| Thursday, October 8, 2026 |
| Pharmaceutical CEO gives $10 million to Mississippi State engineering department | |
 | The president, CEO, and co-founder of one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical service companies plans to give $10 million to support Mississippi State University's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. The gift is coming from Fred and Sara Jean Burke and is expected to create programs benefiting Mississippi State faculty and students through fellowships, scholarships, facility updates, and recruitment programs. Fred Burke is the CEO of Guardian Pharmacy Services. A 1971 graduate of Mississippi State, he credits the university for setting him up for success in the professional world. "Mississippi State University is a national powerhouse and global leader in engineering education, research, and engagement, and the strong support of alumni and friends like Fred and Sara Jean helps make that possible," Mississippi State President Dr. Mark Keenum said. |
| Starkville-MSU Community Band opens fall season with Oct. 18 concert | |
 | The Starkville-MSU Community Band opens its fall concert series with a free, public performance Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. in the university's Sills Band Hall, 72 Hardy Road. Led by Band Director Johnny Folsom, the concert opens with "La Madre de los Gatos" (Mama Cat), followed by David Holsinger's "On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss." Other selections include "Kentucky 1800" by Clare Grundman; "Our Yesterdays Lengthen Like Shadows" by Samuel Hazo and commissioned by the South Carolina All-State Band; and James Swearingen's "Majestia." MSU's College of Education, home of the Department of Music, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. |
| MSU Extension holds second Magnolia Moves Activity Challenge | |
| The Mississippi State University Extension will hold the second Magnolia Moves Activity Challenge to encourage people around Mississippi to be active. Extension Agent IV and County Coordinator for Washington County Mrs. Jennifer Russell explained how this activity challenge will work. Russell said people should know that anyone can participate, from youth to adult to mature people. This is for anyone who runs, walks, plays pickleball, or does housework. "This is about getting people healthy and moving," said Russell. "I personally understand the importance of health and moving, so I am actually using the Magnolia Moves as something to start me back up onto a healthier journey of walking and eating right." "Don't beat yourself up when you fall," said Russell. "Just get back up and do it again the next day." |
| Mississippi Municipal League to Bring Municipal Leaders Together for 2026 Small Town Conference | |
| Municipal elected officials from across Mississippi will gather in Hattiesburg October 8-9 for the Mississippi Municipal League's (MML) 2026 Small Town Conference, an annual event focused on providing leaders from smaller communities with practical information, educational opportunities and the chance to share ideas and experiences with their peers. Approximately 450 municipal officials and guests are expected to attend the two-day conference at the Lake Terrace Convention Center. The conference will feature Certified Municipal Official (CMO) education sessions, followed by two rounds of concurrent breakout sessions and two general session presentations. Speakers and presenters will include representatives from ... Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development ... and the MSU Extension Center for Government and Community Development. |
| Mary Means Business: Dawg House 44 opening in Starkville this month | |
 | The Cotton District is adding a new spot to its nightlife rotation. Latoya Weaver, operator of the popular 44 Takeout food truck, is expanding her local footprint with a brick-and-mortar venue: Dawg House 44 Bar and Grill. Located at 19 Page Ave., the former home of NutriGroove, Weaver hopes to open the new restaurant in time for Mississippi State's homecoming Nov. 7. Weaver said opening a standalone restaurant has been a long-held dream, and when the Cotton District location became available, her team immediately began bringing the concept to life. The menu will feature loaded hot dogs, nachos, baked potatoes, salads and a full selection of alcoholic beverages designed for game days and weekend outings. In more Starkville restaurant news, a Mexican eatery is getting a visit from a national media and marketing company. America's Best Restaurants will visit La Paisanita Taqueria, 106 Avenue of Patriots, as part of its ABR Roadshow Oct. 16. "We are delighted and incredibly grateful to be featured by America's Best Restaurants," owner Arnoldo Camarena said in a press release. |
| Coast prepares for heavy rain, winds and flood as Tropical Storm Isaias develops | |
 | Local and national weather officials are monitoring tropical storm Isaias as it approaches the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center states the storm is moving East at around eight miles per hour, expected to make landfall across New Orleans, La to Pensacola, Fla. Coastal counties east of the storm could be looking at a five-to-seven-foot storm surge range and six to ten inches of rainfall in some areas, according to Mississippi Live Weather Chief Meteorologist Matt Laubhan. Lauhban said because of certain conditions, Isaias could intensify quickly. "It's going over near record warm water in the Gulf of Mexico. That means that there's a very real possibility that it intensifies fairly rapidly at some point tomorrow as it's making its way northward, possibly as high as a category two, maybe category three hurricane," Laubhan said. He said because of circumstances, Mississippians should be prepared for weather outcomes to change fast. "People need to be prepared to listen to local authorities because it is entirely possible, with as quickly as this strengthens, that the messaging on this could shift quickly as well," Lauhban said. |
