| Monday, June 22, 2026 |
| MSU's Ballew Hall recognized for preservation with award | |
 | Mississippi State University's (MSU) Ballew Hall received a 2026 America 250 Heritage Award from the Mississippi Heritage Trust, recognizing the building's extensive restoration. The Heritage Award honors projects that preserve Mississippi's historic places. Ballew Hall reopened in 2025 following a comprehensive renovation that transformed the former MSU meat science laboratory into modern administrative, meeting and classroom space while preserving its historic character. Ballew Hall now serves as the hub for the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Incoming director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) Barry White said the project demonstrates how historic buildings can be preserved while serving contemporary needs. "MDAH has worked closely with MSU leadership to understand their programming priorities and to further our shared commitment to preserving the university's landmark historic structures," he said. The project was completed by Eupora-based Belinda Stewart Architects and Starkville-based Ethos Contracting Group, both MSU alumni-owned businesses. |
| MSU Center for Simulation earns accreditation from prestigious international healthcare society | |
 | Mississippi State University's Center for Simulation is the first of its kind in the Magnolia State to earn the Human Simulation accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Situated on the third floor of the Rosenbaum Building at MSU-Meridian's Riley Campus, the center was made possible by a $6 million gift from The Riley Foundation and a $1.06 million grant from AccelerateMS's Nursing and Allied Health Grant Program. The center received the designation and accreditation in Teaching/Education from the world's leading society for healthcare simulation this past week. SSH accreditation is the gold standard for quality in healthcare simulation, with centers earning the distinction by meeting rigorous international standards built toward improving patient safety and learning outcomes. "This isn't just a seal on the wall. It reflects an experience that's measurably better for the students we train," MSU-Meridian Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of Simulation and Clinical Affairs Alaina Herrington said. "It also reflects the experience our students already receive---and it sets the standard for everything we will build next. They're learning in a program proven to deliver, and that's just the beginning." |
| MSU researcher, Partnership Middle School students collaborate on climate science literacy podcast | |
 | 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. Working with educational podcast group CumbreKids Media and a hydrologist from the National Weather Service, Cardozo-Gaibisso and her collaborators create podcast episodes that encourage students to investigate climate-related topics, including hurricanes, flooding and other environmental challenges. |
| Master Gardeners use skills to serve others | |
 | Lee County Master Gardener Donna Tucker remembers meeting a child who told her she had never played in the dirt before. The comment surprised her, but it also reminded her why she became a volunteer with the horticultural program in the first place. Through teaching youth, mentoring volunteers, and helping organize one of Lee County's largest annual gardening events, Tucker has seen firsthand how gardening education can shape community. Tucker is a charter member of the Lee County Master Gardeners and was certified in 1995. She has served in many roles, including managing the greenhouse, mentoring newer volunteers and playing a major part in the county's annual Master Gardener Plant Sale each spring. Coordinated by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Master Gardener program trains and certifies volunteers in consumer horticulture. In exchange for 40 hours of educational training, they return 40 hours of volunteer service within one year of their training. |
| Neshoba County Fair sees massive flea market turnout despite rainy conditions | |
 | Despite the soggy weather this morning, there was a healthy turnout at the Neshoba County Fair's annual flea market, with vendors and crafts for every hobby and interest. Vendors were lined up around Founder's Square, with some even packing in under the pavilion. Stephanie Turner, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, said she's been to the fair with her husband before, but this was her first time as a vendor. "I've been doing pottery for a few years now. This is the first market I've ever done. We came to the fair specifically because my husband, Paul Turner's family, has had cabin 24, I don't even know how long, a long time," said Turner. "I was used to coming here, but when I got into pottery, I thought it would be fun to try the market because it's always my favorite day at the fair." Mississippi's Giant Houseparty continues all this coming week, until Friday, June 26th. |
| Mississippi presented with Gold Shovel Award for recent economic development successes | |
