| Thursday, September 17, 2026 |
| Mississippi State University kicks off Career Expo week | |
 | The Career Center at Mississippi State University hosted day one of its three-day career expo Tuesday at Humphrey Coliseum. The event is a way to connect students with future employers and possibly find an internship, co-op, or even possibly a full-time job. It's also a chance for companies to grow their brand. The event hosted 102 registered companies today, with around 230 unique companies being represented this week. Career Center Executive Director Bethany Mills talked about the event and what it should mean to students. "They want to get that applied experience," said Mills. "They're getting great classroom education, but then how can you apply the skills of what you're learning into, like, the real world? And so, to be able to get that experience and make those connections here for students, so they can amplify their resume and gain great skills through internships and co-ops. I think it's a pretty huge goal for students as well." |
| Vincent Mason to headline Bulldog Bash | |
 | Country music singer-songwriter Vincent Mason is set to headline the 2026 Bulldog Bash. Students gathered in Holmes Plaza Wednesday starting at 11 a.m., to hear the announcement of Mississippi's biggest free outdoor concert. At noon, the Bulldog Bash Committee -- students Caroline Sibley, Cody Hill, Jocelyn Baucom, Clayton Butler and Emily Lane -- dropped the banner announcing that Mason will come to the Mississippi State University amphitheater Oct. 16. Mason, a Georgia-raised performer, broke through with his 2024 single "Hell Is A Dance Floor." With his contemporary country music, he recently opened for artists including Parker McCollum, Luke Bryan and Megan Moroney. The 25-year-old artist went to the University of Mississippi, where he began writing songs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he transferred to Lipscomb University in Nashville. Opening for Mason will be Penelope Road, a five-piece pop, rock and soul band based in Atlanta. Bulldog Bash is traditionally held in downtown Starkville. However, due to construction, last year it was held at Humphrey Coliseum, where headliners Natasha Bedingfield and Shaggy took the stage. This year, the concert has been announced to move to the MSU amphitheater, the same venue as the springtime Old Main Music Festival. |
| Vincent Mason to headline this year's Bulldog Bash | |
 | Country music singer-songwriter Vincent Mason is set to headline this year's Bulldog Bash on Oct. 16, Mississippi State University announced Wednesday in a press release. Mason is best known for his song "Wish You Well," which was a top-20 Billboard country music hit in 2025. The music festival, put on by Mississippi State's Student Association, is typically held downtown and is funded by a portion of Starkville's 2% food and beverage tax and outside sponsorships. The festival announced this year it will be held at The Amphitheatre, on MSU because of the ongoing road construction on Main Street, marking the second year in a row it will be held on campus. Last year the festival was held at Humphrey Coliseum. However, due to the venue's capacity limits, attendees needed to register for a ticket in advance. The move to The Amphitheater has alleviated those problems so there is no need to register for a ticket this year, said Kylie Forrester, director of student activities and adviser for Bulldog Bash. Forrester said she hopes to move the festival back downtown next year. |
| Mississippi law enforcement learn how to handle drones for safer Mississippi airspace at Camp Shelby | |
 | Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg hosted its first Magnolia Crucible, a two-day training event on September 9 and 10 in collaboration with the Mississippi National Guard, the Mississippi FBI and Mississippi State University. Federal, state and local law enforcement met with academic groups, infrastructure operators and private company vendors to discuss the different Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones. Law enforcement conducted training exercises on handling situations and potential threats involving drones as they become more accessible to the public. BJ McClenton with the Assure program at Mississippi State University said that the Magnolia Crucible is a good way to promote research and technology of UAS systems and drones, and that it could bring a more positive economic impact to Mississippi than people might think. "People don't realize where Mississippi stands as far as aerospace, the industry, the capabilities we have here between Camp Shelby, Stennis, the university, the work that we're doing in the industry," McClenton said. "So not just research, development, and testing, but the operational side, supporting different types of mission sets and operations through all the programs that we have." |
| AI in Agriculture Brief Highlights Crop Production | |
| Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing how U.S. crops are bred, planted, managed and harvested, according to a new peer-reviewed policy brief from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). AI in Agriculture: Transforming the Food System from Data to Decisions to Action examines how AI can improve agricultural efficiency, strengthen crop resilience and support better use of water, fertilizer and other inputs. It also warns that federal policy is not keeping pace with the technology's adoption. The brief points to AI-assisted seed selection, autonomous weed spraying and agricultural robotics as examples of technologies already moving into commercial use. "Artificial intelligence has advanced so fast that it's not really just a research tool anymore; it's embedded in agricultural practice now," said author Alex Thomasson, professor and director of the Agricultural Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University. "From autonomous weed spraying to AI-assisted seed selection to real-time food safety inspection on processing lines, the technology is already changing how farmers work, how food moves through the system, and what we expect from that system. The policy conversation needs to catch up." |
| MSU Scientists Urge Farmers To Scout For New Invasive Pest | |
| Although pasture mealybugs have not been detected in Mississippi, entomologists and forage specialists at Mississippi State University urge farmers to frequently scout their pastures for signs of the invasive pest. "We can't definitively say we don't have it here. It could be here. We just haven't detected it yet," said Zia Williamson, an entomologist with the MSU Extension Service who specializes in forages, turf and ornamentals. "We feel it is likely just a matter of time until we do find them because they move so easily from one place to another." The pasture mealybug, known by its scientific name Heliococcus summervillei, can quickly damage and eventually kill pastures and hay fields if undetected. They can spread to new areas by such ways as the movement of hay or by wind. |
| Breakwater project targets Hiller Park shoreline erosion | |
 | Mississippi State University and The Nature Conservancy have installed four 100-foot breakwaters offshore from Hiller Park to slow shoreline erosion along the Back Bay. Dr. Erik Sparks, MSU Coastal Marine Extension director, said the area is eroding at a steady rate. "In this particular area, Hiller Park, all the way through to the Keesler Air Force Base shoreline, it's eroding at about 1 foot per year," Sparks said. MSU has observed imagery of the shoreline dating back to the early 2000s showing the erosion. "It may seem like a pile of rocks out there, and that's what it is, but it was strategically put out there and designed in a way that it will protect the shoreline," Sparks said. The rocks break up waves from wind, storms and boat wakes before they reach the shore. The project is funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's National Coastal Resilience Fund. Tom Mohrman, Mississippi Coastal Program director for The Nature Conservancy, said the project addresses both habitat and property concerns. |
| Quality of state's peanut crop varies by location | |
