| Friday, September 25, 2026 |
| Mississippi welcomes a record number of visitors that spent $12.4 billion | |
 | Mississippi is seeing growth in tourism, according to the Tourism Economic Contribution report from 2025 presented by Governor Tate Reeves on Thursday. Roughly $12.4 billion in tourism revenue was generated in the Magnolia State last year from a record 45.5 million visitors. Tourism activity reportedly generated a record $18.9 billion in total economic impact across the state. The state's tourism industry also generated about $1.2 billion in state and local tax revenue, Governor Reeves said. The tourism industry provides jobs to about 137,000 people in the state and generates $4.8 billion in personal income for Mississippi workers. "Mississippi's tourism industry continues to demonstrate what is possible when we invest in the experiences, places and people that make our state unlike any other," Reeves said. "These results reflect the strength of an industry that touches every region and every county, supporting local businesses, creating opportunity for working families and strengthening our economy." |
| Jackson County DA to Crump: Stop playing games | |
| Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath issued a strongly worded rebuttal to Ben Crump Thursday evening after the attorney for the parents of Nolan Wells held a press conference in Orlanda to discuss the independent extraction of the teen's cell phone and the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy report. McIlrath states that Crump's assertion now that messages were deleted from Wells' cell phone is not the full context. She said the Crump legal team has told the DA that no one physically accessed the phone after the teen's last known use. She further states that user actions Crump now questions as being deleted were from other Snapchat users, not by someone accessing the phone. The District Attorney made clear once again that her office has always been willing to mutually examine the cell phone but said the Crump team has made strategic choices to control the public information "and create a misleading public narrative." As for the state's autopsy report, McIlrath said the Crump team advised her office that they had no evidence of a crime against Wells. "The Crump team is asking the public to ask questions that the Crump team has the answers to," the DA said. McIlrath went on to say, "My interactions with Mr. Crump, as well as his conduct in this case, has demonstrated that he is not worthy of our trust... If the Crump team genuinely has new information or evidence that Nolan Wells was murdered they should stop playing games and immediately provide it to me." |
| Senate candidate Scott Colom calls for temporary ban on data centers in Mississippi | |
| Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom on Thursday called for a temporary ban on new data centers in Mississippi. "The reality is, the consequences of data centers in Mississippi are already here. We're seeing it in our power bills. We're seeing it where we live. We're seeing it where we pray," Colom said at a press conference. Colom, who is challenging incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith has a list of conditions that he would want met before proceeding with any new data center construction in the state. It includes having data centers pay their own way and more transparency about the deals. He said this would give the state a chance to study the impacts of data centers and come up with regulations. While artificial intelligence and data centers have come up in midterm elections in other states, and have already become an issue for Mississippi's statewide elections next year, they have not been a driving issues in Mississippi's congressional races to date. Data center development decisions have been made at the state and local levels, with Republican Gov. Tate Reeves being a leading advocate for them. |
| Xi is wrapping his visit to Washington with a peek at the Constitution and the Bill of Rights | |
 | President Donald Trump is taking Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the National Archives on Friday, showing off the sacred texts of U.S. democracy to the leader of the world's most powerful communist country to cap off a three-day state visit criticized for being heavy on pomp and light on substance. Xi is expected to depart Washington after touring the nation's vault of records, where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are held. The two leaders have made a show of working to preserve harmony between the world's two largest economies, though there were no major breakthroughs on issues such as trade or the safety of artificial intelligence. The visit comes as the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, and Trump, a Republican, said Thursday that he wanted to show Xi "some of the greatest treasures of that proud history." |
| GOP senators dismayed by Trump embrace of Xi after China helped Iran target US troops | |
