Friday, January 15, 2021   
 
Justice Reuben Anderson to keynote MSU's virtual MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast
Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben V. Anderson will keynote Mississippi State University's 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast and Day of Service on Monday [Jan. 18]. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, this year's Unity Breakfast will be held virtually. The event will be broadcast at 8 a.m. on MSTV and livestreamed at www.mstv.msstate.edu, in addition to being made available on the MSU website. It will re-air on MSTV at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday. "Although we as a university and Starkville community cannot gather together in person, I hope we can commit to gathering together virtually," said MSU Vice President for Access, Diversity and Inclusion Ra'Sheda Forbes. "Events like the Dr. MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast are a reminder of how we can come together to be a better community and people while also seeing our challenging moments as opportunities. We should never miss the moments and opportunities to be better, do better and serve better." In addition to Anderson’s speech, Monday’s event will feature a performance from the MSU Black Voices Gospel Choir. A time will be set aside for students, alumni and the Starkville community to reflect on the significance of sustaining Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Donald Shaffer, director of African American studies at MSU, will serve as the emcee.
 
MSU Day of Service and Donation Drive and USM #WhatsYourPurpose2021 Campaign
Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson will serve as the keynote speaker for Mississippi State University's 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast and Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 18. MSU has made this year's Unity Breakfast a virtual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The university will broadcast the event at 8 a.m. on MSTV and livestream it at mstv.msstate.edu and on the MSU website. It will re-air on MSTV at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday. Anderson is a senior partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP and was the first African American justice to serve on the Mississippi Supreme Court from 1985 to 1991. The Day of Service event will also feature a performance from the MSU Black Voices Gospel Choir. Donald Shaffer, director of African American studies at MSU, will serve as the event's emcee. MSU's Maroon Volunteer Center will facilitate service opportunities for students at sites across Starkville on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Mississippi State University’s Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association will collect supplies from Tuesday, Jan. 19, to Friday, Jan. 29, for Bully’s Closet and Pantry and the university’s Block by Block Program. Participants can drop off donation items at the Graduate School (617 Allen Hall). All members of the campus and local community can participate, a release from MSU says.
 
Mississippi State University's New Flight Lab Will Focus on Lowering Drone Noise
In an age where drone delivery and urban air mobility are becoming a reality, it's important to consider noise pollution. Even though drones are quieter than manned aircraft, the truth is their high-pitched sound is quite noisy, and no one wants to live somewhere where buzzing flying robots fly by all the time. A research lab at Mississippi State University, the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, has been doing drone flyover noise measurements since 2016. Now, Raspet Flight has built the university's quietest flight lab, known as an acoustic anechoic chamber, that absorbs reflections of sound waves. Built as part of a collaborative research venture seeking to quiet unmanned aircraft systems, the lab is covered by dozens of eight-inch-deep polyurethane foam wedges in every inch of the 10-by-18-by-10 room's interior, including its floor. By absorbing sound waves emanating from within, researchers can accurately measure the precise sounds on which they are focused. In this case, the Raspet team will measure noise produced by propellers with four or five blades rather than the standard two, rotating at fewer revolutions per minute to reduce noise. The objective is to see which propellers create the same, or acceptably equivalent, thrusts at a potentially lower RPM.
 
Paccar credits MX engine plant milestone to workforce, advanced tooling
Kenworth Truck and Peterbilt Motors parent Paccar Inc. concluded 2020 recognizing its Columbus, Miss. engine operation for "10 years of manufacturing excellence and a strong commitment to its community," as indicated in delivery of 250,000-plus MX-11 and MX-13 units over the decade. It chose Columbus due to proximity to important transportation logistics networks, talented people, and the ability to partner with nearby educational institutions that complement the workforce. Paccar established close ties with Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women and East Mississippi Community College to help develop a strong local pool of highly skilled employees. The relationships continue to flourish and provide mutual benefit, company officials note. Not only does the engine factory hire or offer internships to associates from surrounding colleges, employees can also earn training certifications and degrees to enhance their knowledge and skillsets.
 
Off road with the extension agents debuting
Mississippi State University Extension Agents from northeast Mississippi are partnering to offer a weekly Facebook agriculture and natural resources video series entitled "Off Road with Extension." As the name suggests, "Off Road with Extension" will allow you to get off the beaten path to learn researched based information from MSU Extension agents. The first edition is currently available on the Pontotoc County Extension Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PontotocCoExtension. "Off Road with Extension" will cover a variety of topics including forestry, wildlife, lawn care, gardening, livestock production, row crop production, and much more. There will truly be something for everyone. The video segments will be posted on Monday mornings each week. The topics that will be covered during the first quarter of 2021 are listed below. The MSU Extension Service is continuing its mission of extending knowledge and changing lives. Like your county MSU Extension Facebook page to begin the "Off Road with Extension" journey. Contact James Shannon at james.shannon@msstate.edu for more information.
 
