| Friday, June 12, 2026 |
| MSU engineering college, CAVS Extension work with industry partners to introduce Integrated Logistics Support training on the Gulf Coast | |
 | Mississippi State manufacturing experts and students are leading a collaboration with Bollinger Shipyards and technical services firm CHAND to strengthen workforce training in the shipbuilding industry through the development of an Integrated Logistics Support, or ILS, curriculum. The partnership began when CHAND Executive Vice President Cindie Roussel recognized the growing need for training within the industry. ILS is a unified technical analysis and management discipline that ensures naval ships, aircraft, and weapon systems can be effectively operated and maintained throughout their entire life cycle. Industrial engineering senior Jane Strawderman said the project gave students exposure to the scale and complexity of real‑world logistics and engineering. "As students, we don't typically get to work with companies, especially on projects of this size," she said. "This experience showed us what our jobs will actually look like when we start taking large amounts of information, breaking it down and understanding it well enough to teach it to others." |
| Hundreds gather to watch South Mississippi release of one of world's rarest sea turtles | |
 | Hundreds gathered Thursday afternoon in Biloxi as the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies released one of the world's rarest, and most endangered, sea turtles into the Mississippi Sound. Goose, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was brought to IMMS in April after it was caught by fishermen in Ocean Springs. Mississippi State University and IMMS staff rehabilitated the turtle before clearing it for release. Despite its endangered status, IMMS marine ecologist Dr. Forrest Collins said this marine species is a mainstay on the Coast. "Right here in the Mississippi Sound, we're actually very lucky to where we get a lot of them," Collins said. "It's one of the most endangered animals, and we actually get to see a huge plethora of them." According to Collins, the Coast's shallow waters and crustacean populations make the Sound a good feeding ground. "They usually like to go over oysters, shrimps and shrimp species. It's pretty much everything that somebody else would like to eat as well," Collins said. |
| Camp Shelby now providing enhanced training to combat opposing force unmanned aircraft systems | |
 | Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center announced Thursday that it has expanded training opportunities at its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Center. The center is now providing units with enhanced capabilities to train against friendly and opposing force unmanned aircraft systems, including swarm-enabled threats, in a contested airspace environment. The addition of opposing force UAS, particularly swarm-based scenarios, increases training realism and prepares service members to respond to rapidly evolving threats on the modern battlefield. In partnership with the Combat Capabilities Development Command's Threat Systems Management Office, Aerial Threat Systems Branch, the Camp Shelby UAS Flight Center has added the T-Swarm TS-M800, a military-grade threat simulation platform capable of controlling approximately 100 unmanned systems from a single ground control station. The system mirrors capabilities currently employed at Army Combat Training Centers and counter-UAS training facilities. The center said the initiative supports the Department of Defense's "Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance" guidance, which directs the acceleration and operationalization of drone capabilities across the joint force. |
| State Auditor Can't Sue Favre or Others to Claw Back Welfare Funds, Mississippi Supreme Court Rules | |
| Mississippi's state auditor, Shad White, does not have the authority to try to recover misspent welfare funds through litigation, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The unanimous opinion affirmed that Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has the sole right to pursue lawsuits to recover the funds, including interest that White says former NFL quarterback Brett Favre owes the state. While Fitch has not pursued criminal cases in the welfare scandal, leaving that instead to local and federal prosecutors, her office has sought to claw back $77 million in funds from dozens of defendants, including Favre, in a massive civil lawsuit. In response to a request for comment, Fitch's office pointed only to the ruling itself, specifically page 10, paragraph 24. That section notes that the attorney general has "the sole power to bring or defend a lawsuit filed on behalf of a state agency" and says the justices found "a common-sense separation of duties as prescribed by the Legislature that the auditor will audit and that the attorney general will litigate." |
| State support for youth courts remains in limbo | |
