| Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| APLU Hosts Capitol Hill Reception Showcasing the Impact of Public Universities' Agriculture Programs | |
 | APLU hosted a Capitol Hill reception on June 2 showcasing the joys and real-world impact of public and land-grant university creameries, including Mississippi State University. The reception featured ice cream and cheese products from public and land-grant university colleges of agriculture, highlighting the societal benefit of university-based research, teaching, and Extension in food and agricultural sciences. Nearly 1,000 congressional staff, members of Congress, and other stakeholders attended the event. APLU President Waded Cruzado gave welcoming remarks, thanking congressional staff and members of Congress for attending and sharing about the extraordinary impact of the education, research, and community engagement and Extension missions of public and land-grant universities. Lawmakers and congressional staff had the opportunity to sample ice cream and cheese from 20 university creameries. The showcase included classics like cookies and cream and flavors highlighting state agricultural products. such as muscadine from Mississippi, pecans from New Mexico, and even sweet corn from Iowa and Nebraska all spun into bite-sized scoops. |
| Sterile fly supply limitations complicate US screwworm fight | |
| Federal and state officials are scrambling to respond to a growing list of New World screwworm cases in Texas, but face a key constraint in their goal of re-eradicating the pest: the U.S. isn't producing enough sterile flies. It took dropping around 500 million sterile screwworm flies per week to push screwworm out of the U.S. in past outbreaks, according to Michael Schmoyer, associate administrator for the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and director of the New World Screwworm Directorate. Currently, USDA is bringing in 100 million sterile flies each week from a production facility in Panama to deploy to parts of Texas where cases have been detected, he said during a press conference on Monday. According to Schmoyer, an additional 100 million sterile flies will likely become available by the end of the year as a new production facility comes online in Metapa, Mexico. Another $750 million facility being built in Edinburg, Texas, will be capable of producing 300 million sterile flies per week when fully complete, but won't start operating until next fall, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week. Mississippi State University Economist Josh Maples said screwworm is "not something we should expect to meaningfully reduce the supply of cattle," noting that it can be managed, though "it's costly and time-consuming to do so." |
| MDOT safety study to decrease crashes, pave way for federal dollars | |
 | Residents could see significant road safety improvements in the coming years as Oktibbeha County embarks on a federally funded road safety study aimed at preventing future crashes. The study, part of the Mississippi Department of Transportation's Local Road Safety Program, will involve MDOT engineering consultants working alongside Pritchard Engineering and Dungan Engineering to analyze crash data and road attributes, like traffic volume and lane width, to identify areas most in need of increased safety measures. District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said the study, in addition to improving safety, will also make the county eligible for federal grant opportunities to fund the road work. The board of supervisors unanimously tasked Pritchard Engineering owner Clyde Pritchard to move forward with the project alongside MDOT during its regular meeting last week at the circuit court building. During the meeting, Pritchard explained that after a comprehensive analysis of the county's intersections and roadways, MDOT will recommend any number of safety measures for areas with the greatest risk of future crashes. Supervisors during the meeting noted some of their biggest concerns, citing excessive speeding in District 1 and pedestrian safety along roadways in District 5. |
| Three arrested after Starkville police respond to vehicle burglary reports | |
| Three people were arrested early Wednesday after Starkville police responded to reports of individuals pulling on vehicle door handles. According to the Starkville Police Department, officers responded around 3:10 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, to Ferndale Manor at 209 Lynn Lane. Police said the suspects fled to a grassy area behind the adjacent apartment complex at 205 Lynn Lane, where officers found and arrested them. Davonta McDonald, 23, of Camden, was charged with auto burglary. Xavier Jackson, 19, of Carthage, was charged with auto burglary. Police said Jackson is currently out on felony bond for possession of a stolen firearm in another jurisdiction. Keomar Carmichael, 19, of Kosciusko, was charged with auto burglary and possession of a stolen firearm. Detectives are actively investigating incidents connected to Lakeside Apartments at 1300 Old Highway 12, Oaklyn Apartments at 205 Lynn Lane and Ferndale Manor at 209 Lynn Lane. Police said additional charges are expected. |
| New Terminal at Meridian Regional Airport on Track for January 2027 Opening | |
 | It may come as a surprise to you that the Meridian Regional Airport Authority has an impact of about $310 million dollars on our local economy, which is about 4.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of Lauderdale County. Tom Williams, President of the MAA, touched on that topic and more at Wednesday's Rotary Club meeting in Meridian. Williams also spoke about the biggest current project, which is a new terminal building that's been several years in the making. He says it will have major and modern updates, but more travelers are needed to get more flights and other airline services to Meridian. "We think there will be some boost in passenger numbers just by virtue of having a better facility, a more amenable facility for folks to use," said Williams. "Long-term though it's all about check your prices out of Meridian." "If you can use Meridian, use it. Our two-dollar parking, our convenience and our furthest parking spot is closer than these big airports' closest parking spot. So, using your airport is what's going to make a difference to the air service. The more passengers, the more services we have but we need more passengers to really see a change in air services." |
