| Monday, August 28, 2023 |
| MSU researchers lead national collaboration to study nitrogen conversions in nature | |
 | Mississippi State University researchers are using a $1.6 million National Science Foundation grant to study nitrogen conversions in nature and how agriculture can continue to access the important element in the face of increasing environmental stressors and upheaval. The multi-institution team, led by Ryan A. Folk, an assistant professor in the MSU Department of Biological Sciences and herbarium curator, is focusing its work on nitrogen-fixing symbiosis -- a relationship between bacteria and plants that gives plants access to nitrogen from the atmosphere. Nitrogen fixation -- a process in which inaccessible nitrogen gas is converted into a usable form for plants and other microbes -- is a central component of nitrogen cycles across many ecosystems. "As one of the most important symbiotic relationships on Earth, it is imperative to understand how such nitrogen-fixing plant-bacterial partnerships form in nature and respond to an environment filled with challenges and in constant flux," Folk said. Joined by fellow MSU researchers Heather Jordan, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Delaney Foster, associate director of planning and assessment initiatives in the Division of Access, Diversity and Inclusion, the MSU team will manage $920,000 of the grant. |
| 20 years of Airbus 'worthy to be remembered' | |
 | When Airbus Helicopters CEO Romain Trapp and his team opened the company's assembly plant in 2003 next to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, he had high hopes for the future. In just 20 years, Airbus has expanded the plant to hire more than 300 employees, and went from producing around five helicopters per year to more than 100 for customers around the United States. "It was still a dream (in 2003)," Trapp said Friday during a 20th anniversary celebration at the plant. "We are very happy with what we have achieved. We believe the success we have comes also from having found Mississippi as a great place to do business." Trapp, joined by other company and government representatives, spoke to more than 350 people Friday about the company's success in Lowndes County. Vice President of Industry and Civil Programs Johannes Dienemann said the plant will continue its growth by producing even more products, such as the newly approved H-160 helicopter. That craft will be used for private industries such as emergency services, oil and gas and law enforcement, he said. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) told those in attendance that Airbus has been an instrumental partner to the U.S. Army and to several other American companies. He hopes to continue supporting that partnership. "Our friends from Airbus, and their leadership of so many people in this room and those who are not able to be with us now, have performed something worthy to be remembered," Wicker said. |
| Mississippi State Rep. Mac Huddleston passes away at 79 | |
 | Mississippi State Representative Elton "Mac" Huddleston has died at the age of 79. Huddleston passed away on August 27, 2023, at the Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo, Mississippi. Known by friends as "Dr. Mac," Huddleston served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for District 15 from 2008 until the time of his death. He was the Chairman of the University and Colleges Committee as well as the Ethics Committee. He previously served as Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Huddleston was not seeking re-election this cycle. Huddleston was born in Holmes County and raised by his grandparents. He graduated from Durant High School and later went on to receive an accounting degree at Mississippi State University. While at MSU he was a member of the ROTC and later went on to serve in the United States Army flying helicopters in Vietnam, according to his obituary. He held the rank of Captain and was a recipient of the Bronze Star and Distinguished Flying Cross, among other things. Huddleston obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University after his military service and was a veterinarian in North Mississippi. He worked for many years as a large animal veterinarian and was the Executive Secretary of the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association and Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine. |
| Longtime Republican lawmaker Mac Huddleston passes away at 79 | |
| Longtime Republican lawmaker Rep. Mac Huddleston has passed away at the age of 79. Huddleston, who had represented Pontotoc since 2008, had been battling multiple myeloma. The news of his passing was announced in the obituary section of The Daily Journal on Sunday. During his 15 years in the Mississippi legislature, Huddleston served on a variety of committees. From 2019-2023, he served as leader of the House Ethics Committee and the House Universities and Colleges Committee. Before that, he was vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Prior to getting into politics, Huddleston worked as a veterinarian in north Mississippi. Commonly known as "Dr. Mac," the Mississippi State and Auburn alumnus worked many years as a large animal veterinarian and was executive secretary of the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association and the Mississippi Board of Veterinary Medicine. Huddleston's funeral will be held on Tuesday at his home church of West Heights Baptist Church in Pontotoc. |
| Mac Huddleston, longtime state lawmaker from Pontotoc, dies at 79 | |
| Republican Rep. Mac Huddleston, a veteran lawmaker who represented Pontotoc County in the state House, died on Sunday, according to several state lawmakers and an obituary posted online. He was 79. Huddleston died from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells, according to his wife, Dr. Flavia Huddleston. During the past four years, Huddleston served as the leader of the House Ethics Committee and the House Universities and Colleges Committee, and he previously served as the vice chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. "I had the highest respect for him, and that is why, out of 122 members, I made him the chairman of the Ethics Committee," House Speaker Philip Gunn said in a statement. "This reflects my view that he was a man of great integrity and character." After representing the rural northeast Mississippi county in the Capitol for the last 16 years, Huddleston decided not to run for reelection this year and allow a new face to represent the rural northeast Mississippi county in the Legislature. A veterinarian and Vietnam War veteran, Huddleston developed a reputation at the Capitol for helping newly elected House members. |
