| Friday, August 20, 2021 |
| Buck in deer study makes long trek, crosses Mississippi River again | |
 | A buck in a deer study being conducted in the South Delta surprised researchers earlier this year when he left what appeared to be his home range in Issaquena County and traveled 18 miles into Louisiana, which included swimming across the Mississippi River. Now, five months later, the buck has crossed the river again and is on the path back to where he started in Mississippi. "This guy is an extreme case of mobile personality on steroids," said Steve Demarais of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab. "The fact that he swam the Mississippi River twice in his movements -- that's why I say, 'on steroids.'" The deer is referred to as Buck No. 140 due to the number on the ear tags that he was outfitted with in December after being captured. He was also outfitted with a GPS collar that allows researchers to track his movements. The study, which is being conducted by MSU and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, is an attempt to create a method of measuring deer population densities using cameras, GPS collars and deer fecal matter. The same study is also being conducted in Benton County. However, it almost seems Buck No. 140 has a built-in GPS that he uses to navigate. "It looks like he crossed in the exact spot that he crossed the river when he went into Louisiana," said MSU graduate student Luke Resop. "He is in the same exact location where he was in late winter, early spring before he left for Louisiana." |
| Peanut yield, prices look strong for 2021 | |
 | Mississippi's peanut crop is well on its way to a strong finish for 2021. "The crop is in good condition," said Brendan Zurweller, peanut specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "Although our acreage is down from last year, we should have close to the same average yield as last year." Zurweller said he expects the state will average between 4,000 and 4,200 pounds per acre this year. That is down slightly from the 2020 average of 4,400 pounds per acre, which was the best average yield on record for Mississippi peanut growers. Mississippi growers planted 17,340 acres of peanuts, which is about 20% less than the acreage in 2020. Improved markets for other commodities and a late planting window contributed to the decrease in acreage. A strong yield is necessary to keep prices at their current projections, said Will Maples, Extension agricultural economist. "Peanuts are currently facing strong, healthy demand, and we need a good-yielding crop to maintain pace," Maples said. "In the peanut market, the carryforward from year to year, or how many peanuts we have in storage, is an important economic indicator. Current carryforward projections for the 2021–2022 marketing year from the USDA are 1.13 million tons, which is up slightly from 1.08 million tons last year." |
| SOCSD allocated another $15 million in COVID relief | |
 | Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will receive another $15 million in federal funds to address needs and issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. SOCSD was recently allocated a third installment of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief of $15,340,984. That brings the total SOCSD has received through the ESSER program to nearly $24 million since March. The school district fronts the funds for ESSER-approved functions and submits reports to the federal government for reimbursement. Through a virtual press conference Thursday, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Federal Programs, Special Education and Preschool Anna Guntharp indicated what these funds will be used for and how they will help the district get back on track after the pandemic. Much of the funding will be used for building upgrades across the district to help create a cleaner learning environment for students. "We plan to do HVAC and mechanical upgrades to improve air quality," Guntharp said. "We plan to repair and replace windows to improve that air quality and upgrade and renovate restroom facilities to include touchfree systems." A large portion of the relief also will fund programs related to special education. "Interventionalists" have been hired to assist students who have disabilities, including positions that will address dyslexia. |
| Revenue reports are up for first month of the 2022 fiscal year | |
 | Total revenue collections for the month of July FY 2022 and Fiscal YTD 2022 through July are $53,326,905 or 11.11% above the sine die revenue estimate. Fiscal YTD total revenue collections through July 2021 are $-6,355,436 or -- 1.18% below the previous year's collections. The FY 2022 Sine Die Revenue Estimate is $5,927,000,000. As of July 31, 2021, total revenue collections for FY 2021 were $6,741,012,015. When compared to the total General Fund appropriations for FY 2021 of $5,576,886,000, the General Fund will end the fiscal year with an estimated excess of $1,164 million. During FY 2021 close-out period of July and August 2021, additional revenues may be recorded, and subsequent adjustments could be necessary. |
| Golden Triangle sees 1,327 new COVID cases in past week | |
