| Friday, July 24, 2026 |
| Science, engineering in focus as MSU hosts Mississippi Academy of Sciences summer symposium | |
 | According to an MSU press release, nearly 100 students showcased their science and engineering research this week as Mississippi State hosted the Mississippi Academy of Sciences for its annual Summer Science and Engineering Symposium Tuesday, July 21. MSU Research Professor Emeritus of Plant and Soil Sciences Raja Reddy, now in his third consecutive term as MAS president, served as the symposium's chair. "The Mississippi Academy of Sciences ranks among the top 10 academies of science in the U.S., and this is the largest gathering in Mississippi for high school, undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in science and engineering," Reddy said. "The event gives students the chance to connect with peers and mentors while gaining insight into opportunities such as graduate school." Reddy said this marks the seventh year MSU has hosted the event. |
| Ahead of 'Shark Week': How MSU graduate students are taking a bite out of shark research | |
| According to an MSU press release, as Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" enters its 38th season, public fascination with apex predators continues to rise. But while television audiences tune in for the drama, two Mississippi State graduate students are part of the network of scientists who help provide necessary data behind the public's often-varying opinions on sharks. Alena Anderson and Danielle McAree, graduate researchers in MSU's College of Forest Resources, are contributing to long-term scientific studies that plumb the depths of shark biology and behavior, a field that inspires equal parts curiosity and fear. In 2021, Anderson and McAree moved to Mississippi from opposite ends of the country -- California and Massachusetts, respectively -- for internships in the Marine Fisheries Ecology program at MSU's Coastal Research and Extension Center. The following year, both enrolled in the master's program within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Their shared passion for sharks forged a strong professional partnership and lasting friendship. |
| 16 WAPT names Christana Kay chief meteorologist after David Hartman retires | |
 | 16 WAPT today announced the promotion of Christana Kay to Chief Meteorologist. Christana will lead the station's weather team, continuing its commitment to providing accurate, clear and potentially lifesaving forecasts. Christana succeeds longtime Chief Meteorologist David Hartman, who is retiring after 40 years of service to Central Mississippi. The promotion continues a trusted tradition of weather leadership at 16 WAPT while introducing a new generation of leadership rooted in science, service and a deep connection to the community. A Georgia native, Christana's interest in meteorology began at age 12 as she watched local meteorologists track an EF2 tornado through downtown Atlanta. That experience inspired her to study geosciences with an emphasis in professional broadcast meteorology at Mississippi State University. She later returned to Mississippi State to pursue a master's degree in meteorology. |
| Taste Italian restaurant, born in Starkville, plans to open in every SEC city | |
 | Restaurateur Craig Fant has an ambitious goal for his growing restaurant empire: Put a Taste Restaurant in every Southeastern Conference market by 2029. Fant, whose family has built one of Mississippi's fastest-growing restaurant groups around the Taste Italian concept, said expansion plans are already underway with locations in Starkville, Ridgeland and eventually Oxford as the company looks beyond Mississippi and deeper into the South. "Our plan is to, by 2029, have a Taste in every SEC city," Fant told the Clarion Ledger. The strategy represents the next chapter for Culinary Innovation Group, the Starkville-based company led by Craig and Michele Fant. The group already operates Taste, Bluto's, The Joint Barbecue, Block and Harvest Catering in Starkville. The company brought Taste to Ridgeland's Renaissance at Colony Park in 2025, marking the brand's first expansion outside its home market. A new Heritage Steakhouse is under development in Starkville after the company took over the former 44 Prime space. The restaurant is being expanded and will seat nearly 160 patrons when completed. |
| USDA to purchase $20 million in catfish, benefiting Mississippi catfish producers | |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase up to $20 million in farm-raised catfish, which will likely benefit Mississippi catfish producers. The USDA's purchase will largely be used for distribution through food banks, charities, and other nutritional assistance programs and builds off a 2025 agreement to purchase $55 million in farm-raised catfish and Gulf shrimp. This $20 million promise comes as part of a larger $76.5 million purchase in U.S. commodities through Section 32 -- a program that supports producers of agricultural commodities that are not supported by large farm support programs. In June, Hyde-Smith, along with U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Republican senators from Alabama and Arkansas, wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins requesting that the USDA purchase surplus catfish products from the U.S. farm-raised catfish industry through Section 32. |
| Friendly City Books staff gear up for 3rd Annual Possumtown Book Festival | |
| If you like to curl up with a good book, you'll soon have a chance to stretch out with a bunch of them. The staff at Friendly City Books is gearing up for the 3rd Annual Possumtown Book Festival. This year's event will feature 24 local authors and another 24 regional authors, as well as panel discussions, a kids program featuring Marie Burgess, who will be reading her books for the younger crowd, and a writing workshop with nationally acclaimed poet and author, Ole Miss Professor, and former Mississippi Poet Laureate Beth Ann Fennelly. "We want people to remember that reading is for everyone, and that there is something for you out there. And, reading is also a way to connect with other people, so part of the fun of the book festival is meeting other people who maybe you wouldn't have met otherwise, or seeing a friend you haven't seen in a long time, because you've bonded over a book together," said Friendly City Books Founder Emily Liner. Mark your calendars now: the Possumtown Book Festival will be on Saturday, August 29, at the Columbus Arts Council. |
| Fed keeps markets guessing ahead of July interest rate decision | |
