| Monday, June 30, 2025 |
| Mississippi's crops struggle with rainfall challenges | |
 | Rainfall at well above normal accumulations is impacting the state's row crops, according to officials. Mike Brown, state climatologist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Department of Geosciences, said many areas of the state have had one and a half times the typical amount of rain for this time of year. "Annually, we generally see around 58 inches of rain in our coastal counties, 52 in our northern counties, and around 55 inches through the central portion of the state," Brown said. "Mid-August through mid-October tends to be our driest period. Many portions of the Delta began the year well above normal for precipitation, but those areas have seen a drier end of May and have remained at or just below average for June." As of late June, officials said Starkville, Greenville, Tupelo and Southaven have about 50% more rain than usual since the planting and growing season began. Meridian and Greenwood are just above normal levels, while Jackson, Biloxi and McComb have seen about one-third more rain than normal. |
| Rains continue to disrupt planting, give crops trouble | |
 | Rainfall at well above normal accumulations is impacting the state's row crops, mostly in a negative way. Mike Brown, state climatologist with the Mississippi State University Department of Geosciences, said many areas of the state have had one and a half times the typical amount of rain for this time of year. Dave Spencer, an Extension pivot irrigation specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said frequent rains limit farmers’ ability to manage their crops. Rice, cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes all suffered from frequent rains that kept fields too wet to plant in the ideal planting windows. “Increased rainfall this spring delayed planting in many parts of the Delta,” said Will Eubank, Extension rice specialist. “Many farmers were able to get some rice in the ground in late March, but following that short planting window, we saw weekly showers that hindered further planting, herbicide applications and nitrogen applications. “The rain also caused numerous replant situations in pockets,” Eubank said. |
| Northeast Mississippi farmers struggle as excessive rain has inundated fields, stunted growth | |
 | By now, Clay Mask should be standing knee high in soybeans. Instead, the soybeans are stunted, barely sticking out of the ground in water-logged fields that have seen more than enough rainfall this year. "We've planted about 1,500 acres, split between corn and soybeans, and there's probably about a third of those acres that need to be replanted," Mask said. "The rest of the acres we haven't gotten to plant, and we aren't going to because of all the rain." Farmers across the state -- and across the Midsouth for that matter -- have been unable to work their fields because of the excessive rainfall. "It's the worst I've seen, and I've been around farming a long time," said Brian Pieralisi, a cotton specialist for the MSU Extension Service. "My grandfather was a farmer, my father was a farmer, and I've been a farmer, too. I've never seen anything like this with growers really struggling to get planted." Roughly 52 inches of rain has fallen so far this year in North Mississippi, about 50% more than average. |
| Rumors of Africanized honey bees invading Mississippi not true | |
 | Folks are buzzing, spreading news of an invasion. An Africanized honey bee invasion. And with rumors swarming on social media about these so-called "killer bees," Dr. Jeff Harris said it's important to focus on the facts. "The statement that Africanized bees are well-established in Mississippi is simply not true," said Harris, a beekeeping expert with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Africanized honey bees are well-established in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, but Harris said there have only been three reports of colonies in Mississippi since 2008, and all three were on the Coast. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture swiftly eliminated all three. "They will go ahead and kill the bees, take samples, and they have to send them off to be analyzed for either DNA," Harris said. "Or some people do what's called morphometrics. They measure body parts to decide, because you can't just look at the two types of bees and tell them apart." |
| Africanized honey bees not established in Mississippi | |
| A Mississippi State University expert says he has no evidence that Africanized honey bees are established in Mississippi contrary to reports from Mississippi media outlets June 26. Jeff Harris, bee specialist with the MSU Extension Service, immediately responded to a printed news article and subsequent media reports and social media posts that incorrectly announced the bees, commonly called killer bees, were found in the state. "I have been a beekeeping specialist at MSU since 2012. There has only been one confirmed identification of Africanized honey bees in our state during the last 13 years. It was a colony found in Pass Christian, and it likely arrived via shipping at a port near the home where it was found. The bees were destroyed by the Bureau of Plant Industry," Harris said. "They [the Bureau of Plant Industry] also set up surveillance traps for swarms of honey bees in that area and monitored them for at least a year. They caught many swarms, but none were Africanized. Then, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce considered the initial colony was most likely an isolated event and not part of a migrating front of AHBs moving into our state." Harris added that no further reports of Africanized honey bees, or AHBs, in Mississippi have been received since 2012. |
| MSU's Rendon named Mississippi Veteran of the Year | |
 | Mississippi State's own Andrew Rendon, the university's executive director for veteran and military affairs, is the Magnolia State's 2025 Veteran of the Year, designated by MilitaryFriendly.com. In addition to his civilian role as a longtime professional member of MSU's Division of Student Affairs, Rendon is a brigadier general in the Mississippi National Guard. The university is congratulating Rendon, while also encouraging the community to vote to elevate his recognition nationally. Online voting at militaryfriendly.com/oy/veteran/state/ is open through July 4. The full list of 2025 state Veteran of the Year winners also is available on the same website. On campus, Rendon works with more than 3,000 veteran-affiliated students through the university's G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans at Nusz Hall. The center is a national leader in providing comprehensive, professional services such as admissions advising, scholarship resources, transition programming, dependent and spouse advocacy and much more. MSU repeatedly has been recognized as one of the nation's foremost Military Friendly universities, with a Top 5 Military Friendly School designation this year. |
