| Wednesday, August 12, 2026 |
| Miss. State cuts ribbon on renovated dining hall, traffic circle and mechanical plant | |
 | Mississippi State leaders cut the ribbon three times Tuesday to celebrate a variety of university improvements, from an updated McArthur Café to the newly opened traffic circle to a mechanical plant designed to support campus growth. MSU Dining unveiled a newly renovated McArthur Café for the start of the fall 2026 semester. This larger space in McArthur Hall now offers more seating, with an expanded kitchen and office space for staff. The opening of the traffic circle at the Stone Boulevard and Bost Drive intersection that seeks to improve campus safety and provides better traffic flow, upgraded pedestrian walkways, reduced congestion and an enhanced aesthetic design for the primary west campus entry point linking the university and Starkville. MSU's state-of-the-art South Campus Mechanical Plant further equips the university campus for ongoing infrastructure growth. |
| Nate Bargatze coming to MSU this fall | |
 | Grammy award-winning comedian Nate Bargatze is coming to Mississippi State University in October. Bargatze is set to perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 in Humphrey Coliseum as part of his "Nate Bargatze's Big Dumb Eyes Goes to College" tour. "Bargatze is one of the biggest names in comedy right now, and we're excited to welcome him to Humphrey Coliseum as part of our department's ongoing commitment to bring top-tier entertainment to Mississippi State," Senior Associate Athletic Director Brandon Langlois wrote in a text to The Dispatch. "This event will be another great experience for our fans, students and community." Bargatze's New York Times bestselling book "Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind" was published May 2025. He has been on the "Big Dumb Eyes World Tour," since April 2025. Billboard reported that Bargatze's June performances of "Big Dumb Eyes World Tour" brought in $9.9 million and sold 127,000 tickets making him June's top grossing comedian, a status he has held 10 times in the last 14 months. Tickets for Bargatze's show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and can be purchased through the MSU athletics website. |
| MSU-Meridian accepts third cohort of nursing students | |
 | MSU-Meridian's Master of Science in Nursing program has now accepted its third cohort of students. The program has accepted 48 students this year, up from around 35 in previous classes. "So far, we talk about all the work that goes into getting students here. We interview every applicant, we really try to make sure we're a match for each other. The fact that the students made it here today is a strong indicator that they're going to be successful. We have a really good group with a strong professional background," said Kayla Carr, Associate Dean of MSU's School of Nursing. It is also Mississippi's only direct-entry fast-track nursing program. Carr says the program's success is booming, with graduates continuing to show success all across the state and country. |
| Disc golf hall of famer visits MSU Athlete Engineering | |
 | A world-renowned disc golf champion and influential teacher recently visited Mississippi State's Athlete Engineering Institute to better understand how the mechanics of throwing impact performance and injury prevention in one of the world's fastest-growing sports. Scott Stokely, a 17-time world and national disc golf champion and Disc Golf Hall of Fame member, spent multiple days in Starkville working with AEI Research Engineer David Saucier, using the lab's advanced markerless motion capture technology to study biomechanics of the disc golf throw. Stokely, who now travels internationally teaching disc golf technique, said the opportunity to pair decades of experience with objective data was a natural next step for the sport. "As disc golf grows and becomes more mainstream, we also get access to more mainstream research tools," Stokely said. "Coming to Mississippi State was about finding out what's actually true -- confirming or challenging what we think we know -- so we can teach better, throw better and reduce injuries." |
| Muscadine field day set for Aug. 27, workshop on hydroponic farming Oct. 13 | |
| From muscadines to hydroponic greens, Mississippi State University is offering growers and agricultural professionals two upcoming opportunities to learn about specialty crops and innovative farming methods. A limited number of people with an interest in hydroponic farming are invited to a free workshop Oct. 13 hosted by Mississippi State University in Crystal Springs. Qianwen "Megan" Zhang, MSU Extension horticulturist and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher, said the workshop is designed for those professionals who support hydroponic farmers and those in the business or seeking to get into hydroponic farming. Muscadine producers can learn more about growing the specialty crop during an upcoming field day. The 2026 Muscadine Field Day will be held Aug. 27 at the Mississippi State University McNeill Research Unit in Carriere, located at 7 Ben Gill Road, across from Jack's Fish House. The field day begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration. The program begins at 9, and ends at 11. The event is co-hosted by the MSU Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Speakers from all three units will discuss muscadines. |
| Schools prepare for new financial literacy mandate | |
