| Wednesday, August 11, 2021 |
| Some Universities Have Less Space to Isolate Students This Fall. Is That a Problem? | |
 | Despite rising numbers of Covid-19 cases, many college campuses expect to be back at full capacity this fall. So do hotels. That's left some institutions without the robust quarantine and isolation housing that had been critical to their reopening plans in 2020. The more-transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, once again raising the possibility that infected or exposed students might need to isolate -- a difficult task in communal housing like dorms. Mississippi State and Texas Tech Universities are among those warning students that they could be on their own finding quarantine housing. "Limited isolation and quarantine space is available," said Regina Hyatt, vice president for student affairs at Mississippi State. "For students who have to isolate or quarantine, we're asking them to have a plan." The university used hotels to isolate students last year, but this year, hotels are booked. At Texas Tech, students will not be provided with a location to self-isolate, the Daily Toreador reported. The university will also not cover any expenses associated with isolation. Edwin Michael, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida, said the situation is far less worrisome than it was last year. Most students coming back to campus this fall will have some immunity, whether it's through the vaccine or because they've already been infected. "The landscape has definitely changed with the vaccine," he said. Compared to last year, administrators "feel they can manage this better," he said. |
| Lack of ICU beds forces OCH Regional Medical Center to find alternatives for patients | |
 | State health leaders announced yesterday there were more patients than ICU beds in Mississippi's larger hospitals. The extra patients creates extra work for health care workers you normally see with trauma patients. Jacob Leggett is the ER and ICU Director at OCH Regional Medical Center. He said the work can be draining. "It's an honor to be able to help out in a pandemic like this," he explained. "It is frustrating at times, but we're definitely trying to meet the goals and the needs of our patients." All six ICU beds are full at the hospital. OCH is even holding two extra patients with COVID in the emergency room to help more infected people. However, this isn't a problem just in the state of Mississippi. Eddie Coats works as a flight nurse for PHI Air Medical. He and a team of medical staff transport patients all across the country in the hopes of finding an empty ICU bed. "We just got a request today to take a patient from near central Alabama to Springfield, Missouri," said Coats. "That's the closest intensive care bed that they could find." Since the pandemic, the helicopter crew averages two to three transports a day. |
| Local restaurants are eager to get employees on their team | |
 | It's not a surprise at this point that some restaurants don't have enough workers. Some places have closed to hire and train people while others have limited their hours. The Eat With Us group oversees five restaurant chains and has seen that issue at several of their locations statewide. The restaurant group said working with them is a good career move; finding and keeping the right person could take time, but the Eat With Us Group said they're doing their best to showcase the job and the benefits. "Just trying to find people to follow through with interviews and everything like that but you know I know we can get through it eventually, but just trying to keep our heads up and not letting COVID win sort of speak," said the HR director for the group Ashley Wilson. "We're paying more than we did two to three years ago. We do 60-day reviews so whereas we may not have your exact starting wage right then we're going to give you a review and raise in 60 days and potentially get you to the wage that you were more comfortable at before," said Wilson. |
| Mississippi Book Festival cancels in-person event set for Aug. 21 | |
 | On Wednesday, organizers with the Mississippi Book Festival announced the in-person event, which was scheduled for Saturday, August 21, has been cancelled. Holly Lange, the festival's Executive Director, said, "We are disappointed to have come so close to the finish line, but growing concern and cancellations from many of the authors and panelists scheduled to attend has led our Board of Directors to make the hard decision and forgo the in-person event. While we could have continued to wait, the trend lines were moving against us, so we all thought it best to give everyone enough notice so that schedules and travel plans could be changed." Even though the in-person event was cancelled, the organizers plan to move as many of the author panels and conversations as they can to virtual presentations in the coming months. "We had more than 180 authors signed up for 49 very exciting panels," Lange said, "So our hope is to bring those authors and moderators together online in a variety of formats. We are moving forward with a renewed commitment to engage our book-loving community and continue the spirit of the festival. We encourage everyone to stay tuned for updates on our virtual package coming soon." |
| Mississippi approaches its own COVID hospitalization record | |
 | Mississippi is approaching its record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations as the virus continues spreading rapidly in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S. The state Health Department reported Tuesday that 1,410 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were in Mississippi hospitals Monday. Cases and hospitalizations have risen sharply in recent weeks because of the highly contagious delta variant of the virus. Mississippi's highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations for a single day was 1,444 on Jan. 4, before vaccines against the virus were widely available. The state health officer and other physicians have been imploring people to get vaccinated. Other well-known people with Mississippi connections are joining the push. Archie Manning, who was a University of Mississippi quarterback in the late 1960s and early 1970s before playing for the New Orleans Saints, recorded a short video for Delta Health Alliance. The nonprofit group works in some of Mississippi's poorest counties, including the rural Delta flatlands where Manning grew up. "We know the vaccine works, but only if you get it," Manning said in the video the group posted Monday on Twitter. "It's easy and it works. Please get vaccinated, my friends, and stay healthy." As of Tuesday, the state Health Department said 35% of Mississippi residents were fully vaccinated, compared to about 50% nationally. |
