| Friday, July 10, 2026 |
| Google Chrome extension developed by doctoral student supports researchers globally | |
 | An online research tool developed by a Mississippi State College of Education doctoral student is helping researchers across the world manage their references, generating more than 1,000 installs in less than 90 days. Timothy Okunoye, an instructional systems and workforce development student from Ada, Osun State, Nigeria, created NotebookLM to Zotero, a free Google Chrome extension that saves researchers' time by automating the tedious process of migrating research documents, citations and AI-generated insights. Okunoye developed the tool as a response to what he described as a "real-world pain point" in the AI-integrated research workflow. "Researchers often express frustration with moving citations from AI-powered research tools into a reference manager and refer to it as a time-consuming process, often resulting in incomplete or missing reference details," Okunoye said. "Few open-source solutions bridge AI research environments with standard reference managers, leaving a critical workflow gap for the global academic community. I built this tool to bridge the gap between AI-powered insights and professional bibliography management so researchers can focus on what actually matters in their research workflow." |
| Lt. Governor Hosemann urges Mississippi Senate to reject future mobile sports betting legislation, calling it 'harmful legislation' | |
| Mobile sports betting is big business, but Mississippi lawmakers, particularly in the state Senate, have been reluctant to jump on the bandwagon. If Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) has his way, that opposition will continue when legislators return to the Capitol in January. This week, Hosemann took to social media to express his displeasure with mobile sports betting, writing on X that online mobile sports betting "increases the risk of gambling-related harm and addiction compared with traditional in-person betting," citing roughly 1 in 5 people with problem gambler disorder attempt suicide. The Lt. Governor went on to say that mobile sports betting could undermine the billions of dollars invested in brick-and-mortar gaming facilities across Mississippi, "increase opportunities for misconduct and illegal actions involving athletes, and raise serious questions about whether the resulting tax revenue would even be sufficient to offset the associated social and economic costs." Speaker Jason White (R) told Magnolia Tribune Thursday that while he does not wake up every morning thinking about how to pass mobile sports betting, there is a simple truth that must understood: "Sports betting is already perfectly legal in Mississippi, and our casino operators already have sports betting on property." The Speaker did not know what prompted Hosemann's comments this week, saying he had no interest in a disagreement with the Lt. Governor concerning mobile sports betting. However, White did point out that "most every casino operator in Mississippi supports mobile sports betting." |
| DPS commissioner: 'No indication' race played a role in death of Nolan Wells | |
| Mississippi's public safety commissioner said there is "no indication" at this time that race played a role in the death of Ocean Springs teenager Nolan Wells as investigators continue working to determine how Wells disappeared and was later found dead after partying with friends on Horn Island. Wells visited the barrier island, about 10 miles offshore from his hometown, with friends on July 4. He did not return to the mainland and was reported missing by his mother that night. A multiagency search of the island ended on the morning of July 6 when Wells' body was discovered by a park ranger. Since his death, social media has been filled with theories and allegations, particularly after law enforcement released the last known photo of Wells showing the Black teen with a group of white friends. A video that has not been verified or publicly released by law enforcement has also circulated, purportedly showing an altercation on the island, which was crowded with holiday boaters when Wells disappeared. Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell provided an update on the investigation during Wednesday's episode of Mornings with Richard Cross. During the interview, Tindell addressed the social media speculation, urging people to stop spreading rumors because they could hamper the investigation into Wells' death. |
| LSU axes finance leader, former DEI staff | |
| LSU has fired its chief financial officer, the vice president in charge of handling sex-based discrimination complaints and its former diversity, equity and inclusion staff in what campus leaders say are cost-reducing layoffs. Twenty five employees were let go last week, and LSU President Wade Rousse said the savings will be redirected to hire new faculty and fund research. The layoffs will save LSU approximately $3.7 million, according to an analysis of state employee salaries, obtained in public records, and LSU's reported benefit rates. The layoffs include CFO Tommy Smith, who was paid $390,000 a year. He has held the position for a year, and his duties will move for now to LSU System CFO Brandi Roberts, spokeswoman Meg Sunstrom said. Todd Manuel, former vice president of LSU's Office of Engagement, Civil Rights and Title IX, was also terminated. He received an annual salary of $329,824. The layoffs also included a major purge of the university's marketing and communications department, with 16 writers, video producers and photographers terminated. |
| The Red & Black and U. of Georgia receive $1 million joint donation to support the advancement of student journalism | |
| The Red & Black and University of Georgia have received a total of $1 million to support the advancement of excellence in journalism for University of Georgia students. This gift was divided equally among the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and The Red & Black Publishing Company, the nonprofit independent UGA student-led news organization. The $500,000 contribution made to The Red & Black will be used as initial capital to fundraise and establish the organization's endowment fund. The fund will be dedicated to the advancement of excellence in journalism training for our students and funding our publishing programs. The gift was made in memory of Celestia "Lessie" Smithgall, a 1933 Grady College graduate and alumna of The Red & Black. After college, Smithgall took a job as a copywriter at radio station WGST. While at WGST, Smithgall met her husband, Charles Smithgall II. Lessie Smithgall was a champion for local news, as she and her husband went on to co-found the Gainesville Daily Times in 1947. In a 2019 article from The Red & Black written on her 108th birthday, Lessie reflected upon her life and the newspaper industry, which spanned World War II, the Cold War and the technology revolution. Smithgall said at the time that she believed print journalism would be around for years to come because "you want to know what your neighbor is doing." |
| U. of Georgia provost named Clemson's new president | |
| Clemson University's governing board on Thursday selected University of Georgia provost Benjamin Ayers as the college's 16th president. Ayers' selection to lead the 30,000-student university came four days after the previously chosen candidate, Kevin Guskiewicz, unexpectedly opted to remain president at Michigan State University. Ayers, who is 60 years old, will replace former President Jim Clements, who abruptly retired in December after 12 years on the job. Ayers has been provost at the University of Georgia for one year. Before that, he spent more than a decade as dean of the college's business school. He's credited with growing the business school's endowment from $90 million to nearly $300 million, which funded faculty and scholarships for students. The Clemson board also selected the Georgia provost over two Clemson deans who had been among three finalists in the initial search. Clemson's six month-search for a new president began Dec. 18, 2025, with the school paying Dallas-based firm Funk Associates $200,000 to conduct it. |
SPORTS
| LSU to host top donors for summit at governor's mansion on funding its athletics programs | |
 | Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and LSU President Wade Rousse plan to host the top 40 donors to LSU sports at the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge for a presentation on the financial future of the university's athletics department, a university spokesperson said Thursday. The gathering will be held the first week of August, and the two leaders will unveil "a first look at an alternative revenue generating opportunity for LSU athletics that is first of its kind nationally and could quite possibly change the future of college sports in America," according to the event invitation. Tiger Athletic Foundation President and CEO Matt Borman sent the invite to donors Thursday. "College athletics is at financial crossroads, and we're feeling it every day at LSU," Borman wrote. "As someone who has contributed generously to our athletic programs to keep them operational, you know how unsustainable the budget of the athletic department looks and how hard TAF has worked with our donors to assist." The meeting comes as college sports programs engage in a fundraising arms race to attract top players through name, image and likeness deals and revenue sharing. |
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