| MSU expands military education access through partnership with Keesler Air Force Base | |
 | Mississippi State University has signed an Educational Partnership Agreement with Keesler Air Force Base, paving the way for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Weather and Environment -- an MSU Department of Geosciences program that will provide Keesler Air Force members a streamlined pathway to complete a four-year degree. Approved by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in May, the proposed BAS degree program will enable airmen to transfer technical training in weather-related fields directly for college credit, accelerating their progress toward a bachelor's degree. The program is designed to build on the military's rigorous meteorological instruction by integrating applied science coursework and real-world environmental applications. "This partnership reflects MSU's longstanding commitment to supporting our nation's military and enhancing educational access for service members," said John Rodgers, geosciences professor and department head. "By aligning the strengths of Keesler's training programs with MSU's academic resources, we are creating a meaningful opportunity for airmen to advance both their military and civilian careers." |
| LINK prepares to move to new, centrally located office | |
| For the last week, CEO Joe Max Higgins has been lugging boxes to the dumpster parked behind the Golden Triangle Redevelopment LINK's office on Main Street in Columbus as the organization begins its move to a new office. "In 20 years, you accumulate a bunch of junk, and the girls have all said, 'We're not taking it. We're removing the clutter,'" Higgins said. By Tuesday, the LINK staff – along with two decades worth of economic development records, newspaper clippings and mementos too important to throw away – will move to a newly constructed, one-story office on airport-leased property that, Higgins said, is better suited to the organization's needs. But the change is still bittersweet. "Been a lot of deals, ... a lot of jobs created, a lot of opportunities, a lot of meetings, a lot of community discussions have taken place in that building," Higgins told The Dispatch on Wednesday. "That's kind of the sad part. But the looking forward part is, a better central location. That's why we picked it." The new 7,000-square foot office is located on the Golden Triangle Regional Airport property, nearly equidistant from Columbus, Starkville and West Point. The location perfectly positions the LINK between the cities and counties it serves and is in a central-enough location to carry business prospects to see industry sites. |
| Multi-day celebrations planned for Fourth of July | |
| On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence, and in 1870, the anniversary of the signing became a federal holiday known as Independence Day. Each year, Americans celebrate Independence Day through barbecues, fireworks, parades, lakeside activities and more. This year, the Golden Triangle has a Fourth of July weekend packed full of activities for the whole family. Fourth of July celebrations in Starkville will kick off at 5 p.m. at Cornerstone Park at 222 Batters Blvd. Attendees will enjoy food vendors, bounce houses, balloon animals, face painting and a live performance by the 41st Army Band before fireworks that starts at dusk. Admission and parking is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs. |
| New Mississippi laws set to take effect July 1 | |
| July 1 is not only the start of the new fiscal year in the state of Mississippi; it is also when most of the new laws passed during the 2025 legislative session take effect. Here is a rundown of some of the most talked about new laws you should be aware of starting Tuesday. Mississippi's sales tax on groceries will fall by 2 percent July 1, from 7 percent to 5 percent as part of the tax reform package signed into law aimed at phasing out the state individual income tax. In addition, the income tax will be reduced by 0.25 percent while the gas tax will increase 3 cents, from 18 cents per gallon to 21 cents. ... A Tier 5 in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) for newly hired government workers is being created based on recommendations from the PERS Board. This does not impact existing workers or retirees. However, the new tier will not go into effect until March 2026. ... A new Mississippi law prevents universities, community colleges, public schools, and charter schools from using Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices when selecting faculty, providing academic opportunities, and offering student engagement. Often referred to as the anti-DEI law, the State Board of Education and the Institutions of Higher Learning have already approved new policies related to this law. A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging the implementation of the new law but as of this reporting no action has been taken. |
| Starting Tuesday: Mississippi gas taxes go up, grocery taxes go down | |
| Mississippians next week will start paying higher taxes at the gas pump but lower taxes at the grocery store. A new state law that raises Mississippi's gasoline tax by 3 cents a gallon and cuts the state grocery tax by 2% will take effect on Tuesday, along with other statutes the Legislature passed and governor signed into law earlier this year. Mississippi currently has a flat 18.4 cents a gallon excise tax on fuel, one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation. The law will raise the tax to 21.5 cents a gallon this year, then increase it three cents a year until July 1, 2027. At completion, the state gas tax will be 27.4 cents a gallon, a 9-cent total increase. Proceeds from the tax will go toward building and maintaining state roads specified by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Mississippi also has a 7% sales tax on non-prepared food, commonly called the grocery tax. The tax, the highest of its kind in the nation, will be reduced to 5% in July. Municipalities around the state receive a portion of this sales tax. The new law ensures cities will receive a larger diversion rate, and be "made whole" from the cut. |
| Jackson and Capitol police are not fully prepared to enforce anti-homeless bills on July 1 | |