| The Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to infect people across the Golden Triangle. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the Delta variant is the predominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States currently, and unvaccinated people are most at risk of contracting the virus. No county or municipality throughout the Golden Triangle has reinstated a mask ordinance due to the rise in case numbers, even though the CDC recommends mask wearing as an effective prevention strategy. Lowndes County reported 647 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths this past week, bringing its totals to 8,439 cases and 156 deaths. A total of 43,354 vaccinations have been administered to Lowndes County residents with 20,372 fully vaccinated and a 35-percent vaccination rate. There were 376 positive cases in Oktibbeha County, bringing its total case number to 5,797. Four new deaths were reported this past week with 102 total deaths since the pandemic began. There have been a total of 42,611 vaccinations administered. Oktibbeha County has 20,279 fully vaccinated (41 percent). Clay County had 203 cases and one death reported over the past week, totaling 2,369 cases and 56 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Clay County has administered 13,372 total doses of the vaccine with 6,417 fully vaccinated and a 33-percent vaccination rate. |
| Mississippi reports 5,048 new COVID-19 cases, breaking single-day case record | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 5,048 new COVID-19 cases Friday, breaking the previous single-day case record of 5,023 which was set just one week ago. The state also reported an additional 54 deaths as a result of the virus -- 32 occurred between August 8 and August 19, and 22 occurred between April 29 and August 14, and were identified from death certificate reports. There are 172 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. There were 1,660 COVID-19 patients in Mississippi hospitals as of August 18, along with 457 in an ICU and 324 on ventilators. There were 99 COVID-19 inpatients across the North Mississippi Health Services system as of August 20, down slightly from 103 the previous day. COVID-19 vaccinations are readily available at health departments, clinics and pharmacies throughout the state, along with pop-up vaccination sites hosted by MSDH. MSDH urges Mississippians who test positive for COVID-19 to ask their doctor about receiving monoclonal antibodies, which greatly reduce the risk of hospitalization. |
| Mississippi gov: Try to keep schools open amid rise in COVID | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday that his goal is to keep as many schools open as possible, even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise sharply in the state, because he does not want children to lose academic advancement. Reeves, a Republican, said local school districts have the power to offer vaccinations to children 12 and older, with parents' permission. He said school districts also can set mask mandates or require students to maintain distance from one another to mitigate the spread of the airborne virus. "While there are certainly risks with schools being open, there are also risks with schools not being open," Reeves said during a news conference. He said, for example, that calls to mental health hospitals increased last year when schools in some places were online only. "For some individuals, those that are the higher achievers, you know they're probably going to be OK. They're probably going to be able to overcome that," Reeves said of schools opting out of in-person classes. "But for those who are going to struggle to make it, anyway, if they spend an entire year out of the classroom, they are never going to make up their loss of academic progress." The governor's comments came the same day that the state's only pediatric hospital said it is treating its largest number of COVID-19 cases so far during the pandemic. Children's of Mississippi is part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves: High COVID, low vaccine rates not just a Mississippi problem. But data says differently | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday attempted to downplay the severity of Mississippi's COVID-19 delta surge compared to nearby states with "slightly higher vaccination rates." During a public press conference, the Republican governor said the state's high COVID numbers paired with low vaccination rates is not just "a Mississippi problem," in response to a question about how to better to unify residents across the political aisle. But federal and local data show Mississippi has the highest COVID case count per capita and the second-lowest vaccination rates in the country. He read aloud seven-day average numbers and some daily numbers for Mississippi's southeastern neighbors but did not put any counts into context by state population, making Mississippi's COVID crisis seem more comparable to more vaccinated areas. Reeves likened Mississippi to Kentucky, which has a Democratic governor, saying it's "a state that hasn't gotten significant national attention, a state near our size." He said that Kentucky's seven-day average case count was 2,785. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reports that per 100,000 residents, there were 367 cases over the past week. Over the past week in Mississippi, there were 843 cases per 100,000 residents. Kentucky has administered 98,302 doses per 100,000 of the total population, according to the CDC. Mississippi has administered 78,470 doses per 100,000. