| Wednesday, July 22, 2026 |
| Mississippi State architecture partnering with 2 Jackson universities to revitalize the capital city | |
 | Mississippi State University's School of Architecture is partnering with two Jackson universities to boost small businesses and economic growth in the capital city's downtown. The collaborative initiative brings together nonprofit Downtown Jackson Partners, Mississippi State University's School of Architecture, Jackson State University's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and Millsaps College's Else School of Management at the Urban Studio in downtown Jackson. The studio gives high-performing students and recent graduates an opportunity for hands-on projects centered on urban revitalization, research-backed small business support, and pathways for physical investment in Jackson. Aaron White, director of MSU's Jackson Center, said the partnership aligns with the School of Architecture's fifth-year curriculum goals. "Our partnership in Urban Studio builds on that longstanding commitment by giving our students the opportunity to apply their talents to real challenges while collaborating with community leaders and partner institutions," he continued. "Through this experience, students will not only contribute to Jackson's future but gain a deeper understanding of the role architects play in shaping vibrant communities." |
| MSU joins collaborative studio initiative working to revitalize downtown Jackson | |
 | According to an MSU press release, Mississippi State University's School of Architecture joins two capital city universities in a new collaborative initiative aimed at boosting small businesses and driving economic growth in downtown Jackson. Partnering with nonprofit organization Downtown Jackson Partners, Jackson State's Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Millsaps College's Else School of Management, MSU will join these entities at Urban Studio on Capitol Street. This collaborative studio provides high-performing students and recent graduates with hands-on, real-world projects centered on urban revitalization, research-backed small business support and pathways for physical investment in Jackson. MSU's School of Architecture offers the state's only professional architecture degree accredited by NAAB. Learn more at www.caad.msstate.edu/. Downtown Jackson Partners is a 501(C)(4) nonprofit organization that works to enhance the quality of life for all who live, work and play in downtown Jackson. Learn more at downtown-jackson.com. |
| MSU joins collaborative effort to support downtown Jackson businesses | |
| Mississippi State University's School of Architecture is joining a new partnership aimed at strengthening small businesses and encouraging economic growth in downtown Jackson. The initiative brings together MSU, Jackson State University's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Millsaps College's Else School of Management and nonprofit Downtown Jackson Partners through a collaborative workspace known as Urban Studio on Capitol Street. The studio will provide students and recent graduates with hands-on experience working on projects focused on urban revitalization, research-based support for small businesses and identifying opportunities for investment in downtown Jackson. Aaron White, director of MSU's Jackson Center, said the partnership builds on the School of Architecture's long-standing presence in downtown Jackson. "The Mississippi State University School of Architecture has been part of downtown Jackson since its founding in 1973, and the School's Jackson Center has long been a catalyst for reimagining Mississippi's capital city," White said. "Our partnership in Urban Studio builds on that longstanding commitment by giving our students the opportunity to apply their talents to real challenges while collaborating with community leaders and partner institutions." |
| McCurdy named MSU agricultural science and plant protection department head | |
| According to an MSU press release, Jay McCurdy is the new head of Mississippi State's Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection. The multidisciplinary academic unit in MSU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers an undergraduate degree in agricultural science, and master's and doctoral degrees in entomology, plant pathology and weed science. "Dr. McCurdy's enthusiasm, productivity and leadership make him the ideal department head for Agricultural Science and Plant Protection. His ability to unite faculty across disciplines while advancing excellence in teaching, research and Extension will strengthen the department for years to come," said Darrell Sparks, CALS acting dean and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station acting director. "I am confident in his ability to lead this outstanding team." Angus Catchot, MSU Extension Service director, said McCurdy is well prepared to lead the department's efforts. In addition to a new head, the department is adding weed science faculty, creating new opportunities for collaboration and growth. |
| North Mississippi Row Crop Field Day set for Aug. 20 | |
 | Growers and agricultural industry professionals are invited to attend the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Row Crop Field Day on Aug. 20 in Verona. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with researchers and Extension specialists while receiving crop-specific updates from around the state. A tour of the research farm will highlight ongoing research and provide information relevant to Mississippi row crop production. Featured topics include crop updates on corn, soybeans and cotton as well as a weed control, insect and disease overview. Featured speakers will also discuss soil fertility in corn and beans as well as iron deficiency chlorosis tolerance in soybeans affected by different cropping systems. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center office complex, located at 5421 MS-145 South in Verona. The free program starts at 8:30 a.m. and includes breakfast and lunch. The event is hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. |
| MSU workshop trains on hydroponic farming | |
| According to an MSU press release, a limited number of people with an interest in hydroponic farming are invited to a free workshop Oct. 13 hosted by Mississippi State University. Registration will be open to the public July 31, with just seven spots available for the workshop, although those added to a waiting list may have an opportunity to join the workshop. There is no charge to attend, and participants will receive lunch and take home fresh, live hydroponic harvests of leafy greens and microgreens. 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. The Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station, part of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, is located at 2024 Experiment Station Road in Crystal Springs. The event is sponsored by MSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. |
| Irrigation efficiency program launches in Mississippi | |
