| Thursday, August 20, 2026 |
| Aurora Flight Sciences unveils $43M project and expanded capabilities | |
 | A cadre of some of the state's most powerful leaders, including U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, U.S. Reps. Michael Guest and Trent Kelly and Gov. Tate Reeves, on Wednesday joined Aurora Flight Sciences to celebrate the grand opening of a $43 million project that added 50,000 square feet and renovated another 40,000 square feet at the Columbus facility. Aurora, a Boeing company, manufactures advanced composite components and assemblies for military and commercial aircraft, including the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueler and components for NASA's X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, among other programs. First opened at Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville in 2005, the company moved to its current site in Columbus two years later. Starting with 21,000 square feet of space, the site has since expanded to more than 170,000 square feet. "This expansion is a milestone for Aurora and a testament to the strength of our Mississippi team," said Aurora President and CEO Luke Coville. Coville also thanked Mississippi State University's Advanced Composite Institute and East Mississippi Community College for their collaborative efforts to bolster Aurora's work. |
| Aurora Flight Sciences continues and expands investment in the Golden Triangle | |
 | More than 20 years in, Aurora Flight Sciences is continuing and expanding its investment in the Golden Triangle. Federal, state, and local leaders were on hand this morning as Aurora cut the ribbon on the latest expansion at its Lowndes County manufacturing facility. Since it began in 2005 as a start-up at MSU's Raspet Flight Research Lab, Aurora has continued to expand its footprint in the Golden Triangle and its reach in the aerospace sector. Aurora is on the leading edge of production of components and assemblies for a wide range of specialty aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and jets. Company officials and elected leaders say the continued investment is a tribute to the state and the Golden Triangle. "When we look back over the past 20 years, and we see starting in the Raspet Lab, 20,000 square feet and then the growth over the years, Building One here, Building Two, then Building Three. Then today, to be able to add this expansion that encompasses all of it, pulls it all together. To see our team grow from a handful of people a few years ago to over 120 employees now, an opportunity for us to continue that growth," said Aurora Flight Science CEO Luke Colville. |
| Aurora cuts ribbon on facility expansion, production upgrades | |
 | After two years of construction, Aurora Flight Sciences' new 50,000-square-foot expansion is projected to increase production at the facility by up to four times and create more than 30 new jobs over the next four years. On Wednesday, state officials and Aurora leadership gathered at the manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport to ceremonially cut the ribbon on the site's expansion and improvements to existing production facilities."We've grown to what you see today," Luke Colville, president and CEO of Aurora, said. Since expansion construction began in 2024, Aurora has hired about 40 new employees for mostly skilled technician positions, Colville said, adding that Aurora expects to hire another 36 employees over the next four years to help meet its increased production goals. U.S. 1st District Rep. Trent Kelly said he hopes to see Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College graduates fill many of those Aurora positions. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker echoed Kelly's sentiments. "People educated at East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State University can live and come up and work and prosper in a free and peaceful country because nobody is willing to take us on," Wicker said. |
| MSU adds transfer coordinator to help meet students where they are | |
| According to an MSU press release, Mississippi State is expanding its resources for transfer students with the appointment of Katelynn Potter as the university's first coordinator for transfer services within the Center for Academic Excellence. In her new role, Potter will focus on streamlining the transition for students arriving from community colleges and other institutions, ensuring they receive curated support to navigate university life at MSU. She previously served as an MSU transfer admissions counselor. As an Itawamba Community College transfer who earned her MSU bachelor's degree in public relations, advertising and applied communication in 2020, Potter brings firsthand experience to the position. Potter said her primary goal is to create a seamless transition for new Bulldogs and connect them with key partners and resources across campus to help enhance their collegiate experience. |
| NASA Artemis II mission manager, MSU alum Matthew Ramsey to headline university's Convocation this month | |
 | A two-time Mississippi State University graduate who serves as a NASA mission manager for the historic Artemis program will be the featured keynote speaker for MSU's Fall Convocation. Matthew Ramsey, mission manager for both Artemis II and Artemis IV, will welcome incoming freshmen and transfer students at the annual ceremony marking the start of the academic year. The event is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at Humphrey Coliseum. The Hernando native began his journey at MSU in the early 1990s, pitching for the Diamond Dawgs baseball team while earning his bachelor's degree in 1992 and a master's degree in 1993, both in aerospace engineering. He began his career with NASA in 2002. As Artemis II mission manager, he helped lead NASA's first crewed flight test under the Artemis program, which sent four astronauts on a trajectory around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. |
| Disease pressure varies across Midsouth soybean crop as harvest nears | |
| Soybean acres were up in the Delta in 2026, compared with years prior, and planting was relatively swift throughout the region, with 30% to 39% of the crop in the ground by April 12. Overall, disease pressure this season has been relatively normal and, at times, quiet. The primary disease concerns have been moderate-to-severe frogeye leaf spot or cercospora leaf blight affecting some fields. The instances and severity of disease depended largely on variety susceptibility, and cases varied by state. For the most part, disease was most prevalent in beans planted mid-April, likely due to wet weather patterns that followed at the end of the month into May. In Mississippi, Tom Allen observed light disease pressure overall. "I would say that septoria brown spot and frogeye leaf spot have been two of the most observed diseases," said Allen, associate professor and Extension plant pathologist at Mississippi State University. "Septoria is not normally an issue and generally does not benefit from a fungicide application. The instances of frogeye in Mississippi, for the most part, were not problematic. But we did have some situations where fungicides were applied." |
