| Thursday, March 9, 2023 |
| MSU-Meridian hosts annual International Women's Day event | |
 | Mississippi State University's Meridian campus hosted its annual International Women's Day program on Wednesday. This year the theme was Embrace Equity so the speakers at the program talked about the differences between equality, equity and how they are both used to support women. Shey Washburn, the Outreach Committee Member who organized the event said hosting open forums where people can discuss inequities is the first step to changing and finding solutions. Also, at the program, Ruth Jones with the National Women's History Alliance for Mississippi presented proclamations from Meridian Mayor Jimmie Smith and Governor Tate Reeves commemorating International Women's Day and celebrating National Women's History Month. "Start making Women's History Month celebrated in the country to where people would be forced to focus on, for a whole month, women and the contributes that women made to help our society. Go out and find people in your community who exemplify the theme that you have and focus on them and the contributions they have made," said Jones. |
| New Research Lends an Ear to How Drought Impacts Corn Yields | |
 | Corn is a classic American crop. First cultivated in North America thousands of years ago, it now blankets American farmland from coast to coast. The U.S. grows more corn than any other country. And the grain is used for everything from tortilla chips to cow feed, to biofuel. But like most crops, corn is facing a new risk -- climate change. Climate change isn't just making the world warmer. It's also changing when and how much rain falls. This leaves more corn farmers at risk of facing drought during part of the growing season. Unfortunately, not all droughts are created equal. If it strikes at the wrong time, an entire field can be lost. "A severe drought during the corn reproductive stage can cause a complete crop failure. Thus, understanding corn responses to drought and managing accordingly is critical for successful corn production," says Ranadheer Vennam, graduate student in the Plant and Soil Sciences department at Mississippi State University. Vennam studies how corn responds to drought. In his latest research, Vennam and his lab group looked at how sensitive corn flowering is to drought and the impacts it has for farmers. Corn flowering is rather complex. Each individual ovule sends out a very long silk, which must capture pollen from the tassels above the plant in order to produce a kernel. This requires careful coordination. "Successful reproduction in corn is all about timing," says Dr. Raju Bheemanahalli (Vennam's supervisor). "It takes less than two weeks for corn to pollinate, which is extremely sensitive to stressors, including drought." |
| Making her way to the White House | |
| Vanessa Velasquez's mom immigrated from Colombia pregnant, dreaming about offering her daughter all the best opportunities. Velasquez was born and raised in Vero Beach, Florida, and was always very active. She grew up playing soccer, dancing ballet, doing theater, and volunteering in the community. As an only child, it was -- just Velasquez and her mom. She credits their strong relationship to her being an independent woman today. Her mom kept her busy so she would have as much exposure as possible to find her passion in life. "My mom is my best friend, from whom I get inspiration and motivation," Velasquez said. Selected for the White House Fellowship, Velasquez now works for the U.S. Department of the Navy, something she would never have imagined. Fulfilling her dreams of helping others and making her mom proud, she has been striving towards this her whole life. "It felt so powerful to know that the daughter of a Colombian immigrant made it to the White House," she said. "My ancestors never in their wildest dreams would think about it." Her way into this role started a few years back when she attended Mississippi State University (MSU) as an undergraduate student. Constantly asked why she -- a Latina -- went to such a non-diverse environment, Velasquez explains it just felt right for her. She wanted to move out of Florida to experience new opportunities and found-out about the great international business program at MSU. |
| Lampton elected to MDAH Board of Trustees | |
| Lucius "Luke" Lampton has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). Lampton's nomination will be submitted to the Mississippi Senate for confirmation. Lampton graduated from Jackson Academy and also graduated with honors in history from Rhodes College in Memphis in 1988. He then completed medical school and a residency in family medicine at University of Mississippi School of Medicine. In 2005, he was awarded the degree of Fellow by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Lampton is known for his historic preservation efforts and has served on the board of directors for the Mississippi Historical Society. He followed the late Governor William Winter as president of the Foundation for Mississippi History and in this capacity helped open the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson. Members of the MDAH board serve six-year terms and must be confirmed by the state senate. Other members of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History are Spence Flatgard of Jackson, president; Hilda Cope Povall of Cleveland, vice president; Carter Burns of Natchez; Kimberly Campbell of Madison; Nancy Carpenter of Columbus; Betsey Hamilton of New Albany; Mark Keenum of Starkville; and TJ Taylor of Madison. |
| NAS Meridian breaks ground on wildlife exclusion fence | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves joined Navy and local officials at Naval Air Station Meridian Tuesday to break ground on a new $3 million fence to be constructed around the airfield as a way to keep wildlife off the runways. "This wildlife exclusion fence project will make training at NAS Meridian safer for our pilots and for the community," said Capt. Greg Smith, chief of staff for Navy Region Southeast. "It will reduce and prevent damage to our aircraft, and it will also stand as a reminder of the partnership between the Navy and our steadfast friends in Mississippi." Reeves remarked on Mississippi's long history of being a military friendly state. He worked along with the Governor's Office of Military Affairs and local and Navy officials to secure the grant funding. "It is really a safety project, but it's an example of what we, as Mississippians, can do in partnering with NAS Meridian to make sure we are doing everything we can to make this base as safe and as comfortable and as inviting to the U.S. Navy," the governor said. The first phase of the wildlife exclusion fence will begin around the airfield's east and south runways and should be completed in the next 12 to 18 months. The project is being funded through a grant received by Lauderdale County from the Mississippi Development Authority. Deer on the runway and bird strikes are two of the biggest animal hazards for Navy pilots at the base. On average, the base records 24 deer near the runways each night. Wild boar, coyotes and even cattle from at least one nearby farm also have wandered close to the runways over the years. |
| Ben seeking second term as Tribal Chief | |
| Choctaw Indian Chief Cyrus Ben says he plans to continue building upon the Tribe's achievements in his first term as he announced his intention this week to run for a second term. Tribal elections will be held on June 6. Chief Ben, who was sworn in as the fifth chief of the Tribe back in July 2019, defeated former two-term Chief Phyliss J. Anderson by a near two-to-one margin. Today marks the beginning of the qualifying period for the upcoming Tribal elections this summer. "Over the last three and a half years, the challenges we faced as a Tribe, nation and world were unlike any faced in modern history," Chief Ben said. "The COVID-19 pandemic brought our lives and work to a sudden halt and the Tribe suffered great loss like so many others around the world. As we waited for a vaccine, we made great efforts to stop the spread of the virus while still fighting for our future. Just like our ancestors before us, we overcame through the strength, prayers and perseverance of our people." Despite the challenges with COVID-19, Chief Ben said the Tribe has accomplished much during his tenure, including major broadband efforts that's bringing wifi to all Tribal schools, new home construction in various communities, and plans for a new middle school and high school just to name a few. Chief Ben also served on the state flag committee and helped in selection of the new flag adopted by Mississippians. |
| Main Street celebrated at State Capitol for record of success | |
| On March 2, the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) hosted its first Main Street Legislative Day at the Mississippi State Capitol. Vicksburg Main Street Executive Director Kim Hopkins was in attendance, and she said she enjoyed being part of the larger body of Mississippi Main Street. "It was great to come together with Main Streets all over Mississippi to celebrate small businesses and all of our accomplishments promoting downtown," Hopkins said. Serving as guest speakers for the event were Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. Hosemann, in his remarks, touted the significance of Mississippi Main Streets. "Local Main Street Associations across the State are making our communities a great place to live and raise a family," Hosemann said. "These thriving, yet quaint, communities are showing the world that Mississippi is a great place to visit, and it exhibits the pride our residents have to be Mississippians." "As our reported 2022 economic impact numbers reveal, Main Street is an effective economic development program, with an impressive record of success in creating small business growth and sustainable jobs, all of which catalyze public and private investment in Mississippi's communities," said Thomas Gregory, MMSA Executive Director. "We are so thankful for the Mississippi Legislature's support of our work, and we look forward to continuing to be Mississippi's premier statewide organization for downtown revitalization and local economic development," Gregory added. |