| NPL Construction locating fabrication, manufacturing operations in Greenwood | |
| The Mississippi Development Authority announced Wednesday that NPL Construction, a utility and energy infrastructure services company, is locating fabrication and manufacturing operations in Greenwood. "Mississippi continues to win investments that are building the future of our energy and utility infrastructure," said Governor Tate Reeves in a statement. "Companies like NPL Construction are choosing our state because we offer the workforce, location and business environment they need to succeed. This investment brings quality jobs to Leflore County and strengthens communities across Mississippi." According to MDA, NPL Construction provides infrastructure solutions to utility and energy clients with a focus on natural gas distribution and pipeline transmission. The company also operates fabrication facilities that assemble components including pipings, compressor stations, vaults, skids and related infrastructure. The Mississippi project represents a corporate investment of more than $1.9 million for NPL Construction and will create more than 40 jobs. NPL Construction will lease a 70,000-square-foot facility to support fabrication and manufacturing activities tied primarily to utility-related products. |
| 'We're in the golden age of Mississippi' Hosemann discusses how recent reforms are shaping Mississippi's future | |
| As part of his continued effort to keep state government connected to local communities, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann visited [the Starkville Daily News] office Tuesday to discuss recent legislative achievements and Mississippi's future. The discussion began with Hosemann's dedication to improving education in the state. During the most recent legislative session, the Mississippi Senate, under Hosemann's leadership, passed another pay increase for teachers. "Our average teacher salary now will be around $59,000. They start at about $45,000 or so, but most of our teachers have certifications that give you some growth," Hosemann said. "We're starting to get closer to what they're worth. They're worth a lot more than that in my thinking." Finding ways to enhance the state's education system is paramount not only to improving Mississippi's national rankings but also to building the workforce of the future, according to Hosemann. However, in order to create and maintain an educated workforce, he said, the state must also ensure students are attending school. |
| Lawmakers weigh response to youth violence in Mississippi | |
| Recent violence involving young suspects has prompted questions about prevention and renewed pressure on Mississippi lawmakers. Some are pushing for tougher consequences, while others argue the state has to focus on opportunity and prevention. Sen. Joey Fillingane authored a bill signed into law that takes effect July 1, sending some juvenile gun cases out of youth court and into circuit court, where minors can be prosecuted as adults. "You can't turn a blind eye to this type of violence in our society, regardless of the age of the offender," Fillingane said. Fillingane represents some of the areas where recent violence has taken place. "It's been so concerning and disappointing, really. But it reinforces that I think we're on the right track when we -- this past session -- have been really focused in on youth violence and violence in particular with deadly weapons," he said. Rep. Kabir Karriem is seeing the latest events through a different lens. "I just hope with the tragic events that have taken place over the last few weeks that is not used as a political ploy to garner red meat to constituent bases, to really step back, evaluate the situation and seeing are we doing all we can for the people of Mississippi, particularly young folk," Karriem said. "I'm not making any excuses for crimes, particularly violent crimes. But we do have to keep in mind that we have to provide opportunities for our young folk," he said. |
| New state law charges children responsible for gun crimes as adults | |
 | Senate Bill 2710 will become law on July 1st and create harsher penalties for any child responsible for gun crimes in Mississippi. Under the new law, any juvenile -- as young as 10-years-old -- that commits a gun-related crime will skip youth court and go straight to circuit court. Chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus and State Representative of the 41st District Kabir Karriem says he is not impressed. "My colleagues and I challenged the presenter of the bill about the long-term effects on communities," he said. Despite his feelings, he knows the SB 2710 will become law and stresses that this is the time to remind children about the consequences of their actions. "Parents, mentors, coaches and whoever has contact with children," Karriem said. "They need to sit down and have an honest conversation about choices and the consequences behind those choices." |
| Top GOP appropriators dominate earmarks in House bills | |