| Thursday updates: Hurricane Isaias strengthens, track shifts slightly west | |
 | Hurricane Isaias strengthened again Thursday morning after being upgraded to a hurricane late Wednesday night by the National Hurricane Center. In its 7 a.m. report Thursday, Hurricane Isaias was found to have maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was located 385 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm is moving east-northeast at 9 mph, with forecasters believing tropical-storm force winds could reach the Mississippi Coast as early as midday Friday. Jackson County remains in the forecasters' "cone of uncertainty," showing a Mississippi landfall remains a possibility. The NHC's track shifted slightly west overnight, from Pensacola to Orange Beach, Alabama. Meteorologists with the NHC warned residents across the Mississippi Coast and beyond that "additional strengthening is expected through early Friday, and Isaias should remain a strong hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Friday night." Isaias will bring areas of heavy rainfall to the central U.S. Gulf coast and much of the Southeast Friday into the weekend. |
| Vicksburg celebrates new Golding River Overlook | |
| Less than a month after Golding River Overlook officially opened, Vicksburg residents gathered Monday evening to make themselves at home at the new 5.5 acre park. Families filled the new park overlooking the Mississippi River for a community celebration that included food trucks, a pumpkin patch, music and performances by cheerleaders from Vicksburg and Warren Central high schools. Alderwoman Vickie Bailey said the park itself was the product of partnerships among the City of Vicksburg, Warren County, the Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Golding family, which donated the property. "This is another addition that simply came from partnerships," Bailey said. "You've got the city, the county, you've got MDOT and you've got the Goldings." But with the park now open, Bailey said maintaining it will require another partnership --- with the people who use it. "This is our park. This is your park," Bailey said. "So when you see things out of order, pick the paper up. Let's make sure that we keep this park clean and used." |
| Huntington Bank investing $40M in Tupelo HQ and operations center | |
| The Huntington National Bank is investing more than $40 million to modernize its Downtown Tupelo Regional Headquarters and Tupelo Operations Center. Huntington said the investment will "enhance the colleague and customer experience" while reinforcing its long-term commitment to Tupelo and North Mississippi. Bank representatives also said the project furthers Tupelo's role as a key center for Huntington's operations and customer support across its expanded footprint. In February, Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington closed on its $7.4 billion merger with Tupelo-based Cadence. Now one of the 10 largest commercial banks in the U.S., Huntington has some $284 billion in total assets, with 1,400 branch offices in 21 states. The new project will modernize both the Tupelo Operations Center campus on West Jackson Street and Downtown Tupelo Regional Headquarters with updated workspaces. Productivity and lifestyle enhancements at the Operations Center will include a new fitness center, updated health center and on-site café, while renovations to the downtown location will feature a modernized branch, a community meeting space and expanded parking. |
| Mississippi lawmakers discuss fuel tax relief | |
 | Mississippi has yet to join other states by temporarily pausing the state's fuel tax, as fuel prices are high due to the conflict in the Middle East. So far, truckers and farmers will see lower diesel prices through President Donald Trump's recent executive order. A few state lawmakers support Mississippi making temporary changes to the state's fuel tax, saying any type of relief would help. Some Mississippi lawmakers said they would support a temporary pause on the state's fuel tax, though Mississippi has not joined other states that have taken that step. Some are calling for that. State Sen. Tyler McCaughn (R-District 31) believes it's up to lawmakers to decide if they want to take the next step in addition to the governor's recent announcement. He supports the Legislature taking action in the near future. Lawmakers are concerned that the high prices could result in Mississippians traveling less or cutting back elsewhere. |
| Senate candidate Colom calls for suspending federal gas tax | |
| Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is calling for a temporary suspension of the federal 18.4-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax as fuel prices continue to climb. "Mississippi families are watching their gas and grocery costs increase while their paychecks stay the same, all while healthcare becomes more expensive and inaccessible because of Cindy Hyde-Smith," Colom said in a statement, referring to the Republican incumbent. Any suspension of the federal gasoline tax would require an act of Congress, and a president cannot unilaterally suspend the federal tax. Colom's announcement comes after Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday said that Mississippi would not enforce prohibitions against using un-taxed diesel meant for farm equipment in highway transport trucks, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to try to lower the soaring cost of diesel. Colom also aired a new ad on Wednesday as part of a seven-figure ad campaign, highlighting rising fuel and goods costs and advocating a raise to the federal minimum wage. |
