| Monday, January 13, 2025 |
| Leaders sign enhanced use lease for construction of Mississippi Cyber & Technology Center | |
 | The Mississippi Cyber & Technology Center coming to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi is one step closer to becoming a reality. On Friday, an enhanced use lease was signed by Governor Tate Reeves, Mayor FoFo Gilich, Mississippi State University president Dr. Mark Keenum and leaders in the U.S. Air Force. It's been six years of collaboration between the state, the city of Biloxi and the U.S. Air Force. Now, the future of cybersecurity in Mississippi is signed, sealed and delivered. The cyber center will take shape adjacent to the base on the south side near what used to be the main entrance off of White Avenue. This will be the epicenter for Air Force cybersecurity and serve as the new headquarters for MSU's preexisting cyber initiative program. "It's going to have a national impact because of our partnership and affiliation with the U.S. Air Force," said Dr. Keenum. Dr. Keenum says through the courtesy of the U.S. Air Force, airmen and women specializing in cybersecurity and operations will be able to continue their education through the training at the new facility and even online when they are deployed. During his opening remarks, Dr. Keenum announced a corporate donation of $3 million from Mississippi Power and Southern Company to go towards the center's state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. |
| Officials announce Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center to advance security research | |
 | A collaboration between the state of Mississippi, one of the state's universities, and the U.S. military will serve to make strides in cybersecurity research and training. A group of leaders, including Gov. Tate Reeves and Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum, gathered in Biloxi on Friday to announce plans for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center. The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. The Mississippi Cyber Initiative was launched in 2021 as a continuation of the partnership between Mississippi State University and Keesler to support the 81st Training Wing's cyber training mission. Since then, the initiative has been working to position Mississippi as a leader in cybersecurity, grow collaborations across government, defense, and industry, tackle cyber challenges, and enhance economic development on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will be built through an enhanced use lease agreement between the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the Mississippi State Research and Technology Corp. Designed by Dale Partners Architects, the facility also includes event space and office slots available to private industry partners. |
| MSU, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Gov. Reeves sign partnership to advance Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center | |
 | Mississippi and the U.S. Air Force are marking a new era in cybersecurity research, training and collaboration as leaders celebrate plans for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center. The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. On Friday [Jan. 10], leaders from MSU, the U.S. Air Force and the City of Biloxi, along with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, signed a joint proclamation for the state-of-the-art facility and collaborations that will support community and military needs. "The Cyber Center will strengthen Keesler's mission to train cyber warriors, and it will serve as a hub for academic achievement and economic development for cyber, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology companies and agencies," Reeves said. "In short, the future is here in Mississippi." MSU President Mark E. Keenum shared that the Mississippi Cyber Initiative represents a continuation of the university's land-grant mission to serve the entire state of Mississippi. The initiative's collaborators are addressing critical cybersecurity needs to protect Mississippi's future, he said. |
| MSU, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Gov. Reeves sign partnership to advance Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center | |
| Mississippi and the U.S. Air Force are marking a new era in cybersecurity research, training and collaboration as leaders celebrate plans for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center. The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. On Friday [Jan. 10], leaders from MSU, the U.S. Air Force and the City of Biloxi, along with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, signed a joint proclamation for the state-of-the-art facility and collaborations that will support community and military needs. MSU President Mark E. Keenum shared that the Mississippi Cyber Initiative represents a continuation of the university's land-grant mission to serve the entire state of Mississippi. The initiative's collaborators are addressing critical cybersecurity needs to protect Mississippi's future, he said. "The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will fortify and strengthen Keesler's mission and the Gulf Coast's status as a national hub for cybersecurity expertise through training, research and outreach," Keenum said. "It's the perfect example of the power of partnerships and what we can accomplish by working together." |
| Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center coming to coast | |
 | Mississippi and the U.S. Air Force marked a new era in cybersecurity research, training and collaboration. The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center, a 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base, will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University (MSU)-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. On Friday, January 10, leaders from MSU, the U.S. Air Force and the City of Biloxi, along with Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.), signed a joint proclamation for the state-of-the-art facility and collaborations that will support community and military needs. "The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will fortify and strengthen Keesler's mission and the Gulf Coast's status as a national hub for cybersecurity expertise through training, research and outreach," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will be built through an enhanced use lease agreement between the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the MSU Research and Technology Corp. |
| No explosives found at MSU after Maroon Alert | |
 | Mississippi State University received a bomb threat Saturday morning, prompting police to search two empty buildings before declaring them free of danger. MSU Spokesperson Sid Salter told The Dispatch Saturday MSU police received a phone call just before 8 a.m. The caller made a bomb threat against the Old Main Academic Center and referenced the Barnes and Nobles bookstore. The university was closed on Friday due to the winter weather, and Salter said the academic center had electronic locks on all the doors that would've logged any access. "It's one of the newer buildings on campus, so we have digital access to when doors are opened and closed there," he said. "We knew within reason that no one had been inside, but out of an abundance of caution we went ahead and initiated a search." MSU sent out a Maroon Alert at 8:13 a.m., warning people to stay away from the buildings. Salter says MSU police searched the buildings with the help of canine units trained in bomb detection and found no devices or suggestions the locations had been accessed. Those searches were completed around 9:15 a.m., Salter said, and by 9:30 a.m. MSU had put out another message saying the campus had resumed normal activity. With the campus closed since Thursday night and Barnes and Noble not slated to open until 10 a.m., Salter says there was minimal disruption to campus activities. |
| Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum hosts Mississippi Quilt Challenge Exhibition | |
| The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum is pleased to host The Southern Fiber Artists' Mississippi Quilt Challenge Exhibition throughout January. Visitors to the museum will be able to see 100 quilt panels created by Mississippi quilters. The quilt panels depict different cities, towns and areas of Mississippi and show the rich culture we have in our state. "These quilts are amazing works of art that our community needs to see," museum Director Derek Aaron said. "It is amazing the amount of work and creativity that went into creating this exhibit." The Southern Fiber Artists were formed in the 2014-2015 timeframe as the result of a spark of inspiration by Brooksville art quilter Julia Graber, who hoped to find like-minded individuals interested in creating outside the traditional bed quilt. Fiber art is a textile art that uses natural or synthetic fibers, such as yarn, fabric, or felt, to create practical or decorative objects. SFA has a history of challenging its members to make art pieces around a specified theme. After not meeting in person during COVID-19, they were looking for a new challenge in 2022 to jumpstart our creativity. Since their membership includes artists primarily from Mississippi, they decided upon the theme of Mississippi for their challenge. |
