| Wednesday, December 4, 2024 |
| Mississippi State University veterinary team saves puppy's legs | |
 | When Dylan McCay and fiancé Emily Roberts saw a post online about a 10-month-old puppy who was hit by a car and then left stranded in Conway Arkansas, they needed to help. The puppy had suffered from fractures in both her hind leg femurs and they were exposed, one completely covered in mud The engaged couple quickly got in their car and drove to help the abandoned puppy, deciding on the way that they would use the money they saved for their wedding fund, and their personal savings, to help the injured dog, who they began calling Acklin because she was found on Acklin Road. McCay loaded the goldendoodle puppy into the car and rushed her to the Greenbrier Animal Hospital in Conway where the severity of the injuries were quickly noticed by Eric Schrand, DVM, a 2022 Mississippi State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine graduate. The team at the hospital was unsuccessful in getting the puppy admitted to surgeons in Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee, leading them to urge the couple to bring her 330 miles to MSU. During her time at MSU, at least 30 veterinary professionals managed her care, including students, emergency room staff, radiologists, anesthesia team, physical therapists, technicians, and of course surgeons. Throughout her stay, the couple who rescued her received updates from the team at MSU for updates, making the process easier for them as well. The couple was shocked to find out that after all that the puppy they rescued went through, she will go on to live a normal healthy life. |
| The Magnolia State leads in protecting America's cybersecurity with AI | |
| State Sen. Scott DeLano writes: It's difficult to overstate artificial intelligence's (AI) importance in cybersecurity in today's increasingly dangerous online world, where nations like China, North Korea, and Iran are always looking for an edge. Thus, due to the increasing frequency and complexity of cyber threats, threats often backed by other nations and terrorist groups, new tools are being utilized to keep America and Mississippi secure. A critical component of these new tools is AI, with cybersecurity professionals using AI daily to safeguard our digital infrastructure and sensitive data. And as these use cases have developed, Mississippi is proudly leading the charge into the future of AI. The Magnolia State has proactively invested in AI research and development as it relates to cybersecurity. Mississippi State University has long been a leader in cybersecurity research and innovation, resulting in one of the few universities with all 3 NSA cyber designation. This summer, the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative leveraged new connections to help Mississippi defend against and protect from cyberattacks by bringing together key stakeholders in defense, government, academia and industry by partnering with both public and private sectors and is now offering cyber-security courses to Mississippi leaders, teachers, and students. Other colleges and universities are also at the forefront of AI and cybersecurity innovation. |
| A taste of winter is coming to Mississippi | |
 | Winter doesn't officially begin until Dec. 21, but much of Mississippi will get a strong taste of it this week. "Thursday night into Friday morning we have another one of those Arctic highs moving into the area," said Sarah Sickles, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. The NWS Jackson covers the area from Greenville over to Columbus and down to Natchez and Hattiesburg. "We're looking at potentially 20s for that entire area," Sickle said. "We're looking at 27 in the Jackson area. "In Columbus, it's more like low 20s. We're looking at upper 20s to near 30 in Hattiesburg." Areas of Mississippi farther north such as Oxford and Corinth will likely see temperatures dip to the low 20s and upper teens Friday morning. To the south along the I-10 corridor temperatures will be more comfortable with lows in the upper 30s to near 40. According to the Mississippi State University Extension Service, there are several steps you can take ahead of freezing weather to protect yourself and your home. Unhook garden hoses from outdoor faucets, drain them, roll them up, and store indoors. Install covers on exterior water faucets. You can also use items like old clothing to cover and insulate outdoor faucets. When temperatures are below freezing, open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warm air to flow through. |
| Construction spending increased more than expected in October, mostly thanks to housing | |
| Construction spending went up in October, according to the Commerce Department. While the increase was only 0.4%, that's twice as much as economists were expecting. Private and residential construction accounted for all of that growth; public and commercial construction spending actually dipped in October. There's a short-term answer and a long-term answer for as to why that is. The long-term answer: supply and demand. We've still got a lot of remote workers, per Anirban Basu, chief economist with the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors. "In many downtowns across the United States of America, the office vacancy rate is above 30% that frustrates construction of new space," he said. Plus, we've still got a housing shortage, meaning there's a high demand for houses and low demand for office buildings. Then, there's the short-term answer: violent weather. Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed billions of dollars of infrastructure. Bridges and offices take longer to rebuild than homes do, Basu said. The contractors Basu has spoken with expect a very busy 2025. Meanwhile, chief economist Ken Simonson with the Associated General Contractors of America said the industry is keeping an eye on the Federal Reserve. "If interest rates will settle down a little more, we'll see quite an upturn in single family construction," he said. |
| America's Role Reversal: Working-Class Blacks Make Gains While Whites Fall Back | |
