| Wednesday, May 13, 2026 |
| Cancer-detecting breakthrough earns Scott national 'American Innovator' recognition | |
 | Mississippi State University chemist Colleen Scott has been selected for the Bayh-Dole Coalition's 2026 American Innovator Award, one of the nation's most prestigious honors given annually to researchers whose federally funded work leads to real-world impact. Past honorees include developers of mRNA vaccine technology, once-a-day HIV treatments and vision-restoring glasses. Scott, an associate professor in MSU's Department of Chemistry, was nominated by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for her patented research developing a shortwave infrared (SWIR) dye for the visualization of cancer cells. Her award-winning technology enables safe, high-resolution deep tissue visualization by operating at lower energy levels than traditional imaging methods. Her technology is geared to selectively target cancer cells, allowing clinicians to more clearly identify tumor boundaries. Scott said, “This award is a tremendous honor and a validation of the hard work of my team and students. I hope it inspires the next generation of scientists and provides more opportunities to advance research that improves human health, technology and everyday life.” |
| Mississippi State chemist earns national honor for cancer research breakthrough | |
| Mississippi State University chemist Colleen Scott has been awarded with one of the nation's most prestigious honors given annually to researchers whose federally funded work leads to real-world impact. Scott, an associate professor in Mississippi State's Department of Chemistry, has been selected for the Bayh-Dole Coalition's 2026 American Innovator Award for her patented research developing a shortwave infrared dye for the visualization of cancer cells. She was nominated for the award by U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Dr. Scott's unwavering determination has driven her pioneering work in shortwave infrared dyes, opening new possibilities for surgeons to detect and remove cancer with greater precision," said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "Her story exemplifies exactly what Senators Bayh and Dole sought to create through the Bayh-Dole Act -- a system for federally funded discoveries from institutions like Mississippi State to be translated into real-world technologies that improve patient outcomes and save lives." |
| Mississippi State chemist earns national honor for cancer imaging breakthrough | |
 | Video: A Mississippi State University researcher, Colleen Scott, is receiving national recognition for groundbreaking work that could improve the way doctors detect and treat cancer. |
| Mississippi State University to offer bus services to Birmingham and Memphis airports | |
 | During holiday breaks, it can be difficult for some students to make it back home. That's why Mississippi State University is looking to shorten that mile. The university will be offering a student-only bus service from campus to Birmingham and Memphis airports. The transportation service will be available during the fall, Thanksgiving, winter, spring breaks, and Easter Weekend. There will be designated on-campus pickup and drop-off locations. For more information about service, pricing, and booking, visit collegebreakbus.com/MSU. |
| State farmers change way they grow rice | |
 | When a system works, there is little reason to change and many reasons to stick with success; any change in that system is often small things to improve efficiency. Mississippi's rice industry is not following that pattern. Rice has been grown around the world for about 5,000 years on flat land that is flooded with immense amounts of water and then drained at crucial times. Rice is from Asia, and its growth is limited to areas where these conditions could be met. In the Midsouth, rice is drill seeded then grown in upland, or non-flooded conditions for roughly six weeks. Water is typically pumped from ground wells to flood rice fields once seedlings are established. That flood is maintained for the next ten to fourteen weeks as the rice grows. Dave Spencer, irrigation specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said in Mississippi, that water comes primarily from the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer. |
| Area airports receive grants for infrastructure and safety | |
 | Two dozen municipal airfields in Mississippi have been awarded just over $20 million for facility improvements. This includes several airports in Northeast Mississippi. "Local airports play a critical role in supporting jobs and economic development, which is why they must regularly invest in rehabilitation, construction, and safety improvement projects," said U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who serves as chair of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. "These FAA awards will help large and small communities in Mississippi enhance the safety, efficiency and operation of their airport facilities," The AIP grants approved for area airports include: George M. Bryan Airport, Starkville: $4,250,000 to extend an existing runway and taxiway; and Golden Triangle Regional Airport: $1,146,555 total from three grants: $804,555 to reseal terminal apron pavement; $190,000 to support continued land acquisition for future eligible development; and $152,000 to support the purchase of aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment, security cameras and wildlife hazard mitigation activities. |
| Stabbing suspect found hiding in dumpster | |
| A man accused of stabbing an acquaintance Tuesday tried to flee the scene before police found him hiding in a dumpster, Public Information Officer Sgt. Brandon Lovelady told The Dispatch. Jeremy Jones, 37, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Police responded just before 10 p.m. to the Dollar General on Louisville Street in reference to an altercation, during which Jones allegedly stabbed another man. Lovelady said officers arrived on scene and found Jones after a little more than 2 minutes of searching. The victim was treated and released, and Jones is being held at Oktibbeha County Jail. |
| Southern Pipe owners honor longtime employee, spouse through major Hope Village donation | |
 | A $100,000 gift to Hope Village for Children is honoring two people who have spent years giving their time and hearts to children in foster care. Marty and Linda Davidson, owners of Southern Pipe & Supply, announced Monday they are making the donation to the Hope Village Endowment in honor of longtime employees and volunteers William and Angela Jolly. The Jollys have spent years volunteering with Hope Village for Children, including serving on the organization's board of directors and other leadership roles. "Linda and I are pleased to present this donation to Hope Village through the Community Foundation in honor of William and Angela Jolly," Marty Davidson said during the presentation. "William came to Southern Pipe and Supply and has been with us for 42 years, and he's been a major reason for our success." Also attending the event was actress and Meridian native Sela Ward, who founded Hope Village to support children in foster care. "Linda and Marty have been two of the most extraordinary, philanthropic, big-hearted, beautiful souls," Ward said. "They have supported Hope Village countless times, which has helped us thrive." |
| Target connector street project earns name, eyes completion in fall | |
