| Monday, June 29, 2026 |
| MSU partners with Uwill to offer crisis support, wellness for students | |
 | According to an MSU press release, Mississippi State University is partnering with Uwill, a leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students, to provide students with free, confidential, 24-7 telehealth access to licensed mental health support and on-demand wellness resources starting July 1. The new service complements those offered by MSU's Student Counseling Services and provides students experiencing crises with a direct connection to licensed therapists who can assess risk, de-escalate situations, and connect them with appropriate support. In addition, students have access to wellness programming focused on mental health, stress management, mindfulness, resilience, and personal well-being. "At Mississippi State, we are committed to making sure students have the support they need to thrive academically, personally, and emotionally," MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said. "This partnership with Uwill will be a great addition to our amazing Student Counseling Services staff to ensure our students have resources available whenever and wherever they need them. By adding another layer of support, we are helping students build resilience, navigate challenges, and succeed both inside and outside the classroom." |
| Moving More: Extension's Magnolia Moves program inspires more activity, healthier living | |
 | For all those professionals who find themselves sitting in an office eight hours a day, Felicia Ball of Winston County has a message: "Get moving." She's practicing what she preaches these days, and she's ready to see the people around her -- and beyond -- get moving with her. It all started because of Amy Young, the local county agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. When Extension's Family, Health, and Wellness program coordinators announced that the Magnolia Moves program would kick off April 20 and continue through May 31, Young brought the news directly to the people of the county. "The Magnolia Moves challenge is about increasing movement and healthier eating," Young shares, "and I went to all these places to talk to people about joining. I wanted Winston County to be the top moving county, so I told everyone to recruit people, too. We can compete with ourselves or compete against each other to get the most steps." Winston County was indeed the top participating county in Mississippi, followed by Choctaw and Webster Counties. The fourth top participating counties had a two-way tie between Coahoma and Oktibbeha Counties, and Desoto County took fourth. |
| Cultivating Dynamic Leadership: MSU pilot program helps DAFVM faculty build institutional perspective | |
| According to an MSU press release, when Nicole Ashpole arrived at Mississippi State University a year ago to launch the new One Health program in the College of Veterinary Medicine, she brought enthusiasm, a long to-do list and years of academic experience. What she gained this spring was something her previous career hadn't given her: a real understanding of what a land-grant university is -- and why it matters. MSU is one of the nation's land-grant universities, a designation established through the Morrill Act of 1862 to expand access to higher education and serve the needs of the state through teaching, research and outreach. "Before, being a land-grant just meant it was a state designation with special funding," said Ashpole. "I didn't realize how much it means to the people here and to the state of Mississippi. Learning what a land-grant really is and how invested this university is in that mission was really important to me." |
| MSU leaders selected for prestigious national Farm Foundation programs | |
| Mississippi State University is strengthening its voice in national agricultural conversations through two additional Farm Foundation leadership opportunities. Associate Vice President Ashli Brown, who serves in MSU'S Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, was selected as a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow, an invitation only forum of leaders from across the food and agriculture value chain. The program brings together policymakers, academic leaders and industry professionals twice each year to discuss issues affecting agriculture, food systems and rural communities. Brianna Croft, an MSU agricultural economics master's student from Normal, Illinois, also was selected for the Farm Foundation Cultivator Program. The program pairs graduate students and early-career professionals with mentors from the round table and provides opportunities to engage with leaders from government, academia and industry while contributing to discussions on the future of agriculture. Brown and Croft recently participated in Farm Foundation's Summer Round Table in St. Louis, Missouri, themed "Beyond the West: U.S. Agriculture in a Realigning World." |
| Still no cases of the New World Screwworm found in Mississippi | |
| As cases of the flesh-eating New World screwworm continue to rise nationwide, Mississippi is not currently one of the states plagued by the parasite. Despite the screwworm only appearing so far in two states -- one in New Mexico and the other 19 in Texas -- it still poses a potential threat to Mississippi's food supply. According to Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, it's only an issue for animal safety, not food safety. Jerome Goddard, a Mississippi State University Extension professor of medical entomology, said the screwworm belongs to the blowfly family. Typically, blowflies infest dead animals and lay eggs inside them that eventually develop into larvae, which eat the carcass for nutrients. "Screwworms used to be endemic in the entire southern half of the U.S., but they were eradicated in the 1960s to 1970s using the sterile male technique," Goddard said. "This eradication process eliminated this pest from the U.S. all the way down to Central America." |
