| Wednesday, September 16, 2026 |
| AI expands precision agriculture with plant-level management | |
 | The director of the Ag Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University says artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of agriculture. Alex Thomasson says AI can take precision agriculture a step further. "AI is taking us to the point now where we can have plant level detection and management. AI can identify individual plants at particular location very quickly. If we are able to do that, then we can have targeted inputs. This is targeted input of fertilizer, of herbicides and so forth." He says AI is quickly being incorporated into farm machinery. "We're seeing things being introduced: new machines, new sensing technologies. They give us all kinds of new capabilities on a regular basis." Thomasson also says AI isn't about eliminating human expertise; it's about expanding capabilities of people working in the ag sector. "It should make us better growers and better industry members without necessarily reducing the choice of the producer. That's commonly around the type of equipment or software that they use." Thomasson says farmers and ag businesses in areas with better connectivity and technical support will have an advantage using AI moving forward, which makes digital infrastructure and policy development critical. |
| MSU welcomes 14th Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program cohort | |
| Thirty-six Mississippi State students are new scholarship recipients in one of the state's most prestigious teacher education programs. Housed in the university's College of Education, the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program is a collaborative endeavor with the University of Mississippi. The scholarship, available to majors in K-12 education, includes full tuition, housing, dining, books, a $1,000 technology stipend and a fully funded national or study-abroad experience. Funded by the Jackson-based Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation, the scholarship is valued at approximately $100,000 over four years. "These outstanding scholars represent the future of education in Mississippi," said MSU College of Education Dean Teresa Jayroe. "Through the METP, they will receive exceptional preparation, meaningful professional experiences and the support needed to become highly effective educators. We are proud to welcome this new cohort and grateful for their commitment to serving students and strengthening communities across our state." |
| Ready, Set, College! | |
| Photo: Nathan Griffey, Mississippi State University assistant director, provides insight on educational opportunities to Shawn Robertson, 81st Operations Support Flight airfield operations chief, and his son, Ethan, during the Ready, Set, College event at Keeler Air Force Base, Mississippi, Sept. 10, 2026. The Keesler Military and Family Readiness Center event offered an opportunity for families with high school students to connect with college representatives and educational resources. |
| Sweet potato acreage up, yields appear to be good | |
 | While some crops suffered through hot, dry weather, Mississippi's sweet potato crop largely got rain at all the right times and hopes are high for a good crop. Lorin Harvey, sweet potato specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said harvest began the last week of August. "It's a strong looking crop, but you can never really tell until you start digging," Harvey said. "We got timely rains, which will probably be the biggest factor for this year's success." Mississippi is known nationally for its sweet potato crop, and this year, farmers planted about 35,800 acres of it, an increase of almost 10%. "That's a pretty big jump in the world of Mississippi sweet potatoes," Harvey said, noting that the crop is up nearly 25% in the last five years. "I attribute this year's acreage increase to a combination of last year's poor crop yields, which resulted in high demand and higher prices, and the abysmal prices of most other commodities," Harvey said. "It's a lot easier to justify growing more acres of sweet potatoes when it's just about the only thing that makes money." |
| Mississippi experts warn of invasive pasture mealybug threat | |
 | Entomologists and forage specialists at Mississippi State University (MSU) encouraged farmers to scout their pastures for signs of pasture mealybugs, which have not been detected int he state. "We can't definitively say we don't have it here. It could be here. We just haven't detected it yet," said Zia Williamson, an entomologist with the MSU Extension Service who specializes in forages, turf and ornamentals. "We feel it is likely just a matter of time until we do find them because they move so easily from one place to another." The pasture mealybug, known by its scientific name Heliococcus summervillei, can quickly damage and eventually kill pastures and hay fields if undetected. They can spread to new areas by such ways as the movement of hay or by wind. The pest was first confirmed in the U.S. in Texas in fall 2025 and has since been found in Louisiana and Florida. MSU Extension specialists are collaborating with specialists in all three states to understand more about the pest's behavior and effects in the U.S. |
| Mississippi's tech sector grows as state works to keep skilled workers | |
| Mississippi is attracting billions of dollars in new technology investment, but research and technology professionals point to a longer-term challenge: creating enough career opportunities to keep skilled workers in the state. Amazon announced plans to invest $25 billion in Mississippi and create 2,000 highly skilled jobs through data center operations in Madison, Hinds and Warren counties. Compass Datacentersalso plans a $10 billion data center campus in Meridian that is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The investments come as Mississippi has struggled for years to retain college graduates. A Mississippi State University research center found the state already produces graduates qualified for many fast-growing occupations but needs more knowledge-based jobs to improve retention. Kollin Napier, chief artificial intelligence officer for the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network, or MAIN, and chairman of the Mississippi AI Workforce Readiness Council, said Mississippi's challenge of retaining skilled workers predates the growth of artificial intelligence. "We produce a lot of talented people," Napier said. "The challenge is really giving them enough reasons to stay." |
| Commercial waste rates to rise in Starkville | |
