| Friday, January 13, 2023 |
| Service projects, celebrations planned for MLK Day | |
 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, and there are a full slate of events planned to celebrate and serve Golden Triangle communities. Columbus will hold its first MLK Day Breakfast and Day of Service since 2020 at 8 a.m. at Lion Hills Center. The event will feature guest speaker Tyson Cunningham, a Columbus resident and former Mississippi State University basketball player. Starkville has multiple events happening on Monday to celebrate the holiday. Mississippi State University will host its annual Breakfast and Day of Service beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Mill at MSU Conference Center, located at 100 Mercantile Lane. The event will feature breakfast followed by community service from 10 a.m.-noon. The keynote speaker will be Lee Brand Jr. |
| Entrepreneurship forum to provide practical business advice | |
 | Bringing together entrepreneurs, economic developers, innovators and future business owners, the eighth annual Mississippi Entrepreneurship Forum is slated for April 12-13 in Hattiesburg. Coordinated by the University of Mississippi's Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement, the event is designed to educate participants on the entrepreneurial climate and the future of entrepreneurship in Mississippi. The institute receives planning support from a team that includes members from all Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning schools, private colleges and universities, and key statewide organizations. Mississippi college students will have an opportunity to participate in the NextUp! Student Pitch Competition on April 13. "The NextUP! competition is a great opportunity for student entrepreneurs from our Mississippi colleges, community colleges and universities to come together, pitch their businesses and compete statewide for prizes," said Tasha Bibb, senior program manager for Mississippi State University's Office of Technology Management and coordinator of the competition. "Our hope is that students use this as an opportunity to meet other student entrepreneurs and establish relationships with statewide mentors in addition to the mentorship they receive on their campuses." |
| Few Mississippi child care facilities show elevated lead in drinking water | |
 | A water sampling program conducted by the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service showed encouraging initial data about lead levels in drinking water collected at child care centers around the state. Preliminary data was gathered as part of the SipSafe program. "More than 100 child care centers have agreed to have us collect water samples at their facilities to be sure the drinking water is safe for consumption," said Jason Barrett, associate Extension professor and principal investigator for the SipSafe project. "Out of 1,984 faucets tested, just 204 have shown lead levels higher than the program threshold of 5 parts per billion (ppb). And most of those were mop sinks or other faucets not used for drinking water." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's action level is 15 ppb. Health officials said young children are more at risk from elevated lead levels in drinking water because their brains are growing and developing. Lead poisoning can cause brain damage, learning difficulties, and delayed growth and development. "We are eager to reassure child care center directors and schools across the state that the water they use for cooking and drinking is safe for their students, but lead is detected only by testing the faucets in their facilities," Barrett said. "The service is free, and we provide educational materials for teachers and parents to help explain the problems lead can cause, as well as simple solutions if elevated lead levels are found." |
| 7 dead in Alabama, Georgia after tornadoes, severe storms ravage Southeast | |
 | At least seven people were killed, several were injured and extensive damage was reported Thursday as tornadoes and extreme weather rolled through the Southeast U.S. A series of tornadoes and storms that ripped through central Alabama killed at least six. In Georgia, a tree fell on a vehicle during a severe storm, killing a passenger inside. Several states were under tornado watches through Thursday evening. Nationwide, there were 33 separate tornado reports Thursday from the National Weather Service as of Thursday evening, though the reports were not yet confirmed and some could be classified as wind damage in the coming days. Some of the worst damage from what the National Weather Service described as a "large and extremely dangerous tornado" impacted the historical city of Selma, Alabama, and surrounding areas, where homes were ravaged and trees were uprooted. The storm system comes as Californians are enduring a series of atmospheric river storms that have killed at least 18 people in flooding and landslides that has caused over $1 billion in damage thus far. |
| Mississippi Farm Bureau responds to soaring egg prices | |
 | The price of eggs across the nation remains on the rise as the Avian Influenza outbreak has now wiped out roughly 45 million farm-raised hens. The virus, otherwise known as "Bird Flu," took its toll towards the start of the holiday season as turkeys became more expensive for customers. Now, a dozen of Grade A eggs in Mississippi grocery stores will run you around $6-$8 as farmers work to stop the spread of the outbreak and bring supply back up. "I think that Biosecurity is the thing that everybody has to talk to about," said the President of the Mississippi Farm Bureau, Mike McCormick. "We need to make sure the houses are secure and that the virus can't get into anything here." He said that with the holiday season now over, the demand for eggs has greatly decreased, but that farmers are still looking for ways to prevent their flocks from getting sick. McCormick also said that the price of the eggs you buy depends on what kind of eggs you're looking for. "If you want organic, that's typically going to cost a lot more money to produce an egg that way," said President McCormick. "The more that you ask the farmer to do the more the cost that is involved in raising it that way." |
| Haug qualifies to defend justice court seat | |
| A three-man race has formed for District 3 justice court judge as incumbent Marty Haug is officially seeking reelection. Haug, a Democrat who qualified Thursday, was first elected to the seat in 2015 and is seeking a third term. He has practiced law for nearly 20 years, operating a private practice in Starkville and also serving as Sturgis municipal judge. In Mississippi, justice court judges are not required to have a law degree, but Haug -- the only Oktibbeha County justice court judge who does -- said it helps. Justice court handles misdemeanor cases that originate outside the Starkville city limits, small civil cases and first appearances for some felony cases before they head to circuit court. "I've very much enjoyed my time as a judge," Haug told The Dispatch. "I feel I have brought a level of fairness and an understanding of law to justice court, and I want to continue that. It's important to have a lawyer (on the bench). While Haug so far does not have a primary opponent, two Republicans -- Brian Michael Lindner and Will McNeel -- have qualified to run for the seat. |
| Rob Roberson announces plan to run for state House District 43 re-election | |
 | A Golden Triangle legislator is running for his seat once again. Rob Roberson took to social media to announce he has signed qualifying papers for the state House District 43 seat. The Republican was re-elected in 2016 and has held the position ever since. He was also a state representative from 1998 until 2003. District 43 covers portions of Oktibbeha and Winston Counties. |
