| Thursday, August 27, 2026 |
| MSU sets sights on cowbell world record | |
 | Mississippi State will attempt to reclaim a world record this fall, one cowbell at a time. The MSU Student Association, Office of Public Affairs and MSU Athletics will collaborate with Elite World Records to attempt to reclaim the title of highest number of cowbells rung simultaneously on September 26 during the MSU-Missouri home football game. Keegan Figueroa, president of the Student Association, and other members of the Student Association have been working with the MSU Athletics department, the Center for Student Activities and Elite World Records to ensure the event runs smoothly. "We need to hold every world record possible for cowbells," Figueroa said. MSU previously made an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2015 with a recorded 5,748 cowbells rung at the same time during a football pep rally in Starkville. The Student Association hopes to have a minimum of 10,000 cowbells ringing at once on September 26 to permanently set MSU's place in the record book. |
| Starkville projects additional $2.1 million from property tax | |
 | The Starkville board of alderman plans to generate an additional $2.1 million from property tax next year. About $1 million of the additional $2.1 million would go toward costs already approved by the aldermen, which includes debt service for road work, an increase in city health insurance costs and changes to the fire department, Sistrunk told The Dispatch. The remainder would go to requests made by department heads and outside organizations, which includes raises for city employees, a funding increase for Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit and an increase to the police budget. "I'm pleased we have a budget and a proposed millage rate that everybody can agree on some parts of," Ward 2 Alderwoman and budget chair Sandra Sistrunk told The Dispatch after the meeting. "It would be ideal if everybody agreed on everything, but I'm glad that the board had the opportunity to weigh in on policy decisions." To fund the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2027, the board needs to maintain its current property tax rate of 34 mills. With property values expected to rise an estimated 20% next year, primarily from a reassessment from the Mississippi Department of Revenue that raised home and commercial values, the city's tax rate can remain the same and still generate significantly more revenue. |
| Mary Means Business: Columbus downtown Regions building is under contract | |
| Regions news is popping up all over the Golden Triangle this week. First up in Columbus: the downtown Regions building at 710 Main St. is officially under contract, according to LoopNet. The four-story, 40,000-plus-square-foot building hit the market back in June 2023 and is listed online at a $1.65 million asking price. Listing agent Royce Hudspeth would not comment on the contract or future property plans. Built in 1977, the property is listed as a leaseback investment, meaning Regions Bank isn't going anywhere. It will continue occupying the first floor under a mandatory 10-year lease with two five-year renewal options. ... The downtown Regions building in Starkville has been purchased by Tabor Management, which plans to transform the property into a mixed-use development. Similar to the Friendly City setup, Regions will stay put on the bottom floor, though it will downsize its footprint to allow additional retail space on the first level. Havelin added that Tabor plans to build out residential units on the upper floors. Built in 1972, the three-story building sits at a little more than 25,000 square feet. |
| Mississippi to receive nearly $200 million over 10 years in 'landmark' settlement with Meta | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Wednesday "a landmark" $17.1 billion multi-state settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. The settlement is one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in history outside of the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s. It is the largest settlement ever with Big Tech. Fitch said Mississippi will receive $188,977,258 over 10 years, or $270,426,814.55 over 10 years if other platforms agree to comparable changes. The Attorney General said the settlement requires "groundbreaking changes" to Facebook and Instagram to fundamentally change the way children engage online while protecting them from the harms to their mental wellbeing and physical safety. In an interview with Magnolia Tribune, Fitch said the first of the payments to Mississippi under the settlement agreement are expected to be received this year. "We'll be looking to use these settlement dollars for things that are really important for our children," Fitch said. "Like utilizing them for youth mental health, after school or summer programs, outdoor activities public health awareness and digital literacy." Fitch expects similar results in the lawsuits filed against YouTube, Tik Tok and Snapchat. |
| Mississippi to get at least $189 million from landmark Meta settlement | |
| Mississippi will receive $189 million over 10 years as a result of a settlement announced on Wednesday between technology giant Meta and 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories that sued claiming the company's social media platforms harmed children. The agreement nationwide comes out to $17.1 billion, the largest settlement ever paid by a social media company to states. Mississippi's share of the payout was announced by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who said Meta is setting a new standard for the way children engage with social media. "Big Tech has been conducting a social experiment on our children's developing brains by making platforms that were purposefully addictive and preyed on children's greatest vulnerabilities," Fitch said in a statement. "A generation of children have suffered, but with this settlement we spark transformational changes to protect children from harm." Legal experts said the settlement could be a watershed moment for the social media industry, which has largely escaped regulation in response to how its platforms could harm children. |
| Hyde-Smith Highlights Rural Family Resource Hub Legislation During Visit | |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) used a visit to an educational and family resource program in Brookhaven to highlight legislation she introduced to help rural and tribal communities establish resource hubs to strengthen families while improving educational outcomes and economic opportunities. Hyde-Smith on Wednesday attended an open house for the Mississippi LIFT Resource & Referral Network site and highlighted her recent introduction of the Rural Mothers and Fathers Choice Act (S.5364) -- a bill to create a federal grant program to strengthen rural and tribal communities through place-based investments in education, workforce development, childcare, health care access, and family support services. "Expanding access to high-quality early learning environments is critical to improving educational outcomes, supporting healthy child development, and promoting long-term family stability," Hyde-Smith said. The Mississippi LIFT Resource & Referral Network at Mississippi State University Extension Service connects families, educators, and childcare providers with valuable early childhood resources and support. It provides educational resources, referral services, and family engagement opportunities for early childhood professionals and families across the state. In addition, it helps families find childcare options and connects them with workforce development and educational opportunities. |
| Johnson, Baucom hope to unseat heavily favored incumbent Kelly in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District | |