| Business owners in the city can expect to pay at least $15 more to have their trash picked up starting Nov. 1. In a 4-1 vote with no discussion Tuesday, aldermen approved increasing the rates for trash pickup across the board for commercial properties. Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, who also represents Ward 6, was the lone no vote. "It's one of those things, it's been a long time since we raised those rates," Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk told The Dispatch after the board's meeting at City Hall. "Everybody recognizes why we need it." Starkville last increased pickup rates in 2023. The impending increase comes after the board received notice in August the Golden Triangle Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, the region's public waste disposal agency, is increasing the city's commercial disposal rate from $32 per ton to $35 per ton at the landfill. In other business Tuesday, the board: voted to expand the Leisure and Recreation District by a couple blocks near City Hall and in the eastern part of the district beginning Oct. 15 while also requiring bars and restaurants to add stickers to alcoholic beverages leaving the premises. |
| Zaxbys Expands Mississippi Footprint with Two Franchise Agreements | |
| Zaxbys has signed two franchise agreements with brothers Alan and Eddie Gant to bring the rapidly growing Georgia-based saucy chicken chain to Winona and Kosciusko, Mississippi. The family-backed team plans to open the Winona location within the next year, and the Kosciusko location approximately one year later. Alan and Eddie, both Mississippi natives and Mississippi State University alumni, have decades of combined experience across restaurant operations, banking, real estate and business development. Alan brings more than two decades of experience spanning commercial, consumer, and real estate lending, and bank management, while Eddie has extensive experience in real estate investment and commercial real estate lending. Together, the brothers currently operate two full-service restaurants in North Mississippi. Their experience across restaurant operations and finance, paired with their strong understanding of the Mississippi market, positions the group to successfully bring Zaxbys to new communities in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi supervisors get crash course on data centers as industry expands statewide | |
 | Mississippi county leaders spent Tuesday learning the facts behind one of the state's fastest-growing industries, data centers. The Mississippi Association of Supervisors Minority Caucus hosted the two-day "Data Center Development Information Convening" at the Westin Hotel in Jackson. The event continues Wednesday from 8 a.m. to noon. Organizers say the convening was designed to answer questions they've fielded from county officials across the state, many of whom don't yet have a data center in their community but want to be prepared. Among the presenters was Lauderdale County Supervisor Joe Norwood, whose county has eight data centers currently under construction. Norwood said he encouraged fellow supervisors to learn from Lauderdale County's experience before data center developers approach their own communities. "We all fear the unknown," Norwood said. "Just sit around the table and have a conversation with those people who have been involved, determine some of the needs in your own community, and have an understanding of how you go to the table and negotiate when you're bringing in these data centers." |
| Trump administration helps announce Hitachi Energy plans for $528M transformer factory in Copiah County | |
| Hitachi Energy is investing $528 million to build a new transformer factory in Copiah County, with plans to create 654 jobs. Gov. Tate Reeves announced the development on Tuesday morning from the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston, alongside President Donald Trump administration leaders. Federal leaders emphasized that the Zurich-based company's investment is a part of Trump's "energy dominance" agenda and goal to bring back American manufacturing. "This is bigger than just one factory announcement," said U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, chairman of the National Energy Dominance Council. "This is about America's determination to build the infrastructure to win the intelligence race, to power the next generation of American manufacturing and to bring prosperity and affordability to American citizens." Reeves said: "This administration is doing the work to bring back jobs to America because in Mississippi just like in America this what we do. We make stuff. We build stuff." According to the company, the transformers produced in Mississippi will bring additional capacity to help growing demand for electricity. Consulting company Mckinsey has estimated that the U.S. demand for power will increase by 3.5% annually through 2040. |
| American Incomes Hit Record Last Year as Women Gained Ground | |
 | A broad measure of American incomes reached a record high last year as upper-income households fared well and women's pay gained ground compared with men, according to the Census Bureau. The annual Census report on households' financial well-being sheds light on how Americans fared during President Trump's first year back in office, but also before the war in Iran led to soaring prices at gas pumps, higher inflation and more pressure on Americans' wallets. Median household income topped the peak hit just before the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching $87,460 in 2025, up 2.6% from 2024 after adjusting for inflation, the new data show. Upper-income households posted gains while lower-income households didn't, reflecting a growing divide where high earners are doing most of the spending. "This is a signal that the economy may be finally finding its groove coming out of the pandemic," said Wells Fargo economist Shannon Grein. But, she noted, the gains haven't been evenly felt. The report showed that women gained financial ground as jobs within healthcare, a traditionally female-dominated industry, have grown quickly in recent years. Women have gained 765,000 jobs since December 2024, while men have lost 6,000 in the same span, according to Labor Department data. |
| Will TV ads decide Mississippi's upcoming Senate election? | |
