| Thursday, May 14, 2026 |
| Spring graduation ceremony for MSU-Meridian | |
 | The Spring Commencement ceremony for MSU-Meridian was held at the Riley Center Wednesday morning. More than 150 students walked across the stage and celebrated earning their Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral Degrees on Wednesday from Mississippi State University. These graduates will fill gaps in several different career fields including education, communication, health care and business administration. Dr. Mark Keenum spoke about what he reflects back on during graduation ceremonies. "As I look out at all of our graduates I can't help but think about all of your many experiences that you've had here as a student. All the memories that you will be taking from your time here at Mississippi State, experiences and memories of your time with your fellow classmates," said Dr. Mark Keenum, President of Mississippi State University. Graduation marks the beginning of the next big steps for both the students and their families. "But this isn't the end, not by any stretch. This is just the beginning of the next step of your life. And again an outstanding memory that you will have with you, and all of you, all of the loved ones, the memory of this occasion, this very moment right now for the rest of your life," said Keenum. |
| MSU-Meridian honors and celebrates graduating class of 2026 | |
 | Families and Friends gathered in celebration on Wednesday as graduates of Mississippi State University Meridian Campus walked across the stage to receive their degrees. Lexie Usry is on her way to becoming a teacher, and she won't be going alone, as she also graduated with her aunt, Heather Martin, who is also becoming a teacher. "Teaching has always been something that I wanted to do, and having been able to do it with my aunt, which is so awesome," said Usry. Ursy and Martin contribute their success to being Freeman Scholars, which is a scholarship program started by Harry Freeman. "It's a small scholarship program, specifically designed for students who are teacher's assistants in the school," said Freeman. "It really helped me to be able to afford school. Mr. Freeman is just such a great donor, and he is awesome, and I just enjoyed the opportunity to be able to be chosen for that," said Usry. "He is such a kind man," said Martin. |
| MSU short-, long-form storytelling nominated for 10 Southeast Emmys | |
 | Mississippi State filmmakers and digital storytellers are being honored this month at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Southeast Chapter's annual awards in Atlanta, Georgia, where MSU projects are nominated for 10 Southeast Emmy Awards. The combined recognitions for MSU's Office of Public Affairs, which includes the University Television Center and its MSU Films documentary brand, are for a variety of short- and long-form content either traditionally broadcast or published on social media platforms. UTC's eight nominations tell stories representative of life in the Magnolia State, from the impact of Vietnamese American fishing communities on the Gulf Coast to Starkville's first female firefighter fulfilling her civic duties, while OPA's social media team's focus is more on life as a Bulldog student. |
| Mid-Morning: MSU Libraries Elected to Join Association of Research Libraries | |
 | Video: Today on Mid-Morning, Kealy talks with Mississippi State University Professor and Dean of Libraries Dr. Lis Keith, about MSU Libraries' recent election to join the Association of Research Libraries. |
| MSU bio engineering senior awarded UMMC's top academic scholarship | |
| A Mississippi State University biomedical engineering senior from Amory now holds the most prestigious scholarship in the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Will McComb, a 4.0 GPA student at MSU during his four years in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, has been awarded UMMC's William K. Purks, M.D., Merit Scholarship for the upcoming academic year. McComb's selection was based on his "outstanding undergraduate academic record," a recent UMMC letter stated. The full attendance award covers tuition and cost of living expenses for the first year, and is renewable with good academic standing for the remaining three years. At Mississippi State, McComb said he's received a "phenomenal education." McComb also is quick to point out the invaluable role MSU's Health Pathways Resource Center and director Mary Celeste Reese have had in his medical school acceptance and securing the Purks Scholarship. McComb credits professors and his parents for the influence they have had on his studies and in his life. He said late MSU Chemistry Professor Debra Mlsna "set the tone for good study habits," while Organic Chemistry Professor Sean Stokes "was nothing short of an OChem guru in preparing me for the MCAT." His most memorable instructor was Intro to Religion's Albert Bisson, who McComb said, "opened my studies up to a world outside the realm of math and science." |
| MSU launching student-only bus service connecting campus to 2 major airports | |
 | Video: Mississippi State University is launching a student-only bus service that will connect its Starkville campus to two major airports. |
| Mississippi State University entomologist discusses how to deal with swarming termites | |
 | It's everyone's favorite time of the year: termite season. So how can you make it through to the other side without getting too many of the swarming insects inside? MSU Extension Urban entomologist Dr. Santos Portugal said to start by cutting down on your light bill. "Because they are highly attracted to light and swarm at night, they're just naturally going to be very attracted to any sort of light source bringing them in. And for most of us, we have a porch light or let's say we've got a light on in the living room that's going to be visible from outdoors." Each year, they show up right around Mother's Day. And while it's possible they may get inside your house, it's not a reason to panic. "And during this time period of May and June, when they're swarming, it's usually after a rain event. And it's typically, you know, the first couple hours after sunset, if they see a light, they're just going to swarm that direction," Portugal said. "And again, if they make their way indoors from the outside, they're not necessarily going to start an infestation, but they are still a pretty significant nuisance." |