| As the weather continues to cooperate, the new street connecting North Gloster Street with Barnes Crossing Extended is progressing smoothly. Not only that, but city officials have also landed on a name for the street: Woodford Way. During the monthly meeting of Tupelo's Major Thoroughfare Committee, the first since the city of Tupelo's voters overwhelmingly approved the program for another five years, City Engineer Dennis Bonds provided an update on the project's progress, detailing the timeline and plans for the coming year. During the meeting, Chairman Greg Pirkle said he was relieved the program will continue. "We will have enough money to finish the road around Target," Pirkle said. "In this phase, we are going to have some major things happen ... It's a good feeling knowing the public appreciates what we do." The retail giant is aiming for an October opening, Bonds said. |
| Pearl River Resort highlights hotel renovation project | |
 | Pearl River Resort today announced that a comprehensive hotel room renovation is underway at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino. The project is part of the overall Pearl River Resort Improvement Plan and reflects the Resort's continued commitment to reinvesting in its properties and elevating the quality and appeal of its hospitality offerings. As part of the current phase of work, Pearl River Resort has completed model rooms that provide a first look at the new design direction for the Golden Moon Hotel. The model rooms feature contemporary interiors, upgraded finishes, enhanced lighting, and modern in‑room amenities designed to deliver a more stylish, comfortable, and functional stay. "Our priority is to deliver an exceptional experience for every guest," said Tim Hill, President and CEO of Pearl River Resort. "These model rooms represent a full transformation of our hotel accommodations and showcase the standard of quality and attention to detail that will extend throughout the Golden Moon Hotel as renovation work continues." |
| Prices at the Pump Are Wiping Out Wage Gains | |
 | For the first time in three years, inflation is outstripping growth in Americans' paychecks. Blame the gas pump. Americans are currently paying about $4.50 a gallon for regular gasoline, according to AAA, up more than 50% since the initial U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February. Pay increases aren't keeping up. April marked the first time inflation topped year-over-year growth in average hourly earnings since April 2023, according to the Labor Department. Year-over-year changes offer a broader picture than more volatile month-to-month measures, which have also recently shown Americans' pay raises aren't measuring up to the rising cost of living. Americans are dealing with a math problem. While hourly wages rose a seasonally adjusted 3.6% on the year through April, the pace has mostly slowed over the past four years as hiring cooled from a postpandemic hot streak. Meanwhile, inflation was 3.8% year over year, pushed up by surging fuel costs. The disappearing pay raises might help explain why consumer sentiment is at a record-low level. |
| Vicksburg businessman and philanthropist Dan Fordice killed in plane crash | |
| When news broke Tuesday that Dan Fordice had been killed in a single-engine plane crash in Louisiana, many identified him first as the son of the late former Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice. But those who knew him best say the Vicksburg native spent his life building a legacy that was entirely his own. Fordice, a businessman, decorated veteran and aviator, died around 3 p.m. when the plane he was piloting crashed at the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport in Madison Parish, Louisiana. Brandon Wiltcher, a spokesman for the Madison Parish Sheriff's Office, confirmed one fatality but did not release the victim's name. The plane was carrying only one person. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Fordice served 13 years in the U.S. Army and Mississippi Army National Guard as an engineer and special forces officer, resigning his commission as a captain in 1994, according to the National Academy of Construction and the Warrior Bonfire Program. He earned a bachelor's degree in construction engineering technology from Mississippi State University and went on to serve as vice president of Fordice Construction Co. and president of Southern Delta Construction, LLC, in Houma, Louisiana. But it was what Fordice did outside of work that defined him. |
| Governor Reeves rescinding special session call intended to redistrict state Supreme Court lines | |
| Governor Tate Reeves (R) is rescinding his special session call intended to redistrict state Supreme Court lines. "The plaintiffs have stipulated that they are not going to seek any new elections in 2026 on judicial races in Mississippi," Reeves said in an interview on SuperTalk Radio Wednesday morning. "Because of that, there is no longer any reason for the Legislature to come in on next Wednesday for judicial redistricting and so I do not expect that the Legislature will come in next Wednesday because there is no reason to do so." Reeves said he plans to rescind the special session call for judicial redistricting later Wednesday. The special session was to be held next week, 21 days after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The governor's move comes after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the liability order in Mississippi's state Supreme Court judicial redistricting case earlier this week. Many in Republican circles have voiced their desire for the governor to add congressional redistricting to a special session call ahead of the November midterms. However, given that Mississippi has already held its primary elections, unlike in other states, such a move would be complicated. |
| 'Time is ticking': Hosemann mulling governor run while focusing on legislative affairs | |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is nearing the end of his term as Mississippi's second-in-command, and with a gubernatorial election on the horizon, he's having to mull his future in politics. Hosemann has insisted that he's considering a run for governor in years past but has not committed to tossing his hat in the ring, though he's admitted that the window for an announcement will soon close. In an interview on Mornings with Richard Cross, Hosemann noted that his decision will be made soon, adding that prospective voters have expressed confidence in his leadership. "Time is ticking now, and we're going to have to make a decision one way or the other," Hosemann said. "I've been really pleased. As I go out across Mississippi, people seem to think we're doing a pretty good job -- at least most of them." Hosemann, 78, has climbed the political ranks, first being elected secretary of state in 2007, becoming the first Republican to assume the position in 130 years. As lieutenant governor, Hosemann touts the strides Mississippi has made fiscally and educationally. |
| Mississippi Insurance Commissioner, State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney receives public service award | |
| Mississippi Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney received the 2026 Malcolm McMillin Public Service Award during Police Memorial and Top Cop Appreciation Day on Tuesday at the Mississippi Trade Mart in Jackson. The award honors the legacy of Malcolm McMillin, who served more than two decades as Hinds County sheriff. McMillin was a military policeman in the U.S. Air Force, served three tours in Vietnam and later chaired the Mississippi State Parole Board in 2012-13. McMillin's sons, Chris and Andrew McMillin, presented the award to Chaney. Chaney said he was grateful for the recognition. "I think that this award reflects not just what I've done, but the work put in by so many others to make our state and communities stronger," Chaney said. "Serving is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I accept this honor with humility and renewed dedication." |