Local student joins inaugural class of new Mississippi State program
Twenty students, including one from Jackson County, comprising the inaugural cohort of Mississippi State University's new Master of Physician Assistant Studies program reported this week for orientation at the Riley Campus of MSU-Meridian. Krishna Patel of Seymour, Indiana, is among the more than 250 applicants and 50 finalists who vied for limited slots in Mississippi's only publicly funded program. The program achieved accreditation-provisional status, the initial phase of accreditation for all new programs granted by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, or ARC-PA, in October 2020. Physician assistants are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals who practice medicine on health care teams with physicians and other providers. They perform a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventative and health maintenance services. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the occupational outlook for PAs will increase by 31% through 2029.
 
SOCSD preparing for hundreds of students to return to in-person learning
Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District is preparing for what Superintendent Eddie Peasant estimated to be roughly 250 students returning to their school campuses when the spring semester begins Tuesday, after spending the first semester learning virtually. Peasant told the school board at its meeting Thursday that the majority of the returning students attend Partnership Middle School and Armstrong Junior High. To accommodate the influx, the district has brought back to campus some teachers who were instructing virtually and hired new teachers to fill longstanding vacancies. The district's goal is to have no more than 22 students per classroom in the secondary grades. "We've tried to weigh the numbers against the need to try and get them back in school and learning, but we ... of course balance that with safety, being at the top of our priorities, at the same time," Peasant said. Peasant told The Dispatch after the meeting that the district had filled almost all of its eight teaching vacancies for the coming semester. While students are required to wear masks, Peasant said the district's goal is to keep three to six feet of space between their desks in the classrooms. He also said the district will "make every effort" to keep students with teachers they had the first semester, though he added that wouldn't be possible in all cases, since some of those teachers are still instructing virtually.
 
In coronavirus vaccine drive, Deep South falls behind
The coronavirus vaccines have been rolled out unevenly across the U.S., but four states in the Deep South have had particularly dismal inoculation rates that have alarmed health experts and frustrated residents. In Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina, less than 2% of the population had received its first dose of a vaccine at the start of the week, according to data from the states and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As in other parts of the country, states in the South face a number of challenges: limited vaccine supplies, health care workers who refuse to get inoculated and bureaucratic systems that are not equipped to schedule the huge number of appointments being sought. But other states have still managed -- at their best -- to get the vaccines into the arms of more than 5% of their populations. Though it's not clear why the Deep South is falling behind, public health researchers note that it has typically lagged in funding public health and addressing disparities in care for its big rural population. Alabama and Mississippi have also been hit hard by rural hospital closures.
 
Mississippi COVID-19 vaccine appointments to improve dramatically next week, MEMA says
Compared to other states, Mississippi is still near the bottom of the pack in terms of how many residents have received COVID-19 vaccines -- "shots in the arm," as Gov. Tate Reeves likes to say. But that's about to change, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency director Greg Michel told the Sun Herald on Thursday evening. He said capacity to book appointments for COVID-19 will increase dramatically, hopefully by Monday but no later than Wednesday. Capacity will quadruple at a state call center and a website will be able to handle higher traffic volumes. He expects more appointments to open up, too. "My suggestion is wait," Michel said. "There are going to be more appointments next week. I am confident that people who are trying to get appointments will have a different experience when they get on next week." The governor said Thursday that the lagging pace of vaccinations in Mississippi prompted him to open vaccinations earlier this week to residents 65 and older and those 18 to 64 years old with pre-existing health conditions. As a result, appointments temporarily closed Wednesday because 55,500 Mississippians signed up, overwhelming state scheduling systems. But Michel said new appointments are being added, although they could be limited in number and location until those who have already signed up are vaccinated. By the week of Jan. 25, he said, drive-thru clinics will expand into rural areas.
 
Mississippi health officer: January will likely be state's worst month for COVID-19 deaths
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs made a grim prediction on Thursday: January will likely be Mississippi's worst month for COVID-19 morbidity of the pandemic. "Total all-cause mortality rising quickly," Dobbs tweeted on Thursday. "January will likely be the worst month for COVID deaths by far. Until we get good vaccination penetration and better control over the pandemic please continue to wear a mask in public and avoid social gatherings." On Thursday, Mississippi reported 41 new deaths, bringing January's total COVID-related deaths to 505. January's deaths through the first 14 days of the month make up 10% of the state's total COVID deaths of the pandemic. Since March, when the state's first case was confirmed, 5,356 deaths have been accounted to the virus. As the country expands its vaccination rollout, Mississippi's COVID-19 numbers have begun to steady after recently setting new records. The seven-day rolling average for cases reached a new high on Jan. 10 of 2,431, but has since dropped back to around 2,000, where it's remained since mid-December.
 
Coronavirus in Mississippi: 2,342 new cases, 55 deaths reported Friday
The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 2,342 new cases of the coronavirus and 55 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday. The single-day record of 98 deaths was reported Tuesday. On Jan. 7, the state reported a single-day record of 3,255 new cases of the coronavirus. The department reported Thursday, the latest numbers available, there were 1,366 current hospitalizations of confirmed cases, with 347 in intensive care and 219 on ventilators. State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned on Twitter Thursday that, "January will likely be the worst month for COVID deaths by far." Dobbs also asked Mississippians to continue to wear masks while in public and avoid social gatherings until a greater number of the population is vaccinated and the pandemic is better under control. Residents between the ages of 25 and 39 represent the largest portion of the infected population in the state, with 55,009 cases reported as of Friday. The 65 and older age group has the highest total number of deaths with 4,159 reported.
 
