| Friday, April 17, 2026 |
| Driving the Future of Innovation: MSU EcoCAR team picked for upcoming national competition | |
 | The future of automotive innovation continues to run through Mississippi State as students from all walks of academia will again compete in the upcoming national EcoCAR Innovation Challenge. MSU is one of 20 North American universities picked for the competition beginning this fall. Over four years, teams will develop the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles while incorporating artificial intelligence, machine learning and other emerging technologies and mobility solutions. "I am exceptionally proud of the national reputation that our students have earned through all these years. Also, I could not be more pleased that we were selected to compete in the next round," said MSU Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Executive Director Clay Walden. "We are fortunate at CAVS to have a front-row seat to see the incredible growth in our students' skills." |
| Delta corn farmers look to apply last year's lessons | |
| Growing top-quality corn was tough for Southern farmers in 2025. Mississippi in particular fought poor field conditions, application timing, input availability and more. Those struggles are reflected in intended acreages for 2026, with Mississippi reducing its corn acreage by 30%, Arkansas dropping its by 27% and Louisiana cutting its by 13% -- the largest drops in intended corn acreage in the South. Despite the difficulties, the Delta will still plant nearly 2 million acres of corn and apply the lessons learned last season. Two factors cost growers the most yield last year: timely application of nitrogen and tractor-tire compaction. Limited availability of aerial applicators and nitrogen challenged farmers last growing season. In many cases, corn went in on time and got growing, but wet field conditions would leave it without critical nitrogen during peak requirements. "When we hit those rapid growth stages and the corn was now at V7 or V8 growth stage and already above 30 inches tall, it was deficient," said Erik Larson, Mississippi State University Extension corn specialist. Despite getting an application on with a rain shortly thereafter, the corn still took two to three weeks to bounce back from the deficit. |
| New directional signs for landmarks, public buildings are coming | |
 | As part of nearly $10 million in state-approved funds, Golden Triangle Main Street organizations are getting $880,000 for street improvements and new city signage. On March 26, Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1854, which appropriated close to $10 million for the Mississippi Main Street Revitalization Grant Program. That funding will be used for 26 approved projects across the state, including in Starkville and Columbus, a Mississippi Main Street Association press release said. For Starkville, its $500,000 grant entails a $100,000 match from the city to be used for improvements along Jackson Street between Main Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, said Chris Williams, associate city engineer. While there is no start date for those efforts yet, Williams expects they could begin by the fall if the grant acceptance process runs smoothly. And once it's begun, work should move quickly. |
| Starkville, Columbus continue outpacing FY 25 sales tax collections | |
| Columbus and Starkville are still poised to fall just shy of their projected sales tax revenue budgets more than halfway through Fiscal Year 2026. Both cities' budget cycles began Oct 1. Columbus is on pace to miss its $12 million projected budget by about $241,900, while Starkville is falling roughly $40,900 short of its $10.3 million projected budget. West Point, whose fiscal year began July 1, is still on track to exceed its $2.9 million projected budget by more than $123,000. Starkville collected $789,144 this month, up 0.81% from April 2025 collections of $782,759 – a 5.89% increase from last month's collections of $745,186. So far this fiscal year, the city has collected $5,984,439 in sales tax revenue, a 2.91% increase from this time last year ($5,815,093). Starkville saw an increase in month-to-month collections of both its restaurant sales tax diversions, which assist in funding for economic development and tourism, and its tourism sales tax, which funds the parks. |
| 'This behavior will not be tolerated': Violent juvenile crimes to skip youth court in Mississippi | |
 | Legislators say leaders, law enforcement and communities across the state have been pushing for laws to cut down on juvenile crime. "The fact is if you've got people, you know, 13, 14, 15 year olds shooting guns, killing, harming, maiming people," Sen. Joey Fillingane (R -District 41) said. Fillingane says now there will soon be a new standard in the state: commit an adult crime, face adult time. "We just got to get that behavior to stop, and if that means putting you away so that you don't do that again and sending the message out to the public at large that this behavior will not be tolerated, then that's the message we want to send," Fillingane said. Lawmakers say, effective July 1, harsher consequences are something juveniles will have to consider before committing a violent crime with a gun in tow. |
| Hyde-Smith re-election bid on firm footing as she continues to outpace Colom | |