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves won't call special session to address hospital staffing shortage | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves says he doesn't plan to call a special session of the state Legislature to address Mississippi's hospital staffing shortage. During a press conference on Thursday, Reeves was asked about the possibility of calling a special session to reconvene Mississippi lawmakers to allocate the state's $1.8 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds in an effort to address the shortage of medical workers across the state. "I don't have any plans for a special session at this time," Reeves said. "I'm certainly open to looking to any options." The governor's refusal to reconvene the state Legislature comes amid calls from Phillip Gunn, the speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, to do just that. Gunn wrote in a statement, Thursday, that during visits to several hospitals in the southern part of the state, he's been told that retaining nurses is the primary problem. Gunn said legislators are working on a Nurse Retention Plan to address the ongoing staffing shortage and is ready and willing to "do whatever we have to do to make this happen." "This could mean a special session -- but that call is ultimately up to our Governor," Gunn wrote. "So we are exploring other options and possible avenues available to us to get desperately needed resources to our hospitals." At the press conference, Reeves explained that staffing shortages were already a problem prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Desperation in Mississippi Hospitals: Speaker Gunn said, "I had to see it for myself." | |
 | Desperation. That's the word to describe what hospitals across the state are feeling as the number of COVID-19 patients continue to pour in their doors. Speaker of the House, Philip Gunn, has read the stories and heard the conspiracy theories, but wanted to see it for himself. He spent time talking to hospital CEO's and administrators, then toured several of the state's largest healthcare facilities to see first-hand what doctors, nurses, and patients are going through. Gunn shared his experience with Ricky Mathews, host of Coast Vue on SuperTalk Mississippi. He said, "I've heard a lot of people say different things, a lot of different opinions -- everybody's got one, so I wanted to see for myself. What are the facts? I think that's the best thing we can do is operate on the facts." As he visited the hospitals, Gunn said what he saw was grim. "It is very compelling, when you get on the ground. Every ICU -- UMMC, Forrest General, Gulfport, Singing River -- they're maxed out. Keep in mind, not all of that is COVID. There's heart attacks, car wreck victims, but over half is COVID." He also learned of a young mother, infected with COVID, who gave birth. Gunn said, "They did not want the baby exposed to the mother, so they FaceTimed with the mother. Within a few hours, the mother passed away. She was 27." |
| The Topic Of Masks In Schools Is Polarizing Some Parents To The Point Of Violence | |
 | Tom Leonard, the superintendent of Eanes Independent School District in Austin, Texas, is desperately trying to keep "mask wars" out of his schools. But the subject of masking is so polarizing that parents are becoming violent toward the very people they entrust their children with. During a back-to-school event this week, an angry parent ripped a mask off a teacher's face. Others yelled at a teacher who was wearing a mask, saying they could not understand her while her face was covered. "I just do not want the mask wars occurring in my schools," Leonard told NPR. "I don't want my principals and teachers and bus drivers dedicating any of their limited bandwidth to fighting with either parents or kids." But fights like this are erupting across the United States. Despite the disruptions, those protesting mask mandates in schools are in the minority nationwide. A recent Axios-Ipsos poll showed a majority of Americans -- 69% -- support mask mandates in schools. But opinion is starkly divided by political party: 92% of Democrats support a mandate versus just 44% of Republicans. "The bottom line is, this is a vocal minority," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "The people who are acting out this way are doing it to intimidate and to bully. And there has to be consequences to that kind of behavior." |
| Sens. Wicker, King, Hickenlooper test positive for Covid-19 after vaccination | |
 | Sens. Roger Wicker, Angus King and John Hickenlooper all have Covid-19 breakthrough infections, their respective offices announced Thursday. Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, and King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, both tested positive for the virus following mild symptoms, according to their statements, released earlier in the day. Later on Thursday, Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, announced that he, too, tested positive following mild symptoms. As the Delta variant spreads and Covid-19 cases increase in many areas of the country, vaccines have proved effective at preventing serious infections and death -- though fully vaccinated people can still catch and spread the virus. U.S. health officials on Wednesday announced plans to give booster shots to Americans in the future to maintain their immunity to the virus. In the statement from Wicker's office, a spokesperson said the senator is being treated by his physician based in Tupelo, Miss., and is in good health. "He is isolating, and everyone with whom Senator Wicker has come in close contact recently has been notified," the senator's communications director, Phillip Waller, said in the statement. |
| Nine Democrats hold firm on opposing budget without infrastructure vote first | |
 | With just days to go until the House returns for a brief session, competing Democratic priorities are still threatening to derail the adoption of a budget resolution needed to begin the reconciliation process for enacting the party's economic agenda. All nine House Democrats who told Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week that they won't vote for the budget unless the House sends the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill to President Joe Biden's desk first are holding firm to that position, the members or their offices told CQ Roll Call. Pelosi has also remained steadfast in her position that the House needs to hold on to the infrastructure measure until the Senate passes a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package implementing instructions laid out in the budget resolution. Dozens of progressive Democrats have said they won't vote for the infrastructure bill without moderates in the House and Senate supporting the reconciliation package, leaving leadership to believe the only way to pass both is to move them together. But moderates think there's enough Republican support on infrastructure to overcome progressive opposition. The House is scheduled to return Monday from its August recess for what leaders hope will be a two-day session to adopt the budget and pass voting rights legislation. n public statements reiterating their stances Friday morning, all nine Democrats argued for the importance of immediately passing the infrastructure bill. |
