| Monday, October 12, 2026 |
| Court on the Road: Appellate court coming to MSU | |
 | A ballroom in The Mill at Mississippi State University Conference Center will become a courtroom in November. On Nov. 12, a three-judge panel from the Mississippi Court of Appeals will come to MSU as part of its Court on the Road series to hear oral arguments for and against an appeal by Brandon Landfair, a Holmes County man. "Court on the Road offers a unique learning experience for students with an interest in law, government, journalism and a variety of other fields," Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, public information officer for the court, wrote in a press release. Court on the Road started in 2005 and hears three cases every fall and spring, making stops at MSU and University of Mississippi nearly every year, Kraft told the Dispatch. In both 2019 and 2024, the series stopped at Mississippi University for Women, and this year it will hear a case at Rust College. Students and the public are invited to attend the oral arguments at 11 a.m. in the Cleveland Gallery and Pines Conference Room at The Mill. Those wishing to attend are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes in advance. |
| MSU Famous Maroon Band honored with national Sudler Trophy | |
 | Mississippi State University's famous maroon band is the winner of the 2026 Sudler Trophy. The trophy is a national award given every 2 years to the band that displays the highest representation of musical standards, considering performance as well as the history and traditions of a band. MSU Director of Bands Elva Kaye Lance said that the band was honored by the achievement. "We're very humble to be in the conversation with the storied band programs around the country," said Lance. "And certainly, it was really a great opportunity for us to recognize those who had gone before us in our band program, who had served as members of the band, or who had served in leadership positions in the band as well." The band got the award back in December, but the big presentation came at halftime of the September 26th matchup against Missouri at Davis Wade Stadum. "The process is rather extensive, so you have to be nominated by directors around the country," said Lance. |
| High school, community college students invited to MSU's Music Discovery Day | |
 | Mississippi State's Department of Music is hosting its annual Music Discovery Day for high school juniors, seniors and community college students Nov. 9. The event takes place 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Music Building, located at 124 Hardy Road. Registration -- free for attendees and one guest -- is available online. Attendees will have opportunities to visit with faculty members and current students. In addition to learning about the department's academic programs, scholarships and career opportunities, participants can observe music classes and attend faculty and student performances. High school seniors and community college students also may audition for a music scholarship during the event. For more about Music Discovery Day, email Assistant Professor Jenna Klein at jmk734@msstate.edu. |
| USDA Awards First Research Facilities Act Funds to 34 APLU Member Institutions | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Oct. 9 announced it awarded the first Research Facilities Program grants to universities to address deferred maintenance at agricultural research facilities, a longstanding advocacy priority for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Of the 36 institutions to receive USDA funding, 34 of them are APLU member institutions. "We applaud the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture for making its first awards as part of the Research Facilities Act Program, said APLU President Waded Cruzado. The awards come following a June meeting with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, Cruzado, and more than two dozen APLU member presidents and chancellors. The initial tranche of Research Facilities Act grants were awarded to 34 APLU member institutions, including Mississippi State University. |
| Hazard Lecture Series returns for 35th year; Susannah Ural named featured speaker | |
| The annual Hazard Lecture Series is returning for its 35th year, with Susannah Ural, professor of Civil War studies at Mississippi State University, director of the Civil War and Reconstruction Governors of Mississippi Project, and Frank and Virginia Williams Chair for Abraham Lincoln, serving as this year's featured speaker. The theme for this year's talk is "Voyage from the Past." The author of numerous publications, Ural's writing usually ties back to the experiences of soldiers in war and peace, focusing on their individual humanity. Ural will present "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln," an all-encompassing look at the final days and death of the nation's 16th president, just six days after the Civil War ended. Ural, author of several publications, including "Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades," said she hopes the lecture will spark fresh curiosity about the Civil War among students and other guests. "There are a host of misconceptions about the Lincoln assassination that I'll enjoy discussing with Heritage Academy students," Ural said. "In the process, I hope I'll inspire them to launch their own studies into the past to separate myth from memory." Ural also wants students to know there are multiple career paths available to those passionate about history and the humanities. |
| Trump Casts Himself as Columbus's Protector in Pitch to Italian Americans | |
 | With fuel prices surging and the war with Iran dragging on, President Trump's popularity has slipped among nearly every demographic group. So on Friday -- three days before Columbus Day and less than four weeks before the midterm elections -- he made his pitch to Italian Americans. "As you know, the radical left communists hate Columbus and they want to abolish Columbus Day," Mr. Trump told a group of several hundred Italian Americans he had gathered in the East Room of the White House. "These lunatics that are running," he continued, "they're all against Christopher Columbus. But I'll tell you what, we're going to be here almost two-and-a-half years. He's going to be so protected, like nobody's ever been protected before." Columbus has not, in fact, been a notable issue on the campaign trail. But Mr. Trump sought to inject the Genoese explorer into the current political moment. He stood on a stage beside two large black presentation boards displaying images of white marble statues of Columbus, whose voyages, beginning in 1492, opened the Americas to European colonization. Mr. Trump has had one statue installed on the White House grounds and plans to put another in the Rose Garden. |
