| Thursday, June 25, 2026 |
| MSU's College of Professional and Continuing Studies helping skilled workers advance careers through leadership credential program | |
 | Mississippi State's College of Professional and Continuing Studies is spearheading a new leadership and project management credential program to help skilled workers advance into supervisory roles. Thanks to a U.S Department of Education grant, MSU is receiving approximately $2.6 million in federal funding through 2029 for its new Skills Trade Empowerment Program, or STEP, a 10-week leadership initiative for early and mid-career workers in trade industries such as construction, manufacturing and energy. The university is the only Mississippi institution of higher learning to receive the award serviced through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, or FIPSE, Special Projects Program. "There is a gap between knowing a trade and leading a team. STEP closes that gap with a structured, industry-recognized credential built around what supervisors in construction, manufacturing and energy actually need," said Kenna Vowell, CPCS assistant professor and STEP principal investigator. "Over four years, we expect more than 240 Mississippi workers to hold this credential. That is a workforce shift you can measure." |
| Citing staff turnover, Oktibbeha serves notice to LINK | |
 | Recent staff turnover at the Golden Triangle Development LINK has Oktibbeha County, Starkville and Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority reconsidering their contracts with the organization. During a regular meeting Monday, the board of supervisors passed a resolution to serve the LINK a two-year notice letter that could end the county's contract in 2028. "With the recent turnover that has happened over the last several months at the LINK, we just wanted to make sure we were in a position in case we needed to decide not to continue with the LINK," said Marvell Howard, District 3 supervisor and board president. The LINK holds $500,000 contracts with Oktibbeha, Lowndes and Clay counties for economic development. Oktibbeha County holds agreements with Starkville, The Greater Starkville Development Partnership and OCEDA to pay a portion of the $500,000 value in exchange for access to LINK's services. Speaking to The Dispatch about the notice, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill echoed supervisors' concerns about the recent turnover. |
| Columbus continues to lag behind sales tax projections, Starkville on track to exceed | |
| Year-to-date sales tax collections in Columbus remain ahead of last year's, but the city is still on pace to miss its budget projections for that revenue. Meanwhile in Starkville, the city has fallen behind Fiscal Year 2025 on year-to-date general sales tax collections but is still on track to exceed its budget amount. Both cities' sales tax collections fell this month. Both cities' budget cycles began Oct. 1. Columbus is projected to fall over $150,000 short of its $12 million projected budget. Meanwhile, Starkville is still on pace to exceed its $10.3 million projected budget by about $86,000, despite a decrease in collections this month. Starkville collected about $838,853 in general sales tax this month, a 26.18% decrease from June 2025 collections of $1,136,300. This month's collections are also down 13.20% from last month. Last June's collections were unusually high due to an audit adjustment made by the state Department of Revenue. This spike in collections was accounted for when the city created its projected budget for this fiscal year. So far this fiscal year the city has collected $7,789,699, which is a 0.82% decrease from collections this time last year ($7,854,481). Starkville is still on track to exceed its $10.3 million projected budget by about $86,000. |
| Funding crisis looms as school enrollment drops | |
| Public school enrollment in Mississippi has been on a decline for roughly a decade, and most school districts in the Golden Triangle have not been spared. Apart from Lowndes County School District, all area districts have seen an enrollment decline since the 2015-2016 school year, though Columbus Municipal School District has seen the largest, with a decrease of more than 25%. Soon, districts could face financial consequences for the loss. State funding for public school districts is largely tied to student enrollment under the Mississippi Student Funding Formula. With a provision of the formula shielding districts from enrollment-based funding cuts set to expire in 2027, the financial impact will vary by district, said Shanderia Minor, public information officer for the Mississippi Department of Education. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District saw the smallest decline in the region, at 5.28% over the last decade. Communications Director Haley Montgomery said the largest block of students who withdrew from the district during that time period left to move to other public schools. The second largest block of students moved out of state, which she attributed in part to the district's proximity to Mississippi State University. |
| Meridian Day is a longstanding tradition at the Neshoba County Fair | |
 | Meridian Day was held at the Neshoba County Fair, continuing a tradition that's been celebrated for more than 20 years. The day gives resources, nonprofits, schools and entertainment venues a chance to share what Meridian has to offer. Meridian Main Street Director Matt Schanrock encouraged people to come out for the fair experience. "One thing that we forget to talk about is how much fun it is. So it's a little bit of a trek to get up here but once you're here it's always, it's all smiles and good food and it's good to see people you hadn't seen you in a long time as well. So it's completely different event that we put on you know we're all wearing shorts and rain boots right now so, what other the event is like that in Meridian. So it's fun to come out here and get to hang out with everyone," Schanrock said. |
| Meridian Main Street earns two awards for downtown revitalization efforts | |
 | Meridian Main Street has received two statewide honors from Mississippi Main Street for projects that have helped revitalize downtown Meridian through creative fundraising and public art. The organization was recognized during the annual Mississippi Main Street Awards program, earning top honors for the PuttPutt Palooza fundraiser and the 26th Avenue Tunnel Mural project. PuttPutt Palooza received the Outstanding Creative Fundraising Award, which recognizes downtown organizations that demonstrate innovation and success in raising funds for downtown programs and projects. The event transformed a block of downtown Meridian into a miniature golf course, creating a unique fundraising experience while drawing residents and visitors into the city center. The 26th Avenue Tunnel Mural was honored with the Outstanding Public Arts Project Award, which recognizes efforts that integrate arts and culture into community development and revitalization. The project, led by the Meridian Museum Art Collective and nominated by Meridian Main Street, transformed the tunnel into a colorful public art destination highlighting the city's culture and history. |
| Mary Means Business: Indoor pickleball facility plans in Columbus | |
