| Tuesday, March 12, 2024 |
| Education: Mississippi State team honored with national architectural education award | |
 | Three Mississippi State University professors are part of a team receiving a recent Architectural Education Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects. The Professional Horizons team -- including MSU professors Hans Herrmann, Abbey Franovich and Ashley Studdard-Hughes, along with the Design Leadership Foundation's Thomas Kligerman -- was honored with the 2024 AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership award. "This year, MSU's award application was the only winning submission among all 175 recognized National Architecture Accreditation Board programs across North America and beyond," Herrmann said. Recognizing "best practice" examples of highly effective teaching, scholarship and outreach in the areas of professional practice and leadership, the award celebrates the team's multi-year efforts for its Professional Horizons work, the shared name encompassing both a New York City-based work/study summer program and a workshop initiative that promotes professional development and job search skills. "In short, it is a recognition of our efforts in conjunction with the Design Leadership Foundation to bring awareness and access to potential career tracks," Herrmann explained. |
| March 12 is Election Day in Mississippi. Here's what to know before heading to the polls | |
 | Mississippi's congressional and presidential primaries are set for Tuesday, March 12. In-person voting: polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Any registered voter in line is legally entitled to cast a ballot. Voters are required to show photo identification at the polls, so make sure to bring your driver's license, passport, or any of the acceptable forms of identification. You can take your phone inside with you, but do not take any photos as it's illegal to take pictures of marked ballots. It is unlawful to campaign for any candidate within 150 feet of any entrance to a polling location unless on private property. Polling places should be clear 30 feet from every entrance of all people except election officials, voters waiting to vote, or authorized poll watchers. Any registered voter may participate in either primary as voters in Mississippi do not register by party. In the event of a runoff, eligible voters must stick to the party they voted for on March 12 while those who didn't vote will still be allowed to participate. While it is too late to register for the primary elections, those who want to vote in the Nov. 5 general election have until Oct. 7 to register. Congressional and presidential candidates are on the ballot for both Democrats and Republicans. Representing the GOP in the presidential election will be Donald Trump and former candidates Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy. Joe Biden is the only candidate on the Democratic presidential ballot in Mississippi. |
| Vote: Mississippi presidential, Senate and House primaries on Tuesday | |
| Polls will be open in Mississippi on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Republican and Democratic primaries for president, a U.S. Senate post and U.S. House seats. In the Republican primary, Sen. Roger Wicker of Tupelo, who was first elected to office in a 2008, faces two challengers: Ghannon Burton of Tishomingo County and state Rep. Dan Eubanks of DeSoto County. While Wicker is a heavy favorite to capture another six-year term, it appears he is not taking his reelection for granted. He has been active on the campaign trail, running television and radio advertising since last fall. Burton, a pilot, retired from the Marine Corps in 2021 with the rank of colonel. He said he retired because of the "wokeness" in the military. On his campaign website, he also cited "the stolen election," referring to the 2020 presidential election. Eubanks was elected to the state House in 2015. He has been affiliated with the most conservative wing of the Republican Party in the House. Former Republican President Donald Trump has endorsed Wicker. All four U.S. House posts are up for reelection this year. People with questions about where they vote can contact their local circuit clerk or go to the Mississippi at the My Election Day portal at the Mississippi secretary of state's website. |
| Mississippi holds primaries for 4 seats in the US House and 1 in the Senate | |
 | Mississippians head to the polls with party primaries for all four of the state's U.S. House seats and one U.S. Senate seat. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday. If runoff elections are needed, they will be held April 2. The general election is Nov. 5. Rep. Trent Kelly is unopposed for the Republican nomination in north Mississippi's 1st Congressional District. Dianne Dodson Black and Bronco Williams are competing in the Democratic primary. Rep. Bennie Thompson is unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses most of the city of Jackson and rural areas in the Delta and along the Mississippi River. The three candidates in the Republican primary are Ron Eller, Andrew Scott Smith and Taylor Turcotte. Republican Rep. Michael Guest is unopposed in the primary and the general election in central Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District. Rep. Mike Ezell faces two challengers in the Republican primary in south Mississippi's 4th Congressional District. Carl Boyanton and Michael McGill are challenging Ezell in the Republican primary. Sen. Roger Wicker faces two challengers in the Republican primary -- Ghannon Burton and Dan Eubanks. Ty Pinkins is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. |
| Ezell, Wicker facing challengers in Mississippi primary | |
 | Mississippi freshman Rep. Mike Ezell has been attacked for voting -- "16 times" -- for Kevin McCarthy as speaker, while a new super PAC created on Feb. 21 started spending last week to oppose Sen. Roger Wicker. Ezell and Wicker both have the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and have outspent their opponents significantly ahead of Tuesday's primaries. But their challenges, on an otherwise sleepy primary ballot, highlight how seemingly safe Republicans have come under fire this cycle. Ezell, a former sheriff, is seeking a second term in the 4th District after ousting six-term Rep. Steven Palazzo in 2022 by railing against his ethics. Now, Ezell faces businessman Carl Boyanton and Army veteran Michael McGill. Boyanton placed fifth in a seven-way primary for the seat in 2022 and later endorsed Ezell in a runoff. He also previously ran for the seat in 2020. "Since getting to Washington, well, he's been a busy bee for the establishment," Boyanton said in one ad. Wicker, a former seven-term House member first elected to the Senate in 2008, faces retired Col. Ghannon Burton and state Rep. Dan Eubanks. In addition to Wicker's long political history, he also has a significant fundraising advantage. Wicker had raised $7.5 million for his reelection campaign and had $4.2 million on hand as of Feb. 21. Eubanks had $49,000 on hand and Burton had $40,000. Candidates in the primary need to get more than 50 percent of the vote or face a runoff for the nomination April 2. |
| State wants sole power over Coast waterfront, including piers, city harbors and the beach | |
 | State legislators and Mississippi Coast officials are battling over control of the Mississippi Coast waterfront. Under current law, the secretary of state ultimately controls property subject to the ebb and flow of the tide on bays and the Mississippi Sound. But state laws also give counties and cities the right to control their harbors, oversee the sand beach, and build piers for recreational purposes. Now, bills proposed by the House and Senate would put complete control of the waterfront in the secretary of state's hands. The proposed law combines portions of state gaming, tidelands, and ports and harbors laws. Attorneys for local government bodies are still trying to understand all the ramifications. But the bottom line, they say, is the law could make Coast projects more costly and time-consuming by adding another layer of bureaucracy. The Board of Supervisors on Monday voted to ask that the Legislature hold off on passing a bill until local officials can offer input. Supervisor Nathan Barrett said legislators are more likely to work from the Senate bill. A vote on the bill is expected Thursday. The law also would prohibit casinos from locating across from the sand beach, one of its main purposes, putting out of contention some sites that could be marketed to casino developers. Some local officials agree with the casino sand beach provision but wonder why the goal couldn't be accomplished with a couple of sentences rather than multiple changes to state laws. |
| 'License to kill': Anti-abortion groups rage against the GOP | |
