Tuesday, March 9, 2021   
 
MSU-Meridian celebrates International Women's Day
MSU-Meridian hosted an International Women's Day Celebration in Kahlmus Auditorium Monday afternoon. The event had a virtual/in-person hybrid approach that consisted of multiple speakers, including women from the surrounding area. "I think it's a good opportunity to remind us to think about equality and advancing ourselves and the connectivity of the women in our community." said Shey Washburn, an organizer of the event. Dr. Karen Coats of the University of Southern Mississippi was the keynote speaker. Other women spoke about barriers and challenges they have overcome, as well as issued challenges of their own for their respective communities. Mariam Khmaladze, who is originally from the Republic of Georgia and is currently pursuing her M.B.A. at MSU, was one of the local speakers. "Sometimes, social norms and rules prevent people from reaching their full potential," said Khmaladze. "Events like this encourage people to do so." This year's theme for International Women's Day is Choose to Challenge, with the goal of celebrating women's achievements, raising awareness against bias and taking action for equality.
 
Registration open for online Master Gardener training
Registration has begun for the newest class of Master Gardeners, who will receive their training online this year. Master Gardeners are volunteers who are trained and certified in consumer horticulture and related areas by the Mississippi State University Extension Service. In exchange for 40 hours of educational training, participants are required to return 40 hours of volunteer service within one year of their training. This year, all Master Gardener instruction is online and self-paced. The class begins May 1 and closes June 30. "We were going to move to online training last year, but didn't because of the pandemic," said Jeff Wilson, state Master Gardener coordinator. "We've been working on this for about three years." Registration is open until April 15. "The truth is, we don't know how this is going to work, but we've had people asking for an online option for years," Wilson said. "Other states have had great success with it, and we're hoping to do the same. We've had 30 to 40 people sign up already statewide with very little publicity about it."
 
Monday Profile: From 'brown thumb' to Master Gardener
Nancy Reeves isn't just a gardener. She's a master gardener. She isn't just a master gardener, she is the president of Master Gardeners of Lowndes County. But if you think she is a walking repository of gardening expertise you've got the wrong idea. "No, no, no," she said, chuckling at the thought. "I was born with a brown thumb. Ask my husband. Most of my life, if I brought a plant home it would die. I don't have a good history, but I've certainly gotten better." With spring just around the corner, area nurseries are beginning to see heavy traffic, not only from veteran gardeners but from novices, too. It is the latter group that Reeves can most closely relate. If she is a role model, it is for those who are making their first tentative steps into the world of plants. There is no better way to get a jump-start on learning how to garden that through the Master Gardeners' program, she said. Master Gardeners chapters operate in all 50 states and are administered by university Extension Services. There are chapters in all three Golden Triangle counties. To maintain Master Gardener certification, members must complete 20 hours of class and perform 12 hours of community service annually. Even if you're not up for that kind of commitment, the online classes, provided by Master Gardeners through the Mississippi State Extension Service are available to those who might describe themselves as "gardening curious."
 
School clubs adapt to pandemic limitations
On Wednesday, 18 fourth-grade students throughout Starkville sat at their computers in anticipation of what some parents say has become the highlight of the kids' week this year -- science club. The club is a long-standing organization for fourth-grade students at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary School. This year, it looks a bit different compared to previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has not stopped club adviser and fourth-grade teacher Brooke Crosland from developing the students' interest in STEM education through hands-on learning. Last week, Crosland virtually taught her students how to make anemometers, weather vanes to measure the wind. She provided students with the materials they needed to create the anemometers and demonstrated how to build them so the students could follow along. "Y'all are doing great," said Crosland, encouraging her students from her Google Classroom. Because of the experience gained from being a virtual teacher the first nine weeks of the school year, Crosland has learned how to educate students online while still keeping them engaged. It's not just Crosland's fourth-graders whose club has changed this year. In a year of limited social gatherings and virtual learning, schools all over the Golden Triangle area are finding ways to still have extracurricular activities for students, whether they meet online like the science club or find safe ways of gathering in person.
 
City of Starkville restarts recycling program
The City of Starkville kicked off its recycling program on Monday. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the city made the decision to stop the program due to rising costs and the inability to hire enough workers due to the pandemic. Now she and others in the city are happy to see the program running again. Mike McLaughlin carried cardboard and paper to the recycling site in Starkville. For him, it's been a long time coming and it's the right thing to do. Spruill said the program makes a lot of sense for the city. The program accepts paper products, such as cardboard and newspaper, and aluminum cans. The program is currently not accepting glass and plastics. But as the program grows and the market recovers, those items could again be included.
 