 | A big shift is under way in American life: The prospects for working-class and poor white Americans are declining, while they are improving for Black Americans in the same economic tier. That reversal of fortunes was documented in a landmark study published earlier this year by Harvard University researchers. The change in economic mobility the researchers traced -- which shrank the amount by which Black Americans' income lags behind white Americans' income -- occurred between 2005, when many Gen Xers were in their late 20s, and 2019, when many millennials reached the same age. Nationwide, a Black child born to parents at the 25th percentile of income in 1992 made $9,521 less at age 27 than a white child born at the 25th percentile. A Black child born in 1978 made $12,994 less at age 27, adjusted to 2023 dollars. In Illinois, some of the forces driving such change can be seen in Madison County, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. One key is how unevenly white and Black workers reaped the rewards of industrialization in the 20th century, and how differently they responded to its decline. Many white workers with union positions at plants saw their jobs as core to their identities, a deep source of pride passed across generations. That made it harder to adjust when factories disappeared. Black workers, who historically had lower-paying factory and service jobs, had comparatively little attachment to the tradition of heavy industry and more room to gain. |
| Republican governors oppose one-year stopgap extension of Farm Bill | |
 | Republican governors are calling on congressional leaders not to pass a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill rather than a new package as the December deadline looms. The House GOP reportedly plans to proceed with plans to extend the existing law rather than pass a new one. In November, leadership rejected a Senate proposal, and Republicans and Democrats have long been deadlocked on issues such as reference prices, the subsidies paid when certain crops drop below a price threshold, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In a letter on Monday, Republican governors warned that the 2018 law will not meet the needs of the 2025 agricultural sector. "Since the expiration of the latest Farm Bill, conditions have dramatically changed; another year-long extension will leave farmers working under an outdated plan as they continue to face evolving challenges in today's agricultural landscape," they wrote. "Our nation's agriculture industry is in trouble and if meaningful support is not provided soon, the well-being of the nation is at risk. Reauthorization of a Farm Bill and immediate assistance in the interim, will allow farmers and ranchers to do what they do best -- provide for America and feed the world." |
| Senate Democrats approve leadership team for new Congress | |
 | Senate Democrats on Tuesday approved their leadership team for the next Congress, with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar elevated to the No. 3 spot as the chair of the Steering and Policy Committee. She joins New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer, who will continue to lead the soon-to-be minority party for a fifth term, and Illinois Sen. Richard J. Durbin, who will continue in his longtime role as the Democratic whip. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is also moving up in the ranks, to the No. 4 spot as chair of the Strategic Communications Committee. The full leadership slate was unanimously approved during a closed-door conference meeting, according to a Senate Democratic leadership source. Rounding out the leadership team are Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mark Warner of Virginia as vice chairs of the conference; Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, as chair of outreach; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin as conference secretary; Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada as vice chair of outreach; and Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut as deputy conference secretaries. The elections come nearly a month after Republicans flipped the chamber in the November elections. |
| Tom Vilsack on Democrats' Rural Woes: 'You Gotta Be Selling a Vision' | |
 | Tom Vilsack has much to say about Democrats and rural America. And for good reason. He's the longest-serving Democratic agriculture secretary in history, having claimed the office tucked along the National Mall for eight years under former President Barack Obama and now concluding four more years in the post in the Biden administration. Before that he was a two-term Iowa governor, state senator from eastern Iowa and mayor of his wife's hometown, Mount Pleasant. Frustrated with the Democrats' defeat, and what he sees as the lack of attention and credit for what his department has done for America's farmers, Vilsack invited me to the USDA shortly after the election. Rural communities have grown in population in recent years, Vilsack wanted me to know. There is a good news story to tell about innovations in the ag economy. So why haven't Democrats received political credit for it, only seeing their losses across rural areas deepen in the last four years? |
| Hegseth Heads Into a Critical 24 Hours in Faltering Bid to Lead Pentagon | |
| Wednesday is a make-or-break day for Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, as snowballing allegations related to his treatment of women and excessive drinking threaten to derail his nomination. Trump is already considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Hegseth amid mounting Republican concerns in the Senate, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. Hegseth is set to meet with Republican Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), a sexual-assault victim and military veteran whose support is critical to his Senate confirmation. He is also expected to appear on Fox News's "Special Report" with Bret Baier on Wednesday evening. Penelope Hegseth defended her son in a Wednesday morning interview on Fox News, saying that "I believe he's the man for the job." She acknowledged sending an email to her son during his 2018 divorce accusing him of abusing women, but she said that it was written out of "deep emotion" and that she sent an "apology email" two hours later. Seven years after she wrote that letter, she said, Pete is "a new person." "He's redeemed, forgiven, changed. I think we all are after seven years," she said. The Trump transition fears that if Ernst doesn't signal support for Hegseth's confirmation, at least five other Republican senators could follow her lead, a Senate aide said. Support for Hegseth in the Senate appeared to crumble rapidly on Tuesday night, after he met with a number of members earlier in the day in an effort to assuage concerns about his fitness to lead the Pentagon. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) on CBS News described some of the media reports about Hegseth as "very disturbing"; others in the chamber have publicly called for a full FBI investigation. |