| Mississippi has been at the forefront of economic success in recent years, and has been recognized for reeling in high-dollar projects with a Gold Shovel Award. The national award, presented by Area Development magazine, honors Mississippi's major accomplishments in economic development throughout 2025. Additionally, Area Development named the $210 million Amazon project in Marshall County as one of its Non-Manufacturing Projects of the Year. The project entailed a 930,000-square-foot facility located in Chickasaw Trails Industrial Park, with the plant serving to receive and consolidate products from Amazon vendors. Amazon announced that 1,000 new jobs would be created as part of the project. "This national recognition is further proof that the Mississippi Momentum is going strong," Gov. Tate Reeves said. Submissions are evaluated on "job creation, capital investment, industry diversity, and alignment with each state's broader economic development strategy." |
| Plan to deepen the Port of Gulfport could move forward after decades-long push | |
| For decades, various Mississippi and Coast leaders have pushed to deepen the Port of Gulfport. Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a report recommending the project for congressional approval. The report, which is a result of a three-year study, recommends deepening the port from 36 feet to 46 feet and widening it by 50 feet. The work is estimated to cost $548 million. According to a statement from Gov. Tate Reeves, 75% of the project would be funded by the federal government and 25% by the state. "We are making a quantum leap forward for the Port of Gulfport," said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. "A deeper, wider channel will unlock even more growth for our bustling maritime economy. Mississippians will benefit for years to come." Proponents now hope Congress will approve the project in the 2026 Water Resources Development Act, and fund it. Officials see the port as an important part of Mississippi's economy. A 2022 report found that the port provided $3.8 billion in economic value to the region, $62.5 million in state and local taxes and 3,600 jobs. |
| Colom prioritizing lower costs, good jobs, affordable health care in state | |
| In 2025, about 27 million people in the United States were medically uninsured, a number that is expected to increase by 10 million in the next decade due to tightened Medicaid eligibility, changes to enrollment processes and a loss of enhanced Affordable Care Act plan subsidies. According to a report released in April by The Commonwealth Fund, an independent research foundation focused on health care issues, Mississippi ranks dead last on national health care metrics. Roughly half of the Mississippians who had health insurance through the ACA are now uninsured following the expiration of ACA subsidies in December 2025, Democrat Scott Colom, who is running for U.S. Senate, told Columbus Exchange Club on Thursday at Lion Hills Center. Colom currently serves as the district attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi and is attempting to unseat Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith as Mississippi's junior senator. Right now, he said it's important to focus on making insurance accessible, but the government needs to involve doctors in finding a long-term solution for the health care system. |
| Vance says talks with Iranian officials set 'good foundation' for a deal to end the war | |
 | Vice President JD Vance on Monday said his lengthy talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland created a "good foundation for a successful final deal" as they negotiate bringing a permanent end to the war that the U.S. and Israel began in late February. "The final deal is the house," Vance told reporters after initial talks with Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. "We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people." Iran noted "major progress" to end the fighting in Lebanon and called that the first real test of the negotiations. The mediation effort in Switzerland, which started Sunday and stretched into early Monday, had rocky moments. But the talks also led to some agreements, mediators said, as technical talks continue this week. The vice president suggested that the U.S. could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for purchases of U.S. soy, corn and wheat. He said Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump and one of the lead U.S. negotiators, came up with the idea with officials from Qatar. Vance said Qatar would have approval over the process, and Iranian money that would be accessible as sanctions were lifted "would actually go to buy American soy, American corn and American wheat for the benefit of the Iranian people." |
| Why Trump has been attacking the Supreme Court, with 3 key rulings ahead | |
 | When Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch hosted a gathering of his former clerks last year, a prominent attorney and Donald Trump ally who had played a key role in Gorsuch's rise was notably absent. Gorsuch had nicknamed his friend Mike Davis "the general" for helping him secure his first federal judgeship, leading a campaign to get Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court and then serving as one of his inaugural clerks. But the relationship soured last year as the Supreme Court began to rule on some of Trump's policies, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. ... That turbulence makes for a tense backdrop in the waning days of the Supreme Court's 2025-26 term, as the justices prepare to rule on three signature Trump initiatives: limiting birthright citizenship, firing the heads of independent agencies and reshaping the Federal Reserve. Many legal experts believe that the justices have signaled they will rule against Trump on two out of the three, blocking his bid to deny citizenship to those who were born to parents here illegally or lacking permanent residency, as well as his effort to remove a governor of the Fed board. |
