| Thursday, April 9, 2026 |
| Best Small Town in the South: Starkville, Mississippi | |
 | Though it's home to Mississippi State University, Starkville is much more than just a college town. You'll find a thriving arts scene, multiple historic districts, many opportunities for birdwatching, and plenty of great food. Be sure to check out the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, a treasure trove of artifacts and correspondence. |
| Starkville named Best Small Town in the South | |
 | USA Today named Starkville the Best Small Town in the South of 2026. The publication announced the honor on Wednesday. It highlighted Starkville as the home of Mississippi State University, its thriving arts scene, historic districts and food. |
| Mississippi State baseball makes the Starkville economy hum in spring | |
 | Mississippi State baseball is a juggernaut that makes Starkville weekends hum from an economic development perspective. All of the 25 largest NCAA on-campus college baseball crowds are now owned by the Bulldogs. Mississippi State took over the entire Top 25 in the first SEC home series of the season when MSU hosted two games against Vanderbilt in March with crowds of more than 14,000. A packed Dudy Noble Field means packed hotels and short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and VRBO. Paige Hunt, director of Tourism for Starkville, said the atmosphere for business growth has never been better in the Oktibbeha County town. "Spring in Starkville has definitely sprung," Hunt told the Clarion Ledger. "I think just having baseball, having Mississippi State playing great baseball just makes spring weekends even better. The fact is when we look at the numbers for March, our revenue is up, our occupancy is up." |
| Starkville moves forward with preservation efforts at Brush Arbor | |
 | Moving down University Drive, Assistant City Planner Lyle MeCaskey said it's easy to pass Brush Arbor cemetery without realizing it's there. The two-acre historically Black cemetery is marked only by a small sign atop two crumbling concrete steps, with a few weathered gravestones visible beyond a shrub-covered knoll. With help from civic groups and Mississippi State University faculty, the city plans to change that, having secured more than $150,000 to build a new entrance designed to highlight the site's significance and improve public access. Signage is also planned along the entrance and, eventually, deeper within the cemetery to highlight notable individuals buried there. Sydney Pullen, an assistant professor in MSU's Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, is compiling information about those figures. More formal preservation work began at the site in 2023 with an MSU field school led by Jordan Lynton Cox, a former assistant professor of anthropology at MSU, to digitally document the cemetery's history and residents. |
| Ribbon cutting marks completion of mural art at 26th Avenue underpass | |
 | Meridian Museum of Art Collective, Lauderdale County and City of Meridian officials and community leaders dedicated a colorful new entryway into the Queen City on Saturday with a ribbon cutting for a recently completed mural along the 26th Avenue underpass. The mural, which stretches from one side of the underpass to the other, includes bright colors and shapes, with the words "Lauderdale County" on one side and "Meridian MS" on the other. Laura Carmichael, executive director of Visit Meridian, Lauderdale County's tourism arm, said the new mural is a fantastic addition to the city. Visitors coming into Meridian love stopping and taking pictures with the colorful display. Helen Sims, membership director for the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation, said the Art Collective is not only making the city beautiful with its murals but also providing an avenue for future artists to discover their creativity. |
| Mary Means Business: Coleman's Bar and Bistro opens in West Point | |
| West Point Mayor Rod Bobo purchased a vacant building with hopes to pour back into the city. About a year later, he and his partner, local attorney Robin Brown, opened Coleman's Bar and Bistro at 120 S. Division St. Coleman's offers a high-end style menu including lamb chops, steaks and pastas with a lounge area that offers bar favorites like wings, burgers and fries. Bobo is excited about how the public has received the new restaurant. "I've been pleasantly surprised," he said. "We've learned things we can improve on, and we're working our way through those kinks so we can offer our customers a superior experience every time." |
| Amazon announces another $12 billion data center investment in Mississippi | |
| Amazon has become the king of data centers in Mississippi again. The technology company is announcing another $12 billion investment in the state of Mississippi on Thursday, April 9 during a press conference at 1218 West County Line Road in Ridgeland, which is adjacent to one location where Amazon Web Services is already investing $10 billion for a data center campus. The vast majority of the $12 billion investment will be at the site in Madison County, while another near $1 billion will be for a data center location in Clinton. Add together the original investment, along with AWS's second announced data center campus in Mississippi in December in what will be a $3 billion investment in Warren County, Amazon now mas a total of $25 billion committed to be invested in the data center economy in Mississippi. |
| C Spire completes major project to increase high-speed internet access across Mississippi | |