| Farmers in the Mississippi Delta can now enroll in an irrigation efficiency program focused on protecting water supplies. This opportunity is led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to address the challenges of aquifer decline in the Mississippi River valley. Participants will be provided with well timers at no cost for the unit or installation and receive technical assistance to implement pump automation practices that have been proven to help farmers reduce fuel costs and irrigation water use. The original program was established in 2022 and has already successfully improved irrigation efficiency on farms in Arkansas. As part of the program expansion, this is the first year Mississippi farmers are eligible to apply. To establish the project, TNC met with partners at Mississippi State University and Delta F.A.R.M. (Farmers Advocating Resource Management), an association of farmers and landowners headquartered in northwest Mississippi, who discussed their concerns about groundwater depletion in the area. Both saw using pump automation as a way to address the challenge, and they set a goal to place at least 375 well timers. |
| BOA approves hotel tax, registration for short-term rentals | |
| All short-term rentals in Starkville will be subject to the 2% hotel tax starting Aug. 20 and will need to pay $35 to register with the city. Alderman on Tuesday unanimously approved changes to the rental housing section of the Unified Development Code to include and set requirements for short-term rentals. The originally proposed registration fee was $15, but the board decided to raise the registration fee to $35 and leave the annual renewal fee at $15. "I would have certainly liked to have charged $150 ... for the application fee and at least $50 for the annual fee," Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins told The Dispatch after the meeting. "... I actually wanted it to be the same amount (set by) the city of Columbus and the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, and the reason I wanted a higher amount for the application and the renewal fee is so that we can utilize those funds to help cover and defray administrative costs." Mayor Lynn Spruill told The Dispatch she believes the $35 registration fee will be high enough to cover administrative costs, but because the city does not know how many short-term rentals there are, she cannot guarantee it will. "I literally have no idea how many STRs we've got in town. No clue." Spruill told The Dispatch. |
| Research Update: Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, MS 2026 Special Obligation Bonds Assigned 'A+' Rating | |
| S&P Global Ratings assigned its 'A+' long-term rating to Mississippi Development Bank's (MDB) $101 million Starkville-Oktibbeha series 2026 special obligation bonds, issued for Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, Mississippi. The outlook is stable. The MDB series 2026 special obligation bonds are secured by the district's bond and by other revenue identified in the MDB bond indenture. The district's bond is secured by its full-faith-and-credit pledge and is payable from an unlimited special ad valorem tax levied on all taxable property within its boundaries. Bond proceeds will be used for the construction of a high school and additional school facilities. Serving a population of approximately 52,000, the district benefits from having Mississippi State University (MSU) within its jurisdiction. MSU is a stabilizing presence for the district's economy, with its student population of approximately 24,000, and promotes sports tourism and spinoff industries, such as the development of MSU's research park and the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Real estate values are also supported by secondary homes purchased for MSU game days. Although incomes are lower than the national average, this is slightly offset by MSU's presence, in our view. Assessed valuation trends have historically been positive, and we expect this trend to continue through the near future, supported by MSU. The district's financial performance has historically been positive. |
| Data center construction boosts Lauderdale County economy | |
 | Construction of an eight-building data campus in the I-20/59 industrial park is already generating economic activity in Lauderdale County. More than 1,050 workers were on site as of Tuesday, according to a count released that day. Hotels, restaurants and other local businesses are seeing increased activity from the influx of workers. Data from Visit Meridian show the average data center worker spends $33.17 per day on meals, $48 per day on shopping, $58 per day on fuel and $107.58 per day on hotel rooms -- approximately $246.75 per person. With more than 1,050 workers on site, the total daily economic impact is estimated at $259,087.50. Compared to last year, hotel room costs are up 6.8% and total hotel revenue is up 19.5%. Occupancy rates at local hotels are also up 11.4%. Each of the eight data centers in the campus is expected to be approximately 250,000 square feet. Work on the first two buildings has already begun, with completion of the first building anticipated near the end of the year. The project represents roughly $10 billion in total investment in Lauderdale County. In addition to construction workers, the project is expected to create an estimated 300 permanent jobs. |
| Work continues on demolition of former police station | |
 | Work continues this week on the demolition of the city of Meridian's former police station, which has sat vacant since 2013. Demolition officially began last week and the city's Chief Communication's Officer Al Brown said that the demolition will take some time as the location of the former station on 6th Street sees a lot of traffic in the vicinity and the city wants to ensure the demolition is done safely. He said that work will continue steadily as weather permits. The demolition is the latest in an ongoing saga involving the property. Removing the old police station's designation as a Mississippi Landmark had been discussed as a potential move due to the fact that as long as the designation existed the building could not be torn down. Ultimately the city was able to receive the necessary approval for demolition of the building. |
| New tenant fills vacant Levi site in Gluckstadt | |
 | Industrial contractor MEI Industrial Solutions has signed a lease for the 300,000-square-foot former Levi Strauss facility in Gluckstadt, bringing new economic activity and up to 100 new jobs to a landmark site that sat vacant following the denim giant's departure in 2024. The deal marks a major turning point for the site on Denim Way in Madison County. Levi Strauss & Co. operated its distribution hub at the location for more than 40 years before shutting down operations in 2024 as part of a nationwide shift toward third-party logistics. The closure eliminated roughly 270 local jobs and left a sizable void in the region's industrial sector. Now, Oregon-headquartered MEI plans to use the expansive facility as a centerpiece for its growing Mississippi operations. In conjunction with the lease signing, the company announced plans to hire between 75 and 100 employees over the next month, expanding its total state workforce to approximately 150 workers, with additional growth anticipated as operations ramp up. Economic developers view MEI's investment as a sign of sustained demand for large-scale industrial and manufacturing space in Central Mississippi. |