| Warsh's gamble: A quieter Federal Reserve could mean volatile markets, higher rates | |
| The Federal Reserve has for decades moved steadily from a remote, opaque government agency that shared little about what it did or why to a more transparent institution willing to explain how it makes decisions and what it thinks about the economy. But in his first press conference Wednesday, new chair Kevin Warsh began to reverse some of those steps. Warsh, like many economists, thinks the financial markets have become too dependent on Fed guidance, and that such direction is more effective in financial crises or economic downturns. Warsh quickly made changes: The Fed's statement on its interest-rate decision was slashed to 132 words, from 341 in April. And Warsh pointedly noted that the statement excluded any hints, or "forward guidance," about what the Fed's next moves might be. In short, Warsh rapidly delivered on a promise to slash the Fed's communications, particularly the guidance it gives to financial markets about its next interest-rate moves. Yet such an approach carries the risk of more violent swings in stock and bond prices, analysts say, and ultimately could lead to higher interest rates for consumers and businesses. |
| Alan Greenspan, Fed Chairman Through Prosperity and Crisis, Dies at 100 | |
 | Alan Greenspan, who in nearly two decades as chairman of the Federal Reserve nurtured a long run of prosperity, navigated crises and was a powerful and polarizing force in shaping market-friendly policies, died on Monday at his home in Washington. He was 100. The cause was complications of Parkinson's disease, his wife, Andrea Mitchell, the chief Washington correspondent for NBC News, said in a statement. The pre-eminent economic policymaker of his time and arguably the most recognizable economist of any era, Mr. Greenspan led the central bank under four presidents of both parties from 1987 to 2006. Much of his tenure coincided with a streak of affluence in which he stood as the embodiment of a triumphant, post-Cold War strain of American capitalism: optimistic, faithful in the power of markets to improve living standards, captivated by the power of technology and averse to regulation. Even as Mr. Greenspan skillfully managed interest rates in a way that kept the economy humming along, he remained leery of confronting a danger he well recognized: that the low-inflation, easy-money environment he had helped create was putting the United States at risk by fueling unsustainable investment booms. |
| The Koch-Connected, Millionaire Populist Threatening Big Agriculture | |
 | Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer who earlier this month beat a candidate President Trump backed for Iowa's Republican nomination for governor, is selling himself as a political outsider and prairie populist eager to bust up big agriculture interests. Democrats say the 40-year-old is a Kansas carpetbagger and former political operative closely aligned with billionaire-fueled conservative interests in a race rated as one of the nation's most competitive contests for governor this year. Originally from northwest Iowa, Lahn has lived in several different states as an adult---and barely met the state's two-year residency requirement for gubernatorial candidates. Democrats have raised questions about how much time he has spent in the state since 2024. Lahn, pronounced "lane," isn't as well-known as his opponent. State Auditor Rob Sand, currently the only Democrat elected to statewide office in the red-leaning state, has been in his job since 2019 and regularly visits all 99 Iowa counties. Running on an "Iowa First" message, Lahn argues big agriculture interests are making Americans sick. It is a theme with strong similarities to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Make America Healthy Again movement. |
| At 200 years, Mississippi College becomes Mississippi Christian University | |
| When Camryn Johnson first heard Mississippi College would become Mississippi Christian University, she wasn't sure how the name sounded. Now, she thinks it could help introduce the state's oldest higher education institution to a new group of students who have never heard of it. "The only thing was it didn't roll off the tongue as quickly as I'd like it," said Johnson, a 2022 alumna. "But, I think still calling it 'MC' works." The university's name change and rebranding coincides with the Baptist institution's celebration of its bicentennial. For alumni such as Johnson, it's more than changing placards, signs and banners on the private campus in Clinton. It represents their alma mater's commitment to preserving the school's heritage, establishing its academic legacy and strengthening students' connection to their faith. MC officials say the change reflects the school's Christian identity and repositions the institution's future. Across the country, small private colleges are rethinking everything – from athletics to branding -- to survive declining enrollment and rising financial pressures. MC President Blake Thompson said the name change will not impact the institution's accreditation or academic programs. |
| First girls construction camp generates interest in the industry | |