 | The anti-abortion movement is turning on Republican lawmakers who support bills to protect in vitro fertilization, accusing them of sanctioning murder. As many politicians raced in recent weeks to get to the right side of public opinion on IVF, some of the country's biggest and most influential anti-abortion groups are pushing back. Several have attacked state and federal lawmakers -- who introduced legislation to protect IVF after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled last month that frozen embryos are children -- for giving doctors a "license to kill" and said legislators' efforts would result in "thousands of dead human beings." Other groups are going further, running ads against longstanding GOP allies. The tension over IVF underscores a deepening divide as Republicans grapple with new political and policy consequences of passing laws declaring that life begins at conception. After marching in lockstep for decades against Roe v. Wade, conservatives are clashing in the post-Roe era over what it means to be "pro-life." "For a lot of conservative Republican lawmakers, being against abortion has served as a kind of lazy way to say that you're a conservative," said Jameson Taylor, director of policy and legislative affairs for the Mississippi-based American Family Association Action. "Frankly, a lot of Republican lawmakers are not in touch with conservative principles because they have not taken sufficient time to think through what those principles are." In Mississippi, the anti-abortion movement and its GOP allies have called a Republican-backed proposal to protect IVF the "greatest assault on the cause of life that we've seen in Mississippi in a long time" and warned that the "bad Democrat-based bill" would lead to "backdoor abortion and possible cloning and selling of 'genetic materials of humans.'" |
| As Alabama tries to legalize sports betting, advocates point to neighboring states' success | |
 | In mid-February, George Musto joined dozens of people who packed into Ghost Train Brewing in Birmingham, Alabama, to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers clash in Super Bowl 58. Musto is an avid Detroit Lions fan and even went to the brewery wearing his team's ball cap and jersey, despite the Lions not making the big game. But on this day, he's a Chiefs fan for one reason -- money. "I put money on the Chiefs, " said Musto, who divulged that he made his wagers on the game via an online betting app and with a bookie. "I think that's what it should be all about. It's... being able to make an extra source of income, and making yourself more excited about watching the game." Sports betting in Alabama is illegal, but Musto's gamble shows that the law hasn't stopped people from trying to do it. Last year, the online gambling company FanDuel blocked at least two million attempts by Alabamians to place a bet online, according to Christian Genetsky, the company's president and a Birmingham native. When those bets were blocked, Genetsky said people likely drove to neighboring states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida or Tennessee where sports betting is already legal, or switched to an illegal, offshore site. Mississippi allows sports betting in its casinos, but lawmakers are trying to approve mobile sports betting during its legislative session. The state's House of Representatives passed a measure to allow remote sports betting in early February, and state Senate leaders have until April 2 to pass the measure out of a committee. |
| 'We're hollowing out Jackson': Horhn critical of water system takeover bill | |
| A Mississippi state senator is calling out legislation for being another example of state leaders attempting to hollow out Jackson. District 26 Sen. John Horhn spoke recently at a meeting of Jacksonians 4 Jackson, a group formed to help increase voter participation across the capital city. Horhn gave an update last week on several bills still making their way through the legislature. He also spoke out against S.B. 2628, the Mississippi Capitol Region Utility Act. If passed, the bill would take the city's water and sewer system and place it under the control of an independent governing authority. "I'm afraid we're hollowing out Jackson. They're trying to do a takeover of the airport... We had the expansion of the police powers of Capitol Police, and now, we're going to take over the wastewater and drinking water facility," he said. "What's going to be left in Jackson that the elected officials will be able to control?" Horhn was referring to several legislative efforts in recent years to expand state control in Jackson. In 2016, lawmakers approved a bill taking control of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and placing it under a regional board. That legislation is still tied up in federal court. "Look, we know we have some problems with our local elected leaders. We know that we have that, but the solution should not be, 'Oh, let's take it,'" Horhn said. "No other community in the state has faced the kind of onslaught that Jackson has." |
| What lawmakers slipped into the $460 billion spending package | |
| For the federal government, the 2024 fiscal year started in October of last year, but this funding -- at least a portion of it -- didn't make it through Congress and to the President's desk until last weekend. Now that it's done, policy wonks in and out of Washington are digging through the six funding bills and the earmarks attached to them. Earmarks are sort of like footnotes on funding bills, promising to spend money on specific projects requested by individual members of Congress. Earmarks were banned for about a decade after some high-profile scandals and examples of waste. But since they were brought back a few years ago, "there's a requirement to demonstrate community support for projects which didn't exist in the past. For-profit organizations, companies are not eligible to receive them," said Michael Thorning, director of structural democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center. "There is an overall cap on the amount of money that Congress can direct in this way, and the system that we have now is the most transparent that it has ever been in our history." You can go to the House Appropriations Committee website and find lists of earmarks, as well as who requested them. In this latest package, there are more than 6,000 earmarks totaling more than $12 billion, according to an analysis by Bloomberg Government. That's less than 3% of the total spending package. And it includes funds for things like "infrastructure projects, help for police, affordable housing," said Diana Evans, a professor emerita of political science at Trinity College who has studied earmarks for decades. |
| Top red state official demands answers on Biden executive order 'attempting to register' illegals to vote | |
 | Mississippi's Secretary of State has sent a letter to President Biden's Department of Justice asking it to stop enforcing a Biden executive order that he warns is being used to attempt to register ineligible convicts and illegal immigrants to vote. "As you are aware, on March 7, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order No. 14019 which sought to turn the Department of Justice agencies from their historical missions of law enforcement to voter registration and get out the vote operations," Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week. "These efforts are an intrusion into state matters and are a misuse of federal revenue and resources. In addition, it appears that these efforts have led to agencies under your charge attempting to register people to vote, including potentially ineligible felons and to co-opt state and local officials into accomplishing this goal." The executive order in question was signed by Biden in 2021 and was billed as an attempt to combat racial discrimination and "protect the right to vote" and instructed government agencies "consider ways to expand citizens' opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process." In his letter, Watson outlines concerns that the executive order "forces the U.S. Marshals Service" to "modify agreements with jails" that require them "to provide voter registration materials and facilitate voting by mail." "This program creates numerous opportunities for ineligible prisoners to be registered to vote in Mississippi." |
| Trump's team is slashing Republican National Committee staff amid takeover, AP sources say | |
| Just days after installing his new leadership team at the Republican National Committee, Donald Trump's lieutenants are cutting dozens of staff across key departments in an aggressive move that further cements the former president's takeover of the GOP's political and fundraising machinery. More than 60 people were fired in all, including senior staff in the political, data and communications departments inside the committee's Washington headquarters. The cuts also included staff that ran the committee's celebrated community centers, which were focused on building relationships with minority groups in some Democratic-leaning states. The sweeping overhaul was confirmed by multiple people with direct knowledge of the cuts who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the moves publicly. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., celebrated news of the staffing cuts, suggesting they send a clear message about the direction of the GOP. "MAGA is now in control of the Republican Party!!" Greene wrote on X, referencing Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement. "We will continue to need everyone's help all the way across the finish line! Do not grow weary." |
| House plows ahead with TikTok bill despite Trump's opposition | |
