| Friday, August 29, 2025 |
| USDA Expands Efforts to Strengthen Rural Food Animal Veterinary Workforce and Protect America's Food Supply | |
 | U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins on Thursday announced a commitment to new actions to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and our food supply. Secretary Rollins also announced two awardees of the Veterinary Services Grant Program which will allow for expanded capabilities to serve livestock producers in rural Mississippi and opened a new consolidated USDA office with the Rural Development, the Farm Service Agency, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau in line with USDA's reorganization efforts. The Secretary was joined by Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Mississippi State University (MSU) President Dr. Mark Keenum, and Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick. "Technology is driving modern 21st century agriculture, and you can see that in the work we are doing here to advance precision agriculture. We're at the forefront of unmanned aircraft systems research and development, as well as autonomous agricultural systems. I'm grateful for Secretary Rollins and her strong leadership and strong support of our land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service. As one of our nation's leading research universities and land-grant institutions, Mississippi State is working with many partners to meet critical needs in our state and nation, as well as globally," said Keenum. |
| Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announces veterinarian aid at Mississippi State University | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled a new plan aimed at addressing a veterinarian shortage in Mississippi and other states. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) held a press conference on the campus of Mississippi State University Thursday morning and announced the Rural Veterinary Shortage Action Plan to address critical needs relating to food animal health and large animal care in rural areas. The plan includes the creation of a new economic research program to analyze and project veterinary shortages in rural areas, especially for food animal veterinarians, alongside recruiting efforts. The USDA is also pursuing strategies to offer more federal veterinarian jobs to graduates of Mississippi State University and other rural schools. "It is a problem that not many people know about, but like I mentioned, it's pretty significant. With some funding, focus, and partnerships with the states and great veterinarian schools like Mississippi State, I think we're going to see a real turnaround in the coming years," Rollins said. While in Starkville, Rollins and Hyde-Smith also announced two Mississippi State alumni as recipients of the USDA's veterinary services grant program. |
| USDA announces rural veterinary action plan at MSU | |
 | Mississippi is facing a shortage of veterinarians, a concern for the state's livestock farming industry. This issue has caught the attention of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. She announced the Rural Veterinary Action Plan on Thursday at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The plan aims to address critical needs relating to food animal health and large animal care in rural areas. "We're making an additional $15 million available for the veterinary medicine loan repayment program and streamlining the application process to collect less information and allow submission via an online portal," she said. The effort will also focus on making the veterinary industry more appealing to potential students. "We will work with veterinarian schools, including the great one right here in Starkville and across the country, to increase recruitment from rural America," she said. |
| Secretary Rollins announces Rural Veterinary Action Plan in Mississippi | |
 | During a visit to Mississippi State University (MSU) on August 28, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a Rural Veterinary Shortage Action Plan to address critical needs relating to food animal health and large animal care in rural areas. While visiting MSU with U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Rollins was briefed on the university's leading research on Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, as well as its groundbreaking work in the area of agriculture autonomy. She viewed the fleet of UAS in academic use and also learned about university advancements in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, aquaculture and fisheries, poultry and laminitis research. During her time at MSU's College of Veterinary Medicine, Rollins observed an equine emergency surgery in progress before making her announcements regarding the nationwide shortage in rural veterinary practice. "Limited access to vet care is more than an inconvenience, it's a direct threat to herd health and livelihoods. That's why the USDA will continue to build significant partnerships with states, universities and farm groups to increase the number of veterinarians across rural America," Rollins said. |
| USDA takes action to bolster rural veterinary workforce | |
| While visiting Mississippi State University (MSU) on Aug. 28, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new Rural Veterinary Shortage Action Plan -- steps the agency will take to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians. Rollins additionally announced two state recipients of the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) to expand service for livestock producers in rural Mississippi and opened a new consolidated office with USDA's Rural Development, Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Mississippi Farm Bureau, in line with USDA's reorganization efforts. The secretary was joined by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), MSU president Dr. Mark Keenum and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation president Mike McCormick in making her announcement. While visiting MSU, Rollins also observed an equine emergency surgery in progress, was briefed on the university's leading research on unmanned aircraft systems – with the country's largest fleet of UAS in academic use – and learned about its work in the area of agriculture autonomy and advancements in antimicrobial resistance, aquaculture and fisheries, poultry and laminitis research, according to the MSU news release. |
| Breaking News: Ag Secretary Rollins has unveiled a new action plan to address rural vet shortage | |
| Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins is on the road in Mississippi today and just made a big announcement at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Along with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Farm Bureau's Mike McCormick, and MSU President Mark Keenum, Rollins unveiled USDA's new Rural Veterinary Shortage Action Plan. It aims to expand grants and financial assistance, streamline loan applications, invest in research, and recruit more students from rural America into veterinary schools, all to support veterinarians and protect livestock health across rural communities. |
| Ag secretary visits MSU, announces plan to relieve veterinarian shortage | |
 | Students in Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine could see a significant portion of their student loan debts paid off year-after-year, thanks to a new action plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a plan to address a nationwide veterinarian shortage Thursday morning at a press conference in MSU's Wise Center, home to the College of Veterinary Medicine. "The more debt they can eliminate and the more they can alleviate that financial burden, the easier the decision is for them to pursue (a degree at the College of Veterinary Medicine)" Sid Salter, vice president of strategic communications and director of public affairs at MSU, told The Dispatch. "... These funds should increase the amount of people who have the confidence to apply." Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said USDA's action plan was a step in the right direction for relieving pressure from the agriculture sector. "I know firsthand the hardships that farmers face when it comes to veterinary care," Hyde-Smith said at the press conference. "The announcement made today, it's going to have a significant impact ... but there are so many key issues to the health and the ag sector that it is national security. We have to be able to feed our people. We have to be able to feed this country." |
| New AI-powered crop irrigation system coming to Mississippi | |