| The Northeast Mississippi chapter of FORGE hosted its inaugural girls construction camp this week, providing an eye-opening experience for the 13 participants, who learned not only a lot about the construction industry, but also about themselves. Held at the Lee County CTE for a week, the camp offered its participants -- ages 12-15 -- hands-on construction experiences, mentorship, leadership development, and career exploration. Throughout the week, the campers worked alongside industry professionals as they built and completed multiple projects, gaining practical experience while exploring careers in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, masonry, interior design, heavy equipment operation, architecture, construction management, welding, engineering and more. Mattie Murff, also an eighth-grader in Saltillo, plans to be an engineer. She was eager to attend the camp. "I know engineering and construction kind of goes hand in hand, and I just thought it would be a fun way to grow in construction and engineering," she said "I really love it. I like doing all the framing. I like doing the electricity and the plumbing. I just think it's really fun." |
| The private school choice boom leaves behind many kids in public school | |
| The Catholic school tour ended, and Maria Contreras felt an overwhelming desire to enroll her 7-year-old. But first, a difficult question for the principal. The second grader has trouble focusing. He doesn't listen to teachers and runs around the classroom, she explained. Could he be expelled? More families across the country are experimenting with private school as states -- and soon the federal government -- use taxpayer-supported scholarships to encourage them to leave public school. Soon, half of all American schoolkids will be able to apply for state money to finance a private education, and many states will offer the scholarships even to families with high incomes. In theory, these programs are supposed to give children an educational opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have. In reality, students already in private or home school are most likely to benefit, an analysis by The Associated Press shows. The reasons are complicated. In some cases, public school families don't know about these scholarship programs, known as vouchers or education savings accounts. They may lack transportation to get their kids to private school. Some worry their child won't survive in a more strict disciplinary environment. Sometimes, as in Texas, the latest state to join the already $10.5 billion private school choice movement, the law is written to benefit families who know how to navigate complicated education systems. |
| The Parent Uprising Against Screen Time at School | |
| Yair Lev was horrified when his 7-year-old daughter showed him all the apps she could access on her Chromebook at school. She had been using the device in class for months, but only after Lev had the principal send it home did he see how distracting it was. "I was in tears," said Lev, a cardiologist and father of two, who watched his daughter zone out as one of the animations sucked her in. "It's like the computer stole her." Lev, 49, started reaching out to other parents here, in Philadelphia's wealthy Main Line suburbs, and he found hundreds of families who felt the same way. They banded together and soon showed up at school-board meetings to demand more oversight of the district's digital tools and the right to approve one-to-one devices used by their kids in class. From Los Angeles to New York, parents are rebelling against school-sanctioned Chromebooks, education apps and Google Docs -- tools they say undercut their own efforts to reduce kids' tech time. |
| Alabama university one of the nation's top-ranked for turning research into medical solutions | |
 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham was ranked 42nd out of 303 leading biomedical research institutions nationwide for turning scientific discoveries into real-world healthcare impact, according to the inaugural 2026 Cure Innovation Index. The ranking places UAB among the top five public institutions in the Southeast, marking it the only public university in the Deep South to reach the top 50. The index identified UAB as the youngest university to rank in its top tier after evaluating 243 universities and 60 institutes based on research capabilities, entrepreneurial readiness and market translation. The university's technology transfer and commercialization office, the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has supported the launch of more than 20 startups in the past five years, according to the release. Kathy Nugent, UAB senior associate vice president and chief biotechnology and innovation officer, said the ranking reflects the ingenuity of the university's innovators and the efficiency of the technology transfer team. |
| Controlled farming may help crops survive climate swings, UGA says | |
 | University of Georgia researchers are studying controlled environment agriculture to help growers combat the effects of climate change, such as extended periods of drought. Ruchika Kashyap, an urban and controlled environment plant pathologist at the University of Georgia, said controlled environment agriculture can range from growing crops in a hoop house to a high-tech greenhouse. "Producing crops in controlled environments can vary," Kashyap said. "Water-based production is hydroponics -- growing plants in water. Controlled environments can also be simpler, like blocking rain, regulating temperature, or installing artificial lights, humidity controls, or airflow systems. You can go really deep in controlling different parameters. That's why it's called controlled environment agriculture." Kashyap said it's important to note that controlled environment agriculture is not intended to replace traditional farming. "On a broader scale, controlled environment agriculture is mostly used for specialty crops like vegetables and ornamentals," she said. "The most dominant crops are leafy greens, followed by tomatoes. Growers are also trying to produce strawberries in high-tech hydroponic systems." |