 | When it comes to congressional earmarks, the big dogs usually eat first. So it's no surprise that House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., leads the pack on "community project funding" included in his panel's fiscal 2027 spending bills, with $188.4 million. The No. 2 House Republican, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, comes in a close second, with $186.5 million for his district. Cole, Scalise and fellow House Republicans secured about 59 percent, or close to $4.9 billion, of the total $8.2 billion earmarked dollars across the chamber's appropriations bills, a CQ Roll Call tally found. GOP lawmakers put in about 39 percent of the 6,694 individual projects, so each member on their side is getting a larger share of dollars per district. House Republicans have generally taken to earmarking with more gusto than they did when a then-Democratic Congress first brought back the practice in 2021, after a decadelong ban. |
| Senate GOP support erodes for Trump's Iran war stance | |
 | President Trump is facing growing pushback from Senate Republicans over his handling of the military conflict with Iran, leaving Democrats believing they are on the verge of having enough votes to pass a war powers resolution directing the president to withdraw U.S. forces. Four Republican senators have voted to discharge the war powers resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Democrats believe they are very close to finding a fifth. Republicans' support for a resolution directing Trump to cease hostilities against Iran has grown steadily as the conflict has dragged on. Other Republicans, however, are highly skeptical of Trump's largely ineffective peace talks with Iran and want the administration to resume the military offensive, arguing it's time to "finish the job." Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) falls into that camp, as do Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). "I want President Trump to finish the job. I'm very dubious about any agreement that you'd get with this radical regime because they won't abide by it, and we can't leave them with leverage on the Strait of Hormuz, nor with all this enriched uranium that they can restart to build the bomb," Cornyn said. |
| Trump vows to strike Iran 'very hard,' seize Kharg Island | |
 | President Donald Trump on Thursday promised to hit Iran "very hard" tonight and take full control of the Middle Eastern country's oil and gas industry, as Washington and Tehran continued to trade strikes that raised fears of a return to all-out war. Trump said American forces "will be taking" Kharg Island, where 90% of Iran's crude oil exports are processed, and will "assume total control" of Iran's oil and gas markets "in the not too distant future." The threats come after the two countries traded another round of attacks early Thursday. According to Iranian outlets, U.S. forces struck several sites near the Strait of Hormuz, including Bandar Abbas and Minab County. Iran said it responded by targeting American facilities in neighboring Gulf countries, including Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump added that despite the escalation, Iran continues to negotiate with the U.S. Iranian officials on Wednesday denied the president's repeated claims that Tehran was still participating in talks on a deal to end the war, which has eluded Washington for months as Iran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz and energy prices remain elevated. |
| Trump has a new, surprising take on the higher cost of living: 'I love the inflation' | |
 | President Donald Trump on Wednesday showed how he had learned to stop worrying about inflation and simply, in his own words, "love" it. Asked about the new report that the consumer price index in May had jumped 4.2% over the last year, the president took a surprisingly optimistic tack with the challenging news. Trump didn't dismiss the affordability issue as a "hoax" that was started by Democrats, as he has done previously. Nor did he claim that he was bringing down the cost of living. Instead, after the government said that inflation spiked to the highest level since April 2023, Trump praised the numbers. "You know what I really love?" Trump said. "I love the inflation." It was an unexpected take given that voters ahead of the November midterm elections have ranked the economy as a top concern -- and have given Trump low marks on that issue. Within minutes of his on-camera comment, Democrats quickly rushed to promote it on social media. Trump had pledged in his 2024 campaign to quickly vanquish inflation, but his argument now is that higher prices are solely a function of the Iran war raising energy costs. On Wednesday, he claimed that relief is already on its way because of a secret military operation that had ferried what he said was 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. |
| Trump's new Fed chief may soon have to raise interest rates | |
 | President Donald Trump's new Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, previously argued that the Fed had room to cut interest rates, a message that made him attractive to a president who has long viewed cuts as a top priority. Only weeks into his role as chair, Warsh is confronting rekindled inflation that may eventually force him to do the opposite on rates, defying President Donald Trump, to exercise the Fed's strongest tool to fight inflation. This week's consumer price index showed inflation topping 4 percent on an annual basis for the first time in three years. The hot inflation report landed about a week before Warsh chairs his first regularly scheduled policy meeting and one that could set the early terms of his tenure. And the news follows a stronger-than-expected jobs report reflecting resilience in the labor market, the other part of economy the Fed watches. The Fed is designed to operate independently of the White House, setting interest rates based on its best assessment of the economy rather than short-term political pressure. That independence has long been considered a cornerstone of the central bank's credibility -- and a source of tension with some presidents, especially Trump, who wants dramatically lower borrowing costs. |