MSDH reports 2,342 new COVID-19 cases, 55 deaths
The Mississippi State Department of Health on Friday reported 2,342 additional cases of COVID-19 and 55 deaths related to the virus as of 6 p.m. Jan 14. Alcorn, Benton, Marshall and Tippah counties in Northeast Mississippi each reported one additional death. Monroe and Union counties each reported two deaths. Prentiss County reported three deaths. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020, is now 248,189, with a death toll of 5,411. Around 198,888 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus as of Jan. 10. There are currently 220 outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (28), Benton (6), Calhoun (13), Chickasaw (13), Clay (11), Itawamba (18), Lafayette (34), Lee (55), Marshall (28), Monroe (24), Oktibbeha (39), Pontotoc (22), Prentiss (24), Tippah (24), Tishomingo (6) and Union (27).
 
US surgeon general acknowledges Black skepticism of vaccines
The U.S. surgeon general on Thursday urged Black leaders in Mississippi to get COVID-19 vaccinations and to ask others in their communities to do the same. Dr. Jerome Adams, who is Black, spoke during an online forum hosted by Jackson State University. He said people distrust medical systems because of the government study that left Black men untreated for syphilis for decades, starting in the 1930s. "Former surgeons general, people whose pictures are out in the hallway behind me right now, oversaw the Tuskegee experiments," Adams said from Washington. "So then we ask ourselves: 'Why are people scared to take a vaccine that they think came about very quickly? Why are they scared to be first in line?'" Adams said there are protections in place now "to make sure Tuskegee can never happen again." The Mississippi state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said during the forum Thursday that only 15% of COVID-19 vaccinations in the state, so far, have gone to Black people, who make up about 38% of the population. While vaccine skepticism could partially explain the numbers, access is also an issue.
 
Biden Picks Former F.D.A. Chief to Lead Federal Vaccine Efforts
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has chosen Dr. David Kessler to help lead Operation Warp Speed, the program to accelerate development of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, according to transition officials. Dr. Kessler, a pediatrician and lawyer who headed the Food and Drug Administration during the presidencies of George Bush and Bill Clinton, has been a key adviser to Mr. Biden on Covid-19 policy and is co-chair of the transition team's Covid-19 task force. He will replace Dr. Moncef Slaoui, a researcher and former drug company executive, who will become a consultant to Operation Warp Speed. Dr. Kessler will share top responsibilities for the initiative with Gen. Gustave F. Perna, who will continue as chief operating officer, according to a Biden transition spokesman. Dr. Kessler's responsibilities will cover manufacturing, distribution and the safety and efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics. Dr. Kessler will join Operation Warp Speed at a critical time. Although the program is widely credited with making possible the development of two highly effective coronavirus vaccines in record time, it has been much less successful at actually delivering the shots to the public -- a complex task it shares with numerous federal, state and local authorities.
 
Biden Proposes $1.9 Trillion Covid-19 Relief Package
President-elect Joe Biden is calling for a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan to help Americans weather the economic shock of the pandemic and pump more money into testing and vaccine distribution. Mr. Biden in a speech Thursday evening described his priorities related to the pandemic for the early days of his administration, pressing the often-divided Congress for urgent, unified action. His plan calls for a round of $1,400-per-person direct payments to most households, a $400-a-week unemployment insurance supplement through September, expanded paid leave and increases in the child tax credit. Aid for households makes up about half of the plan's cost, with much of the rest going to vaccine distribution and state and local governments. Mr. Biden made both a moral and an economic pitch, arguing that it was essential to use the government's borrowing power to support struggling families and arguing that the resulting consumer spending would spur growth. Mr. Biden's American Rescue Plan calls for additional stimulus checks beyond the $1,200 round approved in March and the $600 set approved in December, sending out an additional $1,400 per person to bring the amount sent to families in the past few months to the $2,000 mark he promised. He would expand eligibility to include adult dependents such as college students who were excluded from previous versions and emphasized that many people who have kept their jobs need help.
 
APLU Statement on President-elect Biden's Proposed COVID-19 Relief Package
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities President Peter McPherson Thursday night released a statement on President-elect Biden's proposed COVID-19 relief package. "We welcome and appreciate President-elect Biden's much-needed national leadership on COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. These are critical, foundational steps to beating back the virus and restoring our economy and way of life. We applaud President-elect Biden for recognizing the significant financial stress our nation's colleges and universities are facing due to the pandemic and for calling for additional emergency relief to support them and their students. We look forward to seeing the specifics of the proposal in the coming days and encourage consideration of additional resources both for institutions as well as for the cutting-edge research many of them conduct on behalf of the American people."
 
Legislators look at upgrading how alcohol is distributed in Mississippi
State legislators are discussing the future of the Alcoholic Beverage Control office. Should the state upgrade the facilities and software, or should they privatize the industry? Both options will cost the state millions and greatly impact liquor store owners in the state. Department of Revenue Commissioner Chris Graham presented a few options this week that the state will consider moving forward, and that presentation made a few liquor store owners here in South Mississippi happy. "I was very happy to see that the Department of Revenue director went in front of the legislature and said we need to upgrade the ABC, upgrade the software, upgrade pick lines, the merchandising for it," said Fort Bayou Wine and Spirits Owner Marta Williams. "It was real important for us because we have had a terrible time as you know, with shortages across the state." The thing is, all the options are going to cost the state money. Privatizing would cost the state more than $90 million in tax revenue a year. Keeping ABC under the Department of Revenue and upgrading the warehouse facility and software would likely cost $40 million. Senator Brice Wiggins doesn't expect a decision to be made this legislative session, but instead, knows this is a topic for the years ahead.
 
