| Friday, June 19, 2026 |
| MSU's Shmulsky honored with distinguished wood science service award | |
 | According to an MSU press release, the 24th International Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Wood Symposium recently honored Mississippi State faculty member Rubin Shmulsky with its Distinguished Service Award. The Warren S. Thompson Professor of Wood Science and Technology in MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Shmulsky, is being honored for his impactful research and leadership in wood science and engineering. He was recognized at the Vicksburg symposium last month, cohosted by MSU's Department of Sustainable Bioproducts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Products Laboratory. Kevin Ragon, associate professor in MSU's sustainable bioproducts department and member of the nominating committee, noted Shmulsky's extensive knowledge and dedication to the field. "I'm humbled to receive this recognition. Nondestructive testing and evaluation have major implications and opportunities for adding value to Mississippi forestland, timber and lumber and making forest products last longer," Shmulsky said. "MSU has a strong commitment to this effort, and I'm beyond proud to spend my career working with a great team that continues to move these efforts forward." |
| MSU-led horticulture mechanization study to streamline inventory for growers | |
| Sources from an MSU Press Release say that growing high-demand ornamentals and specialty crops is a time and labor-intensive profession requiring constant monitoring of inventory and health, while also handling routine maintenance. A Mississippi State scientist is looking to the sky for solutions to these ground-level tasks. Patricia Knight, director of coastal horticulture research at MSU's Coastal Research and Extension Center and scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, is exploring how drone technology and artificial intelligence, or AI, might help growers save time and money on labor-intensive tasks. She has partnered to test cost-effective, industry-ready solutions with Siva Kumpatla, research leader for the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Thad Cochran Southern Horticultural Laboratory, and Prabha Sundaravadivel, associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas-Tyler. "It's important to have an accurate inventory, but during the active shipping season, that gets pushed to the side," said Knight, also a research professor in MSU's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. "Sending out a drone to count while your staff is busy with more immediate tasks could help you avoid selling plants you don't have." |
| MSU researchers nationally recognized for best NIDILRR-funded paper | |
| Sources from an MSU press release say that three Mississippi State researchers have earned national recognition as recipients of the Best Research Paper Award from NARRTC...Sources from an MSU press release say that three Mississippi State researchers have earned national recognition as recipients of the Best Research Paper Award from NARRTC, an association dedicated to federally funded disability and rehabilitation research. The award-winning team includes Michele McDonnall, director of MSU's National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, or NRTC; Karla Antonelli, NRTC research scientist; and Emily Marett, instructor in MSU's College of Business. NARRTC, which recently changed its name to the Alliance for NIDILRR Grantees, represents organizations and individuals who have received grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. "We are thrilled to receive this national honor for our research," McDonnall said. "We appreciate the funding that NIDILRR has provided to help us conduct research to improve employment opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision." |
| MSU researcher, Partnership Middle School students collaborate on climate science literacy podcast | |
| According to a press release, Mississippi State Assistant Professor Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso is immersing local middle school students in climate science literacy exploration through podcasting, helping them share experiences, ask questions and engage with environmental issues affecting their communities. Part of SEMILLAS: Sowing Environmental Multilingualism, Integrating Learning, Linguistics and Action in Science, the $427,478 project is funded through the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Empowering K-8 Youth Through Place-Based Education Projects and Programs. Cardozo-Gaibisso, a linguistics and TESOL faculty member, serves as co-principal investigator with Ayça Fackler of the University of Missouri. They collaborate on the project with Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District's Partnership Middle School. Two recent MSU College of Arts and Sciences graduates assisted with podcast production logistics: Matthew Lentz of Vilonia, Arkansas, who earned a bachelor's degree in professional meteorology with minors in mathematics and sociology, and Jacob Matkin of Tupelo, who earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology with a minor in geospatial technologies. |
| Area communities receive 15 Mississippi Main Street Association awards | |
 | The annual event honors Main Street directors, board members and volunteers and recognizes the most outstanding downtown revitalization projects and events from designated Main Street communities throughout Mississippi. Fifteen awards were given in total to Aberdeen, Nettleton, New Albany, Okolona Ripley, Saltillo, Starkville and Tupelo. Leah Kemp of Starkville Main Street won the Sam Kaye Excellence in Design Award. Saltillo also was recognized with Best Downtown Master Plan, which was awarded for its downtown master plan developed by the Fred Carl Small Town Center at Mississippi State University. Starkville also picked up a pair of awards, including Outstanding Community Education Campaign for its Support Starkville Campaign. Developer Mark Castleberry and his Castle Properties and The Collective Co. won the Outstanding Historic Rehabilitation Project. "A thriving downtown provides increased tax revenue and economic growth while promoting a community's unique sense of place. We celebrate all of the Main Street award winners and their relentless efforts to build stronger, more resilient towns and cities in Mississippi," said Chance McDavid, MMSA's 2026-2027 board president. |
| 5-mile stretch of Natchez Trace Parkway to close for construction | |