| RFK Jr.'s into regenerative ag. California's still figuring it out. | |
| Indigenous farming practices are the trendy new agricultural craze sweeping both sides of the political aisle. The fight is over how to define them. California farming regulators like "regenerative agriculture" for its potential to boost soil health, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has name-checked it as part of his argument that conventional production methods are making Americans sick. Former California Rep. and Democratic firebrand Katie Porter has also said she's a fan. But as California contemplates steering more state funding toward it, a definition has proven elusive. The state Board of Food and Agriculture voted Tuesday to postpone adopting a draft definition until its next meeting Jan. 7. "We want to be careful of what we're setting out in the first definition," California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said at the meeting. The challenge: Making the definition broad enough to get people on board, but narrow enough so that it actually means something. On the national level, the Biden administration hasn't formally embraced a definition of climate-smart or regenerative agriculture for marketing purposes. But officials at the Department of Agriculture have already expanded what qualifies as climate-smart for the purposes of obligating grant money from the Inflation Reduction Act and other farm bill programs, illustrating how squishy the definition remains. |
| Capital murder trial begins over missing Ole Miss student | |
 | A jury from Forrest County will decide the fate of a Grenada man accused of killing an Ole Miss graduate student two years ago to cover up their relationship. Timothy Herrington, 23, is charged with capital murder in the death of Jimmie "Jay" Lee, who disappeared in July 2022. Lee's body has never been found. Arguments in Herrington's trial began Tuesday. During her opening statement, special prosecutor Gwen Agho said evidence will show that Herrington invited Lee to his apartment two separate times in the early morning hours of July 8, 2022. "Right before Jay got there the second time, Mr. Herrington Googled, 'How long does it take to strangle someone?'" Agho said. "Jay never left that apartment on his own." Defense attorney Kevin Horan told the jury that there is no evidence that Lee is even dead. "There is no proof of death, zero DNA -- no blood, urine or trace evidence," Horan said. "Not only do they not have a body, they don't have one scintilla of proof that a crime happened in that apartment, or in his car or in Jay Lee's car." The opening statements gave the jury the basic game plans of both the prosecution and the defense. |
| Chi Omega dedicates entrance marker to USM's Sorority Village | |
 | The Chi Omega Epsilon Delta Chapter at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) celebrated the dedication of an entrance marker to the university's Sorority Village. The gift was part of the sorority's 75th anniversary celebration, officially commemorated last April. "It was important from the very beginning that we identify a lasting brick and mortar gift to present to the university," said Jennifer Duke Payne, 75th Anniversary committee member and 2001 Epsilon Delta chapter initiate. Two columns marking the western entrance to campus–at South 37th and Hardy Street behind Cadence Bank–were erected for the 50th anniversary. After much research, the committee decided to continue the tradition and gift the university with a marker for the Sorority Village at the intersection of Montague Boulevard and Pinehaven Circle. Chi Omega, which was chartered 75 years ago on April 23, 1949, is the longest continually operating chapter on the Southern Miss campus. |
| Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree returns to kick off the holiday season | |
| For nearly a century, the Belhaven University Singing Christmas Tree has marked a beloved tradition for many Jackson families. The oversized metal and wood tree-shaped structure is designed to hold more than 100 of the university's choir singers ushering in the holiday season with Christmas carols. Lights placed on the tree change colors during the different carols completing the magical atmosphere. This year's event is the 92nd annual Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree and is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 in the Belhaven Bowl Stadium. Admission is free. The Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree began in 1933 and is the oldest outdoor singing Christmas tree tradition in the United States. This year would mark the 93rd event, but the singing tree took a break in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 45-minute program will feature Belhaven choir students, university alumni and some community members. In total, this year's tree will hold around 90 carolers, with around 80 students and around 10 alumni and community members. Guests can also purchase Christmas-themed desserts made by Just Vanilla Bakes, a Jackson bakery owned by Belhaven alum Guillermo Salinas. First Presbyterian Church will provide hot chocolate. |
| Students armed with sledgehammers smash van for stress relief | |
 | Students at East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle campus found a unique way to release their finals week stress on Tuesday -- by beating a van with a sledgehammer. Organized by the Student Government Association, the event gave students a chance to take out their frustrations by shattering windshields and popping tires. Ostin Parr, a freshman manufacturing student, said it was his first time participating in the car smash. The whole experience was a rush, he said, after trying to pop the van's tires with a pickaxe. "I always wanted to go to a rage room, but there's not too many of those around," Parr told The Dispatch. "That's why it's so cool that the school does something like this." LeAnn Alexander, dean of students at the Golden Triangle campus, said she had the idea for the event last year after a community college in Alabama hosted a similar event. She floated the idea to administration, and it went off without a hitch and was the most-attended event last year. Now in its second year, Alexander said Tuesday's Finals Fury car smash gave about 50 students a time to relieve their stress in a healthy way. And with today's students, there's a lot of stress to relieve, she said. |
