| Wednesday, January 15, 2025 |
| 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 universities drawing in veterans from across the nation | |
 | Members of the state Senate's Universities and Colleges Committee were updated this week about the various benefits provided to veterans and military connected students attending Mississippi's universities. The "Big 3" universities in Mississippi told lawmakers of the benefits their programs provide to veterans to make the transition from military service to college smoother and more successful. Representatives from the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi, and Mississippi State University said the average age of a military college student falls in line with the age range of non-traditional college students, which is between 21 to 26 years of age. On average, veterans require about five years to complete a bachelor's degree. Popular degrees for military students at Mississippi State University include computer and aerospace engineering, meteorology and geo-sciences, General Andrew Rendon, MSU's Executive Director for Veterans and Military Affairs, described. "As military veterans and service members enhance their specialities with these types of degrees we believe their competitiveness in the workforce will skyrocket," Rendon added. Due to the work many veterans performed during their military service, credit transfers are also offered for applicable experience, such as those who worked in cybersecurity jobs. |
| Farmers attend economic outlook conference at MSU | |
 | Farmers from across the country attended a conference at Mississippi State University on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The conference focused on the farming outlook for 2025. "They get information about the outlook, not just the broad economic outlook, but about the prices, about the prices, about the costs, about the financial condition," Kevin Kim, an assistant professor of agriculture economics, said. Associate professor Josh Maples said livestock and poultry products are currently bright spots for agriculture right now. He said poultry production was up approximately 3% in 2024, and he expects another strong year of poultry production in Mississippi. Lower feed prices were a big contributor. Post-pandemic years saw record-high prices on crops, but it's been a downhill rollercoaster since then. "From a price standpoint, it's been a pretty drastic pullback, but those were record highs," assistant professor Will Maples said. "Now we're kind of back to where we were pre-pandemic levels price-wise." |
| MSU holds annual state agricultural outlook conference | |
 | The new year and severe weather bring new challenges to the agriculture industry. It was the annual Mississippi Agricultural Outlook conference at Mississippi State University. This is where industry specialists share new updates and insights for the new year in the farming world. The 2025 Mississippi Agricultural Outlook Conference was held at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville. Agricultural specialists were there to share updates and forecasts on the state's largest industry for the new year. The event organizer, Kevin Kim, said there is always key information farmers need to know. MSU graduate students majoring in the Department of Agricultural Economics said the conference helped them understand more about the farming business. "Growing up in the agricultural sectors, I've always kind of been interested and bridging the gap between producers and consumers," Logan Mattingly said. Agricultural lenders and farm managers said they were glad to give an outlook on economic conditions going into 2025. "2024 has been a challenging year especially for the world cup producers and it just likely that we'll see another challenging year for some of the producers in 2025," Kim said. "So we gather here together to give them or brief them about what's going to happen in 2025." |
| MSU Extension Selects New Soybean Specialist | |
| The Mississippi State University Extension Service will have a new soybean specialist in February. Justin Calhoun, a soil and cropping systems specialist and assistant Extension professor in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, is returning to MSU to serve the state's soybean producers. He will be MSU Extension's primary contact for all soybean production information and will oversee educational programs for growers, consultants and MSU Extension agents. The Star City, Arkansas native is a familiar face in Mississippi agriculture and the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He earned his doctoral and master's degrees in weed science from MSU and his bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. MSU Extension Director Angus Catchot announced Calhoun's appointment during the annual MSU Row Crop Short Course in December. Calhoun succeeds Trent Irby, who was state soybean specialist from 2012 to 2023 before being named associate director for MSU Extension in 2024. "Soybean growers in Mississippi will soon find that having Dr. Calhoun back at MSU is a major win for them," Irby said. "This is a challenging and important role, but his research experience here at MSU and his highly regarded research and Extension work in Missouri have prepared him to take it on." |
| From boot camp to real world success | |