| COVID vaccines up 107% in past month as delta variant ravages Mississippi | |
 | As the COVID-19 delta variant has given Mississippi the third highest infection rate in the nation, and the state's hospitals remain completely overwhelmed with patients, there is at least one bright spot: The state's vaccination rate has shot up for four straight weeks, increasing 107% over the past month. Though Mississippi is no longer last in the nation for the share of its population that has been vaccinated, it still trails 48 other states. Just 35% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated, according to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical experts are pleading with Mississippians to get vaccinated as the state's hospital system has reached its full capacity to care for COVID-19 patients -- a vast majority of them unvaccinated. And things inside hospitals are becoming more dire than ever. Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs and COVID-19 clinical response leader at University of Mississippi Medical Center, has warned that UMMC has not had to turn away any patients yet, but that breaking point is approaching. "We are not infinite resources," Jones said. "We can break. We can have to close... And I think we're rapidly headed that direction." The exhaustion and anger of healthcare workers is bubbling over in a myriad of ways as they deal with a system stretched to the brink by preventable infections and deaths. |
| Thousands of Mississippi students in quarantine just one week into school year | |
 | Hundreds of Mississippi students tested positive for the coronavirus last week and more than 4,000 students and hundreds of teachers and staff were quarantined after possible exposure to COVID-19. The flood of positive cases is forcing schools to move to virtual learning again, including six public schools in Lamar County on Tuesday, which had the largest number of infected students the week of from Aug. 2-6. In what was the kickoff week of the 2021-22 school year for many districts, students in 38 of 43 counties reporting data to the Mississippi State Department of Health tested positive for COVID-19. Students were quarantined in 41 of those counties, the data shows. There are 82 counties in the state. Between Aug. 2 and Aug. 6, 943 students and 296 teachers and staff tested positive for COVID-19. There were 69 coronavirus outbreaks since the start of the month, according to the data. Oak Grove Middle School in Lamar County had the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases from Aug. 2-6, reporting 44 infections. While a handful of Mississippi-based health organizations --- the American Academy of Pediatrics Mississippi Chapter, the Mississippi State Medical Association and the Mississippi State Department of Health --- have endorsed universal mask-wearing for K-12 students and staff, there is no statewide mask mandate for schools. |
| GOP, industry signal fight over potential Biden vaccine 'threat' | |
 | Republicans and some industry groups are signaling they would oppose any effort from the Biden administration to use the threat of withholding federal funds to push some employers -- like nursing homes and health facilities -- to mandate Covid vaccines. If President Joe Biden goes that route, the move would mark the first time his administration has used the power of the purse to increase vaccinations. Administration officials have struggled for months to find new ways to jumpstart immunizations, and some public health experts believe this could help. But as the Biden administration discusses whether to withhold dollars from certain institutions, critics argue that threatening to pull federal funding to push employers to require vaccines is a step too far that could instead harm institutions by costing them millions of dollars. Washington, the private sector and many state and local officials are wrestling with how to ramp up the pace of vaccinations, as the highly contagious Delta variant surges, particularly in undervaccinated areas. At least one GOP governor -- Mississippi's Tate Reeves -- argued in a statement that the Biden administration "lacks the legal and moral authority" to do so. While some Republicans are fiercely against any coronavirus vaccine mandates, others say they're open to requirements driven by the private sector. |
| Lawmakers set hearings on Mississippi income tax elimination or cuts | |
| Lawmakers plan to hold two days of hearings on eliminating or cutting Mississippi's individual income tax on Aug. 25 and 26. The hearings will be before a joint select committee of eight senators and eight House members, selected by the lieutenant governor and speaker, Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins said on Tuesday. Harkins said the hearings will likely include testimony from state and national tax experts, agency leaders and business people, but its itinerary hasn't been finalized. The hearings are in response to House Speaker Philip Gunn's push to eliminate the state's individual income tax, cut taxes on groceries in half and increase sales and other taxes to make up the lost revenue. The House in this year's legislative session passed Gunn's plan, but the Senate killed it without a vote, saying the plan needed more vetting and vowing to study it over the summer and fall. Recently, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said, "The Senate will hold hearings ... on comprehensive tax reform, and we have invited the House to join us." While he has stopped short of agreeing that individual income taxes can be eliminated, Hosemann has said recently he expects at least a cut in income taxes, with state revenues coming in at a record click recently. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle fear the major change in tax structure -- individual income taxes generate about $1.8 billion a year, or 32% of the state's revenue -- would tank the state budget. |