| How Mississippi's peanut crop fared this year depended mostly on location, with drastically different growing conditions from the north to the southeast part of the state. George and Monroe counties are the state's top producing counties, and there are also multiple growers in the Hattiesburg area and then north along the Highway 82 corridor. Brendan Zurweller, peanut specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said reported acres is around 12,000, the lowest since the mid-2000s. "The low acreage is the result of low prices, a large amount of rainfall in May that prevented some acres from being planted and one of our buying points didn't offer contracts this year," Zurweller said. "Some growers did not want to risk planting a crop and not have anywhere to sell it in the fall." Some peanuts were planted very early this year starting the second week of April. Most of this acreage was along the Highway 82 corridor. Fields there were dry and warm enough for planting. |
| MSU philosopher's book offers bold vision for going green | |
 | A Mississippi State philosopher is examining how democracies can respond to environmental crises while respecting the diverse ways people understand and relate to the natural world. Manuel "Manny" Rodeiro, assistant professor in MSU's Department of Philosophy and Religion, released his book "Liberalism's Environmental Promise" in June through SUNY Press, part of the SUNY Environmental Philosophy and Ethics series. "It argues that confronting environmental challenges does not require governments to impose a particular vision of how people ought to value or relate to the natural world," Rodeiro said. "Instead, societies should create conditions in which environmentally sustainable ways of life have genuine opportunities to flourish alongside other ways of living." The book series explores the political and social dimensions of environmental ethics. Rodeiro examines how governments address environmental problems when citizens hold different beliefs about nature, the environment and what constitutes a good life. |
| Mississippi State among most beautiful US campuses.What about Ole Miss? | |
 | Two Mississippi college campuses are getting national recognition for more than academics and football traditions. SIXT ranked the 150 most beautiful universities across the country. The Magnolia State has two of the top 20, and one in the top 10. The magazine looked at factors like how much green space is available, Google reviews, available walking paths and whether the property counts as a national historic landmark and has been featured in a movie or TV show. Mississippi State University took the top ranking in the state. It's No. 8 nationally. "With 26 quads and open green spaces and nearly 5.4 miles of walking paths, the sprawling campus offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy its natural surroundings and take in the scenery," SIXT wrote. "Beyond campus, Starkville is a quintessential college town known for its friendly Southern hospitality, lively downtown, local restaurants, and strong connection to Mississippi State's Bulldog community." The University of Mississippi in Oxford was No. 17. |
| Mary Means Business: Aldi sets target of 2027 to open in Columbus | |
| Columbus shoppers, the wait for affordable groceries is officially counting down, though you may need to hold onto your quarters a bit longer. ALDI has officially set a target year for its long-anticipated location at 1300 Old Aberdeen Road, south of Planet Fitness near the former Sears outparcel. The Dispatch first reported the store's arrival earlier this summer, but initial details were limited. According to an email statement from the press team, the German-founded discount grocery chain expects to open in 2027. "Thank you for your continued interest in Aldi! We are continuing to make progress on our first Columbus, MS store located at 1300 Old Aberdeen Road, expected to open in 2027," Regional Vice President Heather Moore said in an emailed statement. "We'll be sure to stay close in the coming months to share opening timelines and look forward to providing the Columbus community with access to quality groceries and everyday essentials at the lowest prices of any national grocer." |
| TVA seeks public input on $500M Clay County solar site | |
| The Tennessee Valley Authority is seeking the public's input on an environmental study conducted for a roughly $500 million solar development north of West Point. Since Origis Energy's Hope solar panel and battery storage proposal went public in March 2025, the TVA has been conducting an environmental impact statement to determine the project's impacts, in line with the National Environmental Policy Act, said Julia Wise, TVA senior strategic communicator. NEPA is a United States environmental law that requires federal agencies, or anyone acting on their behalf, to assess the environmental effects of proposed actions, including construction or development, on both the human and natural environment of an area, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency's website. Those federal actions include the TVA entering into a 20-year purchase agreement for electricity from Origis Energy's new solar and battery development, Wise said. The solar site, north of West Point alongside Highway 45 Alternate, is expected to produce 200 megawatts of solar power, enough to supply 60,000 residential homes. |
| Coalition of Mississippi River mayors meet in Natchez during ACL dock groundbreaking; discuss AI data center concerns | |
 | The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative hosted its 15th annual meeting at Natchez Under-the-Hill on Wednesday morning, joined by legislators from multiple states and representatives of American Cruise Lines for the groundbreaking of a new dock project on Silver Street. The new dock represents a $5 million investment in Natchez's riverfront infrastructure by American Cruise Lines and will support the city's continued role as a destination for Mississippi River cruising. The two-part conference on Wednesday also served as the introductory gathering of MRCTI's annual meeting, where the group addressed two of its key concerns: safeguarding the Mississippi River against mass exportation of water and helping Mississippi River communities grow their AI economy responsibly. "Not all data centers are equal," said MRCTI spokesperson Colin Wellenkamp. Some provide excellent benefits to communities and are transparent with local officials without requiring much from communities with already strapped budgets to "sweeten the deal," he said. Others may be less transparent, and in those situations, communities need to be involved more and to ask the right questions to help them make informed decisions, he said. |
| How Legislature could lower car tags and property taxes | |
| The next target for many Mississippi lawmakers, after rubberstamping the gradual income tax elimination last year, are property taxes and car tag fees. The cost to renew your car fee every year can be exorbitant depending on where you live, lawmakers have said and climbing property taxes have undermined economic growth. The vast majority of legislators have agreed that some kind of reform is necessary in both areas, but the same ideological divide that emerged during the income tax debate has manifested in this conversation. Before lawmakers can approve another sweeping change to the state's tax structure, though, they need to check a few boxes. The first of those is a complete, accurate look at the money in the bank. Jeff Foreman, a deputy administrator, spoke to a group of representatives on Sept. 16 about the steps that the Legislature could take to decrease the property tax burden on residents. It's crucial to approach property tax reductions slowly. Foreman estimated that the fees bring local governments around $1.22 billion annually. |
| After clashing with colleagues, Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell says he won't seek reelection | |
| John Caldwell, the Northern District transportation commissioner, has announced that he is not running for reelection, leaving one of north Mississippi's top political positions open next year. Caldwell didn't say specifically why he's not running again, but said it has nothing to do with his recent clashes with his commission and Mississippi Department of Transportation colleagues. The mercurial Caldwell has clashed with MDOT Director Brad White and other commissioners recently. Caldwell has been known for generating news in the otherwise staid commission meetings by voting to hold up local road and bridge project money, demand minute details from MDOT employees in the middle of a meeting and arguing with White. The Transportation Commission's Northern District stretches from the western to eastern borders of the state, DeSoto to Tishomingo counties, and from Alcorn County in the north to Winston County in the south, 33 counties in all. Caldwell's announcement will likely set off a scramble to fill his open seat. When former Commissioner Mike Tagert decided he was not running for reelection in the 2019 cycle, five Republicans competed to succeed him. |