 | A 15-mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Attala and Choctaw counties will close beginning June 22, 2026, as construction on a major road rehabilitation project begins. The closure stretches between state Route 12 at milepost 165 and state Route 413 at milepost 180. According to the National Park Service (NPS), drivers will be detoured around the area using a marked alternate route. Bicyclists will also need to arrange transportation around the closure, as the detour is not safe for travel. The project includes roadway reconstruction, bridge repairs, drainage improvements and paving. Construction is expected to continue through mid-2027. "This project is Phase 2 of a three-phase, $150 million effort to rehabilitate 83 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The investment, funded in part by the Great American Outdoors Act, will improve roadway conditions, enhance visitor safety and preserve critical infrastructure along one of the nation's most scenic historic routes," said Superintendent Wendy Ross. |
| Mobile camera units using AI coming to Mississippi roadways | |
 | The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is deploying cameras using artificial intelligence to actively monitor roadways across the state. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services Board approved a sole source contract with Acusensus Inc. on Thursday to lease mobile, multi-violation detection, and real-time enforcement systems. DPS can now execute the contract. DPS plans to utilize the technology to monitor and predetermine problematic roadway locations that need additional surveillance. Major Scott Henley with DPS told the ITS Board that the system would be deployed in high crash corridor areas where officers cannot routinely work due to construction zones or other impediments to patrolling. House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar (R) told Magnolia Tribune Thursday that while he was just learning about the new technology, "our citizens right to privacy is very important." "I expect the Legislature to investigate the use of these cameras to ensure that the constitutional rights of our citizens is not infringed upon," Lamar said. His colleague in the House, State Rep. Dan Eubanks (R) agreed. "Cameras armed with AI, peering into your car and processing your actions, invading your privacy, and then signaling a live officer down the road to pull you over and issue citations and/or make arrests in real time. It's a very slippery slope with frightening ramifications," Eubanks said. |
| Hyde-Smith, Schiff Introduce Food Supply Chain Resilience Legislation to Expand Markets for Ag Producers | |
| U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) today introduced legislation to strengthen the resilience of the U.S. food supply chains and expand markets for agricultural producers, particularly small and mid-sized operations. The American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act, which is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), is intended to cultivate a more resilient, competitive supply chain by helping to create new markets for local and regional foods, as well as for small and diversified producers. Specifically, the legislation would make the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program permanent and create a Regional Food Systems Hubs (RFSH) Program. "Making the RSFI permanent will give states greater certainty to make long-term investments that strengthen food supply chains and benefit producers and consumers," Hyde-Smith said. "Mississippi has been very effective in using its RFSI grants statewide to build out pathways to get food our producers grow from farm to market. The RFSI, combined with the regional hubs, provides the incentives for producers and policymakers to do what needs to be done to get more locally produced agricultural products a broader market." RFSI is also a tool for Mississippi State University's Vision 2030 initiative, a joint effort to align research, resources, and public and private sector efforts to highlight the economic value leaving Mississippi's agriculture and forestry industries each year and find ways to keep more of that value in the state. |
| Wicker blasts U.S.-Iranian MOU as 'out of step' with Trump's goals | |
| Senate Armed Forces Committee chairman Roger Wicker is blasting the memorandum of understanding recently signed by the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the war between the two nations. Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi and longtime ally of President Donald Trump, broke with the administration on Thursday, blasting the agreement as "out of step" with the president's goals. The agreement, signed by both nations on Wednesday, will reopen the internationally relevant Strait of Hormuz and bring the two adversaries back to the negotiating table over Iran's nuclear program during a 60-day halt to the war. It also allows Iran to sell its oil freely again. Additionally, the interim agreement would allow Iran to get $300 billion in funds, on the condition that it honors its end of the deal, for post-war rebuilding efforts. U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed Monday that the money will not come from American taxpayers. Iran, in exchange for the cash, reportedly agreed not to create nuclear weapons and hand over the enriched uranium used to build said bombs. Wicker took particular issue with that provision. |
| Some GOP senators and Trump allies have harsh reviews of his agreement to end Iran war | |
 | Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, including top national security figures, were voicing strong reservations Thursday -- and some outright condemnation -- of the Trump administration's agreement to end the fighting in Iran. The memorandum of understanding signed by President Donald Trump started a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran's nuclear program. While Trump allies noted the agreement is not final, the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran's sale of oil and the plan for a $300 billion fund to rebuild Iran and its economy were met with criticism from Republican leaders and conservative influencers, including some close Trump supporters. "President Trump has pursued peace through strength. I hope the intermediaries working on this deal are not undermining that objective," said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who has urged Trump to keep up the pressure on Iran and last month warned against striking a bad deal. "The $300 billion fund for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran -- though not funded by U.S. taxpayers -- would make Iran's payoff under President Obama's 2015 deal look like a pittance by comparison," Wicker said, referring to the Democratic administration's Iran agreement that Trump withdrew from during his first term. |