| Telecommunications giant C Spire has completed a major project that will provide fiber internet access to more than 14,000 Mississippi homes and nearly 20,000 undeveloped lots. C Spire was awarded a grant from the U.S. Treasury's Capital Projects Fund, a $10 billion program that subsidizes campaigns to increase access to high-speed internet in unserved and underserved regions of the nation. The Mississippi company was tasked with making enhancements in its home state. Notably, C Spire's project entailed improvements in Amite, Lincoln, Lamar, Madison, DeSoto, and Hinds counties. The project, administered at the state level by the Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM), was part of $164 million in total funds allocated to Mississippi for the construction and deployment of internet infrastructure to deliver service that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical speeds of 100Mbps. |
| Michael Watson Vows to Improve Relationships at the Mississippi Legislature if Elected Lieutenant Governor | |
| Looking at his wife and three daughters who were standing by his side in the warm atrium of the Mississippi Trade Mart, Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson vowed to improve relationships between lawmakers and state leadership as he launched his campaign for lieutenant governor on Tuesday. "As lieutenant governor, no one individual can get anything done in Jackson by themselves. It takes a team. It takes working with our 52 state senators, our 122 House members, moving the direction forward. It takes a governor that's willing to talk to and work with our legislative leaders. It takes a speaker that's willing to work with and talk to our legislative leaders as well," he said to a crowd of family, friends, lawmakers, lobbyists and journalists on Tuesday evening. "I don't see that much in Jackson right now. It's unfortunate. You know, they all claim to be Republicans, but don't even communicate. That's not a way to lead the state. Mississippi deserves better, and Mississippi's going to get that when I'm lieutenant governor." |
| Secretary of State visits Starkville for Lt. Governor campaign tour | |
 | Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is hitting the road to let people know about his next career move. Starkville was his second stop on day two of his campaign tour for Lieutenant Governor. Watson, a Jackson County native, will be running in the 2027 Republican Primary. He is in his second term as Secretary of State, and before being elected to that post, he served three terms representing District 51 in the Mississippi Senate. Watson says it's important to listen to Mississippians about the policy initiatives and the issues that are important to them. "It's important to me to kind of look back and understand the experience I've had in the State Senate, now as Secretary of State, my desire has always been 'where can I do the most good for Mississippi?'" He says he will be taking a kitchen table tour in the fall and listen to Mississippians about what's impacting their lives, so he can build policies around their needs. |
| Mississippi 2027 election candidates begin announcing campaigns | |
| Candidates are making their campaigns official for Mississippi's 2027 statewide elections, with new announcements happening less than a week after lawmakers leave the Capitol. Andy Gipson has announced for governor and Michael Watson for lieutenant governor. Several other current statewide office-holders are rumored to join Gipson on the Republican ticket for governor. Republican analyst Austin Barbour said a lot of discussions happen behind the scenes before it gets to that point. "The announcement is just a culmination of all that work... and sort of putting yourself out there for voters," Barbour said. Mississippi College political science professor Dr. Glenn J. Antizzo said the potential movement of current office-holders creates a shake-up in the lineup. "There is a little bit of a Pez dispenser dynamic...you pull it out, and then the others snap up. There is a bit of that dynamic, particularly on the Republican side, because they do so dominate the executive branch of state government here," Antizzo said. |
| Student cell phone use bans fail to find support in Mississippi House, Senate | |
| Bills that would have restricted the use of cell phones by public school students during instructional hours did not make it through the legislative process again this session. Efforts to restrict the use of cell phones by students while in school have been a topic of discussion for several sessions, but legislative negotiations have thus far failed to come to an agreement. Concerns over the use cell phones in school range from cheating on tests to causing classroom disruptions. But some legislators like State Rep. Samuel Creekmore (R), author of one of this session's cell phone ban bills and chair of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, are also worried greater consequences are possible. "They're not interacting with each other. They're staying on their phone, they're not engaging socially or even physically," said Creekmore of the students. State Rep. Rob Roberson (R), Chair of the House Education Committee, agreed that the constant use of social media and cell phones are detrimental to the social wellbeing and mental health of today's children. |
| Mississippi governor vetoes medical marijuana, healthcare bills | |