| Mississippi remains clear of New World screwworm | |
 | No confirmed cases of the New World screwworm have been found in Mississippi, but officials are monitoring the situation as the flesh-eating parasite spreads across Texas and New Mexico. As of June 25, 2026, there have been 20 animal cases reported in the United States, with one in New Mexico and the remainder in the south-central Texas region near the Mexico border. Jerome Goddard, an Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension professor of medical entomology, said the New World screwworm is a type of blowfly that can infest living animals. Unlike typical blowflies, which lay eggs on dead animals, this species lays eggs on living tissue, where larvae burrow into flesh and can cause serious harm in livestock. Dr. Jim Watson, state veterinarian with the Mississippi Board of Animal Health and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, said Mississippi has a response plan in place in case the pest is detected. "Our goal at the Board of Animal Health is to develop regulations and to put out information that will help, if possible, prevent the pest from coming back into Mississippi, and if it does, we have been working an planning on how we would respond to this," Watson said. |
| Master Gardeners bloom at state conference | |
 | When Jerry Fortenberry, President of the Lowndes County Master Gardeners, heard that he won Second Place Northeast District Top Producer at the 2026 Master Gardeners State Conference, he was shocked. But, as he accepted the award, he rationalized the win by thinking about all the service hours he logged from group projects like tending to the Herb Garden at Mississippi University for Women, volunteering at the Hitching Lot Farmer's Market in Columbus and many, many other events. In total, the Lowndes County Master Gardeners took home three awards from the 2026 Master Gardener State Conference, which was held April 27-29, including Outstanding Organization of the Year and Outstanding Project for their Butterfly Bonanza event. He said LCMG has 41 members, and the three awards they won were in the category for Master Gardener groups with 21 or more members. The Master Gardener Program is a national educational and volunteer initiative where local garden experts are trained in horticulture by university experts. In Mississippi, the program is in partnership with the Mississippi State University Extension. |
| Mary Means Business: Raising Cane's eyes Starkville location | |
| I'm about to act a fool, because it looks like Raising Cane's is finally on its way to Starkville. The, in my opinion, premier chicken joint is officially scouting out a Starkville location. According to City Planner Daniel Havelin, Raising Cane's is looking at the northwest corner of Highway 12 and Vine Street, right near Sonic. The city recently completed a preliminary site plan review, meaning it's not a done deal yet, but the likelihood of Raising Cane's coming to town is moving in the right direction. I'm stoked. I couldn't wait for Starkville readers to see. Raising Cane's started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founder Todd Graves pitched the idea in a college business course, where it famously received the lowest grade in the class. The professor told them a business that sold only chicken fingers wasn't a great business model. Wrong. With more than 900 locations now smattered across the U.S., it's honestly a shame it's taken this long for me to live near one as an adult. It's a constant conversation I have with folks around here, and I'm crossing my fingers that plans continue smoothly so I can get that box combo right here in Starkville. |
| Imes takes gavel as press association board president | |
| Peter Imes, publisher for The Commercial Dispatch, has been elected president for the Mississippi Press Association Board of Directors for 2026-27. His term began Friday evening at a gavel-passing ceremony during MPA's annual convention in Biloxi. Imes has served as the board's vice-president for the past two years and can serve up to two yearlong terms as president. He replaces George "Russell" Turner of the Greene County Herald and will lead a board of 10 directors representing newspapers from across the state. "Mississippi Press Association does crucial work on behalf of all state newspapers and increasingly our digital media affiliates, particularly on education, building revenue and open government initiatives," Imes said. "I'm honored to serve." |
| Families embrace new June date for Neshoba County Fair | |
| For the first time in the Neshoba County Fair's history, the fair is being held in June. According to the fair's social media, the change was made to better accommodate early school starts and late summer scheduling conflicts due to many schools now beginning in July. Despite the change in dates, many regular fair attendees said their experiences weren't negatively affected. "I personally was very excited that the fair dates had changed from July to June," said Camille Parker, whose daughter is in second grade. "I know there's a lot of tradition steeped in the July dates, but for us and the back to school timing, it really did benefit us as a family." Among every interview was a sense of openness to the change and a willingness to open their June schedules to accommodate for Mississippi's Giant House Party. "I think moving forward it will all be fine," said Gloria Langston. "And it doesn't matter to me, because I'll be at the fair." |