| Senate Republicans in somber, pessimistic mood over Trump deal with Iran | |
 | President Trump's deal to lift sanctions on Iran and give it access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund has cast a glum mood over the Senate Republican Conference, with GOP senators saying that many of their colleagues are in "dismay" and "somber" over the cost of the agreement. Trump's most vocal MAGA allies on Capitol Hill are defending the agreement as a potential breakthrough that could finally end Iran's nuclear enrichment program. But many more GOP senators are skeptical about reaching any real agreement with Iran, arguing that the United States doesn't seem to have any real leverage in the talks. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Thursday blasted the deal "as completely out of step with the president's goals" of neutralizing the threat Iran poses to U.S. national security interests. Wicker said that Iran's theocratic regime hasn't renounced its slogan of "Death to America, Death to Israel" and would "invest every penny it receives to further that aim." |
| Hormuz Reopening Brings Relief for Global Economy | |
 | With the planned reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the specter of a prolonged crunch in energy supplies has faded, and with it the risk of a severe downturn in the global economy. But the global economy isn't home free just yet. Though growth proved resilient during the monthslong closure of the strait, the Hormuz squeeze disrupted energy supplies in ways that could take months to unwind. Mines will need to be cleared before ships can navigate freely through the channel. Oil fields and refineries that throttled production or sustained damage during the war will need to be brought back online. Uncertainty will weigh on shipping while Washington and Tehran thrash out details on Iran's nuclear program and other unresolved issues. "Reopening is undeniably a positive thing, but it doesn't mean that the global economy avoids the costs of what's already happened," said Simon MacAdam, deputy chief global economist at Capital Economics, a consulting firm. The Hormuz crisis highlights growing frictions in the global economy that risk pinching trade and growth. |
| Flesh-eating maggot outbreak puts Trump administration response under scrutiny | |
 | When health authorities found New World screwworm in a Maryland resident last August, alarmed beef industry leaders rushed to assess how to limit the market impact of a flesh-eating parasite best known for infesting cattle and other livestock, emails obtained by The Washington Post show -- conversations that began six days before the U.S. Department of Agriculture publicly disclosed the case. Now that the U.S. has 12 confirmed cases in cattle, goats, sheep and a dog in Texas and New Mexico, alarmed ranchers and local officials are questioning whether USDA is being transparent about the scale of the outbreak and doing everything possible to contain it. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has publicly downplayed the danger and pointed fingers at the previous administration, even as experts say the reemergence of a grisly pest confined to South America for decades has exposed shortcomings in the government's ability to respond. Eradicating the outbreak requires targeted releases of sterile flies, but the U.S. won't have enough sterile flies until a new facility comes online next year at the earliest. "This is not a simple show up, stamp out, depopulate and leave," said Dudley Hoskins, undersecretary of marketing and regulatory programs. "It will take us some time and ultimately what we need is more sterile flies." |
| 'Not the old sleepy agency': Energy regulator dives into fight over data center connections | |
 | Big Tech, governors and the White House have leaned on U.S. energy regulators to do just one thing in 2026: Clean up the giant mess that's keeping data centers off the power grid and frustrating American voters with rising utility bills. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday stepped into the fray, asserting leadership over a fragmented U.S. energy system struggling to keep up with the costs and demands for electricity to power artificial intelligence. The five-member commission with extraordinary power to shape interstate electricity markets voted unanimously to move swiftly toward policies that bring AI data centers more quickly onto the electric grid. And it directed the power industry to keep tighter controls on the ballooning cost of building energy infrastructure for AI companies. "This FERC is not the old sleepy agency that it has been in the past. We can't afford to be, and our country cannot afford for us to be," FERC Chairman Laura Swett told POLITICO afterwards. "We are unified in protecting the American ratepayer." |
| As Juneteenth is celebrated across the US, Obama's presidential center opens in Chicago | |
| As people gather across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, former President Barack Obama's presidential center will open its doors to the public for the first time. Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago's South Side, the center for the nation's first Black president has been designed to inspire people to make the change they want to see in their own communities. It's the kind of contemplation that also comes as Americans gather for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. "Juneteenth represents not just a commemoration of the end of slavery but it's also part of the ongoing struggle for absolute equality and that ideal in American life," said W. Caleb McDaniel, a Rice University professor and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Sweet Taste of Liberty." This is the fifth year since Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden, who served as Obama's vice president. But the celebrations, which began in Texas and then spread across the country, have a rich and long history in Black America, with the day often spent gathering for picnics and cookouts. |
| Budget for Mississippi universities increases 14%, now up to nearly $6.7 billion | |
