| Friday, September 10, 2021 |
| Retired MSU art professor gives back | |
 | After nearly 40 years of teaching, Mississippi State University Professor Emeritus Brent Funderburk wanted to give back to the university that had given him so much over the years. Back in early August, MSU's Department of Art opened its 2021-22 gallery season with an exhibition of works by the respected professor held on the second floor of the Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery on campus. More than half of the watercolor, acrylic paintings, and charcoal drawings in the exhibition, "Here and There," are new works of Funderburk's from the past three years, which are shown alongside artwork dating as early as the 1980s from when Funderburk and his family first arrived in Mississippi from his native state North Carolina, progressing through his years teaching at MSU, and including his seven years of service as head of the Department of Art. "I'm very honored and humbled to be on this campus where I have been for nearly 40 years. The community, my friends, the faculty, and the students that I've taught with my wife here, all of that just makes this a real emotional experience for me," said Funderburk. |
| Starkville to outsource park management | |
 | The city of Starkville will soon negotiate a contract with private company Sports Facilities Management to manage all city parks. The board of aldermen unanimously approved this negotiation Tuesday as a way to improve the overall quality of Starkville's parks. SFM will work with the current Parks and Recreation Department to advance park operations and opportunities. SFM already manages Cornerstone Park, the city's new baseball complex, and now will manage every other complex and park within the city. SFM Account Executive John Sparks addressed the board at its regular meeting Tuesday on the benefits of this partnership. "Our goal is to merge the kids of the 'haves' and have nots,' so the 'have nots' have the opportunity to excel in similar sports activities as the 'haves,'" Sparks said. Along with management, SFM will also offer programming for individuals in the area such as new sporting activities and juvenile crime reduction programs. The company will also have training for coaches and implement new safety measures. Mayor Lynn Spruill said this contract is a professional and strategic way to improve the overall quality of city parks. |
| Mississippi health officials plea for vaccination after 'significant' number of COVID-19 fatalities in pregnant women | |
 | Mississippi health officials are urging expectant mothers to get vaccinated after a "significant" number of COVID-19 fatalities in pregnant women during the state's delta surge. The state health department is investigating eight reports of pregnant women who died from COVID-19 in the past four weeks, all of whom were unvaccinated, Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said at the top of a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday. "We do know that COVID is especially problematic and dangerous for pregnant women," Dobbs said. "We also know it can be deadly for the baby in the womb." Compared to the rate pre-pandemic, the health department has seen a "doubling of the rate of fetal demise, or the death of the baby in the womb after 20 weeks," Dobbs said. "It's been a real tragedy." The warning comes as a majority of pregnant women nationwide have yet to be vaccinated. About three out of four pregnant women in the U.S. have not yet received a COVID-91 vaccine, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After reporting four COVID-19 fatalities in pregnant women earlier in the pandemic, Mississippi did not have any others again for almost a year, until this past July, state data shows. "Delta is different, and delta is deadly, and we need to do everything we can to prevent transmission," Dobbs said. |
| 'This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants:' Mississippi mulls legal action against Biden mandates | |
| Thursday, President Joe Biden laid out several COVID-related mandates, including requiring all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly, requiring vaccinations for all federal workers and for millions of contractors that do business with the federal government, and calling on large entertainment venues to require proof of vaccination or testing for entry. Governor Tate Reeves quickly responded saying, "The President has no authority to require that Americans inject themselves because of their employment at a private business. The vaccine itself is life-saving, but this unconstitutional move is terrifying. This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants." During an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox Thursday night, Reeves said Mississippi is considering legal action. "Without question we will consider legal action. In fact, our lawyers are already communicating amongst one another, as well as other like-minded elected officials around this country." Reeves continued by saying, “Here’s the disappointing thing. The President tried to pick a political fight with the Republican Governors, when the reality is he is picking a real fight with hard working Americans. This President is saying to 80-million Americans, you can either get vaccinated, or I, as one individual, is going to threaten your ability to feed your family – and that’s just wrong. That is just wrong.” |
| Republican governors plan to sue over Joe Biden vaccine mandates | |
 | Republican leaders are blasting President Biden's sweeping new coronavirus vaccine mandates for businesses and federal workers, decrying them as unconstitutional infringements on personal liberties and promising to sue. Biden took not-so-thinly-veiled swipes at Republican politicians in his address on Thursday outlining his plan to mandate immunization for federal employees and contractors, as well as health-care workers in facilities that treat patients on Medicare or Medicaid. Biden aims to require businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccinations or test their employees weekly. Republican governors from Texas to Missouri and Georgia threatened to fight back. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the mandates "an assault on private businesses" and said the state is "already working to halt this power grab." It wasn't immediately clear how those lawsuits would unfold. Biden on Friday expressed deep frustration and disappointment with Republican governors who he argued have looked to politics more than science when responding to the issue of vaccines and masks in the country's schools. Biden, for his part, seemed unconcerned about escalating political tensions. |
| Analysis: President Biden's war on virus becomes war on unvaccinated | |