| The technology giant Amazon is expanding its presence across the Magnolia State. On Tuesday, Amazon announced their partnership with Arable, a water stewardship company, in an effort to assist farmers around the state in tracking their crop irrigation, united under the common goal of saving Mississippi's water supply. The primary water source Mississippi farmers tap into is the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer. To better preserve this crucial water supply, the two tech companies will work together to provide farmers with irrigation sensors. Both Amazon and Arable have been in communication with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Mississippi State University to discern where this new technology tool is needed most. Drew Gholson is an assistant professor at MSU who specializes in agronomy and crop irrigation. He says the partnership's main goal is preserving the aquifer for future generations. "Managing that water resource for future use is what we are interested in," Gholson said. "Prioritizing and making sure that we have water for the farmers, the current farmers and the future generations, because it's such a valuable resource to not only Mississippi but the economy and the farmers that operate." |
| Innovations in Irrigation Field Day highlights latest technologies | |
| With more than 1,000 farms irrigated across six Mississippi Delta counties -- Bolivar, Coahoma, Humphreys, Leflore, Sunflower, and Washington -- almost 1.7 million farming acres are impacted by irrigation decisions and technologies, according to research by USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Furrow irrigation is the most common method used to water Mississippi crops, but holes in the polypipe that deliver the water must be punched manually. Mississippi State University is developing a solution -- an automated polypipe hole puncher that could become a game changer for in-furrow irrigation. About 80 attendees at the MSU Extension Service's recent Innovations in Irrigation Field Day had the chance to see what waterflow looks like when the hole sizes are uniform. They also learned the latest research about cover crops, soil health, wide-space irrigation, and irrigation scheduling methods. |
| MSU holding Bucks and Ducks workshop | |
| Landowners, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts are invited to a half-day workshop that will give insight into duck and deer management. The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting Bucks and Ducks from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Spirit Hill Farm in Holly Springs. "Participants get to spend the day with Extension specialists from the MSU Deer Lab and the MSU Extension gamebird program, along with biologists from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks," said James Callicutt, event organizer and Extension waterfowl and upland gamebird specialist. "We have packed this educational event with practical management insights, hands-on demonstrations and time to get your questions answered by the experts." Planned activities include live duck banding, assuming organizers were successful in capturing specimens; antler scoring and jawbone aging demonstrations; field tours showcasing habitat management for deer and ducks and presentations on deer and duck ecology and management. |
| Mississippi State University to develop Hotel Madelon | |
| Mississippi State University and its partners have unveiled plans for the Crossroads District, a 15-acre mixed-use development in Starkville that will be anchored by a 122-room boutique hotel. Hotel Madelon -- a 122-room property that will be part of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio -- is scheduled to break ground in October and open in summer 2027. Named after MSU's original fight song, the hotel will include a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar and design elements highlighting the university's traditions and Starkville's cultural heritage. The hotel will be managed by Charlestowne Hotels. "This project is about creating a hub that reflects the spirit of Mississippi State University while providing opportunities for entertainment, innovation, and collaboration," MSU president Mark Keenum said. The development is being led by West Side Funds Inc., a for-profit affiliate of the MSU Foundation, in partnership with CAP Development Group, Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors, Cooper Carry Architects and other national firms. |
| MSU Foundation Surpasses Previous Fundraising Record in Fiscal Year 2025 | |
| The Mississippi State University Foundation set a new record for fundraising in fiscal year 2025, exceeding $260 million and growing the size of its total endowment beyond $1 billion. The achievement pushed its total assets beyond $1 billion as well. This is the second year for the foundation to exceed a quarter billion dollars raised. "Achieving this level of unprecedented success reflects the generous spirit of countless Mississippi State University friends, alumni and partners. Words alone cannot express the deep appreciation I have for their meaningful investments in our students and the transformative work we are doing to serve our state and nation," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are blessed to have these resources and are committed to being good stewards of these gifts as we pursue life-changing research, meet critical needs and prepare students to be leaders." |
| Extension aided state agencies in Katrina's aftermath | |
| Extension Services exist not only to share research-based information with the clients they serve, but to be there for people when they need it the most. Perhaps never in Mississippi was this responsibility more crucial than 20 years ago on Aug. 29, 2005, and the months and years to follow. On that day, Hurricane Katrina devastated the state, its 120-mile-per-hour winds claiming more than 200 lives and an immeasurable number of livelihoods and property. Its trek rendered 81 of the state's 82 counties federal disaster areas. First responders and state agencies alike sprang into action as soon as the catastrophic storm cleared, marking the beginning of an arduous journey of recovery, cleanup and rebuilding. Educators and agents with the Mississippi State University Extension Service were part of this effort, supporting state agencies and using their resources to meet a range of unprecedented needs. MSU Extension also collaborated with fellow units under the university's Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, including the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the College of Veterinary Medicine. |
| Influenced by Katrina, students find their way to MSU's meteorology program | |
| "Not many people have satellite images in their room." But Grace Williams does. A giant satellite image of Hurricane Katrina hangs above her bed, a gift from her father in the weeks leading up to her senior year at Mississippi State University. "He wanted it to be kind of a symbol of where I started," said Williams, a New Orleans native. "So I have the satellite image of Katrina making landfall." Williams is set to graduate in May with her bachelor's degree in geoscience with a focus on broadcast meteorology and hopes of returning to New Orleans afterward to work as a meteorologist. The career choice, she said, was directly influenced by the impact Katrina had on her hometown, even though she was only 2 years old when it happened. "I obviously don't remember too much since I was so little, but even though I can't remember exact details, it was always something that was pretty present in my life, I would say, and constantly told in my community and taught in school," Williams told The Dispatch. Meteorologists began warning the public about Katrina weeks in advance. The storm first made landfall Aug. 25 as a Category 1 hurricane near Miami-Dade County, Florida, according to the National Weather Service. Johna Rudzin, assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at MSU, was a teenager in the Florida Keys at the time. While her area hadn't experienced much damage from Katrina, the storm has been a defining example in her career field since. "Of all the Gulf hurricanes, Katrina is definitely like the one that's always mentioned ... as far as the epitome of hurricane, ocean, loop current interaction," Rudzin told The Dispatch. |
| From the coast to Columbus, locals stepped up to help recovery effort | |
| When Sandra Price returned to her Gulfport home a week after Hurricane Katrina, little remained. The storm sent floodwaters more than 20 feet high through the city, lifting her house off its foundation. Inside, nearly all she could salvage was a wooden table, her grandmother's rocker and an antique ice box. "It was a mountain of debris," Price said. "... My house looked like it was fine at first sight, but ... it had been flooded up to five or six feet in the house." Help arrived quickly. Volunteers from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Starkville, where Price had been a member for more than 30 years, hauled furniture to the curb, tore out sheetrock and cleared her yard of fallen trees. Their support helped inspire her book, "Katrina's Grace: Wind, Water and Wisdom," which details the aid she received after the hurricane, namely from Trinity Church and Mississippi State University, where she formerly taught. Alongside church groups, MSU sent between 50 and 100 engineers, custodians, landscapers and police officers to help along the coast. Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois, who grew up in Biloxi, returned to a neighborhood from his childhood during recovery efforts. When he arrived, he found only concrete slabs where homes once stood. "It was like a nuclear bomb went off," Bourgeois said. "... The bigger aftermath of a normal storm, you clean up and you move on with life. ... This wasn't something that you could just roll your sleeves up and say it's going to be alright." |