| Mississippi's 1st District Congressman Trent Kelly (R) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since winning a special election in 2015. He is seeking re-election this fall, running against Democrat nominee Cliff Johnson, an Ole Miss law professor, and Libertarian Johnny Baucom, a health and safety technician. Both challengers are hoping to unseat the incumbent in the November midterm General Election. Kelly is heavily favored to win his re-election bid. The Cook Political Report rates the 1st District race as "Solid R." The Congressman also has a healthy campaign war chest of over $860,000. However, first-time candidate Johnson has outraised Kelly two out of three quarters since entering the race. Yet, the Democrat still trails the incumbent Republican in cash on hand, with Johnson reporting $150,000 at the end of June. No campaign finance report is showing for Baucom with the Federal Election Commission. Magnolia Tribune reached out to each 1st District congressional candidate to discuss their policy platforms, what they hope to accomplish in the next Congress, and what sets them apart from the other candidates in the race. |
| The $2 Billion Brawl Over a Ruinous Wood-Pellet Trade | |
 | The fight for restitution is on at a fallen green-energy giant, following one of the most disastrous commodity trades of the decade. The ill-fated wood-pellet trades that bankrupted Enviva during the sustainable-investing boom were made by executives hoping to trigger their own bonuses, according to creditors who are seeking more than $2 billion in damages. Instead of producing big profits that would spur payouts for Enviva's C-suite, however, the nine-figure trades backfired and bankrupted the company, which once had a nearly $6 billion market value. Shareholders received nothing in the bankruptcy, and some bondholders recovered just pennies on the dollar. Five of the company's top executives concealed the inordinately large and risky trades from its board, according to a lawsuit filed last week by investors, suppliers and others with claims outstanding after Enviva's 2024 bankruptcy. Enviva pioneered the business of pressing sawdust into cylindrical capsules and shipping boatloads of them to overseas power plants looking to burn an alternative to coal. The company built pellet plants across the southern U.S., moving into parts of the pinery where pulp and paper mills had closed and left behind surfeits of sawdust, wood chips and cheap pulpwood. |
| Mississippi cattle producers and politicians lament Trump's imported beef plan | |
| Mississippi cattle producers and politicians are worried that President Donald Trump's plan to suspend tariffs and cut a deal to import more cheap beef to the U.S. will hurt the state's farmers and potentially cause long-term damage to an industry already facing high costs and record low herd numbers. "This policy does not help the U.S. herd-rebuilding efforts and could possibly do permanent damage," the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and its president, Mike McCormick, said in a statement. "Instead the Administration should focus its time and energy on reducing fuel and input costs for American agriculture that could result in lower prices for all American consumers." The Trump plan brought rare, if mild, dissention from Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, one of Trump's staunchest allies who has generally supported Trump's trade policies. She and her husband are cattle farmers. The cattle industry is an important part of Mississippi's economy, and beef is one of the state's top five agricultural commodities. It had about a $640-million production value last year according to Josh Maples, an agricultural economist at Mississippi State University Extension Service. |
| Trump's beef plan leaves cattle producers watching markets | |
| Golden Triangle cattle producers aren't quite sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration's decision to increase foreign beef imports. But they are watching the markets and wondering what the move might mean for the future of an already shrinking cattle herd. That herd, according to data released in January by the United States Department of Agriculture, totaled 86.2 million head last year -- the lowest inventory since 1951. Brandi Bourg Karisch, who operates MBK Cattle in Starkville with her family, isn't so sure the policy will aid in building the herd. Cattle producers are already facing high input costs. "I mean, diesel is expensive," she said. "... So filling trucks and tractors and those types of equipment is expensive. Fertilizer is expensive. Everything's expensive. So it's not something that's encouraging us to want to have the capacity to be able to grow." Karisch, who is also a beef cattle specialist for Mississippi State University Extension Service, expects the biggest immediate impact on producers lies in the market volatility sparked by the announcement. "We've seen, since the announcement was made last Friday, the local markets have dropped a little bit this week," she said. "... Whenever there is uncertainty, like any type of market on any commodity, they react. Prices fluctuate on political announcements, essentially. So that's what we saw here locally in the state, and prices were lower than what they were for the same cattle." |
| Why the US-Canada trade war could change how American farmers grow their crops for years | |
| U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada is getting personal for American farmers. After trade talks between the two longtime allies fell apart in mid-August 2026, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports worth roughly US$20 billion (CAD$27 billion). Canada responded on Aug. 25, 2026, by announcing its own plan to put retaliatory tariffs of 15% to 50% on the same value of U.S. goods, effective Sept. 8. Canada's list includes dairy products and agricultural equipment, and there is an unspoken threat that it could expand to a crucial component in fertilizer that U.S. farmers rely on. I have studied agriculture and water quality for more than a decade, including whether trade rules change how farmers manage their land. In my assessment, the enduring effect of this trade war on U.S. agriculture, if it continues to escalate, won't be a single bad season. Across thousands of farms, farmers may have to reduce their fertilizer use as prices -- already high from supply disruptions because of the war in Iran -- rise. It may have little visible consequence at first, but the lasting impact could emerge later in smaller future harvests if this trade war continues. |
| Midterms looming, Trump contends prices are going down | |
 | President Donald Trump on Wednesday offered House Republicans a window into what's on his mind just days before they return from an August break, painting an overly rosy picture of the economy and taking a new interest in federal beef regulations. Speaking to conservative commentator Glenn Beck, Trump repeated his message on still-high prices of just about everything, which multiple polls show is the most-pressing issue for most voters. The president contended prices of consumer items are down across the board, a claim undercut by the latest data released by his own administration. He also continued to blame former President Joe Biden, who has been out of office for 583 days and counting. "I inherited high prices, and then from the first day they started using the word affordability. ... It was a new word. Nobody ever heard the word. It was a new word that they devised because they're quite good at that. They're not good at running a country," Trump said. "And we've really got them (prices) down." But July data released by his own Bureau of Labor Statistics showed prices up last month. |
| Republican Efforts to Prosecute Fauci for Contempt Are Hitting a Wall | |