 | The House is steaming ahead with a bill that could ban TikTok despite vocal opposition from former President Trump, who once led the charge against the popular app. The House will vote this week on the bipartisan Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, under a special rule that waives discussion of the bill and requires a two-third majority to pass, according to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise's (R-La.) weekly schedule released Monday. "We must ensure the Chinese government cannot weaponize TikTok against American users and our government through data collection and propaganda," Scalise said. The plan highlights the bipartisan momentum propelling the bill forward quickly through the House, even as Trump -- the party's leader and likely presidential nominee -- speaks out against it. Although the bill has broad bipartisan support, it's also facing opposition on both sides of the aisle that could pose hurdles for lawmakers -- along with a fierce opposition campaign launched by TikTok. Trump's comments opposing a bill that could ban TikTok came after he confirmed he recently met with Jeff Yass, a major GOP donor and investor in TikTok. Trump said Yass did not bring up TikTok during the conversation. President Biden said he would sign the bill if it is passed by Congress. |
| Inflation Picks Up to 3.2%, Slightly Hotter Than Expected | |
 | U.S. inflation was slightly stronger than expected last month but did little to change expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting rates later this year. Consumer prices rose 3.2% in February from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up slightly from economists' expectations of 3.1%. The second straight month of firmer-than-expected inflation is likely to reinforce the central bank's wait-and-see posture toward rate reductions when officials meet next week. Still, officials are focused on when to cut rates rather than whether to raise them again. Inflation has declined notably from 40-year highs following the most rapid interval of rate increases in four decades. Stocks ticked slightly higher in morning trading. Core prices, which exclude food and energy items in an effort to better track inflation's underlying trend, rose 0.4% from January -- more than the 0.3% economists expected. Core prices were up 3.8% from a year earlier, and while that marked the smallest increase since 2021, the report dashed hopes that stronger-than-expected inflation in January was a mere blip. The report showed prices for energy goods rose 3.6% from a month earlier, a reflection of the rise in gasoline prices last month. Prices for food were unchanged. Prices for other goods rose 0.1%, and were down 0.3% from a year earlier. Services prices excluding energy services and housing costs -- the so-called supercore measure that the Fed has highlighted -- rose 0.5% on the month. That was lower than January's 0.8% gain, but was elevated in comparison with readings during the fourth quarter. |
| Senate bill that would merge 2 Mississippi universities receiving backlash | |
| The W at Mississippi State University could become a reality if Senate Bill 2715 becomes law. The bill, written by District 43 Senator Dennis DeBar, would merge Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University. "I just don't think it's a good idea," said District 7 Senator Hob Bryan. "It's not a good way to legislate. Two committees meet on deadline day, and within a couple of hours, without any public debate or discussion, they suddenly, basically, want to close one of our institutions of higher learning. That's not good -- that's not the way to go about doing business." The move also impacts the future of the Mississippi School of Mathematics and Science, which is on MUW's campus. It caught everyone off guard, from the MUW staff to the MSU family," said District 41 Representative Kabir Karriem. "Logistically it's a nightmare, and it's a lot of unanswered questions," Karriem expressed. "I just wish the bill would die a natural death." MUW President Dr. Nora Miller is against this legislation. MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum issued a statement saying the university has many questions and concerns about this bill. "Such an action of this nature would require a tremendous amount of study and review regarding operational logistics, infrastructure, financial sustainability, academic viability, and accreditation -- just to name a few," said Keenum. |
| Education: Fisher named director of development | |
| Marla Fisher, a seasoned professional in fundraising and development, has been named director of development at Mississippi University for Women. "Marla came to The W five years ago, and with her dedication to the university, she has progressively advanced our fundraising initiatives," said Andrea Stevens, director of Development & Alumni Relations. "She brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience to her new role as she leads the development team in securing private dollars to support the mission of the university." Fisher brings more than a decade of experience in development and alumni relations from a diverse array of institutions, including The W, The College of New Jersey and Mississippi State University. As director of development, she will develop, organize, implement and evaluate all fundraising plans for the university. Additionally, Fisher will secure major gifts, increase funds for annual and endowed scholarships and collaborate with the campus community to support the university's mission and goals. "Over the past five years, I have truly enjoyed working with W alumni, students, faculty and staff," Fisher said. "I look forward to continuing those relationships while building new ones with alumni and university supporters, together cultivating a community dedicated to supporting The W's tradition of excellence for generations to come." Fisher holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mississippi State University. |
| Music by Women Festival shines light on female composers | |
 | The W hosted their annual International Music by Women Festival with multiple concerts playing music by female composers. Artistic Director Julia Mortyakova said the goal of the festival is to bring more exposure to female composers. "If you go to any concert, you are probably not going to see a woman composer in the program at all, if you do it is like a big victory. Every time I go and I see a woman composer in a program I am like 'Yes!' and it shouldn't be that way. There should be an equal representation of men and women on concert programs," Mortyakova said. But they don't just want to play pieces by current female composers but also historic ones. "The historic women composers a lot of them have had very successful careers during their lifetime, and then somehow they were magically erased from music history, while their male counterparts had an equal amount of success and were on par with them during their lifetime somehow stayed and the women were erased. It's a historical injustice that we are trying to correct," Mortyakova said. This year was the eighth annual festival. |
| Ole Miss summit to focus on voter registration | |
 | The University of Mississippi will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Summer Project in Mississippi during the 2024 annual Voting Summit. Scheduled for March 19-23, the event will focus on examining history and registering new voters. Activities include screenings, panel discussions and voter registration drives for UM students, staff, faculty and community members. Admission is free, but participants must register to attend some events. "We're quite excited about our schedule of events," said William Teer, assistant director of student leadership programs in the UM Center for Community Engagement. "Our team has been working hard organizing this year's voting summit, which is thematically tied to the 60th anniversary of Mississippi Freedom Summer." "Freedom Summer" was a tumultuous time in American civil and voting rights history. Hundreds of volunteers, most of them college students, organized in Mississippi during the summer of 1964 to increase awareness and voter registration in the African American community. |
| First events of IMC Connect! geared toward high school students | |
| The first couple of events at this year's IMC Connect! Conference 2024 will be geared toward high school students. The IMC Connect! Conference will be held March 25-27 and is hosted by the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media. The annual event connects senior leaders in integrated marketing communications from both research and practice. The conference will feature communication leaders from well-known brands including Boeing, The Las Vegas Raiders, Carnival Cruise Line, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Toyota of Mississippi, and CVS. The first event, at 8:30 a.m., will be "Developing the Communicator in You," by Tiffannie L. Hedin of Toyota Mississippi. She will be speaking on how being a communicator is part of being human and how to embrace that for life and career paths. Chick-fil-A breakfast will be served. At 11 a.m. Community Connect! will take place in the Grove. Community Connect! is a unique service project that involves the creation of evergreen social media video content to support the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County. Students will be paired into small groups to create short Instagram videos around campus on either early childhood education/literacy, mental health, food insecurity, or housing insecurity. |