| Police: Meridian Community College student shot on campus | |
| Law enforcement is investigating a shooting that took place on the Meridian Community College campus on Tuesday morning. According to officials, gunfire rang out around 10:40 a.m. in a parking lot near the Ralph E. Young Center for Adult Education building. Police confirm that the suspect fled the scene, while the unidentified male shooting victim attempted to drive to a local hospital, but wrecked his vehicle in the process. Officials say the victim is a student at Meridian Community College and that the shooting was a targeted attack. Once the wreck was cleared, the victim was transported to a local hospital via a private vehicle. The individual is reported to be in stable condition after undergoing necessary surgeries. |
| Mississippi community college helps to decrease EMS workforce shortage | |
| Holmes Community College in Ridgeland and other community colleges in the state are improving their Emergency Medical Science programs to cut back the EMS Workforce shortage. "The EMS industry has a massive shortage of good quality healthcare providers at every level of practice. EMT, advanced EMT, paramedic, and even critical care paramedic. So right now Holmes and all of the community colleges have an enormous push to try to reach anybody interested in becoming a healthcare professional," Mark Galtelli, Program Director for the Emergency Medical Science Department at Holmes, said. In the past, significant pay gaps have been one of the reasons for the shortage. However, 30-year emergency professional Mark Galtelli says that's no longer a concern. "We're relatively new in this healthcare spectrum, where you see physicians and nurses around for hundreds of years, EMS has been here for 50 years. It's really only emerged as a well-organized system since the late 80s and the early 90s," Galtelli explained. Holmes Community College graduates roughly 175 EMS students each year. |
| Tennessee Valley Authority awards STEM grants to Mississippi schools | |
| The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., recently awarded grants to Mississippi schools looking to develop projects in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The total of $1.5 million in grants went to 342 schools in the Tennessee Valley Region, which is largely within Tennessee but stretches to parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina. Of the schools receiving funding of up to $5,000, 21 were in Mississippi: Corinth High School, Corinth Middle School, Delta Davidson Elementary School, Fairview Elementary, Hickory Flat Attendance Center, Hills Chapel, Kemper Academy, Kemper County Elementary, Kemper County High School, Leake Central Elementary, Mantachie High School, Millsaps Career and Technology Center, Tremont Attendance Center, Neshoba Central High School, Neshoba Central Middle School, New Hope Elementary, Oxford High School, Prentiss County Career and Technology Center, Weir Elementary, West Amory Elementary, and West Point High School. "This grant will enable us to create hands-on learning experiences where students can experiment, create, and innovate," Corinth Middle School STEM teacher Diane Ashcraft said. |
| Renewed push for DEI legislation expected next year in Kentucky, new Senate majority leader says | |
| Kentucky lawmakers seem ready to resume work on a bill dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion practices at public universities. But the outcome could be different next year because they have had months to try to work out their differences, the state Senate's new majority floor leader said Tuesday. "It's an issue that seems to continue to play its way into policy discussions across many states," Republican state Sen. Max Wise said during an interview with The Associated Press. A conservative quest to limit DEI initiatives gained momentum this year in statehouses and college governing boards. GOP lawmakers in about two dozen states filed bills seeking to restrict DEI initiatives. They were countered by Democrats who sponsored supportive DEI measures in about 20 states. In Kentucky, DEI legislation died this year amid a House-Senate impasse. For Republicans -- who hold supermajorities in both chambers -- it was a rare setback on a priority, hot-button issue. This year's debate, and the prospect of DEI legislation resurfacing in 2025, already had an impact on some campuses. The University of Kentucky announced in August it was disbanding its office promoting diversity and inclusion efforts in response to questions from state policymakers. The university's president stressed that the school's core values remained intact -- to protect academic freedom and promote a "sense of belonging" for everyone on campus, regardless of background or perspective. |
| Fall 2025 applicants to UM System campuses can still opt out of standardized testing | |
 | Prospective college students for fall 2025 can continue to apply to University of Missouri System schools without submitting standardized test scores in accordance with a decision made by the Board of Curators in February. Applicants have been able to bypass the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests since 2022. Missouri University of Science and Technology's David Spivey said Tuesday that about 22% of the application pool on his campus are test-optional students, and the three other campuses in the UM System reported similar metrics. For fall 2024 applicants on the Columbia and St. Louis campuses, about a third didn't submit standardized test scores when applying, the Missourian reported in February. Rhonda Gibler, interim vice-provost at MU for enrollment management, said that all public Missouri universities allow test-optional applications, and most competing universities in surrounding states do as well. Gibler listed Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas as major competitors who also don't require standardized test scores to apply. "The goal in admission is to admit a cohort of students who we have confidence can be successful at Mizzou," she said. With an expected decline in high school graduates over the next decade, universities need to be strategic about recruiting, she said. |