| Pickle Fest Will Feature Canning and Cooking Demonstrations | |
| Video: The Mississippi Pickle Fest is coming to the Mississippi Agriculture Museum this summer, offering a weekend of pickle-themed fun for families and fermentation fans. The festival is set for Saturday, June 13–14, 2026, and will feature live music, games, contests, vendors, and a variety of activities centered around "all things fermented," according to event organizers. Organizers say they've partnered with local individuals and restaurants to offer pickle-themed foods and drinks, giving visitors plenty of options to sample throughout the event. They describe the Pickle Fest as a family-friendly celebration with something for pickle lovers of all ages. Mississippi State University Extension Agent Fran Brock joined Studio 3 and discussed the canning demonstrations and cooking demonstrations she will help lead at Pickle Fest. |
| SOCSD OKs borrowing $101M for new high school | |
 | The new Starkville High School project now has a price tag and a bond issue to match. During its regular meeting Tuesday at the Greensboro Center, the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees approved a resolution to issue a $101 million general obligation bond to fund the project, now estimated to cost $127 million in total. The district still has the capacity to issue an extra $24 million for the project if needed. Sumner Davis, board president, said those funds -- in addition to $4 million the district received from the state earlier this year – will ensure the facility will meet the district's needs for decades to come. "Everybody on the board wants to make sure that we're using our funds to get the most efficient and effective building we possibly can, understanding that this is a 50-year decision we're making," Davis told The Dispatch after the meeting on Tuesday. The facility will be located on the north edge of Mississippi State University's campus, next to the district's Partnership Middle School, on a tract donated by the university valued between $5 million and $10 million. |
| Supervisors seek firms to manage hospital trust | |
| Supervisors have until July 1 to determine how much money they plan to deposit in the county's newly-established reserve and trust fund. On Wednesday, they took the first steps in determining who will manage the funds. The board, during its recess meeting at the courthouse annex, authorized County Administrator Wayne Carpenter to advertise for qualifications from banks, trust companies and other registered fiduciaries to manage the trust, which is expected to hold millions from the October sale of the former OCH Regional Medical Center. While Carpenter said the request for qualifications won't be advertised immediately, state legislation creating the fund requires the county to award an initial contract by July 1. The trust was established April 8 after Gov. Tate Reeves signed local and private legislation allowing the county to invest in higher-yield assets, following the sale of OCH, which generated tens of millions in proceeds for the county. |
| Mary Means Business: Ollie's scheduled for September opening | |
| Bargain shoppers, there's still a bit of a wait for the Columbus Ollie's store. Since the Ollie's sign is officially up at the former Bargain Hunt location at 2312 Hwy. 45, folks have been asking me regularly when the doors will finally swing open. There is still some work to be done for the nation's largest retailer of closeout and excess inventory, but Ollie's is slated to open in Columbus on Sept. 9. ... Over in Starkville, a new bank is hosting its grand opening next week. Bank of Commerce, located at 818 Hwy. 12 W., will host its ribbon-cutting May 21. Folks can check out the new branch and meet the team starting at 11 a.m. with refreshments, prize giveaways and more. The Starkville branch adds to the bank's growing footprint in the Golden Triangle, joining two locations in Columbus and one in West Point. "We are proud to celebrate this new location and our continued investment in Starkville and the Golden Triangle," Bank of Commerce President and CEO Bryan Thornhill said. |
| Mississippi farming family brings new life to downtown Leland | |
 | Almost 25 years after being founded in the Mississippi Delta, Lagniappe remains a destination for people who are seeking a mix of fine home decor, accessories, books, original art and gifts. Founder Sherry Smythe and daughter, Sarah Smythe, moved the business from Greenville just down the road to Leland, near where their home is in the unincorporated community of Tribbett, to help revitalize the downtown area of the Mississippi Delta town of Leland along historic Highway 61 in Washington County. Sherry and Sarah Smythe work closely together with a talented team to bring their clients the best mix of products from around the world. They also have a location in Oxford, but the main location in Leland is the heart and soul of the operation. The latest opening is a coffee shop within The Next Chapter bookstore, which just opened in the past week. |
| PVC pipe manufacturer announces $80 million investment in Batesville | |
| Infrastructure technology company Azuria Water Solutions is setting up shop in Panola County with an $80 million investment. The Mississippi Development Authority announced Wednesday that the Missouri-headquartered business broke ground on a 72,000-square-foot facility in Batesville. The plant will be used to manufacture Fusible PVC pipes and is expected to create 50 new jobs. Underground Solutions, an Azuria portfolio company, will operate the plant, which will deliver infrastructure technology for water, sewer and conduit systems, per officials. Its products are used to transport water, wastewater and other liquids, as well as conduit for electrical and communication cables. The Mississippi Development Authority is supporting the project through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive program and providing assistance for infrastructure improvements. The city of Batesville, Panola County, AccelerateMS, and the Tennessee Valley Authority are also financially assisting with the project. |
| Remodeling industry faces headwinds as contractors struggle with inflation and hiring | |