| EPA chief says he won't regulate data centers | |
 | The Trump administration is not going to set nationwide environmental requirements or recommendations for the rapidly growing data center industry, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday. While there are technologies and practices that reduce air pollution and water usage, states and communities know what works best for them, Zeldin said at the POLITICO Energy Summit in Washington. "While we hear these stories of the worst-case data center that is most controversial and has the most amount of opposition, we might hear less about the data center that is following all the best practices," Zeldin said. "It is important, as more builds are getting done, that they are following those best practices, not the worst practices." But data centers can't be painted with a broad brush, he added. Each facility is different, as are the surrounding communities, local environmental conditions, electricity needs and water usage. Zeldin has courted the AI industry throughout his tenure at EPA, including the controversial use of unpermitted gas turbines at xAI's complex in Tennessee. |
| Abbott recommends sweeping data center regulation, including eliminating sales tax exemption | |
| Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday released sweeping regulatory recommendations on data centers for the Legislature to pass in the 2027 session, as Texas grapples with an explosion of artificial intelligence-driven development and soaring power demands. In a letter to state regulators, Abbott outlined a series of proposals designed to ensure data centers shoulder the costs of their growth rather than Texas ratepayers. The Texas Tribune reported earlier this year that the state is poised to lose $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years because of a sales tax exemption. It's a striking call for industry regulation by the Republican governor in a state that has long prided itself on being a favorable environment for business. In recent months, Abbott has toed the line of championing the industry, declaring Texas the "epicenter" of AI development, and issuing statements about how his office was sensitive to the concerns about strain on resources and quality of life. |
| PSC commissioner pushes for stronger data center oversight in Mississippi | |
| As billions of dollars in data center investments pour into Mississippi, a state regulator is raising concerns about whether the state has enough oversight to protect its citizens and maintain local control. Central District Public Service Commissioner De'Keither Stamps says the rapid growth of the data center industry, led largely by Amazon Web Services, is outpacing the regulatory framework currently in place. "When the Amazon bill was written, I didn't get everything I wanted," Stamps said. "Of course, I wouldn't take away any ability for myself to regulate, and so we're going to keep working hard and working together with our state leaders to move things forward. I'd like the folks to know that today we have to govern better and deliver a government that people can believe in and people can trust." Stamps is pushing for expanded authority for the Public Service Commission, arguing that stronger regulatory oversight would create a more transparent process, one that gives citizens a direct voice in decisions that affect their communities. |
| Erika Kirk Lays Out a Vision for the Conservative Christian Woman | |
 | Erika Kirk was standing center stage in a hotel ballroom, explaining the difference between earthly pleasures and heavenly joy, when a heckler interrupted her remarks to shout incendiaries at her. The hundreds of women in the audience booed over the commotion. Erika's pale blue eyes flashed with panic, then hurt, but soon narrowed into a resolved stare. "You can be a woman of the world, as we just saw," she said, "or you can be a woman of The Word." She prayed for the protester to make the right choice. "Eternity is long," she deadpanned, drawing laughs from the crowd. Roughly 3,000 women descended on San Antonio last weekend for Turning Point USA's Women's Leadership Summit. The annual gathering had been the vision of Erika's late husband, Charlie Kirk, an antidote to what he saw as the feminist indoctrination rampant on college campuses and in popular culture. With birth rates in steep decline, marriage falling out of fashion and the future of MAGA up in the air, the event was meant to deliver a clear message for this moment in American politics: How to be a woman in the Trump 2.0 era. |
| Southern Baptists vote to advance a formal ban on churches with women pastors | |
| Thousands of Southern Baptists overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to advance a formal ban on women pastors in the nation's largest Protestant denomination, sending a clear message that men alone should preach to these conservative evangelical congregations. The amendment would tighten existing restrictions in the Southern Baptist Convention, which already has a faith statement opposing women pastors. The vote was 6,028 to 2,026 -- a 3-to-1 margin -- which easily exceeded the required two-thirds majority. It will require a similar two-thirds vote at next year's meeting to become part of the constitution. The two-day meeting concluded Wednesday after bringing more than 11,000 delegates, or messengers, to a cavernous convention center in Orlando, Florida. Southern Baptist leaders cite biblical passages that limit pastors to men. Advocates for women's ministry cite biblical passages that proclaim men and women as equal under God and where women are called to proclaim the gospel. There's already wide agreement within the denomination that its belief statement -- the Baptist Faith and Message -- rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches. Debate has persisted regarding churches with women serving in assistant pastoral or preaching roles. |