 | The political ad business is booming, but Mississippi only has a small piece of the pie. The 2026 midterm elections are projected to be the most expensive yet, according to AdImpact, a company that tracks advertisements across the country. The company's most recent analysis, released in June, estimated that the upcoming slate of elections will reach $11.6 billion. This would not only beat the previous midterm record, set in 2022, but it would also top the $11.2 billion spent in the last presidential election. Leading the unprecedented spending is a number of highly competitive Senate and governor races. The faceoff between Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and district attorney Scott Colom is among the races on the ballet this year, but it is shirking the national trend of increasingly expensive contests. The pair have spent about $4.6 million combined for this election cycle. That's less than a fifth of the total spent by Hyde-Smith and then-challenger Mike Espy in 2020, Hyde-Smith's first reelection bid. |
| Mississippi midterms: Trump weighs heavily in 1st District contest between Kelly, Johnson | |
| A Democratic political newcomer is hoping to unseat a six-term Republican congressman in a historically conservative district that stretches from northeast Mississippi to the populous DeSoto County on the northwestern side of the state. U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, a Republican from Lee County, is facing Cliff Johnson, the Democratic nominee from Lafayette County and Johnny Baucom, a Libertarian candidate from Columbus. Kelly and Johnson disagree on President Donald Trump's performance, voting policy and the ongoing war in Iran. Baucom wants government to be hands off, and supports deregulation and the abolition of the IRS. Kelly is running for his seventh full term in Congress. He is a native of Union, but has lived for decades in the northern Mississippi town of Saltillo in Lee County. He first won a special election in 2015 to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Alan Nunnelee. He has since been reelected to a full term six times. Johnson, his Democratic challenger, has lived in Lafayette County for over 30 years. He's an attorney and the director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He hopes to use Trump's sinking popularity and the rising cost of goods to raise his profile and convince voters in the rural, conservative area to support a Democrat. |
| Republican Senators Say Even Their Trump-Loving Constituents Are Tired of the Iran War | |
| Republican senators returned to Washington this week, saying their constituents want answers about how President Donald Trump's Iran war will end after more than six months of fighting. "They don't like it," Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) said of the people he spoke with back home. "Even the people that love the president don't like it." While constituent complaints about rising prices were nearly universal during the lawmakers' five-week recess, some Republicans said people in their state expressed concerns over the war's duration, and others said voters want clarity about America's goals in the conflict. What Trump aims to get from Iran remains a mystery to many Texans, Sen. John Cornyn said of his conversations with constituents. Sen. Thom Tillis said the war has become a top-three campaign issue in North Carolina, where the large military and veteran population has kept the war's human cost at the forefront. Voters remain most focused on the economy, he said, but the war's duration has made the lack of measurable progress harder to ignore. |
| As campaign season gears up, AI-generated ads are everywhere | |
 | Jessica Bichler is running for North Carolina state Senate this fall. The district where she's campaigning, in and around Wilmington, is deep purple, and she knew it was going to be a tough fight. But even she was surprised when she appeared in an ad from her opponent, Republican incumbent state Sen. Michael Lee. The ad showed an AI-generated Bichler contorting her body into bizarre shapes, while making claims about her stances on policing and healthcare. "I feel like I kind of hardened myself for some teasing and things like that, but the AI kind of took me aback," the real-life Bichler, who also owns a yoga studio, told NPR. "It was my face, it was my body moving around, but it was not anything I'd ever consented to or participated in creating." The ad did include a disclaimer that it used AI, and in a statement, Lee told NPR that voters in his district "are smart enough to spot comedy and obvious parody when they see it." Bichler is hardly the only candidate being rendered by artificial intelligence. New data shows AI political advertisements like these are popping up all over the country. |
| USM's Hub City Wesley to demolish old campus building, erect larger facility | |
 | It's out with the old and in with the new for the Wesley Foundation at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). The organization, which is now known as Hub City Wesley, is about to demolish its 40-year-old campus building at USM and replace it with a much larger structure. Hub City Wesley has a capital campaign called Space for Grace to help fund the new building. The campaign's total is $5.8 million and so far, about 63 percent of that amount has been raised. "One part of our property is nine feet taller than the other side of our property, so when it rains, it floods the Wesley, from our roof to our foundation," Hub City Wesley Executive Director Eric Davis said. "So we want to raise our foundation up and put a new building directly on that, that is sustainable, hospitable and accessible for each and every student." Demolition should start in a couple of weeks. |
| Joint campaign rally set for Sept. 25 | |
| The College Democrats at the University of Mississippi, the Scott Colom for Senate campaign, Lafayette County Democrats, and the Cliff Johnson for Congress campaign will host a joint campaign rally Sept. 25 at the Lyric Theatre on the Oxford Square. The event, billed as "Our Mississippi. Our Future.," will begin at 6 p.m., with doors opening at that time and live music scheduled to begin shortly afterward. The rally will feature campaign speakers and guests, along with live music and a bar. Organizers said the event is open to the public. |
| Female students struggle with fear, uncertainty over safety in Athens | |