| New home sales picked up earlier this year, according to data out Tuesday from the Census Bureau. From February to March, sales rose by a seasonally adjusted 7.4%, which is a good sign for developers. But there's another corner of the housing market where things may not be so rosy: the half-a-trillion-dollar industry of home remodeling. A new report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies predicts spending on remodeling will grow by just 0.5% in the coming year, which is well below the rate of inflation. Projected challenges include the cost of materials and the availability of labor. Rachel Bogardus Drew, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, said the outlook for the remodeling industry is, in a word, "stable." "Because that's a little bit more optimistic-sounding than stagnant or flat," she said. In the face of this slowdown, Drew has some advice for contractors: "Lean on your higher income clients." Yes, the K-shaped economy is alive and well in the remodel industry. Anirban Basu, CEO of Sage Policy Group, said that's in part because wealthier home owners tend to be more seasoned ones. |
| State senators look for ways to address concerns raised over recently passed SHIELD Act | |
 | As Mississippi prepares to roll out a new voter citizenship law, two local senators are discussing ways to make it easier for voters to obtain necessary documentation. The Safeguard Honest Integrity in Elections For Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act was authored by District 51 Sen. Jeremy England to address non-citizen voting. "It doesn't happen a lot, but there have been instances where non-citizens have been found on our voter rolls in Mississippi," England said. The law requires registrars to compare their voter rolls to state records. If questions are raised about a person's citizenship, registrars must run the person's information through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. District 45 Sen. Johnny DuPree said he respects the law but doesn't fully agree with how it will be carried out. "At 1.8 million voters, if 1% is flagged, we're talking about 18,000 voters that could possibly be thrown off of the voters roll," DuPree said. |
| Mississippi's lone Democratic congressional member rejects calls to redraw his district | |
 | Congressman Bennie Thompson is rejecting calls to redraw the boundaries of Mississippi's second district. The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to weaken section two of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais has led to redistricting efforts across the South. Almost immediately after the decision was handed down, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White took to social media to note that "this likely opens the door to redrawing Mississippi's congressional districts. Mississippi might no longer have a district drawn to protect Bennie Thompson." Thompson, who represents a significant portion of Western Mississippi including most of the Delta, has been in office since 1993. He calls the Supreme Court's decision a bad one that has set the country back. "More specifically, it puts black people in a difficult position," he said. "They are now being judged by a standard that the rest of the country is not judged by. So, we'll have to see what happens." Governor Tate Reeves has also taken to social media to call for congressional district lines to be redrawn. Referring to a post of Thompson's, Reeves wrote the district belongs to the people of Mississippi and that Thompson's "reign of terror" on Mississippi's second district is over. The governor told SuperTalk that he expects redistricting efforts at all levels in Mississippi to occur before the 2027 elections. Thompson stands by his voting record in Congress, and believes he has strong support from his constituents. |
| House passes Save Our Shrimpers Act with bipartisan support | |
| The House of Representatives passed legislation today aimed at protecting the domestic shrimping industry from foreign competition funded by U.S. tax dollars. House Resolution 2071, called the Save Our Shrimpers Act, passed with a vote of 391-18 and now heads to the Senate. The bill would prohibit federal funds from going to international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to fund foreign shrimp farms. The measure would prevent taxpayer dollars from leaving the country to compete with domestic shrimpers. "We will not use our U.S. tax dollars and our vote to support overseas competition that is driving our U.S. industry out of business," said Leann Bosarge, chief operating officer of Bosarge Boats. Frank Parker, owner of Fair Maiden Seafood and a boat captain for nearly 30 years, said the issue has been a long time coming. "It's one thing to compete with them on a labor effort, but when they are getting funded by our very own government that we pay our taxes to, it's like a stab in the back," Parker said. |
| House passes bill to bolster ethanol sales | |
 | House lawmakers passed a bill that would allow year-round sales of increased ethanol-blend fuel after years of debate on the issue sparked partisan fights and divided Republicans. Wednesday's 218-203 vote represents a victory for a bipartisan group of Midwestern lawmakers who have aggressively lobbied House leaders to bring the E15 measure to the floor, and can now use the vote to marshal voters ahead of November's midterm elections. Agriculture groups have spent years pushing Congress to approve year round sales of E15 blend fuel. President Donald Trump urged lawmakers earlier this year to negotiate an E15 agreement that would help farmers and refiners. Midwestern Republicans have tried to attach the legislation to other vehicles in recent years, but it has repeatedly been stripped out amid outcry from fellow House Republicans. The proposal faces an uphill battle in the Senate due to entrenched opposition from oil-state lawmakers. The legislation also faces significant opposition from a wide array of interest groups. |
| Warsh confirmed to lead Federal Reserve | |
 | The Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh on Wednesday to become chairman of the Federal Reserve for a four-year term. The 54-45 vote concludes the process two days before Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term ends. The Senate confirmed Warsh on Tuesday to a 14-year term on the board, effective as of Feb. 1, 2026. He fills a board position previously held by Stephen Miran, who has been a consistent voice for monetary policy easing. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., crossed the aisle to join the Republican majority for the confirmation. Warsh's arrival at the Fed comes as inflation is accelerating, driven largely by rising fuel prices since the start of the war with Iran. Consumer prices in April rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, well above the Fed's 2 percent target. The Federal Open Market Committee's next monetary policy meeting will be June 16 and 17. Democrats warn that Warsh could bow to Trump's pressure to lower interest rates even when inflation data doesn't justify such a move. |