| Mary Means Business: Martie's opens in Columbus | |
| Don't make a missed-steak: there's a new steakhaven in town. Martie's Steakhouse and More is officially open at 3756 Hwy 45 N. in Columbus. Open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Martie's serves up ribeyes, New York strips, T-bones, sirloins and chicken tenders for the crazies who prefer bird over beef. Business partners Carl Ulmer and Martie Bowen opened their steakhouse at the former Office Sports Grill and Bar. Bowen, a longtime Old Hickory employee, even ran her own restaurant on Tuscaloosa Road from 2001 to 2011. ... Over in Starkville, there are a few business shifts underway. Formerly known as TBT, seafood shop Deep South Market closed earlier this year and has been trying to reopen its Starkville location under the right conditions. However, things aren't looking so great on the real estate front. "I've found zero buildings anywhere near what the economics allow for this type of business," Owner Artie Sutherland posted on Facebook. "If anybody knows of anything, I'm all ears. Until then, Deep South Market will keep expanding in economically feasible areas in North MS." |
| Q&A: Tupelo Target Store Director Leah Beauchamp | |
| Target is just a few weeks away from opening in Tupelo. Hiring is well underway, and shelving and fixtures are being installed inside in preparation for the clothing, groceries, electronics, home decor, furniture, toys, beauty products and household essentials that will soon fill it. Store director Leah Beauchamp may be busy getting the store ready, but she took the time to answer a few questions about the store, which joins other Target locations across the state in Flowood, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Horn Lake, Olive Branch and D'Iberville. Q. As of now is the store is opening in October? A. We are anticipating to open in October. No exact date confirmed yet but as we get closer and pass certain milestones, we will be able to share our grand opening date. |
| First public hearing on Mississippi redistricting draws claims of racism, fascism | |
| Lawmakers serving on the Joint Committee on Redistricting and Reapportionment kicked off a series of public hearings Tuesday night in Itawamba County aimed at obtaining citizens' comments and suggestions on the redistricting efforts being considered by the Mississippi Legislature. The planned public meetings are being held as part of the Legislature's anticipated effort to redraw legislative, congressional, and judicial districts in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Callais v. Louisiana that determined racial gerrymandering to be unconstitutional as it had been practiced under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The first of the public hearings was held Tuesday evening at Itawamba Community College. State Senator Dean Kirby (R), chairman of the joint committee, opened the meeting clarifying that lawmakers are handling redistricting for state House and Senate electoral districts as well as congressional and judicial districts, not municipal or county districts. Those are done at the local level. Maps of the current legislative, congressional and judicial districts were displayed for public viewing at the hearing, along with population totals. "We're not here to debate. We're not here to answer questions. We're here to listen," Kirby told those in attendance. |
| Political musical chairs continue as Mississippi's 2027 election season ramps up | |
| Mississippi's 2027 election season is already taking shape, with candidates announcing bids for open seats and higher office months ahead of voting. Political strategists say five of eight statewide offices are certain to change hands, six if Shad White runs for governor. Republican strategist Henry Barbour said the shifts are already underway. "We're going to have fruit basket turnover," Barbour said. Barbour said this could be as wide open a governor's race as Mississippi has seen since 1987. "It really kind of gets driven from the top down. So a lot of folks who are in down-ticket offices are now thinking, well, it's time for me to be the governor," Barbour said. Strategist Hayes Dent, president of Hayes Dent Public Strategies, said crowded fields are expected in multiple races, and attention will center on the primaries. "November of next year is not the date. The dates that all Mississippians need to make note of right now are August the 3rd and August the 24th of next year," Dent said. Democrats have told WLBT they are focusing resources on current congressional elections and planning for 2027 behind the scenes. No Democrat has publicly announced a statewide bid. |
| Mississippi health officials advise against changes to childhood vaccine schedules despite federal order | |
 | Mississippi parents should maintain their children's current immunization schedules despite a new federal executive order seeking updates to childhood vaccine recommendations, State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said. President Donald Trump signed an order directing federal health agencies to pursue alterations to the childhood immunization schedule. The directive advocates splitting the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots and administering childhood immunizations across individual medical visits when feasible. It also calls for expanded vaccine research and a federal plan to make single-antigen MMR vaccines available in the United States. Edney emphasized that the executive directive holds no legal authority over state-level public health guidance. He stated that the Mississippi State Department of Health will continue following state law and established scientific evidence, keeping current vaccination guidance unchanged. Edney urged parents with concerns to consult directly with their healthcare providers. "We at the Department of Health will be working closely with the CDC, but again, if your family like mine who understands the importance of vaccinations don't change anything. If you're confused or have questions, pivot to your doctor. Talk to your doctor." While Edney voiced support for the president's emphasis on shared decision-making between parents and physicians, he noted that Mississippi's guidelines are backed by decades of proven medical research. |
| Rural health funding aims to address mental health care in Mississippi | |
| The establishment of specialized mental health crisis units in emergency rooms in Mississippi aims to fill a missing component in the state's continuum of care. As part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, applications have been accepted to create open rooms within hospitals geared toward deescalating a situation where a person may be suffering from a mental health crisis. Qualifying hospitals for the program are those serving rural areas in Mississippi. The model Mississippi Rural Health Program Advisory Council determined would best meet the state's needs is the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment and Treatment and Healing (EmPATH) model. Wendy Bailey, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, said this model will fill a gap in current services. This week, the advisory council closed the application process in preparation for awarding funding for the projects. |
