| Monday, December 9, 2024 |
| Wind ensemble from MSU featured at State Band Clinic in Natchez | |
 | The Famous Maroon Band of Mississippi State University will showcase its wind ensemble next week with a performance during the 86th annual Mississippi Bandmasters Association State Band Clinic. Taking place in Natchez, the clinic will include more than 300 middle school and high school band students from around the Magnolia State, including those selected through competitive audition to the Mississippi All-State Concert Band as well as band directors teaching at every level. MSU's wind ensemble performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, at the Natchez Convention Center. Under the direction of Elva Kaye Lance, MSU director of bands, the concert is free and open to the public, and MSU alumni and friends are encouraged to attend. "We are excited to be the featured university band at our state conference. This performance gives us an opportunity to showcase the outstanding musicianship of our students in our concert program," Lance said. "Many are familiar with our marching band as they see the Famous Maroon Band perform at MSU football games but may have never attended a performance of one of our concert ensembles. I always enjoy sharing the podium with our Associate Directors Drs. Craig Aarhus and Clifton Taylor, who will also conduct the band during the performance," she said. |
| MSU Equestrian Team holds 'Holidays With the Horses' fundraiser | |
 | What comes to mind when thinking of holiday festivities? Pictures with Santa, hot chocolate, maybe even Christmas crafts. But what about horses? The Mississippi State University Equestrian team hosted their "Holidays With the Horses" event at their horse unit to fundraise for the team's travel costs and entry fees for competitions. One of the English equestrian team members, Lucy Gallemore, said it's great to see the community come together and have fun. "It's awesome," Gallemore said. "It's so cool. Especially the kids, them coming out and they're getting to ride a pony and it's just really fun and it brings all of us together and everyone's just so happy. Like no one has a reason to be sad when you're with ponies and there are Christmas decorations." Caitlin Beckum, an attendee said she's happy to have events like this for families. "It's welcoming, it feels really great out here," Beckum said. "It's a lot of things for her to do and a lot of things for parents to engage in. It means a lot, especially with any kind of family, it feels great to have something to do for the holidays. You just come out here, it is affordable to bring your children out here to have fun." The team has a huge impact on students said Ashley Glenn, the head coach of the Equestrian Team and equine facility supervisor. MSU supports the horse unit's operation costs, but travel expenses come from fundraisers like this. Glenn said the support from the community gives students the chance to participate in competitions. |
| Columbus Sings 'Messiah' to return for 22nd year | |
| "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" The iconic swelling chorus of German composer George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" has been sung throughout the world for more than 282 years. And on Tuesday night, it will ring out once again, as Columbus Sings Messiah presents the work to the community for its 22nd year. Columbus Sings Messiah founder James Allen said the group's annual presentation of the "Messiah" will be at 7 p.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church. The presentation will include roughly an hour of selections from the iconic piece, breathing life into a beloved tradition. "We have singers come from Macon, from Aberdeen, from Starkville, from Alabama," Allen said. Phillip Stockton, associate director of choral studies at Mississippi State University, will be conducting the choir during this year's presentation for his third year. He called Handel's composition "monumental." He also said conducting this particular group of singers through Handel's oratorio is "one of the highlights of my year." "I have admired this organization for a long time and have been connected to it for years," Stockton said. "And to get the opportunity to get to lead such a wonderful group of singers and orchestra and soloists, it's absolutely one of my favorite things to do." |
| MSU hosts annual Poinsettia Sale in Starkville | |
| A Christmas tradition on the Mississippi State University campus is giving area residents a chance to add some color to their homes. The MSU Horticulture Club hosted its Holiday Poinsettia Sale. Members have raised around 500 plants this year for the club's fundraiser. The money goes to fund scholarships, career development opportunities, and other activities of the Horticulture Club. And if you're expecting the standard red leaves and yellow flowers, you might be surprised. There were several varieties for sale including, pinks and whites, and even a new type called Christmas Mouse that has round leaves. The club's president says the sale provides practical experience for members. "So, not only is this a fundraising experience, but this is also a learning experience for our members because we're all wanting to go into horticulture for our careers. And, we have been growing these since September, and we got them as 'itty-bitty' plants, and we've been growing them. So, it's a learning experience for our members too, to learn how to take care of a greenhouse and take care of the plants," said Payton Davis, President of MSU's Horticulture Club. |
| Three-Quarters of Earth's Land Got Drier in Recent Decades, U.N. Says | |
 | From the American West to eastern China, more than three-quarters of Earth's land became persistently drier in recent decades, according to a new United Nations report that called the shift a "global, existential peril." Industrial emissions of planet-warming gases were a major culprit, the report said. If nations don't stop the rise in temperatures, the drying is likely to expose more places to sand and dust storms, wildfires, water shortages, crop failures and desertification. The report was released on Monday at a U.N. summit taking place this month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where nations are discussing how to stop more habitable surfaces from turning into barren wastelands. Nearly one in three people live in moisture-deprived areas, up from one in five in 1990, the report said. Many of these places are major food producers, such as Argentina, Spain and the Black Sea region, said Narcisa Pricope, one of the report's authors and a land systems scientist at Mississippi State University. Others, like South Sudan, are vulnerable to conflict and political instability. The aridity crisis is unfolding "in our lifetime," Dr. Pricope said. "This is affecting our children." |
| Residents on unpaved Oktibbeha outskirts choke on dust | |
| Asthma inhalers. CPAP machines. Walls coated in fine dirt. These are the facts of life for many Oktibbeha residents that live beside gravel roads, an issue that's sprung back into the spotlight as the county finalizes its road plans for the next four years. Several of those residents have spoken before the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors in recent weeks, urging their representatives to do something about the clouds of dust they say cause life-threatening medical conditions. While some of the worst hotspots are now slated for paving, it could be years before residents like Barbara Hill on Jordan Lane see relief. "The dust is so bad I had to take up my carpet from the floor, and I got a five-pound bucket half full of dirt from it," she told The Dispatch on Friday. District 1 Supervisor Ben Carver and Road Manager Victor Collins estimated that about 333 miles of the county's 650 road miles are dirt or gravel. While many of those are largely unpopulated, residents of the developed sections claimed to experience widespread health issues. What the county will do to address these complaints is unclear. Carver is optimistic the county can act in the near future, he told The Dispatch Thursday that consistent issues with the county's tax base might make it challenging to do extensive paving or maintain those roads once they're paved. |
| Starkville man charged with carjacking | |
 | A Starkville man is facing multiple felony charges after a carjacking incident Thursday. According to Starkville police, Draper Manning, 42, of Starkville, stole a firearm Dec. 5 and then forced the victims, an adult and two children who he knew before the incident, to drive him to Starkville. Once the suspect got out of the vehicle in Starkville, the victim called 911. Police responded and Manning was captured as he walked near the intersection of Holly Street and Everglade Avenue. Besides being charged with kidnapping, police served two unrelated warrants for the felony taking of a motor vehicle. The first evolved a vehicle taken Nov. 25 from a Highway 182 business. The following day, the second vehicle was taken from an Old West Point Road business. Anyone with information about this incident or any other incidents is asked to call the Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. |
| Dulaney, Alexander honored for efforts behind The MAX | |