| Law Library adds Territorial court records from more than 200 years ago found in Vicksburg | |
| Records of the Supreme Court of the Mississippi Territory spanning 1799 to 1809 were added to the digital archive of the State Law Library in Jackson on Jan. 10 and are available for viewing online here. The records were discovered in March 2024 among thousands of books slated for an April 2024 estate sale in Vicksburg. The books are, literally, pages out of history. The 1805-1809 Minute Book of the Supreme Court of the Mississippi Territory documents early stages of the 1807 arrest and attempted prosecution of former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr on treason charges. A preliminary proceeding was held at Washington, Mississippi, then the territorial capital. An entry dated Feb. 4, 1807, says that a grand jury found no reason to hold Burr. "This is an historic treasure," Presiding Justice Jim Kitchens said when the Supreme Court received the books. "It's foundational in our legal system in Mississippi. Mississippi has long recognized the doctrine that courts can speak only through their minutes. The content of these volumes provides a glimpse of the efforts of our judicial ancestors to establish the rule of law in what was to become the states of Mississippi and Alabama." The volumes had been in the library of the late Lucius B. Dabney Jr. of Vicksburg, a sixth generation attorney whose family law firm began in 1794 in Virginia. It's unclear when or how Dabney acquired the minute books. Jennifer McGillan, Coordinator of Manuscripts for Mississippi State University Libraries, said, "Lucius Dabney was a significant collector of historic Mississippi matters," as was his father. MSU purchased some of his collection a few years ago. A significant part of Dabney's Natchez Trace collection went to the University of Texas at Austin. |
| Dong Phuong king cakes sell out fast in Biloxi. Here's why folks love the Mardi Gras treat | |
 | King cake lovers darted through a chilly rain Friday morning into Lee's International Market in Biloxi, where they joined a line of customers anxious to get their hands on the coveted Mardi Gras treat from Dong Phuong Bakery in New Orleans. Simply the best, several of the 52 people in line said, including Mike Appe, who grew up in New Orleans and was first in line for the 9 a.m. sales. "That's why I'm a king cake junkie," said Appe, who now lives in Biloxi. "This is, by far, the best." Lee's employee Vivian Nguyen said the store pleaded for years with the bakery to stock the cakes, as did the other South Mississippi purveyor of the treat, Waveland Pharmacy. Lee's was selling the king cakes for $32 each. Flavors included cinnamon, cream cheese, pecan, coconut, strawberry and almond cream. Lee's will offer the king cakes on Fridays, while Waveland Pharmacy has them each weekday except Tuesdays, when the bakery is closed. The king cakes are gone within an hour at both locations. Nguyen says Lee's is trying to add a second day of the week to its order, but hasn't gotten permission yet. She said the store was able to pick up only 50 king cakes on its first Friday to have them, so she limited purchases to one king cake each. |
| Celebrating the Centennial of Two Mississippi Legends | |
| In 2025, Mississippi will proudly commemorate the centennial birthdays of two of its most iconic figures -- Riley "B.B." King and Medgar Wiley Evers -- whose profound legacies continue to inspire generations. On January 14, Senator John Horhn and Representative Otis Anthony will present a resolution enacted by both the Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives honoring King and Evers in the Rotunda of the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend. An array of events will be sponsored during 2025 by the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Mississippi, and the National Park Service Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument and the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute in Jackson, Mississippi. Various programs will celebrate the men's birthdays, with Evers' on July 2nd, and King's on September 16th. Malika Polk-Lee, executive director of the B.B. King Museum, said, "I'm thrilled that we get to play a significant role in celebrating what would be the 100th birthdays of Mr. King and Mr. Evers. Through the museum's programming and events for the year, we want to ensure that Mr. King's contributions to music and humanity are long remembered." |
| 'A dream long in the making': Acclaimed watercolorist Wyatt Waters to open Natchez gallery | |
 | Acclaimed watercolor artist Wyatt Waters and his wife, Kristi, love Natchez and they plan to make it home – for themselves and a new gallery showcasing his works in Natchez and along the River Road. Waters, a native of Brookhaven and graduate of Mississippi College, has been painting in Natchez most of his career. "I was down there this week to paint Ann Tillman's home (Glen Auburn) and was noting that at (Trinity Episcopal Church) across the street, I was there in 1995 and wrote in my initials in the concrete heating and cooling pad," Waters said. "They're still there. I took a photo." Since 1999, Waters has operated an eponymous gallery in Old Towne in Clinton, where he makes his home. The Natchez gallery, which will be located at the corner of Main and Commerce streets in the Arts District of downtown Natchez, is his first outside of Clinton. "We love Natchez," said Kristi, in explaining how the gallery came about. "This is our second marriage for both of us," Waters added. "And we both were busy with our businesses and careers ... we had to get our calendars out to see when we could have a honeymoon." That honeymoon brought the couple to Natchez, he said, "and we kept coming back." Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said the arrival of an internationally acclaimed artist is a coup for Natchez. |
| Strauss third candidate to officially enter Columbus mayor's race | |
| Bill Strauss thinks the city is headed in the wrong direction. Property taxes are too high, he believes. City government, he said, isn't transparent to the citizens. What really gets him going are what he calls "maintenance issues" -- signs, sidewalks and parking lots in disrepair "all over the city." "If you don't take care of the little issues, then why are you going to take care of the big issues?" Strauss told The Dispatch on Friday. "... Everywhere you look, it looks like nobody cares about this city. That's one of the first things I'm going to (change)." Strauss, 66, became the third candidate to qualify for the mayor's race. He is running as an independent. He joins Lowndes County District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks and Ward 5 Columbus Councilman Stephen Jones, both Democrats, who qualified earlier this month. A Nashville native, Strauss moved to Columbus in 1981 and ran several retail businesses, including Ruth's and Jean Ann's department stores and Fashion Barn. More recently, he developed apartments in the old Ruth's building downtown, which houses Cafe on Main and Justin's Watch and Jewelry on the first floor. He also is a Realtor with West Realty Company. |
| Mississippi House leaders file plan to eliminate income tax, slash grocery tax | |
| Leaders in the Mississippi House of Representatives ended the session's opening week by filing a comprehensive tax reform package, one that would eliminate the state's income tax in just over a decade's time and slash tax on groceries by over a quarter in the first full year of implementation. Purposely filed as House Bill 1, with Speaker Jason White calling it his number one priority, the "Build Up Mississippi Act" would net an estimated $1 billion tax cut for Mississippians if approved by both chambers and signed into law. As the 90-page bill is written, it would serve as the state's largest-ever tax cut by double after the legislature approved a major reduction in income tax in 2022. The Build Up Mississippi Act, filed Friday alongside over 450 other pieces of legislation in the House, would gradually phase out the income tax with the top rate dropping to 3% in 2027, and by 2037, there would be no "tax on work," as many state lawmakers have referred to the levy. This would join Mississippi with nearby states such as Texas, Tennessee, and Florida as those who have ditched income tax. Additionally, the 7% fee levied on groceries purchased in Mississippi would be reduced to 4.5% in 2026 before landing at 2.5% in 2036. |