| A Republican push to prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci for contempt of Congress has stalled as the Trump administration questions whether the legal approach supports an indictment by the Justice Department. Three weeks after a GOP-led Senate committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, some administration officials are skeptical that the current approach is procedurally sound enough to indict him for failing to answer questions before lawmakers, according to people familiar with the matter. The Aug. 6 contempt vote was brought by Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), a longtime Fauci critic. He sought to bypass the Senate's customary full-floor vote by having Vice President JD Vance certify the resolution, allowing him to refer it directly to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. Paul's move put the White House in a tough situation. While Trump has criticized Fauci, certifying the document could force the White House to defend it in court, where some administration officials say it might not survive a motion to dismiss without a full Senate vote. While Trump initially signaled he was open to charges against Fauci, he said earlier this month that he hadn't directly raised the matter with Attorney General Todd Blanche or U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. The lack of a directive from the president marks a departure from his approach to other adversaries, whose prosecutions he has openly pushed the Justice Department to pursue. |
| CIA chief used Moscow visit to warn Russia against attacks on NATO allies, helping Iran | |
 | CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials in Moscow this week not to escalate conflict with America's NATO allies, in particular Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in response to Moscow's stalemated invasion of Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter. The U.S. spy chief also used the rare, unannounced trip to the Russian capital on Tuesday to press Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran, according to one of those two people and a U.K. official with knowledge of the trip. News of Ratcliffe's trip to Russia, which the administration did not officially acknowledge until this morning, had sparked rampant speculation in Washington and Europe because it marked the first such known trip to the Russian capital by a CIA director under President Donald Trump. In late 2021, then-President Joe Biden's spy chief, Bill Burns, warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine. Russian forces stormed across the border three months later. In a radio interview Wednesday, Trump denied speculation that Ratcliffe made the trip to persuade Putin not to test NATO's resolve or attack the U.K., which this week vowed to double down on its support for Ukraine. Trump called the visit "semi-routine," but he acknowledged it was about bringing the war to a close. "I hate to disappoint people. We would like to see the war with Ukraine end," he said. |
| AOC Officially Rejoins DSA as 2028 Speculation Heats Up | |
| Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has officially rejoined the Democratic Socialists of America this month after her membership expired seven years ago. The New York Democrat, who first signed up for an annual membership in 2018, is the most prominent politician affiliated with the organization despite having let her official affiliation lapse for seven years. DSA-linked candidates have amassed a string of wins this primary season, knocking off some long-standing Democratic incumbents in the process -- sometimes to the chagrin of moderate lawmakers on the left. But as Ocasio-Cortez leads some recent polling among potential Democratic presidential candidates, her decision to reestablish membership with the DSA could further boost the progressive political organization's relevance beyond this midterms cycle. Ocasio-Cortez has at times endured a rocky relationship with the organization. DSA withdrew, then conditionally reinstated, their support for the congresswoman's 2024 U.S. House campaign, citing her vote for a resolution that equated the "denial of Israel's right to exist" as a form of antisemitism. |
| El-Sayed's ties to firebrand influencer threaten Democrats' path to control Senate | |
 | The quest to unite Michigan Democrats after a combative Senate primary hit a snag this week as the party erupted into renewed acrimony over inflammatory comments about Israel and American Jews from left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker. Though Piker is not running for the Senate in Michigan -- he does not even live in the state -- his close political relationship with Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed has become a potential liability for the candidate. One member of Michigan's congressional delegation has refused to campaign with El-Sayed because of his association with Piker. It has also held up an endorsement from the Democratic hopeful in another district. El-Sayed is in a tight race to retain the seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan). Republicans view the state, which President Donald Trump won in 2024, as a key pickup opportunity in their bid to retain control of the Senate, where they have a 53-47 advantage. The campaign has now been consumed for days with the fallout from Piker's Aug. 20 live stream on the platform Twitch, where he warned that Israel has become so politically toxic that supporting the country could incite violence against Jewish Americans. El-Sayed has tried to tamp down the controversy without breaking from Piker, a popular online figure who boosted El-Sayed during the primary and appeared at his final campaign event in Detroit. |
| Buc-ee's says it will prioritize 'conservative, business-friendly' states amid pushback over logo lawsuits | |
 | Gas station and travel center chain Buc-ee's said it will seek out "conservative, business friendly" states for new locations after receiving pushback over its decision to go after small business owners with allegedly similar logos. "We have a lot of opportunities. We're growing. We're building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference," CEO Arch Aplin III said in a video clip posted by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). "And I'm starting to realize life's too short to try to build in places that people don't appreciate what you're bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you're building," Aplin continued. Currently, the company has locations in Texas, Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The franchise can also be found in Colorado, Missouri, Virginia and Ohio. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has argued the company's decision to sue a local business operator in Beavercreek, Ohio, for alleged trademark infringement was "ridiculous." The lawsuit comes after Buc-ee's decided to open a new location in Huber Heights, Ohio, 16 miles from Beaver's Mini Mart. |
| Vicksburg Medical Foundation a steady supporter of medical education at UMMC | |
| In the midst of soup lines, crop failures and other markers of Great Depression-era Mississippi, three Vicksburg doctors weathered the times to improve health care in the River City. The men -- Drs. William K. Purks, Willard H. Parsons and Dr. Isaac C. Knox Sr. -- did so in 1934 by forming Vicksburg Hospital inside the city's downtown historic district. The mission of their initial effort has evolved with market forces and technology, but the foundation that grew out of the facility has survived decades of change to help transform care in all of Mississippi. One constant in recent decades has been funding medical education for aspiring doctors and nurses in the state – many of whom begin building their academic resume' at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "Vicksburg Medical Foundation has given more than $7 million in gifts to UMMC since 1983, mostly in the form of scholarships in medicine and nursing," said Howell "Hal" Gage, retired banker and longtime former chairman of the group's board of trustees. The foundation has also contributed consistently to health education scholarships at Hinds Community College and Mississippi State University in Meridian. |