 | As many Americans struggle to make ends meet, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has pledged to bring inflation back to its 2% target, but it remains unclear exactly how he plans to get there as the central bank heads into its July meeting. The Fed often finds itself at a crossroads, balancing its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. It has two main tools it uses to address both -- its balance sheet and the federal funds rate, a benchmark for interest rates. The Fed typically raises its target range for the rate to tame inflation and lowers it to stimulate the job market. After three months of accelerating inflation, it slowed in June, though some forecasters expect it may tick back up amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities. And after three months of positive job growth, U.S. employer hiring fell in June -- leaving the Fed to sort out whether these recent swings are just noise or the start of new trends. The Fed may also be at a crossroads when it comes to delivering on Warsh's promise of price stability for U.S. consumers. Many Americans don't want higher interest rates on their credit cards and personal loans, but they also don't want prices to keep rising. Raising the Fed's benchmark interest rate could help cool inflation, but it would also make borrowing more expensive. |
| Freddie Mac says 30-year fixed mortgage rate reaches 11-month high | |
| Mortgage rates rose again this week and reached the highest level in nearly a year, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed the average interest rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.58% this week, up from 6.55% last week. This week's reading is the highest in about 11 months. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate was last at 6.58% Aug. 21, 2025. At this time a year ago, the rate was 6.74%. "The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.58% this week," said Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater. "As market conditions continue to evolve, borrowers should remember that shopping around for a mortgage rate can make a meaningful difference, potentially saving them thousands over the loan's lifetime." The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage also moved higher to 5.96%, up from 5.93% last week. A year ago, the 15-year fixed mortgage had an average rate of 5.87%. |
| State autopsy of Nolan Wells will remain sealed until grand jury review, DA says | |
 | The results of the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy report on Nolan Xavier Wells and other evidence collected in the case will not be released until after a Jackson County grand jury reviews of all the evidence, according to District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath. McIlrath said all evidence in the case will remain confidential in accordance with the Mississippi rules of criminal procedure. McIlrath talked about the investigation in a video address to the public on social media. She first addressed how the death of the 18-year-old student athlete from Ocean Springs has affected the community. "Our community is grieving the tremendous loss of Nolan Wells, who is loved and treasured by so many," she said. "Nolan's family deserves answers, and our community deserves answers. McIlrath went on to explain how every death in the county "except those from natural causes and non-criminal car wrecks -- is presented to your grand jury." She said every such death investigation has been handled in the same manner during her career. McIlrath said she understood the public's urgency in wanting to know the investigative results, but said "we are not taking time for time's sake. We are taking the time required to complete the work this investigation demands." |
| Ezell bringing House colleagues to Biloxi for roundtable on health of Mississippi Sound | |
| Mississippi 4th District Congressman Mike Ezell (R) has invited his colleagues on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to hold a Congressional roundtable in Biloxi next week. The roundtable is intended for members of the House subcommittee to hear concerns from invited witnesses and the public on a variety of issues, including reforms of permitting, impacts of the Bonnet Carré Spillway on the Mississippi Sound, and other matters managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Members of the Mississippi Sound Coalition, which has been advocating for restoring and protecting the ecosystem of the Mississippi Sound estuary, along with the Corps of Engineers will be on hand for the event. The goal of the session, as stated by the Coalition, is to bolster relations, community engagement, and discuss possible solutions to problems facing Congressman Mike Ezell's constituents who live and work in the area. |
| Tensions rise between GOP leader Thune, White House over stalled Trump agenda | |
 | Tensions are rising between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and President Trump over the Senate GOP's inability to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act or emergency funding for the Pentagon at a critical moment during Trump's second term. At a rally in Marietta, Ga., on Wednesday, Trump fumed at the Senate's failure to advance his agenda, telling a crowd: "We're having a hard time in the Senate. ... It's like the Senate is a place you send things when you want them to die." Then on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump's "patience is running out" with Thune as he struggles to move the president's agenda through the Senate. "The Senate needs to do its job," she warned. That criticism didn't sit well with Thune, who appeared annoyed when a reporter asked about the press secretary's comments. "Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It's 50 around here," Thune shot back. |
| Senator Wicker to President Trump: Finish the job in Iran | |
| Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) is among the lawmakers urging the President Donald Trump (R) to ramp up the operation in Iran, encouraging the President to finish the job. "I've expressed publicly and privately my approval of finishing the job, and realizing that negotiations were getting us nowhere," Wicker told The Hill on Thursday, saying he has spoken to the President multiple times this week on Iran. Trump is reportedly weighing a "massive attack" on the Islamic Republic, "bigger than ever before," as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen strike commercial fishing vessels in the Red Sea. Oil prices has since surged over $100 per barrel once again, further putting pressure on the global economy as investors question when the conflict will end. "Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart," President Trump posted on Truth Social early Thursday morning. Senator Wicker, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, said Iran shows no signs of operating "in good faith." |
