| Wednesday, October 14, 2026 |
| New MSU composites program to address workforce shortage | |
 | Ross Smith, Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering's Innovation Design and Engineering Education Lab director, said there is clearly a need for more engineers and manufacturing workers in the aircraft composite materials industry. That's why he and members of MSU's Advanced Composites Institute partnered on a new Department of Defense's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program-funded initiative to give hands-on instruction to more than 750 college students, alternate career seekers and industry workers over the next three years. "We saw there was a major need for the composite manufacturing skill set in the state of Mississippi, and so we immediately started working together," Smith told The Dispatch. "Obviously, ACI is a fantastic group. ... (And) we do the traditional research, and we have industry projects and partnerships on the high ... level type work. And we also do ... focus very much on education as well as workforce development, so it's kind of a natural marriage with us two as partners working together." As the program continues, the goal is to expand its efforts beyond MSU's campus and delve into expanded outreach with Mississippi elementary, middle and high school students to learn more about the career and potentially inspire careers in manufacturing among state students. |
| Magnolia Moves Activity Challenge Encourages Healthier Habits | |
 | The Mississippi State University Bolivar County Extension Office is encouraging people to make physical activity part of their daily routines through the Magnolia Moves Activity Challenge, which promotes healthy habits and community connections. The program promotes physical activity through walking, giving participants a way to work toward their health goals while establishing a consistent routine and building community connections. For Chris Kurgan, who is new to the Delta, the challenge offers an opportunity to meet people with similar interests while continuing a habit she already enjoys. "I was looking for a good way to network and meet people, and especially people who have similar interests," Kurgan said. "I figured I go out walking every single day by myself, anyway, so why not joining an organization for my walking and possibly help me meet new people." Mary Presley McClellan, an MSU health and wellness Extension agent, said the challenge is designed to welcome people across a wide range of ages and activity levels, from teenagers to adults 65 and older. |
| More Than a Crop: MSU historian's new book examines cotton's place in Southern history | |
| Mississippi State University historian James C. "Jim" Giesen's latest book explores the cultural, environmental and economic influence of cotton on the American South and its people. Released this month by University of Georgia Press, "The Land of Cotton: Culture, Landscape, and the Fabric of Southern History," examines approximately 150 years of history and shows how cotton became more than simply the South's signature crop. "What surprised me in the research for this book was the ways that cotton's presence on Southern farms impacted the way people could talk about history," said Giesen, an associate professor in MSU's Department of History. "At the end of the day, I hope that people read my book and think about the ways farm fields, old cotton mills and gins, blues museums and even Cotton, Inc. T-shirts impact how they think about the history of the South and their place in it," he said. |
| Rice season ends positively despite fewer acres planted | |
| Although Mississippi rice producers planted fewer acres this year than is typical, it was a good production year overall. "Yield reports were positive for the majority of our fields," said Will Eubank, rice specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "We had some outliers, of course. But compared to 2024 and 2025, which were pretty bad years for yields, we had a good year. It wasn't great, but it was good." He estimated 90% to 95% of fields had been harvested as of Sept. 30. Producers planted 48,000 acres of rice, down about 70% from 2025's 162,000 acres. Producers experienced favorable weather during planting season, and about half of the state's acreage was planted between March 15 and 20. Then, a period of dry weather hit that affected germination. "We got a lot of rice planted during that early window, but around early April, we had a month and a half of very dry weather that caused uneven germination," said Eubank, who is stationed at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. "We were chasing moisture or waiting on a rain." |
| Tawny crazy ants spread to 7 Mississippi counties | |
| An invasive ant confirmed only in south Mississippi until this year has made moves into nearby counties, causing officials to urge people to be on the lookout for tawny crazy ants. Joe MacGown, ant taxonomist with the Mississippi Entomological Museum housed at Mississippi State University, said these small, reddish-brown ants are native to South America and first arrived in the U.S. almost 100 years ago. "According to Mississippi Entomological Museum records, the earliest known record from the U.S. was from Illinois in 1931, followed by records from Florida and Texas in the late 1930s," said MacGown, who is also a researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. "As with many invasive ant species, they went largely unnoticed until populations exploded in both Florida and Texas in the early 2000s." Tawny crazy ants are known by different names, which can confuse people trying to find information about them, Santos Portugal, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said. |
| Former USDA Senior Adviser Kelsey Barnes launches Cultivate Advisory | |