| New York Times correspondent Thomas Fuller talks resilience and change at Fall Convocation | |
 | Thomas Fuller delivered the keynote address for freshmen and first-year transfers at Fall Convocation at the University of Mississippi on Aug. 25. Students and faculty gathered in The Sandy and John Black Pavilion for the event. Fuller is a Page One correspondent for The New York Times and the author of this year's common reading experience book, "The Boys of Riverside." Fuller's book details the journey of the varsity football team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, Calif., and was dubbed the Best Book of 2024 by Amazon. The author touched on his own hardships while he was a student and his travel experiences. He emphasized the United States' culture of resilience and the nation's ability to offer its citizens plentiful educational opportunities. Fuller, who has visited over 40 countries, marked this attribute as noteworthy. "I can confidently say that America is the most patient place of all those countries," Fuller said. "We don't have a national test that you take once, and that decides the path of your future education and career. We are encouraged to fail, to get up and try again." Chancellor Glenn Boyce was unable to attend, but he made a video welcoming the Class of 2030 and emphasizing the class' importance to the student body. |
| Students return to USM Gulf Park as campus expands programs | |
 | Students at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Park campus began the 2026-27 school year with music, sunshine and free food. Students picked up school supplies and campus souvenirs while reconnecting with friends. Student Government Association President Caleb Favaloro said that is one of the best parts of beginning his senior year. "Really seeing all those people that I haven't seen all summer, getting back in the class, getting back to SGA events," Favaloro said. Favaloro studies oceanography and ocean mapping. He said he is looking forward to more research and career connections. "Just the opportunity to meet all these professionals in this burgeoning field, right? Because Mississippi is developing a blue economy," Favaloro said. Admissions recruiter Sara Williams said there is a lot for students to look forward to on campus, including the continued growth of the Coastal Pathways Scholarship. The university is also launching a new physician assistant program, with its first 30 students beginning in January. |
| Tougaloo College President Corey Wiggins promises transparency after years of leadership concerns | |
| At his first convocation as Tougaloo College's president, Corey Wiggins reflected on a question he'd asked himself before the event: What prepared him for this moment? "And strangely enough, my mind didn't go to a job I had, a title I've carried, or even a degree I've earned," Wiggins said during his speech. "It went home." Wiggins, who took over as the college's president on July 1, talked about growing up in Copiah County, and how his experiences led him to his new role. He also recounted the college's storied civil rights history and its connection to the institution's future. Nearly 250 Tougaloo alumni, faculty, students and local high school students and community residents filled the Kroger Gymnasium in the Owens Health & Wellness Center for the convocation Wednesday. The event opened with brief remarks and prayers from campus student leaders followed by the college's concert choir singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is often called the Black national anthem. Jalynn Sanders, a senior physics major, said students have felt unheard by college administrators, particularly around campus infrastructure. But Wiggins has reached out to student groups since the start of the semester to create a positive impact on their campus experiences, Sanders said. |
| Miss. Dept. of Education to hold statewide meetings to help parents boost literacy in K-3 children | |
| A series of meetings are planned across Mississippi by the Department of Education to help parents of children attending kindergarten through third grade prepare to meet the state's literacy standards. Meetings will be held at local school districts across the state from September 8 through September 28. Parents with children in kindergarten through third grade are encouraged to attend any of the meeting places regardless of the child's home district, allowing them to be present for the one that best meets their scheduling needs. During the meetings, families will be given a synopsis of the requirements outlined in the Literacy-Based Promotion Act. The Act, passed in 2013, aims to provide children with the support and intervention they may need to reach literacy goals as they move toward the fourth grade. Since families play an essential role in child's development, attendees will be provided with home-based strategies that will ensure their child's literacy skills are strong. |
| From Oklahoma to Washington, daycare costs are soaring. Everyone's feeling the pinch | |
 | Nationwide, the cost of childcare has been skyrocketing. According to the nonprofit advocacy group Child Care Aware of America, which tracks costs across the United States, the national average price of childcare shot up more than 20% from 2022 to 2025, landing at $13,184 a year. Infant care saw similar increases. In Oklahoma -- the fourth-most-affordable state to live in, according to U.S. News & World Report -- Child Care Aware of America found that from 2022 to 2025, childcare costs for a 4-year-old went up 9% and infant care went up 20%. State data shows infant care prices went up even more: 36% since 2022. In Louisiana, the next-most-affordable state after Oklahoma, childcare for a 4-year-old grew by 21% and infant care grew by 30%. On the other side of the spectrum, Washington, which is one of the least affordable states to live in, saw childcare for a 4-year-old grow by 41% and infant costs also grow by 41%. To fill in the gaps, families have had to shell out more money, and childcare providers have had to make cuts. Federal help seems unlikely. This year, the Trump administration rolled back a Biden-era policy that aimed to cap how much low-income families had to pay for daycare. In the meantime, states are experimenting with their own fixes. |
| Staff of two suppressed U. of Alabama student magazines go to federal appeals court | |
| Attorneys representing student staff at two University of Alabama magazines shut down by the school late last year appealed a lower court ruling to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. A U.S. district court in May refused to issue a permanent injunction to halt the suspension of Alice, a magazine that focused on issues related to women, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, that highlighted subject matters that dealt with the Black student community on campus. The school claimed that continued publication of the magazines could violate federal guidance on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. "Closing these magazines because of their editorial perspectives related to race and gender perpetuates discrimination, rather than fighting it as the university claims," said Sam Boyd, senior supervising attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, in a statement. "We urge the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to protect the First Amendment rights of the students and editors at these magazines and stand up for all students at the University of Alabama and beyond." The university cited a memo sent by the former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that provided recommendations to remain compliant with policies ordered by President Donald Trump that targeted diversity, equity and inclusion. |
| Water, AI divide public mission of HPC Data Center at U. of Alabama | |