 | They're a source of frustration. A risk to their fellow citizens. A threat to the nation's economic recovery. President Joe Biden is trying to concentrate the anger of the nation's inoculated majority against the stubborn 25% of eligible Americans who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. Nearly 8 months after declaring "war" on the coronavirus as he took office, Biden announced far-reaching new federal requirements Thursday that could force millions to get shots. In doing so, he embraced those who haven't rolled up their sleeves as a new foe amid a devastating surge in cases that is straining the nation's health system and constricting its economy. "We've been patient, but our patience is wearing thin," Biden said from the State Dining Room. "And your refusal has cost all of us." The unvaccinated minority, he added, "can cause a lot of damage, and they are." The speech marked the starkest public airing of Biden's own frustrations over the direction of the COVID-19 pandemic and a striking departure from his familiar talk of national healing. In essence, he scolded a minority of the country for holding back the majority. And he had especially harsh words for public officials who have stoked or exploited vaccine fears for political gain. It's a head-spinning change in tone from a White House that spent much of the year steadfastly avoiding any appearance of criticism of those who were waiting to be vaccinated. |
| MS04: Wagner files to run for Congress, increasing the field to 4 Republicans challenging Palazzo | |
 | As of this week, a fourth Republican opponent has officially entered Mississippi's 4th Congressional District race to challenge incumbent Congressman Steven Palazzo. Palazzo's ethics inquiry into campaign spending practices raised eyebrows earlier this year, which has led some would-be candidates to believe he is vulnerable at the ballot box. Longtime Hancock Whitney Bank fixture Clay Wagner filed his statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on September 7th to run for the South Mississippi seat. The filing shows Wagner is using Nashville, Tennessee-based Troy Brewer with Political Financial Management to handle his campaign funds. Wagner joins what is a growing field to vie for the 4th Congressional District seat in the 2022 midterms. The Republican challengers so far are Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell, police officer Raymond Brooks, and retired businessman Carl Boyanton. Libertarian Alden Johnson and Independent Jesse Hudson have also filed to run. According to his campaign website, Wagner is focusing on five issues: jobs and the economy, conservative values, the Second Amendment, military/first responders/veterans, and communication. The field could continue to grow as 2022 nears. Wagner retired as a Senior Vice President with Hancock Whitney Bank and has served on various local, regional and state boards during his banking career |
| Lawsuit: Farm hired white immigrants over Black US laborers | |
| Six Black farmworkers in Mississippi say in a new lawsuit that their former employer brought white laborers from South Africa to do the same jobs they were doing, and that the farm has been violating federal law by paying the white immigrants more for the same type of work. Mississippi Center for Justice and Southern Migrant Legal Services filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the six workers against Pitts Farm Partnership, which grows cotton, soybeans and corn in the Mississippi Delta's Sunflower County. The lawsuit said the farm violated regulations of a foreign worker visa program, which requires equal treatment of U.S. workers and their immigrant counterparts. It seeks an unspecified amount in damages, including money the U.S. workers say they were shorted because of the uneven pay scale. The Associated Press left messages by phone and email with Pitts Farms seeking comment about the lawsuit. There was no immediate response by Thursday afternoon. The lawsuit said the farm started bringing in white workers from South Africa in 2014, using a placement firm to hire seasonal labor, and that from 2014 to 2020, the farm did not make the same effort to recruit U.S. workers as it did to obtain immigrant workers. |
| Mississippi pro-choice activists prepare for an America without Roe v. Wade | |
| Abortion-rights activists in Mississippi are troubled by the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed a Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to go into effect last week, but they are not surprised. Now, they're preparing for an upcoming Mississippi case that could put the United States in a post Roe v. Wade world. "Mississippi, we are the testing grounds. I can't believe Texas beat us to the punch on this one," Derenda Hancock, co-founder of We Engage, a Jackson-based advocacy group that confronts anti-abortion protesters. Though Texas groups hope to successfully challenge the law in state court, Mississippi groups are preparing for the law to be replicated here during the 2022 legislative session, where it would likely pass. Tyler Harden, Mississippi state director of Planned Parenthood Southeast, said that they've been preparing for this moment since Donald Trump was elected president, promising to appoint judges that would overturn Roe. Advocates say they're getting ready to work in a Mississippi where women not only lack access to safe abortions, but are jailed for getting the procedure. "We anticipate that criminalization for people seeking out abortion will be something that we have to work with local prosecutors and local government to prevent to make sure that people are able to make the choices that they need from themselves," Harden said. |
| Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Warns Against Remaking The Court: 'What Goes Around Comes Around' | |
 | U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has a warning to those who want to remake the court: Be careful what you wish for. In his new book, The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics, Breyer argues that over time, public acceptance of Supreme Court opinions, even those you may disagree with, has become a habit -- a hard-won habit that has fortified the rule of law as an essential part of U.S. democracy. And he points to what former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said about Bush v. Gore when the Supreme Court effectively ruled that George W. Bush had won the presidential election. "He said the most remarkable thing about this case is, even though probably half the country didn't like it at all, and it was totally wrong, in his opinion and in mine, people followed it, and they didn't throw brickbats at each other and they didn't have riots," he told NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. But Reid's observation in 2000 did not match the reality of the 2020 election: Then-President Donald Trump thumbed his nose at the court and Congress, leading to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That has led many liberals to call for a radical change in American institutions, including the Supreme Court. Breyer's view: "What goes around comes around. And if the Democrats can do it, the Republicans can do it." |
| USDA report shows pandemic relief helped hungry families | |