| New committee looks into foreign-owned farmland in Mississippi | |
 | A new legislative committee is studying the purchase of Mississippi farmland by foreign governments. Over 777,000 acres of land in Mississippi are at least partially controlled by foreign interests, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Almost all of it is agricultural land, and it represents just 2.6% of the state's landmass. During the first meeting of the Study Committee on Foreign Purchase of Farmland in Mississippi, members elected Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson as chairman. He says the protection of the state's farmland is not only an economic issue, but also about security. "The greatest security we have as a nation, and as a state, is the ability to produce our own food," Gipson said. "Food security is national security." The vast majority of foreign-controlled land in Mississippi is held by friendly nations. The Netherlands holds over 357,000 acres and Germany holds just over 60,000. On the other side of the spectrum is China, which holds just 88 acres of agricultural land. An effort spearheaded by Rep. Becky Currie to completely ban the purchase of farmland by foreign investors led to the committee's creation. Gipson says a more measured approach is needed to avoid unintended consequences. "We need to be wise about it and balance it with people's private property rights," Gipson said. "We know we can do that." |
| State flag fans flames in House election between Bain, Mattox | |
| Lasting resentment over replacing the state flag in 2020 will play a role in the outcome of Tuesday's runoff between three-term incumbent state House Rep. Nick Bain and political novice challenger Brad Mattox, one last northeast Mississippi skirmish in 2023's primary battle within the state Republican party. District 2's second-place primary finisher Mattox, a gun store owner running on a small business and tax cut platform, is working with the third-place candidate, ally Chris Wilson -- a former Corinth alderman who said his main motivation and Bain's big weakness were Bain's vote to replace the old state flag in 2020 -- to turn out their supporters for Mattox in the runoff. "People around here don't forget stuff like that," Wilson told the Daily Journal. The Alcorn County race echoes the close statewide GOP primary Lt. Gov. Hosemann won Aug. 8 against right-wing opponent Sen. Chris McDaniel and similar failed downticket challenges by legislative candidates who associated themselves with McDaniel or were endorsed by the Mississippi Freedom Caucus. In those races, challengers claimed incumbents weren't conservative enough, worked too closely with Democrats or were tainted by too many years in the capital and association with lobbyists. If Bain loses, he would be a rare political casualty of the flag vote, which energized activists statewide at the time and drew international headlines. Despite past pledges by many politicians to let voters decide the issue by referendum, most incumbent lawmakers voted in favor of the flag change, which Gov. Reeves signed. |
| Young, Democratic nominee for Secretary of State, announces his withdrawal from race | |
| On Sunday, Shuwaski Young, Democratic nominee for Secretary of State, announced that he was withdrawing from the Mississippi Secretary of State's race citing medical reasons. "Recently, I suffered a hypertensive crisis which placed an immediate and continuous challenge on my ability to campaign for the Office of Secretary of State. My intent was to press forward knowing full-well the risk being placed on my health due to a rigorous campaign schedule. I can no longer take this risk," Young said in a statement. "Therefore, I am announcing my intent to withdraw my candidacy for Secretary of State." Young was unopposed in the August Primary for the statewide office. He previously ran for Congress in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District in 2022, losing to incumbent Congressman Michael Guest (R) by 40%. Over the past year, Young has been an outspoken critic of the Mississippi Democratic Party under then-chairman Tyree Irving. He called for Irving's ouster and urged the party to "invest and ensure" Democrat voters turnout on Election Day. According to Mississippi Code Election Code § 23-15-317, a candidate who wishes to withdraw for a "legitimate nonpolitical reason" -- reasons of health, family, or business conflict -- can submit the reason by sworn affidavit to the state party chair of the nominee's party and the State Board of Election Commissioners. If the Board accepts the reason, the Democratic Executive Committee can appoint someone to substitute for the nomination. It is not clear at this time whether Young will submit the necessary affidavit which would prompt the substitution process. |
| Biden is 'old,' Trump is 'corrupt': AP-NORC poll has ominous signs for both in possible 2024 rematch | |
 | President Joe Biden is "old" and "confused," and former President Donald Trump is "corrupt" and "dishonest." Those are among the top terms Americans use when they're asked to describe the Democrat in the White House and the Republican best positioned to face him in next year's election. Unflattering portraits of Biden and Trump emerge clearly in a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which asked an open-ended question about what comes to mind when people think of them. For Biden, the largest share of U.S. adults -- including both Democrats and Republicans -- mentioned his age. At 80, Biden is just three years older than Trump, but many Americans expressed real concerns about his ability to continue as president. Trump, meanwhile, has been indicted in four cases featuring 91 total criminal counts and elicits words such as "corrupt" and "crooked" (named by 15%), along with "bad" and other generally negative comments (11%). Not far behind are words like "liar" and "dishonest" (8%). Another 8% offered generally positive comments like "good," though. A deeper look doesn't improve things much for Biden or Trump. And while many of the criticisms reflect a familiar partisan divide, the poll shows neither man is immune to criticism from within his own party. "He looks like he needs to be someone's kindly grandpa on the arm, not someone at the wheel of power," Justin Campbell, a 27-year-old Democrat and security guard in the Brookhaven area of Mississippi, said of Biden. He was even more negative about Trump, though, saying that the former president "acts like a kindergartner when people tell him 'no.'" |
| Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis booed at vigil honoring victims of Jacksonville shooting | |
 | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was booed while he spoke at a vigil Sunday honoring the three Black victims of a racially motivated shooting at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. As DeSantis spoke about how his office was looking to identify funds for security at Edward Waters University, a historically Black college near the site of the shooting, he was met with loud boos. The shooter first drove to the college before before going to the Dollar General store. Ju'Coby Pittman, a city councilwoman for Jacksonville, told the crowd of about 200 people to put politics aside and listen to the governor. "Now if the governor wanted to come here and he bringing gifts to my community, y'all know I'm taking the gifts because we've been through enough already, and I don't want to go through no more," Pittman said. DeSantis continued his remarks by calling the gunman a "major league scumbag." "What he did is totally unacceptable in the state of Florida," he said. "We are not going to let people be targeted based on their race." Sunday's vigil was a block from the Dollar General store where the shooting took place. Officials said the suspect legally purchased guns despite a past involuntary commitment for a mental health exam. |
| Behind the AI boom, an army of overseas workers in 'digital sweatshops' | |
 | In a coastal city in the southern Philippines, thousands of young workers log online every day to support the booming business of artificial intelligence. In dingy internet cafes, jam-packed office spaces or at home, they annotate the masses of data that American companies need to train their artificial intelligence models. The workers differentiate pedestrians from palm trees in videos used to develop the algorithms for automated driving; they label images so AI can generate representations of politicians and celebrities; they edit chunks of text to ensure language models like ChatGPT don't churn out gibberish. More than 2 million people in the Philippines perform this type of "crowdwork," according to informal government estimates, as part of AI's vast underbelly. While AI is often thought of as human-free machine learning, the technology actually relies on the labor-intensive efforts of a workforce spread across much of the Global South and often subject to exploitation. The mathematical models underpinning AI tools get smarter by analyzing large data sets, which need to be accurate, precise and legible to be useful. Low-quality data yields low-quality AI. So click by click, a largely unregulated army of humans is transforming the raw data into AI feedstock. In the Philippines, one of the world's biggest destinations for outsourced digital work, former employees say that at least 10,000 of these workers do this labor on a platform called Remotasks, which is owned by the $7 billion San Francisco start-up Scale AI. Rights groups and labor researchers say Scale AI is among a number of American AI companies that have not abided by basic labor standards for their workers abroad. |
| U.S. needs to invest in training, recruiting to expand semiconductor workforce | |
| Chipmaker Nvidia reported this week that it doubled its quarterly revenue from a year ago. Its dominance in semiconductors for artificial intelligence is based on products that are manufactured overseas. However, the United States is trying to shore up domestic semiconductor supply chains and address challenges in staffing. The Semiconductor Industry Association forecasts that by 2030, the field will face a shortage of 67,000 engineers, technicians and computer scientists. To staff the growing industry, Sujai Shivakumar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the U.S. needs both high- and mid-skilled workers. "These are areas where the United States has underinvested in its workforce," he said. One problem is the lack of visibility of those jobs, Shari Liss of the SEMI Foundation pointed out. "When you talk to kids, they've grown up seeing, like, the pictures of the teachers and the firemen and the policemen," she said. To get the word out early on semiconductor jobs, her group hands out engineering kits to elementary school students -- one has a pen that draws with conductive ink. "And we've developed about 45 pieces of curriculum that accompany those kits," she said. Community colleges also present enormous opportunities, said Arizona State University professor Trevor Thornton, who's watching semiconductor fabrication plants go up in Phoenix. "On the horizon on the west side, all you see are cranes building these new fabs. It's amazing," he said. "So pretty soon, we're going to have to start populating with all the technicians and engineers they need." |
| IHL taskforce to study disability compliance across public university system | |
| The governing board of Mississippi's public universities has formed a task force to study accessibility for possibly the first time since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed 33 years ago. The initiative by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees comes at a key moment for disability in higher education. Even before the pandemic, college students have been disclosing disabilities at increasing rates, specifically mental disorders such as depression or post-trauma stress disorder, which are covered by the ADA. And the U.S. Department of Education is expected to drop new rules this month for a key law that prohibits schools that receive federal funding from discriminating against students with disabilities. It's also an effort of personal significance for Jeanne Luckey, an IHL trustee from Ocean Springs appointed by Phil Bryant in 2018. Luckey has been in a wheelchair since she was in a car accident 18 years ago. Luckey said that last year she found an article ranking the country's colleges with the best programs for students with disabilities. She wanted to see Mississippi universities on that list. "I pay attention to those things maybe a little bit more than everybody else does," she said. "You only pay attention to things when you need them sometimes." The 19-person task force comprising representatives from each campus and the Department of Finance and Administration plans to produce a report with recommendations for enhancing accessibility services across the university system by June 2024. |