| Sen. Wicker appears via video for chamber luncheon | |
 | U.S. Senator Roger Wicker made an appearance via a pre-recorded video at the Hernando Main Street/Chamber of Commerce's Third Quarterly Luncheon on Tuesday. Wicker was originally scheduled to appear in person at the event but was unavailable while attending ongoing sessions at the Capitol. Myles Russell, who works for Wicker's office, attended the event in place of the senator addressing DeSoto County business owners and elected officials. On the video, Wicker lauded a bipartisan bill currently being processed and focusing on "America's core, physical infrastructure needs." "The bill is far from perfect but in the end I believe it will be a great service to the United States and Mississippi," said Wicker. "It provides our state $3.3 billion dollars for roads and highways; $225 million dollars for bridges; and allows us to compete for funding for another $12.5 billion dollars in bridge grants." Barry Pettigrew, of Hernando, owner of DeSoto Turf, attended the luncheon and was encouraged by Wicker's comments. "My residence is out in the county and broadband internet is one thing we don't have," said Pettigrew. "We don't have a high speed service, so knowing that monies have been allocated or that and coming to us is good news for me. Right now we use a hot spot off our cell phone at our house." |
| Jackson mayor to meet with President Biden, other leaders about infrastructure package | |
| Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba will meet virtually with President Joe Biden Wednesday to discuss the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. Lumumba will join governors and mayors from across the country to discuss the need for federal assistance to help repair the nation's roads, bridges and water and sewer systems, according to a White House spokesperson. Lumumba could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. A time for the meeting had not been announced as of 5:30 p.m. The $1.2 trillion plan passed with broad bipartisan support. Mississippi's senators split the vote on the plan, with Roger Wicker voting for it and Cindy Hyde-Smith voting against it. Both are Republicans. It still must be approved by the House of Representatives before becoming law. Although she voted against it, Hyde-Smith acknowledged in a press release the infrastructure package would benefit Mississippi. "Many provisions in this sprawling legislation have merit and would help Mississippi, but voting for it is a bridge too far to cross," Hyde-Smith is quoted as saying. |
| Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill | |
 | The Senate passed a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package with broad bipartisan support Tuesday, advancing a central piece of President Biden's economic agenda that would amount to one of the most substantial federal investments in roads, bridges and rail in decades. With 19 Republicans including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) joining all 50 Democrats to pass the bill 69 to 30, the legislation sailed through the Senate. The bill will face a more complicated path in the House, where Democrats have yoked the fate of the infrastructure effort to the passage of a broad $3.5 trillion antipoverty and climate effort. It both reauthorizes spending on existing federal public-works programs and pours an additional $550 billion into water projects, the electrical grid and safety efforts, among many other projects. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has said the chamber won't take up the infrastructure bill until the Senate also passes the antipoverty and climate plan. That negotiation is challenging on its own and could take months, given uniform GOP opposition and Democratic divisions over its specifics. R. Richard Geddes, the director of Cornell University's Program in Infrastructure Policy, said the legislation could have included more provisions facilitating long-term private investments in infrastructure projects. Still, Mr. Geddes, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the breadth of investments would benefit the economy. "It's certainly historic in infrastructure terms. It's at least a once-in-a-generation bill," he said. |
| Second dose COVID-19 vaccinations draws students and community members to JSU | |
 | Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are being offered during the second dose vaccination event at Jackson State University. Angelique Johnson, a junior, says she waited longer than she should have. She talked about a COVID-19 case in her family. "I did have a family member who did get sick. They are fine now but it was a very scary experience and I would like everything to continue to go back to the way it was," said Johnson. Kendarius Smith, a sophomore, says he's had COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant made him want to get the shots. "I lost my taste and my smell for like a month and a half. It was really scary honestly and it was just time. I didn't want to be one of the people who didn't get vaccinated," said Smith. Michael Bolden is with campus operations. He says for several months they've partnered with Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center to provide vaccinations on Tuesdays. "We've done everything that's possible. We provided opportunities for vaccinations. We have secured PPE for all of our faculty, staff, students," said Bolden. Family members of faculty are also getting vaccinated. |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College partners with Singing River to vaccinate students | |