 | Days before two pieces of anti-homeless legislation come into effect on July 1, Jackson's most prominent law enforcement agencies said they are not fully prepared to enforce restrictions aimed at homeless encampments and solicitation of donations. The Legislature about three months ago passed the restrictions, which essentially make law enforcement a singular tool to address the state's multi-faceted homelessness problem, Mississippi's American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Joshua Tom told the Clarion Ledger. The broad authority given to local authorities to enforce the new laws could put the state in legal trouble, Tom said. Once the new laws, House Bill 1197 and 1203, take effect July 1, people can no longer camp on public property not specified for camping. Those who solicit for donations will need to obtain a permit that can cost up to $25 every day they panhandle. Tom said the Mississippi ACLU will monitor law enforcement's enforcing of the new laws, fearing they could worsen homelessness in Mississippi. Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell told the Clarion Ledger under the new panhandling statute, Capitol Police are "working on finalizing" what the permits will look like and how the application process will function. Tindell said Capitol Police will enforce the encampment bill, which allows for a 24-hour notice for people to vacate an area before police remove the campsite and any materials. |
| Shuwaski Young announces 2027 bid for Mississippi secretary of state | |
| Mississippi's statewide elections are not until 2027, but candidates are already beginning to line up to get a head start on a cycle ripe for new faces to take office. Shuwaski Young announced Friday on MidDays with Gerard Gibert that he will be seeking the office of secretary of state as rumblings grow louder that current Secretary Michael Watson is mulling a bid for higher office. Young filed his statement of organization papers and is set to hit the campaign trail for the third time in his political career -- this time as a Republican. The former Democrat flipped party affiliation last year after saying the left side of the political scale no longer aligned with his "traditional values of faith and family," claiming the Mississippi GOP wants to "move the state forward for everyone." Before the switch, he was the Democratic pick to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Guest in 2022, and in 2023, he was the party's nominee for secretary of state before dropping out of the race over health concerns. |
| Senate Republicans are in a sprint on Trump's big bill after a weekend of setbacks | |
 | After a weekend of setbacks, the Senate will try to sprint ahead Monday on President Donald Trump's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts despite a series of challenges, including the sudden announcement from one GOP senator that he won't run for reelection after opposing the package over its Medicaid health care cuts. An all-night session to consider an endless stream of proposed amendments to the package, in what's called a vote-a-rama, was abruptly postponed, and it's now scheduled to launch as soon as the Senate gavels open. With Democrats united against the Republican president's legislation and eagerly lined up to challenge it, the voting could take all day. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the "hardest choices" for Republicans are still to come. His side plans to bring "amendment after amendment after amendment to the floor, so Republicans can defend their billionaire tax cuts and so they can try to explain their massive cuts to Medicaid to people back home." The hours ahead will be pivotal for the Republicans, who have control of the Congress and are racing against Trump's Fourth of July deadline to wrap up work. The 940-page "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," as it is now formally titled, has consumed the Congress as its shared priority with the president, with no room politically to fail, even as not all Republicans are on board. |
| Tillis won't run for reelection in North Carolina | |
 | Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday announced he will not seek reelection to the Senate next year, firing a political shock wave into the midterm cycle after he said he would oppose President Trump's mammoth tax package. "As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven't exactly been excited about running for another term," Tillis said in a statement. "That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. "It's not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election," he said. The announcement comes after Trump attacked him relentlessly in recent days over his opposition to the GOP's "big, beautiful bill." Tillis was one of two Republicans who voted against advancing it on the floor Saturday night. The president on Saturday night went so far as to threaten to back a primary challenger against him next year. |
| Capitol agenda: Thune heads into a perilous vote-a-rama | |
 | The Senate's "big, beautiful" vote-a-rama starts in just two hours -- and nobody knows how it's going to end. Senate Majority Leader John Thune can only lose one more vote with Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) already opposed. As Senate GOP leaders scramble to strike deals to keep the bill on track, House Republicans are drawing red lines, with fiscal hawks threatening to tank the bill over the Senate's budget framework and moderates balking at the provider-tax crackdown. Dozens of agriculture groups are urging senators to oppose an amendment from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would limit income thresholds of farmers who can receive federal aid. A host of farm-state GOP senators also oppose Grassley's push, according to three people granted anonymity. Some are concerned that liberal senators could join with conservative fiscal hawks to pass the amendment. |
| Supreme Court will hear GOP challenge to campaign spending limit | |
 | The Supreme Court will take up the regulation of money in politics in a case that could lead to the overturning of a 2001 decision limiting how much political parties can spend on advertising and other messaging in coordination with a federal candidate. The court on June 30 agreed to hear a challenge from Republicans to a federal regulation the Trump administration says it can't defend. The justices are likely to hear arguments in the fall and hand down a decision next year. The GOP argues the law and the facts have changed since the Supreme Court last considered the issue. As a result, they said, political parties have been weakened and leading donors have turned to "super PACs" that act as "shadow parties," hurting the political system. The case was initiated by Vice President JD Vance when he was a senator, along with former Rep. Steve Chabot, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The challenge is part of longstanding debate over how to balance free speech rights with preventing corruption. |
| Trump administration building a national citizenship data system | |