| A female University of Georgia student found herself on the steps of City Hall in downtown Athens in the early hours of Aug. 21, unsure of how she got there. Following an investigation by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), no evidence of rape was found. But many UGA students and parents are still concerned for female students' safety on campus and in the surrounding Athens community. In 2025, the University of Georgia Police Department (UGAPD) reported approximately 11 incidents of rape and approximately five incidents of sexual battery. In February of this year, a rape investigation on North Thomas Street sparked concern among Athens residents. Eva Poyner, a first-year student majoring in international affairs, said the recent City Hall investigation served as a reminder for her to be cautious. Anna Poyner, Eva Poyner's mother and UGA alumna, sent her daughter a screenshot of the police report when the event first occurred. "It makes me extremely nervous," Anna Poyner said. "I had a son that went to the University of Georgia and graduated this past spring, but now having a daughter there is a little bit more intense when it comes to worrying more about her safety with the events that have occurred [at UGA]." |
| Enrollment declines again, but revenue up at LSU New Orleans | |
| LSU New Orleans has reported another decline in its enrollment in its first semester back in the LSU System. University officials report there are 5,533 students enrolled this fall, down from 5,670 a year ago and short of the 6,000 projected students LSU System President Wade Rousse said the campus budget was built around. Last year, state legislators approved switching the 70-year-old school from the University of Louisiana System, which it had been a part of since 2011, back to LSU, which originally established the campus. Lawmakers believe the move will help stabilize the university, as all of LSU's institutions have regularly boasted enrollment records in contrast to a national trend of declining student numbers. LSU New Orleans' enrollment decrease spans two decades. The school had a student body of around 17,000 before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with an immediate drop to around 6,000 after the storm. The declining enrollment created a financial crisis that prompted lawmakers to act. |
| Rethinking the traditional Bachelor's degree: U. of Tennessee System introduces 90-credit programs | |
| For decades, the traditional bachelor's degree at the University of Tennessee has been built around roughly 120 credit hours. Now, the University of Tennessee System is proposing a new route: a degree designed around what a student needs to know for their specific career. The UT Board of Trustees approved a framework for 90-100 credit hour degrees in June, allowing UT's five institutions to develop reduced-credit three-year programs. Rather than shortening existing programs, UT officials say they are building new degrees from the ground up to meet specific, local workforce needs. Bernie Savarese, vice president for academic affairs, research and student success for the UT System, has directly worked in coordinating and organizing the institution of these programs. "This is all about our students and the state that we serve," Savarese said. "How can we do more to make sure that our students are prepared to enter the workforce and compete for the most important jobs here in the state and in the region." Currently, undergraduates across the system who take out loans average about $24,700 in student loans. Savarese and UT's goal is to get that average down to $20,000 or less by 2030. |
| State education officials looking to set ground rules for AI in higher education raise questions about the future | |
| With many Florida universities incorporating rapidly evolving AI technologies into learning, recent pushes to regulate AI use show state education officials are now looking to set ground rules. The Board of Governors' Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Task Force met last Wednesday. The topic at hand was a rule change that would require every university's board of trustees to adopt policies on AI use and institutional neutrality. The rules universities created would need to address three points of interest: if faculty members need to disclose their use of AI, if students need to disclose their use of AI, and how students are permitted to use AI for their coursework. On Thursday, the BOG convened again and decided to issue a public notice of intent to approve the change. That means the regulation will still need final approval down the line. The Department of Education will consider approving its own rule next Wednesday. It would require all public colleges to craft policies addressing the AI use of staff and students. |
| Texas A&M engineering professor looks to build connection program for students | |
| College can be a stressful time for young adults as they navigate classes and try to figure out their major while also trying to find friends. In a United Health study released earlier this year, 63% of college students reported feeling anxiety or stress and 44% reported being depressed, the highest total in both categories in four years. A group of researchers at Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Noemi Mendoza Diaz, is working on a pilot program that would help college students by giving them a group of fellow students they could connect with and help work through the stress or depression or any other issues they face. Mendoza Diaz is an assistant professor of Information Technology Service Management in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. Mendoza Diaz started out at Texas A&M teaching first-year engineering students and saw that there was a high level of stress in those students. Mendoza Diaz has had her own experience dealing with anxiety from her days as a college student in Mexico and later in the United States. She also observed the growth of students using AI as a companion. When Zane Shamblin, a 23-year-old Texas A&M graduate, was goaded into taking his own life by ChatGPT, Mendoza Diaz was inspired to seek out ways to get students to connect with each other. |
| Texas universities purge core courses as political pressure takes its toll | |
 | Public universities in Texas have dropped hundreds of courses from their core curricula -- or altogether -- amid rising political pressure over the last two years. Texas A&M University has removed 350 core listings across its system, many dealing with gender, race and other popular GOP targets. The University of Houston has nixed 133 classes from its core curricula, and the University of Texas, Austin, has dropped 113. Professors say students are missing out on subjects relevant to their future careers, and some educators are moving on to private schools, where political winds are less fierce. While these efforts have been ongoing in multiple red states, colleges in Texas are on the front lines as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is able to appoint the members of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which oversees all public universities in the state. And while the majority of changes have been to core curricula, some classes and indeed entire degrees are simply no longer being offered. Texas A&M announced early this year it was eliminating its entire women's and gender studies degree program. Texas State University completely removed a course called LGBTQ+ Communication Studies after backlash. |