 | Two influential figures were recognized for their efforts in making The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience come to life Thursday as Tommy Dulaney and Ann Alexander were given distinguished service awards by museum leaders. Penny Kemp, president and CEO of The MAX, said the museum first opened its doors in 2018, but conversations about the museum can be traced back much further. The idea first took root in 1999, she said, with legislation beginning the process being passed in 2001. Without Dulaney and Alexander championing The MAX, there is no way the museum would be where it is today, Kemp said. Both recipients were presented with Hall of Fame awards, which until Thursday, have only been given to Mississippians inducted into The MAX Hall of Fame. For their efforts and their service to The MAX, Kemp said Dulaney and Alexander deserve to stand among the 33 inductees such as Morgan Freeman, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, Muddy Waters and more. Thursday's announcement came during an event celebrating the life and legacy of writer Eudora Welty, which included a screening of a new documentary about the well known icon produced by Anthony Paxton, a panel discussion, a dinner by Chef Robert St. John, book signing and more. The evening was part of another partnership by The MAX with the Institute for Southern Storytelling at Mississippi College. "In addition to the 60% increase in attendance and the 4,000 students we reached over the past year, we have showcased 40 plus emerging and established artists and partnered with over a dozen local and statewide organizations," she said. "The staff, the board, our volunteers, we are committed to keep this momentum going." |
| Churning Out Success: Superior Catfish produces 18 million pounds annually | |
 | Every day, an average of 75,000 pounds of catfish churn through Superior Catfish's processing facility. Annually, that's 18 million pounds. Superior Catfish, in business for nearly half a century, supplies high-quality catfish products, from small, family-managed farms in Noxubee County to retail and wholesale customers– and now consumers. In August, Superior Catfish opened an online marketplace at https://store.superiorcatfish.com/. Since then, orders have been coming in from all over the U.S. To launch the online store, Superior Catfish cleverly collaborated with cookbook author and social media influencer Brenda Gantt, who demonstrated how to cook Superior Catfish on her popular streaming channel. In fact, on a busy football Saturday in October, roughly 1,200 people traveled to Macon from all over the U.S. to meet Gantt and sample Superior Catfish products. With the influx of travelers trying to access Superior Catfish's parking lot, local law enforcement was called to help maintain traffic flow on Highway 45. Superior Catfish is also on an educational mission: to continue teaching consumers the importance of asking servers about the origin of catfish in restaurants. "Imports from Vietnam and China are harming domestic catfish producers, and those countries don't have the high-quality standards we do," said Jody Giesbrecht, board president. "It would be hard for me to overemphasize how important it is for people to understand the distinction. Right now, half of what we call catfish consumed domestically is imported and that needs to change." |
| U.S. Milk to Be Tested for Bird Flu Virus | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin testing the nation's milk supply for the bird flu virus known as H5N1, nearly a year after the virus began circulating through dairy cattle, the department announced on Friday. Under the new strategy, officials will test samples of unpasteurized milk from large storage tanks at dairy processing facilities across the country. Farmers and dairy processors will be required to provide samples of raw milk on request from the government. And farm owners with infected herds will be required to provide details that would help officials identify more cases and contacts. The rules were first floated in October and were supposed to be implemented in November. The first round of testing is now scheduled to begin the week of Dec. 16, according to the announcement on Friday. The new strategy is a departure from the voluntary guidance that the department had issued during the outbreak. Many dairy farms have not complied with voluntary testing of milk or of dairy workers, leaving federal officials in the dark about how widely the virus might have spread. The new rules are an attempt to gain control over the outbreak, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. The program will begin in six states: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. California is currently the center of the outbreak. Colorado and Michigan have also reported many infected herds. The virus has not yet been reported in cows in Mississippi, Oregon or Pennsylvania. |
| New coffee shop promises to be unlike any other in Madison, part of larger development | |
 | The first one went so well, she thought she would try it again. Local entrepreneur Kristy Buchanan is opening a coffee house in Madison after many years of success in Jackson. Buchanan is opening a second Bean Coffee House on Madison Avenue in Madison. While the Madison location will be similar, it will be larger and a part of a larger development at Madison Marketplace at 961 Madison Avenue. She is following in the footsteps of Jackson native Will Puckett who is opening the Thai restaurant Tuk Tuk Boom in the same development in Madison after several years of success in Jackson. "We have been talking about opening a second location since about a year into opening the first," said Buchanan, who open The Bean in Fondren in 2020, taking over for what had been Sneaky Beans since 2008. Buchanan is quick to point out that the Madison location will be a second location and the Fondren location will continue operating. She also expects some renovations at the Jackson location during 2025. However, Buchanan said the Madison location fits into the business's growth model. |
| Will lawmakers agree next session on a plan to cut state taxes? | |
| Mississippi legislative leaders are primed to pass legislation next year to cut state taxes, but the question is whether they can build a consensus around one of the many proposals state leaders have put forward. Mississippi's Republican lieutenant governor, House speaker and Gov. Tate Reeves all want to slash taxes in some form, but they have different ideas. If the House and Senate are unable to reach an agreement early on during the 2025 session, it would likely lead to infighting over taxes similar to debate during the 2022 session. House Speaker Jason White, a Republican from West who is one of the most fervent tax cut champions at the Capitol, is expected to introduce a package that will, at least, cut the grocery tax in half and phase out the income tax. "We are hoping to construct a tax system that, yes, prioritizes certain needs in our state but it also protects and rewards taxpayers," White said at the Mississippi Economic Council's annual Hobnob event. Mississippi is already phasing in a major income tax cut. After rancorous debate in 2022, lawmakers agreed to leave Mississippi with a flat 4% tax on income over $10,000, one of the lowest rates in the nation, by 2026. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the president of the Senate, has publicly called for a reduction in the grocery tax but has been quiet about further cuts to the income tax. At 7%, Mississippi has the highest tax on groceries in the nation. |
| Branning wins Central Mississippi Supreme Court seat, ousting incumbent Justice Kitchens | |
| Results on Friday, December 6, have confirmed that State Senator Jenifer Branning has indeed defeated incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens in the Central Mississippi Supreme Court race. Election officials have been working through absentee ballots for the last week in the hotly contested race that saw the two candidates separated by just over 3,000 as election night turned into the next morning. Magnolia Tribune first called the race for Branning last Wednesday, November 27, while the Associated Press waited until Friday to declare her the winner. Results show that Branning won 50.6 percent of the vote to Kitchens' 49.4 percent in the runoff election. The District 1, Position 3 seat on the state's High Court represents much of the Delta which traditionally leans Democrat in partisan elections. The area consists of the counties of Bolivar, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo. Branning, 45, has represented State Senate District 18 since 2016 as a Republican. She drew endorsements this cycle from the Mississippi Republican Party as well as numerous GOP elected officials including Governor Tate Reeves and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann. |
| Kitchens concedes loss to Branning | |
| Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens conceded his loss in the race with state Sen. Jenifer Branning of Philadelphia late Friday. "I congratulate Senator Branning and her supporters on their successful campaign," he said in a release. "My family and I are grateful to those who supported me, not only in the 2024 election but in 2008 and 2016 as well. 'During the sixteen years that I was privileged to serve the people of Mississippi on their highest court, I have kept my oath of office by administering justice without respect to persons and by doing equal right to the poor and the rich. "I will continue to serve the cause of justice by returning to the practice of law." Sen. Branning said: "I'm so humbled by today's victory, and am very excited to serve the people of Mississippi on the Supreme Court. I deeply appreciate Justice Kitchens' kind words of congratulations offered earlier today, as well as his dedicated service to the state of Mississippi over the last several years. I specifically want to thank God, my family, my incredible campaign team and my new extended family of friends who joined our campaign and worked hard to make this possible. I will be a Justice who will always follow the law and will carry out the duties of office with the same energy and integrity exhibited throughout this campaign." |