| Detroit conglomerate buying Mississippi Coast casino | |
 | The Detroit-based corporate empire behind Little Caesars Pizza and the Detroit Tigers plans to acquire Scarlet Pearl Casino on the Mississippi Coast. The deal is part of a major expansion under the newly formed Ilitch Gaming division. Ilitch Companies announced plans to purchase Scarlet Pearl Casino in D'Iberville through its new gaming platform, Ilitch Gaming, pending regulatory approvals and closing conditions. John Policicchio, Ilitch Gaming CEO and chief development officer, said the focus is to "support great teams, deliver exceptional guest experiences, invest in the communities we serve, and responsibly grow the business over time." Scarlet Pearl was previously held by Coast-based Land Holdings I, which opened the casino in 2015 with LuAnn Pappas as CEO. Since opening, the casino has paid $30 million in gaming taxes, with $18 million going back to D'Iberville. The casino employs about 800 people and will continue operating as usual until the transaction closes. |
| New law will send armed juveniles to adult court | |
| Starting Wednesday, any juvenile charged with committing a violent crime while possessing a firearm -- regardless of whether they fire it -- can be prosecuted in circuit court as an adult. The change, tied to Senate Bill 2710, which the governor signed in April, is an expansion of current state law, which largely reserved circuit court for juveniles facing capital charges, with all other cases going to youth court. While area officials believe the law is a step in the right direction when it comes to combatting youth gun violence, applying it fairly will require nuance from the court. Either way, Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry expects the change to be "an eye-opener" for juvenile offenders. "Because so many people of certain (young) ages are thinking, 'I commit a crime, I go to youth court,'" Daughtry told The Dispatch on Thursday. "I think the message (lawmakers) are trying to send is, you play big boy games, you got to play by big boy rules. But I hope that the court is also understanding that some kids do stupid things." The law specifically applies to any offense committed by a juvenile with a deadly weapon as well as misdemeanor charges, like carrying a concealed weapon, accompanied by a felony and specific firearm felonies, like possessing a gun on school property. |
| Under new law, children accused of committing violent crimes with firearms will be tried in circuit court | |
 | Starting next week, juveniles caught committing violent crimes with firearms will find themselves going directly to adult court. Youth court will no longer be a legal option. Under a new law that goes into effect July 1, if a juvenile (13-17) commits or attempts to commit a violent crime while in possession of a firearm, whether openly or concealed, it will be the jurisdiction of circuit court. The change in the state law was approved by the state legislature this spring. The new law will make it easier for law enforcement officers when they encounter a juvenile who committed a crime with a gun. "In the old law, there was still some wiggle room. You had to ask yourself, do they qualify for youth court?" said Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson. "This law takes that question out of the process. If you are in possession of a firearm and commit a violent crime, you will be in circuit court, no questions. You will be treated as an adult." Officials say it is imperative that parents, grandparents, caregivers, preachers and teachers ensure children understand the new law and what could happen. What could have resulted in no more than 90 days detention before could now carry years in an adult prison. |
| Age gap persists between Mississippians, lawmakers | |
 | Mississippi's lawmakers are significantly older than the people they represent, with the Legislature's median age standing at 57 compared to the state's median age of 39.3. The age range among lawmakers stretches from 28-year-old Rep. Jimmy Fondren, R-Biloxi, to 84-year-old Rep. John Read, R-Gautier, whose districts border each other on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The gap is reflected in generational representation. Data from Rutgers University's Young Elected Leaders Project shows millennials make up 22.8% of Mississippi's population but only 7.4% of members of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Most Mississippi legislators belong to the Baby Boomer and Generation X cohorts, according to data from the Young Elected Leaders Project. Only one legislator is a member of Generation Z. Rep. Justis Gibbs, D-Jackson, and George Quinn, a graduate researcher with the project, said the disparity reflects financial, professional and social barriers that can make public office harder to access for younger adults. To Gibbs, one of the biggest obstacles is fundraising. |
| 7th annual Girls' Day hosted at Mississippi State Capitol | |