| The long recovery on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 'ground zero' for Hurricane Katrina | |
 | Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour stands before a wall-size satellite image of Hurricane Katrina as it headed for landfall on Aug. 29, 2005. "The eye came in right there over the Pearl River, which is the boundary between Louisiana and Mississippi," he says. It was packing winds of 120 miles an hour and a storm surge nearing 30 feet. "The most powerful winds and storm surge are in the upper right-hand corner. And that hit us," Barbour recalls. Barbour is walking through a new exhibit at the state-funded Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. It's called "Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Remembers" and features photographs of the aftermath by Melody Golding. While much of the focus marking 20 years since Hurricane Katrina is on New Orleans, where federal levees failed and flooded the city, the historic storm also decimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The state's entire 70-mile shoreline was inundated with Katrina's three-story-high storm surge. It knocked out bridges, buckled roads, and washed away homes and businesses. The storm killed 238 people in Mississippi and nearly 1,400 overall. "It looked like the hand of God had wiped away the coast," Barbour recalls. "Utter obliteration." |
| 'Utter obliteration,' former Mississippi governor recalls on Katrina's 20th anniversary | |
 | Haley Barbour, the governor who led Mississippi through the nation's single costliest disaster, Hurricane Katrina, remembered those grim days after the storm when he spoke Thursday to Gulfport employees at a 20th anniversary cookout. After the cookout, he said, he would be going up in a Mississippi National Guard helicopter, as he did the day after the hurricane. He planned to once again survey the coastline from the Pearl River in Hancock County to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. The city hosted its cookout Thursday for 620 employees, including first responders. On the helicopter after the storm, Barbour told them, his thoughts were very much on recovery and what lay ahead. Barbour, a consummate politician who was in his first term as governor, wasted little time reaching out to his extensive contacts in Washington. Barbour had previously served as chairman of the Republican National Committee and worked with Sen. Thad Cochran, then head of the Appropriations Committee, to secure financial relief for the devastated state. "We got an incredible amount of help through Congress," Barbour said, noting Mississippi secured $25.5 billion in federal funds. |
| Lawmakers hear from veterans, medical professionals as they consider the efficacy of Ibogaine | |
| A joint hearing held Thursday at the Mississippi State Capitol allowed lawmakers to assess the benefits and risks of a psychedelic treatment aimed at helping people suffering from trauma. Lawmakers gathered information from experts as they consider potential policy changes in the coming legislative session. The Public Health Joint Committee hearing on the potential benefits of Ibogaine included information from those who provide the treatment, which has to take place in Mexico due to current laws in the United States, along with testimony from patients who have taken the treatment. "Let this be the beginning of a serious and honest conversation, not just about Ibogaine, but about how Mississippi can think differently in order to save lives, families and lead with both courage and compassion," said House Public Health Committee Chair State Rep. Samuel Creekmore (R) at the start of the hearing. Dr. Tom Recore, Medical Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, stopped short of completely supporting the treatment, but agreed that it shows promise. |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith announces reelection bid, gets public support from White House | |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican from Mississippi, reaffirmed Thursday that she will be seeking reelection during the 2026 midterms. Hyde-Smith, who first said last March she was planning to seek office for a second full term, was joined by federal Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins as the two visited the veterinarian school at Mississippi State University in Starkville before traveling to Jackson for meetings with various farm organizations and a ribbon-cutting for a refurbished U.S. Department of Agriculture office. During the trip, she told SuperTalk Mississippi News that she has made her reelection bid official. "We will be kicking off our campaign, and we're ready to get at it," Hyde-Smith said. Hyde-Smith served as Mississippi's agriculture commissioner for just over six years before being appointed to the Senate in April 2018 after the passing of Republican Sen. Thad Cochran. She won the remainder of the term later that year during a special election and then a full term in 2020. Primary races for Hyde-Smith's seat and all four of the state's U.S. House seats will be held on March 10 with April 7 reserved for potential runoffs. The general election is slated for Nov. 3, 2026. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith launches reelection bid with visit from U.S. agriculture secretary | |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith on Thursday launched her reelection campaign for a second full term by highlighting her advocacy for Mississippi farmers, fighting to overturn abortion rights and having a strong relationship with President Donald Trump. The state's junior U.S. senator was greeted by about 150 supporters at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson. They cheered when she promoted the passage of the "one big beautiful bill," President Donald Trump-backed legislation that expanded some tax cuts and spending and slashed social safety net programs. The senator was flanked by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who spoke in support of her. The pair visited Mississippi State University earlier in the day to announce new policy addressing the state's veterinarian shortage. Rollins said Hyde-Smith fights daily on Capitol Hill for farmers and the agriculture industry by ensuring federal agency leaders understand how federal regulations impact Mississippi farmers. "She is a warrior's warrior," Rollins said of the senator. "She will never rest until she serves this state and this country to the very best of her ability." |
| US Secretary of Agriculture visits Mississippi to talk with farmers from across the state | |
| The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins spent the day traveling throughout the state to announce upcoming projects. Rollins, along with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Gov. Tate Reeves, held a roundtable discussion with farmers from across Mississippi about various issues they are facing. Additionally, officials took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony at Mississippi Farm Bureau for the newly renovated Farm Service Agency. "We are grateful for the renovations that Mississippi Farm Bureau has made for the USDA's Farm Service Agency and are looking to move our Mississippi Rural Development State Office to join this office building to create a one-stop-shop for Mississippi agriculture and rural businesses," Rollins said. Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick said it is good to have Sen. Hyde-Smith back home to hear directly from farmers. "It's always good when she's back home here in the district to give her the opportunity to hear from the people that are being affected by the policies that they're turning into law firsthand," McCormick said. "And she can do that in one sitting here instead of having to visit them all over the state. So, I think it's just a way for us to pull everybody together." |
| China criticizes US senators' Taiwan visit, calls it a threat to sovereignty | |