State sees surge in young Realtors
Charlotte Mullinnix, executive director of the Northeast Mississippi Board of Realtors in Tupelo, was concerned at the beginning of the pandemic that COVID might negatively impact the association's membership. What happened was a welcome surprise. "It has been amazing from the standpoint of the number of members," she said. "We had about 370 members the year before and ended this past year with over 400 members. We've never done that." The majority of new members are younger than usual. Mullinnix thinks that's because new and recent college graduates don't have as much available in the job market as in the past so they've joined the ranks of Realtors. "My thought is they don't see as many career opportunities out there, especially with COVID," she said. "I will say real estate is a very lucrative profession for self-motivated, hard-working individuals. We have a lot in our board."
 
Revenue $500 million over February 2021 estimates
Total revenue collections for the month of February FY 2021 are $54,030,393 or 18.24% above the sine die revenue estimate. Fiscal YTD revenue collections through February 2021 are $500,313,736 or 14.65% above the sine die estimate. Fiscal YTD total revenue collections through February 2021 are $338,455,607 or 9.46% above the prior year's collections. The FY 2021 Sine Die Revenue Estimate is $5,690,700,000. The graph above compares the actual revenue collections to the sine die revenue estimate for each of the main tax revenue sources. The figures reflect the amount the actual collections for Sales, Individual, Corporate, Use and Gaming taxes were above or below the estimate for the month and fiscal year-to-date. The graph also compares fiscal year-to-date actual collections to prior year actual collections, as of February 28, 2021.
 
Mississippi health officer: Keep masking up to fight virus
Mississippi's top public health official is urging people to continue wearing masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves lifted a mask mandate. Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the state health officer, said during a news conference Monday that Mississippi has seen a significant decrease in hospitalizations from COVID-19 in recent weeks, but "we're not done with the COVID pandemic." "Just like in a baseball game, if you're up a run or two in the sixth or seventh inning, you don't just lay down and let the other team just go at it on offense," Dobbs said. "It's time to continue with some of the safety measures we have in place. Continue to mask in public. Continue to avoid indoor social gatherings. And get vaccinated when it's your turn." Reeves last week lifted the mask mandate that had been in place for most of Mississippi. He recommended that people continue to wear masks but said the governor's office was "getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do." Reeves said cities are allowed to keep local mandates. Jackson and Hattiesburg are among the cities that have done so.
 
CDC Guidelines List Activities Safe For Vaccinated People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance for vaccinated people, giving the green light to resume some pre-pandemic activities and relax precautions that have been in place. Specifically, the new guidance says, people who are fully vaccinated can visit indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks or social distancing. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have gotten the second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines (or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine). Vaccinated people can also visit, unmasked, with people from another household who are not yet vaccinated, as long as those people are at low risk of serious illness from the virus. However, the agency said, vaccinated people should continue to wear masks when they're in public, avoid crowds and take other precautions when gathering with unvaccinated people who are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The new guidance also allows fully vaccinated individuals to forgo testing and quarantining following a known COVID-19 exposure, as long as they are not experiencing symptoms.
 
Congress poised to offer Mississippi more money to expand Medicaid
President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package poised to be approved by Congress offers a sizable financial incentive for Mississippi to expand Medicaid to provide health care coverage to primarily the working poor. Mississippi Senate Public Health Committee Chair Hob Bryan, D-Amory, said if the legislation ultimately becomes law in coming days, the package would provide Mississippi roughly $300 million a year for two years if state leaders would agree to expand Medicaid. Bryan said he bases that number on estimates provided to him by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and other health care groups. Mississippi is one of just 12 states that hasn't expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. "For a number of years, the federal government has been offering us a $1 million a day to take care of sick people," Bryan said. "Now they are offering $1 million a day to take that other $1 million a day. You can't make this stuff up." The coronavirus relief bill, based on information from the American Hospital Association, would provide the incentives to expand Medicaid for the 12 states that have not by increasing the matching dollars they receive from their federal government for their traditional Medicaid program by 5%.
 
Lt. Gov. Hosemann on Jackson water crisis: 'We want to help.'
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who wields significant control over the state of Mississippi's budget, said he is open to appropriating funds to the city of Jackson, where thousands of residents are in their fourth week without running water. A historic winter storm in mid-February froze water plant equipment and burst many pipes in the capital city, and at least 40,000 residents -- mostly Black -- were without water for nearly three weeks. Today, while city officials said water pressure has been restored to "95% of the city," about 5,000 Jackson residents are still without water. City leaders say they need major investment from the state to replace their entire water and sewage system, which is estimated to cost about $2 billion. Hosemann, in a one-on-one interview on Monday with Mississippi Today, said that he considers all options on the table in terms of financially supporting Jackson, including through several bills pending in the Legislature and potentially sending some of the state's share of the $1.9 trillion stimulus package Congress is expected to pass later this week. "I've lived in Jackson more than 50 years. More than half my life has been spent here," Hosemann told Mississippi Today. "I've spent a lot of time trying to make it better, and I want to make it better now. There's a water crisis, and we want to help. Where we can help them with the funding, I want to do that. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi. It deserves to be supported as such."
 
