| Thursday, November 12, 2026 |
| Mississippi State gifted $10 million to build new Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library |
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| Mississippi State University's efforts to build a new home for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library picked up some major steam, courtesy of a generous donation. University alum Richard C. Adkerson and his family's foundation donated $10 million to Mississippi State to rehome the library. Adkerson is a longtime supporter of his alma mater, for whom the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy in the university's College of Business is named. He is a 1969 accounting graduate and a 1970 master of business administration graduate from the university. "I was raised in Mississippi and witnessed firsthand social injustices," Adkerson said. "Mississippi State's being home of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library evidences the progress our nation has made. I congratulate MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum for leading the development of the Grant Library on our campus. It is an honor for me to provide support for this initiative. I could not be more proud of my alma mater." | |
| $10M donation puts Grant Library closer to groundbreaking |
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| A $10 million donation has brought the construction of new facilities for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library one step closer to reality. The donation was a gift from Richard Adkerson, Mississippi State University alumnus and former CEO of the Phoenix-based mining company Freeport-McMoRan, and his family's nonprofit for the construction of the library's new building near the intersection of Highway 12 and Russell Street, a Wednesday press release from MSU said. The donation brings the library's fundraising total for the project to $41 million, leaving it about $9 million short to cover remaining costs, said Anne Marshall, executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. "We are actively fundraising because we really ... aren't there yet," Marshall told The Dispatch. "... I don't want to give the impression that we're done fundraising, but we do have enough to start construction at this point." Marshall said the Grant Library has thousands of artifacts and manuscripts in its archives, but the library has never had the room to properly display more than 100 items at a time. The goal with the new building, Marshall said, is to make the presidential library more accessible and visible than its current location, tucked away on the fourth floor of the Mitchell Memorial Library on MSU's campus. | |
| $10 million donated to presidential library in Mississippi |
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| A $10 million gift is being made to a presidential library in Mississippi. Richard C. Adkerson and his family's foundation are gifting the large sum to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library Fund, Mississippi State University (MSU) said. Plans are being made to set up the library, currently in the Mitchell Memorial Library at MSU, near the intersection of Highway 12 and Russell Street in the developing Crossroads District. The university said Adkerson's gift represents a significant step toward construction of a dedicated, more accessible home, projected to be a major cultural attraction drawing 60,000 to 70,000 visitors per year. Anne Marshall, executive director of both the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the Ulysses S. Grant Association, said Adkerson has long been a supporter of public history and has helped to fund a number of history and civic-relations projects. | |
| Mississippi State wins national award for campus grounds |
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| Mississippi State University won a national Grand Award for its campus grounds from the Professional Grounds Management Society at its annual conference in Tampa, Florida. The society recognized MSU in the large educational institutions division of the University and College Grounds category at its 2026 Green Star Awards ceremony. "Our campus shapes the Mississippi State experience, from the first visit to the everyday moments that make this place feel like home," said Saunders Ramsey, associate vice president for administration. "That's intentional, and it reflects the care and attention our Campus Landscape team brings to its work every day." The university's 52-member Campus Landscape team maintains about 1,000 acres. Its recent work includes new or improved landscaping at McCarthy Quad, Hardy Plaza, the Chapel of Memories garden and courtyards at Azalea Hall and the Randy Cleveland Engineering Student Center. MSU said the team manages 29.2 million square feet of turf and 2.74 million square feet of planting beds. "We're here to create and care for spaces where people want to spend their time, and our team takes great pride in the work that goes into making that possible," said Jim Bo Hearnsberger, associate director of Campus Landscape. | |
| Little Feat performs at MSU Riley Center Nov. 20 |
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| Legendary music group Little Feat is bringing its signature blend of rock, blues, country, funk and New Orleans-inspired sounds to Meridian for a Nov. 20 show at Mississippi State's Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert range from $55-$145 and are available for purchase online. Little Feat has spent more than five decades creating one-of-a-kind music and earning a devoted following through its musicianship, genre-defying sound and legendary live performances, including the acclaimed album "Waiting for Columbus." Known for classic songs such as "Dixie Chicken," "Willin'" and "Spanish Moon," the band is celebrating a musical legacy while giving fans a final opportunity to experience one of America's most enduring bands live on stage as part of The Last Farewell Tour. For more information, call 601-696-2200 or visit the MSU Riley Center Box Office, 2200 Fifth St., in the heart of historic downtown Meridian. | |
| Mary Means Business: The Depot apartments ready to rent |
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| Just off the corner of Main Street and 13th Street, The Depot building in Columbus will once again have more life. Built in 1886, the former train station was purchased in 2014 by Gayle Guynup, a judge from Santa Rosa, California. After serving temporarily as an event venue, the Guynup Trust has renovated the first floor of The Depot into six apartments: two one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units. Combined with the four upstairs apartments completed in 2018, the 13,000-square-foot depot is now completely redeveloped for downtown living. ... Also in town, a local favorite is starting their day a little earlier. CJ's Pizza, located at 6188 Hwy. 45 N., announced online this week that they are expanding their hours to open 6-10 a.m. Monday through Wednesday for breakfast. ... Back in Starkville, Mi Hacienda at 911 Hwy. 12 W., Suite 101 A, is expanding its parking lot. While work trucks and active construction mean parking may be limited for now, the restaurant remains open and will soon offer plenty of extra spaces once the project is complete. | |
| Can Hotels, Libraries and Apartment Towers Absorb America's Timber Glut? |
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| Architect Patrick Shay has put much time and effort into hiding the steel, concrete and other structural elements of the hotels he has designed around this tourist mecca. For his latest, he looked for ways to showcase more of the building's bones -- because this time they are Southern yellow pine. Shay is among the U.S. architects and developers turning to mass timber, a wooden alternative to traditional structural materials such as steel and concrete for large buildings. Mass timber is made by pressing and gluing together layers of dimensional lumber, often two-by-six boards, into large panels and beams. A slab of mass timber can serve as ceiling, floor and load-bearing elements all in one. "When I heard about mass timber, they had me at hello," said Shay. "I haven't talked to a single architect who doesn't want to use it." Mass-timber buildings have been sprouting up across the U.S. Projects started this year will bring to more than 1,500 the number of apartment complexes, hotels, offices and other commercial and public buildings made of mass timber, up from fewer than 100 a decade ago, according to industry group WoodWorks-Wood Products Council. Timber growers have long viewed mass timber as an avenue to a bigger piece of the relatively stable market for commercial construction and public buildings. | |