| While state funding was appropriated to Mississippi's Youth Court system during the recent legislative session, inaction on a separate extension bill for the youth court program has left dispersal of that funding in limbo. The Mississippi House of Representatives adjourned for the session as state Senator Brice Wiggins (R) was on the floor of the Senate introducing SB 2728 on the other side of the Capitol. Passing the bill was necessary to extend the youth court program that allows the Administrative Office of Courts to disperse $2.5 million in state funding to youth courts under code Section 43-21-80. "We had the votes. I was at the podium presenting the bill and was informed the House chose to adjourn," Wiggins told Magnolia Tribune. "I don't know why the House of Representatives chose to do that, but the fact remains is that we had an agreement with the chairman that the bill would be brought up and passed. The House chose not to do it." While both bodies passed the necessary appropriation bill to provide the $2.5 million in state support funds to the youth court system, the demise of SB 2728 puts a roadblock in the Administrative Office of Court's ability to dispense the money. |
| Insurance Commissioner threatens to pull licenses of over 70 producers after scheduled hearings | |
| Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney (R) sent a letter this week to over 70 insurance producers doing business in Mississippi alleging that their resident producer license was obtained and/or maintained through material misrepresentation or false pretenses. The producers handle Medicare advantage plans. "By signing and submitting a Mississippi residential producer license application, you expressly certified and attested, under penalty of perjury, that all information, statements, and supporting documentation provided was true, accurate, complete and not misleading," Chaney wrote to the companies. "You further acknowledged that any misrepresentation of material fact constitutes a violation subjecting you to potential regulatory enforcement action including denial or revocation of licensure, and any additional civil and criminal penalties authorized by law." A hearing has been set for July 20 where the companies may offer any documentary evidence or exhibits to the hearing officer to challenge the commissioner's claims. |
| Cornyn predicts post-midterms will be 'most miserable two years' of Trump's life | |
 | Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) predicted in a new interview that the two years after the November midterm elections will be the "most miserable two years" of President Trump's life. Cornyn spoke with The New York Times in his first extensive interview following his defeat to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who Trump endorsed shortly before the Lone Star State's primary runoff last month. He foresees a rough future for Republican lawmakers and the president during the remainder of Trump's term, and suggested that the Senate is also in for a "bumpy ride" the rest of this year. He added that Trump is hurting the party with his insistence on "slavish" loyalty. "It's going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country," Cornyn said. "I don't say that with any sort of desire for vengeance; I just think that's the way it's going to be. He's going to have the most miserable two years of his life in the last two years of his term, I think, because I think November is going to be a disaster." |
| Senate plans fast action on Trump's DNI pick | |
 | Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday he will try to get President Donald Trump's pick for director of national intelligence confirmed "as quickly as possible." "I don't know what realistic is, but we're gonna probe the limits of it," the South Dakota Republican said. Trump on Thursday afternoon said he'd be nominating Jay Clayton, currently leading the office of the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to the role. Within hours, the Senate Intelligence Committee had set a hearing for Wednesday and business meeting for Thursday. Trump has picked Bill Pulte to take over as the temporary director the next day, June 19, a move that solidified Democratic opposition to even a short-term reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That key surveillance authority now will lapse going into the weekend. During Trump's first term, the Senate confirmed Clayton 61-37 to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. But his nomination to be an U.S. attorney stalled in the Senate last year, and he was later named to the role by a federal court. |
| After Trump threatened to attack Iran, a scramble to stop him | |
 | Soon after President Donald Trump posted Thursday morning that he would hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT," leaders from Gulf and South Asian countries called the president in a last-ditch effort to change his mind. They assured him a preliminary agreement that paves the way for more detailed talks was, in fact, at hand. The calls, which have not been previously reported, came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir, according to two administration officials and a diplomat briefed on the calls. Both were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic mediation. These countries have sway over Tehran and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said Thursday, and their assurance that a deal was near led him to walk back his attack plans , according to one of the administration officials. The president announced on Truth Social that a deal could be signed as early as this weekend. The message from Iran was different. |