| Vance to States: Address Fraud or Lose Federal Medicaid Funding | |
| Vice President JD Vance is planning to deliver an ultimatum to all 50 states: fully comply with antifraud statutes or run the risk of losing federal Medicaid funding, according to senior administration officials. The Trump administration is set Wednesday to launch a nationwide audit of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs), watchdogs at the state level established and funded under federal law to ensure that divisions responsible for uncovering abuse are vigorously pursuing wrongdoing. States that fail to cooperate could see their Medicaid program fall out of compliance, said Thomas Bell, inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services, in a letter to states. "This means your failure to do your job," Bell wrote in the letter viewed by The Wall Street Journal and sent to every state attorney general, "has put all of your state's Medicaid funds in jeopardy." A senior administration official similarly stressed that freezing Medicaid payments to the states isn't the preferred outcome but said that the current system was unsustainable. |
| Tax cuts collide with inflation as voters weigh Trump's economy in the midterms | |
 | Standing behind a downtown bar in Raleigh, N.C., Evan Duke smiled when he thought about no longer paying federal income tax on the hundreds of dollars in tips he earns on a busy night pouring beers and mixing drinks. But the 30-year-old said he cannot afford health insurance and worries about how higher costs for rent, food and fuel are affecting him and the patrons who slip cash into the jar at Pearl & Peril. "It's kind of messy right now," Duke said. Duke's dilemma is an economic microcosm of Donald Trump's second presidency. Although the Republican president has tried to put more money in middle-class pockets with tax cuts, the benefits are being eroded as prices keep rising, especially during the war with Iran. The latest numbers, released Tuesday, showed the rate of inflation continued to climb. It's a financial tug-of-war shaping people's lives as they consider the upcoming midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress during the final two years of Trump's tenure. |
| Why Republicans can't get traction on affordability legislation | |
 | Americans are furious about the rising cost of living, and a series of internal battles on Capitol Hill this week is laying bare why Republicans are struggling to do anything about it. House and Senate Republicans are facing divisions over a gas-tax holiday being demanded by President Donald Trump, not to mention housing and energy permitting bills that have stalled for months. Meanwhile, a long-term immigration enforcement bill that could be the last major piece of GOP legislation before the midterms has become engulfed by the inclusion of a billion-dollar Secret Service funding request that has put a spotlight on Trump's controversial White House ballroom project. The scale of the political challenges facing Republicans were further underscored Tuesday with the administration's latest cost estimate for the Iran war surpassing $29 billion and a brutal inflation report showing gas, grocery and housing prices surging last month amid the conflict. "I don't know that the Congress is doing a whole lot -- that's the real issue," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). "My advice to Congress would be, it might be good for us to do something on cost of living. ... It seems like voters are making it very clear that they want some relief." |
| Senate GOP balks at $1B in security for White House ballroom, despite Secret Service pitch | |
 | A proposal to provide $1 billion in federal funds to provide security for a new White House ballroom is in danger of being stripped from a budget reconciliation package after Republicans responded skeptically to the idea. "I don't have the details I need to support it. It was one thing when private dollars were building it. If you're asking me for a billion dollars, I have some really hard questions," Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said before a Tuesday meeting with Secret Service Director Sean Curran. GOP senators had lunch with Curran in the Capitol's Mansfield Room on Tuesday as he pitched them on the need to spend $1 billion -- substantially more than the ballroom was initially projected to cost -- on security enhancements to the ballroom and the White House grounds more generally. GOP senators said they wanted more details to justify the project, which is now estimated to cost several times more than the $200 million renovation President Trump announced in July. Republican senators are closely scrutinizing the mounting projected costs of the ballroom amid media reports that Trump's repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool wound up costing more than $13 million -- far more than the $1.8 million price tag that was initially announced. |
| Senate Democrats confront FBI director over reports of imbibing | |
 | FBI Director Kash Patel denied allegations about his alcohol consumption Tuesday as Senate Democrats raised concerns about his leadership, pressing him on a series of rolling controversies at the agency. At one point during a more than two-hour budget hearing, Patel lashed out at Sen. Chris Van Hollen after the Maryland Democrat pointed to allegations outlined in an article from The Atlantic magazine. Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit over the reporting. "I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations," Patel said during the exchange before the Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee. The exchanges occurred at a hearing in which Republicans turned their attention to other key Justice Department officials who appeared on the panel, or asked less contentious questions of Patel. Under questioning from Van Hollen, Patel denied allegations of episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences during his time as FBI director, saying those accusations were "unequivocally, categorically false." Patel, a staunch Trump ally, faced headwinds going into the hearing, as his tenure has been defined by a series of controversies that have ranged from personal to professional. |
| Facing headwinds at home, Trump signals eagerness to make deals at China summit | |
 | President Donald Trump came into office 16 months ago promising to take a hard line against Chinese trade policies that he said were stealing jobs and opportunities from Americans. But as he arrived Wednesday in Beijing on his first visit in nearly a decade, he wasn't coming seeking a fight. Instead, Trump appears ready to revel in the grandeur of a state visit with the strongman leader of one of the most populous countries in the world, as centuries-old monuments, including the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, are thrown open for his visiting pleasure. "We're going to be talking with President Xi [Jinping] about a lot of different things. I would say more than anything else will be trade," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday before leaving Washington. "We're the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China's considered second, who knows," he said. "I have a great relationship with President Xi, and I think it's going to remain that way. We have a lot of things to discuss." Trump arrived Wednesday to a sea of U.S. and Chinese flags waved in rhythmic precision by Chinese greeters in white uniforms. |