| Mississippi House plan to eliminate state income tax to drop Friday, here's what's in it | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives will file its bill to eliminate the state income tax on Friday, according to House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar (R). Lamar said the legislation will cut the roughly $2.2 billion individual income tax over the next ten years, while making additional sweeping adjustments to the tax code. In total, House Bill 1 will net a $1.1 billion tax cut for Mississippians, along with additional dedicated revenue to transportation and Mississippi's retirement system, he said. "This is a transformational piece of legislation," Lamar told Magnolia Tribune. "It totally reforms the state's tax system." In teasing the package Thursday at the Mississippi Economic Council's Capital Day, Speaker Jason White (R) said the package should be viewed through "a singular lens." "It is worth the effort," White said, asking business leaders gathered at the event to back the measure as the state moves to a consumption-based economy. In addition to the income tax cut, the bill proposes to phase down the sales tax applied to groceries from the current rate of 7 percent to 2.5 percent at completion. Changes to the sales tax structure on items outside of groceries would partially offset the cuts. |
| 'Embracing AI': Mississippi Governor Mandates Creating Policies for Using Artificial Intelligence | |
| The Mississippi Department of Internet Technology Services will evaluate how state agencies use or plan to use artificial intelligence and will create policy recommendations for using AI in the public and private sectors under an executive order Gov. Tate Reeves issued on Wednesday. AI policy recommendations must be fair, innovative, secure, safe, transparent, accountable, accessible, valid, reliable and provide privacy, Executive Order 1584 says. "AI isn't going anywhere anytime soon," Reeves said in a statement on Wednesday. "There are a lot of benefits and risks associated with this technology, and that's why Mississippi needs to continue preparing for its eventual widespread adoption. This executive order will help to bring together stakeholders, as well as better protect Mississippians' privacy, security and rights. We'll continue using innovative technology to modernize state government and make it more efficient." "By fostering collaboration among state agencies, industry experts and stakeholders, we are ensuring that AI is implemented ethically, securely and in a way that builds trust while delivering meaningful improvements for all Mississippians," Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer for ITS Craig Orgeron said at a Jan. 8 press conference at the Walter Sillers Building in Jackson. |
| State Superintendent says public education must be 'nimble' as Mississippi businesses, industries change | |
| To meet the needs of Mississippi's growing businesses and industries, changes are being planned in the state's public schools, State Superintendent Dr. Lance Evans told attendees at MEC's Capital Day last week. On Thursday, Evans spoke on how the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) plans to meet the needs of the state's workforce by ensuring the state's education system develops high school graduates who are ready to enter the workforce while also giving students planning to attend a university the tools to be successful. Evans stressed it will require partnerships between public education and the state's businesses and industries to reach those goals. "Twenty years ago, you would have never seen the connection between private business and industry in the K-12 world," Evans told the crowd at MEC on Thursday. Dr. Evans said the system needs to adjust to meet students' expectations and life goals. "What we have to do is we have to rethink what public education looks like, what K-12 education looks like," Evans described. "It has evolved tremendously over the years and... something that we have to always remember is to keep the main thing the main thing." |
| Mississippi lawmakers working to remove Confederate statues from Washington | |
| Lawmakers in both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature are working to rid of two Confederate statues that have represented the state in Congress for nearly a century, often offering Washington, D.C. tourists a gloomy perspective on the state's progress in civil rights. During the opening week of the session, Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate introduced bills that would either outright replace the statues of segregationists Jefferson Davis and James Z. George inside the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall or create a commission to offer a pair of alternatives "who bring honor to all Mississippians and reflect the demographics of the state as a whole." The above excerpt comes from Sen. David Blount's bill to create the National Statuary Hall Selection Commission to study, interact with and poll the public, and make recommendations for the selection of two new Mississippians to represent the state in National Statuary Hall's collection. If approved by both chambers and signed by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, the commission will include nine members tasked with submitting a written proposal for replacements by Nov. 30, 2025. |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch releases 2025 legislative agenda | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has released her legislative agenda for 2025. The Attorney General is grateful to lawmakers for their work so far but says there are more pieces of legislation that will protect the state's children, and empower families, the elderly, and consumers across Mississippi. The Attorney General's legislative agenda includes five key issues: Supporting Women and Families, Securing Justice, Promoting Election Integrity, Protecting Minors, and Protecting Mississippians' money. When it comes to supporting women and families the Attorney General is asking for paid parental leave for state employees. Fitch said, "It is certainly time to have paid maternity leave in the state of Mississippi for our state employees. We're only one of 12 states that does not have that. We certainly need that in Mississippi. I think it's so important to say to our women again, we'd like for you to be here. That helps us with our retention and our recruitment for women in state government." Fitch also hopes casino winnings will now be on the table to help pay past-due child support. |
| New rules could prevent estheticians from providing most lucrative services | |
| Bubble the Day Spa owner and esthetician Kym Holley just purchased a microchanneling machine for her Columbus spa in October, after the Mississippi Esthetic Conference approved the device. Holley is still paying off the fees for the training program she went through to use the device, which creates tiny punctures in the skin, promoting the production of collagen and elastin. But Jan. 3, Holley noticed an email from her cosmetology association, saying the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering is changing its rules and regulations for licensees, prohibiting microchanneling, along with microneedling and microblading -- Holley's highest paying services. "They're taking a $300 or $400 service away," Holley said. "Where, right now, 90% of that is going toward paying (the training) off. It's going to hurt a lot." Holley alerted some of her fellow Golden Triangle estheticians and spa owners about the rule changes. About 20 of those met Sunday to discuss the issue, coming together to sign a letter to the board about their concerns around the reduction of their services. The group of estheticians also reached out to District 39 Rep. Dana McLean. While a 25-day comment period on the proposed rules ended Tuesday, McLean asked for another 25 days for the licensees to weigh in. That request wasn't granted. During the 2024 legislative session, a bipartisan bill combined the Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and the Mississippi State Board of Barber Examiners into one new board. |
| This week in politics: Mississippi billionaire forms PAC | |