| Pickleball's national chokehold on society continues, and two Columbus entrepreneurs are all in. Steve Pyle and Donald Barksdale are jumping in on the sport's massive popularity by opening a brand-new indoor pickleball court and recreation facility in Columbus. More than a year ago, Barksdale purchased the old John Deere building at 2223 Tufline Road, giving the duo about 26,000 square feet to work with. Still in the early stages, Pyle and Barksdale are hyped. They hope to eventually host regional tournaments and offer lessons for beginners. Their current concept features 10 to 12 indoor courts, a concession area serving up sodas, nachos and snacks, and a separate recreation space for those looking to play a round of darts or pool. |
| Americans are inundated with suspected scams. New polling shows why few victims report them | |
 | Most Americans are inundated with scam attempts on a daily basis -- and about 3 in 10 have personally lost money or personal information to scams, according to a new AP-NORC survey. The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in February, highlights the obstacle course that U.S. adults navigate daily as they screen calls, ignore messages or try to puzzle out if that urgent request from their cellphone provider is legitimate. A separate survey conducted by Gallup and the Stop Scams Alliance that was provided exclusively to the AP found that last year alone, about 1 in 10 U.S. adults said they or someone else from their household was deceived by a scammer into losing money or providing access to a financial account, with nearly half saying they lost more than $500. That leaves many Americans feeling like they're constantly at risk of falling for a scam, often without a sense of recourse. In both surveys, few victims said they reported the scam to the federal government or local law enforcement. Many victims didn't report the scam, Gallup found, because they didn't think it would make a difference in getting money back. |
| Why the South is the only U.S. region growing across every age group | |
 | The young, the old, the middle aged. They all keep flocking south. Across every age group, the southeastern United States grew faster than any other region between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2025, according to new data released Thursday by the Census Bureau. Population in the South grew by 6 percent -- nearly double the nation overall -- during that period. It was also the only swath of the country to experience growth across all age groups, from children to retirees. "The South stands out because it is seeing population gains in age groups that in other regions saw little change or are declining," Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates branch, said in a statement announcing the new data. The South, which the bureau defines as a region that stretches from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic, added roughly 7.6 million people between 2020 and 2025 -- more than the rest of the country combined. Many counties across the country have grappled with declining population growth, but the South as a whole has bucked that trend. Many of the fastest-growing counties in recent years have been in states such as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. |
| Hosemann: Redistricting coming to Mississippi | |
 | In his remarks at the Neshoba County Fair on Wednesday, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) did not announce what office he would seek in 2027. It is expected that he will soon make his intentions known, with a likely run for governor rumored to be in the works. Hosemann is in his second term as Lt. Governor and is term limited, meaning he cannot run for re-election to that office in next year's elections. But instead of talking about his own future, Hosemann used much of his time to push back on Democrats' efforts to subvert the will of the people through challenging the Legislature's electoral maps. He told attendees under the Founders Square pavilion that redistricting is coming to Mississippi. "I have told you repeatedly one of the few rights we have as a state is our right to set the way we elect people and their districts, " Hosemann said. "When we tried to redistrict Mississippi, the way your Legislature, the people you hired wanted to redistrict Mississippi, the federal courts said, 'No, you can't do it that way. You've got to redistrict another way. We want other people elected.'" |
| Fitch says announcement on her political future is coming soon. Hosemann says redistricting is his focus: Neshoba County Fair | |
| Gubernatorial ambitions, declared and yet-to-be, were in the rainy Mississippi summer air on Wednesday as statewide officials delivered political speeches at the Neshoba County Fair. Republican Attorney General and prospective gubernatorial candidate Lynn Fitch said an announcement regarding her political future is soon forthcoming. A potential rival for the state's highest office, term-limited Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, again hinted at a run for the state's top job, declaring he would keep working as long as Mississippians would "keep hiring" him. Republicans Fitch and Hosemann both stopped short of announcing a run for governor, but Fitch, who could also run for a third term as attorney general, said she would make her 2027 intentions known soon. The two Republican candidates who have officially entered the gubernatorial race, former House Speaker Philip Gunn and Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, were also at Founder's Square shaking hands and chatting with fairgoers. |
| Fitch doesn't tip her hand at Neshoba | |
| Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) did not tip her hand as to her future campaign plans on Wednesday at the Neshoba County Fair. Instead, she used her time on the Founders Square stage to highlight the work her office is doing across Mississippi. Fitch, who has held the office of Attorney General for two terms, is routinely mentioned among a handful of possible candidates for governor in 2027. She left fairgoers wondering what comes next while touting her office's record over the last eight years. "I am proud to have been part of bringing Mississippi to this exciting moment in time. We are truly on the verge of greatness," Fitch said. "We are at that moment where we can transform Mississippi from one of the nation's best kept secrets to the very top of the nation's leader board." She said people are paying attention, and "they are really watching to see what we do next." The Attorney General also spoke on the reduction in crime and murder in Mississippi's Capitol City, saying murders are down 30% in Jackson. "Crime was destroying our state capital and the CCID, or Capitol Complex Improvement District, was an innovative law enforcement response," Fitch said. |
| Congressional challengers have unfettered access to Neshoba County Fair crowd with incumbents in Washington | |