| Bill to fully fund public education heads to House for consideration. Here's what the changes would mean. | |
| The Mississippi Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved two bills to change the state's school funding formula and "fully fund" the new version, but the bills may face challenges in the House and from the governor. The funding formula used to allocate money to public schools, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, was established by the Legislature in 1997 and has been consistently underfunded every year since 2008. MAEP funding provides the state's share of funding for the basic operations of local school districts, ranging from teacher salaries to textbooks to utilities. In broad strokes, the proposed changes would change the amount some districts pay towards the formula and adjust the way inflation is calculated. Every school district except five (Carroll County, Coahoma County, Laurel, Holly Springs, and Wilkinson County) would receive more money than last year from the state under the new formula, but the state would make a one-time allocation to those five districts for the first year the new formula is enacted. Chickasaw County School District Superintendent John Ellison called the new plan "a step in the right direction." Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leaksville, said the changes in inflation calculation will provide more stability for both the Legislature and school districts. Since the year-to-year cost of full funding will fluctuate less with the shift to a 20-year average, it will be easier for the Legislature to anticipate how much fully funding MAEP will cost. |
| A bill to purge voter rolls moves closer to final passage in the Mississippi Legislature | |
| HB 1310 has passed in the Mississippi Legislature allowing persons to be removed from the voter rolls if they do not participate or update their voter registration within a four-year period, or two consecutive general federal elections. The intent of the bill is said to "clean up voter rolls." On the Senate floor, Senator Jeff Tate (R) defended the bill, saying they have had increased reports of deceased individuals' names showing up on voter rolls. He said that led to concerns over voter fraud. Prior to being cut or removed from the rolls, an individual will receive a notice in the mail that they are being considered for "inactive status." Being made inactive will prevent an individual from voting on a regular ballot in an upcoming election, and that person would be required to present an affidavit ballot to be counted for the election should they go vote. If a voter does not vote in an election via affidavit within two years, they will effectively be removed from the voter rolls. Another way to avoid being purged would be to update the registration information through contacting the appropriate election officials, such as a circuit clerk, to verify that the person is still a registered voter, again, all within the two-year window. A current trigger in state law to remove someone from the voter rolls is the lack of response to a jury summons. This legislation would add a lack of voting as the additional trigger. |
| House revives state police expansion and bitter fight over Jackson 'takeover' | |
| The House of Representatives in a mostly partisan and racially divided vote on Wednesday revived its measure to expand the area inside Jackson where state-run Capitol Police can patrol to include neighborhoods where most of the capital city's white citizens live. After lengthy debate on Wednesday that served to highlight ongoing racial tension under the dome this session, the House passed Senate Bill 2343, which leaders overhauled with language that died earlier in the session that would expand the state police jurisdiction to only a specific district within Jackson, the Blackest large city in America. The final vote was 67-45, with most white, Republican, non-Jacksonians voting for it, and all Black lawmakers, Democrats and all but one member of the Jackson delegation voting against. A few white Republicans also voted against the measure, most on grounds it would expand state government spending and state police powers. Rep. Shanda Yates, an independent from Jackson and the only "yea" vote from Jackson's delegation on Wednesday, said her legislation is aimed at curbing crime in northeast Jackson and helping an understaffed Jackson Police Department. "This is simply a response to Jackson residents who live in this proposed district who want more police. That's it," Yates said. Proponents of the bills, though, say the state is trying to help with soaring crime rates, water and sewerage and other issues that have reached crisis levels. During floor debate of her Capitol Police measure on Wednesday, Yates called it a "last-ditch effort." "I have constituents who will leave Jackson," she said. |
| Mississippi advances initiative process but not for abortion | |
 | Mississippi might revive an initiative process, but people would be banned from putting abortion laws or budget proposals on the statewide ballot under a measure moving forward at the state Capitol. The House voted 75-9 Wednesday to adopt an initiative proposal, making changes to a resolution the Senate adopted last month. Negotiators are likely to work on a final version later this month. Starting in the 1990s, Mississippi had an initiative process for people to put proposed state constitutional amendments on the ballot. In 2021, the state Supreme Court ruled the process was invalid because it required an equal number of signatures from five congressional districts. Mississippi dropped to four congressional districts after the 2000 Census, but initiative language was never updated. The resolution to revive Mississippi's initiative process would allow proposed laws, rather than constitutional amendments, to go on the ballot. The prohibition on abortion initiatives was added by a House committee last week. It's unclear whether that portion will survive in final negotiations. |
| Bill restoring ballot initiative remains alive, though some say it 'stifles' Mississippi voters | |
| The Mississippi House, with most Democrats voting present, approved by a 75-9 margin on Wednesday a proposal to restore the ballot initiative process after it was struck down in 2021 by the state Supreme Court. The measure required a two-thirds majority to pass. Most Democrats did not want to go on record as defeating the legislation to restore the initiative, but at the same time did not want to vote for the latest proposal that they say would provide citizens fewer options to place issues on the ballot than the previous process that was struck down by the Supreme Court. "You are not voting on an initiative process that the public wants. You are voting on a process a handful of legislative leaders want," said Rep. Bryant Clark, D-Pickens. Thirty-four of the 122 members, all Democrats, voted present. If they all had voted no, they could have killed the legislation. They voted present because they wanted to keep the proposal alive even if it contains provisions they oppose. Based on Wednesday's vote, the proposal will remain alive. House and Senate leaders now will try to hammer out the differences between what the two chambers passed. Both the House and Senate proposals, in their current form, are much more cumbersome and more restrictive than the initiative process that was struck down in 2021 by the Supreme Court. |
| Bill to put Jackson water under regional authority dies without a vote in House | |
| A proposal to place Jackson's troubled water system under a regional authority board -- once it comes out from federal receivership -- died on the House calendar without a vote with a Tuesday night deadline. Senate Bill 2889 had met with fierce opposition from city leaders and most of Jackson's delegation in the Legislature. Rep. Shanda Yates, I-Jackson, had amended the bill in House committee, an effort to appease a special federal court receiver now overseeing the system and city and legislative leaders who decried the regional water authority and other measures as a hostile state takeover of the capital city. But Yates said House leaders decided to let the measure die without a House floor vote this year. "I think there were multiple issues, but I would call it Jackson fatigue," Yates said. "I think the sentiment was that there were going to multiple fights on the floor on multiple issues, and there's still time to deal with this next year, look at it over the summer." But Yates said she still "absolutely" believes Jackson's water system, which after decades of neglect routinely leaves residents without potable water or at times any water at all, needs new governance. |
| Bill prohibiting property value-based billing passes Senate, headed to conference committee | |