| State Supreme Court won't hear Mississippi Today's appeal in case versus former Governor Phil Bryant | |
| The Mississippi Supreme Court has decided it will not hear the appeal requested by Mississippi Today in the legal battle between the organization and former Governor Phil Bryant. "Ultimately, we're going to have to go back to court," said Phil Bryant's attorney William Quin. Bryant filed suit against Mississippi Today last year, alleging they defamed the former Governor by linking him directly to the state's welfare scandal. The news site was trying to appeal the lower court's decision that would require them to turn over information they say would reveal confidential sources. "I don't really care who her source is unless it's relevant to this case," noted Quin. "What I do care about is representing my client in a civil action to vindicate his rights and the only way we can do that, the only way is recovery of civil damages." The issue is now punted back to the circuit court. "The Supreme Court did not rule that the privilege doesn't exist," added Quin. "The Supreme Court did not rule that the privilege has even been overcome. Nothing has been given to the judge. All we have now is the judge's order has to be respected. Which places Mississippi Today in the position of having to decide, do they think they're above the law?" The publication isn't asserting they're above the law, rather that investigative documents that could reveal confidential sources are protected under the First Amendment. |
| Can the Mississippi governor issue pardons? That answer and more in this week in politics | |
 | With national news buzzing with the development that President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, before he was sentenced for three felony convictions, one might wonder if Mississippi's governor could do the same. While the state's highest office cannot pardon someone for federal, they can, and have, pardoned those and granted clemency, the act of partially commuting a sentence, for state crimes committed in Mississippi. According to the Mississippi constitution, as it was written in 1890, the governor has the power to fully pardon any state resident who has completed the terms of their sentence, with exceptions for cases off treason or impeachment. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who has been in office since 2020, has never granted a full pardon, and neither did his predecessor, Phil Bryant. In all fairness, Reeves did grant a pardon to a turkey in 2022. Bryant actually a broke a decades-long tradition of granting pardons to some individuals. Former Gov. Haley Barbour on his way out of the governor's mansion pardoned more than 200 people previously convicted of crimes, with several having committed violent crimes such as murder. At the time, it was seen as a controversial act. In comparison, Bryant, early into his time as governor, was not eager to issue pardons, and he told the Clarion Ledger shortly before his own exit of office that he believed the practice to be outdated. |
| State Health Officer concerned with Mississippi's mortality rate | |
| Factors leading to a shorter than average life expectancy in Mississippi are affecting the state's population numbers. That was the message Dr. Daniel Edney delivered to the state Senate's Study Group on Women Children and Families recently. The State Health Officer told lawmakers that while there are bright spots, more work is needed to offset the negative factors affecting the health of Mississippians. Currently, the average life span for Mississippians is about 71.9 years, well less than that of Hawaii's average of 80 years. Within the Delta, life expectancy drops to about 68 years. "We as Mississippians deserve to live longer like the rest of the country and to live healthier like the rest of the country," Edney said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report in 2022 showing the national average life expectancy during 2020 was 77 years. Within the southern region, only Florida stood out with a higher life expectancy than the national average, ranging from 76.9 to 78 years. Texas and Georgia had a life expectancy rates slightly above Mississippi's, between 75.4 to 76.8 years. The state's mortality rate affects the state's population numbers, Dr. Edney said. Estimates show if Mississippi had average mortality rates for all causes of death going back as far back as the 1950s, an additional 215,000 people would be alive today. "This is not potential lives, this is real lives," Edney emphasized to lawmakers. "I can't say they'd still be in Mississippi. They may have well moved to Alabama if they had lived, but because we are where we are with mortality they did not survive." To further drive the point home, Edney added that since the mortality rate includes children who did not live long enough to have families, the potential population increase could have totaled closer to 400,000. |
| The NAACP ends its challenge over Mississippi creating a new court in majority-Black capital city | |
| The NAACP is ending its lawsuit that challenged a decision by the majority-white and Republican-run Mississippi Legislature to create a new state court in Jackson, the capital city that is majority-Black and governed by Democrats. The civil rights group and local residents sued the state in 2023 to try to block creation of a court in the Capitol Complex Improvement District, an area that includes downtown and other parts of Jackson with state government buildings and affluent shopping areas. A plan to create the court coincided with the Legislature's decision to expand patrol territory for the state-run Capitol Police. "Plaintiffs are heartened by reports that the CCID Court will be established with appropriate safeguards for Jackson's residents, and have decided to drop their challenge to the manner of appointing officials to serve that court," attorneys for the NAACP wrote in federal court papers filed Monday. The filing gave no details about those safeguards. The Associated Press emailed questions Friday to two attorneys representing the plaintiffs. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate on Thursday accepted the NAACP's request and dismissed the lawsuit. |
| Guns, lies and audiotape: How Biden's family ties could lead to another pardon | |
 | In this sleepy county seat Booneville, Mississippi, dotted with vacant brick storefronts, the immense estate that dominates the southern approach into town stands as a monument to legal savvy and political pull. The property's endless brick walls and winding footpaths represent the tangible fruits of decades of courtroom wrangling and backroom deal-making that made Joey Langston Booneville's leading citizen -- and a longtime political ally of the Biden family. Now, the Langston family's relationship with President Joe Biden could be the difference between freedom and incarceration for one of its members. The son, brother and grandson of attorneys, Langston built on his late father Joe Ray Langston's small-town legal practice to become the richest, best-connected man in town. His ascent began in the 1990s, when he fell in with a loose-knit fraternity of larger-than-life Mississippi lawyers who cozied up to judges and legislators -- including, most prominently, Joe Biden -- while making a fortune in complex, politically sensitive lawsuits. He forged a partnership with legendary tort lawyer Dickie Scruggs, a brother-in-law of former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, positioned himself as Biden's man in Mississippi, and became one of several members of his Southern legal crew to pursue business deals with Biden's brother, Jim. He then came back from a sensational case-rigging scandal and saw his eldest son, 39-year-old Keaton, establish another generation of Langstons in Booneville with a local pharmacy venture and a gated property of his own on the other side of town. For his part, Keaton Langston made millions in health care and, working with his father, continued the tradition of doing business with Jim Biden. Along the way, according to interviews and documents, the younger Langston gifted a gun to a congressman, bought himself a gold Rolex once owned by the gangster Whitey Bulger, partied at the Naval Observatory and took to describing himself as Joe Biden's "godson." |
| Biden Is Ceding Presidential Influence to Trump, and Some Democrats Are Furious | |