| Congressional midterms are 132 days away, and candidates looking to unseat incumbents in Mississippi had unfettered access to the audience at one of the state's most prominent political stumps on Wednesday The Neshoba County Fair opened the first of its two-day lineup of political speaking with elected officeholders and hopefuls alike articulating their outlook for the state inside the Pavilion at Founder's Square -- a podium popularized by Ronald Reagan delivering a speech there during his 1980 presidential campaign. This year, with a U.S. Senate and a U.S. House post in the fairgrounds' district up for grabs, a trio of non-Republican candidates capitalized on the opportunity to sway a traditionally GOP-heavy crowd in their favor. And they did so with Republican incumbents U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Rep Michael Guest absent, due to having to fulfill congressional obligations in the nation's capital. Colom, a longtime district attorney in the Golden Triangle, is running to unseat Hyde-Smith because he believes Mississippians deserve better representation in the nation's capital. Colom took the opportunity to dish multiple jabs at Hyde-Smith, accusing the senator of turning her back on farmers, accepting large sums of money from corporations responsible for harming Mississippi's agriculture industry, and voting for tax cuts that benefit billionaires, rather than ordinary citizens. |
| Colom blasts absent Hyde-Smith, Pinkins promises alternative at Neshoba County Fair as US Senate midterm nears | |
| Two of Mississippi's candidates for U.S. Senate braved rainy, muddy conditions at the Neshoba County Fair on Wednesday, with each casting themselves as independent-minded and ready to bring change to a polarized Congress. Democratic candidate Scott Colom and independent Ty Pinkins spoke under the tin-roofed pavilion at Founder's Square just over four months before November's midterm federal election. Congress is in session this week, which prevented incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith from attending the fair, her campaign told Mississippi Today. Colom struck a bipartisan tone at the outset of his speech, recounting visiting Neshoba as a 9-year-old with his father, who at one point worked for Ronald Reagan, the former Republican president who drew national attention when he spoke at the fair in favor of "states' rights." That personal background, Colom said, would inform his approach as a U.S. senator. "I'm not running to be another Democratic senator," Colom said. "I'm running to be Mississippi's senator." Colom, a district attorney for Noxubee, Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties, went on to highlight his work prosecuting criminals and vowed to protect Second Amendment rights in the Senate. |
| The Senate candidates talk corruption at Neshoba County Fair 2026 | |
 | At the Neshoba County Fair, surrounded by Republican voters and baseball caps emblazoned with Trump administration slogans, even the Democratic candidates distanced themselves from the Democratic Party. The fair has earned itself a reputation as Mississippi's premier political speaking event, providing an opportunity for current politicians and hopefuls to attract supporters among attendees. The speaking is spread over two days, and the first of the days saw speeches from people across the spectrum of beliefs and positions. After an introduction from Mississippi Sen. Lane Taylor, R-Philadelphia, three candidates for federal office took the stage, including the two men challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith later this year. Scott Colom, the Democratic candidate, and Ty Pinkins, who is running as an Independent, each delivered 10-minute speeches promoting their campaigns and denigrating Hyde-Smith's tenure. Colom said that Hyde-Smith's voting record in the Senate is a "bigger betrayal" than what he described as corrupt actions, and he cited her role in passing bills that he said contributed to hospital closures in rural areas throughout Mississippi. |
| David McRae seeking 3rd term as Mississippi treasurer | |
| State Treasurer David McRae is seeking a third term, he announced in front of hundreds of fairgoers at the Neshoba County Fair on Wednesday. McRae, a Republican, took to the podium for his annual speech and touted several accomplishments -- including a record $170 million in unclaimed money being returned to Mississippians since he took office in 2020 -- and said he's the "happiest he's ever been." My wife has said, 'You look so much happier. You look so happy going to work every day.' Or she just wants me to go to work or whatever," McRae said, garnering laughs from the crowd. "But I enjoy the job and I have the greatest staff you could ever imagine. So, with that being said, I am proud to announce today I am running for a third term as your state treasurer." During his speech at Neshoba, which is often considered the state's most prominent political stump, McRae also discussed the state's recent boost in average annual investment earnings from $39 million to $187 million and college and career savings accounts that are available for residents to open through his office. |
| State senator David Blount speaks to Rotary | |
| State Sen. David Blount warned Tuesday that sweeping tax and pension changes enacted by the Legislature last year threaten Mississippi's ability to recruit and retain public employees and could hobble state finances for decades, delivering blunt remarks to the Rotary Club of North Jackson that touched on education, Medicaid expansion and the fallout from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on redistricting. Blount, a Democrat serving his fifth term in the state Senate, said House Bill 1 -- the law that begins phasing out the state income tax and revamps the public employee retirement system -- was the most consequential legislation he has seen during his tenure. "That did the two worst things we've ever done since I've been in the state Senate in the same bill," Blount told the club. He called elimination of the income tax "a radical experiment," noting only Alaska previously eliminated a state income tax after finding oil. He said the tax changes, combined with other recent cuts, have stripped the state of revenue needed to meet long-term obligations. Blount said the law also effectively ended the traditional defined-benefit pension for public workers hired after March 1, 2026, replacing it with a hybrid retirement plan. Under the change, 9% of an employee's paycheck will be deducted for retirement -- with about 5% going into a portable, 401(k)-style account and 4% into a reduced defined-benefit component. |
| Philip, Alan Moran get long jail sentences after bribery, conspiracy convictions | |
 | Former Mississippi state Sen. Philip Moran and his son, Alan, were sentenced to prison Wednesday in Hancock County Circuit Court. Philip Moran, 65, was sentenced to the maximum 15 years in prison for bribery, and the maximum 5 years on conspiracy, with both charges to run consecutively to one another. Judge Christopher Schmidt ordered Philip Moran to spend 12 of those years in prison, with the remainder of the time on post-release supervision. Alan Moran, 38, received the maximum sentence on both counts to run consecutively, but the judge suspended all but 10 years of his prison term, with the remainder of that time served under post-release supervision. That sentence will run consecutive to the 12-year sentence Alan Moran is already serving for child exploitation. Before imposing the sentence, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burrell asked the judge to impose the maximum sentences on both counts to run consecutively to one another. "One of the foundations of our criminal justice system is that the law is applied equally regardless of age, race, or economic status," Burrell said. "The defendant's actions in this case attempted to violate and shake that foundation and try to call into question the integrity of our justice system. They believe that their money, power, and privilege created an exception for them. They believe that their money and influence can buy their way out of trouble. That simply cannot stand in our justice system." A jury took a little over an hour to convict the father and son. |