| Hasan Piker event faces venue uncertainty at U. of Texas | |
| Student leaders from the University of Texas' University Democrats chapter this week accused their school of forcing an event with liberal political commentator Hasan Piker off campus. UT has not cancelled the event nor ordered its relocation. But the event's future remains uncertain as more than 2,400 people have said they want to attend, and conservatives and a Democratic congressman have pressured UT to shut down the talk. After initially giving the event university approval in early September, UT officials have not helped the student organization find a suitable venue on campus to accommodate the large number of RSVPs or safety concerns, a University Democrats leader said. University Democrats invited Piker, a self-described socialist and Twitch streamer, to give a talk on campus Sept. 30 about the future of the Democratic party. Piker has attracted millions of social media followers since 2018 for his provocative criticism of Democratic and Republican policies, while making controversial statements about 9/11, Israel and Jewish people. At one point, Piker said he would "vote for Hamas over Israel every time," according to the Wall Street Journal. |
| Exclusive: U. of Oklahoma president on growth, infrastructure, government collaboration | |
| Just weeks after welcoming the University of Oklahoma's largest first-year class in state history, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. spoke to OU Daily editors about how campus infrastructure will keep up with growing enrollment, working with the state legislature and the planned arena in the Rock Creek Entertainment District. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. |
| Conservative watchdog group says 'divisive radicalism' is still taught at Mizzou | |
 | Conservative advocacy and watchdog group Accuracy in Media shared an undercover video on Monday of University of Missouri professor Wayne Brekhus speaking on diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Mizzou. "Lots of us do DEI types of research," Brekhus said in the recording. Toward the end of the video, the narrator expressed their concern with Mizzou's curriculum, "No student should have to suffer through divisive radicalism in order to earn a degree," the narrator said. The university acknowledged the advocates and issued an investigation into Brekhus' conduct, insisting that Mizzou is in compliance with federal directives to end DEI research. "Professor Brekhus' conduct will be investigated and appropriate actions will be taken. Mizzou voluntarily eliminated all DEI programs and DEI requirements in the curriculum," the university said on X. Mizzou also shared a message from Brekhus on X: "I apologize for my mistake. The video was taken last year as Mizzou was eliminating its DEI programs. I am fully aware that Mizzou no longer has DEI programs and does not conduct DEI research." |
| After Kentucky Banned DEI, Senator Called for Professor to Be 'Fired or Worse' | |
 | Last October, a Kentucky state senator emailed the general counsel at the state attorney general's office with a complaint concerning a family member. "My granddaughter goes to a public institution," Republican Sen. Gary Boswell wrote in an email obtained via a public records request. "She is being required to take a DEI course. The professor told the class without knowing she was my granddaughter that she 'changed the title of the course to avoid the state law.'" "I want this professor fired or worse," Boswell wrote. He alleged that the Murray State University course was using a book from Howard University professor Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist. Christopher Thacker, the general counsel for the Kentucky attorney general's office, checked with the university. Murray State said the course was one of multiple that could satisfy a requirement for one degree. Thacker said he'd follow up with Boswell, and that's where emails on the subject end. Boswell and the targeted professor didn't respond to Inside Higher Ed's requests for comment, and Murray State didn't provide comment. These are among a raft of communications and documents provided by James Orlick, a University of Louisville Ph.D. candidate who filed the records request, that open a window into what Kentucky universities and their employees have faced after Kentucky Republicans passed House Bill 4 last year. |
| Charlie Kirk's family says security failures by Utah officials led to his assassination | |
 | Charlie Kirk's family blamed Utah officials for failing to prevent the conservative activist's assassination at a state university, in a wrongful death notice announced Wednesday that presages a possible lawsuit. Attorneys for the family said Kirk's death resulted from a string of "reckless decisions" by officials at Utah Valley University that left him exposed to a rooftop sniper, who fired a fatal shot from more than 400 feet (122 meters) away on Sept. 10, 2025. The university has faced harsh criticism for a lack of key safety measures on the day of the shooting. Kirk, 31, had been debating students in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by tall buildings and with several thousand people in attendance. An Associated Press review following the shooting showed the campus in Orem did not use several public safety practices that have become standard safeguards at events around the country. Campus police staffing was far below recommended levels for a school of that size. They also did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event attended by about 3,000 people. There were no bag checks or metal detectors. A spokesperson for Utah Valley University said the school was aware of the notice and would address it "consistent with our established processes." |
| Will Trump's Accreditation Revamp Force Campus Changes? | |