| Florida's Battle of the Boards | |
 | A power struggle between boards is threatening to upend the University of Florida's presidential search. Earlier this month, the UF Board of Trustees voted unanimously to hire Stuart Bell as president, despite an online campaign to tank his candidacy over concerns about his support of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts when he was president of the University of Alabama from 2015 to 2025. Trustees dismissed the criticism, and Bell vowed he wouldn't "bring DEI or woke back." His appointment seemed poised to move ahead despite concerns Florida U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican, raised last month about the search process, alleging it lacked transparency and public input. Scott also flagged the highly unusual agreement UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini struck with interim president Donald Landry, who will receive a $2 million payout if he doesn't get the permanent position. Bell was supposed to go before the Florida Board of Governors for a final confirmation vote this week. But Alan Levine, the chair of that board, wrote in a letter to State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues that Bell will not be up for a vote at the two-day meeting. Levine's letter did not mention DEI but rather concerns about Hosseini's influence at UF. |
| U. of South Carolina extends tuition freeze for in-state students. But fees continue to rise | |
 | The University of South Carolina will hold tuition for in-state students flat for an eighth consecutive year. South Carolina residents who attend the state's flagship school will pay $12,288 per year -- the same amount they've been charged since 2019 -- or nearly $3,400 less than what they would pay if the university had raised tuition by the annual general inflation rate over the past seven years, university officials said. "USC is committed to being the University for South Carolina, prioritizing access and affordability, and we are enrolling and graduating more South Carolinians than ever before in our history," President Michael Amiridis said in a statement. "We are achieving this through our strong partnership with the General Assembly that recognizes the valuable role higher education plays in advancing our state." Since 2019, state lawmakers have sent the state's public colleges and universities tens of millions of dollars in exchange for a promise to hold tuition flat for South Carolina residents. |
| Records challenge UT-Austin's allegations against fired KUT leader | |
| Earlier this week, the University of Texas at Austin fired KUT Public Media's General Manager Debbie Hiott, marking an extraordinary and unprecedented intervention in the governance of the public radio station that has been housed at UT for decades. The move has reverberated across journalism and higher education circles, with many asking the same questions: Was this really about a dispute over the planning of a KUT event on campus, as the university claims? Is Austin's NPR station being deliberately targeted amid explicit attacks on public media and attempts to reshape higher education institutions across Texas? Hiott's termination letter simply cites her "oversight and management of planning for the KUT festival" as reason for her firing. The letter also appears to reference the fact that she publicly denied allegations by UT that the station had engaged in "insufficient planning" related to the event. But in an interview with KUT, Hiott said her firing was a symptom of "pettiness" within the university and that its current leaders don't "have any sense of accountability or concern" for the station's audience. University leadership has changed in recent years as Texas Republicans exert more influence on the state's flagship public school. |
| Professors Can Teach About Race in Kansas -- If They Follow These Rules | |
 | In what's becoming a familiar exercise, the Kansas Board of Regents just spent weeks wrestling over how to define "diversity, equity, and inclusion/critical race theory" content that cannot be part of required courses under a new state law. The final definition approved Wednesday leaves substantial room for discussions about race in public university classrooms, while still raising prickly questions about what faculty can and can't teach. Discussions among Kansas education leaders had focused on how exactly to expel certain presentations of "DEI" content and systemic racism from mandatory courses. The final policy was broadened to cover a wider range of courses, in part a nod to lawmakers' intent, while also narrowing the scope with explicit carveouts for teaching about race. Under the initial proposal, presented to the board by its general counsel John Yeary in May, the "CRT" element of the restriction on "DEI-CRT-related content" encompassed "content that defines a conceptual framework, as the single and authoritative lens, establishing racism to be systemic within laws, policies, or institutions." The final version instead defines CRT material as "content that presents racism as systemic within laws, policies, or institutions and promotes acceptance of that viewpoint rather than presenting it as a subject of scholarly, historical, or legal study." Then there are caveats: "Discussions of race, racism, or the history of the civil rights movement" do not in themselves meet that definition. |