| Diddy donates $1 million to Jackson State | |
| American rapper Diddy keeps his promise and donates $1,000,000 to Jackson State Athletics. During the 2022 BET Awards, Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, announced on the show that he would donate to his alma mater, Howard University, and JSU. During the Tigers' football season opener against South Carolina State at the 2023 MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta, Diddy presented the check to Jackson State. He is pictured alongside JSU Athletic Director and Vice President Ashley Robinson, acting president Dr. Elaine Hayes-Anthony, and the university's mascot, Wavee Dave. "If it wasn't for HBCUs, I wouldn't be here," Diddy told ESPN. "Supporting HBCUs is not just my honor, but responsibility. What they're doing at Jackson State needs to be commended." "We are extremely appreciative of the gift that Diddy has provided for Jackson State football," head coach T.C. Taylor said. "For someone of the global magnitude of Sean Combs to believe in Jackson State is legendary. His investment will help the continued elevation of JSU Football to the next level of greatness. players. For them to see up close and personal on our sideline one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs was significantly impactful for our program." |
| GPAs, ACT scores, valedictorians: Why LSU says freshman class is 'most competitive' ever | |
 | The LSU freshmen who started school Monday, Aug. 21, make up the "most competitive" class in school history, according to university President William Tate. Their average high school GPA was 3.82, Tate said. The Class of 2027 had an average ACT score of 26.5, compared to 26.1 from last year's class. The national average ACT score for the high school class of 2022 was 19.8, according to the company that administers the test; Louisiana's average score was 18.1. "I think we have a highly competitive class," Tate said. "They are distinguished in a number of metrics that most people can agree are important, and we're excited about this group. I think they're going to do extremely well at LSU." According to Tate, this year's class includes 440 students who were valedictorians at their respective schools, up slightly from the 429 valedictorians admitted last year. About 1,047 freshman were admitted into the Ogden Honors College, Tate said, well above the 858 admitted last fall. "They're super strong, and that speaks a lot about what's happening with the honors college," he said. "When you factor in that we've increased the number of students in the honors college, the overall GPA of the class went up, and with a large number of valedictorians it speaks to the quality of the class and what we can expect is really high performance from a group of this sort." |
| U. of Arkansas reports E. coli outbreak among students | |
| The Arkansas Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections among students at the University of Arkansas, according to a press release from the department. "We are aware of a few hospitalizations related to the outbreak," the release said. "The university is working closely with public health officials to help identify the source of the outbreak and provide guidance to help prevent additional infections. At this time, based on what we know about the onset of symptoms, we believe the outbreak started more than a week ago." Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting, the release states. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless and actually are an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. However, some E. coli can cause illness outside of the intestinal tract, the centers website says. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks, it says. Usually, people recover without treatment after five to seven days, however, those who experience severe symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, according to the release. |
| Scientists access ORNL's supercomputer from all over: New York, a plane, even Hardee's | |
 | Frontier, the world's fastest supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, could not fit into your pocket. It is made of 74 cabinets, each of which weighs 8,000 pounds. But that doesn't mean it can't be used from a lab thousands of miles away or even from a scientist's favorite fast-food restaurant. "I logged onto Frontier from an airplane," said Bronson Messer, an astrophysicist and the director of science at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. "I've logged onto a lot of world No. 1 supercomputers from random Hardee's in the middle of nowhere in the Southeast, so doing it from an airplane I find utterly unsurprising." One of the wonders of supercomputers, in addition to their lightning-fast speed and cavernous memory, is that they can be accessed from just about anywhere to solve generational scientific problems. Stephan Priebe, a senior engineer at GE Aerospace Research, is using Frontier to see how a new generation of jet engine might work in flight. But Priebe has never seen Frontier in person. He's never even visited ORNL. Priebe accesses Frontier from GE Global Research in upstate New York. Other researchers have logged on from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Stanford University, Germany, France and Australia. Frontier is housed at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, one of nine open-user facilities at ORNL that allow thousands of researchers across the world to use the lab's technology to solve complex scientific problems. |
| U. of South Carolina student shot and killed, police say | |
 | A 20-year-old University of South Carolina student was shot and killed in Columbia overnight, the Columbia Police Department reported. Early information suggests that the student, who lived in the neighborhood, was attempting to enter the wrong home during the early hours of the morning, according to police. The student, who was identified as Nicholas Anthony Donofrio by the Richland County Coroner's Office, was from Connecticut. He was a sophomore at USC, according to a university spokesperson. Officers say that they were responding to a call about a burglary at 2 a.m. on the 500 block of South Holly Street in Rosewood when they received reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Donofrio on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body. "Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot," according to a statement released by investigators. A spokesperson for the University of South Carolina has said that they are aware of the shooting and the investigation by the Columbia Police Department. "Out Student Affairs team is providing resources and support to those who may be affected by this tragedy, and we remind all of our students that help is always available to them." Classes had just resumed at USC on Thursday. |