Gov. Reeves supports federal relief for water repairs, opening another door to possible help for Jackson
If federal dollars make their way into Mississippi, particularly for water and sewer infrastructure repairs, Gov. Tate Reeves said he would support those efforts, a reversal from a piece he wrote days ago where he called federal relief funds "bailout money" and expressed concerns about spending any of it. Reeves made the statement Sunday during an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Nation. "Long term, the solution, we've gotta invest in our infrastructure, and it was very interesting to hear Sen. [Joe] Manchin say that in this COVID relief bill, that we could actually use some of the money to invest in water and sewer systems," Reeves said, responding to a question from Tapper asking what he's doing to fix the water crisis in Jackson. "While I think that's ridiculous they spent $1.9 trillion on things other than what's needed for the virus, if that's an option, we're gonna certainly do everything we can to utilize it." Of the $1.9 trillion in the COVID relief bill, $350 billion would go toward states and municipalities, likely through those state legislatures, though Reeves alluded that he would be in charge of that money once it makes its way through. While the process for applying for that money has not yet been revealed, it would be another path to much-needed funding Jackson leaders could use to not only fix immediate water and sewer system needs but also address long-term concerns. Since last week, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has talked with members of the state legislature, the EPA and garnered support from at least one member of Mississippi's Congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.
 
Black farmers will receive $5 billion of the stimulus package
A little-known element of President Biden's massive stimulus relief package would pay billions of dollars to disadvantaged farmers -- benefiting Black farmers in a way that some experts say no legislation has since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Of the $10.4 billion in the American Rescue Plan that will support agriculture, approximately half would go to disadvantaged farmers, according to estimates from the Farm Bureau, an industry organization. About a quarter of disadvantaged farmers are Black. The money would provide debt relief as well as grants, training, education and other forms of assistance aimed at acquiring land. While it's a fraction of the $1.9 trillion bill that passed in the Senate on Saturday, advocates say it still represents a step toward righting a wrong after a century of mistreatment of Black farmers by the government and others. Some say it is a form of reparations for African Americans who have suffered a long history of racial oppression. The stimulus bill provides grants and loans to improve land access and address heirs' property issues (such as when a farmer dies without a will and his or her land is divided up between all legal heirs), establishes a racial equity commission to address systemic racism at the USDA, and provides financial support for research and education at historically Black colleges and land grant universities.
 
Sen. Roy Blunt's (R-Mo.) retirement deals blow to GOP Leader Mitch McConnell's inner circle
The surprise retirement of Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) means another member of GOP Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) inner circle is leaving the Senate as the GOP shifts more toward former President Trump's brand of conservative populism. Blunt's announcement comes six week after another member of McConnell's leadership team, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), said he wouldn't be seeking reelection next year. Two other McConnell allies -- Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) -- are also leaving Congress at the end of 2022. GOP strategists and aides say Blunt's decision was likely influenced by Republicans unexpectedly losing their Senate majority in January. "After we lost the presidential election and Democrats are running the show in Washington, it's no surprise we're going to see some retirements from senior Republicans who were used to having a lot more control," said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate leadership aide. A former aide close to Blunt said "the Senate is going to be a lesser place" without Blunt, Toomey, Portman, Burr and former Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a close friend of McConnell's who retired at the end of the 116th Congress.
 
President Biden has his hands full rebuilding a demoralized federal workforce
The Biden administration has about 40 nominees for high-level positions moving through Congress right now. That's out of roughly 1,200 positions that require Senate approval, so it will take a while. And that's not all. In total, a president gets to make about 4,000 political appointments to the federal workforce. They will be joining colleagues who have been through a lot in the last four years, including government shutdowns, wage freezes and a rocky transition of power. President Joe Biden tried to shore up federal employees' morale even before his inauguration, sending a video to the federal workforce in early January. Parts of the workforce Biden inherited from former President Donald Trump were decimated. Max Stier, president and CEO of the good-government group Partnership for Public Service, has been keeping track of the brain drain. Then there's the Agriculture Department. Stier said, "The research organizations at the Department of Agriculture were moved with a terrible process to the Midwest, and upwards of three-quarters of the employees didn't go." Andrew Crane-Droesch was an economist at one of the two research arms ordered to relocate to Missouri. He refused and quit. He was working on climate change models at the Agriculture Department. "Without in-house experts, you're left asking industry, and industry is certainly going to give you an answer that's going to benefit industry," Crane-Droesch warned.
 