| Trump Arrives in China Against Background of Unresolved Iran War | |
| President Trump arrived in China with a contingent of high-profile business leaders, including tech billionaires Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Over the coming two days the leaders are expected to discuss issues related to the war in Iran and trade. Looming over the meeting of the two superpowers is the U.S. blockade of Iranian shipments of oil bound for China. Trump is seeking Beijing's help to end the Middle East conflict. Hours before Trump departed for China, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that China has "a lot of leverage" over Iran. Military leaders in Iran have said their control of the Strait of Hormuz will ultimately be more lucrative than exporting oil. That's because 20% of the world's oil has to move through the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the world. Countries across Europe and Asia count on importing fuel from Iran's neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. A senior Pentagon official said the Iran war's estimated cost has risen to approximately $29 billion, about $4 billion higher from the estimate given less than two weeks ago. |
| Study finds engaging with the arts can slow biological aging | |
 | If you want to stack the odds in favor of living a long life, you've likely already heard the advice to eat well and exercise, over and over again. So, here's a new idea: Ignite your creative expression and participate more in the arts. A new study finds this may help boost longevity by slowing down your rate of aging. If you're a painter or pianist, maybe you've noticed how making art or music can lower your stress level. Creative expression can have a profound effect on our biology. Researchers at University College London had a hunch the benefits went beyond this. "We found in this study that 'arts engagement' was related to 4% slower aging rates, meaning people were about a year younger, biologically, if they were regularly engaged in the arts," researcher Daisy Fancourt explains. The slower rate of aging held up for both the "doers" of the arts -- people who dance, sing or make art -- as well as those who take art in by going to concerts, the theater or museums. The findings are published in the journal Innovation in Aging. |
| A new kind of liver crisis is emerging in the U.S. The American diet is to blame | |
| Metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease, or MetALD, is now a leading concern among doctors in the U.S. as more young people and women face serious illness and die from the condition. Doctors worry that many more Americans might be silently developing MetALD, at least in part because many people do not realize they are drinking too much. MetALD occurs in people who have liver fat, metabolic risk factors -- obesity, prediabetes or diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol -- and who have more than 10 alcoholic drinks per week for women, or more than 15 for men. The share of Americans who meet those criteria has more than doubled since 1990, some studies suggest. Nearly 1 in 10 U.S. adults report overlapping heavy drinking and obesity, according to a recent JAMA Internal Medicine study. "If you drink alcohol, you are going to accumulate fat in the liver," liver researcher and transplant hepatologist Juan Pablo Arab said. "But what happens if you already have obesity and insulin resistance, and you already have fat in your liver?" It's a bad combination, physicians like Arab told STAT. |
| Delta State launching new scholarship program for first responders, teachers | |
| Delta State University will soon launch a new scholarship for teachers and first responders. University officials announced the creation of the Delta Heroes scholarship on Tuesday. The new financial assistance program is designed to support graduate students from Mississippi who serve communities across the Delta region through careers in education, law enforcement, and emergency response. Eligible professions include law enforcement personnel and related staff members, K-12 teachers and school office staff, and first responders including firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Nursing professionals are not included in the eligibility criteria for this scholarship program. "Delta State University has long been committed to serving the people and communities of the Mississippi Delta," Delta State President Dr. Daniel J. Ennis said. "The Delta Heroes Scholarship recognizes the dedication of the individuals who protect, educate and serve our communities every day while helping make graduate education more accessible for those professionals." |
| Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a 'Generation-Long Decline' | |
 | Something troubling is happening in U.S. education. Almost everywhere in America, students are performing worse than their peers were 10 years ago, according to new, district-level test score data released Wednesday by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford. Compared with a decade earlier, reading scores were down last year in 83 percent of school districts where data was available. Math scores were down in 70 percent. The declines have affected both rich and poor districts, and crossed racial and geographic divides. The new data provides the first national comparison of school districts through 2025, and offers a detailed picture of how individual school districts have performed over time. It underscores that many districts have experienced a long-term slump in student achievement, not just a blip during the pandemic. The biggest losses have been among the lowest-achieving students. "I cannot be more emphatic: This is an enormous problem that's not getting enough attention," said Nat Malkus, a senior fellow studying education policy at the American Enterprise Institute. |
| Louisiana House panel battles over auditing university spending on minority enrollment | |
| A House resolution directing auditors to determine how much state and federal money has been spent on programs requiring Louisiana universities to increase the number of minority students survived after a tense debate in the House Appropriations Committee Monday. Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman and Rep. Alonzo Knox, two New Orleans Democrats, moved to involuntarily defer, or effectively kill, the resolution. But the committee voted 11-7 Monday to send the measure to the House Committee on Education for further discussion. The resolution defines "underrepresented minorities" as all races other than white or Asian and includes students who are non-residents or whose race is either unknown or not reported. If the full House were to pass the resolution, it would direct auditors at the Louisiana Board of Regents, which oversees higher education, and university systems to tally funds expended by from 2021 to 2026 for staffing, programming, technology and grants aimed at increasing minority enrollment. |
| Proposed law could put deepfakes on college campuses under same category as sexual misconduct | |