| A bill that would prevent property value-based water billing has passed the Senate, but the measure is still not on its way to the governor's desk. Rather, it's going to a conference committee where additional details must be hammered out. Wednesday, the Senate approved H.B. 698, which would prohibit municipalities from charging for water based on the value of a customers' home. A reverse repealer clause was added to the measure prior to its passage, which will force it to go to a conference committee for additional tweaking. The bill was authored by Rep. Shanda Yates in response to a proposal by Jackson's court-appointed water manager that would base water fees on property values, rather than the amount of water consumed. It was presented in the Senate by Sen. Joel Carter, who authored a similar bill that died. "This is the water bill that we tried to pass earlier in the session, which we did pass down to the House. But this is the House version and there are some changes versus the Senate language," he said. "There were some concerns raised by several members of the chamber." Carter said some concerns were addressed in a strike all amendment introduced, including one that would give cities the ability to issue estimated bills in the case meters are "tampered with, unreadable, or otherwise out-of-order." |
| Hospitals thought they'd get $450M in extra money this year. They're actually getting much less. | |
| Mississippi hospitals, many on the precipice of closure, will be getting much-needed additional money this year. But the amount they receive might be much lower than expected. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid proposed changing the way it calculates some additional funding hospitals in Mississippi receive called "supplemental payments." One of the funds, called the Mississippi Hospital Access Program payments, gives hospitals the difference between what Medicaid actually paid for services rendered and what Medicare would have paid for similar claims, offsetting losses incurred by standard Medicaid payments being too low. But on Feb. 15, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid submitted a request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to change that model to pay hospitals the difference between Medicaid rates and what an average commercial plan's rate would have paid. The goal was to generate more money for hospitals. Tim Moore, president of the Mississippi Hospital Association, said the original estimate hospitals received from the Division of Medicaid for supplemental MHAP-generated funds after the change was around $450 million. The most recent calculation, however, is $40.2 million. |
| Health data breach hitting Congress 'could be extraordinary' | |
| House leaders say the impact of a hack of health insurance marketplace used by members of Congress "could be extraordinary," exposing sensitive personal data of lawmakers, their employees and families. DC Health Link, which runs the exchange, said an unspecified number of customers were affected and it was notifying them and working with law enforcement to quantify the damage. It said it was offering identity theft service to those affected and extending credit monitoring to all customers. Some 11,000 of the exchange's more than 100,000 participants work in the House and Senate or are relatives. In a letter to the exchange's director posted on Twitter, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the breach "significantly increase the risk that Members, staff and their families will experience identity theft, financial crimes, and physical threats." They said the FBI had informed them that it was able to purchase the stolen data on the dark web, where it was offered for sale for an unspecified amount Monday on a hacker forum popular with cybercriminals. An email sent out by the office of the Chief Administrative Office of the House on behalf of McCarthy and Jeffries called the breach "egregious" and urged members to use credit and identity theft monitoring resources. |
| GOP leader Mitch McConnell is hospitalized after fall, his spokesman says | |
 | Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was being treated at a local hospital after he fell at a hotel Wednesday evening, according to a spokesman. The 81-year-old senator from Kentucky fell after he tripped at a hotel in Washington, D.C., his spokesman said. "This evening, Leader McConnell tripped at a local hotel during a private dinner," McConnell spokesman Doug Andres said in a statement released early Thursday. "He has been admitted to the hospital where he is receiving treatment." No additional details were provided about McConnell's condition, though a source familiar with the event confirmed McConnell fell at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. A District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department spokesman told NPR they received a call for a fallen adult male at 9:17 p.m. Wednesday at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, which is the address for the Waldorf Astoria. They transported the man to an area hospital. McConnell was first elected in 1984 to the U.S. Senate. He is the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in history. |
| Train derailment makes odd bedfellows of J.D. Vance, Sherrod Brown | |
 | Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) landed in the Senate just a few months ago after campaigning as a MAGA brawler. But on Tuesday afternoon, he stood in front of his new Republican colleagues and tried to convince them to support a bill backed by Senate Democrats that would impose a host of new regulations on a powerful industry. Vance's co-workers were polite, but delivered a clear message in response: Slow down. "Nobody jumped up and said, 'Sign me up,'" Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said of the freshman's "convincing" pitch for a package of rail safety regulations. "I didn't hear anybody say, 'Hell no, we won't go,' either." The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials in Vance's state has spurred the freshman senator into a surprising alliance with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), an at-times fiery populist liberal who is facing a tough reelection battle in the red state in 2024. Vance and Brown have joined in on sharp questioning of Norfolk Southern and the federal government's response to the disaster in joint letters, introduced comprehensive rail safety legislation, and are appearing alongside each other to testify at a hearing that also features the train company's CEO on Thursday. The bipartisan alliance has drawn praise from locals heartened to see lawmakers putting aside their differences in the wake of an emergency, and Vance said last week that he was also pleasantly surprised that the environment in Washington wasn't too partisan to make any action impossible. |
| Debt limit clouds outlook as Biden budget set to hit Thursday | |
 | President Joe Biden's delayed budget for the upcoming fiscal year due Thursday will kick off what's expected to be a lengthy battle over spending levels and priorities, with the debt ceiling deadline looming this summer casting a pall over the entire process. Biden is expected to call for healthy increases on both the defense and nondefense side of the ledger, drawing a sharp contrast with House Republicans who are pushing for significant cuts. At the same time, Biden's budget would also reduce deficits by nearly $3 trillion over a decade, more than what the president initially previewed in his State of the Union address last month. That's expected to include hefty tax increases on wealthier households and corporations that Republicans are almost certain to reject. But it's intended to draw a sharp contrast with potential GOP cuts that could fall on lower-income households. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., promised that the House would write fiscal 2024 appropriations bills at the fiscal 2022 levels during his lengthy fight to attain the speakership. This would mean a cut of more than $130 billion, which Senate Democrats have vowed to oppose. House GOP appropriators have balked at the notion of cutting defense spending, and cuts to other nondefense programs will be even more severe if defense and potentially veterans programs are spared. The upcoming debt limit "x date" will add additional pressure, as appropriations talks almost always drag out until late in the year. Analysts predict the Treasury Department will run out of borrowing room this summer, with estimates ranging from early June to mid-August. |
| White House goes after Tucker Carlson by name over Jan. 6 coverage | |
 | The White House joined in widespread condemnation of Fox News star Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, singling out the prime-time ratings king for his misleading portrayal of the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. In comments shared first with POLITICO, the White House joined Republican Senate leaders and Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, who a day earlier assailed Carlson's broadcasts of selected assault footage as being "filled with offensive and misleading conclusions." "We agree with the chief of the Capitol Police and the wide range of bipartisan lawmakers who have condemned this false depiction of the unprecedented, violent attack on our Constitution and the rule of law --- which cost police officers their lives," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said. "We also agree with what Fox News's own attorneys and executives have now repeatedly stressed in multiple courts of law: that Tucker Carlson is not credible," Bates added. The statement was a rare rebuke of Carlson by name, suggesting an escalation of tensions between the White House and the conservative-leaning, beleaguered cable giant. Among the legal filings, Bates cited were remarks made by Fox News lawyers and a federal judge in the Southern District of New York in defending Carlson against allegations of slander in an earlier lawsuit brought by Karen McDougal. The former Playboy model has accused Fox of defamation over a Carlson episode on her in December 2018. |
| White Supremacist Propaganda Soared Last Year, Report Finds | |