UMMC study: More children may have had COVID-19 than case numbers suggest
A year into the fight against COVID-19 and we're still learning more about how it's impacting different parts of the population. The latest insight is about kids and the virus. Who's at risk? It's a question that's popped up frequently in the last year surrounding COVID-19. "At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a question as to whether or not kids were actually getting infected because so many pediatricians were reporting that they just weren't seeing sick children coming in with this particular disease," said Dr. Charlotte Hobbs, UMMC Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Disease Specialist. "So, the question now is not do they get infected. We actually know they get infected and to a much higher degree than we previously anticipated." There is some new data to back up Dr. Hobbs statement. She's the lead author on a study done with UMMC, the state Department of Health and the CDC. UMMC examined the blood serum samples of patients under 18 from mid-May to mid-September. Keep in mind, these weren't COVID patients. But they found many kids had the antibodies. "This suggests that there are many many more children, in fact more than ten-fold that have been infected with SARS CoV-2, than the Mississippi State Department of Health case incidents suggest," described Hobbs. Dr. Hobbs says the biggest takeaway from the study should be the importance of safety measures regardless of age.
 
Ombudsman 'Exonerated' in UM Emails Whistleblower Hunt
University of Mississippi Ombudsman Paul Caffera is back at work months after he became ensnared in the administration's effort to root out a group of whistleblowers who unearthed a collection of emails between university officials and wealthy donors who expressed racist views. The Mississippi Free Press reported on those emails last August. Chancellor Glenn Boyce placed Caffera on administrative leave in December after members of the university's journalism faculty raised suspicions that he may have been connected to the anonymous whistleblowers. But a four-month-long investigation involving at least 30 witness interviews turned up no evidence to corroborate those claims. "Paul Caffera will resume his responsibilities as the University Ombuds, effectively immediately. I look forward to him once again serving the UM community," Chancellor Boyce said in a letter sent out to UM faculty, staff and graduate students this evening. In a statement this evening, Caffera's attorney Goodloe Lewis said his client "steadfastly adhered to his ethical obligations" by refusing "to disclose any confidential information" about faculty or staff members who had used his service.
 
Despite lifted restrictions, some Oxford businesses continue mask requirements
Though Gov. Tate Reeves and the Board of Aldermen have lifted the mask mandates in Mississippi and Oxford, some local businesses are still requiring customers to wear masks. Several stores and restaurants posted statements on social media explaining to their customers that they will still be requiring masks to be worn. These businesses include Ajax Diner, Oxford Canteen, End of All Music, Big Bad Breakfast, City Grocery, Chicory Market and Cicada. Lyn Roberts, the manager of Square Books, said that because the pandemic is still going, she is following the recommendations made by scientists, community health providers, state health providers and the health department to continue wearing masks. "Until our entire staff is vaccinated -- which they are not -- and the majority of people are vaccinated, I think we have to continue wearing them," Roberts said. Roberts said that while she is not a scientific expert, she knows that there's still a lot that is unknown about the coronavirus, such as whether people that have received the vaccine can transmit the coronavirus. She said her priority is to keep the employees and Oxford community safe in Square Books.
 
Blue Mountain College plans to return to full operations for fall semester
Blue Mountain College announced on Monday it plans to return to full, in-person operations in the fall semester. President Barbara McMillin said spring classes have primarily been face-to-face with some hybrid offerings. She said the college will continue to seek guidance from the state department of health and the CDC. Decisions regarding the summer session will be forthcoming, McMillin added. Blue Mountain canceled its spring break; this means the current semester will end sooner than in previous years. In-person graduation is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 1.
 
Struggling Alabama colleges hope for more state funding for COVID recovery
Lawmakers are trying to give Alabama's four-year institutions and community colleges a slight bump in state funding after a difficult year. Higher education has been particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, who leads the Ways and Means Committee in the House. State appropriations are just a fraction of the revenue that fund operations for the universities. As students stayed home, events got postponed and hospitals canceled procedures, state funding became more important to fund colleges' bottom line and keep people employed. Gov. Kay Ivey has proposed $7.66 billion from the Education Trust Fund for use in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The proposal would add $441 million, or about 6%, to the budgets for K-12 and higher education. The budget recommended by the governor includes an additional $86.2 million for the state's four-year colleges and universities and $40.5 million for community colleges. The budget would add approximately $20 million to the appropriation for Auburn University. The proposed fiscal year 2022 appropriation is for $308.3 million. The University of Alabama System would receive $581.1 million, an increase of $36.3 million from the current budget.
 
AU president announces policy changes regarding equity and inclusion
Auburn University President Jay Gogue announced in an email to Auburn students, faculty and staff on Monday a number of changes to the University's policies regarding equity and inclusion on campus. The policy changes come from the University's Presidential Task Force for Opportunity and Equity which was formed on June 17 of last year. Gogue cited calls for more transparency in Auburn administration as well as support from the community as his reasons for announcing the changes. Gogue listed both changes to be implemented in the future as well as changes that have already been put in place. The following changes, announced by Gogue, will be implemented in the future: Increasing need-based financial aid by $2.4 million for the fall of 2021, for a total of $3.5 million in need-based aid. Administering training on diversity, equity and inclusion beginning fall 2021, designed to help Auburn students, faculty and staff "better understand one another, to respect differences and to value each person's individual human dignity." Gogue said that these changes and other strategies have led to greater diversity among applicants for fall 2021. “Auburn is not where we should be in regard to underrepresented minority enrollment, and we have a long way to go toward improving diversity, equity and inclusion on campus,” Gogue said. “My office has made it a priority to take specific actions and make tangible progress toward increasing minority admissions, scholarships and need-based awards.”
 