| Major law firm renews lease for 15 years in Downtown Jackson | |
| One of Mississippi's oldest and largest law firms is doubling down on Downtown Jackson. James McCullough, managing partner of Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes PLLC, announced on Tuesday, July 21, that the firm has signed a 15-year lease extension at The Pinnacle Building in Downtown Jackson, ensuring the firm will remain a major downtown tenant for years to come. The firm will continue occupying approximately 42,000 square feet in the building, with options to expand as it grows. The lease renewal represents another vote of confidence for downtown Jackson at a time when business leaders, property owners and public officials continue efforts to stabilize and revitalize the city's central business district. "This long-term commitment is a strong vote of confidence in both Pinnacle and the future of Downtown Jackson as a premier place to do business," Kumar Bhavanasi, founder and CEO of First Tek and owner of the building, said in a statement. "Brunini has been an anchor of the business community for generations, and we are proud to continue our partnership as we invest in properties and initiatives that strengthen Jackson's economic future." |
| USDA Workers Don't Plan to Stay on the Job as Offices Relocate | |
| Workers at the Department of Agriculture are trying to stop mandatory relocations, which they warned are mass layoffs in disguise. Employees throughout the department told NOTUS their colleagues overwhelmingly did not plan to move to new offices across the country. This month, employee unions and nonprofit organizations asked a federal judge to halt the USDA's plans. Their warnings: A reduction in force at this scale will delay policy changes, damage research, slow getting federal dollars out the door and hamper wildfire response. "No one was asking for this," former USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie told NOTUS. "It's hard to reach any other conclusion than that the purpose of this is to dramatically reduce the size of the federal civil service. There's no compelling reason to do this." It's potentially another drastic reduction in the USDA's workforce, which already faced some of the most significant cuts during the DOGE era. In a 2025 workforce plan made public this month as part of the employee groups' ongoing lawsuit, USDA said it was anticipating that "a significant number of employees will decline geographic reassignments" out of Washington and regional and state offices. In multiple polls from various unions representing USDA employees, around 80% say they would rather quit than move. It's a percentage that would exceed the loss of staff in 2019, when the USDA moved hundreds of employees from its Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture offices in Washington to Kansas City, Missouri. |
| 'No amnesty!': Migrant farmworker bill opens major rift within GOP | |
 | Conservatives are savaging Republican-led legislation as a "betrayal" of the party's immigration agenda, and mobilizing President Donald Trump's base to tank a yearslong effort aimed at helping farmers. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, and the House Freedom Caucus' bloc of hard-right lawmakers are piling on against the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act, a bill introduced by veteran House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson. Thompson, a nine-term Pennsylvania Republican, is proposing a path to temporary legal status for some farmworkers who entered the country illegally -- language that has won support from industry groups and dozens of House Republican cosponsors. But it has infuriated immigration hawks who characterize the legislation as stabbing "Trump's deportation promise in the back." The dispute highlights a rift in the GOP's economic vision: Republicans who see foreign laborers as a crucial way to stabilize a short-staffed agriculture workforce and the cost of food are butting against hardliners who have championed Trump's mass deportation campaign. |
| Messy primaries plague both major political parties, causing chaos and confusion in the midterms | |
 | When midterm campaigning began, each major political party had a clear game plan. Republicans would emphasize border security and an economy that was finally shaking off years of high inflation. Democrats would focus attention on a deeply unpopular President Donald Trump to energize their voters. It hasn't worked out that way. With a little more than three months to go, both parties are grappling with self-inflicted wounds and messy missteps that have complicated their paths to victory. Trump steered the country into a war against Iran with no end in sight, disrupting the global flow of oil and spiking prices at the pump. He remains fixated on purging his party of dissent and relitigating his election defeat six years ago. He's visiting Georgia on Wednesday to ostensibly promote new investment accounts for children, but what he'll actually talk about is anyone's guess. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are in the throes of an internal civil war between moderates and progressives, as democratic socialists successfully oust incumbents in places including New York and Denver. Some of their candidates have imploded in spectacular fashion, jeopardizing races that the party had expected to win. |
| 'We got to wrap it up.' House Speaker Johnson pushes to end Iran war | |
 | House Speaker Mike Johnson, a top Republican ally of President Donald Trump, is pushing for an end to the Iran war as fighting has intensified in a conflict that voters say they are growing weary of. ''We got to wrap it up,'' Johnson, R-Louisiana, said in a July 21 press conference. As the United States enters a possible 12th day of strikes on Iran and multiple Arab Gulf allies report attacks from Iran, the unpopular war seems to be escalating, despite the White House's ongoing efforts for negotiations and a cease-fire. The escalation could pose a political dilemma for Republicans who aim to maintain fragile majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate in November's midterms. A POLITICO poll released Wednesday revealed that only about a third of MAGA voters say that the Iran war is worth the economic strain – down from almost half of MAGA voters in May. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll only a week before reported more than two-thirds of Americans disapproving of the president's handling of the conflict. Trump's Wednesday schedule includes attending a dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the conflict last weekend. |
| Hegseth says Iran war has cost $37.5 billion, defends request for more | |
 | Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced bipartisan scrutiny in the Senate on Tuesday as frustrated lawmakers pressed him to explain the Trump administration's strategy for the war in Iran amid renewed hostilities and rising costs. The hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee was the first time Hegseth testified before Congress since the collapse of a truce between Washington and Tehran in recent days. The session also marked lawmakers' first public oversight of the administration's request for $67 billion in additional funding to cover the costs of the conflict. Hegseth, who testified alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended the funding request as an "urgent, necessary" step to restock the Pentagon's arsenal of precision weaponry diminished during the fighting and to avoid looming shortfalls in the military's budget. Lawmakers also pressed Hegseth and Caine to explain the administration's approach to the war, from President Donald Trump's promise to destroy Tehran's nuclear capabilities to how the Pentagon will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, moving beyond the economic upheaval its closure has caused in oil and fertilizer trade. "We need straight answers," said Sen. John Kennedy (Louisiana), a Republican who appeared perturbed with answers from Hegseth and Caine that the senator considered vague. |
| Trump Approves Landmark Nuclear Deal With Saudi Arabia in Big Win for Kingdom | |
 | President Trump has formally approved a landmark agreement with Saudi Arabia that will provide the country with a civilian nuclear program and potentially open the door to uranium enrichment in the kingdom's territory, according to administration officials. The new deal, which would last 30 years, is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars. It is designed to give American companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia's nuclear infrastructure while shutting out other foreign competitors. A key provision of the new accord would have U.S. companies build a uranium-enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia if a joint U.S.-Saudi study determines such a step would be warranted. That stipulation would give the U.S. influence over the Saudi nuclear program and, Trump administration officials argue, a way to prevent it from being misused for military purposes. Yet the deal, which is expected to be submitted to Congress for review in the coming days, is certain to prove controversial among many lawmakers who oppose the spread of nuclear technology in the volatile Middle East. The accord will be difficult for lawmakers to block because doing so would require a joint resolution and a two-thirds majority vote if it was necessary to override a potential presidential veto. |
| They built AI. Now Silicon Valley workers protest its threat to jobs and humanity | |
 | Silicon Valley residents are increasingly trying to stop the advance of artificial intelligence, even as the region attracts hundreds of billions of dollars in investment to expand the technology's reach. Companies and workers around San Francisco Bay sparked the global AI explosion. Now, the nation's tech hub also sits at the center of an intense and growing revolt against its ability to cause harm and replace humans. Hunter Glenn joined a group of protesters outside the San Francisco headquarters of AI trailblazer Anthropic on Monday because he is worried that AI poses a threat not only to jobs but also to humanity. He was laid off as a copywriter soon after his company started using AI tools. Tech workers and activists have staged protests this month throughout the area, sounding the alarm that AI will become tougher to control as it grows more powerful. Prominent economists, tech leaders and researchers have warned that AI could transform the economy for better or worse, bringing large-scale job displacement. And people are pushing back against new data centers in their communities. |
| Anthropic pays $1.5 billion to settle a copyright case | |
| Anthropic has officially settled a class action case with authors of books it downloaded to train its AI. The price tag is $1.5 billion. A judge gave final approval yesterday. After attorneys fees and other costs, authors will get about $3,000 for each work. This settlement is the first big one, but just one of many lawsuits still pending. Key legal questions about copyright and how AI companies are using human-made content remain unresolved. AI companies say they can use copyrighted works to train their models because of a legal doctrine called fair use. "Some classic examples of fair use might be commentary, criticism, parody," said Ben Sobel, an assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin. Sobel said AI companies have so far been successful with their fair use arguments. "You get a sense of the way the wind is blowing," Sobel said. Even in the Anthropic case, the presiding judge found its use of copyrighted books to train Claude qualified as fair use. "The underlying legal conclusions are ones that are relatively good for AI firms," Sobel said. So why settle? Because the judge also found anthropic illegally copied and stored millions of pirated books. "It was a narrow issue," said James Grimmelmann, professor of digital and information law at Cornell Law School. |
| Elizabeth Smart to headline Welty Gala in October | |
| Bestselling author, survivor and advocate Elizabeth Smart is set to headline Mississippi University for Women's 2026 Welty Gala, the university announced Tuesday. Smart was abducted from her childhood home as a 14-year-old and held prisoner for nine months before she was reunited with her family in 2003. Despite the traumatic experience, Smart has gone on to advocate for victims of child abduction, sexual abuse and human trafficking. She founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which works to fight child exploitation and provide survivor support, while helping to promote the National AMBER Alert, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Safety Act and other safety legislation. "Her remarkable journey reminds us that perseverance and the power of hope can help us overcome even the most difficult challenges," Scott Tollison, interim president for MUW, said. Elise Wilson, executive director of development and alumni, hopes those listening to Smart's presentation will take away a lesson of resilience. |
| UMMC transforms rare disease diagnosis and care through collaboration | |
| About one in 10 people in the U.S. lives with a rare disease, and roughly 80 percent of those conditions have an underlying genetic cause, according to the National Organization for Rare Disease. Many affect multiple organ systems, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. For patients and families, the journey to answers can take years. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, that exhaustive journey called a "diagnostic odyssey" is being reimagined. Through two innovative efforts -- the genomic testing program Project Baby Magnolia and the newly established multidisciplinary Barth Syndrome Clinic -- UMMC is accelerating diagnoses, expanding access to advanced genomic testing, and building a coordinated care model designed to improve outcomes for some of the most medically complex patients. For Laura Godfrey Hendon, a licensed certified genetic counselor and associate professor of pediatrics and obstetrics-gynecology, the programs are part of a single, larger mission in the rare disease ecosystem. "Without a diagnosis, these individuals are adrift in a vast sea of confusion, frustration and potentially poor outcomes," she said. "Researchers have the tools to design treatments -- even cures -- but they need clinicians to connect them with patients. That relationship is what moves the field forward." |