| The veto pen is among the most powerful tools of the Mississippi Legislature, and Gov. Tate Reeves has wielded it habitually in his tenure. This year, his vetoes have mostly been directed toward public health bills so far, with more likely to come. He has vetoed four bills as of Wednesday, April 8, half as many as he did the previous two sessions, but Reeves will continue reviewing legislation and potentially reject more proposals over the coming days. Reeves vetoed both of the medical marijuana bills that passed through the Legislature this session, issuing the fatal blow for bills that had already faced unfriendly chambers. Based on numbers from previous years, there is a chance that Reeves will veto more bills in the coming days. He has five days to reject or sign a bill after it hits his desk, otherwise allowing the law to go into effect without his participation. |
| Governor approves second disaster loan program for cities, counties effected by winter storm | |
| Governor Tate Reeves (R) has signed legislation into law creating the "Local Governments Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program" after lawmakers made adjustments to the measure following a veto of an earlier attempt at establishing the program last month. The disaster assistance program will be administered by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and provide loans to local governments recovering from federally declared disasters. Lawmakers sought to pass the measure following the January winter storms that left many north Mississippi cities and counties without power for over a week while causing downed power lines, hazardous roadways and other strains on local infrastructure. The program is designed to help cities and counties bridge financial gaps while awaiting federal reimbursement from FEMA. |
| Mississippi's top health official says he's not going to the CDC | |
| State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said on Wednesday that while he was honored to have been considered to lead the nation's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he is not seeking a new role. "Where my mindset is, is serving the people of Mississippi as their state health officer," Edney said to reporters following a state Board of Health meeting in Jackson. "This is a job that I love. I've made it clear to everyone I've talked to, I'm not looking for another post. But this is a post of high significance and high impact and we're making progress in Mississippi. I love being the state health officer and I'm very happy." The Washington Post reported March 22 that Edney was among about half a dozen people the Trump administration was considering as its nominee for the position. On March 25, the deadline to appoint a new director of the nation's top public health agency, the Trump administration delayed naming a candidate. |
| Johnson faces rocky weeks of lassoing frustrated House Republicans for major bills | |
 | Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces a tough task in the coming weeks in trying to lasso House Republicans to pass two high-stakes bills that are dividing and enraging the conference. Johnson will aim to pass a "clean" reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) foreign surveillance powers next week ahead of an April 20 expiration. With rebellious Republicans seeking reforms and unrelated measures as part of it, he may have to look to Democrats to advance the bill. Meanwhile, fury from Republicans over a leadership-endorsed, two-step plan to end the record-long Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is complicating how fast Republicans can act to fund the department, and the dispute is not likely to be settled next week. |
| What a Lasting Cease-Fire Would Do for the American Economy | |
 | The fragile, two-week cease-fire involving the U.S., Israel and Iran is welcome news for the U.S. economy -- but don't expect an immediate return to normal. In recent weeks, soaring gasoline prices and climbing mortgage rates pinched consumers already unhappy about the high cost of living. Rising energy and transportation costs squeezed businesses. As the war hit stocks, household wealth fell, threatening to dent consumer spending. Some economists even started worrying about a recession. Now, the outlook is brighter. Americans woke up Wednesday slightly richer -- the S&P 500 is up 2.5% since news of the cease-fire -- and they can expect to eventually pay less at the pump. Benchmark U.S. oil prices fell 16% on Wednesday to $94.41 a barrel. Still, economists caution that the war's economic fallout won't be undone overnight. |
| 'We lose the midterms': Republicans worry Iran might have already cost them Congress | |
 | Republicans are relieved over Trump's steps toward reconciliation in Iran -- but they worry the measures are too little, too late to save them from a brutal midterm election cycle. Behind the public celebration by many Republicans of the temporary two-week ceasefire announcement, longtime party operatives continue to warn of a bleak political reality as the cost-of-living concerns around the war including spiking gas prices that are likely to continue for weeks if not longer even if the fragile ceasefire holds. The concerns are compounded by Republicans' underperformances in a spate of recent elections, fueling fears that voters, concerned about pocketbook issues, are eager for change. The war, even if it ends now, will likely have lingering effects on gas and other commodity prices that Republicans will be forced to defend on the trail, as much as they might try to talk about tax cuts or border security. |
| What one campaign rally in Michigan reveals about young voters ahead of the midterm elections | |