SWAT teams, sharpshooters on standby at Mississippi Capitol following warnings of potential protests
An increased law enforcement presence around Mississippi's State Capitol after a bulletin issued by the FBI earlier this week warned of potential armed protests at all 50 state capitols. The State Fire Marshall's officers took a K-9 through a sweep of the building Thursday and members said they believe the right safety measures are in place. "There's an old phrase that forewarned is forearmed and we are forewarned and we are forearmed," said Sen. John Horhn, who is being told there are other reinforcements that aren't as visible. "We know that we have SWAT teams and sharpshooters on standby," Horhn noted. "There's an increased presence from the Department of Public Safety." Some House members admit the FBI bulletin was cause for concern. "It did raise kind of a fear factor of where we work and what we do and, of course, we're seeing the national news now it does kind of... little uneasy feeling coming to work but I feel safe here," explained Rep. Bubba Carpenter. "I feel very safe here and I feel like we've got the extra protections that's being added." Capitol Police fall under the umbrella of the Department of Finance and Administration. DFA sent this statement: "The Office of Capitol Police is aware of the possibility of protests. Neither the Department of Finance and Administration nor the Office of Capitol Police is able to discuss specific confidential protocols or security measures."
 
Governor Reeves makes new judicial appointment in South Mississippi
Governor Tate Reeves announced a new judicial appointment on the Mississippi coast on Thursday. Joel Smith who is the current Harrison County District Attorney, will now serve on the Court of Appeals for the Second District and Crosby Parker will serve as the new District Attorney. Joel Smith was originally elected as District Attorney for the Second District in 2011. He ran unopposed in that election and succeeded longtime district attorney Cono Caranna, who retired from the office. He is a Gulfport native and attended Ole Miss Law School. He worked under longtime DA Caranna for 11 years before running for the office himself. Crosby Parker currently serves as the Assistant District Attorney for the Second District. "These men are going to bring a devoted spirit and unbeatable work ethic," Governor Reeves said. "I'm excited to see what they can accomplish, and proud to be a part of this great day!"
 
How the rioters who stormed the Capitol came dangerously close to Pence
The violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 came perilously close to Vice President Pence, who was not evacuated from the Senate chamber for about 14 minutes after the Capitol Police reported an initial attempted breach of the complex -- enough time for the marauders to rush inside the building and approach his location, according to law enforcement officials and video footage from that day. Secret Service officers eventually spirited Pence to a room off the Senate floor with his wife and daughter after rioters began to pour into the Capitol, many loudly denouncing the vice president as a traitor as they marched through the first floor below the Senate chamber. About one minute after Pence was hustled out of the chamber, a group charged up the stairs to a second-floor landing in the Senate, chasing a Capitol Police officer who drew them away from the Senate. Pence and his family had just ducked into a hideaway less than 100 feet from that landing, according to three people familiar with his whereabouts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. If the pro-Trump mob had arrived seconds earlier, they would have been in eyesight of the vice president as he was rushed across a reception hall into the office. The proximity of the Jan. 6 attackers to the vice president and the delay in evacuating him from the chamber -- which have not been previously reported -- raise questions about why the Secret Service did not move him earlier and underscore the jeopardy that top government leaders faced during the siege.
 
Mississippi National Guard sent to D.C. for inauguration
The Mississippi National Guard is sending troops to Washington D. C. in preparation for the presidential inauguration next week. Guard members will work to keep the event a "safe and secure environment" to allow for "a peaceful transition of authority," a Thursday press release read. Officials did not say how many National Guard members were being sent to D.C. The Mississippi National Guard is part of a broad contingent of National Guard soldiers from various states that will attend the ceremony. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves' press secretary, Bailey Martin, said the governor told the Mississippi National Guard to send troops if necessary "even before the riots at the Capitol last week." "Certainly, nothing has changed," she said. "There is no finer security force than the Mississippi National Guard, and they are always ready to assist national security if called upon." Since March 2020, more than 1,000 National Guard members have been working as part of Mississippi's response to the coronavirus pandemic at testing and vaccination sites throughout the state.
 
FBI chief says agency tracking 'extensive' online chatter about potential inauguration threats
FBI Director Chris Wray said Thursday that the bureau is seeing "an extensive amount of concerning online chatter" about events with the potential for violence surrounding next week's inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. "Right now, we're tracking calls for potential armed protests and activity leading up to the inauguration," Wray said at a briefing with Vice President Pence at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. "And the reason I use the word potential is because one of the real challenges in this space is trying to distinguish what's aspirational versus what's intentional," Wray continued. "We're concerned about the potential for violence at multiple protests and rallies planned here in D.C. and at state capital buildings around the country in the days to come that could bring armed individuals within close proximity to government buildings and officials." Pence opened Thursday's briefing at FEMA by assuring the public that Biden's inauguration would be safe despite rising safety concerns after the Capitol riots. Pence is expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but President Trump, who has for months fomented anger among his supporters by falsely claiming the election was stolen, will not be in attendance.
 