| America's doctors just voted for war with RFK Jr. | |
| American doctors want their leading lobby to drop its nice guy routine with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At the American Medical Association's annual meeting this week, members of the group's House of Delegates are sending a clear message to their leaders: Call out Kennedy, even if it costs us in the pocketbook. That message was stated most clearly in the election of Sandra Fryhofer, an internist from Atlanta and uncompromising Kennedy critic, as AMA president-elect. She beat Michael Suk, who as AMA board chair in 2024 and 2025 prioritized doctors' Medicare fees and promised continued pragmatism in dealing with Kennedy. Fryhofer, who advised the vaccine committee whose members Kennedy fired last year, suggested that would be an abdication of doctors' moral duty. In two dozen interviews this week, AMA doctors described an advocacy organization at its wit's end with Kennedy. POLITICO granted them anonymity to describe internal dynamics. Long a Republican-leaning constituency, doctors began shifting left during the battles over managed care three decades ago. President Donald Trump's alliance with Kennedy, a longtime skeptic of vaccine safety and critic of the medical establishment, was the last straw for many. |
| Thacker receives national arts grant | |
| Friends of Thacker Mountain Radio, the Oxford-based nonprofit that supports the nationally recognized Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, has been selected as a recipient of a 2026 Literary Arts Grant from regional arts organization South Arts. The award recognizes organizations and individuals helping shape the literary voice of the American South. South Arts' Literary Arts Grants program provides awards of up to $5,000 to support the creation, completion and promotion of original literary projects. Friends of Thacker Mountain is the only Mississippi recipient among this year's class of 28 awardees, which includes 16 writers and 12 literary organizations from across the Southeast. Through the long-running live radio program, the organization promotes Southern culture, literature and the arts by bringing acclaimed authors, musicians and audiences together for weekly broadcasts. Broadcasts air locally on WUMS 92.1 FM at the University of Mississippi and are carried by public radio stations across multiple states. |
| Ole Miss launches Sports Pharmacy Conference to be held in Utah | |
| As more patients ask questions about dietary supplements, fitness, recovery and lifestyle, the University of Mississippi is launching a new sports pharmacy conference and certificate program to help pharmacists respond with evidence-based guidance. Hosted by the School of Pharmacy, the first Sports Pharmacy Conference is set for Aug. 14 at the Westgate Park City Resort and Spa in Park City, Utah. The one-day conference will address the growing role of dietary supplements, physical activity, injuries, recovery, performance and lifestyle medications in pharmacy practice. It will also offer eight ACPE-accredited continuing education hours for practicing pharmacists. Presenters will include an expert lineup featuring Ole Miss faculty who have helped define the sports pharmacy field. The immersive educational programming focuses on the intersection of pharmacy practice and sports medicine. |
| From the diamond to the track: Alcorn State grad's path to a NASCAR pit crew | |
| Alcorn State University graduate Breanna O'Leary never quite expected her experience playing college softball would lead her to changing tires for NASCAR. O'Leary spent her days at Alcorn State playing softball and learning closely from her coaches while earning a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. Once her undergraduate years were over, she took on a graduate assistant role as the team's strength and conditioning coach with hopes of coaching full-time in the future. That was, until she heard about NASCAR's developmental program. "They were recruiting former college athletes to come move and train to become pit crew members," O'Leary said on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. "Obviously, I think the ideal pit crew member they had in mind was football players -- the big, strong guys. But I decided to give the tryout a chance, and the rest is history." |
| MGCCC promotes first female head band director in the school's history | |
| Adrienne Cocco-Eaves has been named as the first female head band director in Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's history. Earlier this month, Cocco-Eaves was officially appointed to her new role as the head of the Band of Gold. "Adrienne has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our students, our music program, and the traditions that make the Band of Gold such a special part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College experience," MGCCC President Dr. Mary S. Graham said. "Her leadership, passion for student success, and vision for the future of the program make her exceptionally qualified for this role. We are excited to see the Band of Gold continue to grow and thrive under her direction." The former assistant band director and brass instructor for MGCCC is stepping up to the main podium for the Bulldogs' band, hoping to play a major role in both recruiting and overall band excellence. |
| Inviting a Fight, U. of Florida Taps President with DEI Record | |