| Southern Miss opens rural digital forensics lab to support law enforcement | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi is expanding access to digital forensic resources and training through the opening of the Rural Digital Forensics Initiative (RDFI) laboratory within the School of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Security. Supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, the RDFI includes a digital content production studio and working laboratory used to create training materials and support rural law enforcement agencies in Mississippi and beyond. Rural law enforcement agencies often face unique challenges when it comes to accessing forensic support and training. The RDFI helps bridge those gaps by providing resources and educational opportunities that can help improve investigative efficiency and better support agencies in rural communities. Southern Miss students are gaining hands-on experience through the initiative. |
| Southern Miss opens Rural Digital Forensics Lab to support law enforcement | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi is expanding access to digital forensic resources and training through the opening of the Rural Digital Forensics Initiative (RDFI) laboratory within the School of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Security. Supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, the RDFI includes a digital content production studio and working laboratory used to create training materials and support rural law enforcement agencies in Mississippi and beyond. The RDFI laboratory is one of only three digital forensics laboratories of its kind in Mississippi and is equipped to assist law enforcement agencies with a wide range of digital evidence, including smartphones, tablets, computers and external storage media. |
| Jackson State to host inaugural Southern Spark Conference focused on artificial intelligence | |
| Jackson State University will host educators, technology professionals, business leaders and community stakeholders today for a conference focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence across multiple industries. The inaugural Southern Spark Conference, described as the first event of its kind in the southern United States, will bring together participants for discussions on AI innovation, education, workforce development and public service. Hosted by Jackson State University and the Mississippi AI Collaborative, the two-day conference will feature panel discussions, workshops and breakout sessions designed to provide attendees with practical knowledge and hands-on experience using artificial intelligence technologies. The conference is scheduled for Friday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Ballroom B of the Jackson State University Student Center, located at 1400 John R. Lynch St. |
| Transition underway for switch to Presidential Academic Advisory Council, provost says | |
| In a message Wednesday to Auburn University faculty, administrators, A&P and staff colleagues, Vini Nathan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced steps the University is taking to transition from previous faculty governance to the Presidential Academic Advisory Council (PAAC). The announcement comes less than a week after the Auburn University Board of Trustees unanimously voted to dissolve any current university senate, university faculty or faculty governance body. The announcement also references the Board's approval of the Academic Curricula, Courses, Syllabi and Core Educational Requirements policy. The message also discussed qualities that sustain thoughtful academic communities, including "careful judgment, disciplinary expertise and a steadfast commitment to the institution's educational purpose." During the transition period, some academic committees will continue with their work in order to ensure continuity in the University's academics. Nathan said relevant committee chairs have been informed and have been asked to share that information with members. |
| Clemson professor named next dean of University of Arkansas' Fay Jones architecture school | |
| James C. Stevens, a professor at Clemson University who served as director of the university's School of Architecture from 2020 to 2025, will be the new dean of the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Peter MacKeith, who led the Fay Jones School for 12 years, is retiring from the role June 30, and Stevens will take over Aug. 15, the university announced Thursday. Jim Gigantino, UA's senior vice provost for academic affairs, will serve as acting dean from July 1 until Stevens begins. Stevens' total annual compensation at the Fay Jones School will be $310,000, pending approval by the UA System board of trustees, according to his offer letter. Enrollment grew from 425 when MacKeith began his tenure to 1,100 in fall 2025, MacKeith said. Between 2015 and 2025, scholarships awarded to students more than doubled from $135,000 to $288,000. MacKeith, who was appointed as the fifth dean of the school in 2014 and reappointed in 2019, plans to devote himself more fully to the school's expanding initiatives in timber and wood design innovation after stepping down. |
| Waltons go BIG on new STEM university campus | |