| State Sen. Chuck Younger running for northern district transportation commissioner | |
| State Sen. Chuck Younger is looking to leave his position in the Legislature to oversee transportation efforts in north Mississippi. The Republican from Columbus announced Wednesday that he is running for northern district transportation commissioner, a seat current officeholder John Caldwell is departing. Caldwell recently announced that he is not seeking reelection in 2027. Younger believes he is a natural fit for the job, as he has chaired the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee. Younger, who has represented District 17 in the Mississippi Senate since 2014, has overseen all transportation bills considered in his legislative chamber as a committee chairman. A farmer and rancher by trade, Younger said his years in the Senate showed him how important the condition of Mississippi's highways is to economic development. "I've been in agriculture my whole life, and there is one thing every farmer, logger, and manufacturer in the state agrees on: you can't move goods without safe roads and bridges," Younger said. "I am running for Transportation Commissioner to blend my knowledge of transportation and agriculture, as someone who has lived with the consequences of delayed maintenance of roads and fought for increased funding to fix it." |
| 'It's too early': White focusing on midterms before announcing future political move | |
| State Auditor Shad White has emphasized that he is strongly considering a run for Mississippi governor, but he is not quite ready to make an announcement regarding his future in politics. Instead, his focus is on tackling his day-to-day affairs in the auditor's office, while backing Republicans running for Congress in the upcoming midterms. "For the people who are announcing now, I really do think it's too early. I think we need to keep focusing on our jobs," White said on Mornings with Richard Cross. "Frankly, we still have races going on here in Mississippi right now. Cindy Hyde-Smith is in a tough race against Scott Colom. She's going to win, but we need to help her do that. I think that ought to be the focus -- helping President Trump between now and the midterms." White recently returned to Mississippi from a deployment in the Middle East as part of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. In addition to serving as the state's auditor, White is also an officer in the Mississippi National Guard. |
| Fitch unveils plan for how Mississippi will spend $189M Meta settlement | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has unveiled a plan for how Mississippi can spend $189 million of national Meta lawsuit funds, directing over $18 million a year to be split among three state agencies for the next decade. The plan arrived in a consent decree that lawyers for the state filed Monday in Hinds County Chancery Court. Fitch drafted the plan as Meta, the corporation that runs Facebook and Instagram, prepares to pay billions of dollars to states after attorneys general accused the company of endangering children across the country with their social media platforms. States argued the company turned its platforms into "addiction machines," targeting children during vulnerable life stages. Despite the settlement, Meta and other technology giants have denied the allegations against them and that they have any liability to states. The California-based company is represented in Mississippi by the powerful and politically connected law firm Butler Snow. Although the national settlement assigns spending decisions to attorneys general such as Fitch, the Mississippi Constitution gives the Legislature authority to spend most public money. Lawmakers have asserted that authority with both tobacco and opioid settlement funds. |
| 'Mississippi has to matter': One Democrat's quest to flip the Deep South | |
| District Attorney Scott Colom believes he can become Mississippi's first Democratic senator in nearly 45 years. His confidence, he told MS NOW, comes down to math. In 2023, Democrat Brandon Presley came within 27,000 votes -- less than three percentage points -- of unseating Gov. Tate Reeves. Two years later, Democrats broke a supermajority in the state Senate by flipping two seats in newly drawn, majority-Black districts following court-ordered special elections. Then came Colom's own primary in March, when Democratic turnout rose by 70% -- an increase of more than 62,000 raw votes --- compared to 2018, the last time a Senate seat was up during a midterm year. In March, "the gap between Republican and Democratic voters in Mississippi was only 8,000," Colom told MS NOW. "That's a historic turnout, and that shows that we had the momentum. We've been putting cracks in the glass." Taken together, he argued, the trend lines point to an energetic Democratic base slowly waking up after being dormant for decades when it had largely resigned itself to Republican control of every statewide and federal office. The history Colom is running against is steeper still: No incumbent senator has lost re-election in the state since 1942, and no Democrat has won a Senate race here since 1982. |
| Democrats Hope Voting Rights Decision Will Drive Black Turnout in South | |
 | Across the South, from the Mississippi Delta to Georgia's suburbs, Black Democratic candidates are imploring Black voters to rise up and secure the representation this November that they were expected to be denied with the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. The hill is high, and Republicans remain supremely confident, but Democrats are trying to contest races typically seen as too far out of reach. Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, remains in a tossup contest to be the next Georgia governor, despite being outspent 9 to 1 by her deep-pocketed Republican opponent, the businessman Rick Jackson. In Mississippi, Scott Colom, a state prosecutor running for the Senate, is seeing a rare infusion of national cash in his bid to defeat the incumbent Republican, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. In Florida, Black voters helped State Representative Angie Nixon overcome a lack of establishment support and fund-raising to become the party's nominee for the Senate. In Alabama, Republicans tried to redistrict Representative Shomari Figures to defeat, but his seat, stripped of many but not all of its Black voters, may somehow still be within reach. There are early signs that some races are narrowing more than expected. |
| House races for exit, avoiding vote on Hegseth impeachment | |
 | House lawmakers raced for the exits on Wednesday, trimming their final week in Washington ahead of the midterm elections and kicking a controversial vote to impeach Pete Hegseth into the lame duck session. House GOP leaders scrapped votes scheduled for Thursday, when the resolution to remove the Defense secretary was expected to hit the floor. The move sent lawmakers onto the campaign trail a day early, as both parties race for House control next year. And it fixed in place the legislative accomplishments Republicans are able to tout heading into those elections, leaving a number of their policy priorities stewing in the Senate. But it was the Hegseth issue getting the most attention. The impeachment push, which Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) unveiled on Tuesday, had caught Republicans off guard and GOP leaders were eager to avoid a vote that might hurt lawmakers in tough races. Democrats and Massie quickly accused GOP leaders of vacating Thursday's session to avoid that vote. With the House now gone, much of that work will be kicked to the lame duck, which is scheduled to begin on Nov. 9. |
| House overwhelmingly passes bill to shield ratepayers from data centers | |