 | The American tradition is that the nation has only one president at a time. Right now, that president looks like Donald Trump -- because President Biden is ceding the spotlight. While Biden remained in Washington, it was the president-elect who met on Saturday in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who is lobbying Trump to continue wartime aid. At the time they met, Damascus was falling to rebels in Syria. While Trump briefly spoke to reporters about Ukraine and posted online about U.S. interests in Syria---saying "this is not our fight" -- Biden didn't make a public appearance on Saturday and waited until Sunday to comment on Syria. The fragility of these two regions in the world has many leaders and businesses on edge. Trump is already dictating trade and immigration policy and has moved rapidly to remake the U.S. government. He doesn't take office for six weeks, but many people who had been his fiercest critics in Washington -- and the White House -- have mostly stood aside. This has left a number of Democrats perturbed that Biden and party leaders, after spending years casting Trump as a threat to democracy, have left a communications and policy vacuum during the transition period. These critics believe top Democrats have bypassed chances to make the case against nominations by the president-elect that they see as instruments of his promised "retribution." |
| Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions | |
| Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. |
| Federal employees scramble to insulate themselves from Trump's purge | |
 | As President-elect Donald Trump's transition teams move into federal agencies, thousands of civil servants -- and some of the Biden appointees they work for -- are scrambling to insulate themselves from the new administration's promised purge. Federal employees are scrubbing their Facebook and X accounts for any negative posts about Trump. Some, including at least one prominent official who testified in Trump's first impeachment inquiry, are weighing putting in retirement papers, while others maneuver to transfer to seemingly safer agencies. D.C. recruiting firms are seeing booming business from those looking for private-sector work. Meanwhile, some agencies have moved to reclassify jobs with titles that could clash with Trump's agenda, especially those promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, boosting environmental justice and fighting the effects of climate change. For the first time, some civil servants are taking out liability insurance to cover lawyers if they're demoted or fired. And in a rare alliance, outgoing Biden administration appointees are joining forces with labor unions to extend collective bargaining agreements, locking in benefits before the incoming administration can seek to undo them. Before Trump takes office Jan. 20, career staffers are racing to outmaneuver his plans to gut and radically reshape the nonpartisan bureaucracy of 2.3 million. Trump's transition team said that federal employees will be secure if they are committed to working under his administration. |
| Syrian rebels topple Assad who flees to Russia in Mideast shakeup | |
| Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and six decades of his family's autocratic rule. In one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations, the fall of Assad's government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gave him and his family asylum, Russian state media said. His sudden overthrow, at the hands of a revolt partly backed by Turkey and with roots in jihadist Sunni Islam, limits Iran's ability to spread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterranean naval base. It may pave the way for millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home. For Syrians, it brought a sudden unexpected end to a war in deep freeze for years, with hundreds of thousands dead, cities pounded to dust and an economy hollowed out by global sanctions. The Assad police state -- known since his father seized power in the 1960s as one of the harshest in the Middle East with hundreds of thousands of political prisoners -- melted away overnight. Bewildered and elated inmates poured out of jails after rebels blasted away locks on their cells. Reunited families wept and wailed in joy. Newly freed prisoners were filmed at dawn running through the Damascus streets holding up the fingers of both hands to show how many years they had been in prison. |
| Women's Council 2024 Legacy Award Honors Brothers Jim and Thomas Duff | |
| Jim and Thomas Duff, two of Mississippi's most successful businessmen and generous supporters of the state's public universities, were honored at the University of Mississippi on Thursday, November 7 with the 2024 Legacy Award from the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy. The award is presented yearly to recipients whose lives exemplify the values and tenets of the Women's Council: philanthropy, scholarship, leadership and mentorship, principles long practiced by the Duffs. The brothers founded and own Duff Capital Investors, a holding company that comprises 22 separate business units. With revenues of $5.5 billion, DCI is the largest privately owned business in Mississippi. In 2020, the Hattiesburg residents made a $26 million gift to Ole Miss to construct the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation. "We believe higher education is one of the key factors, if not the key factor, that is vital to transforming our state and ensuring Mississippi has a successful future," said Tom Duff, who previously served as the board president of the State Institutions of Higher Learning. "By becoming a better, more educated state, our state, in turn, will become more prosperous." Thomas Duff earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Southern Mississippi; Jim Duff studied business at Utah Valley University. |
| A Mississippi Teacher Created a School in an Empty Storefront. Students Showed Up. | |
| Leora Hooper, as usual, had a busy school day ahead of her. She would use a catchy cheer to teach her fourth and fifth graders to add and subtract fractions, and would introduce her high schoolers to critical race theory in a history lesson. The holiday show, a few days away, needed some direction. And the pipes in the bathroom were acting up again, so she had to track down a plumber. But first, Ms. Hooper stood before the student body at Abundance Educational Academy in Mississippi and closed her eyes. "I ask in Jesus' name that our students supernaturally learn everything presented before them on today," Ms. Hooper, a longtime teacher who founded the small private school about three years ago, said in a prayer on a recent morning, savoring that peaceful moment soon after everyone arrived. "Amen!" the students replied. Not long ago, the space occupied by Abundance was a neglected storefront in Yazoo City, another town in the Mississippi Delta where opportunity has dwindled, along with the population, for as long as anyone can remember. Ms. Hooper, 42, dragged out the abandoned detritus and painted the corridors bright shades of gold and green, the school colors she picked out. In 2022, the first few students showed up. This year, there are about 50 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade, and a growing waiting list as parents call nearly every day to ask about enrolling their children. "I would have way more if I had the room," Ms. Hooper said. |
| Louisiana legislators ensure higher education will see continued funding | |
| As Louisiana voters prepare to decide on a constitutional rewrite of Article VII in March, legislators are grappling with its potential impact on funding for early childhood education and higher education. The proposed changes would eliminate certain trust funds, redirecting the money to pay down retirement debt and make teachers' stipends a permanent pay raise. However, portions of those trust funds had been supporting early childhood education programs, raising concerns about how to fill the resulting funding gap. The Public Affairs Research Council hosted Sen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, and Reps. Mark Wright, R-Covington, and Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, to discuss the special session which made major changes to Louisiana's tax code. All three legislators emphasized the critical importance of early childhood education, but Foil said that he is "not sure what the plan will be." "Early childhood education is not something we're walking away from -- it's a priority for everyone in the Legislature. The question is how we'll replace the funding," Wright said. Higher education stakeholders, particularly those associated with Louisiana State University and other institutions, also expressed concerns about the unraveling of funds previously allocated to support colleges and universities. |
| Texas A&M needs to be for the birds too says petition | |
 | A petition to make the Texas A&M University campus more bird friendly was submitted to Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III on Wednesday by numerous groups including the Rio Brazos Audubon Society, Audubon Texas and the Texas Conservation Alliance. The Eagle obtained a copy of the petition, which represented 20 organizations including the departments of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries management and the office of sustainability and campus enrichment at Texas A&M. The petition called on the president to implement bird-friendly building designs and lighting practice. Bird collisions with buildings have become a problem across the country in recent decades as more and more cities build glass-sided buildings. A study done by Cornell University in 2019 estimated that 3 billion birds had died in North America since 1970 and a third of those had died from collisions with buildings. In March 2023 a student-led collision monitoring study was started on campus by A&M's Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections in partnership with the Texas Conservation Alliance. The study is ongoing and is conducted in the early mornings during the spring and fall migration periods. The authors of the letter are calling on A&M to take "proactive and retroactive action to incorporate bird-friendly building standards at existing and future campus buildings." |