| While national Democrats are crowing about large fundraising hauls in seemingly competitive races in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina, here in Mississippi, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) continues to far outpace her Democrat midterm opponent. The latest campaign fundraising filings are perhaps the clearest indicator yet that the incumbent's re-election bid in Mississippi is on firm footing eight months out from the November General Election. First quarter campaign finance filings were due to be submitted this week with the Federal Election Commission. As of Thursday, the reports for Hyde-Smith and Democrat nominee Scott Colom were showing as filed with the FEC while Democrat-turned-Independent candidate Ty Pinkins' latest report was not listed. The incumbent Republican Senator's primary campaign account pulled in over $635,000 during the first quarter of the year, with over $1 million raised between all three authorized committees supporting Hyde-Smith's re-election bid. As for Colom, the Democrat District Attorney's campaign touted raising $601,000 in the first quarter while seeking to downplay Hyde-Smith's obvious lead by saying his campaign haul was "donor-driven, with zero transfers" between committees. |
| Q&A: Bennie Thompson on his recent visit to the Adams County ICE facility | |
| Under federal law, members of Congress have the right to make unannounced visits to ICE detention centers, where more than 60,000 people are currently being held. In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement restricted the visits, requiring a seven-day notice, and a dozen Democratic representatives sued the Trump administration. A federal judge ruled in their favor in December, paving the way for lawmakers to inspect the facilities. On April 9, Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi and one of the lawmakers who sued the administration, visited the Adams County Correctional Center outside of Natchez. The facility, the second largest ICE detention center in the country when full, is in Rep. Thompson's district. He said he wanted to talk to people being detained there, look into complaints about the living conditions and try to learn more about a reported suicide by one of the detainees late last year. |
| Lawmakers gathered quietly to talk about AI. Angst and fears of 'destruction' followed | |
 | A congressional subcommittee on Thursday held a roundtable discussion on the potential of artificial intelligence, which took a turn toward the existential as each lawmaker aired their anxieties about the rapidly evolving technology. Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., expressed alarm that federal workers may be using AI chatbots to handle sensitive government data. Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., asked whether it should be illegal for AI systems to use someone's likeness to create pornographic images. Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., expressed concerns that AI systems could deny U.S. military forces from taking lethal actions due to a model's conclusion for "moral" behavior. And Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., raised concerns about the Trump administration's use of AI in the war with Iran, the technology's intensive energy usage and its potential effects on the climate. Thursday's discussion comes as leaders on Capitol Hill grapple with the dizzying pace of global developments in which technology plays a central role. But the conversation quickly considered the potential for artificial intelligence to dwarf every other challenge facing the country. |
| House punts spy powers fight for 2 weeks after GOP revolt | |
 | House Republicans early Friday passed a short extension of key government spy powers after GOP infighting tanked a longer renewal sought by President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. The House agreed by unanimous consent to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, until April 30. Earlier in the morning GOP hard-liners tanked attempts to pass five-year and 18-month renewals. The measure now heads to the Senate, which faces a tight deadline before the program expires Monday. As of Friday morning, most senators had left Washington for the weekend. The vote's failure illustrates the growing likelihood that GOP leaders and Trump must agree to further changes to the warrantless surveillance program to secure Republican votes for a long-term extension. Twenty conservatives voted against advancing a longer extension early Friday because of concerns it wouldn't protect the privacy of U.S. citizens, whose information can get swept up in warrantless probes of foreign individuals targeted by the program. |
| Appropriators decry firing of Army chief | |
 | At a hearing Thursday, leading House appropriators from both parties condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent firing of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. Members of the House Armed Services Committee, including GOP Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, had delivered a similar message about George at a hearing the previous day. Hegseth fired George on April 2 without explanation, even though the general still had more than a year to go on a standard tenure for an Army chief. At a Thursday hearing of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief who is now also the acting chief, appropriators assailed George's firing. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the Appropriations Committee chairman, said George's termination resulted in a "real loss" for the Army. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif, the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said "most of us here agree" with Cole and hold George "in high esteem." Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., a former Army National Guard colonel, expressed "regret" at George's firing. |
| Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping; Trump says U.S. blockade still active | |