 | House lawmakers on Wednesday easily passed the first major legislative action to address the costs of the AI boom, a bill intended to shield Americans from potential energy costs associated with data centers. The Ratepayer Protection Act, which has become the House GOP's signature legislation to address the costs of the data center build-out ahead of the midterm elections, was passed in a broad bipartisan vote of 417-3. "Large load data centers must cover the full costs of any system updates they require, not families or small businesses. We cannot accelerate this growth on the back of Americans working hard to pay their electric bill at the end of the month," said Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), the main co-sponsor of the bill alongside Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.). The passage marks the first major bill to advance through Congress addressing the costs of the data center boom, as concerns about the costs and safety of artificial intelligence reach a fever pitch among voters. It comes after weeks of internal debate among House Republicans over how best to respond to growing backlash against data centers and could set the stage for further congressional action on AI in the months ahead. |
| Robust House majority backs sanctions on Russia and Iran | |
 | The House voted Wednesday evening to pass sanctions legislation targeting Russia and Iran, sending the long-delayed package to the Oval Office. The vote was 262-159 on the bill, which includes a childhood education measure that the Senate had used as a vehicle for the sanctions text. The Senate passed the sanctions package last month with a resounding 86-11 vote. The GOP conference was solidly behind the bill, with only seven Republicans opposing the measure. As for Democrats, even as senior members in their ranks -- including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York -- opposed the bill over provisions to authorize new tariffs, fully 58 of them, including many defense hawks, voted "aye." President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law. In a July statement of administration policy, the White House indicated the president's advisers would recommend he do so. The bill would impose sanctions on individuals and institutions in Russia and in other countries that support Russia's defense programs, its energy industry or its efforts to evade sanctions. More controversially, the bill would impose tariffs on the top five importers of Russian energy and the top five countries that facilitate Russia's sanctions evasion. The bill was stalled for months amid White House opposition, but Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced a deal with the administration just before his death in July. |
| Warsh Takes Hawkish Turn With Rate Rise and Hints of More to Come | |
 | Investors have been betting the Federal Reserve is at the start of a series of interest-rate increases. On Wednesday, Chairman Kevin Warsh gave them little reason to think otherwise. The Fed raised rates for the first time in three years, and officials penciled in at least one more increase this year. Warsh said the quarter-point move "removed a dose of accommodation." In central-bank parlance, accommodation means stimulus, so the phrase suggested officials don't think rates are restraining the economy even after lifting them. Warsh also listed geopolitics -- a euphemism for the Iran war and the energy shock it has caused -- among three developments since July that led to Wednesday's decision. "There's no hiding from hot spots around the world," he said. Officials had changed their judgment about how those conflicts were likely to unfold, suggesting they no longer see the energy shock as a disruption to wait out, he said. President Trump, who picked Warsh after spending months lambasting his predecessor, Jerome Powell, for not cutting rates faster, said Wednesday evening that he was standing by the chairman, who he said has "a very tough board." |
| Trump Aides Are Prepping an AI Takeover of Government Services | |
| Trump administration officials are preparing to launch an AI-driven website as a clearinghouse for Americans to get services from the federal government. The functions being discussed for the new website include allowing Americans to obtain and renew their passports and file taxes for free on a simple digital portal. The website, dubbed America.gov, is still in planning stages, according to six current and former U.S. officials familiar with the matter. A multi-agency launch is tentatively planned for the end of September, one current official said, cautioning the timing could slide. Several prominent former members of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, installed in key roles across government, are involved with the effort. Some of the features under deliberation would mark a dramatic reversal for the Trump White House. The Trump administration last year killed a program launched by the Biden administration that allowed some Americans to file their taxes for free on a government website called Direct File. The discussions about America.gov, have included whether that program could be resurrected, albeit in an altered form, according to two officials familiar with discussions. Some Trump administration officials hope the initiative could give the Republican Party a selling point in the upcoming midterm elections. An end-of-September launch, these officials said, could serve Republicans at the ballot box, boosting the case that the Trump administration is working to solve American's problems. |
| Washington Won't Be Regulating AI Anytime Soon | |
 | Even with mounting concerns about AI models going rogue, legislation appears unlikely, and the White House is outright opposed to oversight. For weeks, Washington has been abuzz with talk of needing to push through some sort of AI regulation amid mounting concerns about the risks of highly capable frontier AI models going rogue. But there is no reason to think any one measure can win the support of the White House, where officials have paused work on creating a FINRA-style regulatory body after President Donald Trump soured on the idea, or of Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have competing proposals that lack the votes to pass. White House aides initially started sketching out a framework for an AI oversight agency connected to the administration soon after Google DeepMind's cofounder Demis Hassabis floated the idea in a July 14 essay and in briefings to senior officials, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Treasury Department and the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy envisioned a body where leading AI labs would self-regulate the development of frontier models, and they put together a preliminary draft to see what it could look like if executed. But when a chorus of tech executives -- including Trump's former AI czar David Sacks and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg -- learned of the effort, they one by one called Trump in August to express their opposition. The proposal has since been left in limbo. |
| Trump slashed DEI. Now it's making a surprising bipartisan comeback | |
 | Political pressure during the Trump era forced corporate America to put its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on ice. Now, in a surprising turn, growing rank-and-file buy-in is driving a quiet thaw across party lines, with even Republican employees expressing approval for such workplace programs. This unexpected bipartisan support for DEI emerged in the latest Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society survey provided exclusively to USA TODAY. Though views remain deeply polarized, workers across the ideological spectrum are growing more positive about the workplace benefits of diversity programs. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans believe promoting DEI should be a priority for businesses. What's more, public faith in the bottom-line benefits of diversity is climbing as more Americans link diverse workforces to increased profitability and innovation than at any point in the past two years. The findings defy expectations in today's political climate and even surprised researchers. |
| Education: MUW, Baptist-Golden Triangle strengthen nurse workforce with clinical coach program | |