| Democrats spy a red-state opening. There may not be enough cash for it. | |
 | Democrats' eyes may be bigger than their wallets. Democrats across a slate of deep-red states are clamoring for more cash to fight for Senate seats that suddenly seem within reach, with polling showing them competitive across a swath of normally impregnable territory from Kansas to Florida and South Carolina to Mississippi prompting a sudden bump in late-stage spending from outside groups. The party's main campaign groups have already begun spending in Texas, another state they once downplayed that's come seriously into play. But those same groups say they don't have enough cash to protect the core battleground and also make significant investments beyond it -- setting up Democrats for a series of difficult choices in the closing weeks of the midterms. "It's very clear in the polling: If we get our message out, we're going to win. We're also not an expensive state to advertise in," said Scott Colom, the Mississippi Democratic Senate nominee. "When it comes to Mississippi, we've been ignored for far too long." Democrats have been burned before by chasing these states. |
| Lawmakers Want Colleagues to Promise They Will Accept Midterm Election Results | |
 | Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans have grown increasingly anxious that the current GOP-controlled Congress could thwart the seating of Democrats in January. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to take the tactic off the table. Reps. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, are seeking written pledges from their colleagues to accept the midterm-election results. The effort follows months of claims by President Trump that some states' voting practices are vulnerable to fraud. They are asking lawmakers to sign a public letter "opposing efforts to undermine free and fair elections or override the will of the voters, including any attempt to refuse or delay the seating of any Member-elect who presents a validly issued election certificate." The goal, they say, is to get enough signatories to head off any prospect that the current House of Representatives would even contemplate parliamentary maneuvers to block their successors from taking over. Earlier this year, the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, published commentary arguing that Republican congressional leaders aren't obligated to immediately accept the states' results if they think they aren't accurate or fair, citing a constitutional provision that gives each chamber the power to be the "judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members." |
| Trump says his administration is 'looking into' further federal investigation into Wells' death | |
| President Donald Trump was asked Wednesday if he would push the FBI to further investigate the death of Nolan Wells. Trump told reporters, "We're looking at that. Yes, we are." The president's remarks came after a report in PEOPLE where "the Department of Justice said that in their view there is no evidence of foul play or any crime." "Federal officials assisted in the investigation and agreed with the determination of local authorities," PEOPLE reported this week after Wells' parents and their attorney Ben Crump continued to call for further federal assistance in the investigation. A no true bill was returned by the Jackson County grand jury in September, with no criminal indictments handed down in the Ocean Springs' teen's death. Wells' parents, however, are not satisfied with that result and have pushed for the investigation to remain open and active. |
| 'He's Not Making Sense': How Trump Has Alienated Voters for the G.O.P. | |
 | If Democrats make big gains in the midterm elections in four weeks, it may not only be because their most loyal voters come out in force, or because their candidates have converted Republican voters to their cause. Instead, the Democrats' dream blue wave could come from Republicans who sour on President Trump and stay home. It already has a name: the red undertow. Across the country, signs are emerging of an enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans, even among those who consider themselves likely to vote. A stretch of rural southwest Michigan -- long a Republican stronghold -- illustrates the point, with more signs for blueberries and eggs than for political candidates. Volunteers are not showing up to door-knock. And many voters say they are tuning this election out. Jim Pasek, a retired pharmaceutical plant maintenance worker who lives in the tiny town of Gobles, Mich., was baffled by a president he has voted for twice. "He's not making sense," Mr. Pasek, 80, said. "It confuses me, and then I just get disgusted and tune out." Western Michigan --- home of Gerald Ford --- may be seeing the ebb tide of the president's MAGA movement, which had surged in this region, once known for a sober, Christian-inflected conservatism. |
| Young men who carried Trump to victory are mad. Vance is trying to win them back. | |
| Of all the voters the GOP needs to coax to the polls in November, young men are among the most crucial. They swung sharply toward President Donald Trump in 2024, but like other parts of the president's coalition, some have since grown frustrated over the war and the cost of living. But the Trump administration and its allies also see them as among the most persuadable -- a group whose political and cultural instincts remain broadly aligned with MAGA. Enter JD Vance. The vice president has in the run-up to the midterms touted the Trump administration's work to combat "institutionalized anti-white, anti-male discrimination in this country," talked UFC with Joe Rogan and invoked the late Charlie Kirk as an example of a man who didn't retreat from politics even when he disagreed with the administration on Iran. Whether Vance is effective in getting his message across could be the difference, administration allies believe, in Republicans winning close Senate races in states like Alaska and Texas, which are among the youngest states in the nation. And while Vance has repeatedly said he is focused on 2026, he's also laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run where he'll need support from young men -- including the broader subset of Gen Z men, who are currently 14 to 29 years old -- to build a winning coalition. |