| U. of Michigan Weighs Changes to Its Diversity Program | |
 | The University of Michigan, one of higher education's staunchest proponents of diversity, equity and inclusion plans, is weighing changes to its own program as colleges across the country brace for the second presidency of Donald J. Trump and a Republican assault on such initiatives in government and academia. Regents overseeing the university said in interviews that they expected the board to seek limits on so-called diversity statements in hiring and promotion decisions. The board may also look to shift more of Michigan's overall D.E.I. budget into recruitment programs and tuition guarantees for lower-income students. The changes under consideration would make Michigan one of the first selective public universities to rethink D.E.I. from the inside, rather than under legislative pressure. Democrats have a 6-2 majority on the board, which is elected by state voters and generally operates by consensus. Michigan's state constitution provides regents ultimate control over the university's finances as well as general oversight of the school. The regents will next meet on Dec. 5. But early discussions between the regents and other university officials have sparked intense pushback on Michigan's campus in recent days. D.E.I. administrators have mounted a campaign to rebut criticism of their work and preserve their funding. |
| College Completion Rates Trending Up | |
 | Fewer college students are stopping out before finishing their degrees, according to data the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released this morning. The report found that students who started college for the first time in 2018 had a six-year credential completion rate of 61.1 percent -- a 0.5-percentage-point increase over those who started in 2017. It's the highest six-year completion rate of the 12 cohorts tracked in the first annual "Yearly Progress and Completion" report, a new report series containing elements previously published in the NSCRC's "Yearly Success and Progress" and "Completing College" reports. Eight-year completion rates for students who enrolled in college in fall 2016 were also the highest among those 12 cohorts, at 64.7 percent. "Higher completion rates are welcome news for colleges and universities still struggling to regain enrollment levels from before the pandemic," Doug Shapiro, executive director of the NSCRC, said in a news release. "Even as fewer students are starting college this fall, more of those who started back in 2018 have stayed enrolled through to the finish." Indeed, a report released earlier this week by the National College Attainment Network showed that fall enrollment of 18-year-old freshmen has dropped 5 percent since fall 2023. While some experts said the botched FAFSA rollout may have contributed to that decline, Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday that it's far too soon to draw any conclusions about how the FAFSA fiasco might influence completion rates in the future. |
| Affluent White Students Are Skipping College, and No One Is Sure Why | |
 | White students are falling out of higher education more quickly than any other racial group, and recent data suggests that middle- and upper-income white students are skipping college at a higher rate than their lower-income peers. That flies in the face of entrenched narratives about more-affluent white students following a well-marked path to college. Experts can only speculate about why it might be happening. Data released in October by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center indicate that fewer white undergraduates from more affluent neighborhoods have enrolled in college over the past six years. This is happening as white students from lower-income neighborhoods enroll at slightly higher rates, and as Black and Hispanic undergraduate enrollment across the income spectrum has increased. Colleges and advocates have spent years pushing to get more students of color into higher education, and the data reflect some progress. But there is also a mystery here. A common narrative is that a strong economy, and growing mistrust of colleges among conservatives, has encouraged more young white people -- especially men from rural areas -- to skip college and enter the work force. That's not what the data show. The enrollment declines are coming from the country's more affluent neighborhoods, and the more affluent the neighborhoods, the steeper the decline, on average. There are reasons to proceed with caution when drawing conclusions from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data, said Hee Sun Kim, a senior research associate at the center. The data released in October are preliminary, representing only about half of the participating colleges, she added, and the income quintiles are calculated by median household incomes for neighborhoods, not actual family incomes. But the findings are odd, she said: "I would love to have answers for that." |
| Community 'college deserts' leave students stranded from higher education | |
| Experts are increasingly sounding the alarm on community "college deserts" that leave students without readily accessible higher education options. The deserts, locations where high schools are more than 30 miles away from all community colleges, disproportionately affect rural Americans and those of color, threatening to exacerbate existing education gaps. "These college deserts, a lot of them, obviously, are more prevalent in rural areas, where you have a lot of space, and people are kind of distributed out. It is a concern because you don't want segments of people left behind," said Rebecca Corbin, CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, adding many of the affected areas are in the southern United States. College deserts have gained more attention in recent years as they are considered a significant reason some groups are not attending college. A study from October showed such deserts in Texas are a major factor for students who decline to pursue higher learning in the sprawling state, the second-largest in the U.S. While all students are less likely to attend community colleges faced with formidable distance, White and Asian ones who find themselves in deserts are more likely to turn to four-year institutions instead, said Lois Miller, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina and co-author of the study. |