UF Vet animal rescue trainees rappel down Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Stephanie Duno grasped the fourth-floor landing and hoisted herself over the ledge. Holding onto a yellow rope, she started her descent, the backdrop of Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium behind her. "I'm Spider-man!" she called out to her fellow veterinarian students above. Duno, a second-year student at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, traded scalpels and stethoscopes that the students might normally see in a vet lab for ropes and pulleys on Sunday as part of an animal technical rescue training exercise. "I felt really comfy and safe," Duno said. "I was thinking in my head, 'I'm going down to rescue a cow.' " UF Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service, a grant and donation-funded program comprised of volunteer vets, staff and vet students who provide disaster response, animal technical rescue and rescue training, hosted Sunday's training to help vet students become comfortable with rappelling in the event of an emergency or disaster. Brandi Phillips, the animal technical rescue director for UF VETS, said not every veterinary program offers training in animal technical rescues. Situations where the training might be needed, she said, include overturned livestock trucks or if an animal becomes stuck in a hole, like a septic tank.
 
UF Summer study abroad trips canceled, moved to end of Summer
Hundreds of UF students had plans to travel around the world this Summer. But due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, their plans have been postponed or canceled. Despite UF's increasing confidence that the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end, 56 UF Sponsored study abroad programs for this Summer have been canceled. 37 still plan to run and three will operate virtually with students based in the United States, said Associate Director of Study Abroad Services Jill Ranaivoson. The UF International Center is deciding on a case-by-case basis whether the more than 500 study abroad programs currently available should operate, UFIC Dean Leonardo Villalón said. He said some programs have been or will be canceled because they haven't fulfilled their enrollment quotas. Others are limited by their destination countries' travel restrictions, such as Australia, which has closed its borders, he said. "This is obviously extraordinarily disappointing for everybody concerned," he said. "We're in the business of trying to make it possible for students to study abroad and encourage them to do so."
 
Texas A&M student lobbying for expanded access to medical marijuana
A Texas A&M freshman who found relief from epileptic seizures through the medical use of marijuana is working to lobby the Texas Legislature to expand the state's Compassionate Use Program. Julia Patterson, a freshman political science major at Texas A&M, recently became one of the youngest registered lobbyists in the state. Since 2019, she has been calling for the expansion of medical marijuana in the state. She is one of thousands who participate in the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows doctors to prescribe low-THC marijuana doses for medical treatment for a limited number of qualifying conditions. She advocated for the program's passage in 2015 and testified before state legislators in 2019 when more qualifying conditions were added to the list. Patterson had her first major seizure in 2008, at one point having 200 seizures a day, each one lasting 15 to 30 seconds, she said. "On April 15, 2008, I woke up as a normal kindergartner. By midnight that night I was on a ventilator," she said. She had brain surgery, three medical implants, was on a ketogenic diet for five years and tried different types of medication, but nothing controlled her seizures. "I lost out on a lot of life," she said. "February of 2018, I was first prescribed prescription CBD oil through the Compassionate Use program. Within two months I was completely seizure free."
 
U. of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine receives the largest donation in college's history
The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine is receiving $11 million from the estate of MU alumni Glenn Linnerson and his wife, Nancy Linnerson. The largest donation in the veterinary college's history will be used to establish the Dr. Glenn R. and Nancy A. Linnerson Imaging Center to further medicine research at MU. "Together with the MU Research Reactor and the upcoming NextGen Precision Health building, these facilities will help accelerate new pharmaceutical drugs and biomedical devices to improve patient care," said Mun Choi, University of Missouri president. The couple met in Columbia as university students and remained connected to MU all their lives. They both graduated from MU in 1954, with Glenn Linnerson graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Nancy Linnerson earning a degree in human environmental sciences. Veterinary research aimed at treating diseases in animals can lead to possible treatments for humans.
 
Spring break 2021 falling victim to COVID pandemic
Goodbye, sunshine. Hello, study sessions. Colleges around the U.S. are scaling back spring break or canceling it entirely to discourage partying that could spread the virus and raise infection rates back on campus. Texas A&M University opted for a three-day weekend instead of a whole week off. The University of Alabama and the University of Wisconsin-Madison also did away with spring break but are giving students a day off later in the semester. To be sure, many college students looking to blow off steam or escape the cold and snowy North are still going to hit big party spots such as Florida, Mexico, California and Las Vegas to soak up the sun and go bar-hopping at night. Others will go skiing in the mountains or hit other tourist spots. But many others say they will be reluctantly skipping trips this year. At the University of Mississippi, which canceled spring break and will instead end the semester a week early, senior Eliza Noe had been planning a “last hurrah-type getaway trip” with her girlfriends, but that isn’t going to happen now. “Spring break is your last moment to lose your mind before becoming an adult, so that was kind of the plan,” she said, “but then the world ended.”
 
