| Friday, October 16, 2026 |
| MSU to lead Fish Innovation Lab under five-year federal award | |
 | Mississippi State University will lead its new Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish through a five-year award, with an initial obligation of $8 million for the first year, from the U.S. Department of State to advance research and innovation that strengthen global aquatic food systems and create benefits for U.S. agriculture, industry, and food security. The Fish Innovation Lab will be led by MSU's Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, or GCAHFS, a university center reporting to MSU's Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and the Office of Research and Economic Development. The lab will bring together researchers, universities, government agencies, industry partners, and other organizations to develop, test, and scale practical innovations addressing aquaculture production, aquatic animal health, fisheries, food safety, nutrition, and market development. The program builds on the previous Fish Innovation Lab, which supported 30 multidisciplinary research activities in 10 countries and worked with more than 50 institutional partners. |
| 7 New Feed the Future Programs Announced | |
| The U.S. State Department announced seven new international agricultural innovation labs to be hosted by land-grant universities, restoring a global research network that faced 20 months of uncertainty following cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development in February 2025. The Feed the Future Innovation Labs, which support agricultural research and development in foreign countries, have the end goal of improving food security while expanding markets for U.S. agricultural products. The seven newly announced programs are: Fertilizer and Soil Health Innovation Lab at Auburn University, Securing Agriculture Food and Economy (SAFE) Feed the Future Innovation Lab for High-Value Crops at the University of Florida, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut at the University of Georgia, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Coffee and Cacao at the University of Hawaii, Sustainable Intensification of Targeted Agricultural Systems Innovation Lab (SITAS-IL) at Kansas State University, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish at Mississippi State University, and Feed the Future Animal Health Innovation Lab at Washington State University. |
| MSU announces schedule, safety guidelines for Bulldog Bash | |
 | Mississippi State University has announced the schedule and updated parking and safety guidelines ahead of their 2026 Bulldog Bash. The concert will be held on October 16, 2026, and will bring a full day of live music, shopping, food and entertainment to campus with Maroon Market in The Junction and an evening concert at the university's Amphitheater. Bulldog Bash is an annual MSU tradition bringing together students, alumni and members of the surrounding communities. This year's main-stage lineup features country artist Vincent Mason as headliner at 9:30 p.m., with 2026 MSU Battle of the Bands winner Pothole Paradise and Penelope Road performing at 7 and 8 p.m., respectively. Festivities begin earlier in the day with Maroon Market, noon to 5 p.m., featuring local and regional vendors, artists, shops and food trucks alongside live performances on the local stage. Several roads surrounding the MSU Amphitheater and The Junction will be closed throughout the day, with additional closures beginning at 7 a.m., 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. |
| It's 'primetime' for Mississippians to get vaccinated for respiratory illnesses | |
 | Transmission of respiratory illnesses are low in Mississippi as temperatures begin to drop for the fall season. Health officials are taking the moment to remind folks that now is the best time to get vaccinated. State Epidemiologist Dr. Renee Dotson shared data with the State Board of Health during a meeting on Wednesday. She noted that the state "Had a minor [flu] outbreak prior to our reporting season up in DeSoto County that has since been resolved and closed. We're starting out the season with the CDC listing our risk as very low. But the activity is climbing." When temperatures begin to drop, more events are held indoors and those crowded areas increase the risk of disease transmission. State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney says every year, the state can expect cases to climb throughout November and during the holiday season. "Which is why we want people getting vaccinated now, even though there's not a lot of activity, because we need your antibodies to build and be present by the time the wave hits us late November and December," said Edney. "If you take it too soon, then those antibodies will stop, and the spring wave will get you. So getting it right now; primetime." |
| Consumers expect to spend as much or more this holiday season | |