 | The University of Florida's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to appoint Stuart R. Bell as the institution's next president, advancing the former University of Alabama leader toward a state-level confirmation process that might get ugly. In a state where political fights over diversity, equity, and inclusion remain dominant, Bell has spent the past few weeks defending his past DEI record and fending off conservative critics who've labeled him unfit. His appointment by the university board on Wednesday sets the stage for a confirmation from the state's Board of Governors -- a group that, about a year ago, voted down another would-be UF president over his past diversity advocacy. The Board of Governors' spurning last summer of Santa J. Ono, a former University of Michigan president, proved to be a watershed moment in a larger national battle over DEI in higher education. By rejecting the leader of a top-tier university with an impeccable public pedigree, the board signaled that a time-honored rule of presidential hiring -- aspirant institutions should reach just beyond their grasp -- no longer applied. Political purity, it would seem, matters most. |
| UGA College of Environment and Design names new dean | |
| Jules Bruck has been selected as the new dean for the University of Georgia's College of Environment and Design. Bruck will begin the role on July 1. Bruck currently serves the University of Florida as the director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, as well as the chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture for the university. She holds a master's degree in horticulture and a bachelor's degree in landscape contracting from The Pennsylvania State University. Bruck also earned a doctorate in agricultural education from Texas A&M University. UGA President Jere W. Morehead said he was pleased to welcome Bruck into her new role. "Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to leading initiatives that closely align with UGA's land-grant and sea-grant mission," Morehead said. "I am excited to see her further elevate those efforts in this new role." |
| Cited Professors Say the Vanderbilt Report Misrepresents Their Work | |
 | A new report on the state of humanities scholarship made waves in higher ed circles when it was released Friday, and has since drawn criticism from professors across the humanities. Commissioned by Vanderbilt University chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Washington University in St. Louis chancellor Andrew Martin, the "State of Scholarship" report finds fault with disciplines including anthropology, philosophy and history -- not for their content but for the quality of their scholarship, which the report's authors argue is too often driven by political ideology rather than the pursuit of truth and knowledge. In an email to Inside Higher Ed, Diermeier said that "the focus of the report is to provide an assessment, not to offer solutions to address the challenges." Critiques of the report are broad and varied. As soon as the report was released, American Anthropological Association president Carolyn Rouse started hearing from members. Some of them were "incensed," she said. "I've heard words like 'unhinged'" to describe the report, she told Inside Higher Ed. "It's so badly done -- I kept wanting to do 'track changes' in it, as if I were grading it like a paper---and yet it has all of this power because of who these [authors] are." |
| Why Students Aren't All In on AI -- And What They Want From Colleges | |
| This commencement season saw denunciations of multiple campus speakers telling graduates about their artificial intelligence–mediated futures. To some observers, the boos didn't make sense: How could college students -- many of whom are AI power users themselves -- not want to hear about the technology reshaping the world? New data from Inside Higher Ed's ongoing Student Voice: Amplified survey and reporting series helps map students' complex feelings about AI and how their colleges are responding to its rise. The upshot of this flash survey of 1,038 two- and four-year students? Most are neither AI evangelists nor outright opponents, and they're actively using AI for coursework. At the same time, they wrestle with concerns about agency, a changing career landscape and more. Some four in 10 are explicitly concerned about dependence on AI tools, even as six in 10 see AI's primary value to them in college as learning support. Some 55 percent of students also expect AI to negatively impact their career prospects. Have colleges been successful in helping students navigate AI and what it means for their futures? Not really, as far as respondents are concerned: The plurality, 34 percent, are neutral on their institution's efforts, describing them as inconsistent, while an additional 21 percent describe them as at least somewhat poor. |
| Is life insurance next financial risk? | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: AI tells me that 50 percent of U.S. citizens have some form of life insurance, totaling as much as $62 trillion in value. That's a lot of money. I have a life insurance policy for my family. It gives me comfort to believe they will not suffer financially because of my death. But a whistleblower from Jackson is sounding the alarm that offshore financial shenanigans may be undermining the stability of some life insurance policies. Policyholders, he warns, could be at risk. Tom Gober is from Jackson and graduated from Millsaps College. He worked for years as chief examiner for the Mississippi Insurance Department. ... Over the years, his career took him to the highest levels of federal investigations into fraudulent insurance company executives. Today, with the advent of social media and podcasting, he has become something of a guru in exposing what he sees as potential risks in the life insurance industry -- risks comparable to the mortgage practices that contributed to the financial crisis of 2008. |
SPORTS
| SEC Announces 2026 Football Television Windows | |