| Major Accreditor Proposes Cutting DEI Language From Its Standards | |
 | The accrediting group that oversees about 170 colleges in California and Hawaii is considering cutting the words "commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion" from the standards that its member colleges must meet. The WASC Senior College and University Commission is considering the changes as conservative lawmakers at both the state and federal level consider ways to curb the authority of accreditors and eliminate any consideration of DEI on college campuses. President-elect Donald J. Trump, for example, has vowed to "fire the radical left accreditors that have allowed our colleges to become dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics" and replace them with groups that promote nationalist ideology. Trump and his supporters have blamed accreditors for using their leverage, as gatekeepers of federal financial aid, to force colleges to adopt practices associated with DEI, even if they conflict with a college's religious mission or, in the case of public colleges, the will of state lawmakers. But the proposed changes have alarmed Jeremy C. Young, program director of Freedom to Learn at PEN America, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for free speech and academic freedom. The commission's actions, Young wrote in a news release, create the perception that the commission "is bowing to political pressure and abandoning its nonpartisan mission to uphold the quality and autonomy of higher education institutions." |
| Naval Academy Can Use Race in Admissions, Judge Rules | |
| The U.S. Naval Academy can use race as a factor in admissions, a federal judge ruled, rejecting a bid to extend the reach of a landmark Supreme Court ruling that banned the practice at universities. U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett said military service academies are distinct from civilian universities and that courts have historically deferred to executive and legislative branches in military matters. "Over many years, military and civilian leaders have determined that a racially diverse officer corps is a national security interest," Bennett wrote, adding, "This is fundamentally a military personnel issue." Students for Fair Admissions, a group that opposes the use of affirmative action, sued the Naval Academy in October 2023, just a few months after it won a case before the high court against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. That decision ended the use of race in college admissions but contained an exception for military academies, because of the "potentially distinct interests" they may present. Opponents of affirmative action argued there was no clear evidence that diversity improves military effectiveness and that the Naval Academy had failed to prove it had considered alternatives to race-conscious admissions policies that would achieve the same interests. Bennett, appointed by George W. Bush, held a nine-day bench trial in Maryland in September. The judge served for two decades in the U.S. Army Reserve and the Maryland National Guard. |
| Cruz: Trump admin will go after rising antisemitism on college campuses | |
 | Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggested that the incoming Trump administration will meet antisemitism on college campus in the U.S. with federal investigations and prosecutions from the Justice Department, attorney general and FBI. "I'll tell you something that you're going to see in New York ... next year with a new Department of Justice, a new attorney general, and a new Director of the FBI, you're going to see the federal government going after antisemitism on college campuses. You're going to see federal investigations. You're going to see federal prosecutions," Cruz told John Catsimatidis on his radio show Cats Roundtable. Cruz's comments come in the wake of an October report from House Republicans on the Education Committee regarding antisemitism on college campuses after a nearly yearlong investigation that played a part in at least two university presidents resigning from their roles. "So, whether it's Columbia University or NYU or universities across the country in blue states that have tolerated and encouraged antisemitism, you're going to suddenly see what it means to have a Department of Justice enforcing the civil rights laws and protecting Jewish students on campus," Cruz added. |
| Walberg and Owens bring different experiences to race for House Education chair | |
 | The two Republicans vying to lead the House Committee on Education and the Workforce share a culturally conservative outlook and a commitment to their party's political agenda. But Reps. Tim Walberg of Michigan and Burgess Owens of Utah have different backgrounds that would shape the way they guide the panel. The House Republican Steering Committee could select a successor to the Education panel's outgoing chairwoman, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, as early as Monday. The Education Committee has been at the forefront of some of the nation's most divisive social and political debates, including the participation of transgender students in scholastic sports, campus antisemitism and free speech, parents rights, school choice and the Republican push against diversity initiatives and the "woke agenda" in public schools. Walberg, who made an unsuccessful bid for the chairman's gavel two years ago, says he'd address all of those issues. The son of a teacher and a unionized steelworker, he was first elected to the House in 2010 and now represents a deep-red southern Michigan district, with a sizable population of blue-collar, formerly Democratic voters. Walberg, who helped put himself through college by working in a steel mill, also promises a stronger focus on workforce development: He backs expanding apprenticeship programs and allowing Pell grants to cover the cost of short-term training programs, not just college tuition. Owens, a Super Bowl-winning former NFL player, was just elected to a third term representing a Republican-leaning seat in central Utah. In an interview Friday, he highlighted his personal connection to education: His mother was a teacher, and his father was an agronomy professor at Florida A&M University. |
| Where Trump's Cabinet Picks Went to College | |
 | President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on elite universities, vowing he would reclaim colleges from the "radical left." But, as he has looked to fill his cabinet and agency leadership team, he's turned to graduates of those same universities, at times touting their educational backgrounds. For instance, when he tapped Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, to be the next ambassador to the United Nations, he noted that she "graduated from Harvard University, with honors." So far, Trump has appointed 35 people to lead departments and agencies or serve in key ambassadorial roles -- positions that are subject to Senate confirmation. Together, they have 65 degrees from 46 institutions. All of the picks except one have bachelor's degrees, while 14 went to law school. Another five went to medical school. The appointees went to small private liberal arts colleges and public land-grant institutions, among other types. Two graduated from for-profit colleges. About 25 percent of the appointees attended an Ivy League university. Harvard awarded seven of the degrees -- the most of any college on the list thus far. |
| A Firestorm Against the AAUP: What's the best way to defend academic freedom? | |
| Todd Wolfson wants the century-old American Association of University Professors to be a "fighting organization." Since he took charge in July, the AAUP has caused a stir: It reversed its longstanding categorical opposition to academic boycotts, endorsed diversity criteria in faculty hiring, and issued a statement labeling Vice President-elect JD Vance as a "fascist." Many faculty members have cheered the bold pronouncements from the group, which casts itself as the chief advocate for scholarly interests and rights. At a time when Republican lawmakers and conservative activists are pushing to restrict what's said and taught on college campuses, the professoriate needs to send a message, supporters say. But the AAUP's fresh vision has provoked a reckoning over how academic freedom should be defined and defended, particularly amid the ongoing war in Gaza and the incoming Trump administration. The loudest criticism has come from a longtime counterpart: the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, a self-described nonpartisan free-speech organization. The AAUP and FIRE have spent the past month in a social-media sparring match that's spilled over into a series of back-and-forth opinion pieces -- including a 6,000-word essay from FIRE's president chronicling "the fall of the AAUP." FIRE's leaders claim that the AAUP turns a blind eye to attacks on conservative speech, alienating professors in its ranks. They say that academic institutions must maintain political neutrality to protect academic freedom and that the AAUP's shift in priorities is undermining that core mission. |
| Biden pardoned his son. Should he also forgive more student debt? | |