| Students find community at Missouri's Welcome Black BBQ | |
 | Students and faculty turned a room in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center into a lively dance floor Friday for the University of Missouri's annual Welcome Black BBQ. The Welcome Black BBQ is "a hub of students coming together to celebrate each other," said Erika Aaron, MU's assistant vice chancellor of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. The event was hosted by the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, the Legion of Black Collegians and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. "Everyone wants to have a sense of community and feel like they belong," Aaron said. "Everyone likes to feel like they're represented and that they are celebrated, and this event provides that opportunity." About 500 people came through the center over the course of the evening, Aaron said. The event included burgers, hot dogs, desserts, card games, a DJ and dancing. Elijah Hudson-Moore, a psychology student at MU, said that when he entered the event, everyone felt like family. Hudson-Moore went to a predominantly Black high school, and he said going to MU can be a "culture shock." He said the environment of the event brought him comfort, and he didn't necessarily feel that way around campus. "Coming to a space where people look like me -- everywhere I look and everywhere I turn -- that's not the usual case everywhere else outside of this space," Hudson-Moore said. "It's very powerful." |
| West Virginia University Banked on Growth. It Backfired. | |
 | West Virginia University's student population has been shrinking for years. Its proclivity to spend money has not. Now facing a $45 million budget deficit, administrators have proposed eliminating dozens of programs, including the mathematics Ph.D. and the entire world languages department. Students staged a spirited protest on campus last week, and faculty are pleading with the school's governing board to reject the recommended cuts. West Virginia reflects a broader pattern of flagship schools increasing expenditures far faster than they did enrollment, as detailed in a recent Wall Street Journal investigation. The proposed cuts have caused concern over the direction of education in the state, among the nation's poorest, and the school's role as a steppingstone for local students into the global economy. University President E. Gordon Gee and current and former members of the board blame the institution's financial challenges on the pandemic and state funding cuts, as well as competition and demographic changes. A review of university financial records, however, shows that its spending habits and expansion plans set it on a path to instability. |
| The Insular World of Academic Research | |
 | One professor's research focused on reuniting families torn apart by opioid addiction, by helping parents develop skills like problem-solving and anger management. Another worked with local public schools to create an early-warning system to identify and support students at risk of falling behind in their studies and dropping out. An interdisciplinary research team, with members from backgrounds as varied as economics, engineering, and landscape architecture, is assisting communities in figuring out what's next for aging hydroelectric dams. These are the kinds of stories that colleges like to tell about the real-world benefits of faculty research and the public-mindedness of the academy. God knows higher ed could use some positive messaging, as public trust in colleges hits yet another all-time low. Recent polling by Gallup found that only about a third of Americans have confidence in higher education, a precipitous drop in perceptions from just five years earlier. There are plenty of factors fueling that mistrust. Tuition continues to rise, and student debt dogs graduates well into adulthood. Employers and others question whether college degrees, once a given, prepare their holders for workplace success. And the culture wars have come for higher ed, with conservatives objecting to what they see as campuses' overwhelmingly leftist values and ideas. For colleges and their supporters, public or community-engaged research is a way to answer the critiques: By using their expertise to solve concrete problems and shape public policy, higher-education institutions are working for the broader good. The trouble is, institutional structures at the heart of academe can get in the way of doing such work. |
| Student Loans Are Emerging From Deep Freeze, and Borrowers Are Confused | |
| Student-loan borrowers are finding out that restarting a $1.6 trillion federal program is much more confusing than switching it off. With pandemic relief ending, borrowers will start owing interest as of Friday. They are learning of new payment schedules, often via email, from servicers they might have never heard of---and could be reluctant to pay. That is because about four-in-10 borrowers' loans transferred to a new servicer during the pause that began in March 2020, according to government data. Millions more have graduated or otherwise left school during the pause and have never been required to make a payment until now. And many must consider a flurry of enticing, but novel, Biden administration changes to repayment plans and debt-forgiveness programs. The first payments are due as soon as Oct. 1. Geri Critchley, a 75-year-old former nonprofit employee, is among those attempting to navigate the system. She paid graduate-school loans for more than 20 years. She has $14,000 left, but no clarification as to what she will owe each month and how to pay. After three years of no payments, she called her loan servicer and the Education Department to ask about forgiveness options, payment deadlines and amounts. But getting through to a human at each place took some work. Critchley encountered what many borrowers fear: long hold times, constant redirections and dropped calls. When she finally got through to her loan servicer, the voice on the other end of the line suggested she call back in January when call volume would be lower -- three months after repayment is set to start. |
| How the FAFSA delay could impact colleges and students | |