 | Antisemitic leaflets dropped at private homes in Southern California. Fliers saying, "Stand Up White Man," left in driveways in suburban Indiana. A laser projector casting hateful messages outside a football stadium in Florida. Propaganda efforts by white supremacist groups soared in 2022 as such incidents reached a five-year high across the country, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism. In the report, set to be released on Thursday morning, researchers for the A.D.L. say they have identified more than 6,750 separate occasions last year on which white supremacist organizations distributed racist, antisemitic or otherwise hateful fliers, stickers, banners, images, posters or graffiti. That is a nearly 40 percent rise in similar incidents compared with 2021 and a more than fivefold increase since 2018, according to the report. Propaganda by hate groups serves not only to frighten and harass those who see it, but can also act as a powerful recruiting tool. Moreover, it can desensitize people to acts of aggression against victims -- and even inspire violence in its viewers, scholars of political violence say. While the A.D.L.'s researchers determined that at least 50 separate organizations distributed white supremacist propaganda last year, three groups -- Patriot Front, Goyim Defense League and the White Lives Matter movement -- were responsible for more than 90 percent of the incidents. While these groups are not household names, as are other far-right organizations like the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers militia, they have steadily promoted their racist, antisemitic and white supremacist messages by a variety of means in recent years, including at marches, rallies and public harassment campaigns. |
| Can the Army Be All It Can Be? Service Revives Slogan to Solve Recruiting Woes | |
 | The U.S. Army is dusting off its slogan from the 1980s in hopes of boosting recruiting after its most challenging year since the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973. At an event near the White House, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth announced the official launch -- or relaunch -- of the slogan "Be All You Can Be," which Army pollsters found was likely to resonate as much with a new generation as it did for teens in the post-Vietnam, Cold War era. "It's a tagline that stands the test of time," Ms. Wormuth said. "It evokes limitless possibilities for people from all walks of life." Ms. Wormuth said the Army set a goal of recruiting 65,000 people this year, acknowledging it was a stretch given that only 45,000 people joined last year. She said the Army had planned to launch its slogan in August but moved up the campaign to help meet its target. "Seeing the situation we were in, in terms of the challenging recruiting environment, our marketing office worked very, very hard to pull this forward," she said. Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, chief of Army marketing, said, "This isn't about nostalgia or old time's sake. We are reinventing 'Be All That You Can Be.'" Gen. Fink said the Army was also revamping its star logo, removing a frame that had enclosed it, and had developed a new color palette, typography and other design elements. The Army is also reaching out to speakers of foreign languages. John Carstens, the executive creative director at Omnicom Group Inc.'s DDB ad agency, which worked on the campaign, said it would be released in English and Spanish and could be rolled out in other languages. |
| La Nina, which worsens hurricanes and drought, is gone | |
| After three nasty years, the La Nina weather phenomenon that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens western drought is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. That's usually good news for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said. The globe is now in what's considered a "neutral" condition and probably trending to an El Nino in late summer or fall, said climate scientist Michelle L'Heureux, head of NOAA's El Nino/La Nina forecast office. "It's over," said research scientist Azhar Ehsan, who heads Columbia University's El Nino/La Nina forecasting. "Mother Nature thought to get rid of this one because it's enough." La Nina is a natural and temporary cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide. In the United States, because La Nina is connected to more Atlantic storms and deeper droughts and wildfires in the West, La Ninas often are more damaging and expensive than their more famous flip side, El Nino, experts said and studies show. Generally, American agriculture is more damaged by La Nina than El Nino. If the globe jumps into El Nino it means more rain for the Midwestern corn belt and grains in general and could be beneficial, said Michael Ferrari, chief scientific officer of Climate Alpha, a firm that advises investors on financial decisions based on climate. |
| Mississippi University for Women helps prepare future politicians | |
 | Industrial Institute and College opened its doors in 1884 with the mission to educate women and prepare them for the workforce. Over the past 140 years, the name and mission have both evolved, but Mississippi University for Women still holds fast to its roots and its focus on molding strong women leaders. The W has also created a program to help women use their voices in the political arena. The Center for American Women in Politics claims that Mississippi is ranked number 48 in women's leadership. And Mississippi University for Women is hoping to change that in the near future. During Women's History Month, the spotlight is focused on the contributions women have made to society. At Mississippi University for Women that focus is built into the school's mission, but there's always room to improve. The W is now looking to expand the influence of women in the field of politics. "Within the united states, Mississippi is at the bottom we are always at the 48, 49, 50th in terms of woman's level of representation so it may be that Mississippi lags behind on woman kind of policy issues because there aren't as many women in the Mississippi house and senate," said Dr. Chanley Rainey, MUW professor. |
| UM junior Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist | |
 | Junior Arabic, economics and political science major Madeleine Dotson was named a Truman Scholar Finalist on Feb. 24. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to students planning careers in public service. Truman scholars receive $30,000 for graduate school. "It's just a great feeling to not only get to represent my state, city and university but also to know that there's some interest in my public service topic, which was about the environment and disaster response, this relationship between infrastructure implementation and being not so prepared for climate change," Dotson said. On March 20, Dotson will travel to Nashville to participate in a regional competition. If she is awarded the scholarship, she hopes to put the money toward furthering her education and service at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology in Cambridge. Hailing from the Gulf Coast, Dotson attended the Alabama School of Math and Science. She was an Azalea Trail Maid, one of 50 women chosen to represent the city of Mobile. She also worked with the Alabama Coastal Foundation on its Dauphin Island restoration project, which plants sea oats as a natural barrier against coastal erosion. "Coming into the university, I knew it's sort of what I wanted to focus on. I'm looking at water scarcity and international development globally, which is sort of another aspect of what I study," Dotson said. |
| USM hosts fentanyl awareness conference | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi hosted an event Wednesday night focused on increasing awareness of the drug, fentanyl. A conference at the Thad Cochran Center was hosted by Sigma Alpha Lambda. an academic honor society. An online presentation was made by the group "Song for Charlie." "It's named for college student Charlie Ternan, who died in 2020 after he took a counterfeit prescription drug laced with fentanyl. "(Students) going through midterms this week and then we have finals coming up, a lot of students are going to be looking for ways to deal with stress and deal with anxiety and we're trying to help them turn away from drugs," said Rachel Brown, president of USM's Sigma Alpha Lambda chapter. The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 51 deaths involved fentanyl in 2022. |
| Delta State University named Military Friendly school | |
| Delta State University has been named a Military Friendly school by VIQTORY, a marketing firm that helps current and former members of the U.S. military services connect with employment and education opportunities. According to their website, Military Friendly is the standard that measures an organization's commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful opportunities for the military community. "Delta State is pleased to provide those who have served our country honorably with an environment that welcomes them as the leaders they are," DSU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Andy Novobilski said. "Their experience and commitment to excellence strengthens the community at large and we are fortunate to have them at Delta State." The data evaluated to determine Military Friendly designations and awards are sourced from public data sources, proprietary data from surveys of employers and educators, and personal data from surveys of veterans themselves. |
| Major questions unanswered about JSU president's leave one week later | |