| Doctor: Health care access 'scary' in parts of Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi doesn't have the medical workforce to address a wide range of poor health outcomes, from high rates of maternal and infant mortality to severe cases of diabetes that require the amputation of limbs, the state's top health officer said. Dr. Daniel Edney, who leads the Mississippi State Department of Health, told lawmakers Thursday that the state health department is short 150 nurses and low health care access in the state's impoverished Delta region is becoming "scary." The challenges have placed Mississippi near the bottom of national rankings that track the performance of state health care systems. "We may be at the bottom today, but we don't have to stay there," Edney said. "I'm just begging for partners to help us ... because we have too many Mississippians who are dying prematurely. We have too many who are aging with poor health and we have too many people struggling for access to care." Edney appeared before the lawmakers at a budget hearing to request an additional $14.6 million in state general funds for the year that begins July 1, which would be a 42% increase from the general funds for the current fiscal year. About $9.2 million in new funds would be used to hire an additional 100 nurses to work in county health departments across the state, according to a health department budget document. Edney said the agency is shifting its attention from COVID-19 response back to its "core responsibilities." He outlined three issues in need of more attention: maternal mortality, diabetes and the opioid crisis. |
| Democrat Brandon Presley is running for governor of Mississippi | |
| Brandon Presley, north Mississippi's utility regulator and one of the most notable politicians from Northeast Mississippi, announced Thursday that he is running for governor. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Journal, Presley said he decided to launch a bid for the state's highest office because current Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is "more focused on himself than the people of Mississippi." "As I continue to build out my campaign and witness more of the things that we've seen, I've been more and more convinced that we've got to have a change in course and have a governor that can pull our state together racially and politically," Presley said. Presley launched his gubernatorial campaign with an ad blistering current Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for having "zero conviction and maximum corruption" and accused him of only looking out for "himself and his rich friends," signaling that the Lee County native won't be afraid to attack his opponent on the campaign trail. "We can build a Mississippi where we fight corruption, not embrace it," Presley said in the ad. "Where we cut taxes, lower the cost of health care and create good jobs. A Mississippi where we finally focus on the future, not the past." Presley, 45, hopes that his ability to connect with rural voters, his relation to Tupelo's own Elvis Presley and his track record of connecting rural Mississippians to broadband internet will be enough to catapult him into the Governor's Mansion. But Presley's campaign does come with serious drawbacks. |
| Democrat Brandon Presley joins race for Mississippi governor | |
| Brandon Presley, a Democrat in his fourth term as a Mississippi utilities regulator, announced Thursday that he is running for governor this year, saying he believes state government and the current Republican governor are disconnected from the needs of working people. "When you're more concerned about how much campaign money you can raise than you are with how you can raise the quality of life for the people who are the owners of state government, there's something bad screwed up," Presley, a 45-year-old distant cousin of Elvis Presley, told The Associated Press in an interview. Gov. Tate Reeves, 48, last week filed papers to seek a second term. He is the only Republican in the race so far. Bill Waller Jr., a former Mississippi Supreme Court chief justice who lost to Reeves in the 2019 Republican primary for governor, has said he is considering another run. In a phone interview Thursday as he was driving in north Mississippi, Presley said a welfare misspending scandal and the financial struggles of several hospitals show that state government is failing. He said Mississippi has had "wink-and-nod cronyism" for too long, and he wants to tighten ethics rules and campaign finance laws. "I ain't never owned a tennis racket, I ain't never had a sweater wrapped around my waist and I ain't never been a member of a country club," Presley said. "I'm in Chickasaw County right now. I understand this fella going in there right now to get him a sausage and biscuit to go to work. When my name goes on that ballot, the working families of Mississippi's names go on the ballot." |
| Democrat Brandon Presley announces run for Mississippi governor, calls out Tate Reeves | |
 | Mississippi's highest elected Democratic state official, who happens to be a distant cousin of Elvis, is throwing his hat in the ring for what is likely to be a contentious gubernatorial race. Brandon Presley, northern district public service commissioner and former mayor of Nettleton, announced Thursday via Twitter that he is running for governor, calling out Republican incumbent Tate Reeves specifically. A spokesperson for Gov. Tate Reeves declined to comment, instead pointing to a statement released by Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Frank Bordeaux on Twitter, comparing Presley to former Attorney General Jim Hood. "Liberal Democrat Brandon Presley has announced that he is going to try and give the Democrats control of Mississippi by running for Governor. JV Jim Hood (but more liberal.) It's up to the voters to decide whether they want to turn Mississippi blue," Bordeaux said. "Governor Tate Reeves has done an exceptional job leading the state through unprecedented times. Today, as a result of his leadership, we have more jobs, higher pay, stronger schools, and conservative wins that we can be proud of. He always has opponents, but he always wins!" |
| Brandon Presley Launches Populist Campaign for Mississippi Governor | |
| Brandon Presley, the Democratic public service commissioner for Mississippi's northern district, revealed he is running for governor in an announcement video this morning, emphasizing a populist message focused on corruption and rural infrastructure. If Democrats choose him as their party's nominee in the August 2023 primaries, the 45-year-old candidate from Nettleton, Miss., would likely face incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who is running for re-election this year. Presley's announcement video takes viewers on a tour of Nettleton, Miss., where Presley grew up and served as mayor from 2001 until 2007. He recounts growing up in the small Lee County and Monroe County town, which has a population of under 2,000. "Growing up here, we could see through the floor straight down to the dirt," he says in the video, referring to the childhood home where he still lives. "My mama worked the local garment factory before it shut down, then she taught preschool at a church up the street. She was our rock and never let us feel as poor as we were." In the video, Presley recounts the loss of his father, "an alcoholic who never made it to recovery" and who "was murdered in cold blood" when he son was 8 years old. At one point, Presley holds up an aged photograph of his cousin, singer Elvis Presley. "My cousin grew up just down the road in Tupelo. You've probably heard of him," the candidate says. No Democrat has won a governor's race in Mississippi since Ronnie Musgrove in 1999. In 2019, Reeves defeated Democrat Jim Hood, the former attorney general, by a 52%-to-47% margin. |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson endorses Brandon Presley in governor's race | |