| Drum Corps International tour returns to USM Wednesday | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is getting ready to host hundreds of the best marching musicians in the world. The Drum Corps International (DCI) tour will make a return trip to The Rock at USM Wednesday night. It's a competition that will feature seven drum and bugle corps, from California to Massachusetts. Tuesday, one of the corps, The Blue Devils from Concord, California, fine-tuned its show in 100-degree heat at The Rock. "We've been coming to Hattiesburg; at least a decade we've been coming to Hattiesburg. Everybody treats us great here; the community's really nice, the university treats us really well," The Blue Devils' Visual Caption Head and Manager, Jaime Holly, said. "The weather can get a bit sticky, but we manage - lots of water breaks and try to manage best we can, but love coming to Hattiesburg, such a cool community." |
| New Tougaloo president Wiggins embraces school's history while looking to future | |
| Corey Wiggins, Tougaloo College's new president, is committed to securing the school's future. He points to Tougaloo's history as evidence that the school already embodies its mission of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers who are committed to serving a global community. The college was a hub for activism during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, and its alumni include Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and civil rights activists Joyce Ladner and Anne Moody. Wiggins' vision is to turn this mission into action. To do so, his main priorities are strengthening the school's "internal core," or how it operates and to focus on fundraising, building and strengthening academic programs, and supporting students, alumni, faculty and staff. Learning from the school's history is key to that. "We do have a history. That history does not guarantee us a future," he said. Wiggins is coming in after years of controversy over the school's leadership. |
| Auburn sued by students, professors over alleged 'frat house' environment | |
 | Auburn University graduate students were subjected to a hostile, "frat house" work environment that impacted their work and studies, according to a new federal lawsuit filed Monday. Two former doctoral students and three professors who tried to intervene now are suing the university. The former students, Kaitlin Connelly and Marlene Walters, claim that they faced a barrage of sex jokes and an "overtly sexualized culture" in Auburn's College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment. The environment hurt their ability to do meaningful research. They say the treatment forced them to cancel ambitions to finish PhDs at Auburn. The lawsuit names Jonathan Valente, an assistant professor, as a key contributor to the environment. In the complaint, the students said they were treated differently than their male counterparts because one is a lesbian and the other is nonbinary and transgender. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, including compensatory damages, for emotional distress and mental anguish. |
| U. of Tennessee sues Anthropic in first patent case | |
| The copyright settlement was the headline this week, but the more interesting Anthropic filing is the one that is not about training data. The University of Tennessee Research Foundation sued Anthropic in Delaware federal court on Monday, alleging that the company's AI systems infringe two patents covering neural-network and neuromorphic computing work developed by university professors, Reuters reported. By the reporting's account, it is the first patent-infringement case anyone has brought against Anthropic. The technology at issue is described in the complaint as work covering "significant contributions to the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, neuromorphic computing, and neuroscience-inspired computing," the family of approaches that try to build learning systems by borrowing from how brains actually work. The foundation is asking for unspecified monetary damages and an order blocking further infringement. The framing quote from the complaint is deliberate: "Anthropic's cavalier approach to others' intellectual property rights in the development of its products extends beyond the use of copyrighted material." That last clause is not accidental. The timing is the point. On the same Monday, a California federal judge approved Anthropic's $1.5 billion class-action copyright settlement with a group of authors over training data. If you are a university tech-transfer office sitting on a portfolio of foundational machine-learning patents, that number is a bright signal that frontier labs will pay real money to make legal exposure go away, and that patents may be the next lever after copyright. |
| Academic Freedom at U. of Texas 'Being Dismantled,' Says Professor Denied Tenure | |
 | Much to his surprise, Iván Chaar López learned in February that he would not be awarded tenure at the University of Texas at Austin, despite enthusiastic recommendations from faculty and external reviewers. At some point while the president's promotion and tenure committee was evaluating his application, his bid for tenure was denied. Chaar López, who has worked at UT since 2020 as an American studies professor, never received an explanation for the denial, but he has theories based on the university's recent decisions to consolidate ethnic studies departments and restrict what faculty can talk about in the classroom. Chaar López has since exhausted two out of three options to appeal the decision, he said, and he is currently in the middle of a grievance process, arguing that his academic freedom was violated. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August. In an emailed statement to Inside Higher Ed, a UT spokesperson said, "Tenure is a privilege, not a right." |
| Community colleges beat student outcome predictions. Now Texas can't afford related incentives | |
| Three years after Texas reinvented how community colleges earn state funding to reward them for getting more students to graduation, the schools are delivering. But now the colleges are short the millions they planned to receive as their successes outpaced what state lawmakers budgeted. Officials with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board are scrambling to adjust the funding formula. During Wednesday's board meeting, they will discuss a proposal to trim the state incentives that prompt more dollars. Some colleges could see massive drops in state dollars in fiscal year 2027 as THECB officials tweak funding to stay within budget. Nearly a dozen colleges would see state funding drop from the prior year by at least 15%, according to funding projections based on the proposed change. Three of those -- the Texarkana, Navarro and McLennan community college systems -- would be hit the hardest, with projected drops of at least 20%. Jonathan Feinstein, the Texas state director of Education Trust, says the current funding weights recognize getting more |