| Iran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to commercial traffic during the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire," Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a social media post. However, vessels must transit through a "coordinated route" announced by Iran's maritime authorities, Araghchi said. Israel and Lebanon agreed Thursday to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 5 p.m. ET that evening. President Donald Trump on Friday thanked Iran for opening the strait in a social media post. But Trump said the U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports will remain in effect until an agreement is reached with Tehran. Oil prices plunged more than 10% to below $90 per barrel. About a fifth of the world's crude supplies passed through the strait before the war. The closure of the sea lane, which connects the Persian Gulf to global energy markets, has triggered the biggest oil supply disruption in history. |
| Some American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rules | |
| Over the past few years, Kentucky sheep farmer Daniel Bell has been expanding his flock, and that meant he needed to build a new barn. His land is far from the power lines he'd need to heat it, so he figured rooftop solar would be ideal. To help pay for it, he wanted to apply for a renewable-energy grant through the Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP -- only to find that the Trump administration had effectively halted grants through the program. Bell said that made it impossible to proceed with the idea on his land. "For me, it's just been about freedom. Freedom to lower bills, freedom to control my own assets," he said. The effects of these policy shifts are uneven. Some solar projects are stalled because of permitting hang-ups. Some are right on schedule. And some are moving faster than anticipated, as developers race to break ground before tax credits expire. But, taken together, the findings reveal how the collapse of federal support for solar has spread across American agriculture from major corporations to family farms. |
| The Obama Presidential Center Is Finally Here. Prepare to Pay Up. | |
 | Barack Obama's new presidential center isn't a cheap date, and neither is his adopted hometown. When it opens June 19, it will set at least three modern-era records for a former White House occupant: time taken to be completed, project cost and the price to get inside. At $30, adult admission to see the 44th president's story is more than at any other U.S. presidential library, a Wall Street Journal review shows. That is 59% higher than the average for presidents from John F. Kennedy through George W. Bush. The top admission for the Obama Presidential Center is in keeping with the record expense of the project in a city known for complex and costly urban development, steep taxes and premium cultural attractions. Despite the price, Chicago is certain to become a Democratic mecca for those eager to reconnect with their party's most popular living former president. While the Obama project was initially estimated at $300 million, the final price tag hit about $850 million. The 19.3-acre campus includes a museum, foundation offices, a public library and recreational spaces. |
| IHL Board approves tuition, fee, room rate increases at Mississippi universities | |
| The Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning recently approved the next fiscal year's budget, which included increases in tuition and other fees. In total, the IHL saw a $70 million increase in state funding compared to the previous fiscal year. Within that allocation, the Legislature provided $12 million for $2,000 pay raises for professors and adjunct professors. John Pearce, Senior Commissioner for Finance, said the total also includes $40 million in capital expense funding. The IHL will utilize $6.5 million of capital expense funds for a road project near its facility, leaving $33.5 million for the campuses. IHL's road project is set to get underway in July. He noted that the $2,000 salary increases to professors and adjunct professors will be provided at the discretion of each institution's leadership. "If the institutional executive officer decides not to make an award of $2,000, that is what you're authorizing them to do or not to do," Pearce described. "Also, the bill allows this to be pro-rated by equivalent, so if there is an adjunct professor that is teaching one class you wouldn't drastically increase the cost of that one professor." |
| Burchfield-Doty interested in MUW presidency | |
| Sally Burchfield-Doty remembers stepping onto the Mississippi University for Women campus for the first time when she was only 5 years old. Now she's considering throwing her name in the hat to serve as The W's next president. While she noted the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning's search for a president is just barely underway, Burchfield-Doty told The Dispatch she is definitely interested in the job. "I've had people come to me, and that's been very ... interesting," she told The Dispatch. "At first, I thought, 'Oh my gosh.' This was not in my mind. But after several conversations, I began thinking, 'Well maybe my background would suit this position.'" Burchfield-Doty, a 1988 graduate of The W, was endorsed by name Tuesday during IHL-hosted listening sessions by two alumni of the university, who also urged the board to expedite its search by naming her directly. Burchfield-Doty said she's been approached by different groups, alumni and former colleagues about applying for the job, one she acknowledges "would be a tremendous amount of work." |
| Board of Trustees selects new president of Jackson State University | |