| Will a Harris run keep Beshear, Kelly, Khanna out of '28 race? What they said in South Carolina | |
 | California Gov. Gavin Newsom raised eyebrows last month when he said he wouldn't run for president if former Vice President Kamala Harris got in the race. But he's made a couple of multi-day stops in South Carolina, which will hold the Democratic Party's First in the Nation 2028 presidential primary, including a visit early last month. He has been appearing to lay the groundwork for a White House run. Other potential candidates, including three high-profile Democratic names who were in South Carolina on Friday, may not be waiting for Harris' decision, with several making trips to early primary states. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who visited Orangeburg and Charleston counties Friday, told reporters his decision would not be based on other potential candidates. "I've never had a free pass, and so when I sit down to decide this, it's not going to be about who else is thinking about getting in or not," Beshear said in Santee. "It's am I the right person at the right moment? Are we in a place where we can not only win, but we can heal this country?" U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, who has made three trips to South Carolina in 2026, said Harris' thought process would not affect his decision process. "No single individual is going to, regardless of who they are, is going to change my decision," Kelly told reporters Friday. |
| Justice Alito: Lower courts haven't 'gotten the message' on affirmative action, guns | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said lower courts "haven't gotten the message" about the Supreme Court's rulings on affirmative action and, to some extent, guns. In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Times this week, he also said the Obergefell decision, which established a national constitutional right to same-sex marriage, was among the "toughest" precedents set during his two-decade tenure. He added, however, that he did not want to hint that it should be overruled. He made the comments ahead of Tuesday's release of his book, "So Ordered: An Originalist's View of the Constitution, the Court and Our Country," published by Basic Books. The volume, which collects and refashions speeches he has given over the years, tracks the emergence of originalist judicial philosophy and defends it against other approaches to judging. "I don't think they've gotten the message on Students for Fair Admissions," he said, referring to the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of plaintiffs who challenged race-based policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina as elevating Black and Hispanic applicants over Asian American applicants. |
| Most Americans think artificial intelligence is developing too fast, a new AP-NORC poll finds | |
 | Worries around artificial intelligence cross party lines, with the vast majority of Americans saying the U.S. government should prioritize keeping AI under human control and protecting workers. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that most Americans, 64%, think AI is developing "too fast," while 27% say its development has been "about right" and only 8% say it's moving "too slow." The risk that powerful AI models could evade human control and hurt humanity, once the stuff of science fiction, has been emerging as a more pressing concern. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say it's "extremely" or "very" important for the U.S. government to ensure that AI stays under human control, and they are about as likely to want the government to prioritize protecting the country's workforce. Most U.S. adults also think minimizing environmental harm and growing the U.S. economy are highly important. About half say this about promoting technological innovation, and slightly fewer say that about competing with China. |
| Mississippi's first Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency approved at UMMC | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine has received accreditation to establish a residency program in physical medicine and rehabilitation, completing UMMC's core residency offerings while creating another pathway to train -- and potentially retain -- physicians in a state facing a persistent doctor shortage. UMMC said Wednesday that the program received approval from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education on September 1. Dr. Jennifer Hankenson, program director and associate professor of neurosurgery, said the new residency will provide comprehensive training across the full spectrum of rehabilitation medicine, beginning with a strong foundation in internal medicine. "They will get a really good foundation in internal medicine because a lot of what we do in physical medicine and rehab is making sure patients are medically stable," Hankenson said. "That foundation is absolutely important to their training process, and we are lucky that internal medicine has been so supportive because it allows our trainees to really learn the system from day one and create these great relationships." |
| UMMC anesthesiologist and Madison resident represents Mississippi at United Nations General Assembly event | |