| U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's longest serving congressional delegate and only Democrat in Washington, endorsed Brandon Presley on Thursday -- the same day Presley announced his candidacy for governor. An endorsement from Thompson, who is selective about such moves, is notable. He sat out the 2019 governor's race, when former Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood lost to now-Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican. Thompson's direct endorsement typically carries weight with Black Democrats, who make up a majority of the state's traditionally Democratic electorate. Presley, a Democrat who has served as a public service commissioner since 2007, has developed a close working relationship with Thompson over the past several years. They've worked particularly closely together in recent weeks on finding solutions for the Jackson water crisis. Presley believes he has a compelling case to make to every Mississippi voter, including Republicans. A political moderate who self describes as pro-life and pro-Second Amendment, he's worked closely and successfully with GOP officials. As Nettleton mayor from 2001-2007, he championed tax cuts and brought in jobs and infamously crossed over to vote for Republican George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Several high-profile Republicans have given to his campaign in recent weeks, including a handful of members of Reeves' 2019 gubernatorial campaign finance committee. |
| 'Common-sense ideas': Black Caucus outlines legislative agenda | |
| The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus on Wednesday presented its 2023 agenda, saying lawmakers should focus on helping "everyday Mississippians," with health care, education, justice and equity, tackling government corruption and providing basic necessities such as clean drinking water. "These are common-sense ideas," said Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, chairwoman of the caucus. "... We want to assist in the passage of legislation that improves the quality of life for everyday Mississippians." There are 51 Black lawmakers in the 174-member Mississippi Legislature, which is controlled by a white, Republican supermajority. "We simply do not have the numbers to impact legislation like we would like, but that does not mean we are not working," said Ford, who noted the group's agenda was drafted in part from town-hall meetings with communities across the state. The caucus proposes full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. This funding formula, set in law, is supposed to provide schools statewide with equitable funding to cover basic education needs. But lawmakers have rarely funded the program even though it is law, typically shorting it by hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The caucus also said that in recent meetings with the Mississippi State Department of Education and parents, it discovered many parents and students do not know about services the agency offers, such as 24-hour tutoring, and wants to direct the agency to better disseminate information. |
| Black Caucus pushes to revive initiatives, expand Medicaid | |
| The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus will push this year to revive an initiative process, ease the restoration of voting rights for former inmates, expand Medicaid, provide oversight for welfare spending and ensure that all parts of the state have access to high-speed internet and safe drinking water, the group's chairwoman said Wednesday. "We want to improve the quality of life for everyday Mississippians," Sen. Angela Turner Ford said as she was backed by other caucus members during a Capitol news conference. The caucus has 14 members in the 52-person Senate and 39 in the 122-person House, with one vacant seat in a majority-Black House district. Most of the caucus members are Democrats, and Republicans hold a wide majority in both chambers. Several Mississippi hospitals are struggling to remain open because of financial problems. Turner Ford, a Democrat from West Point, said expanding Medicaid would bring money into the health care system. "Mississippi ranks last or close to last in almost every leading health outcome," she said. "That is not good." Mississippi is among 11 states that have not expanded Medicaid to people who work in low-wage jobs that don't provide health insurance. Expansion is an option under the health care overhaul signed into law in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama in 2010. Gov. Tate Reeves and many other Republican officials in Mississippi say they don't want to put more people on a government-funded program. |
| Session Outlook: Lawmaker focusing on helping to combat crime in Jackson during 2023 legislative session | |
| Rep. Shanda Yates plans to focus her attention during the 2023 session on helping combat crime in Jackson in a way that the governor favors. "We have the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) and Capitol Police, which are state entities, and we can work within those confines," said Yates, who represents District 64, which includes Hinds and Madison counties. The 2022 legislative session provided funding to expand the number of Capitol Police officers, a force that had primarily served as security guards for state-owned buildings, and equip them, so they could handle crime within the boundaries of the CCID. The additional Capitol Police officers allow the Jackson Police Department to focus its attention in parts of the city that are outside the CCID. Yates hopes the boundaries of the CCID will be expanded so it will be easier for police officers and residents to determine where they start and stop. Some members of the Hinds County legislative delegation would prefer additional funding for crime-fighting efforts in the city go to the Jackson Police Department instead of Capitol Police, Yates said. "Our governor has said repeatedly that he doesn't see the state's job to fund a city," Yates said. "He's not scared to veto things. We need to look at ways to use state-created agencies and assets and fund those and use those to help the residents of Jackson." |
| Mississippi Secretary of State stands firm in response to Biloxi Businessmen's Club | |
 | Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is standing firm in his response to a Biloxi business group whose members worry his office is standing in the way of waterfront development. Back in November, the Biloxi Businessmen's Club sent a letter to Secretary Watson asking that he reconsider how his office handles Tidelands issues. In the letter, the group's president, Cree Cantrell, wrote, "We ask that you not stand in the way of much needed development in Coastal Mississippi, and rather, focus on the other important jobs of your office." Watson responded in December with his own letter where he reiterated his support for coastal development and disagreed with the characterization that he's doing anything other than the job he was elected to do as Secretary of State. "I will not turn from the statutory duty given this office by the Legislature and 'focus on the other important jobs' of my office when any municipality, county, or region of the State seeks to be 'creative' with the law," Watson wrote. "This office will abide by the intent of the Legislature expressed through statutes and as interpreted and explained by the Mississippi Supreme Court as one should expect. And one should expect a municipality, county, or region of the State to do the same." Watson mentioned several times that he supports "reasonable and rational" economic development of the State Tidelands. |
| Newly-elected Rep. Mike Ezell discusses first days in Washington, D.C. | |
| Following an unprecedented series of events that led up to newly-elected Congressmen being sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, the latest addition to Mississippi's delegation, Mike Ezell, discusses the beginning of his tenure in Washington, D.C. During his first days on Capitol Hill, Ezell, a Republican, was present amongst the ongoing debates and 15 votes that took place to name Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House Speaker of the 118th Congress. Ezell was officially sworn into office shortly thereafter. With a majority in Congress, Republican leaders, such as Ezell, have worked quickly to implement their agenda by passing a new rules package that would prohibit Congress from raising the debt ceiling unaccompanied by spending cuts. It also requires the House to vote on 12 separate appropriations bills rather than one large omnibus bill, and lawmakers now have 72 hours to review legislation before it comes to a vote. "I'm proud to be a part of this. Again, I've always been one to show up and go to work," Ezell said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. "I was very pleased with it (the recently passed rules package) and I think things are really going to go fast and furious in the future. We've got a lot of folks that are depending on us to do what we say we're going to do." |