| Significant questions surrounding the abrupt pause to Thomas Hudson's tenure as president of Jackson State University remain one week after the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees placed him on administrative leave with pay. So far, a spokesperson from the board has declined to answer multiple questions in detail. Those include context like if Hudson's contract has been terminated or if it is still in effect, the nature of the personnel issue that led the board to place Hudson on leave (rather than letting him resign or firing him), and if the board has ever before placed a president of the state's eight public universities on leave. On Thursday, March 2, the IHL board met twice -- all trustees attended virtually -- and immediately went into executive session to discuss "a Jackson State University personnel matter." After the final meeting, members of the press and public questioned IHL spokesperson Caron Blanton about how the board could call an open meeting but immediately close it to the public. "It was an open meeting, you were all here, you could all hear everything except for what was said in executive session," Blanton said at the time. The Open Meetings Act permits public bodies like the IHL board to go into executive session for the "transaction of business and discussion of personnel matters relating to the job performance, character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of a person holding a specific position..." |
| Netflix's expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge | |
| As Netflix inches closer to rolling out password-sharing guidelines in the United States, college students who use accounts connected to family or friends are bracing for changes to their streaming habits. The company has said to expect new password guidelines in the coming months, although it hasn't provided specifics about what they would look like. Netflix in February outlined password-sharing protocols for users in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain that call for users to set a "primary location" for their Netflix accounts -- and that add additional monthly fees for out-of-household "sub accounts." While Netflix hasn't said whether the U.S. plan will ultimately resemble these earlier changes, some worry that a crackdown on password sharing could shake up streaming for college students who've just left home, as well as burden lower-income students and their families. Sam Figiel, a sophomore at Mercer University in Georgia, said access to Netflix is required for many of his peers' classes. Figiel, who uses his mother's account, said nearly everyone he knows at school watches Netflix, although he and some friends might move away from the platform if password sharing ends. Netflix has long touted how it puts subscribers first. Yet the gradual password-sharing changes have created uncertainty for college students who might not have, or want to spend, disposable income for their own subscriptions. |
| Across America, university coffers brim with fossil fuel money -- South Carolina is no exception | |
 | Everywhere you look, universities are going green. Trees are leafing out and sustainability efforts seem to be ramping up. But a new study suggests that corporate polluters have a large and often hidden role on American campuses. A report released Mar. 1 by the nonprofit organization Data for Progress investigated six fossil fuel companies. Its authors tracked by way of tax-form 990s how much the philanthropic arms of those companies donated to 27 U.S. universities from 2010 to 2020. The total was a staggering $700 million in research funds. None of South Carolina's universities were included in this study. But there's plenty of evidence that money from fossil fuel companies is reaching higher education in the Palmetto State. Koch Industries, a multinational conglomerate that includes companies focused on oil and gas, is linked to four foundations that donate heavily to universities. From 2005 to 2019, nine South Carolina universities and colleges received approximately $5 million from Koch foundations. Clemson University received the most: $3,451,084. On campuses where a lack of transparency persists, cynicism about university leadership flourishes. Students claim campus climate commitments, like Clemson's goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, are just for show, a form of so-called greenwashing. "The fact that Clemson doesn't publicly disclose all donations tied to fossil fuels does not surprise me," said Anna McClendon, a senior at Clemson University and president of Solid Green, Clemson's major environmental student club. She referenced the fact that Clemson built a new coal-fired power plant on campus in recent years, instead of doing what she believes students really want: "invest(ments) in forms of renewable energy like solar, wind, and biofuels." |
| Clemson received a record number of freshman applications. They've tripled since 2014 | |
 | Clemson University says it received an unprecedented 57,988 freshman applications for the 2023 fall semester. Prospective Tigers were notified of their admission to the university by early March. Of the applicants, approximately 36% -- or about 21,000 potential students -- were granted a spot at the school. Interest in Clemson has grown by leaps and bounds. It's had a consistent upward trend in the last 10 to 12 years, said David Kuskowski, Clemson's associate vice president of enrollment management, but the last several years have been particularly significant. "It's really accelerated," Kuskowski said. Clemson had a slight dip in applications for the fall of 2020, but the rebound was paramount. "When COVID hit in 2020, that really shook the higher (education) market around the country, but the impacts were not felt equally everywhere," Kuskowski said. In a time when many colleges saw a decline in applications, Kuskowski said, larger public land-grant institutions came through strong. Kuskowski said Clemson's academic reputation, postgraduate preparation and high retention rates and graduation rates are a draw. But the thing Clemson applicants really note is the sense of family and community on campus, Kuskowski said. The University of South Carolina also saw an application record of more than 46,000. |
| Ban on higher education 'political loyalty' tests gets nod in session | |
| A proposal that seeks to prevent Florida colleges and universities from requiring people to complete "political loyalty" tests began moving in the state House Tuesday, as the bill's sponsor pointed to what he called a "monoculture" on campuses. The House Postsecondary Education & Workforce Subcommittee advanced the measure (HB 931) in a 12-5 vote along party lines on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session. Under the bill, schools would not be allowed to require or "solicit a person to complete a political loyalty test as a condition of employment or admission into, or promotion within, such institution." Institutions also would be barred from giving people preferential treatment based on factors such as partisan, political or ideological beliefs. The measure defines political loyalty tests, in part, as "compelling, requiring, or soliciting a person to identify commitment to or to make a statement of personal belief in" any "ideology or movement that promotes the differential treatment of a person" or group. Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, questioned whether Florida's colleges and universities currently have a requirement that people on campus be subjected to any kind of political loyalty tests. Rep. Spencer Roach, a North Fort Myers Republican who sponsored the bill, pointed to things such as diversity, equity and inclusion statements. |
| Former professor Carol Swain visits Texas A&M to discuss DEI | |
 | As more universities are following an initiative to no longer consider hiring on factors other than merit, including Texas A&M's recent announcement, political scientists are weighing in on the subject. "It looks like the Aggies are beginning to take a stance against the false narratives of the DEI agenda. DEI has infected every major area, including state, local and federal government," Carol Swain said before a lecture at Texas A&M University on Wednesday night. "It is a close relative of Critical Race Theory, CRT. Here is a secret, equity is not the same as equal opportunity, it is about equal results rather than equal opportunity and non-discrimination." Texas A&M Young Americans for Freedom hosted a lecture by Swain, a former tenured professor at Princeton and Vanderbilt universities, at the Memorial Student Center. Swain, a Republican, is an award-winning political scientist and former vice chair of former President Donald Trump's 1776 Advisory Commission. A week ago, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp directed leaders of its 11 universities and eight agencies to no longer ask job candidates for statements about their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] in their applications. |
| Mizzou student's coalition brings student media leaders across nation together | |
| Syndey Lewis, a junior in the Missouri School of Journalism and general manager of Mizzou Student Media, noticed a problem after years working in student media: student publications seemed to all face the same problems, and yet there was no way for their leaders to seek help or advice from peers at other papers when they needed it. The problems stem largely from student publications' status as local businesses, which generate advertising revenue and must concern themselves with budgets and profit margins. In her experiences speaking with other student media leaders, Lewis heard them speak often about drying ad sales, diminished readership, staff turnover and general burnout. But unlike national media companies, student outlets are not in competition with each other for readership, so there's no financial downside to sharing their secrets. That's why last fall, Lewis sent emails out to student editors across the country inviting them to join the College Media Innovation Coalition, a group she created in her role as student innovation staffer at the Reynolds Journalism Institute at Mizzou. Now, the group has coalesced into a Slack channel with over 60 student leaders from 41 publications across the country. Heather Harrison, editor-in-chief of The Reflector at Mississippi State University, said the Slack channel has provided her with the opportunity to get support and also to celebrate victories in a time when The Reflector has had to get creative with fundraising to pay for printing. |