| Faculty and Staff Are Feeling Anxious, Depressed, and Burnt Out, Study Says | |
| College faculty members and staff have long complained about low pay, ever-expanding responsibilities, and unengaged students. A new, groundbreaking study says the demands of their jobs are taking a toll on their mental health. The survey, released in October by the Healthy Minds Network, a research organization focused on adolescent and young-adult mental health, paints a grim picture of what it's like to work in higher education. More than half of respondents said that over the past year, their job took a negative toll on their mental or emotional health. Nearly six in 10 said they felt burnt out because of their work. Half said they needed help for emotional or mental-health problems such as feeling sad, blue, anxious, or nervous, over the previous year. In response to questions to assess the prevalence of mental-health problems, 16 percent of respondents screened positively for symptoms of depression in the previous two weeks, 15 percent screened positively for anxiety, and eight percent were deemed likely to have an eating disorder. Five percent of respondents said they had thought about or planned suicide over the past year. Still, faculty and staff appeared to be doing better than students in those areas. In the survey of students, more than one third showed symptoms of anxiety, and almost four in 10 showed symptoms of moderate or severe depression. Conversely, 57 percent of faculty and staff were rated as having positive mental health, compared to only 38 percent of students. |
| Fitch Reports 'Deteriorating' Outlook for Higher Ed | |
| The higher education sector is expected to face "a deteriorating credit environment," according to a 2025 outlook report from Fitch Ratings, a major credit ratings provider. The report noted that rising pressures, including "uneven" enrollment trends, growing costs and flat state funding, are likely to financially hurt U.S. higher ed institutions -- especially those with already tight budgets that heavily depend on tuition dollars. Fitch predicted modest net tuition growth, between 2 percent and 4 percent, for most colleges and universities. The report highlighted that while undergraduate enrollment over all has rebounded since the pandemic, freshman enrollment has significantly declined, particularly at four-year colleges and universities. International student enrollment has been flat for the past two years, and the report predicted that it will continue to be "fragile," given that the group is "highly susceptible to unfavorable shifts in both geopolitical sentiment and policy." State funding for higher education has increased in 42 out of 50 states this year, according to the report. However, in a handful of states, the loss of federal COVID-19 relief funding has led to declines. Fitch Ratings predicted a "meager" median 1 percent growth in fiscal 2025 budgets compared to 2024. The report also warned that backed-up deferred maintenance could further strain higher ed budgets. |
| Borrowers Plead With Biden for Debt Relief | |
| Student loan borrowers and their advocates have urged the Biden administration in public comments to implement its final effort to provide student debt relief, fearing what could happen during the next Trump administration. "Cancel all student debt before Trump reverses everything," one commenter wrote. This latest plan is geared toward people facing financial hardship. The Biden administration received more than 14,000 comments on the proposal before the comment period ended Monday, though fewer than 600 were publicly posted Tuesday afternoon. Officials at the Education Department must read and respond to those comments before finalizing the rule -- the last step before borrowers could see debt relief. But with only six weeks to go until President Biden leaves office, it's unlikely that the administration will finalize the rule. If the department does manage that task, legal challenges are expected. Plus, any rule issued in the final days of the Biden administration could---as the commenter noted---be rolled back by President-elect Trump or Congress. Opponents, including Republican lawmakers, say the administration doesn't have the authority to grant debt relief in this manner, and that the plan is both unfair and expensive. The hardship proposal, released in October, is likely the Biden administration's last effort to provide borrowers with some form of relief. |
| Trump's planned mass deportations may trigger hard, complex economic consequences | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: One of the capstone issues that the majority of American voters embraced in electing former President Donald Trump to a second term in the White House was his hardline stance on immigration and his pledge of mass deportations of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S. Actually, at various junctures in the 2024 campaign, Trump and his surrogates offered estimates of the undocumented immigrant population of the U.S. as high as 20 million. Did the threat of mass deportation of Hispanic migrant workers who did not enter the country following legal avenues bring political consequences for the Trump campaign? In a word, no. Latino voters in the so-called Democratic "blue wall" states moved to the Trump camp -- in part supporting his pledge to secure the Southern border and enact stricter immigration laws. Pollsters found that many Latino voters resented the fact that they obeyed immigration laws to enter the U.S. legally while the undocumented ignored them. ... But fresh from a successful return to the White House -- and leading his party to power in the Senate and holding the House -- Trump faces the challenges of making good on his immigration promises. |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: Five Things To Know: State-No. 18 Pitt | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball returns to the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum as the Bulldogs take on No. 18 Pitt for Wednesday's SEC/ACC Challenge matchup. State (6-1) is coming off a split at the Arizona Tipoff where the Bulldogs routed UNLV, 80-58, before dropping an 87-77 decision to Butler in the event's championship game. After selling out seven contests and boasting the program's fifth highest attendance average for season in 2023-24, Humphrey Coliseum has averaged 8,865 fans which is the program's highest mark through the team's opening three games dating back to the 2007-08 season. Wednesday's matchup marks the first time that State and Pitt will meet during the regular season. The Bulldogs came away with a 66-61 victory during the 2001 NIT Round of 16, while the Panthers took a most recent 60-59 decision in the 2023 NCAA Tournament First Four Round. so are members of the Mountain West Conference. |