 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is partnering with Singing River Health System to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to students who want them. Tuesday, SRHS employees were on the college's Perkinston campus in an effort to get more people vaccinated before the fall semester begins next week. With classes not set to start until Aug. 19, only a handful of kids are on campus right now at Perk. Most of them are athletes or band members and, while they may not be fearing for their lives, they don't want to risk the lives of their loved ones by remaining unvaccinated. "I mean, personally, I am not scared of getting sick," said Hayden Hughes, line captain for the Bull Dog Drum Line. "I just want to protect my family more than anything. I have a lot of grandparents and stuff I want to keep safe." Another student cited the healthcare heroes as his reason for getting the vaccine. "I trust doctors and scientists more than other people, so I just made the step and did what I had to do to help me survive," said band member Alex Ellis. "We were hoping for a big turnout and (Tuesday) just proved that people are ready. We are going to be here for move-in day on (Aug. 17) and also we are going to be here at the student union on (Aug. 19)," said Singing River Community Relations Liaison Sherri Carr Bevis. |
| Board of Regents approves statewide policy on power-based violence for Louisiana's colleges, universities | |
| Louisiana's Board of Regents announced Tuesday the adoption of a Uniform Policy on Power-Based Violence. The policy is meant to address what the Board of Regents refers to as "significant system failures relating to addressing sexual misconduct on campuses." A news release from the organization provided details related to the policy and further explained the reason for its development. The Board of Regents said its decision to adopt the policy comes ahead of a series of statewide training sessions for postsecondary education stakeholders. The training will begin next week and its aim is to teach campus leaders how to implement federal Title IX laws in addition to recently passed state legislation. Board of Regents Chair Blake David said, "While the law prescribed a January deadline, we will meet our obligation before the start of the semester through our vote today followed by training next week for higher education campus teams, board members, and system staff." He continued, "Drafting of this policy began the minute legislation was passed directing Regents to update its Uniform Policy, and we called a special meeting to make sure the policy is in place ahead of the Fall semester. We all know the expectation to get this right, and as a higher education community, we must meet it." |
| Fear a foe in covid fight, says University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's interim chief | |
| The pandemic's challenges include managing fears caused by the virus, said Charles Robinson, set to become on Monday the interim chancellor for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. "Covid may be here forever. The issue is, we have to learn how to navigate this," said Robinson. The university will "do all the things that are smart" to reduce risks, Robinson said, "but I also think there is a mitigation of the fear that we have to continue to work on." Robinson on Tuesday said he was waiting to hear from UA System leaders on the issue of face coverings. A Pulaski County Circuit Court judge last Friday temporarily blocked a state anti-masking law pending the outcome of a court challenge. "I believe that the [trustees] board and the president will be offering us guidance on this. It's my hope that we will have a better sense of what we can and cannot do. We want to be respectful of the state law, but at the same time we are concerned about our campus community," Robinson said, adding that he hopes to hear back "this week." The law, Act 1002, prohibits state-supported universities, public schools, state agencies -- as well as any state or local official -- from requiring face coverings. A different state law, Act 977, prohibits state agencies or entities from requiring covid-19 vaccination. For the upcoming semester, "we have to stay focused and committed to protecting the health of our campus community, but also doing what is best to support our teaching and learning mission," Robinson said. |
| U. of Arkansas system plans to acquire online Grantham University | |
 | The University of Arkansas system is poised to acquire the online, for-profit Grantham University if the system Board of Trustees approves the deal this morning, as expected. The 15-institution system has worked to build a robust online education presence for some time, and currently offers 24 undergraduate credentials through its in-house online program eVersity. Bringing Grantham into the Arkansas system as a stand-alone institution would up the number of available credentials to 60, introduce online graduate programs and expand its current virtual enrollment of about 800 students by approximately 4,000. An acquisition is "the quickest way to expand as opposed to pouring in lots of money to those efforts," said Michael Moore, vice president of academic affairs for the system and chief operating and academic officer for eVersity. "You can certainly grow a program that way, but it's expensive and incremental." Without that growth, the system's online efforts could flounder, said Trace Urdan, managing director at Tyton Partners, an education advisory firm. "This is a market where you just really need to have scale in order to be effective," Urdan said. The deal is virtually free for the University of Arkansas. Terms of the acquisition dictate that Grantham would transfer its assets -- which include its employees, students, marketing department, tuition revenue and course offerings -- to the system for only $1. |
| Regents OK university budget plan, with $37.1 million for UGA Science Hill project | |
 | The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved a $2.57 billion fiscal 2023 budget request Tuesday. Although Gov. Brian Kemp has asked state agencies not to ask for more money next year, the system's budget represents a $108.1 million increase over the current $2.46 billion spending plan. The additional spending covers items that were exempted from the governor's order, Tracey Cook, the system's executive vice chancellor for strategy & fiscal affairs, told the regents Tuesday. Those items include $99.4 million to account for growth in student enrollment, nearly $9 million for changes in employee and retiree health insurance plans and $460,569 for a slight increase in square footage at the system's colleges and universities. The regents also approved a capital budget request of $278.8 million. The biggest chunk of those funds -- $108 million -- would go toward four major building projects: $37.1 million for the first phase of modernization at the University of Georgia's Science Hill, $30.6 million for the third phase of the expansion of Tech Square on the Georgia Tech campus, $28.8 million for the Gateway Building at Georgia Gwinnett College and $11.5 million for an academic building at the University of North Georgia's Cumming campus. |