| The U.S. Department of Education is overhauling the Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year, but the agency plans to roll out the new form in December -- two months later than usual. That delay could cause issues for college administrators and states, financial aid experts say. The new FAFSA represents the first major redesign of the form in over 40 years. The revamp intends to create a more streamlined process for students applying for federal financial aid, expands Pell Grant eligibility and lower barriers for certain student populations, including those who are homeless, incarcerated and come from low-income backgrounds. But the delay could affect state and institutional financial aid deadlines, require colleges to increase staffing, and impact students' college decisions. Several aspects of the FAFSA simplification will also add burdens for financial aid officers, such as new reporting requirements and changes to the federal aid methodology formula, said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, in an email. And, he added, financial aid offices nationwide are already experiencing significant staffing shortages. "Financial aid offices are certainly feeling the pressure," Draeger said. "These are the most significant changes to the way students and families apply for and receive financial aid in decades, and they're happening on a tight timeline." Indeed, only 28% of financial aid professionals believed their institution was mostly or completely prepared for the FAFSA simplification rollout, according to a February NASFAA survey. |
| 2024 Republicans want to eliminate the Education Department. What would that look like? | |
 | Multiple Republican presidential candidates made it clear at this week's debate that the Department of Education is in danger if they are elected. "Let's shut down the head of the snake, the Department of Education," Vivek Ramaswamy said. "Take that $80 billion, put it in the hands of parents across this country." Conservatives see the department, which has more than 4,400 employees and in its current form dates back to 1979 after first being established in 1867, as a prime example of Washington's meddling in Americans' lives. The time has come to "shut down the Federal Department of Education," former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday. But what would it mean to actually shutter the massive agency? Killing the Department of Education (DOE) would be easier said than done. Conservatives have said since the creation of the department they want to get rid of it. From President Ronald Reagan and his Education secretary to President Trump and his own, Republicans have decried the department's existence but failed to abolish it. That is because the decision to do so is not only up to the president and would have to go through Congress. DOE has an enormous number of responsibilities, including handling student loans, investigating complaints against schools and tracking education progress across the country. None of the 2024 candidates during Wednesday's debate detailed how they would handle eliminating it, but conservatives have longed to see many of its tasks either completely eliminated or absorbed into other departments. |
| White House requests extension of agreement with China on joint research | |
| President Joe Biden's administration has given itself 6 months to reach a deal with China to preserve a 44-year-old agreement governing scientific cooperation between the two superpowers. But the rising tensions between the two countries and calls by congressional Republicans for the United States to end cooperation with China will require the White House to walk a political tightrope in renewing what has traditionally been a garden-variety diplomatic pact. U.S. academics welcome the administration's decision, first reported by NBC News, not to abandon an agreement that has been renewed in 5-year increments by both Republican and Democratic presidents since then–Chinese Premier Deng Xiaoping and U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed it in 1979. They argue the U.S. has benefited as much as China in conducting joint basic research on topics ranging from reducing infant mortality to combating climate change. There's no reason to abandon those efforts, they add. But critics of the existing STA, which was scheduled to expire on 27 August, believe that is a dangerously naïve view of China, which they say poses a major threat to U.S. economic and national security. They say the world has changed dramatically since 1979, when China was emerging from its decadelong Cultural Revolution and was eager to learn from the West, and that the current regime has no interest in two-way collaborations. |
| Ad wars: Tate Reeves continues focus on trans issues, Brandon Presley says governor is lying | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Based on Republican Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign rhetoric and how he spends his campaign funds, it is reasonable to think he believes transgender issues are the state's No. 1 problem. A Reeves campaign commercial is airing statewide, claiming his Democratic challenger Brandon Presley "supports sex change and puberty blocking drugs for children." Reeves does not appear in the ad. Instead, there is a voice-over narrator talking ominously about Presley's alleged position on trans issues. Presley, apparently, felt he needed to quickly respond. In Presley's response ad, he looks directly into the camera and proclaims, "Tate Reeves' latest TV ad is a lie. Here's what he's not telling you: I'm on the record saying I don't support gender surgery for minors or boys playing girl's sports. Never have. "And that won't change when I am governor. Truth is, Tate Reeves will say anything to protect his good ol' boy network and hide the fact that he's caught up in the largest corruption scandal in the history of Mississippi. Those are the facts, and Tate Reeves lying to you won't change them." ... But regardless of Reeves' claims and what Presley's response might be, how big of an issue is this in Mississippi? |
SPORTS
| Promising Preseason Gives Way To Game Week | |