| Mississippi Senate stunner: Cindy Hyde-Smith concedes to Democrat Scott Colom |
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| Democrat Scott Colom is set to become Mississippi's next senator after Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith conceded Wednesday, with Colom notching a major victory for his party in the ruby-red state. "While this is not the outcome we worked for or hoped for, I respect the decision of Mississippi voters," she said in a video posted to social media Wednesday evening. "I want to congratulate Scott Colom and wish him well as he takes on the tremendous responsibility of representing our great state." Hyde-Smith, who was endorsed by President Trump, was seeking a second term as the Magnolia State's junior senator. A Democrat has not won a Senate seat in the state since 1982, and the incumbent was favored to win the race. Colom's victory points to frustration among Republican voters in the red stronghold amid rising costs and the president's souring approval ratings. Colom also homed in on Black voters in the state that boasts the highest population in the country. "We've been gifted an opportunity," Colom told The Associated Press in October, pointing to the political climate and the strong base of Black voters in the state. | |
| Scott Colom elected Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction |
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| Democrat Scott Colom has unseated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith to become Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction. The result is a stunning flip for Democrats in a deep-red state where they last won a Senate election in 1982, and it brings the Senate Democratic Caucus to at least 55 seats in the next Congress. Colom was leading Hyde-Smith 49.2 percent to 48.7 percent -- or by just over 4,600 votes out of more than 960,000 cast -- when The Associated Press called the race Wednesday, a little over a week after Election Day. Colom has served as a district attorney for four counties in northeast Mississippi since 2016. President Joe Biden nominated him for a federal district judgeship in 2022, but Hyde-Smith effectively blocked his nomination by not returning a so-called blue slip, a Senate Judiciary Committee tradition that lets senators derail district judge nominees in their home states. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said last week that he'd had Colom in his sights for several years as a potential Senate candidate, including for a race against the state's senior senator, Republican Roger Wicker. "I had Scott Colom and his father come to my house, and I served them a nice little brunch or something. I said, 'You got to run,'" the New York Democrat recalled to MS NOW. "They were smarter than me. This was four years ago. They said, 'We don't want to run this time, but we know that Hyde-[Smith], the incumbent, is so weak, we could beat her.'" | |
| Colom wins: Mississippi picks another senator |
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| Democrat Scott Colom has won a hard-fought U.S. Senate race in Mississippi, breaking Republicans' dominance of statewide offices, ousting one of the state's sitting senators for the first time since the 1940s and becoming the state's first Black senator since post-Civil War Reconstruction. Colom, a district attorney in north Mississippi, defeated Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and independent Ty Pinkins. Colom on Wednesday secured a come-from-behind triumph that has stunned pollsters, pundits and forecasters across the nation. Hyde-Smith has held the Senate seat since 2018. Mississippi has elected only Republican senators for the last 40 years. Colom supporters gathered Wednesday night for a victory celebration at Tougaloo College, a historically Black campus that was a safe haven for voting-rights activists during the Civil Rights Movement. The senator-elect invoked the names of movement leaders Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer and thanked two of his mentors, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and the current NAACP president and CEO, Derrick Johnson. Colom also pledged to work for all Mississippians, "the ones that voted for me, the ones that didn't vote for me, the ones that didn't vote." A source close to the Colom campaign said Hyde-Smith had called him to concede on Wednesday evening. Shortly after that, she released a video conceding the race and thanking her supporters. | |
| Scott Colom Wins Mississippi US Senate Race, Will Be State's First Black Senator in 146 Years |
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| Scott Colom, a Democrat, will be Mississippi's next U.S. senator and the first Black senator to represent the state in the U.S. Capitol since 1881. His historic feat comes just six years after Mississippi retired its old Confederate-themed state flag. The 43-year-old district attorney defeated incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Republican junior senator, and upended years of conventional wisdom about Mississippi's status as a "solid red state." The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday evening. Colom now heads to Washington as one of eight new Democratic senators to have flipped their states -- possibly nine when Alaska's election concludes. It's a freshman class sworn in at the twilight of the Trump era, with Democrats taking firm control of both houses of Congress and a flat majority of governorships. For over a week, the Colom's march to victory maintained a slow velocity as the vote total trickled in, while local election officials cured and counted affidavit and absentee ballots. From the moment Hyde-Smith's lead evaporated in the late hours of election night to the AP's call Wednesday, the lead only grew for Colom, with Democratic gains across every county in the state. | |
| Colom's win fuels Democratic hopes for next year's race for governor |
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| The outcome of the Senate race in Mississippi is finally settled. But even before Scott Colom's long-shot Democratic victory, voters, officials and politicians were already starting to look ahead to next year. Mr. Colom's win -- driven by the diverse coalition he assembled of Black voters, white Democrats and disenchanted conservatives -- has raised questions about how competitive next year's race might be to replace Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican who cannot seek another term under state law. Two Democratic candidates have already announced plans to run, alongside an already crowded Republican field. Some Democrats have speculated that Brandon Presley, the second cousin of Elvis Presley who fell short in the 2023 race against Mr. Reeves, could run again and capitalize on the party's enthusiasm in the aftermath of Mr. Colom's win. (Asked directly on Friday, Mr. Presley did not answer.) The Senate race could reverberate in other ways. Michael Watson, the Republican secretary of state who oversees elections, is running for lieutenant governor, but frustrations over the prolonged counting of ballots this year and the number of voters who found themselves listed as inactive could complicate his political ambitions. The uptick in turnout from Black voters in the South, as well as the overwhelming Republican losses across the country this month, could also affect political calculations around whether to change Mississippi's district lines in both the State Legislature and Congress. | |
| Are Democrats ready to be a big-tent party again? Lawmakers from red states will find out |