| Rep. Ilhan Omar's home searched by federal agents, report says | |
| Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home, according to the Associated Press and Fox News. Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted the search, according to the reports. The Department of Justice said in a statement that the raid was " part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," but provided no further details. Fox News reported that the raid was connected to an investigation into the lawmaker's immigration paperwork In November 2024, Omar was re-elected to a fourth term representing Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis and some surrounding suburbs. Omar has frequently clashed with the Trump administration. President Trump has singled out Omar with repeated attacks. |
| Americans may have soured on college, but the data show they're still going | |
| Americans are turning against higher education. At least, that's what many of them say. Only 31 percent of Americans now consider a college education "very important," according to a Gallup poll conducted in August and released this month. That's a record low and a stunning decline from 70 percent in 2013. The shift isn't confined to groups that have historically been skeptical of higher education. Even women, Democrats, Black and Hispanic Americans and college graduates themselves -- people who traditionally placed a greater importance on college -- have also registered double-digit declines in their approval of higher education in recent years. But here's the reality: American behavior hasn't changed nearly as much as American opinion. College enrollment has remained remarkably steady. Americans may be increasingly critical of higher education without being ready to give up on it. People can believe that college is too expensive, too political, overrated or no longer worth what it costs -- and still believe that a college degree is the best bet for themselves or their own children. |
| Student loan forgiveness could hike tax bill for borrowers, study finds | |
 | A new study says tax bills could triple for people who receive student loan forgiveness through income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Previously, forgiven student loans were exempt from federal income tax, but that provision expired at the end of 2025. An average married couple with two dependents earning around $60,000 could see their tax bill go up by $7,200, according to Protect Borrowers, a nonprofit group that advocates for debt relief. Lower-income families, those making around $40,000, would see the biggest increase, with their tax liability growing 11 times their usual rate. And single borrowers could see 1 out of 4 of their dollars earned go to federal taxes after student loan debt relief through IDR, the study found. The states that would be hit the hardest, according to the report, are Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma and New Mexico. |
SPORTS
| Soccer: Bulldogs Down Texas A&M, Stay Unbeaten In League Play | |
| Mississippi State defeated Texas A&M, 2-1, on Friday night to remain unbeaten in SEC play and pass the double-digit points threshold in the conference standings. State (8-1-4, 2-0-4 SEC) is now tied for fifth in the league and just two points out of a first-round bye in November's SEC Tournament with four matches remaining. Two of MSU's four matches left are head-to-head with teams ahead of it in the standings and the other two are against teams that would not currently qualify for the conference tournament. Coming off of three straight scoreless ties, momentum swung in State's favor early. In the 17th minute Hailey Johnson appeared to have scored, but the goal was waved off for offsides. It would not matter, however, as the Bulldogs scored twice in the next 10 minutes. The Bulldogs return to the pitch on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. CT when they host Oklahoma. That match will air on SEC Network+. |
| Volleyball: Bulldogs Sweep The Gamecocks | |
| Mississippi State sweeps the South Carolina Gamecocks to extend the Bulldogs win streak at home. The Bulldogs were down 12-7 to start the first set before coming back to win, 25-21. State kept the drive going in set two keeping the Gamecocks under 15 and winning, 25-14. The final set started with the Bulldogs falling behind 6-1, but a kill from Lindey Mangelson gave them back the momentum. State ultimately won the set 25-19, sweeping the Gamecocks and remaining undefeated at The Griss. Bernadita Aguilar led the team with 11 kills hitting .500 on the day. Mangelson and Paloma Routaboul picked up 10 kills each with Noella Obi and Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss grabbing eight a piece. Whitfield-Moss led the team in hitting percentage hitting .583. The Bulldogs will be back on the road this week as they head to Missouri to face off the Tigers on Wednesday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. and you can watch the match live on SEC Network. |
| CFP, ESPN to continue rights negotiations on 24-team playoff | |
| The College Football Playoff on Saturday said it would "continue to have ongoing discussions with ESPN" regarding the media rights for a potential 24-team playoff after a 30-day exclusive negotiating window ended Friday. Sources told ESPN that the discussions were likely to continue into next week as the network would have time to consider a financial offer before the event moved to the open market. "We continue to have ongoing discussions with ESPN regarding media rights connected to potential Playoff expansion to 24 teams," the CFP stated. "The dialogue throughout the window has been constructive, and we will carry these conversations forward with ESPN as we determine the path ahead." In late September, CFP leaders met at Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, where the idea of a 24-team field originated in February. If the group moves forward with the 24-team format, which could start as soon as the 2027 season, the Power 4 conference championship games will be eliminated. Unraveling the contracts for those conference championship games and determining their value has been a part of the negotiations, as sources have indicated to ESPN that they are collectively valued around $200 million. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