| Mississippi University for Women and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle continue to address Mississippi's nursing workforce needs by preparing nurses with the skills needed to mentor the next generation of nurses. Six nurses from BMH-Golden Triangle were honored during a pinning ceremony Sept. 4, certifying them as clinical coaches. "This innovative approach to both education and current practice speaks to the highest level of quality patient care for which both our college and Baptist strive" said Brandy Larmon, dean of the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences at The W. "Today marks a milestone in our historic partnership for the Golden Triangle." Clinical coaches serve as role models and mentors and provide guidance, support and direct supervision to W student nurses participating in the Mississippi Clinical Advancement and Residency Experience, a nursing education and workforce initiative designed to strengthen the connection between nursing education and clinical practice. |
| Ole Miss students receive fentanyl awareness training from Mississippi AG's Office | |
| Nearly 150 University of Mississippi students, faculty and staff received fentanyl awareness and overdose response training as part of Attorney General Lynn Fitch's One Pill Can Kill initiative. The training was held at the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education and focused on the dangers of fentanyl, how to identify the drug and what to do if someone is experiencing an overdose. The Attorney General's Office distributed 300 Fentanyl Harm Prevention kits during the training. The kits include fentanyl test strips, safe pill disposal bags, medical gloves and pill identification cards. SafeGuard Mississippi, an opioid overdose prevention program led by the Ole Miss School of Pharmacy, also provided free Narcan to attendees. Fitch launched One Pill Can Kill at Ole Miss in 2023. Dr. Nick McAfee, director of the William Magee Center, said the partnership allows the university to reach more students with information about naloxone and other overdose prevention resources, including fentanyl test strips and drug deactivation kits. |
| BSU's Summer Missions Program helps MC students spread the Gospel throughout the world | |
| A record 30 Mississippi Christian University students visited five continents this summer to share the message of Christ through the Baptist Student Union's Summer Missions Program. Student missionaries served with the North American Mission Board, the International Mission Board and the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board in locations ranging from New York, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Idaho to Mexico, Peru, Scotland and the Philippines. Cody Counts, associate director of the BSU at MC, said students from any field of academic study may apply for the Summer Missions Program. Approved students are matched with mission opportunities, and whenever possible, MC students are paired with students from other BSU's in Mississippi. The program gives MC students firsthand missions experience serving alongside a pastor, church planter or missionary, reflecting the BSU at MC's motto: "Making disciples who make disciples." |
| Mississippi's STAR Program enters new age under Cook Foundation | |
| Mississippi's youngest and brightest will continue to be recognized for their academic excellence, along with the teachers who shape them, under a new organization. The Mississippi Business Alliance (MSBA) Foundation and the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. have jointly announced that the Cook Foundation will manage the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program to ensure one of Mississippi's longest-standing academic recognitions continues. "STAR has been an important part of the Mississippi Economic Council's history and one of Mississippi's most meaningful traditions recognizing students and teachers," MSBA Foundation President Scott Waller said. "Our priority throughout this transition was to protect that legacy and ensure STAR would continue with an organization that understands its value. The Cook Foundation has been an extraordinary supporter of STAR for nearly three decades, and we believe it is the right organization to lead the program into its next chapter." |
| Education: 12 local students named 2027 National Merit semifinalists | |
| Out of the more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, 12 are local students. Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has 8 semifinalists: Christopher Chen, Amy Choi, Katie Chung, Hutchinson Clemons, Samantha Diamond, Angelina Tan, Khang Tran and Maya Venkat. From Heritage Academy, Robert Dawson and Thomas Garner are semifinalists, along with Brody Brown from Caledonia High School and Ella Horan from Starkville High School. The semifinalists were selected from more than 1.2 million juniors across the county who took the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The pool of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. |
| U. of Alabama breaks student enrollment record | |
| The University of Alabama surpassed its enrollment record with over 42,000 students enrolled for the Fall 2026 semester. Of that number, over 18,000 of the students are Alabama natives. "UA enrolled 18,652 Alabama residents, up 3.6% from 18,007 last year. The growth reinforces UA's role as the state's flagship university and its commitment to Alabama students who go on to serve the state's workforce and communities," said Alex House, a spokesperson for the University. Enrollment in the UA Early College program, another college-prep program that allows high school students to earn college credits, has doubled as well. The University's enrollment is not the only thing that has increased, with the academic profiles of undergraduate students are also on the rise. "The academic profile of first-time undergraduates continues to increase with an average high school GPA of 3.86. The freshman class boasts 280 National Merit Scholars who join more than 1,200 National Merit students enrolled at the Capstone this fall," House said. |
| AU unveils STEM and Agricultural Sciences Complex | |
| Auburn University has completed construction on its new STEM and Agricultural Sciences Complex, a 265,000-square-foot academic and research facility designed to bring students, faculty and researchers from the College of Sciences and Mathematics and College of Agriculture together in a shared environment. The three-building complex includes teaching laboratories, research laboratories, seminar rooms, offices and shared laboratory spaces. Building A, recently named Govil Hall, primarily houses the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, while Buildings B and C focus more heavily on research and include shared laboratory spaces for researchers from the two colleges. The new facility replaces research and academic spaces previously spread across older campus buildings. Mary Melissa Taddeo, the project's lead architect, said older research facilities often separated researchers into individual spaces, limiting opportunities for interaction and collaboration. The new complex incorporates shared laboratories, nearby faculty offices and glass walls that allow research to be more visible throughout the buildings. |
| Louisiana state leaders move to protect university research | |
| Louisiana higher education leaders, state officials and federal law enforcement representatives met Wednesday as the state prepares to implement new safeguards aimed at protecting university research from foreign espionage and interference. The Research and Education Protection Act of 2026 creates the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council and requires it to develop or adopt a statewide model research security policy for colleges and universities. The law was signed in May but does not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027. Council members are using the months before implementation to begin developing policies and determining how the state's requirements will work alongside existing federal rules. Former state Sen. Barry Milligan said Louisiana universities can possess valuable research involving patents, grants and other intellectual property that needs protection. Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed said the state is trying to protect research while allowing universities to continue expanding their work. |
| U. of Tennessee's hybrid condo-hotel will be among tallest buildings in the city | |