| Dr. Denise Jones Gregory will become the next president of Jackson State University after an eight-month national search, state higher education leaders announced. Gregory officially steps into the role as JSU's fourteenth president immediately, having served as interim president since May 2025. The board said it is confident Gregory can lead the university forward. Dr. Steven Cunningham, vice president of the board and chair of the search committee, credited both the trustees and the Search Advisory Constituency for months of work reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. Patrease Edwards, president of the JSU National Alumni Association and a member of the advisory group, said the process was "long and involved," adding that alumni are ready to support Gregory as she steps into the permanent role. Gregory is a Jackson State alumna, graduating magna cum laude in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She later earned a doctorate in chemistry from Georgia Tech and completed additional training through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
| JSU announces three 2026 spring commencement ceremonies | |
 | Jackson State University (JSU) will celebrate the Class of 2026 with three spring commencement ceremonies. Nearly 900 graduates are expected to walk the stage to receive their degrees. JSU alumni will serve as commencement speakers for all three ceremonies. They are noted researcher Jelani C. Zarif, Ph.D., Emmy Award-winning actor Tramell Tillman and licensed clinical psychologist and educator Jasmin Searcy-Pate, Ph.D. In addition to the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, officials said JSU will celebrate the Golden Anniversary for the Class of 1976. Class members will receive special recognition during the May 1 commencement activities at 9:00 a.m. The class includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater and Dowell Taylor, Ph.D., who served as director of the Sonic Boom of the South. |
| Are student workers paid enough? coping with the growing gap between wages and the cost of living | |
 | Student workers at the University of Mississippi are struggling to pay their bills working the maximum number of hours allotted per week, even with hourly wages higher than the state minimum wage. Luisa Sánchez, a junior civil engineering major from Bogotà, Colombia, juggles three on-campus jobs: She is a teaching assistant for an engineering course, a math tutor and a lab research assistant. "Even when maximizing my hours, my monthly salary will be almost entirely spent on rent," Sánchez said. "This is concerning to me because everything in Oxford is just getting more expensive, but I will be getting the same amount of money as if the prices did not change." The university sets a maximum of 25 hours per week for domestic students, but for international students like Sánchez, they are limited to 20 hours by their visa requirements. From there, individual departments, at their own discretion, decide what student wages will be. |
| Ole Miss names Political Science Department for former Governor Ray Mabus | |
| Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus has been called "one of the outstanding public servants of our time." Now his legacy at the University of Mississippi is being acknowledged with the naming of its Department of Political Science in his honor. The Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees approved the naming of the Ray Mabus Department of Political Science in its monthly meeting Thursday (April 16). Mabus, along with more than 120 donors -- including alumni, friends, foundations and businesses -- made significant contributions to establish an endowment to support the department's teaching, research and student opportunities. "One of the tremendous hallmarks of our alumni is how they take their Ole Miss education and build lives of service and purpose," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. "Alumnus, former Mississippi governor and former secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus is one of our highest examples of a lifetime of achievement. We are grateful to him and the many alumni and friends who generously contributed to this deeply meaningful naming of our Department of Political Science." |
| Greenwood Leflore Hospital files for bankruptcy amid UMMC takeover negotiations | |
| Greenwood Leflore Hospital filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, a move officials said would give it time to negotiate a possible transaction with the University of Mississippi Medical Center while continuing to provide health care services in the Delta region. "GLH has been and is currently unable to pay its debts as they come due, which conditions were brought on near the end of the pandemic period and have continued since that time," said Gary Marchand, the hospital's former interim CEO who serves as a consultant for the hospital's board, in the bankruptcy filing. The court filing is the first time the hospital has publicly acknowledged it is engaged in negotiations with UMMC over the acquisition of certain assets. Mississippi Today previously reported that the hospital and its owners signed a letter of intent in February to discuss a possible transaction in which the hospital would contribute all land, facilities, assets and operations to UMMC, the state's only academic medical center. |
| State Rep. McGee investing in USM scholarship program | |