| Trump Is Losing Patience Over an Iran War With No Clear End in Sight | |
 | President Trump was fed up. During a recent meeting in the Oval Office, he launched into a tirade against Iranian leaders, calling them scumbags and lunatics, and unleashing a series of expletives, according to a person who heard the comments. As the war in Iran enters its fifth month, Trump is increasingly frustrated that a conflict he once thought would be over in a matter of weeks has dragged on with no end in sight, administration officials and others close to the president said. Some of Trump's advisers now worry that the war -- which has resulted in higher prices, falling approval ratings and the deaths of more than a dozen U.S. servicemembers -- is consuming his presidency and damaging Republicans' already dim prospects in the coming midterm elections. Trump has been trying to wind down the war for months. He announced a ceasefire in April after he threatened to end Iran's "whole civilization." In June, he said the U.S. and Iran had signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the brief periods of calm quickly gave way to continued fighting. The president in recent days has grown skeptical that negotiations with Iran can produce a lasting peace, according to people familiar with the matter. A senior administration official said Trump believes that the only thing Iran understands is military force, adding that he was in "revenge mode" against Tehran. The president, the official said, sees few good options besides continuing strikes. |
| Trump refuses to give up on tariffs -- a pillar of his economic legacy | |
 | On the day the Supreme Court ruled against a broad swath of President Trump's tariffs, he was visibly angry -- and determined to enact more tariffs anyway. "Other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected," he said at a White House press briefing on February 20. "We have alternatives, great alternatives." "Alternatives" referred to laws the administration might use to authorize tariffs, after the Supreme Court said tariffs under the president's preferred route -- a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA -- were unlawful. Since then, the administration has demonstrated its willingness to implement a variety of those laws to rebuild the president's tariff regime. This week brought a flurry of evidence of that, as the administration replaced a global tariff with a set of new tariffs, levied new fees on Canadian imports, and threatened future tariffs on pharmaceuticals. It's an indication that the president remains defiantly committed to a favorite economic policy, even while Americans have grown frustrated with the taxes on imports. |
| Trump Expands His Ratepayer Pledge With Republican Governors, Utilities | |
| President Donald Trump announced Thursday an expansion of a pledge to protect ratepayers from increasing energy costs as power-hungry AI infrastructure springs up across the country. Fifty-five utilities including Avangrid, Dominion, Entergy, NextEra and PG&E joined the pledge, along with 106 energy cooperatives, 28 data center developers and 23 governors -- all Republicans. Seven AI companies had already signed on in March. Democratic governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who were involved in a previous White House agreement, were not part of the pledge. Spokespeople for Shapiro and Moore said they were not invited to sign on to the pledge. Companies that sign on to the pledge agree to build, bring or buy their own power supply, paying for the full cost of that energy and for the grid upgrades required to serve data centers. They also agree to pay for the power and grid upgrades whether they actually use the electricity or not. |
| Ted Cruz eyes bill to address 'catastrophic risk' caused by AI | |
 | Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz said in an interview Thursday he is looking to take up legislation to address the "catastrophic risk" posed by artificial intelligence -- increasingly top of mind after a major OpenAI security incident this week. It's a first glimpse at the types of bills that could be on the agenda for a big markup of AI and kids' online safety measures the Texas Republican plans to hold the first week of August, and about which he has been largely secretive. "Look, it's deeply concerning, and there are undoubted risks and catastrophic risks that that AI potentially brings, and how the government deals with those risks and minimizes the chance of harm is a difficult policy question that Congress is wrestling with," Cruz said. OpenAI earlier this week disclosed that its most powerful model available to the public, and another that has yet to be released, were both able to break free of a controlled laboratory test and hack into another AI developer platform -- the first documented case of a fully autonomous AI cyberattack. Cruz said Thursday that legislation confronting this scenario is "among the topics we are looking at for the markup," but declined to say whether he was writing a bill to address it -- or if he was working across the aisle on a bipartisan proposal. |
| Knives are out for Vance in the GOP. His allies say it's a coordinated 'op.' | |
 | As JD Vance prepares to make a decision about his 2028 plans, the vice president is facing a barrage of online attacks from within his party, criticism his allies say appears to be part of a coordinated attempt to poison the well for him politically. His detractors have adopted the "Never Vance" slogan and flooded social media, especially over the past week, with attacks including claims that Vance is "unfit" to be vice president due to his efforts to negotiate a peace deal with Iran. They have asserted, without evidence, that Vance is making policy decisions not supported by President Donald Trump. They have likened him to former president Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont). The sustained public hostility from Vance's own side of the aisle is unlike that faced by other vice presidents in decades, both in intensity and in the early timing -- two years before the party will choose its next presidential nominee. The unusual nature is a product of the central role that social media plays in today's political discourse, as well as the high stakes as Republicans prepare to select a new standard-bearer after Trump, Vance allies and critics say. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library surpasses $500M in fundraising | |