 | The Trump administration has, for the first time ever, built a searchable national citizenship data system. The tool, which is being rolled out in phases, is designed to be used by state and local election officials to give them an easier way to ensure only citizens are voting. But it was developed rapidly without a public process, and some of those officials are already worrying about what else it could be used for. DHS, in partnership with the White House's Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) team, has recently rolled out a series of upgrades to a network of federal databases to allow state and county election officials to quickly check the citizenship status of their entire voter lists -- both U.S.-born and naturalized citizens -- using data from the Social Security Administration as well as immigration databases. Such integration has never existed before, and experts call it a sea change that inches the U.S. closer to having a roster of citizens -- something the country has never embraced. A centralized national database of Americans' personal information has long been considered a third rail -- especially to privacy advocates as well as political conservatives, who have traditionally opposed mass data consolidation by the federal government. |
| Young Republicans are fueling the GOP's generational divide on Israel | |
 | In the months after Oct. 7, 2023, the Miami University College Republicans' debate nights grew rowdier and more hostile. Disagreement was expected and encouraged among the Ohio college's 120-member conservative group. But this time, a small yet forceful faction refused to support many members' position that the United States should financially and militarily back Israel's war in Gaza, recalled Andrew Belcher, then a Miami University freshman. Belcher, who now chairs the college Republicans club, said two students left the group in anger and never returned. Almost two years later, many of the club's members, alongside a broader swath of young Republicans, are growing increasingly frustrated with the Israeli government's hostilities in Gaza, Lebanon, and most recently, Iran. "The fallout of Oct. 7 kind of broke that very emotional attachment to Israel," said Belcher, 20, a junior. Stalwart support for Israel has been a cornerstone of GOP politics in recent decades. But views on the right are shifting. In March, the Pew Research Center found that Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were more negative toward Israel than in 2022. Most of the shift came from Republicans under age 50. |
| LSU Interim President Matt Lee wants to keep winning: 'That's what the big dogs do' | |
 | For Matt Lee, LSU's interim president, summer break is not a thing. He started in the role June 1 after former President William Tate IV's surprise announcement that he was leaving to lead Rutgers University. Lee, who most recently was LSU's vice president for agriculture, traveled to Omaha last weekend to watch LSU's baseball team win its eighth national championship, then returned to Baton Rouge this week for his first board meeting as system leader. As Louisiana's flagship university prepares to search for a permanent leader, Lee is tasked with continuing the system's gains in enrollment and research while navigating headwinds, including federal funding cuts and restrictions on international students. Just this week, federal immigration agents detained two Iranian-born LSU students; it's unclear why they were targeted. We spoke with Lee earlier this month, just days into his new role, about the challenges and opportunities ahead. |
| UF Board of Trustees to consider proposal to increase out-of-state tuition fees | |
 | The University of Florida Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to increase out-of-state student fees by 10% next month. The anticipated proposal was announced in a June 25 press release stating the proposal will be on the agenda at a special meeting to be held at 11 a.m. July 23. If approved, the increase will become effective beginning the fall semester of 2025. This proposal will not affect the tuition or fees of in-state students, officials say. The low cost of attendance at Florida's public institutions -- including UF -- is made possible through generous state funding. Additionally, UF has not increased out-of-state rates in over a decade. As a result, UF is seeking to increase out-of-state student fees to address rising operational costs and to ensure all students make an equitable contribution toward the world-class educational experience and services expected of Florida's flagship institution, according to the press release. |
| For modern facilities, some old ones must go: U. of Tennessee has new priorities | |
 | The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is bustling over summer break -- not with students but with construction -- and during a July 1 meeting UT leaders are set to discuss two more projects that would provide additional classroom space for the growing campus population. The Civics Education and Interdisciplinary Classroom Building project, with a price tag of $228.5 million, would house the civics and history departments. A second project called the Interdisciplinary Health, Research and Clinic building has made UT's priority list before but now comes with a price tag of $255 million, roughly $23.45 million more than previously planned. The board also will discuss a list of proposed demolitions, according to agenda documents, including one for the Knoxville campus. UT wants $3 million to demolish the Concord Campus near Sutherland Avenue, the same street as the Cherokee Mills complex being leased by the university. The Concord Campus would then be used for facilities services, storage and fleet management, according to the UT master plan, which also references a public safety building on site. The project is listed as a near-term priority in the master plan. |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center grant cuts may include faculty, research diversity initiatives | |
| Federal grant cuts to research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center could include funding for programs meant to improve diversity in medical research faculty and research participants, according to data released by the White House's Department of Government Efficiency. Vanderbilt University Medical Center -- a medical system giant in the southeast that handles more than 3.5 million patient visits annually -- expects to lay off 650 employees due to grant and funding cuts made by the Trump Administration, the organization announced in a statement on June 20. Staffing cuts will be focused in research, administrative and support roles. The health care system plans to reduce its operating costs by $300 million "in response to the impact of budgetary actions in Washington, D.C. related to government-sponsored research and patient care," VUMC stated. VUMC declined to provide more specific information on the research projects and grants impacted by federal cuts, but DOGE's database indicates funding retractions for at least two multi-year VUMC initiatives receiving support from the National Institutes of Health. |
| Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp rides into retirement after transformative tenure | |