| U. of Missouri, MoDOT to use 10 tons of recycled plastic in Stadium Boulevard resurfacing | |
 | Although plastic is notoriously difficult to recycle, engineers at the University of Missouri are partnering with Dow and the Missouri Department of Transportation for a potential use of large volumes of waste plastic in road material. A section of Stadium Boulevard will be resurfaced using the waste plastic in the asphalt mixture sometime this month -- part of a research demonstration project. The key is creating a value for the waste plastic, said Bill Buttlar, the Glen Barton Chair in Flexible Pavements, part of the MU Department of Civil Engineering. Each year, millions of tons of plastic waste are discarded, ending up in landfills and often oceans, where there are large islands of floating plastic. The road surfacing can use most types of waste plastic, Buttlar said. The world's climate scientists on Monday issued a "code red warning for humanity" related to global climate change and called for governments and individuals to take immediate action to stave off global disaster. This project is part of the solution, said Jim Fitterling, chairman and CEO of Dow, in a news release. Fitterling is an MU alumnus. |
| U. of Missouri hosts vaccination clinics two weeks before classes start | |
 | With only two weeks to go until classes begin, the University of Missouri hosted a vaccination clinic Tuesday afternoon at Jesse Hall for students, staff and faculty. MU decided to host a vaccination clinic to increase the number of people vaccinated on campus. "I think it was about time I got the vaccine. These variants scare me, so I decided to come here today and get the vaccine," said MU student Funmi Sanwoifolu. MU sent an email last week encouraging vaccinations. Every student and staff member who submits a picture of their vaccination card will enter a drawing to win prizes. Providing vaccine information will help to provide a measure of vaccination rates within the campus community, the university said. This also means MU might adjust its policies to promote a safe working and learning environment. "We want to do everything that we can to make it easy for our students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated," said Jaimie Shutter, the executive director of student health and well-being. MU also announced that all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks in classrooms, as well as meeting spaces where social distancing is not possible. "The more students, faculty staff and individuals in our campus that get vaccinated, the sooner MU policies will change," Shutter said. |
| Fake COVID-19 vaccine cards online worry college officials | |
| As the delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities are requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for students to attend in-person classes. But the new mandate has opened the door for those opposed to getting the vaccine to cheat the system, according to interviews with students, education and law enforcement officials. Across the internet, a cottage industry has sprung up to accommodate people who say they won't get vaccinated for either personal or religious reasons. An Instagram account with the username "vaccinationcards" sells laminated COVID-19 vaccination cards for $25 each. A user on the encrypted messaging app, Telegram, offers "COVID-19 Vaccine Cards Certificates," for as much as $200 apiece. An increasing number of inquiries to these sites and similar ones appear to be from those who are trying to get fake vaccination cards for college. In Nashville, Vanderbilt University places a hold on a student's course registration until their vaccine record has been verified unless they have an approved medical accommodation or religious exemption. The University of Michigan says it has checks in place to confirm employee and student vaccinations. A spokesman told The Associated Press the school has not encountered any problems so far with students forging their COVID-19 vaccination record cards. But Benjamin Mason Meier, a global health policy professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, questions how institutions can verify those records. |
| Dr. Fauci Voices Support for College Vaccination Mandates | |
| Anthony S. Fauci -- director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser -- said on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday that he supported decisions by schools and colleges to require the Covid-19 vaccine, as classes begin amid a rise in coronavirus cases. "This is very serious business," Fauci told Willie Geist, the program's co-host. "You would wish that people would see why it's so important to get vaccinated. But you're not going to get mandates centrally from the federal government. But when you're talking about local mandates, mandates for schools, for teachers, for universities, for colleges -- I'm sorry, I mean I know that people must like to have their individual freedom and not be told to do something, but I think we're in such a serious situation now that I think in certain circumstances, mandates should be done." As of this writing, 681 institutions of higher learning have announced vaccine requirements for at least some students or employees. Those institutions are mostly in the Northeast and on the West Coast, and tend to be located in states that voted for Biden in the 2020 election. Some colleges have indicated they will impose a vaccination requirement once the vaccines, currently being used under emergency procedures, gain full approval from the Food and Drug Administration; on Morning Joe, Fauci said there's "no doubt" the vaccines would get full FDA approval. |
| U. of Arizona president: We'd require masks and vaccines if not for state law | |