 | President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son with seven weeks left in his term prompted some Americans to ask him to "pardon" their student debt, but forgiving student loans isn't so simple. Americans racked up a total of $1.6 trillion in student loans as of June 2024, according to Pew Research Center. One in four adults under 40 had student loan debt, preventing many from buying homes, starting families and saving money, the study found. Biden took several actions to address the issue during his four years in office but has faced multiple challenges. He succeeded in enacting more than $166 billion in forgiveness for about 4.4 million borrowers, according to recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. In October, the department said the Biden administration approved additional forgiveness, bringing the total relief to $175 billion in student debt relief for nearly 5 million borrowers. Some are still pushing Biden to broaden that relief to more financially strapped people before he leaves office in January. On Wednesday, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., sent a letter signed by 72 of their colleagues to Biden's secretary of education, calling on the department to discharge loan debt for "students who were defrauded by predatory schools." |
| Carswell puts Center for Public Policy in attack mode | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Formed in 1991, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy is a Mississippi charitable non-profit corporation with IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. The Center in its annual IRS filings has consistently stated that its charitable mission has been to research public policy issues and dispense that information to policy makers, business leaders, the media, and the general public. It was interesting to learn last month that this charitable mission included researching Jackson attorney Luther Munford and then dispensing that information to said list. The issue began when Center president Douglas Carswell addressed the North Jackson Rotary Club. Among his comments were statements in favor of school choice, a priority issue for the Center. During the question and answer period, Mr. Munford, a known advocate for public education, challenged Mr. Carswell's positions. Later, Mr. Munford wrote a fact-filled column in the Northside Sun debunking school vouchers. He likened it to the Brexit initiative in Britain that began as a popular concept but failed to deliver promised benefits after it was adopted. ... Soon after Mr. Munford's column appeared, a digital blast and written column from the Center were dispensed to news outlets across the state wherein Mr. Carswell fervently responded to Mr. Munford's article. But, he did not stop there. |
| No, dead people are not receiving Medicaid benefits | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: People do not get paid any money for being on Medicaid. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. People do not receive cash assistance for being on Medicaid. They only receive health care. Still, there are people, including some politicians who should know better, who either say outright or imply that people -- even dead people -- are getting paid for being on Medicaid. That's not the case. In an August social media post, a headline from state Auditor Shad White said, "Medicaid going to dead people." In the video that accompanied the post, White said that his office found "over $600,000 in Medicaid funds being spent on citizens who have died but still remained in the Medicaid rolls." Such comments beg the question of how is a dead person receiving health care, which is the only benefit offered to Medicaid recipients? Perhaps more importantly, who are the health care providers who are doling out medical treatment to dead people and shouldn't the state Medical Licensure Board investigate those doctors? When asked about the social media posts, Jacob Walters, a spokesman for the auditor, referred to an article stating that in some instances large insurance companies were still being paid for Medicaid recipients who had died. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Announces $1.75 Million Gift To State Excellence Fund | |
| Mississippi State Athletics has received a $1.75 million gift to the State Excellence Fund from a family who chooses to remain anonymous, Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced Friday. The generous family, which includes members of MSU's Cristil Society, has been long-time supporters of the Bulldogs' athletic programs. The announcement comes after MSU Athletics received a $3 million commitment to the State Excellence Fund from another family of devoted supporters just last week. Over the past month, MSU has received more than $6 million in commitments to the State Excellence Fund. The department also garnered a historic $8 million to the State Excellence Fund in September. "Mississippi State University has profoundly shaped our family across generations, with my own attendance and two of our three children proudly graduating as Bulldogs," the family said. "We are deeply inspired by Athletic Director Zac Selmon's commitment to excellence and his forward-thinking vision for MSU's athletic programs. It is a privilege to support this transformative journey and to give back to an institution that has significantly enriched our lives." Launched earlier this fall, the State Excellence Fund is dedicated to enhancing student-athlete resources and providing athletic benefits in a highly competitive environment. Mississippi State continues to fundraise for the future success of its programs. If you are interested in learning more or supporting its initiatives, visit StateExcellenceFund.com. |
| Mississippi State Athletics receives $1.75 million gift | |
 | Mississippi State Athletics received a $1.75 million gift to the State Excellence Fund from an anonymous family. According to MSU Director of Athletics Zac Selmon, the family, which includes members of MSU's Cristil Society, has been long-time supporters of the Bulldogs' athletic programs. The announcement comes after MSU Athletics received a $3 million commitment to the State Excellence Fund from another family last week. Over the past month, MSU has received more than $6 million in commitments to the State Excellence Fund. The department also garnered a historic $8 million to the State Excellence Fund in September. The State Excellence Fund is dedicated to enhancing student-athlete resources and providing athletic benefits in a highly competitive environment. |
| State Excellence fund gifted $1.7 million to enhance Bulldog student-athlete resources | |
| Mississippi State's athletics department has received a much-appreciated $1.75 million gift in an ever-evolving college sports landscape. According to Athletics Director Zac Selmon, the money was gifted to the State Excellence Fund, which aims to enhance student-athlete resources and provide athletic benefits in a highly competitive environment, by an anonymous family with deep ties to the university. Name, image, and likeness compensation and the transfer portal have certainly created an opportunity for schools like Mississippi State to compete with counterparts that have historically been at the apex of the sports world. However, for a program to catch up with others, a collective effort must be undertaken to ensure that resources are available to attract premier athletes. This gift, paired with a $3 million commitment announced last week and an $8 million pledge secured in September, is anticipated by Bulldog officials to aid in the program's efforts to deliver quality athletics across the board. As revenue sharing nears its premiere in college athletics, money sent to the State Excellence Fund is expected to provide a boost for the maroon and white. |
| Basketball Dawg Talk Returns On Monday | |
| Mississippi State basketball's radio show, "Dawg Talk" presented by Learfield, returns on Monday at Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux from 7-8 p.m. CT with head coach Chris Jans along with guards Claudell Harris Jr. and Josh Hubbard. The 60-minute program airs on the MSU Sports Radio Network affiliates from Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux which is locally owned by State alumni and located at 996 MS HWY 12 E in Starkville. Neil Price, "The Voice of the Bulldogs," will serve as the show's host. For those unable to attend the show in-person, "Dawg Talk" can be watched online at www.Facebook.com/HailState in addition to being streamed courtesy of Hail State On-Demand at www.HailState.com/watch and The Varsity Network App. State is coming off a pair of victories over No. 18 Pitt (90-57) and Prairie View A&M (91-84) last week. The 33-point margin of victory over Pitt was the program's largest over a ranked opponent and the largest during the two-year event of the SEC/ACC Challenge. Coach Jans is slated to make three additional appearances on Monday's Feb. 10 and Feb. 17, in addition to a Tuesday show on Jan. 28. Fans can purchase single game tickets for the program's remaining home games through Mississippi State's Athletic Ticket Office at www.HailState.com/tickets or by calling (662) 325-2600 / (888) 463-2947 (GO DAWGS). |
| Hubbard scores 14 of his 25 points late as Mississippi State pulls away from Prairie View A&M, 91-84 | |