| The Data-Center Boom Is Sparking a Third Wave of Inflation | |
 | President Trump's trade wars have waned. The price of gas is finally falling. But inflation has a new catalyst: America's massive artificial-intelligence build-out is beginning to push up prices on everything from smartphones to electricity. The question now is how widely that build-out might ripple through the economy, and how long it could keep inflation elevated. The answers will have big consequences for the economy. The money pouring into the AI arms race is unprecedented. Analysts peg capital spending at five of the so-called hyperscalers -- Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Oracle -- at $741 billion this year, according to FactSet, up nearly 75% from last year. Where is all that money going? While much of the conversation is focused on what AI can do, the build-out itself is strikingly physical, said Columbia University economist Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh. The data centers used for AI require sophisticated computing equipment, cooling systems to keep that equipment from overheating, electric and fiber-optic cables and backup generators to prevent power disruptions. With so much demand, prices are rising for many of the things that go into the AI build-out. And because those things are used for more than just AI, those price increases are spilling over into the broader economy. In some instances, the AI build-out could also add to labor costs. |
| AI is plowing through the workplace. This new group wants to help people adapt and have jobs | |
| America has been rushing into an artificial intelligence future without much of a plan to stop what could be catastrophic job losses. Critics warn of doomsday scenarios out of a sci-fi thriller, while backers say AI will generate so much new wealth that no one should worry too much about millions of layoffs. A new bipartisan nonprofit hopes to ensure that America can realize the economic gains promised by AI without its workers suffering. RAISE US is starting with more than $500 million to deploy on new forms of education and training, putting a focus on partnering with states and major employers rather than the federal government. Founded by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, the group aims to pilot programs and incentives to help American workers pivot to new careers in an economy that will increasingly be automated by artificial intelligence. The nonprofit is initially partnering with officials in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah, along with several of America's largest companies and charitable organizations. The group intends to develop policies that connect schools more closely to employers, so that layoffs can be replaced by the potential for new jobs with higher incomes. They also are exploring changes to corporate taxes and other incentives with the goal of keeping people working. |
| On AI, all eyes are on Ted Cruz | |
 | Few lawmakers have as much influence over the fate of artificial intelligence legislation as Sen. Ted Cruz, but he's keeping people guessing about how he'll use that power. As chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, the Texas Republican has pledged to convene members to vote on bills that would regulate the AI industry. He asked GOP members of the panel several weeks ago to submit their proposals. "This markup is designed to move legislation that has a real chance of passing into law," Cruz said in an interview this week, adding that he was vetting bills depending on "what bipartisan agreement and consensus can be reached." Cruz's aides, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said the senator believes the federal government should take "targeted" action in "truly novel circumstances" where existing laws are silent -- such as catastrophic risk, deepfakes and chatbots. But they also concede that GOP committee staff is still reviewing dozens of existing bills, and what measures will make the cut for the scheduled late July markup remain in flux. Senators on the panel also say they haven't heard from Cruz about his criteria for what AI legislation to put on the agenda. It's bringing real uncertainty to what Congress might accomplish on the high-stakes issue this year. |
| Timeline at risk for next GOP reconciliation package | |
 | While lawmakers had been hoping to work this month on a third budget resolution that would set the framework for another filibuster-proof reconciliation bill, some suggested Wednesday that a budget blueprint might slip into July. "I don't think we'll do a markup before July," said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the Budget Committee. "We don't have the time now, unless we get called back into session." The risk of a time slip underscored the growing doubts about the ability and willpower of Republicans to coalesce around a third budget reconciliation package before the midterm elections, following last year's "big, beautiful" tax and spending package and the recent immigration enforcement funding measure. Some top Senate Republicans have already dismissed the idea of a third reconciliation package as impractical, given the limited number of legislative days left before campaign season kicks in. But House GOP leaders, particularly Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have maintained a bullish optimism that a reconciliation bill can still be passed in time. GOP leaders are also facing other demands from their conference's right flank on what must be included in a reconciliation package. |
| Trump Stuns Republicans With Whirlwind Day of Frustration and Finger-Pointing | |
| At 2:38 a.m. on Wednesday, President Trump delivered a political attack line that most Republican politicians could rally behind. "America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country," he wrote on social media, criticizing the progressive candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America who won primary elections for House seats in New York on Tuesday. Hours later, after the sun rose in Washington, Trump turned his ire to a less-conventional target: his own allies. The president abruptly canceled plans to sign a bipartisan housing bill that Republican leaders and senior White House officials had touted as transformational. He then went to Capitol Hill and berated Senate Republicans during a testy closed-door lunch, calling one GOP lawmaker a loser and ribbing another for voting to convict him of inciting an insurrection during his first term. Back in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon, he laid into European allies, declaring that the U.K. was "dying" and arguing that other longtime American partners had let the U.S. down. Even for a president who routinely makes unexpected moves, Wednesday was head-spinning, according to GOP lawmakers. "The president's like a box of chocolates," Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican, said Wednesday. "You never know what you're going to get." |
| Supreme Court blocks thousands of suits claiming Roundup causes cancer | |