| More than 70 percent of college presidents who responded to a recent American Council on Education (ACE) survey anticipate that the Trump administration's proposed changes to accreditation will not make their institution any more likely to change accreditors. Nor will the changes promote academic innovation or help colleges spend less on the accreditation process, roughly the same proportion of presidents say. But that doesn't mean the looming accreditation overhaul -- which would make it easier for new agencies to gain federal recognition, require all accreditors to enforce First Amendment law and include more prescriptive requirements as far as what they must evaluate -- will have no effect at all. In the same survey, released last week, nearly 45 percent of the 109 presidents surveyed said the proposed changes would have a "meaningful impact" on their institution. It just remains unclear exactly what the impacts will be, which types of institutions they will most affect and to what extent. Many accreditation advocates have warned it could have major implications on academic freedom. |
| Trump administration has cut or frozen $177 billion in grants across every state, analysis shows | |
| The Trump administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants since the president took office for his second term, according to a tracking tool released Wednesday by a pro-democracy nonprofit and a group of researchers and scientists. The cuts affected all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with health, nutrition, the environment and disaster relief making up the largest share of cuts, the States United Democracy Center and Grant Witness organization found. Among the grants that were eliminated, frozen or delayed were ones related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi and assistance to minority farmers in Iowa, the researchers found. California, Texas, New York, Illinois and North Carolina saw the highest amounts of interrupted grant money. The tracking tool is called Lost Funds. "By bringing thousands of funding disruptions from the Trump administration together in a publicly accessible, verified database, Lost Funds puts the magnitude of their impact on full display," Scott Delaney, co-founder of Grant Witness, said in a statement. |
| Despite many statutory protections, there is no clear constitutional right to clean water | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: For the record, in a case involving Mississippi's capital city of Jackson, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier this month that there exists no constitutional right to clean water. The ruling came in Sterling v. City of Jackson, in which the plaintiffs alleged that Jackson city officials knowingly exposed residents to lead-contaminated drinking water and misrepresented the water's safety for consumption. Safe and available water has been an issue in Jackson for several years due to a plethora of problems, including aging and deteriorating infrastructure, the instability of Yazoo Clay soil, uncollected water fees and operational issues at the city's water treatment plants. The court held that the Constitution does not provide express protections against municipal water contamination or require municipal officials to provide truthful information during a public health crisis, arguing that "the Constitution does not provide redress for every government wrongdoing." |
SPORTS
| Wide receivers fulfilling Mississippi State's need for speed | |
 | The moment went viral, but there was more to it. After catching his touchdown pass in the second quarter of Saturday's win over Minnesota, Anthony Evans lined up with fellow wide receivers Marquis Johnson and Zion Ragins at the side of the end zone to run hurdles across the field as a celebration. "I think they just caught on. That was just something I had thought of before the game I was going to do," Evans said of celebrations at Monday's press conference. "I'm trying to have everybody looking forward to me scoring, but I'm looking forward to the celebration after as well. I've got something cooking this week as well." Whether intended or not, the celebration tells people a lot about the biggest thing that State's wide receiver room is built on: speed. According to information gathered by Rivals.com's Charles Power, those three run 200-meter dash times no slower than 21.29 seconds. Ragins and Johnson run 100 times of 10.24 and 10.29, respectively. Such speed is vital for a Jeff Lebby offense looking to play fast. |
| Portal Buzz: Kamario Taylor will be a hot commodity, but don't count on him bolting Starkville | |
 | In the latest edition of the popular video series "SEC Shorts," Josh Snead, wearing a Texas jersey, says the quiet part out loud. "Mississippi State, good for you," Snead says to Robert Clay, proudly sporting Mississippi State colors. "Kamario Taylor, that is quite the quarterback you've got there ... so what is his phone number and favorite car?" To which Clay shoots back, "Don't do it." The skit is a spoof, but it addresses questions many college football fans ask when a star emerges at a non-blue blood program in the sport's modern era: Where will he play next year and how much will he get paid? Taylor, in his second year at Mississippi State, has been terrific two weeks into the 2026 season, throwing for 581 yards, rushing for 145 and accounting for eight touchdowns in blowout wins at home vs. Louisiana-Monroe and at Minnesota. But it's not just Taylor's production. It's the combination of his performance with his enticing physical traits that has people in the sport buzzing. Even before this season, rival SEC coaches and front offices were high on the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Mississippi native. Taylor, meanwhile, is a huge fan of his head coach, Jeff Lebby. The 2026 season is only two weeks old, but it's natural to speculate what will happen with Taylor at the end of the year. Will his family connections and faith in Lebby matter more than bigger offers from other quarterback-needy programs willing to spend? That's where this could get challenging for Mississippi State. |
| A sweeping college sports overhaul bill clears early hurdle in Senate vote | |
| A bill that proposes to fix some of the biggest problems in college sports -- spiraling spending, constant lawsuits and a transfer portal run amok -- cleared a major hurdle Tuesday when the Senate voted 74-24 to halt debate and move the measure one step closer to a final up-or-down vote. The Protect College Sports Act, a bill co-sponsor Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called "a bipartisan solution designed to bring order to the chaos" easily cleared the 60-vote threshold it needed to stop the filibuster. Co-sponsor Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the lopsided nature of the vote left her "cautiously optimistic" it could get through the House, which has failed repeatedly in passing a different version of a college sports bill. There remains, however, a persistent block of opposition. "What this bill does at its core is to protect a system of exploitation," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. The vote came a week after college football's most recent crisis -- a scheduled meeting of school presidents in the Southeastern Conference to expel LSU over its now-canceled plans to place players on the roster who had participated in NFL training camps. Calmer heads prevailed. The eligibility lawsuit that triggered the mess is the sort of litigation the bill would outlaw. |