| Students at Columbus High School already learn how to read a pay stub and balance a budget, but by next school year, financial literacy instruction will be a requirement for school districts throughout the state. A portion of a new state law, which went into effect July 1, requires the State Board of Education to incorporate financial literacy into curriculum for grades 6-8 starting with the 2027-28 school year. The law also adds a financial literacy graduation requirement for high schoolers. Haley Montgomery, communications director for Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, said Starkville High School also offers a personal finance course. There is also instruction embedded in other academic opportunities at the middle school level as well, she said, including in the Cyber Foundations and Career Exploration classes taken by seventh- and eighth-graders. "They typically have students budgeting, researching salaries and college costs related to their interests, and gaining additional basic understanding," Montgomery wrote in an email to The Dispatch. "Some of our other high school pathways also include financial lessons, so the district already offers pockets of financial literacy instruction throughout 6th-12th grade." |
| Heat waves can disproportionately affect older adults: here's how to stay safe | |
 | The National Weather Service has put out warnings for dangerous heat stress that persist throughout the week. The rising temperatures can be particularly harmful for elderly people. Heat indices could be well up to 110 degrees this week in certain parts of the state. Meteorologist Orion Alexander Jones with NWS Jackson says that while the whole state is going to be hot, residents in certain parts of Mississippi need to stay extra aware. "The hottest temperatures as far as heat indexes is going to be the lower elevation areas, especially the Mississippi Delta region," Alexander Jones said. Elderly people (those 65 and up) are most prone to health issues from the heat. About 22% of Mississippians are 60 and over. "There are chronic conditions that may be more prominent in older adults," said Dr. David Buys, chair of the Department of Population Health Science at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "There's certain medications that they may be taking that could affect how their body's able to regulate heat." One of the best steps is to have friends or family checking in routinely to make sure that everything is running smoothly at home. "Check on them at least twice a day: ask pointed questions about how they're doing and what they're are doing," said Buys. |
| The Lumber Manufactory bringing 50 jobs to New Albany with new sawmill | |
| The Lumber Manufactory, a sawmill operator, has begun operations in New Albany, investing $15 million and creating more than 50 jobs, according to the Mississippi Development Authority. Michael Grasso, The Lumber Manufactory's co-founder and CEO, said that the New Albany operation will help strengthen American lumber manufacturing. "America has a timber surplus and a lumber manufacturing deficit and our new state-of-the-art mill here creates a tremendous opportunity to build more sawn wood products at home," Grasso said. "We are proud to begin that work in Mississippi." The Lumber Manufactory was founded in 2023 and has helped develop many American technology and manufacturing companies, including Anduril, Blue Origin, and Nvidia. Governor Tate Reeves praised the sawmill's opening, saying in a statement that the project will strengthen Mississippi's forest industry while creating economic opportunities for Mississippi timberland owners. |
| More Mississippians turning to local produce company amid cyclospora outbreak | |
| With a recent outbreak of cyclospora linked to lettuce, some consumers are steering clear of the leafy green. But for Mississippi lettuce producer Salad Days, the concerns have actually driven more customers to seek out its locally grown products. Located in Flora, Salad Days operates out of a 68,000-square-foot indoor hydroponic greenhouse. Unlike traditional farming, hydroponic farms use nutrient-rich water rather than soil. Salad Days co-founder Leigh Bailey said the company's indoor growing methods help eliminate exposure to outside contaminants, and its lettuce has not been linked to the cyclospora outbreak affecting other products across the U.S. "[Salad Days] has come in the spotlight the last several weeks with this terrible food safety scare with cyclospora," Bailey said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. "The indoor growing methods just seem to make a lot of sense when you look at what's happening from outside contaminants that you control." Bailey added that Salad Days uses a controlled municipal water source that goes through an additional round of filtration to help prevent pathogens from entering the water used to grow its lettuce. |
| As high prices persist, some Americans are cutting back on spending | |
 | As the war in Iran barrels toward the six-month mark, many Americans are growing weary of persistent inflation and high prices at the pump. While many still hope for relief, they are starting to think about tightening their belts. Consumers still haven't slashed spending dramatically. Overall, spending remains resilient in the face of elevated inflation, which cooled slightly to 3.4 percent in the year ending in July, according to data released Wednesday. Still, in interviews, families across the country say they are looking for ways to keep their budgets in check, including by curbing gas usage, eating cheaper meals and taking on DIY projects they once would have outsourced. "It absolutely still makes sense to pay for some things, but you just have to be a lot more deliberate," said Lydia Royce, a 38-year-old mother of two in Norman, Oklahoma who works in financial tech. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, 43-year-old Sarah Bailey said her family has switched from seafood to cheaper proteins for dinner -- lately, often pork. "I'm just moving through life a bit differently," said Bailey, a drug and alcohol counselor and author. The same is true for Donny Plumley, 55, a nurse in Huntington, West Virginia. He and his wife rarely eat at restaurants anymore, he said. |
| Inflation Was 3.4% in July, Down Slightly From the Previous Month | |