| When you have six kids, someone always needs a new something. "It's expensive," said Julie Yang, who lives with her husband and family in Minnesota, and spent about $800 on school supplies and clothes this fall. "I was like oh my god, I can't believe how much we're spending on back to school stuff because Asher is growing constantly and then Isla's sprouting like crazy, too." Harvey, who's seven years old, gets a lot of hand-me-downs, which helps because everything is more expensive these days. Filling up the family van costs $100 alone. So this year, they're going to stick to a budget for Christmas. Actually, rumor has it Old Saint Nick is dealing with inflation, too. Most families begrudgingly plan to spend as much or more than usual on the holidays this year, according to the consulting firm Accenture, which has been surveying thousands of Americans for 20 years now. Yet that spending is not enough to make companies feel confident, because a lot of the increase is inflation. In other words, real spending may be flat. Kelly Askew, global retail lead for Accenture, said shoppers are anxious about their budgets but realistic about prices. So, shoppers are trying to plan ahead and spread out the financial pain. |
| AccelerateMS seeks $2.5M budget increase to expand staff and workforce programs | |
| Mississippi's workforce development agency is seeking more state money to add staff as it launches and expands job training programs. The request comes as the state prepares for thousands of jobs to open in the next decade. AccelerateMS is requesting a $7.1 million operating budget for fiscal year 2028, which begins July 1. That is about $2.5 million more than its current appropriation, according to information that agency officials recently presented to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The increase would go toward hiring staff to help manage new programs, including UPSKILL (Upgrading Priority Skills for Key Industry Learning and Labor), which launched this summer, and the new Workforce Pell Grant program, said Courtney Taylor, executive director of AccelerateMS. The State Workforce Investment Board estimated in 2025 that Mississippi will face a shortage of 19,000 workers in priority fields such as manufacturing, construction and healthcare through 2035. Taylor said closing the gap will require the state to train more workers and students and to connect them to high-demand jobs. "The investment is crucial for our state and to meet the economy where it's going," Taylor said. |
| Officials work to 'modernize' plan to improve health of Mississippians | |
| The Mississippi State Department of Health is updating its blueprint for improving healthcare and public health systems. The new Comprehensive State Health Plan will establish priorities and strategies for enhancing access to care, addressing workforce and system challenges and supporting the sustainability of the state's public health systems, said State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney at a Board of Health meeting Wednesday. "Instead of just monitoring, we're trying to shape the healthcare needs of the state and push resources to those gaps," Edney said. The state published its last health plan (PDF) in 2023. This plan, designed as a regulatory document, focused on healthcare provider planning law, Edney said, but the new state health plan will expand its scope to analyze data and help the agency set priorities and plan its programs. Efforts to craft the new plan are funded by the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, a five-year, $50 billion federal investment in rural healthcare. Mississippi received nearly $206 million as a part of the first year of the program. Gov. Tate Reeves' office oversaw the development of Mississippi's plan and made a statewide rural health assessment one of the state's six main initiatives. |
| Suspicious letter to Mississippi Secretary of State Watson intercepted | |
| The U.S. Postal Service and Homeland Security intercepted a letter sent to Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson's office, as federal authorities warn of letters with suspicious substances being sent to congressional and election offices across the country. Watson spokeswoman Liz Jonson said in a statement on Thursday, "Based on the events in other states, we were notified to expect a suspicious letter, but it was intercepted by USPS and HSI before it got to our office." Jonson said the letter was turned over to the FBI, and later reported that authorities told Watson's office the substance in it was tested and determined to be nonhazardous. The Associated Press obtained a message from the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms warning that law enforcement officials were seeking to intercept letters, and reported that federal authorities were urging congressional and election offices nationwide to treat the letters as "potentially hazardous." The news comes just weeks before midterm Election Day, and is similar to a threat in 2024, when election offices in six states received mailings with a white powder. Some of those mailings contained traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl. |
| Senator Wicker leads delegation to Ukraine, meets with Zelenskyy | |
| Mississippi's senior U.S. Senator led a delegation from Congress to Kyiv last week where they met with Ukrainian officials and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Senator Roger Wicker (R), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was joined by North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer (R) and Texas Congressmen Marc Veasay (D) and Dan Crenshaw (R) on the trip. According to Interfax-Ukraine, Wicker said at a press conference on Friday that the delegation appreciated the opportunity to visit Ukraine and hoped to gain important insights and a better understanding of the situation. The Ukrainian news agency also reported that the U.S. delegation met with employees of Ukrainian manufacturing companies where he praised workers for their tireless work for their country. On Wednesday, Senator Wicker shared a brief video on X showing him meeting with Zelenskyy. He wrote, "After years of war and atrocities unleashed by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, the Ukrainian people remain dedicated to the defense of their homeland." |