| How the Apple lobbying machine took on Georgia, and won | |
| When Apple wanted to kill off two bills in Georgia this year, it rushed lobbyists to the state legislature, threatened to abandon key economic projects and persuaded the state attorney general to push for an Apple-friendly amendment. Two months later, the bill that had appeared to have the most momentum stalled in the Georgia House Judiciary Committee. The committee chair did not bring the legislation to a vote during this year's legislative session, effectively killing it in the lower chamber. Apple's aggressive lobbying efforts in Georgia, the extent of which were previously unreported, highlight a pattern that has played out with little national attention across the country this year: State lawmakers introduce bills that would force Apple and its fellow tech giant Google to give up some control over their mobile phone app stores. Then Apple, in particular, exerts intense pressure on lawmakers with promises of economic investment or threats to pull its money, and the legislation stalls. "Apple has been able to intimidate and use a lot of money" to kill legislation, said Rep. Regina Cobb, a Republican state lawmaker in Arizona who championed an app store bill that didn't pass her state's Senate. Cobb said she has been closely following Apple's playbook in other states. "They do it in different ways in each state, but it all comes down to strong-arming the legislature." While Google has also lobbied against many of the state-level bills, Apple has been the more aggressive and visible opponent across multiple states -- a shift for a company that has long been seen as taking a quieter approach to lobbying than its competitors. |
| COVID-19 vaccination now a condition of employment, enrollment at UMMC | |
| If you seek employment or enrollment at University Mississippi Medical Center, you must be fully vaccinated. That's according to UMMC's updated vaccination policy announced Friday. As part of this policy change, UMMC says the deadlines with each phase outlined in the policy, who falls under each phase, and what is required to be completed on or before each deadline has been adjusted. "The option to wear an N95 mask in lieu of getting vaccinated on or before the deadline applicable to your position is no longer available," Dr. Alan Jones said, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs and COVID-19 Clinical Response Leader. "As is the case with any UMMC policy, failure to comply could result in corrective action up to and including termination or dismissal." Jones said requiring vaccinations of the people who work and/or learn in health care facilities is nothing new. "We are not setting precedent, but we do feel it's important that we take this step to protect our patients and each other and also show Mississippi how committed we are to doing all we can to address the serious situation we are in. Bold actions are needed if we want to have a chance of never returning to this level of stress on our state's health care system," he added. |
| Jackson State University, Walmart provide free COVID-19 vaccines | |
 | Jackson State University is partnering with Walmart to host a free vaccination day Friday for students, faculty, staff and the Jackson community, officials said. Free Pfizer vaccines will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the university's College of Science, Engineering and Technology atrium. The university's address is 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson. The free vaccinations are part of the university's "Getting Stronger Together" campaign. Residential students who can prove they've vaccinated are eligible to receive a $1,000 housing credit, which will be given out in two $500 payments for the fall and spring semesters, respectively, according to the news release. |
| East Mississippi Community College begins classes with a mask mandate | |
 | Alarms are ringing a little earlier for college students attending East Mississippi Community College as they started classes on Monday. Thomas Jackson started his second semester at EMCC. Thomas Jackson started his second semester at EMCC. He feels like the coronavirus is already looming over the school year. "There's like this feeling of like going back to online classes," he explained. "I'm just going to enjoy it while I can, I guess." As of right now, a majority of the students at EMCC are in-person. While in the classroom, students have to temporarily wear masks. EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks said they ultimately went with the mandate to keep their students and staff safe even after leaving the school's premises. "We're not immunologists or epidemiologists," said Alsobrooks. "We're just listening to the experts and I just have faith in that." Students don't seem to mind the mask mandate. Katylan Fulgham said she knows the school is doing what they feel is best for their students. The college is also offering COVID testing and vaccinations on-campus for students and staff. |