| Funding for Mississippi's eight public universities was discussed Thursday by the Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning. After a recap of the suggestions made by the National Center for Higher Education Systems, the group hired by IHL to provide a performance-based funding model, the Board discussed the operating budget for the coming fiscal year and heard recommendations from Senior Associate Commissioner for Finance John Pearce. This coming year's total operating budget will be $6.69 billion, which is a 14% increase over fiscal year 2026, Pearce told the IHL Board. Of that total, about $964.2 million is from state and federal appropriations. "The largest bucket funding is for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which continues to become an increasingly large part of the system's budget, followed by the education and general budget, which is the education mission of the eight universities, and then followed by the restricted research funds provided from the federal government primarily," Pearce explained. |
| IHL Board moves toward performance-based funding model for Mississippi universities | |
| Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board moved one step closer Thursday to adopting a new funding model for public universities that would tie a portion of state money to graduation rates, student retention and workforce outcomes. The 12-member board that governs the state's eight public institutions unanimously accepted a proposal that has two main parts. The first would determine the amount of money universities need for campus operations including administrative costs, facilities, academic programs and support for student services. The second part would make state funding contingent upon university performance goals tied to state priorities. Under the proposal, which still requires final approval by the board, universities could earn additional state dollars by improving measures such as degree completion, student retention and producing graduates that earn competitive wages. The performance metrics would vary between Mississippi's four research universities and the four regional universities. Trustees said the proposal would guide future budget requests to the Legislature and align student success with the state's workforce needs. The IHL Board is expected to continue discussions of the new model during its scheduled meeting in August. It is unclear when the board will make a final decision on adopting a new funding formula. |
| IHL accepts framework of performance funding formula | |
| The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL0 announced funding for Mississippi's universities will include new performance measures. This comes after the IHL accepted the framework of a funding model provided in a report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). Officials said the framework was developed after nine months of research and consultation with the IHL Board of Trustees and university leadership. "The acceptance of this framework will help us as we move forward in making sure our universities are providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the Mississippi marketplace," said Trustee Dr. Steven Cunningham, president of the IHL Board of Trustees. "We have put a great deal of time and effort into getting to this point, bringing us closer to where we need to be with regard to a strong funding model for our universities." |
| IHL board allows UMMC to receive donation of Greenwood Leflore Hospital property | |
| Greenwood Leflore Hospital has cleared one major hurdle in completing a transfer of its ownership to another operator. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees unanimously approved a request from the University of Mississippi Medical Center to take ownership of Greenwood Leflore Hospital, which is situated on approximately 14.5 acres of land on River Road. The proposed transfer of GLH property also includes the wellness/outpatient rehabilitation center in the 1800 block of Strong Avenue, the plant shop on Chambers Street and the flex building in the 1400 block of Strong Avenue. All the property would be donated at no cost to UMMC, the state's largest hospital system. The university hospital plans to take possession of the property on Aug. 1 IHL trustee and former board president Gee Ogletree said a lot of research and study went into this decision. The Greenwood hospital is jointly owned by the City of Greenwood and Leflore County. The transfer agreement now has to be approved by the Greenwood City Council and the county Board of Supervisors in addition to the IHL board. |
| Oxford Pitch Competition awards $24K to entrepreneurs | |
| Oxford Lafayette Incorporated, in partnership with Innovate Mississippi, announced the winners of the 5th Annual Oxford Pitch Competition following a day of presentations, mentorship, and entrepreneurial showcase held June 11 at the Oxford Conference Center. The annual competition featured finalist companies across two tracks: the Traditional & Lifestyle Business Track, supported by the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network, and the High-Growth Innovation & Technology Track, supported by Innovate Mississippi. First Place and a $7,500 prize were awarded to Munchies Chicken and Waffles, represented by Brett Doherty and McClain Schieltz. The business is a food truck concept blending Southern comfort food with a late-night dining experience and currently operates in partnership with Aramark and the University of Mississippi. In addition to cash awards, entrepreneurs received mentorship, coaching, and access to regional support organizations, including the University of Mississippi's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Transactional Law Clinic, the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network, Innovate Mississippi, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council's Arts Incubator, and regional chamber and economic development partners. |
| Special education teachers were promised an extra $2,000. Where's the money? | |
| As teachers finalize their contracts for the upcoming school year, their salaries will reflect a $2,000 raise the Legislature passed this year. However, special education teachers might notice something missing: their additional $2,000 bonus. Mississippi Department of Education officials said this week that they're still trying to get clarity from the Legislature about who that money should go to. Raising teacher pay was one of the top issues of this year's legislative session. After months of back and forth, lawmakers agreed to give all Mississippi teachers -- some of the lowest paid educators in the country -- a $2,000 raise across the board and special education teachers an additional $2,000 supplement. But state education officials aren't sure whether that includes "self-contained" teachers who spend their school days exclusively teaching students with disabilities in one classroom, inclusion teachers who support students with disabilities in their general education classes or other personnel who work with students with special needs. "The words that were said did not reflect the intent, in my opinion, of who was to receive the salary supplement," state Superintendent Lance Evans told the state Board of Education at its June 17 meeting. |