| Marketed to be "the future of research computing," the University of Alabama's High Performance and Computing Data Center is set to open in early 2027. In the original plans for the HPC center, it is referred to multiple times as being "focused on water," but, more recently, artificial intelligence has been at the forefront of the HPC's public goals. The shift in focus is part of a larger plan to market artificial intelligence as a defining feature of the University and an incentive for industry partnerships nationwide. Tuscaloosa is a national hub for water research, with the Alabama Water Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Water Center and U.S. Geological Survey Hydrological Instrumentation Facility all located on campus. The growth in water research was noted as former Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby secured $44.5 million in federal funding for the center to support hydrological research. The remaining cost of the center was funded by the Alabama Education Trust Fund. |
| Electric scooter accidents on LSU's campus are increasing, but there is no set policy yet | |
| Like many other LSU students, senior Blaise Larry-Cox used to think electric scooters were an optimal form of transportation around campus. The orange SPIN scooters sparked his interest, and he purchased a personal scooter. His opinion changed when he crashed his scooter in January 2025. Larry-Cox is a digital marketing major. At the time of his accident, he worked for LSU Athletics as a videographer. He was on the way to his apartment from Tiger Stadium, travelling about 14 mph when the scooter's back tire got caught on something on the sidewalk. He completely lost control, flying off his scooter and slamming his head on the concrete. He tried to catch himself with his hand, and he could tell his finger was broken before he even went to the doctor. "I didn't notice how bad it was at first," Larry-Cox said. "I just got up, and then, my sweater had a lot of blood on it from my head. I looked at my hand, and I could tell that my finger was very, very broken." Personally, he said he will never ride one again. LSU does not currently have a policy for operating scooters on campus, just some no-ride zones. With an increase in electric scooters comes an increase in accidents, LSU Police Department Sgt. Marlon Hawkins said. Many universities in the country have placed restrictions on electric scooter use on campus. Some have completely banned electric scooters, including Tulane University, Boston College, Fresno State and Notre Dame. |
| Louisiana higher education board expands anti-hazing policy in honor of Caleb Wilson | |
 | Louisiana's higher education board strengthened the anti-hazing policy for college campuses across the state Wednesday, including a requirement that any organization connected to a hazing incident that leads to a student's death be permanently banished. "It's really hard because we don't want to see another child's life taken or even hurt for that matter," Caleb Wilson's mother, Urania Wilson, said to the board. "I know Louisiana can be the leader for the country in this bill, and I just want to thank you all." The Board of Regents amended its uniform anti-hazing policy to incorporate the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act, passed by the Legislature this spring. Wilson, 20, was a Southern University student who died in an alleged fraternity hazing ritual in February 2025. He had been pledging the Omega Psi Phi fraternity chapter at Southern, his parents said. As part of the ritual, pledges were said to have been lined up to receive punches from fraternity brothers, police said. Wilson was reportedly hit four times before seizing and collapsing to the floor. |
| Thousands of jobs will bring Space X skeptics around, higher ed leader says | |
| The head of Louisiana's network of workforce training institutions said the thousands of jobs accompanying the new Space X launch facility in Southwest Louisiana will win over critics who have expressed concerns about the project's impact on the environment and the immediate community. The aerospace company owned by Elon Musk announced plans Tuesday for its $100 billion self-sustaining spaceport in Vermilion Parish near the Pecan Island community, about 50 miles southwest of Lafayette. State officials say it is the largest capital investment in Louisiana history, with estimates for 3,000 permanent jobs at the facility itself -- with Musk saying the number could reach 10,000 for the region. Richard Nelson, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, told the state Board of Regents he understood that some people might be hesitant to embrace the space industry because of its perceived impacts. "The same people that may be resistant to something new probably support something that's maybe a lot worse for the area, a lot worse for the environment ... But it's fine because it's been there forever, and their brother-in-law works there or their son works there. So it's fine," Nelson said Wednesday at the Regents' monthly meeting in Baton Rouge. "I think once you start seeing that employment actually go to the people that are there, that's when it changes their life, and they're going to get on board with it," he said. |
| Avride brings bigger food delivery robots to U. of Tennessee | |
| With classes starting up for the fall semester and hungry Vols back on campus, a new and improved Grubhub robot has taken to the University of Tennessee's sidewalks. Vol Dining recently switched its delivery robot partnership from Starship Technologies to Avride, an autonomous vehicle and delivery robot company based in Austin, Texas. The change comes after Starship ended its delivery robot service at colleges and universities across the country. Ryan Moore, public information officer for the University of Tennessee Police Department and Public Safety, shared information about the change and what students can expect from the new robots. Students will continue ordering robot delivery through Grubhub with no change to the ordering process. However, the new robots have some distinct differences in their technological features. "The Avride robots have a greater capacity for larger orders, improved high-accuracy tracking and navigation, and LED-panel digital eyes that give them distinctive visual personality," Moore said. Moore also said that the new robots have a more reliable navigation system that uses more intricate mapping technology. |
| Appeals court sends U. of Kentucky professor's case back to lower court | |
| A federal appeals court is sending a University of Kentucky law professor's case to restore his teaching duties back to a lower court. A panel of judges on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the U.S. Eastern District Court of Kentucky should reconsider Ramsi Woodcock's case where he is seeking to regain his teaching duties after UK removed him from them following his criticism of Israel and support of Palestine, including circulating an online petition calling for military action against Israel. Last summer, UK President Eli Capilouto shared a public message that did not name Woodcock directly, but indicated the university was aware of the petition and called his views "if accurately attributed ... repugnant." The appeals court said that UK placed him on administrative leave and started an investigation, but Woodcock argued "that the district court erred because the University's investigation is not an ongoing state proceeding for purposes of abstention." UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the university is "disappointed in the Sixth Circuit's ruling." |
| This building hosted most Kentucky students for decades. See its $51 million upgrade | |