| Fundraising for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library has eclipsed $500 million, exceeding the $450 million goal of the project that opened its doors July 4. The total fundraising includes about $79 million in commitments mostly spread over the next five years, Library CEO Ed O'Keefe said Wednesday. He declined to say how much money has been raised over $500 million. Part of the money will go toward paying back a $70 million line of credit North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature approved in 2023 as a backstop for beginning construction. The line of credit from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota gave library planners confidence to start construction in June 2023, and without it, the library would not have opened July 4, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, O'Keefe said. "North Dakota just had its moment on the global stage, and people liked what they saw," he said. Since then, 40,000 people have visited the library, he added. Library planners expect 150,000 to 200,000 people will visit the library annually, with an annual economic impact of $42 million on the region. |
| USM Digital Humanities Hub hosts residency research symposium | |
 | Some of the best student researchers in Mississippi have been at the University of Southern Mississippi this summer, working on projects in partnership with the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub. Ten undergraduate students from seven universities across the state have been participating in a summer residency program. Thursday, they presented various research projects completed with digital mapping, digital exhibits and other tools used through the Digital Humanities Hub. Organizers hope the program will better prepare the students for careers working in education, libraries, museums or non-profit organizations. "(The students have) been here for six weeks, working on digital humanities projects, things that they're interested in," said Jamie O'Quinn, public programs and outreach liaison with the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub. "There's different tools, different techniques, how to do the research, then what do you do with it." The Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub is made possible by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. |
| Education Department rescinds disparate impact rule, a key tool used to assess school discrimination | |
 | The Education Department will no longer consider school policies that disproportionately harm one group of students as discriminatory unless the discrimination is intentional, rescinding a decades-long standard for civil rights enforcement. In a rule change announced Thursday, the department said it would remove a number of disparate impact provisions from its regulations related to the implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination on the basis of race or national origin. In schools, the standard has most notably been applied to school discipline policies. Across the country, data shows Black students have been more likely to receive punishments that remove them from the classroom, such as suspensions, expulsions and transfers to alternative schools. Racial justice advocates have pushed for policies that would reduce those disparities, and those efforts in turn have drawn opposition from the Trump administration. |
| Workforce Pell Grants are coming to Louisiana, along with strict requirements | |
| Students in Louisiana will soon be able to receive federal grants, once exclusively available to attend four-year schools, to take part in short-term workforce training programs. Unlike traditional Pell Grants, schools that accept Workforce Pell will have stringent reporting requirements. Their programs can only remain eligible if 70% of recipients earn the credential, a very high rate for workforce training programs in which students tend to be older and have other obligations such as jobs and families. Richard Nelson, the state's current community college system president, said these requirements might impact what programs remain eligible beyond the first year of the Workforce Pell program, as the state doesn't currently fully track those metrics. For students, one complicating factor is that the Workforce Pell Grant might not cover the full cost of a training program. "If you tell somebody that you can take this class, it'll triple your salary or triple your wage, but you have to have $2,000 first," Nelson said, "I mean, for a lot of folks, that's out of reach, and so having that [Pell Grant] support ... helps close that gap." |
| LSU Residential Life, students, parents share tips for move-in day | |
| As LSU's class of 2030 prepares for move-in day, LSU Residential Life and upperclassman parents share advice on how to make sure the exciting day runs as smoothly as possible. From perfectly timed arrivals to efficient packing methods, preparation can save families time and stress on one of campus' busiest weekends. LSU's Res Life office has many tips on how students can prepare before even arriving on campus, like reviewing the Living on Campus Handbook and their building information. Dakota Laszlo, communications and engagement coordinator with Res Life, explained that many students miss important guidelines on which appliances and electronics are allowed. Some of the most commonly brought items that are not allowed in residential halls, according to Laszlo, include ice machines, air fryers and candles. When packing, Laszlo suggests using easy-to-carry totes and boxes to avoid delays when unloading and moving items into the building. "Carts will be available, but families are encouraged to bring a hand truck, dolly or wagon because students and their guests are responsible for moving belongings into the room," Laszlo said. |
| Higher education commission looks to revive college performance funding | |
| The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is seeking to restore outcomes-based performance funding for the state's public colleges and universities in the next biennial budget. The formula rewards additional funding to colleges and universities for positive outcomes like on-time degree completion and graduate retention. The commission approved a new performance formula Thursday prioritizing on-time or early degree completion, affordable tuition, stackable credentials and alignment with workforce needs. The revision is in response to criticisms that the old formula, which included 13 metrics ranging from low-income youth and adult enrollment to research investment and student retention, was too confusing and poorly aligned with outcomes. While required by statute, lawmakers have the final say over how much of the state's higher education budget should be allotted to performance funding, which typically ranges from 1% to 9% of the higher education budget. Education Secretary Katie Jenner said industry leaders and lawmakers alike are expressing interest in outcomes-based performance funding: "We should expect that to go up." |