| University of Arizona President Dr. Robert C. Robbins on Monday criticized actions by the Legislature and the governor that limited the school's power to combat COVID-19 on campus. "The ideal would be that we could require everyone to be vaccinated, we could require everyone to cover their face, we could require many things that other places are doing but we cannot do (that) here because of state law," Robbins said during a briefing on the school's fall reopening plans. When Gov. Doug Ducey first signed an executive order banning mask and vaccine mandates at public universities on June 15, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, UA and the Arizona Board of Regents who oversee the state's public university system, all said they would comply with governor's directive. Later, those provisions were put into law as part of the budget. While some elementary and high school districts are defying those provisions, Arizona's public universities are so far abiding by them. Referring to the mandate restrictions, Robbins said: "It's removed some of the tools that would be effective in mitigating and fighting this virus." |
| Legal experts are split on whether President Biden can cancel debt | |
| Four months ago, it was announced that President Biden had directed the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to examine his legal authority to unilaterally cancel student loan debt. Though the results of the inquiry haven't yet been released publicly, other legal experts have already tackled the question -- with fundamental disagreement between them on the limits of the president's power. Biden campaigned on the promise that he would forgive a minimum of $10,000 per person of federal student loans. And while the administration has cancelled more than $1.5 billion in debt for students who were defrauded by their institutions, widespread debt cancellation hasn't happened, despite repeated calls for it from advocates and Democrats in Congress. Supporters of student debt cancellation by the administration typically rely on a memo sent to Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, last year as an explanation for the legality of the action. The memo -- prepared by Eileen Connor, Deanne Loonin and Toby Merrill of the Legal Services Center of Harvard University Law School -- specifically addresses Warren's proposal for administrative debt cancellation that she released while campaigning for president. Her plan called for directing the secretary of education to exercise authority to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for 95 percent of student loan borrowers, but the legal arguments can still apply to any similar administrative action. |
| China's STEM workforce a challenge for US policymakers | |
 | As Congress and the Biden administration seek to rival China's push for dominance in science and technology, policymakers are grappling with how to compete in an area where Beijing is seen as wielding a major advantage: its high-skilled workforce. In 2000, American colleges and universities awarded about 503,500 bachelor's degrees in science and engineering fields, according to a National Science Board study released in January. The same year, China awarded about 359,500, the report found. Fifteen years later, the report said, the U.S. had boosted its output by nearly 50 percent, awarding more than 750,000 degrees. China, following more than a decade of targeted investments in its high-skilled workforce, awarded 1.7 million, nearly a 400 percent jump. The sharp increase is one metric that underscores the uphill climb the U.S. government faces as it tries to carve out space in the market for emerging technologies like advanced manufacturing, quantum computing and 5G. While a skilled adult workforce drove growth of the U.S. economy for much of the 20th century, China is primed to take over. Experts say those seeking answers at the higher education level are looking in the wrong place and should be focused on elementary and secondary schools. Caleb Watney, the director of innovation policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, says the culture of "reading, writing and arithmetic" is too baked into American educational philosophy. |
| APLU, NIST Announce New Research Partnerships to Fuel U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness | |
| Seeking to help bolster U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) today announced three grants to explore how public universities can develop and scale partnerships with Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers to increase the capacity of small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to adopt technologies key for their success. These grants are made possible as part of a research grant APLU received from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). "We know technology adoption is critical for the success and long-term sustainability of small and medium-sized manufacturers. Yet barriers to uptake of new technologies still force too many manufacturers out of business," said Sheila Martin, Vice President for Economic and Community Engagement at APLU. "We're excited these public universities, MEP Centers, and private sector partners are stepping up to find new models for increased success. We hope to not only find new approaches for success in these regions, but new models that can be emulated, modified, and scaled to promote U.S. manufacturing competitiveness across the country." The selected universities and MEP Centers will receive seed funding to develop a partnership for offering technology adoption services at SMMs with which they work. The partners were selected through a competitive process, which included review by a set of manufacturing technology experts. |
