| Friday, October 2, 2026 |
| MSU earns new military designation, priority for officer commissions | |
 | Mississippi State University joined a new tier of military-affiliated colleges Wednesday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated it a "Distinguished Military College" while announcing plans for the new America's Corps of Cadets program. With the designation, MSU, and the other four universities designated Wednesday, will earn "Honor School" status, which grants priority in future officer commissions. "What that does for our (Reserve Officer Training Corps) personnel, it will fast-track their commissioning. They will actually be able to step to the head of the line," Sid Salter, vice president for strategic communications and director of public affairs at MSU, told The Dispatch on Thursday. "We think that is going to be a real boost in terms of enrollment. There is a percentage of students who look very closely at the ROTC program and the commissioning opportunities that go with it. So, obviously, that will, we think, be a real positive for the university." |
| Hegseth: Hillsdale, Liberty, LSU, Miss. State, Tuskegee Will Develop Cadet Corps | |
 | Five additional colleges and universities will develop cadet corps---a broader form of military-aligned education than Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs---Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday. While unveiling the new institutions his department is partnering with, Hegseth again criticized a wide swath of colleges as anti-American. In a memo and speech, Hegseth announced that Hillsdale College and Liberty, Louisiana State, Mississippi State and Tuskegee Universities will be dubbed distinguished military colleges, a label the military once used but abandoned. Hillsdale and Liberty are conservative Christian institutions, while Tuskegee is a historically Black university. The program is another example of Hegseth overhauling the military's relationship with higher ed institutions, putting some highly selective institutions out of favor while elevating others. Through a program called America's Corps of Cadets, he said the department is partnering with these five new "premier higher ed institutions" to establish their cadet corps and will give their students "priority in officer commissioning." "There are a number more that we plan to announce soon," Hegseth said. |
| MSU designated 'Distinguished Military College' | |
 | Mississippi State University is one of five universities designated as a new "Distinguished Military College" by order of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The announcement came during Secretary Hegseth's speech today, Sept. 30, to active-duty tactical-level and noncommissioned officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Hegseth said the new designation expands America's Corps of Cadets, a War Department program established to expand the pipeline of "patriotic leaders of character" commissioned into the Joint Force. "We're partnering with a new crop of premier higher ed institutions, including Louisiana State University (LSU), Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University and Hillsdale College," Hegseth said. "These schools have stepped forward to answer the call to duty and establish new corps of cadets in partnership with the Department of War," Hegseth added. "So today, at my direction, we are formally establishing a program to assist these universities and colleges. It's called, 'America's Corps of Cadets.'" |
| College students pitch big redesign for Capitol Street corridor | |
| Alister Redmond has been in Jackson for several weeks working alongside other fifth-year architecture students on plans to revitalize a large section of East Capitol Street. He and his fellow students say that during the day, Capitol is buzzing with activity, but when 5 o'clock hits, the area becomes "kind of barren." A plan presented by Redmond and other architecture majors from Mississippi State University on Thursday could help change that. "We basically come into the building for the day and then leave the street when our day's over. It would be awesome to be able to feel like we had an opportunity to stay on the street and experience what it had to offer," he said. "A place where people would want to come and spend time and enjoy Jackson." The students came to Jackson as part of a program through the Urban Studio, a new initiative designed to give students a say in downtown Jackson's revitalization. The Capitol Street redesign represents the studio's first project. Plans were revealed at a program at the King Edward Building, an iconic structure at the intersection of Capitol and Mill streets. |
| Physicist Ben Crider selected for prestigious $1.35 million Moore Foundation Investigator Award | |
| Mississippi State Professor Benjamin Crider has been selected as a 2026 Experimental Physics Investigator by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. With an award valued at $1.35 million, Crider is one of only 21 inducted into this year's select cohort recognized for innovative work advancing the study of physics. Established in 2000 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore and his wife, Betty, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation advances scientific discovery, environmental conservation and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Through its Experimental Physics Investigators initiative, the foundation provides flexible support to mid-career researchers, investing in scientists and their research programs -- rather than a single project -- allowing freedom to pursue new ideas that could advance fundamental scientific understanding. |
| Economic development: Southwire breaks ground on $256M cable production facility expansion | |
| After more than a year of planning, a $256 million expansion at Southwire's production facility off Airline Road took its first step in becoming a reality. Public officials, Southwire leadership and other industry partners gathered Thursday outside the facility on Airline Road to ceremonially turn dirt on the production facility's new 380,000-square-foot production site expansion. "Today is more than just a facility expansion," Southwire President and CEO Ganesh Ramaswamy said during the groundbreaking. "It's our commitment to invest in the company, our team members, our communities and also position the company for future growth. Not only the years ahead but the decades ahead. We are 76 years old as a company. We want to grow for another 76 years the same way and more." During the ceremony, Mayor Lynn Spruill said the expansion showcases the success Southwire has had in the city. |