 | A visit by a pair of U.S. senators to Taiwan has drawn criticism from China, which claims the island as its own and objects to any contact between officials of the two sides. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, and Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer arrived in Taipei on Friday for a series of high-level meetings with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, according to the American Institute in Taiwan, which acts as Washington's de facto embassy in lieu of formal diplomatic relations with the self-governing island democracy. Upon arrival, Wicker said: "A thriving democracy is never fully assured ... and we're here to talk to our friends and allies in Taiwan about what we're doing to enhance worldwide peace." "At a time of global unrest, it is extremely significant for us to be here," Fischer added, noting that discussions would include "security, opportunities and progress for this part of the world." The pair's two-day visit to Taiwan follows stops in Hawaii, Guam, Tinian, Pala and the Philippines. |
| White House declares $4.9B in foreign aid unilaterally canceled in end-run around Congress' funding power | |
 | The White House budget office said Friday morning that President Donald Trump has canceled $4.9 billion in foreign aid by using a so-called pocket rescission -- furthering the administration's assault on Congress' funding prerogatives. The move raises tensions on Capitol Hill as lawmakers face an Oct. 1 deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Many lawmakers from both parties, as well as Congress' top watchdog, view the maneuver as an illegal end-run around their "power of the purse." The Trump administration boldly embraced the strategy on Friday. "Congress can choose to vote to rescind or continue the funds -- it doesn't matter," an official from the White House budget office said in a statement. "This approach is rare but not unprecedented." The White House is allowed to send Congress a clawbacks request and then withhold the cash for 45 days while lawmakers consider whether to approve, reject or ignore the proposal. Because there are less than 45 days left before the end of the fiscal year, Trump's top budget officials -- led by budget chief Russ Vought -- argue that they can employ the so-called pocket rescission to withhold the funding until it lapses at month's end, ensuring its cancellation regardless of what Congress decides. |
| Trump proposed getting rid of FEMA, but his review council seems focused on reforming the agency | |
| Four days after starting his second administration, President Donald Trump floated the idea of " getting rid of " the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which manages federal disaster response. But at a Thursday meeting, the 12-person review council he appointed to propose changes to FEMA seemed more focused on reforms than total dismantlement. FEMA must be "reformed into an agency that is supporting our local and state officials that are there on the ground and responsive to the individuals that are necessary to help people be healed and whole through these situations," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, who co-chairs the council. But, she added, FEMA "as it exists today needs to be eliminated." However, the meeting in Oklahoma City offered hints of what types of reforms the council might present to Trump in its final report. Members mainly focused on conventional and oft-cited opportunities for change, such as getting money faster to states and survivors and enhancing the capacity of local emergency managers. The 12-person council is co-chaired Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and vice-chaired by former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. |
| Kennedy to testify before Congress next week amid CDC tumult | |
 | Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before the Senate Finance Committee next week, giving members a chance to press him on the abrupt firing of the nation's top public health official. Kennedy is scheduled to appear Sept. 4 for a hearing on the president's 2026 health care agenda, according to the committee's website, where he'll likely face questions about the departure of Susan Monarez from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the departures of other top officials. Monarez was ousted from the agency just shy of a month on the job. Kennedy declined to answer questions about the ouster on Fox News Thursday, saying that it is a "personnel issue." "There's really a deeply, deeply embedded, I would say, malaise at the agency, and we need strong leadership that will go in there and that will be able to execute on President Trump's broad ambitions for this agency," Kennedy said. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, posted on social media Thursday "these high profile departures will require oversight by the HELP Committee." A spokesperson did not respond to a request for more details. Cassidy on Thursday also called for the CDC's vaccine advisory committee to postpone its September meeting, which will focus on COVID-19 and other vaccines. Last week, panel member Retsef Levi, who has criticized messenger RNA vaccines and said they should be removed from the market, was handpicked by Kennedy to lead the panel's COVID-19 workgroup. |
| Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say | |
| The implosion of leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threatens the agency, its mission, and the trust people place in public health, medical experts told STAT Thursday, a day after Director Susan Monarez refused to dismiss top scientists only to be ousted herself. The crisis in the agency, which has been battered by personnel and policy changes ordered by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is spilling into real-world harms, the experts said. They are seeing uncertainty from the public about vaccine recommendations and availability, in light of new Covid-19 vaccine policies announced by Kennedy, as well as deeper concerns about emergency preparedness for the inevitable next challenge to the nation's health. "I'm worried that CDC will not be there with the full capacity that's necessary to help us with the next big threat," Georges Benjamin, a physician and executive director of the American Public Health Association, told STAT. "But I'm also worried about the current threats that we have today." Budget cuts ordered by President Trump have steadily hammered at jobs and programs, in some cases erasing entire sectors of the agency's public health activity. That list includes air quality as well as individual diseases like HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis. There has been an erosion of the study of gun violence. Food safety was hit, too. |
| More protests against Trump are planned nationwide. What to expect on Labor Day | |
 | Hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to skip the barbecue and spend their Labor Day protesting President Donald Trump and the billionaires who support him. "We're excited to see a lot of folks turning out and really turning up the heat on the administration and on the billionaires that are really driving the agenda, especially as we're seeing increased attacks on our communities," Saqib Bhatti, executive director of Action Center on Race and the Economy, told USA TODAY. More than a thousand "Workers Over Billionaires" events are planned nationwide on Labor Day and the surrounding days. Taking place in small and large cities in nearly every state, the events are designed to build on the momentum of other large-scale protests including No Kings Day in June and Good Trouble Lives On in July. They are led by labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO, and other advocacy groups such as May Day Strong, Public Citizen and Indivisible. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the protests. Instead, it provided a quote from Vice President JD Vance about Democrats not voting for the GOP tax and spending bill and a quote from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about Labor Day. |
| The Boss Has Had It With All the Office Activists | |
 | Company bosses are sounding a clarion call to office activists: Stop disrupting the workplace with your freedom of expression -- or else. Microsoft fired two more staffers Thursday for engaging in on-site protests against the company's work with the Israeli military. The move, following the firing of two employees who occupied an executive's office this week, is the latest example of business leaders cracking down on political dissent. The new, hard-line playbook that companies are adopting to confront employee activism reflects two developments: One is a political climate in which companies risk the ire of the White House -- and some consumers -- if they appear to cater to "woke" forces, including their own staff. The other is an ever-tougher job market in which white-collar workers -- especially in tech -- have lost considerable leverage. The result is a more adversarial employer-employee dynamic in which bosses are far less concerned with accommodating their workers' political and personal views. These days, many business leaders would just as soon trim head count as appease vocal staff. No longer are bosses as likely to encourage employees to bring their "whole selves" to the office. Instead, many are taking a "1950s approach," said Jenny Dearborn, chief people strategy officer at management consulting firm BTS and an author on HR issues. "Work is work, outside life is outside life," she said. |