 | Almost every University of Kentucky student since the 1960s has taken a course in White Hall Classroom Building. Some may recall its dreary lighting, questionable odor and lack of study spaces. After two years of construction, the structure at 140 Patterson Drive just underwent its biggest makeover since its creation in 1969, according to Angela Walton, the construction project manager. The university spent around $51 million on its construction. The old classrooms had unflattering dim yellow lighting and beige walls. They now boast glass walls for brighter lighting, and are nestled between trees with views of campus. Designers kept splashes of exposed concrete, pipes, copper, original brick and vintage carvings to maintain its history, but with an industrial, modern aesthetic. The project crew took requests from university members, and visited the University of Michigan for inspiration on class layouts. Some feature theater-style lecture halls that can hold up to 102 students, while others are more intimate and hold as little as 36 students. Molly Reynolds, UK's associate vice president for student excellence, said two new classrooms with televisions and group seating "would have been my dream" when she used to teach communication information. |
| Gov. Abbott orders Texas higher ed agency to help create three-year bachelor's degrees | |
| Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create a plan to bring three-year bachelor's degrees to Texas. In a Wednesday letter to higher education Commissioner Wynn Rosser, Abbott pitched three-year degrees as a way to make higher education more affordable, efficient and attainable for Texans amid a growing need for a college-educated workforce. The state has struggled to meet its 2030 goal of ensuring 60% of working-age Texans have a college degree even as Abbott has mandated tuition freezes and colleges have increased enrollment and grown dual credit opportunities for high schoolers. A three-year bachelor's degree would reduce the credits required for graduation from 120 to 90, helping students save time and money in select, high-demand fields. But those models have been rare, and faculty groups like the American Association of University Professors oppose the shortened timeline out of fear that reducing requirements would devalue a degree. |
| USC and UCLA launch AI and digital humanities majors to meet rising job demand | |
 | USC and UCLA are joining the rush to embed artificial intelligence and new digital technologies into college coursework as the academic year begins, announcing new AI majors and initiatives, betting that degrees built partly or entirely around AI will launch careers and pay off after graduation. At USC, the Viterbi School of Engineering is launching its inaugural undergraduate artificial intelligence degree. The major is housed in the Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence inside the engineering school. Students will spend four years learning to build the technology and to apply it to fields as far apart as drug discovery, robotics and agriculture. In Westwood, UCLA is taking a different approach, opening what officials describe as the nation's first freestanding Department of Digital Humanities. A new bachelor's degree in digital humanities will teach students how to integrate AI and digital tools into disciplines including sociology, archaeology, history, and the study of race and gender. These powerhouse Los Angeles institutions join a growing cohort of universities in California and nationwide responding quickly to a technology most undergraduates first encountered in chat bots or social media feeds in middle and high school. |
| 3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren't sold | |
 | Giles Sims, 34, was sick of getting passed over for jobs because he didn't have a college degree. But with a wife and a widowed mother to help support, he needed a quick solution. So the laid-off web developer turned to one of a growing number of three-year degree programs. "I can't afford to be out of the workforce for four years. That just seems like forever, and the three-year made it seem less daunting," said Sims, a student at Ensign College, a private Salt Lake City school that recently changed all its bachelor's degrees to require fewer classes than a traditional four-year degree. The condensed programs have exploded in popularity. As of this spring, 26 U.S. states have a college that offers at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's, according to the nonprofit research group RAND. Advocates say these programs are a solution to the college affordability crisis and a godsend for non-traditional students like Sims. Critics, however, worry that they'll narrow too much what students learn, confuse employers, limit graduate school options and create headaches in fields that require state licenses. "This is not innovation. This is just cutting corners," said Todd Wolfson, AAUP's president. |
| AI Tends to Mark Students' Essays Higher Than Humans, Study Shows | |
 | Artificial intelligence tools typically award higher marks on average than humans and cannot be relied on to give an accurate indication of a student's performance, according to a new paper. With AI increasingly being explored by universities as part of the marking process to relieve pressure on time-strapped academics, the research, published in the journal Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, found that generative AI tools such as ChatGPT "do not reliably reproduce human judgement in the marking of extended written work." The researchers uploaded 50 undergraduate bioscience essays to two versions of ChatGPT and asked it to grade the essays against seven assessment criteria under four different prompting conditions. They found "significant discrepancies" between AI-marked essays and those graded by humans. The study says that the large language models tested "varied considerably" in marks awarded, and "were inadequate predictors of the human mark awarded to essays." |
| DOD Demands 30 American Universities Audit Foreign Partnerships | |
| The Department of Defense has directed a group of 30 research-focused universities to conduct an "immediate and comprehensive" audit of their partnerships with foreign institutions that it says could be a threat to national security. Each university has until the end of the month to submit its findings and terminate any relationships found to be "problematic," the department said in a news release last Monday. Any university that does not comply could lose federal research funding. But several academic associations and unions, including the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors, have condemned the inspection, calling it another example of "funding-based coercion." The audit focuses largely on partnerships with Chinese institutions or those "associated with rebranded Confucius Institutes" but also includes any other institutions deemed "foreign entities of concern" under the National Defense Authorization Act. The department released an updated list of 130 entities of concern a month before the audit was announced. It includes institutions in China, Iran and Russia. |
| Labor Department issues rules axing affirmative action requirements for contractors | |
| The U.S. Department of Labor issued three final rules on Friday outlining the elimination of affirmative action requirements for federal contractors and related diversity, equity and inclusion requirements in line with President Donald Trump's 2025 executive order. The first of the rules rescinds the race- and sex-based affirmative action requirements outlined in a 1965 executive order and makes associated regulatory changes. The second and third final rules target regulations of Section 503 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the 1974 Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act, respectively. Notably, the second of the three rules eliminates the 7% utilization goal that created a benchmark for hiring of qualified individuals with disabilities, set at 7% of roles in each job group of a contractor's workforce. The rules also make changes to the laws' coverage thresholds, which are based on the dollar amounts of specific contracts. Federal contractors have been anticipating the final rules in the aftermath of Trump's 2025 executive order, which directed the federal government to eliminate contractors' affirmative action programs and other DEI initiatives as enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. |