 | The annual inflation rate fell slightly in July, and a key measure of underlying price trends remained moderate last month. Stop-and-start peace negotiations in the Middle East brought a respite for gasoline prices. And so-called core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose by 0.2% in July from the previous month, a relatively modest increase offering hope that broader price pressures could be abating. Underlying inflation trends are especially decisive right now for the Federal Reserve, where policymakers are grappling with whether and when to raise interest rates. Wednesday's report may make the Fed more comfortable waiting to see if inflation keeps cooling on its own, rather than trying to tamp it down with rate increases. "I've spent the morning trying to poke holes in this beautiful number, and I've mostly failed," said Tani Fukui, an economist at MetLife Investment Management. The inflation rate cooled to 3.4% in July, the Labor Department said Wednesday. It was lower than June's 3.5%. The relatively modest increase in underlying inflation may relieve some immediate pressure on the Fed to raise interest rates in September. |
| Mississippi insurance commissioner pushes short-term plans as healthcare costs climb | |
| As more Mississippians struggle to afford healthcare, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney is working to make short-term health plans more accessible as a lower-cost alternative to traditional health insurance, even though they could deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions. The Mississippi Comprehensive Health Insurance Risk Pool Association, the state's long-dormant insurer of last resort, is on track to serve as a customer portal for short-term, limited-duration plans with basic health benefits offered by UnitedHealthcare in 2027, Chaney told Mississippi Today on Tuesday. He said he expects the company to offer two or three plan options similar to those it already offers in Mississippi. However, details have not been finalized, and premiums will be roughly "a couple of hundred dollars a month," Chaney said. People can enroll or cancel at any time. These plans are designed to bridge a temporary gap in coverage, such as when people are in between jobs. They do not meet federal requirements for comprehensive health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. They are not required to cover essential benefits, including maternity, mental health or prescription drug coverage, or meet federal requirements barring discrimination based on health status. |
| Governor appoints Porter to fill 10th Chancery Court seat | |
| A youth court referee and special master in Marion County has been appointed by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) to fill a vacancy in the 10th Chancery Court District. Current Judge Chase Ford Morgan plans to retire on August 16, creating a vacancy in the judicial seat. In response, Governor Reeves has appointed Renee McBride Porter of Columbia to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term, starting August 17. "Renee has devoted her career to serving Mississippi families and children," said Governor Reeves in a statement. "Her experience in chancery and youth court matters, combined with her commitment to public service, makes her exceptionally qualified to serve the people of the 10th Chancery Court District." Porter has a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. |
| US Senate fundraising committee leaves Mississippi, Colom out of $40-million push | |
| The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm for U.S. Senate Democrats, left Mississippi out of a recent $40-million investment in 10 battleground states ahead of the November midterm election. The fundraising group is sending money to Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Texas, according to a July 28 news release. The money is being used in part to fund state-run outreach programs for Latino, Black and Asian American voters. The DSCC did not respond to a question asking why Mississippi, the state with the highest percentage of Black residents in the nation, was left out of the investment. In the GOP-dominated Magnolia State, Democratic District Attorney Scott Colom is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and many Democratic politicos had hoped the national party would provide substantial support and funding to Colom. |
| The Democratic Establishment Strikes Back in Wisconsin | |
| David Crowley's campaign rose from the dead and saved the Democratic establishment in Wisconsin -- defeating democratic socialist Francesca Hong for the Democratic nomination in the state's gubernatorial race. In a dramatic, nail-biting finish, Crowley pulled off a massive upset in the swing state, where he mounted a three-week comeback to overtake Hong, whose leftist and politically fringe comments haunted her closing sprint. Crowley, who exited the multicandidate primary in early July and jumped back in a week later, was propelled by an endorsement from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley will now face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. "Now, David is focused on bringing people together, earning the support of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and anyone who believes Wisconsin is at its best when we work together and deliver results," said Garren Randolph, Crowley's campaign manager, in a statement. "I think primary voters freaked out about her electability, saying and doing weird stuff, and late deciders broke for him," said Adam Carlson, a Democratic pollster. "Anxious voters who don't want Tom Tiffany, an election-denier, and Wisconsin voters are well-trained, perennial swing state voters. Stakes are too high." Crowley's victory cuts against recent progressive gains in New York City, Denver and Michigan -- and raises serious questions over primary polling ahead of the 2028 presidential primary. |
| Darline Graham and Ralph Norman advance to runoff in special GOP primary | |