| What the end of 'de minimis' means for online shoppers | |
 | For nearly nine decades, an import tax exception allowed low-value packages to enter the U.S. without duties attached. The rule has let American consumers access loads of cheap foreign goods from online retailers. That's all changing Friday when the rule known as de minimis is suspended in accordance with an executive order President Trump signed last month. All shipments into the U.S. will be subject to an import tax ranging from $80 to $200 for the next six months, after which the rate will be based on the tariffs imposed on the country of origin. Since 2015, the de minimis exception has applied to goods with a retail value of less than $800. The rule dates to 1938, when it applied only to goods worth less than $1. Online retail giants such as Temu and Shein, which ship products from China with hyper-low price tags, have "benefited massively" from the exception, said Dominick Miserandino, chief executive of the online hub Retail Tech Media Nexus. "We're used to this super cheap pricing mentality for a lot of online goods, and with the removal of this rule, it's going away," Miserandino said. "It's definitely going to hit consumers who are accustomed to buying a $5 phone case." Trump has called the rule a "scam" that weakens American businesses and allows dangerous goods to enter the country without oversight. Packages that claim the exemption are not inspected as thoroughly by U.S. Customs personnel. |
| 'Swatting' is a growing concern in college towns | |
| College town police departments are dealing with a troubling rise in "swatting" calls. Five universities have experienced these fake emergency calls in the past week. Swatting involves making a false 911 call, often about violent crimes like hostage situations or active shooters. This trend has recently targeted major universities. Capt. Tyler Davis of the Starkville Police Department SWAT emphasized the seriousness of these false alarms. "We have to have a lot [of] planning," Davis said, "a lot of strenuous decision-making because we want to make sure we're going to the right location that we're going to the right target." Swatting began in the early 2000s as a form of revenge or harassment. It is a crime that can put people at risk. "It's egregious. It takes away from personnel. It takes away from schools being able to go into service," Davis explained. "It inserts fear into businesses, and it's something that is childish and it's also illegal." |
| USM introduces secondary education bachelor's at Gulf Park | |
| Starting this fall, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will offer a bachelor's degree in secondary education from the university's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Qualified students will receive full scholarships and the opportunity to study then teach close to home. "Southern Miss is committed to strengthening our coastal communities by preparing exceptional educators right here at home. This new secondary education degree gives coastal residents the opportunity to receive top-tier training, serve in local schools, and step directly into careers where they are needed most," said Dr. Trent Gould, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. "By equipping teachers in the communities they already know and love, we are making a tangible impact on Mississippi's teacher shortage and shaping a stronger future for our state." According to USM officials, the secondary education B.S. is a flexible, hybrid program that balances university coursework with immersive, field placement opportunities. |
| Mississippi Delta Community College expanding footprint with new Greenwood campus | |
| Mississippi Delta Community College is establishing a permanent home for its Greenwood campus. School officials announced Thursday that the location will be housed in the former Malouf Furniture and Interiors building on U.S. 82. The new 44,000-square-foot Greenwood Center, which is anticipated to begin operations in July 2026, will allow the community college to expand its footprint in the community and broaden its educational reach. "This is a great day for our college as we continue to reimagine what MDCC can be and chart our path Forward Together," MDCC President Dr. Steven Jones said. "This new center represents more than just a building---it signifies our commitment to Leflore County and the City of Greenwood. The opportunities it will create for education, workforce development, and community engagement are substantial, and it positions MDCC to expand and grow our presence in the region in meaningful ways." Expanded offerings are planned, including opportunities for high schoolers, health science and career-technical programs, and advanced training programs, which will help meet the region's evolving needs. |
| New Southern accreditation agency will remain independent, adviser says | |
| For two decades, Cameron Howell has wanted to transform the accreditation system that has long been a staple of American higher education. He now has his chance. This summer, as Georgia and five other Southern states planned to create their own accreditor, Howell asked to temporarily step away from his role as secretary of the board of trustees at the University of South Carolina to help lead the effort. Now a senior adviser to the Commission for Public Higher Education, Howell and the newly formed agency could shake up the quality assurance process universities must adhere to get federal funding. The push comes after some conservatives have bashed the "accreditation cartel" for what they say are "woke" policies and burdensome regulations, and after President Donald Trump issued an April executive order calling for "new accreditors to increase competition and accountability." "I think that this is an opportunity that higher education has to seize," Howell told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
| Alabama to anchor new tri-state manufacturing partnership, backed by three universities, governors and power companies | |
| Georgia and Mississippi are joining forces with Alabama on a new powerhouse partnership to keep the Southeast at the forefront of automotive and battery manufacturing. The new partnership brings together the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia and Mississippi State University with the backing of governors from all three states, as well as Southern Company, Alabama Power, Georgia Power and Mississippi Power. On Wednesday, state leaders announced the Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia Network for Evolving Transportation: MAGNET. The new tri-state economic development initiative will be headquartered at The University of Alabama. MAGNET is also among 29 semifinalists in the National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines competition, making it a candidate for significant federal investment. The Southeast's automotive footprint has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Officials say the new alliance is designed to help the region maintain that momentum as the global industry shifts toward electrification and connected mobility. |
| Alabama lawmakers consider change to funding of higher education institutions | |
| Alabama's joint legislative education committee heard a presentation on outcome-based funding for higher education during their meeting Thursday. The outcome-based funding system would allow the state to set goals for Alabama's higher education institutions and reward them for meeting those goals, which can include completion of degrees or fulfilling specific workforce gaps through education. Lawmakers said base funding for higher education institution would not change. "We got to look at, from a funding standpoint, the actual degree areas. We got to look at alignment when it comes to what's our focus as a state, where are we going?" said state Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville. "I think that we have to make certain that we're not taking a one-size-fits-all approach, that we're looking at the dynamics and the situation within each institution." Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they are considering adopting the outcome-based funding system in an effort to keep Alabama college graduates in the state, ensuring that they can get their degree and stay in Alabama post-grad. "We're really don't want to try to run the institutions," said state Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville. "We're not trying to tell them what to do, but we are basically saying 'look, here's what our needs are as a state, tell us as an institution -- and they will all be different -- how can you meet that? What will you do? And if they deliver, then we can provide additional funding." |
