade, the Board of Regents moved its meeting earlier, to Monday. Additionally, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the university's accreditor, warned in a letter that due to the size and implications of the cuts, the university risked losing its accreditation status, a move "that could be felt for generations." |
| Trump is cracking down on China. Now UC campuses are paying the price | |
 | C San Diego professor Shirley Meng's laboratory is a veritable United Nations of research, with 48 scholars from six countries exploring how to improve battery storage for electric vehicles, robots and -- someday -- flying cars. But Meng and her colleagues worry that one country soon will be left out of the lab: China. The Trump administration has intensified its crackdown over trade, technology and security -- and now it has spread to America's vaunted universities, turning the University of California into an especially big target. UC campuses from San Diego to Berkeley are reporting that Chinese students and scholars are encountering visa delays, federal scrutiny over their research activities, and new restrictions on collaboration with China and Chinese companies. The overarching fear is that Trump's crackdown will drive away top Chinese scholars and jeopardize the kind of open international collaboration that has been a hallmark of higher education in the U.S., contributing to world-class research and scientific progress. |
| Diverse Team Assembles to Protect Iconic US Crop from Climate Change | |
| In recognition of the crucial role soybeans play in U.S. agriculture, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded a $942,000 Seeding Solutions Grant to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), alongside scientific partners North Carolina State University and VIB (Institute for Biotechnology in Flanders, Belgium), to improve soybean crop resiliency. The FFAR grant has been matched with funding from Benson Hill Biosystems, BASF, and VIB for a total $1.89 million award. FFAR leverages public and private resources and accelerates research innovation in sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The FFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum. |
SPORTS
| The 16 best college baseball stadiums, according to the fans | | |
| College baseball is fun to watch. Going to college baseball games -- especially at the best stadiums across the land -- makes it even more fun. We asked you last summer to name your favorite stadiums and you did not let us down. After much debate, you helped us come up with the 13 college baseball stadiums most beloved by fans. We checked in with you again this summer on Facebook and Twitter and you came through again with more than 1,200 responses on Twitter alone. The 2019 season sees some new entries on our list and plenty of familiar faces, but let us tell you, the top spot was an overwhelming runaway, Dude. Here are your top stadiums based solely on fan responses (in no particular order): Dudy Noble Field, Mississippi State -- The New Dude, coined The New Palace of College Baseball by Baseball America, took one of the sports most iconic stadiums, gave it a $68 million facelift, and put it in a league of its own. It holds a lot of crazed Diamond Dawg fans which made it the most mentioned college baseball stadium. |
| Samantha Ricketts promoted to Mississippi State head softball coach | |
 | Samantha Ricketts will be the next head softball coach at Mississippi State. The hiring was announced in a news release Monday morning. Ricketts has spent the past four seasons as an assistant at MSU in varying roles. Most recently, she was promoted to associate head coach July 30, 2018. "It became clear during our search that Samantha Ricketts was the right fit to lead Mississippi State softball," MSU Athletic Director John Cohen said in a news release. "Samantha's vision, national recruiting experience and her ability to teach the game were the biggest factors in our decision." Since her arrival, Ricketts' impact in Starkville has been most felt offensively. In her first season first season at MSU in 2015 the Bulldogs set single-season records in home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, RBIs, and on-base percentage. |
| Golf Dawgs announce 2019-20 schedule | |
 | Focused on leading his team to postseason play for the third straight season, Mississippi State men's golf coach Dusty Smith announced the squad's 2019-20 schedule on Monday. The new slate includes seven events from the previous campaign and two new challenges early in the season. Once again, MSU's regular season concludes at its beautiful home on Old Waverly Golf Club. "I am very pleased with our schedule for this season," MSU men's golf coach Dusty Smith said. "I believe it will get us out of our comfort zone and ultimately have us ready for championship season. "When you put together your schedule each year you want to be tested on difficult, championship golf courses against elite fields. I can say that this year's schedule will do just that." For the second straight season, the Golf Dawgs will open the season at the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links. "Opening up at Pebble Beach in the best college golf tournament in the country is a special way to start the year," Smith said. |
| How Mississippi State's Elijah MacNamee found a professional baseball home | |
 | Elijah MacNamee had his foot pressed on the pedal as he barreled northbound up U.S. Route 45 on Friday afternoon. He was somewhere just south of the Mississippi-Tennessee border when he let his mind wander a bit. "Here I go," MacNamee thought. "This is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm going to go get paid to do what I love." A few nights before beginning his trek, MacNamee had no idea he'd soon pack his belongings and head north to become the newest member of the Evansville Otters, an independent professional baseball team based in Indiana that plays in the Frontier League. |
| Fiery debate about LSU football's renovated operations center erupts on social media | |
| LSU revealed its newly renovated football operations and performance nutrition center on Sunday night, showcasing a project that cost nearly $28 million and includes a new, "first class" style locker room. But in the 24 hours after the big reveal, athletes past and present took to social media to question and defend the renovations and its cost. The project, paid for with private donations to the athletic department, includes the addition of nearly 25,000 square feet, with a new training room, offices, locker room, players lounge and cafeteria. Questions on social media surfaced, wondering about the renovation of the football facility while also pointing out the shape of the university's library. The Chronicle of Higher Education published a story with the headline: "LSU Just Unveiled a $28-Million Football Facility. The Flood-Damaged Library Is Still 'Decrepit.'" |
| Tennessee tailgating: Renovations to start soon on Vol Navy Dock | |
 | Tennessee fans who enjoy tailgating before football games will notice some improvements to the Vol Navy Dock this season. Renovations are scheduled to begin soon on the nearly 600-foot-long dock, the site of tailgating before each UT home football game. Renovations will replace the existing dock with "new composite decking material," and includes two new gangways, according to a press release from the City of Knoxville. But don't worry, football fans -- construction is scheduled to be finished before the first home football game against Georgia State on Aug. 31. Vol Navy Dock at Volunteer Landing, located near Neyland Stadium, and the concrete pavilion were built in 1994 and expanded in 1998. Volunteer Landing is a 13-acre public recreational space. The city owns the dock, while UT inspects and maintains it. |
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