| More than 100 girls gathered at the Mississippi State Capitol on Friday for the 7th annual Girls' Day, an event created by Rep. Jill Ford to show young girls what female leadership looks like up close. Ford started Girls' Day in 2020 by inviting nine girls who had helped her campaign. This year, the event drew more than 100 young girls. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that the future leadership in Mississippi, that little girls have the opportunity," Ford said. "They might not choose to do it, but they have the opportunity to lead in our state." The event included photo opportunities, performances and a red, white and blue celebration ahead of America's 250th birthday. Sarah Butler, who attended Girls' Day with her nieces, said the event delivers on its promise. "This is an opportunity for them to be like, 'Oh, we belong here and we can do this too,'" Butler said. Ford noted that of the 122 members of the Mississippi House of Representatives, only 18 are women. |
| A $55 Billion Safety Net? Government Tab to Prop Up American Farms Is Rising | |
 | Uncle Sam is slated to fork over more money than ever to help ease American farmers' economic woes. The Agriculture Department earlier this year estimated that direct payments to farmers would hit $44 billion in 2026. That meant government payments could account for more than a quarter of projected net farm income, a broad measure of farmers' profits. That was before President Trump on Wednesday asked Congress to approve $11 billion in funding, largely to help farmers deal with effects from the war with Iran. If approved, government payments to farmers this year could hit a record high. Government funding has played a bigger role supporting farm incomes over the past decade, with trade war-related payouts during Trump's first and second terms; rescue funding through the Covid-19 pandemic; and checks to help farmers deal with low crop prices. During this year's conflict in the Middle East, farmers have had to shell out more cash for fuel to run equipment and fertilizer for planting. |
| How an Industry That Runs on Pesticides Won Over RFK Jr. | |
| What do Gen Z fashion influencers and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have in common? They are both, all of a sudden, really into cotton. "Crunchy girled so hard now I'm wearing organic cotton socks, only cotton workout clothes," begins one recent viral TikTok. "Yes: plant, not plastic," Kennedy wrote on X last month. "American-grown cotton supports our farmers, strengthens rural communities, fuels U.S. manufacturing, and gives families a natural alternative to synthetic, plastic-based materials." Kennedy's post was in response to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins' sweeping initiative to strengthen the U.S. cotton industry. It was also a direct callback to a cotton-industry-backed, yearlong marketing campaign designed to make cotton more appealing to the Make America Healthy Again movement. The title of that campaign: "Plant Not Plastic." How did cotton, a struggling industry that's dependent on MAHA-reviled pesticides, position itself so successfully among Kennedy's pet issues? And has it won over the greater MAHA community? |
| Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge | |
 | The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day, a persistent target of President Donald Trump. The decision rejected a Republican-led attack on laws in more than half the states and the District of Columbia that permit mailed ballots to arrive and be counted some number of days after the election, provided they are postmarked by Election Day. The outcome spares officials the headache of changing their ballot rules just a few months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections. In just over half those states, the more forgiving deadlines apply only to ballots cast by military and overseas voters. The legal challenge was part of Trump's broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states. Trump has repeatedly claimed that his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 resulted from fraud even though more than 60 court decisions and his own attorney general said that argument had no merit. |
| Supreme Court rules against GOP challenge of Mississippi law that allows absentee ballots to arrive after Election Day | |
| In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal law does not prohibit Mississippi from counting absentee ballots that are postmarked by Election Day, but arrive up to five business days afterward. In an opinion written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Court held that Congress requires voters to cast their ballots by Election Day, but does not require election officials to receive every ballot by that date. "The federal election-day statutes do not prevent Mississippi from counting absentee ballots postmarked by election day but received up to five days thereafter," Barrett wrote. "Nothing in the federal election-day statutes requires ballots to be received by election day." The Court reversed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and remanded the case for further proceedings. One issue left unresolved involves whether voters retain the ability under postal regulations to intercept or recall a mailed ballot before it reaches election officials. The plaintiffs argued that possibility means voting is not truly complete on Election Day. The Court concluded that even if the plaintiffs were correct, that argument presented a different legal question than the one before it. Monday's decision held only that post-Election Day receipt, standing alone, does not violate federal law. |
| Supreme Court strengthens Trump's firing power at independent agencies | |