| Colleges Pitch Classics Studies as 'The Odyssey' Takes Over | |
 | Jack Davis is exactly where you'd expect a professor of Greek archaeology to be over summer break: in Pylos, Greece, researching the Palace of Nestor. "It's hotter than Hades," Davis says, an appropriate reference -- both Hades and the Bronze Age palace figure in Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, which was adapted by Christopher Nolan into a film out this month. Davis, who's at the University of Cincinnati, caught the film last Friday in a local outdoor theater. (Also appropriate for a story set thousands of years ago, the venue did not have comfortable chairs.) "It's a very good Marvel movie," the professor joked. "Some of the scenes are absolutely spectacular. Some of it I found a little silly." The Greek commander Agamemnon, Davis noted, presents as "a kind of Darth Vader." But that is adaptation for you, and Davis and the other classics scholars I spoke to are happy to have a light shone on the antiquities, a field that's often singled out in debates about academic relevance for being, well, antiquated. At a time when humanities degrees are being questioned and classics departments collapsed, some colleges are seizing on the blockbuster to showcase their studies in Greek and Roman literature and culture. |
| Business Officers Gird for Higher Ed's 'Seismic Shift' | |
| It's not unusual for Arne Duncan, the former U.S. Education secretary, to be in a text conversation with Ted Mitchell, his onetime undersecretary, about actions the Trump administration is taking. They've even developed their own shorthand: "idkycdt." The acronym stands for "I didn't know you could do that," Mitchell, now the president of the American Council on Education, said from the main stage of the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officials, or NACUBO, earlier this week in Anaheim, Calif. As he mentioned it, laughter from the more than 1,500 financial officials in attendance gave way to knowing glances and nods of agreement. College administrators spent much of 2025 in a defensive crouch, warding off blow after blow from the Trump administration and trying to keep their shields up in case their institution became a target. Much of 2026 has been slightly different. Still crouched behind shields, administrators are seeing blows rain down from all sides. "The financial squeeze has hit every single institution," said Kara D. Freeman, NACUBO's president and chief executive officer. |
| Competition is intensifying among universities and colleges for a dwindling supply of students | |
| t seemed like a win-win: a proposal to let community colleges in Illinois award bachelor's degrees in certain subjects to rural residents and working adults who live beyond commuting distance of four-year universities. The change would not only make things "easier and more affordable for students," according to backers including Gov. JB Pritzker; it would increase the supply of workers with the skills employers need. But four-year universities lined up against it. And a political ally, flanked by several of their presidents, was blunt about why: It would cut into their business. "We'll lose those students to the community college level," Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford pronounced. Under attack from politicians, scorned by the public for their cost and facing unprecedented enrollment and financial problems, universities and colleges are responding by taking the fight to ... each other. |
| Trump Administration Drops Subpoena Demanding List of Jews From Penn | |
 | The Trump administration has for now abandoned its quest to force the University of Pennsylvania to turn over names of Jewish people on campus, according to a court filing on Thursday. The administration's retreat does not resolve the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's long-running inquiry into concerns about antisemitism at Penn. But the government's move appears to spell the end, at least in Penn's case, of a politically volatile and legally fraught tactic. The government did not explain its decision in the court filing, and a spokesman for the E.E.O.C. declined to comment. The move, however, represents a rare pullback by the Trump administration, which has sought to use investigations and funding cuts as tools of leverage against elite universities. |
| Harvard President Discusses Federal Fight | |
 | Alan Garber's lawyer told him he shouldn't speak at the Economic Club on Thursday, in the midst of his institution's protracted legal battle with the Trump administration over federal research funding. The Harvard University president did so anyway, spending almost an hour in a friendly interview with David Rubenstein, a Harvard donor and co-founder of the private equity firm the Carlyle Group. Throughout the interview, Garber argued that Harvard's legal battle with the federal government -- which has sought to cut off $2.2 billion in research funding over allegations that the university mishandled antisemitism on campus -- could have far-reaching consequences not only for Harvard and the higher education sector but also the nation. Though Harvard won the first round in its legal battle last fall when a federal judge determined that the funding freeze was illegal, a Trump administration appeal is still playing out. The Department of Justice also sued Harvard in February, alleging the university was slow-walking responses to an investigation into its admissions processes. (Harvard has denied the claims in the DOJ lawsuit.) |
| White House offers its science blueprint: More AI, less life sciences | |