| The Supreme Court on Thursday restricted a massive wave of lawsuits claiming the chemical giant Monsanto had a duty to warn consumers of alleged cancer risks from the world's most popular weed killer, Roundup. The decision turned on a technical legal question, but one with enormous stakes. On the line are billions of dollars, the fate of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by cancer victims and the future of an herbicide farmers say is crucial to the nation's food supply but health groups warn is a danger. In an 8-1 decision, the justices ruled that federal law preempts cancer victims from bringing lawsuits against Monsanto in state courts, where most such claims are filed. The Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly found that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides, which was first marketed in the 1970s, does not cause cancer. The American Farm Bureau Federation estimates glyphosate is used on about 300 million acres of farmland in the United States and is integral to feeding the nation. Otherwise, it says, farmers might have to rely on harsher, less-safe herbicides. |
| Eager for a break, farmers don't expect much relief after the Iran peace deal | |
 | Fertilizer prices are finally falling this week after news of a tentative peace deal with Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But for Ryan Poe, a fifth-generation wheat farmer in Hartline, Wash., the headlines need a qualifier. "Maybe a global supplier of fertilizer sees that kind of instant price change," Poe says. "But for me, on the farm, there's been no change in fertilizer price." Poe already bought most of his fertilizer for the year. And this week he's putting what's left of it on the fields he needs to keep clear of weeds before he plants in the fall. Poe figures he spent roughly 23% more on fertilizer this spring than before the war. "It's the sticker shock of, OK, yeah, this is definitely higher than last year," Poe says. Farmers are equally eager for relief from high diesel prices. But an updated U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities forecast last Thursday predicts energy and fertilizer prices won't go down substantially until 2027, putting the heartland in a further bind. Before the turmoil in the Middle East, Poe was already dealing with flat wheat prices and rising equipment costs due to inflation and President Trump's second trade war in 10 years. It's a pile-on. "It's just not a fun time to be in ag," Poe says. "It's hard when you see people around you that are at that point of giving up." Where and what you farm can make a financial difference, though. |
| Democratic Leaders Want the Party to Moderate. Its Base Has Other Ideas. | |
 | After a trio of leftists in New York City defeated establishment-backed candidates in congressional primaries, a bouquet of flowers and a sympathy card arrived at the Capitol Hill office of Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader. "With heartfelt sympathy," read the trolling card from the House Republicans' campaign arm, mocking Mr. Jeffries, who had backed two of the losing candidates. Progressives were cheering their victories in New York on Wednesday. The only faction that appeared even happier may have been Republicans fighting to cling to power in the midterms, who are eager to attempt to define the Democratic brand by its most boisterous and socialist voices. Democrats find themselves squeezed by competing forces. The party's leaders in Washington are pushing for moderate candidates who they hope will be competitive in states and areas that have been inhospitable to Democrats in recent years. But primary voters in New York and other recent contests are moving in the opposite direction, increasingly turning to progressives and even socialists who excite the base. The results -- which included the defeat of the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus -- revealed anew the limited capacity for party power brokers to choose their nominees during a moment of intense voter anger at the political establishment. |
| Once roiled by sexual abuse issue, Southern Baptist leadership now downplays its extent | |
| Four years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention received a landmark report asserting that top leaders in the nation's largest Protestant denomination had long minimized reports of sexual abuse by clergy, intimidated survivors and stonewalled reforms. The convention's 2022 annual meeting passed a resolution apologizing to abuse survivors, several of them by name. It authorized reforms that included the creation of a database of credibly accused church workers. It appeared to mark a reckoning within the SBC in tandem with the wider #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements -- and a recognition that clergy sex abuse extended far beyond the much-publicized scandal in the Catholic Church. But prominent survivors and advocates have largely given up trying to bring about change in the SBC after witnessing what they view as increasingly faltering efforts toward reform. And now a counternarrative has reached the highest levels of convention leadership. Prominent Southern Baptists are promoting the view that although sexual abuse has occurred in the SBC, it never rose to a "crisis" level. Christa Brown -- a survivor of sexual abuse by an SBC pastor and longtime advocate for reforms -- said that if anyone was politicizing the abuse issue, it was people involved in SBC power struggles, not the victims. |
| Pope: Universities are powerful channels to promote solidarity and common good | |
| By promoting the search for truth, being close to those who are marginalized and young people, and working to protect the environment, colleges and universities become important spaces to confront the challenges facing humanity today, Pope Leo XIV said on Thursday, June 25. "Your institutions are called not only to teach your students about the injustices faced by those on the margins of society, but also to be powerful channels in promoting systemic change through proposing new models rooted in solidarity and the common good," the Pope said, in a meeting at the Vatican with the presidents and representatives of Jesuit colleges and universities in North America. In his address, Pope Leo offered a roadmap to how these institutions can help their members confront society's most pressing issues. The Pope emphasized that young people often don't have hope for a better future and that the planet's resources are regularly being used for personal interests. He also noted the growing impact of artificial intelligence on humanity. |
| Mississippians being trained to build and operate data centers to meet tech demands | |
| Tech industry growth in the state is rapidly outpacing workers. Holmes Community College in Ridgeland, the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District and Amazon are teaming up to train employees who can start earning $60,000 a year. Participants in the Amazon Web Services Mobile Data Center Lab are learning what it takes to keep operations running continuously. For four weeks, 18 people have been undergoing instructions in building and running data centers, the backbone of computer servers and networking equipment. They are learning to become Data Center Operators and Data Center Engineering Operators. "I really want to be an electrician or contract manager," said 18-year-old Conner Green. "I'm going to Holmes. I'm attending here for one year then I'll be going to Mississippi State for construction management. So, this is basically just to get to know certain things." They earn a $10 per hour stipend with no prior experience or college degree required. Charisse Curtis of Vicksburg is now certified in fiber optics. According to industry insiders, at least 10,000 workers are needed to operate and maintain data centers in the state. |