 | The Supreme Court strengthened President Trump's control over independent agencies in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, overruling 91 years of precedent that allowed Congress to insulate certain executive branch officials with firing protections. In an expansion of presidential power, the ruling gives Trump the right to sack Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic appointee who took center stage in his quest to set aside constraints on his removal authority. It formally overturns the high court's 1935 landmark decision, Humphrey's Executor v. United States, which laid the groundwork for certain agencies across the executive branch to enjoy a degree of independence from the White House. These agencies regulate vast swaths of American life, including labor disputes, federal employee rights, workplace discrimination, credit unions, product recalls, plane accidents and more. "If anything more is left of Humphrey's, we overrule it," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. Beyond the FTC, the decision stands to impact roughly two dozen multimember agencies across the government, allowing a president to install appointees who fit his political mold. |
| As Nerves Fray at Supreme Court, Some Pine for an Old Colleague With a Soft Touch | |
| For nearly three decades, during the Supreme Court's most difficult and divisive moments, one man could be counted on to help keep the peace. With anecdotes about modern architecture and knock-knock jokes he learned from his grandchildren, Justice Stephen Breyer was known for lightening the mood, even as he fought for pragmatic center-left rulings on a court that tilted to the right. It has been four years since Breyer, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994, retired. But now, as relationships on the court appear to be fraying, several current justices have privately expressed that they miss his presence, both as a friend and for his ability to lower the temperature, according to people close to the court. For reasons that range from a new mix of personalities to the pressures of a politically charged caseload, stark fault lines have emerged on the court as the justices rush to wrap up a bare-knuckle term and escape town for their summer recess. Breyer often looked to build compromise outcomes, albeit with mixed success. Still, some within and around the court saw him as the court's glue, bringing levity in his interactions with his colleagues and avoiding hard-edge commentary in his opinions. His embrace of collegiality helped contribute to a sense that the court was a functional, collaborative institution, even when it was divided over tough cases. |
| Mississippi focuses on boosting middle school students' reading scores | |
| Fourth grade literacy gains earned Mississippi national acclaim. But that achievement tapers off as students advance to higher grades. Lawmakers are putting millions toward changing that. Mississippi has seen the least progress across subject areas in eighth grade reading scores, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and performs near the bottom compared to the rest of the country. This gap has long concerned lawmakers, who in large part chalk those fourth-grade gains up to the 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act, a state law that raised literacy standards and established a reading "gate," a test that third graders have to pass to advance to fourth grade. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 2294 this past session in an attempt to extend the state's reading gains. The legislation established several classroom initiatives in Mississippi, including expanding initiatives in the state's existing literacy act into higher grades. |
| Trump pushes civil rights enforcement to the states | |
 | President Donald Trump's decision to gut the federal office charged with protecting students from discrimination is creating new responsibilities for states that aren't ready to take them up. Amid mass layoffs of government employees and Trump's efforts to dismantle the Education Department, the agency shuttered seven of its 12 regional Office for Civil Rights branches that families turned to when they felt their rights were violated. That pullback is starting to expose the gaps students will have to navigate after states spent decades shaping their anti-discrimination policies assuming the federal government would handle it. Some states, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, have well-funded civil rights commissions capable of investigating complaints but don't have the authority to step in. And many state education agencies, like those in Mississippi and in Arizona, are directing families to take discrimination complaints to the federal government. Shanderia Minor, a Mississippi Department of Education spokesperson, said the agency "does not have the authority to investigate alleged violations of civil rights because the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights maintains jurisdiction to investigate those allegations." |
| After criticism of U. of Kentucky leadership, Beshear gets a chance to appoint new trustees | |
 | Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is expected to replace two University of Kentucky board trustees in the coming weeks, when their terms expire. He'll choose from a pool of a few candidates with backgrounds in government, courts and employment rights, according to a shortlist of names chosen by a nominating committee Thursday. The state Senate must approve his decision. The new trustees will fill the seats of Ron Geoghegan and Robert D. Vance, two of 16 governor-appointed trustees whose six-year terms expire July 30. Beshear appointed both of them. Their open seats make way for the Democratic governor to appoint trustees shortly after he pressured UK over leadership decisions. State law requires Beshear to appoint board members so that the board reflect the demographics of Kentucky and is politically balanced. Scottie Ellis, Beshear's communications director, told the Herald-Leader this week that the governor plans to send a letter to the board and administration urging details on how UK's new public-partnership partnership with Compass Group, a massive dining and service company, will impact hundreds of university employees. |
| Have Colleges Gotten General Education All Wrong? | |
 | Roosevelt Montás is an evangelist of sorts. A graduate of Columbia University, and later the director of its Center for the Core Curriculum, Montás believes in the transformative power of reading foundational texts and discussing timeless questions with small groups of peers. He even wrote a memoir about how Columbia's core shaped the trajectory of his life. Yet this approach to general education is no longer in fashion, if it ever really was. At most colleges, general-education requirements look like a haphazardly designed menu. The premise is that students will sample a range of disciplines and get a broad liberal education. Montás thinks that's a mistake. Not only does the menu approach lack intellectual coherence, he says, it deprives students of the benefits of studying seminal works, exploring ideas that transcend disciplinary boundaries, and wrestling with timeless questions. Now, he's planning to do something about it. |
| More foreign students stay home, leaving holes in U.S. college budgets | |
 | Harrison Keller was starting his second year as president of the University of North Texas last fall when he was abruptly confronted with a big problem. Enrollment was down. And the source of the decline made it much more impactful: In the wake of Trump administration moves to deny and revoke visas, deport international students and impose travel bans, 2,800 students from abroad whom the university expected to show up had stayed away. Full-tuition-paying international students -- especially graduate students, who Keller said bring $20,000 to $25,000 each to his bottom line -- are critical to balancing the budget, underwriting services and keeping costs lower for their domestic classmates. New federal data suggests the problem could be getting worse. The number of student arrivals was down by 5 percent in March, compared with the same period last year, and fell almost 8 percent in April and 1 percent in May, compared with the same months last year. That's on top of a drop of nearly 22 percent in the number who arrived in the United States last summer versus the summer before. "It leaves a really big hole in the budget, which has to get filled one way or another, either by increasing tuition or cutting services," said Dick Startz, a professor of economics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. |
| Yale Seeks Trump Administration Deal as It Faces Sprawling Investigation | |
 | The Trump administration is conducting a far-reaching investigation into whether Yale University's admissions practices violate anti-discrimination laws, prompting one of the country's most elite schools to pursue settlement talks with the government, according to three people briefed on the matter. The Justice Department last month accused Yale's medical school of giving illegal preferential treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants. But the department's review is reaching beyond the medical school, the people said, encompassing undergraduate and law school admissions as well. The expansive inquiry demonstrates the aggressive approach the Trump administration is taking to enforce its interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling that effectively banned race-conscious admissions three years ago. It shows the administration's intensifying focus on admissions and represents a new front against Yale, which has largely been spared in the White House's effort to punish elite colleges and reshape academia. Yale's quick moves to try to reach an agreement with the government suggest it does not want a high-profile, drawn-out fight similar to the one involving Harvard University. The status of a potential agreement was unclear on Friday, but Yale recently offered a proposal to the government, according to the three people briefed on the matter. |
| Land-grant universities eligible for USDA, Ed Dept funds to improve agricultural research facilities | |
| Managers of agricultural research facilities can access up to $30 million from a $121 million fund for property improvements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Education. The money can be used for project planning, small-facility upgrades, mid-scale construction projects and large-scale projects. It requires the facilities to make a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution to ensure "strong local investment and stewardship of taxpayer resources," USDA and ED say in a press release. The application deadline is July 17. The goal of the program is to have "food and agricultural research ... conducted in state-of-the-art facilities equipped with cutting-edge tools," said Scott Hutchins, USDA chief scientist and under secretary for research, education, and economics. Facilities managers can apply for grants of between $100,000 and $200,000 for project planning, which includes conducting feasibility and needs assessments, site surveys, environmental reviews, preliminary architectural and engineering designs and cost estimation and budgeting. Managers who secure a planning grant would have to wait for a new funding round in a subsequent year to apply for additional money to undertake the project itself. |