| Trump trips on affordability with remark on Iran, to GOP's chagrin | |
 | A comment from President Trump dismissing the pocketbook concerns of millions of Americans is threatening to upend his party's midterm messaging on affordability. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he does "not even a little bit" think about Americans' financial situation when dealing with Iran, saying he only thinks about not letting Tehran have a nuclear weapon. The comments could not come at a more politically inconvenient time for Trump. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that wholesale inflation spiked to 6 percent in April, up from 4 percent in March, as a result of the Iran war. That data came after the department reported Tuesday that the consumer price index increased 3.8 percent over the past 12 months. The economic indicators are forcing Republicans battling to hold on to their House and Senate majorities to answer for the Trump economy, while more and more Americans grow frustrated over rising costs. Trump and Republicans at times have sought to blame inflation and bad economic news on the president's inheriting an economy they argue was run into the ground by former President Biden. But now that Trump has been president for nearly a year and a half, it is more difficult to make that case. |
| China's Xi, warning of a clash, tells Trump: 'We must make it work' | |
 | An extraordinary display of power and precision along Tiananmen Square greeted President Trump in Beijing on Thursday, kicking off a two-day summit with particularly high stakes for the Americans. It was not immediately clear what the two sides had accomplished in their first day of meetings. But carefully choreographed visuals sent a clear message to the world that both governments sought more stable footing in the relationship -- described by Chinese President Xi Jinping as "constructive strategic stability" -- as an ultimate goal of the summit. The day was filled with ceremony and spectacle, beginning at the Great Hall of the People, where Xi greeted Trump with a military honor guard, a cannon salute and cheering schoolchildren. American flags waved and "The Star Spangled Banner" rang out on a smoggy morning in the heart of the capital as the two shook hands. It concluded with a state banquet at the hall over lobster soup, Peking duck and pan-fried pork buns, where Trump hailed the depths of ties between the American and Chinese peoples, and where Xi described the bilateral relationship as the most important in a "changing and turbulent" world. |
| Pope decries the rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation | |
 | Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a "spiral of annihilation," as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine during a visit to Europe's largest university. Leo's speech at Rome's La Sapienza University marked the first time a pope has visited the campus since Pope Benedict XVI called off a planned speech there in 2008 in the face of protests from faculty and students. The American pope was warmly welcomed on Thursday, including by some of Sapienza's newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived in Italy this week on a "humanitarian corridor" from Gaza to continue their studies at the university. The Italian government, working with Catholic organizations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023. In his speech, Leo denounced how military spending had increased dramatically this year, especially in Europe, at the expense of education and healthcare, while "enriching elites who care nothing for the common good." |
| UM has champagne problems from graduation photo trends | |
 | A growing trend in graduation photos has created new challenges for the University of Mississippi Department of Facilities Management. When champagne bottles have stopped spraying, they leave behind damage that the department must repair. Graduates can be spotted across campus taking photos with friends, family, confetti and champagne during graduation season. Mike Dunnavant, the director of facilities services, has concerns about staining on campus signs and popular locations caused by popping champagne bottles for photoshoots. "They go to the Lyceum, and they go to the Grove sign and they're ... popping champagne bottles," Dunnavant said. "The champagne is staining the concrete, and we can't get it clean." The issue extends beyond the University of Mississippi campus. Dunnavant said facilities leaders across the Southeastern Conference have raised similar concerns. "That topic came up from three or four other campuses ... asking each other if they were having that same problem," Dunnavant said. "None of the other schools had a solution for it either." Other universities have also reported issues with non-biodegradable celebration materials like polyester (mylar) confetti. |
| Ben set to become Mississippi's first Choctaw pharmacist | |
| "Okish Atahli." That is what University of Mississippi senior and Mississippi Band of Choctaw tribal member Sydney Ben is on her way of becoming -- a pharmacist. When all is said and done, she will be the first tribal member to become a licensed pharmacist. As an early-entry pharmacy student from Choctaw, Ben graduates in May with her bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical science and a minor in chemistry, all while having completed her first year of pharmacy school during her senior year. "I'm very proud of her on her personal achievement and grateful for her hard work and the ambition she has to overcome a barrier of being the first for our tribe in this field of study," Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben said. "While we've had many tribal members become the first in many of their respected professions, pharmacy is an area that is much needed because science and health are an integral part of life." |