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| The 120th Congress will feature Democratic lawmakers from some very red states and districts. In the House, some 30 Democrats will hail from districts President Donald Trump won by double digits; in the Senate, Democrats will be representing states like Kansas, Iowa, South Carolina, and potentially even Mississippi. Many of these red-state Democrats campaigned on affordability, while downplaying or taking moderate stances on divisive cultural issues. The approach helped them win large margins among independent voters, as well as some Republicans, lifting their party to the biggest congressional majority in decades. But as they prepare to join a caucus on Capitol Hill that has shifted sharply left in recent years, they may face a difficult balancing act. Already, intraparty skirmishes from the campaign and recent divisions around leadership elections are raising questions about how Democrats will navigate their bigger tent. Notably, the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, which had withered to just 10 Democrats, is poised to more than double in size. Still, it will be dwarfed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which will boast more than 100 members -- its largest class ever. And if past clashes are any indication, those leftist members may not be happy with their more centrist colleagues if they follow through on campaign pledges to work with Republicans or fail to toe the party line on key votes. | |
| The Freedom Caucus comes to grips with a new reality: They won the war |
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| The House Freedom Caucus is staring down an unfamiliar new reality in 2027: questionable relevance. That's partly because the ultra-conservative group achieved an indubitable triumph this week, when its co-founder and first chair, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, was elected Tuesday to serve as the next top House Republican leader. It's also because the group has traditionally wielded its power by acting as a holdout bloc in thin Republican majorities. Now the GOP is on track to hold the smallest House minority any party has had in more than 30 years. "It's completely variant from being the most powerful faction within a legislative body that has legislative authority through majority control," said Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, a caucus member. "Well, that's off the table now." Founded in 2015, the Freedom Caucus persisted through a prior stretch in the minority, under then-Leader Kevin McCarthy, from 2019 to 2023. But Jordan's ascendance is prompting big questions about the role of a group that was established to prod party leaders rightward now that the GOP's top man is one of their own. At a Wednesday news conference where members of the group blamed the GOP's huge election losses on current party leaders' timidity, several rejected the notion that there would be any diminishment of its influence -- including several who are expected to vie to be elected caucus chair in the next Congress. | |
| Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO, new board chair pledges to 'deliver' |
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| Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigned from the chipmaker on Thursday, sending shares down 7% and capping a whirlwind week that cast a pall over what was once the most valuable company in the world. The chipmaker's CFO Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO, while the board conducts a search for a permanent successor, looking at both internal and external candidates, the company said Thursday. Semafor had earlier reported that Kress, who will address the company's employees directly for the first time as interim CEO on Nov. 18, was in the lead to run the company on a temporary basis. "The Board has full confidence in Colette to deliver on our commitments to shareholders, customers, partners, and to each of you," newly appointed board chair Harvey Jones said in a letter to employees sent Thursday, which was seen by Semafor. "The board takes seriously our duty as stewards of this great company." Huang's ouster came less than a week after he admitted to an affair with a suspected Chinese spy; on Wednesday, multiple media reports detailed that Huang had another extramarital affair with a subordinate, leaving his position untenable at the company he founded 33 years ago. | |
| Scammers stole his image to lure the lovesick. Then the lovesick came looking for him |
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| The peace of the Palm Springs evening was shattered by the woman's scream, as piercing as if she'd seen a ghost. Her shriek tore across the sidewalk, startling Hunter Bigham, who'd been waiting with his husband to cross the street. Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to work out who the woman --- now beelining toward him --- could possibly be screaming at. "I TOLD her you weren't real!" she shouted, eyes locked on Hunter. "I TOLD her you weren't real!" It was then that Hunter knew: He was the ghost, the cause of the chaos. And he knew why. The woman's story was, by this point, grimly familiar to him: Her friend had fallen in love with a stranger online who was using Hunter's photos as his own. The woman had been trying to persuade her friend that the romance -- and Hunter's supposed online persona as her romancer -- were not real. For more than eight years, romance scammers have stolen Hunter's photos to create hundreds of fake online profiles that have been used to trick lovesick men and women out of their money. When many victims realize they've been duped, they dig -- eventually finding Hunter. The losses he's tallied just from victims who have contacted him have reached roughly $1.4 million. Little is known about those whose images make such scams possible. But Hunter's experience is not unique, says Bryan Denny, a retired U.S. Army colonel whose pictures have been used by romance scammers for the past decade. | |
| Swatters are using AI voices to deceive 911 dispatchers, and it's only getting worse |
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| In August, a caller made a bomb threat to Wheatland Union High School in Yuba County, Calif. Police responded overnight and classes were canceled. There was no bomb and no one was hurt. Authorities said it was part of a series of hoax calls -- also called swatting -- made to schools across the country over the summer. Swatting calls can be made to 911 or police departments, with callers reporting a bomb threat, mass shooting or some other kind of life-threatening emergency with the intention of initiating a massive emergency response, according to the FBI. 911 dispatchers have long dealt with this problem. But the incident in Yuba County was different: The call was made by an AI-generated voice, a new and growing challenge for emergency responders. The goal of swatting calls is to harass or retaliate against the targets of the calls -- like a public official. They usually trigger a big, chaotic response from police, redirecting public safety resources from real emergencies. Companies like ElevenLabs, an artificial intelligence company creating synthetic voice software, offer AI tools that are incredibly cheap and readily available, according to Brandon May, an assistant professor of forensic psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology. "It is no longer simple to just look at an image or hear a video or hear a voice and go, 'That is AI.' People are duped by this all the time," he says. | |
| Education: MUW Culinary Arts Institute partners with Margaritaville for internships |
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| The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women is partnering with IMCMV Management LLC to provide culinary students with a pathway into the Margaritaville Restaurants Leadership Program. The new agreement was celebrated with a signing ceremony Friday at Miramar Beach Landshark Bar & Grill in Florida. Dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies Kelly Woodford and Margaritaville Restaurants Area Director Justin Cavender participated in the ceremony. "One of the five priorities of the university's strategic plan, 'Advancing Our Worth: The Blueprint for Success,' is strengthening the student experience, with internships playing a key role," said Interim University President Scott Tollison. "This innovative program is a great example of putting that priority into action by connecting classroom learning with meaningful professional experiences and opportunities for career advancement." Selected students will complete a leadership internship at Margaritaville restaurants in Destin, Panama City Beach or Sandestin, Florida, earning academic credit while helping create an early-career talent pipeline. | |
| Ole Miss students speak out after alleged racial harassment in viral video: |