| U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse | |
 | Surging healthcare costs are walloping U.S. workers, and they will only worsen next year. For 2027, employers may be facing the biggest health-insurance increase in at least two decades. Americans with workplace coverage spent an average $5,297 this year on healthcare, $388 more than 2025, according to a new estimate from benefits-consulting firm Aon. The spending represents a combination of payroll deductions for premiums and out-of-pocket charges like deductibles and copays. The burden is likely to grow significantly next year, when U.S. employers expect their healthcare costs to go up by 11.1%, according to a new survey from WTW, another big benefits consultant---the steepest rise in more than 20 years. That would represent the fifth year of escalating increases, according to WTW. "Employers are telling us that this is utterly unsustainable," said Jeff Levin-Scherz, population-health leader at WTW. Expensive cancer treatments and wide adoption of weight-loss drugs are among the factors pushing up spending. As companies are forced to pay more for insurance, their workers, who typically pay a share of the premium, are seeing their own costs rise roughly in tandem. That means more dollars are held out of their paychecks each month. |
| TVA's next move could shift energy costs (and sources) as data centers spin up | |
 | As the demand for electricity mounts across the South, the Tennessee Valley Authority is set to decide what mix of energy sources it will rely on in the years ahead and whether mega users such as data centers should pay more for power. TVA was supposed to have a new strategy in place by 2024 to replace the 2019 version of its integrated resource plan, which maps power demand across its seven-state service region and helps guide those needs with suggestions on the energy sources the utility will prioritize in the years ahead. A new plan was further delayed in 2025, when the board was stripped of its voting power after President Donald Trump fired several members. The president's replacements now dominate the board, which will vote on a new plan Aug. 20 in Memphis to determine the future role of coal, natural gas, nuclear, solar and other energy sources across the Tennessee Valley. Data centers in early 2026 accounted for nearly 20% of all power demand from TVA's industrial customers. That volume may double by 2030, former CEO Don Moul said in early February. |
| #Resistance Democrats are flopping in primaries | |
 | During President Donald Trump's first term, they were resistance stars. During his second term, they couldn't survive primaries. Alexander Vindman's Senate primary loss in Florida on Tuesday is the latest stumble for Democrats who rose to prominence during the impeachment trials and accountability protests of Trump's first term. Vindman, a former National Security Council aide who testified during the 2019 House impeachment inquiry, made standing up to Trump and other forms of corruption a centerpiece of his campaign. His national profile helped haul in big money, but that wasn't enough to stave off an upset loss to democratic socialist Angie Nixon, whose win showed the shifting politics of the Democratic base. "Vindman is a hero, but memories fade and the focus of most folks is on the cost of living," said longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod. "She made those issues her focus." Democratic voters clearly want fighters who will stand up to the president and the GOP. But the string of losses for resistance candidates from the first Trump term illustrates a new era for the restive Democratic base, where vocal opposition to the president through official channels and public remonstrations no longer guarantees success. The political graveyard of Trump-resistance-fighter campaigns is growing by the week. |
| Trump picks White House adviser Overton to head FDA | |
 | President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will nominate White House domestic policy adviser Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed by the Senate, Overton would oversee an agency that has dealt with massive layoffs after the administration's widespread reduction-in-force efforts last year. The agency has also dealt with high-level turnover and faced political pressure on regulatory issues like vaccines, peptides and flavored vapes. Overton currently serves as the White House deputy domestic policy director and has appeared alongside Trump for health policy announcements. Overton will face the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, led by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who has sparred with the administration over its decisions on vaccines. Cassidy earlier this month slammed the White House over the vaccine executive order. Before joining the White House, Overton worked at the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank, where she served as a chief policy officer and deputy director for its Center for a Healthy America. She holds a medical degree from University of New Mexico and a Ph.D. in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. |
| Trump's Allies Want to Know the Plan in Iran -- If There Is One | |
| President Donald Trump's shifting statements on Iran have made it difficult for even allies to know the real plan for the war -- let alone defend it to the American people. Two House members told NOTUS that they weren't given talking points on the current status of the war by the White House before they left Washington for the August recess. A MAGA strategist who had been invited to private briefings about the war with Vice President JD Vance and other top officials said those meetings have ceased and information is scarce. And it's been more than 100 days since the Department of Defense held a press briefing for reporters. The lack of cohesive messaging has led some to conclude that there is no firm plan to end the conflict -- which has now stretched on for six months --ahead of the midterm elections. Trump won't be on the ballot, but the high prices that most Americans associate with the Iran war will be. Mark Cancian, a defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called the current phase a "battle of economic attrition." The U.S. could continue fighting Iran "for a considerable amount of time," Cancian said. But the bigger problem is what each additional strike means for the U.S.'s overall capacity as a world power. "Every missile that we use is one fewer that would be available for conflict in the Western Pacific," he said. |
| The student loan delinquency rate is ticking up | |