| Can -- and Should -- Honor Codes Survive in the AI Age? | |
| The already-small number of colleges with full-fledged, student-enforced honor codes is dwindling. After a three-year pilot of proctored exams, Stanford University student, faculty and administrative leaders decided in April that the university will allow proctoring for all in-person tests starting in September. Princeton University faculty approved a similar plan a month later. In making those decisions, both institutions grappled with students' increasing use -- sanctioned and not -- of artificial intelligence. AI is at the "forefront" of honor code reform, said JT Torres, director of the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning at Washington and Lee University. The technology is everywhere -- baked into browsers and word processors, embedded in learning management systems and in students' phones, smart watches and sometimes even glasses. It's ubiquitous and tempting, especially for young students under pressure, according to Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office and Triton Testing Center at the University of California, San Diego. |
| Feds plan for student loan interest rates could cost taxpayers | |
| The U.S. Department of Education is reducing student loan interest rates for borrowers, but critics argue the move could cost taxpayers billions of dollars. The Education Department announced this week that federal student loan borrowers enrolled in automatic payments will be eligible for a 1% interest rate reduction beginning July 1. Borrowers who plan to enroll in auto pay by Sept. 30, 2026, and those who are enrolled, will receive this reduction in the interest rate through June 30, 2028. Federal student loan interest rates currently range from 6.39% to 7.94% for undergraduate and graduate borrowers. The average student loan balance in the U.S. is about $40,000, while the federal student loan portfolio totals approximately $1.8 trillion. Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said the Trump administration's temporary student loan interest rate reduction is intended to help borrowers manage repayment and explore affordable repayment plan options. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, criticized the Education Department's new policy. According to the organization, the change could cost taxpayers at least $5 billion and effectively amounts to a form of student debt cancellation because it reduces the total amount borrowers repay over the life of their loans rather than lowering monthly payments. |
| What Is FAFSA Fraud, and Why Is Congress Working to Stamp It Out? | |
| Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed the No Aid for Ghost Students Act, which would require the Department of Education to screen federal aid applications for potential fraud in response to schemes that costs colleges and universities millions of dollars annually. The legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah, would essentially codify an initiative the department had already launched independently this spring. Dubbed "Real-Time Fraud Detection," the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid feature screens all applicants in what financial aid experts have called a major win for institutions that have been fighting these schemes alone for years. The legislation itself has been somewhat more controversial, passing largely along party lines; only 36 Democrats voted with Republicans to advance it. Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, said on the House floor that Congress should wait and see how the department's real-time detection system works before making it permanent. |
| Henry Barbour and why elections matter | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: "I certainly learned over the years that elections matter," said Henry Barbour. The Yazoo City native, who spent 20 years as the Mississippi GOP's voice on the Republican National Committee, was speaking to the North Jackson Rotary Club. "And elected officials must be about more than just getting reelected," he continued. "They have one job and that's to take care of the people -- all the people, not just the folks in your party, not just the folks that look like you or live in your neighborhood, all the people. ... Barbour's thoughts come from deep experience. ... "I'm here to tell you that both political parties have got real issues," he told Rotarians. "I think it's a mess. And that's not to say there aren't some really good people on both sides of the aisle. But too many elected officials, in my opinion and I don't think too many people would argue, are in the self-promotion business. They play to the crowd. And I just think we need to do better." |
SPORTS
| MSU women's basketball bringing new-look roster into 2026-27 season | |
| After what he called two months of "speed-dating," Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sam Purcell has a new-look roster for the 2026-27 season. Purcell added six pieces through the portal during the offseason, and has two incoming freshmen. The fifth-year coach said this is one of the strongest groups he's coached, character-wise. "I've been fortunate to have a lot of great young women I've been able to coach, but from top to bottom, this is hands down the best character group that I've been fortunate to be a part of," Purcell said. Is MSU's 2026-27 roster complete? Not quite, Purcell said. He wants his team to get taller, and said there are international prospects MSU is looking at. |