 | The 24-story hybrid condo-hotel planned for the 865 Neyland entertainment district will join the list of Knoxville's tallest buildings, but it won't be considered a skyscraper. The $215 million condo-hotel, overlooking Neyland Stadium and featuring a rooftop bar, will be tied with the downtown Riverview Tower as the second-tallest building in Knoxville. First Horizon Plaza, also on Gay Street, surpasses both at 27 stories. Construction on the condo-hotel will wrap up in 2029, according to the University of Tennessee's formal announcement Sept. 16. The development's branding has not been announced. While Yardley Flats apartments and The Delaney condos opened in the last few years overlooking Covenant Health Park, UT's condo-hotel will be the first residential development of its size and caliber in Knoxville. Tennessee plans for the 865 Neyland entertainment district to be a year-round destination for UT fans, Knoxville residents and visitors. It's expected to create more than 1,300 construction jobs and 450 permanent jobs, ultimately attracting more than 2.5 million annual visitors, according to the UT release. |
| Athens and UGA growth and what it means for housing | |
| The total enrollment rate at the University of Georgia has increased by around 4,500 students and the greater Athens population has increased by more than 57,000 people in the last five years. Is there enough affordable housing in Athens to sustain the surging population? UGA freshmen are mandated to live on campus, but starting sophomore year, students are not guaranteed on-campus housing. Many non-freshman students live in off-campus apartments and houses in the greater Athens area. More students attending UGA means a higher housing demand, with a limited supply of apartments and homes. This, along with other factors, has increased the price of rent for many students and residents. "My understanding is that students don't like living in dorms," Jim Berry, associate professor of economics, said. "In that sense, there's only so much that universities can do. If there's a demand for [more private sector] housing, then there has to be a solution that doesn't involve UGA." Richard Martin, an associate professor of real estate, has taught at UGA for around 25 years. Martin said the biggest change he's seen in the past decade has been the number of student apartments near campus. |
| Board of Regents Names Thomas A. Fanning Sole Finalist for USG Chancellor | |
| Following a comprehensive national search, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia voted today to name Thomas A. Fanning as the sole finalist for chancellor of the University System of Georgia (USG). Fanning is set to succeed Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who announced his retirement in April after four decades of public service, and will take the helm of one of the nation's top public university systems with 25 public colleges and universities, more than 50,000 faculty and staff and more than 382,000 students statewide. A veteran corporate leader, Fanning spent 13 years at the helm of Southern Company before retiring in 2023. His 40-year career in public-private leadership, complex operations and deep engagement in higher education positions him to lead USG through an evolving landscape of workforce demands, research initiatives and technological innovation. Fanning joined Southern Company in 1980 as a financial analyst and held 15 distinct roles across executive management, finance, technology and strategy. His previous executive leadership included serving as chief information officer, chief financial officer of Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power and CEO of Gulf Power Company. |
| Iowa universities propose new programs for academic and workforce demand | |
| The Iowa Board of Regents Wednesday provided initial approval for a slate of new programs and university initiatives, focusing on health and data sciences and centers to provide increased collaboration and projects across campus. Iowa State University was the only institution to bring programs to the board for closure --- its master of science and arts degrees in interdisciplinary graduate studies, the Research Institute for Studies in Education and the Midwest Transportation Center. Housed in ISU's Institute for Transportation, funding for the Midwest Transportation Center ended in 2018 and currently there are no financial or project ties to the center, according to board documents. The interdisciplinary programs have very low enrollment, board documents stated, and the research institute will instead become a subunit of the university's School of Education. ISU Provost Jason Keith said these programs are the first of those identified through the university's program vitality review to come to the board for closure. |
| Indiana University Receives Record $100 Million Gift From Alumni Couple | |
| Indiana University announced Wednesday that IU alumni Jeffrey H. and Benita L. Thomasson have given it $100 million, which is the largest donation from a private individual in the institution's history. The gift will be used for support of the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington and Indianapolis, and it will also provide new scholarship opportunities for students attending the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis. In recognition of the gift, the IU Board of Trustees voted to name the Kelley School's graduate division the Jeffrey H. Thomasson Graduate School of Business. Jeffrey Thomasson is the CEO and Managing Director of Oxford Financial Group, Ltd., which he founded in 1981 as Oxford Financial Advisors. After completing his undergraduate degree at Ball State University, Thomasson attended the Indiana University Graduate School of Business, where he specialized in investments and taxation and earned an MBA at the age of 23. Benita Thomasson earned her Master of Science degree in elementary education from the former Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and a Master of Arts from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. |
| UC regents revisit SAT requirement amid rising math failure rates | |
 | University of California regents opened their first sustained public discussion Wednesday about whether to reinstate the SAT test requirement in admissions, as math grades continue to slide, dueling opinions surfaced, and one regent who voted to eliminate the exam said he was starting to think his decision may have been "a mistake." Regents heard that math performance is the exception to otherwise strong academic results among first-year students. Average grades in preparatory math, precalculus and calculus across UC continue their five-year decline, while D and F grades, no-pass marks and withdrawals in those courses have gone up. But most UC freshmen never take the courses. Among students who entered in fall 2023, 31% took preparatory math, precalculus or first-year calculus in their first two years, while 41% started in a more advanced course, according to data presented by the UC Office of the President. Together the introductory courses make up about 5% of the classes freshmen take, ranging from 2% at UC Irvine to 12% at UC Merced. |
| Higher Ed Has Too Much Wasted Square Footage | |
 | Declining enrollment, shifting perceptions of value, regulatory upheaval and technological disruption: Colleges have a lot to reckon with right now. But should they add campus space to the list? Maybe. According to this year's Inside Higher Ed/Hanover Research Survey of College and University Chief Business Officers, just 43 percent of institutions regularly use more than three-quarters of their physical space. This falls to 19 percent of the public master's and baccalaureate institutions represented. At the same time, 44 percent of CBOs said their institutions are maintaining their current physical footprint while investing in renovations, and an additional 31 percent reported targeted expansion. Very few -- just 13 percent -- reported strategic downsizing. Against this backdrop -- and amid the standing deferred maintenance crisis -- nearly three in 10 CBOs (29 percent) flagged facilities as a top area of cost-revenue misalignment at their institution. That's behind only academic programs (48 percent), athletics (39 percent) and financial aid discounting (30 percent). |
| College enrollment rate among recent high school graduates ticks up | |