| Amazon says Mississippi is proof data centers are worth it | |
 | As Amazon Web Services prepares to invest more than $20 billion in Mississippi data centers, the head of the cloud computing giant is pushing back against growing criticism of the industry's rapid expansion, arguing that the facilities are essential to America's economic future, artificial intelligence leadership and national security. In an op-ed that was released Friday morning, Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon Web Services, compares today's AI-driven data center construction boom to the creation of the Interstate Highway System, calling it the largest infrastructure buildout in the United States since the highways transformed the nation's economy after World War II. "The choices we make today will determine that outcome," Garman wrote. "A lapse in our nation's focus or resolve could put us behind, and potentially irreparably so." The essay comes as Mississippi has become one of AWS's most significant investment destinations. Mississippi features prominently in Garman's defense of data center development. Amazon also highlights Mississippi when addressing one of the industry's most common criticisms: rising electricity costs. |
| PEDRO CHERRY: CEO & President of Mississippi Power | |
| The descriptive "selfless" is often used to positively describe a business leader, meaning that the individual thinks of no one but others in the course of his or her duties. Pedro Cherry is certainly a leader who puts the needs of his customers and employees first in everything he does. As Chairman, President and CEO of Gulfport-based Mississippi Power, and with around 1,100 employees that celebrated its 100th year of service in 2025, however it is that sense of self that has shaped Cherry's leadership philosophy throughout his career and throughout his life. In March 2025 he was named president of Mississippi Power as part of the company's succession plan to take the reins from Anthony Wilson, who Cherry called a "dear friend and mentor." An affable man, whose good nature belies his leadership style, Cherry credits his success in life to his small town background and the way he was raised in Windsor, North Carolina, a town of 2,000 residents. While at Auburn, Cherry entered the industry he's still in today as an intern with Georgia Power. "That's how I got into this sector and learned so much when I was at Georgia Power. I saw how power companies worked, and I knew that's what I wanted to do in my life." |
| Land Bank offers free Genuine MS memberships for Agritourism Month | |
| Mississippi Land Bank, a member of the Farm Credit System and a financing partner for agriculture and rural communities across 32 counties in northern Mississippi, has announced it will cover the cost of a one-year membership for the first 25 agritourism operations that join the Genuine MS program, helping more Mississippi agritourism operations promote their business. The initiative is a celebration of October as Agritourism Month. Agriculture is Mississippi's largest industry, and agritourism is one of the state's fastest-growing tourism markets. Mississippi is home to 107 agritourism operations. The initiative is designed to remove financial barriers and encourage more Mississippi-based businesses to participate in the statewide branding and marketing program. With fall marking the peak season for many agritourism operations, October provides an opportunity for Mississippians and visitors to explore the state's farms and experience agriculture firsthand. |
| Mississippi ag producers to see $423 million in farm safety net improvements | |
| Mississippi agricultural producers could soon get financial relief through legislation passed last year. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced Friday that local producers will receive around $423 million in additional or expanded federal farm assistance due to changes made by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Specifically, changes were made to the federal farm safety net -- programs that help farmers financially when crop prices fall, revenues drop, or disasters cause losses. The improved Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage payments for Mississippi are part of $13.8 billion approved by Congress to update the farm safety net by significantly increasing reference prices and crop insurance enhancements. These improvements are expected to more accurately recognize the increased costs and changing economic conditions for farming since passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. While this relief is expected to be welcomed by Mississippi farmers, Hyde-Smith continues to call on her legislative peers to pass a new farm bill, as the 2018 version expired last month. In September, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry passed the Agricultural Act of 2026, branded the "Farm Bill 2.0." |
| Trump nominates Jackson-based lawyer Todd Butler to federal appeals court | |
| President Donald Trump on Thursday said he plans to nominate Jackson-based labor and employment lawyer Todd Butler to a Mississippi-based opening on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. "The wonderful people of the Great State of Mississippi (one of my favorites!), and the rest of the Fifth Circuit, can count on Todd to protect the Constitution and the Rule of Law," Trump said on social media. Butler has spent the last 17 years practicing with the Jackson-based law firm Phelps Dunbar, according to his LinkedIn profile, and he previously clerked for Judge Leslie Southwick, whose seat he would fill if confirmed. Southwick recently took senior status. Butler graduated from Mississippi State University and Mississippi College (now Mississippi Christian University) School of Law, and both Mississippi's Republican U.S. senators, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, support him. |
| Trump nominates Butler to serve on Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals | |
| President Donald Trump (R) announced Thursday that he was nominating Todd Butler to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. "The wonderful people of the Great State of Mississippi (one of my favorites!), and the rest of the Fifth Circuit, can count on Todd to protect the Constitution and the Rule of Law," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Butler is a partner at Phelps Dunbar where his practice has focused on litigation and strategic counseling, with an emphasis on appellate, constitutional and employment matters. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Butler would succeed Judge Leslie H. Southwick, who has elected to take senior status. Butler was the Judicial Law Clerk for Southwick. Butler is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he majored in Business Administration before attending Mississippi College School of Law. He has taught courses as an adjunct law professor and is the past Chairman of the Mississippi Bar's Appellate Practice Section. |
| Mississippi attorney nominated to serve on federal appeals court | |
| A Mississippi attorney and partner at a law firm with multiple locations in the state has been nominated to a federal appeals court judgeship. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Todd Butler, a partner at Phelps Dunbar, has been nominated to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, located in New Orleans. His nomination was backed by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Republicans from Mississippi. "Todd Butler is an excellent pick for the federal bench," Wicker said. "He believes in interpreting the law as it is written, pursuant to the text and original meaning of the Constitution -- exactly the quality that should characterize a jurist. Mr. Butler is a credit to his home state of Mississippi." Butler, who graduated among the top of his class at Mississippi State University and Mississippi College School of Law (now Mississippi Christian School of Law), is expected to succeed Judge Leslie H. Southwick on the federal bench. Southwick is a George W. Bush appointee who plans to semi-retire once a successor is named. |
| Trump Picks Ex-Southwick Clerk as Fifth Circuit Successor | |
| President Donald Trump said he plans to nominate labor and employment lawyer Todd Butler to a Mississippi-based opening on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Phelps Dunbar partner "has the unwavering support of Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde Smith," Trump said in a social media post Thursday. The announcement comes three days after Judge Leslie Southwick announced plans to take senior status, a form of semi-retirement. Butler has spent the last 17 years practicing with the Jackson, Miss. law firm of Phelps Dunbar LLP, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously clerked for Southwick, the judge whose seat he'll be filling, after graduating from Mississippi State University in 2005 and Mississippi College School of Law in 2008. He's worked on dozens of Fifth Circuit cases, including employment and civil rights appeals. He would be Trump's eighth nominee to the New Orleans-based federal appeals court, and would bring the total of active judges appointed by Trump on the court to seven. |
| Final public hearing on Mississippi redistricting draws sharp exchanges | |
| Mississippi lawmakers held their final public hearing Thursday night on redrawing state legislative, judicial and congressional district lines. State Auditor Shad White was the first to speak. He criticized U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who has been at the center of the debate. "The Delta deserves a congressman who is going to deliver for them... and look, that's fine, you can boo me all you want, that's fine," White said. "There's a silent majority of people who want better representation for the Mississippi Delta. They want somebody better than Bennie Thompson. They want somebody who is not focused on running the January 6th committee," White said. White's comments were met with boos in the room. State Rep. Chris Bell, who represents House District 65, responded to White's remarks. "Comments like that are the reason why we come here today, in opposition of having these districts redrawn. When you had individuals who has, as he said, chaired the January 6th committee to his due diligence, best as a hero," Bell said. The hearing drew a packed audience that spilled into the hallway. |
| Red States Are Trending Blue. Is Mississippi Really on the Table? | |
| It's no secret Republicans are facing a difficult political environment that has boosted Democrats' hopes of winning the Senate and expanded the battleground map deeper into conservative territory. But Mississippi? Even the most optimistic Democrats scoffed at the idea of a competitive race in the ruby-red state going into this campaign cycle. But voters' anxiety about the economy has deepened, their opinions of President Donald Trump have tanked, and appeals for help from Mississippi Democrats have elevated the idea that Democrat Scott Colom has a chance to oust GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in November. Now high-profile Democrats are paying visits to the Republican bastion and urging party bosses to send scarce financial resources to Colom's campaign, hoping to put into play a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in more than four decades. Hyde-Smith this week began airing ads attacking Colom, generally seen as a sign she's taking the race seriously. Democrats believe the senator has reason to worry. Some see Mississippi as the next Georgia, a sleeper purple state with a large African American population that -- if engaged and motivated -- can help make Democratic candidates competitive there. |
| Colom: Hyde-Smith too 'chicken' to debate him | |