 | Transformative is the word John Sharp chose to describe his 14 years as chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. Sharp, who will turn 75 in July, will have his last day as A&M's chancellor on Monday. The member of A&M's Class of 1972 announced his retirement on July 1, 2024. Glenn Hegar, who most recently served as Texas comptroller, will take over as A&M's chancellor on Tuesday. Under Sharp's purview, the A&M System has reached new heights thanks to the leadership of one of the most impactful figures in school history. Sharp has been able to transform the profile of his beloved university by wielding his political prowess and turning lofty ideas and goals into reality. "We've had transformative growth without losing what makes this place special," Sharp said. Sharp retires as the longest-serving chancellor and has painted the state maroon with more than $13 billion in construction in the past 13 years. The A&M System had spent just $3 billion in construction projects in the 13 years prior to Sharp's arrival at A&M. |
| Energy Innovation Center approved, NextGen MURR working group formed by UM Curators | |
 | The University of Missouri Board of Curators is celebrating a couple votes it took Thursday for projects at the Columbia campus. The first established an Energy Innovation Center and the other created a working group as the NextGen MURR develops. The Energy Innovation Center will research new methods of energy production. Engineering, physics, computer science, chemistry and biochemistry researchers will advance energy production, storage and distribution efforts, the university said in a news release. "We are excited about advancing our mission in energy innovation and discovery. Research relating to energy creation, distribution and performance is critically important," said Todd Graves, curators board chair. "This new facility will be built to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and attract the brightest minds tackling the world's toughest energy challenges." A solution the center could find is one to lessening the power consumption impact needed by artificial intelligence and data centers, the university noted. The Energy Innovation Center is a partnership between the College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Science, and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), with contributions from the School of Law, the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business and the Missouri School of Journalism. |
| UVA President's Resignation Reflects a New Front in Trump's Bid to Remake Higher Education | |
 | The Trump administration is ramping up its battle against DEI practices at universities -- and the University of Virginia's president was the first big casualty. UVA President James E. Ryan told the school community Friday that he had resigned amid tension with the Trump administration. Ryan had come under scrutiny over what the Justice Department said was his refusal to dismantle the school's diversity, equity and inclusion programs, according to a person familiar with the matter. The DOJ has been threatening to withhold federal funding to the university if it doesn't get rid of the programs, that person said. The school has been in daily communication with the DOJ about how to proceed, the person said. "I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the federal government in order to save my own job," Ryan said in his email. "To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld." The Trump administration's pressure on UVA reflects a broadening of the government campaign to remake higher education, moving beyond accusations of antisemitism into a wider attack on DEI. |
| Why UVA President's Resignation Could Be a 'Watershed Moment' | |
 | Under pressure from the Trump administration, state leaders and conservative alumni, the University of Virginia's president of nearly seven years stepped down Friday, declaring that while he was committed to the university and inclined to fight, he could not in good conscience push back just to save his job. The Department of Justice demanded that Ryan resign in order to resolve an investigation into whether UVA sufficiently complied with President Donald Trump's orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion. UVA dissolved its DEI office in March, though some alumni, board members and legal advocacy groups have claimed the university didn't go far enough in rooting out DEI. The Trump administration has made several sweeping and unprecedented demands of Harvard and Columbia Universities as part of a broader effort to reshape who gets into institutions, what they learn while in college and who teaches them. But this is the first time federal officials have explicitly tied grant dollars to the resignation of a university official, and experts and faculty members warn that the episode marks a worrying precedent that could fundamentally change the university presidency. "I think this is a watershed moment," said Jon Holbein, an associate professor of public policy, politics and education at UVA. "If a moderate president at a conservative–for–higher education institution who has followed the law when it comes to diversity [can be pushed out], no president is immune from the Trump administration's ire." |
| Mark Warner decries 'outrageous' ouster of U. of Virginia president | |
| Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said Sunday the Trump administration was "doing damage to our flagship university" after the University of Virginia's president resigned after pressure from the White House over the school's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. James E. Ryan, who had served as the university's president since 2018, announced his resignation Friday amid the Justice Department's ongoing probes into DEI practices at schools around the nation. Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Warner defended Ryan and predicted that other universities will not be exempt from the administration's goals. "This is the most outrageous action, I think, this crowd has taken on education," Warner said. "I thought the Republicans were about states' rights, I thought the Republicans were about let's transfer more power in the states. This federal DOE and Department of Justice should get their nose out of the University of Virginia. They are doing damage to our flagship university. And if they can do it here, they'll do it elsewhere." Warner praised Ryan for putting his school above his career but said the ultimatum never should have been offered. "They want to take on public universities the way they have now taken on the Ivys," Warner said Sunday. "End of the day, this is going to hurt our universities, chase away world-class talent and, frankly, if we don't have some level of academic freedom, then what kind of country are we?" |
| In latest blow, National Science Foundation staff to be booted from their headquarters | |