| The share of the high school graduating class of 2025 who immediately enrolled in college ticked up slightly from the previous cohort, according to data released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The increase came regardless of the economic makeup of their high school. At low-poverty high schools, 73.9% of the class of 2025 attended college the fall after graduation, compared to 73.1% of the prior year's cohort. The same was true of 51.2% of high school graduates at high-poverty schools in 2025 versus 50.8% in 2024, the clearinghouse said. Persistence rates also improved, with graduates from the class of 2023 returning to higher education for their second year at higher rates than the 2022 cohort. Matthew Holsapple, the clearinghouse's senior director of research, called the improvements in persistence modest but an indicator of positive trends. "What stands out most is that graduates of high-poverty high schools saw the largest gains in both enrollment and persistence," he said in a statement Thursday. |
| AI not likely to destroy world | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: This month the big national topic is Artificial Intelligence (AI) destroying humanity. I normally leave national topics to the thousands of national journalists, but given that the extinction of man is a pretty weighty subject, I must weigh in. For starters, I am a believer, so I figure the end of mankind is ultimately in the hands of the Lord Almighty. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Nevertheless, Christians believe we are called to be good stewards in a relationship with God, so we can't be fatalistic. We have to do our part. Being now "elderly," I can recall quite a few prognostications about world-ending apocalypses. When I was in the second grade, we had frequent nuclear bomb drills. We would be told to get under our little desks and put our clasped hands behind our heads. I was far from a child prodigy. But even at age seven, I knew a little wooden desk and bony hands were no match for a nuclear mushroom cloud I had seen on our black and white TV. Who knows what mental scars I and millions of other Americans still have from those drills. Turns out, the nuclear annihilation didn't happen (so far). |
SPORTS
| 'God Placed Me In This Spot For A Reason' | |
| On The Paul Finebaum Show Monday afternoon, Kamario Taylor once again sat in the spotlight. It's become a familiar place for the young Mississippi State quarterback as two elite performances to begin the 2026 season have served to garner national attention. Taylor was explaining to Finebaum why he decided to play his college football just a few miles up the road from his hometown of Macon, Mississippi, when he offered up this: "Starkville is one of a kind when it's on fire," Taylor said. Well, it's early in this year's campaign, but Starkville is certainly already ablaze. It's Taylor that's served as the match that's lit the flame. State's early success isn't because of Taylor alone. The defense has allowed just one touchdown so far and the offense as a whole has been incredible, averaging 620.5 yards per game. However, Taylor's position, personality, versatile skill set, Mississippi roots and production have quickly made him the face of the Maroon and White. |
| Three keys to victory for Mississippi State against South Carolina | |
| Mississippi State opens conference play in one of the toughest environments in the country. The Bulldogs travel to South Carolina to take on the Gamecocks Saturday. Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., is the 16th toughest place to play, according to EA Sports. MSU took care of business in its first road test, but the stakes grow Saturday to start SEC play. LaNorris Sellers hasn't played his best through two games this season. He's thrown for 366 yards, three touchdowns and a pick, and added another 119 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He is coming off one of his worst career performances against FCS Towson, completing 10 passes for 96 yards and an interception in a 45-9 win. The numbers aren't impressive, especially considering the competition of Kent State and Towson, but when Sellers is on, he is electric. "An incredibly dynamic player," MSU head coach Jeff Lebby said. "This guy's got a chance to make a ton of plays with his feet. He can throw it all over the yard. We got to do a great job of getting him on the ground. We got to do a great job plastering and coverage when he scrambles and breaks the pocket." |
| Mississippi State defense showing edge, making adjustments early | |
| Two games won't give you many numbers to work with when quantifying a unit, but the film shows something valuable. The Bulldogs have allowed just 25 points to start the season, including one offensive touchdown. In those games, MSU has been able to rally to the ball, play with violence and have the kind of edge that returning defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was looking for when he came back to Starkville. Specifically on Saturday, Minnesota almost completely abandoned the run in the second half after being held to 13 yards and being down 28-6 at the break. The Golden Gophers got some completions downfield in the second half, but more often then not, those who caught the ball were quickly surrounded by a host of Bulldogs. "That's just a point of emphasis. It's a point of emphasis this week as well. We want to get 11 heads to the ball in order just to play fast, free and together, knowing that we have to have great pursuit just in case one of us misses a tackle," safety Jardin Gilbert said. "Then you know your brother is coming right behind you." That brotherhood has been a big reason behind that increased aggression from the defense. |
| Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor is surging -- and could be the 2028 NFL Draft's star QB | |
| Super Mario and "Super Kamario" have much in common. Both are big athletes, with speed and power. Mario breaks bricks with his hand, Kamario runs over linebackers. Both are loyal. Both have high earnings potential. But only one of them throws a football 70 yards with ease. That'd be Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State's sophomore sensation and quite possibly the NFL's next big quarterback prospect. Through two games this season, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Taylor is 38-for-56 passing for 581 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions, along with 145 rushing yards and a touchdown. He has helped lead the Bulldogs to a 2-0 start ahead of Saturday's SEC opener versus South Carolina. Taylor, a true sophomore who won't be eligible for the NFL Draft until 2028, became one of the most ballyhooed quarterback commits in recent Mississippi State history when he pledged out of Noxubee County in 2023. Taylor grew up in Macon, Miss., a member of a football-obsessed family inside a football-obsessed city of 2,500 people. Macon also happens to sit about 35 miles from Starkville, home of Mississippi State. Despite its size, Noxubee County has produced seven NFL players (headlined by Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons), several college football players (including Taylor's uncle, Omarr Conner) and a head coach (former Mississippi Valley State coach and current Mississippi State assistant Vincent Dancy). |
| South Carolina's Dylan Stewart, Jacarrius Peak probable vs. Mississippi State | |
| Two key players are poised to return for South Carolina just in time for the start of SEC play. Star edge rusher Dylan Stewart and talented newcomer offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak were listed as probable to play Saturday's conference opener against Mississippi State on the SEC availability report published Wednesday night. Stewart injured his back last year and has been slowly working his way back to full availability. He did not play in South Carolina's first two games -- lopsided wins over Kent State and Towson. Peak, a top offensive lineman in the transfer portal this past offseason, has not played yet this season, either. |
| LSU-Ole Miss to draw Mississippi's largest ever security presence for college football game | |
 | The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) announced Wednesday that the security force it will deploy for LSU's matchup with Ole Miss will be the "largest presence" of officers it's ever assigned to a college football game day. The department said that roughly 65-70 state troopers and commercial transportation officers are expected to be deployed in and around the Ole Miss campus in the lead-up to the game, which is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. Mississippi Highway Patrol is also activating its special operations group, air command and mobile command center for the matchup, and troopers will begin "enhanced traffic enforcement details" on Thursday. "This weekend will bring a significant number of visitors to Oxford," MDPS commissioner Sean Tindell said in a statement, "and our priority is making sure everyone can enjoy the game and surrounding events safely. This enhanced presence is about being prepared, staying proactive and working together." The SEC has taken steps in recent years to curb unruly, potentially dangerous behavior at games. |