 | As students banged on desks and stomped their feet inside a packed lecture hall at the University of Michigan, someone decades older stood in the back, quietly taking in the scene. Debbie Dingell, a longtime Democratic congresswoman, was there to watch progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed campaign with Hasan Piker, a popular yet controversial online streamer. Dingell has often served as an early warning system for her party, cautioning that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on track to win Michigan in 2016 and 2024. Now she was once again scoping out the shifting political landscape, and something caught her eye. "Quite frankly, I haven't seen that many people outside an event yet this year," said Dingell, whose district includes Ann Arbor and who said her attendance wasn't an endorsement. A line of mostly young people stretched out the door and down the street, hundreds waiting in the cold evening air on Tuesday. |
| Politicians Are Spending More Money on Security as They Increasingly Become Targets | |
 | Federal campaign and political action committee spending on security during the 2024 election cycle was over five times the amount spent ahead of the 2016 election, according to a new report published on Thursday. The report by the Security Project at the nonpartisan group Public Service Alliance notes that the jump in spending comes as violent threats against public servants and their families are rising at all levels of government. Justin Sherman, interim vice president of the Security Project and the author of the report, finds the rising costs of addressing such threats concerning and says for some candidates it can create additional financial pressure. On the state level, legislatures are considering reforms that would ensure that political candidates could pay to secure their offices, homes, and personal information while on the campaign trail. |
| Penalties stack up as AI spreads through the legal system | |
 | When it comes to using AI, it seems lawyers just can't help themselves. Last year saw a rapid increase in court sanctions against attorneys for filing briefs containing errors generated by artificial intelligence tools. The most prominent case was that of the lawyers for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who were fined $3,000 each for filing briefs containing fictitious, AI-generated citations. But as a cautionary tale, it doesn't seem to have had much effect. "Recently we had 10 cases from 10 different courts on a single day," says Damien Charlotin, a researcher at the business school HEC Paris who keeps a worldwide tally of instances of courts sanctioning people for using erroneous information generated by AI. "We have this issue because AI is just too good -- but not perfect," he says. When lawyers get in trouble for using AI, it's because they've violated the long-standing rule that holds them responsible for the accuracy of their filings, regardless of how they were generated. |
| Gen Z Is Using A.I., but Doesn't Feel Great About It | |
 | Think young people are charging eagerly into an A.I.-mediated future? Think again. More than half of Gen Z-ers living in the United States use generative artificial intelligence regularly, but their feelings about the technology are souring, according to a new survey released on Thursday by Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, a venture capital firm that works in education technology. The percentage of respondents ages 14 to 29 who said they felt hopeful about A.I. declined sharply since last year, down to 18 percent from 27. Young adults' excitement about artificial intelligence dropped, too, and nearly a third of respondents indicated that the technology made them feel angry. The survey of more than 1,500 people was conducted in February and March. Its results suggest that Americans' animosity toward A.I. extends to a younger generation -- one that is currently struggling to find its footing in the workplace. |
| Mississippi Day fun ranges from rock walls to research | |
 | The University of Mississippi is getting ready to break out the pop-up tents again. This time, they are not for tailgating, but rather for its annual outdoor open house on April 11. Mississippi Day is set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union Plaza, the Circle and Business Row. This free event is open to the public and will have shuttles running from parking areas at the Ford Center and Tad Smith Coliseum. "The University of Mississippi has amazing faculty, staff and students," said Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "This academic open house is a way to showcase the amazing people and the great work they are doing. It also brings our community together to have a little fun." |
| Lauren Stokes talks job termination on the campus from which she was fired | |
 | Former University of Mississippi employee Lauren Stokes spoke about her controversial job termination during a UM American Civil Liberties Union event on April 7 at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center. Her appearance followed the dismissal of her lawsuit against Chancellor Glenn Boyce by a federal judge on March 16. Stokes was fired from her position as executive assistant for the vice chancellor for development at the university on Sept. 11 after she reposted an Instagram post to her private account criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the day of his murder at Utah Valley University. Much of the conversation at the ACLU event concerned the First Amendment and freedom of speech, with Stokes arguing that her being fired from the university was in violation of this right. Stokes' attorney, Alysson Mills, shared their plan to appeal the ruling that dismissed Stokes' case to the federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and her hopes for the outcome. |
| USM graduate becomes state's first higher education student to win national Coffman military history honor | |