| Former USDA Senior Adviser Kelsey Barnes is launching Cultivate Advisory, a consulting firm providing government relations, political strategy and public relations services to clients in agriculture, energy and rural development. Barnes most recently served as a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. During her time at USDA, she helped develop and author the National Farm Security Action Plan, the Rural Veterinary Action Plan and the Great American Cotton Plan. She also worked on advancing the Trump administration's biofuels priorities. "Agriculture policy is moving faster and becoming more complex, from the farm bill to trade, biofuels, farm security, and rural investments," Barnes said in the announcement. She added that Cultivate Advisory will help clients respond to policy changes and develop strategies to influence policy outcomes. Barnes grew up in Tennessee on a diversified row-crop and cattle operation. She served in the Army National Guard and earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Mississippi State University. |
| Mississippi doctor urges flu shots as cases rise earlier than usual | |
| With flu season ramping up in Mississippi, one of the state's leading health professionals is urging people to get their flu shots. Dr. Jennifer Bryan, a physician with the Hattiesburg Clinic in Flowood and former chair of the Mississippi State Medical Association Board of Trustees, said flu season typically runs from October through May. While flu vaccines do not guarantee protection against the virus, Bryan said vaccination could mean the difference between life and death. "Some protection is better than no protection, and the flu can definitely keep you out of work for a long time, it can put you in the hospital and, for a good many people, it is fatal," Bryan said on Mary Wieden & You on SuperTalk Jackson. "So, getting your flu shot is always wise. No one is going to tell you that it's always going to protect you from the flu, but you won't die from it -- and that's a good outcome." Mississippi began seeing an earlier-than-usual rise in flu cases in 2026, Bryan noted, partly because hot weather drove people indoors to air-conditioned spaces where germs can spread more easily. Bryan said the earlier return to school has also contributed to the shift, a trend she expected to continue in future years. |
| Vicksburg-Tallulah airport to be renamed in honor of Dan Fordice | |
| The Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport will be renamed in honor of the late Dan Fordice during a ceremony Friday, Oct. 16, as pilots from 17 states, including Hawaii, gather for the annual warbird formation training clinic he established more than a decade ago. The unveiling of the Dan Fordice Memorial Airfield sign will take place at 11 a.m. Friday at the airport, with the public invited to attend. The ceremony comes during the Southern Heritage Air Foundation and North American Trainer Association Warbird Formation Training Clinic, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 18. This year's gathering, which is expected to bring more than 30 historic military aircraft to the area, will be the first since Fordice's death on May 12. Fordice founded the Southern Heritage Air Foundation and held his first official warbird formation training clinic in partnership with the North American Trainer Association in 2013. "This clinic will be different without Dan, but his spirit will be with us every step of the way," said Mississippi pilot and clinic leader Eric Hollingsworth. |
| Lawmakers urged to move to a centralized cybersecurity system in Mississippi to protect from attacks | |
| With cyberthreats increasing and attacks taking place in the state of Mississippi, the state Senate Select Committee on Cybersecurity heard from a panel of security experts Tuesday to prepare for the introduction of potential legislation in the upcoming session. Some of the ways the committee was advised to proceed include moving the state's cyber infrastructure into a more consolidated system that uses the same vendors, hardware and software to prevent attacks. There were also talk of state agencies offering access to those same services to cities, counties, the education sector, and utilities such as water and sewer. Cyberattacks on state agencies and local governments have already occurred this year, including at the Institutions of Higher Learning, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and dozens of others. "You're coming off 36 hours of 70 entities in the state of Mississippi that were hit on one third party vendor," Senator Tyler McCaughn (R), the committee's co-chair, described to the panel. "You're coming off of UMMC. You're coming off of IHL. You're coming off Vicksburg and Madison County. You're coming off of everything that we could see go wrong, that you told us was going to happen, is now here." |
| Mississippi lawmakers seek long-term strategy as cyberattacks escalate statewide | |
 | Cybersecurity has become a growing concern for Mississippi governments. Lawmakers say the rise in sophisticated attacks has pushed Mississippi to urgently pursue long-term protections for public data and digital infrastructure. During a hearing held by the Select Committee on Cybersecurity on Tuesday, representatives from several state offices and cybersecurity experts shared insight on how Mississippi could strengthen its electronic systems. Bobby Freeman is Director of the Cyber Unit at the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security. He said more hackers are targeting government agencies for their data. "Yes, you have ransomware groups that go out and encrypt data and ask for a ransom. But that's just part of their business model these days," said Freeman. "They ultimately want that private data that individual companies or state agencies hold to then go forward and sell individual identities on the dark web." Senator Scott DeLano of Gulfport said one option the state could consider is using AI agents to monitor and fight attacks. "AI is definitely part of the tool that we'll have to implement. We're lagging a little behind in that," said DeLano. "But we can be a leader if we have a progressive outlook from the Governor's office down, to make sure that our state agencies adopt the policies that are necessary to prevent cyberattacks in the future." |
| Under attack: State looks to harden cybersecurity as AI changes the game | |