 | University of Mississippi Medical Center anesthesiologist Dr. C. LaToya Mason-Bolden joined international leaders in maternal health, surgery, and patient safety for a high-level panel discussion held during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City. The event, titled "Advancing Maternal Safety During Childbirth: Improving Recognition, Response and Care," took place Sept. 24 at the Japan Society and brought together experts from around the world to address urgent challenges in maternal health and childbirth safety. Hosted by the Business Council on International Understanding (BCIU), The Global Surgery Foundation, and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), the forum focused on improving outcomes for mothers through enhanced monitoring, safer cesarean delivery practices, workforce training, and system-wide improvements in maternal care. Dr. Mason-Bolden, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, member of the Mississippi Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC), and state representative to the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) participated in a panel examining "Why C-Section Safety and Improved Maternal Monitoring Are a Global Priority." |
| University employee files lawsuit, claims racial discrimination and sexual harassment | |
 | Natalia Norwood has worked as a Civil Rights investigator and ADA specialist in the University of Mississippi Office of Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance (EORC) since 2022. She claims she faced repeated sexual harassment by her supervisor, as well as race-based discrimination, while working in the EORC. "I was trusting that this was going to be done correctly because I thought leadership above my department would be appalled by someone touching me inappropriately in an office that houses Title IX (enforcement)," Norwood said. "When we are an institution that has students, I was shocked. ... At that moment, I said, 'I'm going to have to file a lawsuit.'" At the time of publication, Norwood is still on restrictive administrative leave. Norwood is a University of Mississippi School of Law alumna, graduating with her Juris Doctor degree in 2016. She also serves as an adjunct professor for criminal justice and legal studies. |
| JSU alumnus opens M2 Go restaurant on campus, offering students meals and futures | |
| A Jackson State University hero returns to campus to open a new restaurant, investing in the students and their future. It's the brainchild of JSU Basketball Hall of Famer Richard Bradley Jr. M2 Go opened Wednesday afternoon with crowds waiting for the first sample. The student-operated fast food eatery offers wings, burgers, catfish, pan trout, fried broccoli and okra and more. Bradley, a former JSU basketball player and Assistant Women's Basketball coach, returned to focus on student quality of life with a side of soul food. "I understand what it feels like to be a college student low on money. You don't have a car. You're trying to figure out what you're gonna eat," said Bradley. "So making that option available here on campus is also gonna be great because the students love it." |
| JSU students march to honor Black lives lost in Mississippi | |
| Around 300 Jackson State University students marched through campus wearing black, chanting, and holding signs. They said it's to raise awareness of Black lives lost in Mississippi, including recent names like Nolan Wells, Tasia Fortune, and Kohen Wiley. The students said their goal was to remind people that Black lives matter and to push for more to be done to protect young people. "Students don't feel safe here anymore. We come from different aspects and all different walks of life. I come from Georgia, people come from Chicago, Iowa, California, people come from all over the earth to Mississippi, and when they come, this is supposed to be a safe haven for them," one student said. The students said this rally would not be their last. They hope to get the attention of Jackson Mayor John Horhn to organize a town hall meeting in the future. |
| Belhaven University grows total enrollment amid national challenges | |
 | Belhaven University is reporting record highs in enrollment despite seeing a slight dip in traditional student numbers. School officials said there are currently 1,019 students on the traditional campus as part of a total 9,190 record total enrollment that more than doubles last year's entire student body of 4,500. Both University President Roger Parrott and Vice President for University Enrollment and Marketing Suzanne Sullivan confirmed the numbers, crediting Belhaven's new doctoral programs for the school's growth. This fall the university had an intake of 363 traditional students, continuing what Parrot sees as a "six-year trend of growth" for a freshman population that has grown by more than 20% since 2021. But Belhaven's biggest growth has been in online enrollment, particularly in postgrad programs, where the university has 7,636 graduate students. Sullivan and Parrott point directly to Belhaven's doctorate programs, which include a doctorate in business and a doctorate of education. School officials did not provide this year's retention figures, but said high school dual enrollment grew by 45%, driven in part by new partnerships with area private schools. |
| Number of teens who identify themselves as gay or bisexual is in 'free fall' | |