| College NIL bill moves forward on Senate floor | |
 | A potentially landmark Senate college sports bill easily cleared a procedural hurdle on Tuesday, moving the bipartisan legislation one step closer to advancing out of the chamber. The Senate voted 74-24 on the procedural step, which opens a path to an eventual vote on passage. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., one of the legislation's authors, spoke on the chamber floor beforehand, arguing the college sports landscape currently is ungoverned and unaffordable. The legislation would erect "guardrails" and help protect sports that do not generate revenue. Congress "is the only entity on this planet" that can rein in the excesses of the name, image and likeness (NIL) era, he said, adding: "If you think that Western Kentucky can compete with Ohio State in the long term, you're kidding yourself." The path from here is likely to be noisy. Among the handful of Republicans to vote "no" on the procedural step was Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. Before recess, she had filed what some college sports stakeholders and analysts calculated was a sort of legislative Hail Mary pass. She introduced an amendment that would have given colleges and universities 180 days after Trump potentially signs the bill to change conferences. The move appeared aimed at Florida State University and the University of Miami, which have flirted with leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference for some time. |
| 'I need to post my Undertaker meme. We're back from the dead!' Protect College Sports Act passes first major hurdle, but obstacles remain | |
| As voting concluded here at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, as senators sent their resounding support for a bill to regulate college athletics -- the procedural first vote passed, 74-24 -- the authors of the legislation, for a brief few minutes, buried their beaming happiness and postponed their celebration. An issue brewed. From a bird's-eye view here in the Senate gallery, one could spot Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, the Protect College Sports Act's leading authors, embroiled in what appeared to be an intense conversation with two of their colleagues: South Carolina Sens. Tim Scott and Darline Graham. "You saw a little bit of scramble there," Cantwell told Yahoo Sports afterward. "We were down there really going at it." Cantwell declined to expound on the conversation she held with the two South Carolina senators. She didn't have to. Surely, a similar conversation has been -- or will surely be at some point -- held with the senators from Florida as well. This is all over conference expansion. |
| College sports bill moves forward in Senate with Democratic support | |
 | A group of Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted with most Republicans after months of painstaking negotiations to help advance a sweeping college athletics bill. An initial procedural vote on the measure led by Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) moved forward on a 74-24 vote, despite opposition on both sides of the aisle. The move tees up more floor debate and a final passage vote before lawmakers leave to campaign for the midterms. Cantwell said that even though the bill wasn't perfect, it would help protect students' rights. The bill would establish national standards for how college athletes are compensated and override the patchwork of state laws that currently govern student athletes' name, image and likeness rights, among other provisions. "I will not let the perfect be the enemy of the essential," Cantwell said on the floor ahead of the vote. "This is the last best chance to save college sports and put HBCUs at the table where the future gets decided," she said, referring to historically Black colleges and universities. Twenty-five Democrats threw their support behind advancing it, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). |
| Tuberville breaks with Republicans and Nick Saban on sweeping college sports bill | |
 | U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville broke with many Republican colleagues and was a notable "no" vote Tuesday on the Protect College Sports Act. The bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, aims to address spiraling spending, constant lawsuits and a transfer portal run amok. The Senate made a procedural vote Tuesday that moves the measure one step closer to a final up-or-down vote, which may happen as soon as next week. Co-sponsor Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the lopsided nature of the vote left her "cautiously optimistic" it could get through the House, which has failed repeatedly in passing a different version of a college sports bill. There remains, however, a persistent block of opposition. Tuberville, a former football coach who has opposed the package, said he couldn't support advancing the measure because "there's too much government involvement in it," according to reporting by POLITICO. In previous comments and speeches, Tuberville has proposed different fixes for eligibility. |
| NAACP CEO rips Protect College Sports Act in ESPN appearance: 'Greed by the conferences' | |
| NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson sharply criticized the Protect College Sports Act during an appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Tuesday evening, rejecting the premise that college sports needs congressional intervention and accusing conferences of seeking greater control over athletes at a time players are gaining more financial power. "There's no instability in the game," Johnson said. "It's just greed by the conferences." Johnson focused much of his interview on what he sees as missing from that federal framework: a direct voice for athletes and a right to collectively bargain. "What's really at stake here is students' ability to collectively bargain," Johnson said. "If this was student centered, students and players should have been at the table, and they were not at the table." Johnson also criticized provisions designed to benefit Historically Black Colleges and Universities, dismissing the HBCU components as a "head fake" and arguing that longstanding federal underfunding of historically Black institutions should be addressed independently of the PCSA. |