| Cyberattacks on government entities are increasing, the speed of attacks is accelerating and the impact could be far reaching thanks largely to artificial intelligence. February's cyberattack on the University of Mississippi Medical Center demonstrated the damage that hackers can inflict. UMMC was without Wifi or phones and it's regular computer system was down for more than a week. It canceled appointments and elective surgeries, and medical staff had to use paper charts to care for patients. On Tuesday, the Senate Cybersecurity Committee met with experts to learn about what the state should do to protect citizens and assets. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann created the committee in August to study the security of state and local government information systems and laws and penalties. The committee will develop recommendations for the Legislature's 2027 session. Hosemann has said the state is "woefully inadequate" in cybersecurity. |
| Businessman Thomas Duff speaks at Lamar County Republican Dinner | |
 | One of Mississippi's most prominent businessmen and a possible 2027 governor candidate spoke to Lamar County Republicans Tuesday night. Thomas Duff, co-founder and co-owner of Duff Capital Investors, was the keynote speaker for the Lamar County Republican Dinner at Canebrake Country Club. Duff spoke about the importance of improving education and business development in Mississippi. He also said he's paying close attention to the upcoming midterm elections. "I'm very hopeful that the Republicans can hold on to the House and Senate," Duff said. "Gas prices, inflation, things that are temporary right now, are having frankly and undue impression upon people, and I trust President Trump. We're working through these situations. I don't want folks in Iran to have a nuclear weapon. We're having to take some short-term losses for long-term gains." |
| Northern PSC Commissioner says Mississippi intends to be a part of what comes next with nuclear energy development | |
| The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently received regulatory approval to move forward with construction of a BWRX-300 small modular nuclear reactor. TVA was the first utility applying to build the GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 design in the United States. Mississippi's Northern District Public Service Commissioner Chris Brown (R) praised the development, calling the project a "milestone" for the thousands of North Mississippi families and businesses served by TVA. He pledged that "Mississippi intends to be part of what comes next." Brown expanded on his comments with Magnolia Tribune this week, describing the current period as "the most transformative time in the energy industry since Edison discovered the lightbulb." The commissioner believes nuclear energy can provide reliable power while helping bring electricity costs down for Mississippians. Brown is working to establish a partnership between the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University to pursue a nuclear research reactor. He said the facility could support both universities' research programs. Further, the commissioner is working with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R), 1st District Congressman Trent Kelly (R), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of War to pursue a microreactor near Columbus Air Force Base. |
| Former VP Harris to campaign with Colom in Columbus | |
| Former Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Columbus this month to campaign with U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom. An email from Colom's campaign confirmed Harris will be in Columbus Oct. 22. It did not include any other details of her visit. Colom, a Democrat and Columbus native, is challenging Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith for Mississippi's junior Senate seat. Colom is serving his third term as district attorney for the 16th Circuit -- which includes Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. Harris joins a number of prominent Democrats campaigning for Colom ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, including Sens. Raphael Warnock, Cory Booker and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Former President Barack Obama cut an ad this week supporting Colom. |
| Judge Halts USDA Relocation Plans, for Now | |
| A federal judge on Tuesday halted the Agriculture Department's plans to close offices and relocate employees across eight agencies, ruling that the department is likely violating spending restrictions Congress wrote into its appropriations laws. In an order, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California stopped the USDA from closing offices or moving employees outside their local commuting area at the Forest Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the Food and Nutrition Administration and five other components while the litigation continues. The order covers plans to move the Forest Service headquarters to Salt Lake City and close all nine regional offices, and to shutter all seven Food and Nutrition Administration regional offices, which could mean relocations for up to 870 of roughly 1,200 employees. The restrictions at issue expire Dec. 11, so Congress could revisit them in its next funding bill, Chhabria wrote. Numerous employees told The Washington Sun in July that they would rather quit than move. |
| Surprise Russia diesel deal spurned by growing number of GOP senators | |
 | A growing number of Senate Republicans are criticizing President Trump's surprise deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import 2.2 million tons of Russian diesel into the U.S. market. At least eight Republican senators have expressed public concerns over the deal, which would pave the way for the United States to import hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Russian diesel over the next two months. The Middle East Institute in June reported that Moscow has provided Tehran with satellite targeting data for strikes on U.S. forces. Russia also has provided Iran with fiber-optic drone technology and amplified Iranian propaganda, it said. "I wasn't overly delighted with the deal on diesel, and I think there's not a very high likelihood that it will actually be consummated and be enacted," Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said at the Warsaw Security Forum. "I think there's a much better way in the near term to lower energy prices and also to provide some security." Economic experts say Trump's deal to immediately import 2.2 million tons of Russian diesel would supply less than a day's worth of the nation's diesel consumption. |