| The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released new data on Tuesday about the state of household debt. That includes how much people owe on their student loans, as well as how much they're falling behind. The student loan delinquency rate ticked up to 10.6% in the second quarter. That's up 0.3% from earlier this year. Those are debts that are at least 90 days past due. "I think the overall picture here is that people are having trouble figuring out how to make their payments," said Dalié Jiménez, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who studies student debt. Jiménez pointed out that student loan payments were paused during the pandemic for over three years. Missed payments started to show up on borrowers' credit reports just last January -- which, to some, was a surprise. "They kind of stopped paying attention to their loans because they didn't have to for so long," said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. "And they were caught off guard." Mayotte called the past five years the most chaotic in student loan policy history. |
| Board approves UPSKILL aid for adult students | |
 | A new financial aid program will be available for adults looking to go back to school or further their education. The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board recently approved the Upgrading Priority Skills for Key Industry Learning and Labor (UPSKILL) program. Created by the Mississippi Legislature in 2026, UPSKILL is designed to support adult students financially while addressing critical workforce shortages across the state. "So, adult students often cannot have access to other types of financial aid. They also sometimes cannot go full time because they are raising children, and they have families. They are currently trying to work while they go to school. So, the program allows students to attend part-time, and it fills any gaps in tuition that may not be filled by other sources of aid," said Jennifer Rogers, Executive director of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. |
| Doris Taylor wants to rebuild 'the heart' of The W | |
| Dr. Doris Taylor helped pioneer a process for decellularizing hearts and rebuilding them into scaffolds to be used in an organ replacement. When thinking about what Mississippi University for Women needs in its next president, Taylor reached for the same language. "Building heart has become integrated into who I am, and I think building the heart of The W again is not that different," Taylor told The Dispatch on Wednesday. "It's there. It just needs a few stem cells to ramp it up." Taylor -- whose career spans decades of research in the medical field with focuses on stem cell research and its interplay in organ transplants and repairs -- is one of two names floated to fill the university's open president seat, having been endorsed for the role last week by the Citizens Coalition for The W and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences. The only other name floated publicly for the position has been Sally Burchfield-Doty, another alumna and a former state senator. "It's a shame the position isn't made for two people because Sally and I together would rock The W," Taylor said. "... Sally has the Mississippi expertise, the political savvy. She knows the legislature and the legislators, etc. I bring a very different perspective, which is much more of an academic perspective and much more of a national, international research perspective." |
| Aldermen considering higher game day parking rates on Square | |
| The city of Oxford is proposing higher parking rates on University of Mississippi home football game days in an effort to increase turnover in high-demand spaces around the Square. The proposed ordinance was presented Tuesday to the Oxford Board of Aldermen by Mark Levy, director of special services. A public hearing on the proposed changes is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 1 at City Hall. Levy said he recently met with local businesses around the Square that raised concerns about the lack of turnover in premium parking spaces on home football game days. "We're dealing with an incredibly high demand and the limited amount of spacing is creating an issue with turnover," Levy said. "Our most valuable spaces are becoming all-day parking." Under the proposed ordinance, parking in the spots around the Square on home football game days would cost $5 for the first three hours and $15 per hour after that. Alderman Mark Huelse said the current rate can allow motorists to occupy the premium spots all day for $20. Huelse said the proposed rate would still allow visitors who want to shop or dine around the Square to park for three hours without paying the higher rates associated with private gameday parking. |
| $1.3 billion in construction projects underway at Ole Miss | |
| The University of Mississippi has 170 construction projects underway, valued at approximately $1.3 billion, the school said Wednesday. "Every single one of these projects is advancing our mission," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. "I am confident that what we will accomplish here in the next two to three years will carry this university forward for the next 40." The projects include Kincannon Site Student Housing, Tad Smith Coliseum Demolition, New Northwest Mechanical Plant and Parking Structure, New School of Accountancy, and more. In addition to university construction, several projects are underway at fraternity and sorority houses. |
| Gulf Blue networking event spotlights Mississippi's blue economy | |
 | A networking event Wednesday put the spotlight on Mississippi's growing blue economy. Entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders came together to learn what's been done and what's in the works with the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Blue Navigator Program. Natalie Guess, USM Gulf Blue Innovation and Impact assistant director, said the events are important because the whole community is affected by blue economy innovation. "Everything we're doing affects them in some way, shape, or form through societal impact of tracking hurricanes," Guess said. "And so, it's important for the community because we also are recruiting these companies to Mississippi, which then provides jobs to our kids and adults that are here in the community for future opportunities." |
| Mississippi Christian University joins FirstGen Forward | |
| FirstGen Forward admitted Mississippi Christian University (MC) as a new member of its FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026. According to university officials, MC was selected for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students. "We've been working towards this membership since we began intentionally supporting these students three years ago. It has been a labor of love, and I'm glad our efforts have been rewarded," said Stephanie Carmicle-Davis, vice provost of academic program support and director of student success at MC. During the 2025-26 academic year, 339 undergraduate students at MC self-identified as first-gen students, representing about 11 percent of the undergraduate student body. Several members of the MC faculty and staff, who were first-gen students themselves, were recruited to help newcomers start their own family tradition at MC. |
| Students return to Southeastern Baptist College, enrollment increases | |