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| The Black college students who were harassed by two White students at the University of Mississippi making monkey gestures and sounds outside their apartment are speaking out after the incident went viral. The women said they were familiar with the stories of racism some faced at Ole Miss over the years -- the school didn't allow its first Black student, James Meredith, until 1962, for instance -- but they were not prepared for what they experienced last Friday. Jakirya Metcalf, a freshman at Ole Miss, said she was in her apartment last Friday night when she saw the video on her Ring camera. "We actually went outside and tried to, like, approach them and get them to explain why they did that," Metcalf told "CBS Mornings." University officials said in a statement they are investigating the incident and have reached out to those targeted. Metcalf, Caldwell and Johnson said they plan to stay at Ole Miss and said they won't let the incident ruin their time at the school. | |
| Ole Miss Investigates White Students Who Made Racist Gestures in Video |
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| A pair of white University of Mississippi students caught on video making racist gestures outside the apartment of Black students on Friday night have provoked a wave of outrage and demands for discipline. The university has denounced the racist taunts and launched an investigation. The few seconds of doorbell video has been viewed millions of times online since it was posted several days ago. It showed three women walking past the apartment door, and two of them making monkey sounds and gestures before walking on. Lamarcus Lenoir, a University of Mississippi junior, who is Black, said Tuesday morning that the Black community on campus is "obviously frustrated" by the video, particularly given the school's history of racism and segregation. In 2012, campus protesters yelled racist slurs after the re-election of President Barack Obama. Two years later, the university was shaken when a noose was placed around the neck of a statue of James Meredith, the school's first Black student, who arrived in 1962 amid a race riot that required federal troops to suppress. In 2024, the White House denounced counterprotesters at the university who were caught on video taunting a Black student, including one white student who appeared to make monkey gestures. | |
| Student from Wisconsin in viral Ole Miss video withdraws from university |
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| Alaina Kunes, one of three Ole Miss students seen in a viral video making monkey gestures toward the apartment of Black students, has withdrawn from the university, her attorney confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Nov. 10. Kunes, 18, of Elkhorn, was a freshman at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. Jakirya Metcalf, who lives in the apartment, published the video on TikTok on Nov. 7, a day after the incident. It depicts Ring camera footage of Kunes and another woman thumping their chests and howling like monkeys as they pass the door. A third woman walking with them does not make any gestures or noises. Kunes' attorney, Thomas G. Gardiner with Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona, confirmed with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Alaina Kunes is the daughter of Scott Kunes. He added Alaina Kunes is not involved or employed with the Kunes Auto car dealership business founded by her grandfather, Gregg Kunes, and her father is not currently involved in the business, either. In August, a West Allis woman filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Kunes Buick GMC, alleging that a technician at the dealership in 2025 wrote a racial slur on her oil change sticker. In April, another Black woman said a salesman at the Kunes dealership in Elkhorn sent her a text message of an image of a dancing ape wearing a bathing suit. The dealerships fired both employees. | |
| University ends off-campus housing agreements with 3 complexes |
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| Three University of Mississippi off-campus housing master lease agreements expire this summer, with more on-campus housing options available to students for fall 2027. The Quarters, Rev and Taylor Bend apartment complexes will no longer be an option for first-year students through the student housing portal. University policy states that incoming first-year students are required to live in university-owned or university-managed housing with only a few reasons for exemption. Increasing enrollment has caused on-campus housing options to fill up quickly, forcing many incoming students to pick between several off-campus communities offered through the student housing portal. John Yaun, associate vice chancellor and director of student housing, explained master leases are one way the university can offer student housing from third-party apartments. Construction projects nearing completion on campus creates more on-campus housing for students, even allowing upperclassmen the opportunity to live on campus, Yuan said. Kate Westman, a freshman business professional sales major from Ocean City, Md., chose the Quarters instead of a traditional dormitory for access to increased privacy and amenities. "I chose the Quarters because I liked the idea of having a little more independence and privacy than traditional dorm living," Westman said. | |
| Hattiesburg bookstore The Author Shoppe is closing |
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| The final chapter is nearing for The Author Shoppe, a locally owned bookstore that has provided Hattiesburg with reading material and community events for seven years. It will officially close its doors for good on Dec. 31. "We're closing," co-owner Murph Little said in an announcement posted on The Author Shoppe's Facebook page. "Those are words that we never wanted to say. It hurts, but we are closing down our doors on Dec. 31." The Author Shoppe first opened on Front Street in downtown Hattiesburg in 2020 before relocating in 2025 to a hard-to-miss blue house at 709 Hardy St. Along with a wide selection of books, the store had a beverage menu that included coffee, tea, soda and beer. The bookstore became a popular place in the community because it often hosted events such as book clubs, open mic nights, live music and art shows. "I think our importance can't be constrained to the idea of us being a bookstore," Little said. "That's what we sold and that's what we love, but it was always more about the outreach to the community. Be that through art or just being someone who cared. ... We wanted to be a place where people who felt excluded from things could feel welcome." | |
| Inauguration ceremony set for JSU's 14th president |
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| Next month, Jackson State University will inaugurate its first female president who is also an alum, Dr. Denise Jones Gregory. Gregory, the institution's 14th president, was officially named to the role by the Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning in May after an extensive candidate search that included the consideration of nearly 80 people. She previously served as interim president of the 149-year-old university starting in May of 2025. The university will reach 150 years of operation in Mississippi on October 23. After taking over the duties in the spring, Gregory started work to modernize infrastructure across the campus through a $65 million construction and renovation project. The project includes construction of residence facilities that will add 400 more student beds and provide upgrades to buildings and utilities. She graduated magna cum laude from JSU in 1994 with a bachelor of science in chemistry and later went on to earn a doctorate in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. | |
| At a Civil Rights Landmark, a Night of Jubilation Over Colom's Victory |