| With electricity demand rising, U. of Missouri looking to connect to Columbia grid | |
 | The University of Missouri has begun the process of expanding its connection to the city of Columbia's electrical grid to secure its own grid and ensure the MU campus has a back-up source of power -- a project that could cost the university more than $40 million and take several years to complete. The campus grid currently draws power primarily from the MU Power Plant, but also from an intertie connecting it to the larger City of Columbia grid, which provides a limited amount of electricity. While this current system is capable of handling the energy demands of the campus now and in the near future, new facilities and planned campus growth place additional demands on the grid, increasing the possibility of outages if a component of the system fails. Mike O'Connor, the director of energy management for MU, said that even with the recent demolition of multiple buildings on campus, new additions like the NextGen Precision Health Institute have driven an increase in energy demand. "The campus demand is expected to continue to grow," he said. "The rate of that growth will depend on new facilities that are added. So as the campus grows more on the health care side of campus, or we add more research, heavily energy-intensive buildings, that load continues to increase." In order to ensure that all parts of campus will continue to receive the electricity they need even if a component of the system fails or the power plant needs to be taken offline for maintenance, the university has launched a new project to increase the amount of power it can draw from the City of Columbia grid. |
| The Scientific Breakthrough That Could Make Batteries Last Longer | |
| U.S. scientists say they have produced the first commercially accessible material that eliminates the loss of energy as electricity moves along a wire, a breakthrough that could mean longer-lasting batteries, more-efficient power grids and improved high-speed trains. Materials that can conduct electric currents without any loss -- so-called superconductors -- have been wildly impractical because they typically need to be extremely cooled, to around minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit, and subjected to extreme pressure to work. Now, a group of researchers at the University of Rochester report that they have created a new superconductor that can operate at room temperature and a much lower pressure than previously discovered superconducting materials. The breakthrough has the potential to create lossless electrical grids, and better and cheaper magnets for use in future nuclear fusion reactors, among other things, according to Ranga Dias, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and physics at the University of Rochester, who led the breakthrough work. That is because perfect conductors that work in everyday, ambient conditions don't require expensive, large cooling systems. "We could magnetically levitate trains above superconducting rails, change the way electricity is stored and transferred, and revolutionize medical imaging," Dr. Dias said. While Dr. Dias's research shows promise, some of his group's past work has been a target of scrutiny by other scientists. Their 2020 study, detailing another room temperature superconductor, was retracted by Nature last year after other researchers were unable to replicate the results and questioned the validity of the data showing the Meissner effect in the material. |
| Challenging 'bad' online policies and attitudes | |
 | About a decade ago, nearly all -- 97 percent -- of IBM's job advertisements required a four-year college degree, according to David Barnes, vice president of global workforce policy at the tech giant, who spoke this week at the annual SXSW EDU conference here. That requirement disqualified the approximately two-thirds of Americans in the labor pool without degrees from applying for jobs at IBM, Barnes said. As a result, IBM struggled with significant, sustained hiring shortfalls. "We decided to indulge in some self-help," Barnes said. "We call it skills-first hiring." First, IBM hiring managers had to erase some biases they had about candidates who had not earned college degrees. Next, they assessed job candidates for the skills they possessed and their abilities to learn new skills, regardless of degree status. Also, the company invested heavily in an online employee education learning platform. "It's driven by artificial intelligence," Barnes said of IBM's training and reskilling effort. "It's a Netflix-like interface that pushes content. Or an employee can select content ... We can't use Charles Dickens learning models anymore." Today, fewer than half of IBM's job ads mandate a college degree. The company is now better positioned, Barnes said, to maintain its global lead in quantum computing -- technology that holds the potential to revolutionize computing power. Barnes and other academic and industry leaders spoke with conviction and passion during the "Online Backlash: Bad Policy Holds Students Back" panel at SXSW EDU. |
| Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college | |
| When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life. The pandemic changed his mind. A year after high school, Hart is directing a youth theater program in Jackson, Tennessee. He got into every college he applied to but turned them all down. Cost was a big factor, but a year of remote learning also gave him the time and confidence to forge his own path. "There were a lot of us with the pandemic, we kind of had a do-it-yourself kind of attitude of like, 'Oh -- I can figure this out,'" he said. "Why do I want to put in all the money to get a piece of paper that really isn't going to help with what I'm doing right now?" Hart is among hundreds of thousands of young people who came of age during the pandemic but didn't go to college. Many have turned to hourly jobs or careers that don't require a degree, while others have been deterred by high tuition and the prospect of student debt. What first looked like a pandemic blip has turned into a crisis. Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. The slide in the college-going rate since 2018 is the steepest on record, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists say the impact could be dire. |
| Report: Fall Transfer Enrollment Remains in Decline in 2022 | |
| Fall transfer enrollment remains in decline in 2022, albeit at a slower rate than before, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The Transfer and Progress Fall 2022 Report – released on Thursday– serves as a redesign of the research center's two primary transfer reports, COVID 19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress and Tracking Transfer, to provide data regarding matters such as postsecondary participation and transfers and disparities in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that the declining fall transfer enrollment slowed down in 2022 (-4.7% in 2021 to -2.3% in 2022) but was still dropping faster than non-transfer enrollment in comparison (-4% in 2021 to -1.4% in 2022). An overall 6.9% decrease was observed for undergraduate transfer enrollment from 2020-2022. Yet, transfer enrollment still represents over 13% of non-freshmen undergraduate enrollment, the report authors wrote. Undergraduate enrollment in general slowed its fall in 2022, going from -4.1% in 2021 to now -1.5%. Upward transfers – where students transfer from two-year institutions to four-year schools – experienced the brunt of the drops, making up most of the Fall 2022 transfer enrollment decline, according to the report. This pattern makes it the only pathway to continue in decline in Fall 2022 (-7.5%), a total 14.5% decrease from 2020-2022. |
| Foxx, back in charge, pledges oversight, stronger accountability | |
| Representative Virginia Foxx is planning to leverage the decline in public perception of higher education to usher in a new era of stronger accountability for the nation's colleges and universities in her role as chairwoman of the House education committee. This is "exactly the right time" to reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 1965, Foxx said in a recent interview with Inside Higher Ed. The last reauthorization was in 2008, and the law is supposed to be renewed every five years. Foxx and other lawmakers have tried over the years to pass comprehensive higher education legislation -- only for those efforts to fail -- and observers are skeptical that meaningful higher education bills can pass both chambers during this session of Congress. Still, Foxx is hopeful that she can get a bill across the finish line before the end of next year, even though Democrats control the Senate and White House. That's because, she said, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in the higher education system and fueled drops in public opinion about higher education. "The reason I think we can do it this year is because higher ed has never been held in such low esteem as it is now," she said. "In the past, we had members who were a little shy about doing it, because their presidents of their universities would come to them and say, 'No, no, no, you can't bother us,' and they would be intimidated by them. But I don't think that's going to be the case this year." |
| SoFi is suing the Biden administration over student loan payment pause | |