 | Wednesday was the first day of classes at Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel. "I thought it (college) was a perfect fit ever since I got here and stepped on campus," said junior Aiden Jeansonne. "Everybody was super friendly." Students say the sense of family always brings them back to campus. "It's definitely been some big changes happening. There's a lot more staff, more heart getting put into all the students here," said sophomore Preston Lizana. Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs Regina Reddoch said enrollment has gone up since last year. "We are right at 100 right now, and we are still taking new students in," said Reddoch. Athletic students like sophomore Nya English say they're impressed with all the improvements for the new year. These include the new lockers for girls' basketball and a new fire pit that's being built for students to hold Bible study and other activities. |
| For early grade reading gains, states look to Mississippi and consider holding students back | |
| When Mississippi overhauled its literacy education in 2013, one of the most controversial pieces was a policy to retain third graders if they couldn't pass the reading portion of the state's English language arts assessment. Years later, as education officials across the country have taken notice of Mississippi's literacy gains, more states have adopted their own retention policies. More than two dozen states now have laws requiring or allowing schools to retain third grade students who are not reading at grade level, according to an analysis from the Education Commission of the States, a nonprofit that tracks state legislation in the United States. But the research on retention is mixed. Historically, most studies indicated that students who had to repeat a grade often benefited very little and had long-term negative consequences. Research from the past decade complicates that picture: Younger students may see some positive effects from retention if schools are also combining it with high-intensity tutoring and support, some studies have shown. |
| New U. of Alabama micromobility policy aims to increase student safety | |
| After an increase in bike, electric scooter and car accidents on campus, on May 19, the University of Alabama instated a comprehensive micromobility policy, setting specific parameters on registration, parking and operation. Developed by a collaboration of students, faculty and staff from the University, and enforced by the University of Alabama Police Department, Parking Services and Transportation Services, this policy aims to enhance the safety of all students on campus. "The goal of the policy is not to discourage micromobility use, but to ensure that it can be enjoyed safely by everyone who shares our campus spaces," said Chris D'Esposito, assistant vice president for Enterprise Services. "By following the guidelines for registration, operation, and parking, students can help create a safer environment for themselves, their fellow riders, pedestrians and motorists." The policy also addressed the safety of micromobility devices while in motion. Users are prohibited from riding on sidewalks surrounding the Quad and other campus greenspaces. They must stay in bike lanes whenever available and use sidewalks for the shortest distance necessary. |
| Insect fans are all abuzz about this week's pollinator count, which helps the ag industry bloom | |
| This week, citizen scientists throughout the southeast region will take 15 minutes to help make a headcount of the buzzing, scuttling little critters that help our flowers bloom and gardens grow. The counting is part of the University of Georgia's Great Southeast Pollinator Census. The event, which takes place this Friday and Saturday, started eight years ago in Georgia and is now also open to residents of South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. You can learn how to participate at the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census website. Last year, more than 27,000 participants logged more than 500,000 insects. Becky Griffin, a pollinator health associate for the University of Georgia Extension and mastermind behind the count, said participants don't need any special knowledge of bugs or plants. "It has caught on, and it's even caught on to people or groups that you would not think of as insect conservation people, like the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Georgia Aquarium," she said. Griffin said pollinators contribute $600 million to the state's agriculture industry, and that farmers, developers and local governments use the data to help them decide what plants they should grow. |
| How safe is living off campus? A look at Florida college safety measures | |
 | Brooke Davis was dreading the day her college-aged daughter said she wanted to move off campus and live in an apartment. The safety element of not living in a Florida State University dorm and in a Tallahassee apartment was Davis' biggest concern. "I knew moving off campus was part of becoming more independent, but I also knew she would not necessarily have the same security that comes with living in a dorm," Davis said. Like Davis' 19-year-old daughter, thousands of students across the state are in the midst of establishing their college residence as classes get ready to begin. While many will be living on campus, an even larger number will be living off-campus. About 75% of college students in Florida live off campus, according to a review of major Florida universities. With that, comes the extra worry for parents -- how safe is my child? University of Florida students living off campus are encouraged to use the City Protect website to search crime information by address. Students also are advised to use the GatorSafe app. Officers from the Gainesville Police Department walk neighborhoods near campus each year, knocking door-to-door with messages about personal safety, situational awareness and traffic precautions. |
| Federal government orders U. of Texas to audit research security against foreign adversaries | |
| The federal government this week ordered the University of Texas and 29 other higher education institutions to immediately review academic, financial and research ties with "foreign entities of concern" amid a push to better secure all U.S. research. UT, the only Texas university on the list, has until Aug. 31 to submit its findings to federal authorities along with "strict mitigation plans," which could include steps to end concerning research partnerships. If UT doesn't, it risks losing eligibility for research funding, according to a federal notice. The order applies specifically to universities with partnerships identified by the federal government in China, Russia and Iran that "have been confirmed to engage in activities that increase the likelihood of U.S. government-funded research and development efforts being misappropriated." Texas has undertaken its own research security improvements and limited the hiring of foreign higher education workers in recent years. In 2025, the state Legislature established the Higher Education Research Security Council to develop best practices to safeguard research at top research universities with Carnegie R-1 classifications. |
| U. of Michigan redesigning foundational math to connect calculus to real-world engineering | |