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| On the lawn of Tougaloo College, steps from the chapel where the civil rights leaders Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers gave speeches, they danced. Students from Tougaloo and other nearby historically Black institutions lined the sidewalk to cheer and applaud. Members of Black fraternities and sororities, dressed in their letters and colors, embraced one another. "Thank the Lord, we did it," one woman declared. It was a day that many had prayed would come, though they could never know when. That evening, Scott Colom made their hopes a reality, speaking in front of the college chapel as the senator-elect from Mississippi. Tyler Dotson, 21, a freshman at Tougaloo College, was awe-struck. "It was everything," he said, describing how it felt to hear that Mr. Colom had won. "We've been waiting a long time." "It's something big, remembered in history," he added, grinning. "We back." Many college-educated residents of Mississippi have left the state over the years to seek jobs and more progressive environments elsewhere. Terry Rogers II, a 21-year-old senior studying political science at Tougaloo, said Mr. Colom's win could help change that. "This makes me want to continue to be a Mississippian. This makes me love my state even more than I already did." | |
| McMillin Center for Grace and Healing dedicated at Blue Mountain Christian University |
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| Doctor Hannah Bascomb is associate dean of nursing at BMCU. She came on board before the program had any students. Doctor Bascomb says the McMillin Center for Grace and Healing is much more than a building. "More opportunity to teach students from a Christian worldview, and put more people into the nursing workforce who will look at people created in the image of God and serve them as the hands and feet of Jesus," Dr. Bascomb said. Math and science classrooms are on the second floor, while the first floor is dedicated to the school of nursing. "We have tiered classroom, smaller classrooms, in addition to wonderful skills and patient lab, high fidelity labs, to simulate real patient experience before we put student into a clinic or hospital setting," Bascomb said. It took less than two years from groundbreaking, to the grand opening. And BMCU President Dr Barbara McMillin says the project wouldn't have been possible without a lot of prayer, hard work, planning and help from local, state and government officials, and faithful donors. | |
| ICC named 2027 Bellwether Award finalist, only Mississippi college recognized |
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| Itawamba Community College has been named a finalist for the 2027 Bellwether Award, marking only the second time the college has earned the national distinction. ICC is the only Mississippi community college among the 2027 finalists. ICC is one of 10 finalists in the Workforce Development category, which recognizes strategic partnerships between community colleges and workforce partners that address regional labor market needs. "This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff and the strong partnerships that connect our students with meaningful career opportunities," said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. "Being selected for only the second time in our college's history is a significant honor. We are proud to represent Mississippi and share how ICC is helping prepare a skilled workforce that strengthens our communities." The Bellwether College Consortium announced the finalists Oct. 29. The competition drew 89 submissions from 78 community colleges across 29 states. | |
| Alabama college, university counties shift toward Democrats in midterms |
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| While Democrats saw gains in every Alabama county last week, shifts in counties holding three of the state's major universities were notable. In Tuscaloosa County, home of the University of Alabama, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones won 54%-45% over Republican gubernatorial nominee Tommy Tuberville, a reversal from 2022, when Republican Gov. Kay Ivey won against Democratic nominee Yolanda Flowers, 62%-34%. Tuberville won Lee County, home of Auburn University, and Pike County, home of Troy University, but by reduced margins over Ivey's in 2022. Tuberville got 51% of the vote in Lee County, winning the county by about 1,800 votes out of 54,000 cast. Ivey got 67% of the vote in Lee in 2022. Democratic Party chairs attributed the results to the policies of President Donald Trump. "Local is national and the national is local," said Jonathan Buchwalter, chair of the Tuscaloosa Democratic Party. "We see a country that elected Donald Trump, we see an Alabama that elected Donald Trump who promised affordability and no new wars. And what we got in the first two years was massive unaffordability and bombing in Iran." Mitchell Brown, a political science professor at Auburn University, said the results were a statement of popular feeling against the current administration and about affordability issues. | |
| ROTC Training Facility, Student Veterans Center to be completed spring 2027 |
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| The University of Alabama's Reserve Officers' Training Corps Facility and Student Veterans Center, a one-story, nearly 20,000 gross square foot facility near the Student Recreation Center, is going to be completed in spring of 2027. The space will be shared by Air Force and Army ROTC to be used for physical conditioning, with advanced training tools such as rifle simulators, flight simulators and leadership reaction courses. Tiffany A. Sippial, associate provost for undergraduate education, explained the multi-faceted benefits of the facility. "Creating a facility that meets today's military training standards while also supporting students academically is a powerful investment in their success," Sippial said. "This space will help our cadets and student veterans grow as scholars, teammates and future leaders." Additionally, the space aims to supply more resources for veterans on campus and unite students with faculty veterans. | |
| Auburn University names Dr. Paul Cobine new director of Honors College |
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| Auburn University announced last month that Dr. Paul Cobine will serve as the new director of the Honors College. Cobine, who is currently chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and Mathematics, will officially assume office on Nov. 15. Cobine will fill the role vacated by former director Dr. Laura Stevens, who served the position until Aug 4. Stevens has since been appointed director of the Honors College at Oklahoma State University. Cobine earned a bachelor's degree in microbiology and parasitology from the University of Queensland in Australia, where he then went on to earn his doctorate in philosophy. Following multiple research positions with both the University of Queensland and University of Utah, he moved to Auburn in 2008. At Auburn, Cobine previously worked as a graduate program officer in the Department of Biological Sciences, and in 2022, he was named the department's chair. As the Honors College director, Cobine will oversee the experience of over 2,000 undergraduate students, aiming to build on the college's academic excellence and offer new undergraduate research opportunities. | |
| 'Drastic' U. of Kentucky policy will access data, internet activity, discourage political speech |
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| The University of Kentucky is developing a sweeping policy that would monitor digital activity of practically anyone who uses UK technology or networks. The policy, which is not yet official, would also prohibit people from using university technology, including university networks, for any political activity. It would also ban people from posting on non-university social media accounts "or engaging in substantial personal communications" using university technology resources, the draft administrative regulation said. "Users may not use University technology resources for political activity of any types, soliciting contributions, promoting a commercial product, operating a personal or private business, posting to non-University social media or engaging in substantial personal communications," the proposed policy says. The policy does not define what is political. The policy also is not only applied to university employees. The policy would impact "students, faculty, staff, contractors, visitors and authorized third parties, regardless of where resources are accessed or located," it said. The policy also would allow UK sweeping access to information on the university's devices. | |
| UA researchers praise Arkansas' 'meaningful steps' on education, suggest five priorities under LEARNS Act |