| From coma to 5K, Graham Goldman is rebuilding life after a severe bike crash | |
 | Though he still has a long road ahead of him, Graham Goldman has been on the road to recovery after a bike accident last April left him in a coma for more than a month. "I am just grateful to be here," Graham said. Graham, 18, is the son of Rebecca and Justin Goldman of Madison. He has two younger siblings, Jake, 15, and Shelby Kate, 10. His mother described him as having a "joyful heart." Rebecca Goldman said the family is still unsure of what exactly happened. "We are not sure," she said. "Graham is an avid cyclist and went out for a quick ride before dinner." The Goldman family soon heard sirens and saw a fire truck pass their home. He was rushed by Air Care to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where the Neuro ICU team "saved his life," his family said. |
| 'That's the mission': William Carey recognized nationally for serving rural areas through medical care | |
| William Carey University's College of Osteopathic Medicine remains one of the top academic medical institutions in the country. For the fifth straight year, the Hattiesburg-based school has found itself among some of the top programs in the U.S. when it comes to graduating primary care physicians and sending medical professionals to rural and underserved areas. An April release from U.S. News and World Report ranked William Carey in the top three in three "Best Graduate Schools of Medicine" categories. The school landed at No. 1 for the highest percentage of graduates practicing in primary care, No. 3 for the highest percentage of graduates serving in rural areas, and No. 3 for the highest percentage of graduates practicing in areas with shortages of health professionals. "We focus on creating doctors in primary care because that's the mission, and that's where Mississippi needs those doctors the most, especially in the rural areas," William Carey President Dr. Ben Burnett said on Wednesday. "Rural Mississippi is important to me personally, but it's also important to us as an institution." |
| Mississippi heralded as the example for adopting, implementing education policies | |
| Mississippi is being heralded as an example for other states when it comes to adopting sound education policy and then implementing those policies to produce positive gains in reading and math. The 2026 Education Scorecard released on Wednesday showed Mississippi is among only 7 states that improved in reading achievement in the three years following the COVID pandemic. The Education Scorecard is a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College. "This kind of granular, actionable data is the foundation of meaningful education interventions and growth, providing an opportunity to partner with states to provide literacy, math and accountability reforms where they are needed most," Patricia Levesque, CEO of ExcelinEd, said, adding, "Policy matters, and so does implementation." Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves made a similar point Wednesday night at the Mississippi Top 100 event in Jackson. When speaking about the state's education gains, the governor told the nearly 500 attendees that while passing good policy was key, so too was the implementation of that policy at the state and local level. Reeves praised former State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright for effectively implementing the education standards passed by lawmakers and expressed our proud he was of teacher and students who rose to the challenge. Reeves also said having strong accountability models that were routinely readjusted to raise the bar was important in continuing Mississippi's success. |
| Some parents don't want their kids to use tech at school. But districts are pushing back | |
| For high school senior Aliyah Pack, getting distracted during school is the norm. Kids in her Pennsylvania school district use iPads starting in kindergarten, switch to Chromebooks in second grade and get their own MacBooks in eighth grade. Aliyah has ADHD, and finds it difficult to concentrate when she's learning from a screen. She'll watch Netflix in class on her school laptop, hiding her earbuds behind her long, curly hair. "It's very hard to get into the mindset of being in school," Aliyah said. Aliyah's mother saw her grades were falling and asked the school to take away her laptop. But she was told that wasn't possible. Across the country, parents are voicing concerns about excessive screen time in schools and lobbying educators to go back to pencil and paper. In places like Lower Merion Township, where Aliyah goes to high school, some are taking it even further. Over 600 people in the affluent Philadelphia suburb have signed a petition asking to preserve parents' ability to opt their children out of using digital devices during the school day. The public school district has pushed back, saying it's not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum. |
| Energy industry leaders worry about lack of workforce for Nuclear Renaissance | |
 | Both lawmakers and university leaders would like to see more nuclear power in Missouri, but a federal agency leader said Wednesday nuclear education must be prioritized. William D. Magwood IV spoke as part of the 4th President's Distinguished Lecture hosted by UM System President Mun Choi at the Bond Life Sciences Center. Magwood explained a global shift in conversations of nuclear energy around the world that comes with a wide variety of road bumps as it does opportunities. Magwood highlighted security, first of a kind barriers and financial disparities as among the issues facing a nuclear future. "It's not how many professors you have in your universities or how many laboratories or how many classrooms," Magwood said. "The real issue is how many kids do you have to work with in the first place." Many of Choi's "Distinguished Lectures" have been on the topic of energy because he's been enthusiastic about the expansion of University of Missouri Research Reactor. |
| The Canvas Hack Confirmed Some Professors' Fears. It Likely Won't Change Anything. | |