| While producing a senior design project on his way to earning a biosystems engineering degree from Mississippi State University, Nate Venarske tooled around with a better way to kill pesticide-resistant mosquitoes until he had an "aha" moment. Venarske came up with Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap, a device that lets mosquitoes breed but kills their offspring. The first design used pesticides, while the current design uses a floating mesh small enough for mosquito eggs to enter but too small for mosquito larvae to escape. "It's a simple mechanical trap, just tricking the mosquitoes," said Venarske. Venarske's project caught the attention of investors such as Emily Wykle, regional vice president of gener8tor, who described it as "not very sexy, but quite promising." Last year, Innovate Mississippi recruited Venarske and seven promising entrepreneurs for a 12-week CoBuilders accelerator boot camp and pitch competition, with MSU E-Center in Vicksburg as his supporting partner. The environment provided opportunities to nail the basics, get critical seed funding, and build toward successful companies that impact their fields. All participants received $25,000 in the form of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) agreement to help develop their businesses. Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap met the criteria of an emerging company that's right at, or just before, the revenue point. |
| Supervisors hope to secure OCH buyer by May | |
 | Supervisors took another step toward selling OCH Regional Medical Center with a vote to formally request proposals to purchase the hospital. After months at the drawing board, the board of supervisors approved an RFP during its Monday meeting that outlines what the county is looking for in prospective buyers. "We mainly want someone who's going to continue to grow our health care system here, that's going to be a good fit for the community and that's going to be able to work with key players here in Oktibbeha County," Board President Marvel Howard told The Dispatch on Tuesday. Advertising will begin this week and continue through March 7, Butler Snow attorney John Healy told The Dispatch. There is time set aside in late March and early April for inquiring buyers to visit the hospital and conduct interviews, he said. The exact date for selecting a buyer is still undecided, but Healy said the board hopes to make the announcement by early May. |
| Meridian to host Mississippi Theatre Association's annual theatre festival | |
 | More than 900 community theatre enthusiasts, 600 of which are high school students, will travel to Meridian this week to participate in the annual statewide theatre festival and convention being held at The MSU Riley Center. The festival, which will run Thursday through Sunday, brings theatres from around the state to perform their one-act productions, to learn more about theatre and how to improve theatre arts in the respective theatres. High schools throughout the state have been rehearsing plays since August in hopes of placing in the regional competitions and advancing to the state festival. High schools that were awarded a Distinguished Play Award at the north and south regional festivals held in December advanced to the state festival. Community theatres will also have the opportunity to compete against one another on Saturday, with the two finalists moving forward to the Southeastern Theatre Conference. This year, Biloxi Little Theatre, Pearl Community Theatre, Tupelo Community Theatre and Starkville Community Theatre will participate. Additionally, MTA will sponsor a Theatre for Youth Festival on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MSU Riley Center. |
| Occupancy rate reaches 96% in 'vibrant' downtown | |
| Barbara Bigelow likes to keep herself and Main Street busy. From elaborate events to helping business owners to grant-funded beautification projects, Bigelow described parts of her job as executive director of Main Street Columbus to the Rotary Club of Columbus Tuesday at Lion Hills Center. "It's our job to bring people to downtown," Bigelow said. "We want to keep our downtown vibrant. We want to keep it safe. And we want to keep it beautiful for people to enjoy." While many citizens may recognize Main Street Columbus for the 18 events it organizes throughout the year, including Market Street Festival, Bigelow said the nonprofit helps promote the economic vitality of the downtown area. Currently, Bigelow said, the occupancy rate downtown is at about 96%, which she said is "really, really excellent" for the area. "We have a very active downtown," Bigelow said. "It's not because of me. I like to think that Main Street as a whole plays a part of that, and the volunteers and the partners that we have. We have merchants that so want to be downtown. They don't want to be anywhere else." |
| Mississippi House set to vote this week on income tax elimination-gas tax increase plan | |