| Scott Colom, Democratic challenger for U.S. Senate and 16th Circuit district attorney, thinks Republican incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is too "chicken" to debate him. Colom doubled down on that point Thursday morning during a press conference while flanked by supporters, including someone dressed in a chicken costume, at the corner of College Street and Fifth Street South. "So far she is refusing to debate because she is chicken," Colom said. "... She doesn't need to debate because of me. What she is really doing is mocking you. She doesn't want voters to be able to ask her one question." On Tuesday, Colom challenged Hyde-Smith to three debates before Election Day. After two days, the challenge remained unanswered, prompting Thursday's press conference downtown. But Jake Monssen, Hyde-Smith's campaign manager, told The Dispatch on Thursday afternoon the debate requests will remain unanswered because the senator does not feel it is necessary. "Losing candidates always want a debate about debates," Jake Monssen, Hyde-Smith's campaign manager, wrote in a statement to The Dispatch. "Scott Colom wants one because he needs one. There really is no point in debating someone so out of touch with Mississippi that advocates for sex change surgeries for children." |
| Senators give cold shoulder to Hegseth plan to cut admirals, generals | |
 | Defense-focused senators are giving a cool reception to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's proposal to cut 20 percent of the nation's admirals and generals. Several lawmakers said they had not seen the rationale for Hegseth's argument, while others clearly wanted to talk about other things. "No, I certainly want to see his rationale in detail, and I don't have that yet," Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said when asked if this was a good move for the U.S. military. "We are focused [on] what we are doing today," Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) told reporters when asked about the cuts. When reporters approached Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) for comment Wednesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee chair began singing lyrics from Alfred Tennyson's "Ulysses," which is based on Homer's "Odyssey." "There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail; there gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners, souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought with me," Wicker sang. Some Republicans offered measured support for the proposal. |
| Guns, voting and immigration on deck for Supreme Court | |
 | The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday facing cases on Americans' civil rights, federalist struggles between states and the federal government, and the looming specter of more last-second litigation over the coming midterm elections. The court, currently controlled by six conservative appointees, has stocked its docket with fights over climate change, voting rights, gun rights and the power of the government over immigrants. It follows a term where the court addressed even more explosive issues like LGBTQ rights, race in redistricting and President Donald Trump's attempt to redefine birthright citizenship. While it may look like fewer blockbuster cases this time around, experts like Brianne Gorod of the Constitutional Accountability Center say they are still on the way. "Just because there's an absence of cases involving Trump administration policies, that doesn't mean they are not coming," Gorod said. A number of cases working their way through the courts could potentially come up this term. |
| Narcan training offered after U. of Mississippi deaths | |
 | The recent deaths of two Ole Miss students, possibly linked to kratom, have sparked increased awareness and prevention efforts regarding drug use. On Thursday, the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office, Oxford Police, and Ole Miss Police hosted an event aimed at saving lives. Narcan was also provided to attendees. Around 50 people participated in the training, learning how to respond in emergencies and potentially save a loved one's life. One attendee said, "Just being prepared and aware of my surroundings for any kind of situation that might occur worries us, especially with everything happening recently. We even know some people who might be using substances, so it's crucial to ensure everyone stays safe and that we can help if needed." |
| Shad White Asks Mississippi Supreme Court to Toss U. of Mississippi Professor's Defamation Lawsuit | |
| University of Mississippi Sociology Professor James 'J.T.' Thomas was at his Oxford, Mississippi, home in the late afternoon of Sept. 11, 2020. One of his kids was bathing, while the other sat in her bedroom. Preparing for dinner, Thomas heard a hard knock at his front door from where he stood in the kitchen. Afton, Thomas' wife, was already home -- and she had no reason to knock anyway. There was no peephole. Thomas opened the door blind. Two men with guns on their hips -- no uniforms, just polo shirts and pants -- stood before him. Their badges -- and orders -- came from Mississippi State Auditor Shad White. It had been just a few days since nonprofit Thomas' participation in the nationwide Scholar Strike. The officers asked Thomas if they could talk to him and if they could ask him a few questions, Thomas recalled in an interview with the Mississippi Free Press. "No, I'm not going to answer any of your questions," Thomas said. "You can contact the general counsel at the University of Mississippi if you have questions." Years later, Thomas and White are embroiled in a defamation lawsuit the Mississippi Center for Justice brought forward on Thomas' behalf, alleging White defamed Thomas by falsely accusing Thomas of breaking the law and calling on UM to terminate Thomas' employment. Notably, White is being sued in his personal capacity, with the lawsuit arguing White's alleged defamation occurred outside his duties as state auditor. |
| William Carey celebrates new art building | |
 | William Carey University celebrated the opening of a new art building Thursday, giving students a dedicated space after years of working around other departments. "It's been a missing link for us. We haven't had an art building," Nicole Lancaster, WCU interim art chair, said. The 6,400-square-foot building allows art students to create and collaborate without sharing classrooms with other departments. "Really, the difference has been crazy, just having a space where we're not having to work around the different departments, and having our own space is just so much better," WCU art student Audrey Waller said. University leaders said the number of art majors has tripled over the past two years. "In a world where we're going more and more technical, more and more specialized, a place like this for students to be able to create and to celebrate the arts and humanities is a fantastic thing for any place, and especially at William Carey," Tim Matheny, Dean of Arts & Letters, said. |