| The National Science Foundation (NSF) today lost its 8-year-old headquarters building in Alexandria, Virginia, to another federal agency as part of President Donald Trump's campaign to shrink the size of the U.S. government. NSF's 1800 employees learned of the move today in a staff memo that did not say when they will move, or where. During a press conference this morning, employees filled the 19-story building's lobby and chanted, "We won't move." Many condemned the decision as the latest assault on research by the Trump administration, which has fired dozens of NSF staff, canceled 1700 grants, and proposed a 57% cut to the agency's next budget. But Trump's pledge to shed old federal buildings that require major upgrades and pack federal workers into cheaper office space appears to be the real reason, with NSF as collateral damage. The new tenant, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), now occupies a deteriorating, 1960s-era Brutalist building adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For NSF employees, the unanswered question is what will happen to them. |
| Europe Is Recruiting Academics Disenchanted With America | |
| French President Emmanuel Macron has a message for American academics like Nathan Perl-Rosenthal: Forget the U.S., come to France! Perl-Rosenthal, a history professor at the University of Southern California, met Macron at a conference in Paris in May, weeks after the U.S. government canceled a grant funding his research on maritime history. Perl-Rosenthal was impressed by Macron's commitment to defend l'esprit critique and academic freedom. "He winked at me when I said I worked on the rise of mass politics," Perl-Rosenthal said. He is considering a permanent post in Paris. Macron and his European peers are angling to turn President Trump's overhaul of U.S. academia into their gain. Europe, once home to Louis Pasteur and Albert Einstein, for centuries led the world in discoveries that explained the natural world. The U.S. took the lead after World War II, as European émigrés went to work alongside Americans in university labs flush with federal funding. The U.S. still outspends any other country on research and development. But since returning to office, the Trump administration has cut or frozen billions of dollars of government research grants to universities, citing investigations into diversity programs and antisemitism. |
| How Chinese College Students Have Become Political Pawns, Again | |
 | In the midst of a flurry of federal-policy changes and threatened crackdowns on international students, Chinese students, in particular, are victims of whiplash. First they heard that the Trump administration would begin "aggressively" revoking their visas. Then the president appeared to walk that back, saying, according to reports on his trade negotiations with China, that Chinese students would be welcome in the United States. "It does seem that Chinese students are being used as bargaining chips in the trade negotiations with China," said Jonathan Bean, a research fellow at the Independent Institute and a professor of history at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Chinese students have been used as political pawns before. As policies are announced and rescinded, the uncertainty alone can take a toll. And the damage -- not just to individual students but to higher education and the technological competitiveness of the United States -- may be long-lasting. |
| Harvard Violated Students' Civil Rights, Trump Administration Finds | |
| The Trump administration informed Harvard University that its investigation found it had violated federal civil-rights law over its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students, putting the federal funding of the nation's oldest university further at risk. The investigation is the latest in the battle between the White House and Harvard. The Trump administration has sought to make the wealthiest U.S. university exhibit A in its fight against liberal institutions it says didn't take antisemitism and DEI concerns seriously. In a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber on Monday and viewed by The Wall Street Journal, attorneys for the administration said the investigation found that Harvard knew Jewish and Israeli students felt threatened on its campus and acted with deliberate indifference. "Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard's relationship with the federal government," the letter states. "Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again." The findings are part of the Trump administration's broader push against universities. |
| Some community college students could lose their financial lifeline under the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' | |
 | Hundreds of thousands of community college students are at risk of losing financial assistance under the proposed "Big, Beautiful Bill," which would tighten eligibility requirements for Pell Grants. Students would be required to enroll full time to maintain eligibility for the federally subsidized grants that serve as a financial lifeline for many low- to middle-income students. The bill would increase the number of credit hours students must take each semester from 12 to 15 and could strain those who work, parent, suffer financial distress or otherwise find it difficult to increase their course loads, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. More than 10 million people are enrolled in community colleges across the United States. Students who attend four-year colleges can also apply for Pell Grants, but community colleges are often a gateway into the higher education pipeline for low- to middle-income students. |
| Universities in every state care for congressional papers that document US political history -- federal cuts put their work at risk | |
| Mississippi State University's Kate Gregory writes for The Conversation: In 1971, the president of Mississippi State University, Dr. William L. Giles, invited President Richard Nixon to attend the dedication of U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis' papers to the university library's archives. Nixon declined, but the Republican president sent a generous note in support of the veteran Democrat Stennis. "Future students and scholars who study there will ... familiarize themselves with the outstanding record of a U.S. Senator whose ... judgment in complex areas of national security have been a source of strength and comfort to those who have led this Nation and to all who are concerned in preserving the freedom we cherish." Nixon's prediction came true, perhaps ironically, considering the legal troubles over his own papers during the Watergate crisis. Congress passed the Presidential Records Act of 1978 after Nixon resigned. Stennis' gift to his alma mater caused a windfall of subsequent congressional donations to what is now the Mississippi Political Collections at Mississippi State University Libraries. Now, 55 years later, Mississippi State University holds a body of records from a bipartisan group of officials that has positioned it to tell a major part of the state's story in national and global politics. |