 | When Miriam Posner walked into her digital humanities class at the University of California at Los Angeles on Tuesday, her students were already primed. Their reading for the day happened to be about learning-management systems (LMS) and data collection. Less than a week had passed since a hacking group called ShinyHunters brought Canvas down during the final weeks of the spring term -- holding hostage the platform that almost half of North American higher-education institutions depend on for grades, assignments, syllabi, and communication with students. Posner said one of her students hoped the hack would serve as a call to action for universities to look more carefully at tech platforms. Another student, she recalled, questioned whether the hackers were really doing anything worse with personal data than what third-party vendors were already doing -- the details of which aren't known. The concerns have reached Washington. On Tuesday, Sens. Bill Cassidy and Tommy Tuberville, both Republicans, sent a letter to Instructure's chief executive, Steve Daly, demanding answers. For many faculty, the breach felt less like a surprise than a confirmation of their long-simmering anxiety about surrendering academic infrastructure to a private equity-backed company. |
| Graduates Boo Commencement Speech About A.I. | |
 | The purpose of a commencement speech is to uplift, inspire and embolden new graduates to go out into the world and attempt the impossible. But when the speaker gets it wrong, it can be a wet blanket. That was the effect Gloria Caulfield, a real estate executive, seemed to have when she addressed the graduating class of the University of Central Florida's College of Arts and Humanities and its Nicholson School of Communication and Media at a ceremony on May 8. "The rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution," she said, addressing a sea of black caps, gowns and tassels, most of them with newly acquired degrees in creative disciplines, including film, animation and media production. The crowd booed. "What happened?" Caulfield stammered, looking over her shoulder, as if searching for an escape hatch. "OK, I struck a chord! May I finish? Only a few years ago, A.I. was not a factor in our lives." The crowd erupted in cheers. "And now, A.I. capabilities are in the palm of our hands." Boooooooooo. One might call it a "read the room" moment. |
| 'A' Grades Are Suddenly Everywhere Since the Arrival of ChatGPT | |
 | AI is making "A" grades easier to come by, a new study shows -- and making them less useful to employers trying to size up college graduates. The share of A's in college classes heavy on writing and coding -- in other words, work more prone to artificial intelligence use -- has grown more significantly than in other classes since ChatGPT's debut, according to a paper from the University of California, Berkeley, released Wednesday. Professors teaching AI-exposed classes gave out about 30% more A's and fewer A-minus and B-plus grades. The results suggest that students have relied on generative AI to do better in their studies, not that these classes of students are learning more, says Igor Chirikov, a senior researcher at Berkeley's Center for Studies in Higher Education and the paper's author. While grade inflation has been an issue on college campuses for years, AI tools have made it even harder to assess the quality of students' work. Learning requires "productive struggle" that is eroded by AI, says Berkeley's Chirikov. Will grads leave campus producing ready-to-publish reports or data dives without developing critical cognitive abilities? And does it matter? "As much as AI is helping people become more productive, to produce more, I think it may harm their learning," he says. |
| 'Endemic Microcheating' by Academics 'Going Unpunished' | |
 | Growing levels of "microcheating" by academics are being ignored as universities focus on detecting more serious allegations of scientific misconduct and students' unauthorized use of artificial intelligence, a leading educationalist has claimed. In a new paper in the journal Perspective of Higher Education, Bruce Macfarlane, dean of the Faculty of Education at the Education University of Hong Kong, argues increased efforts to tackle more blatant types of academic fraud, such as falsification, fabrication or plagiarism, and a "moral panic" over student cheating using AI, have led scholars to become more accepting of "more subtle forms of cheating that are harder to detect and attract less public attention." Often described as "questionable research practices," Macfarlane contends that behavior such as "double dipping" -- when an academic publishes two papers that are substantially the same -- and excessive self-citation ("citing oneself gratuitously even when others are recognized as more significant authorities in the academic field") should instead be labeled "microcheating." |
| An Unusual New Study of Nearly a Million Students Details What College Does for Earnings | |
| A new study of nearly a million college students has reinforced that getting a two- or four-year degree is worth the price for a large majority of those who enroll. Whether the findings will help reverse the public skepticism and negative political rhetoric about higher education is less certain. On average, 15 years after students enrolled in bachelor's-degree programs, they earned a cumulative $86,806 more than those who did not enroll in college, researchers found in the study, which focused on Texas. It took this group of students nine years to for their earnings to equal those of their noncollege peers, figuring in both the price of their education and the "opportunity cost" of lost wages while they were enrolled. For students who enrolled in an associate-degree program, the time to recoup the price of their education and lost wages was seven years, and net earnings were about $25,000 more than the comparison group 10 years after enrollment. Those who enrolled in certificate programs made up the cost of their education four years after they enrolled and in year five earned about $3,800 more than their noncollege peers. The findings confirm many previous studies that getting a college degree is profitable over time, said Stig Leschly, the founder and president of the Postsecondary Commission. |
| Here are the undergraduate programs that pay off (and some that don't) | |