| Fueled by a near miss last March, No. 18 Pitt is off to its hottest start in more than a decade | |
| The sting of ending up on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble still lingers for Jaland Lowe and the rest of his Pittsburgh teammates. Part of that is by design. Every day when the Panthers walk to the locker room after practice, they pass a graphic culled from the tournament selection show last March that reads "First Four Out" and features the Pitt logo grouped with the other few teams with solid resumes forced to watch the madness go on without them. "I don't like seeing it, I'm not going to lie," Lowe said. "They could take it down now." The sophomore knows it's just wishful thinking. Coach Jeff Capel has no plans to take it down, and Lowe understands why. "It's a great reminder to know the feeling of what we had last year and that we don't want to go through that again," he said. There's a reason the Panthers have co-opted the phrase "Leave No Doubt" this time around. They thought 22 wins and a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference a year ago would have made them an NCAA lock. It didn't. And it has driven them to the program's best start in more than a decade. A buzzer-beating road win at Ohio State last Friday pushed the Panthers (7-1) to 18th in this week's AP Top 25, their highest ranking since the 2013-14 season. Zack Austin, who calmly drained the winner against the Buckeyes, pointed out it's still only December. And there's a very real chance that Pitt's appearance in the poll could be a cameo if it can't survive two more road tests this week starting Wednesday at Mississippi State. |
| Women's Basketball: Mississippi State Faces Georgia Tech In Battle Of Unbeatens For 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball travels to Atlanta, Ga. to battle Georgia Tech inside McCamish Pavilion for the 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge on Wednesday, Dec. 4. at 6:15 p.m. CT. Fans who are not in attendance can follow the action on ACC Network with talent Angel Gray and Christy Winters-Scott or through their affiliate Mississippi State radio station with Jason Crowder. Wednesday will be the initial true road game for Mississippi State this season and one of four in December. It is the second-straight season that Mississippi State has started 8-0 under Head Coach Sam Purcell and a 9-0 start would tie the best mark since 2018-19. Mississippi State and Georgia Tech are two of 22 undefeated teams remaining in Division-I women's basketball. Mississippi State leads the all-time series 5-1 and 2-0 at Georgia Tech. Mississippi State last played and defeated Georgia Tech in the first round of the inaugural 2024 Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament, 84-47, inside Humphrey Coliseum on March 21, 2024. Mississippi State last tipped off inside McCamish Pavilion, in which it earned a 62-56 win, on Dec. 30, 2006. |
| State set for huge road test against Georgia Tech with Wednesday's SEC/ACC Challenge | |
| It's been a new team for Sam Purcell this season, but the coach is pleasantly surprised with the product that has been shown to this point. Despite all of the new faces, Mississippi State has found a way to an 8-0 start to the season in women's basketball. The identity continues to grow for the State offense, but the defense has been fierce through the eight-game stretch. As the Bulldogs head into another important week of hoops, they do so with a top 10 defense. State is No. 1 in the country in field goal percentage defense (28.3%) and points per game (45.9), No. 8 in 3-point defense (21.4%), No. 9 in rebounding margin (+14.6) and rebounds per game (46.1) and No. 17 in scoring margin (30.5). Purcell's coaching history suggest he's always taken pride of the defensive side, but the coach has taken a little from a guy down the hall from him as well. "I'm going to give a shoutout to Chris Jans. I go over there all the time, and that guy is a legend. What a great mentor. He's perfect for culture," Purcell said Monday night on MSU's Dawgtalk program. "I lean in his office and ask him what he's doing. What makes his guys so tough, I try to take some of those same things and my women are buying in." |
| Nick Zimmerman Named Mississippi State Head Soccer Coach | |
| Nick Zimmerman, one of college soccer's most dynamic recruiters and impactful assistant coaches over the last decade, has been named the seventh head soccer coach in Mississippi State history, Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced Tuesday. "In Nick Zimmerman's time at Mississippi State, we have seen first-hand that he is a relentless recruiter, a great developer of talent and a fearless competitor who instills confidence in the young women he leads," Selmon said. "Nick has a clear plan for what Mississippi State Soccer can accomplish, and we know our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans are excited to see him officially at the helm. We are thrilled for Nick and Massey and know they are excited to stay home right here in Starkville, Mississippi." Zimmerman has spent the past six seasons in Starkville and was a driving force behind the Bulldogs' SEC Championship run and rise to a No. 1 national ranking in 2024. He's widely regarded as an innovative Xs and Os mind and elite culture builder. As a player, Zimmerman was a standout at James Madison University, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rookie team recognition, two All-CAA selections, and one All-Region honor. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and sports management, he was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and later selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft. |
| Mississippi State announces Nick Zimmerman as new soccer coach | |