Study: Life expectancy falling for Americans without a bachelor's degree
American adults with a bachelor's degree live longer than those without one, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Southern California and Princeton University. American mortality rates declined for nearly a century until the late 1990s. That decline has continued for more educated Americans but has reversed for American adults without a college degree. "The United States has this increasingly sharp societal division between people who have a college degree and those who don't," Angus Deaton, an economics professor at USC, senior scholar at Princeton and co-author of the study, said in a statement. "If you don't have a four-year degree, not only have your wages been falling for 50 years, but our study shows your adult life expectancy is also decreasing." People with some college education have longer life expectancies than people with only a high school diploma, but the gap is much wider between people with and without a four-year degree. By 2018, 25-year-old American adults with a bachelor's degree could expect to live another 48.2 years out of a possible 50, compared with 45.1 years for adults without a college degree. Today, a college degree is a better indicator of life expectancy than race.
 
Supreme Court rules 8-1 in favor of students who sued Georgia Gwinnett College over restrictive speech policies
The Supreme Court ruled 8 to 1 Monday in favor of two former Georgia Gwinnett College students who sued the public institution over restrictive campus speech policies. In Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the court held that the students had valid claims for nominal, or symbolic, damages to keep the case alive and save the case from being made moot by the students' graduation and the college's revision of its policies. Free speech groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, as well as a number of organizations focused on religious liberty, had filed briefs supporting the students' case. Kevin King, an attorney with the Washington-based firm of Covington & Burling who was involved in preparing amici briefs in the case, said the ruling leaves a critical question unanswered: "The court puts off for another day the related question of whether the defendant facing one of these $1 claims can simply pay $1 to the plaintiff or another party and end the case without admitting liability," he said. Chief Justice John Roberts, the lone justice dissenting from the majority, addressed such a possibility in his dissenting opinion, suggesting that in cases where a plaintiff asks only for a dollar, "the defendant should be able to end the case by giving him a dollar, without the court needing to pass on the merits of the plaintiff's claims." More broadly, Justice Roberts worried that the decision "risks a major expansion of the judicial role."
 
President Biden tells Education Department to examine Title IX rules
President Biden on Monday ordered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to re-examine his predecessor Betsy DeVos's controversial rule strengthening the rights of those accused of sexual harassment or assault on the nation's campuses. And, raising the hopes of the rule's critics, Biden said in his order that Cardona should consider "suspending, revising, or rescinding" it. To mark International Women's Day, Biden signed an executive order spelling out that it's his administration's policy "that all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex." And discrimination, he said, includes sexual harassment and violence, as well as discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The order directed Cardona to review within 100 days the Education Department's regulations and policies to make sure they comply with the antidiscrimination policy. Biden specifically mentioned the department's policy on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. DeVos last May reversed the Obama administration's policies on campus sexual assault and harassment, angering women's and civil rights groups but bringing praise from those who believe the rights of the accused are often trampled upon by institutions.
 
USDA ag facilities need $11.5 billion for repairs, renovations
Without needed investment, the U.S. risks falling behind in agricultural research. Close to $11.5 billion is needed for repairs and renovations at USDA-funded schools of agriculture and 69% of the buildings at these schools are more than 25 years old, according to a study from Gordian and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities that examines buildings at schools and universities authorized to receive USDA NIFA funding. By constrast, only 7% of buildings have been constructed in the past 10 years. "These pre-existing infrastructure shortfalls will only be exacerbated by the need for enhanced air circulation to limit spread of COVID-19," Douglas Steele, APLU vice president of food, agriculture and natural resources, wrote in the report. "This report makes one thing clear: the problem will not go away unless we act and recommit to agricultural and food innovation," he said. Every year, land-grant universities graduate more than 36,000 students in food, agricultural and natural resource disciplines. In 2019, agriculture and related industries contributed more than $1.09 trillion to the U.S. GDP, 5.2% of the total. In addition, the agricultural industry generates 22 million jobs, or about 11% of U.S. employment. "Cutting-edge research requires state-of-the-art facilities," said Jeff Lieberson, APLU senior vice president for public affairs