 | One of Mississippi's richest men has formed a political action committee, or PAC, to help elect Republican candidates in the magnolia state. In December, Mississippi billionaire and business owner Tommy Duff formed Duff PAC after he filed the organization's paperwork with the Mississippi Secretary of State Office. Duff has also publicly stated he is considering a run for the governor's seat in 2027. His most obvious opponents in the race thus far are some of Mississippi's top GOP-elected officials. They are Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Auditor Shad White. "Tommy Duff is a longtime supporter of conservative candidates, officeholders, and causes," said PAC Director Jordan Russell. "He founded Duff PAC to better organize and increase his political activity ahead of the 2025 municipal and potential legislative special elections." The move, aside from being a politically shrewd option to build campaign dollars, would likely get him points with GOP politicians within Mississippi between now and 2027. |
| A tough-on-crime approach is back in state capitols | |
 | Within minutes of his inauguration Monday, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor in the U.S. Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a new year of lawmaking gets underway in state capitols. That comes after voters in several states approved ballot measures in the fall imposing stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug dealing. Nearly 8 in 10 voters in the U.S. said they were "very" or "somewhat" concerned about crime in their own communities, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters conducted during the fall election. The percentage saying they were very concerned was higher than the national rate in several states including Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama and California. |
| Top Senators on Armed Services Panel Briefed on F.B.I. Probe of Hegseth | |
 | The top members of the Senate Armed Services Committee were briefed late Friday afternoon on the findings from the F.B.I.'s background check of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald J. Trump's pick to serve as defense secretary, according to two people aware of the briefings. Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and the chairman of the armed services panel, and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, its top Democrat, each huddled separately with transition team officials on Friday for over an hour, according to a person familiar with the briefings, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive proceedings. The transition team commissioned the background check. It is traditional for only the chair and ranking member of panels on the findings from an F.B.I. background check of Cabinet nominees. During the sessions, the senators were able to review the findings and ask questions about them, but were not given copies of a report to share with their colleagues. Since the results of the F.B.I.'s probe have not been shown to other members of the committee, several Democrats on the panel expressed concerns that they might not have relevant information for Mr. Hegseth's confirmation hearing on Tuesday. |
| Hegseth Preps for Contentious Confirmation Hearing With Republican Help | |
 | Pete Hegseth drilled for hours last week in a mock hearing room with Republican senators playing Democrats, preparing for what is expected to be a contentious confirmation hearing for the defense-secretary nominee. The grueling preparations, though not unusual, highlight the narrow margin of error Hegseth is facing in the Armed Services Committee Tuesday and the full Senate. The Senate Armed Services panel has 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats, so Hegseth can only lose a single Republican, if all Democrats oppose him, for the nomination to be voted favorably out of committee. In the full Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage, so Hegseth can afford no more than three GOP "no" votes, if Democrats unite against him. The panel's chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) has said that he is impressed with Hegseth's vision for the Pentagon, and that he felt the nominee had addressed the allegations against him. But the top-ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, said his concerns about Hegseth's qualifications hadn't been allayed. A meeting they had last week "raised more questions than answers," Reed said. Republicans said it will be critical for the sometimes combative former Fox News host to remain composed under questioning. |
| Supreme Court sounds ready to back TikTok ban law | |
 | The Supreme Court during oral arguments Friday appeared ready to allow a law that would ban social media giant TikTok unless it divests from its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. by Jan. 19. The justices occasionally questioned how the law would impact the free speech rights of the platform and its users. But they generally appeared receptive to Biden administration arguments that the law is necessary for national security because the Chinese government could gain access to user data or covertly manipulate the content on the platform. The Supreme Court has just over a week to rule before the deadline in the law. Noel Francisco, representing TikTok, argued that the law was meant to allow Congress to control what Americans could see and publish online. Even if the Chinese government wanted to take over the app to broadcast its preferred views, Francisco said the First Amendment means Congress "has no valid interest in preventing foreign propaganda." But that argument ran into concerns from several justices that the law was meant to address valid concerns about a foreign government using the app to hurt American interests. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. repeatedly raised concerns about the Chinese government's ability to co-opt ByteDance's operations to its own ends. "It seems to me that you're ignoring the major concern here of Congress, which was Chinese manipulation of the content and acquisition and harvesting of the content," Roberts said. |
| Vance says Jan. 6 participants who committed violence shouldn't be pardoned | |
| Vice President-elect JD Vance says people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot "obviously" should not be pardoned, as President-elect Donald Trump is promising to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the election that Trump lost. Vance insisted in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" that the pardon question is "very simple," saying those who "protested peacefully" should be pardoned and "if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned." He later said there was a "bit of a gray area" in some cases. Trump said he would issue pardons to rioters on "Day 1" of his presidency, which begins Jan. 20. "Most likely, I'll do it very quickly," he said recently on NBC's "Meet the Press." He added that "those people have suffered long and hard. And there may be some exceptions to it. I have to look. But, you know, if somebody was radical, crazy." More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the siege that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 victory. |
| Protest crowd estimates down, ticket demand high for Trump inauguration | |
 | Applications for protest permits have been slow. The hotline for tickets has been loud. The run of show for this year's presidential inauguration is by official estimations expected to be surprisingly routine for a city that has seen only high-drama or disrupted swearing-ins since President Barack Obama took the oath a second time more than a decade ago. In the place of raging counterdemonstrations that led to violence and sweeping arrests as President-elect Donald Trump first took office, National Park Service inquiries show this year's permitted protests are expected to be smaller, and law enforcement officials have projected confidence in managing the crowds. Authorities have so far left the National Mall largely open to the public -- a departure from the inauguration of President Joe Biden, when the District was a fortress, reeling from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The forecasts mark a welcome turn for District leaders working to reset their relationship with Trump, who has expressed disdain for protest activity in the District and on the campaign trail derided D.C. as "a nightmare of murder and crime." Local officials have sought to keep the emphasis on pomp in a high-visibility moment for D.C., even as many of them are noncommittal about whether they will show up to celebrate Trump's return. |
| Millsaps professor put on leave for using college 'email account to share personal opinions with... students' | |