| Sen. Wicker tours Key Field | |
 | U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker made a special visit to Key Field Air National Guard Base Thursday morning to tour the Mississippi National Guard's 186th air refueling wing. This is Senator Wicker's second stop on his statewide tour of military installations as he will be taking over as the lead Republican for the Committee on Armed Services. "Visiting Key Field has been a delight, and it was important that I make this trip," Wicker said. "The objective for this state tour is to speak with various military leaders to discover their issues and find the best solutions to correct them." There are a number of opportunities in Mississippi, Wicker said. He believes the base's fueling facility is a plus for the National Guard as it competes for a new tanker. "The most important goal is always to find ways to enhance our national security, and that starts right here in the air refueling wing," Wicker added. The Mississippi National Guard's hope is to add the U.S. Air Force's most advanced aerial refueling aircraft, the KC-46 Pegasus to its mission, as the Air Force continues to modernize its tanker inventory. "We strive to be the best air mobility unit and the standard by which others are measured and would welcome the opportunity to serve as home to the KC-46 mission," said 186th ARW Commander, Col. Cynthia Smith. "We're postured to receive the new aircraft, which would allow Key Field to continue the air refueling mission for future generations." Key Field, the birthplace and home of aerial refueling, is home to one of the few hangars in the Air National Guard that can hold two KC-135s or house the KC-46 with only minor modifications -- a substantial cost saving to the U.S. Air Force. |
| Why Are Governors Turning on TikTok? | |
 | Federal lawmakers and a growing number of governors are banning TikTok from government devices, citing security issues. Lawmakers say they are concerned the Chinese government could gain access to Americans' user data. The short-form video app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. became a hit during the pandemic, growing to more than 100 million American users and winning ad dollars from U.S. businesses. Nebraska was the first state to implement a TikTok ban, which came in August 2020. A long wait for a plan promised by the White House to address security risks from TikTok has helped push more than 20 states and Congress to block the app on government employees' devices this winter. A number of universities have also banned TikTok on school-owned devices or their wireless networks. The University System of Georgia, which covers more than two dozen public colleges and universities, changed its policies following the governor's directive in December, barring TikTok, as well as WeChat and Telegram, on state-owned or -issued devices. The bans didn't apply to personal phones or computers. The University of Idaho and the University of Oklahoma, among other schools, also announced TikTok bans on university and state-owned devices. Auburn University in Alabama barred access to TikTok on its Wi-Fi networks. |
| Special counsel to probe Biden storage of classified documents | |
 | Attorney General Merrick B. Garland named a special counsel Thursday to investigate storage of classified documents at places President Joe Biden worked before his return to the White House. Former federal prosecutor Robert Hur, who previously served as U.S. attorney in Maryland, will have the authority to probe the document retention of Biden's office after he served as vice president under President Barack Obama. The Biden administration has acknowledged that attorneys found classified documents at two locations where Biden worked following his tenure as vice president. Garland previously had tasked John R. Lausch Jr., the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Chicago, with reviewing the documents and assessing the situation. That was before the revelation of more classified documents found in the garage of Biden's Wilmington, Del., residence. "I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity," Garland said at a news conference Thursday. "But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter." Thursday's announcement from Garland followed calls from numerous prominent lawmakers, including Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to appoint one. |
| Furor over documents creates unexpected political peril for Biden | |
 | President Biden, facing a special counsel investigation amid new revelations of classified documents in his possession after the vice presidency, suddenly confronts a ballooning political problem that threatens to hamstring his agenda and blunt the momentum he hoped to seize at the halfway mark of his term. Congressional Republicans, who just days ago were displaying bitter discord and nearly coming to fisticuffs on the House floor, are now launching new investigations and inquiries. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday he was appointing a special counsel in the deepening probe, which could mean interviews, searches of additional Biden properties and potentially weeks of headlines. More immediately, Biden's possession of classified documents is likely to rob him of the unvarnished ability to criticize former president Donald Trump for his own handling of sensitive material -- even if the cases, and the two presidents' approach to them, have been notably different. The unexpected focus on the classified documents comes at a moment when Biden and his aides had been buoyant over midterm election results that were far better for Democrats than they feared. Biden seemed to revel in the Republican infighting on full display last week when it took 15 ballots before Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected House speaker. And the president is widely expected to announce his reelection bid in the coming months, as his approval ratings rise and the economy is on firmer ground. For Democrats traumatized by Hillary Clinton's 2016 struggle to justify the handling of her own records -- with some blaming the media for giving the story outsize influence -- Thursday's furor provided an uncomfortable hint of what might lie ahead, while threatening to muddy Democrats' criticism of Trump for taking larger numbers of sensitive documents to his home in Mar-a-Lago. |
| For ultraconservatives in McCarthy's red California district, speaker drama in D.C. was welcome | |
 | At an Elks Lodge in the Central Valley, Larry Faria stood before a grassroots conservative group called the 1776 Sons of Liberty and asked for a show of hands. It was Monday night, a few hours after U.S. House Republicans passed a set of operating rules for the new Congress that included concessions Kevin McCarthy made to the hard right during the historic 15 rounds of voting it took for him to become speaker. "Raise your hand if you think we stood our ground for valuable concessions," Faria asked. Hands shot up. "Raise your hand if you think it should have been a status quo vote for McCarthy." None rose. Sure, McCarthy is the hometown guy from Bakersfield, representing the rural, agricultural Central Valley. But the divides that have rankled the national GOP, humiliating McCarthy and temporarily stalling his long bid for the speaker's gavel, are palpable in his reliably red district, which became even more conservative after congressional maps were redrawn in 2021. Mainstream Republicans here are thrilled by McCarthy's ascension and the spotlight it shines on the Central Valley, where conservatives have long complained about being drowned out in halls of power by urban liberals. As the state GOP has lurched rightward, its influence has plummeted. Gone are the days of California sons Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, who were centrist by today's standards. McCarthy's rise has been one of the few bright spots for state GOP officials, who hope McCarthy -- a skilled fundraiser -- will bring money and clout to the 11 other California Republicans in the House. |