 | After years of public debate about the value of higher education, a study of nearly 1 million undergraduates provides fresh evidence that going to college pays off financially for most students. But the report released Thursday found that the benefits depend greatly on the type of degree, major, quality of the institutions, demographics of the students and whether students complete the programs. The biggest payoffs for students seeking bachelor's degrees occurred in engineering and architecture; business and economics; and security and protective services degrees. Liberal arts, recreation and fitness studies; and social sciences students saw the lowest returns among the categories included in the report. "There's enormous variation," said Stig Leschly, president of the Postsecondary Commission, which undertook the study and is seeking federal recognition to accredit colleges. The study also found students who pursued a bachelor's degree gained more in earnings than they spent on school within 15 years, regardless of their major. |
| The Tech Jobs That Are Safe From AI | |
| It should be a tough time to be a software engineer: Coding is a favorite early artificial-intelligence use case and layoffs are spreading through the tech industry. But job postings in the information-technology and computer-science sector are up and recruiters say companies are hiring again. The catch? They're looking for those at mid and senior levels and other top-tier technical talent who can harness the new powers of AI. "One experienced engineer can have the output of a whole team," says Chris Abbass, chief executive of recruiting firm Talentful, which works with high-growth tech companies. "It's not necessarily about the amount of people they have, it's who they have and where they have them." IT and computer-science job postings are up 14.2% year-over-year in April 2026, according to online employment marketplace ZipRecruiter, but there's a split in the demand: The share of entry-level job postings in the tech sector has fallen from 8.1% a year ago to 7.4% in April. The share of senior-level job postings, meanwhile, rose to 43.1% from 38.8%. “It’s an interesting paradox,” says Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “People that can use artificial intelligence to build programs and connect different parts of your company and do all these services with the help of AI coding are in higher demand than ever because they can do so much so quickly.” |
| How Colleges Are Rethinking Student Success | |
| A new report from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities chronicles how student success initiatives at colleges and universities nationwide have evolved from isolated programs into institutionwide strategies. The report defines success as students completing their academic programs with a degree and examines how institutions have shifted from focused interventions to more holistic approaches to degree completion. Released yesterday, the report draws on applications submitted between 2015 and 2024 for APLU's annual Degree Completion Award, which recognizes public universities for improving undergraduate completion. Researchers analyzed completion strategies at 90 public and land-grant institutions across 41 states. Levi Shanks, assistant vice president for academic and student affairs at APLU and author of the report, said the findings illustrate the gradual steps institutions have taken to systematize disparate student success programs and integrate them into broader institutional strategies. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: Top 15 Teams Clash To Close Regular Season | |
| Mississippi State has spent Brian O'Connor's first season in Starkville proving it can stack up with the best teams in the country. The Diamond Dawgs get one more regular-season chance to sharpen that résumé this weekend with a top-15 Southeastern Conference series at Blue Bell Park. No. 13 MSU opens a three-game set Thursday at No. 10 Texas A&M, beginning a regular-season finale that carries postseason implications for both clubs. The Bulldogs enter 38-14 overall and 15-12 in SEC play, while the Aggies are 37-12 and 16-10 in league action. Thursday and Friday's games are scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+, while Saturday's finale is set for 11 a.m. on SEC Network. |
| Baseball: Chance Selected To SEC Community Service Team | |
| For the second straight week, Bryce Chance's charitable contributions have been recognized. A week after being named to the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy Starting 9, the Mississippi State outfielder was selected to be the Bulldogs' representative on the Southeastern Conference's Community Service Team. Chance has regularly volunteered his time with both the Miracle and Challenger Baseball Leagues in the greater Golden Triangle area for the past four years. The Miracle and Challenger Leagues provide avenues for children and adults with special needs with an avenue to play baseball, and Chance has been instrumental in assisting with camps and games. This cause is near and dear to Chance. His older brother, Brooks, is autistic and is an active participant in the games that Chance volunteers at along with his Mississippi State teammates. In addition to the Miracle and Challenger Leagues, Chance has also volunteered his time with the local Salvation Army and makes annual visits to Batson's Children's Hospital in Jackson. |
| Track & Field: Bulldogs Set For SEC Outdoor Championships | |
| Mississippi State track and field will compete in the SEC Outdoor Championships, hosted by Auburn, this weekend. This weekend marks the first competition in the outdoor season with all 16 SEC track and field teams present. As the most dominant conference in track and field, the SEC boasts the national leading squads for both the men and women, as well as 11 teams for both ranked in the top 25 nationally. State will send 48 athletes to compete across 32 events this weekend. Of those competing, 25 will be making their SEC outdoor championships debuts. The Bulldogs look to continue the momentum into championship weekend, with 13 athletes ranked in the top 10 in the conference. Competition will begin Thursday afternoon and end Saturday evening. |
| Mississippi congressman introduces bill that would make catching red snapper 'more fun' | |