| Through all the economic uncertainty during this pandemic, we heard yesterday about one tentative success, and an important one: emergency hunger programs. The number of households that experienced food insecurity during 2020 was about the same as the year before, according to the new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the pandemic early days, food banks saw long lines, and a lot of folks were in a scary, uncertain place. So the USDA report is good news, said Jim Sullivan, an economics professor at Notre Dame. He said despite so many people losing work in 2020, "and lots of struggles with the pandemic and health concerns, we don't see that overall food insecurity has increased." What Sullivan calls "sizable government relief" is why -- pandemic unemployment benefits and stimulus checks. Also more access to food through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many families had to turn to food pantries when they lost a job or hours were cut. Kelly Durrett with the Mississippi Food Network said some of them just barely didn't qualify for SNAP. "They were just a little over the threshold and making too much money or having too much income, but they still don't have enough food to feed their families," Durrett said. |
| They Created Our Post-9/11 World. Here's What They Think They Got Wrong. | |
 | The sense of vulnerability and fear -- yes, terror -- was palpable. In the hours and days after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the consensus was that more deadly attacks were being prepped. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, who then was running the criminal division at the Department of Justice, recalled the psychology of a stunned Washington power structure: "Having seen the World Trade Center collapse, your sense of what the limit is of bad stuff that can happen evaporates." He now wishes the country had "taken a deep breath." Exactly 20 years after the worst terrorist assault in American history slaughtered nearly 3,000 people, the architects of the U.S. response -- the men and women inside the White House Situation Room and at the highest levels of the Pentagon, foreign service, spy agencies and Congress -- can look back with relief that another large-scale attack on American soil never took place. Trent Lott of Mississippi was the Senate minority leader on 9/11 and had just reached his office on Capitol Hill when he got word of the unfolding attacks in New York. "Tom Daschle was the [Senate] majority leader at that point. I was the Republican leader. I called him on our red phone and said 'Tom, I think we're the next target. I think you should order the evacuation of the Capitol.' About that time my security detail kind of came charging in the door and said 'We gotta get out of here.'" Lott, now 79, has been a lobbyist since he retired from the Senate in 2007. |
| U. of Mississippi to offer COVID-19 booster shot on campus | |
 | The University of Mississippi's on-campus vaccination site is planning to provide a third booster shot for those who have already received the first two doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, according to Strategic Communications Director at the University of Mississippi, Lisa Stone. "We are currently following Centers for Disease Control/Mississippi State Department of Health guidelines to provide an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech), at least 28 days after the completion of the initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series to people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised," said Stone, via email. The University Health Center Pharmacy on the Oxford campus at Johnson Commons is continuing to offer free Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a walk-in basis. On Tuesday afternoon, around a dozen students, faculty and members of the Oxford community were at Johnson Commons. Some were getting their first dose of Pfizer while others were getting their second dose to immunize themselves against COVID-19. Emma Grace Bronson, a student at the University of Mississippi was getting her first dose. "I had to wait for 15 minutes or so, but then I got my first dose of the vaccine. I still need to come back to get my second dose of the vaccine," she said. "It was quick and easy though." |
| George Strickler, attorney who fought for civil rights, dies | |
| A civil rights attorney who fought to desegregate Southern schools in the 1960s and was pushed out of his University of Mississippi teaching job amid uproar over his work on behalf of Black clients has died. He was 80. George M. Strickler Jr., died at his New Orleans home on Sept. 2 after a long illness, his son Andrew Strickler said Wednesday. After graduating from Yale Law School in 1966, the Vidalia, Louisiana, native worked with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, a program affiliated with the University of Mississippi that was dedicated to providing legal help to the poor. He also taught part time at the university's law school. But the program's civil rights work quickly aggravated state lawmakers and Ole Miss trustees, who pushed the school to cut ties with the program after its lawyers filed a lawsuit to desegregate two public school districts in Marshall County. Strickler and one of his colleagues, Michael Trister, sued the school over its refusal to allow them to continue teaching while also working with the legal services program. A federal appeals court ruled in the pair's favor in 1969, finding that Ole Miss allowed other professors to do outside legal work while Strickler and Trister were barred from teaching just because they "wished to continue to represent clients who tended to be unpopular." |
| Jackson State receives $99K from National Science Foundation | |
 | On Friday, U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) announced the National Science Foundation awarded $99,879 to Jackson State University. The funds will be for the project "Workshops: Broadening Participation of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the NSF Research Traineeship and Innovations in Graduate Education Programs." The project is under the direction of ConSandra McNeil. Leaders said the project will develop strategies and recommendations that will address the national concerns about the number of African Americans applying to Ph.D. programs in STEM. |
| State OKs schools' use of incentives to encourage staff get vaccinated against COVID-19 | |