| U. of Arkansas poultry researchers studying calcium efficiency, digestibility in feed | |
| Researchers at the University of Arkansas are studying calcium availability in poultry feed, and how the results can optimize calcium digestibility. Calcium is a key component of poultry feed conversion and supports bone density, enzyme activation, muscle contractions and other critical functions. Ben Parsons, assistant professor of poultry nutrition with the Arkansas Experiment Station, said in a university news release, that recent work has shown that excess calcium can exacerbate disease and pathogen challenges. Parsons' study looked into a comparison between two calcium availability tests, one being a traditional test and a second newer and faster test, and found both offer reliable results to help optimize calcium digestibility. "The biggest challenge we have is analytically picking up the calcium content of our samples accurately," he said. Figuring out the value of calcium needed for poultry is something that could save larger producers millions of dollars. Parsons said even with a small change, the large-scale producers would see a great financial effect. |
| UGA fraternity Sigma Chi under investigation for alleged hazing, alcohol abuse | |
 | Athens-Clarke police continued on Thursday to investigate hazing allegations involving alcohol abuse by members of a University of Georgia fraternity earlier this month. "We don't have anything right now. It's preliminary, but we are handling it," police Lt. Katie Jenkins said about the investigation. The complaint involves Sigma Chi, a fraternity located in downtown Athens, according to police reports. The alleged conduct was initially referred to the University of Georgia police on Aug. 12 through an e-mail from a licensed family marriage and family therapist in Athens, according to a UGA police report. The therapist wrote that "incoming freshmen were punched and forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol beyond their capacity." The report notes the hazing occurred Sept. 9-10 at two off-campus locations and that "Sigma Chi had pledges send videos of themselves chugging alcohol to fraternity leaders throughout the summer." The other named fraternity was Sigma Alpha Epsilon. UGA has "paused" Sigma Chi's potential new membership activity while a review is conducted by the Greek Life & Student Affairs members, according to Rod Guajardo, a spokesperson for the Office of the UGA President. |
| College of Nursing dedicates U. of Tennessee Medical Nursing Building, extends partnership with UT Medical Center, expands programs | |
| On Monday afternoon, leadership from the University of Tennessee, along with community partners, dedicated a new home for the College of Nursing. Through an extended partnership with UT Medical Center, the new building was officially named the UT Medical Nursing Building. This partnership allows for the continuation and expansion of the Nurse Scholars Initiative, supporting both the accelerated and traditional BSN programs. Over 140 traditional BSN students are receiving scholarships this year through this partnership, according to Dr. Keith Gray, the president and chief executive officer of UTMC. Groundbreaking on the new building began in 2022, with the promise of being ready to open by fall of 2025. Although the college has faced logistical challenges over the last few years, this new building stands proudly at five stories and 117,000 square feet and pioneers a bright future -- in a dedicated space -- for the College of Nursing. "We are going to be the university known for our unparalleled student experience, both in and out of the classroom," Chancellor Donde Plowman said. "We will be the university that everyone turns to in Tennessee to prepare the future workforce and the leaders of tomorrow. We will be where industry, government and community leaders turn to help solve problems that make a difference for the people of this state." |
| With lasers, smoke and wind tunnel, U. of Florida helps federal agency investigate deadly Hurricane Maria | |
 | As Floridians brace for hurricanes amid the wild weather of 2025, some University of Florida researchers have their eyes on 2017's Hurricane Maria, the deadly Category 4 storm that pummeled Puerto Rico. Engineering professor and natural hazards researcher Brian Phillips is leading UF's efforts in a Hurricane Maria investigation conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, known as NIST. The goal is increased safety and resilience amid deadly conditions. Maria killed nearly 3,000 people and caused more than $90 billion in damage. Most of the island's wind sensors and weather stations failed as the storm raged, leaving responders and investigators with few reliable weather measurements. What went wrong? Phillips and UF storm researchers are helping answer that question -- and provide safety and structural recommendations -- as part of NIST's Hurricane Maria investigation. The full report will be released in 2026, but NIST recently published preliminary findings; some of the hazard and structural load data was derived from wind tunnel tests at UF's NHERI Experimental Facility in the Powell Family Structure and Materials Laboratory on UF's East Campus in Gainesville. |
| After $10 million gift, U. ot Texas' Clements Center can expand national security programs | |
| With a new $10 million gift from the William P. Clements Foundation, a University of Texas center aiming to educate the next generation of national security experts is expanding. The Clements Center for National Security, founded in 2013 by William Inboden, now provost of the university, has relied on private donations for its operations, which included fellowships, research and academic opportunities for students from the undergraduate to doctorate level. This gift will go toward an endowment that will secure the long-term future of the center as it expands with students' needs, and allow the center to focus more on students and less on fundraising, said Deputy Executive Director Paul Edgar, a former student of the center. "This is a demonstration of next-level support that they really are confident that we've been doing this consistently, year over year, that we're not going to fail and collapse," Edgar said. Named for former deputy secretary of defense and Texas Gov. William Clements, the center's mission is "very personal" for his family and his foundation, now run by his granddaughter, said Admiral Joseph Maguire, executive director for the Clements Center. The $10 million commitment signals the family's belief in the center's ability to meet rising national security needs. And the needs are especially great, said Maguire, who served in the U.S. Navy for more than 30 years and was the U.S. director of National Intelligence in 2019 under the Trump administration. |
| Texas A&M regents approve $250 million for Aplin Center | |
 | The Texas A&M Board of Regents approved $250 million for the construction of the Aplin Center in College Station at its quarterly meeting Thursday. It was one of several campus projects presented during by the committee on buildings and physical plant. Texas A&M University system Chief Facilities Officer Brett McCully presented the Aplin project. "This project will construct a new visitors center, admissions office, restaurant and immersive learning laboratories," McCully told the Board in his presentation. "Project construction is scheduled to begin in September [2025] and be complete in February 2028." It will be three stories with a square footage of 211,274. "The Aplin Center here at Texas A&M University is just one example of projects that have been worked on for a very long time that will be the welcome center here at Texas A&M," Texas A&M Chancellor Glenn Hegar said after the meeting. "The Aplin Center is going to be a centerpiece as an anchor here in the center of the campus. When every student comes to this campus the symbolism of what the university represents and what the system represents will be there. It's a real prominent feature that everyone will get to see." The Aplin Center will be named for Buc-ee's founder Arch "Beaver" Aplin III after Aplin gave the university a $50 million gift in 2022. In addition to a place for students the Aplin Center will serve as the front door for Texas A&M in College Station. |
| Student harassment addressed at Faculty Council given open committee positions | |