| Itawamba Community College choir selected to perform at the White House | |
| One Mississippi community college choir has been selected from more than 1,000 entries to perform during official White House Christmas tours in Washington D.C. this holiday season. The 68-member Itawamba Community College Chamber Choir and ICC Choir under the direction of Kyle Davis will share their musical talents in the nation's capital this Christmas while representing their college, communities and Mississippi. Itawamba's performance is scheduled for the evening of December 14. ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said the invitation is an extraordinary honor for their students and college. "A performance at the White House is an experience they will carry with them long after their time at ICC," Allen said. Allen is calling on the community to help send the students to this "remarkable opportunity." Community members, alumni and friends of the college are invited to support the student performers through contributions to the ICC Foundation. |
| Co-Lin student is 'Baking for a Cause': Literacy | |
 | As a member of Phi Theta Kappa at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Anna McKenzie has combined several of her passions into a one-day project -- "Baking for a Cause." At Co-Lin, McKenzie is Vice President of Scholarship for PTK, as well as president of the Student Government Association. As a PTK officer, McKenzie has the opportunity to work on a "Passion Project." The sophomore chose to combine several of her passions and interests -- baking, event planning, photography, business, and literacy -- "into something meaningful that could make a difference beyond just our campus," she said. "Baking for a Cause" will be a bake sale on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Co-Lin Homecoming Tailgate prior to the game against East Central Community College. All proceeds from the sale will go to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which provides free, high-quality books to children from birth to age 5. Since its founding in 1995, the program has provided more than 300 million books to children worldwide. |
| Feds provide guidance on new federal K-12 scholarship tax credit program | |
| The U.S. Department of the Treasury released new guidance Thursday for participating states, scholarship-granting organizations and taxpayers as the federal scholarship tax credit program prepares to take effect in January. Created through President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending law in 2025, the Education Freedom Tax Credit program allows individuals to claim a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to certain scholarship-granting organizations (known as SGOs) and taxpayers can contribute to an eligible organization regardless of where that taxpayer lives. The $1,700 limit applies to the donor credit, not the scholarship amount, and married couples filing jointly can claim a combined $3,400 credit. These contributions are meant to fund K-12 scholarships, primarily at private schools, though the scholarships can cover tutoring, books, supplies, extended-day programs and disability services for students who remain in public schools, and tutoring can take place during or after school. |
| LSU Student Senate passes bill to add Louisiana French translations to signs on campus | |
| At Wednesday's meeting, the LSU Student Senate passed a bill to add Louisiana French translations to signs around campus, and Student Body President Ben Barousse made some announcements. Sens. Jason Richard and Zull-Kifuly Moumouni prompted the bill, which passed with a 53-0-1 vote. The signs were picked based on the routes for prospective student tours. The locations around campus include the French House, Journalism building, Music & Dramatic Arts building, Student Union and University Recreation. Richard is a senior journalism major, and Moumouni is a doctoral candidate of French literature. The two prompted the bill because they believe Louisiana French is disappearing, and adding translations around campus is important to preserving the heritage. By adding Louisiana French, all ethnicities will be represented, Richard explained. Moumouni emphasized the dying culture. "It's a way to contribute to the preservation of the heritage of Louisiana French that seems to be disappearing for decades. So essentially, we would like to connect back to this heritage to celebrate this kind of culture and showing this sign on campus on a strategic itinerary is a good way to show that we still have a big connection, " Moumouni said. |
| One-stop shop for college applications opens to Arkansas students | |
| Arkansas' statewide college application portal has opened to students, the Arkansas Department of Education announced Thursday. The ACCESS portal enables the state's high school seniors to use a single form to apply to any number of the state's participating colleges and universities. The first five applications are free. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' ACCESS Act of 2025 required the creation of a single college application and a web portal for high school seniors starting with the 2026-27 graduating class. The portal can be accessed at araccessportal.adhe.edu. A list of participating higher education institutions is available at araccessportal.adhe.edu/colleges. The state Education Department on Thursday also launched the Arkansas Applied Campaign, a collaboration between the department's Division of Career and Technical Education and its Division of Higher Education. |
| Why Are Name-Brand Colleges Heading to Florida? | |