 | Republican senators are expressing concern and dismay over President Trump's lavish welcome of Chinese President Xi Jinping to a two-day summit in Washington after it was revealed earlier this month that Iran used Chinese satellite imagery to target U.S. troops in Jordan. Republican senators were told of deepening military cooperation between Iran and China at a closed-door national security briefing Thursday, heightening their concerns about Trump's red-carpet welcome of Xi at Joint Base Andrews. GOP lawmakers called on Trump to confront Xi over reports that China has provided military assistance to Iran and demanded that China produce real concessions on trade, especially U.S. agricultural exports, concessions that have been elusive in Trump's negotiations with China. Republican senators are also questioning Trump's invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami in December. Trump announced it earlier this week. |
| American farmers are hurting -- and worried about their futures | |
 | Rick Telesz raises soybeans, corn and dairy cows on about 700 acres in western Pennsylvania. He's expecting a promising soybean crop this fall -- but Telesz will be lucky to just break even. "Am I going to make money this year?" he asks. "To be honest, I hope the harvest is good enough that I can pay for all those inputs I had this spring and summer." The inputs Telesz needs to raise his crops include fertilizer and fuel, which have both gotten a lot more expensive as a result of the U.S. war with Iran -- adding to the woes of farmers already struggling with the fallout from the trade war. Fertilizer prices are up 15% this year compared to last, and the price of diesel fuel has jumped by 80%, making it hard for farmers to turn a profit. "It's a cost that a farmer can't pass on," Telesz says. "You take your trucking industry, it's just added to the freight [charge]. But a farmer, it's just an added cost he just has to absorb. It's real. It's painful." The trade war with China has also been a headache. China is historically the third biggest market for U.S. farm exports, but the country slashed its purchases last year in retaliation for President Trump's tariffs. Farm sales to China this year have only partially recovered. "They're paying way more to grow a crop and they're not making near enough for it," says economist Faith Parum of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We've had a tough time in the farm economy." |
| One city thought it had e-bikes all figured out. Not so fast. | |
 | Done with school for the day, a troop of teens zipped by on their electric bikes, weaving and chirping as they rode around curves, exuding the confidence of acrobats. After gathering for a "Where next" chat, they took off down another golf cart path, popping wheelies along the way. To some, that afternoon snapshot near the Peachtree City, Georgia, library looked like an idyll of childhood, only with a twist. To others, such e-powered teen groupings are more of a menace, endangering pedestrians and other bicyclists. "One part of me, the old geezer, says to call the cops," says Kevin Pfeifer, a retired government employee who rides a non-electric, single-speed Schwinn that's pushing 30 years old. "The other side of me says, at least they're not in the basement playing video games." It's not just the Peachtree City folks who are second-guessing e-bikes and how to integrate them safely with existing infrastructure. Americans of all ages are hopping on e-bikes and electric scooters, two-wheeled machines with 750-watt electric motors that can propel them beyond 30 mph. "Where before you had collisions between cars and micromobility, now you have collisions between micromobility and people who are walking," says Chris Wyczalkowski, co-founder of the Micromobility Lab at Georgia State University in Atlanta. "They're zipping through pedestrians, hitting pedestrians, and falling off here and there." |
| Deaths of students at the U. of Mississippi cast spotlight on kratom | |
| A drug task force in Mississippi is urging people to avoid kratom after authorities found packages of the substance while investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students. The warning Tuesday came despite no "confirmed information" that kratom contributed to either death, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in a news release. The students were found Monday afternoon in different locations, one on campus and the other off campus, a university spokesperson said. The university on Thursday identified the students as Aidan Hamilton, a freshman from Englewood, Colorado, and Robert Strang, a junior from Atlanta. The school said in a statement that their families "have asked for privacy as they grieve." U.S. health officials and states have increasingly scrutinized kratom, an herbal extract that acts as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses, over the past decade. Kratom is legal at the federal level, but some state and local governments have banned the substance and federal authorities have issued warnings about its risks. Both the city of Oxford and Lafayette County, where the University of Mississippi is located, have bans in place. |
| OPD responds to woman's drugging claims | |