| COVID-19 detected in LSU wastewater; tests ordered for all sororities, some fraternities | |
 | Members of all LSU sororities and some fraternities must get tested for COVID-19 after the school found traces of the virus in the wastewater system serving their area of the campus. The university sent members of 15 Greek chapters an email Thursday notifying them that they must be tested at one of the three on-campus testing sites within 48 hours. School spokesman Ernie Ballard said that students have until 11 a.m. Saturday, the first day of Greek recruitment, to meet the testing requirement. "We are assessing the situation as it pertains to rush," Ballard said. "We will factor in both wastewater results and the results of individual testing in our decision." The email stated that if students do not get tested, it may "impact your ability to remain on campus and participate in any in-person activities." All members of the notified chapters who were on campus in the last week are subject to the requirement. The school's wastewater testing method successfully located outbreaks in the spring and summer semesters, allowing LSU to test and isolate affected students. Each week, LSU collects wastewater that is tested at a lab to reveal traces of COVID and estimate how many residents are infected and need to get tested. |
| How Oak Ridge National Labs, Department of Energy contractors are growing Tennessee's economy | |
 | Tennessee's Department of Energy institutions and its contractors are employing more highly educated workers and contributing more to the state's economy, according to a report released Friday. Most of that impact is felt in East Tennessee, home to the DOE's largest institutions in the state, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Y-12 National Security Complex. DOE spending accounted for $4.2 billion of Tennessee's gross domestic product in fiscal year 2020, according to the East Tennessee Economic Council report. That's a 24% increase over 2017's figures. DOE and its contractors provided 14,667 Tennessee jobs, up from 12,618 in 2017, and $1.3 billion in annual wages. The average salary for a DOE-related employee in 2020 was $89,364. "I think the number one (takeaway) was the growth in the talent pool in Oak Ridge," said Jim Campbell, president of ETEC. "Three hundred more Ph.D.s, 3,000 more people working here with master's degrees," as compared to 2017 figures. Of the total employees, 11,000 held a bachelor's degree or higher. That skilled workforce is another tool to attract tech companies to the region. ETEC uses the study, conducted every few years by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to inform the federal government of the impact of DOE operations and facilities in Tennessee. |
| Texas A&M telehealth programs to expand in coming years | |
 | Some Brazos Valley and South Texas residents will have new telehealth options available to them in the coming years as Texas A&M University prepares to expand some of its services. The new opportunities are made possible by a $349,937 five-year grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration that the university received this week. Funds will go toward researching telehealth while also expanding telehealth services the school already offers, said Carly McCord, director of telebehavioral health for Texas A&M Health Science Center. "Texas has a lot of hurdles in access to health care and primary care, but behavioral health even more so," McCord said. "So I want to know what works and why it works. To get to be part of it is a great opportunity." Texas A&M was one of many institutions to recently earn funds to improve telehealth studies and services. The Biden administration announced in a Wednesday press release that more than $19 million was poured into expanding telehealth in rural and underserved areas across the country through the Health Resources & Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funds. |
| U. of Missouri professor on chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal: 'In an ideal world, the intelligence would have been better' | |
 | An intelligence failure didn't foresee how quickly the Taliban would advance upon the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan, says a University of Missouri political science professor. Bryce Reeder is an assistant professor of political science in the Harry S.Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. "In an ideal world, the intelligence would have been better," Reeder said. "They should have understood the Taliban would do what they did. They are a battle-hardened force." Reeder's primary area of scholarship is in international efforts to reduce violence. The Taliban had offered to surrender at one point during the war, but Reeder said U.S. officials questioned whether the offer was legitimate, so it was rejected. "I believe that there was an opportunity, but there was a lot of uncertainty," he said. If factions exist now in the Taliban, the hard-liners will win out, he said. Although Taliban leaders are claiming to be more tolerant, they include disclaimers in their statements saying "as long as it aligns with our expectations or Islamic law," Reeder said. |
| At Colleges With Vaccine-or-Test Mandates, Thousands Have Yet to Comply | |