| Inside LSU's deal with 'next-generation' Hyundai Steel mill, largest industry agreement in school history | |
 | The $5.8 billion Hyundai steel mill in Ascension Parish will be, by all accounts, colossal. It will import 3.6 million tons of iron ore and produce 2.7 million tons of steel, according to a press release from Louisiana Economic Development. It will create 1,300 jobs on the site. It will rely on a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace to melt steel with electrical currents at thousands of degrees Fahrenheit -- a far cry from traditional steelmaking. And now, under a new research agreement announced this week, LSU is throwing its weight behind the mega project. "This does represent, I think, a new beginning for us in the research office to sign a master research agreement of this magnitude, of this importance, of this significance," Robert Twilley, LSU vice president for research and economic development, said. "It matches our research enterprise, the entire research enterprise of LSU, with one of the largest industrial investments that's been made in Louisiana." "If you look over the 10-year time, you could be talking about $50 to $100 million in research that might come up," LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton said. "That would be an aspirational goal for us." Dalton called the deal "the most comprehensive industry agreement partnership in LSU's history." |
| Fight Over U. of Florida Presidency Escalates as Statewide Board Postpones Vote on Stuart Bell | |
 | The fight over who will be the next president of the University of Florida is growing hotter. The Florida Board of Governors on Thursday postponed a vote to consider Stuart Bell as the flagship's next leader, according to a letter from its chair, Alan Levine, the Miami Herald reports. Levine alleged in the letter that Mori Hosseini, chair of the University of Florida's Board of Trustees, may have engaged in practices "that are within the purview of a president." He said the board wouldn't consider Bell until his governance concerns are addressed. The university quickly responded with an unorthodox action of its own. Rahul Patel, chair of the presidential search committee and vice chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement that the university would move to name Bell interim president "so that the university can continue moving forward." He criticized Levine's decision to delay the vote as "concerning" and unfair to Bell, who was announced as the sole finalist for the position in May and unanimously approved by trustees in Gainesville this month. |
| Nathan A. Moore named chief of staff to UGA president | |
| University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead has appointed Nathan A. Moore as his chief of staff, effective July 1. Moore currently serves as deputy chief of staff to the president, a role he has held since October 2023. Moore succeeds Kathy R. Pharr, who will step down as chief of staff after 13 years of service in the position and six in the dual role of chief of staff and vice president for marketing and communications. Beginning July 1, Pharr will continue to serve as the vice president for marketing and communications and become senior advisor to the president. Moore earned his bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University. He earned a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard University and holds a Ph.D. from the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining UGA as a doctoral student in 2015, Moore held several roles at Mississippi State University, including director of corporate and foundation relations and director of development for the MSU College of Architecture, Art and Design. |
| TCU's Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering Launches With $10M Foundation Gift | |
| Fort Worth's Texas Christian University launched the Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering on Tuesday with an event at the Legends Club at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The interdisciplinary institute will study how athletes, military personnel, and workers in physically demanding jobs "train, perform, and recover in high-pressure environments," TCU said. The institute is being funded by a $10 million gift from The Roach Foundation of Fort Worth. The launch was announced by Chancellor Daniel W. Pullin at TCU's inaugural Global Human Performance Forum, which brought together researchers, industry leaders, and practitioners to discuss the future of human performance research. The institute will advance the practice of Athlete Engineering, a discipline founded by Reuben F. Burch V, TCU's vice provost for research. The discipline revolves around the belief that performance is "shaped less by the individual than by the surrounding system, including the interaction of people, technology, environments, teams and systems," TCU said. Burch developed Athlete Engineering over more than a decade at Mississippi State University before joining TCU in 2025. The institute's director will be Jim Weinstein, Ph.D., RD, CSSD, FAND, a nutrition scientist and board-certified sports dietitian who retired as a colonel after a 28-year Air Force career and most recently served as deputy director of Athlete Engineering at Mississippi State. |
| Texas college watchdog received nearly 70 complaints, opened one investigation, records show | |
| A new state office received 69 complaints about Texas universities, including allegations of banned DEI initiatives, restrictions on conservative speech and interference in academic affairs. All but one complaint was closed without investigation, records obtained by The Texas Tribune show. The Office of the Ombudsman's only investigation opened during its first five months examined whether an academic assistance program violated the state's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion by censoring conservative speech while encouraging liberal political speech and antisemitic speech, according to the records. The student who filed the complaint alleged he was terminated from his position as a student instructor after raising those concerns with supervisors. The investigation remained ongoing as of June 11. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Brandon Simmons, a former Texas Southern University regent, as the state's first higher education ombudsman last year. The office is housed within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Simmons' office deemed 28 complaints as harassing, profane, "obviously fake" or invalid because they lacked a legitimate name or email address. Others involved more substantive disputes but did not lead to investigations. |