Tuberville says delay inauguration, but date is set by Constitution
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama suggested in a TV interview on Thursday that President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration should be delayed - even though the date is set in the U.S. Constitution. "We probably could have had a swearing-in and inauguration later after we got this virus behind us a little bit," Tuberville told WKRG in Mobile. "Again, we're talking about Washington, D.C." The 20th Amendment to the Constitution says that the terms of the president and vice president expire at noon on Jan. 20. Tuberville has previously been taken to task for his lack of basic knowledge about federal government. After his election, he botched the three branches of government in another interview. "Our government wasn't set up for one group to have all three branches of government -- wasn't set up that way," Tuberville said. "You know, the House, the Senate, and the executive." The three branches are actually the legislative, including both the Senate and House; the executive, including the presidency, and the judicial, which includes the Supreme Court.
 
Why the insurrection at the Capitol was an economically significant moment
Back in March, we assembled a group of people who study economic history to help us put the crisis we're living through into historical context and help us understand where the economy was headed. As the pandemic continued, we checked in with them a few times to talk about where things stood. With coronavirus cases surging, the House preparing to impeach the president following an insurrection at the Capitol and a new administration set to take office, we got them back on the phone. "This moment is absolutely historic," said Eric Hilt, a professor of economic history at Wellesley College. "This is completely unprecedented," said Carola Frydman, a professor of finance at Northwestern University who studies financial history. "It's just so surreal to be stuck at home in a pandemic and have a sedition at our doorstep," said Kathleen Day, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and author of the book "Broken Bargain: Bankers, Bailouts, and the Struggle to Tame Wall Street." "The economic recovery that we were experiencing in the third quarter seems to have slowed," Hilt said. Friday's jobs report from the Labor Department showed the economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, the first monthly decline since April. "The fact that we're seeing the unemployment rate stagnate, that's a worry," Frydman said. "There's also this phenomenon where people are saving more because people are worried," said Day.
 
After speaking out about an insurrection, CEOs are eager to move on
Many of America's most influential companies spent the past week swiftly issuing statements of condemnation and pausing campaign contributions after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Now they're trying to quietly fade into the background with an impeachment trial looming and warnings proliferating of further turmoil across the nation. In interviews, top executives at leading companies indicated their desire to keep their firms out of the next leg of Washington's political fight over impeachment and simply move on to the President Joe Biden era. Many executives also acknowledged they expect to start reengaging in campaign contributions to Republicans once the latest political crisis passes, perhaps by the spring. "It's not our job to decide if the president should be impeached and convicted. As CEOs and leaders, this is how you get in trouble," the chief executive of one large Wall Street bank said on condition that they not be identified. "The thing that really bothers me is the erosion in civility in everything we are doing. We have so much serious stuff to do and we absolutely have to get on with it right now." Those sentiments were echoed by others who cited the need for much faster vaccine distribution and passage of further stimulus efforts as paramount and suggested that indulging in a Senate trial after Biden is sworn in next week could undermine efforts to fight the virus and boost the economy.
 
Retail Spending Dips For 3rd Straight Month As Infections Surge
Restaurants and bars are reeling from persistent spikes of coronavirus cases and related restrictions, driving retail spending in December down for the third month in a row. Even as people continue to splurge on shopping, they have cut back on going out to eat and shop. Plus, the earlier-than-usual holiday shopping season meant online shopping as well sales of electronics and appliances dipped in December. Gas stations saw the biggest jump in spending last month, up 6.6%, as people traveled for holiday visits despite health warnings. Overall, retail sales last month fell 0.7% compared to November, although they were still higher than a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday. This measure is a major part of the U.S. economy, which continues to be battered by the pandemic. It includes spending on household goods, clothing and housewares as well as outlays on gasoline, cars, food and drink. The economic downturn has been unusual because Americans have continued to buy and renovate homes, splurging online on devices, workout gear and pricey purchases such as appliances and furniture that drove a lot of 2020 spending. "Even as households have lost jobs precipitously, money that was no longer being spent on services freed up budgets to spend on goods," researchers at the Federal Reserve wrote in a new note on Thursday.
 
Pentagon aims to spread artificial intelligence across military services
After spending the past few years demonstrating how artificial intelligence tools can boost U.S. military efforts, the office responsible for overseeing such programs at the Defense Department is shifting its focus to helping military services and agencies figure out how to incorporate the technologies in their systems. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen, who became director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center in October, said the small office can be more effective in seeding artificial intelligence technologies across the department by being a "catalyst for success for others" rather than developing those tools by itself. "What we're trying to do is generate scale across the department to transform the department in three primary ways: transform the warfighting aspects of the department, transform the support enterprises in the department ... and then transform the business practices," Groen said in an interview. Groen is the second director of the center that goes by the acronym JAIC, or "the jake" in Pentagon parlance, which was set up in 2018 by Congress. Groen said JAIC faces the challenge of getting Pentagon agencies to embrace technologies and processes that are well established in the private sector.
 