| Sharia tempest in a teapot | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: It started innocently enough. Northsider Assma Ali posted on Facebook that she had been sworn in as municipal judge in Benoit, Mississippi, a tiny rural Delta town, population 365. (Benoit is French for "blessed.") Then the Internet took over. Within days, Ali found herself in the middle of an international social media firestorm. She was accused of lying about being a judge. Then she was accused of plotting to impose Sharia law on Mississippi. All because she is Muslim and wears a hijab, something akin to the scarves southern women used to wear until they fell out of fashion. Municipal judges handle such decidedly non-revolutionary matters as traffic tickets, misdemeanors and violations of city ordinances. At the suggestion of my friend Al Underwood, I called Ali last week to hear her side of the story. What I heard on the other end of the phone was a very American intelligent young woman with an ebullient personality who was amazed at being thrown into the midst of an Internet viral incident. |
SPORTS
| Soccer: Bulldogs Host Oklahoma State On Thursday Night | |
| Mississippi State will play the only Power Four school on its non-conference schedule on Thursday night when the Bulldogs host Oklahoma State on SEC Network+. Kickoff has been moved up to 5 p.m. CT due to forecasted weather in the Starkville area. The Bulldogs will look to extend regular-season home winning streak against non-conference opponents. MSU is 12-0-0 in regular-season, non-conference matches at home since Aug. 31, 2023. The two teams met just last year, but both look very different. Of the 27 combined players that stepped on the pitch in Stillwater last fall, only 13 remain on these two teams with Reganne Morris having swapped sides in the offseason. There are several student-centered promotions scheduled for Thursday. All students in attendance can claim a raffle ticket for a chance to win free MSU soccer gear or a signed mini ball from head coach Kevin O'Brien. Additionally, there are 200 free hot dogs available to any students that attended New Maroon Camp in August. |
| Baseball: MSU To Play Fall Exhibition In Jackson, Tenn. | |
| Mississippi State will be making another trip to a professional baseball stadium this fall. The Diamond Dawgs are set to take on Western Kentucky in exhibition action at Rockabillys Stadium -- home of the Jackson Rockabillys of the Prospect League -- on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. and presented by Yukon Outfitters. "We're excited for the opportunity to take our team to Jackson this fall to play in front of our fans and alumni in West Tennessee at a professional stadium," said MSU head coach Brian O'Connor. "It's been over a decade since we've played Western Kentucky, so it'll be an intriguing matchup against a quality opponent. Opportunities like this are not only great for our team, but are great for the continued growth of college baseball." Tickets will go on sale to Rockabillys season ticket holders immediately. Ticket sales will open to the public on Thursday, Sept. 3rd. The Rockabillys website (rockabillysbaseball.com) is the only official ticket outlet. The Bulldogs also have a pair of exhibition games scheduled against Auburn and Southern Miss in Biloxi on Oct. 8-9 respectively. MSU will play the fourth of its allotted exhibition games at Dudy Noble Field in late October with the opponent and specific date to be announced later. |
| Men's Hoops Finalizes 2026-27 Coaching Staff | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball coach Chris Jans finalized his coaching staff for the 2026-27 season as announced on Wednesday. Dylan Sortillo has been hired as director of operations, while Jonathan Comer, Damien Davis, Jalen Gibbs, Zahree Harrison, Noah King and Tonny Trocha-Morelos have been added as graduate assistant fellows. Sortillo served as a director of operations at Illinois-Chicago and Dartmouth in addition to being an assistant coach at Florida Southwestern State before coming to Mississippi State. He also spent time as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Augustana College, in Illinois. The Bulldogs are slated to face Tennessee Tech on November 2 for the 2026-27 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| SEC schools -- except LSU -- approve penalties for signing returning pro athletes | |
 | SEC presidents approved stiff penalties to deter schools from signing players with pro experience, with one notable school -- LSU -- sitting out. LSU abstained from Wednesday's vote on penalties, a source familiar with the vote confirmed on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. That came a day after the school was part of a unanimous, 16-0 vote to enforce rules against fielding athletes who dropped out of pro leagues. LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has recruited at least two players who were made NCAA eligible by a Louisiana court injunction, and LSU men's basketball coach Will Wade was pursuing another player. Neither Kiffin, Wade nor LSU's administration has offered public comment since the SEC announced Tuesday night that it would enforce the bans against pros. That announcement said commissioner Greg Sankey was "authorized to enforce this expectation with penalties." The issue is the latest off-field mess for college athletics, bubbling to the surface after various courts issued injunctions allowing fifth-year players to return to school. |
| Can the SEC really stop LSU from signing ex-NFL players? We asked a few legal experts | |
| A legal battle could be brewing in the SEC. In a way, it's already begun. And LSU is on the front lines of the fight. It has been since Aug. 19, when a Baton Rouge judge awarded a temporary restraining order to a group of roughly 30 athletes who filed suit in search of a fifth year of eligibility. That ruling paved the way for coach Lane Kiffin to start adding former NFL players to his first LSU roster -- and for the SEC to pass a new rule aimed at prohibiting him and other coaches from doing so. Kiffin isn't alone. Texas signed a center who participated in NFL minicamps this past summer, and the Kentucky men's basketball program added a forward who played in NBA Summer League games. But LSU is driving most of the chaos. The Tigers hope to add at least three players to their football team before the season kicks off Sept. 5, and two of them appeared on NFL rosters in August: tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Neither player is eligible to play for LSU under the new SEC rule, which was passed Tuesday evening. But will they challenge the new measure? And if they did, could it hold up in court? Sam Ehrlich, a former lawyer and Boise State professor who researches legal aspects of the sports industry, generally thinks that conference-specific rules can hold up. The key is competition. The more some rules differ from league to league, the more likely it is that the college sports world can withstand the antitrust lawsuits that have slowly eroded the NCAA's authority to write and enforce its policies across the last five years. But what if the conferences have some of the same rules? That's where things can get "real, real wacky," Ehrlich said. |
| How is NFL dealing with players heading back to college? 'Cluster of all clusters' | |