| Mizzou College of Business dean to step down | |
 | University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business Dean Balaji Rajagopalan is set to step down and return to teaching effective Dec. 31. News of the leadership change was announced in an email to Mizzou faculty and staff Monday. Rajagopalan has been dean for the past three years. He started as the dean on July 5, 2023. Once the resignation goes into effect, he plans to return to Mizzou's School of Accountancy to focus on research and teaching, according to the release. During his time as dean, the business school has seen a significant increase in undergraduate enrollment as well as sustained student success. The university will begin looking for a replacement. "I plan to launch a national search later this summer. If necessary, I will work with the college and university leadership to identify an interim dean," said Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. "I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students in the college as we identify its next dean." |
| Survey: Majority of Americans Say College Not Affordable | |
| Despite a drop in net tuition prices over the past several years, a new survey shows that the majority of Americans believe four-year colleges aren't committed to affordability. On Wednesday, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation published the results of a June web survey of 2,043 adults that asked about their views on college value and affordability. Although other recent data shows falling confidence in higher education over the past decade, nearly three-quarters of parents surveyed said they would prefer for their child to pursue some type of postsecondary pathway immediately after high school. And 38 percent of those parents want their kids to attend a four-year university, compared to 19 percent who want their kids to enroll in a community college and 17 percent who want them to enroll in a job-training or certification program. And 53 percent of respondents also said four-year colleges were "excellent" or "good" for advancing new knowledge and finding new discoveries, compared to 46 percent who said the same about community colleges. At the same time, survey respondents gave four-year colleges the lowest marks on affordability, with 63 percent saying that those institutions are doing a "poor job" of making college affordable; just 12 percent said they were doing a good or excellent job. And among the 26 percent of parents who didn't want their child to enroll in a four-year college, the most cited reason was that they believe it's too expensive. |
| At a Utah Campus, an Emotional Odyssey After Charlie Kirk's Death | |
 | Sage Lloyd will sometimes sit by herself between classes at Utah Valley University and pray in the courtyard where she saw Charlie Kirk gunned down in September. Occasionally, strangers will walk over and, taking note of her grief about Mr. Kirk, offer to join her in prayer. Just as often, they will want to argue with her. "They'll say, 'There were two shots, not one,' or they'll want to debate what direction the shot came from," Ms. Lloyd, 21, said in an interview. "I'll try to explain what I saw with my own eyes, and they'll tell me I'm wrong. I just got to a point where I stopped engaging." This fall, Ms. Lloyd will become the university's chapter president of Turning Point USA, the conservative organization Mr. Kirk founded. She will replace Caleb Chilcutt, 24, a senior who helped persuade Mr. Kirk to come to the Orem, Utah, campus on Sept. 10 for what would be his last debate with students. "I'm mixed up in some of the conspiracy theories because I was the chapter president at the time," Mr. Chilcutt said in an interview. "I'd go to the courtyard just for some personal healing, and someone would come up to me and say, 'What you people have been saying doesn't add up.'" Over the past year, Mr. Chilcutt, Ms. Lloyd and other Turning Point members at the university have made their way through an emotional odyssey. |
| The Research Cuts No One Is Talking About | |
 | Last year, eight more Hispanic-serving institutions and one new historically Black institution broke into the ranks of the Carnegie Foundation's list of top research universities, which it's been publishing since 1973. Dozens more worked to burnish their credentials, heartened that the door to this prestigious club seemed finally to be opening to them. Working with the American Council on Education, Carnegie officials had tweaked their criteria to highlight a variety of institutions whose research strengths hadn't always been recognized. The additional designees brought the number of Hispanic-serving institutions in the top tier to 30 and added the first historically Black institution, Howard University. These colleges celebrated their new status, which they hoped would unlock more federal research grants and attract top faculty and students. Now, many of them are struggling to maintain momentum as the Trump administration's crackdown on anything related to "diversity, equity, and inclusion" has put much of the research central to their missions under a bullseye. |
| House Republicans Move to Codify the Definition of Biological Sex | |
| House Republicans advanced a bill Tuesday that they say will protect female students by clarifying Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination, and defining the word "sex." Specifically, the new bill -- known as the Title IX Clarification Act of 2026 -- would add language to existing law that says, "The term 'sex' refers to an individual's biologically determined sex, as either male or female." It then goes on to add that the term "female" "means an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for a congenital anomaly ... large gamete (ova) for fertilization." It defines male as someone who naturally has small gamete, or sperm. The Education and Workforce Committee's 18-to-15 vote, which followed party lines, came just weeks after the Supreme Court upheld state laws that ban transgender athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity. Republicans said Tuesday the bill just codifies the Supreme Court's ruling, but Democrats argued it goes a step beyond -- not only would it strip transgender students of the ability to participate in gender-affirming athletics, they say, but it would also erase their access to other Title IX protections, involving from discrimination in admissions and counseling as well as sexual harassment. |
| Smithsonian too focused on 'oppressors and the oppressed,' say House Republicans | |