 | For Siddhant Bohra, math had always felt relatively straightforward. But as he pursued robotics engineering at the University of Michigan, the 20-year-old found that the clean, theoretical problems he encountered in traditional calculus courses didn't always resemble the challenges he wanted to tackle. That changed last year when Bohra, then a sophomore, enrolled in ROB 201: Calculus for the Modern Engineer, a course that combines elements of Calculus I and II and differential equations with programming and robotics applications. "I learn the best when I'm interested in something, and the only way I'm interested in something is knowing why or how this is going to help me," Bohra said. "Sometimes you have to do things to learn, and not just read and figure out your interests from that. ROB 201 is that class that made me open my eyes to so many things." First offered in 2024, ROB 201 was designed to more closely connect calculus with the work students would encounter as engineers, teaching them mathematics through computation, modeling and engineering projects. Jessy Grizzle, a professor of robotics at the University of Michigan who developed the course, said the idea grew in part from years of hearing students describe a disconnect between the math they were learning and how they expected to use it as engineers. |
| UNC System responds to McMahon's 'call to action' | |
| The UNC System has responded to a "national call to action" from the federal government. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued a letter to universities across the country asking leaders to affirm their commitment to several principles of "academic excellence" to help "restore public trust in higher education." McMahon asked university leaders to "reaffirm their commitments" to transparency, merit in admissions, free speech, and open inquiry, and to prioritizing American interests. Both UNC System President Peter Hans and UNC Board of Governors Chair Kellie Hunt Blue responded with a letter this week on behalf of all public university leaders in North Carolina. It cited both longstanding and controversial changes to UNC System policy -- from a nearly decade long tuition hold, elimination of DEI initiatives, civil discourse investments, and efforts to mitigate "undue foreign influence." One of the most recent changes is the UNC System's public syllabi policy. Last year, Hans revoked universities' individual power to decide who owns a syllabus amid a political push to make the course document public. Starting this fall, every public university professor's syllabus must be published in a searchable online database. |
| With New AI Requirements and Courses, Colleges Eye AI Fluency | |
| As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workforce, several colleges and universities are introducing AI requirements to general education curricula, majors and certificate programs this fall. Some institutions -- for example, Miami University, Ohio State University and the State University of New York system -- are embedding AI competencies into pre-existing majors and coursework. Others, including Northwestern University and the Wentworth Institute of Technology, are introducing AI-specific major programs. Still others, like Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, are introducing required courses on AI. Their approaches may differ but their motivations are the same: Employers are, at breakneck speed, increasingly asking for graduates who know how to effectively use AI. It's called AI fluency, said Ray Schroeder, a senior fellow at the online and professional education association UPCEA, and it "can be a decisive factor between getting a job and not, especially at entry level," he said. "Corporate HR departments who do the hiring are requiring or evaluating how much experience and ability applicants have in [AI], and it's very important to those corporations because AI is becoming very important in their day-to-day operations," he added. |
| Colleges' Tenure-Track Faculty Numbers Rise, While Staff Counts Show Steep Drop | |
 | Even in a time of turmoil for higher education, the number of faculty members jumped last year, with tenure-track faculty growing by 7 percent, while the number of staff fell, according to new data from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, or CUPA-HR. The rise in tenure-track faculty members represented the largest single-year increase since 2016. Non-tenure-track faculty grew by 2.1 percent and adjunct faculty by .9 percent. According to CUPA-HR, last year was the first in a decade that the growth in the number of tenure-track faculty exceeded that of non-tenure-track faculty. Staff, on the other hand -- or any employees who are not faculty, including administrators, professionals, and hourly workers -- saw steep declines. The number of full-time staff members decreased by 6.6 percent, while the number of part-time staff members fell 23.9 percent after growing 21.1 percent the previous year. The declines followed multiple years of growth in the numbers of staff. Robert Kelchen, a professor and head of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, said that while the decline in the number of staff was notable and expected given the sector's uncertainty in the last couple of years, the increase in tenure-track faculty numbers was very surprising and "seems almost implausible." |
| Some college students will be able to pay tuition through PayPal and Venmo | |
 | College students and their families can now pay tuition and fees with PayPal or Venmo, the newest payment options at a handful of universities, the companies said Wednesday. Michigan State University, Bellarmine University, Texas Tech University, Butler University and Kansas State University are the first schools to make the apps available. More colleges and universities are expected to join throughout the year. The digital payment apps will be featured in the existing payment portal of participating schools. Students who opt for the apps can choose to pay with a linked bank account, credit card and PayPal or Venmo balances. Fees are set by the universities, which may charge a service or convenience fee, similar to the fees charged for using a credit or debit card. Kansas State, for instance, will charge a minimum $3 service fee on PayPal and Venmo transactions over $20, according to the university. Carla Sanchez-Adams, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said payment apps are loosely regulated and students should proceed with caution. She said digital payment app customers often have little recourse when payments are sent to the wrong person. |
| DOJ charges 17 in Iran-backed hacking campaign against US colleges, others | |
| The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced indictments against 17 members of the Mabna Institute, an Iranian organization alleged to be behind a coordinated cyberattack campaign on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Federal prosecutors said the group allegedly hacked into 144 U.S.-based universities, 42 U.S.-based private sector companies and at least five federal and state agencies, as well as a large number of foreign universities and companies, since 2013. The charges reveal a broader effort behind a "sweeping state-sponsored campaign to steal research and intellectual property from American universities, businesses and government institutions," Jamie McDonald, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. Prosecutors allege more than 100,000 accounts of professors were targeted by the alleged hackers, and 8,000 of those accounts were successfully compromised. |