 | A bill gaining momentum in the Louisiana Legislature would classify creating deepfakes as an incident of power-based conduct -- a category that includes sexual assault and voyeurism -- on college campuses. Senate Bill 347 by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, would add sexual imagery created by artificial intelligence without the subject's consent to the list of mandatory reporting requirements for university employees under the Campus Accountability and Safety Act. "A college cannot look the other way," said Rep. Terry Landry Jr., D-Baton Rouge, while presenting the bill to the House Education Committee for Barrow. "It must be addressed with the same accountability framework as all other forms of sexual misconduct." If passed, the bill would also require university administrations to distribute informational content about power-based violence to students at least four times per academic year, starting with the fall 2026 semester. |
| U. of Florida names new dean of College of the Arts | |
 | The University of Florida named Dr. Kevin Robert Orr as dean of the College of Arts on May 12, filling one of several dean vacancies across the university's 16 colleges. Interim President Donald Landry promised to prioritize dean searches prior to his appointment in August 2025. He called the number of UF colleges without a permanent leader the "major issue facing the university at this time," during his confirmation hearing. "I will do my utmost to support our deans, department chairs, faculty and staff, as well as our undergraduates, graduate and professional students," Landry wrote in a Sept. 2 email to the university. "Making permanent appointments to several key leadership positions will be at the top of immediate priorities." Orr, a concert pianist, is a UF Research Foundation professor and founder of the university's annual International Piano Festival. He previously served as director of UF's School of Music and succeeds interim College of the Arts Dean Jennifer Setlow, who has held the position since January 2024. |
| Recent UGA graduates say not all hope is lost for future of the job market | |
| As seniors wave goodbye to their four years as undergraduates following graduation, the reality of finding employment in the current job market sits in the back of many of their minds. According to recent quarterly highlights from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, labor market conditions remain challenging for recent college graduates, with unemployment rates for recent college graduates staying at 5.7% for the first quarter of 2026. Even though these numbers appear daunting, some recent UGA graduates remain hopeful in their ability to find employment after they graduate. Poppi Florence, a graduating senior health promotion major with an emphasis in health services, says that, unlike some of her friends, she is not looking for full-time work right after graduation. She plans to apply for anesthesiologist assistant school, but initially felt nervous going on a path different from her friends. Despite the concerning numbers surrounding unemployment, Florence is confident in her ability to find employment after she finishes school. |
| U. of Tennessee budget includes $18 minimum wage for employees | |
| The University of Tennessee's proposed budget for the 2026-2027 school year includes no tuition increase for in-state students and a raise in minimum wage for employees. University leaders presented the proposal on Tuesday to the UTK Campus Advisory Board, outlining budget issues related to inflation, workforce retention and campus growth. The proposed budget includes increases to several student fees, including facilities, transportation, housing and dining fees. In-state student tuition will not go up, but out-of-state tuition will go up 5.1%. School leaders also proposed raising the university's minimum wage for regular employees from $15 an hour to $18 starting July 1, 2026. The university said 411 employees currently earn less than $18 an hour. Administrators said the increase is needed to help with retention and recruitment, worker turnover and vacancies that impact campus operations and student services. The increase in wages is estimated to cost $1.08 million, with additional salary compression adjustments potentially ranging from $616,000 to $3.6 million. Facilities services employees would be the most affected, with 136 currently below the proposed minimum wage. |
| U. of Oklahoma, city officials break ground on Rock Creek Entertainment District | |
| The University of Oklahoma, Norman and county officials broke ground Tuesday at the future site of the Rock Creek Entertainment District in University North Park. Opening the ceremony, Norman Chamber of Commerce President Scott Martin introduced speakers representing the university, city, county and state. Martin said the ceremony marked the first of many future celebrations to come at the site. OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. thanked investors, university leaders, past city leaders and city council, and said the entertainment district's establishment was a team effort. "This wouldn't have happened without everyone that's here, not without the private sector, not without the city council and their critical vote on this," Harroz said. "It is a collective team moment." Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman and other sitting council members did not attend the ceremony. In a text message to OU Daily, Holman wrote the city will need the district to generate enough revenue to pay for itself early to reduce any negative impact to the city's general fund. |
| Princeton Changes Its 133-Year-Old Honor Code Over AI Cheating Fears | |
| For more than a century, Princeton University prided itself on an honor code so revered that proctoring during exams was banned. Students' pledge not to cheat was enough. Those days are over -- largely because of AI. On Monday, faculty voted to require proctoring in all in-person exams starting this summer, reversing a policy set in place in 1893 when Princeton introduced its honor code. The change came after "significant numbers" of undergrads and faculty requested it, "given their perception that cheating on in-class exams has become widespread," according to a letter from Michael Gordin, Princeton's dean of the college. AI has made it both easier for students to cheat and harder to spot, Gordin wrote. Students are loath to report cheating because they are afraid they'll be called out on social media. Those who do make reports often file anonymously, making it difficult for the school to investigate. Princeton had been among the few schools to use an honor code letting students take exams without a professor present. The code is embedded in the university's culture and has long been a point of pride. It goes back to the 19th century, when students petitioned to eliminate proctors during examinations, according to the student newspaper. |
| Why the U.S. job market is so hard, especially for recent college graduates | |
| The American job market is behaving in a way that economists are struggling to explain. The economy is growing. Unemployment is low. And yet, for millions of workers, finding a job has become harder than at almost any other point in decades. Amanda Munro, 32, followed every rule she had been taught. She earned a graduate degree, cultivated expertise in data science and environmental policy, and began establishing a track record as a policymaker, negotiating line by line with foreign governments over rules designed to protect sharks and rays on the high seas. When she was laid off last year as part of the federal cuts imposed by the U.S. DOGE Service, she expected to find another job quickly. Instead, she ended the year sorting packages in a warehouse in Portland, Oregon, earning $19 an hour. "It feels like the rules changed," she said. The struggle is felt across the U.S. workforce, but for the millions of students graduating this spring, it arrives at the worst possible moment. The first clue that something unusual is happening: Companies are not bringing on new workers the way they normally would in an economy this strong. |