| The Mississippi Department of Education on Thursday issued a letter to school administrators giving them the go-ahead on financial payouts to teachers and staff members who get vaccinated against COVID-19. Some school districts were waiting on guidance from the state education department to move forward with plans to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to incentivize teachers and staff to be vaccinated with up to $1,000 payments. MDE hopes the vaccine incentive opportunity will help get more people vaccinated so students can continue in-person learning with fewer disruptions," a statement from Jean Cook, the spokesperson for MDE, said. "Teacher and student absences due to COVID-19 exposure and infection interrupt teaching and learning." The letter from Judy Nelson, executive director of the Office of Federal Programs in MDE, says districts may incentivize vaccinations if they have local board approval prior to implementing the incentives. The district must also establish a written procedure for determining the allowability of costs and "to maintain effective internal control over the Federal award." The guidance also says the amount must be reasonable, which it characterizes as an amount ranging from $100 to $1,000. |
| Marillyn and Jim Hewson cut ribbon on U. of Alabama building that bears their names | |
 | Marillyn and James Hewson cut a red ribbon Thursday on the $60 million University of Alabama building that bears their names, though Hewson Hall had already opened for business, with the fall semester. Its halls, central atrium, class, meeting and board rooms teem with Culverhouse College of Business students, faculty and staff, happy to expand into airy, technologically updated facilities. The ceremony honored the Hewsons' $15 million gift, one that led private donations from more than 500 other donors, enough to pay half the construction costs for Hewson Hall, which at 108,000 square feet greatly expands Culverhouse's footprint, which also encompasses Bidgood Hall, Alston Hall and the Bruno Library. "The Culverhouse College has a very robust network across the world, very generous alumni who understand how important it is, like James and I do, to give back to the institution that launched their careers," said Marillyn Hewson, who rose through the ranks of Lockheed Martin, the aerospace and defense manufacturing company, to serve as chairman, president and CEO from 2013 to 2020. The Hewsons have bolstered their alma mater often, significantly with an earlier $5 million gift to create the Marillyn A. Hewson Data Analytics Lab, opened in 2015 with Lockheed Martin, Healthcare Business Solutions and SAS as partners. |
| Auburn University's first African-American student dies | |
 | The first Black student to attend Auburn University died Thursday. The passing of Dr. Harold Alonza Franklin, 88, of Talladega, was announced by his family Thursday in an obituary with Terry's Metropolitan Mortuary in Talladega, with services and arrangements yet to be announced. Franklin applied to Auburn in 1963 with the hopes of earning his graduate degree, but his application was initially rejected on the claim that his undergraduate degree from Alabama State University was unaccredited. Franklin then successfully sued the school and was allowed to register in January 1964. Auburn University erected a historic marker on the lawn beside the Ralph Brown Draughon Library in his honor in September 2015, and Franklin spoke at the dedication ceremony with words of encouragement for students who came after him. "(I want the marker to show) that I tried to do something positive so that others could come, would feel free to come and would not have to go through the problems that I did to get here and do their best," Franklin said at the marker dedication ceremony. "And that's what I always told my students. And that's all I care about." The marker details Franklin's arrival on campus on Saturday, Jan. 4, 1964, where he was escorted by local ministers and an FBI agent and met by state troopers sent by Gov. George Wallace who attempted to impede his registration. |
| University System of Georgia keeping COVID vaccinations, masks voluntary | |
 | The University System of Georgia is doing everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 short of imposing a mask mandate, the system's acting chancellor said Thursday. The system's policy encouraging but not requiring students, professors and other employees to get vaccinated and wear masks is in keeping with Gov. Brian Kemp's position that mandates are divisive, and people should be given a choice. "Everybody has the ability to get vaccinated," Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney told the system's Board of Regents. "Everybody has the ability to wear a mask." The university system's decision not to require vaccinations or masks comes as COVID-19 cases continue increasing at some of the system's 26 colleges and universities. Some faculty groups have passed resolutions demanding mask mandates in indoor spaces where social distancing is difficult and have held demonstrations on some campuses. MacCartney encouraged those demanding mask mandates to remain civil. "I understand the concerns of some on our campuses and in our communities," she said. "[But] attacking our presidents and campus administrators is not productive. It will not affect how we make decisions." |
| Alachua County asks U. of Florida, Santa Fe College to require indoor masks | |
 | Alachua County has asked the University of Florida and Santa Fe College to require indoor masking to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, contending the state has not prohibited higher education schools from implementing mandates. The county on Tuesday extended its emergency declaration that requires masks be worn indoors, except for homes, if more than two people are present. Until now, it exempts UF and SFC. "When we're all working together, it works best. We'd love for all of us to be on the same page," commission Chairman Ken Cornell said. "I don't think it's a big ask. We're really just asking them what their experts advise us to do." It is a rare public test of wills between county government and the University of Florida, which enjoys broad protections from local ordinances and regulations. While the two powerful local authorities may have disagreements, they don't tend to present them openly. The county is three weeks into a mask mandate. Under state law, it can go only three more weeks. Letters were sent Thursday to UF President Kent Fuchs and SFC President Paul Broadie requesting masking. UF spokesman Steve Orlando said in an email that the letter is being reviewed and that UF will respond to the county in coming days. Paul Ortiz, director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at UF and president of the United Faculty of Florida-UF union, said the union supports the commission's letter and has called for an urgent consultation with Fuchs to discuss it. |
| Former Tennessee professor acquitted of fraud charges in espionage investigation | |