| Texas A&M Partners to Advance Development of Small Modular Nuclear Reactor at RELLIS Campus | |
| The Texas A&M University System announced that it's partnering with Charlotte, North Carolina-based Terrestrial Energy to advance the development of its planned small modular reactor at the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus in Bryan. The ground lease and research agreements give Terrestrial Energy site control over approximately 77 acres at A&M-RELLIS and support site characterization, environmental evaluations, testing, and research activity connected to the company's Integral Molten Salt Reactor. "President Trump has made clear that America needs to move faster to develop the next generation of nuclear energy," Chairman of the A&M Board of Regents Robert Albritton said in a statement. "Texas is ready to help lead that work. At the RELLIS campus, the A&M System has the land, research capacity and workforce mission to help move important energy technologies into the commercial world. This work can strengthen our state, our economy and our national security." The news follows an announcement last December that the A&M System and Austin-based Last Energy plan to build a pilot microreactor at the Texas A&M–RELLIS campus. Testing on the project was slated to begin this summer. |
| Texas A&M University at Galveston is Home to Juneteenth Freedom Bell | |
| On June 19, 1865, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union Army arrived in Galveston and announced that all enslaved individuals were to be freed. The day would become known as Juneteenth. Granger's first reading of General Order 3, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation, occurred 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect with the stroke of President Lincoln's pen on January 1, 1863, 71 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia on April 9, 1865, and 17 days after Confederate General E. Kirby Smith negotiated the official surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department aboard the U.S.S. Fort Jackson in Galveston Bay on June 2, 1865. Juneteenth celebrations have been held in various regions since the 1865 announcement. At Texas A&M University at Galveston, one way that Juneteenth is remembered is through a Freedom Bell on display in the Jack K. Williams Library. The Freedom Bell was commissioned by Texas A&M University's Department of Architecture and was initially unveiled in 2021 before arriving on the Galveston Campus in 2025. |
| Meet the law students working to bring workplace protections to federal courts | |
 | Law schools often push students to work for the federal courts, in prestigious jobs as interns or clerks. But those students can get a harsh surprise when they learn judges exercise near total control over their hours, holidays and work culture. And there's no clear way to complain or sue outside that system. A group of law students at Emory University in Atlanta is trying to change that. They recently petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case that challenges the internal system the judiciary uses to police itself. Unlike most other American workers, tens of thousands of people who work for the federal courts are not covered by landmark civil rights protections -- and they cannot turn to an independent agency for help if they experience harassment or discrimination on the job. Sofia Bettini, a recent Emory graduate who worked on the Supreme Court petition, said it was a "no brainer" for the students to pick this issue out of several other requests for help that came their way at the university's Supreme Court Advocacy Program. Many of her friends and colleagues expect to take jobs in the courts someday. So the plight of clerks, probation officers and public defenders who work for the judicial branch felt personal. |
| Federal agencies roll out $125M in grants for university ag research | |
| USDA and the Department of Education on Monday announced $125 million in annual funding to improve agricultural research facilities at land‑grant universities and other colleges of agriculture. Entities receiving the grants must match the federal dollars one‑to‑one. The grants will be awarded in tiers ranging from $100,000 to $30 million and will cover projects from needs assessments to construction of new research facilities. A 2015 study by the Association of Public and Land‑grant Universities and Sightlines found that campus buildings receiving USDA funding faced $8.4 billion in deferred maintenance, resulting in a 29% loss in asset value. "A nation that cannot feed itself is not secure, and for too long, many of our land‑grant universities have faced aging facilities and mounting deferred maintenance costs that threaten their ability to conduct world‑class agricultural research," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a news release. |
| APLU Hails $125 Million Investment in Agricultural Research Facilities | |
| Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) President Waded Cruzado today applauded the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon for announcing the opening of an application period for $125 million in grants to address decades of deferred maintenance and accelerate modernization of agricultural research facilities. The announcement came following a meeting the cabinet secretaries hosted yesterday at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's headquarters with APLU leaders and more than two dozen land-grant university presidents. "We greatly appreciate U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Education McMahon for hosting a roundtable for public and land-grant university leaders and for their efforts to advance agricultural innovation at land-grant universities across the country," said APLU President Waded Cruzado. |
SPORTS
| Men's Tennis Set to Host 2027 ITA Kickoff Weekend | |