| he Oxford Police Department is disputing claims by a woman who said she was drugged and left alone by officers following an encounter in downtown Oxford over the weekend. The department issued a statement Thursday, Sept. 24, after the woman's post gained attention on social media and raised questions about how officers handled the incident. In the post, the woman said she believed her drink had been spiked and that she had no recollection of the night. She alleged that Oxford police officers placed her in an Uber by herself, left her alone and treated the situation "like a joke." OPD said Thursday that it takes allegations involving suspected drug-facilitated assault, drink tampering and sexual assault seriously. Police said the department has been reviewing the incident, including available body-worn camera footage and city camera footage. Police said available video footage does not support the claim that she was abandoned or left alone. According to the department, the woman was able to communicate where she needed to go before she departed, and officers worked to ensure she had transportation to a safe location. OPD said it investigates reports of suspected drink tampering when they are reported but currently does not have evidence supporting claims that women are routinely being drugged in Oxford every weekend or every day. |
| State college board pays $330,000 to settle discrimination lawsuit over 2023 Jackson State presidential search | |
| Mississippi's college board paid $330,000 to Debra Mays-Jackson, a former Jackson State University administrator, to resolve a sex discrimination lawsuit that challenged the 2023 presidential search process and decisions trustees used to select former President Marcus Thompson. The college board did not admit any liability as part of the settlement, and Mays-Jackson, the former JSU vice president and chief of staff, agreed not to apply for another job at Jackson State or any other public universities governed by the college board. Mississippi Today obtained the six-page agreement through a public records request. John Sewell, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, said the college board authorized the settlement with Mays-Jackson in closed session at its Aug. 20 meeting. |
| CDC's latest youth behavior report offers a narrower look at teen health | |
| For more than 35 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has surveyed American high school students every two years about their health and behavior. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, established in 1991, draws a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 at public and private schools. Over the years, it has tracked a broad range of issues affecting teenagers, from substance use and sexual behavior to violence, mental health and other health risks. But the CDC's latest national report, a full-color publication with photos, graphics and high school success stories, offers a markedly different portrait of adolescent health than the one it published two years ago. The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey report focuses on five areas -- diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior, and mental health and suicide risk -- while largely leaving out national findings on substance use, sexual behavior, violence and disparities among student groups that were prominent in previous reports. The underlying survey data on the CDC's website still contains many of those measures, including trends in alcohol and drug use, and sexual activity, but they are not part of the national report's key findings. |
| College campus overdose deaths prompt warning from South Carolina official | |
| A public safety advisory was released Thursday by the South Carolina Attorney General's Office after recent overdose deaths on college campues around the country. Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Ole Miss students. Investigators said there is no confirmed evidence indicating the deaths are connected, but packaged kratom sold from a retail store was found in both investigations. Attorney General Alan Wilson's office sent out a public safety advisory Thursday, after the Ole Miss students were found dead and packaged kratom was found in both investigations. Kratom is available for purchase in convenience stores in South Carolina to anyone 21 years old or older. Wilson issued the following statement: "As a dad of a college student, this is personal to me. Parents need to understand how serious this is and talk to their kids now, because one mistake, one exposure, can be fatal. These drugs are poison, plain and simple. As we have seen, our colleges and universities are a soft target for these drugs. I encourage students on campus to practice common sense and refrain from taking anything that is not prescribed to you or purchased directly from a retail pharmacy. We will use every tool at our disposal to stop this and protect South Carolina families." |
| U. of Kentucky violated open records law 3 times in recent cases, AG finds | |