| With a debt ceiling fight expected, McCarthy suggests a possible deal with Democrats | |
 | House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Republicans may look to a 2019 spending deal reached by his predecessor and former President Donald Trump as a model for how to avert a potential debt ceiling crisis. McCarthy said he told President Biden during a recent conversation that he'd like to sit down soon to address the concern, suggesting a cap on spending in exchange for temporarily raising the debt ceiling could be the way to go. "I had a very good conversation with the president when he called me, and I told him I'd like to sit down with him early and work through these challenges," McCarthy said. The nation's debt limit could be reached as early as this summer, raising concerns under a divided government and heavy partisan divisions of a U.S. financial default if a deal isn't reached by both parties in the coming months. McCarthy's suggestion of compromise is also an indication of the tightrope he'll be walking between Democratic control of the White House and Senate, and the far-right House conservatives he had to wrangle to gain the speakership. McCarthy said the 2019 deal between then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-President Trump could provide direction for future talks. Trump and Pelosi reached "a debt ceiling agreement, and it was a cap agreement for two years, to cap the spending and make those decisions -- this is something that people have utilized," McCarthy said. However, that deal was panned by conservatives and activist groups for allowing the debt limit to increase at all even with spending parameters. |
| The Real Power in the New Congress Isn't Where Matt Gaetz Thinks It Is | |
 | On a bitterly cold night 14 months ago, an obstreperous Democratic congressman from New Jersey was sitting in the Capitol hideaway of House Democrats' heir apparent, talking about trying to do the impossible. It was exactly one year before November's midterms when Josh Gottheimer sat down with Hakeem Jeffries, and Democrats were confronting a bleak future. A Republican had just won the governor's race in blue Virginia, and President Joe Biden's agenda was all-but-dead despite Democrats' trifecta of power in Washington. Jeffries -- now minority leader and then caucus chair -- was part of a Black Caucus bloc eager to score a legislative win by dislodging Biden's $550 billion infrastructure bill from a months-long stalemate caused by Democratic infighting. But Jeffries and his allies knew there weren't enough Democratic votes to get the roads, rails and bridges plan through one of the tightest House majorities in history. They'd need at least a handful of Republican votes. That's when Gottheimer said he could deliver a dozen of them. That many GOP votes, Jeffries and other senior Democrats quickly realized, could neutralize the most hardline progressives who were threatening to oppose the infrastructure deal. ... For many Democrats, passage of the infrastructure bill was a stunning reversal of fortune for a despondent party: It helped arrest Biden's polling freefall, revived hopes of more dealmaking and it even began to quell the whispers within his party calling for a new presidential nominee in 2024. And Gottheimer had done it by playing his self-appointed role as a mediator between two Washington tribes that rarely speak the same language, let alone sit at the same table to get something done. It's a role he may soon be called upon to play again in a new Congress that's already shaping up as legendarily fractious after a protracted fight over choosing a speaker. |
| NSA director pushes Congress to renew surveillance powers | |
| A top U.S. intelligence official on Thursday urged Congress to renew sweeping powers granted to American spy agencies to surveil and examine communications, saying they were critical to stopping terrorism, cyberattacks and other threats. The remarks by Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, opened what's expected to be a contentious debate over provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that expire at year's end. The bipartisan consensus in favor of expanded surveillance powers in the years after Sept. 11 has given way to increased skepticism, especially among some Republicans who believe spy agencies used those powers to undermine former President Donald Trump. The new GOP majority in the U.S. House has already formed a panel on the "weaponization of the federal government." And progressive Democrats have pushed for more curbs on warrantless surveillance. The NSA and other spy agencies use authorities under FISA's Section 702 to collect huge swaths of foreign communications, which also results in the incidental collection of emails and calls from Americans. The law prohibits spy agencies from targeting Americans and requires the FBI to seek a court order to access a U.S. citizen's communications. Section 702 was first added to FISA in 2008 and renewed for six years in 2018, when Trump originally tweeted opposition to the program but then reversed himself. |
| Sanders bans 'Latinx' on first day as Arkansas governor | |
 | Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed an executive order this week banning the use of the term "Latinx" and its derivatives from all official Arkansas government communications. The former Trump White House press secretary signed seven orders on her first day as governor on Tuesday, generally focused on red-meat issues like "Latinx," the use of TikTok on government devices and a review on the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Sanders's order to ban Latinx is titled Executive Order to Respect the Latino Community by Eliminating Culturally Insensitive words from Official Use in Government. The term Latinx is a gender-neutral form of "Latino" or "Latina" that gained some traction among progressive circles as an inclusive term. Though it failed to catch on as a term to describe the entire U.S. Hispanic community, it's still popular among groups who seek to promote further LGBTQ+ inclusion. Since its inception, though, the term has been criticized for being unpronounceable in Spanish, and some have said it diminishes Spanish language inclusion. |
| Ole Miss gives all clear after early morning bomb threat | |
| University of Mississippi police gave the all clear after responding to a bomb threat early Friday morning, according to university officials. According to a statement released by the school, at 5:15 a.m. the University of Mississippi Police Department was alerted to a bomb threat involving multiple buildings, including Bondurant Hall, Johnson Commons and the J.D Williams library. After sending warnings to students, officers conducted searches of each building and gave an "all clear" for students just before 8 a.m. |
| UM scientists develop unique method to measure turtle exclusion data | |