UM Faculty Team Reimagines Arts Elective Intro to Music
When Michael Rowlett put together a team of music faculty members at the University of Mississippi to rethink the basic arts elective MUS 103: Introduction to Music, he knew he wanted to find a way to connect the process of learning about music to his students' experiences. "I've been teaching Introduction to Music for over 15 years now, and I've had a lot of opportunities to listen to students talk about the ways they interact with music," said Rowlett, an associate professor of music. The team wanted the course to focus on "exploring how music interacts with our lived experiences," he explained. Rowlett, along with fellow faculty members Christine Kralik, David Carlisle and Nave Graham, received both a FACT Institute grant and a Critical Thinking Redesign grant from the university's Thinkforward program, which helped them identify strategies for reimagining this important course. Josh Eyler, UM director of faculty development, guided the team through the course redesign process. "I am very excited about the redesign of MUS 103, first and foremost because the faculty who have worked diligently on the course for months are extraordinarily dedicated to student success and to the development of critical thinking skills," Eyler said.
 
USM professor: Trump impeachment not a 'rash judgement' by the House
A University of Southern Mississippi professor is reacting to this week's historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump. Heather Stur, a professor of history, says although this impeachment process was much quicker than the president's first, she doesn't believe there was a rush to judgement by the U.S. House of Representatives. "It doesn't seem to me to be a 'willy-nilly' decision to impeach him for a second time, given what happened at the Capitol last week," Stur said. "It doesn't seem to be a rash judgement on the part of the House of Representatives to bring a second impeachment proceeding." By a final vote of 232 to 197 on Wednesday, the House voted to impeach the president on a single article of "incitement of insurrection." Ten Republicans joined all 222 Democrats in impeaching the president. Stur says the impeachment shows our system of government is working the way in which it was intended. "We hear a lot of talk about how the system of democracy in America is broken, Americans are divided, it's beyond repair. Impeachment actually shows that the system is doing what it's meant to do, which is the legislative branch is keeping the executive branch in check," Stur said.
 
U. of South Carolina no longer facing accreditation scrutiny over troubled presidential search
The University of South Carolina has been told by its accreditors that the state's largest college is no longer under scrutiny for the troubled presidential search that led to questions about board conduct. The announcement Friday came from USC board chairman Dorn Smith at the start of a two-day retreat where school leaders will receive training and map out plans for the school's future amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith, a Williamsburg County heart surgeon, said USC received "a clean bill of health." The news Friday was expected after the special accreditation committee said in October that USC's board did not need to make any more changes. Still, panel wrote this fall that the presidential search "caused a crisis in public confidence." USC's board revised its bylaws, added a governance committee and developed orientation plans after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges found "undue influence" when Gov. Henry McMaster lobbied trustees in 2019 to hire as president retired West Point Superintendent Bob Caslen.
 
UF's faculty union accuses university of breaching contract over in-person enforcement policies
UF's commitment to in-person classes this Spring has led to threats of disciplinary action, giving students the ability to report faculty who don't follow through with face-to-face interactions. Some professors are frustrated by the update to the GatorSAFE app that allows students to anonymously report instructors who attempt to deliver in-person courses online. The UF faculty union is calling it a breach of contract. "These are just divisive measures that are going to create distrust between faculty and students and will have lasting effects if UF doesn't wake up," said Paul Ortiz, the chair of UF's faculty union United Faculty of Florida-UF. The GatorSAFE app allows students to report "inconsistencies with course delivery for your face-to-face or online courses, such as not being provided the opportunity to meet in person for your face-to-face class." Ortiz said the submissions could potentially violate Article 18 of their collective bargaining agreement, the contract negotiated between UF and the union. Article 18 offers only two components to be used for a faculty evaluation: an annual report completed by a department chair that summarizes the faculty member's performance and activities, and GatorEvals, the anonymous evaluations students submit at the end of a semester.
 
U. of Missouri professor works with former students in pet food recall
When a former student told Tim Evans about dogs getting ill and dying, the University of Missouri veterinary toxicology expert wanted to know more. The former student, David Sikes, suspected aflatoxicosis, based on symptoms. It's a fungal toxin that can be poisonous if consumed by animals or humans. Evans asked Sikes to send him a dead dog for a postmortem examination and a sample of the dog's food. Gayle Johnson, a pathologist in MU's Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, found changes consistent with aflatoxicosis in the examination. The toxicology section found potentially fatal concentrations of aflatoxin in the food sample. Evans alerted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the findings. Another former student, Amber McCoig, is the FDA's deputy director for the Division of Compliance at the Center for Veterinary Medicine and has been actively involved in the investigation. She's a 2005 MU graduate. The FDA is sharing information because of the potentially fatal levels of toxin in the pet food, McCoig said in a news release.
 
MIT professor charged with hiding work for China
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was arrested and charged Thursday with hiding work he did for the Chinese government while he was also receiving U.S. dollars for his nanotechnology research. Gang Chen, 56, was arrested by federal agents at his home in Cambridge on charges including wire fraud, officials said. Agents executed search warrants at his home and his office at the university, said Joseph Bonavolonta, head of the Boston FBI office. While working for MIT, Chen entered into undisclosed contracts and held appointments affiliated with the People's Republic of China, including as an "overseas expert" for the Chinese government at the request of the PRC Consulate Office in New York, authorities said. Many of those roles were "expressly intended to further the PRC's scientific and technological goals," authorities in court documents. Chen's arrest comes nearly a year after federal authorities arrested another nanotechnology expert at a prestigious university in the Boston area. Harvard Professor Charles Lieber was charged last January with lying about his ties to China's Thousand Talents Plan, a program designed to lure people with knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property to China.
 