| U.S. Army Capt. Travis Salley is the first person from a university or college in Mississippi to win the Coffman Prize, a distinguished award in military history scholarship. The Society for Military History's Edward M. Coffman First Manuscript Prize is an annual competition for the best military history dissertation. The winner receives a cash prize and is honored during the society's annual conference in Arlington, Virginia. Salley's dissertation, which was part of his work to earn a doctorate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, was titled "Sex and Danger, Airborne Ranger: A Historical Analysis of G.I. Songs, Jody Calls and Marching Cadences." He earned his PhD in military history from USM in December. |
| Jackson State officials plan to put $500K from FedEx toward business student scholarships and internships | |
| A $500,000 gift from FedEx to Jackson State University will go toward helping business students gain professional development opportunities and expanding academic programs in the College of Business. The unrestricted money will also be used to expand the business school's supply chain management center and data analytics lab. During an announcement of the gift Wednesday on campus, officials also said they plan to support student scholarships and research and development for faculty. "This investment from FedEx not only reestablishes the partnership with the university, but it will support programs and better prepare students to be day-one-ready for the workforce," Business School Dean Nicholas Hill said. "Their preparation matters, their talent matters and their futures matter." |
| Black Spring Break returns to South Mississippi, but will the crowds? | |
 | Crowds will return to the beaches in South Mississippi this weekend as Black Spring Break is back in Biloxi and Gulfport from April 9 to 12. How large those crowds will be, though, is anyone's guess. Black Spring Break 2025 saw a significantly smaller turnout than in years past, according to those who were here. "It's dead this year," Antoine Taylor said to the Sun Herald last year. Taylor travels to Biloxi from Brandon for the event annually. Law enforcement, dozens of whom could be seen patrolling among the beachgoers throughout the weekend, also noticed the change. Scheduled events are planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Additionally, pop-up events routinely happen throughout the weekend. Those who don't want to get into the Spring Break traffic should stay away from the beach and Pass Road on Friday night and Saturday afternoon into the night, when traffic typically is heaviest. |
| ICC to host 'Bridges to Belonging' conference on April 10 | |
| As the need for meaningful support systems for neurodivergent students continues to grow, Itawamba Community College's Bloom Neurodivergent Program is bringing educators, families and community leaders together for a shared purpose. ICC will host the "Bridges to Belonging: Connecting Families, Schools and Community for Student Success" conference on April 10 at the ICC Belden Center, uniting partners from across the region to strengthen pathways for student success. The daylong conference is designed to foster collaboration among K-12 schools, higher education, families and community agencies, with a focus on helping students successfully transition from school to adulthood. |
| Alabama lawmakers finalize $12.4 billion education budget package | |
| Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday finalized the state's education spending plan for next year, after the House agreed to Senate changes. Lawmakers signed off on a $10.5 billion FY27 Education Trust Fund budget, a $420 million supplemental appropriation available to spend during the current fiscal year, and a separate $1 billion Education Advancement and Technology Fund allocation also available to spend during the current fiscal year. The $420 million supplemental appropriation provides one-time spending for the current fiscal year, sending money to K-12 and higher education programs, school safety and technology needs along with a range of earmarks for education-related initiatives. |
| From talking mannequins to virtual colonoscopies, Louisiana medical schools embrace simulation tech | |
 | The high-tech, lifelike mannequin would be downright creepy if it wasn't such a good teaching tool. The device, designed to look like a 10-year-old kid lying in a hospital bed, turns its head when it hears a voice. Its silicone skin feels lifelike. And it can talk -- or at least transmit the voice of an instructor from another room. The roughly $220,000 "patient simulator," among the most sophisticated on the market, is one of many cutting-edge teaching tools now in use at LSU Health New Orleans' Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation, a 2-year-old, $68 million investment in new technology and techniques that shows how much health care education has evolved. A few decades ago, medical and nursing students learned entirely on the job. Not anymore. Since the 1990s, the emergence of $4 billion medical simulation industry has changed the process, and Louisiana schools are among those investing in expensive gear and building new programs as they explore ways to train the next generation of health care professionals. |
| Louisiana weighs shortening prison sentences for those who earn associate's degrees | |