| For 18 months, the Trump administration has been accused by science advocates of shredding a social contract between academic researchers and the federal government that made the United States the world's most powerful engine of discovery. Now it's proposing a way to rebuild American science. Taking inspiration from "Science - The Endless Frontier," a 1945 manifesto that became the blueprint for the rise of American research universities, Trump's science adviser, Michael Kratsios, this week put forth his version of such a report. Called "Science: A New Golden Age" and drafted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, it calls for shifting hundreds of billions of research dollars from universities to industry, primarily tech and artificial intelligence companies. The report acknowledges problems scientists have long attempted to grapple with, but advocates and scientists expressed concern that the report's espoused goal of improving science is being undermined by other administration actions, chiefly the grievances expressed by President Trump and his aides against immigration, universities, and programs that they deem as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
| In a first, Chinese woman wins the prestigious Fields Medal | |
| For the first time, a Chinese woman has been awarded the world's most prestigious mathematics prize, the Fields Medal, bringing the total count of Chinese-born medalists to three, as two mathematicians from the country clinched medals this year. Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, Fields Medals are awarded every four years to between two and four mathematicians under 40, recognizing both achievement and potential. This year marks only the third time a woman has ever won the coveted award in its 90-year history. The recipients, whose medals were presented at the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia on Thursday, included Chinese mathematicians Hong Wang and Yu Deng, American John Pardon and Canadian Jacob Tsimerman. Originally from China's mountainous Guilin City, Hong Wang is the first Chinese woman to ever receive the medal. Wang, who researches at both NYU and France's Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, shot to fame after resolving a century-old problem known as the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions, together with University of British Columbia's Joshua Zahl. |
SPORTS
| Takeaways From State's SEC Media Days Trip To Tampa | |
| Kickoff will be here soon enough for Mississippi State and the rest of the college football world. For now, it's talking season. MSU head coach Jeff Lebby and Bulldog players Kamario Taylor, Anthony Evans III and Kelley Jones all represented the Maroon and White as State made its annual trek to Southeastern Conference Media Days on Thursday. As is typical at the event, much was said. So what did we learn, and what do you need to know with preseason camp nearing for the Dawgs? After taking the main stage, Lebby didn't take long to outline his goal for MSU's upcoming campaign. "As I think about year three for us, I think about taking the next step," Lebby said. "That's what it's all about this fall." |
| Lebby says roster is in 'better place,' confident Mississippi State can turn corner in year 3 | |
| Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby is looking to improve once again and believes he has revamped his roster enough to put his team in a position to be in the win column more often than not. During his appearance at SEC Media Days on Thursday, Lebby talked about what it will take for his team to take the next step. This entails building a strong roster through retention and the portal, bringing in seasoned coaches, and learning from the past to pave a new path -- one where the Bulldogs are victors of tight games, instead of being on the losing end. With a nine-game SEC schedule intact for the foreseeable future, making progress is going to be difficult; not just for Mississippi State, but for all 16 teams in the conference. But excuses do not hold up in the court of public opinion, especially with millions upon millions of dollars being spent to subsidize rosters across the board. Having that in mind, Lebby said he and his staff worked to build a unit that would give the Bulldogs an edge. Lebby is optimistic that the blend between experienced returning veterans and talented players from other Power Four schools will yield a roster that is as formidable as anybody else's in the SEC. |
| What we heard from Jeff Lebby at SEC Media Days | |
 | Mississippi State football head coach Jeff Lebby doesn't feel any added pressure to make another jump this season. His first year with the Bulldogs ended with just two wins. Lebby improved in his second season, taking MSU to five wins and a bowl game. Entering his pivotal third year, Lebby said there isn't any added weight to see that win total grow. "This is the process," Lebby said in a local media scrum at SEC Media Days on Thursday. "This is exactly what we planned on doing from the standpoint of taking that jump in year two, we plan on taking that jump in year three. We're going to be exactly who we're supposed to be." Lebby said he's entering year three with the best roster he's had since landing in Starkville. It's a roster headlined by quarterback Kamario Taylor, who'll take the keys to the offense after spending most of last season behind Blake Shapen. Lebby said the depth in his secondary will be the biggest area of improvement on defense. MSU returns Kelley Jones and Issac Smith, and brought in three projected starters in the secondary through the portal. |
| Jeff Lebby has surprising answer for what makes Mississippi State football better in 2026 | |
| Jeff Lebby fielded a fairly straight-forward question at SEC Media Days about where he thinks Mississippi State football will take another jump in 2026. The easy answer, and probably the one fans would've expected, is Kamario Taylor, the new starting quarterback. Taylor is the talk of the team and could be MSU's ceiling-raiser in his first season as the full-time starter. But instead, Lebby pointed to offensive line and the secondary. "I do think, without a doubt, offensively, it's at the line of scrimmage," Lebby said on July 23. "We're going to take a huge jump there. Having the ability to protect Kamario and be able to run the football the way we want to run the football will be a huge point of emphasis. "And then I think defensively, just our depth in the secondary and our safety position. Obviously, Kelley (Jones) is at corner, but what we're going to be able to do opposite of him is exciting." |
| 'It's a blessing': Kamario Taylor entering first year as full-time Mississippi State starting QB with hype | |
| Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby said he has no ceiling. Nick Saban, arguably the greatest college football coach of all time, said he could be "the truth." And countless media figures have said he will dominate headlines in the near future. Needless to say, a lot of hype surrounds Kamario Taylor going into the upcoming season. "I really do appreciate that from Coach Saban," Taylor said. "Hopefully, I can prove that right this season." The 6-foot-4 sophomore Mississippi State quarterback made his SEC Media Days debut on Thursday and had the red carpet rolled out for him. The Noxubee County High School product, accompanied by Lebby, wideout Anthony Evans III, and defensive back Kelley Jones, had all eyes on him during his team's availability in Tampa. "It's a blessing. Growing up a Mississippi State fan, it's something I always wanted to do. It was one of my dreams," Taylor said of getting to play for the Bulldogs. "That was one of the things I wanted to check off my bucket list, and I got to do it." |
| Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby foresees 'big year' for Alabama native Fluff Bothwell | |
 | Fluff Bothwell was only a part-time starter at Mississippi State last season, but still managed to lead the Bulldogs in rushing. With co-starter Davon Booth now in the NFL, Bothwell enters 2026 as the unquestioned lead back for the Bulldogs. The South Alabama transfer has enjoyed a healthy, productive offseason, head coach Jeff Lebby said. "I think he's got an opportunity to accomplish a lot," Lebby said. "... He's done a great job with his body and putting himself in position to succeed. He feels better than he's ever felt and excited about his ceiling and what he's got a chance to do." Bothwell, an Oneonta native, totaled 834 yards with 13 touchdowns as a freshman at South Alabama in 2024. He transferred to Mississippi State, where he totaled 677 yards and six scores in 11 games, missing one game and part of another due to injury. "I think Fluff will be the running back that takes the bulk of the carries," Lebby said. "I also love the depth in that room with Kolin Wilson, Xavier Gayten and a couple of young guys that we've added to the roster that got here in January. So really excited about that room. Specifically Fluff, he's had a great spring and a great summer and ready to go have a big year." |
| Mississippi State Players Highlighting Alabama Game | |
| The Battle for Highway 82, also known as the 90-Mile Drive, has been renewed by the SEC with new scheduling models in the SEC, with Alabama and Mississippi State playing for the first time since 2023, when the Tide defeated the Bulldogs 40-17 behind three rushing touchdowns on offense and three interceptions on defense. The Bulldogs' players were asked if there was any game they're amped up for this season, with veteran cornerback Kelley Jones and wide receiver Anthony Evans III both circling the first matchup with the Crimson Tide in 3 seasons. "Alabama. That's something -- you know I've never beat them, so that's something I look forward to. I need to get my getback," Evans said. Evans played at Georgia in 2023 and 2024 and was a member of the 2023 SEC championship game when Alabama defeated Georgia, knocking the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff. He was also on Georgia's roster in 2024, when the Tide defeated the Bulldogs 41-34 behind a monstrous first half by Jalen Milroe and Alabama's offense. "It's a surreal feeling, growing up a Mississippi State fan, playing Alabama in Davis-Wade this year," star cornerback Kelley Jones said. "Mississippi hasn't beaten Alabama in high school in like, six years. It's gonna be something to look forward to, giving our fans something to be excited about, especially playing that great team in Davis-Wade." |
| Mississippi wants hunters to kill more deer. See the reasons why | |
| The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is pushing for a greater harvest of deer with the goals being to not only slow the spread of chronic wasting disease, but to grow more trophy bucks. "What has our deer population been doing?" asked William McKinley, MDWFP Deer Program coordinator. "Well, it's been rising and it's been rising at a rate that is a little bit alarming." McKinley spoke before the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks during an educational session in Jackson on Thursday, July 23. McKinley's presentation largely focused on CWD; a neurological disease that affects deer and similar animals and is always fatal. It's a disease that is spreading in Mississippi and is having a pronounced impact on deer numbers in parts of the state. McKinley also discussed another issue; the lack of trophy bucks harvested in Mississippi in recent years. The two may seem unrelated, but he explained that they are. Both are being fueled, at least in part, by far too many deer on the landscape. The high number of deer means less food for each deer and less food means smaller deer. The high density is also a factor in the spread of CWD. |
| Gov. Reeves announces $15M grant cycle for Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announced the launch of the fifth grant application cycle for the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (MOSTF), supported by $15 million appropriated during the 2026 Legislative Session. The MOSTF Board of Trustees will begin accepting applications Aug. 3. The deadline to apply is Sept. 18. Land acquisition requests will not be considered during this grant cycle. According to the Governor's office, since the program began in 2022, MOSTF has awarded more than $50.2 million to fund 100 conservation and outdoor recreation projects statewide. Those awards have leveraged total project funding of more than $100.2 million, according to the governor's office. "Mississippi is one of the most beautiful places in America, and I am proud of the work we've done to preserve our outdoors for future generations," Reeves said in a statement. He said the board has prioritized projects that attract non-state matching funds, promote economic growth, and support job creation. |
| Greg Sankey doesn't favor SEC breakaway, but options being explored amid 'real frustrations' | |
| The notion of the SEC breaking away, whether it's making its own rules or even making its own football playoff, entered the public discourse this summer. But it's been going on within the conference for almost a year. Last October, SEC presidents asked commissioner Greg Sankey to present an analysis on "stepping away, or our relationship with the NCAA," Sankey told The Athletic on Thursday. "I identified some key elements, and at the end my recommendation was we not pursue that," Sankey said. Then in January, the SEC contracted with an outside firm to hold confidential interviews with its 16 athletic directors, as part of putting together a "comprehensive strategic plan for the conference," according to a document obtained by The Athletic. A number of topics came up in those interviews, and the breakaway idea was among them, according to a source briefed on the discussion, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meetings. Since then, frustration has only mounted. |