| The Protect College Sports Act Could Bring Both Order and Chaos | |
| The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) at some point over the next couple of weeks. Late Tuesday, the Senate voted 74-23 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed with PCSA, a precursor to a final vote on the bill. Sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) -- the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Commerce Committee -- the PCSA has a greater chance of becoming law than any other college sports bill to date. But that doesn't mean it will become law, or that it would bring order to college sports. If the PCSA becomes law, it could also look different, potentially in major ways, from how the legislation currently appears. Passage in the Senate would be a major achievement, but the House would also need to approve the legislation. The core idea of the PCSA is the federal government granting a limited antitrust exemption to the NCAA and its members on select topics. Advocates of the PCSA argue the bill would bring order to the chaos of college sports. In some ways, they're probably right. A college sports world with the PCSA as law would likely be less litigious and more predictable. But it wouldn't end all legal controversies, including those related to employment and unionization and the PCSA itself. |
| LSU backed down on ex-pro players, but a legal battle is still underway | |
 | LSU may have decided not to add players who worked with professional teams to its football roster, but the legal battle between college players and the SEC and NCAA is still playing out in Louisiana courts. A group of student athletes notched an early win Monday afternoon when Louisiana's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal left in place an injunction issued by the district court earlier this month that allows them one more year of competition while the case plays out. Judges Allison Penzato, Walter Lanier III and Wilson Fields in a ruling Monday refused to pause the lower court proceedings or suspend District Judge Will Jorden's preliminary injunction, saying that the Southeastern Conference had "not shown an abuse of discretion by the district court." The SEC still has the option to ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to review Jorden's decision. The NCAA, another defendant, also has the option to appeal Jorden's decision. And, the full case on the merits still has to be litigated. |
| Extra security planned for Lane Kiffin's return to Ole Miss | |
| Lane Kiffin stirred up quite the controversy when he left a College Football Playoff team for one of its staunch rivals. Now, his inevitable return to his former stomping grounds has garnered widespread attention, and extra security is likely necessary for what is expected to be a circus of a weekend in Oxford. Ole Miss is beefing up its public safety patrol this weekend in anticipation of hordes of people making their way to the small college town. "These big gatherings are susceptible to security issues, and so, we want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect the people who are coming to the game, our team, our coaches, and our staff," Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said on Mornings with Richard Cross. A rumor traveling throughout the Magnolia State is that President Donald Trump has mulled making an appearance during Saturday's game. "We have not heard anything from President Trump's camp, officially. I've kind of heard the rumors as well. There are some Ole Miss folks that are close to the president, and they've mentioned that could potentially happen," Carter said. "Obviously, that would be a big undertaking from the standpoint of logistics -- getting him and all of his entourage in and out, with airspace and security, and those types of things -- so I would assume, by this point, that we would know something." |
| Tennessee reveals official name of Neyland entertainment district, new renderings | |
 | The University of Tennessee announced that 865 Neyland will be the official name of its mixed-use entertainment district and condo-hotel being developed alongside Neyland Stadium. The new G10 parking garage, which is in the project footprint, is scheduled for completion by August 2027. The primary portion of the entertainment district is set to open in early 2028 and the condo-hotel in 2029. On Sept. 16, UT unveiled 865 Neyland as the name and brand identity of the project. The East Tennessee area code of 8-6-5 spells V-O-L on a telephone keypad. The address of the development will also be 865 Neyland. An official logo, updated renderings, digital platform launch on 865Neyland.com, a fly-through video and other details were also part of the announcement. "The launch of the 865 Neyland brand reflects the momentum behind one of the most ambitious mixed-use developments in college athletics," Taylor Gray, principal of project developer RVX Ventures, said. It's the latest phase for the $280 million project to be built between Neyland Stadium and Food City Center. It will feature approximately 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertainment space, restaurants, shops, event space, fan experiences and a 24-story hybrid condo-hotel overlooking the stadium with a rooftop bar. |
| UNC Board of Governors to consider limits on spending, subsidies for college athletics | |
| North Carolina's public higher education leaders could consider limits on subsidies for intercollegiate athletics as expenses skyrocket at the University of North Carolina System's 15 athletic departments. Student fees, campus institutional support and state money, mostly from sports betting revenue, fund about 36% of intercollegiate athletics across the state, according to the UNC System, which oversees public higher education including at NC State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina Central University. No votes are expected at Wednesday's meeting. But if such a policy were to be eventually implemented, its effects could vary widely by campus. Schools with high-profile sports teams -- UNC and NC State in particular -- rely mostly on private sources of revenue to fund their programs. Those revenue sources include TV deals, merchandise and ticket sales, and private donations. But at smaller schools with fewer fans and donors, government support can make up most -- and in some cases, nearly all -- of the school's athletics budget. |
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