| Democrats plan investigations, affordability efforts if they reclaim Congress | |
 | For almost two years, President Donald Trump's Republican Party has had unified control over two of the three branches of government. That's likely to shift in November. Polling currently shows Democrats in a strong position to win a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and potentially the Senate, and Democrats are already planning what they'll do if they win control of one or both chambers. The to-do list is long and ambitious: Democrats say they will end the Iran war, find ways to address affordability, restore healthcare subsidies, investigate President Trump and his family, and more. But a majority isn't everything. Particularly if they only win control of the House, Democrats will have a platform, but passing laws or imposing the checks they want on presidential power will be a struggle. "The reality is, when you are the majority party in one half of one third of the national government, there's not a whole lot you can do," says Matt Green, a professor of politics at Catholic University. |
| 'Everything got worse': Gen Z express frustration, regret after Trump vote | |
 | Gen Z Americans were a key part of President Trump's winning coalition in 2024. Nearly two years later -- and with early voting underway in multiple states for the midterms -- some of that youth support has faded. That sentiment was on display in a focus group, conducted last week, of eight Generation Z Trump voters, who reported varying degrees of unhappiness and disappointment over the state of politics, with some going as far as to say they regret supporting Trump in 2024. The conversation was conducted virtually by Navigator Research, a left-leaning polling group. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 29 and spanned five states: Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina -- places Trump won by double digits in the last election. Two of those states, Texas and Ohio, are home to competitive races that could be key to control of the Senate. For participants who now regret their vote for Trump, much of their frustration centers on what they see as a string of failed promises. Though the focus group is not a nationally representative survey, the frustrations shared by participants echoed Navigator polling released in August, which found that nearly a third of Gen Zers -- those under age 30 -- regret voting for Trump, higher than older generations do. |
| Dr. LouAnn Woodward, first woman to lead UMMC, announces she will retire next year | |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center's Dr. LouAnn Woodward announced Thursday she will retire in June after more than a decade at the helm of the state's only academic medical center. Woodward, 62, serves as the medical center's vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the UMMC School of Medicine. She became the first woman to lead the medical center and school when she was appointed in 2015. Woodward's current four-year contract will expire June 30. University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce recommended Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC, as the medical center's next leader, Woodward wrote in a Thursday email to staff. Woodward said that the Institutions of Higher Learning's Board of Trustees accepted Boyce's recommendation Thursday. "I have absolute confidence in Dr. Jones and our leadership team," Woodward said. "He has played an integral role in our shared successes over the years and has advanced many of our strategic priorities. UMMC's future is bright, and it will be in excellent hands with Dr. Jones at the helm." Woodward, a Carroll County native, was trained as an emergency room physician at UMMC after graduating from Mississippi State University. |
| Entergy Mississippi awards $20,000 in STEM scholarships | |
| Entergy Mississippi awarded $20,000 in STEM scholarships to four students attending Jackson State and Alcorn State universities, according to a company announcement linked in its October newsletter. The Sept. 22 announcement identified the recipients as Hugo Estrada, Damian Ohajunwa and Ebuka Chibudem Uzoama of Jackson State, and Antoine Washington of Alcorn State. Estrada studies electrical and computer engineering. Ohajunwa's field was listed as computer and information, Uzoama's as computer and information sciences, and Washington's as electromechanical engineering. The scholarships are part of Entergy's $20 million Power of Prosperity initiative supporting historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions across the Gulf South. "By investing in their education today, we're not only opening doors of opportunity, we're building a stronger, more resilient workforce that will support our communities for years to come," Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly said. |
| JSU coalition to give away 150 Uber gift cards for homecoming safe rides | |