| It was March 13, 2020, when the federal government first paused student loan payments. We're currently on the eighth extension of that pause, meaning that borrowers with federal student debt have had no payments due and no interest accrued in almost three years. Now, the private sector is saying, "Enough already." The lender SoFi, which competes with the federal government to hold those debts, has sued the Department of Education, saying the latest extension was illegal. To understand what's happening with student debt, let's think of lenders as brands of soda. "Well, it is sort of like the Coke and Pepsi wars, right?" said Jonathan Fansmith, who works in government relations at the American Council on Education. "But then Coke decides midway through the wars, 'We're not going to charge anyone.' Which brand are you going to buy, right?" And in this case, one brand has a lot more market share. The federal government holds 93% of the $1.7 trillion in outstanding student debt. Borrowers usually seek out private lenders only if they need more money than the government will lend them or they can get a better interest rate. "Well, in the federal loan program, since the payment pause started, interest rates are effectively zero," said Jason Delisle with the Urban Institute. In its lawsuit, private lender SoFi says it can't compete with that --- "that their business model is mostly ruined, as long as that is in place," Delisle added. SoFi also says the Joe Biden administration overreached in its latest extension. |
| Legislators urge Education Department to expand race, legacy data in admissions | |
| A coalition of 18 federal legislators is urging the U.S. Department of Education to broaden its collection of college admissions data and publicly disaggregate the information by gender, race and ethnicity. In a Tuesday letter to James Kvaal, the Education Department's top higher ed official, the Democratic members of Congress said the agency should help address the sector's "persistent racial inequities" by mandating new transparency from colleges. Submitting new data would be a light lift for colleges, as many already collect it for internal use, the letter said. The lawmakers also called for a demographic breakdown of students admitted through legacy considerations, when preference is given to alumni's family members. Each year, the Education Department collects data from colleges that receive federal funding and publicly posts it to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, also known as IPEDS. The Education Department currently asks for racial and ethnic data on colleges' enrolled students, but the lawmakers argue this should be expanded to applicants and students who are admitted but opt not to attend. Legislators highlighted the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision on race-conscious college admissions as a de facto deadline for the Education Department. The court's ruling will likely come close to summertime and is expected to restrict race-conscious policies. |
| Is Mexico safe to visit for spring break? What to know after 4 kidnapped in Matamoros | |
 | Public safety concerns have spiked around travel to Mexico, with the kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in the northern Mexico border city of Matamoros. The visitors had just crossed the border through Brownsville, Texas. The FBI San Antonio Division office said in a statement Sunday that the vehicle came under fire shortly after it entered Mexico. "All four Americans were placed in a vehicle and taken from the scene by armed men," the office said. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the victims and the arrest of the culprits. The State Department has a security alert for each of Mexico's 32 states, and in the case of Tamaulipas, where the kidnapping occurred, U.S. authorities recommend against travel. The state of Tamaulipas borders Texas from Laredo to Brownsville. Spring break is just a few days away and the most popular destination for U.S. travelers is Mexico -- a country with stunning sandy beaches in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. In 2022, 13 million U.S. tourists visited this country. The top destination was Cancún and the Mayan Riviera, which received 2.4 million people, according to Mexico's tourism office. The State Department advises travelers to use "extreme caution" when visiting states like Quintana Roo, where Cancún is located; Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos; and other tourist destinations such as Oaxaca and Mexico City, because of the risk of violence. |
SPORTS
| Gameday: Five Things To Know MSU-Florida | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball turns its attention to the SEC Tournament as the Bulldogs meet Florida in the event's return to Nashville to open up Thursday's second round action at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL's Nashville Predators. State (20-11, 8-10 SEC) finished the regular season as one of the SEC's hottest teams winning eight of their last 11 games. The run has been highlighted by a trio of NCAA NET Quad 1 wins over No. 11 TCU (01/28), at Arkansas (02/11) and against No. 25 Texas A&M (02/25) in addition to NCAA NET Quad 2 triumphs over Missouri (02/14) and securing a rivalry sweep over Ole Miss (02/18). The Bulldogs season profile is fueled by a three-point victory over No. 6 Marquette, the BIG EAST regular season champion. State is joined by No. 5 Purdue, No. 8 Arizona and No. 11 Connecticut to earn an undefeated mark with multiple victories over NCAA NET Quad 1 opponents. Florida (16-15, 9-9 SEC) emerged with back-to-back wins at Georgia (77-67 – 02/28) and against LSU (79-67 – 03/04) to close out the regular season on a strong note. The signature win for the Gators during the regular season was a 67-54 victory over No. 2 Tennessee (02/01). The Bulldogs have won three of the last five in the series over Florida since 2018-19 with all five meetings being decided by single digits. |
| 3 questions for Florida Gators as they enter SEC Tournament vs. MSU | |
| For Florida basketball, one last shot to reach the NCAA Tournament comes down to this week in Nashville, Tenn., in the SEC Tournament. The Gators (16-15, 9-9 SEC) will need to win four games in four days to secure an automatic bid to qualify for the Field of 68. The good news? Eight-seed Florida will begin tournament play on Thursday against nine-seed Mississippi State (1 p.m., SEC Network) a team it beat 61-59 on Jan. 21 in Starkville, Miss. Florida can play the role of spoiler, as the Bulldogs (20-11, 8-10 SEC) enter this week on the NCAA Tournament bubble as one of the last four teams in the tournament, according to ESPN.com Joe Lunardi's Bracketology. "The great thing about going to the tournament is everybody has equal opportunity to go on a run and get there," Florida coach Todd Golden said. "You know, it's been done before, so the opportunity's there. It starts with Thursday. It's kind of a fresh start for everybody going into this one-week mini season where if you win a couple of games, you can get yourself a bid to the tournament." The Gators have regrouped without standout forward Colin Castleton, who earned All-SEC first team honors this week after leading the Gators in scoring (16.0 ppg), rebounding (7.7 rpg) and blocked shots (3.0 bpg). Florida posted back-to-back wins over Georgia and LSU to close the regular season and is 2-3 since Castleton went down with a season-ending broken hand on Feb. 15 against Ole Miss. |
| Softball Welcomes Competitive Field For Bulldog Invitational | |
| A talented field, including No. 1 Oklahoma, awaits Mississippi State softball at this weekend's Bulldog Invitational. State will play five games in four days on March 9-12. The Bulldogs only doubleheader will come on Saturday, March 11, against the Sooners and Omaha. State (16-5) open the event on Thursday night against Southeastern Louisiana in the only game of the day. That day is also MSU's Greek Attendance Challenge for members of fraternities and sororities on campus. The Bulldogs are 8-1 all-time against the Lions. Southeastern (18-2) will play Wednesday night before coming to Starkville. MSU then meets the No. 1 Sooners (17-1) for the third and fourth times under head coach Samantha Ricketts who played in Norman from 2006-09 and was a two-time All-American. The Friday night game features a bucket hat giveaway that is limited to students. Saturday's game is a nationally-televised matchup on the SEC Network, and fans in attendance will receive free rally towels. Also on Saturday, MSU meets Omaha (10-5) for the first time since 2018 and just the third time in school history. On Sunday, the Bulldogs will play East Tennessee State (3-12) who will wrap up a doubleheader on Wednesday night before traveling to Starkville for the tournament. |
| New faces, plenty of excitement for Bulldogs as spring practice begins | |
 | Mississippi State football has been busy already this offseason, getting new coaches and transfers in the mix. Under new head coach Zach Arnett and new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, among others, the Bulldogs held their first practice of the spring on Tuesday. Familiar faces like starting quarterback Will Rogers were mixed in with newcomers like Mike Wright, the Vanderbilt transfer who offers something different to the offense as a dual-threat quarterback. Testing out Rogers under center instead of in shotgun formation and utilizing running backs more often, this offense will look different than the Air Raid scheme made famous by the late Mike Leach. But that doesn't mean it will lack excitement. "It was different," Rogers said. "We started practice really, really fast with some up-tempo plays. It was good to be out flying around with the guys and learning new schemes, so we're all trying to get the hang of that." This was not only Barbay's first practice with Mississippi State, but it was Arnett's first spring practice as head coach. Barbay's tenure at Appalachian State saw the Mountaineers finish 21st in the country last season in rushing offense at nearly 205 yards a game. That means Mississippi State's running back corps, led by Jo'quavious "Woody" Marks, will see plenty of touches this fall "I think the offense is pretty good," Marks said. "... Speed kills. Give your best players the ball and that play right there, there are going to be some good players. Just getting more handoffs, it's really going to build me up during games, build me up during practice and make me better as a player." |