 | In a subcommittee hearing Tuesday, House Republicans sharply questioned the director of the National Museum of American History, Anthea Hartig. The GOP lawmakers' comments closely mirrored Trump administration's criticisms of the institution she leads as insufficiently patriotic. The hearing was held by the House's Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, a branch of DOGE that is chaired by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn). In his opening remarks, Burchett said: "I feel like [the Smithsonian]'s become infected by a woke ideology that seeped into public displays, educational materials and planning documents. The American story is the birth and growth of a great nation founded on powerful ideals and which we aim to fully achieve. But in the museum's current telling, history is just an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed." In a 162-page report issued on July 4, the White House Domestic Policy Council accused the Smithsonian museum of being "subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love." Nearly in tandem with the hearing on Tuesday, House Democrats issued a 16-page rebuttal to the White House's report, which accuses the Trump administration of trying to undermine the trustworthiness of museums and museum scholars in general, and argues that it is part of a larger "effort to control and contort the historical record." |
| White House to Redirect Billions in Research Funds Toward AI, Away From Colleges | |
| The Trump administration plans to accelerate its overhaul of federal research by supporting more individual scientists and the use of artificial intelligence rather than universities, its latest attempt to accelerate technological discovery to combat China. In a new report and memo released Tuesday, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy argues individual scientists can help the nation move faster to use AI in scientific research. The directives from the office will help shape a roughly $200 billion annual federal research and development budget across the government for the rest of President Trump's second term. The new guidance could further hurt large universities that rely on federal research funding. The administration hopes to give priority to programs such as fellowships and awards that give opportunities to individuals rather than colleges, it says in the report. Examples of model programs the White House says should be emulated include a prestigious National Science Foundation program for graduate students and a National Institutes of Health award for creative scientists. Some universities would also potentially be hampered by a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would give political appointees more power over grants and align research with administration priorities. |
| Critics aside, revamped youth court system is a Mississippi reform that's long overdue | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: The Mississippi Legislature's special session decision to overhaul the state's youth court system is already drawing fire from critics. Still, the state's taxpayers should count the vote to open the youth court process as a win for transparency, institutional pragmatism, and public safety. Far from legislation that makes Mississippi an outlier, the outcome places our state in the company of 20 states that approach the youth court process from one that defaulted to a closed status to a presumption of openness. That opens the process not only to public scrutiny but also to news media scrutiny. Before the special session vote, Mississippi had a closed system with conditional exceptions, a status shared by 15 other states. Now, Mississippi's system is presumed to be open -- but it remains within judges' discretion to seal records or close proceedings as they deem appropriate to safeguard the juvenile's legal interests. Transparency and accountability matter. According to state youth court records, juvenile gun crimes in the state totaled 780 in 2024 after peaking at 846 in 2023 -- and that's just the crimes local law enforcement reported to the federal government. |
SPORTS
| Legendary defensive line coach David Turner announces retirement | |
| Mississippi State defensive line consultant David Turner, who helped produce pro Bulldogs like Fletcher Cox and Chris Jones, announced his retirement on Saturday. He served as MSU's defensive line coach from 2007-09 and 2013-15, and most recently served as the senior defensive line consultant for the Bulldogs. His career in college football took him to stops at Alabama, Florida and Kentucky, among other DI football programs in his nearly 40-year career. "Mississippi State has been good to me and my family," Turner said in an X post announcing his retirement. "In the life of a college football coach, which is often a nomadic one, this has been home." He coached 15 NFL draft picks in his career, including Preston Smith and Gerri Green, while also signing the league's highest-paid defensive tackle, Jeffery Simmons, to MSU. He was a part of MSU's coaching staff that led the Bulldogs to 10 wins in 2014, and a record-setting 98 tackles for loss in 2015. "To the Starkville Community, thank you for all that you've done for me, and more importantly my family," Turner said. |
| Roster Review: Mississippi State cornerbacks | |
| There's a lot of new on Mississippi State football's defense. After ranking second-to-last in SEC scoring defense last season, allowing 30.23 points per game, MSU brought in a new but familiar face to take over the defense in Zach Arnett. The Bulldogs are projected to start five transfers on defense according to Ourlads.com. MSU heads into next season with hopes of a much better performance from its defense. Here's a look at its projected cornerback depth chart according to Ourlads.com. |
| How Chris Jans rebuilt Mississippi State basketball's roster around Josh Hubbard | |
| Last season was a rarity for Mississippi State basketball coach Chris Jans. The Bulldogs struggled to a 13-19 record, their worst since 2014-15, and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Jans. It was the first losing season ever for Jans and just the third time in his 10-year coaching career that one of his teams didn't make the NCAA Tournament. "It definitely was a humbling experience if I'm being truthful," Jans said July 14 in his first press conference since the season ended. "I hadn't been through that as a head coach, like you mentioned, and certainly didn't prepare for it." So, it was no surprise to see MSU flip its roster for the 2026-27 season. Star Josh Hubbard is the only returning player who made a start last season. King Grace, who averaged 12.1 minutes per game as a freshman off the bench, is the only other returner who played last season. That's led to Mississippi State adding seven transfers, three freshmen and an international player to surround Hubbard, the three-time All-SEC guard who's 195 points from breaking the program scoring record. |
| SEC head official outlines 2026 college football rule changes | |
| With a detailed presentation during SEC Media Days, the conference's coordinator of football officials, John McDaid, outlined several rule changes that will take effect for the 2026 college football season. The first two changes were relatively straightforward. Offensive pass interference will now carry a 10-yard penalty instead of the previous 15-yard penalty. The NCAA also adjusted its targeting suspension policy. Players who are disqualified for targeting will no longer automatically miss part of the following game unless they become repeat offenders. McDaid explained that a first-time offender will be disqualified for the remainder of the game but will not face any additional suspension. "If you are a first-time offender, second-time offender, or three-or-more offender, you're disqualified for the remainder of the game," he said. "You can stay on the sideline, enjoy the game with your team, but you can't participate." |