 | When Carnegie Mellon University opens its new campus in Miami, it will neighbor the art galleries and bars of the city's up-and-coming Wynwood neighborhood -- and, just blocks away, the Miami outpost of Northeastern University. Those two campuses, plus Vanderbilt's forthcoming West Palm Beach graduate school, are part of a trend of moves into South Florida by national name-brand universities. Carnegie Mellon's is the splashiest: It announced this week that Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel, is giving $2 billion to the Pittsburgh-based university to stand up the Miami venture, which is slated to enroll its first students in 2028. What's sending these colleges south? In Florida, they find a growing population, a booming tech economy, and a crop of local donors willing to put millions -- or billions -- of dollars toward the expansion efforts. In a sector preoccupied with financial precarity, the expansions serve as a reminder that resource-rich universities are looking to pounce on opportunity wherever they can find it. |
| Upgraded Vols Study tab lands on Canvas | |
| The University of Tennessee's Student Government Association revamped the Vols Study Tab, a tutoring and studying page in Canvas, giving students more resources amidst midterm season. Initiated by Student Government Association's First Year Council before being passed by the Undergraduate Student Senate, the Vols Study Tab contains the hours of each specific study center and offers live tutoring for students who have busier schedules. "It's always been a part, at least as long as I've been a student, of the Canvas options whenever you log into your Canvas. However, not all of the study resources were listed on there," Cade Simmons, speaker of the undergraduate senate, said. "What we actually asked for to be implemented is all the study resources that the university has to offer." The additions to the Vols Study Tab include all of the hours for study locations, options to reserve a room in Hodges library and peer mentor resources the university has to offer. |
| Texas Keeps Reinventing College | |
| When Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican of Texas, directed the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board last month to build a statewide framework for 90-credit degrees in high-demand fields, it became the latest in a long line of higher-education innovations in the state. While Texas' more partisan efforts to reshape higher education -- like banning DEI offices, diminishing faculty power, and creating an ombudsman with subpoena power to police "political agendas" in faculty hiring -- have generated significant attention, the past three years have also seen several attempts to increase degree access, affordability, and value. The state has frozen undergraduate tuition and fees through 2027, pushed for the adoption of competency-based education, and revised the state's "Academic Fresh Start" law to allow students to exclude poor grades as recent as five years old from college applications. And now the governor is pushing for three-year degrees. In Texas, which has had a Republican trifecta since 2003, higher education is increasingly conceived of as a vehicle for work-force development. |
| U. of Texas Approves List of 50 Authors for Gen Ed Course | |
| When the task force charged with creating the University of Texas at Austin's new core curriculum unveiled its plan in August, the report noted that professors teaching two of the new courses -- Great Questions of Human Life and Masterworks of Literature -- will be required to assign texts from a curated list of preapproved authors. This week the university shared with faculty the list of authors for one of those courses. In designing their syllabi for Great Questions of Human Life, professors must select readings from among 50 preapproved names -- up from the 40 the task force estimated in August. Among them are playwright William Shakespeare, theologians Martin Luther and Thomas Aquinas, and philosophers Karl Marx, Confucius and Plato, some of whose writings were banned at Texas A&M University during a recent course review. For each Great Questions of Human Life course, half of the assigned texts must come from the list of 50 approved authors -- another tweak from the original proposal, which stated two-thirds of the texts must come from approved names. |
| MUPD safety report shows shifting data in burglaries, violent crimes and hazing | |
 | Burglaries have increased on the University of Missouri campus, according to recently released data from the University of Missouri Police Department's 2026 Security and Fire Safety Report. MUPD releases annual reports with data reported from multiple police departments and organizations, including the Columbia Police Department, Boone County Sheriff's Department, Office of Institutional Equity, MU Housing, Office of Accountability and Support, and campus security. According to data obtained in the report, only two instances of burglary were recorded on campus in 2024. However, in the 2025 school year, 14 recorded burglaries on campus were tracked by MUPD. MUPD spokesperson Alexandrea Morrow Cronin confirmed that in 2025, the same individuals committed a series of burglaries over several days at Memorial Stadium. "Each incident was recorded and reported individually, which contributed to the higher annual total. In general, most property crimes on campus involve devices such as computers, phones, wearable tech and bicycles," Morrow Cronin said. |
| How Explosive Rape Allegations Have Left Cornell's Campus Reeling | |
 | On a drizzly Thursday, Cornell University students wandered into consulting recruitment sessions, hustled up the slopes to midterms and listened to a Pulitzer-winning fiction writer. They also attended a high-stakes student assembly, called after explosive allegations of a campus rape put the Ivy League school into the international spotlight. Cornell has "failed our community through its lack of accountability, transparency and failure to address the state of Cornell's student body," said junior Sophia Riley Sim, who skipped classes this week as she struggled to make sense of the incident she has been shaken by since first learning of it two years ago. "I cried about it then, and I am still completely devastated," she added, testifying from the student union building that has long been the campus hub for protest and advocacy. Dozens of students attended the assembly, at Cornell's hilly campus in upstate New York, in the wake of a civil lawsuit filed in September by a former student who said she was drugged and raped by seven fraternity brothers in 2024. The Tompkins County district attorney this week said he would reopen the probe -- but late Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had lost faith in him and appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the case. |