| Delta State ranked among best value universities in the South | |
| Delta State is one of the best bang-for-your-buck universities in the American South, according to a new report. As part of U.S. News & World Report's list of "2024 Best Value Regional Universities-South," Delta State came in at No. 13. The publication evaluated the educational value of schools in the category based on a variety of factors including student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies. Dr. Dan Ennis, president of Delta State, believes the honor is a nod to the university's work in making education affordable for everyone. "One of DSU's greatest strengths is our value to the student, and we make an elite, world-class education accessible to all income ranges," Ennis said. "Out-of-state and international students pay the same tuition as in-state students do, and we offer a range of programs that you might not expect from a small, regional university." Delta State placed in a handful of other categories published by U.S. News, including No. 23 in "Top Public Universities in the South," No. 20 in "Best Colleges in the South for Veterans," and No. 55 in "Best Regional Universities-South." |
| Construction begins on new dorms along Haley Concourse | |
| Construction began this week on a new residence hall along Haley Concourse, set to house 371 Auburn University students and to be completed for the fall 2026 semester. University architect and assistant vice president of planning, design and construction Simon Yendle oversees construction projects across campus. The university has conducted multiple site studies according to Yendle, who described the current location as preferred by him and the Auburn University Board of Trustees. "When you look at the highest demand for dorms on campus, it's usually the upper quad, lower quad and then it kind of dissipates from there," Yendle said. "We saw an opportunity to be able to create some new housing at this location. Relative to student success sort of being in the heart of campus, it makes a lot of sense." The dorms are set to be finished in two years, with availability for students in fall 2024. The 125,000-square-foot building was approved to be built for $72 million and has numerous features Yendle hopes will set them apart from other dorms on campus. The university will also build a new office for university housing. The dorms will be freshman doubles, like the Quad, but taking on a modern interpretation. Within each dorm, there will be two separate bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The bathrooms with have a single shower and a single, improved sink. |
| First dean appointed to lead new UGA School of Medicine | |
 | The University of Georgia announced Monday that Dr. Shelley Nuss will become the first dean of the UGA School of Medicine. Nuss is currently campus dean for the Augusta University/UGA Medical Partnership, a role she has had since 2016. She will now lead the establishment of the new medical school at its site off Prince Avenue. "There is no one better equipped to lead this important initiative than Dr. Shelly Nuss, with her exemplary, widely recognized leadership in medical education," UGA President Jere Morehead said in a statement released by UGA Today, an online media out for the university. "It's an honor to serve as the founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine," Nuss told UGA Today. She said the new medical school will have "a tremendous impact in addressing the ongoing physician shortage." Nuss has been honored by her peers with awards from the Medical Association of Georgia and the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Physicians. She received a degree in pharmacy from Purdue University and her medical degree from West Virginia University, where she once served as chief resident in internal medicine and psychiatry, according to UGA. |
| Arkansas lottery revenues for February up over a year ago, but scholarship money remains flat | |
| The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery's revenues increased in February from $46 million in the same month a year ago to $49 million, but the amount raised for college scholarships remained flat at about $7 million. Scratch-off ticket revenues increased from $37.2 million a year ago to $39.6 million last month and the lottery's draw-game revenues increased from $8.7 million a year ago to $9.3 million last month, lottery officials reported Monday in the monthly report to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Legislative Council's lottery oversight subcommittee. The lottery's Mega Millions revenues increased from $1.1 million in February 2023 to $1.9 million last month, and Powerball revenues dropped from $2.6 million in February 2023 to $2.4 million last month, according to the lottery's records. Lottery Director Eric Hagler said many players cross-pollinate their play with draw and scratch-off games, also called instant games. Hagler said the amount raised for college scholarships in February remained at about the same level as in the same month a year ago because in January "we saw the cash-to-accrual [accounting] adjustment result in a positive flow of [$2 million plus]; this month, the flow was reversed, almost to the penny." For all of fiscal 2024, the lottery has projected a total revenue of $567.9 million and raising $100.7 million for college scholarships. |
| The U. of Texas at Austin Is the Latest to Bring Back the SAT Requirement | |
 | The University of Texas at Austin is once again requiring applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, the university announced Monday. When the pandemic closed testing centers in 2020, hundreds of colleges went test-optional or test-free. UT-Austin chose test-optional. Now, several institutions are announcing permanent decisions about their SAT policies. In recent weeks, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale announced they were returning to requiring the tests. The University of Michigan declared it would stay test-optional. And boards for the University of North Carolina system and University System of Georgia aim to make final decisions later this spring, their spokespeople say. At UT-Austin, leaders said they wanted test scores to help them better predict how students will do at the university. Those predictions, in turn, help administrators identify who should not be admitted (at least not right away) into more-demanding programs such as engineering and business; who should be offered additional academic support; and who is scoring highly in the context of their high school, even if their score is not impressive when compared with national or UT-Austin averages. Standardized-test opponents often argue that test requirements discourage underrepresented minority students from applying, but UT-Austin's leaders don't think that will happen at the university. |
| U. of Missouri student reported missing after Nashville fraternity trip | |
 | A University of Missouri student has been reported missing after traveling to Nashville with his fraternity Friday. Riley Strain, 22, was last seen around 10 p.m. Friday at a bar on Broadway, in the lower section of downtown Nashville, according to a tweet from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Nashville police confirmed to KOMU 8 that they are currently investigating Strain's disappearance. A missing persons report says Strain was last seen at 10 p.m. after he was kicked out of Luke Bryan's bar. Strain, a senior from Springfield, Missouri, seeking an interdisciplinary bachelor of arts, is a member of the Delta Chi fraternity at MU and had gone to the city with a 200-plus group of his fraternity brothers. "We know time is of the essence," Strain's father, Ryan Gilbert, said. "You're just hanging by a thread, waiting for any kind of information." Gilbert said Strain and between five to 10 members of MU's Delta Chi chapter were in Nashville for the fraternity's national convention. According to the missing persons report, friends told authorities they tried finding him using Strain's Snapchat location but came up short. Phone calls to Strain's phone on Saturday were sent to voicemail. The university announced Monday that it has been in touch with the family and authorities in Nashville who are working to find Strain. |
| Kyle Rittenhouse set to speak at U. of Memphis, sparking outrage in community | |
| In August 2020, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and injured a third. He claimed self-defense. Then, in fall 2021, he was acquitted of criminal accusations in a controversial, heated trial, and became a hero of far-right politicians and Second Amendment advocates. Now, Rittenhouse is set to speak at the University of Memphis. The event is being hosted by the student chapter of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA and is slated to be held on March 20. Though Rittenhouse's scheduled appearance has sparked outrage in the community, U of M has maintained that it is legally required to allow him to speak. A spokesperson provided the following statement: "The upcoming event at the University of Memphis featuring Kyle Rittenhouse is not sponsored by the University. A registered student organization, University of Memphis TPUSA, is hosting the event. Under the First Amendment and Tennessee's Campus Free Speech Act, the University of Memphis cannot legally prohibit such events from being hosted by a registered student organization." When he comes to Memphis, he'll be arriving in a majority-Black city that's riddled with gun violence and dealing with the state's loose gun laws -- laws that many of Rittenhouse's supporters would advocate for. |