 | To prevent big Covid-19 outbreaks this fall, colleges should conduct surveillance testing of community members who aren't vaccinated, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. West Virginia University's return-to-campus plan does just that: Students, staff, and faculty must either upload proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test, taken within 48 hours of arriving on campus. The deadline is this Friday. In a statement on Tuesday -- one day before classes started -- the university posted that more than 8,500 campus community members had fulfilled neither entry requirement. "We are hopeful that by the Friday deadline of 3 o'clock, which has been in place for a while, that that number will come down significantly," said Rob Alsop, vice president for strategic initiatives. And if it does not? "I think this is one of the really under-discussed parts of all this," said R. Scott Crichlow, an associate professor of political science and chair of the faculty welfare committee in the Faculty Senate. "What do you do if a very large number of people just simply do not comply?" West Virginia isn't the only institution with this problem. On Wednesday, Louisiana State University posted numbers showing that more than half of its enrolled students, or about 19,000 people, had not yet fulfilled its vaccine-or-test entry requirement. Many of those people simply may not be on campus yet. Some LSU students could have their first in-person class as late as the night of August 25, Ernie Ballard III, a spokesman, wrote in a text. At the same time, about 40 percent of members of fraternities and sororities had not yet fulfilled requirements as of Wednesday, Ballard wrote. Rush begins Thursday. |
| A new book makes the case that HBCUs are owed reparations | |
 | Out of curiosity as a student at Alabama A&M University, Adam Harris took the 6 1/2-mile drive across town to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and he was bewildered by the glaring differences in the two campuses. "They had new and newly renovated buildings," Harris recalled. "The library had longer operating hours and a more extensive collection. Potholes had been filled -- if they'd ever been there. And very few of the students I saw that day were Black, which was interesting for a regional school because Huntsville is roughly 30 percent Black. But just 10 percent of UAH's campus was Black." Those differences sparked a question: Why? Why were the facilities superior at the predominately white school founded in 1950 than the historically Black university founded 75 years earlier, in 1875? That fundamental question Harris pondered for a decade became the impetus for his newly released book, "The State Must Provide: Why America's Colleges Have Always Been Unequal -- and How to Set Them Right." "I couldn't really make sense of some of those differences between Alabama A&M and UAH until I got into to a professional setting and started covering both federal higher education policy and historically Black colleges and poked a little bit more at how federal and state policy helped shape and create the unequal higher education system we recognize today. I realized that there was a longer story to be told there," he said. |
| Department of Education to automatically discharge loans for disabled borrowers | |
 | Student loan borrowers with a total and permanent disability will now have their loans automatically discharged under a new regulation announced Thursday by the Department of Education, continuing the Biden administration's focus on targeted student debt relief. More than 323,000 borrowers are expected to benefit, totaling around $5.8 billion in canceled debt. Borrowers who qualify for the discharge have already been identified through data matching with the Social Security Administration, which will continue, but they will no longer be required to also fill out an application before receiving relief. "This process is going to be a smooth process for our borrowers, where they're not going to get bogged down with paperwork," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told reporters. The department ended the application requirement in 2019 for borrowers who were identified as eligible for a total and permanent disability, or TPD, discharge through data matching with the Department of Veterans Affairs. But it didn't do the same for those identified through the SSA, and only about half of those borrowers who were deemed eligible have had their loans discharged. The change will go into effect in September after the department's next quarterly data match with SSA. All discharges are expected to occur by the end of the year. Organizations and lawmakers have been pushing for the department to automatically discharge loans for disabled borrowers in recent months. |
| Sandra Oh Wants You to Enjoy This Show | |
| The Chair, a new television series that premieres on August 20 on Netflix, follows Professor Ji-Yoon Kim after she becomes the first woman and first woman of color to lead the English department at a prestigious liberal-arts college, the fictional Pembroke University, in New England. It doesn't go so hot. Kim, played by the magnetic Sandra Oh, is determined to protect her ranks and steer the beleaguered department away from irrelevance. But she's up against a cadre of dissatisfied older scholars, a dean whose highest priority is the balance sheet, and a student body that -- when a professor and close friend of Kim's makes a controversial gesture in the classroom -- demands that he and the department be held accountable. Things go off the rails. The series, which the actress Amanda Peet co-wrote and co-produced, is a dramedy. At one point, the actor David Duchovny makes a guest appearance, playing an egotistical version of himself, and tells Kim, "I don't see color or ethnicity or even faces, at this point. I just see vibe and aura." But the series delves into serious topics, too, like the sticky nature of being the boss of your friends and what it's like to be "the first" anything in an environment that thinks of itself as progressive but can be anything but. Oh, best known for her roles on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy and the thriller Killing Eve, spoke recently over Zoom with The Chronicle about how she relates to Ji-Yoon Kim. |
SPORTS