Pandemic's toll shows up on students' college applications
In a college application season like no other, students who have seen every aspect of their lives disrupted by the coronavirus are grappling with how to show their potential. High school seniors around the U.S. are facing January and February college application deadlines without SAT and ACT entrance exam scores, community service records and resumes flush with extracurricular activities -- all casualties of an era of social distancing and remote learning that has carried over from their junior year. The pandemic has prompted colleges to make tests optional and find new ways to evaluate students, including student-athletes, like southern California high school senior Anthony Correra. The pandemic canceled his last football season, shortening the highlight tapes that he'd hoped to share with college recruiters. "Colleges and universities don't have the same tools that they did to evaluate students before," said Angel Perez, chief executive of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, or NACAC. "The experience that students are going through right now is drastically different from many others." For the first time, the Common Application that allows students to apply to multiple institutions at the same time added an optional space so students can explain in 250 words or less the pandemic's impacts.
 
Education Department releases billions in aid to colleges
The U.S. Education Department on Thursday made available the $21.2 billion in help to higher education included in the coronavirus relief legislation Congress and President Trump approved in December, but undocumented students could be left out of getting help through emergency student grants again. Meanwhile, billions more in aid could be on the way. President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday also released a summary of the $1.9 trillion relief package he is planning to propose upon taking office, including another $35 billion in help for colleges and universities. "The president-elect's plan will ensure colleges have critical resources to implement public health protocols, execute distance learning plans, and provide emergency grants to students in need," said a fact sheet of the proposal obtained by Inside Higher Ed. "This $35 billion in funding will be directed to public institutions, including community colleges, as well as public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving Institutions," said the document marked "confidential." The document did not mention most private colleges and universities. As for the latest round of approved coronavirus relief, it will allow more flexibility on how colleges and universities can spend the money than in last spring's CARES Act, and allows for more students to be eligible to receive emergency student grants.
 
Colleges, students will have easier access to second round of stimulus funds, but bureaucracy remains
Colleges and universities that received federal stimulus dollars last year will have an easier time accessing the second round of relief, but higher education experts say it will still take work to get money into the hands of students. On Thursday, the Education Department made $21.2 billion from the latest stimulus package available to institutions of higher education to support students and school operations. The federal agency said it will soon release a separate pot of money for historically Black schools, minority-serving institutions and other hard-hit schools. The money is being provided as supplemental funds to grants created by Congress last spring. That eliminates the need for schools that benefited from the first round of relief to apply for the new aid, said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. But he said institutions will still need to complete a few steps before money is transferred to their accounts. A larger pool of students should qualify for the money this time because the department has backed off previous guidance that limited money to those who are eligible to receive federal student aid.
 
Here's How Much Aid Your College Can Get From the Second Round of Covid-19 Stimulus
The U.S. Department of Education disclosed on Thursday how it would allocate more than $22.7 billion in emergency assistance to colleges as part of the Covid-19 stimulus legislation enacted by Congress late last year. Below is a searchable, sortable table showing how much of that money each institution is in line to receive. The first Covid-19 stimulus law, the Cares Act, stipulated that colleges use at least half of their granted amount under that law for emergency grants to students. Whatever that dollar figure was for a given college plays a key role in what the new stimulus law means for them; colleges are required to devote that amount of money, at least, to direct aid to students. For more about how the money can be spent, see the American Council on Education's summary or the Department of Education's website.
 
Biden Wants to Forgive $10,000 in Student-Loan Debt. Here's Who Would Benefit.
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will ask Congress to forgive up to $10,000 of student-loan debt per borrower, the Biden-Harris transition team told reporters last week. About a third of federal-student loan borrowers hold less than $10,000 in debt, and they could see the complete erasure of their student-loan burdens. That would represent over 15 million borrowers, though the number of actual borrowers whose entire loan balance will be forgiven may be less, because some of them hold several loans. Nearly 43 million student-loan borrowers hold over $1.5 trillion in federal student-loan debt, with the average loan at $36,510, according to data from the Federal Student Aid office. For a more in-depth look on who holds the brunt of America's student-loan debt, take a look at this Chronicle interactive from last year. The original Cares Act includes a provision, set to expire on January 21, after two previous extensions by President Trump and the Education Department, allowing borrowers to suspend repayment of their federal student loans. Biden intends to extend the pause, according to news reports. To better understand whom these policies would affect, read on.
 
Translating the Language of Math
Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University, writes: With the return of the spring semester, many students enjoy returning to school to learn about their favorite subjects. The class which stands alone as the most unique is math. What many students do not recognize is that math, in all its varieties, is much more than computation and calculation. It is its own language. The challenge for students is rarely in the entering of data and performing of calculations, the confusion is in translating the language of math. While this may sound like a bizarre take on what many may consider a very basic set of tasks which must follow a rigid protocol, nothing could be further from the truth. Math values are simply identifiers to allow students to quantify and compare and interpret. When students graduate into word problems, many frustrations often arrive. However, it is rarely due to the complexity of the math, but rather due to the inability to translate the narrative. This is where early skills become paramount.