| A Jackson State University coalition plans to give away 150 Uber gift cards worth $25 each to encourage safe rides during homecoming. The Metro Jackson Community Prevention Coalition will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at the JSU Student Center. Staff will have a tent outside the center immediately afterward to distribute the cards, according to a university advisory. The initiative encourages homecoming attendees to use a safe ride rather than drive under the influence. The advisory did not specify eligibility requirements or how long the giveaway would last. |
| MC's Bicentennial Homecoming Saturday kicks off with annual 'Hap' Hudson 5K Run/Walk | |
| The annual "Hap" Hudson Homecoming 5K Run/Walk has become much more than a tradition for Brooks Fortenberry, adjunct instructor in kinesiology at Mississippi Christian University. The 2015 MC alum considers it a kinesiology reunion. "I see former students that I went to school with, students that I taught and patients I have treated every year," said Fortenberry, who hasn't missed an MC Homecoming race since 2021. "I love seeing so many familiar faces at such a good, active cause." MC's Bicentennial Homecoming Saturday will begin on Oct. 31 with the 19th annual event dedicated to Hudson, legendary MC coach, longtime kinesiology faculty member and recipient of the 2026 Award of Service. Hudson plans to be on hand to start the eponymous race, which will wind through the historic district in downtown Clinton and surrounding neighborhoods and end on the Dr. James E. Parkman Track in MC's Robinson-Hale Stadium. Proceeds fund the scholarship award given to the "Hap" Hudson Outstanding Kinesiology Student at MC, laboratory equipment and supplies, and student travel to conferences. |
| Mississippi Dept. of Education releases accountability grades under more stringent cut scores | |
| Assessment scores for public school districts and schools across show over 50% scored a B or higher under the newly established cut scores. This was the first year that schools and districts were assessed on more stringent guidelines, which were mandated as part of state law. That law states when 75% of students score proficient or 65% of schools or districts score a B or higher the standards must be raised. Mississippi's schools reached the 65% threshold in 2023 when 71% of districts and 74% of schools reached the mark. "Raising academic standards is required by state law because it is an essential part of ensuring Mississippi students and schools continue to improve academically each year," State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans said. The new cut score standards were approved in November of 2025 and went into effect this school year. |
| Teen shooter kills 4 at Oregon elementary school before being shot by a witness | |
 | A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher. He was then shot by a person at the scene who followed him inside, authorities said. The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the shooting was first reported, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said. The three children killed were aged 5, 8 and 11. Another child, 7, and a teacher, 54, were injured and taken to the hospital in critical condition, he said. The attacker, who police identified as a Bend resident, was shot and went down inside the school shortly after officers arrived, she said. The school in Bend, which is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Portland, had 459 enrolled students as of last year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The high-desert city has ballooned in population over the past three decades and is a tourism and outdoor recreation hub near Mount Bachelor. The shooting was the 28th mass killing in the U.S. this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. |
| U. of Oklahoma PD urges student leaders to report hazing amid two reports | |
| The University of Oklahoma Police Department is urging student organization leaders to report suspected hazing and address "serious concerns" about student safety as two fraternities have been found responsible for hazing this semester. On Tuesday, Chief Derek Fuller emailed a letter to student organization presidents and advisers with a reminder that even suspected hazing can be reported to the university without an internal investigation. According to the university's Stop Campus Hazing Act Reports page, two student organizations have been found responsible for hazing this semester, one of which appeared the day after Fuller's email hit inboxes. "The University has received multiple reports of suspected hazing this semester. While a report does not establish that a violation occurred, these concerns warrant immediate attention," Fuller wrote. On Wednesday, the university concluded an investigation into Sigma Nu and found the organization responsible for hazing from August to October 2026. On Sept. 16, the university found Pi Kappa Alpha responsible for hazing its new members at the beginning of the fall semester. |
| Federal visa rule prompts concerns among Mizzou international students | |
 | International students and researchers at the University of Missouri are concerned about the long-term impacts of the pending federal visa rule, which could potentially change how long they can study at colleges in the United States. The potential implementation of the Department of Homeland Security's rule has raised concerns among the roughly 1,600 international students at Mizzou, many of whom are pursuing graduate degrees, according to International Programs data. The rule was initially filed on July 17, and more than 22,000 public responses were recorded. Since Sept. 14, the federal ruling has been on hold due to a preliminary injunction, and the next meeting has not been scheduled. A Mizzou Ph.D. student, who asked to remain anonymous due to sensitivity on the topic, noted the concerns they saw across a majority of the international student body, as many have pending status for green cards. The student explained that while graduate students may be in their last semester, their research is not always complete. |