| Members of the Walton family selected Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to design the new STEM-focused university planned for the former Walmart Home Office site in Bentonville. The future university plans to offer flexible pathways to jobs in automation, logistics, biotech and computing -- fields crucial to Northwest Arkansas' future. Building talent in STEM (science, tech, engineering, and math) is a priority for the U.S., China and other countries racing to compete in the global economy. The initial campus will include about 422,000 square feet across three buildings: an academic building, student residence and a makerspace. The plan connects the campus with Bentonville's downtown grid and nearby parks, with public squares, green space and buildings designed to feel open and integrated with the community. The makerspace is planned as a visible hub for workshops, labs, student services and prototyping. The academic building will include classrooms, labs, offices and study space, while the residence hall will include dining and shared amenities. |
| House Republicans Aim to Override Trump's Loan Limit Regulations | |
 | A recent change to a House bill that funds the Education Department could allow master's- and doctoral-level nursing programs access to higher levels of federal student borrowing. Starting July 1, nursing students and most other graduate students will only be able to borrow $20,500 per year, under a new rule from the Education Department. Meanwhile, students in a select group of 11 programs, including optometry, medicine and law, have access to $50,000 per year. Various colleges and professional associations have argued that ED's decision to limit the higher loan caps to handful of programs will exacerbate workforce shortages in critical areas such as health care. The budget amendment, which advanced out of committee Tuesday, is attempting to address those concerns. But even if it survives the House, Senate and President Trump, it wouldn't take effect until Oct. 1 at the earliest, and Congress has historically failed to pass a federal budget by then. Policy experts also note that the provision would only expand aid access for nursing students. "APLU greatly appreciates Congressional support to address the inadequacies of the current definition of professional programs, which leaves many students without the support they need to enter fields critical to the U.S. workforce," said Craig Lindwarm, senior vice president for governmental affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. "While this is a very limited expansion and has many more steps to go in the legislative process, it's important progress nonetheless." |
SPORTS
| State, with foundation in place, sets sights on being an Omaha team in O'Connor's second season | |
| Mississippi State coach Brian O'Connor believes the Bulldogs lost to a team that can win it all. It's true, no doubt. But it's also the time-honored consoling self-assessment of a coach who believed his team could do the same thing. Yet State's season ended Sunday as SEC regular season and tournament champion Georgia powered through MSU pitching, both starters and relievers, with 13-12 and 11-9 victories by the eastern Bulldogs to win the Athens Super Regional and advance to the College World Series. "We all know how hard it is to get to Omaha," O'Connor said. "The reason you go to Omaha is not to get there, it's to win the national championship. That team in the other dugout is absolutely capable of winning the national championship." O'Connor's first Mississippi State team fell show of its Omaha goal but did important work, he said. "I believe the foundation is set for how we're going to go about our business," O'Connor said. "That's important. It lasts over time and continues on when you've got a guy like this (motioning to Jacob Parker) who will be returning next year and understands what it takes and the lessons that he learned and can pass it onto other guys." |
| Track & Field: Rougetet Earns Bronze At NCAA Outdoor Championships | |
| Mississippi State track and field concluded the second day of competition, with Marie Rougetet earning her first podium finish in the hammer. Rougetet launched a third round throw of 69.71m to secure third in the field. In her second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Championship, Rougetet earns her First Team All-American honors, a 14-place and five-meter improvement from 2025. Rougetet is the first Bulldog to earn a podium finish in the hammer and earn First Team honors in program history. She is the second All-American for State in program history, the first to earn the distinction in 14 years. Nelly Jemeli took to the track in her second NCAA Outdoor Championships, competing in the steeplechase. Jemeli finished 18th in the field with a 9:58.86 finish, coming up short of the finals. The men will conclude the competition Friday, with three field events and a relay. |
| 'A national championship-winning coach': Coastal picks Chris Lemonis to lead baseball program | |
 | Coastal Carolina University named former Myrtle Beach area resident Chris Lemonis as its new baseball coach on June 11, moving quickly to replace Kevin Schnall after Schnall's departure for South Carolina. Lemonis, a graduate of Socastee High School and The Citadel, becomes the seventh coach in program history. "Chris Lemonis is one of the most respected coaches in college baseball," said Chance Miller, Coastal's vice president for intercollegiate athletics and university recreation, in a news release. "He knows what it takes to get to Omaha, and more importantly, he knows what it takes to win there. Chris has proven himself everywhere he has been, and we're excited to bring a national championship-winning coach home to Conway. Lemonis led Mississippi State to a College World Series title in 2021. Gone along with Schnall are at least 24 players in the transfer portal, including pitchers Hayden Johnson of Myrtle Beach and Colby Richardson of Mullins following him to USC. |
