Mississippi Today

Mississippians deserve timely gubernatorial debate, not fear and loathing

Published

2 years ago

October 6, 2023

There appears to be much political jackassery afoot in the candidate haggling over debate(s) in the Mississippi gubernatorial race.

At this point, just weeks away from the Nov. 7 general election, it’s still unclear whether Mississippi voters will be treated to such a televised debate. In the meantime, they can enjoy some childish fear and loathing about it from the candidates and campaigns on social media.

Here’s the deal:

Incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves doesn’t want to debate. This makes sense, politically. When you’re a well-known incumbent sitting on a lead and a pile of cash, facing a lesser-known and funded challenger, conventional wisdom is you have little to gain and much to lose from debates.

Plus, Reeves himself has said that extemporaneous speaking and charming a live audience is not his strong suit. He’s right.

Presley, on the other hand, really wants to debate. This makes sense. He needs the exposure.

Plus, Presley is an excellent orator, silver tongued, has the gift of gab. Compared to Reeves, he’s a regular Daniel Webster. Many politicos figure he’ll mop the floor with Reeves in a debate.

Ergo, Presley has been calling for debates for months, vowing to spar with Reeves “any time, anywhere” and agreeing to any debate requests he’s gotten. He’s accepted five invites to date. These include invites from WJTV and Gray TV stations — outlets with wide reach across the state.

Reeves had ducked the invites, and when pressed said he was busy and his campaign was working on it. Presley’s campaign made much political hay of this, saying Reeves was scared to debate or answer questions in front of Mississippians at-large. Presley’s campaign even ran an ad with a tracker and bloodhounds looking for Reeves, a la Sen. Mitch McConnell’s famous ads from the 1980s.

Facing these slings and arrows, plus the fact that Mississippi voters expect gubernatorial candidates to debate, Reeves had to do something. He recently told media his campaign was working with Presley’s campaign on debates — plural. Presley’s campaign promptly responded that this was a lie.

Then on Wednesday, T-minus 34 days until the election, Reeves announced he had accepted a debate invite, from Jackson television station WAPT, for a debate on Nov. 1 — just six days before the election.

Now, this appears to be a rope-a-dope move by the Reeves campaign. It appears likely his campaign invited itself to a debate with WAPT without any consultation of the Presley campaign.

Normally setting up a debate in a major race involves weeks of negotiations and agreeing to ground rules between the host and the competing campaigns. And most debates are held further out than six days from an election. That compressed timing would make it impossible for any candidate who mopped up in a debate to make political hay of it, or for voters to digest it and use it in choosing.

And the debate Reeves agreed to is, oddly, with the Jackson station with the smallest reach, lacking affiliates to broadcast the debates statewide. If only that station airs it, it would not be broadcast live in numerous key election battleground areas of the state.

This all raises some questions of whether WAPT practiced parity in formulating this debate, or worked with the Reeves campaign on organizing the event before even inviting Presley.

This prompted Presley to vow that he’s going to go ’round the state and have the five debates he agreed to, even without Reeves. He said he’ll bring an empty chair to stand in for the governor.

Now, as compelling as this would be to watch, it’s doubtful the media outlets would schedule valuable air time for Presley to argue with a chair.

And while Reeves’ desire to hold off on a debate until just days before the election and limit its reach seems absurd, Presley has gone around for months saying he’d debate Reeves anywhere, any time. He’s sort of backed himself into a corner on agreeing to whatever Reeves and WAPT cook up. The Reeves camp has already been chiding Presley on social media for wavering on whether he’ll do said ridiculous last-minute debate.

One would think Mississippi voters deserve better than all this, and deserve to see candidates debate and answer questions. It remains to be seen if — and when — that will happen. Until then, it appears the political jackassery over debates will continue.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.