| A House committee passed a major tax cut plan on Tuesday evening that would eventually abolish the state income tax, reduce taxes on groceries, increase local sales taxes and provide more money for road work. The plan would over time cut about $1.1 billion from the state's current revenue. Proponents say economic growth will cover this, and not result in major cuts to government services or spending. "This is one of the most transformational pieces of legislation that this state has ever seen," House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar said in the committee meeting. The legislation passed the GOP-majority House committee with no audible opposition, though Rep. Robert Johnson III, the House Democratic leader, raised concerns that the state's budget may not collect enough revenues in the future to offset the tax cut. The legislation would reduce the income tax rate from 4% to 3% next year. Then, it would reduce the rate by .3% each additional year until the tax is eliminated in 10 years. The plan also trims the 7% sales tax on groceries to 2.5% over time. To make municipalities whole, the bill adds a general 1.5% local sales tax for both municipalities and counties that the local governments can vote to opt out of. The tax collected by the counties would go toward local road maintenance. The legislation also adds a new 5% tax on gasoline sales, which would go toward the Mississippi Department of Transportation's budget for road and bridge infrastructure. |
| Historic Mississippi tax cut would end tax on income, unless you work in porn or are a sex worker | |
 | A House bill meant to eradicate the state's individual income tax does not apply to sex workers in Mississippi. On Tuesday, the Mississippi House Ways and Means Committee passed House Bill No. 1, meaning it will now be up to the full chamber to advance the legislation. Mississippi GOP leaders such as House Speaker Jason White, R-West, Gov. Tate Reeves and several statewide office holders have come out in support of the bill. Touted as Lamar's most "transformative" piece of legislation, he has said several times over the last year he wants to eliminate "the tax on work." That could now depend on what kind of work one does. About 90 pages inside the House bill, there is a provision stating sex workers will not be included in the massive tax cut, which seeks to totally cut the state income tax by Fiscal Year 2036. When finished, it will be a $1.1 billion cut in revenue to the state budget, which is more than double the tax cut that was passed by the Mississippi Legislature in 2022. It also cuts the state sales tax down and adds other taxes to help reduce funding holes and establish funds for state infrastructure. When asked about the provision, Lamar did not explain why he included it. "We would still have a 5% income tax on illegal and illicit activity, just put it that way," Lamar told reporters after a committee meeting. |
| Inflation Ticks Up to 2.9%, but Underlying Price Gains Are Muted | |
 | Markets cheered a December inflation report that suggested underlying price pressures are easing, but the Federal Reserve still isn't likely to cut interest rates anytime soon given President-elect Donald Trump's plans for the economy. The overall consumer-price index came in relatively hot, rising 2.9% over the year, the Labor Department said Wednesday. The index rose 0.4% from the previous month, driven by a 4.4% jump in gas prices. The so-called core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2%, its smallest gain since July and less than the 0.3% increase expected by economists. Investors homed in on the core prices, sending stocks and bonds higher. But the data aren't significant enough to change Fed officials' plan to hold interest rates steady while they await the tariffs, tax cuts and immigration crackdown that Trump has promised to deliver. The Fed meets in two weeks and has widely telegraphed that it is taking a break from rate cuts. Wednesday's numbers punctuate a challenging year for U.S. policymakers anxious to declare victory over the high inflation that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. The report was, in some ways, an example of investors excited over numbers that were less bad than feared, rather than outright good. Overall inflation remains well above the Fed's 2% target. Stocks soared, with the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both up about 1.5%. |
| Mr. Snyder goes to Washington? Former state Medicaid chief in line to head program for Trump | |
| On Tuesday, Politico health reporter David A. Lim broke news that former Mississippi Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder was expected to assume control of the program nationally once President Trump is sworn into office. The news comes just months after Snyder resigned his post at the state's top Medicaid officer. Snyder, who was first appointed in January of 2018, was one of the five longest serving Medicaid directors in the U.S. at the time of his resignation. Gov. Tate Reeves has praised Snyder's tenure at the helm of Medicaid. "Drew Snyder is a talented and dedicated public servant who has driven positive, lasting change in our state's Medicaid program. I appreciate his acumen and his exemplary leadership and wish him continued success in the next chapter of his career," Reeves said. Snyder assumed leadership of the Division of Medicaid at a time when the agency had a $47 million projected budget shortfall. During his tenue, the agency achieved six consecutive balanced budgets, and built a nine-figure reserve. In October of last year, Snyder told Magnolia Tribune this happened "despite record enrollment in 2023 and a 10 percent decrease in state support funding since 2017." During the span of his leadership, the headcount of the agency was reduced by more than 10 percent and a more stringent process for reviewing vendor contracts was implemented. |
| Thompson says he discussed pardons for Jan. 6 panel Democrats with the White House | |