| ITA announced the field for the 2027 ITA Kickoff Weekend on Thursday, marking the third consecutive season that Starkville will host a Regional Tournament. The top 14 schools in the country host during the Kickoff Weekend, with the winner of each regional advancing to the ITA National Indoor Championships, which will take place in February at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility in Clemson, South Carolina. Joining the Bulldogs in the regional are the North Carolina Tar Heels, USC Trojans and Tennessee. North Carolina will make its first trip to Starkville in program history for the fourth ever meeting between the Bulldogs and Tar Heels. This also marks the first time that the Trojans will play in Starkville and the fifth time the two programs have faced each other. State will take on SEC foe Tennessee on Saturday, the 64th time the two programs have met. The Bulldogs will appear in their 16th ITA Kickoff Weekend since its inception in 2009. Starkville will serve as the host for the eighth time in program history and for the third consecutive season. |
| Brantley Inducted Into College Baseball Hall Of Fame | |
| Jeff Brantley enjoyed one of the most successful careers in Southeastern Conference history. On Thursday, it was announced that the Mississippi State legend will be enshrined alongside 20 other standouts in the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class. Brantley pitched for the Diamond Dawgs from 1982-85 and owns the most career wins in SEC history with 45. Brantley is part of the 19th induction class which also includes Barry Bonds (Arizona State), Buster Posey (Florida State), Marquiss Grissom (Florida A&M), David McCarty (Stanford), Dave Clark (Jackson State) and Huston Street (Texas). A ceremony will be held on Feb. 11, 2027, at the College Baseball Hall of Fame in Overland Park, Kansas. Brantley is the fourth Diamond Dawg to be elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame joining teammates Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro and his head coach Ron Polk. He is also a member of the Mississippi State Hall of Fame (2003), Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (2011) and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2026). |
| College sports bill clears a key Senate hurdle despite SEC, Big Ten opposition | |
| A bill that top lawmakers and athletic leaders have described as the best chance to stabilize college sports cleared a key vote in the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support after weeks of input from schools, conferences and athletes. The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act aims to regulate payments to players, limit them to one free transfer over their careers and create a rule to restrict coaches from changing jobs during a season. It advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee on a 19-9 vote and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Thursday's vote came hours after the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten Conference, the two most powerful in college sports, reiterated their position that "revisions are needed to secure our support for the bill." Several senators who voted against it cited concerns raised by the two conferences, which could spell trouble for its chances. Support and opposition for the bill does not fall neatly along party lines, reflecting the national reach of SEC and Big Ten schools and broader divisions in Congress. Some of the senators who voted against the bill represent states that are home to prominent SEC and Big Ten programs, including Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, and Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Roger Wicker of Mississippi. "Universities in Mississippi and around the SEC are concerned that some further progress needs to be made on the media rights," Wicker told the AP. |
| Senate Commerce advances college sports package | |
| The Senate Commerce Committee advanced legislation Thursday that would aim to put new guardrails on the multibillion-dollar college sports industry. It marks a victory for the panel's bipartisan leaders who have been working for weeks to assert the dominance of their proposal against a similar, stalled bill in the House. Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reiterated he wanted the measure signed into law before the start of the coming academic year and that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to putting the package on the floor for a vote. "I believe when we pass this with a big bipartisan vote, it will go to the House with momentum, and I believe the House will take it up and pass it," Cruz told reporters after the markup. But the final, 19-9 vote in committee, with seven Democrats and two Republicans opposing, signals Cruz and the bill's co-sponsor, Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell of Washington, still have more work to do to build consensus. Back in the Senate, some members of the Commerce Committee, including Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, acknowledged Thursday they were voting to advance the bill with some reluctance in hopes that there would be changes before floor consideration is scheduled. |
| Protect College Sports Act headed to Senate for full vote | |
| A sweeping federal bill to reshape college sports is headed to the Senate floor, marking the first time during a yearslong effort that the full U.S. Senate will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed solution to some of the issues facing the college sports industry. The Protect College Sports Act, spearheaded by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would provide the NCAA with an antitrust exemption so that it could enforce a cap on payments to athletes as well as rules related to eligibility and transfers in college sports. It also creates an opportunity for schools to sell their media rights as one large entity rather than on a conference-by-conference basis, which is intended to help fund less profitable sports and close the significant financial gap between most of college sports and its two biggest conferences, the SEC and Big Ten. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday morning to move the bill forward to a full Senate vote. The details of the proposal are still subject to change. Its path to becoming a federal law remains an uphill battle, with the bill facing a time crunch ahead of November's elections and opposition on several fronts. Most notably, leaders from the SEC and Big Ten say they oppose the bill as it stands now. |
| Protect College Sports Act moves out of Senate committee, with SEC, Big Ten still opposed | |