| House control all but gone, top Republicans privately concede | |
 | Some top congressional Republicans have privately concluded that it is likely impossible for them to keep control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, and they are now focused on limiting the scale of the defeat and salvaging the party's Senate majority. Five senior Republican lawmakers, all granted anonymity to speak candidly about their party's dire position, told POLITICO the House had all but slipped away. One senior House Republican said the GOP's goal at this point was to "save as many Republican seats as we can." The president, this person said, was not helping. "President Trump has made this election all about himself," the lawmaker said. "Now we have to survive that political storm." White House officials insist they're not giving up on either chamber of Congress. In a statement, White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said Trump remained "committed to maintaining Republican majorities in both the House and Senate." House Speaker Mike Johnson went even further, flatly declaring during a campaign stop in deep-red Texas that "the polling is wrong" in showing his party on the brink of a broad defeat. Yet at a tactical level, the Republican Party's shift in focus away from defending the House and toward saving the Senate is clear enough. |
| Prices increased sharply in September in last inflation report ahead of elections | |
 | Inflation rose to a 3.7 percent annual pace in September, extending a relentless climb this year pushed by surging energy prices, which have soured Americans on the economy as they head to the polls. Gas and energy prices spiked sharply, driving a hotter-than-expected increase in the last inflation report before the election, released Wednesday by the Labor Department. The increase in the consumer price index adds pressure to the Trump administration and Republican candidates as one of the final economic tests before the midterm elections. Affordability is a key issue for voters in this election, and GOP candidates have been acknowledging to dissatisfied voters that economic conditions are poor, even as the Republican Party controls the White House and Congress. President Donald Trump was elected on a pledge to bring down prices for Americans, but many Americans have said they are frustrated by inflation, as gas prices have skyrocketed since the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. The economy has consistently ranked as the leading issue for voters this election season, and the Trump administration has tried to make a last minute push to make finances more favorable for people. Democrats have seized upon voters' dissatisfaction, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into ads about the economy. |
| Trump's New Press Secretary Makes a Rocky Debut at the White House Podium | |
 | Katie Zacharia appeared at the podium to introduce herself as the new White House press secretary Tuesday, but instead sparked questions from some administration allies about whether she was ready to step into one of the world's most scrutinized jobs. She read directly from a list of President Trump's accomplishments, her voice at times halting. The spokeswoman took just three questions before directing the press to speak with the president. She accidentally referred to her husband as "my president." In all, her first press briefing lasted less than 15 minutes. It was a rough debut for Zacharia, selected by Trump last week to replace Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August. The briefing received wall-to-wall coverage. One former senior administration official described the inaugural showing as a solid effort. Other administration officials, watching from their desks, picked up on nervousness in her voice, wondering why Trump had pushed the new press secretary in front of the cameras so quickly instead of easing her into the job. Online critics wondered if her tenure would last longer than that of Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as communications director during Trump's first term. He was fired after 11 days following an expletive-filled interview he gave to the New Yorker attacking senior White House staff. |
| Pope's cancer diagnosis leaves Catholics questioning what comes next | |
| Vatican transparency about papal health has come a long way from the secrecy of the past. But that does not mean Catholics were prepared for such seismic news about cancer and removal of a large section of Pope Leo XIV's lung -- even after he announced on Sunday that doctors had discovered a nodule. On Tuesday, the 71-year-old was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma following 90-minute surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung. Part of the shock has, of course, been because there had been few signs until now that concern was needed about any imminent risks to the Pope's health. An Augustinian, he is known to place great importance in good habits, including when it comes to health and fitness, such as weekly games of tennis. Now, with so many unknowns about the pontiff's prognosis and what treatment he might need, questions swirl around what may have to change in his routine, and for how long. |
| Researcher using $7M grant to create 'self-driving' lab at Ole Miss | |