| A month after the death of Lindsey Graham, his younger sister advanced to a runoff against South Carolina's 5th District congressman for the chance to succeed him in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. Sen. Darline Graham led the 10-candidate field with about 33% of the votes when The Associated Press called it. Her lead held as vote-counting continued. With almost 25% of the vote, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman will join her on the Aug. 25 ballot. He led in 10 Upstate counties to pull ahead of U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who led in the Grand Strand and the rest of 7th District he represents. Graham won the rest of the state. Former Gov. Mark Sanford followed in fourth place, according to the state Election Commission's unofficial results. (See sidebar below.) Just over 11% of registered voters participated in the special GOP primary. The runoff pits a 62-year-old first-time candidate against a 73-year-old congressman who's held elected office since 2004, when Norman first won a seat in the state House. |
| Ag secretary defends SNAP work requirements during Colorado visit | |
| U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans on Tuesday defended funding cuts and work requirements Republicans added to federal food assistance programs that have led to thousands of Coloradans losing benefits. Rollins and Evans, a Fort Lupton Republican, hosted a roundtable with Colorado farmers and agricultural producers. The Republican tax cut and spending bill known as H.R. 1, which President Donald Trump signed into law last year, cut funding and added new work requirements for anyone who receives food stamp benefits through the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. To remain eligible for SNAP, an able-bodied adult without children must "participate in a work activity" for 20 hours a week. Research has found that work requirements for public benefits like SNAP and Medicaid do not increase employment rates and reduce access to food and healthcare. SNAP enrollment has dropped nationwide after Trump signed H.R. 1. |
| Researchers, advocates rail against government's efforts to end workforce data collection | |
 | Civil rights groups and researchers at a public hearing Tuesday called on a federal agency to continue its annual collection of workplace demographic data, arguing that a proposal to end the practice will undermine efforts to fight discrimination. Twenty-two speakers testified at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's hearing, which lasted more than two hours. Most opposed the proposal to toss a 60-year-old requirement for tens of thousands of private sector employers to submit annual workforce demographic reports to the EEOC, which is responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws. Six speakers, however, spoke out in favor of the proposal, siding with the Trump administration's stance that reporting such data is burdensome and encourages companies to adopt discriminatory practices to diversify their workforces. The proposal, currently subject to a 30-day public commentary period ending Aug. 24, is a key step in President Donald Trump's efforts to overhaul the country's civil rights enforcement, particularly stamping out diversity and inclusion practices. |
| Grammy-winning comedian Nate Bargatze coming to Ole Miss, Mississippi State | |
| Grammy-winning comedian Nate Bargatze will be taking his talents to Ole Miss and Mississippi State this fall. Bargatze is set to take the main stage at the SJB Pavilion in Oxford on Oct. 3, before trekking to Starkville's Humphrey Coliseum on Oct. 15. His Ole Miss performance will take place on a Saturday, typically reserved for college football in the fall. Fortunately for Rebel fans, the show coincides with the team's first bye week. As for the Mississippi State show, Bargatze will appear on the Thursday leading up to the Bulldogs' road matchup versus Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers. Before that, the comedian is set to headline Mississippi Christian University's bicentennial gala on Sept. 29. |
| Parents are spending $6,500 or more on sorority 'rush coaches' with no guarantee their daughter gets a bid | |
| A Maryland teacher and her husband thought it was the silliest idea they'd heard. Pay someone thousands of dollars to help their college-bound daughter choose dresses and practice making conversation? Absolutely not. But a year later, Lindsay Lookingbill is glad she reconsidered. Her daughter, Reagan, now a member of Alpha Delta Pi at the University of Mississippi, navigated one of American college life's most socially complex rituals with the help of a professional, and Lookingbill credits the outcome largely to that decision. "You're not going into another world. You're not going to Mars," she told Bloomberg. "But you are going into a different culture." The growth in out-of-state coaching clients tracks a well-documented enrollment trend. Since 2004, according to Bloomberg's analysis of data from the National Center for Education Statistics, universities including Alabama, Mississippi, LSU, Georgia and Tennessee have more than tripled their share of incoming freshmen from outside the southern region -- drawn by football culture, active Greek life and substantial scholarships. |
| Thacker Fall 2026: Big shows, big fun, TV debut | |
| he Thacker Mountain Radio Hour kicks off its fall season on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Powerhouse Arts Center in Oxford. Guests for the season premiere will include Mahalia Jackson, biographers Timothy B. Tyson & Mary D. Williams, Oxford blues collective Blue Velvet and North Carolina songwriter Laurelyn Dossett. The show is hosted by Jim Dees with house band, Paul Tate and the Yalobushwhackers. Admission is free and the public is invited. The show will be broadcast live (and every Thursday) on WUMS 92.1 FM – University of Mississippi. In Mississippi, the show can also be heard on air and online every Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB). Oxford shows are also being filmed by Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) Television. Thacker's television debut on MPB-TV is Friday, September 18 at 8 pm! The show will be aired as a 30-minute telecast. The TV season runs every Friday at 8 p.m. with new episodes weekly through Nov. 20. The TV show will also stream online. Thacker Executive Director Lucy Gaines believes audiences at the Powerhouse will see classic Thacker this fall: great music and compelling authors. |
| UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute gains nearly $2.6M from NCI for metastasis research | |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center research to study the mechanisms of prostate cancer bone metastasis and evaluate new therapies has gained nearly $2.6 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute. The five-year study is focused on understanding how prostate cancer cells spread to bones and why the disease is so difficult to treat following bone metastasis, said Dr. Jawed Siddiqui, associate professor of cell and molecular biology and principal investigator of the study, "The Significance of Lipoylation in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis to Develop Innovative Therapeutics," at the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute. "This project primarily centers on investigating the role of protein lipoylation and mitochondrial metabolism in guiding prostate cancer cells to the bone microenvironment," Siddiqui said. "We will also investigate the importance of cuproptosis, a recently discovered form of cell death closely tied to cellular metabolic fate. We believe that prostate cancer cells hijack these metabolic processes to survive and grow in the bone." |
| William Carey University kicks off new school year with annual faculty, staff assembly | |
 | William Carey University is preparing for the start of a new academic year as students begin returning to campus and the university continues to grow. Faculty and staff gathered at the Saenger Theatre in downtown Hattiesburg Tuesday for the university's annual general assembly. "Our Thomas Auditorium, which is celebrating its 60th year, has been renovated, total new inside, and we will open it in about a week and a half," WCU President Dr. Ben Burnett said. "So we knew we'd be cutting it close. So we worked with the city to be able to come downtown." The event included performances by the Carey drum line and cheerleaders, faculty and staff recognitions and remarks from university leaders. "We're welcoming back our 650 faculty and staff to kick off another year," Burnett said. "Spread out over 3 campuses, we don't always have the opportunity to visit with each other and have fellowship with each other." The university is entering the new school year with a larger on-campus student population. "We've become a destination campus because we've increased by 40% our on-campus population to the point where we're literally right now out of beds," he said. "We won't get everybody in next week, but it's going to be a challenge." |
| Heritage room honors former House Speaker Billy McCoy | |
 | A dedicated room is honoring former state representative and House Speaker William J. "Billy" McCoy. Northeast Mississippi Community College unveiled the William J. "Billy" McCoy Mississippi Heritage Room during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Eula Dees Memorial Library. The room features more than three decades of legislative documents, McCoy's session chair, and memorabilia from his 32 years representing northeast Mississippi in the state House. McCoy's daughter, Kim Eubank, spoke at the ceremony. "He loves the body of Mississippi House of Representatives," she said. "That was his passion. He never wanted to do anything else but serve there, but he loves home, and Northeast was home." |
| Has Partisanship Infected Tenure Decisions? | |
 | When news of Iván Chaar López's tenure denial broke last month, the scholar's supporters pointed to what they believed was the University of Texas at Austin's unstated reason: politics. UT-Austin's president and a tenure-review committee he oversaw didn't provide a reason for their decision and rejected Chaar López's attempts to appeal, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Absent any justification, and given that Chaar López's case had accrued near-unanimous support from his college and department, they concluded partisanship had to be involved. Chaar López, they pointed out, studies subjects like border surveillance, and was being considered for tenure when the University of Texas system passed a policy restricting the teaching of "controversial topics." Days before Chaar López was denied tenure, UT-Austin announced it would merge his department, American studies, with three others. Chaar López's case is one of a handful of tenure denials in recent years that critics have called ideologically driven. |
| U. of Missouri School of Medicine receives $1 million cancer research grant | |
 | The University of Missouri School of Medicine has received a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to access technology to research and develop a quicker dose of radiation to attack cancer tumors. With this grant, the school will be able to study the TheryQ FLASHKNiFE system, which will help continue with the study of cancer research. Preclinical studies show this system can deliver quicker doses of radiation to tumors while attempting to reduce damage to nearby tissue, according to a news release from the School of Medicine. "So FLASH just has this new effect that hasn't been really discovered or explored before and has been discovered recently," said Rongxiao Zhang, associate professor of radiation oncology. "If you deliver the radiation dose much faster, it actually spares normal tissue," but how it controls the tumor still remains unclear. |
| A-State vet school welcomes inaugural cohort of 122 students | |