 | Dr. Anming Hu, the former University of Tennessee professor ensnared in a failed FBI investigation into spying, was acquitted Thursday by a federal judge of fraud charges filed after the espionage investigation against him fell apart. The Justice Department attempted to twice prosecute the professor, a naturalized Canadian citizen whose career was ruined after federal agents falsely accused him of being a spy for the Chinese military. It was part of the Trump administration's "China Initiative," an effort to expose Chinese spies working in American universities. The FBI accused the nanotechnology expert of attempting to defraud NASA by hiding part-time work he did for the Beijing University of Technology. After Hu refused to work as a spy for the U.S. government, federal agents harassed him for more than two years. In February 2020, Hu was indicted on three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements. A jury this summer deadlocked on the charges, leading Hu's attorney Phil Lomonaco to ask for the acquittal. "We did a lot of praying in this case and all the glory goes to the Father above," Lomonaco told Knox News in an emailed statement. |
| UMBC's Freeman Hrabowski reflects on his presidency | |
 | Freeman Hrabowski made headlines last month when he announced his plan to retire. After three decades as president at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Hrabowski will step down at the end of the academic year. As one of the most dynamic leaders in American higher education, Hrabowski turned the relatively new, public four-year university into a thriving research institution and challenged the narrative that only prestigious, wealthy institutions can deliver quality education. Today UMBC graduates more Black students who go on to earn Ph.D.s in the natural sciences and engineering than any other American institution. The university increased its six-year graduation rate for full-time first-year students from 55.7 percent to 69.2 percent over the past 10 years. Investment in campus infrastructure has also skyrocketed during Hrabowski's tenure, growing from $118 million to $1.2 billion. Inside Higher Ed recently spoke with Hrabowski about his tenure, leadership strategies and his plans post-UMBC. |
| Amazon Dangles Free Bachelor's Degrees as New Perk in Fight for U.S. Workers | |
 | Amazon.com Inc. is offering to pay college tuition for more than 750,000 U.S. employees, as the battle for hourly workers escalates beyond minimum wages. The e-commerce giant joins other retailers, restaurant chains, garbage haulers and meat processors dangling the prospect of a free college education as a way to lure and retain staff in a tight U.S. job market. Amazon said Thursday that it will cover the cost of tuition and books for staff pursuing bachelor's degrees at various universities nationwide. Hourly employees will be eligible for the new perk after 90 days on the job. It didn't identify the schools. The company has hired 400,000 employees during the pandemic, but it is looking to reduce turnover and bring on tens of thousands of additional hourly staffers to work in its fulfillment centers and delivery network over the coming months. Employees working as little as 20 hours a week will be eligible for the college benefit, though Amazon will pay 50% of the college costs for part-time staffers. The stepped-up perks also reflect what executives say is a reality across the corporate sphere: Even $15 an hour, Amazon's base wage, is no longer enough to attract many workers. As more employers and cities have raised minimum wages, large companies have aimed to differentiate themselves through additional benefits, such as greater time off, more reliable scheduling, access to emergency child care and, increasingly, a path to a broader education and new skills. |
| Twenty Years Later, Remembering and Teaching 9/11 on Campuses | |
| Robert "Bob" Hartmann was born in 1935 on Long Island. He was ten years old when World War II ended. He lived through the assassinations of Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. He served in the U.S. Army between Korea and Vietnam, and after he retired, he co-founded a learning group for retirees. He was walking downtown to rehearse a play with his fellow adult learners, a path he had taken many times. When he reached the corner of North Moore and Hudson in New York City, he stopped, looked up, and saw smoke pouring out of the north tower of the World Trade Center. It was just after 9 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2001. With his long view of history, Hartmann remembered that, in 1945, a small plane flew into the Empire State Building by mistake. It was the first thing he thought of as he stood there, watching the fire burn hundreds of feet in the air. "The thing that scared me so badly," he said, "I could see these dots coming out of the window. At first, I thought they were throwing things out. And then I realized, these are people jumping." Across the Hudson river, Dr. Steven Notley watched the north tower burn on his way to work at Nyack College's downtown branch. He called his wife on a pay phone, and told her he was alright. She asked him, "What are you talking about?" "Turn on the TV," he replied. Just before getting onto the train for work, he watched the second plane hit. |
| Congress hears solutions to campus food insecurity | |
| Lawmakers and advocates are urging the federal government to do more to address hunger on college campuses, with some appearing frustrated about the lack of action during a roundtable discussion held by a House committee Wednesday. The roundtable was a part of a series of hearings examining hunger in the United States, convened by Representative James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, chair of the House Rules Committee. McGovern has been pushing for the White House to convene a national conference on food, nutrition, hunger and health -- the first and only conference was held 52 years ago -- and said Wednesday that he believes there's a bigger role for the federal government to play on the issue. "It's time to move beyond the trope of the starving college student," McGovern said. "This idea that cooking ramen noodles in the dorm room microwave should be the universal college experience demeans the dire situation of many students facing housing and food insecurity." Permanently expanding the eligibility of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to college students is one step Congress can take, according to the witnesses. Under regular SNAP rules, students who are enrolled at least half-time at a college or university are ineligible for SNAP unless they meet an exemption. In December, Congress temporarily expanded eligibility to students who participate in federal or state work-study or have an expected family contribution of zero dollars for the current academic year. |
| How President Biden's New Vaccination Policy Affects Colleges | |