SPORTS
| 'SEC Nation' adds to already busy weekend in Starkville | |
| ESPN's "College GameDay" may have snubbed Starkville for its next episode, choosing Iowa City for Ohio State-Iowa instead, but the network is bringing another fan-favorite show to the Junction ahead of Mississippi State's top-20 matchup against Alabama. The No. 16 Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0 SEC) will host the No. 7 Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0 SEC) on Saturday at 11 a.m. Before kickoff, "SEC Nation" will broadcast live and on-site from 8 a.m. until the game, which will air on ABC and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations. In addition to "SEC Nation," Marty Smith and Ryan McGee's popular talk show "Marty & McGee" will be taped outside Davis Wade Stadium. On Friday, Finebaum will broadcast "The Paul Finebaum Show" from Starkville from 2 to 6 p.m. The program airs on both SEC Network and dozens of ESPN radio affiliate stations nationwide. The national programming will add on to an already busy weekend in Starkville, which includes several local events and a Friday-night concert by HARDY. The country rocker, who grew up in Mississippi, will perform inside Humphrey Coliseum on the Mississippi State campus. "We're so excited to welcome 'SEC Nation' back live from the Junction," Visit Starkville's Paige Hunt said on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. "But there's also a lot of other things going on this weekend. |
| Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor aim to end Alabama's 16-game series winning streak | |
 | When Alabama visits Mississippi State, it's usually a bad day for the Bulldogs. Quarterback Kamario Taylor's dynamism and recent effectiveness in the clutch has provided Mississippi State's cowbell-ringing fans hope that perhaps Saturday will be different from every other time these teams have met since 2007. Taylor is "playing really good football for us," Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. "I'm proud of his toughness and how he's going about his business." Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC), which will invade Starkville ranked at No. 7 in the AP Top 25, has won 16 straight in the series and the past six engagements haven't been close, with victory margins ranging from a high of 41 points in 2020 to a low of 23 points the last time they met in 2023. The Crimson Tide tide also has been dominant against its first four opponents this season, beating each by two or more touchdowns and scoring at least 45 points in each game. No. 16 Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0) has had to weather a little more adversity so far, winning its two SEC games by a single touchdown and having to come back from a one-TD, fourth-quarter deficit against Missouri last weekend. But the Bulldogs will be at home, where last week the Davis-Wade Stadium crowd entered the Guinness Book of World records by ringing 41,819 cow bells at once. |
| No time like the present for MSU ahead of Alabama game | |
 | It's been a long time since Mississippi State has beaten its third-most frequently faced opponent. The Bulldogs have not beaten Alabama since 2007, which was Nick Saban's first season. The Tide have also won the last 16 matchups, including the most recent one in 2023 by a score of 40-17. What does that mean to Jeff Lebby and the 2026 Bulldogs? "Absolutely zero." "I think we're concerned with being as good as we can possibly be on Saturday and just being us," Lebby said. "I'm going to continue to talk about the fact that really good football teams get better every week, and that's our goal. That's our focus. If we'll do that and we'll take great care of the ball, then we'll be right where we need to be." The Crimson Tide will enter Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. as the No. 7 team in the country. Both they and the No. 16 Bulldogs are two of just 21 remaining undefeated teams in America. |
| Soccer: Bulldogs Open Three-Match Homestand With No. 11 South Carolina | |
| Mississippi State will host No. 11 South Carolina on Friday night in a nationally-televised match on ESPNU at 6 p.m. CT. It is international night as the Bulldogs celebrate a roster that includes representation from five nations and includes six players with national team experience. The Bulldogs (7-1-3, 1-0-3 SEC) are beginning a three-match homestand that will see them host a pair of ranked squads. Last week, MSU held then-No. 9 Tennessee to a scoreless draw, and the Bulldogs have now won or tied five of their last six top-10 matches. Friday night will be a display of two of the SEC's top defensive units. The Gamecocks' 3.2 expected goals against is the second-lowest in the league through four conference matches, and they are tied for the SEC lead with only one goal allowed. Meanwhile, MSU's expected goals against of 5.4 ranks fifth in the league, and the Bulldogs have allowed just three goals. |
| College fall ball exhibition games kick off at Keesler Federal Park | |
 | Baseball is back at Keesler Federal Park, even with the Shuckers' season in the rearview. College fall ball continued for the second straight day at Keesler Federal Park on Thursday, giving baseball fans another reason to head to the ballpark. The fall exhibition schedule is part of a busy schedule of 12 additional college baseball games in Biloxi. The staff said the ballpark continues to be a place for the community to gather, even when the Shuckers aren't playing. "I think it's a great opportunity, one, to get some fans in here who may have never been in the park before. People travel down here and see that we have a great stadium, so it's great to get new faces in here, and it's a really great opportunity to get some of these college guys on our home field and see what that's like," Jeff Carman, Keesler Federal Park's stadium operations manager, said. Friday's slate of college games was canceled due to the threat of severe weather. |
| A $350M upgrade of U. of South Carolina stadium is only the latest big spend by SC athletic programs | |