| Financial Aid Administrators Wave the Red Flag Over OBBBA Time Crunch | |
 | As colleges and universities race to implement the largest overhaul to federal student aid policy in more than a decade, financial aid administrators don't want to be penalized by the Education Department if they get something wrong. The changes take effect in less than two months, and some key elements haven't been finalized yet, leaving institutions without clear guidance on how to carry out the overhaul. Administrators are worried the quick turnaround could lead to unintentional errors in how institutions award financial aid. Because of those errors, colleges could be dinged on program reviews, which could lead to other penalties. So aid staffers are asking for a bit of wiggle room in upcoming compliance audits. "ED has asked institutions for patience and grace as the Department fine-tunes the details of these sweeping changes and crafts final regulations," the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators wrote to Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent Monday. Now, "we ask that ED grant the same grace to institutions and provide for explicit flexibility in consideration of the exceptionally short time frame provided for implementation." |
| The Obscure Rules Change That Could Drive More Foreign Students Away | |
 | A seemingly arcane change to visa rules could be the next blow to the enrollment of foreign students in the United States. The Trump administration wants to impose fixed deadlines for international students to leave the United States. Colleges fear the new regulation could cause havoc at the height of visa season -- and discourage students from coming in the first place. The guidance, which is expected to be released any day, would make visas valid for four years or the anticipated length of a student's degree -- whichever is shorter. Students in longer programs like doctorates would have to apply for an extension to finish their studies. It's a shift from longstanding policy that allows, with few exceptions, visa holders to remain in the United States as long as they continue to be full-time students. Under the current system, known as "duration of status," students can take as long as they need to graduate or even start another degree program -- say, a master's after earning a B.A. -- without applying for a new visa. |
| There Is a Fire Sale on M.B.A.s | |
| One of America's most expensive graduate degrees is going on sale. Business schools at Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Irvine, among others, are giving steep discounts on tuition that can save students tens of thousands of dollars. For professionals who are considering whether to go back to school, it can offer a pathway to get a degree while staying debt free. But for the schools, many of which have struggled to attract applications, the discounts may not be sustainable as a business model. The price breaks tend to be for shorter, more specialized business degrees aimed at workers struggling to gain traction in a tough hiring market. Younger professionals in particular may be spooked that AI will disrupt their career plans, so business schools are pitching them that a graduate degree in business will give them an edge in AI expertise without having to step away from a highflying career for too long -- or at all. |
| Sharp Decline in GOP Support for Higher Ed Began Well Before Trump, Study Finds | |
| Political scientist Eric Shickler has fond memories of his years as an undergraduate at the New College of Florida, and he recalls that many other Floridians in the late 1980s and early 1990s felt the same. "You have this odd liberal arts college in a relatively conservative part of Florida. But at the time, there were a lot of Republican politicians who were really supportive of the school and saw it as an asset for the community," Shickler said. As he went on to complete his Ph.D. at Yale University and then join the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley -- researching the development of polarization in American politics -- Shickler's memories of New College took a back seat. That all changed in January 2023, when Florida governor Ron DeSantis began an all-out political attack on Shickler's alma mater. As the campus chaos made national headlines, Shickler thought back to the New College he once knew. "I found myself asking, how did we get from there to this takeover?" he said. "I was thinking, is this just the same story we've seen for issue after issue or is there something distinctive about higher ed that differentiates it from abortion, civil rights, gay rights and lots of other issues where the parties have polarized?" |
| Institutions of Higher Learning earns positive rating from Moody's | |
 | Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., who has served as Mississippi's commissioner of higher education since July 2018, writes in The Clarion-Ledger: Financial strength and stability are critical components in how a public enterprise is perceived in the broader market. That perception impacts how creditors and investors approach potential partnerships and long-term projects, and it can be the difference between stability and instability. For the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the perception is positive and positions IHL for stability now and in the years to come. The latest report from Moody's Ratings affirmed IHL's Aa2 rating and predicted a stable outlook for the future. That rating plays a key role in how Mississippi's public university system builds on its strong foundations and plans for the future. |
| Remembering the legacies of former GOP Gov. Kirk Fordice and First Lady Pat Fordice | |
| Editor's Note: Dan Fordice, the son of the former governor, died Tuesday in a plane crash. Columnist Sid Salter writes: When Daniel Kirkwood Fordice was elected as the first Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction in an upset of Democrat incumbent Ray Mabus in 1991, it signaled a sea change in Mississippi politics that has grown in scope for the last four decades. As a couple, the Fordices were as different as night and day. Kirk Fordice, the barrel-chested, square-jawed brawler who built a prominent construction company in Vicksburg, was intimidating, extremely confident, and left no challenge or insult unmet or unaddressed. Pat Fordice was gracious but uncomfortable in the spotlight and possessed empathy for the poor and for civic and charitable work, which grew over her husband's two terms as governor. Along with four others who covered the Fordice campaigns and eight-year tenure in the Governor's Mansion, I was invited to take part in a journalist roundtable last week as part of the Fordice History Project under the umbrella of the Mississippi Humanities Council at St. Andrew's Episcopal School's Chapel of St. Andrew the Apostle in Ridgeland. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's APR Success Illustrates Continued Academic Achievement | |