| Low Grade? Arizona Bill Would Let Students Allege 'Political Bias' | |
 | Republican lawmakers in Arizona have proposed creating a "grade challenge department," to which public university students could complain that their professors gave them low grades because of political bias. Senate Bill 1477, which is only five paragraphs long, says that if this new department concluded there was political bias, it could "require any faculty member of a public university to regrade the student's assignment or reevaluate the student's overall class grade." Students could only allege political bias, not racial, religious or other possible sources of bias. The bill doesn't define what political bias means. Students who lose their cases before the department would be allowed to appeal to the Arizona Board of Regents. But the bill contains no appeal right for the faculty member whose grade could be overridden. The legislation passed the state Senate Feb. 22 in a 16 to 12 party-line vote with two Democratic members not voting. Last week, House education committee members passed it 4 to 3 in another party-line vote, with a couple of Republicans and a Democrat not voting. The margins matter. If the full House of Representatives passes the bill, it will head to Democratic governor Katie Hobbs. If she vetoes it, the state constitution says at least two-thirds of lawmakers in each chamber would have to vote to overturn that veto to make the bill law. The governor's office didn't return Inside Higher Ed's requests for comment. |
| College Offers Better Returns Than The Stock Market, Study Finds | |
| A college degree still offers better returns than the stock market despite rising tuition costs, a new study has found. The increase in salary works out at an average return on investment of between nine and 10% a year, once tuition and other expenses had been taken into account, researchers estimated. But the rate of return varies significantly between different college majors, and returns have been falling across the board over the last decade. In the face of this growing skepticism, researchers compared the earnings of almost six million Americans, 2.9 million with a degree and 2.9 million with high school diplomas only, to try to put a monetary value on a college education. Analyzing lifetime earnings, they found that earning a college degree provided an annual rate of return of 9.88% of women and 9.06% for men. This compares with the average stock market return of 7.58% over the last 50 years, using the S&P 500 measure. "Our cost-benefit analysis finds that on average a college degree offers better returns than the stock market," said study coauthor Liang Zhang, professor of higher education at New York University. Graduates in engineering and computer science had the highest annual rate of return, at 13%, followed by business, health, science and math, with returns ranging from 10-13%. Returns averaged eight to nine per cent for biology, agriculture and social science majors, while education, humanities and arts graduates could expect returns of less than eight per cent, and for men in these disciplines it was less than five per cent. |
| The Most Confusing, Chaotic College Admissions Season in Years | |
| Logan Zielinski, a high-school senior in Sterling Heights, Mich., spent much of the fall getting wooed by football coaches at small Midwestern colleges. Scholarships were a major part of their pitches. This week he is committing to enroll and play at one of those schools, Concordia University Ann Arbor, without having any idea how much it will cost. The federal government hasn't yet sent colleges any information about applicants' family finances, which the schools need to make financial-aid offers. Coaches, though, were pushing Logan to commit so they could firm up their team rosters. His mother, Heather Zielinski, said she feels she has no choice but to go in blind, because otherwise he would run the risk of not being able to play anywhere. "It's just the perfect storm of life-changing events, big money and no control," she said. This might be the most chaotic, frustrating, uncertain college-admissions cycle in recent history. Schools opened their application seasons while still digesting the June Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, which restricted how schools could consider race in admissions and left applicants unsure what to disclose about themselves. Uncertainty over test-optional admissions policies has compounded the stress. Some guidance counselors and families have become skeptical that applicants who opt not to include SAT and ACT scores won't be penalized for that. The worst problem by far, though, is the trouble with the new federal financial-aid application. |
| Education Department starts sending financial aid data to colleges after months of delays | |
| After months of delays and technical hiccups, some colleges and universities have started to receive federal data they need to put together financial aid offers for incoming students, the Biden administration said Monday. The Education Department says it sent a first batch of student records to a few dozen universities on Sunday and is making final updates before expanding to more universities. The delay has cut into the time schools usually have to assemble financial aid packages before the typical May 1 deadline for students to commit to a university. Many colleges have extended enrollment deadlines as they wait on the federal government, leaving families across the nation wondering how much financial help they will get with college tuition. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid overhaul delayed the form's usual rollout from October to late December. The department then soft-launched the new version to address lingering bugs in the system, but many families reported difficulties accessing the form. Every year, about 17 million students submit the FAFSA as part of their applications for financial aid. So far, 5.5 million students have been able to fill out the new FAFSA form, according to the department. |
| Biden's lean science budget could mean tough choices for agencies | |
| President Joe Biden today sent the U.S. Congress a $7.3 trillion spending blueprint that includes his priorities for research. But in an era of flat budgets, being on the White House's priority list -- which ranges from promoting the ethical use of artificial intelligence to finding a cure for cancer -- may not mean getting more money. That's the hard reality facing U.S. scientists as they pore over Biden's budget request for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins on 1 October. With the slice of the U.S. budget that funds domestic research essentially capped under an earlier budget agreement with Republicans, Biden's proposed $201 billion investment in research is only 1% larger than what was spent in the fiscal year ending in September 2023. And it's a far cry from what key research agencies were promised in the landmark 2022 CHIPS and Science Act to revive the sagging U.S. semiconductor industry. And for some agencies, the 2025 request comes on the heels of significant cuts to their 2024 budgets that Congress imposed just last week to avert a partial government shutdown. "While the [Biden] administration calls for increased funding for federal research agencies relative to enacted levels, the request is a retreat from the bold vision outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act," says Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. "Lawmakers have failed to meet their targeted investments in research and development. Today's budget would add to that shortfall if enacted." |
| Biden proposes free community college, Pell Grant increases in FY25 budget | |
| The U.S. Department of Education would receive $82 billion in discretionary funding under President Joe Biden's budget proposal for fiscal 2025, a 3.9% increase from fiscal 2023. Biden's proposal is essentially the Democratic president's wish list -- it's unlikely to pass a deeply divided Congress. But it provides insight into his legislative priorities for higher education. Through a federal-state partnership, his plan would make two years of community college free for first-time students and workers wanting to reskill, according to the Education Department. It would also allocate $12 billion to fund strategies to lower college costs, including by providing awards for institutions that "affordably deliver a quality education." Jason Altmire, president and CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, which represents for-profit institutions, argued in a statement Monday that the proposal would penalize students attending proprietary institutions. While Biden's budget includes no bold new proposals on erasing student loan debt, it would drop one fee for borrowers. Under the Higher Education Act, federal loans incur an origination fee of about 1% or 4%, depending on the type. The Education Department withholds that total from the money borrowers can access. Biden's proposal would eliminate those fees, saving $2,800 for the average parent who borrows for their child's college education, the White House said. Teachers and nurses with federal student loans would save an average of $1,000, it said. |