 | The Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded a University of Mississippi researcher $7 million to create a lab that can develop, test and refine medications with little human intervention. Artificial intelligence-powered, self-driving laboratories are key to getting life-saving medications into patients' hands faster, said Mo Maniruzzaman, chair and professor of pharmaceutics and drug delivery. Maniruzzaman plans to create such a lab at Ole Miss. "Chronic conditions and diseases like diabetes and cancer claim millions of lives each year," he said. "We want to treat these diseases, but the reality is, it takes about 8 1/2 years for a medicine to go from concept to market. For a state like Mississippi, where the burden of chronic disease is among the highest in the nation, that's unacceptable. A self-driving laboratory combines artificial intelligence with robotics and automated laboratory equipment to run experiments and explore potential drugs and manufacturing processes faster than traditional, manually conducted experiments. |
| Mississippi Christian University sees record retention rate | |
 | Mississippi Christian University is witnessing steady enrollment numbers, highlighted by a record student retention rate. The university is reporting an 85% retention rate -- up from MC's 10-year average of 79% -- for a 2026 fall semester featuring an overall undergraduate enrollment of 2,605 students. School officials confirmed the numbers in a press statement to the Clarion Ledger, saying the undergraduate enrollment compares favorably to last year's total of 2,608. "I am grateful for the work that every employee at MC does to support our students," wrote Mississippi Christian University President Blake Thompson. According to the university's Dean of Enrollment Management Michael Wright, the enrollment numbers are a strong indication of Mississippi Christian's ability to attract students "seeking strong academics in a distinctly Christian environment." Wright singled out two factors in the college's recruitment efforts, pointing to a renewed focus on attracting students seeking MC's campus experience and the university's recent name change. |
| Families want meeting with UAB officials over organ harvesting of loved ones | |
| Families of incarcerated Alabamians whose organs were harvested after their deaths demanded a meeting with University of Alabama Birmingham officials Tuesday as delays in their civil lawsuit continue to mount. Speaking after a court hearing in Montgomery, in which UAB sought to have some counts dismissed, relatives said they wanted administrators to listen to stories of their relatives and demanded justice for their loved ones. UAB declined comment on Tuesday. According to the lawsuit, a group of medical students from the school noticed that many of the specimens they worked with in the curriculum were taken from people who died while in Alabama's prisons. The plaintiffs allege the organs were harvested without their permission, a violation of the law. |
| Samford University hits record enrollment as Homewood considers housing expansion | |
 | With record enrollment numbers at Samford University, the City of Homewood is considering additional student housing. Samford currently has more than 6,500 undergraduate students, the largest enrollment in the university's 185-year history. The proposal would increase the number of beds on campus to about 3,500. A university spokesperson fielded questions from city leaders about the final development plan during a Monday evening council meeting. "We believe very strongly that keeping 75% of our students living on campus is helping to generate some of the great academic outcomes that we're seeing with our students and this would be a great step forward in that regard," Colin Coyne, vice president for finance and business affairs at Samford University, said. Coyne said Landmark Development, the project's developer, is looking into using a not-for-profit funding structure to support the endeavor. The ground lease is still in negotiations, but is expected to last for about 40 years. |
| LSU Parking & Transportation opens Park & Geaux Mobility Hub | |
| Waiting on a bus or rushing to the parking lot as it begins to rain is a common experience for many LSU students. Rain or shine, students said finding parking on campus can be difficult, too. However, the opening of the Park & Geaux Mobility Hub off Skip Bertman Drive will make getting from one place to the next easier. To launch the hub, LSU Parking & Transportation hosted an event called Park & Geaux Grand Prix: The Ultimate Campus Pit Stop. The hub is furnished with vending machines, restrooms and screens that show buses' estimated times of arrival. "One of the good things about this hub is that it handles the macro and micro levels of transportation. If students are parking out here, they're able to get on that bus and go. If they don't want to wait on the bus, and they want to get there quicker, [they] have that autonomy [to walk]," Broty Stelly, communications specialist for Parking & Transportation, said. He added that there have been conversations about placing a central epicenter for Parking & Transportation for five to six years. According to Stelly, LSU Residential Life fronted the funding for the hub after complaints built up due to construction in the biggest commuter lot. |
| 'Why would you not?': Oklahoma first-year students share their experience living at Traditions Square | |
| For nearly every University of Oklahoma student, the first year of college is spent in a cramped dorm with a couple of roommates, directly in the center of campus life. This year, Traditions Square, OU's isolated apartment-style housing, opened up to first-year students for the first time, raising concerns about effects on student experience. Last year, OU announced the apartment-style housing would be open to first-year students. Previously, the apartments were entirely upperclassmen housing. Now, Traditions Square West is reserved for upperclassmen residents while Traditions Square East is strictly first-year housing. As the university continues to break enrollment records, housing has become a sore point. Resident change at Traditions East comes as the university begins Phase 2 of the First-Year Housing Master Plan, which is set to provide 1,384 new beds for first-year students while keeping small community atmospheres in mind. Traditions East residents have access to an in-unit washer and dryer, full kitchen, private bedrooms and a fully furnished living room. On-site amenities include a swimming pool, basketball court, 24-hour workout center and a computer lab with a printer. Lola Torres, a freshman resident at Traditions East, said these benefits made the complex feel like the better option when selecting housing. |