| Universities face tough times as Trump weighs in | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Mississippi universities face tough times as political forces led by President Donald Trump align against traditional higher education. "After years of shuffling Americans through an economically unproductive postsecondary system, President Trump will refocus young Americans on career preparation," read an April White House fact sheet on the order uplifting workforce training. A second slammed accrediting agencies' practices that have "diverted focus from student success to ideological conformity, undermining academic integrity and student achievement," read the second April fact sheet. ... Already in Mississippi, Accelerate Mississippi has begun to strongly emphasize credentials and workforce training. State Auditor Shad White has called for state funding to be eliminated for "useless degrees" in "garbage fields." Two other changes epitomize a growing national effort to focus more on skill-based training and less on university degrees. |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith hopes 2026 will be her first easy U.S. Senate campaign | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: The recent announcement that state Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson plans to run for governor has fueled speculation about who will be running for what office in a wide open 2027 Mississippi election cycle. Will all or any of the combination of Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Auditor Shad White, Attorney General Lynn Fitch enter the gubernatorial donnybrook? Who will be the Democratic Party standard bearer, and will Democrats field competitive candidates for any of the other down-ticket statewide offices that could be vacant based on who is running for governor? Perhaps, most importantly, will billionaire businessman Thomas Duff of Hattiesburg enter the gubernatorial race after showing numerous signals that he intends to? But before the 2027 elections roll around there will be another consequential statewide race in Mississippi: for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith will be running in her third U.S. Senate race, and she surely hopes it will be her first easy one. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Places 90 On 2024-25 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll | |
| Ninety student-athletes who competed for Mississippi State during the 2024-25 academic year were named to the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, the league office announced Friday. The honor roll recognizes student-athletes who began their academic and athletic careers during the 2024-25 school year and earned a 3.00 grade point average or higher while meeting SEC eligibility and academic credit hour standards. Mississippi State's honorees represent each of its varsity programs and a wide range of academic disciplines. Baseball led all Bulldog teams with 19 selections, followed by football with 12, volleyball with nine, and men's and women's track and field with eight and nine honorees, respectively. In addition to their accomplishments in competition, MSU student-athletes earned recognition while pursuing degrees in fields such as electrical and computer engineering, biochemistry, biological sciences, kinesiology, finance, medical technology, psychology, public policy and administration, and other programs that carry strong academic demands. A total of 1,903 student-athletes across the Southeastern Conference were named to the honor roll. |
| Five big questions for Mississippi State football in 2025 besides Blake Shapen | |
| The first Mississippi State football season for coach Jeff Lebby did not go as planned. The Bulldogs were blasted 41-17 at home by Toledo in Week 3. Then in the next game, starting quarterback Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. It all unraveled from there, a 2-10 record with no wins in the SEC and one of the worst defenses in the country. MSU faces a difficult schedule in 2025 with nine of the same power-conference opponents from last season, but expectations are for an improved team in Lebby's second season. Here are five big questions, besides Shapen staying healthy, that could determine the outcome of Mississippi State's season: How improved is the Mississippi State defense? Is Mississippi State talented enough at cornerback? How improved is the offensive line under Phil Loadholt? How can Mississippi State get off to faster starts? Who will be Mississippi State's top receiver? |
| Men's Hoops Announces Two More Non-Conference Matchups | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball program will return to Tupelo for the third straight season for a December non-conference matchup announced Friday. The Bulldogs will square off with San Francisco from the West Coast Conference on Sunday, December 7 at Cadance Bank Arena. The Dons have averaged 22.7 wins per season and earned back-to-back NIT appearances under fourth-year coach Chris Gerlufsen. The Maroon and White have won all six of their previous games played in Tupelo, most recently a 66-63 victory over McNeese last season who was a fellow 2025 NCAA Tournament participant. State also will meet Alabama State as part of its non-conference slate on Monday, December 29 at Humphrey Coliseum. Game times, television information and Tupelo ticket information will be released at a later date. Already released, all nine of State's SEC home opponents are coming off NCAA Tournament berths headed by Auburn who made the 2025 NCAA Final Four. The Bulldogs also will welcome Alabama and Tennessee who are coming off 2025 NCAA Elite Eight trips along with Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt to Humphrey Coliseum. State's non-conference schedule has taken shape with a Black Friday football-basketball doubleheader as the Bulldogs play host to SMU on Friday, November 28 followed by Memphis on Saturday, December 20 at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| The College Sports Gold Rush Is About to Run Into a Brick Wall | |
| When Ohio State won college football's national championship in January, it was a victory for perseverance, hard work and offensive ingenuity. But it was also a triumph of cold, hard cash. Ohio State's title-winning football team was paid an eye-popping $20 million last season, giving the Buckeyes the distinction of having the highest confirmed payroll in the nation. But just a few months on, that $20 million figure is notable for a very different reason. These days, it would be regarded as downright cheap. This season, the Buckeyes will be making closer to $35 million---and they won't be alone. Payrolls at the highest-paying football programs will be between $30 million and $35 million, according to a person familiar with a top booster collective. And the Buckeyes will be right in that range, said Brian Schottenstein, co-founder of the OSU booster collective THE Foundation. "We're going to make sure that Ohio State is always at the top of the market," Schottenstein said. The spike in college football payrolls is surpassed only by the jump in price for top basketball players, which has roughly doubled. It's all part of the lucrative new era of college football, when the game is awash in money like never before. But it might not be around for long. The price increases are happening for two specific reasons -- and both are one-time injections at a large scale. |