| High school seniors, parents and college counselors grapple with applying to Cornell | |
 | In the past few weeks, five high school seniors have told college application consultant Robert Schwartz that they're changing their plans, he said. The students, all girls, told him they were no longer going to apply to Cornell University. Schwartz, the founder of YourBestCollegeEssay, has been helping students prepare for the college admissions process for 15 years. "I've never seen anything like this," he said. Jane Doe, the former Cornell student who filed a lawsuit alleging that she was the victim of a 2024 gang rape at the university's Chi Phi fraternity house, said she once thought of it as her dream school, according to her attorney. As students lead protests on campus and the faculty consider a vote of no confidence in the administration, the next class of potential Cornell students is entering the height of the college application season with uncertainty. It's still early to judge what the lawsuit will mean for the university and its admissions. But with less than three weeks remaining until the school's November 1 early decision deadline -- when seniors who want Cornell above any other school would submit a binding application -- would-be applicants, their parents and their counselors are rethinking the college process on the fly. |
| A Planned Intellectual Diversity Accreditation Standard Draws Opposition | |
 | The American Association of University Professors is opposing a higher education accreditor's plan to begin evaluating institutions on "intellectual pluralism" and "intellectual diversity" -- a term the AAUP notes is connected to conservative criticism of colleges and universities and to the Trump administration's continued push to transform them. The pushback against the Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly known as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC) underscores the difficulties that long-standing accreditation agencies like it face as Trump seeks to overhaul this niche, but fundamental, aspect of the relationship between the federal government and higher ed. The commission is one of the largest accreditors in the country, overseeing more than 780 colleges and universities. But it's faced push back from Republican lawmakers in recent years who felt the accreditor was overstepping its role. For a university, earning accreditation unlocks access to federal student aid, including student loan money -- but only if the accreditor recognizing the institution is itself recognized by the Education Department. Under Trump, that department is pressuring existing accreditors to assess institutions using some undefined criteria, such as intellectual diversity, while simultaneously promoting new accreditors to compete with them. |
SPORTS
| Sources: College Football Playoff nearing deal for 24-team format in '27 | |
| The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand the field to 24 teams in 2027, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel. The deal is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals. The CFP and ESPN have been negotiating a new deal for the network to be its continued broadcast partner, leading to a seismic move for the postseason that is also expected to eliminate the lucrative Power 4 conference championship games and start the season a week earlier. While final details have yet to be announced, discussions about the 24-team field have included 19 at-large bids, the Power 4 conference champions as determined by each league and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team. The New Year's Six bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton) are still expected to host the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the national championship game remaining in January. |
| College Football Playoff closing in on expansion from 12 to 24 teams in 2027: Sources | |
 | The College Football Playoff is "95 percent done" with a deal with ESPN that would expand the tournament to 24 teams next season, two people familiar with the negotiations told The Athletic on Thursday. The deal, those sources say, is worth north of $300 million a year. If completed, it would be a historic and dramatic shift that will place more emphasis than ever on the postseason to determine a national champion and is expected to have sweeping ramifications across the sport. The CFP management committee, made up of 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, was scheduled to meet to discuss the negotiations with ESPN, another person briefed on the meeting told The Athletic. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations remain ongoing. The move from 12 teams to 24 is the most significant and stunning in the decade-and-a-half evolution of college football's postseason. After decades of gradual change, evolution isn't a sufficient description for the event's latest transformation. |
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