| Missouri students tout the benefits of attending technical colleges | |
 | High school seniors have turned to two-year colleges and technical schools instead of traditional four-year universities over the past decade. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment for two-year and technical schools across the nation increased by around 5% in 2024 and 2025. Four-year institutions only saw enrollment increases of 1.7% and 2.5% over the same two years respectively. Students in Missouri like Bracton Cook and Javon White say they have decided to follow this trend of attending two-year colleges because of their potential for hands-on experience, preparation for entering the workforce and cost-effectiveness. Cook, a second-year student, is studying for his associate of applied science degree in the Heavy Equipment Operations and Management, or HEO, program at State Technical College of Missouri in Linn. After graduating, he plans to use his degree to drive specialized machinery at construction sites. Not far from State Tech in Columbia, White, a senior at Battle High School, is currently gaining hands-on experience at the Columbia Area Career Center, or CACC, to prepare for his admission into a two-year vocational/technical school. |
| Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports | |
 | Cornell University suspended parties at fraternity houses until next year and is giving state police a role in investigating reports of sexual assault on campus in the school's latest response to outrage over its handling of a gang rape allegation. The measures announced Tuesday by Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff include a suspension of all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and a new "zero tolerance" policy that would immediately suspend chapters for violations. "These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue," Kotlikoff wrote in a letter to the campus community. Cornell said it will solicit input about "the development of safe social alternatives" to Greek life party culture and direct university resources toward those alternatives. Kotlikoff also committed to adding a case manager to the school's Office of Civil Rights to help those who report sexual misconduct on the Cornell campus navigate the process, and to working with New York State Police to allow its criminal investigators -- who are independent of Cornell -- to investigate allegations. |
| 'I'm Personally Sorry': Cornell's President Acknowledges Missteps | |
 | The president of Cornell University said on Tuesday that he learned that a student had reported being gang-raped at a fraternity party on campus shortly after she first came forward in November 2024. But in the months afterward, he said, he did not follow up with her or seek to learn whether any of the accused men had been punished. The president, Michael Kotlikoff, did not know that the woman had dropped out of Cornell until she filed a lawsuit last month under the pseudonym Jane Doe, he said in an interview with The New York Times. "The fact that Jane Doe experienced what she experienced at Cornell is something that I am personally sorry for," Dr. Kotlikoff said. "And I think this entire campus is sorry that occurred." During the 90-minute interview -- the first Dr. Kotlikoff has given since the lawsuit was filed -- he expressed anguish and horror over the events that have plunged his administration into crisis, and seemed to be pleading for time to confront the scandal. He also indicated he would not resign, even as he acknowledged that confidence in his leadership had been shaken. He was joined during Tuesday's interview by Anne Smalling, chair of Cornell's board of trustees, in an implicit endorsement of his continued leadership of the 26,000-student campus. Members of the 64-member board, however, have been largely silent on the question of the president's future. The school appeared to be still scrambling to contain the crisis on Tuesday. |
| Survey: Majority of College Students Say Free Speech Threatened | |
 | A record share of college students believe their right to free speech is under threat, new data shows. Just 37 percent of college students said free speech is secure, compared to 73 percent in 2016, according to a survey of more than 1,000 college students that the Knight Foundation released Tuesday in partnership with Ipsos. "That's the lowest level that's ever been observed," said Ricardo Mor, program officer for the Knight Foundation's information and society team. "It's an alarming trend." Since 2016, when the survey was first conducted, college students have lost confidence that their other freedoms -- including to practice religion, petition the government and peacefully assemble -- are secure. For example, only 40 percent of college students now believe that their right to a free press is secure, compared to 81 percent a decade ago. The findings come amid ongoing debates over free expression and academic freedom on campus. |
| Justice Department Threatens Probe of American Bar Association on Law School Rules | |
| The Justice Department has warned the American Bar Association it may face an antitrust investigation if it fails to change rules that limit the role part-time professors play in teaching law students. The department delivered the message in a new letter to the ABA's accreditation council, whose quality standards cover most law schools. The Oct. 7 letter -- signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal -- said adjunct professors are cheaper and often have more real-world experience. Limiting how much they can teach hurts education and puts upward pressure on tuition costs, Woodward said. The limits "cannot be clearly explained by differences in real or perceived quality in the instruction of full-time or adjunct faculty," wrote Woodward, the department's third-ranking official. The missive adds to the Trump administration's campaign against the country's largest association of lawyers, which has come under fire from Republicans who say the group favors liberal political positions and shouldn't have so much power to set professional and educational standards. |