| Two researchers at the University of Mississippi's National Center for Physical Acoustics are battling sea turtle endangerment with an unlikely weapon. Wayne Carpenter, senior research and development engineer, and Bradley Goodwiller, research scientist, are using sound to monitor turtles that exit shrimp trawls through turtle exclusion devices. "Acoustic impacts with TEDs have implications in understanding the population, migration and allocation of the species," Carpenter said. "All of this contributes to important conservation work." The project, Acoustic Enumeration of Sea Turtle Impacts with TEDs (Turtle Excluder Devices), was funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. The algorithm will allow more accurate estimates of turtle bycatch and, when paired with vessel GPS data, may provide conservationists with valuable information about turtle populations, distributions and movements. While the use of sound might surprise a layperson, the method is perfect for shrimp trawling conditions. "Shrimping is primarily performed at night in waters with little visibility," Carpenter said. "The acoustics can provide data when all forms of optical methods are impossible." |
| New USM President Joe Paul discusses welfare scandal, diversifying students and faculty, and falling enrollment | |
| New president of University of Southern Mississippi Joe Paul sat down for a 45-minute interview with Mississippi Today on Tuesday. Paul, who is serving a four-year term with an annual salary of $650,000, discussed his priorities -- including enrollment, especially at USM Gulf Park; maintaining the university's top-tier research status; and fundraising, along with the need to increase the number of diverse students and faculty. He also read a prepared statement about the university's role in the welfare scandal. Paul was joined by Jim Coll, the university's chief communications officer. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. |
| USM College of Business receives $1 million donation | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi College of Business and Economic Development recently received a $1 million donation that will create enhancements inside and outside the program. Half the donation will be dedicated to grants, research, and travel in support of both faculty and students. Another $350,000 will be used to create a leadership program targeting up-and-coming business students. The donation was made by long-time supporters and namesake of the college, Chuck and Rita Scianna. College of Business Dean Bret Becton said while it will take roughly three years to see the $1 million in use, the college already is making waves to get the leadership program started before the end of the year. "We're recruiting students and we will award scholarships and begin the program in the fall of 2023," Becton said. "The student managed investment fund; they are recruiting students to be a part of it and members of the advisory board they are recruiting for. They will actually begin managing the portfolio in the fall of '23." |
| USM Arts Institute opens call for 2023 AIM Award Nominations: celebrating excellence in arts education | |
| The Arts Institute of Mississippi at The University of Southern Mississippi is accepting nominations for the 2023 AIM Awards, which seek to celebrate excellence in arts education by recognizing high school level art teachers, schools, and organizations in Mississippi. "Each year we invite members of the community to nominate candidates for the AIM Awards to honor those in our state who are serving as catalysts in enhancing education in and through the arts," said Dr. Jay Dean, AIM Director in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Let's share the success stories of those who are preparing the next generation of artistic leaders and making an impact through exemplary achievements." Any member of the public can nominate high school level arts teachers, schools, or organizations for this award, or they can nominate themselves. Those eligible to receive the award are involved in the arts disciplines, including creative writing, dance, media and entertainment arts, music (bands, orchestras, choirs, and other musical ensembles), theatre, and visual arts. In addition, private teachers and organizations can be nominated. |
| Former Delta State University student finishes degree after 50-year break | |
| Former Delta State University (DSU) student Lonnie Webb Allen has completed her degree after a 50-year absence from campus due to Mississippi's Complete to Compete (C2C) program. After completing the C2C program, Allen -- the mother of two daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild -- finished her Bachelor of University Studies degree and graduated this past December. The C2C program, with funding from the Mississippi Department of Human Services and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has aided nearly 3,000 students across the state finish their degree. At this time, over 1,000 are currently enrolled in the program, which aims to assist those who left college over two years ago without a degree. In 2017, DSU had its first C2C graduates walk across the state with their completed degrees. According to DSU's C2C Coordinator, Darla Poole, the program has been quite beneficial for students. "Eight students graduated this past December and we've had 162 that have re-enrolled and graduated since 2017," Poole said. "It's about half and half with students who enroll full-time and part-time." "I walked across that stage with tears in my eyes," Allen said. "It's something I wanted to tell my children and grandchildren that if I can do it, you can do it. Never give up. With my faith in God and belief it could be done, I took that last class and put all I had into it." |
| Most U.S. Schools Don't Feel Fully Prepared for Shootings Despite Adding Security | |
| Most U.S. public school districts don't feel well-prepared to respond to active shooters, even after putting new safety measures in place, according to a newly released federal survey. Roughly two-thirds of public schools now control access to school grounds during the school day, up from 51% in the 2017-18 school year, according to the new figures published Thursday by the National Center for Education Statistics. Classroom doors have been fitted with locks by 78%, up from 65% five years ago. And 43% of schools now employ panic buttons or silent alarms that connect directly with law enforcement, up from 29%. The share of U.S. schools using one or more security cameras to monitor campus is 92%, up from 84%, and more schools are employing metal detector checks and requiring clear book bags or banning book bags. The nationally representative survey conducted by the Education Department's research arm sampled more than 1,000 schools in November and is meant to give an up-to-date indication of what's happening in American classrooms. Schools are weathering a period of anxiety in the wake of high-profile shootings such as the one last spring in Uvalde, Texas, said Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based consulting firm. "Even veteran school administrators, with years of experience, are questioning themselves," said Mr. Trump. "They're questioning why they can't stop school shootings." |
| Texas higher education leaders optimistic about funding as new session starts | |
 | When the Texas Legislature convened in January 2021 amid a global pandemic, higher education officials came to Austin and braced for budget cuts as the state grappled with how to make sure it could withstand an economic downturn brought by COVID-19. Two years later, the tone kicking off the 2023 session is very different. That's mostly because Texas is projected to have $188.2 billion available in general revenue to fund the business of the state over next two years -- an unprecedented 26% increase from the last budget cycle. Despite the competing demands from entities across the state to access some of the surplus dollars, higher education leaders and advocates are optimistic that the state will use some of that money to invest in its public universities and community colleges. "It feels like we have some good momentum going into this legislative session," Texas Higher Education Commissioner Harrison Keller told The Texas Tribune. Six of the four-year university systems, including the Texas A&M System, already have pitched to lawmakers a proposition to freeze undergraduate tuition for two years in exchange for nearly $1 billion in additional funding to help stave off the cost of running their campuses amid rising inflation. |
| Thompson Center opening at U. of Missouri expands autism services | |