| Mississippi State was inside Davis Wade Stadium conducting its final practice of the preseason on Saturday. As things wrapped up, the videoboards in both end zones -- for no particular reason -- ironically displayed the following score: State 10, State 10 It wasn't meant to indicate as much, but an end-of-preseason tie did seem incredibly fitting given the last three weeks of Bulldog camp that've featured promising moments on both the offensive and defensive sides. The same theme continued Saturday in MSU's last tune-up before game week. Running backs continued to flash their potential. Jo'Quavious Marks and Seth Davis picked up big gains on the ground and through the air, while Keyvone Lee broke loose on a 50-yard touchdown run. Receiver Lideatrick Griffin also chipped in a touchdown rush, scoring from three yards out on a jet sweep. The passing game added a few final preseason highlights as well with Will Rogers, Mike Wright, Chris Parson and Jake Weir all contributing. Parson and Weir both had touchdown tosses in the abbreviated scrimmage. Meanwhile, on defense, linebacker Nic Mitchell had a sack in the end zone for a safety. Nathaniel Watson, J.P. Purvis, Jaden Crumedy and Gavin Nelson all added tackles for loss, too. |
| Mississippi State football predictions 2023: Game-by-game picks for Zach Arnett's Bulldogs | |
 | Game week has arrived for Mississippi State football. The Bulldogs, led by first-year coach Zach Arnett, open the season Saturday against FCS foe Southeastern Louisiana (3 p.m., SEC Network). This year features low expectations for MSU nationally. The Bulldogs were picked to finish last in the SEC West last month in the media poll. However, with returning talent on both sides of the ball -- including senior quarterback Will Rogers and sixth-year linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson -- Mississippi State believes it can have a year similar to last season's nine-win schedule. Mississippi State's schedule features eight homes games compared to four away from Davis Wade Stadium. As Week 1 arrives, here are our game-by-game prediction for how the Bulldogs will fare this season. |
| Stan Murray gets it right: Legendary SEC official enters eighth year in review booth | |
| There are two minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the first half of the 2018 SEC Championship game, and the Alabama Crimson Tide are getting rolled. Down 21-7 to the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Alabama is looking for a spark. Georgia's defense has dominated the first half, leaving quarterback Tua Tagaviloa bruised and battered. But now, finally, the Tide are driving. A series of runs by tailback Josh Jacobs has Alabama deep in Georgia territory, with the ball inside the 2-yard line. The Tide call a run to the right side of the formation, Jacobs takes the handoff, lunges forward and ... chaos ensues. Jacobs appears to fumble the ball across the goaline, scramble forward for the ball and ultimately lose possession to Georgia defensive back J.R. Reed. Touchback, Bulldogs. Alabama's chance to climb back in the game appears to be gone. "The ruling on the field is a fumble, recovered by Georgia for a touchback," announces referee Matt Loefffler. Next come those words that send hearts dropping and stomachs churning for college football fans everywhere: "The previous play is under review." A minute later, CBS' play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler subtly signals to any knowledgeable SEC fans who are listening that, regardless of the outcome of the review, it will be the right call. What he actually says, though, is this: "Stan Murray is our replay official." Murray, a Columbus resident, has worked as an SEC replay official since 2016, a position he assumed after leaving the field in 2015. Murray spent 29 years as a back judge, with more than a dozen years on the crew of legendary SEC referee Hubert Owens. Murray, a Jackson native, played running back at Mississippi State from 1971-74. |
| 2 Congressmen Form Caucus to Preserve Historic College Football Stadiums | |
 | Two House lawmakers have teamed up to form a new congressional caucus focused on preserving and protecting more than a dozen historic college football stadiums, including the Rose Bowl, the Yale Bowl and Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium. The bipartisan caucus -- led by Louisiana representative Garret Graves, a Republican, and Wisconsin representative Mark Pocan, a Democrat -- wants to bring attention to "these iconic venues," protect their value and adapt them to meet evolving needs, according to a news release. The effort, which will include "technological upgrades" and "infrastructure updates," would likely involve federal money. "When Tiger fans walk into Death Valley on Saturday nights, they do more than watch a football game -- they walk into a 99-year-old local icon that supports our regional economy," Graves said in the release. Similarly, Pocan said the historic stadiums serve a vital role in communities. "Not only are they where memories are made and young people get inspired to play sports, but they're often hubs of economic activity," he said. "We must do everything we can to protect these iconic venues in our communities." The Historic Stadium Caucus will work to preserve 18 venues, some of which are the oldest remaining stadiums in the country, including Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State University. |
| Mississippi State Shines Bright with Dominant 2-0 Win over FIU on Home Turf | |
| In a riveting clash that pitted Mississippi State (3-0-1) against the nation's fifth-leading scoring team, FIU (3-0-1) the Dawgs won again. Underneath the lights of the MSU Soccer Field, State emerged triumphant with a commanding 2-0 victory to remain unbeaten. FIU, arriving with an astounding record of having scored 17 goals while conceding none in their first three matches, entered the encounter as a formidable force. Their reputation as a relentless attacking team had created a buzz, making the match against State all the more intriguing. From the opening kick, MSU displayed their intent to neutralize FIU's attacking threat. The Bulldog's strategic defending and cohesive teamwork disrupted the Panther's rhythm, preventing them from showcasing their usual goal-scoring flair. Mississippi State's defensive discipline was the cornerstone of their game plan, effectively cutting off supply lines to FIU's dangerous attacking players. For State, the scoring saga began in the 61st minute when Ilana Izquierdo capitalized on a superb assist from Maggie Wadsworth, putting Mississippi State ahead 1-0. Izquierdo's goal sent shockwaves of cheers through the stands and triggered the iconic ringing of cowbells that resonated across the MSU Soccer Field and deep into the night. The Dawgs improve to 3-0-1 heading into next week's continued home stand where they will host back-to-back Power 5 opponents into Starkville. State will hit the pitch again on Thursday against Iowa before a Sunday afternoon date with Miami. |