| Attorney General Russell Coleman found the University of Kentucky to be in violation of Kentucky's open records law in three different cases since August, showing the school's continuing pattern of problems with the state law aimed at government transparency. The Lexington Herald-Leader found that in 2025, 18 of 24 appeals to records denied by public universities in Kentucky involved UK. The AG's office published its most recent slate of open records appeals on Wednesday. In two appeals, UK was found to have not violated the law. In addition, the AG's office found that Kentucky State University had partially violated the law. Amye Bensenhaver, a former assistant attorney general and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition said UK's lead counsel, William Thro, has long shown his antipathy to the state open records law. "Why is UK asserting exemptions that don't apply? Because they can and they do," she said. "In his mind the burden rests with the requester – he is responsible for a great deal of harm, and he's been called out. "I just think UK is a very poor student of open government, and learns nothing from its past mistakes, and continues to advance interpretations of the law that have been rejected, including the opinion on FERPA," she said. |
| Texas A&M to prepare Space Force leaders through 2036 | |
| Texas A&M University will help prepare officers to lead U.S. military operations in space for the next decade, giving the university a central role in developing leaders for one of the nation's most consequential national security missions. The U.S. Space Force has chosen Texas A&M to continue hosting its Captains Leadership Course through 2036. Beginning in fiscal year 2027, the four-week resident program will instruct up to seven cohorts of 60 students each, serving as many as 420 Guardians annually. Space systems support military communications, navigation, missile warning, intelligence and operations across every branch of the armed forces. As that domain becomes more contested, the Space Force is building its own professional military education program to prepare officers to lead people, make sound decisions and integrate space expertise across the joint force. "National security depends on technology, but it depends first on leaders with judgment and character," said Robert Albritton, chairman of the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System. "The Space Force could have taken this mission anywhere. It chose Texas A&M, and we intend to justify that confidence." |
| MU Faculty Council discusses concerns about leaked video of professor | |
 | MU Faculty Council members discussed the leaked video of a University of Missouri professor, published by conservative watchdog organization Accuracy in Media, at its meeting Thursday. In the video, Mizzou professor Wayne Brekhus talked about diversity, equity and inclusion research at the university. Since Accuracy in Media released the video, the university put out a statement saying it has launched an investigation into Brekhus' conduct. "Appropriate actions will be taken. Mizzou voluntarily eliminated all DEI programs and DEI requirements in the curriculum," the statement read. Carolyn Orbann, the chair of the Faculty Council, opened the discussion with how the recording of Brekhus was handled by the university. She said the situation could affect trust built in teacher-student relationships. "One of the topics that's been ongoing in my discussion with the president and the provost has been (that) this does have a negative effect on our relationship with students," Orbann said. "The faculty and the people we represent in this body would like to feel supported so that we can continue having the open relationship we have with students." "This does lead us to a certain amount of paranoia, which is not productive for the kinds of interactions we want to have with students," she added. |
| After Missing Its Enrollment Goal, Syracuse U. Is Questioning Everything | |
 | Is a Syracuse University degree worth it? Chancellor J. Michael Haynie doesn't think the answer is as clear as it should be. Shortly after taking office this summer, Haynie announced the formation of a special committee to suggest "disruptive and potentially unpopular" ways that Syracuse -- a private research university with an undergraduate cost of attendance over $95,000 -- could ensure it was worth the money. The committee announcement included a striking detail: The upstate-New York institution had missed its undergraduate-enrollment target, resulting in a $30-million deficit. That the shortfall occurred at a selective institution with a $2-billion endowment attracted immediate attention. It wasn't the first sign of trouble, either. Then, this August, a Wall Street Journal article suggesting Syracuse couldn't "attract the students it needs to pay the bills" fueled national speculation that the university was in decline. Suddenly, it appeared that even top-tier private campuses might be in for the reckoning facing other sectors of higher ed. Haynie insists that narrative is wrong. |
| Colleges Are Losing Young Men. What Brings Them Back? | |
 | Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divide extends beyond who enrolls. Young men are also less likely than young women to earn a degree of any kind, raising questions about why some men are opting out of higher education and what colleges can do to better engage and support them. The gap comes as colleges are confronting broader questions about the value of a degree, the rising cost of attendance and whether traditional higher education is meeting the needs of today's students. For institutions seeking to enroll and retain more men, the challenge is not only understanding what is keeping them from college but identifying what changes could make higher education a more attractive and successful path. Former U.S. education secretary Betsy DeVos was among those who addressed such challenges Thursday at the Symposium on Young American Men in Washington, D.C., which brought together lawmakers, researchers, journalists and organizational leaders to discuss policies shaping outcomes for young men in education, work, family life and mental health. Pointing to the decline in men pursuing higher education, DeVos said "there's no simple answer" for the trend. |
| Major public universities report hits to international enrollment | |
| Major public colleges across the U.S. have reported big drops in their international student populations this fall. As more institutions release their newest enrollment data, the higher ed sector is getting a clearer picture of the impacts of the federal government's crackdown on foreign students and moves to tighten the visa system. Although some of the Trump administration's largest changes have been paused by the courts, college officials and student advocates expect the instability of the visa system to constrict the international student pipeline. Some colleges have still managed to increase enrollment overall, sometimes to record-breaking levels, despite enrolling fewer foreign students. But that doesn't necessarily mean their budgets aren't feeling the pinch, as international students typically pay the full sticker price. |
SPORTS
| More cowbell! Mississippi State football eyes new world record vs Missouri | |
 | Mississippi State is attempting to set a world record when it hosts No. 21 Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 26. The Bulldogs, looking to start SEC play with a 2-0 record for the first time since 2014 with Dak Prescott, are aiming to break the record for most cowbells ringing simultaneously in world history during the game. "Embrace your ears," quarterback Kamario Taylor said in a recent Mississippi State promotional video posted to social media. Mississippi State still holds the official record of 5,748 consecutive cowbells ringing from Guinness World Records during a football pep rally in 2015. However, in 2025, the Milwaukee Admirals, a minor-league hockey team, set the unofficial new record with 6,768 consecutive cowbells ringing, although the total wasn't counted by Guinness World Records. When the Bulldogs face the Tigers in Week 4, volunteers will wear bright green shirts to count cowbells as fans enter the stadium, the school announced. The school is collaborating with Elite World Records, a Guinness World Records competitor, as it attempts to break the new record. "Organizers ask that fans be diligent to ensure all cowbells are counted upon entry," the school wrote. |
| Chris Jones pledges to donate to Mississippi State NIL to help retain QB Kamario Taylor | |
| Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor is the talk of the college football world amid the Bulldogs' strong 3-0 start to the 2026 season. He's even caught the attention of several notable alumni. That includes Kansas City Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is pledging to do whatever it takes to keep Taylor in Starkville amid speculation the dual-threat talent will be a hot commodity in the transfer portal next January. That includes making a significant donation to his alma mater's NIL budget. "I'm going to donate some (NIL), though, we've got to keep this quarterback --- we've got to keep him around," Jones told reporters Thursday in Kansas City. "With all these NIL teams spending $45-50 million a year, the salary cap doesn't exist in college, so definitely trying to keep our quarterback with us." The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Taylor has taken the SEC and college football by storm in his first season as the Bulldogs' starter. "I think we have one of the best the FBS right now, he's doing really, really well for us, and he's young," Jones added. "We just have to keep him on our roster, because the NIL has changed everything. ... Definitely believe in our guys, got a lot of belief in Mississippi State right now and KT." |
| Mizzou football aims to 'silence' Taylor, Mississippi State offense in Week 4 showdown | |
| Mizzou football opens Southeastern Conference play with a road trip to Starkville to play Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers have won their last three conference openers and have started each of those seasons 4-0 or better. That streak is in danger of coming to an end at the hands of an improved Bulldogs team. Mississippi State is off to a 3-0 start in its third season under coach Jeff Lebby, including road wins over Minnesota and South Carolina. The Bulldogs went from 2-10 in Lebby's first year to 5-8 in his second, which included an upset at home over then-ranked Arizona State. Now, they face a ranked Mizzou team in one of the biggest tests of Lebby's tenure. "Coach Lebby's doing an outstanding job," Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters Tuesday. "You can tell the foundations of his culture and the foundation of his schemes are in place. I mean, they are truly an excellent football team." This season could be Lebby's best, and it starts with quarterback Kamario Taylor. |