| The Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine has welcomed its first class of students. The state's first veterinary school marked the occasion Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Jonesboro in the sweltering August heat. Arkansas State University System leaders, elected officials and veterinary students gathered on the A-State campus to celebrate the grand opening of the $33 million facility. The cohort of 122 future veterinary medicine professionals will begin classes Wednesday. The students will learn to care for animals, from dogs and cats to cattle and horses, and address gaps in animal medicine that are common in Arkansas' rural communities. ASU System President Todd Shields said in April that in-state tuition would be around $35,000 annually, which he said was "lower than the regional average." Shields said that out-of-state tuition would be around $55,000, a figure comparable to programs at other schools in the region, such as Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University and Louisiana State University. |
| As US small colleges close, towns can struggle. In Vermont, one turned the page | |
 | Voices bounce off century-old farmhouse walls as actors rehearse for a theater production. Amid the gardens outside, picnic tables fill with attendees of a weeklong writing retreat. And across the grounds, students at a therapeutic school rest in the shade of a tree. This scene among the pines and mountains of a small central Vermont town reveals how Plainfield, with a population of nearly 1,000 people, is finding a way to solve a problem vexing communities across the United States. Just two years ago, this buzzing commons was an empty college campus. Goddard College is one of nearly 2,000 federally funded higher-education institutions that have closed over the past 30 years -- and one of 17 four-year private nonprofit colleges to shut their doors in 2024 alone. Small, private, rural colleges are most susceptible to closures due to a combination of declining birth rates and students increasingly choosing the labor market or urban institutions, experts say. These numbers are only expected to grow. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education predicts that the number of high school graduates will steadily decline until 2041, reflecting a drop in births after 2007. This will likely lead to fewer traditional college applicants and more college closures. The communities these institutions call home often bear the economic, social, and cultural effects of their closures. |
| Loss of International Students Could Cost Economy $3.4B | |
 | The United States may have as many as 112,000 fewer international students enrolled in higher education this coming academic year, according to new projections that NAFSA: Association of International Educators and JB International published Tuesday. Based on data from the Institute of International Education, the analysis estimates that about 1,057,000 international students will be enrolled at a college or university during the 2026–27 academic year, compared to an estimated 1,169,000 during the 2025–26 academic year. While the number of international students fell to 914,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment had been on the rebound since; during the 2024–25 academic year, 1,178,000 such students attended college in the U.S. But since coming to power in January 2025, the Trump administration has enacted numerous policies that have precipitated the decline of international student enrollment. If NAFSA's projections are correct, the decline of international students this coming academic year could lead to nearly 40,000 fewer jobs and as much as $3.4 billion in lost economic contributions that come directly from international students. |
| More college students will have access to abortion medication | |
| When college students head back to campus for the fall semester, more of them will have guaranteed access to abortion medication. Colorado recently joined California, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York in requiring public colleges and universities to provide abortion medication to students on campus or arrange to make it available to them through an off-campus provider. Unlike the other states, Colorado's new law also applies to private colleges and universities. However, Colorado schools are exempt if offering the medication would be "contrary to the institution's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices" or if doing so would jeopardize a federal grant. Federal dollars cannot be used to pay for abortions except in limited circumstances. All five states have enacted laws to expand access to abortion in recent years, both before and after the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which cleared the way for states to fully deny abortion access for the first time in 50 years. Since that decision, more than a dozen states have enacted near-total abortion bans. |
| The student loan debt fight no one saw coming | |
 | A long-shot bid in the House to rein in the rising cost of student debt is facing resistance from an unlikely corner: Democrats. Two House Republicans with a history of challenging their leadership are trying to gather enough support to force a vote on legislation that would cap interest rates on federal student loans. Bill sponsor Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has said that she is focused on making sure Americans "don't have to spend their whole lives trying to pay off their debts." But she's only convinced one of the many Democrats she'll need to pull this off -- fellow Floridian Rep. Jared Moskowitz -- that she's sincere. Other Democrats, who have spent a decade pushing student debt relief as a tenet of the party, say they aren't interested in helping Republicans fix an affordability problem they made worse with their domestic policy law last year. That measure formally wiped out a Biden-era program that allowed some borrowers to pay as little as $0 per month, and Democrats say it hiked expenses on people already struggling to pay their bills. They also see little value in supporting Luna's legislation when they have their own. |