| LSU's Lane Kiffin evolving, embracing role as college football's villain: 'You'll be a hero if you win' | |
| Back in May, Lane Kiffin glanced down at his phone to see a good friend and SEC rival coach calling. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had a message for his buddy Lane. While visiting the University of Texas campus, Knox Kiffin, Lane's son, had shared something with Sark about his father. My dad, Knox started, doesn't always hear or listen to me because he's on social media too much. This struck Sarkisian as something he should share with a fellow father. And, so, he did. Struck by the conversation, Lane approached Knox about eliminating social media from his life. "No way you'll do that," Knox told him. More than two months later, Lane Kiffin remains off social media applications, most notably Twitter, where for years he routinely fired up fan bases with incendiary posts, sarcastic messages and not-so-subtle jabs. He's tweeted once since May 11, sending a poster of Michael Jordan with a message that reads, "They have no idea who you are becoming. Time to go ghost." Kiffin told this tale about Sarkisian's call privately in a walk-and-talk with a reporter Thursday as he lapped around the downtown Tampa Marriott. |
| Trump-Backed College Sports Bill Faces Hurdles As Deadline Nears | |
| Last month, the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act passed its first test when the Senate Commerce Committee voted to recommend it to the Senate floor for a full vote. The legislation certainly had momentum. Since being introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), and co-sponsored by Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) and Chris Coons (D., Del.), it has gained two more co-sponsors in Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.) and Peter Welch (D., Vt.). It also won endorsements from several FBS leagues and the NCAA, and even got a vote of confidence from U.S. President Donald Trump. But it remains unclear whether the bill will reach the Senate floor before Aug. 7, when the chamber goes into its monthlong August recess. Hurdles span from external critiques to legislative priorities. Bill sponsors have been embroiled in negotiations to placate the Big Ten and SEC, who came out against the bill and still stand against it, and to secure 60 votes. Meanwhile, several other Senate to-do list items are competing for airtime. |
| Protect College Sports Act running out of time for vote before Senate recess: What's next? | |
| Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday the Protect College Sports Act is not likely to reach the floor for a vote before the session ends in two weeks. The bipartisan bill introduced in May by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) addresses a wide range of issues in college sports, including antitrust exemptions that would allow the NCAA and member conferences to make rules on athlete eligibility, transfers and player compensation while shielding them from the onslaught of legal challenges that have limited the regulation of college sports. Cruz and Cantwell need 60 votes to pass the bill, but to get it to the floor, leadership would like to see robust support. Right now, that doesn't exist. Stakeholders have been working to bring the bill for a full Senate vote prior to the Aug. 8 recess in hopes of then passing it through the House and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law this fall before the November midterm elections. Trump and the White House, which hosted a presidential roundtable on college sports in March, are supportive of the Protect College Sports Act, but the midterm elections represent a de facto deadline. The closer it gets to the midterms, the less likely it is that any legislation will pass through Congress, especially a bipartisan bill. |
| NCAA Division I board: No plans to change age-based eligibility rule being challenged in court | |
| The NCAA Division I Board of Directors doubled down Thursday on the new age-based eligibility rule that has prompted some athletes to go to court in hopes of extending their college careers. The Division I Cabinet, which approved the new rule last month, issued a similar statement last month after a group of basketball players filed a lawsuit in an Ohio state court contending the age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition. More lawsuits have been filed across the country since, some of them reportedly with their coaches' encouragement. The board statement indicates it won't budge from its stance like it did when, in response to former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's 2024 court win, it granted an additional year to athletes who had competed at non-NCAA schools for at least one season and were set to complete their eligibility. |
| Texas Tech's Campbell Warned Big 12 He Had Sorsby 'Receipts' on Cincy | |
| On the same day the NCAA reportedly opened an investigation into the University of Cincinnati over former quarterback Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech board chairman Cody Campbell warned Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark he had "receipts" capable of implicating UC in the scandal. Campbell's threat came after head football coach Scott Satterfield publicly accused the Red Raiders of improperly recruiting Sorsby while he was at UC. "In the spirit of not publicly airing 'family disputes,' somebody should inform Coach Satterfield that Texas Tech has gone out of its way to not drag Cincinnati on the Sorsby deal,'" Campbell wrote in a July 8 text message to Yormark. A copy of their exchange was obtained by Sportico through a public records request. "We have plenty of receipts, and he wants no part of it," Campbell continued. "This is not a fight he should start." The exchange captures the tension at the center of Campbell's combative role in L'Affaire Sorsby, specifically, and intercollegiate athletics more broadly. He is Texas Tech's billionaire benefactor, a major political donor, and leading voice for saving a college sports system that he argues has become distorted by the money and influence. Yet, his critics contend he has come to embody those very forces, oscillating between the moral authority of a reformer and the instincts of a partisan fan. |
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