| Biden Seeks Another Pell Grant Increase, but Shortfall Looms | |
| President Biden wants $2.1 billion next fiscal year to increase the Pell Grant and cover a funding gap in the $29 billion program that could lead to eligibility cuts if not addressed. The increase is part of a proposed 2025 budget released Monday that includes free community college and new funding for student support programs and institutions that serve underrepresented students. Spending on the Pell program, which helps low-income students pay for college, has gone up by nearly 15 percent in the past year following a series of increases to the maximum award and changes to eligibility that expanded access to the pot of money, according to the Office of Management and Budget, which projected a $1.3 billion shortfall for fiscal year 2025. The additional $2.1 billion will help but not avert a shortfall, according to OMB projections, leaving a gap of $4.6 billion in 2026. The Biden administration is still forging ahead with its plan to double the maximum Pell Grant award by 2029. Since Biden took office, the award has increased by $900, and the proposal for fiscal year 2025 would raise it from $7,395 to $8,145. (Congress has yet to adopt a fiscal year 2024 budget, so the specific figures could change.) "Our view is that it's possible not only to fully fund the existing Pell Grant through the rest of the decade but to substantially expand it," Education Under Secretary James Kvaal said at a budget briefing Monday afternoon. |
| Biden Calls for Greater Support of HBCUs, HSIs, and MSIs | |
| When President Biden addressed over 32 million viewers for the annual State of the Union (SOTU) last week, he used the occasion to issue a full throttle support for higher education. While speaking on his administration's accomplishments in his last four years of service, Biden also addressed what he called "the future of possibilities we can build together." Biden has made access to affordable education a cornerstone of his presidential tenure, and he reinforced that position by calling for an increase in Pell Grants and a further increase in "our record investments in HBCUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] and Hispanic and Minority Serving Institutions [HSIs and MSIs]." Scholars say that they were pleased by the president's mention of these institutions and hope to see his call to action translate into increased funding for these under-resourced yet high-achieving institutions. "[The speech] was very fiery," said Dr. Pietro A. Sasso, an associate professor of higher education at Delaware State University, an HBCU in Dover. "That tone and fervor carried over when he talked about HBCUs and MSIs and HSIs. He was just as passionate and bold when he was talking about that in the same way he talked about other crises. It's not just student loans, it's trying to engage in addressing the structural funding inequities." |
| International Educators Brace for a Potential Trump Victory | |
| Not long after President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order closing the U.S. border to students, researchers, and other visitors from a half-dozen predominantly Muslim countries, the attorney general of Washington asked the state's public colleges to comment as part of a lawsuit he filed against the travel ban. Jeffrey Riedinger, who was vice provost for global affairs at the University of Washington, submitted a pair of statements about its potential impact on international enrollments, scholarly exchange, and global research at his institution. "I believe there is significant cost to the university, both tangible and intangible," inflicted by the travel ban, he wrote. When a federal judge ordered a nationwide halt to the ban, a week after it was imposed in late January 2017, he cited, in part, its harm to states' economies and "the operations and missions of their public universities and other institutions of higher education." Now, Riedinger, who retired last year, is feeling an impending, and uncomfortable, sense of déjà vu. With last week's Super Tuesday primaries, an election rematch has been set, with Trump facing off against his successor, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Polls show Trump in the lead. At a recent meeting of the Association of International Education Administrators seemingly every conversation circled, anxiously, to the presidential election. (The organization itself, like other higher-ed groups, is nonpartisan.) |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State men's, women's basketball sweep 2024 Howell and Gillom Trophies | |
 | Mississippi State men's and women's basketball have swept the 2024 Howell and Gillom awards. Freshman Josh Hubbard won the Howell Trophy as the best men's college basketball player in Mississippi while Jessika Carter won the Gillom Trophy for the women. They were announced Monday afternoon at a luncheon at Pearl River Resort. Hubbard is the first freshman to ever win the Howell Trophy. Mississippi State has now received the award three seasons in a row with Iverson Molinar winning in 2022 and Tolu Smith winning in 2023. It is also the first time Mississippi State swept the two awards since Reggie Perry and Rickea Jackson won in 2020. Jackson was the Bulldogs' most-recent Gillom Trophy winner, with Carter ending a three-year streak of it being awarded to Ole Miss. Hubbard, who played high school basketball at Madison-Ridgeland Academy, leads Mississippi State with 16.8 points per game while shooting a conference-best 36.7% from 3. The Bulldogs (19-12, 8-10 SEC) play LSU on Thursday (12 p.m., SEC Network) in the SEC tournament in Nashville. Carter, a 6-foot-5 center, is second on the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game but averages a double-double with 10.1 rebounds per game. She also averages 1.8 blocks per game, the fifth most in the conference. |
| Jessika Carter wins 2024 Gillom Trophy | |
| Mississippi State graduate student center Jessika Carter won the 2024 Gillom Trophy on Monday, an award given to the best women's college basketball player in the state by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Carter, who averaged 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game during the regular season and Southeastern Conference Tournament, beat out Marquesha Davis of Ole Miss and Domonique Davis of Southern Miss for the award. She recorded 13 double-doubles this year and is one of three players in program history to reach 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. With senior guard Jerkaila Jordan playing through an illness for much of February, Carter became the focal point of the Bulldogs' offense. She put up 20 points and 20 boards against Kentucky on Feb. 22, then had 18 points and 14 rebounds three days later at Alabama. After missing three games with an injury in late November and early December, Carter returned with a vengeance during a three-game stretch from Dec. 11 to Dec. 17, scoring 31 points against Kennesaw State and 17 each against Jackson State and Memphis. She also had at least 13 rebounds in each game and earned SEC Player of the Week honors. Carter won that honor again after leading MSU to wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss in January. |
| Josh Hubbard becomes first freshman to win Howell Trophy | |
| Josh Hubbard continues to make history and adds his name to Mississippi State's list of dominance as the latest recipient of the Bailey Howell Trophy announced Monday by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Named after Mississippi State legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Bailey Howell, Hubbard is first freshmen to win the yearly award given to the best male college basketball player in the Magnolia State which dates back to 2004-05. Hubbard is the 9th State player to capture the honor and extends the Bulldogs run to six of the last seven seasons to win the Howell Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort. Quinndary Weatherspoon was a two-time recipient during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Reggie Perry earned the 2019-20 honor followed by Iverson Molinar in 2021-22 and Tolu Smith III in 2022-23. Hubbard has already set State's freshmen single season record with 521 points previously held by Rickey Brown (1976-77) and drained 98 three-pointers which is an overall program mark for the Maroon and White surpassing Darryl Wilson (1995-96). He has piled up double-digit points in 26 of 31 games on the season. Hubbard's 16.8 points per contest are first among SEC freshmen, and Hubbard has amassed 11 outings of 20-plus points, tops nationally among true freshmen. The Madison native closed the regular season with five consecutive games of 20-plus points, the longest run by a State player since Jeff Malone accomplished the feat with 11 straight games in 1982-83. |
| How Mississippi State basketball's Josh Hubbard caught LeBron's eye | |