| Capital punishment logistical failures a self-fulfilling strategy of death penalty opponents? | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: The Christa Pike botched execution debacle in Tennessee raises a question that has persisted since the U.S. corrections system began seeking a more "humane" and sanitized method for the state to exact the ultimate punishment on criminals. Pike, 50, was scheduled for execution by the State of Tennessee on Sept. 30 for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. The execution team administered two doses of phenobarbital, but the lethal drugs failed to enter the condemned woman's veins. Instead of dying, Pike went into severe physical distress. Today, she's hospitalized as the state figures out what's next. Tennessee has halted executions for the rest of 2026. Tennessee's Corrections Commissioner has resigned. Litigation of several stripes is expected, and the incident has cast all executions using lethal injection into doubt. ... Let's pause here for an instant. This isn't a new observation, but it's relevant. As someone who has witnessed executions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman as a journalist, please allow me to point out the absolute absurdity of the notion that we ever had or ever will have a neat, antiseptic method of execution that guarantees no pain or suffering for the inmate. |
SPORTS
| The best tradition for each Top 25 college football program | |
| There is nothing nonchalant about college football. It turns ordinary fall Saturdays into spectacles. And yet, some of its grandest rituals began with the smallest ideas. Somewhere between the first time and the thousandth, the novelty wore off and tradition took its place. Consider this an ode to the sport's peculiar universe -- where pageantry is extravagant, superstitions are nonnegotiable and traditions have become hereditary. The Athletic's college football staff selected one favorite from each Top 25 program entering Week 7, including: Mississippi State: Ringing the cowbells. No definite, factual origin story exists. The most popular one at Mississippi State is that a cow wandered onto the field during a game -- maybe in the 1930s, maybe against rival Ole Miss -- and it led to a comeback. After first trying to bring back the cow as a good-luck charm, students settled on cowbells, and a tradition was born. It's the most annoying tradition in the SEC, per many opponents, including the Auburn coach who led a 36-year ban on the cowbells. And it's the most beautiful tradition, per the Mississippi State fans who have passed the cowbells through generations, flouting that 36-year ban, and now ringing legally for 16 years. |
| Football: MSU Schedules Home-And-Home Against Oklahoma State | |
| Mississippi State and Oklahoma State have scheduled a future home-and-home football series for the 2030 and 2031 seasons, the two programs announced Wednesday. The Bulldogs and Cowboys will meet at Boone Pickens Stadium on Oklahoma State's campus on Sept. 7, 2030. Boone Pickens Stadium, built in 1919, is the oldest FBS stadium west of the Mississippi River and currently lists its seating capacity at 52,202. MSU will host game two of the series on Sept. 6, 2031 at Davis Wade Stadium. Oklahoma State holds the lead in the head-to-head series, 3-2. The two teams first met in 1970 in Jackson with the Bulldogs winning 14-13. Oklahoma State won two in Stillwater in 1971 and 1998 before returning to Starkville in 1999, when the Bulldogs earned a win on their home field. OSU won a 2013 matchup on a neutral field in Houston. |
| Basketball Programs Ready For #SECTipoff '27 | |
| Mississippi State's basketball programs will take their turn at the SEC Tipoff '27 event on Wednesday afternoon at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Joining Chris Jans on the men's side is three-time All-SEC selection Josh Hubbard along with Thomas Bassong and RJ Johnson. Sam Purcell will be accompanied by Madison Francis, a 2025-26 All-SEC Freshman and All-SEC Defensive Team pick, in addition to Reese Beaty and Favour Nwaedozi. Both teams are scheduled to interview with various media members and media outlets from across the country. SEC Now airing on the SEC Network will have live coverage from media days starting at 9 a.m. CT hosted by Dari Nowkhah, Daymeon Fishback, Ron Slay, Kris Budden, Alyssa Lang, Steffi Sorenson and Mike Neighbors. Press conferences for Coach Jans (2:05 p.m. CT) and Coach Purcell (3:05 p.m. CT) will be streamed in their entirety online via SEC Network+ and the Watch ESPN app. |
| SEC filing argues lawsuit vs. LSU shouldn't be dismissed because ex-pro could still be rostered | |
 | On the same day the Southeastern Conference opened its basketball media days, league attorneys submitted a filing in federal court asking that its lawsuit against LSU officials not be dismissed because Tigers coach Will Wade could still add ex-pro RJ Luis to his roster. On Tuesday, Wade said he would follow SEC guidelines, which don't permit Luis, who previously signed an NBA two-way deal, to play in the conference. But the league's filing Tuesday said LSU had not submitted a "declaration, sworn or otherwise" saying it will comply with the SEC's professionalism rules and not obstruct a vote to potentially expel LSU from the conference. "Defendants are trying to have it both ways," the SEC attorneys wrote in a Tuesday filing. "They ask the Court to find that no live dispute exists, while keeping the door wide open for LSU to continue defying the Professionalism Rules and violating principles of institutional control without risking the termination of its Conference membership." "We're going to follow all the SEC protocols with him," Wade said on a virtual call during SEC media days on Tuesday. "I think it's been pretty clear what the SEC protocols are on all that. He didn't travel with us to McNeese (for an exhibition), and he hasn't been rostered." |