 | Thousands of colleges could be subject to a new federal rule mandating Covid-19 vaccination or testing for large private-sector employers, the Biden administration announced on Thursday. The Department of Labor's emergency, temporary rule will require all employees of businesses with 100 or more workers to be vaccinated or to be tested weekly. That mandate will cover more than 80 million workers nationwide, including many of the four million people who work on college campuses. The rule is expected to be published soon in the Federal Register. "This is not about freedom or personal choice," President Biden said in a speech on Thursday. "It's about protecting yourself and those around you -- the people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love." The Labor Department will also require those employers to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated, Biden said. "The bottom line: We're going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers," he said. According to federal data, 1,351 private postsecondary institutions employ 100 or more full-time and part-time workers. It's not yet clear how Biden's plan will apply to other private colleges or to public colleges. The new federal push sets up a showdown with some states that have barred public schools and colleges from requiring vaccinations or masks. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State seeks consistency against NC State | |
| Mike Leach knows Mississippi State can play a complete game. He hopes that facing North Carolina State spurs his team to put it all together for 60 minutes. The Bulldogs built a 14-0 lead against Louisiana Tech, then yielded 34 unanswered points before mounting the biggest comeback in school history for a 35-34 opening-game win. Historic as that was, Mississippi State must avoid rollercoaster play on Saturday night in Starkville against a Wolfpack squad that steamrolled South Florida 45-0 in its opener. "We definitely have to get better this week," Leach said, noting N.C. State's defense, energy and experience. "We just have to focus on ourselves and be the best team that we can be out there. That's all we really have control over. If we do our job the best we can, that gives us the best chance." Staying focused throughout is one way the Bulldogs can have a chance after squandering the lead and momentum before reclaiming both against Louisiana Tech. Avoiding the turnovers and penalties will also help in the second of three challenging nonconference contests. |
| Bulldogs Grab Bag: Arnett praises NC State; Walley working on consistency | |
| Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett gave a simple answer Wednesday when asked what led to Louisiana Tech's 72-yard touchdown pass as the first quarter expired during Saturday's game. "I'd say I probably made a dumb call and put them in a bad position," Arnett said. He had similar -- if unprintable -- contempt for the defensive look he dialed up when Louisiana Tech faced fourth-and-11 in the final minute Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. LA Tech quarterback Austin Kendall found Isaiah Graham along the left sideline for 13 yards, keeping the visitors' drive alive. Ultimately, Jaden Crumedy blocked a last-second Tech field goal for the win, keeping Arnett's admitted mistakes from costing Mississippi State (1-0) a victory. But the bad calls are just two examples of what Arnett knows his Bulldogs can't afford to do when North Carolina State (1-0) comes to town for a 6 p.m. Saturday kickoff. "They're a very complete football team, and I think that's as well coached of a football team as there is in the country," Arnett said Wednesday. The Wolfpack bring one of the nation's most dangerous rushing offenses to Davis Wade Stadium. NC State ran for 293 yards on 40 carries in last Thursday's win over South Florida, with Zonovan "Bam" Knight going for 163 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and Ricky Person notching 105 yards and two scores on 16 totes. |
| 'We come back stronger': Mississippi State's Preston Jr. helping his community in Hurricane Ida rebuild | |
 | There's garbage in his pool, cracks in his windows, shingles off his roof, a tree on his grandmother's house and no power expected in his community for weeks. Mississippi State safety Shawn Preston Jr. avoided the brunt of Hurricane Ida while in Starkville preparing for the football season, but his hometown of Thibodaux, Louisiana (an hour west of New Orleans) couldn't escape it. Preston Jr.'s family and friends loaded up in their recreational vehicle and evacuated to Houston to visit friends as they waited for the hurricane to pass. They got back home on Monday, Aug. 30 to get a look at the initial damage for a few days before hopping back in the RV to go to Starkville for MSU's season-opening win against Louisiana Tech. Following the game, they headed back to Thibodaux where the damage still awaited. "Just devastation," Preston Jr.'s father Shawn Preston Sr. said. "We don't get the national exposure because we're not New Orleans or Baton Rouge, but this area is probably hit just as bad as New Orleans was during (Hurricane) Katrina." For Preston Jr., he knew it was time to put his platform to use. Partnering with Lafourche Parish council member Jerry Jones and state representative Ken Brass, Preston Jr. started a GoFundMe page with a goal to raise $5,000 for families who lost their homes, food, electricity, vehicles and personal property. |
| Faith, family and football: How Mississippi State lineman Albert Reese IV has made smooth transition from Canada | |
| Ajou Ajou had seen enough. The wide receiver had spent sufficient time at Clearwater Academy International to know his friend back home in Alberta would fit right in. "You're D1," Ajou's message read. "Get down here." In Edmonton, Albert Reese IV picked up his phone and soon made up his mind. Ajou was headed to Clemson. Reese knew he could follow a similar path. He had a great time down there, so I thought, 'Hey, I'm going to put myself in the same shoes,'" Reese said. At just 17, Reese packed up his life, left his home country and moved to Florida. A year and a half later, his bet on himself has paid off. The Mississippi State freshman offensive lineman has found a home in Starkville, and he's made a potentially difficult transition simple with his trademark ease. "It's been very smooth," Reese said. "I've definitely enjoyed my time here, and I definitely feel like it's a good fit for me to be here -- not just for football but for anything, really." Playing football in Canada, Wasson said, comes with a universal truth. "If you're serious about football," she said, "you leave home." |
| NC State at Mississippi State highlights ACC This Week | |
| Here are things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 2: GAME OF THE WEEK: North Carolina State at Mississippi State. The Power Five matchup against a Southeastern Conference foe features two teams coming off big wins. The Wolfpack racked up 293 yards rushing in a 45-0 victory over South Florida. The Bulldogs built a 14-0 lead against Louisiana Tech, then gave up 34 unanswered points before mounting the biggest comeback in school history in a 35-34 win. NC State will have to deal with QB Will Rogers, who completed 39 of 47 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns to key the Bulldogs' winning comeback. He also tied the Mississippi State single-game record with 12 consecutive completions. Sophomore RB Zonovan Knight rushed for a game-high 163 yards, including a 46-yard TD run, caught two passes for 16 yards, and had a 25-yard kickoff return for the Wolfpack. This will mark only the second time the Wolfpack have traveled to Starkville and the first since posting a 6-0 win in 1931. The series is tied 3-3. The Bulldogs' slated trip to Raleigh last season was canceled because of COVID-19. |