| The student loan delinquency rate is ticking up | |
| The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released new data on Tuesday about the state of household debt. That includes how much people owe on their student loans, as well as how much they're falling behind. The student loan delinquency rate ticked up to 10.6% in the second quarter. That's up 0.3% from earlier this year. Those are debts that are at least 90 days past due. "I think the overall picture here is that people are having trouble figuring out how to make their payments," said Dalié Jiménez, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who studies student debt. Jiménez pointed out that student loan payments were paused during the pandemic for over three years. Missed payments started to show up on borrowers' credit reports just last January --- which, to some, was a surprise. "They kind of stopped paying attention to their loans because they didn't have to for so long," said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. "And they were caught off guard." Mayotte called the past five years the most chaotic in student loan policy history. |
| Death penalty support nationally remains strong despite concerns over disparities | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: The enduring myths about the death penalty in America are that the practice is supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, that Blacks strongly oppose the punishment and, in contrast, Whites support it, and that the death penalty is a highly partisan issue. A new Pew Research Center study produced some surprising data on those questions, data that is relevant in death penalty states like Mississippi. Pew researchers found that 66% of Americans favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder while 32% oppose it. In the same survey, 59% of respondents said the death penalty "does not deter people from committing serious crimes," while 39% believed that the death penalty is a crime deterrent. ... Mississippi currently has 35 inmates on Death Row, 34 men and one woman. Of those inmates, 23 (65.5%) are Black, 10 (28.6%) are White, 1 (2.9%) is Hispanic, and 1 (2.9%) is Asian/Pacific Islander. |
SPORTS
| Lebby not letting recent news keep him from the present | |
| Jeff Lebby was tight-lipped and attentive at the podium on Tuesday at the Seal Complex. Mississippi State's head coach did not have much to say regarding the possible additions of edge rusher Malick Sylla and safety Jahron Manning. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Monday night that the Bulldogs are "in the process" of adding them back in light of a recent court ruling in Colorado that would give Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. The NCAA is currently trying to fight the ruling. If it gets overturned, it would make Sylla and Manning ineligible. "There's not really anything else to say because they're not eligible, so they've got to go through a process," Lebby said. "They're back in the building. We'll see how it all plays out." Lebby added that the two have not been able to practice because they're ineligible and that "there are a lot of boxes that need to be checked" for them to be eligible this coming season. In the meantime, he's focused on the present. |
| 'Boxes to be checked' before Manning and Sylla return to roster, Lebby says | |
| Safety Jahron Manning and linebacker Malick Sylla are back on campus, but head coach Jeff Lebby said there is a lot to be done before the two are eligible to join the roster. Manning and Sylla are exploring a fifth-year of eligibility through an injunction to the NCAA five-for-five eligibility model granted by a Colorado judge in late July. The injunction granted an extra year of eligibility to the class of 2022 high school graduates who exhausted all of their college eligibility. The NCAA is appealing the injunction, but its first attempt to pause the injunction was denied. Manning and Sylla cannot practice until they are granted eligibility, but Lebby said it was important to go ahead and get them back in the building in case they are given a fifth year. Both would be a key addition to MSU's defense. Manning led the Bulldogs with 91 tackles and played in all 13 games last season. Sylla also played in every game, and had 31 tackles and two sacks. Lebby said he won't start thinking about the duo's effect on MSU's defense until they are granted eligibility. |
| Former MSU head coach, player Kermit Davis Sr. dies at 91 | |
| Kermit Davis Sr., former Mississippi State basketball player, head coach and administrator, died Monday at 91. Davis played four seasons at MSU, and was a part of three AP top-15 finishes. He helped MSU to a 24-1 record and an SEC Championship in 1958-59, his senior season with the Bulldogs. State finished No. 3 in the AP Rankings that season. Davis stepped into coaching after his successful playing career. He had stops at Leakesville High School, Tupelo High School and was the head coach of the Fort Dix Army in New Jersey before making his way back to Starkville. He served four seasons as an assistant coach under Joe Dan Gold before stepping into the head coaching role. Davis was the Bulldogs' head coach for seven seasons, and ended his career with a 91-91 record. He was the SEC Coach of the Year in 1971. After retiring from coaching, Davis served as the associate director for the Bulldog Club, MSU's athletic fundraising arm, from 1980-90. |
| Soccer: State Hosts South Alabama To Open O'Brien Era | |