| Once again, Mississippi State student-athletes are winning off the field. The NCAA has released the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) data, and it's a testament to the sustained academic success being had in Starkville. Six Bulldog programs earned perfect multi-year APR scores of 1,000, and every MSU program exceeded the NCAA benchmark of 930. Men's golf, men's tennis, women's golf, women's tennis, soccer and volleyball all had scores of 1,000, while baseball, football, men's track, softball, cross country and women's track all had scores of 984 or better. APR data is released annually by the NCAA. It tracks academic progress, retention and eligibility. Mississippi State continues to be one of the Southeastern Conference's most consistent performers, maintaining high academic standards across all sports. The latest APR report contains multi-year rates based on the four years from 2021-22 through 2024-25. |
| Valincius brothers' mom having her best season living with sons at Mississippi State | |
| Vaida Valincius estimates she used to drive about 60,000 miles per year to watch her two sons, Tomas and Vytas, play baseball. The Valinicius family is from Lockport, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, but the brothers have played all over the United States. Vytas and Tomas are three years apart, so they very rarely played on the same team. Vaida did her best to be there, whether it was in California, Arizona, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia or greater Illinois. "I put down like three cars I think," Vaida told The Clarion Ledger. But finally, after years of countless hours in the car to watch her sons play baseball, it all came full circle at Mississippi State. |
| Baseball: Reese, Valincius Named Ferriss Trophy Finalists | |
| Mississippi State's Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius have both been selected as finalists for the Ferriss Trophy, which is presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player in the state. Reese, who was also a finalist for the award last year, is batting .335 this season. The junior third baseman from Canton, Texas is leading the Southeastern Conference with 21 doubles and is third in total bases (143), fourth in RBIs (63), fifth in runs (61), sixth in home runs (18) and slugging (.704), eighth in OPS (1.134) and ninth in hits (68). In 13 starts, Valincius owns an 8-2 record and a 2.52 earned run average with 105 strikeouts and just 16 walks across 75 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .209 against him. The sophomore left-hander from Lockport, Illinois ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts and wins, third in innings and WHIP (0.99) and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56). The Ferriss Trophy winner will be announced on May 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. An MSU player has won the Ferriss Trophy nine times during its 21 years of existence, the most of any program. |
| Women's Golf: State In Fifth Entering Final Round Of Chapel Hill Regional | |
| Mississippi State women's golf will enter the final round of the Chapel Hill Regional five strokes above the projected NCAA Championship cutline, as the Bulldogs sit in fifth place at 9-over par through the first two days. The junior duo of Avery Weed and Samantha Whateley both shot even par rounds during the second day of action. Weed collected a team-leading four birdies, while Whateley only carded two bogeys, the least of any Bulldog in the second round of action. Weed will sit in a tie for eighth entering round three at 1-under par. She is one of 11 golfers to be under par in the event. Back-to-back even par rounds for Whateley puts her right outside of the top 10, as she is tied for 12th. The top five teams in the leaderboard at the end of Wednesday's round will advance to the NCAA Championship later this month. At 9-over, the Bulldogs are five strokes over sixth place team Virginia. Kent State and Michigan State are in a tie for seventh at 18-over, nine strokes behind Mississippi State. |
| Men's Tennis: No. 6 Mississippi State Faces No. 5 Virginia in NCAA Quarterfinal Clash | |
| No. 6 Mississippi State returns to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second consecutive season and will face No. 5 Virginia after the Cavaliers defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 earlier this season at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Mississippi State enters the match after NCAA Tournament victories over Tennessee Tech, Wisconsin and Georgia. Virginia advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Rider, Columbia and South Carolina. The Bulldogs won the doubles point in the previous meeting between the teams on Feb. 14. Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez defeated Dylan Dietrich and Stiles Brockett 7-5 on court one, while Mario Martinez Serrano and Michal Novansky earned a 6-3 victory over Mans Dahlberg and Jangjun Kim on court two. The Cavaliers claimed the opening set on all six courts and went on to clinch four singles matches to secure the victory. |
| Tennis Earns Multiple 2026 CSC Academic All-District Honors | |
| The Mississippi State men's and women's tennis programs were well represented on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District teams, the organization announced Tuesday. The 2026 Academic All-District team, as selected by the CSC, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the tennis court and in the classroom. Representing the men on the academic all-district team are Mario Martinez Serrano, Petar Jovanovic, Benito Sanchez Martinez and Niccolo Baroni, while Chiara Di Genova represent the women's squad. Student-athletes who are at least a sophomore academically and athletically are eligible to be nominated when they have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and for graduate students, it must be 3.50 for both undergraduate and graduate. Additionally, all nominees must be in the lineup for at least 70% of the team's matches (regional competitions such as ITAs and non-team-scored events do not count). |
| Doug Hutton, Mississippi State Hall of Fame 3-sport athlete, dies at 84 | |
| Former Mississippi State multi-sport standout Doug Hutton has died, according to the school. He was 84 years old and died on May 9, according to his obituary on the Sebrell Funeral Home web site. Hutton played on the MSU basketball, baseball and track and field teams from 1960-64 and is a member of the M-Club Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. In basketball, Hutton was a 1964 All-SEC third-team guard and led Mississippi State in scoring with 14.9 points per game. The Bulldogs won SEC championships in 1962 and 1963 and made the program's first NCAA Tournament in 1963 as part of the Game of Change. After Mississippi State, Hutton broke into coaching, starting with the MSU basketball freshman team in 1965. Then, he coached high school basketball and baseball in Mississippi at Hazlehurst, Florence and Clinton. Funeral services will be held on May 15 at First Baptist Church in Clinton. |
| Doug Hutton: 101 points in one day of basketball. That's just part of his amazing story | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Doug Hutton of Clinton and Mississippi State was surely one of the most gifted and versatile athletes in Mississippi history. What you need to know about that is this: You never would have learned about Hutton's remarkable athletic exploits from Doug, who died Saturday at the age of 84. He was as humble as he was versatile. Without question, Hutton enjoyed the greatest day in the history of the Mississippi High School Basketball Tournament with two performances that more than 66 years later still boggle the mind. This was before there was a Mississippi Coliseum, before there was a 3-point line, and, yes, before integration. It was also before ESPN and SportsCenter, which is a shame, because if it happened today, the whole sports world would know know about it. ... In the stands watching that afternoon and night was Babe McCarthy, the Mississippi State basketball coach. State was Hutton's dream school. |