 | During Thursday's University of Missouri Faculty Council meeting, members emphasized the need to fill the Student Affairs Committee chair position, urging representation to address issues of harassment on campus. Faculty Council Chair Carolyn Orbann said the chancellor's office is working to gather more information on reported incidents after receiving a letter from the Legion of Black Collegians on Aug. 20 claiming continued harassment of Black students on campus, among other grievances. "The chancellor's office is actually pulling together some reporting on that to show the disciplinary process for the incidents that have been reported, which, of course, we know this is an area of underreporting," Orbann said. "I wanted you to know that we've already started talking about it, that we haven't been silent on this issue." Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Chair Noel Kopriva shared the same sentiment. "This is why we need a student affairs chair," Kopriva said. "I think it would be helpful to make things easier in situations like this." The Research Scholarship and Economic Development Committee chair position also remains vacant. |
| Georgia Tech Is Teaching Other Universities a Fundraising Lesson | |
| Mark Nolan's phone has been ringing off the hook. At a time when the Trump administration is blowing up the traditional government-funded model for scientific research, Georgia Tech's office of corporate engagement -- led by Nolan -- has secured nearly 15% of the campus research funding from industry, with corporations spending more than $70 million on research this fiscal year, up 28% from last year. Nationally, industry spends about 6% of the funds that university labs use in research. Georgia Tech hit this mark as the Trump administration has cut billions in science grants and is overhauling the way the government funds academic research. As universities try to reshape their budgets, facing cuts or other economic pressures, leaders of top schools are turning to Nolan for advice. In July, he spoke on three conference panels, sharing tips with other schools about how to pitch companies. He fields multiple calls a week. "I was told Mark Nolan was the person to talk to," said Ande Durojaiye, who in February was starting up an office for corporate partnerships at Miami University in Ohio. Nolan's message: Think big. The typical way academic institutions find corporate funders is to seek support for individual research projects, Nolan said. Instead, he advises thinking about long-term relationships that offer companies numerous ways to invest. "We're not talking to companies just about research agreements," Nolan said. "We're talking to them about every way that we could possibly engage with them." |
| Survey: How AI Is Changing -- Not 'Killing' -- College | |
 | Faculty and administrators' opinions about generative artificial intelligence abound. But students -- path breakers in their own right in this new era of learning and teaching -- have opinions, too. That's why Inside Higher Ed is dedicating the second installment of its 2025–26 Student Voice survey series to generative AI. Some of the results are perhaps surprising: Relatively few students say that generative AI has diminished the value of college, in their view, and nearly all of them want their institutions to address academic integrity concerns -- albeit via a proactive approach rather than a punitive one. Another standout: Half of students who use AI for coursework say it's having mixed effects on their critical thinking abilities, while a quarter report it's helping them learn better. Most students are using generative AI for coursework, but many are doing so in ways that can support, not outsource, their learning. Students have mixed views on faculty use of generative AI for teaching. |
| Making Your Research Free May Cost You | |
 | Stephanie Rolin, a mental-health services researcher, found out last month that a journal had accepted her latest paper for publication. But there was an asterisk. Community Mental Health Journal was requiring her to fork over about $4,400 -- a fee that she hadn't budgeted for, and one she says she cannot afford. The journal's parent company, Springer Nature, was levying the charge in response to Rolin's funder, the National Institutes of Health. In effect, she'd been caught in a battle between one of the world's biggest publishers of scientific research and the world's biggest sponsor of biomedical research. Ironically, the fight is over how to make research free. Most studies appear in paywalled journals, and critics have long contended that those paywalls enrich publishers while gatekeeping taxpayers from the research they fund. The NIH has been pushing for more openness in the ecosystem into which it pours nearly $48 billion annually, and its biggest move yet took effect on July 1. Under a policy that was approved by the Biden administration to take effect at the end of 2025, and moved up six months by the Trump administration, all agency-funded research must now be made freely and immediately available. The previous policy had allowed papers to stay paywalled for up to a year. But since July 1, some publishers have only given researchers one way to comply with the NIH's mandate: paying fees that were previously optional. |
| Fallout for universities that struck deals with Trump raises questions, concerns | |
 | Three universities touted restoration of federal funding as the crux for striking deals with the Trump administration, but it's unclear to faculty and onlookers whether all the benefits have panned out for these institutions. While leadership at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown and Columbia, along with the Trump administration, have said funding was restored, some researchers still see their money cut and others have received no communication from administrators when asked about the details of restored funds. The fallout is a warning sign to other campuses looking to make deals with the administration. Every university is watching the fallout of these deals, including the University of California and Harvard, which are currently working on deals with the administration. "I think they're ready to move on from this, but they're unable to because of the ripple effect that this is creating," said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. "So these deals came with significant policy concessions that compromise academic freedom, institutional autonomy and shared governance." |
| Trump Cancels Dozens of Education Grants -- With More Terminations on the Horizon | |
 | The Trump administration has begun canceling dozens of competitive federal education grants years before they were set to expire -- and the educators behind hundreds more in-progress projects are worried that funding delays mean their grants could be next. More than $1 billion for current recipients of grants under at least seven distinct U.S. Department of Education programs -- including for school desegregration, disability services, higher-education preparation, teacher training, and academic research -- has yet to materialize just weeks before the new fiscal year begins, according to interviews with grant recipients, state education agencies, and advocacy organizations. In previous years, the grant recipients said, they would have received notice weeks or months ago that their next year of funding was on the way. Grants that haven't shown up yet or have already been canceled fuel a wide range of education priorities, including strengthening ties between schools and parents; improving instruction for disadvantaged students; boosting postsecondary education opportunities for low-income families; and preparing schools for physical and virtual safety threats. The precise reasons for the delays and cancellations aren't immediately clear. |
| Homeland Security Moves to Restrict How Long International Students Can Stay in U.S. | |
| After months of speculation, the Department of Homeland Security publicly released its plans to limit how long international students can stay in the United States -- a proposal that advocates say will only add to uncertainty and chaos that this group is already facing. Currently, students can stay in the country as long as they are enrolled at a college or university. But the proposed rule released Wednesday would allow students to stay for the duration of their program, but no longer than four years. That isn't enough time for students to complete a doctoral program, and it's less time than the average student takes to complete a bachelor's degree. Students who want to stay longer would have to seek authorization to extend their visa. The first Trump administration tried to make this change, which would roll back at 1991 rule known as duration of status. However, the Biden administration withdrew the proposal. Officials said in a news release that setting a fixed time for students on visas to stay would curb what they call abuses and allow the government to better oversee these individuals. Additionally, officials alleged that the current policy incentivizes international students to "become 'forever' students," who are "perpetually enrolled in higher education courses to remain in the U.S." |