| What Happens to NCAA Athletes Now? | |
| After years of court battles, a federal judge ushered in a new era for college athletics earlier this month when she approved a settlement in the House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit, effectively ending the century-old model of student athletes as amateurs. Now students will be able to earn money for their athletic performance at colleges that opt in to the practice known as revenue-sharing, in which institutions share with players the money made off their teams. Former Division I athletes from the recent past will also share a $2.8 billion settlement to compensate for the financial opportunities they were denied due to now-defunct NCAA rules that prevented them from cashing in on name, image, and likeness deals. Although the NCAA status quo was undone in an instant, many campus leaders had been planning for months, anticipating the outcome of the ruling. The era of paid college athletes officially begins July 1. With it comes questions about how the landscape will evolve and concerns about equity issues, as well as what the fallout of the settlement may mean for nonrevenue sports. |
| Landmark NCAA settlement could transform college sports in Mississippi | |
 | A historic NCAA settlement is reshaping the future of college sports and could transform programs at universities across Mississippi. The $2.8 billion settlement in the House v. NCAA case will compensate tens of thousands of Division I athletes who were previously barred from profiting off their name, image and likeness, or NIL. The settlement also allows schools to directly pay athletes, with revenue-sharing caps starting around $20 million per year per institution. Athletic directors at Mississippi's Division I schools have largely welcomed the settlement and the opportunities it offers to support student-athletes and sustain their school's programs. University of Mississippi Athletics Director Keith Carter highlighted new support services available under the agreement, including enhanced mental health care, nutrition support and extended medical coverage. At Mississippi State, Athletics Director Zac Selmon called the settlement a "pivotal moment" and said it brings much-needed clarity for programs navigating athlete compensation. "While there are still questions to answer and new territory ahead, this decision allows us to officially move forward with plans to share revenue with our student-athletes," Selmon said in a statement. However, concerns remain about the future of non-revenue and women's sports. |
| Could collective bargaining be the answer for college sports? Some ADs are ready to say the quiet part out loud | |
| For more than two years now, Danny White, the athletic director at Tennessee, has quietly socialized with select colleagues a detailed presentation that, he believes, serves as a solution to what ails the college sports industry. He's worked mostly in the shadows, pitching his solution through a multi-slide deck in an effort to rally support for this passion project: collective bargaining with college athletes. Well, he's done being quiet about it. "It's time to go public," he said recently from a gathering of athletic administrators at the Orlando World Center Marriott. "I've been voicing it in private rooms for four years. I'm not going to bite my tongue anymore." The presentation, shown in detail to Yahoo Sports, illustrates how a college athlete collective-bargaining model might work. The fact that this concept derives from the leader of an SEC athletic department and one of the country's most valuable brands makes it all the more relevant. The package features multiple flowcharts, a detailed explanation of the concepts and a stunning change that may make university leaders squirm: It refers to players not as student-athletes but as employee-athletes. |
| NCAA President Charlie Baker salary and Mark Emmert severance detailed in 2023 tax form | |
| NCAA President Charlie Baker was credited with a little more than $3.4 million in total compensation for his first 10 months on the job in 2023, the association's new federal tax records show. The documents, which the NCAA provided Friday, June 27, also show that former president Mark Emmert received slightly more than $1.4 million in base salary and more than $600,000 in other benefits during his final months with the association. Emmert also received nearly $4.3 million in severance during the 2023 calendar year, an amount that was disclosed on the tax records that the NCAA filed last year. Baker became the NCAA's president on March 1, 2023. His total pay included just over $2.6 million in base compensation, $400,000 in bonus pay and nearly $360,00 in other reportable compensation. The base amount, when annualized, is a little more than $3.15 million. Emmert base compensation for his last full calendar year as the NCAA's president was nearly $2.85 million. Under IRS rules, while non-profit organizations -- including the NCAA and college athletics conferences -- make most financial disclosures on a fiscal-year basis, they are required to report employee compensation figures on a calendar-year basis. |
| Trump v. Casa Supreme Court Decision on Injunctions Hits Sports | |
| In a 6-3 decision issued on Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the use of nationwide injunctions going forward -- a move that will likely mean more lawsuits and class actions, including in sports and other industries. Trump v. Casa involves three separate lawsuits brought by parties challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that purports to end birthright citizenship. The order would prevent federal agencies from recognizing the citizenship of babies born after Feb. 19 if the parents are not legally in the U.S. The plaintiffs, who include individuals, groups and states, argue the order violates the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." The order also allegedly violates the National Act of 1940, which captures the same basic point: people born in the U.S. are eligible for citizenship by birth. The Supreme Court's ruling on Friday did not resolve whether the executive order complies with or violates the law. Instead, the Court took aim at district court judges issuing universal injunctions -- meaning an injunction that has nationwide reach -- that barred the order from going into effect. The relevant question is thus whether a district court judge should be able to issue injunctions that reach into other federal districts. That question has far-reaching implications for the country. |
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