| Soccer: Stingy Defense Sees State Shut Out No. 9 Tennessee | |
| A total team effort gave Mississippi State a critical draw on the road at No. 9 Tennessee on Thursday night as the Bulldogs shut out the Lady Vols for the first time since 2015. MSU has now won or tied five of its last six matches against top-10 teams, and the Bulldogs (7-1-2, 1-0-2 SEC) have claimed five points in their first three matches of conference play to make Kevin O'Brien just the second MSU head coach to go unbeaten through his first three SEC games. State dominated the first half, outshooting Tennessee, 11-0. It marked just the third time in the last 26 years that the Lady Vols had been held without a shot in a half. "I think the girls executed the tactical game plan we had for them to a T, and they limited a phenomenal soccer team to sparing opportunities," O'Brien said. "You know, first half to have a team like that not get a shot off against you was amazing, and then after 90, apart from a couple crosses where she was challenged, Jenny [Harrison] did not have to make a significant save in the game, which, again, is a testament to how well the team defended as a group, how organized we were, compact, how well we worked together. As a coaching staff, we are all just incredibly proud of the girls and excited, you know, because every result like this breeds more confidence." |
| Protect College Sports Act scheduled for historic final vote in U.S. Senate on Monday | |
 | A federal bill addressing many of the top issues in college sports was approved for a final vote in the U.S. Senate to take place on Monday, Sept. 28, when it is expected to pass. It marks the furthest college sports legislation has advanced in Congress. Titled the Protect College Sports Act, it needs at least 51 votes to officially advance through the Senate on Monday. That approval would signal a massive win for the NCAA and its conferences, which have spent years and millions of dollars lobbying for a federal law to help create and enforce rules. But in order to be signed into law by President Donald Trump, the PCSA must also pass the House of Representatives, where a vote could still be weeks away and may face additional challenges. The bipartisan bill, co-authored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would give the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption to establish new rules on athlete eligibility, transfers and player compensation, as well as put notable restraints on conference realignment and a future super league. It would also increase the revenue-sharing cap from roughly $20 million annually per school to nearly $50 million, with newly established buckets of money for player retention and non-revenue sports. |
| Sarkisian says Texas ready for comms issues with Trump in attendance | |
| Texas coach Steve Sarkisian knows what to expect when President Donald Trump attends Saturday's game at Tennessee. Apart from the extra security measures, Sarkisian is anticipating problems communicating with his team. "The one thing that you have to be aware of when the president goes to any game is that anytime he enters the stadium, leaves the stadium or changes locations within the stadium, they cut all communication," Sarkisian said during a videoconference Thursday. "So they cut your headsets. They cut the headsets to coaches. They cut headsets for coach-to-player communication. So you have to have a plan for that, if and when it happens, and you get no warning. It just gets cut out." The SEC showdown between the top-ranked Longhorns and the No. 14 Vols will be Texas quarterback Arch Manning's first game at Neyland Stadium, where his uncle Peyton starred for Tennessee. Trump's attendance will add another layer of intrigue, something Sarkisian has previous experience with. He was Alabama's offensive coordinator when Trump attended a game against LSU during the president's first term in 2019. |
| LSU struggles with multimillion-dollar athletics deficit: 'We've got to stop that bleeding' | |
| After years of minimal profits, LSU athletics is now tens of millions of dollars in the red. LSU President Wade Rousse told the state Board of Regents on Tuesday the school's sports program is projected to carry a $26 million deficit this year. The program's shortfall for fiscal year 2025-26 was $44 million, according to LSU spokeswoman Meg Sunstrom. It was the first year in which NCAA Division I programs were allowed to directly compensate student-athletes for their name, image and likeness. Like most Power Four conference schools, LSU spent the maximum amount allowed -- $21. 5 million -- accounting for the biggest portion of the deficit. LSU athletics has overspent its budget over the past six years by a total of $177.5 million, Rousse told the Regents at their annual budget hearing for all schools under their purview. The $44 million shortfall was covered by the Tiger Athletic Foundation, Sunstrom said. |
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