| U. of Alabama to expand internship services with dedicated Office of Internships | |
| The University of Alabama announced Thursday that it would launch the Office of Internships in fall 2026, creating a dedicated hub for prospective interns and employers to connect on campus. The University said that the new office, part of the UA Career Center, would work to grow internship participation across campus, enhancing "experiential learning opportunities." Alex House, a spokesperson for the University, said that the office would have a physical location in the Student Center. "The establishment of the Office of Internships demonstrates our commitment to ensuring students have access to transformative learning experiences that support both their academic and professional development," said Stephen Hood, vice president of Student Life, in a statement to the UA News Center. The Career Center currently offers preexisting support for students pursuing internships, including an unpaid internship stipend and internship search resources through career fairs and the Handshake online networking platform. The University is currently searching for a director for the Office of Internships and will hire more staff in support roles for the upcoming academic year. |
| Public universities face escalating involvement from state lawmakers | |
| Jennifer Brooks, a history professor at Auburn University, had barely unpacked from a trip out of town earlier this month when the messages started blowing up her phone. Texts from colleagues and rumors on social media delivered the unsettling news: The Auburn Board of Trustees had voted to dissolve the school's faculty senate and give itself ultimate authority over academic decisions, including curriculum. "What was really surprising ... is the lack of knowledge that most of our faculty leaders had about the decision," said Brooks, who's been teaching at Auburn since 2006. Faculty leaders across departments at Auburn -- one of two flagship public universities in Alabama -- said they learned of the proposal a day before the vote. The board approved the changes unanimously and without public discussion. "To have that (decision) be the sole product of the Board of Trustees, with no input from faculty, is really unusual," Brooks said. The move at Auburn came two months after Alabama's Republican-dominated state legislature passed a law curtailing the power of faculty senates at the state's public colleges and universities. Alabama isn't alone. Since last year, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Utah have enacted similar laws that give greater power to politically appointed boards and administrators while weakening tenure protections and faculty sway over curriculum and university leadership. |
| Here's a look at how Bengal Bound Orientation teaches incoming students how to adjust to life at LSU | |
| Thousands of incoming students have visited campus over the past two months for LSU's 16 orientation events known as Bengal Bound Orientation. From helping students with their transition to meeting new friends, event directors and students agree that Bengal Bound is key to first-year success. The preparation work for Bengal Bound begins long before incoming Tigers arrive on campus. Directors and staff take no time after the previous year's session to review feedback and decide which changes they would like to make to the program. Meridia Walker, director of Transition and Student Success, stated that feedback from incoming students and family members who attended Bengal Bound is also an important factor in the decisions made to enhance how the program evolves the following year. "We review all of the feedback that we receive through the surveys typically in September, and then we kind of hit the ground running from there," said Walker. |
| Governance fight throws U. of Florida presidency into turmoil | |
 | An intense two-hour long discussion by the Board of Governors on university governance concerns took the place of what would have been the consideration for Dr. Stuart Bell to be confirmed as the University of Florida's interim president. As a result, the board's nomination and governance committee voted during a June 24 meeting for a third-party expert in university governance to review the governance documents of all universities in the system, delegated authorities and Board of Governors policies. The lengthy conversation among governing board members -- including sharp comments made by UF board chair Morteza "Mori" Hosseini -- came after Board of Governors chair Alan Levine said in a letter last week that he would not allow Bell's confirmation to be placed on the board's June 24-25 agenda until governance issues at UF are resolved. UF board members and state officials, including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office, reacted to Levine's decision through social media posts and letters, calling it "unfair" and "incorrect." |
| 16 Oklahoma colleges seek to raise tuition, fees | |
| Sixteen Oklahoma universities, including the two largest in the state, are seeking to raise their tuition and fees by an average of 2.96%, should a state board give approval. With nine more colleges intending to hold their tuition and fees flat, Oklahoma's higher education system could see a 2.2% increase in overall costs to undergraduate students. That would raise the cost of an undergraduate course by $4.92 per credit hour. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education will decide Thursday whether to approve the requested increases. The regents on Wednesday heard presentations from presidents of all 16 institutions looking to hike tuition and fees. University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz asked for a 3% increase at OU's flagship Norman campus and its Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, as well as 5% for its College of Law. If approved, this would be the fifth year in a row OU's tuition and fees have gone up. An Oklahoma resident undergraduate would pay $5.40 more per credit hour, and a non-resident would be charged $24 per credit hour more, university records show. |
| M.B.A. Pay Is Drifting Down -- and So Is Demand for the Degree | |
| This graduation season, many newly minted M.B.A.s are finding fewer job openings and lower starting salaries. A new report shows the starting median salary for master of business administration degree holders this year is projected to fall to $120,000, from $125,000 in 2025, according to a survey of more than 600 corporate recruiters by the Graduate Management Admission Council, a nonprofit association of 228 business schools. Recruiters also forecast that salaries for holders of other business master's degrees would slide about 10% to $82,500 a year, from $92,500. Job prospects for new M.B.A.s are also uncertain. After last year's graduation season, even some top-tier M.B.A. graduates struggled to land jobs several months after leaving their universities. This year, over a third of employers surveyed said they planned to hire more M.B.A.s than last year. In 2025, only 13% of employers surveyed ended up hiring more M.B.A.s than they had the prior year. Despite that optimistic recruiting outlook, GMAC researchers point out that historical data shows that employers often predict greater hiring of M.B.A.s for any given year than they end up making. While 90% of recruiters predicted they would hire graduates of M.B.A. programs last year, 88% actually ended up doing so. |