| State Rep. Missy McGee is investing in the future of the Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship Program at Southern Miss with a named endowment that will support the program and its students for generations to come. The Missy Warren McGee Leadership Scholarship Endowment signals confidence in the program, its leadership and the students it serves. "Southern Miss continues to give to me. While this specific program did not exist when I was in school, it is a current-day reflection of the guidance, mentorship and leadership experience I had while I was here," said McGee, a dedicated alumna. "As my mentor and friend, Dr. Paul taught me that real influence begins with integrity, engagement and purpose. To give back to a program that carries his name is both a joy and an honor." A native of Hattiesburg, McGee was elected to serve as the state representative for House District 102 in 2017. |
| Clyde Muse, 'Godfather' of Mississippi community colleges, dies at 96 | |
| Dr. Clyde Muse, who led Hinds Community College as president for more than four decades, died Wednesday at the age of 96. Often referred to as the "Godfather" of Mississippi's community college system, Muse led Hinds Community College from July 1978 until his retirement in June 2020 – a 42-year tenure that made him one of the longest-serving community college presidents in the nation. Muse emphasized access to education, promoting Hinds as "The College for All People." Muse began his career as a teacher and coach at Canton High School before moving to Starkville, where he coached a state championship boys basketball team in 1961 while earning a master's degree in school administration from Mississippi State University. He later became principal of Starkville High School and assistant superintendent of the district. By 1969, Muse had completed doctoral requirements in administration at Mississippi State and was named superintendent of the Hinds County School District during a period marked by federal desegregation orders. He then served as superintendent in Meridian for seven years before being hired as president of Hinds Community College in 1978. |
| Billboard calls for better pay for U. of Alabama employees: 'Where legends aren't paid' | |
 | A billboard calling out pay standards for University of Alabama employees appeared in Tuscaloosa this week at the intersections of University and Peter Bryce Boulevards. "Welcome to Alabama's flagship institution, where legends aren't paid," the sign reads. It also includes information for United Campus Workers Alabama, a labor union that advocates for higher education employees in Alabama, focusing on fair wages, healthcare access, and improved working conditions, according to its website. The group started in the early 2000s at the University of Tennessee. UA's chapter was founded in 2019, with Auburn University and Jacksonville State University following shortly after in 2020 and 2023, respectively. n addition to the billboard, UCW called UA faculty, staff, students and community partners to the campus Quad at 4:30 p.m. on April 16 "to demand a cost-of-living adjustment for all UA employees," according to the group's Instagram. |
| LSU exhibit tells the story of its earliest days while solving the mystery of its missing motto | |
 | Conan Mills still believes LSU's Military Museum Director James Gregory somehow willed a chunk of marble into existence. Mills, a graduate student in the LSU Department of Geology & Anthropology, was leading a four-week excavation of the university's original home in Pineville last June when his team happened upon the marble stone that once topped the school's entryway. "I sat down with (Mills) and said, 'Look, if there's one thing I want you to find for me, it would be the stone that used to be above the door,'" Gregory said. "And he said, 'Man, that's long gone.' Sure enough, two weeks later, Conan calls me and says, 'I think you must have willed it into existence.'" The castlelike school structure in Pineville was built in 1859 and destroyed by fire in 1869. Today, the marble stone has been placed next to statues of David and Thomas Boyd at the William A. Brookshire LSU Military Museum in Memorial Tower just in time for the opening of the "Louisiana Seminary (Original LSU)" exhibit on April 22. |
| U. of Arkansas Fine Arts Center reopens after $38M restoration | |
| The historic Fine Arts Center at the University of Arkansas School of Art officially reopened after a $38 million restoration project. The building has been part of the campus for 75 years, and was originally designed by University of Arkansas alumnus Edward Durell Stone. The extensive restoration, which began in 2023, was undertaken in partnership with the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. This project aimed to honor the building's historical significance and share the history of art in Arkansas. Rachel Debuque, director of the University of Arkansas School of Art, emphasized the careful consideration behind the project's approach. "It was very intentional on our part that we chose restoration, that we honored the history of this place and that we built upon it rather than building something new," Debuque said. |
| At U. of Texas lecture, Clarence Thomas says America's values are under threat | |
| U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday praised the University of Texas as a national leader for its work to restore civic values and more closely focus on the study of Western civilization. The University of Texas School of Civic Leadership invited Thomas to campus to deliver a nearly hour-long lecture to an invited audience at UT's Hogg Memorial Auditorium. University leaders, professors and students from the School of Civic Leadership attended, as did Republican billionaire Harlan Crow, who was integral to the founding of the Civitas Institute at the university. In Thomas' remarks, the justice warned the crowd that America's values are under threat. As the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's signing, citizens need to vigorously defend the founding document's principles of equality, freedom and liberty with conviction and courage against those motivated by greed, power or un-American ideals, Thomas said. |