| Jeffery Simmons extended by Titans, becomes highest-paid NFL defensive tackle | |
| Jeffery Simmons is now the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. The former Noxubee County and Mississippi State standout has reached a 3-year, $35.3 million extension with the Tennessee Titans, his agent announced on Friday. Simmons' agreement also includes $100 million guaranteed, marking the first deal of its kind for a defensive tackle. It was no secret that building around Simmons was a priority for defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh in his first season with the Titans. And it comes as no surprise to NFL fans as to why Simmons is such a hot commodity. "Jeffery Simmons is a pillar for our franchise and embodies what it means to be a Titan. He's the premier defensive tackle in the National Football League, and you win with players like Jeffery," Titans General Manager Mike Borgonzi said. "Not only is his leadership on the field what we want our program to represent, but off the field, he sets the standard for our community." |
| Source: Big 12 in no rush to pull lawsuit over Sorsby eligibility | |
| The Big 12 presidents and chancellors haven't rushed to pull the league's recently filed federal lawsuit because there are still questions about Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby's NFL future and any possible legal retribution, a conference source told ESPN on Friday evening. The Big 12 board of directors is expected to have a call early next week, sources said, to discuss next steps. Some have questioned what, if any, liability could exist for the conference or how it will play out with the NFL given Sorsby's admitted history of gambling. "We don't know the answer to those questions," the source said. "We haven't done anything different at this point. We're going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active." A Big 12 athletic director said the conference could still consider some punitive ramifications for Texas Tech. The source said it wasn't necessarily a case of trying to "punish them," but some would like to hold the school responsible for the fees that resulted from the legal squabble. "There may need to be consequences for Texas Tech, even if it works out this way," the source said. |
| A soccer dad details the ride from youth to college: Was it worth it? | |
 | What are we doing this for? What might we be doing instead? These are fundamental questions David Murray had asked himself as a soccer dad. And still, he thought he had survived it. He and his wife, Cristie Bosch, had weathered the quirks and intricacies of the youth sports world. "I could say that Scout's mother and I were swept away with the process -- or worse, that we were boiled in it slowly, like frogs," Murray writes in his new book, "Soccer Dad," which he describes as a family's intimate story to understand how to parent our young athletes. "But if we were swept away or boiled slowly, it was not mainly by all the soccer apparatus and parental peer pressure -- it was by Scout, and her utterly unwavering devotion to this game. I have mentioned that not once in her whole childhood did she complain for a moment about going to a practice, even when she cried all the way there." Scout, their daughter, rose to a Division 1 school to play her favorite sport but then, her parents realized, the drama really began. Murray had intended to document her career as kind of a "how to" guide for parents, albeit clumsily, he says, to raise a kid to D-1. But instead, it became a journal of revisiting his emotions of how they felt about everything from the time Scout was a young player. |
| Pope Leo on Sports: Insights From a Personal Meeting at the Vatican | |
| Sportico Editor-in-Chief Scott Soshnick writes: I had a chat with the Pope the other day. I left The Vatican believing that sports has never been more important. My exchange with Pope Leo was the culmination of two-plus days of discussions, organized by the Vatican, on topics deemed critically important to the leader of the Catholic Church -- things such as artificial intelligence and humanity, which was a central theme of Leo's encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, comprised of some 42,300 words. Being a native New Yorker, of course I brought up Magnifica Basketballitas™ when talking about the Knicks, who galvanized the city like never before. The team's run to the NBA title made an entire city downright giddy -- hadn't seen that before. Also, I saw Jim Dolan beaming. The entire affair was off the record, so I can't completely share who was there or what they said. I can say this: The 80-or-so people who participated in the retreat at Borgo Laudato Si, the Pope's retreat outside of Rome, really, really like sports. ... The Pope in his prayer intention for the month of June invited people to pray for the values of sports. "May those who play, train or cheer discover in sport a universal language that brings cultures together, unites peoples and sows respect, solidarity and personal growth," he said. ... What became clear, and what Leo knows, is that athletes and team owners have outsized influence, and he wants them to use it. |
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