| State Edges Louisiana To Sweep StarkVegas Classic | |
| The Mississippi State volleyball team protected its home floor and capped an undefeated opening weekend courtesy of a 3-2 victory over Louisiana [21-25, 21-25, 25-14, 25-20, 15-13] during Sunday's action at the StarkVegas Classic. "We went down 0-2 and came back to win a reverse sweep," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "I think it was great for them to feel some pressure. Their backs were against the wall, and for them to make a choice to come back and play with grit and resolve was really fun to watch. Once we turned it on it was really clean. In the third set we had zero hitting errors and a .560 hitting percentage. I was so proud of the team." Karli Schmidt, an All-Tournament pick, led the Bulldogs (3-0) for a third straight match with 16 kills while also adding three blocks. Sophie Agee turned in a double-double performance with 11 kills and 12 digs. "I am so excited and proud of Sophie [Agee] for earning a double-double tonight." Dennis said. "Karli [Schmidt] had another big night with 16 kills. Over the weekend, we saw that our outsides are willing to rise to the occasion and score points for us, and that's exactly what we need." Mississippi State hits the road for the next two weekends. First up, a trip to Orlando, Fla. where the Bulldogs are scheduled to meet UCF (Friday – 6 p.m. CT) and FIU (Saturday – 4 p.m. CT) for the UCF Challenge. |
| CFP leaders to tackle 12-team format's issues of access, money, more at this week's meeting | |
| On Wednesday, college football's power brokers will meet again to work through the remaining unresolved issues of the 12-team College Football Playoff before the expanded format arrives next season. The meeting was scheduled weeks ago, but the intrigue surrounding it increased tenfold this month after the latest wave of conference realignment left the Pac-12 on life support. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been vocal in recent weeks about his desire for CFP leadership to re-examine the previously agreed-upon 12-team model. He told ESPN that he still believes 12 is the right number of participants but wants to revisit the way those bids are awarded. Sankey is one of 10 FBS commissioners who, along with Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, make up the CFP management committee. Sankey was also part of the subgroup that created the 12-team model approved last fall, made up of the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six highest-ranked at-large teams. The "6+6" model, as administrators have informally referred to it, has been lauded for nearly guaranteeing annual access for all five Power 5 champions and at least one Group of 5 champion, while also ensuring that the best teams in the country have a chance to play for the national championship. Does 6+6 still make the most sense with just four power conferences and nine FBS leagues? With the Pac-12 out of the picture, should there be five spots for the highest-ranked conference champions and seven for at-large bids -- or should changes be more drastic? And how will the revenue get divided? The commissioners may not have final answers for these questions by the end of the day on Wednesday, but they do expect to dive into the topics. They also must work through other logistical issues, from lodging to ticket allotments and everything in between. Despite all the poaching of conference members that's taken place over the past three years, those in the room expect this week's meeting to be cordial. There's too much at stake for it not to be. |
| Report: ACC has 'continued momentum' toward Stanford, Cal, SMU additions | |
| There is reportedly continued momentum to the ACC adding Stanford, Cal and SMU, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. In the wild ride of summer realignment in college athletics, the ACC could grab two of the remaining Pac-12 teams while bringing SMU to the Power Five. However, this is not a done deal according to Thamel. After reports of the Big 12 looking into more Pac-12 schools, those were shot down and the ACC could make the big west coast play. "Sources: After a weekend of conversations, there's continued momentum toward the ACC adding Stanford, Cal and SMU," Thamel wrote in a thread on Twitter. "ACC officials are working on gathering the presidents/chancellors on a call, which is expected to take place at some point early this week. "Sources caution that nothing is finalized and the details are 'only in pencil' as of now. Expect a decision either way this week. Officials are still working specifically on how to divide the pool of money that would be spilt up among ACC members after the three schools join. "That amount is expected to be between $50 and $60 million annually. Some of that will be distributed to all members, and the rest would be put into a pool for success initiatives." In the event the ACC lands Stanford and Cal, Oregon State and Washington State would still be left without a home. |
| Big Ten to release game-day availability reports this season | |
| The Big Ten said Friday it will make football availability reports mandatory on game days during the 2023 season, making it the only Power 5 conference to actively distribute such reports. Big Ten schools will be required to submit availability reports at least two hours before kickoff to the conference office. Each program's reports will be released on the conference's website and on X (formerly Twitter). If a school doesn't send in its injury report within two hours of the start of the game, it could be disciplined. "The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance," Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said in a statement. "Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity (USI) strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves. I'm grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators." USI will help the conference monitor prohibited gambling among student-athletes and coaches. The Big 12 also announced a similar partnership with USI on Wednesday. The NCAA explored the possibility of injury reports in 2019, but ultimately decided it was not viable. Earlier this month, LSU coach Brian Kelly announced his program would be releasing NFL-style injury reports twice a week this season in an effort to deter gamblers from hounding players and coaches about player availability. |
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