| No drill: NC State defensive backs prepare to face Mississippi State's 'air raid' | |
| It was third and 19 and South Florida quarterback Timmy McClain was looking for help. N.C. State safety Cyrus Fagan was looking for work. That's the term Fagan used to describe his third quarter interception of McClain, one of three picks the Wolfpack defense collected last week. McClain was on the run, a theme for both Bulls' quarterbacks during the 45-0 N.C. State win. Chasing McClain down was freshman defensive end Davin Vann. Fagan, a former quarterback, immediately knew what was going through McClain's mind as soon as he broke the pocket. "It's a lot of bodies in there," Fagan said. "You don't know what's coming. I used to play quarterback so I know how his mind was racing and I knew the scramble rules." The scramble rules for the offense means the deep receiver comes back to the quarterback, the closest receiver goes long. Fagan processed that as the play developed, eyeing McClain the entire time. "So I found some work," Fagan said. "And went towards my work." Fagan's "work" was an open area in the secondary. The reward for his work was a gift-wrapped interception from McClain. Two different South Florida quarterbacks combined for 33 pass attempts. This weekend against Mississippi State (1-0), Fagan and the rest of the Wolfpack defense might see that many attempts in one half. There will be plenty of chances for Fagan and company to find work. |
| Mike Golic eager to broadcast Mississippi State, NC State football in new radio role | |
| Former ESPN radio broadcaster Mike Golic is coming to Starkville, Mississippi, this weekend to broadcast the Mississippi State vs. NC State football game. But Golic is in a new role. Golic's final broadcast for ESPN was the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 2021. This fall, he's doing a weekly national radio broadcast from a college football game for the Learfield College Football Saturday Night Game of the Week. On Saturday, he will broadcast the Mississippi State vs. NC State game with Kate Scott. Golic appeared on the "College Sports Now" podcast on Thursday to discuss his upcoming trip to Starkville. He said he's previously broadcast a couple of games from Starkville for ESPN. "When I was calling games for ESPN, I did a lot of SEC games, so I was down in SEC country an awful lot -- ate at a lot of Waffle Houses, which I was a big fan of," Golic said. Golic proceeded to say he usually gets two waffles with eggs, bacon and hash browns when he goes to Waffle House. Though Golic admitted it's been a while since he attended a football game in Starkville, he's eagerly anticipating the cowbells -- especially after watching his alma mater, Notre Dame, face Mississippi State baseball in the 2021 NCAA Starkville Super Regional. Mississippi State beat Notre Dame in that best-of-three series 2-1 on its way to winning the 2021 College World Series. |
| Bulldogs Return Home For In-State Foe | |
| After a challenging road trip ended in a pair of draws, Mississippi State's soccer team returns home on Friday night for a battle with in-state foe Southern Miss. The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles will kick off at 7 p.m. CT from the MSU Soccer Field with the match airing on SEC Network+. Admission is free for all MSU home soccer matches, and fans in attendance will receive free hot dogs on Friday. Cowbells are welcome at the MSU Soccer Field, and fans with a cowbell will have a chance to win two tickets to the Bulldogs' football game against NC State on Saturday, Sept. 11. Friday night's matchup features two reigning conference players of the week in net. MSU's Maddy Anderson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after allowing just one goal in 220 minutes and making a career-high 13 saves on Sunday. Southern Miss' Alex Helbling posted shutouts in her first two Golden Eagle starts, making nine saves, and was selected as the C-USA Goalkeeper of the Week. Anderson ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC in goalkeeper minutes (580:00) and is eighth in the nation in shutouts (3). MSU remains at home on Sunday, Sept. 12 to host Belmont. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT with the game airing on SEC Network+. |
| SEC beefing up schedules, moving away from early cupcakes | |
| The Southeastern Conference is moving away from early season cupcakes. It's been years in the making and probably long overdue. The powerhouse league still has a few teams lagging in the scheduling department, seemingly not quite ready to go all in for competitive reasons. But beefing up schedules is clearly on the horizon for everyone, especially once the SEC adds Oklahoma and Texas. "You can't just open the gates and give people a 12-inch piece of wood to sit on anymore," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. Stricklin called the shift in philosophy "market driven," pointing to fans, players and television partners wanting better matchups on a weekly basis. It's hardly unique to the SEC, especially since strength of schedule plays a role in determining which teams make the College Football Playoff. And with the CFP planning eyeing expansion, there's even more reason for some of the nation's top programs -- those expecting to vie for coveted playoff spots -- to add more challenging games. While fans may have gotten spoiled watching last season's all-SEC slate of games because of COVID-19 concerns, it would be hard to complain about much of the league's 2021 schedules. This weekend's slate includes Pittsburgh-Tennessee, Colorado-Texas A&M, Texas-Arkansas and North Carolina State-Mississippi State. |
| Can the NCAA puzzle be solved amid a culture of mistrust? | |
| During his first week on the job, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff asked some of the conference's veteran staff members who have worked with the NCAA for decades to schedule a two-hour meeting to explain how the NCAA is organized. Even among the experienced and abundantly prepared -- and Kliavkoff's staff was both -- two hours is an impossibly small window to unpack the complicated bureaucracy that governs college sports. Kliavkoff, whose first day was July 1, quickly realized he'd need a more hands-on tutorial to navigate the labyrinth he had recently entered. "It's so complex," he said. "There's so many responsibilities and there's so much that they do for college athletics that it's complicated." In late August, Kliavkoff asked NCAA president Mark Emmert to arrange some time to meet at the association's headquarters in Indianapolis so he could meet the administrative staff and better understand what they do. The former executive at massive media and entertainment companies was hired by the Pac-12 for his substantial experience navigating complicated businesses. He was having trouble wrapping his head around an NCAA governance structure that seemed to be on the brink of imploding. Kliavkoff is hardly alone in his head scratching. |