| Thomas warns intolerance among younger generations will 'infect' courts | |
 | Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas lamented a breakdown in civility among younger generations with ideological differences, raising concerns during a public appearance Wednesday that it will "infect" the judiciary. While speaking at the University of Texas at Austin, a student asked Thomas to reflect on his past comments detailing friendships among the justices in the wake of today's increasingly polarized climate. "When I said a lot of that, it was when I first went to the court," Thomas said. "That was a different court. That was a court that was a World War II generation." He remembered the late Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who revived a tradition of the justices eating lunch together and after retiring from the bench spent her time advocating for civics education. She "gets way too little credit for what she did," Thomas said. "These were people who respected -- they were more in that tradition of a civil society and would listen to different points of view," the conservative justice added. "I think this generation of kids -- they're in a different world." |
| Confetti covers campus as U. of Oklahoma staff, students aim to spread awareness of environmental impacts | |
| Colorful strips of confetti can be found around campus as graduation approaches and seniors head to University of Oklahoma landmarks for commemorative photo shoots. For many, the confetti is a symbol of the work put into their degree. However, if not cleaned up, confetti materials can leave lasting impacts on the environment. Chris Snider, OU Environmental Health and Safety director, wrote in an email about the negative effects of confetti on the environment. "If confetti is used outside and not fully cleaned up, particularly products made from plastic, metallic foil, Mylar, or coated paper, the lightweight material can be easily transported by wind and stormwater runoff from sidewalks, lawns, and event spaces into nearby storm drains, curb inlets, and retention areas," Snider wrote. In a Monday email, OU Marketing and Communications wrote that while graduation is a milestone worth celebrating, the use of confetti litters campus grounds. "While the university does not promote the use of confetti while taking graduation photos, if students choose to do so, cleanup is encouraged," the email read. |
| U. of Missouri System Curators propose tuition increase for 2026-27 academic year | |
 | The University of Missouri System Board of Curators discussed strategies during its meeting on Thursday to address administrative costs for the 2026–27 fiscal year. One of those strategies included a proposal to increase tuition by 3% to 5% over current levels. Currently, average tuition at the University of Missouri is $17,532 for in-state students and $39,804 for out-of-state students. UM System President Mun Choi and university officials also discussed major trends in enrollment, university performance, research funding and future budget proposals across the system. Choi emphasized the importance of continued faculty research efforts, especially when it comes to grants from the National Institutes of Health. "Our message to the faculty is to continue to write these proposals and get these awards in," he said. "We want to continue the important work." |
| 'Run with Jim' returns to Grounds ahead of Ryan's Valedictory Exercises speech | |
| Hundreds of students joined former University of Virginia President Jim Ryan Wednesday at the Rotunda to embark on a Run with Jim, from the Jefferson Statue in front of the Rotunda to Scott Stadium and back. The run was organized by the Fourth-Year Trustees -- the Class of 2026 Council -- and was the second Run with Jim since his resignation last June. Ryan served as University president from 2018 to last June, when he resigned under pressure from the Justice Department. Ryan regularly held Run with Jim events for students and community members during his presidency, and each year, he held a run on the last day of classes for fourth-year students. "We knew that we wanted to do this [Run with Jim], if not the last day of class ... at some point," said Ella Kreft, Trustees graduation chair and fourth-year College student. Kreft also said that the event embodied Ryan's openness to connect with students. |
| Meet the Donors Funding the Civil-Dialogue Boom at Colleges | |
 | There's been a veritable boom in civil-dialogue projects at colleges. One longtime researcher in the field estimated that among the more than 500 organizations in the ListenFirst Coalition, which work to bridge divides in the general public as well as among college students, perhaps 90 percent had been formed in the last decade. The topic is capturing funders' attention, too. In September, Gonzaga and Northwestern Universities trumpeted "transformational" donations for dialogue centers, and in November, the Department of Education announced that it considered civil discourse at colleges to be one of four "areas of national need" and made $60 million in grants available. Among the latest donors to campus efforts, The Chronicle found if not a full spectrum of political beliefs then at least some portion of the middle of it. What the donors shared was frustration at the breakdown in public discourse. Intervening with college students, they believe, can help repair Americans' ability to debate productively. Examining the work and motivations of a few of these donors offers a glimpse of the kind of future they're trying to create for higher ed. |