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| The signing of the LEARNS Act in 2023 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signaled a "New Era" in Arkansas education, say researchers with the University of Arkansas in a new book. In the opening pages of the book; "The State of Education in Arkansas," Harry Anthony Patrinos and Kristen Scott, researchers at the UA Department of Education Reform, said the LEARNS Act, along with the ACCESS Act signed in 2025, "create a rare opportunity to reverse years of underperformance" worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patrinos, who heads the Department of Education Reform, said work on the book began "pretty much when I got here two-and-a-half years ago." Many of the researchers who contributed to the book were already studying core aspects of education, such as funding and accountability, before work on it began. Research for the book was funded through the university department, he said. The LEARNS Act is Sanders' signature education overhaul that touches on everything from teacher pay, to public funds made available to families enrolling in private schools or homeschooling, to literacy requirements, early childhood education and campus safety. The ACCESS Act, signed in 2025, increased access to the state's colleges and universities, doubled the first-year award under the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship from $1,000 to $2,000 a year, and revamped the state's higher-education funding model. | |
| Georgia Kickstart Fund supports aspiring UGA entrepreneurs |
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| While free money might sound too good to be true, the Georgia Kickstart Fund aims to provide just that. Kickstart is a venture capital fund run by UGA students that offers grants to student businesses. Funding comes from private seed grants that Kickstart awards to applicants. Students receive advice and funding from Kickstart but retain control over their business. Wyatt McAvoy, a third year finance major, founded Niche Supplements during his freshman year. He was initially awarded $1,000 from Kickstart to start production. "Kickstart was able to enable me to do something with a capital-intensive business because it was a few thousand to start, which is tough to come by as a college student," McAvoy said. The fund serves students across campus and offers three types of grants: starter grants of $500 to $1,000, regular grants of $1,000 to $5,000, and follow-on grants of $5,000 to $10,000. They have given out almost $450,000 to over 100 UGA founder-lead companies. | |
| U. of Texas creates new major after ending ethnic, gender studies majors |
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| The University of Texas provost's office has approved a proposal for a new Social and Cultural Analysis major, offering a glimpse of the future of ethnic and gender studies at the flagship university. Danielle Clealand, the chair of the Social and Cultural Analysis Department, told faculty in an email Friday that the proposal had been approved. But Clealand told the American-Statesman that the new major, developed with faculty input, incorporates scholarship from the three closed majors while giving students a broader course of study. Students will take foundational courses exploring how social, cultural and political forces shape institutions, politics and culture, then choose from four tracks: comparative race, ethnicity and gender studies; border, migration and diaspora; politics, law and medicine; and data science and technology. In addition to the Social and Cultural Analysis major, the department will retain American Studies and Urban Studies because of their existing interdisciplinary foundation, the proposal states. | |
| When Technology Harms Learning: Instructors say students are more engaged, and happier, without digital distractions |
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| When Lisa Silvestri began teaching communications studies more than a decade ago, she embraced digital tools. Living in the Pacific Northwest, "doing the whole hippie granola thing," she loved that online materials did not waste paper. She was excited by new media, like discussion forums that allowed shy students to share their thoughts. During the height of the pandemic she deployed online polls, quizlets, emojis, and discussion-board posts to make learning more engaging. But in 2022, when she moved from the intimate setting of Gonzaga University to sprawling Pennsylvania State, her feelings changed. So did her students. They seemed to believe they were just numbers to their professors. They arrived in class buried in their phones, looking up from them almost as an afterthought. Their participation felt perfunctory. Silvestri grew up reading Aristotle and Socrates, and imagined how physically present their teaching must have felt, walking alongside students deep in discussion. Her students, by contrast, seemed almost disconnected from their bodies. She became convinced that teaching mediated by screens and other technologies was contributing to this problem. Asking students to submit assignments online and communicate through discussion boards started to feel "cheap and transactional," she recalls. "The relationship to learning became kind of hollow. Students were like, I completed the task, and now you give me points." "It didn't feel good." Today, Silvestri limits how much tech she uses, with an emphasis on helping students feel present. | |
| Collections are coming for millions of student loans in default |
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| A long-postponed reckoning could be coming soon for millions of student loan borrowers who are now faced with garnished wages and seized tax refunds as soon as next year. Since pandemic forbearance finally expired last year, more than 9 million borrowers already are in default, owing a collective $234 billion, and millions more are late in their payments. Those borrowers are likely to face severe collection measures such as wage garnishment and seizure of tax refunds next year. Such collections have been repeatedly paused, most recently this past January. Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit that advises borrowers, schools and employers, said she expects collections to start next year. "It's heartbreaking," Mayotte said. "People tend to get caught off guard when their tax refund is taken and if they're struggling financially, a lot of times they're counting on that refund to catch up." States with the highest default rate, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico, had more than a quarter of borrowers living there in default, but even the lowest state rates were 15% for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Utah and Wisconsin. | |
| Trump proposed a 'secret weapon' to police colleges. It will soon become reality |
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| The Trump administration has made many changes to education policy that are hard to miss: cutting the U.S. Education Department's workforce by roughly half, canceling research funding, uprooting special education staff, upending student civil rights protections, overhauling student loan repayment plans, scaling back graduate school loans -- the list goes on. But the latest change -- one President Donald Trump has called his "secret weapon" -- has gone largely unnoticed, even as it's set to take effect in July. That's because it's hidden inside one singularly boring word: Accreditation. "The time has come to reclaim our once great educational institutions from the radical left," Trump said in a 2023 campaign video. "Our secret weapon will be the college accreditation system." Specifically, he pledged to overhaul it -- a notably wonky threat from a politician who usually disdains wonkery. Now, the Education Department has kept Trump's promise. | |
| Cleaning up rolls comes with costs |
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| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Cleaning up voter rolls comes with a price. When I went to vote in the recent midterm elections, I got a surprise. After voting at the same fire station on Lakeland Drive for decades, I was told I couldn't vote. My name was on the voter rolls, but something was wrong with my registration. The poll worker couldn't explain why. Nobody told me I could cast an affidavit ballot. Frustrated, I went home. My son convinced me to go back. After a little research, I discovered I could vote by affidavit ballot. I returned to the fire station, filled out a little paperwork and voted. It took only a couple of minutes. Later, I checked the Secretary of State's website. My ballot had been accepted and counted. Problem solved. But why did this happen in the first place? I called Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson to find out. We ended up having a lengthy conversation about the challenges of maintaining accurate voter rolls. | |