| The Southeastern Conference announced an additional kickoff time and television windows for SEC-controlled games Wednesday evening during a special SEC Now: Inside the 2026 Schedule. In addition to the previously announced game times, the Bulldogs have learned kickoff times for one additional game this season. State will host Tennessee Tech at 12 p.m. (CT) on Nov. 21, the game will be televised on SEC Network+. Each SEC-controlled football game has been assigned to a specific game window (Early, Afternoon, Night or Flex). Mississippi State's newly announced television window games will feature two night games (vs. Missouri and at Texas), three early games (vs. Alabama, at LSU and vs. Auburn) and two flex games (vs. Oklahoma and Vanderbilt). Exact start times within the assigned windows (Early, Afternoon, Night, Flex) and network designations will be determined during the season. |
| Track & Field: Five Bulldogs Earn All-American Distinction on Day One | |
| Mississippi State track and field concluded the first day of the NCAA Outdoor Championship, with five Bulldogs earning All-American nods. Juha Narhi got the day started in the men's hammer throw, earning Second Team All-American honors. Narhi is the first men's hammer All-American in program history. The men's 4x100m made program history in the preliminary round, running a program record of 38.73. Their finish earned them the final time qualifying spot for the finals, to be run on Friday. The relay, run by Nicholas Fakorede, Kibren Moore, Gabriel Scott and Sherman Hawkins Jr., is the first short relay to make the NCAA final for MSU since 2009. The men's 4x400m earned Second Team All-American honors in the 4x400m. The relay, run by Keayari Lee, Malachi Burton, Harry Ross-Hughes and Hawkins Jr., crossed the line in 3:03.40 for a 15th-place finish. The women will begin competition Thursday afternoon, with Marie Rougetet in the hammer and Nelly Jemeli in the 3000m steeplechase. |
| Ole Miss, MSU CWS artifacts added to temporary exhibit | |
 | The Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson expanded upon a temporary exhibit with special baseball memorabilia. Found within their Mississippi Made exhibit, two game worn jerseys from the 2021 and 2022 Men's College World Series (CWS) are on display. The Mississippi State University (MSU) jersey was worn by Will Bednar during the 2021 CWS. The Ole Miss jersey was worn during the 2022 CWS by Dylan DeLucia. Both pitched during the CWS and helped lead their teams to national championships. Along with the two jerseys, the museum also put on display a championship hat given to Ole Miss players following their 2022 CWS victory, a game ball from the Jackson Mets, a 1979 program for the Jackson Mets and Logan Tanner's baseball bat and cleats used during the 2021 CWS. The CWS memorabilia are influential for the temporary exhibit, as the goal of the Mississippi Made exhibit is to showcase the many items made and used to shape the history of the Magnolia State. "It was the first time that either Ole Miss or [Mississippi] State had gotten a national championship in the College World Series, and the fact that it was back-to-back was very exciting," said Nan Prince, director of Collections for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. |
| Berryhill inducted into Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum Hall of Fame | |
 | Centreville native and acclaimed author Ray Berryhill recently was inducted into the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum Outdoor Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor recognizes Berryhill's lifelong dedication, exceptional skill, and profound impact on Mississippi's outdoor heritage. The annual event celebrates individuals who have gone above and beyond to preserve, protect, and promote the state's rich traditions in hunting, fishing, and conservation. Berryhill attended Mississippi State University (MSU), earning his bachelor's degree in 1980 and his master's degree in 1981, both in education. As an undergraduate student, Berryhill served as an MSU track manager, and while in graduate school, he worked as a graduate assistant track coach. In 1982, he began working at MSU as an Athletic Academic Counselor. In 1984, he was hired as Director of Athletic Academics at the University of Alabama. In 1989, Mississippi State University appointed him as Assistant Athletic Director for Academics, where he worked until his retirement in 2015. |
| In NIL case, judge's decision about 'associated entities' will loom large in college spending | |
| A federal magistrate heard arguments Wednesday over whether multimedia rights companies that represent university athletic departments are subject to the same rules governing millions in thid party name-image-likeness payments to players that are reshaping college sports. Magistrate Nathanael Cousins said he could rule on the matter brought by plaintiffs' attorneys in the landmark House settlement by next week. Many schools work with MMRs to act as the marketing arms for their athletic departments and arrange third-party NIL deals with athletes. During the 90-minute hearing, plaintiffs attorney Jeffrey Kessler argued that boosters and booster collectives, which have in some cases been replaced by MMRs as the key NIL negotiators, should be deemed associated entities but not the MMRs themselves. If Cousins agrees that those companies are, in fact, "associated entities," then deals they make would remain subject to scrutiny by the College Sports Commission, which was formed to analyze NIL contracts to make sure they conform with the guidelines set up by the House settlement. |
| House Settlement Caps Challenged in Lawsuit as NCAA Readies Defenses | |