 | Young teenagers are less likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than they were a few years ago, according to a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The decline is particularly striking among ninth-grade girls, according to Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University who published her analysis of the 2025 data on her Substack "Generation Tech." In 2021, 30 percent of ninth-grade girls identified as lesbian or bisexual. Last year, 17 percent did. "It really does look like a free fall," Twenge said. "But what's causing it is unclear." Twenge has been researching generational differences for decades. As part of that work, she regularly analyzes data from the CDC's biennial Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Online, conservative activists celebrated the news as a win brought on by the Donald Trump administration. But Twenge said the initial declines began during Joe Biden's presidency, and the data doesn't explain why a change in administration would affect one age group and not another. "If it was politics, why would that only have an effect on ninth-graders and not 17- and 18-year-olds?" she asked. "It maybe has something to do with it, but it's clearly not the only thing going on. It's a mystery." |
| Alabama public universities reach different conclusions on faculty senate, tenure law | |
| A state law that weakens faculty senates at public universities formally took effect last week, but Alabama's public higher institutions have reacted in starkly different ways to it. HB 580, sponsored by Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey in April, limits the power of faculty senates and also requires staff to submit to post-tenure reviews. The law went into effect on Oct. 1. The law gives governing boards of colleges and universities more control over tenured professors and faculty representation on campuses, including dismissal of tenured professors, abolition of faculty senates and requiring the creation of a post-tenure review process for schools. But school administrations have reacted differently to the law. Some moved over the summer to abolish their faculty senates. Others have committed to maintaining them, either as they are or in a weakened form. In June, Auburn University Board of Trustees voted to dissolve its University Senate and take direct control of curricula, despite an exemption in the law for Auburn and the University of Alabama, which have standing in the state constitution. |
| AU Turning Point USA hosts James Fishback, former Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate | |
| James Fishback, former candidate for governor of Florida, spoke to a classroom full of students in Lowder Hall on Tuesday evening. Fishback was invited by Auburn University's Turning Point USA chapter, which hosted the event. The crowd, made up mostly of college males, cheered on Fishback's speech on the state of Republican politics and how Generation Z can take back the conservative movement. A former hedge fund analyst and investment firm founder, Fishback announced his candidacy for Florida governor on Nov. 24, 2025. During his race, he visited every county in Florida; however, he finished third with 10.5% of the vote. Currently, Fishback is on a self-assembled campus tour, accepting speaking invitations from TPUSA college chapters to appear before students. After visiting Ole Miss on Sept. 29, which drew national media attention, and Auburn on Oct. 6, his social media said he will visit Mississippi State, the University of South Alabama and the University of Alabama in the coming days. Former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl took to X to call out Auburn's Turning Point USA chapter for hosting Fishback. |
| SGA meets to discuss safety, considers Narcan legislation | |
| The University of Tennessee Student Government Association Undergraduate Senate met for its fifth session Sept. 29. The University of Tennessee Police Department was invited to speak to the senate during Open Town Hall about various safety measures and programs offered by the department, followed by a brief Q&A. "We are very well resourced," Chief Sean Patterson said, "Chancellor Plowman puts public safety at the top of our priorities." The Fraternity & Sorority Narcan Access Resolution and the Resident Hall Narcan Access Resolution both highlight the need of Narcan in fraternity and sorority houses alongside providing Narcan training for hall directors and assistant hall directors. Both bills are sponsored by Sen. Killian White and Sen. Zachary Feldman. "Sen. Feldman and I have been thinking a lot about some of the safety measures this campus lacks, and that would be Narcan and accessibility to Narcan," Sen. White said. " ... It's not helpful if there is Narcan and no one knows where it is." Both resolutions highlight OneBox, a type of Narcan designed to make emergency response more accessible. The device provides a visual instruction, allowing students to safely administer Narcan with little to no medical training. |
| Lawmaker: Homeless Kentucky college students may be living in cars or 'couch surfing' | |
 | Some college students might be living in cars or on friends' couches, and homelessness in Kentucky is an issue that deserves the attention of the 2027 General Assembly, House Minority Whip Rep. Joshua Watkins told lawmakers Tuesday. Housing instability can prevent students from enrolling in and completing college, Watkins said. He was joined by Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education, at a meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education in Frankfort. In Lexington, University of Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Herald-Leader Tuesday afternoon, "If a student indicates that they are unhoused, the first thing we discuss is whether they have eaten that day and whether they have immediate access to food." "From there, we discuss their ability to move into on-campus housing. We connect the student with our housing team to determine whether the housing fee can be waived, and we review the student's financial aid to determine whether on-campus housing is a realistic and sustainable option for them," Blanton said. |
| U.Va. experts warn against emerging substances kratom, cychlorphine | |