SPORTS
| K1 Remains Hungry To Build Something Special At State |
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| Kamario Taylor is still hungry. Earlier Wednesday, Taylor released a statement to the Mississippi State family. The sensational sophomore quarterback, whose special 2026 season was derailed by injury, addressed the Maroon and White faithful for the first time since it was announced late last month he'd miss the remainder of this year's campaign. Taylor said his recovery is right on track. He addressed his excitement for the future of the Bulldog football program. And he assured everyone, even as he waits to return to action, there's still a raging fire burning inside him. "We have major goals, and we're here to win," Taylor said. "There's no question that we understand the expectations, the standard and what it's going to take to get there. And I couldn't be hungrier for it." The lifelong Bulldog fan-turned-QB1 has long stated his plan is to take State back to the national spotlight. He did just that over the first four weeks of this season when he led MSU to a 4-0 start and a No. 16 ranking. When it was announced on October 27 that Taylor was to miss the rest of the season, he remained atop the Southeastern Conference leaderboard with 17 touchdown passes despite having missed eight quarters over MSU's previous three games. If that's not enough, at the conclusion of week eight, Taylor still sat second in the SEC and ninth nationally in points responsible for per game. Even today, with Taylor having played just part of one quarter over State's last three contests, Taylor sits just one passing touchdown behind SEC contemporaries Arch Manning, Austin Simmons, Keelon Russell and Trinidad Chambliss. | |
| Kamario Taylor finalizes deal to return to Mississippi State in 2027 |
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| One of the most talented QBs to come through Mississippi State will be back for another season. Kamario Taylor has finalized an NIL deal worth $7.5 million to return to MSU in 2027. The news was first reported by Pete Thamel of ESPN and later by both Pete Nakos and Chris Low of On3. It was confirmed in a statement from Taylor released by the school on Wednesday evening "When I got to Mississippi State, I knew we could build something special. These last few weeks have only made me want it more," Taylor said in a statement. "And I promise you this -- big things are ahead for this program. Believe that." Nakos and Low reported that, with incentives, the deal has the potential to surpass $9 million. Mississippi State is currently 4-5 overall and 2-5 in the SEC. It hosts Auburn on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium at 11 a.m. with the game to be telecast on ESPN2. "I can't wait to play for Coach Lebby in 2027. He believed in me from day one, and I believe in where he's taking this program," Taylor said. | |
| Countdown To Kickoff: State Faces Off Against Auburn |
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| Mississippi State matches up against the Auburn Tigers for the first time since 2023 on Saturday, with a kickoff time of 11 a.m. CT. The Bulldogs will recognize members of the U.S. Military in their Military Appreciation Game. | |
| Women's Basketball Earns 500th Victory Inside Humphrey Coliseum |
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| Mississippi State women's basketball earned their 500th program victory on the floor of Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday, as they took down the Troy Trojans, 79-57. The Bulldogs never trailed the Trojans in the contest, jumping out to 12-2 lead before the first media timeout. They ended the quarter on a 16-0 run to secure a 28-4 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Trojans would crack the lead to 19 towards the end of the third quarter, but an Aryss Macktoon layup with 20 seconds remaining in the quarter would push the Bulldogs back out by 21 and State would never lead by less than that in the remainder of the game. The Bulldogs will be back in action when they travel to Buffalo on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. on ESPN+. | |
| MSU rides first half dominance to 79-57 win over Troy |
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| Mississippi State women's basketball had the game won by halftime. The Bulldogs dominated both sides of the ball in the first half Wednesday night against Troy, toppling the Trojans 79-57. MSU put together the defensive dominance of game one and stellar scoring of game two in the first 20 minutes, taking a 45-14 lead into halftime. "I love the relentlessness, the fearless basketball," head coach Sam Purcell said. "... That's the Mississippi State way that we're going to be relentless on both ends, and I thought they had great focus that first quarter." MSU's 45 first half points came on just 41% shooting from the field and a 1-15 mark from 3-point land. MSU held Troy to just 20% shooting from the field and 16% shooting from deep in the first half. Favour Nwaedozi, who finished the game with 22 points and 19 rebounds, already had her sixth straight double double clinch by halftime, finishing the half with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Madison Francis and Melissa Guliet were the only other Bulldogs in double figures, scoring 15 and 11 respectively. Nwaedozi said every game she wants to "punch people in the face." | |
| MSU women suppress Troy to move to 3-0 |
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| One of the Mississippi State women's basketball team's foundational pieces is getting stronger. The Bulldogs continued to demonstrate toughness in a 79-57 win over Troy on Wednesday night at the Humphrey Coliseum. State had 54 points in the paint and out-rebounded the Trojans 55-36. Favour Nwaedozi finished with season-highs and team-bests with 22 points and 19 rebounds. It's her sixth straight triple-double dating back to last season. "We have plans to get to The Big Dance," Nwaedozi said. "And even though the teams we're playing right now, the non-conference games, we have to start practicing that now. We have to start having that mentality that we've got to be dogs and be ready for The Big Dance, so every night we have to come out tough and ready to punch people in the face." Madison Francis followed with 15 points and Aryss Macktoon had a season-high 11. | |
| Men's Hoops Tussles With Xavier At The Greenbrier Tipoff |
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| A pair of 3-0 squads will square off at the Greenbrier Tipoff as the Mississippi State men's basketball team takes on Xavier from the BIG EAST Conference on Friday evening at Colonial Hall in West Virginia. The Bulldogs (3-0) have started the 2026-27 campaign with dominating wins over Tennessee Tech (106-88), Northwestern State (82-44) and Jackson State (98-57). As a team, State is ranked among the SEC's top 5 in six categories: rebounds (46.00 – tied 1st), rebounding margin (+19.00 – 1st), offensive rebounding percentage (47.1 – 1st), defensive rebounding percentage (76.9 – 3rd), field goal percentage (52.4 – 5th) and points per game (95.33 – 5th). State had six players secure double figures in its win over Jackson State headed by Josh Hubbard and Tristan Reed who collected 14 points apiece. The Bulldogs have started the season with a 3-0 mark in four of five campaigns under Coach Chris Jans. | |
| Softball: Ricketts Signs Sixth Straight Top-25 Recruiting Class |
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| Samantha Ricketts and Mississippi State softball added five players on National Signing Day, including two pitcher/utility players, two infielders and a catcher. Four of the five players have been ranked by at least one major recruiting outlet. Middle infielder Bayleigh Taylor is No. 8 at her position in the class according to Softball America, while catcher Lacy VanTuinen is No. 13 and utility/pitcher Lexi Lohnes is No. 15 at their respective positions. Lohnes is also considered the No. 9 outfielder in the class by Extra Innings Softball. Notably, Taylor is the No. 20 overall player in the class according to Perfect Game, making her the program's 11th top-20 overall recruits since 2015. "We are really excited to welcome this group of future Bulldogs to Mississippi State," Ricketts said. "They bring a tremendous amount of talent, athleticism and versatility, and each of them has the ability to make a big impact on our program. This is a group of competitors who are passionate about the game and have a lot of potential to continue to grow and develop here at State." | |