| A Philadelphia-based civil rights group has come to the defense of a Millsaps College professor who was suspended for using his college email account to share personal opinions of the 2024 presidential election with students. According to a letter from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, James Bowley was placed on "temporary administrative leave... for using his 'Millsaps email account to share personal opinions with his students.'" The letter claims that Millsaps violated its policy regarding the professor's free speech. It also claims that the college failed to "afford Bowley due process" by placing Bowley on leave only two days after his comments were made. "Bowley's expression of opinion regarding the election falls squarely within his right to speak as a private citizen on matters of public concern... Even if Bowley's speech were to be considered within the scope of his job duties, many U.S. circuit courts have recognized protection for a great deal of faculty expression, including 'speech related to matters of public concern, whether that speech is germane' to the class or not," the letter stated. The correspondence was sent to Millsaps President Frank Neville on December 18. The organization asked for a response no later than January 3. At the heart of the matter was an email Bowley sent to students on November 6. The email was to students in his "Abortions and Religions" class and came the day after the 2024 presidential election. |
| TEEX hosts stored energy summit at Texas A&M | |
 | The first electric summit Texas A&M University held in November 2023 focused exclusively on electric vehicles, but a reboot Wednesday provided an opportunity for summit coordinators to expand knowledge to other forms of stored energy and learn the best ways to prevent and respond to stored energy incidents. The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in College Station welcomed 267 attendees Wednesday in the first of a two-day stored energy summit. TEEX Agency Director David Coatney said it was important to expand on the first summit. "What beyond the EV issue do we need to be aware of -- energy storage systems, cutoffs, codes that affect this," Coatney said. "Then the types of energy storage systems that you're going to see pretty prolific across Texas, which are solar farms. With the solar farms, how are they energized and how do we de-energize them. These are all the discussions that are taking place now." |
| Transparency sought for Oklahoma universities' foreign funds | |
| Oklahoma colleges and universities would have to publicly report any foreign funding received and its purpose under legislation filed by state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom. Senate Bill 349, by Bergstrom, would require all state and accredited private institutions of higher education in Oklahoma to submit a quarterly report detailing any contracts, gifts, grants, endowments, awards, or donations exceeding $50,000 received from foreign sources. The reports would be made publicly accessible under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. "This bill is about transparency and accountability," said Bergstrom, R-Adair. "The public has a right to know where significant funding for our higher education institutions is coming from, especially when it originates from foreign entities. SB 349 ensures that Oklahomans have visibility into these financial relationships." Foreign funding has generated numerous controversies at universities nationwide, including Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma was home to a "Confucius Institute" for several years. Confucius Institutes were once run by the Hanban, a Chinese government agency. Although OU reports having shuttered its Confucius Institute, in 2022 researchers with the National Association of Scholars found that ties remained between OU and the Chinese government. An OU spokesperson declined to comment on SB 349, saying, "The University does not generally comment on proposed legislation." |
| Hazing, financial aid, in-state tuition: Missouri higher education bills to watch in 2025 | |
 | Missouri lawmakers are proposing bigger scholarships for students with financial need, allowing more universities to grant engineering and medical degrees, and supporting aid to victims of hazing. Ahead of the 2025 legislative session's launch last week, members of the Missouri General Assembly filed more than two dozen bills affecting higher education. Students eligible for the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program, a need-based grant for students who attend participating Missouri two- or four-year colleges, would receive more funding under House Bill 265. The bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph, could add up to $3,500 for students receiving the maximum award. Legislation introduced by Rep. Sherri Gallick, a Republican from Belton, would change hazing law to encourage help for victims. Under House Bill 234, people who might otherwise be guilty of the crime of hazing can be exempt if they're the first person to call the police or campus security to report that someone needs emergency medical aid. They also have to provide adequate information, stay with the person until help arrives and cooperate with emergency responders. People who offer "good faith" medical assistance, such as CPR, before first responders arrive would also be immune from hazing charges. |
| Under GOP Pressure, U of Michigan Ends Chinese Partnership | |
 | The University of Michigan announced Friday that it would end its two-decade academic partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in China. The move follows a report released in September by the chairs of the House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and the House Education and the Workforce Committee that raised concerns that China is exploiting federally funded research for its own gain. The report called for more stringent requirements for U.S. universities partnered with foreign institutions. In November, U.S. representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, sent a letter directly to UM president Santa Ono urging the institution to break ties with SJTU. In a statement Friday, Ono confirmed the decision following discussions with U.S. congressional leadership and internal university stakeholders. He said the institution will continue to pursue partnerships around the world "as part of our academic mission." "As we do so, we must also prioritize our commitment to national security," he said. |
| UCLA is 'a ghost town' as students flee campus next to Palisades fire evacuation zone | |
 | The 46,000-student UCLA campus -- adjacent to Palisades fire evacuation zones -- is on edge and has all but emptied out amid poor air quality and a university decision to move classes online this week. UCLA officials said Sunday there is no immediate danger to the Westwood campus. But when the fire pushed toward Brentwood, the university sent out notices putting students on high alert, advising them to "to stay vigilant and ready to evacuate" if conditions changed. Chancellor Julio Frenk, who took the helm this month, has been sharing video statements on Instagram and X to encourage the UCLA community to be resilient. "We're continuing to monitor the situation very closely and we have plans in place for whatever situation might arise," Frenk posted on Instagram on Sunday. "As of now, there is no evacuation order or warning for our campus. But I know that many of us are facing real challenges. There continues to be a lot of uncertainty and fear about the future. There's concern about air quality. There is a lot of worry about homes." UCLA has developed a plan to bus students off-site -- about 14,000 live on campus -- if fire authorities issue a mandatory evacuation order. On Sunday, it appeared that many students had already made their own decisions. |
| Some L.A. Colleges to Reopen This Week, Others Stay Closed Amid Wildfires | |
| Pepperdine University and the University of California, Los Angeles, switched to remote classes this week while others in the L.A. metro area are preparing to resume operations even as the region faces still-burning wildfires that have devastated the region. Over the weekend, city officials issued evacuation areas for areas near UCLA in Westwood, putting the campus on alert. UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk said Saturday afternoon that all classes would be held online until Friday, Jan. 17, and urged the campus community to stand ready in case an evacuation is ordered. The Los Angeles region has been besieged by multiple fires in the last week, which have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed at least 16 people so far. Firefighters have struggled to contain the largest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires; the strong winds that fueled the fires are expected to continue this week. Colleges in the L.A. area closed their campuses last week and officials told employees to work from home. At the same time, they sought ways to help students, staff and faculty affected by the fires, including by raising money to support them. Campuses are also mobilizing to help the broader communities, creating Wi-Fi hotspots or transforming parking lots into community relief centers. Most of the colleges were on winter break, so many students weren't on campus. Now some are gearing up to open their doors once again. |