 | The former chair of the Jan. 6 select committee said he has discussed pardons with the White House as President-elect Donald Trump threatens retribution against the panel's Democrats. "We had a discussion about pardons. It wasn't a particular pardon," Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said. "For me, as a member of the committee, if one is offered, I would accept it." Other members of the select panel said they hadn't sought a pardon but left it up to outgoing President Joe Biden, who has floated preemptive pardons for those who might be targeted by Trump. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. "I've not sought one. It's up to the president to do what he thinks is right," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Though presidents may offer pardons to those who don't seek them, Supreme Court precedent makes clear that the intended recipients can turn them down, particularly if they have other defenses they want to assert against potential federal investigations. Trump has broadly accused the select panel of witness tampering and destroying evidence, though he has offered no proof for those claims. And some Republicans have floated creating a select panel to consolidate their investigations into the Jan. 6 attack and Capitol security -- and to potentially investigate the work of the former Capitol riot panel, too. A GOP-led subpanel conducted its own review last Congress. |
| Pam Bondi, Trump's AG pick, says 'partisan' weaponization of DOJ 'will be gone' | |
| President elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general Pam Bondi is being questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Democrats are expected to press her on whether she will prioritize loyalty to Trump over her constitutional duty. In her opening statement, the former Florida attorney general emphasized to lawmakers that she would not use the federal law enforcement agency to attack political rivals and endeavor to "restore confidence and integrity" to the department. Trump has repeatedly suggested in his second term he would leverage his prosecutorial power against adversaries. "The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone," Bondi said in her statement. "America must have one tier of justice for all." With Bondi's confirmation all but certain, Democrats are expected to use the hearing to attack Trump, as opposed to the nominee herself. Democratic senators have acknowledged her qualifications for the position as a former prosecutor with a long background in law enforcement, despite her role in Trump's effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. |
| Hegseth sticks to script at his confirmation hearing | |
 | Pete Hegseth weathered repeated efforts by Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee to assail his lack of qualifications to lead the Pentagon on Tuesday, buoyed by praise from Republicans of President-elect Donald Trump's "out-of-the-box" pick to serve as secretary of Defense. Partisan lines of support and hostility appeared to solidify as Hegseth faced nearly five hours of questions during his confirmation hearing. Democrats focused on his previous derogatory comments toward women in combat, his lack of experience leading a large organization, and the storm of allegations that has dogged him for months. Republicans on the panel warmed to the combat veteran and former Fox News host. Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who until the hearing had been generally supportive of Hegseth but not ardent, threw his full-throated support behind Hegseth at the hearing's outset. "Admittedly, this nomination is unconventional. The nominee is unconventional, just like that New York developer who rode down the escalator in 2015 to announce his candidacy for president. That may be what makes Mr. Hegseth an excellent choice," Wicker said. Hegseth, for his part, stuck to the script. He dismissed the various allegations against him as "anonymous smears," dodged some of the more difficult questions, reaffirmed his commitment to quit drinking and admitted that he was "not a perfect person" but has found redemption. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves: Flags should fly full staff on presidential inauguration day | |
| Five days out from President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, preparations for the event have been accented by controversy -- perhaps unsurprisingly. An order from President Joe Biden after the death of former president Jimmy Carter in late December mandated all flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days in honor of the late public servant. The measure is in line with the U.S. flag code, which covers flags at federal government buildings and their grounds. But with Trump's inauguration taking place within that span, the second president set to serve non-consecutive terms voiced qualms over lowered pennants on the day of the ceremony. "Because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half-mast," Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let's see how it plays out." House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was recently reelected to the position ahead of Trump's second term, stayed in line with Trump's call, indicating at a press conference Monday that flags would indeed fly full staff on January 20. He also said Biden's order would return to effect the following day to continue honoring Carter's legacy. Mississippi's top politician, Gov. Tate Reeves, plans to follow suit. "Yeah, we're definitely working on that right now," Reeves told The Gallo Show Wednesday. "We have federal laws we have to follow, but I believe that all flags should fly at full staff on inauguration day." |