SPORTS
 
Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Grambling/Louisiana Lafayette
Amidst 10 games in 14 days, the No. 2 Mississippi State baseball program will continue its homestand with a pair of midweek contests, hosting Grambling on Tuesday (March 9) and Louisiana Lafayette on Wednesday (March 10) at Dudy Noble Field. Both games will begin at 6 p.m. and are available on the MSU Radio Network and SEC Network+. Coming off of the ninth no-hitter in program history, Mississippi State (8-3) looks to continue its string of strong performances on the mound. State has struck out double-digit batters in nine of 11 outing this season to account for 150 total strikeouts, including 20 last midweek against Southern Miss. The offense exploded for 16 hits and 13 runs in a 13-0 victory over Kent State on Sunday, including Kamren James' fourth home run of the season. Grambling (0-7) on the tail end of an 11-game road trip to start the season and head to Starkville after being swept by Southern in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the weekend. The Tigers had its season-opening weekend cancelled due to weather, as well. Louisiana Lafayette (9-4) will start its week in Starkville before heading to Hattiesburg for its conference opening series with Southern Miss. The Ragin' Cajuns took two of three games from Tulane to start the season and, like MSU, have won each of its three weekend series. The offense is powered by Carson Roccaforte (.370) and LSU transfer CJ Willis (.348) who have combined for 25 hits, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored and 11 extra base hits on the season.
 
Mississippi State's D.J. Stewart and Abdul Ado pick up SEC honors
Mississippi State's D.J. Stewart and Abdul Ado each picked up honors from the Southeastern Conference, the league announced Tuesday. Stewart was named second-team All-SEC, while Ado was selected as part of the all-defensive team. On the year, Stewart averaged 16.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per night while playing 35.1 minutes per contest. Ado chipped in 53 blocks and 6.3 rebounds per game. Alabama's Herb Jones was the conference's player of the year in addition to earning defensive player of the year honors, while Nate Oats was named coach of the year after leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC regular season championship. Arkansas guard Moses Moody was selected freshman of the year and his teammate JD Notae earned sixth-man of the year honors.
 
Dak Prescott, Cowboys agree to terms on 4-year deal worth $160 million
Dak Prescott had said he wanted to be a Cowboy for life. The Cowboys had insisted there was no moving forward without Prescott. And yet, negotiations lasted more than two years. Until Monday. Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year deal worth $160 million with $126 million guaranteed, two people with knowledge of the contract confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been publicly announced. Prescott could earn up to $164 million in four years, and the deal includes a no-trade and no-tag clause. Thus Prescott could return to the negotiating table as soon as three years from now. At that point, he'll be just 30 years old. Teammates were eager for their quarterback to achieve long-term security. With an NFL-record $66 million signing bonus, Prescott is set to earn $75 million in 2021 -- one year after he played out a $31.4 million franchise tag. Over his first three years, he'll earn an average of $42 million per year, the two people told USA TODAY Sports. Technically, the deal that voids to four years will span six years to give the team accounting flexibility logging Prescott's hefty signing bonus. The Cowboys announced generally Monday evening that the deal had been reached, with a more detailed press announcement scheduled for Wednesday. Prescott is expected to address reporters then.
 
F. King Alexander apologizes for inaction on Les Miles' sexual harassment allegations
Former LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander wrote in a letter Monday that he regrets not taking stronger action when faced with allegations that former LSU head football coach Les Miles had sexually harassed female students. Alexander wrote that shortly after he became LSU's president in 2013, LSU board members, a Taylor Porter attorney, LSU's general counsel and he received the results of a sexual misconduct inquiry into Miles. Alexander, now the president of Oregon State University, said the investigation into Miles began in 2012 -- before Alexander took the post at LSU. "At the time, we were told by attorneys that there wasn't evidence that could support termination," Alexander wrote. "Though not substantiated to support termination, the results of the initial inquiry into Coach Miles were inconsistent with my and LSU's community values and should have been acted on further." When Alexander fired Miles from LSU, it was in the amid failure on the football field, rather than because of the sexual harassment investigation.
 
Les Miles out as KU Jayhawks football coach days after harassment allegations emerge
Kansas Athletics and football coach Les Miles have decided to mutually part ways, they announced in a joint statement late Monday night, days after sexual misconduct allegations against Miles during his tenure at LSU became public. Miles, who was hired by KU athletic director Jeff Long in November 2018, was 3-18 in two seasons with the Jayhawks. Long said a national search would start immediately for Miles' replacement, with an outside firm to assist in the process. "I am extremely disappointed for our university, fans and everyone involved with our football program," Long said. "There is a lot of young talent on this football team, and I have no doubt we will identify the right individual to lead this program." Miles' original five-year contract was set to run through Dec. 31, 2023. Before Monday's settlement, KU Athletics still owed him roughly $8 million on the deal when taking into account his $2.775 million yearly salaries. Miles, who was set to enter his third season as KU's football coach, was cited frequently in LSU's Husch Blackwell report Friday, which included former LSU athletic director Joe Alleva suggesting in an email to the school's president in 2013 that Miles should be fired because of his alleged conduct with female student workers.
 