| People Are Angry (Again) About Colleges' Donors. Will Anything Really Change? | |
| When Jeffrey Epstein donated to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the university had no formal system for handling gifts that could harm its reputation. More than six years since his ties to the institute came to light, MIT says that has changed. It created written policies, permanent review committees, and clearer standards in the years following the scandal, all aimed at managing reputational risk. But because private institutions disclose little about their donations, it's not clear how differently the university handles such cases. MIT illustrates how hard it is to understand the landscape of private dollars in the sector, which totaled $78.8 billion in the 2025 fiscal year. The issue has come to the forefront since the Justice Department's release of millions of Epstein-related documents, which painted a damning portrayal of the convicted sex offender's influence in higher education and intensified calls for colleges to confront their ties to problematic donors. "Universities are in a very difficult situation," said Nicolas Duquette, an associate professor in the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy whose research mainly focuses on philanthropy. |
| A 'Legal Movement' Against Campus Antisemitism | |
 | Academics, legal experts and Jewish community advocates gathered at Harvard University Thursday for an inaugural conference focused on antisemitism and civil rights law, held by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. Speakers at the conference advocated for a multipronged approach to campus antisemitism, including educating faculty members and students and engaging in strategic lawsuits drawing on Title VI, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and Title VII, which protects employees from various types of workplace discrimination, including based on religion. The conference -- a condition of the Brandeis Center's settlement with Harvard last year -- follows a rash of lawsuits brought by the Brandeis Center, as well as other Jewish and Israel-supporting organizations and federal agencies, against colleges and universities for their responses to campus antisemitism. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in landmark settlements. |
| Trump's Turning Point USA stop to bolster young voters | |
| President Trump is set to be the main speaker at Turning Point USA's event in Arizona on Friday to bolster Republican turnout for the upcoming midterms. The "Build the Red Wall" event that will take place at a church in Arizona comes at a time when support among young voters for Trump's performance is slipping amid the Iran war. Polls show young voters are also worried about the economy and affordability, and some see the administration's actions toward immigrants as heavy-handed. The church setting is also notable given Trump's controversies this week in posting repeated Jesus memes that have triggered blasphemy criticisms. While some Republican strategists said it would be an opportunity for Trump to champion his accomplishments, others worry the heaping distractions away from his domestic policy could prove problematic for Republicans in the midterms. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: No. 17 State Set For Series At South Carolina | |
| No. 17 Mississippi State hits the road this weekend looking to regain its footing in Southeastern Conference play, as the Diamond Dawgs travel to Columbia for a three-game series against South Carolina at Founders Park. MSU (27-10, 7-8 SEC) enters the weekend having snapped its recent skid with a decisive midweek victory at Samford, offering a potential spark after a stretch that saw State drop six of eight contests. The win provided a needed reset as the Bulldogs turn their focus back to conference play. Friday's opener is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+. The series continues Saturday at noon on SEC Network and concludes Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first pitch streaming on SEC Network+. |
| Softball: Third Straight Top-15 Series Awaits No. 14 Bulldogs In College Station | |
| For the third weekend in a row, No. 14 Mississippi State will meet a top-15 opponent as the Bulldogs travel to No. 12 Texas A&M on April 17-19. MSU has already played three top-10 series this year, and all six SEC opponents so far have been ranked at the time of their meeting. It's a rare trip to Davis Diamond for the Bulldogs who have played just three conference series in Bryan-College Station in program history. The Bulldogs have three road wins against the Aggies since they joined the conference with one of those coming in the 2019 SEC Tournament that was hosted by Texas A&M. There have been seven prior meetings when both teams were ranked, but none of them have seen both programs inside the top 15. The weekend's schedule has been altered with inclement weather in the forecast. The Bulldogs will now open the series on Friday night at 6 p.m. CT instead of 7:30 p.m., and that game has been moved to SEC Network+. Saturday's game has been moved up to an 11 a.m. first pitch instead of a 4 p.m. start. |
| Men's Tennis: No. 2 Seed Mississippi State Set for Quarterfinal Matchup vs. No. 7 Seed South Carolina | |