| Egg Bowl Game Time Announced | |
| As part of the annual Disney Advertising Upfront presentation at New York's Javits Center, Disney and ESPN have announced multiple kickoff times for the 2026 season, including the Egg Bowl. Mississippi State and Ole Miss will meet in Oxford, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 27. Kickoff for the 123rd Egg Bowl is set for 11 a.m. on ABC. This will be the second consecutive, and seventh overall, meeting between the two schools on a Friday. This will also be the second straight season that the Egg Bowl has been played at 11 a.m. on Black Friday. Additional game times and TV networks will be announced at a later date. |
| Texas' Steve Sarkisian rips Ole Miss academic standards | |
| Some SEC football coaches aren't waiting for kickoff to get after each other. One day after LSU coach Lane Kiffin's controversial comments about Ole Miss were publicized, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told USA Today that "all you have to do is take basket weaving, and you can get an Ole Miss degree." First-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall, a former assistant at Ole Miss, added to the fray later Tuesday afternoon with a jab at Sarkisian on X: "Grateful to coach at a top 10 public university that also offers advanced basket weaving!" A University of Texas athletic department spokesperson told ESPN on Tuesday that Sarkisian's comments were part of a larger conversation about tampering and he was stressing the importance of academics at Texas. The flurry of jabs comes just weeks before the SEC's annual spring meetings, which will be held May 26-28 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Miramar Beach, Florida. In a four-hour interview with Vanity Fair that was published Monday, Kiffin, who was the head coach at Ole Miss before taking the same job at LSU, said some top recruits would tell him they weren't interested in coming to Oxford, Mississippi. |
| How mixed-use stadium districts -- for work, play and football -- became college sports' latest craze | |
| A giant retaining wall grows, one gray cement block at a time, above the Silas Creek that snakes through Wake Forest and the bank of stadiums that houses Demon Deacon football, basketball and baseball. An erector site rises from a pile of dry brown clay in the shadow of Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. An intersection will soon disappear. The campus landscape shifts by the day. Soon, an area that was once an expanse of open asphalt and abandoned buildings will be 100 bustling acres of restaurants, retail, condos, apartments and student housing. When the $250 million project opens by the fall of 2027, Wake Forest hopes The Grounds will be a shining example of the latest craze in college sports facilities. Mixed-use stadium districts. "It's really about driving the economic vitality of Winston-Salem and Wake Forest," athletic director John Currie said. That goal has taken on greater importance in the revenue-sharing and NIL era. Now that schools are legally paying players, they're searching every couch cushion -- or underused parcel of land -- for new income streams. Plopping 50,000 square feet of shops next to an arena might not lead to a transformational payday, but if it generates a couple million dollars in passive revenue, that's a few million dollars that can buy a quarterback or buy out a coach. But the vision is also grander. |
| ESPN's 'College GameDay' announces first two stops of 2026-27 season | |
 | ESPN has announced the first two stops of the upcoming season for "College GameDay," which will kick off its 40th season with its 500th show. Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard will debut the show Saturday, Sept. 5, from Baton Rouge ahead of LSU's Week 1 matchup against Clemson. The three-hour season premiere of college football's traveling pregame show will air live at 8 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) on ESPN and ESPNU. "College GameDay" will then travel to Austin, Texas on Sept. 12 for a Week 2 battle between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State in a rematch of last season's 14-7 Buckeyes' win in Columbus. While "College GameDay" debuted on ESPN in 1987, its first-ever on-campus road show was November 13, 1993 when Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Craig James traveled to South Bend, Ind., for the marquee matchup between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Notre Dame, one of the biggest games in college football history. |
| ACC coaches, athletic directors in support of 24-team College Football Playoff expansion model | |
| The ACC wants to double the number of teams in the College Football Playoff, and an official endorsement from the league could be made public soon, CBS Sports has learned. The conference's coaches and athletic directors voiced their unanimous support for expanding the CFP to 24 teams during a joint meeting Tuesday at the conference's spring meetings outside Jacksonville. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips was also in attendance for the meeting, sources told CBS Sports. The development comes on the heels of the American Football Coaches Association's push for a 24-team field last week, a format first proposed by the Big Ten last year. Conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, without the SEC's Greg Sankey, met during a White House presidential committee meeting earlier this spring and voiced their interest and support for a 24-team field. The Big 12 also supports a 24-team field, commissioner Brett Yormark told CBS Sports on Tuesday. |
| Nebraska-Playfly Arbitrator Ruling Raises Stakes in House NIL Fight | |
| A neutral arbitrator on Monday sided with the College Sports Commission in finding that millions of dollars of purported NIL deals between Playfly Sports and 18 Nebraska football players were properly denied by CSC for lacking a valid business purpose. CSC, which announced the outcome, said the decision will be released once redactions are made. As authorized by the House settlement, the Nebraska players invoked their right to challenge the CSC's rejection in arbitration. After losing in arbitration, the players can still petition a court to vacate the arbitration award -- but as discussed below, they'd likely face steep odds. To be clear, an arbitration decision does not set precedent, as arbitration is a private dispute resolution forum outside the U.S. court system. An arbitrator's decision does not bind a judge examining the same legal topic, though the judge might find it influential or relevant. Also, an arbitrator looking at a similar set of facts and circumstances in a future NIL dispute could reach the opposite conclusion. In contrast, a decision by a judge is governed by stare decisis, the legal principle that courts must adhere to interpretations of law set by past decisions and that lower courts must follow higher courts when in the same jurisdiction. Still, CSC winning the Nebraska arbitration comes at a particularly important time in the NIL timeline. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