| Following the surprising departure of James Armstrong for Auburn, Mississippi State wasted no time hiring a new women's soccer coach. On Tuesday night, just hours after the Armstrong news broke, Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon announced Bulldog assistant Nick Zimmerman would be moving into the role of head coach. The announcement showcases the university's goal of continuity coming off arguably the best season in program history. "It is an honor to lead Mississippi State soccer, and we could not be more excited for the opportunity to continue the outstanding success that has been established," Zimmerman said. "I'm incredibly grateful to Zac Selmon, (President) Dr. Mark Keenum, the mentors along the way, and all the staff and players who I have a chance to work with every single day. Our players, who are resilient, talented, and incredibly easy to cheer for make all our success possible." Zimmerman, who has been on staff in Starkville for six seasons, added that conversations with Selmon before pen hit the paper made for all the reasons to expand his role with Mississippi State soccer, specifically about available and incoming resources for the program. |
| Visit Hattiesburg says Miss. Gridiron Classic to have $8.4 million impact on Hub City economy | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is getting ready for thousands of football fans, as it is once again hosting the Mississippi state football championships. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Mississippi Gridiron Classic will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday at "The Rock." 14 teams will compete and they'll bring thousands of fans with them. "It is such an economic driver, most people don't realize that," said Marlo Dorsey, CEO of Visit Hattiesburg. "When we look at the numbers, $8.4 million in economic impact over a three or four day period, for Hattiesburg to host the Gridiron Classic, so we are exceptionally thrilled to once again, be the host city for this stellar event." This is the fourth in the last six years that USM has hosted the football championships. |
| Miami's playoff hopes nosedive as Alabama rises in the latest College Football Playoff rankings | |
| Miami's playoff hopes took an all-but-final nosedive while Alabama's got a boost Tuesday night in the last rankings before the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set next weekend. The Hurricanes (10-2) moved down six spots to No. 12 -- the first team out of the projected bracket after suffering their second loss of the season. They are one spot behind the Crimson Tide (9-3), who won last week and moved up two spots to No. 11, where they are projected as the last team in and the fourth from the Southeastern Conference. To make things worse for the 'Canes, selection committee chair and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said there was no way for them to leapfrog Alabama since neither team plays next weekend. The odds of them moving up based on lopsided results in the weekend's conference title games are virtually zero. The Miami-Alabama sorting was the strongest indication yet that the selection committee is looking at more than mere wins and losses, but also at strength of schedule and other factors that appear to give the SEC an edge. "We still think Miami is a very strong team," Manuel said. "It came down to a difference in their body of work ... not just wins, not just losses but the totality of the season and how those teams performed." |
| 'Stay off my lawn:' Iowa State, SMU athletic directors exchange barbs over CFP credentials | |
| Athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU are in a turf war over the latest College Football Playoff rankings, leading to a "stay off my lawn" moment on social media. The background: SMU, at 11-1 and riding a nine-game winning streak into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, was slotted at No. 8 in Tuesday night's latest ranking. Iowa State, meanwhile, is at 16th and playing for the title of the Big 12, which appears set to receive only one bid in the 12-team field that comes out Sunday. Cyclones AD Jamie Pollard doesn't like that, and made his feelings clear on X, pointing out that SMU hasn't played Clemson, Syracuse, Georgia Tech or Miami -- four of the ACC's top seven teams -- and lost at home to BYU of the Big 12. "Looks like your lawn may be artificial," Pollard wrote in a post directed to SMU's AD, Rick Hart. Hart mowed down Pollard with a response of his own that started with "respect you, but bad take." He compared nonconference schedules -- SMU's was better -- and pointed out the Mustangs have trailed for only about six minutes of their past nine games. "I could go on ... Stay off my lawn!" he posted. |
| Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2024: Coco, Caitlin and Korda Soar | |
| Interest in women's sports has exploded recently with record TV ratings, attendance, revenue, sponsorships and franchise valuations across multiple sports properties. For the athletes, the money is starting to flow as well. The world's 15 highest-paid female athletes will earn an estimated $221 million in 2024, up 27% versus last year. Eleven athletes made at least $10 million, compared with six in 2023. Tennis star Coco Gauff ranks No. 1 for the second straight year with $30.4 million from prize money and endorsements. She is just the third woman in sports to earn more than $30 million in a given year, after Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams. Overall, athletes from five different sports made the cut, led by tennis with nine entries. Golf had three players in the top 15, while skiing (Eileen Gu), basketball (Caitlin Clark) and gymnastics (Simone Biles) each had one athlete represented. Clark ($11.1 million) makes her list debut after a record-breaking college career that included more than a dozen NIL deals at Iowa. Several of those brands, including Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and Panini, have continued their relationship with Clark as a pro where she was the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever. Nike is Clark's most valuable endorsement deal. In April, the Swoosh signed the future WNBA Rookie of the Year to an eight-year agreement worth more than $3 million a year on average. Other brand partners include Wilson, Hy Vee, Xfinity, Gainbridge and Lilly. |
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