| In the wake of recent deaths at the University of Mississippi, as well as suspicions surrounding the presence of the potent synthetic opioid cychlorphine in the drug supply, university officials, medical leaders and student organizations across the country have begun urging students to exercise increased caution around controlled substances. Dr. Abigail Kerns, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia's School of Medicine and medical toxicologist, wrote in a statement to The Cavalier Daily that one of the biggest concerns for college students regarding cychlorphine is its ability to enter the drug supply without consumers' knowledge. "The biggest concern is that someone may be exposed to cychlorphine without knowing they are taking an opioid ... [which] can be life-threatening, particularly in somebody with no opioid tolerance," Kerns wrote. Kerns also wrote that cychlorphine is an example of how the illicit drug supply changes over time, and new synthetic opioids can enter the supply before physicians, toxicologists or other health agencies can identify what they are and their potential risks. |
| Embrace or Ban Greek Life? Cornell Case Renews an Old Debate on Campuses | |
| In August 2022, an 18-year-old woman arrived at Cornell University to begin her studies on a sprawling campus featuring dozens of fraternity and sorority houses. The Ivy League university, she said in a lawsuit against the school last month, declared Greek life "vital" to Cornell and "endorsed these organizations as well-managed, worthy pathways" to friendships on campus and professional successes beyond it. But Cornell and the Greek groups, she says, also knew well that there was a history of dangerous behavior tied to the campus's fraternities. She is suing seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, the fraternity itself, the university and her own sorority. The case has revived a perennial, painful debate on American college campuses about the role of Greek life, and how to manage it when things go wrong. Some are calling for bans on fraternities and sororities at Cornell and elsewhere, pointing to a long history of deaths, hazings and instances of sexual and other violence. Supporters of fraternities and sororities maintain that they are an essential part of higher education, conferring benefits to both students who join and campuses who host chapters. Daniel W. Jones, a former chancellor of the University of Mississippi, said that fraternities and sororities, especially in parts of the South, pose extraordinary challenges for administrators. "The question is not whether you have them -- the question is how to manage them," said Dr. Jones, whose former institution has said nearly half of its undergraduates participate in fraternities or sororities. |
| Watchdog: Trump administration illegally withheld federal research funds | |
 | The Trump administration violated federal law by withholding tens of millions of dollars in research grant funding Congress had appropriated for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), according to a federal watchdog report. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Wednesday found the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by withholding more than $78 million in fiscal 2025 after mass layoffs dismantled the agency's grantmaking capabilities. The executive branch doesn't have the authority to pick and choose where to spend congressionally appropriated funding. The Constitution grants the president no unilateral authority to withhold funds from obligation. The formal legal decision comes more than a year after Democratic lawmakers officially requested an investigation following mass firings from the agency in July 2025, including all employees who process grants. |
| Trump Proposes $70K Fee for Foreign Student Work Program | |
 | The Trump administration wants to charge a significant fee for international students to work temporarily in the U.S. after graduation -- a proposal that some warned would further deter foreigners from studying in the United States. Any F-1 student looking to start optional practical training, the program that allows international students to work in the U.S., would be subject to a $70,000 fee, while STEM OPT extensions would cost $30,000. Institutions would be expected to pay the fee when they "recommend an F-1 nonimmigrant student for any type of OPT," according to the proposal released Wednesday. Officials wrote that the goal of the fee is to curb cases of OPT fraud, in which students use OPT to remain in the country but are not actually doing legitimate work; the Department of Homeland Security cites a local NBC investigation that found over 4,000 had used shell companies to falsify employment records to receive OPT. It also cited a recent DHS investigation that it said found 10,000 F-1 students on OPT who "were working for highly suspect employers." Nearly 290,000 students were authorized for OPT or STEM OPT in 2024, at which point the number of students participating in OPT had been steadily increasing for several years. DHS expects the fee to lead to a smaller pool of participants. |
SPORTS
| How Mississippi State is going about its bye week | |
| Mississippi State's bye week came at a great time. This was the main message from coach Jeff Lebby in the SEC Football Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are 4-1, 2-0 in the SEC and are currently ranked in the 17th in the AP Poll. Their next game will take it to No. 10 LSU next Saturday, Oct. 17. "We understand we've got a great challenge ahead of us next Saturday at 11 a.m.," Lebby said. "For us, it's about taking advantage of this time that we have to be able to get fresh, to get fast, to get healthy, and to get a little extra head start on LSU for next weekend." The loss to Alabama showed just how important it is to be the more physical team in the SEC. However, the four MSU starters leaving the game with injuries showed how important it is to stay healthy. For Lebby and the team, it's a fine line to walk. "It's different for everybody, depending on the type of depth that you have," he said. |