| Army grapples with higher cadet standards after yanking memo | |
 | The Army is eyeing new minimum academic standards for college students in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), but not without some internal drama. The service branch issued fresh standards earlier this month, only to pull them days later amid differing opinions and an apparent lack of consultation with some senior leaders. Under the withdrawn standards, incoming ROTC cadets would have to meet one of the three academic benchmarks: score a 20 on the ACT, a 1000 on the SAT or test in the 50th percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a standardized test on science, math and language. "SROTC Cadets already under contract are excluded from this requirement. This policy will only apply to undergraduate students," the memo's text said, adding the U.S. Army Cadet Command would revisit the standards annually. Days later, the memo was rescinded. The New York Post reported on Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was angry that the memo was rescinded. The rescission prompted gripes among some defense officials, who privately argue the service branch should have minimum standards in line with Hegseth's push to raise standards for military officers, which has also included a focus on fitness and grooming. |
| America's Colleges Are Hurtling Toward an Enrollment Cliff | |
| Higher education is hitting a demographic cliff. After years of growth, the pipeline of 18-year-olds is dwindling---a result of lower birthrates. The largest number of Americans born in a single year arrived on campus in the autumn of 2025, and now a falloff is looming. College enrollments are forecast to drop 13% by 2041, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. In some parts of the country -- especially the Midwest and the Northeast -- the declines have already begun. You would think a shrinking pool of students would automatically make it easier to get into college. But that won't necessarily be true everywhere, especially at the most competitive schools, higher-education analysts say. It is impossible to precisely predict colleges' admission rates in the future as those numbers depend on a lot of things, including the reputations of campus culture, sports team wins and even the weather. But the demographic cliff is hitting just as another phenomenon is coming into play: a flight-to-quality, where the most sought-after schools are attracting an ever-growing number of applicants, while less-attractive schools draw fewer. Part of the reason is rising skepticism about the value of a college degree. More families reason that if they are going to spend tens of thousands of dollars, the diploma better pay off with a good job -- otherwise why bother? |
SPORTS
| Soccer: State Opens Six-Match Homestand On Thursday | |
| Mississippi State hosts Arkansas State for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on Thursday night. The match is slated to air on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-0-0 opening week with wins against South Alabama and at UAB. Hailey Johnson has scored in both matches so far, and the Bulldogs have yet to trail in 2026. State is out shooting opponents, 32-9, this season and has put half of its shots on target. The Bulldogs rank third nationally in corners per game with 25 through two matches. Meanwhile, they've allowed just seven. Students in attendance on Thursday night can claim raffle tickets for a variety of prizes, including an mini soccer ball signed by head coach Kevin O'Brien. Gates open one hour prior to kickoff. The Bulldogs remain at home on Sunday for a 6 p.m. kickoff against Southern Miss. The match will air on SEC Network+. |
| Ones to watch: 3 MSU players who could break out this season | |
| There are a lot of questions about Mississippi State football headed into this season. Will quarterback Kamario Taylor live up to the hype? Can the Bulldogs handle their nine-game SEC schedule and surpass last year's 5-7 record? Will head coach Jeff Lebby's seat start to get hot? These are a few of the lingering queries that will begin to be answered in just 16 days when MSU hits the field against Louisiana Monroe. Another question worth asking: who are the players poised for a breakout season? It's a question one brave reporter decided to try and answer. |
| Mississippi State baseball, Southern Miss to play exhibition in Biloxi | |
 | Mississippi State baseball will play Southern Miss and Auburn in two fall exhibition games in Biloxi, the Bulldogs announced on Aug. 19. MSU will play Auburn on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. and then Southern Miss on Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Keesler Federal Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Tickets went on sale on Aug. 19. Tickets start at $24 for students and $26 for the general public. "We're excited about returning to Biloxi in October," Mississippi State coach Brian O'Connor said in a school release. "We had an incredible experience down there in March and are looking forward to the opportunity to play baseball in front of our fans from the coast again. I'm proud of the team my staff has assembled and can't wait to get them out there this fall and see what we can do against high-level competition like Auburn and Southern Miss." The exhibition games land on a weekend where the Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Auburn football teams all have open dates. |
| Ashley Robinson leaving Jackson State to become AD at Texas Southern, interim named | |
| Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson is leaving for another SWAC school. The university announced Wednesday that Robinson had accepted the position as vice president and director of athletics at Texas Southern. Robinson held the same position at Jackson State, where he led the Tigers to modern highs, including HBCU national championships in football and women's tennis. "Under Ashley's leadership, Jackson State Athletics achieved competitive and academic success and gained national visibility," Jackson State President Denise Jones-Gregory said in a statement. "From multiple conference championships to the 2025-26 Dr. James Frank Commissioner's Cup, the results speak for themselves." Robinson was crucial in bringing Deion Sanders to Jackson from September 2020 through December 2022, with the Pro Football Hall of Famer not only winning back-to-back SWAC titles but also bringing a new level of visibility to the school. Jackson State Associate Vice President and Senior Woman Administrator Alyse Wells-Kilbert has been selected to serve as interim athletic director. |
| States pour taxpayer dollars into college sports as athlete pay, soaring costs squeeze budgets | |