| How do our leaders decide what matters most? | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Once upon a time many community and organization leadership training programs around the country featured sessions on "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" authored by the late Stephen Covey. Practicing these habits was seen as a means for people to harness ambitions and work with others to get important things done. Twenty years ago, encouraged by Mississippi Power Company which employed such training and funded by The Riley Foundation, The Montgomery Institute in Meridian brought leaders from all sections of the community together for such training. Additionally, 7 Habits training was embedded into the community adult and youth leadership programs. Today, only short versions of the training remain in the adult and youth programs, the community-wide training long abandoned. Also back then, several of us ventured to an Anheuser-Busch training facility in Missouri to become certified 7 Habits trainers. What followed were numerous sessions with community and leadership groups in east Mississippi. I particularly remember a session for the Mississippi Educational Policy Fellowship program that included future Jones County Junior College (now Jones College) President Jesse Smith. (Some of it stuck didn't it, Jesse?) One particular aspect of that training has stuck with me through the years. It has been an essential part of my few successes. "Focus on what matters most," taught Covey. It is a derivative of the third habit "Put First Things First." |
| Public health care expansion push in Mississippi remains a highly partisan conundrum | |
 | Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann used his Neshoba County Fair political speaking time to kick the political ant hill of making public health care more affordable and accessible in Mississippi. "The time for simply saying 'no' to our options for working Mississippians has passed," Hosemann said in a speech prepared for delivery at the Neshoba County Fair. "When a cancer diagnosis can bankrupt a family, we have a responsibility to help. Further, no Mississippian should be further than 30 minutes from an emergency room." Hosemann said "everything is on the table" in that ongoing debate. He has been talking about public health care for some time now based on two motivating factors. One, Hosemann simply believes that Mississippi is at a crossroads on the subject -- particularly in looking at the financial future of rural hospitals across the state. Second, Hosemann sees the handwriting on the political wall if the Medicaid expansion issue is left to Mississippi voters through some form of direct initiative. ... Hosemann did not expressly express support for Medicaid expansion at Neshoba, but he talked about the consequences of the state staying on its current path. He is aware that Mississippi "pays" for that health care delivery to the poor either through Medicaid dollars or through the delivery of uncompensated care in state hospitals. |
SPORTS
| Safety depth a key for Mississippi State team hoping for turnaround season | |
 | University of Texas making its move to the SEC might be on the horizon, but its transition to Mississippi State is already here. MSU safeties coach Jason Washington came over in 2020 after three seasons at Texas, and he enters this season with a group that finally has some depth and versatility. With Fred Peters injured most of last year, it left Washington with little to work in a pandemic-ridden season where depth was crucial. The Bulldogs adjusted accordingly in the offseason, with Peters returning while Texas transfer Jalen Green came over to the SEC before his former school could follow. Green brings an intriguing skillset as a natural cornerback who is being asked to transition to safety in Zach Arnett's five-back defense. While the new position provides its differences, Green's one-on-one skills provide a luxury for Washington this year. "Jalen is a big hands-on guy and likes to get his hands on receivers," Washington said following Tuesday's practice. "From his corner skills that he's had, now we're trying to work and develop his playing off with a lot of space. If he's able to get his hands on you and that type of stuff, he's pretty dominant." |
| These hot August days could be important later for Chance Lovertich | |
| Parrish Alford writes for the Daily Journal: Maybe it didn't happen on the first day of camp at Mississippi State, though that's where the story began. The Bulldogs are almost a week in now, and Jack Abraham still hasn't taken a snap. In the days that have followed MSU fans have no doubt hit the keyboards and typed "Chance Lovertich" into their search engines. What was thought to be a camp competition between Abraham, the veteran Southern Miss transfer, and second-year quarterback Will Rogers has turned into Rogers and the rest. Lovertich has emerged as the leader of the rest. Sometimes there are unexpected twists in camp -- and State fans, this is yours. MSU coach Mike Leach talks about a lot of things but not the injuries of his players, so Abraham's ailments are the source of speculation. Leach has implied that he expects Abraham to return. ... During his absence Lovertich, undersized yet a fierce competitor, has shown improvement in camp. |
| Mississippi State men's basketball projected to make NCAA Tournament | |
| Expectations for the Mississippi State men's basketball team have been mounting heading into the 2021-22 season. The Bulldogs were listed as the "last team in" by ESPN's NCAA Tournament bracket guru Joe Lunardi's latest edition of "Bracketology" on Tuesday. "On the bubble, Rutgers and Mississippi State are new at-large entries in place of Iowa and (Syracuse)," Lunardi wrote. Mississippi State went 18-15 last season and lost to Memphis in the NIT championship. MSU coach Ben Howland hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, adding former North Carolina forward Garrison Brooks, Memphis forward D.J. Jeffries, N.C. State guard Shakeel Moore and Michigan State guard Rocket Watts. While MSU lost D.J. Stewart Jr. to the NBA, the team returns leading-scorer Iverson Molinar in the backcourt. The program recently announced its conference schedule. Mississippi State begins its season with a seven-game homestand against North Alabama, Montana, Detroit Mercy, Morehead State, Lamar, Georgia State, Furman and Minnesota. On Dec. 21, MSU makes its annual trip to the "big house" in Jackson at the Mississippi Coliseum to host Winthrop. |
| Bulldogs Post Clean Sheet In Exhibition Victory | |