| NIH postdocs, graduate students win union contract | |
| After more than 3 years of rallying and union organizing, early-career researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) saw a new contract go into effect this week. The agreement---the first to be negotiated by a union representing scientists at a federal research facility---includes provisions that limit work hours, guarantee paid parental leave, and provide protections against harassment for the roughly 5000 nonpermanent researchers, including graduate students, postdocs, and postbaccalaureates, who work at NIH facilities. The deal also promises to boost pay, which could set a precedent for other institutions---but raises will not be instated until 2026 at the earliest. "We didn't win everything we wanted," says union bargaining team member Emilya Ventriglia, a neuroscience Ph.D. student at Brown University who is doing her research at the National Institute of Mental Health. "But I think we got somewhere that was really incredible and is going to really provide some transformative gains for not only fellows today, but fellows of the future." In an email to Science, an NIH spokesperson wrote that the agency "looks forward to a positive labor-management relationship as we implement the contract." The union, called NIH Fellows United, struck the deal with NIH last month, almost a year to the day after the Federal Labor Relations Authority granted it approval to form in December 2023. |
| Supreme Court to review decision on student borrower defense case | |
 | The Supreme Court will review a decision from a lower court that blocked a Biden administration rule that made it easier for student loan borrowers who had been defrauded by their colleges to have their loans forgiven. As of April, the Biden administration has forgiven more than $17 billion from student loan borrowers who have been defrauded by their colleges under what's called the borrower defense rule, which has been in effect since 1994 and rewritten in 2016, 2019 and 2022. The 2022 rewrite by the Biden administration was meant to clarify the grounds on which a claim could be filed and went into effect in 2023. With the court's latest decision, a rule that Joe Biden spent his presidency championing could now be significantly narrowed in scope. Jason Altmire, president and chief executive officer of Career Education Colleges and Universities, said the court's decision does not validate the Biden administration's arguments. "It simply means that the Supreme Court will hear arguments as to the scope of the Department of Education's authority related to [the borrower defense rule]," Altmire said in a statement on Friday. "It remains to be seen how the incoming Trump administration will argue the government's side of the case, but we strongly believe the facts of the case will show the Department's onerous [borrower defense rule] went well beyond the agency's authority. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves zones in again on taxes but remains silent on critical retirement system problems | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Hours before the 2025 session of the Mississippi Legislature kicked off last week, Gov. Tate Reeves went to social media to proclaim the No. 1 goal "for this Republican" is to eliminate the state income tax. The governor does not have a vote in the Legislature and cannot even introduce legislation. He must seek out a legislative ally to file bills he supports. But the governor has perhaps the biggest political bully pulpit in the state, giving an effective governor the immense opportunity to sway public opinion. And the governor has the power of the veto, which it takes an imposing two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers to override. Obviously, one of the governor's most important duties is working with the Legislature to develop policies for the betterment of the state. In the opinion of Jonathan Tate Reeves, now in his 21st year as a statewide elected official and in his fifth year as governor, the most important issue facing 3 million Mississippians is eliminating the income tax. |
| Path for taxpayer relief getting more clouded | |
 | Columnist Bill Crawford writes: The math for tax cuts gets a "bit tricky," wrote the Magnolia Tribune in an article about cutting the sales tax on groceries. "Add in another likely attempt to fully eliminate the state income tax, and the path for more taxpayer relief is clouded at best." The growth in state tax revenues has slowed considerably, further darkening the cloud. Revenues through November were up less than1% over the prior year, far below the growth in recent years. Still, cuts to grocery sales taxes and the personal income tax remain priorities for state leaders. All three want to cut taxes, but Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann wants to be more cautious than the other two. ... Eliminating the personal income tax is a big deal. This year the already reduced tax is projected to pull in $2.1 billion in state revenues. That compares to $2.9 billion in net sales tax revenues for the state. Sales taxes would have to increase 79% to make up for a $2.1 billion cut. Cutting the sales tax on groceries may be more daunting. In addition to funding state government, sales taxes also serve as a major source of income for municipalities. The state diverts 18.5% of collections to municipalities. State leaders say they want municipalities to be made whole for any cuts. That gets complicated. |
SPORTS
| State dials long distance to get 79-68 road win in Athens | |
| Mississippi State used a season-best afternoon from 3-point range and went on the road to take down Georgia 79-68 on Sunday afternoon. The visiting Bulldogs made 11 3-pointers in the first half and hit a season-high 14 in the win. Despite averaging just 32% from long range this year, State made 48% in Athens. Eniya Russell was the key benefactor of soft pressure on the backcourt as she had 21 points in the win on 8-of-15 shooting, 4-of-9 makes from 3-point range and also nine assists and six rebounds. Madina Okot finished with a double-double as she scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 12 rebounds. Jerkaila Jordan was relatively quiet with 11 points on just 3-of-10 shooting, but Jordan made both of her 3-pointers and finished with seven rebounds. "The way (Russell and Jordan) came out and played together, it allows everyone else to see we have a special team," coach Sam Purcell said on MSU's radio broadcast postgame. "Every great team has a two-player combo. When those two are eating and playing the right way, the rest of our team is, too." |
| Women's Basketball: Hot-shooting start carries Mississippi State over Georgia | |
| Eniya Russell was listed as questionable on the injury report the night before Mississippi State's game at Georgia on Sunday, and the updated report before tip-off designated her as a game-time decision. Russell not only played, but was on the floor for nearly the entire game. In 38 minutes, she led MSU with 21 points and nine assists as the visitors rode a hot-shooting first half to a 79-68 victory at Stegman Coliseum in Athens. "Every great team has a two-player combo, and we've got one too," head coach Sam Purcell said, referring to Russell and Jerkaila Jordan. "That's what I'm trying to help them understand, is both of them can eat. When those two are eating but they're playing the right way, the rest of our team is too. That's why I'm really excited about how we're going to continue to gel and continue to move forward down the line." The Bulldogs are back on the road Thursday night for a matchup with No. 16 Tennessee, which won by 30 points Sunday at Arkansas. "I've got a bunch of baby Bulldogs who are now turning into grown women Bulldogs," Purcell said. "They're proud to wear this jersey and we're going to keep on getting better." |
| Mississippi State women's basketball vs Georgia final score: Eniya Russell, Madina Okot lead MSU's win | |
 | Mississippi State women's basketball scored just 34 points in its last game at Georgia, the home state of coach Sam Purcell. It blew past that number on Sunday. MSU (15-3, 2-2 SEC) drained 14 3-pointers on the way to a 79-68 victory against Georgia (9-9, 1-3) at Stegeman Coliseum. It's the most 3's MSU has made all season. The win is also Mississippi State's second in a row after upsetting Oklahoma on Thursday. Eniya Russell led MSU with 21 points, nine assists and four 3-pointers. Center Madina Okot double-doubled with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Mississippi State's smooth 3-point shooting began early with five of the first nine attempts made for a 17-10 lead in the first quarter. Georgia whittled MSU's lead down to one point in the second quarter, but MSU drilled five 3-pointers in the final three minutes for a 41-27 halftime advantage. Mississippi State only made three 3-pointers in the second half as Georgia hung around. UGA cut the lead to four points with two minutes remaining, but MSU ended the game on a 7-0 run. |