| Josh Hubbard scored 14 of his team-high 25 points in the final 10 minutes and Mississippi State pulled away late to post a 91-84 win over a road-weary Prairie View A&M on Sunday afternoon. Prairie View A&M, playing its eighth straight road game after a season-opening win over a non-NCAA opponent, will not play its second home game until it hosts Grambling in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener January 4. The Panthers have surrendered 100 points or more in three games and opponents have topped 90 points in seven of their eight road losses. Mississippi State (8-1), fresh off a dominating performance in a 90-57 win over No. 18 Pitt in the SEC/ACC Men's Challenge, got all it could handle from the Panthers. The teams were tied at the break at 44-44 and Tanahj Pettway hit from deep to give Prairie View the lead, 65-64 midway through the second half. The Bulldogs responded with a 16-2 run kick-started by a pair of Josh Hubbard layups and a Claudell Harris Jr., 3 and capped by a Hubbard 3 and a Jordan Tillmon layup to take an 80-68 lead with under five minutes to play. Hubbard hit 4 of 10 from beyond the arc and had three assists and a pair of steals. Harris came off the bench to hit 3 of 6 from deep to add 21 points. Shawn Jones Jr. scored 11 points, Michael Nwoko scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards and RJ Melendez had 10 points. |
| Men's Basketball: Mississippi State overcomes ugly start in win over Prairie View A&M | |
| Chris Jans would have preferred not to need Cameron Matthews on Sunday. Mississippi State's head coach said the fifth-year senior forward has been dealing with a foot injury for "weeks," and that Matthews had not touched a basketball since Wednesday night's win over Pittsburgh. But with the Bulldogs chasing the lead for almost the entire first half against Prairie View A&M, Jans broke glass in case of emergency and inserted Matthews into the game. Matthews looked hobbled at times but played nearly all of the second half as MSU rallied for a 91-84 win over the scrappy Panthers after trailing by as many as 15 points early. He and the Bulldogs will have five days off before taking the court again Saturday against McNeese in Tupelo. "I didn't want to necessarily play him, but he was going to be available if we thought we needed him to win this game," Jans said. "We decided to make the decision, and he certainly had a big impact on the game. He changed the tenor of the game at the end of the first half and the minutes he played in the second half." Prairie View entered Sunday with the worst scoring defense among 355 Division I teams, allowing 98.5 points per game. MSU (8-1) had just 14 points 10 minutes into the game and missed 11 of their first 16 shots before finding their rhythm. |
| Cameron Matthews injury update: MSU basketball forward has foot injury | |
| Mississippi State basketball starting forward Cameron Matthews is playing through a foot injury, coach Chris Jans revealed after Sunday's 91-84 win against Prairie View A&M at Humphrey Coliseum. Matthews, who started in seven of MSU's first eight games of the season, didn't play in the first 16 minutes of the game. Jans said the Bulldogs (8-1) were only going to play him if they had to, which they did. Prairie View A&M (2-7) led for most of the first half and by as many as 15 points. "(We) certainly didn't want to necessarily play him," Jans said after the win. "He was going to be available if we thought we needed him to win this game. That asterisk and part of the plan had to be activated during the first half." Jans didn't say what the exact injury is or how Matthews suffered it. Matthews, who has played in a program-record 142 career games, was inserted with 4:10 remaining in the first half with the Bulldogs down 37-33. He stayed in the game until halftime and MSU tied the score at 42-42. He played a team-high 18 minutes in the second half and finished with six points, seven rebounds and six assists. "(He) certainly had a big impact on the game and changed the tenure of the game at the end of the first half and the minutes he played in the second half," Jans said. |
| Women's Basketball: Mississippi State Runs Past Chicago State, 102-42 | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball ran past Chicago State, 102-42, inside Jones Convocation Center on Sunday. With the win, Mississippi State improves to 9-1 on the season and 37-7 in non-conference action under Purcell. Graduate student guard Jerkaila Jordan posted 21 points on 9-13 from the field, in addition to five rebounds, five blocks, three assists and three steals in 30 minutes. Junior center Madina Okot recorded the third double-double of her career with 18 points on 8-11 from the field and 11 rebounds, nine of which were offensive, in 20 minutes. Graduate student guard/forward Chandler Prater buried a career-high four threes to add 14 points on 5-9 from the field and 4-5 from three, in addition to five rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes. Mississippi State raced out to a 19-4 lead entering the first media timeout. The Bulldogs turned in their second-highest first-quarter point total of the early schedule with a 31-9 lead through the initial 10 minutes. Mississippi State returns to action when it battles Belmont in a neutral-site doubleheader inside Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo, Miss. next Saturday, Dec. 14. |
| Southern Miss football hires Marshall's Charles Huff as coach, replacing Will Hall | |
| Southern Miss football announced Sunday it has hired Marshall's Charles Huff as its next coach. Huff has been the coach at Marshall for the last four seasons and won the Sun Belt championship at Louisiana 31-3 on Saturday. He replaces Will Hall, who was fired on Oct. 20 in the middle of his fourth season. Reed Stringer served as the interim coach for the final five games of the season. The Golden Eagles went 1-11. "As we started this search, we were focused on finding a dynamic leader who could get our program back to competing for championships," athletics director Jeremy McClain said in a school release. "Charles Huff has proven that he is a winner who can build a championship culture within the Sun Belt. We look forward to supporting him in our journey To The Top." Huff, 41, was paid $755,000 annually at Marshall, though his contract was set to expire on Jan. 31, 2025, according to the document obtained by USA TODAY. Huff is a conference-altering hire for Southern Miss. Marshall (10-3) won seven games in a row, including a 37-3 thrashing at Southern Miss on Nov. 9. Huff does not have strong Mississippi ties besides one season as an assistant coach at Mississippi State in 2018. He was also an assistant at Alabama in 2019 and 2020 under legendary coach Nick Saban. Huff is from Maryland and played at Hampton. |
| TC Taylor leads Jackson State to SWAC title after 'cupboard was bare.' He can pass Deion Sanders next | |
| As the clock wound down at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Jackson State football coach T.C. Taylor doubled over, visibly flooded with emotion on the sideline. "I think I was standing on the 40-yard line towards the end of the game," Taylor said. "I couldn't move. I was stuck in that moment." It wasn't so much about the game itself, a 41-13 win against Southern (8-5) in the SWAC championship game, as the journey to get there. The Tigers (11-2) coasted to an easy win by riding an explosive second half behind backup quarterback Zy McDonald. Although the game turned into a blowout, getting there just two years after Deion Sanders' successful tenure as coach was an arduous process. "Once I took this deal over, the cupboard was bare," Taylor said. "This is something we built. I have great guys around me ... building it, it was a process." Jackson State was 7-4 last season in Taylor's first year after Sanders left for Colorado following two SWAC titles. This season, the Tigers finished undefeated in the SWAC. The Tigers will play South Carolina State (9-2) in the Celebration Bowl, which Sanders did not win in his two attempts, on Dec. 14 (11 a.m. CT, ABC) in Atlanta. Taylor credited the recruiting his staff has done to help rebuild Jackson State. It was evident Saturday with McDonald, who transferred to Jackson State from Louisiana last season. McDonald, who came off the bench to relieve injured starter Jacobian Morgan shortly before halftime, was electric. |
| Drew Brees-backed pickleball facility opening next week in South Mississippi with free clinics | |
 | The Picklr Biloxi indoor pickleball courts open in South Mississippi just in time for holiday play and New Year's resolutions. The grand opening is Saturday, Dec. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. Pickleball demonstrations and free learn-to-play clinics on opening day will introduce newcomers to the sport. Those who are pickleball players can test their skills in the fastest serve challenge and Play with a Pro, featuring Tyler Loong, professional pickleball player and co-host of KOTC Podcast. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is an ambassador, investor and franchise owner of The Picklr, promoting the brand and the fast-growing sport for all ages and abilities. He's also on social media providing tips and inviting the public to pick up a racquet. "We have created a community and environment where everyone can build relationships, compete, develop skills and have fun while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle through one of the most popular sports in the world," Brees said. In what was Hobby Lobby at 2649 Pass Road at Eisenhower Drive in Biloxi are now 15 fully fenced courts with The Picklr's patent pending outdoor-style court surfaces. There's also a pro shop, locker rooms, showers and private event space. The facility is climate controlled, to make it comfortable winter and summer. A variety of memberships are available. |