| How ChatGPT and Lane Kiffin could have gotten LSU kicked out of the SEC | |
| As LSU and the SEC found themselves locked in an unprecedented game of legal chicken over coach Lane Kiffin's plan to roster two former NFL players this season, Kiffin routinely reached out to his friend, attorney Tom Mars, for legal advice. When Mars urged Kiffin to back down, the LSU coach texted him screenshots of legal opinions from an unlikely source. ChatGPT. "Usually, when I would express an opinion about what LSU was doing, Lane would reply with a screenshot from ChatGPT that supported LSU's position, which was almost always wrong," Mars said. "Lane ignored most of my unsolicited advice, but I don't think he'll be using ChatGPT anymore for legal advice." Even though former Ole Miss players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris prevailed in Louisiana state court and obtained a preliminary injunction that prevented the SEC and NCAA from keeping them off the field this season, LSU ultimately chose to not add them to its roster. "Eventually, I told him that a guy with a $91 million contract ought to have a top-notch lawyer on speed dial and not be using ChatGPT for legal advice," Mars said. It was another bizarre turn of events in a legal showdown that pitted one of the most powerful conferences in college sports against one of its most storied and successful programs on the eve of the 2026 season. |
| EXCLUSIVE: LSU urged SEC to end lawsuit, skipped meeting as leaders weighed expulsion | |
| As Southeastern Conference leaders prepared to consider expelling LSU last week, university officials weren't lobbying inside the meeting room, they were actively avoiding it. Internal emails obtained by the WAFB I-TEAM reveal LSU System President Dr. Wade Rousse told SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey that LSU would skip the high-stakes meeting on advice of counsel, urging the commissioner to drop the federal lawsuit at the center of the dispute instead. The clash stems from an ongoing legal battle over whether college athletes can claim a fifth year of playing time, which led to Sankey testifying in Baton Rouge state court and the SEC filing a federal lawsuit against LSU. "I believe the quickest path forward is to resolve the federal litigation so we can put this matter behind us and refocus our collective efforts on strengthening the SEC and its brand," Rousse wrote to Sankey at 8:08 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, hours before the scheduled SEC meeting. Rousse noted that because several LSU employees were named individually in the federal suit, attorneys advised university officials not to participate without legal counsel present. LSU also cited the lack of a revised meeting agenda. Minutes later, Rousse took his message directly to the leaders voting on LSU's future, sending a second email to nearly every SEC president and chancellor. Rousse reiterated that LSU was not retreating from the conference. |
| NFL bars ex-LSU signees from joining teams this season | |
| The two ex-NFL signees who joined LSU's fall camp roster amid a legal fight but were not rostered for games cannot visit or join an NFL team this season, the league told its teams in a Wednesday memo obtained by The Athletic. The news comes one day after defensive end Zxavian Harris reportedly worked out for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday. "The following players who were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with, or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 NFL season," the memo read, listing only Harris and tight end Dae'Quan Wright and noting teams can be fined for violations. The league previously sent a memo to teams last month saying any player who went through the 2026 draft process and returned to school would not be permitted to join an NFL team this season. "The players are finalizing their legal plans and will likely take action within the next week," said attorney Ryan Downton, who has represented Harris and Wright in what started as a lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules, expanded to include the SEC and could now also target LSU. |
| Money, Ads and Star Power: The Push to Remake College Sports | |
| Lawmakers who have worked for years to advance legislation that would overhaul college athletics are expecting to score big this week. The Senate voted 74 to 24 on Tuesday to move forward with voting on the Protect College Sports Act, a bill to establish federal guidelines on player eligibility, compensation, conference realignment, in-season coaching moves, student transfers and other changes. The bill would also grant the NCAA some antitrust protections that the association has said are critical to governing college athletics. The proposed changes come at a financially precarious moment for college sports, with most athletic departments operating in the red as they respond to new pressures such as revenue-sharing. At the same time, conference infighting over whether former professional players can return to the college ranks has sparked national debate and calls to refine eligibility criteria. As the bill moves forward, hundreds of colleges, coaches, conferences and the NCAA have thrown their support behind the bill in closed-door conversations and national ad campaigns. |
| Former NLRB General Counsel Advises College Athlete Public Union Push | |
| It's been almost exactly five years since Jennifer Abruzzo wrote the memo -- and nearly 20 months since President Donald Trump fired her from the National Labor Relations Board -- but the former NLRB general counsel is still talking about college athletes. More and more, she's been talking with them, too. Abruzzo now serves on the advisory board of the United College Athletes Association (UCAA), the college athlete labor organization founded by Andrew Cooper, and she has become a key expert behind its efforts to unionize players. Oregon State's women's basketball team is the first formal test of UCAA's strategy, as it pursues a petition for union representation before a state labor board, which, if successful, Abruzzo hopes will set off a domino run across the country. "I would never have expected that, [20] months after I left, I'd still be asked and importuned on many occasions with many different audiences to be talking about players at academic institutions," Abruzzo said in an interview this week with Sportico. It's a new vantage -- and a new point of attack -- for an effort Abruzzo first advanced from inside the federal labor agency that oversees private sector employees. |
| Why Some Community Colleges Are Dropping Football | |
 | A rat-infested locker room. Turf that hasn't been replaced in 15 years. A team that, since 2022, has gone 4-36. Ask James Sims about his community-college football program, and the head coach will rattle off problems that would leave his Division I colleagues reeling. But he'll also list the names of the dozens of "kids who got out," earning full-ride offers from colleges including Alabama A&M University, the University of Arizona, and Morehead State University. Those outcomes were goals, and certainly not guarantees, for the scrappy program at Los Angeles Pierce College. Now, they're out of reach: The college canceled its football season in early August, just weeks before kickoff. Officials mostly blamed a lack of student interest. In a statement, Pierce College's president, Aracely Aguiar, cited safety concerns and a small roster size of 41 players. The college said the decision was not about finances, but Pierce football was a money-losing team with rundown facilities at a campus already struggling with its budget. Pierce College's decision opens a window into a broader shift away from a focus on athletics by several community colleges nationwide. Amid financial and other pressures, colleges everywhere are rethinking their relationship with sports, which tend to cost more than they bring in. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