| A bill is advancing through the Louisiana Legislature with bipartisan support that would shorten criminal sentences for incarcerated people who attain associate's degrees. House Bill 111 by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, was advanced unanimously Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Judiciary C. The bill would add associate's degrees to the list of degrees that incarcerated people can earn to receive 90 days toward the reduction of their sentence. Current law already allows the imprisoned to reduce their sentences by attaining bachelor's or master's degrees. Landry's bill has support from a wide range of organizations across the political spectrum, including the conservative Pelican Institute and Louisiana Association of Business and Industry as well as the liberal Southern Poverty Law Center. It is part of package of educational proposals with the backing of a coalition of business and criminal justice organizations with the goal to reduce recidivism and improve workforce participation by formerly incarcerated people. |
| Political oversight reaches Texas college classrooms, with Texas Tech and A&M at the forefront | |
| Ahead of the spring semester, both the Texas Tech and the Texas A&M University Systems announced restrictions on what professors can teach about race, gender and sexual orientation. To ensure compliance, they implemented a review of course materials. Texas Tech hasn't said how many courses were canceled or modified to comply with the review, despite multiple requests. Texas A&M modified hundreds of syllabi at their flagship university in College Station alone. Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors said the curriculum reviews are part of a rapid assault on academic freedom in Texas over the past six to nine months. "They do everything bigger in Texas," Wolfson said."This is about knowledge production. Like, who controls what is knowledge?" So, why is this happening now? |
| Mizzou sets single-year record for research expenditures | |
 | The University of Missouri conducted $553 million in research for fiscal year 2025, setting a record for the school's research expenditures. The amount marks 12 consecutive years of growth, according to a Mizzou news release. "Mizzou's incredible research momentum reflects our community's total dedication to achieving excellence," UM System President Mun Choi said in the release. The $533 million is a 133% increase in funding since 2013, according to the release. According to the Division of Research, Innovation and Impact's 2025 report, $384 million of funding came from sponsored awards such as grants and contracts, and $271 million came from the federal government. "These record-setting numbers prove our institution's commitment to research excellence, improving the lives of Missourians and beyond," Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said in the release. |
| The Small Private Colleges Dying in a Winner-Take-All University Marketplace | |
| Consolidation of the nation's nearly trillion-dollar higher-education sector is driving a new winner-take-all market, benefiting Ivy League campuses, flagship public universities and schools with high-profile sports teams and renowned research institutions. They enjoy high demand and a surplus of full-tuition payers, while lesser-known campuses juggle cost cuts and steep tuition discounts to fill seats. Shrinking enrollment at 442 private nonprofit colleges -- out of 1,700 nationwide -- is placing them at significant risk of closing or merging in the next decade, according to a forecast by the Huron Consulting Group, which advises schools on operations and mergers. Small and rural colleges, including many that survived the Great Depression, are especially vulnerable. In addition to demographics, skepticism about the value of a college degree also has reduced the share of Americans choosing college. The decline in confidence is amplified by the tough job market for recent graduates and uncertainty about the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace. |
| Colleges cut spending, raise funds as new loan limits for parents loom | |
 | New restrictions on how much parents can borrow for their children's higher education are putting pressure on colleges and universities to help families cover more of the cost. Some schools are fundraising or cutting expenses to provide more scholarships. Others are considering creating their own loan programs or turning to state-based lenders for support. But the need may be far greater than most colleges can handle. "A lot of institutions are stepping up and helping," said Barbara K. Mistick, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents private schools. "Can they cover this whole gap? I mean, that's really going to be difficult." Parent loans have become a staple for families at not only private nonprofit colleges but also some public flagships. |
| Presidents Puzzled on Rebuilding Public Trust in Higher Ed | |
 | Public trust in higher education rebounded slightly in the last year but remains at historic lows. And presidents know it: According to Inside Higher Ed's 2026 Survey of College and University Presidents with Hanover Research, just 16 percent of leaders think higher ed has been at least moderately effective in responding to declining public trust -- a modest increase from last year's 8 percent. Just 2 percent of presidents say higher ed has been highly effective at addressing this issue. In a parallel finding, 2 percent of presidents believe that higher ed has been highly effective in addressing the widening education divide in the U.S. electorate, or the increasingly sharp difference in how people vote by degree attainment. That's virtually unchanged from last year. Gallup and Lumina Foundation have found that the top drivers of public doubts about higher ed relate to perceived political agendas, teaching the wrong things and costs. Conversely, the top drivers of trust are perceptions of value, strong training and educational quality. |