| Meet the Externs: How Faculty Use Workplace Experience to Help Students | |
 | Dan Hatch, a user experience and web design professor at Utah Valley University, has spent seven summers externing at technology companies to brush up on industry-specific skills that will give his students a leg up when they join the workforce. He enters each two-week externship with a similar mission: to understand how students get into the industry, how they gain experience and how they can get a job right out of college. But this year, while spending a week in May at JobNimbus and a week in June at Awardco, something else was top of mind: How will students need to understand, work with and utilize artificial intelligence? AI use in the workplace is booming. In April, Gallup found that 13 percent of American employees use AI daily in their jobs -- up from 8 percent about a year prior -- and 50 percent of employees use AI at least a few times per year. Meanwhile, AI's capabilities are growing at breakneck speed. At this rate, the versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude that students become familiar with during their freshman year will be very different from the AI models available when they graduate. Colleges are grappling with the task of preparing students for increasingly AI-integrated careers. At some institutions, faculty are getting up to speed by stepping out of the classroom and into the workforce. |
| Persistence rate tops 77%, the highest level in a decade, report finds | |
| Of the 2.6 million college students who first enrolled in fall 2024, 85.8% returned to higher education in the spring for their second semester, according to data released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That's in line with the fall-to-spring persistence rate of 85.7% seen among the previous cohort. Of those first-time students, 77.1% returned for the following fall semester, up from 76.8% the prior year and the highest level seen in the last decade, according to Thursday's data. The clearinghouse found that both Black and Hispanic students in the fall 2024 cohort returned to college at the highest rates observed in a decade. Among Hispanic students, 74.5% returned to higher education in fall 2025, up from 73% the year prior. And 70% of Black students did the same, up from 68.6%. Native American and multiracial students also saw jumps, with their persistence rates rising to 65.7% and 78.9%, respectively. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students had a persistence rate of 66.8%, a slight improvement from the previous cohort. Despite the progress, there were still deep gaps in persistence rates among different racial and ethnic groups. Asian students persisted at a rate of 90% from year to year, and White students returned at a rate of 82.1%. Both demographics have had persistence rates of at least 80% for the last decade. |
| How the U.S. is losing ground to China in university research | |
| Making a scientific breakthrough, after years of research, can be hard to put into words. For Dr. Yilai Shu, a physician and research scientist at Fudan University in Shanghai, that moment came when the parents of a girl, born deaf, confirmed to him his treatment had worked: "They told me, Dr. Shu, it works! We called to her and she turned around, hearing us for the first time." The girl's experience was the result of a single injection -- an experimental gene therapy treatment -- aimed at curing a rare form of deafness. It was a major breakthrough in the audiology world and one that made researchers around the world take note, including David Corey, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School who has spent decades aiming for that same breakthrough, working on the same problems. "I'm not sure I would say that there's jealousy," says Corey, "but frustration that American scientists haven't been able to move as quickly." The United States was once the research engine of the world. Now China may be taking the dominant role, thanks to massive investment and a disruptive year for American universities under the Trump administration. In the case of Corey and Shu, both researchers are racing to find a cure for hereditary deafness -- one in Boston and one in Shanghai -- but they face very different realities. |
| When a squatter owns your building | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Former Hinds County Supervisor Joe Lauderdale has spent most of his life believing in property rights. Now he's not so sure. Lauderdale and his son own a commercial building on East Rankin Street in Jackson. A few years ago they leased the building to a man who operated an automobile paint and body shop. The arrangement started out fine. The tenant paid rent and operated his business. Then the rent stopped. According to Lauderdale, the lease expired in June 2024 and was not renewed because the tenant had fallen behind on rent payments. Lauderdale figured the matter would soon resolve itself. Surely a tenant who no longer had a lease and wasn't paying rent would simply move out. He was wrong. Nearly two years later, the tenant is still there. ... Many readers will instinctively side with Lauderdale. After all, if you own a building and the lease has expired, shouldn't you be able to take possession of your own property? The answer, legally speaking, is more complicated than most people realize. |
| E-scooters are dangerous | |
| Bloomberg Opinion columnist Lisa Jarvis writes: The stories would stop any parent cold: Florida middle schooler Colton Remsburg, who was killed by a pickup truck while out buying flowers for his mom. California 13-year-old Angel Roman Mendoza Lopez, struck by a car while headed to a friend's house. And 15-year-old Violet Harris, an honors student from Chicago, who died after being hit by a car whose driver fled. All three were riding e-scooters, and are part of a growing number of tweens and teens in the U.S. sustaining serious injuries or even dying in accidents. Use of these vehicles has taken off before guardrails were put in place to keep kids safe -- and that urgently needs to change. ... Micromobility devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters, are popular for a reason. Even the slower ones more commonly used by teens can reach up to 28 miles per hour, and high-powered e-scooters can go much faster. Regardless of speed, they offer an environmentally friendly, efficient way to get around, and are especially convenient in areas where public transportation is lacking. But for young people, the stakes of a crash with an e-scooter (or, for that matter, e-bike) are so much higher. |
SPORTS