| Tupelo, Starkville police chiefs put doughnuts on the line in 7A football playoffs |
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| The police chiefs in Tupelo and Starkville have a friendly wager on Friday night's Class 7A football playoff game between the Tupelo Golden Wave and the Starkville Yellowjackets. The chief whose team loses will deliver doughnuts from his city to the winning chief and his department, Tupelo police said. Tupelo Chief John Quaka and Starkville Chief Mark Ballard agreed to the wager ahead of Tupelo's home game. "We're looking forward to a great game Friday night, but we're hoping Chief Ballard is ready to make a donut delivery to Tupelo next week!" the Tupelo Police Department wrote. Starkville police responded with a photo taken outside Shipley Do-Nuts in Starkville alongside members of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. The department's message was simple: "Challenge accepted, Tupelo Police Department." | |
| SEC's proposed cap policy would penalize big-spending schools $7 million this year |
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| The SEC may soon begin fining schools that exceed the athlete revenue-share cap. In a proposed plan the league is socializing with other conferences, the SEC would establish a conference cap policy penalizing schools for spending over the $21.6 million House settlement revenue-share cap, with escalating fines that exceed $10 million for those spending more than $70.5 million on their rosters, according to administrators briefed on the plan. The SEC's proposal, far different from the Big Ten's cap rules passed last month, would consider some school-affiliated, third-party NIL deals as "institutional pay," implementing terms of the House settlement that have not previously been enforced -- with, importantly, the addition of pro sports-like luxury taxes. Details of the penalty structure, only recently formalized, is new information shared with dozens of administrators over the last several days. Financial penalties would begin low and gradually increase in a tiered system. While the proposal originates from the SEC, the four power conferences are expected to attempt to align with similar league cap rules to avoid competitive inequity while adhering to federal collusion laws. | |
| NCAA warns multiple transfers tied to sharply lower graduation rates in college football |
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| The NCAA released data Wednesday that showed the graduation rate for a set of Bowl Subdivision football players who transferred more than once was 27% lower than those who stayed put their entire career, numbers it portrayed as a "warning sign" in the ongoing legal wrangling over eligibility and player movement. The NCAA provided the data to The Associated Press during a season in which it is being sued around the country by players seeking a fifth year of eligibility, with that fifth year almost always involving a transfer. Courts have ruled against the NCAA's new elibility rules in multiple cases. The statistics analyzed the six-year graduation rate -- considered on time when redshirts and other factors were weighed in -- for around 36,000 athletes who enrolled in college in the 2018-19 school year. Black athletes across all sports saw the most precipitous decline -- from an 82% graduation rate with no transfers, to 74% with one and 62% with more than one. The data showed that regardless of race, gender or sport, multiple transfers typically had graduation rates 10 percentage points lower than those who transferred once and 15 to 20 percentage points lower than peers who never transferred. | |
| The oldest grudge in football: How a century of spite fuels Texas Tech, CFB's new-money villain |
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| There's an old saying in the oil business: The best place to find oil is where the oil is. For a long time, it seemed like a well in West Texas known as the Santa Rita No. 1 was not where the oil was. It was more than 100 miles from anything else, on land that had been deemed a "petroleum graveyard." For more than two years, drillers pounded away at the hardscape, amid sandstorms and sweltering heat, managing barely four-and-a-half feet of progress a day. They worked 12-hour shifts to pulverize layers of caliche, continued through red clay, then caprock made of gypsum and rock salt. Their only company was roadrunners, rattlesnakes and the rhythm of the rig. But on May 28, 1923, after 646 days of drilling, the Santa Rita No. 1 hit. Two West Texas businessmen, Frank T. Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, had discovered the immense commercial potential of the Permian Basin oilfield, one of the great finds in American history. The field would one day supply the crude that powered the Allies to victory in World War II and make the United States the world's largest oil producer. Thanks to the arrangement outlined in the PUF -- the current market value of which is roughly $43 billion -- West Texas crude would also make the University of Texas and Texas A&M two of the richest universities in the country. For rival Texas Tech University in Lubbock, chartered 107 days before the discovery, it would provide nothing. Not a cent. | |
| House Education Committee Tackles Gambling Among Students |
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| When a student is struggling with alcohol or drugs, you can often see it in their eyes or smell it on their breath. But when a student is struggling with gambling, "it's invisible," said Lindsey Mortenson, chief mental health officer at the University of Michigan. "There's no blood test. There's no brain scan," she added while testifying Wednesday before U.S. House lawmakers. Mortenson and three other experts from across the country told members of the congressional Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development that the nature of the problem makes it all the more difficult -- and important -- to address. But despite the challenges, they called on lawmakers to take specific actions to combat the issue, such as barring sports betting advertisements on college campuses, banning proposition bets for college sports and improving financial literacy and gambling education. In the hearing, titled "The Rise of Sports Gambling on College Campuses," lawmakers asked about how gambling addiction differs from other forms of addictions, why young people are particularly susceptible, how colleges should go about prevention and whether they should be concerned for their own children. | |
| NCAA-DeWine Fight Could Open Door for Governors to Defy NCAA |
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| As Congress and courts debate the legality of NCAA eligibility rules, the prospect of governors issuing orders that allow colleges to disregard those rules takes on greater real-world importance. That tension is at the heart of NCAA v. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a lawsuit DeWine argued in a recent court filing should be dismissed. This is a legal battle the college sports world should closely follow, as the winner could reshape the playbook for NCAA eligibility litigation. Last month, DeWine signed Ohio Executive Order 2026-04D. The order directs Ohio colleges not to enforce NCAA eligibility rules regarding certain former Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022 who have exhausted four seasons of competition. ... If one governor can effectively block the NCAA from enforcing eligibility rules in one state, other governors will likely do the same. After all, a governor wants colleges in their state to be able to sign experienced athletes. College sports tribalism is often used as a political tool. ... DeWine's legal battle with the NCAA will inevitably be short-lived. His successor, Gov.-elect Amy Acton, will be sworn in on Jan. 11. It remains to be seen whether Acton maintains her predecessor's approach to college sports eligibility. | |
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