| Pentagon Is Reinstalling Portrait of Confederate General at West Point Library | |
 | The Pentagon is restoring a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which includes a slave guiding the Confederate general's horse in the background, to the West Point library three years after a congressionally mandated commission ordered it removed, officials said. The 20-foot-tall painting, which hung at the United States Military Academy for 70 years, was taken down in response to a 2020 law that stripped the names of Confederate leaders from military bases. That legislation also created a commission to come up with new base names. In 2022, the commission ordered West Point to take down all displays that "commemorate or memorialize the Confederacy." A few weeks later, the portrait of General Lee with his slave in the background was placed in storage. It was not clear how West Point could return General Lee's portrait to the library without violating the law, which emerged from the protests that followed George Floyd's killing by Minneapolis police officers in 2020. In 2017, after violent protests in Charlottesville, Va., by white nationalists who opposed a plan to remove a statue of General Lee from a city park, some West Point alumni urged the academy to re-examine its relationship with the Confederate hero. |
SPORTS
| How will Blake Shapen's return go for Mississippi State vs Southern Miss? | |
 | The 2025 season opener for Mississippi State football is on the road, but not too far away. The Bulldogs kick off the season at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on Aug. 30 (11 a.m., ESPN). It's their first game at M.M. Roberts Stadium since 2015. The Golden Eagles are a completely revamped team after they fired coach Will Hall last season. They hired Charles Huff from Marshall after it won the Sun Belt championship. Both MSU and Southern Miss have lots of uncertainty entering the game. Southern Miss returns only 23 players from last season's team that went 1-11. Sixty-five transfers were added, 21 from Marshall. Huff also brought 10 of his coaches with him from Marshall. The Golden Eagles didn't release a depth chart, but many of the former Marshall players are expected to be starters, led by quarterback Braylon Braxton. "I expect to see six maybe seven starters for Southern Miss defensively coming from Marshall," MSU second-year coach Jeff Lebby said. It will be MSU quarterback Blake Shapen's first game since suffering a season-ending fractured shoulder blade in Week 4 of 2024. The Bulldogs have a fairly new team around him too with 37 transfers and nine junior college signees to improve from last season's 2-10 record. |
| 40,000 visitors expected in Hattiesburg over Labor Day Weekend | |
 | Hattiesburg is gearing up for a busy weekend, as two major sporting events are set to bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars into the city. Tourism leaders say the economic impact will top $11 million thanks to the University of Southern Mississippi's football's first home game of the season and the Hattiesburg Futbol Club Labor Day Classic soccer tournament. "This is a big weekend for sports tourism in Hattiesburg," said Kristen Brock with Visit Hattiesburg. Between USM's football game against Mississippi State University and HFC's soccer tournament, more than 40,000 visitors are expected. Brock said the numbers are proof that investments in sports tourism are paying off. "That's really a testament to the investments that our city and our stakeholders have put in, and, really, elevating the excellence that we're finding in our sports, from collegiate to youth, and really the spectrum of sports that are being played here in Hattiesburg," Brock said. "It might take a little bit longer to get from place to place, but, please, understand, that's a good problem to have," said Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker. "So, be patient as you're moving about the city, particularly in Midtown and around Tatum Park and just see this is a positive thing that it is." |
| Volleyball: Preview: Maroon and White Invite | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to have their home opener this weekend in the Maroon and White Invite as they face SEMO on Friday, Grambling on Saturday and North Alabama on Sunday. The matches will take place at The Griss, with the opposing teams playing one another throughout the weekend. This weekend marks the season opener for all competing teams. All MSU matches will be streamed live on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs will make their season opener this weekend, after beating Memphis in the exhibition match 3-1 last weekend. Nine new faces will be donning Maroon and White for the first time. Five of the nine are transfers, while four are freshmen. McKenna Yates, a two-time SEC Defensive Athlete of the Week as a freshman, will return to the court for the Bulldogs this weekend. Yates racked up 295 digs in her freshman season. Mele Corral-Blagojevich returns after leading the team with 31 service aces last season. Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss will make her MSU debut this weekend. As a transfer from Delaware, Whitfield-Moss racked up 323 kills in her first two seasons, leading the team ahead of the first match. |
| Men's Golf: Bulldogs Begin Play At Carmel Cup | |
| Mississippi State men's golf will begin the 2025 fall campaign hosting the Carmel Cup at famed Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California. "We are excited to get the season started at a very special place," head coach Dusty Smith said. "We are very thankful to be a part of such a great event and look forward to the challenges that a great field and a great course will provide us." This year's event features a field of consistently successful programs. Five of State's competitors this weekend advanced to the NCAA Championships last season, including national champion Oklahoma State. The Bulldogs look to build upon a successful 2024-25 season that featured the program's seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. State compiled four top-five finishes with a victory at the Desert Mountain Collegiate. |
| Women's Golf To Begin Season At Carmel Cup | |
| The Mississippi State women's golf squad begin their 2025-26 campaign at the Carmel Cup for the fourth consecutive season in historic Pebble Beach, California. The Bulldogs enter the season coming off their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, extending the longest streak in program history. State will compete with four other 2025 NCAA Tournament teams during the Carmel Cup: Arkansas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. Texas A&M, TCU and Texas Tech will round out the eight team tournament. Three familiar faces will take the course for the Bulldogs at the Carmel Cup – senior Izzy Pellot, junior Avery Weed and junior Samantha Whateley. Pellot enters her fourth Carmel Cup, while Whateley and Weed will be teeing off at Pebble Beach for the third time. Weed will shoot in the one spot, Pellot in the three and Whateley in the four. Three freshman Bulldogs will make their debuts in the Maroon and White beginning on Friday. Lynn van der Sluijs from the Netherlands will shoot in the second spot for State. Harper Hinckley, a Summit, Mississippi native, will hold the fifth spot for the Bulldogs. Sweden native Moa Stridh will wrap out the lineup in the opening event of the season. |
| SEC, Big Ten Football Ratings to Rise as Nielsen Ups College-Town Scope | |
| If Americans are often deeply weird about their college football, it's because the entire gameday experience is a delivery system for a sort of communal ecstasy. Cram 100,000 enthusiasts into a poured-concrete horseshoe, hit them up with a century-old fight song and a few belts of something embossed with a label that shoos away pregnant ladies and operators of heavy machinery, and you've got all the makings of an afternoon of Hellenic-style out-of-body rapture. Unless your team sucks, in which case: Welp. For the networks carrying the fall roster of can't-miss college football matchups, Saturdays are about to get positively Dionysian. The implementation of Nielsen's new Big Data + Panel currency already promises to help juice the TV ratings, and a recent tweak to the company's out-of-home measurement system is expected to scare up even bigger crowds in hitherto underserved markets from South Bend to Tallahassee. In February of this year, Nielsen expanded its OOH coverage from 66% of all markets to a full 100%, an upgrade that allows the ratings service to measure audiences in bars, restaurants, gyms and pretty much anywhere else fans gather to watch sports. Private residences are also included in the OOH scheme, which goes a long way toward explaining why deliveries for the NFL's Thanksgiving Day broadcasts have gone through the roof in recent years. |
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