| SEC Reveals 2026-27 Men's Hoops Opponents | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball program had its 18 SEC games for the 2026-27 season announced Thursday by the conference office. The SEC begins its league slate on Saturday, January 2 and finishes on Saturday, March 6. Every team will play each other at least once and will have a bye over the nine-week period. State will meet Alabama and Ole Miss in home-and-home matchups for the 12th consecutive season, while the Bulldogs also will square off with South Carolina twice for the 11th time during the regular season since 2015-16. Six of State's nine SEC home opponents are coming off NCAA Tournament trips headed by Alabama and Texas who made the 2026 NCAA Sweet 16. The Bulldogs also welcome Florida, the defending SEC regular season champion, along with Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Texas A&M to Humphrey Coliseum. State heads to Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt for SEC road outings. The SEC will release game dates, game times and television information at a later date. |
| D1Baseball Names Reese, Valincius All-Americans | |
| Mississippi State's Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius were each selected as a second team All-American by D1Baseball on Thursday. Reese's selection makes him a unanimous All-American this season having also received first team honors from Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation (CBF) and Perfect Game and selected as a second teamer by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). D1Baseball also selected Reese as a second team All-American in 2025 with the junior third baseman now having 10 All-America honors during his two seasons with the Diamond Dawgs. Reese became the third player in program history to hit 20-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons, joining Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro. Valincius was nearly a unanimous All-American as well and was recognized by all of the major outlets covering college baseball. The sophomore pitcher was tabbed a first team All-American by the NCBWA, received second team honors from the ABCA, Baseball America and Perfect Game as well as an honorable mention from the CBF. |
| Conference realignment may cease if congressional bill passes, but it's accelerated talks in the meantime: 'It has put a shot clock on it' | |
| In many ways, college athletics is emblematic of American society, and in American society, no individual can escape the mouth-watering desire of promotion. The salesperson dreams of being the CEO. The store clerk works to become the manager. The shift supervisor hopes to one day own the company. In college athletics, universities exist in a state of perpetual ambition to leave their own neighborhood for the more luxurious, gated community down the street, where a pool of bigger brands increases their property value. You know it as "conference realignment," but, really, it is the art of increasing one's value by closely associating with more premium properties. For instance, Texas moved into the same neighborhood as Alabama and Georgia; and USC is now sharing a street with Ohio State and Michigan. Conference realignment is as consistent of a concept within college athletics as football coaching changes -- so prevalent over the last decade or more a sort-of motto has emerged. "Conference realignment never sleeps," those in the industry often say. However, according to a congressional bill that's on the doorstep of a vote here in the U.S. Senate, conference realignment will get some deep rest. In fact, the Protect College Sports Act kills realignment at the major conference level if it becomes law. |
| NCAA proposes shorter college football transfer portal window, new spring practice format | |
| College football has moved one step closer to a new offseason calendar that changes spring football, shortens preseason camp and further condenses the transfer portal window. The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Oversight Committee this week proposed replacing spring football and summer workouts with 21 on-field practices across two time periods, reducing preseason camp practices from 25 to 21 and shrinking the 15-day winter transfer portal window to 10 days. The proposed changes, announced by the NCAA on Wednesday, are still subject to a final vote by the oversight committee in August. If approved at that time, they would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The offseason changes -- which have been compared to the NFL's "OTA-style" schedule -- have been long discussed by coaches as the sport adapts to a longer playing season with an expanded College Football Playoff and more frequent roster turnover because of the transfer portal. Many teams have used fewer than the allotted 15 spring practices and eliminated spring football games in recent years to reduce wear and tear on their rosters and minimize injury risk. The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Oversight Committee has also recommended all three of the changes but added one more: FCS schools would be allowed to hold joint practices with another four-year school in the spring. |
| Suit alleges new NCAA rule unfair to high school Class of 2022 | |
| Less than 24 hours after the NCAA Division I cabinet approved a monumental change in eligibility rules, a group of 15 college basketball players filed a lawsuit in an Ohio state court claiming the new age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition. The NCAA now will allow athletes five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first. The move will all but eliminate waivers or redshirt years for extended eligibility except for religious missions, pregnancy or active-duty military service. No longer will extensions be considered for athletes who are injured. Athletes whose eligibility expired by spring 2026 under the traditional model -- four years of competition over five years -- will not be allowed a fifth year of competition under the new rules that go into effect this fall. The new eligibility rule "unjustifiably restrains their ability to earn money through use of their name, image, and likeness ('NIL') connected to their work as Division I athletes," attorneys Ryan Downton and Charles Rittgers wrote in the complaint. Similar lawsuits are expected to be filed in other states. |
| There Are Thousands of Brendan Sorsbys on College Campuses | |
| Inside Higher Ed Editor in Chief Sara Custer writes: Brendan Sorsby bet more than $90,000 on games while he quarterbacked the football teams at Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati. Court records show that he began gambling in high school at casinos with friends and started experimenting with sports-betting apps that allowed him to make wagers on his phone before he was even 21 -- the legal age. Sorsby said he was enticed by introductory offers that allowed him to deposit a few dollars and receive hundreds in free betting credits. ... Sorsby's story isn't unique among college students. Researchers estimate that 6 percent of college students have a serious gambling problem, and men are most affected. A survey from the American Institute for Boys and Men found that 26 percent of young men age 18 to 24 have used a sports betting app, daily fantasy sports, prediction market or other gambling platform in the previous six months, compared to 14 percent of the general public. While there's no evidence that those users will develop gambling addictions, psychiatrists who study gambling note that without fully developed adult brains, college students are more impulsive and less risk-averse when they're betting. ... Sorsby's story brought the problem of gambling on college campuses into the spotlight. But thousands of other lower-profile students not involved in athletics struggle with similar compulsions. |
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