| U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) is one of a handful of congressional members who recently put together a bill to expand Mississippi and other Gulf states' jurisdiction offshore -- a measure Ezell believes would create several benefits, including a better fishing experience. The Offshore Parity Act was introduced in the House last month and would extend Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana's offshore boundaries from the current three nautical miles to nine nautical miles. Currently, both Texas and Florida have nine nautical miles of jurisdiction, which date back centuries to Texas' previous status as an independent republic and inherited Spanish boundaries in Florida. The jurisdictions were upheld through the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, which also granted other Gulf states three nautical miles. The bill, as Ezell put it during Wednesday's episode of Mornings with Richard Cross, is "about fairness." Benefits, according to him, would include greater access to energy and marine resources and a chance at further economic development and state revenues. But the biggest benefit for the average Mississippian, Ezell said, could be a more enjoyable experience for fishermen trying to catch red snapper. |
| $5 million in pledges raised to save U. of Arkansas tennis programs, former players say | |
| Supporters of University of Arkansas tennis have gathered millions of dollars in pledges and gained the ear of school officials in an effort to save the discontinued men's and women's programs, according to sources who spoke with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and documents obtained by the newspaper. The group has pulled together commitments of roughly $5 million, according to two former UA tennis players, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the plan. That would be enough to fund the teams for two years. Dropping the men's and women's programs was estimated to save the university $2.5 million annually, UA Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek has said. The UA announced the tennis cuts in a news release April 24, reducing its number of sports programs from 19 to 17. Arkansas was one of four Division I schools to drop their tennis programs within the same week, joining Saint Louis, Illinois State and North Dakota. "We are aware of some interest by a few in maintaining the tennis program," UA trustees Chairman Randy Lawson wrote in an email April 30. "Leadership are trying to determine whether this represents enough capital to adequately support the tennis program into the future." |
| ACC backs Duke's TV deal with Amazon, calling it innovative despite Big Ten pushback | |
| At a time when college athletic departments are desperately looking for new revenue sources, Duke "came up with something creative" and landed a three-game deal with streaming giant Amazon, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips said. Phillips praised the Blue Devils for working with ACC television partner ESPN to secure a first-of-its-kind contract that could set a precedent for future cash grabs around the league and maybe the country. "If there's other opportunities that are out there that schools bring forward, we'll look at it," Phillips said Wednesday while wrapping up the league's three-day spring meetings inside a posh resort in northeast Florida. "I think it's innovative by Duke." Phillips offered some insight into how the deal came together and said negotiations never undermined the ACC's current TV contracts. Duke agreed to future scheduling commitments with ESPN in exchange for the three games on Amazon Prime Video. |
| ACC, Big 12 commissioners push 24-team College Football Playoff format | |
| ACC commissioner Jim Phillips and Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark both told On3 that their leagues prefer a 24-team College Football Playoff. "We like 24, we want 24," Yormark told On3. "There are too many teams getting left out and 24 teams provides the type of access that is warranted. That being said, we need to do the work around the economics around a 24-team format and make sure we address any unintended consequences." On the final day of the ACC's spring meetings at Amelia Island, Phillips also indicated his league's support of the 24-team model. Phillips added ESPN does not want the playoff to expand past 16 teams. "ESPN's made it clear, they want it to stay at 12 or 14, but no more than 16," Phillips said. There are several proposals how a 24-team playoff would look. |
| Why Notre Dame is on board with a 24-team Playoff: What's in it for the Irish? | |
| Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua believes a 24-team College Football Playoff is right for Notre Dame and the best path forward for the sport. He also believes CFP expansion is inevitable, admitting that he's changed his mind about just how big the field should be. And although the potential to double postseason access was not the most important item on Bevacqua's agenda during ACC meetings at the Ritz-Carlton this week, where commissioner Jim Phillips said his league's coaches and ADs supported the 24-team model, the subject is still important to where the Irish football program is headed. "I think in this day and age with what universities are investing in football, it's a very expensive sport. You need to give more teams hope," Bevacqua told The Athletic. "The way things are structured now, everything points to the CFP. It's a measure of success. It's important in the tenure of a coach. We've seen firings when teams aren't going to make it to the CFP. And my concern is that if more teams aren't given hope, that universities over the course of the next five, 10 years will say, 'Hey, is the investment worth it?' And I would hate to see a college football landscape where there's only a handful of teams that can really give it a legitimate go year after year after year." |
| Settlement OK'd in ex-volunteer coaches' class-action suit vs. NCAA | |
| A federal judge in California has given final approval to a $303 million class-action lawsuit against the NCAA that will pay former volunteer coaches in sports other than baseball a minimum of $5,000 for unpaid work. The class of 7,718 members were volunteer assistants between March 1, 2019, and July 1, 2023. By NCAA rule, they were prohibited from receiving pay or benefits. The rule was rescinded in January 2023 and the lawsuit was filed two months later in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California to resolve wage-fixing claims. Judge William B. Shubb on Monday approved the minimum payment of $5,000 and an average payment of $27,000 per class member, and some could receive much more. A similar settlement to a class-action lawsuit brought by volunteer baseball coaches was approved in September. |
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