| Biden's big semiconductor law will ramp up US chip production -- but at a high cost, report finds | |
 | A sweeping 2022 law, touted by President Joe Biden as a way to revive U.S. manufacturing of semiconductors and reduce the country's reliance on foreign-made computer chips, will "sharply increase production'' of semiconductors in the United States. But it will do so at a high cost and might not deliver the best bang for the buck, concludes a report out Wednesday by an economic think tank in Washington. Researchers at the Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act will create about 93,000 construction jobs as chip factories go up in the United States and 43,000 permanent jobs once they're in operation. But the government subsidies behind the expected chip manufacturing boom mean that each job created will cost taxpayers about $185,000 a year -- twice the average annual salary of U.S. semiconductor employees, the Peterson report found. Policymakers are alarmed that U.S. industry depends heavily on chips manufactured in Taiwan, a supply that could be threatened if China launches military strikes intended to force the autonomous island to reunite politically with the Chinese mainland. The giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which supplies chips to Apple and Qualcomm, among others, is investing heavily in chip plants in Arizona. |
| USM, Mississippi College partner for accelerated law degree program | |
 | Students at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) who want to pursue a career as an attorney now have access to an accelerated law school pathway. USM has established a new partnership with Mississippi College (MC). A Memorandum of Understanding between USM and the MC School of Law signed January 13 allows qualified Southern Miss students to earn both their bachelor's degree and Juris Doctorate (JD) in six years of study–decreasing the total length of undergraduate studies plus law school by one full year. "We are deeply appreciative of this connection with the Mississippi College School of Law and are thrilled to be able to offer this new degree pathway for our students seeking to attend law school," said Dr. Chris Winstead, Southern Miss College of Arts and Sciences dean. "Mississippi College is proud to partner with The University of Southern Mississippi to offer motivated and talented students a streamlined path to earning their Juris Doctorate. At MC Law, students will join a dynamic community of outstanding faculty, supportive staff and accomplished peers, all committed to preparing future legal professionals who will make a meaningful impact in their communities," said MC Provost and Executive Vice President Mike Highfield. |
| Mississippi inspection stickers to feature USM's colors in 2025 | |
| If you're a Southern Miss fan, you will soon see your school colors on display at places where you shop. The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will feature the University of Southern Mississippi's black and gold colors on its regulatory inspection stickers this year. The stickers can bee seen on gas stations and produce scales. "Just look for those school colors on our petroleum stickers. That's where people see them the most. But when you're checking out at the grocery store or at the Walmart even, you'll see them as well for consumer protection. So, it's a simple but profound way to remind us how important our educational system is," said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson (R-Miss.). Each year, the inspection stickers feature a different university's school colors. Jackson State University (JSU) was represented on the 2024 stickers. |
| Pearl River Community College streamlines admissions process with new enrollment centers | |
 | Pearl River Community College has streamlined the admissions process at all of its three campus locations. The college has opened enrollment centers in Forrest and Hancock counties and the Poplarville campus. The grand opening for the Poplarville location is the week of Jan. 13. The new centers combine admissions, student accounts and records and financial aid. "What our students were telling us is that (they were) kind of being pushed around, we're kind of being drug around to different offices, hopping around and we realized that we could take the same personnel we have and we could cross-train them in all three areas, so students come to one specialized office that provides just excellent customer service," said Candace Harper, executive vice president for enrollment management at Pearl River Community College. |
| U. of Alabama President to Step Down in July | |
| Dr. Stuart R. Bell, the 29th president of The University of Alabama, has announced his plans to step down from the presidency mid-summer, completing a decade of excellence in leadership. The announcement comes as the University celebrates unparalleled achievements in enrollment, academic quality, research activity and funding, fundraising, athletics, campus development and more during his tenure. In the last century, only Presidents George Denny and Frank Rose have served more years working in the role. His thoughtfully planned transition leaves the campus in a position of distinction and strength. "It has truly been an honor to serve and represent The University of Alabama as president over the last 10 years," Bell said. "I am grateful for the longstanding support of our Board of Trustees and filled with pride and gratitude for all the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Collectively, we have witnessed record-breaking successes and as our University continues its positive trajectory, the moment is right to initiate the completion of my tenure as president." Bell began his presidency in July 2015 after serving in leadership roles at Louisiana State University and the University of Kansas. He earlier served 16 years on the UA faculty and was chair of the mechanical engineering department and founder and first director of the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies. |