| Mississippi State took full control in a 4-0 exhibition victory against UAB on Tuesday night. Three different Bulldogs scored, and MSU posted its fourth shutout in its last five games dating back to the spring portion of the 2020-21 schedule. State opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Monigo Karnley deflected a free kick from Miranda Carrasco into the net, which would stand as the game-winner. Karnley is the team's returning leader with six career game-winning goals. Late in the first of three 30-minute periods, Onyi Echegini scored two goals in the span of 84 seconds. In the 24th minute she rifled a shot home after receiving a pass from Hannah Johnson, who registered an assist in her first collegiate action. In the 25th minute, Echegini found a loose ball in the box and finished it for a three-goal lead. "Great night for the girls. I thought it was a great first outing for us," head coach James Armstrong said. "We got to play 25 players, which was tremendous for us. Keeping a clean sheet against a very strong UAB team was important. I love that we scored four goals." The Bulldogs will now travel to South Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 14 for a final exhibition match against the Jaguars. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. in Mobile. MSU opens the regular season on the road at Lipscomb on Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. |
| Hard Knocks 2021: Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott's work ethic on display | |
 | Dak Prescott's hunger to play football is insatiable, Micah Parsons' hunger for mid-practice snacks is not satisfied, Ezekiel Elliott needs help wrapping birthday gifts and Jerry Jones takes notes with a No. 2 pencil. The season premiere Tuesday night of the Dallas Cowboys' third appearance on "Hard Knocks" had no shortage of banter, quirks and expletives. The "Hard Knocks" premiere shed light on Prescott's return from a gruesome ankle injury and subsequent development of a shoulder strain. In short: The Cowboys' $40 million quarterback would not stop working ... and worked so hard he suffered an overuse injury related to the latissimus muscle in his throwing shoulder. Prescott has not meaningfully thrown for two weeks since exiting the Cowboys' first padded practice. Cowboys doctors consulted Texas Rangers and New York Yankees trainers for advice, "Hard Knocks" footage confirmed. And yet, Tuesday's debut episode featured far more humor than it did frustration from injury. Prescott's friendship with draft classmate Elliott peaked as Elliott aimed to surprise his quarterback with a gift-wrapped luggage bag ... only for Prescott to knock on Elliott's hotel room door at an inopportune moment, just as Elliott was preparing the gift |
| MHSAA says schools in virtual learning over COVID will forfeit games | |
| The Mississippi High School Activities Association will not allow schools learning virtually to compete in athletic competitions this fall, executive director Rickey Neaves said Tuesday. Schools that opt for at-home or virtual learning cannot participate in MHSAA-sanctioned sports or activities until in-person learning is offered. This is a change from the association's COVID-19 protocols last year. "If a school has to go virtual because of COVID, they will not be allowed to play, and any games on their schedule will be forfeited," Neaves said. "We just felt like if the school was bad enough to go virtual that we shouldn't still be allowing them to congregate with other schools and play. "The reasoning behind that is from the governor on down we believe that the safest place for kids to be is at school. We need to encourage them to be in school." The MHSAA volleyball season started Monday, which will be followed by swimming, cross country and football later this month. |
| Desiree Reed-Francois will be paid $800K a year annually as Mizzou athletic director | |
| Desiree Reed-Francois' hiring as Missouri athletic director is now officially binding. The University of Missouri System Board of Curators on Tuesday approved a six-year contract for Reed-Francois with an annual guaranteed salary of $800,000, according to the contract obtained by the Tribune. Reed-Francois will make a base salary of $550,000, with non-salary compensation of $250,000 annually. Additionally, Reed-Francois will earn $150,000 in deferred compensation for each year she remains in the role, with that money handed out at the end of the contract. There's another $150,000 per year in incentives for various benchmarks, such as athletic success, financial performance and social achievements. Reed-Francois, 49, takes the helm at Missouri on Sunday. Her contract runs through June 30, 2027. With a yearly stipend of $800,000, Reed-Francois' annual salary nearly doubles from what she made as UNLV athletic director. Reed-Francois' also makes $100,000 more per year than her predecessor, Jim Sterk, who "mutually agreed" to step down last month but will still be paid $1.5 million to cover the remaining two years on his original seven-year contract signed in 2016. |
| Tennessee athletics director Danny White updates NCAA investigation as legal tab tops $756K | |
 | Tennessee athletics director Danny White said the university is the NCAA's "partner" in the ongoing investigation into the Vols football program's recruiting violations. UT has been billed more than $756,000 in legal fees during that cooperative effort, according to documents obtained by Knox News via a public records request. But there is no timetable for it to conclude, White said. "We're not going to investigate this thing and then hand it over to the NCAA, where they have to go investigate it again," White said to the Rotary Club of Knoxville on Tuesday. "They have been involved in every single interview, every step of the way. "...It may feel like it's going slow because it's been six, seven months since we started. But look at some other cases around the country, and they last three or four years." The university and NCAA are continuing a monthslong investigation into allegations of NCAA rules violations pertaining to recruiting that are alleged to have occurred during former coach Jeremy Pruitt's tenure. From November to June, the university was billed for $756,453 in legal fees by Bond, Schoeneck and King, a law firm from Overland Park, Kansas, that specializes in athletics compliance reviews. Its invoice for July is not yet available. |
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