 | A Senate bill that would regulate college sports and provide antitrust protections to the NCAA and major conferences advanced out of a key committee Thursday by a bipartisan 19-9 vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.-R) can now bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Changes can still be made before it gets there -- if it gets there. A House bill called the SCORE Act advanced through committee last year but never got to the floor for a vote, running into various hurdles. The Protect College Sports Act has drawn the support of the White House and from a wide range of parties across college sports, including NCAA president Charlie Baker. The SEC and Big Ten, the wealthiest college conferences, have withheld their endorsements, concerned the legislation would unfairly limit their potential growth and ability to fully control their media rights. Even with the revisions, the SEC and Big Ten remain holdouts. Notably, the two Republicans who voted no were Roger Wicker from Mississippi and Todd Young from Indiana. Mississippi has two schools in the SEC (Ole Miss and Mississippi State) and Indiana two in the Big Ten (Indiana and Purdue). |
| Big Ten, SEC commissioners ripped by key senator for continued opposition to Protect College Sports Act -- 'People have to wake up' - | |
| Moments after the passage of the newest college sports legislation through the Senate Commerce Committee here Thursday, Sen. Maria Cantwell removed her proverbial gloves. She took big swings at the big boys: the commissioners of the SEC and Big Ten. "People have to wake up," said Cantwell, a Washington state Democrat who's been in the Senate for 25 years. "The politics of these [conference] commissioners moving around deck chairs [with realignment] and making millions of dollars themselves and not thinking about the broad interest to solve these problems has led us to this point. It's time to listen to some other people." In the wake of a 19-9 vote that advances her and Ted Cruz's bill to the next step in the legislative process -- it may soon be brought up for a full vote on the Senate floor -- Cantwell unleashed a three-minute tongue-lashing directed at the two conferences that oppose the legislation: the SEC and Big Ten. In an effort to align their schools in opposition to the Protect College Sports Act, Cantwell accused the conference commissioners of "intimidating" members by "threatening" team scheduling changes; suggested that league executives were treating university presidents and athletic directors as "puppets;" and believes that school board members who want their institutions to support the bill are now springing into action. |
| The Big Ten and SEC don't like the college sports bill in Congress. Can they break away? | |
| The Protect College Sports Act took a step forward Thursday with a Senate committee approval. Plenty of potential pitfalls remain ahead, including opposition from the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences. The two most powerful conferences in college sports made clear that "revisions are needed to secure our support" for a bill designed to stabilize college sports. The opposition has renewed speculation that the two leagues and their 34 schools stretching from coast to coast will split from the NCAA and form a super league. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, has heard the concerns about the Big Ten and SEC breaking away. "We are interested in them understanding an economic future where there is more revenue for everybody and there is an upside," Cantwell said. "But if the discussion is we just want to hold everybody else back and being king of the hill, I think that's where they'll run into trouble." The potential for leagues breaking away and consolidating seeming inevitable keeps growing for a simple reason. "The economics are simply pointing in that direction," said sports law professor Michael LeRoy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
| Ole Miss AD adresses NIL, transfer portal, competitiveness | |
| University of Mississippi Athletics Director Keith Carter told Greenville Rotarians on Thursday that Ole Miss has never been stronger competitively or financially but must navigate a rapidly changing college sports landscape that did not exist when he took over the department in 2019. Carter devoted a large portion of his remarks and the ensuing Q&A to the pressures created by name, image and likeness payments, the transfer portal and a new revenue-sharing model that he said has fundamentally changed his job. "Probably 70 percent of the things we work on now didn't even exist" when he became athletics director in November 2019, he said. Carter expressed skepticism about turning athletes into university employees or placing college sports under direct federal control, suggesting instead that schools could negotiate with a third-party entity representing athletes. He said the current system, where unpopular NCAA rules are often challenged in court, is unsustainable and that "the adults in the room" eventually must agree on rules and follow them. Pressed by a Rotarian on how athletes actually get paid, Carter described a layered system that includes institutional revenue sharing, NIL contracts through Magnolia Sports Group and monthly payments that resemble a regular paycheck. |
| Why Videos of World Cup Tourists Loving Ranch Dressing and Waffle House Are So Moving | |
| Kilt-clad Scots have invaded Boston, turning Red Sox games into sing-a-longs, while bar owners report triple the earnings of an average St. Patrick's Day. Dutch travelers have stood, mouths agape, before the treasures at Buc-ee's gas stations, while German fans embrace the American rite of the 1 a.m. Waffle House trip. The resulting flood of social media content is so wholesome, some observers suspect it's a conspiracy. But as visiting World Cup fans document their encounters with the U.S., millions are still watching along, scrolling through seemingly endless footage with a mixture of awe, pride, delight---and a renewed appreciation for home. For Elsa Thora, visiting several states from Sweden, a standout highlight was her inaugural stop at Walmart, where she marveled at the endless aisles and tried an unfamiliar fusion item: a Reese's-Oreos mashup. (Thora also had rave reviews for her first experience with Ranch dressing: "Amazing.") The charm and positivity of visitor videos resonate so strongly perhaps because they come as a surprise. "In the lead up to this World Cup, all the stories were focused on immigration restrictions, visa requirements, the fact that people can't come in, and how expensive these games are," said Alex Shephard, a co-editor of Golden Goal, a soccer-themed literary magazine. In the viral reaction to these dispatches, there seems to be a redemptive longing for a U.S. whose image has been complicated at home and abroad. |
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