 | The University of Missouri Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment opened its new center Thursday to expand knowledge and services for those on the autism spectrum and their families. The new facility features more space and more staff for therapy and other supportive services. Even before the expansion, the center's impact has been significant. Ana Compain-Romero, the parent of a young adult with autism, spoke about her Thompson Center experience at the grand opening. Compain-Romero got a job offer in Jefferson City a few months after her son was diagnosed with autism in Chicago. To help support her son, she googled "autism in Missouri," and the Thompson Center was the first result. She said learning about the center helped confirm that moving to Missouri was the right choice. "This was before sponsored ads, so this had been a sign from the universe for me that this was a good place," Compain-Romero said. "We took a leap of faith and moved to Columbia." "That giant leap of faith ended up being the best decision for our family," she said. At the Thompson Center, her son learned skills such as brushing his teeth and washing his ands. Compain-Romero was also allowed to observe how the behavioral analysts would help her son and received tips on how to improve basic skills at home. Now, the Thompson Center wants to further its impact by reaching out and helping more autistic and neurodivergent people. Stephen Sheinkopf, executive director of the Thompson Center, said the expansion aims to provide services sought by the public. |
| Belmont plans to hire Jewish faculty for the first time | |
 | Belmont University, a private Christian institution in Nashville, Tenn., plans to break a long-standing tradition of only hiring Christian instructors by opening some faculty positions to Jewish candidates. University leaders recently announced they're specifically recruiting Jewish faculty members to teach in three of its graduate programs, hopefully as early as this spring. The Board of Trustees and Faculty Senate also plan to consider a similar decision at the undergraduate level later this year. The announcement, made at a Faculty Senate meeting in November, was met with a range of reactions. Campus administrators and some members of the local Jewish community celebrated the shift as a step toward greater interreligious inclusion, aligned with recent Jewish-Christian interfaith efforts at Belmont. Some scholars, in and outside the institution, believe the change moves the university too far from its Christian roots, while others say the policy isn't inclusive enough, embracing one faith community to the exclusion of others. Greg Jones, president of Belmont, said his discussions about religion with Jewish friends have enhanced his own faith, and he believes the addition of Jewish faculty will do the same for the university. Jones said Belmont may open faculty positions to applicants from other religious traditions in the future, but "we're not making any judgments about that now." |
| Where Applications to College Have Swelled During the Past Decade | |
 | Admissions officers at North Carolina A&T State University sifted through 6,216 applications to build its fall 2011 entering class. A decade later, according to federal data, the institution's applicant pool of first-time undergraduate students was more than three times that. The 246-percent increase in applications to North Carolina A&T reflects a broader trend in higher education: Over the last decade, the volume of applications submitted to the nation's colleges has mushroomed, according to a Chronicle analysis of recently released U.S. Department of Education data. The 1,229 public and private nonprofit four-year colleges in the Chronicle's analysis received 11.4 million applications for the fall of 2021. That's an increase of 46 percent from the 7.8 million applications those same institutions saw for the fall of 2011. The increase was concentrated among a smaller subset of institutions in The Chronicle's data set: Nearly 880 colleges -- or about seven in 10 -- saw their application volume rise during the decade. At least some of the growth in applications in recent years can be attributed to more colleges introducing test-optional policies during the pandemic. With that barrier to college attendance stripped away, the number of applications received by some institutions -- particularly highly selective ones -- has swelled. At many historically Black colleges and universities, like North Carolina A&T, application pools have been buoyed by a surge in student interest along with record levels of financial investment. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State names Oklahoma's Zac Selmon new athletic director | |
| The Zac Selmon era at Mississippi State is underway. MSU announced Friday morning that Selmon will serve as the Bulldogs' new athletic director. Selmon, 37, was in his eighth academic year at Oklahoma, where his title was deputy athletic director for external engagement and advancement. "I am convinced that in Zac Selmon we found an outstanding leader with a servant's heart -- a leader who has extensive experience at two Power Five universities and who understands and shares our relentless commitment to achieving and maintaining excellence in our Bulldog athletics program -- all of them," MSU President Mark Keenum said in a news release. He is the 18th athletic director in Mississippi State history and the first Black AD to lead the Bulldogs' program. Selmon replaces interim AD Bracky Brett, who has served in that role since John Cohen left for the athletic director position at Auburn on Oct. 31. Selmon is a former Wake Forest tight end and the son of Dewey Selmon, who played on the legendary 1970s Oklahoma defensive line with brothers Lee Roy and Lucious Selmon. |
| Mississippi State football hires Kevin Barbay as next offensive coordinator | |
| Mississippi State football coach Zach Arnett finally has an answer to his biggest offseason question. Appalachian State offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay has been hired into the same role with the Bulldogs, MSU announced Thursday. Barbay has been an offensive coordinator the past two seasons at Appalachian State and Central Michigan. He led both programs to a top-35 offense in the nation. Barbay takes the play-calling duties previously held by former head coach Mike Leach, who died Dec. 12 after complications from a heart condition. Shortly after Leach's death, Arnett was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach. Arnett shuffled the offensive staff, with receivers coaches Drew Hollingshead (Western Kentucky) and Steve Spurrier Jr. (Tulsa) accepting offensive coordinator jobs elsewhere. He hired former MSU receiver and Utah receivers coach Chad Bumphis and former Auburn offensive line coach Will Friend. At App State, where Barbay helped score 61 points in a loss at North Carolina last season, the numbers were also impressive. App State threw for 251 yards per game along with 204 rushing yards -- both ranking in the top 50. While MSU led the nation with nearly 50 passes attempted per game, App State was 88th with fewer than 30. |
| Mississippi State basketball vs. Auburn: Scouting report, score prediction | |
| Neville Arena has become one of the toughest places to play in the nation. Auburn, behind coach Bruce Pearl, has won 27 straight games at home – the second-longest active home winning streak behind Gonzaga (75). That's not a welcoming sign for a Mississippi State basketball squad, which takes on Auburn on Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), in need of a win. MSU is coming off a 58-50 loss at Georgia on Wednesday, leaving Mississippi State in search of its first SEC road victory under coach Chris Jans. The Bulldogs have hit a rough patch in Jans' first season after an 11-0 start. MSU has lost four of five games since, due in large part to its struggles in all three layers on offense. For Auburn (13-3, 3-1 SEC), coming off a season where championship aspirations were a reality from start to finish, national relevance hasn't faded. The Tigers picked up noteworthy nonconference wins against Northwestern, Saint Louis and Washington before taking down Florida, Arkansas and Ole Miss in SEC play. |