| Men's Basketball: No. 14 Bulldogs fall to No. 6 Kentucky in another instant classic | |
| John Calipari may no longer pace back and forth in front of Kentucky's bench, but the Wildcats are still as big a thorn as ever in Mississippi State's side. Calipari's Kentucky teams were 19-1 against the Bulldogs and a perfect 9-0 at Humphrey Coliseum. MSU came close several times -- the teams' last three matchups in Starkville were decided by one possession or in overtime -- but could never close the deal. Saturday night, with Mark Pope now coaching the Wildcats, was more of the same. The No. 14 Bulldogs rallied back from a 14-point deficit in the second half and traded blows with No. 6 Kentucky down the stretch, but the Wildcats shot 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc, handing MSU a 95-90 loss. "They're a very explosive offensive basketball team, and one of the things that most nights they do really well is make 3s," Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans said. "They have a lot of weapons, and we had some breakdowns, and they made some tough ones as well." Cameron Matthews did his best to will MSU to victory, providing one highlight play after another on both ends of the floor. Four days after scoring a season-best 16 points at Vanderbilt, Matthews tied a career high with 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds, six steals and eight fouls drawn. "He emptied his tank," Jans said. "He always plays hard, but tonight was a little bit different. He was all over the floor, he had a huge impact on the game, and it just would have been so nice if it would have been in a winning effort." |
| What Chris Jans called 'uncharacteristic' of Mississippi State basketball loss to Kentucky | |
| Mississippi State basketball was in striking distance to slay one of its demons. The Bulldogs trailed Kentucky by one point with two minutes remaining Saturday night at Humphrey Coliseum. A win would've snapped an 18-game regular-season losing streak to Kentucky dating back to 2009. Five of the previous losses in Starkville were all by seven points or fewer. Saturday's result extended that streak to six gut-wrenching, last-minute losses. No. 13 MSU (14-2, 2-1 SEC) was held scoreless in the final two minutes, falling 95-90 to the No. 7 Wildcats (13-3, 2-1). The 90 points are the most Mississippi State has scored against an SEC opponent in coach Chris Jans' three seasons, but one aspect of the offense still bothered him afterward. "I thought early in the game, we were a little uncharacteristic of this team," he said. "Talking here a lot about how unselfish our team is and how we share the basketball and how we work together offensively, and I just was a little surprised by some of our shots that we took. None of them were like, 'Oh, my gosh, what is he doing?' They just were almost like they were surprised they were open, 'so I should shoot it.' I thought we had multiple guys take some shots that were like, 'We don't need that.'" |
| MSU's loss to Kentucky leaves lessons to learn | |
| In perhaps Mississippi State's biggest game of the year up to this point, the Bulldogs learned some hard lessons. Despite a relentless offensive performance, No. 14 Mississippi State could not keep up with No. 6 Kentucky, falling 95-90 on Saturday night at the Humphrey Coliseum. The Wildcats (13-3, 2-1) were nearly unstoppable on three-pointers, going 16-for-32 from beyond the arc. This included seven threes from Jaxson Robinson and three from Ansley Almonor off the bench. "Our three point shooting defense has been an issue for us," Bulldogs coach Chris Jans said. "But we had shored up a little bit in the last few games, but it definitely bit us a little bit tonight." The Hump was loud to start the game. The Bulldogs fed off the home crowd and played with a lot of energy early, taking an 11-5 lead with 16:42 left in the first half. However, Kentucky's offense got going in response and kept rolling for the rest of the game. Though the game did not go Mississippi State's way, its ability to keep fighting back was a testament to a deep, competitive conference. "I feel like that just shows how tough this league is. A lot of good teams in this league," Cameron Matthews said. "They're one of them. We're one of them. (It) just was a dog fight today. They just made a few more plays than us." The Bulldogs will hit the road to face No. 2 Auburn on Tuesday, followed by a home tilt against Ole Miss. They will then play at No. 1 Tennessee and South Carolina before returning home to face No. 5 Alabama. |
| Auburn star Johni Broome won't need ankle surgery | |
| Auburn star Johni Broome, the front-runner for National Player of the Year, will not require surgery on the left ankle sprain he suffered in Saturday's victory over South Carolina, the school announced. Auburn said Broome underwent an MRI on Sunday morning that revealed a non-surgical ankle sprain. The 6-foot-10 senior is out indefinitely, sources told ESPN, but it's not expected to be a long-term absence. Broome has been the most dominant player in college basketball and entered the weekend as the favorite to win National Player of the Year. He is averaging 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game and has tallied huge performances in big games. No. 2 Auburn (15-1, 3-0 SEC) has won eight straight games after escaping against South Carolina on Saturday. Auburn's next game is at home Tuesday against Mississippi State. |
| Diamond Dawgs Ranked No. 18 in D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25 | |
| With baseball season right around the corner, the Mississippi State baseball team was tabbed as the No. 18 team in the country by D1 Baseball on Monday. The Diamond Dawgs completed 2024 with a 40-23 overall record. MSU earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament, their 40th appearance in an NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State tied a program record with MLB Draft Picks in 2024 with 11 players being drafted, the most by a university. The 2025 season gets underway on Feb. 14 when the Diamond Dawgs host Manhattan in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. Mississippi State's 55-game schedule features 31 home games, 18 road contests, and six neutral-site matchups. The schedule features the Diamond Dawg playing seven of their first eight games at home and an eight-game homestand from April 29 to May 13. |
| Internal, external expectations high for Mississippi State | |
| Over the last decade, Matt Roberts has built arguably the most consistently successful program at Mississippi State and one of the strongest teams in the Southeastern Conference on an annual basis. And the 2025 roster is shaping up to be one of his best teams yet. Coming off a 19-8 season and a trip to the NCAA round of 16 last spring, the Bulldogs have lofty goals, including earning a top-8 national seed and advancing to the NCAA Team Championships in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in mid-May. The season begins Sunday afternoon at home with an indoor match against Samford. Those goals are certainly not outside the realm of possibility. With seven returning players, two freshmen and one transfer, MSU is ranked No. 11 in the preseason poll and was picked to finish third in the SEC by the conference's coaches, behind only newcomers Texas and Oklahoma. "I want everyone controlling what they can control at a high level," Roberts said. "I don't really think much about rankings (or) what other people think of us. I'm just super focused on how we all get along, how we're working well together, how we're communicating and how they're building themselves to be the best versions of themselves." |
| Men's Tennis: No. 11 State Shuts Out Samford To Start Season | |
| No. 11 Mississippi State started its spring slate off with a 7-0 shutout of Samford on Sunday inside the friendly confines of the Rula Tennis Pavilion. It was the 13th consecutive victory MSU has had over Samford dating back to 1975 and its eighth-straight shutout in the series. It also extended State's opening-match winning streak to nine. "I'm happy for the whole team and how we competed," said head coach Matt Roberts. "It's a good start. Our hard work this year is paying off. It looked like we were pretty clean." "It was good for everyone to get a match against a good team," Roberts said. "I thought that we came out ready to go and executed really well on every court. I think Niccolo and Mario were a little bit nervous in doubles, but they responded very well in singles. I was really happy with 'Pete' and Benito playing really clean in doubles and also awesome in singles. I'm happy for 'Mikey' to get his first singles win since his surgery." Mississippi State is back in action on Friday when the Bulldogs host Chattanooga in a doubleheader at noon and 4 p.m. |