| Meet the new guys on MSU's men's basketball coaching staff | |
| Shunn Buchanan is well-versed with Chris Jans. Before the Mississippi native returned to his home state to put on the maroon and white as a coach, Buchanan played for Jans for three seasons at New Mexico State. He was a part of two tournament teams with the Aggies, and would have likely made a third if COVID-19 didn't end his senior season where he played all 31 games. When he was asked about the differences between coaching and playing with Jans, Buchanan laughed. "It's very different... it's a different dynamic," Buchanan said. "You got the player-coach relationship back when I played for him. Now it's kind of a head coach and assistant relationship. So it's different, but it's been good all in all." Buchanan served as a graduate assistant with Jans at MSU from 2022-24, but is back on the bench in Starkville as one of three new assistant coaches for the 2026-27 season. |
| Mississippi State basketball exhibition vs FSU canceled because of Tropical Storm Isaias | |
| Mississippi State basketball's exhibition game against Florida State on Oct. 10 in Pensacola, Florida, has been canceled due to Tropical Storm Isaias. Organizers are attempting to reschedule the exhibition, according to a release from Florida State. The exhibition was supposed to be the first of three for the Bulldogs. They are also scheduled to play NC State in Greensboro, North Carolina on Oct. 18 and Memphis at Humphrey Coliseum on Oct. 23. Mississippi State baseball also altered its exhibition schedule for the weekend because of the storm. It is now playing Auburn on Oct. 8 (6 p.m.) in Biloxi while the Southern Miss exhibition Oct. 10 was canceled. MSU basketball begins the 2026-27 season Nov. 2 (6 p.m., SEC Network+) against Tennessee Tech at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| How much Big Ten, SEC programs could gain from College Football Playoff expansion | |
| On Sept. 8, when College Football Playoff officials announced that they would enter a 30-day negotiating window with ESPN over a new expansion model, we all uncapped our red markers, pulled from the desk our friendly calendars and drew a large circle around Friday, Oct. 9 -- the public deadline date on which the negotiating period ends. Well, that's not exactly the case. Erase that circle! In fact, barring something unforeseen, no news is expected this week related to the CFP's negotiating window with ESPN. The negotiating window actually extends as many as five business days, to the following Friday (Oct. 16) or even the Monday after (Oct. 19). This Friday's deadline is mostly meant for the CFP. By Friday, if no deal has been struck (one isn't expected), CFP officials must make a formal offer to ESPN, at which point the network has the aforementioned five business days to respond and continue negotiations. If negotiations fail and a deal isn't reached by Oct. 19, CFP leaders -- the FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director -- can take the new, expanded postseason package to the open market for bidding from other networks and streamers. |
| The midterm elections won't keep Trump from college football on Saturday. A hurricane might | |
| The midterm elections are looming and the first hurricane of the Atlantic Season is menacing the Gulf Coast. But President Donald Trump is really, really hoping the weather doesn't stop him from going to another big college football game -- this one in Alabama on Saturday night. "Well, hurricane and football? I love Alabama. I gotta go to the game. It'd be awfully hard," Trump said Wednesday, when asked if Hurricane Isaias --- and a forecast track which has parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida bracing for significant impacts -- might alter his plans. Trump had been set to visit Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa when Alabama hosts Georgia in a Top 10 matchup, following an afternoon rally in Tennessee. Officials are still discussing how the storm might affect the game. But if it happens and Trump is there, it would be the 10th college football game he's attended as president since 2017 -- including the late September game in Knoxville when Texas topped Tennessee 20-17. Trump told reporters on Wednesday "if there's a hurricane, I don't want to do anything" to take the focus of first responders and law enforcement away from the storm, saying he wanted people to be safe. "We'll have to see," he said. |
| Students react to Trump returning to campus for Alabama vs. Georgia | |
| President Donald Trump will attend the Alabama vs. Georgia football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, marking another visit to The University of Alabama. Trump announced his plans while speaking at the Mitchell Center on the University of South Alabama campus in Mobile Friday night. Kennedy Hogan, a sophomore majoring in political science, said she was surprised when she heard Trump planned to attend. "I was a little surprised -- a little shocked," Hogan said. "I don't believe he should come to a game like that." Hogan said she had planned to attend the game but reconsidered after learning Trump would be there. She also raised concerns about traffic, security and how the visit could affect students working at the game. "Even with student workers who work the game and things like that, it's going to be very hectic," Hogan said. "Traffic is going to be terrible, and it's not going to be a very enjoyable time for us in general." Ledger Willey, a junior majoring in biology, said he would prefer Trump not attend, but that his presence wouldn't stop him from going to the game. |
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