| Stanford football player Charlie Mirer and USC football player Talanoa Ili sued the NCAA, CSC, power conferences and others on Tuesday over alleged violations of California and federal law in the way the House v. NCAA settlement restrains economic opportunities. They seek for their case to eventually be certified as a class action on behalf of Division I football and basketball players. The lawsuit, which was filed in a California federal district court by Joshua Davis and other attorneys from Berger Montague and Freedman Normand Friedland, is premised on ideas that have been floating around the House settlement and its implementation for some time. While the settlement effectively creates a new economic order in college sports, it is still only a settlement to resolve a specific set of legal claims -- and not more. Ili & Mirer v. NCAA could spark lawsuits in other states where, like in California, statutes and executive orders are arguably at odds with the kinds of restraints on NIL compensation contained in the House settlement. But Ili & Mirer v. NCAA will face headwinds, too. The NCAA will likely depict it as an impermissible attempt to unwind a court-approved framework. It also arguably raises issues more appropriate for review by U.S. Magistrate Judge and House settlement administrator Nathanael Cousins than a new litigation. |
| Texas Tech megabooster prepared for legal action against retalitory schools: 'Have fun with that one' | |
 | Amid the fallout of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby winning a temporary injunction to return to college football despite his admission of betting on college sports, Texas Tech Board of Regents chair and megabooster Cody Campbell said the school would pursue legal action if schools or conferences agreed together not to play the Red Raiders. The backlash came immediately after a Monday ruling by a judge in a Lubbock County district court prevented the NCAA from making Sorsby permanently ineligible for violating NCAA gambling penalties, including betting on the Indiana football team as a Hoosiers player. Georgia and Nebraska have already instructed their coaches not to schedule Texas Tech in any sport, according to memos obtained by The Athletic. The Big Ten is also considering a similar action, with a meeting scheduled for Thursday. "I love when the Big Ten or the K-State AD comes out and says we've all gotten together and we've talked about how we're not going to play Tech, because guess what? That's collusion," Campbell said on "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich," a show hosted by Dakich. "That's an antitrust violation. So have fun with that one, guys. You can't do that." "It's because the college football world doesn't think that Texas Tech should be as good as we are," Campbell said of the backlash. |
| Texas Tech warns Big 12 over potential Brendan Sorsby sanctions: 'If you want to go to battle ... get ready' | |
| Last August, just two weeks before kickoff to the 2025 football season, Big 12 athletic directors gathered to discuss a festering issue: tortillas. Texas Tech's tradition of tossing the flour discs onto or near the football field on the opening kickoff and subsequent touchdowns made other league members uncomfortable, perturbed or downright angry. As a result, administrators voted to reinforce a longstanding game-management policy to penalize those for tossing items onto a playing surface. Fifteen of 16 athletic directors cast supporting votes. Almost a year later, a new issue has sent Big 12 school executives into even more passionate fury. Same school. Different issue. Will it end in the same result? The Texas court decision granting eligibility to Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, despite acknowledging that he gambled on his own team, is at the center of ongoing debate within a conference whose membership is considering another measure to penalize the Red Raiders. But while university leaders debate exercising a league bylaw to sanction the school, another potential legal battle has emerged. |
| Cruz sets aggressive timeline on college sports bill | |
| Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz is bullish on advancing his bill that would regulate college athletics, undeterred by pushback from House GOP leaders. In an interview Tuesday, the Texas Republican laid out an aggressive timeline for trying to advance the bipartisan legislation he has co-authored with Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell of Washington, going so far as to suggest it could become law by the start of the next academic year. "The only path to actually passing legislation, I believe, is this bill," Cruz said, adding, "I'm hoping on this, we can say, 'let's put aside our red shirt or blue shirt and come together and say, this is worth saving.'" Cruz also said he would announce a markup "shortly," and said Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to put the bill on the floor "if we get it out of committee with meaningful bipartisan support." The two lawmakers held a roundtable Wednesday morning with college athletes, coaches and administrators to continue building support around the framework. But Cruz's optimism could run up against reality quickly. |
| How to stop the college sports arms race before it's too late | |
| U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) writes in The Washington Post: Today, more than half a million athletes participate in college sports, many of whom go on to become the nation's brightest community, business and political leaders. College athletics provides young people across America opportunities to strive for the highest levels of their abilities, compete to win while learning sportsmanship and, most importantly, discover how to grow and thrive as a team. ... But the nation's collegiate sports system is at a breaking point. Since late 2023, more than 100 programs have been cut. ... Without new tools and clearer lines to adjust to this new reality, college sports and academic institutions will suffer. That is why I introduced the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The bill establishes federal rules that will preserve opportunities for all athletes, ensure fair competition among historic regional rivalries, and could unlock billions in new media rights revenue to support universities and compensate the players who proudly wear their uniforms. |
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