| Reed-Francois Q&A: New AD reflects on first two weeks at Mizzou and looks forward | |
| Desiree Reed-Francois has one large elevated desk in her new office at Mizzou Arena featuring two computer monitors but noticeably no chair. In this job, there's no time for sitting down. Missouri's new athletics director has been constantly on the move since arriving last month from Las Vegas. She's hiring staff, getting to know her athletes and coaches, meeting boosters and evaluating every nook and cranny that makes up the athletics department and its $120 million budget. On Saturday she attended her first Mizzou home football game, after which she has already addressed a list of concerns fans expressed, with hopes MU can enhance the experience at Memorial Stadium and cure the program's attendance problem. Other logistics are on hold. Reed-Francois is staying in a local hotel while her family remains in Las Vegas and her son Jackson finishes his senior year of high school. For now, her office decor is sparse. A fridge stocked with mineral water. A few Mizzou bobbleheads. A Tigers football helmet. She can't wait to get rid of the long black table that's more suited for a corporate boardroom. She wants her office to be a place where Mizzou athletes can visit and relax -- and not be intimated by the boss' stuffy setting. Because that's what she loves most about this job: serving her athletes. They're the reason she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. each day and goes to work. On her 16th day on the job, Reed-Francois made time for the Post-Dispatch and sat down at that soon-to-be expunged table for an hour-long interview to discuss her first weeks at Mizzou, her initial impressions and long-term visions. |
| New Army ROTC cadets to make big commitment during pregame 9/11 ceremony at Jordan-Hare Stadium | |
| This Saturday, Auburn University's Army ROTC program will help the crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium observe the 20-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lt. Col. Nate Conkey, the War Eagle Battalion's professor of military science, said he could not be any prouder of his cadets. "It wasn't us old folks that came up with this," said Conkey of the day of remembrance. "It was the cadets." The events will begin at 8 a.m. with a first responder FanFest on Nichols Lawn with all branches of ROTC, including Army, Navy/Marine and Air Force. First responders will get a free, specially designed Auburn first responder coin on a first-come, first-served basis. Military veterans and first responders can also send photos to GameDay@auburn.edu or add #AuburnHero to a social media post to be recognized on the video board during the game. The Army ROTC cadet contracting ceremony will be held on the football field at 10 a.m., as 35 new officer cadets will be sworn in during the pre-game ceremony. The cadets are agreeing to join the four-year leadership training program while receiving scholarships that cover tuition expenses at Auburn. Upon graduating, they will receive commissions as second lieutenants in the United States Army, where they will serve for four years or more. |
| Q&A with U. of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto on expansion, NCAA reform | |
 | Editor's note: This is the "Inside College Football with John Talty" newsletter: With so much happening in college athletics, from conference realignment to the impact of COVID-19, I knew I needed to talk to someone smart to break down the topics in a digestible way. So I turned to University of Kentucky president Eli Capilouto. Dr. Capilouto, who was ranked No. 5 in our list of the SEC's most influential people last year, previously served as the president of the SEC, the chair of the NCAA Board of Directors and as a member of the NCAA Board of Governors. He also has a doctorate in public health policy and a master's in epidemiology. What follows is a lightly edited and condensed interview conducted before the season started. |
| Texas Athletic Director apologizes for DKR fan experience amid stadium staffing issue | |
| The University of Texas Athletic Director, Chris Del Conte, apologized to Longhorns fans about the fan experience at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (DKR) in a newsletter on Thursday. UT opened the season at home against Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, but fans online reported issues like overcrowding or being told to leave even though they had tickets. Del Conte said in the newsletter that the university had more than 500 part-time employees no-show for the game, which put a strain on gameday operations. ""After a year away from full capacity at DKR, there were some significant game day challenges that prevented us from being the well-oiled machine you're accustomed to. Labor shortages across our country are a real problem, and we got hit by that big-time on Saturday as across our many operations -- event staff, security, concession, etc. -- we had more than 500 part-time employees no-show us on game day. That's definitely not an excuse, but it did leave us scrambling and playing a frantic game of whack-a-mole all day as we looked to manage an immense and expansive operations effort. As you know, we have a much larger facility and more areas to cover than ever with the new South End Zone, and we felt the pain of being caught off guard by the depleted staff support even more." Texas' next home game is scheduled for Sept. 18 against the Rice Owls. |
| Big 12 votes to accept adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF to conference | |
| The Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted on Friday to accept BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF into the conference. In a statement, the Big 12 said the four schools were "approved unanimously by the eight continuing members." Individual boards are set to formally accept later Friday. The move comes less than two months after Big 12 co-founders Oklahoma and Texas announced they would join the SEC by July 1, 2025, leaving the future of the remaining eight schools in the Big 12 in a precarious position. Big 12 officials moved quickly to make the league whole again, forming a subcommittee that concluded that the most successful football schools in the American Athletic Conference -- Cincinnati, Houston and UCF -- were the top choices, along with independent BYU. The Big 12 was waiting until this week when those schools formally indicated they wanted to join the conference. In a statement, BYU announced it will be joining the conference in the 2023-24 season. BYU is a football-independent school, and the Cougars' other programs will continue to compete in the WCC until then. With the departures to the Big 12, the depleted AAC is expected to hunt for new members, as it will shrink to eight schools. |
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