SPORTS
 
Alabama knocks off No. 14 Mississippi State women 86-78
Jordan Lewis scored 11 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter and Alabama came on strong after halftime to bump off No. 14 Mississippi State 86-78 Thursday night. The last time the Crimson Tide (11-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) were in Starkville, they edged Mississippi State, 66-64, on Feb. 23. Thursday, the Tide shook off a horrid second quarter, in which they were just 12.5% shooting -- 2 of 16 from the field, 2 of 11 from 3-point distance -- and went into halftime trailing by 11 (44-33). The win, Alabama's third in a row, moves it alone into second place in the SEC behind fifth-ranked South Carolina's 4-0. Myah Taylor and Rickea Jackson scored 15 apiece to lead the Bulldogs. Jessika Carter added 10. Freshman Madison Hayes added nine in her first start. Mississippi State travels to seventh-ranked Texas A&M Sunday.
 
Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State football coaches praise lawmakers for flag change
Vincent Dancy and Fred McNair are Mississippi natives proud of the decisions their home state made in the last year. Dancy, the third-year coach at Mississippi Valley State, and McNair, the fifth-year coach at Alcorn State, both spoke about Mississippi's choice to replace its state flag at the SWAC Media Days this week. Both coaches were present at the capitol in June when the state's sports figures lobbied legislators to make the change, something Dancy remains proud about months later. "I thought it was great," Dancy, a Shuqualak native, said. "We all went to the Capitol to fight for change. I thought it was great what Mississippi did. It's been a long time coming to see the magnolias flying high. I think that's a beautiful thing." McNair, a Mount Olive native, also praised the change. He said he was inspired by the resolve Mississippi's citizens and politicians showed to work together and vote for a new flag. Alcorn State will always recruit Mississippi first as long as McNair is in charge, the coach said. Flying a flag that the school's many Mississippi natives can be proud of on game day is huge.
 
Razorbacks expect to allow around 4,000 at baseball games
The University of Arkansas expects to allow at least 4,000 fans per baseball game at Baum-Walker Stadium this season, but officials have not determined a final number. The stadium has a listed capacity of 10,737 that is expected to grow slightly with the addition of 14 loge boxes in right field. The four- and five-seat loge boxes have been sold for the 2021 season. The Razorbacks capped attendance at 16,500 for football games in 2020 and 4,400 for basketball games this season. The football cap was 21% of the listed capacity at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, and the basketball cap 23% of the listed capacity at Bud Walton Arena. In an email, UA deputy athletics director Rick Thorpe said the capacity percentage for baseball will be different than the other sports due to multiple factors. The baseball stadium -- which includes 34 suites -- has a higher percentage of private premium seating than the football stadium or basketball arena, Thorpe said. Suite holders are permitted to use all of the permanent tickets associated with their suite, but standing room only tickets in those areas will be eliminated this season. In the email to ticket holders, the UA said the schedule is expected to be released in mid-January. On Wednesday, SEC athletics directors approved a traditional 56-game schedule, D1Baseball.com reported.
 
Difference Maker, GSU'S Jared Benko: 'Georgia Southern is a national brand'
Podcast: Georgia Southern Athletic Director Jared Benko is our latest Difference Maker and discusses managing an athletic department during a pandemic, his plans to do more in Savannah and at the Armstrong campus and the Eagles' place on the college athletics landscape. Find the latest and archived episodes of Difference Makers at SavannahNow.com/podcasts or search "Savannah Difference Makers" on podcast app. Past Difference Makers include outgoing Chatham Commission Chair Al Scott; Plant Riverside District developer Richard Kessler; and the Creative Coast's Jennifer Bonnett. Difference Makers is presented by the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
 
New research database helping cardiologists study COVID-19's impact on collegiate athletes' hearts
The American Heart Association and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine helped create a new research database of more than 3,000 college athletes who tested positive for COVID-19. The database is meant to determine the short-term and long-term effects of the virus on collegiate athletes' hearts. According to the Chairman of the Cardiac Institute at UTHSC and Methodist Le Bonheur, Dr. John Jefferies, "You just have to remember that we don't know as much as we need to know at this point." The main concern with coronavirus and college athletes is myocarditis. The heart condition has been talked about since sports resumed in the pandemic. In simple terms, it's the inflammation of the heart. "Is it something that goes away? Does it put you at risk for something in the future? And the answer, it very well may," Dr. Jefferies said. Researchers and cardiologists are working to piece together who gets myocarditis as a result of Covid-19. According to Dr. Jefferies, the AHA's database is a point of reference to try and find commonalities between different populations. "Sex, ethnicity, of race, socioeconomic status and that really informs a lot of what we do at the American Heart Association because we know that there's these disparities that exist." That doesn't mean that sports should stop. In fact, Dr. Jefferies has kids and said he'd let them play collegiate sports right now with the proper screening in place. He also wants athletes to know the signs and symptoms so they can be their own advocates for their health.



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