 | Win or lose, the North Carolina Tar Heels already will be in elite company when they kick off the college football season against Texas Christian University in a game played in Dublin. They will be among a small but growing number of athletic programs receiving taxpayer funding from their home states. With universities competing to pay athletes millions of dollars, some states now are propping up their strained sports budgets in ways not previously seen. The state dollars aren't going directly to star athletes. But by funding facilities and administrative costs normally borne by the schools, states are freeing universities to use their own dollars for other purposes. Sports business analysts see an emerging trend. "Once one state provides that kind of assistance, schools in competing states can argue that they are being placed at a competitive disadvantage, which could create additional pressure on legislatures to respond," said Daniel McIntosh, faculty director of the sports business program at Arizona State University. |
| Louisiana's college sports programs are losing money. Can sales taxes save them? | |
| Nearly every athletic department at Louisiana's public universities is bleeding money, impacting the fiscal health of the rest of the school. The situation has athletics administrators eyeing ways to generate more sales tax revenue on and near campus to stabilize their programs. LSU was the only athletic department in Louisiana to make a profit -- and even that was a narrow margin -- in the 2024-25 academic year, the most recent year from which data was available. The state's 10 other public Division I programs either lost money or broke even according to their NCAA financial reports. More recent fiscal analyses from the University of Louisiana System, which includes seven schools with Division I programs, show the problem is even worse. Every athletic department essentially carried a multi-million dollar debt that placed a significant burden on its university, as schools had to use other revenue, including tuition and student housing fees, to cover the gap, administrators have said. In a search for a solution, university leaders are considering setting up economic development districts, like one LSU recently created around its Baton Rouge campus, that would give their school access to sales tax revenue already being collected. |
| Louisiana court order gives players signed by NFL teams a shot at returning to college sports | |
| Several athletes, including some who signed contracts with NFL teams, were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana court that would make them eligible to return to college athletics, ESPN reported Wednesday. Former Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson (Seattle Seahawks), former Florida and LSU pass rusher Jack Pyburn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and ex-Mississippi starters Dae'Quan Wright (Cleveland Browns) and Wydett Williams (Arizona Cardinals) are on NFL rosters and were part of the lawsuit. NFL teams are deep into training camp, and rosters have to be cut to 53 players by Aug. 30. Many who don't make those clubs could look for a fallback plan in college football, barring a successful appeal by the NCAA. According to ESPN, 16 football players were part of the lawsuit that included 33 athletes across several sports who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility. The NCAA has been dealt a series of legal setbacks regarding its eligibility rules. |
| An NFL rookie had 2 sacks in preseason debut. Now he could return to college football | |
 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Jack Pyburn recorded two sacks in a preseason win over the New York Jets on Friday. Now, there's a chance Pyburn, an undrafted free agent, could return to college football this season, thanks to a Louisiana court ruling. Louisiana's 19th Judicial District Court granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday that could allow more than 30 college athletes a fifth year of eligibility. It's the latest in a string of lawsuits against the NCAA related to its recent age-based eligibility rule change. The Louisiana decision is significant because it involves 16 former college football players, including a handful who are currently signed to NFL training camp rosters. The other eligibility suits have featured mostly basketball players. In addition to Pyburn, Ole Miss defensive back Wydett Williams Jr. is with the Arizona Cardinals, Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright is with the Cleveland Browns, and Oregon State running back Anthony Hankerson is with the Seattle Seahawks. Players voluntarily asking out of NFL deals to return to college would be unprecedented, and the latest twist in the NCAA's ongoing legal battles and enforcement challenges. |
| Trio of Ole Miss players among those granted temporary restraining order, paving way for college return | |
| Three former Ole Miss players -- tight end Dae'Quan Wright, safety Wydett Williams Jr. and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris -- were among more than 30 college athletes granted a temporary restraining order as part of a lawsuit filed against the NCAA, paving the way for them to return to college for an additional season, ESPN reported Wednesday. Wright, Williams and Harris signed with NFL teams in the offseason after going undrafted, and Wright and Williams are still with teams in training camp, per ESPN. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a federal court in Denver's preliminary injunction late last month that allows athletes from the recruiting class of 2022 to benefit from the NCAA's new "five-for-five" plan, which was initially supposed to begin with the class of 2027, according to ESPN. Wednesday's lawsuit was filed in Louisiana. Wright is still with the Cleveland Browns, while Williams is with the Arizona Cardinals. Harris was waived by the New Orleans Saints earlier this month, per Saints Wire. |
| Two students killed, driver charged after crash into Tennessee college cycling team | |
 | Two Tennessee college team cyclists were killed, seven others were injured and a driver was criminally charged after he struck team members who were training on a road Wednesday, officials said. The crash around 9 a.m. on Highway 19 in Carter County killed Milligan University sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, the small Christian liberal arts college and the state Highway Patrol said. "I would like to invite the entire community into prayer with us, into grief with the families, with us, and into deep prayer for the families of those we have lost," university President Stephen Waers said at a news conference. The driver of the vehicle, John Benfield, 69, of Newland, North Carolina, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness, First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney said. In addition to the people who died, seven other members of that team were injured, Highway Patrol Maj. Roy Brown said. Finney said the members of the team were very experienced. "This is an elite cycling team. It's not a bunch of just club guys getting together to ride. They know what they're doing," he said. |
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