| NCAA board approves recommendations for Division I reform | |
| At the NCAA convention Thursday, outgoing President Mark Emmert said goodbye, incoming President Charlie Baker introduced himself and the state of college sports was declared perilous. "As a collective enterprise, we are both thriving and threatened," said Baylor President Linda Livingstone, who is the chairwoman of the NCAA's Board of Governors. Livingstone handled most of the annual state of college sports address with the NCAA in a period of both transition and transformation. Earlier in the day, the Division I Board of Directors approved a host of recommendations intended to reform the top-tier of college sports, from membership standards to the size of championship brackets. But Livingstone reiterated what has become a familiar refrain from college sports leaders during her time on stage, saying federal intervention is needed. "We need a safe harbor to a certain degree from antitrust complaints," Livingstone said. "We're not looking for, nor do we need, a broad antitrust exemption. But we do need the ability to make common sense rules without limitless threats of litigation." Livingstone said while it is essential college athletes not become employees of the schools in which they attend, that doesn't mean they couldn't eventually be compensated. |
| Volunteer vote music to coaches' ears | |
| Arkansas' baseball and softball full-time coaching staffs are expected to expand later this year. The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday voted to eliminate designated "volunteer" coaching positions in baseball, softball and ice hockey, and allow those sports to add a third full-time assistant coach beginning July 1. The Division I Council rejected an idea that would have allowed a fourth assistant coach in those sports. Baseball and softball are among the 19 sports sponsored by the Razorbacks. The university also has a club ice hockey team that is unaffiliated with the athletics department and does not compete within the NCAA framework. Arkansas baseball head coach Dave Van Horn and softball head coach Courtney Deifel have lobbied for the change in the size of coaching staffs, currently capped at one head coach and two assistants. A previous proposal to expand staff sizes was voted down in 2019. Van Horn has cited a disproportionate number of coaches to athletes in baseball, which has an in-season roster of 35 players --- nearly 12 times the number of full-time coaches. The new rule will lower that ratio to around nine players for every one coach. The volunteer position has come under scrutiny not only from coaches, but in the courts. It is at the heart of a class-action lawsuit filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of California in November 2022. Taylor Smart, the volunteer at Arkansas during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, is the named plaintiff in Smart et al v. NCAA, which alleges the NCAA illegally fixes the income for volunteer assistants. |
| Rule change lets LSU baseball, softball pay third assistant | |
 | The NCAA Division I council voted Wednesday to turn volunteer assistants across certain college sports into paid full-time coaches, a change that has major effects on baseball and softball teams previously limited to two paid assistants. The proposal increased the number of countable coaches in baseball, softball and ice hockey to four in each sport starting July 1. The council denied an additional increase to five countable coaches, which includes the head coach. The change culminated a long fight to add the third paid assistant. Three years ago, the Southeastern Conference proposed legislation that would let schools choose if they wanted to pay a third assistant in baseball and softball. The idea was defeated, reportedly voted against by the Big Ten and Big 12. This season, LSU baseball has two paid assistants in pitching coach Wes Johnson and recruiting coordinator Josh Jordan. Marc Wanaka, who helps head coach Jay Johnson develop the hitters, is a volunteer assistant. Similarly, LSU softball has two paid assistants in hitting coach Howard Dobson and Lindsay Leftwich, who help in multiple areas. Former LSU player Sandra Simmons-Moton has been the volunteer assistant since 2018. |
| LSU ups security after fans of Olivia Dunne disrupt gymnastics meet | |
| LSU is stepping up security around its gymnastics meets following an incident involving disruptive fans of Tigers star Olivia Dunne at the team's season opener at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City last Friday. "We will have security detail with us now when we go on the road and we will be working to create a perimeter around where we get on the bus, where we load," LSU head coach Jay Clark told reporters. The Tigers are on the road Friday at the University of Kentucky. "I take our team's safety and security very seriously," Clark said. During last Friday's meet against the sixth-ranked Red Rocks, a group of young men holding posters and a full-sized cutout of Dunne screamed and chanted, disrupting the routines of other athletes. Although Dunne, a TikTok influencer with 6.7 million followers and the highest-earning woman in college athletics, was not in LSU's lineup because of an injury, the group continued to chant, "We want Livvy! Give us Livvy!" A day after the meet, ESPN analyst Sam Peszek, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, tweeted a video of the group lined up outside the arena Friday afternoon chanting, "Livvy, Livvy! We want her!" "This is actually so scary and disturbing and cringey," Peszek wrote. "I'm embarrassed for them." A spokesperson for Kentucky told ESPN the school's policy is not to disclose security plans publicly but said, "as we would at any home athletic event, we would deal appropriately with anyone acting improperly." |
| Chicago Bears hire Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren -- 'a man of integrity, respect and excellence' -- as their new president/CEO | |
| The Chicago Bears have hired Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren to be their president and CEO, the team announced Thursday. Warren, who has been with the Big Ten for a little more than three years, will supplant outgoing Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips, who is retiring at the end of February. Phillips has been with the Bears organization for more than 39 years, the last 24 in the president and CEO role. In a statement, Bears Chairman George McCaskey called Warren "a man of integrity, respect and excellence." The team will introduce Warren at a news conference Tuesday, and he is expected to begin in his role this spring. Warren's arrival comes at a landmark time in the organization's history with the Bears pursuing a grand venture to build a new stadium. They are working to close on a 326-acre piece of land at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights soon with the property envisioned to become the home of not only a new stadium but a large entertainment district. Warren, who was with the Minnesota Vikings organization for 15 seasons before leaving for the Big Ten, was instrumental in creating the vision for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and seeing it through during his time as the team's chief operating officer. The Vikings opened that venue in July 2016. Less than two years later, they also moved into their new state-of-the-art practice facility and team headquarters in Eagan, Minn. -- another project that had Warren's fingerprints all over it. During Warren's time as Big Ten commissioner, his think-big mentality was evident. The conference in August finalized a record-setting media-rights deal worth more than $7 billion. The Big Ten also continued its expansion efforts with wheels in motion for USC and UCLA to join the conference in 2024. |
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