| Loftin fans 11 in career outing vs Valpo | |
| Coming off the mound after the top of the sixth inning on Tuesday night, Mississippi State starter Bradley Loftin had some swagger about him. The freshman, who overcame some early-innings struggles, was dealing for the Bulldogs. After he retired Valparaiso outfielder Ryan Maka, his night came to an end. In a career night, Loftin struck out 11 as he hurled six innings of two-run ball. The Bulldogs (8-5) backed him up offensively, scoring 12 unanswered runs from the fourth inning on for a 12-2 run-rule victory at Dudy Noble Field. "I think it was his best outing of the year," Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said. "He just looked a lot more comfortable tonight. We know he has really good stuff, and if he commands the zone, he's just really hard to hit. I think they probably hit one really hard-hit ball all night long. It's really good stuff and a really good changeup. He had the changeup working today." Loftin finished with 92 pitches and walked five batters. Of his six innings pitched, he faced more than four batters in only two of them, striking out the side in the first and fifth innings, respectively. Additionally, five of his last six outs recorded came via the strikeout. "I just had to get out there and do my job," Loftin said. |
| What's next for USM men's, women's basketball following Sun Belt Conference Tournament losses | |
 | The final horn in Saturday's Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals signaled the end of any NCAA Tournament hopes for Southern Miss. South Alabama outscored the Golden Eagles 29-12 in the last 7:32 of the second half to run away with a 78-61 victory. Southern Miss -- the conference's regular-season title winner -- is now on the outside looking in when it comes to March Madness. The SBC is a projected one-bid league. Louisiana, the conference tournament champion, is a projected No. 14 seed, according to Joe Lunardi's Bracketology. Southern Miss (25-7) is ranked No. 87 in the NCAA's NET rankings and has one Quad 1 victory, a 76-72 victory over Liberty on Nov. 18. The Golden Eagles went 1-4 in Quad 2 games this season. So, what's next for the Southern Miss? The NIT. Coach Jay Ladner was a member of the Southern Miss team that won the 1987 NIT title. The NIT schedule will be announced Sunday, with the first three rounds of the tournament hosted by the higher seed in each matchup. The first round matchups will be on March 14-15. |
| Ole Miss Athletics holds NIL Luncheon | |
| Ole Miss Athletics held a Next Level NIL Business Luncheon so businesses could learn more about Ole Miss Athletics Name, Image, and Likeness Program. The luncheon took place on Monday, March 6th. Over 100 people attended so they could ask questions and learn from the expert panel about how their business can get involved. The panel: Walker Jones, Executive Director – The Grove Collective, Ane Debro, Associate General Counsel Ole Miss Athletics, Keith Carter, Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics, Casey Schwab, CEO + Founding Partner – Altius Sports Partners, Erin Holland – Altius Sports Partners. |
| Chris Beard closing in on Ole Miss job after arrest, Texas firing | |
| Chris Beard appears close to quickly getting another chance after his Texas firing. Multiple reports indicate that Beard has had serious conversations about becoming the next head coach at Ole Miss, two months after he was fired by Texas following a domestic violence arrest. Stadium's Jeff Goodman reported that there's "no deal in place yet, but it's trending in the direction of Beard being the next head coach in Oxford," while ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello report that Beard has "emerged as the leading candidate" for the position. After terminating Beard, the university alleged that he "does not understand the significance of the behavior he knows he engaged in." In December, Beard's fiancée, Randi Trew, told police that he "choked me, threw me off the bed, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around, and going nuts." Later that month, Trew walked back the allegations. "Chris and I are deeply saddened that we have brought negative attention upon our family, friends, and the University of Texas, among others," she said. "As Chris' fiancée and biggest supporter, I apologize for the role I played in this unfortunate event. "I realize that my frustration, when breaking his glasses, initiated a physical struggle between Chris and myself. Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening." Charges against Beard were dropped in February. |
| Alabama's Miller calls fatal shooting 'really heartbreaking' | |
| Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller spoke Wednesday about being at the scene of a fatal shooting that killed a 23-year-old mother, saying he will "never lose sight of the fact that a family has lost one of their loved ones." Miller, in a week where he -- and was snubbed for a big one -- spoke to reporters for the first time since his in Tuscaloosa where Jamea Harris was killed. "This whole situation is just really heartbreaking, but respectfully that's all I'm going to be able to say on that," The Associated Press Southeastern Conference player and newcomer of the year said. Ex-Alabama player Darius Miles is in the shooting. Prosecutors say he provided the gun used in the shooting to another man, Michael Davis, who shot Harris. Davis is also charged with murder. Miller's name was brought up in court by authorities as having delivered the gun on the night of the shooting at Miles' request. Freshman point guard Jaden Bradley was also at the scene, authorities said. Neither have been charged with a crime. Alabama has said its star forward is a cooperating witness, not a suspect. Neither Miller nor Bradley have been held out of a game. Miller's attorney has said the gun was in the back of Miller's vehicle, and that the Tide star didn't see or handle it. With Miller and Alabama preparing for the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, it's hard for either to separate the accolades and success from Harris' death. |
| Nick Saban has issue with soliciting money from alumni to pay players; would rather see 'NFL model' | |
| Nick Saban was part of an advertising campaign when Alabama launched its "Yea Alabama" school-sponsored NIL entity last month, but the Tide's coach expressed reservations this week about how that entity is being used. "My issue is, we have a collective where we raise money as an institution to create these things where basically we're paying the guy to play," Saban told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith in his "Know Mercy" podcast published Wednesday. Saban reiterated that he supports players' rights to earn revenue from their name, image and likenesses but continued to express concern about how NIL can be used in recruiting. "[NIL] wasn't supposed to be me going to give a speech to raise money from alumni so we can get enough money in our collective so can pay players," he told Smith. "That's not what it was supposed to be." Saban said "coaches" are to blame for the current system, and explained he would prefer an NFL-style system instead where players are employees and sign contracts with a particular team under a salary cap. Saban also expressed concern about the lack of licensing for agents and representatives of college players for NIL dealings, saying he recommends all of his players get an agent but some are not qualified for the job. "My issue is agents in the NFL are licensed, they're qualified, they're regulated by the NFLPA," he said. "You've got none of that in college. You can have any guy on the street calling people, telling them they should do this or that." |
| College football attendance rose in 2022 with largest year-over-year increase since 1982 | |
| Seemingly everything college football was up in 2022: ticket prices, NIL riches, coaching salaries, your blood pressure if you were a Miami fan. Add attendance to the conga line of increases. In 2022, FBS attendance rose for the first time in eight years. If you've paid attention to the sport's waning attendance figures, that's big deal. Official NCAA data shows that average FBS attendance increased 5% last season to 41,840 fans per game. While that sounds like a modest increase, it's significant as it indicates the second-highest per game rise (1,992) in history. (The NCAA has been keeping attendance figures since 1978.) Not since 1982, when attendance rose an average of 9,068 per game from 1981, has there been a larger increase. The 2021 season marked the lowest average attendance (39,848) since that same year (1981). The SEC is a good example of the somewhat-radical shift last season. The football-mad conference went from, in 2021, its lowest average attendance since 1999 to the fifth-largest figure in conference's history last season. The SEC led the country in attendance for the 24th consecutive year. Just don't ask how or why. There may be some attributable explanations, but they aren't necessarily obvious. Attendance in 2021 declined for a record seventh consecutive year and for the ninth time in the last 10 years. (Not counting 2020 when the NCAA did not keep attendance data amid the COVID-19 pandemic season.) |
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