| Josh Hubbard had just wrapped up a win for Team Thad in the 2022 EYBL Nike Peach Jam when he motioned for his dad, Jason Hubbard, to come down from the stands. "LeBron (James) wants to meet you," Josh said. Whaaaat? Jason couldn't believe it, but after Josh scored 17 points against Bronny James' team, the NBA great wanted to know where the sharpshooter was from. "Mississippi," Jason told him. "Man, what do y'all do in Mississippi," LeBron responded, eager to know how the state produced a player of that caliber. The Lakers forward had the best seat for the show, sitting under the hoop where Josh -- now a guard averaging 16.8 points for Mississippi State basketball -- dribbled by Bronny for a layup before connecting on a pair of 3-pointers shortly after. From where he sat, LeBron noticed. "You got a pro," he told Jason. "He's a pro. I want you to know as a father, like I am a father, cultivate everything he needs and give him everything he needs like I would do mine, and they'll both be in the NBA." Even in the eyes of greats, Josh has been more than an undersized guard. The potential for the mean-mugging product of Madison-Ridgeland Academy to be an All-SEC selection as a freshman was evident. But the road to stardom was not. There were days when Jason wasn't sure if Josh would see his 10th birthday. |
| Smith, Hubbard, Matthews earn all-SEC postseason honors | |
| Mississippi State was well represented in the Southeastern Conference's postseason awards, with grad student post player Tolu Smith, freshman guard Josh Hubbard and senior forward Cameron Matthews all being recognized. Smith, who missed the Bulldogs' first 12 games with a foot injury before returning to the court just ahead of the start of SEC play, was named to the all-conference first team. In his final season with MSU, Smith has averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, with eight double-doubles in 19 contests. It was his second consecutive year on the first team. Hubbard earned a spot on the all-SEC second team as well as the all-freshman team after leading the Bulldogs with 16.8 points per game. He has played his best basketball of the year over the last five games, with at least 23 points each time. Hubbard was named SEC Freshman of the Week a program-record five times and was far and away the conference's leader in made 3-pointers per game. MSU (19-12, 8-10 SEC) is the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament in Nashville, Tenn. and will play No. 8 seed LSU in a second-round game Thursday at noon. |
| Diamond Dawgs Head to Biloxi For a Pair of Games | |
| The Mississippi State baseball team returns to Biloxi to face South Alabama and New Orleans at the Hancock Whitney Classic. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday night and 5 p.m. Wednesday at Shucker Ballpark. The Hancock Whitney Classic will be broadcast on SECN+ and carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield, along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/OnDemand. Since 2020, the Diamond Dawgs are 5-1 when playing in Biloxi. South Alabama enters the Hancock Whitney Classic with an 11-5 record. The Jaguars have a .260 team batting average with Ethan Melton leading the pack with .340. South Alabama's pitching staff has punched out 143 this season and has a .466 ERA. New Orleans enters the midweek with an 8-7 record after a weekend series at Florida State where they went 0-3. New Orleans as a team has collected a .265 batting average. New Orleans have struck out 125 and put together a 7.72 ERA. Mississippi State faces South Alabama for the first since April 10, 2019, on Tuesday. MSU has won the pervious two matchups against the Jaguars. or the first time since 2005, the Diamond Dawgs will play New Orleans. MSU has won five straight over New Orleans. The last matchup went to the Dawgs, 8-4, on March 23, 2005. |
| Dakota Jordan named Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Week | |
| Mississippi State sophomore outfielder Dakota Jordan was named Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday after a spectacular four-game stretch in which he had nine hits in 13 at-bats, with four home runs and 13 runs batted in. Jordan went 2-for-4 in the Bulldogs' 5-4 win over Southern Miss at Trustmark Park in Pearl last Tuesday, driving in three runs including the eventual game-winning solo homer in the seventh inning. He then went 4-for-4 in the series opener Friday against Evansville, opening the scoring with a three-run blast in the third and adding an RBI single an inning later. He homered again Saturday and Sunday as MSU completed a sweep of the Purple Aces, running its winning streak to nine games. For the season, Jordan is slashing .414/.547/.948 with eight homers and 26 RBI. After hitting a two-run shot in the first inning of Sunday's game, Jordan was intentionally walked in three of his last four plate appearances. He was also given an intentional free pass in the eighth inning of Friday's game. His blast Saturday traveled 462 feet and left the bat at 111 miles per hour. Jordan became the first Bulldog to win the SEC's top weekly honor since Brad Cumbest in April 2022. |
| Notebook: Dylan Cupp showing maturity beyond his years at shortstop | |
| In a game teetering on becoming a blowout in favor of the hosts, Mississippi State freshman shortstop Dylan Cupp made a heads-up play to prevent a late Evansville rally. With a runner on second and one out, Evansville's Simon Scherry hit a hard ground ball toward shortstop, and Cupp immediately threw to third allowing Logan Kohler to tag Mark Shallenberger for the second out of the inning. "It's something that anytime a guy's on second, I told (Kohler), 'Hey, ball this way, I'm coming to you,'" Cupp said. "We practice it. It's just a baseball play. ... I don't think much of it. It's just common sense to me." That play doesn't stand out much in the final score, a 13-3 run-rule defeat of the Purple Aces on Sunday to secure a second-straight weekend series sweep, but it's a perfect description of Cupp's emergence on the Bulldogs (12-4). He was entrusted with the starting shortstop position, and not only has he played the part defensively, his bat is coming around quickly. "I think he's relaxing," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "Those first couple weeks were tough, but he's starting to understand what people are trying to do to him. ... The two big hits on the backside were huge. It's just about loosening up and playing." |
| Why are D-linemen getting so rich? Chris Jones, Fletcher Cox show us | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Two Mississippi State football legends were huge in the news over this past weekend. Within a 24-hour window, two blockbuster NFL stories shook the league. One, Kansas City Chiefs great Chris Jones, a Houston, Miss., native and former Bulldog, signed the most lucrative contract ever for a defensive lineman when the Chiefs agreed to pay him $158 million over the next five seasons. That's roughly $31.8 million per season -- about one hundred grand a year more than Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald makes. Two, Yazoo City's Fletcher Cox, another former Bulldog, announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles, thus ending one of the most productive careers of any defensive lineman in pro football history. Cox retires at age 33, still playing at an elite level, still double-teamed by any offense that cares anything at all about the health of its quarterbacks and running backs. Jones signs one of the richest deals in NFL history at age 29. It says much about Jones' worth that the Chiefs would pay that many millions for that many years when he will play his next next game at the ripe, old football page of 30. |
| Primos Hunting founder urges Tate Reeves, legislature to alter Mississippi's wildlife commission | |
| As Mississippi's wildlife commission and the qualifications to become a commissioner continue to be a hot topic, a well-known outdoorsman is presenting his concerns to state leaders. Will Primos, the founder of Primos Hunting, penned a letter on Sunday to members of the Senate Wildlife Committee, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, and Gov. Tate Reeves. In it, he pleaded with decision-makers to rethink their decisions when it comes to choosing not to change the makeup of the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Primos points to three bills, two of which (House Bill 188 and Senate Bill 2460) would have expanded the commission from five members to nine with four additional members required to have a background in biological science. The other (Senate Bill 2290) would have limited the number of consecutive terms a commissioner could serve. All three died in committee last Tuesday. The letter goes on to ask Senate leaders to block the upcoming confirmation of Wildlife Commissioner Leonard Bentz, citing allegations that Bentz has consistently made anti-science decisions and statements over chronic wasting disease (CWD) zones in Mississippi. Frustrated with the legislature's refusal to pass the bills and the governor's unwillingness to back them due to an alleged desire to avoid increasing government in Mississippi, Primos joined Monday's episode of SuperTalk Outdoors with Ricky Mathews to challenge Reeves to reach out to him so the two can discuss the importance of the state's outdoor resources. |
| 'I walked in and said, 'Wow!'': Take a look at these Mississippi state park makeovers | |