| Mike Leach stressing improvement ahead of second scrimmage, particularly with offensive line | |
| Mike Leach's approach to fall camp is simple: competition, execution, consistency and improvement. It's an approach that's been challenged at points during camp. Leach has questioned the team's consistency at times -- calling it a streaky squad. He hasn't shied away from pointing out flaws in execution like when he matter-of-factly said some players on his offensive line think they're better than they might be. But two areas he's generally praised are competition and improvement. From the first day of camp -- highlighted by the quarterback battle -- Leach made it clear most positions would be determined through competition. He has said that the competition and intensity have been good for Mississippi State. Thursday his focus was improvement -- the improvement he's seen thus far and the improvement he wants to see from the team's first scrimmage last week to the upcoming one Saturday. |
| Why Mike Leach used 'improve' a total of 11 times describing Mississippi State football | |
| "Improve" was the word used most often by Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach after Thursday's practice. The second-year Bulldogs coach used the seven-letter word 11 times in the first 4:40 minutes of his media availability. He used it when describing the development of his offensive line, specifically Charles Cross, LaQuinston Sharp, Scott Lashley, Kwatrivous Johnson and Kameron Jones. Mississippi State ended the 2020 season ranked second-to-last in the SEC getting sacked 30 times for a loss of 218 yards. Leach used "improvement" as he talked about the Bulldogs' ability to build consistency. He used it when describing the program's ability to run the ball this season. Most importantly, Leach believes the Bulldogs have "improved" from last season. The Bulldogs went 3-7 in the regular season of an all-conference schedule, before ending it with a 28-26 win over Tulsa in the Armed Forces Bowl. MSU's defense gave up an average of 28.1 points per game in 2020. "I think they've improved," Leach said of this season's defense. "I think we have a little more depth. We've got some more people contributing. Then, it gets tough to say because, you know, offensively you're improving, too. So you hit some stalemates there for a little bit. But I think both sides are better than last year by a significant margin." |
| Mississippi State Volleyball Begins 2021 At Southern Miss | |
| The Mississippi State volleyball team will take its initial steps toward the 2021 season with an exhibition match at Southern Miss on Friday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT from the Wellness Center in Hattiesburg. Admission is free, and fans can follow the match courtesy of Southern Miss' live stats. The Bulldogs began their preseason camp on Saturday, August 7th and have participated in 16 practice sessions over a 13-day span. "This group is experience heavy," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "Not everyone has experience here at Mississippi State, our players are very smart and are a high IQ group. Our players have done really done a good job of creating our core values and standards and holding each other to those standards. Our players are all over each other on their own because they know what they want to do and what they want to achieve. All of our players are very goal-focused and all about the mission right now." Gabby Waden and Lilly Gunter will look to build off successful 2020-21 campaigns. Waden captured an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region pick, while Gunter earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshmen Team and was an AVCA All-Region honorable mention selection. |
| Alliance between Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 to combat SEC expansion could come 'soon,' per report | |
| Once word broke in July that Oklahoma and Texas planned on leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, the gears turned quickly on making that seismic shift a reality. Similarly, the other three power conferences appear to be moving quickly on an alliance to counter the SEC's aggressiveness in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reports the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 are "expected to make a formal announcement about their alignment soon, perhaps as early as next week." The news comes just one week after CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd and The Athletic initially reported the trio were actively engaged in discussions about forming a scheduling alliance. While scheduling does appear to be a focal point of the alliance, it is not the only one. Academics, governance and other broad-based issues are also cornerstones as the three leagues make their next step in response to the SEC's expansion and influence. However, exact details of the announcement are scarce. "This is not down on them [SEC], but given some of the movement that occurred, I think this is the right decision to be made to have that conversation amongst the three of us and to really form this alliance that sort of thinks about things on a more consistent basis than just waiting for our annual NCAA meeting," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel told reporters on Thursday, per the Detroit News. |
| U. of Alabama offers students free football tickets as vaccination incentive | |