| SEC's move to 9-game conference schedules pauses some rivalries and awakens others | |
| It used to be the biggest rivalry game of the week, the month -- maybe the entire season. In 2026, Florida and Tennessee will be complete strangers. Their once-a-year matchup that, back in the day, featured Steve Spurrier, Peyton Manning, Phillip Fulmer and snark that sometimes even outweighed the stakes -- "You can't spell Citrus without 'U-T'" -- is absent from the schedule for the first time in 37 seasons. Alabama-LSU -- soon that'll be gone, too, for the first time since 1963. The Gators and LSU -- they'll miss each other this year for the first time since 1970. Such is the price of progress in the Southeastern Conference, which has grown from 10 teams in the old days to 16 now. The league is introducing a nine-game league slate this season in an attempt to boost strength of schedule for what is now a playoff system that has a committee awarding seven at-large spots in the 12-team field. "When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference," commissioner Greg Sankey said. |
| What are the SEC's breakaway choices? From going nuclear to the mild option | |
| The fireworks were literally going off during the first night of SEC media days. An impressive display over the water here in Tampa, befitting a July 4th celebration, but this occasion was merely the SEC media party. While the SEC didn't actually pay for them -- the Tampa Bay Sports Commission did -- it showed yet again why the conference motto ("It Just Means More," if somehow you don't know) resonates so much. This is the league that many believe can stand on its own -- and is talking about doing just that. The idea of the SEC breaking away has been percolating for a while and was discussed seriously within the conference all year. It went public at meetings in late May, then got more life Monday when commissioner Greg Sankey, given a chance to downplay the idea, instead called the talk "real." And, according to multiple league sources, the idea is real and not just a leverage play. Still, if it happens, there are also ranges of how drastic an SEC breakaway would be. Two of the other power conferences, the ACC and Big 12, have been dismissive or side-eyed about the SEC talk. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said earlier this month that "self-governance is no governance." The Big Ten, however, has been coy and would seem to be the only other league besides the SEC that could stand on its own. However, when SEC people are asked if they could work with the Big Ten on a breakaway, they always point out they could not work together for antitrust reasons. |
| The SEC has discussed making its own rules. The conference's longest-tenured coach supports it. | |
 | A day after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged the conference has had "real" discussions about setting its own rules, the league's longest-tenured football coach started his SEC media days tour with an endorsement of the idea. "Until we get governance, and we have someone who actually has the power to make decisions, or we can make decisions within our own community, we're not going to have much control," Georgia coach Kirby Smart told ESPN's "Get Up" on Tuesday. "That's unfortunate but that's where we sit right now," Smart continued. "If (self-governance is) the best alternative to get everybody playing by the same rules, I'd want to do that." On Tuesday, Smart took to the dais to say he'd like nonstop discussions about the "landscape" of college football to end. "I've had questions about expansion, more SEC games, (transfer) portal, college and federal legislation to navigate the NIL era we're in, players leaving, coaches leaving," Smart said. "That's all people wanna talk about. At the end of the day, I don't enjoy talking about all these things." |
| Colleges on NCAA Eligibility Rules: Do as I Say, Not as I Do | |
| There's been a lot of consternation over veteran college athletes suing the NCAA in hopes of extending their eligibility for another season so they could earn NIL and revenue-sharing money. Some have blamed the athlete-plaintiffs for treating college sports more as a professional career than a college experience. Others have blamed the athletes' lawyers for engineering high-profile litigation, even though some of those lawyers haven't been paid. Still, others blame the NCAA for opening the door to being sued over application of eligibility rules. Often forgotten in this conversation is an entity that's not a plaintiff, defendant or attorney: colleges that incentivize athletes to sue the NCAA by promising them roster spots if they can defeat the NCAA in court. If athletes didn't have such a promise, there's a good chance they wouldn't sue. Consider what happened in April when Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke, whom the NCAA deemed had exhausted his eligibility, obtained a court injunction to play this fall. The school's athletic director expressed gratitude for the ruling on social media, while an NCAA spokesperson said the ruling "contributes to the chaos" in college sports and works to "undermine rules agreed to by the same NCAA members who later challenge them in court." Colleges that provide athletes with an incentive to sue the NCAA are also, of course, members of the collegiate governing body. |
| Private investment in youth sports draws state, federal scrutiny | |
| Courtney Hamby and her husband spend close to $6,000 per year for their daughter Ellie's cheer and tumbling classes, competition fees and uniforms. That doesn't include their travel expenses for multiple out-of-town competitions, including hotel rooms, gas, meals, and sometimes even flights. "This should be something that everyone gets to play, and it shouldn't be only the people who can afford it," said Hamby, who lives in Madison, Alabama. "But if you don't have money, you're not doing competitive cheer." Youth sports is now a $40 billion industry. It's a sprawling, commercialized ecosystem where parents pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year for club teams, elite camps, out-of-state tournaments, private coaching sessions, professional-level uniforms and equipment, recruiting events, and even streaming subscription services to watch their kids play. The amount of money involved -- nearly double the annual revenue of the NFL -- has made youth sports increasingly attractive to private investors, including private equity firms. State regulators are starting to take notice. Hamby, like many parents who grew up in the 1980s and 90s, remembers playing on sports teams as a kid in rec center gymnasiums and on neighborhood ballfields, coached by volunteers who often had more enthusiasm than experience. Those days are mostly gone. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