Ex-UGA player mentioned in alleged Rush Propst recording: 'I don't know anything about all that'
UGA compliance officials are looking into an embattled Georgia high school coach's accusations that Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart is aware of boosters paying recruits in the six figures to sign with the Bulldogs. The audio purported to be Rush Propst was posted to YouTube over the weekend. The Valdosta coach has himself been surrounded by controversy at multiple stops. Propst alleged in the audio of nearly 15 minutes that wealthy Georgia donors pay up to $150,000 per player to sign with the Bulldogs, which would violate NCAA rules. "You know how much money they spend on a player they're getting?," Propst asked a person that was said to be Michael "Nub" Nelson, who served as executive director of the Valdosta Touchdown Club. "Some are 90 to 100 thousand dollars to sign....$90,000 to $150,000 to sign." Propst mentioned former 1980 national championship offensive lineman Hugh Nall as being involved in the payments. "I don't know anything about all that stuff," Nall, a former Auburn assistant, said Monday when reached by phone. "I've been in touch with officials and been interviewed at Georgia. I have nothing to say on that."
 
Lawsuit alleges Auburn changed grade of former football player in 2019
A lawsuit filed on behalf of a former Auburn employee last week alleges that a former Auburn football player had a grade changed during the Fall 2019 semester that allowed him to remain eligible for the team's appearance in the Outback Bowl that season. The claim is part of a discrimination lawsuit filed in district court last week on behalf of Travis Thomas Sr., a former director of academic support services in Auburn's athletics department who was fired March 1. According to the lawsuit, Auburn "caused, or allowed to be caused, significant pressure to be placed on" a university professor to change a failing grade of D to a passing grade of C for a player identified as an Auburn football graduate transfer from Arizona State. Former Auburn tight end-/H-back Jay Jay Wilson is the only player from the 2019 team who fits that description. Thomas alleges that the "pervasively cold and hostile" way he was treated became so severe that it became clear that Auburn's athletics department, including his three supervisors, were trying to make him quit. Before Thomas had the chance to resign, though, he was served a notice of prospective termination on Feb. 24, subject to review March 1. That day, Thomas was notified of his firing.
 
'Eyes of Texas' report details song's complicated history but determines 'no racist intent'
The University of Texas released a comprehensive 95-page report Tuesday detailing the complex history of "The Eyes of Texas" school song, determining that while it debuted at a 1903 minstrel show, there was "no racist intent." A 24-person committee was tasked with researching the song's history and cataloging anything remotely possible about the song's origins and historical use. The school believes the report uncovers important facts and historical context never known before. In an executive summary, the committee determined, "These historical facts add complexity and richness to the story of a song that debuted in a racist setting, exceedingly common for the time, but, as the preponderance of research showed, had no racist intent." Social justice issues brought to light last summer triggered an ideological controversy over the century-old song sung at football games, graduations, weddings and funerals. Texas President Jay Hartzell had already announced "The Eyes" would remain in place despite criticism from all sides, both on campus and off. Richard Reddick, associate dean for equity, community engagement and outreach in UT's College of Education who served as the committee's chairman, said this report "does not have a vindication or a smoking gun."
 
Big 12 commish Bob Bowlsby: 'Matter of years' before schools recover from COVID-19 pandemic
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said it could be "a matter of years" before its schools recover from the financial blow they took when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports and then limited how games have returned. The loss of revenue from the canceled Big 12 and NCAA tournaments last season, just as the first outbreak was forcing emergency health declarations across the country, was only the beginning. Even when college sports returned in the fall, there were curtailed schedules, reduced capacities and the added expenses of testing and contact tracing. "There isn't any way to put a good face on it. You all lived it like I lived it," Bowlsby said Monday. "If I could find out who to ask, I'd ask for a refund on 2020. It was not a good year by any measuring stick." Yet the admittedly impatient Bowlsby believes there is reason to feel good about the future. The number of positive cases across the country has been on the decline. More vaccinations are being shipped to all corners of the country daily. A more normal fall sports season complete with full stadiums seems at least possible. Then there's the return of March Madness next week. Already, conferences are crowning their champions and preparing to send them to Indiana for the NCAA Tournament. The Big 12 opens its tournament Wednesday night.
 
Social media stardom: How changes to NIL will benefit athlete-influencers across the NCAA
Hanna Cavinder is standing on a folding chair in the Fresno State locker room with her twin sister, Haley, on the floor. Both are wearing Bulldogs women's basketball jerseys. The music kicks in. For 12 seconds, they dance to TisaKorean's song "LSD," which is, ostensibly, about breakfast cereal. It's a little locker room silliness. On TikTok, the video has more than a million views. Nearly every day, there's a new post of the twins dancing, lip-syncing, dribbling or shooting, and each one has been seen by hundreds of thousands. The twins aren't household names among women's college basketball fans nor do they play for a blueblood program, but their exploding popularity on social media -- they have 2.7 million followers on TikTok -- has made them stars well beyond their sport. They're the leading scorers for Fresno State, but as the NCAA moves toward allowing athletes to profit from endorsement deals, it's follower counts, not stat lines, that could translate to serious money. "The Cavinder twins collectively," said Blake Lawrence, CEO of the marketing firm Opendorse, "have almost as big of an influence in terms of value as Trevor Lawrence."



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