| First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot | |
| SMU captured the last open spot in the College Football Playoff, edging Alabama to land in a first-of-its-kind, 12-team bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but, ultimately, still one fewer loss. The expanded bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear that there is no perfect formula for identifying a champion. "We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama," said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chair of the selection committee. "But it's no disrespect to Alabama's strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams." The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games involving teams seeded 5-12. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. The Big Ten will lead the way with four teams, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. |
| College Football Playoff bracket: 12 things to know about the expanded 12-team field | |
| Nearly seven years in the making, the 12-team expanded College Football Playoff made its debut on Sunday with the reveal of the final rankings. Plenty was expected. For instance, the four highest-ranked conference champions are in the field with first-round byes, something we all knew by Saturday night: No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten), No. 2 Georgia (SEC), No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) and No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12). And then there's the next group hosting first-round games: No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State. As it turns out, No. 9 Tennessee missed out on hosting by a spot and will travel to play the Buckeyes in a game slated for Saturday night in prime time on Dec. 21. Finally, there is the final group in the field: No. 10 Indiana, No. 11 SMU and No. 12 Clemson. Missing, of course, is Alabama, whose bubble popped with Clemson's bid-stealing victory over SMU. Now we know the 12 teams. Let's talk about the 12 things that you need to know as the playoff kicks off with first-round games Dec. 20-21. |
| Ole Miss left out of 12-team College Football Playoff | |
| A season dubbed "The Last Dance" by Ole Miss coaches and players will not result in the program's College Football Playoff debut. On Selection Sunday, the nail was officially slammed in the championship-contention coffin for Lane Kiffin's Rebels as the team came in at No. 14 in the final rankings of the 2024-25 campaign. Hope was slim for Ole Miss faithful after the immensely talented club was the second team out of the playoff field on Tuesday, and laid to rest in the most recent ranking announcement. Kiffin did a bit of politicking ahead of the ultimate 12-team pool being finalized, vouching for Ole Miss to be given a shot in the prominent postseason tournament. One of the frontman's contentions was that the Rebels had not only beaten, but dominated, the now-SEC champion, No. 2 Georgia, though an early loss to Kentucky negated that win in the committee's eyes. One more game remains for this group of players, despite the large probability of opt-outs by a list of producers. Ole Miss has yet to announce where it will be heading for its bowl game. |
| Alabama's $83.3M Football Budget Couldn't Buy the Tide a CFP Berth | |
| For all the talk about meaningful wins and the relative strengths of their schedules, SMU has prevailed over Alabama in the bid for what amounted to the only up-for-grabs berth in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The selection committee's decision to promote the 11-2 Mustangs over the 9-3 Crimson Tide not only eliminates the nation's top-spending football program from contention, but also sets up some crucial scheduling considerations for ESPN. Ironically enough, in passing over Alabama the committee inadvertently undermined the spending power of one of college football's most storied programs. According to the university's financial records for the 2022-23 academic year, Alabama spent $83.3 million on football that same season, or some $7.7 million more than also-ran Florida State. (Last season, 'Bama's bigger budget won out, as the committee chose the one-loss SEC champs over the undefeated Seminoles. Controversy is as much a part of the fabric of the run to the title as are deep-pocketed boosters.) Among the big spenders that will be fighting it out for a shot at the title next month are Big Ten mainstay Ohio State ($72.4 million), SEC champs Georgia ($69.1 million) and the ACC's Clemson ($66.8 million). The 10-2 Buckeyes look to bounce back from a humiliating loss in the 'Shoe against the hated Michigan Wolverines, while the 11-2 Bulldogs earned a bye Saturday with a 22-19 win over 11-2 SEC newbies Texas, who'll host Clemson in the first round. As can be seen by way of a few clicks through Sportico's College Sports Finances Database, the Longhorns' football budget in 2022-23 was a tidy $61 million. |
| Welsh: A&M will move to digital ticket pull system to prioritize student safety | |
| Texas A&M will move to a digital ticket pull approach for students for home football games beginning in 2025, A&M President Mark A. Welsh III announced Friday in a message to the campus community. The move comes a couple weeks after A&M's in-person ticket pull system for the Texas game brought forth grievances from students about the process, health and safety concerns, and perceived bad actors via social media. A&M has mulled the future of its ticket pull system for weeks, but Welsh made the final decision about its future on Friday. He said the decision was clear after he received feedback from current students, former students, parents and other university stakeholders. "We are the largest school in the SEC and the only one not utilizing a digital ticket pull option," Welsh wrote in his message to the A&M community. "A recent student survey led by the Student Government Association showed that 63% of Texas A&M Sports Pass holders are in favor of an online ticket pull system. To that end, I have assembled a task force to outline what would be needed to move to a digital approach for ticket pull. This small and nimble group, which met for the first time earlier this week, will work over the next few weeks to develop a policy framework that can guide the teams that need to begin developing a technology solution for this purpose." |
| Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee signs new four-year contract | |
| 'Tis the season to hand out contract extensions to athletic directors in Washtenaw County. Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee earlier this year signed a contract extension that will take him through December 2027. He was hired in 2017. Under terms of the new deal, Wetherbee will earn $355,000 in base pay in Year 1, a significant salary increase from his original contract, and he will get a $10,000 raise every year for the life of the contract. On his original contract, Wetherbee started at $269,000. Wetherbee took over the Eastern Michigan post at a precarious time for the athletic department, and early in his tenure, budget issues forced the school to eliminate four sports, including wrestling, men's swimming and diving, women's tennis and softball. After a court battle, EMU reinstated tennis, and also added a women's lacrosse program. Also under his leadership, the university's football program has thrived, after being historically awful for decades prior to his arrival. Fundraising and budget management has proven to be a strength, and those skills will be tested in the coming years when Division I colleges have to fund the $2.8 billion settlement to former athletes. That is expected to cost Eastern Michigan and other mid-major schools $400,000 a year, for 10 years. Wetherbee came to EMU from Mississippi State, where he was deputy athletics director. |
| What San José State Volleyball Teaches Us About the Debate Over Trans Athletes | |
| San José State University's women's volleyball season ended not with a bang but a whimper. The team lost to Colorado State University in the Mountain West Conference championship game on Nov. 30, after Boise State University's team refused to play SJSU in a semifinal game and gave up their place in the tournament. It was the third time Boise State declined to play SJSU this season; four other teams also forfeited games against the Spartans, seemingly in opposition to one SJSU player who conservative media outlets have reported is transgender. The first article on the subject, published by Reduxx, which describes itself as a feminist news site, claimed that the athlete and the institution had withheld her biological sex from her teammates. While not all the teams that forfeited explicitly cited the student as their reason, several members of the University of Nevada at Reno team were vocal about not wanting to play against a trans woman. They held a "Women's Sports Are for Women Only" rally on the day they were scheduled to play SJSU, where they railed against trans-inclusive sports policies and against their institution for allegedly trying to force them to play SJSU. The controversy surrounding the SJSU volleyball team is the most explosive conflict over trans women's participation in college athletics since 2022, when Penn swimmer Lia Thomas drew national scrutiny after winning the NCAA women's 500-meter freestyle championship. |
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