| SEC calls LSU expulsion 'very real threat' in new filing in federal lawsuit | |
| In a new filing in the federal lawsuit against LSU, the SEC called expulsion of the school a "very real threat," according to court records viewed by Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger. The league also argued the case should not be dismissed. The latest filing came Tuesday, more than two weeks after LSU filed a motion to dismiss the suit. Yahoo! Sports also reported talks between the SEC and the university about a mutual resolution to end the legal battle. "Defendants' complete lack of institutional control over LSU's athletic programs, their ongoing defiance of the Conference's Professionalism Rules, and the very real threat -- reiterated in Defendants' briefing -- that Defendants will interfere with any effort to terminate LSU's membership in the Conference," the filing reads. "That remains live. LSU's eleventh-hour decision not to include two former professional athletes on its football roster does not moot the SEC's claims." LSU filed its motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit on Sept. 25, and the SEC released a statement expressing its "disappointment" in the motion. Additionally, the conference said it was preparing a response in court and the concerns were still unresolved. |
| SEC in filing: LSU dispute remains 'live,' school lacks institutional control | |
| The SEC has filed a memorandum in opposition to LSU's request that a federal court dismiss the conference's lawsuit against the university and its officials, saying a live controversy still exists between the parties and highlighting the Tigers' men's basketball team's effort to add a player who had previously signed multiple two-way NBA contracts. "This case addresses a broader dispute: Defendants' complete lack of institutional control over LSU's athletic programs, their ongoing defiance of the Conference's Professionalism Rules, and the very real threat -- reiterated in Defendants' briefing -- that Defendants will interfere with any effort to terminate LSU's membership in the Conference," the SEC's court filing, issued Tuesday, said. "That dispute remains live." Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill, who was named as a defendant in the SEC's lawsuit, filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Sept. 25 to dismiss the conference's complaint with prejudice and at the SEC's cost. |
| Zxavian Harris eligible to sign with NFL teams despite bid to play for LSU | |
| The NFL reversed course, saying former Mississippi defensive lineman Zxavian Harris is free to sign with teams this season after a failed attempt to return to college football and play for LSU. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the league reversed its Sept. 16 ruling making Harris ineligible to be signed during the 2026 season, saying the defensive lineman did not participate in an official practice or game with LSU, clearing the way for him to be signed by an NFL team. "The NFL interviewed Mr. Harris and sought independent verification of his activities after the start of NFL training camps and agrees with the NFLPA's contention that 'plays college football' means, at a minimum, participation in a practice (or game) for the applicable college football team," the memo said. |
| Ohio governor signs order letting state's colleges allow 2022 athletes a 5th year of eligibility | |
| Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order Tuesday giving the state's colleges and universities the option of allowing athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 to play a fifth year in defiance of the NCAA's new eligibility rule. "When the rules change, fairness has to remain part of the equation," DeWine, a Republican, said in a statement. "We want Ohio's student-athletes to have the same opportunity as student-athletes in other states." Under the order, public and private universities in Ohio can allow athletes to play, even though the NCAA's new guidance excludes those who have already played four seasons. In a letter to the NCAA's member schools, the governing body's president, Charlie Baker, said Tuesday that DeWine "cannot legislate NCAA eligibility rules." "One elected official seeking to make their own rules for their own schools' advantage is a terrible way to run athletic competitions," Baker said, while also pushing Congress to pass the Protect College Sports Act, a sweeping bill aiming to institute guardrails around how colleges pay their players and what those players can and cannot go to court to fight. |
| Court Skeptical of College Athletes' Eligibility in Wisne-NCAA Case | |
| The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Tuesday appeared likely to reverse a nationwide injunction allowing Division I athletes who began college play in 2022–23 and completed four years of eligibility to play another season against the NCAA's wishes. While a ruling likely won't be issued for weeks or months, a victory for the NCAA in a federal appeals court would reflect a major win for the organization. The NCAA is trying to enforce eligibility rules at a time when numerous athletes are trying to extend their collegiate sports experience -- and make money via NIL deals and revenue sharing. Judges Carolyn B. McHugh, Paul J. Kelly and Nancy L. Moritz held an oral argument, with Rakesh Kilaru of Wilkinson Stekloff arguing for the NCAA and Robert Shelquist of Cuneo Gilbert Flannery & LaDuca arguing for former University of Northern Colorado basketball player Brock Wisne and other players. The panel seemed highly skeptical of Wisne's case, at least at this early stage in the antitrust litigation. The judges openly questioned whether Wisne has defined the relevant market -- meaning an area of competition subject to antitrust scrutiny -- and whether there's sufficient data to support the antitrust claim. |
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