| How universities became engines of American success | |
 | For 250 years, America's colleges and universities have been engines of leadership, innovation and upward mobility. From training civic leaders to driving scientific breakthroughs, higher education has expanded the country's capacity to solve problems, imagine new possibilities and create new opportunities. "That has been higher education's purpose from the beginning -- to be public good that the whole of society benefits from," says Johann Neem, author of "What's the Point of College?" "Higher education since the American Revolution has been seen as a set of institutions that will serve the Republic," says Neem, who teaches the history of education at Western Washington University. How so? In the first half of the 19th century, "the idea was that it would create a class of educated leaders," he says. Those politicians, business leaders and ministers (nearly all White men) "were equipped with the capacity to think about everything they do in terms of a broader civic good." The late 1800s saw the rise of land‑grant universities, chartered to make education accessible to the working class while advancing research and public service. This transformed higher education from an elite pursuit into a broad engine of economic mobility. And the post-World War II era saw universities emerge as key drivers of innovation. |
SPORTS
| Senate college sports bill authors plan talks with House | |
 | The authors of a Senate college sports bill say it's time to bring House Republicans and Democrats into discussions, as the clock is ticking to get the measure to President Donald Trump's desk before the long August recess. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the push to advance the bill through the panel included "three corners," referring to senators, White House officials and college athletics stakeholders. "And I think it's probably time to have a 'five-corner' discussion, because the issues we're seeing are from ... both sides of the House," Cantwell told reporters after a June 18 markup of the legislation. "I think that that's probably what would make the most sense to get everybody's viewpoint properly represented." But another week -- dominated by chaos in both chambers -- on a truncated election year floor calendar has already passed since the Senate Commerce Committee advanced the bill. Committee Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has been open to expanded talks with House members and has said he already has had some exchanges about the legislation that he crafted along with Cantwell and Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Chris Coons, D-Del. Cruz's message: A House version of the bill has stalled, and the Senate bill is the only game in town -- meaning the lone bipartisan measure with a chance of passing both chambers and being signed into law. |
| CFL won't allow QB Sorsby to sign with any team or be added to negotiation lists | |
| Quarterback Brendan Sorsby, permanently ruled ineligible by the NCAA for sports betting, won't be kick-starting his pro football career in Canada. The CFL said Friday it won't allow the 22-year-old to sign with any of its teams or be placed on their negotiation lists. Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets totaling nearly $90,000 over his collegiate career, including at least 40 on Indiana football while he was a freshman there in 2022, although none was on games in which he played for the Hoosiers that year. After being ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA, Sorsby attempted to join the NFL's supplemental draft, but the league told him on Tuesday it wouldn't hold one this year. Instead, the NFL told Sorsby to focus on preparing for possible entry into the league via its regular draft in 2027, according to a letter from the league telling Sorsby of its decision that was obtained by The Associated Press. "Upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition are paramount to the CFL," the CFL said in a statement. "The allegations involving Brendan Sorsby are serious and concerning. |
| The Researcher Who Spent Years Studying Grass for the World Cup | |
 | The World Cup has been underway for a little over two weeks, but the research that went into building 16 fields nationwide for the Cup's 104 matches dates back half a decade. Between the 16 fields and 150 practice fields, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association was facing a challenge -- what was the best way to convert stadiums not designed for soccer into temporary soccer fields? It was Alan Ferguson, senior pitch management manager for FIFA, who pitched John Sorochan, a University of Tennessee at Knoxville researcher, on his idea: Sorochan and researchers at both UT Knoxville and his alma mater, Michigan State University, would use their extensive knowledge of turfgrass to study exactly that. Over five years and hundreds of experiments, the team worked to ensure every field was up to FIFA standards. Now, that work is being watched on the world stage, highlighting the role of university research not only in spheres like health care and technology, but also sports and entertainment. |
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