| Seven days in Cleveland epitomized the volatile landscape of eligibility in college sports -- and how the uncertainty is now seeping into the NFL. On Aug. 19, 33 athletes -- including then-Browns and former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright -- were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana state court to return to college for one more season. The following day, Wright was one of more than a dozen former FBS players, including athletes who had signed contracts with NFL teams, who entered their names into the NCAA transfer portal. On Saturday, Wright donned a Browns uniform and warmed up with the team ahead of Cleveland's second preseason game. He didn't play in the game, and by Tuesday, Cleveland waived Wright with a noninjury settlement, and Wright reached an agreement to play for his former college coach, Lane Kiffin, who is now at LSU. "I cannot believe this is being green-lit on any level," a scouting executive for an NFL club told ESPN on Sunday. That disbelief proved a good instinct. NFL coaches, executives and agents are sifting through questions and implications of the new reality, which seems to change by the hour. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay perhaps summed it up best when asked about NFL players returning to college: "I feel like I took a freakin' gummy." |
| Big 12 becomes latest conference to ban former NFL players while NFL reiterates its rules | |
| The Big 12 Conference on Wednesday followed the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences in banning players who were on NFL rosters from returning to college. The decision by the Big 12 came a day after rulings by the SEC and Big Ten. Earlier Wednesday, the NFL made it clear that players who leave the NFL to return to college won't be allowed to come back to the league this season. NFL executive Troy Vincent reiterated the longstanding policy at the league's meetings Wednesday, saying any player who returns to college would not be eligible to play in the NFL until 2027. Atlantic Coast Conference leaders were also discussing the topic this week. Cal football general manager Ron Rivera said Wednesday he hopes the ACC joins the Big Ten and SEC in turning away former pros. "I think when somebody makes a decision, goes in a certain direction, I think they've made their decision," said Rivera, a former NFL player and coach. "I'm disappointed that people are looking for ways to cheat the system or beat the system." |
| Big Ten rewards commissioner Tony Petitti with five-year extension | |
| The Big Ten and commissioner Tony Petitti agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him with the conference through the summer of 2033, the league announced Wednesday. "Tony has provided outstanding vision for the Conference through extremely turbulent times," Pamela Whitten, the Big Ten council of presidents and chancellors chair and Indiana president, said in a statement. "We're thankful for his leadership and appreciate his spirit of innovation and collaboration as we continue to navigate the changing landscape of college sports." Petitti became the Big Ten's seventh commissioner in 2023. The Big Ten announced that approval of the extension was unanimous among league members. With the extension, Petitti would be in position to negotiate the next Big Ten media rights contract. The league's current seven-year, $7 billion deal is set to expire in 2030. |
| Report: Tennessee Athletics added $1.1 billion to the local economy in 2025 | |
| Tennessee Athletics reported Thursday that its capital investments, operational spending and visitor activity resulted in more than $1.1 billion in annual economic impact during the fiscal year of 2025. The university teamed up with Tripp Umbach, a national leader in economic impact research, to create its annual economic and community impact report 2025. The report is an assessment of value generated through athletics operations, capital investments and engagement activities. UT Athletics said it supported more than 8,000 jobs and generated $53.9 million in tax revenue. "Tennessee Athletics stands as one of Tennessee's premier economic engines, generating over $1.1 billion in total economic impact for FY25," said Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White in a press release. "This includes $410 million in direct spending and nearly $740 million in indirect and induced economic activity, highlighting our department's undeniable impact on the state's economic growth, job creation, and tax revenue." |
| Roger Denny deems Protect College Sports Act 'best hope we've got' | |
| University of Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny and President Joseph Harroz Jr. see the Protect College Sports Act as the most reasonable fix to college sports' issues. The Protect College Sports Act is a bipartisan federal bill designed to bring unification and stability across college sports. It strives to establish firm ground rules for name, image and likeness compensation and seeks to provide a revenue-sharing cap. "It just provides so much needed stability in our industry, and I know I've said at times, it's not a perfect bill," Denny said to local media members last Thursday. "And even today, it's not a perfect bill. There are parts of it that I don't love, but I do think it's the best hope we've got today to get some of the structure in place in our industry that we so badly need." Denny added that it was significant that the SEC and Big Ten commissioners, Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti, joined in supporting the bill. According to Denny, college sports is being disrupted by antitrust law and has two options for protection: legislation and collective bargaining. If all of the power was in the athletic director's hands to fix college sports, he would lean into collective bargaining. However, Denny acknowledged that focusing on collective bargaining as the one solution would be a long road. |
| The Mad Genius Taking College Football to Warp Speed | |
| When Alex Golesh fled the Soviet Union with his family at the age of 7, he didn't speak a word of English. So when he turned on a TV in Brooklyn and saw grown men bashing into each other over an oblong ball, he had no idea what to make of it. All this Russian grade schooler knew was that he liked it. "I grew up watching hockey, where you can hit people," Golesh said. "But here, you can just hit people by running into them as fast as you can." Thirty-five years later, teaching the art and science of running into people as fast as possible is how Golesh makes his living as the new head football coach at Auburn. And if the sport views him as one of the most innovative coaches in the country, it's because three decades since arriving in this country, he's remained a fearless outsider willing to try anything to conquer America's game. |
| Foreign College Athlete Placement Firms Face a World of Uncertainty | |
| Gonzalo Corrales has been in the business of placing international athletes at American colleges long enough not to panic when the inevitable late-summer snags arise. But by early July, when the United States Embassy in Madrid was still not scheduling appointments for his Spanish clients to obtain U.S. student visas, Corrales was starting to get nervous. Still, he preached patience to the hundreds of aspiring college athletes who had hired his firm, Keystone Sports, to help them run the increasingly complicated gauntlet to an American campus: securing a scholarship or roster spot, obtaining the necessary visa and arriving in time for preseason practice. Keystone Sports, a subsidiary of Oslo-based Keystone Education Group, employs a common fee model, charging between $3,900 and $10,000 to help international athletes find their foothold in intercollegiate athletics, from the NCAA Division I to NAIA levels. The company touts its connections to college programs, guidance on finding the right fit and logistical assistance, particularly when it comes to visa paperwork. That process -- and the business built around it -- has become increasingly fraught over the past two years. The Trump administration's adversarial foreign policy has imposed new travel restrictions and expanded vetting of international students, creating bottlenecks and uncertainty. |
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