| USM basketball player John Wade's eligibility still unclear after hearing | |
| No decision was made Friday in a lawsuit between John Wade III and the NCAA challenging Wade's eligibility to play basketball at Southern Miss. Attorneys representing Wade and the NCAA presented oral arguments before U.S. District Court Judge Taylor McNeel at the William M. Colmer Federal Courthouse in Hattiesburg. Before presenting their arguments, McNeel heard testimony from several witnesses, including Golden Eagles Head Basketball Coach Jay Ladner and Wade's father, John Wade II. Wade III contends he is eligible to play one more season because he was not an athlete his first year in college. The NCAA disagrees. The organization contends the eligibility clock begins when the student enrolls full-time in a participating NCAA college or university, regardless of whether they are an athlete. "He has another year of competition, but doesn't have another year on the clock," said attorney Cal Mayo of Mayo Mallette in Oxford, who is representing the NCAA. Ladner recruited Wade, believing he could play one more year, and had tried to work with the NCAA since July to resolve the eligibility issue. |
| NCAA Tries to Block John Wade Lawsuit Over Five-Year Eligibility Rule | |
| A month after the NCAA was restrained by a federal judge in Tennessee from preventing Vanderbilt quarterback and former JUCO transfer Diego Pavia from playing in 2025-26, the NCAA now aims to convince a federal judge in Mississippi to prevent John Wade III from resuming his basketball career at the University of Southern Mississippi after exhausting his five-year eligibility period. Wade, who started college in 2018 at UC Davis and has also attended Contra Costa College, California State University Northridge and California State University Stanislaus, sued the NCAA last month. Through attorney L. Clark Hicks, Jr., Wade asserts that eligibility restrictions imposed by colleges, which are competing businesses that join hands through NCAA rulemaking, violate Section 1 of the Sherman Act. As Wade sees it, the relevant market for antitrust scrutiny is services provided by D-1 basketball players. Restricting college athletes' opportunities through eligibility rules arguably denies them the chance to improve "their economic opportunity, personal growth, and well-being with NIL opportunities." Wade is not listed on the team's roster, but wants a preliminary injunction to prevent the NCAA from blocking his chance to play in the 2024-25 season. |
| Bill aims to build new home for JSU athletics | |
| The top Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives recently proposed legislation to build a new home for Jackson State University (JSU) athletics. Jackson and University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) leaders have wanted to use the property currently home to JSU's football stadium for more medical facility space. Several proposals to tear down Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium for UMMC and build a new stadium for JSU flatlined in recent years. However, 2025 may be the year both goals are set into motion if the Mississippi Legislature passes Representative Robert L. Johnson III's (D-District 94) bill. The proposal allocates $40 million from the state to build a multipurpose athletic facility for JSU. The subsequent construction could formally begin as early as July 1 under Johnson's proposal. The two-page bill is largely empty of details. For instance, it does not specify where the new JSU athletic facility should be built. It also does not address the fate of the old football stadium on North State Street. |
| 'We like the freedom': Notre Dame committed to staying independent, AD says | |
| As Notre Dame prepares to compete for the national title in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the university remains bullish in its belief that its independent status is the right choice and has the Irish "in a very good spot now," athletic director Pete Bevacqua told ESPN on Friday. Bevacqua declined to comment specifically on CFP revenue distribution, but according to the playoff website, Notre Dame will earn an aggregate of $20 million, a profit it won't have to share with other teams in a conference. The Irish will receive a combined $4 million for reaching the playoff, another $4 million for advancing to a quarterfinal, $6 million for making a semifinal, and another $6 million for reaching the national championship game. The Irish have won three straight playoff games to advance to the championship game Jan. 20 in Atlanta, where they will compete for the school's first national title since 1988. "No secret, the expansion of the CFP from four to 12 teams has helped enormously, because as an independent, as with other schools, we get better opportunities, better percentages of getting in the playoffs, and the more you knock on that national championship door, the better," Bevacqua said. "And we like the freedom, quite frankly, it gives us. The fact we were able to play Navy at MetLife and had the Shamrock Series against Army at Yankee Stadium, that we can continue that great rivalry with USC -- we really get to move around the map and keep that very national presence. It's a wonderful thing for our football program and, quite frankly, it's a wonderful thing for the university." |
| The Movement to Make Athletes Employees Had Momentum. Then Trump Got Elected. | |
 | The National College Players Association is seeking to end its legal fight to classify Division I football and basketball athletes as employees of their colleges. The association, which advocates for college athletes, submitted a motion Friday to withdraw its complaint alleging that the University of Southern California, the PAC-12 Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association commit unfair labor practices by deeming players amateurs, not employees entitled to workplace protections and the right to unionize. The filing comes just a week and a half after Dartmouth College basketball players withdrew their petition to unionize, possibly in anticipation of a change in partisan control in the National Labor Relations Board's membership under the incoming Trump administration, one that is considered less friendly to the cause of calling college athletes employees. President-elect Donald J. Trump is expected to nominate a new chair for the NLRB after Democrats in the Senate failed to confirm the current chair for another five-year term. Trump will also likely replace the NLRB's general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, who has said that college athletes should be classified as employees under the National Labor Relations Act. |
| Ex-NBPA Head Roberts Considers Formally Objecting to House Settlement | |
| Former National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts, who led the union from 2014 to 2022, is strongly considering making a formal objection to the House v. NCAA settlement, a move that would place her in direct opposition to lead plaintiffs' lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, her longtime friend and ally. With the bar date for House v. NCAA objections set for Jan. 31, Roberts and other potential objectors have less than three weeks to act. Despite having retired from her NBPA post two years ago, Roberts continues to be a highly influential figure in sports law and labor organizing, and her unique perspective could hold sway with U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. (For what it's worth, both are alumni of UC Berkeley School of Law, though they missed each other by a couple years.) In a phone call with Sportico, Roberts says that she has been in recent discussions with another lawyer about signing her name to a filing laying out their opposition to the settlement, which received preliminary court approval in October. Roberts' general contention is that too much of the deal -- including its cap on athlete revenue-sharing -- should be the product of collective bargaining and not settlement negotiations. Roberts also questions whether the class representatives in the case adequately speak for the interests of the athletes who she argues have the most to gain (or lose) financially -- football and basketball players. |
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