| No. 6 Mississippi State will face No. 13 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, April 17 at 2 p.m. CT at Mitchell Tennis Center in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Mississippi State enters as the No. 2 seed and earned a double-bye into the quarterfinal round, while South Carolina, the No. 7 seed, advanced after a 4-1 win over Ole Miss in the second round. The two teams met earlier this season, with Mississippi State earning a 4-3 road victory. South Carolina won the most recent postseason meeting, defeating the Bulldogs 4-3 in the 2025 SEC Tournament semifinals. The winner will advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals to face the winner of LSU and he winner of game five. |
| No. 16 Women's Golf To Begin SEC Championship On Friday | |
| Mississippi State will begin their postseason journey this weekend as they compete against a loaded field in the SEC Championship, which begins on Friday, April 17. The stroke play portion of the tournament will conclude on Sunday, April 19, and will see the top eight teams begin the match play portion on Monday. The Bulldogs are on the hunt for the program's second SEC Championship after winning the first in 2024. The SEC's Individual Champion will be decided after the 54 holes of stroke play. The Bulldogs will stick with a similar lineup for the SEC Championship: Junior Avery Weed, Freshman Ines Belchior, Junior Samantha Whateley, Freshman Moa Stridh and Senior Izzy Pellot. The combination of these five have been used in six of State's eight stroke play matches this season. Freshman Lynn van der Sluijs will be available as a substitute as the sixth player in the Bulldog lineup. |
| The interesting deals behind massive stadium concerts as Morgan Wallen hits Bryant-Denny | |
| Work began just hours after Alabama's A-Day ended. Bryant-Denny Stadium had exactly a week to flip from SEC college football cathedral to the largest outdoor concert venue this state has ever seen. On Saturday night, Morgan Wallen is set to bring his nationwide Still the Problem Tour 2026 to the cradle of Crimson Tide football. The stakes are high and the logistics are mind-numbing. This weeklong transformation ends a decades-long concert drought for the stadium, joining a nationwide trend as college football fields become massive concert grounds. For a few reasons, this is truly the spring and summer of stadium tours hitting campuses across the nation. What's contributing to the trend? First, consider that several NFL stadiums are tied up with World Cup preparations. Then there's the money. College athletics departments are grasping for every revenue-generating opportunity. It's hard not to see these enormous stadiums that sit empty for all but seven or eight Saturdays a year as an obvious attempt to make more money. |
| NCAA committee recommends earlier start to football season for all teams beginning in 2027 | |
| An NCAA committee on Thursday recommended that Football Bowl Subdivision teams play a 12-game schedule over 14 weeks beginning in 2027 with the season starting on the Thursday of what is now designated Week Zero and ending the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Division I FBS Oversight Committee made the recommendation, which would require approval by the Division I Cabinet. The Cabinet is scheduled to discuss the recommendation in June. In addition to eliminating exceptions for teams to play before the first contest date, a 14-week regular season would provide two open dates for all teams. The earlier start date would allow flexibility for potential expansion to the College Football Playoff, which could require opening games in mid-December, and preserve standalone weekends for conference championships and the Army-Navy game. |
| Charlie Baker explains NCAA's flurry of new rules with help from Congress slow in coming | |
 | With help from Congress still uncertain, the NCAA is tackling its own problems. That was president Charlie Baker's message in a memo he sent to member schools on Thursday. "NCAA membership is not waiting for others to act," Baker said in the letter obtained by The Athletic. College sports leaders have pushed Congress for help regulating the new landscape for several years, but that has yet to arrive, leaving the NCAA and conferences vulnerable to antitrust lawsuits and at the mercy of state lawmakers. While Baker acknowledges a federal law is still needed, the NCAA has been notably proactive recently. In an interview with The Athletic, Baker credited the streamlining of Division I governance -- fewer and smaller committees -- with allowing for a more nimble and efficient legislative process. "We believe that the proposals we've made are consistent with current law," Baker said. |
| Why the College Football Playoff Decided to (Barely) Change Its Logo | |
| If football is, as they say, a game of inches, then football graphic design can play out in ever tinier margins. That reality was on display in this week's announcement by the College Football Playoff, which unveiled an updated version of its one and only logo -- changes so subtle they might require a magnifying glass to detect. Indeed, the CFP's own press materials leaned into the minutiae, with an infographic highlighting the "thickened bracket strokes," "rounded bracket corners" and a more iridescent shade of gold -- "championship gold." A change for the better? Perhaps. Bold? Not remotely. In an interview, CFP executive director Rich Clark described the final design as the most restrained option to emerge from an 18-month review process by a logo committee. There was also a strong pull within the group to simply stick with the original logo. But, Clark said, the CFP ultimately decided this seismic moment in college football called for at least some visual reckoning, even as it strained not to stray for its "brand equity." |
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