| The 2026-27 athletic year will officially begin on Wednesday night in Starkville as the Mississippi State soccer team hosts South Alabama. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. The match will mark the beginning of the Kevin O'Brien era after he was named the eighth head coach in program history in December. A new-look Bulldog lineup features 19 newcomers. Three of State's four representatives on the SEC Preseason Watch List are new to the club this year. This marks the fifth consecutive season that the Bulldogs and Jaguars have met on the pitch and the 14th time in the last 16 years. Over the last four years during the current streak of meetings, State has won twice and drawn twice with the Jaguars. State will travel to Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday night to face UAB. Kickoff against the Blazers is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. |
| College football rule changes include removing next-game DQs for a first targeting penalty | |
| Targeting penalties assessed in the second half of a game will no longer require the offending player to sit out the first half of his team's next game, offensive pass interference will become a 10-yard penalty and the little-used fair catch kick will be introduced to college football. Those are among the changes for the 2026 season, the National Football Foundation announced Tuesday in its annual summary of rules changes. The targeting penalty change will be an experimental rule for 2026. A player disqualified for targeting for the first time in the season may participate in the following game. The trial rule will apply regardless of which half the targeting penalty is called. A player who draws his second targeting penalty of the season will be required to miss the first half of the next game. A player who draws his third targeting of the season must sit out the full following game. |
| A new college football coach wears many hats. At Arkansas, fundraiser is chief among them | |
 | The jersey was just a prop, something for Ryan Silverfield to hold up at his news conference: His name and the No. 35, because he's the 35th Arkansas football coach. It could've been tossed aside and forgotten. Silverfield framed it. He hung it in his office, a reminder of the challenge he's been given. He knew Arkansas was a program at a crossroads -- in football and in finances. And Silverfield knew that he's the 35th Arkansas football coach -- and 10th since 1992 --- because this place has eaten up so many others. "You think about it: Ken Hatfield, who won here, was run out. Houston Nutt, who won here, was run out," Silverfield said, referencing two coaches who left for other jobs amid issues with administrators or fans. "If we're going to get serious about football, it's going to take a lot of people understanding that this is what it takes." They wanted to run Silverfield out before he was even hired. Well, a small group of unhappy Hogs fans held a short-lived demonstration on campus, though they staged their protest at the wrong building. Silverfield's introductory news conference went off anyway, and then he spent the next nine months doing what he believes needs to be done for Arkansas to compete in this era. Silverfield, who spent the last six seasons as Memphis' head coach, may have been an underwhelming hire in the eyes of some fans. But he could also prove to be exactly what Arkansas needs: A natural fundraiser and blunt-talking realist who knows his job is to get Arkansas back to relevance, or get left behind, perhaps permanently. |
| Democrats Are Building Their Opposition to the Protect College Sports Act | |
| Late Friday night, in the last hours before the Senate left for August recess, there was still a chance, however slim, that the Protect College Sports Act would go to a vote. Hours earlier, President Donald Trump had posted about the bill on Truth Social, telling senators to stay in Washington until they passed it. Sure, a handful of Republicans had filed last-minute amendments, some of which called for significant changes to the 171-page legislation. But Republicans pushing the bill started riding the president's endorsement as hard as they could, hoping it would get the PCSA to the floor. And it was about that time, when there was a "new groundswell of interest in the bill," as one Senate aide put it, that Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) went to work. Each called a number of their fellow Democrats to explain why they don't like the bill. They called labor groups, civil rights groups, all kinds of groups that could strengthen the public and private pushback. Their staffers called one another. A lot. Around 11:30 p.m., Senate leaders needed unanimous consent to proceed to a vote on the bill. Murphy and Booker objected. Then around 2 a.m., they objected a second time, as did a handful of other lawmakers from both parties, according to multiple aides. "Booker and Murphy put stakes in the ground and said we're not moving," said a lobbyist working on the bill. "And that was basically that." |
| Only College Sports Can Solve Its Own Chaos | |
| In the aftermath of Congress failing, once again, to advance a college sports reform bill, colleges might recognize that they hold the key to figuring out their own problems. They might also recognize that even if Congress eventually passes and President Donald Trump signs a college sports reform bill, new rules will only work if colleges don't undermine those rules. Early Saturday morning, the clock ran out for a potential vote on the Protect College Sports Act ahead of the Senate's five-week recess. Sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the PCSA would provide the NCAA and its members with a targeted antitrust exemption related to eligibility and transfers, media rights pooling and a hard cap on school spending. In explaining the failure of a vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters, "NIL is an issue that we've got to get better clarity on." Keep in mind, Congress has held numerous hearings on NIL over the last six years. It's hardly an unexplored topic on Capitol Hill. ... But NIL has often become code for pay-for-play payments. ... It stands to reason if colleges don't want to treat NIL as NIL, they probably shouldn't expect Congress to have "clarity on" what it is. |
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