 | Free tickets to football games are part of the University of Alabama's latest blitz to increase the number of vaccinated students on the school's Tuscaloosa campus. Students who notify UA that they've been vaccinated against COVID-19 before 5 p.m. Aug. 28 will be entered to win several grand prizes, including six pairs of tickets to football road games. The games include UA's Sept. 4 season opener against the Miami Hurricanes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Sept. 18 game against the University of Florida in Gainesville and the Oct. 16 Mississippi State game in Starkville. Other grand prizes include three all-access campus parking passes, 10 $1,000 on-campus housing scholarships and lunch with UA Vice President of Student Life Myron Pope, a walk-on who played on the Crimson Tide's 1992 national championship football team. The prizes are part of UA's vaccination program, "Protect Our Herd," a reference to the school's elephant mascot. According to UA's COVID-19 dashboard, 72% of faculty and staff members have had at least one dose of the vaccine. In a message to students issued before the Aug. 18 beginning of fall classes, UA President Stuart Bell urged them to wear masks, get vaccinated "to keep you and our campus safe" and directed them to the website healthinfo.ua.edu for additional information and updates on the coronavirus pandemic. |
| Six Kentucky football players charged with burglary resulting from March incident at party | |
| Six Kentucky football players were charged with burglary Thursday resulting from an incident in March. Offensive lineman R.J. Adams, running back JuTahn McClain, defensive back Andru Phillips, wide receiver Earnest Sanders IV, safety Vito Tisdale and defensive back Joel Williams were each charged with burglary, first degree. Tisdale was also charged with wanton endangerment first degree based on "being identified as the suspect pointing a handgun at one of the victims," according to a Lexington Police Department news release. According to the release, three individuals entered a residence where a private party was being held on March 6, 2021 uninvited and were asked to leave. The individuals became upset and threatened they would return. A short time later, those three players returned with additional teammates and forced their way into the residence. One suspect was observed pointing a firearm at a victim, according to the release. The charges are the third legal issue for the Kentucky football program in recent months. Wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on May 8 in Northern Kentucky on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, alcohol, etc.; possession of an open alcohol beverage container in a motor vehicle and speeding 26 mph or more over the speed limit. UK chief of staff Dan Berezowitz was arrested just before midnight on June 27 in Lexington on a charge of fourth-degree assault without visible injury. Berezowitz was observed on video "in a physical altercation with his wife," according to a Lexington Police department report. Berezowitz's wife was uncooperative with the investigation, according to the report. |
| Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich said he will follow state's COVID-19 mandate | |
 | Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich said Thursday he would comply with the state's mandate that requires workers at schools, colleges and universities to either receive a COVID-19 vaccination or receive an exception for medical or religious reasons by Oct. 18. "I plan on following his mandate, for sure," Rolovich said when asked about the directive issued Wednesday by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Rolovich was later asked if he was waiting the full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the vaccine and again he said he would follow the mandate without clarifying whether he would receive the vaccine or seek an exemption. Rolovich is the only coach in the Pac-12 Conference that has not received the vaccine and he did not attend the league's media day activities last month because of the decision. He took questions remotely and did not directly address the reason for not receiving the vaccine. The Washington State athletics department issued a statement Wednesday in support of Inslee's announcement. Rolovich has been wearing a mask at practice, including during the interview Thursday on the field when he addressed Inslee's mandate. |
| MLB to replace Topps with Fanatics in shake-up of trading card industry | |
 | In a major shake-up to the trading cards industry, MLB has agreed to move on from Topps when their licensing agreement ends after 2025. The new official trading card company for MLB and its players' union will be created and overseen by sports-merchandise giant Fanatics. Topps has partnered with MLB for 70 years and is an iconic brand in the sports-collectibles space. Losing baseball could deal a crippling blow to the New York-based company, which announced in April it was planning to merge with Mudrick Capital Acquisition Corp II and go public in a deal valuing the resultant combined venture at $1.3 billion. People familiar with the situation confirmed reporting by the Wall Street Journal that in addition to MLB and the MLBPA, the NBA and its players' union plus the NFLPA will all have stakes in the new company formed by Fanatics. The basketball and football entities have licensing agreements with Panini America. Sale prices for coveted cards have soared in recent years, as has overall interest in trading cards amid the coronavirus pandemic. Tech platforms have helped broaden the nostalgic appeal of the industry by speeding transactions and connecting collectors. Starting as a chewing-gum business in Brooklyn in 1938, Topps began putting cards in packs of gum in 1949 and released its first series of baseball cards in 1951. A rare 1952 Topps card featuring New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle set a record in January by selling for $5.2 million -- nearly double what it fetched in 2018 -- before a Honus Wagner card dated to 1909-11 sparked a $6.6 million purchase last week. |
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