| Camping at state parks is a tradition many people in Mississippi look forward to each year, but for those returning to renovated campsites and cabins this year, the reaction will likely be, 'Wow!' "It's a total of 52 sites that we're upgrading or renovating," said Andre Hollis, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks director of State Parks while touring campsite upgrades at Roosevelt State Park in Morton. "We've added two new sites, so we'll have 110 once everything is complete. "Right now, we're looking at June 21 to be complete. We hope to open July 1, if weather permits." Although the park remains open, the campsites are closed while upgrades are made. Each site will have new water, sewer and electrical connections with 20 amp, 30 amp and 50 amp outlets. The renovations are part of a five-year comprehensive plan that will span the entire park system, much of which is outdated and in need of repair. Brian Ferguson, MDWFP chief of staff of the Parks Division, told The Clarion-Ledger in August 2023 the budget was $50 million with additional funding expected. Other parks currently receiving upgrades include Percy Quinn and Paul B. Johnson. In addition to camping upgrades, parks will also offer amenities such as golf car and kayak rentals, pickleball courts, interpretive hiking trails and a rollout of WiFi. |
| Why things fell apart for Ole Miss basketball, Chris Beard despite exciting start | |
| Even amid the winning, Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard was leaving hints. After a narrow victory over Sam Houston on Nov. 17, he said the Rebels had a long way to go as a basketball team. On Nov. 28, after they raised eyebrows with a demolition of NC State, he noted in his opening statement that they needed to rebound better. When they beat Bryant by 17 points to close out their nonconference slate, Beard called his team a "work in progress" on defense. All of that came within a 13-0 start for the Rebels -- tied for the best in program history. When SEC play started, the losses began to trickle. When the calendar flipped to February, they flowed. Ole Miss lost eight of its final 10 regular-season games, and Beard's criticisms became more overt. His team's discipline levels, he repeatedly explained, were not where they needed to be. On Saturday, after the Rebels (20-11) capped their season with an embarrassing 26-point loss to Texas A&M in which they were outrebounded 50-21, Beard confirmed what the early-season crumbs he'd left behind suggested. "We've had issues all season, if you guys go back and check my comments all the way through," he said. "I've always been --- I don't know if concerned is the word or not --- but I can tell you this: This team does not have the discipline that it takes to win the SEC. You know, doing the right thing time after time after time. And so I'll just stand true to that today. I'm not pulling that out of my back pocket on a disappointing day." |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks out following the South Carolina-LSU melee | |
 | The Southeastern Conference is in the process of figuring out how to handle the fight that took place in the fourth quarter of Sunday's SEC Tournament title game between LSU and South Carolina. The Gamecocks claimed a 79-72 victory over the Tigers in Greenville, South Carolina, but the melee that led to a total of six players being ejected dominated the national discussion on Monday. On Monday morning, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey offered his first statement on the matter. "The championship of the SEC Tournament was a great game and a tremendous showcase for women's basketball as a sport, but I am highly disappointed in the incident that took place late in the game and regret that it took focus off what was otherwise a successful championship event," Sankey said in the statement. The fight started with a little over 2 minutes remaining in the game. First, LSU's Flau'jae Johnson lost the ball and committed a foul on South Carolina freshman guard Milaysia Fulwiley. Johnson then threw an elbow at South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins. Then, South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso rushed toward Johnson and shoved her to the ground. Cardoso was ejected from the game, along with every player who left the bench area during the altercation. |
| NAACP urges student-athletes to reconsider Florida colleges after state eliminates DEI programs | |
| Black student-athletes should reconsider attending public colleges and universities in Florida, the NAACP said in a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker on Monday. The letter was in response to the University of Florida and other state schools that have eliminated their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. It was also addressed to current and prospective student-athletes. "This is not about politics," the letter read. "It's about the protection of our community, the progression of our culture, and most of all, it's about your education and your future." The letter was signed by NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Leon W. Russell and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. Last year, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill prohibiting the use of state funds for any DEI programs. The University of Florida responded in March by closing the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminating 13 full-time DEI positions and 15 administrative appointments, and ending DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors. It's unclear how awareness of the debate over DEI might affect current or prospective student-athletes who are considering powerhouses like Florida and Florida State -- especially at a time when name, image and likeness deals have become so integral to building rosters -- but a growing campaign could hinder those schools' recruiting efforts. |
| Juvenile sex offenders fall through cracks of NCAA vetting policy | |
 | Annabelle Boudreau arrived in court with her victim impact statement in hand. She had been too exhausted to attend the reading of the verdict. Her cousin's sentencing hearing, though, she wouldn't dare miss. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she described to the judge the years of mental and emotional scars he had caused. Flashbacks. Panic attacks. Nightmares. Angry outbursts. The rift it had carved within her family. "I will not allow Gus Grimstad to walk freely among society knowing what he is capable of," she said, reading from her statement. "I know the tricks, the lies and the manipulation he is capable of. I wouldn't wish him upon my worst enemy." A wave of relief washed over Boudreau when she finished. But that relief turned to shock, she said, when Grimstad's attorney referenced a letter in support of his character written by his coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the NCAA Division III college where Grimstad competes for the men's swimming team. "We knew that something was wrong, and that the school wasn't informed properly," Boudreau told USA TODAY. Grimstad's case exposes the shortcomings of a recently adopted NCAA rule that requires schools to annually vet athletes for incidents of sexual or violent misconduct. Although athletes typically have been minors for most of their lives by the time they play in college, the rule does not require schools to ask about juvenile cases. Many schools don't. "On behalf of Mr. Grimstad, we deny all allegations made by Ms. Boudreau," his attorney, David Suchar, said in an email. "Mr. Grimstad maintains his innocence, has completed court ordered probation and is continuing to focus on being a contributing member of society." |
| Live Updates: Latest news, analysis from NLRB legislative hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz's NIL roundtable | |
| As conferences squabble over the future of the College Football Playoff model and revenue-sharing distribution and championship week arrives in college basketball, the NCAA is back on Capitol Hill again. Tuesday will be an action-packed day in Washington, D.C., set against a turbulent background in college sports. The Dartmouth men's basketball team voted to form a union last week, becoming the first unionized college athletes. Legal pressures continue to mount against the NCAA, which currently faces preliminary injunctions in lawsuits involving NIL and the transfer portal. The Big Ten and SEC have never been more powerful, with a combined 34 teams entering the 2024 college football season thanks to conference realignment. Commissioners Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti have come together to form a joint advisory group and control a significant amount of power in CFP meetings. "Let's not be shy," Wasserman CEO Casey Wasserman recently said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "The Big Ten and the SEC look a whole lot like the AFC and the NFC, and that's not an accident." Sources have indicated to On3 that recently there is an appetite in the Senate for a narrow piece of legislation that could start revenue-sharing between institutions and athletes while ensuring players are not employees. Tuesday will be a test balloon to see how serious these discussions are, specifically with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz's roundtable. The House Education & The Workforce Committee's legislative hearing will be focused on the recent NLRB regional decision to certify Dartmouth athletes as employees. |
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