| South Carolina fans have navigated cordoned off areas and construction supplies piled up around the building this season as the university continues its $350 million "reimagining" of Williams-Brice Stadium. Projects like this remain essential to fans, team personnel, players and prospects, even in an era where sponsorship contracts and court-mandated revenue sharing for players have reshaped the sport. "I don't know any fans who want less," Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller said recently, referring to comfortable seating, easy access to concessions, smooth entry and exit and other amenities that can make the difference between becoming a season-ticket holder and staying at home watching the game on a large-screen TV. "Gone are the days of opening a facility right now and people want to sit on metal bleachers when it's 100 degrees outside," said Miller, who has led the Chanticleers' sports programs since 2024. "They want something a little better." |
| After bankruptcy, he was banned from sports betting sites. Then he discovered Kalshi | |
 | During the pandemic, Thomas thought he would give DraftKings and FanDuel a try. Before long, he formed a habit. "I could have ten drinks one night and then be fine with not drinking again for a year," said Thomas, 35, who asked to be identified by his middle name fearing his problem gambling history could affect his career. "But sports gambling was different. It really got me." He never cared much for sports. Yet betting on games seemed like an easy way to make a buck. He started placing wagers on football and tennis mostly using parlays, which are difficult-to-win bets that require multiple things happening in one game in order to land an enticing payout. When his paycheck arrived, he'd quickly squander it all trying to dig himself out of a gambling hole, only to find himself even deeper in. He filed for bankruptcy in late 2023, federal court records show, and he was able to settle with most of his creditors. He banned himself from DraftKings and FanDuel, known as "self exclusion" in industry parlance. It was a new start. He was debt-free and swore off gambling. "Then one day, about two years later, I'm scrolling on Instagram and I came across an ad for Kalshi," said Thomas. "I was bored and thought this could be fun, and it ended up turning into something that wasn't fun at all." |
| Colleges paid athletes over $1.77 billion in first year of revenue sharing, CSC reports | |
 | College athletes received more than $1.77 billion in revenue-sharing payments from schools during the first year of a system implemented as part of the House lawsuit settlement, the NCAA and College Sports Commission announced Thursday. Additionally, schools reported paying out a little over $42 million in Alston academic benefits and another $163 million in "new and incremental scholarship spending" through the College Athletes Payment System, which schools use for required reporting. Altogether, college athletes received more than $1.975 billion in direct payments for the 2025-26 school year, a majority of which came via revenue sharing, according to the CSC. The CSC said 307 Division I schools, out of 319 that opted into revenue sharing, in 33 conferences reported payments to 34,915 athletes across 45 sports. Those figures do not count third-party compensation to athletes for name, image and likeness deals. The CSC reported last month that it has cleared 46,478 third-party NIL deals worth more than $582 million since June 2025. Under the settlement terms, college athletes must report NIL deals with outside entities worth more than $600 to CSC through an online platform called NIL Go. |
| Ted Cruz's Bid to Pass His College Sports Bill Soon Is Falling Short | |
| It turns out the U.S. House of Representatives will not jump through hoops to vote on Sen. Ted Cruz's college sports bill during the campaign season. After the midterms, the House might even try to call some audibles with the legislation. The Texas Republican has been adamant the House could come back before the elections and quickly pass the Protect College Sports Act (or PCSA). But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told The Washington Sun in an interview on Wednesday the House has a different plan that could include changes to Cruz's proposal, which passed the Senate Monday with a large bipartisan majority. "There's some good elements in the bill, but you saw there were some other problems that a number of our chairmen of the committees of jurisdiction in the House have with that bill, that would need to be fixed," Scalise said. "Look, we've got our own process. We want to make sure we get this right, because it's really important that we allow the schools to govern themselves." Without delving into specifics, the Louisiana lawmaker said that while there are "differences between the House and the Senate" versions of the legislation, "there's a path to get a final bill to the president's desk, which is what we ultimately want." |
| College sports is coming apart. This bill will bring it under control. | |
 | Nick Saban and E. Gordon Gee write in The Washington Post: Saturdays once again belong to college football. Stadiums are full, rivalries have reignited, and grills are being fired up in parking lots across the country. Yet behind the tailgates and thrill of "College GameDay," the system supporting college athletics is coming apart. College sports has changed more in the past five years than in the previous 50. A dizzying maze of court decisions, conflicting state laws, an out-of-control transfer portal, and the rapid rise of name, image and likeness compensation (NIL) have produced a system with no national rules. The current dynamic has led to growing financial pressure on schools and uncertainty for athletes, coaches and administrators. Between the two of us, we have spent more than a century in college athletics. One of us has led some of America's most respected universities --- Brown, Colorado, Ohio State, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. The other spent decades coaching at the highest level of college football, watching some young men become professional athletes but many more become doctors, businessmen, lawyers and public servants. We have stood on opposite sidelines and rooted for different teams. But we are united today because we know what is at stake if college sports continue down the current path. |
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