| Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| APLU Hosts Capitol Hill Reception Showcasing the Impact of Public Universities' Agriculture Programs | |
 | APLU hosted a Capitol Hill reception on June 2 showcasing the joys and real-world impact of public and land-grant university creameries, including Mississippi State University. The reception featured ice cream and cheese products from public and land-grant university colleges of agriculture, highlighting the societal benefit of university-based research, teaching, and Extension in food and agricultural sciences. Nearly 1,000 congressional staff, members of Congress, and other stakeholders attended the event. APLU President Waded Cruzado gave welcoming remarks, thanking congressional staff and members of Congress for attending and sharing about the extraordinary impact of the education, research, and community engagement and Extension missions of public and land-grant universities. Lawmakers and congressional staff had the opportunity to sample ice cream and cheese from 20 university creameries. The showcase included classics like cookies and cream and flavors highlighting state agricultural products. such as muscadine from Mississippi, pecans from New Mexico, and even sweet corn from Iowa and Nebraska all spun into bite-sized scoops. |
| Sterile fly supply limitations complicate US screwworm fight | |
| Federal and state officials are scrambling to respond to a growing list of New World screwworm cases in Texas, but face a key constraint in their goal of re-eradicating the pest: the U.S. isn't producing enough sterile flies. It took dropping around 500 million sterile screwworm flies per week to push screwworm out of the U.S. in past outbreaks, according to Michael Schmoyer, associate administrator for the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and director of the New World Screwworm Directorate. Currently, USDA is bringing in 100 million sterile flies each week from a production facility in Panama to deploy to parts of Texas where cases have been detected, he said during a press conference on Monday. According to Schmoyer, an additional 100 million sterile flies will likely become available by the end of the year as a new production facility comes online in Metapa, Mexico. Another $750 million facility being built in Edinburg, Texas, will be capable of producing 300 million sterile flies per week when fully complete, but won't start operating until next fall, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week. Mississippi State University Economist Josh Maples said screwworm is "not something we should expect to meaningfully reduce the supply of cattle," noting that it can be managed, though "it's costly and time-consuming to do so." |
| EPA chief says he won't regulate data centers | |
 | The Trump administration is not going to set nationwide environmental requirements or recommendations for the rapidly growing data center industry, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. While there are technologies and practices that reduce air pollution and water usage, states and communities know what works best for them, Zeldin said at the POLITICO Energy Summit in Washington. "While we hear these stories of the worst-case data center that is most controversial and has the most amount of opposition, we might hear less about the data center that is following all the best practices," Zeldin said. "It is important, as more builds are getting done, that they are following those best practices, not the worst practices." But data centers can't be painted with a broad brush, he added. Each facility is different, as are the surrounding communities, local environmental conditions, electricity needs and water usage. Zeldin has courted the AI industry throughout his tenure at EPA, including the controversial use of unpermitted gas turbines at xAI's complex in Tennessee. |
SPORTS
| Berryhill inducted into Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum Hall of Fame | |
 | Centreville native and acclaimed author Ray Berryhill recently was inducted into the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum Outdoor Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor recognizes Berryhill's lifelong dedication, exceptional skill, and profound impact on Mississippi's outdoor heritage. The annual event celebrates individuals who have gone above and beyond to preserve, protect, and promote the state's rich traditions in hunting, fishing, and conservation. Berryhill attended Mississippi State University (MSU), earning his bachelor's degree in 1980 and his master's degree in 1981, both in education. As an undergraduate student, Berryhill served as an MSU track manager, and while in graduate school, he worked as a graduate assistant track coach. In 1982, he began working at MSU as an Athletic Academic Counselor. In 1984, he was hired as Director of Athletic Academics at the University of Alabama. In 1989, Mississippi State University appointed him as Assistant Athletic Director for Academics, where he worked until his retirement in 2015. |
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