| Swamp makeover: Florida announces plans for a $1.45B renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | |
 | The University of Florida is planning the most expensive -- and potentially most comprehensive -- stadium renovation in college football history, a $1.45 billion overhaul of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that school officials believe will nearly double annual revenue from their "$75 million ATM machine." The Gators unveiled renderings and details of the burgeoning project at a board of trustees meeting Thursday, providing the total budget (up from $400 million) as well as a start date (2027 offseason) and a completion date (2030 offseason). The board said the transformation will "breathe new life into one of the nation's most iconic college football venues and elevate it into the premier collegiate athletic destination that sets the standard for everyone else." "Every inch of this stadium is going to be affected," athletic director Scott Stricklin added. Florida started looking at ways to upgrade "the Swamp" in 2018. The process was delayed by COVID-19 and ended up morphing into a "50-year solution" instead of a "short-term fix," Stricklin said. |
| Texas AG warns Big 12 against 'unlawful' sanctions toward Texas Tech over Brendan Sorsby | |
 | The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a formal letter to the Big 12 Conference on Thursday on behalf of Texas Tech University, stating any sanctions imposed by the Big 12 against Texas Tech regarding quarterback Brendan Sorsby would be considered "unlawful" and met with legal action. "Texas Tech is confident the Big 12 will choose to act within the confines of the law and respect both the judicial process and its own Rules and Bylaws," the letter reads. "However, should the Big 12 seek to sanction Texas Tech for acting consistent with the (court) Order, Texas Tech will pursue all legal avenues to protect its interests and those of Texas Tech's student-athletes." Prominent sports labor lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, who represented Sorsby in his lawsuit against the NCAA, sent a similar letter to the Big 12 on Thursday on behalf of Sorsby. "What does it say about the Big 12 if it decides to lawlessly violate a court order?" Kessler's letter reads. "What message does it send to its students if its response to a lawful court order is to be contemptuous of its terms? One would expect something more honorable from the Conference and its member schools." |
| In video, Texas Tech officials defend school, Brendan Sorsby | |
| In a 20-plus-minute video released Thursday night, Texas Tech officials defended their integrity and reiterated their support for Brendan Sorsby amid widespread criticism from the rest of the Big 12 Conference and other corners of college sports to the likelihood of the quarterback playing for the Red Raiders this fall. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt -- appearing in the video alongside football coach Joey McGuire, university president Lawrence Schovanec and Grant Stovall, Texas Tech's senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health and wellness -- said he understood why his AD colleagues had spoken out against the school allowing Sorsby to play this fall. Schovanec acknowledged that Sorsby "made a mistake" but Texas Tech is unwavering in its support of him. "Mistakes have consequences," Schovanec said. "At the same time, here's a young man with a dream and a vision to pursue a career. We felt not to have the opportunity to pursue that career, given the circumstances and the evolving changes in this world that these athletes face, was unfair and unjust." |
| College sports bill authors making pitch to Black caucus | |
| The authors of a Senate bill that would overhaul college athletics warned this week that a lack of congressional action this year could financially wreck historically Black colleges and universities and could reduce chances for college educations for minority students. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said they have been reaching out to members of the Congressional Black Caucus and want the group's input as they seek the necessary votes in both chambers. The CBC, however, has shown no signs of backing the bill. The caucus, which led the way in shelving a competing House measure in protest over a recent round of redistricting related to the voting power of Black voters, urged Cruz and Cantwell in a June 3 letter to "pause" action on their college athletics bill. A spokesperson for the CBC said Thursday that the June 3 letter remains the collective stance of the caucus. The group includes 58 House members and four senators. Cruz said Wednesday he would like both chambers to vote on the bipartisan measure before the fall college semester -- and athletics season -- begins. President Donald Trump has backed the Cruz-Cantwell bill. |
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