| The truth about ACA subsidies after the One Big Beautiful Bill | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: If you've followed the headlines, you'd think Congress recently pulled the rug out from under low-income Americans' access to health insurance. Only, no. The debate over the Affordable Care Act took a predictable turn after the "One Big Beautiful Bill" passed. Critics quickly claimed the legislation gutted subsidies and made coverage unaffordable for the working poor. The facts tell a different story. The OBBB did not end the subsidies contained in the Affordable Care Act. They persist. Enhanced subsidies created during COVID, and sold by the Biden administration as "temporary premium reduction," expired as originally designed. Lower income workers did not see premiums explode as a result. Nearly a third still pay no premiums at all and the median monthly premium is now just $42 dollars. |
| Happy Local News Day! | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Layne Bruce, president of the Mississippi Press Association, sent me an email reminding me that Thursday, April 9, is Local News Day. Attached to the email were various documents advising me on how to promote the value of local news to our readers. One message states, "It's Local News Day -- a national day of action to uplift the local journalism that keeps our communities connected, informed and strong. You already know how much local news matters. Today, we're asking you to help spread the word." ... I'm all for promoting local news. My entire 45-year career has been devoted to promoting local news. Local news definitely needs promoting because, as it stands, professional local news is dying. ... Apparently, the American people seem to be satisfied with Facebook posts rather than properly researched and written news articles published by established news organizations. I think that is a shame. |
SPORTS
| Jack Bauer, Jacob Parker among Mississippi State baseball's standout freshmen so far | |
| Mississippi State baseball went all of 2025 without an SEC Freshman of the Week. That changed this season when outfielder Jacob Parker won the award on March 23. And there's an argument that three MSU freshmen pitchers -- Jack Bauer, Maddox Miller and Parker Rhodes -- could be in contention to win the award at some point this season. Those four freshmen all have made big impacts for the No. 8 Bulldogs (26-7, 7-5 SEC) ahead of a three-game series against Tennessee (21-12, 4-8) at Dudy Noble Field starting April 10 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+). And they are all seeming to get better by the week as MSU hopes to host its first NCAA Tournament regional since 2021. |
| Softball: SEC Prepares For Sixth Annual 'All For Alex' Weekend | |
| The SEC softball community will again be united on April 11 when all 15 teams participate in the league's sixth annual "All for Alex" weekend to honor the legacy of Mississippi State's Alex Wilcox. This will be the sixth All For Alex weekend in league history, but it is especially significant as it has been eight years since Wilcox's passing and Mississippi State retiring her No. 8 jersey. Wilcox was a member of the 2018 MSU softball team who inspired the nation with her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. That fight ultimately took her life in the summer of 2018. The Bulldogs will wear their white uniforms with teal lettering, and all 15 SEC teams will wear teal uniforms or teal accents on Saturday. This weekend No. 13 Mississippi State will host No. 8 Arkansas. First pitch on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. CT, and Nusz Park gates will open at 1 p.m. |
| NCAA committee to discuss streamlined, age-based eligibility rules, AP sources say | |
| An NCAA panel is scheduled to discuss potential changes to eligibility rules that would incorporate age into the process, two people with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the NCAA hasn't publicly discussed the proposal. They said the matter was scheduled to be reviewed and discussed by the Division I Cabinet next week, but not voted on for implementation. The proposal, which mirrors language written into the executive order issued by President Donald Trump last week, would give athletes five years of eligibility with the clock starting at the earliest of two dates: either when they turn 19 or graduate high school. There would be limited exceptions but they would not involve injuries, which has been a common reason for players to ask for extra eligibility. |
| A quiet rule change becomes college football's loudest special teams fight | |
 | The rule change to punt formations was merely a footnote. Now, it's a controversy. After the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on March 19 adopted what the special teams community has called a "drastic rule change," the measure that restricts player movement for "two adjacent linemen on either side of the snapper" faces the potential to be rescinded. Coaches familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports that Steve Shaw, the NCAA's national coordinator of officials, recently held a Zoom meeting for FBS special teams coordinators that featured more than 50 coaches. "We didn't have a chance for answers," a current Power conference special teams coordinator from a College Football Playoff participant told USA TODAY Sports. "Some people basically were already done with spring football when this was passed. I can't do it or teach it in the summer, because that's cheating and then I'd get fired." |
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