| Alabama's anti-DEI law violates Constitution, UA professors and UAB students claim in lawsuit | |
 | Professors at the University of Alabama and students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham filed a federal lawsuit today challenging a new Alabama law that they described as a censorship bill that prevents them from learning, teaching, and engaging in classes and programs on diverse viewpoints and topics. The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit announced today by the ACLU of Alabama. The lawsuit challenges a new Alabama law that banned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public colleges, local school boards, and state agencies. The law also placed restrictions on the teaching of what it defines as "divisive concepts." The lawsuit claims the three UA professors who are plaintiffs "have either specifically received threats of discipline from university administrators for alleged noncompliance with SB 129 if they do not alter their curriculum to avoid certain viewpoints and/or fear that they will be accused of violating SB 129 if they do not alter their curriculum to excise certain viewpoints. The law took effect Oct. 1 and has led to the closing of DEI offices on university campuses. |
| A State's DEI Ban Illegally Blocks Students From Learning About Racism, Lawsuit Says | |
 | A group of Alabama students and educators on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit that takes aim at a new state law banning public funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at schools and colleges. The law, which took effect October 1, also restricts the teaching of so-called divisive concepts related to race, sex, religion, and other personal identities. In addition, it requires public colleges to designate restrooms on the basis of biological sex. Cassandra E. Simon, an associate professor of social work at the University of Alabama, is a plaintiff in the case. She said in a written statement that inclusive curricula and campus spaces designed for marginalized students "are undeniably a strength in higher education." She said she's witnessed "how teaching and engaging with some of these so-called 'divisive concepts' can be transformative for both professors and students." Will the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who's vowed to end federal spending on DEI and go after colleges that continue to promote the concepts, embolden other groups to file similar lawsuits? Legislators in several states, including Texas, are gearing up for a raft of new measures aimed at colleges' diversity programs and strategies. |
| Louisiana colleges and universities spend minimally on DEI, new reports show | |
| Last year, Louisiana lawmakers asked every Louisiana public school to submit a report on their spending related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Based on an Illuminator review of their submissions, there has been minimal spending on these programs. Attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion -- one of the flashpoints in conservative culture wars in the education realm -- are often premised on the idea that such programs bloat college budgets and increase student debt. But information every public Louisiana college and university provided shows that about half of its post-secondary institutions spend nothing on DEI. Those that do spent between 0.001% and 0.42% of their respective budgets. In total, 17 schools spend about $3.5 million on DEI measures out of $2.7 billion in state money appropriated to them in the most recent fiscal year, making up 0.1% of the state's total higher education spending. The other 16 schools – including every campus in the historically Black Southern University system, most schools in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and two schools in the LSU System – reported spending nothing on DEI. Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and a defender of DEI, said a diverse workforce is something industry partners are looking for Louisiana schools to provide. "The whole diversity, equity and inclusion is nothing more than a firestorm. We don't need a firestorm right now," Sullivan said. "What we need is to produce more graduates that go to work and pay taxes in Louisiana." |
| UPDATE: Sanders' session agenda includes school phone ban, firing 'woke' professors, higher ed funding | |
| Gov. Sarah Sanders delivered her "state of the state" address to a joint meeting of the Arkansas House and Senate on Tuesday morning, laying out her agenda for the 2025 legislative session, which began Monday. The governor struck a triumphal tone throughout her 35-minute speech, repeatedly invoking the changing of the guard in Washington as the dawn of a new era. Arkansas has been on "the vanguard of a conservative revolution" that has reelected Donald Trump, Sanders said. "I have an amazing relationship with President Trump and he and his administration will have no greater friend than Arkansas," she declared. Sanders' marquee item, as expected, is a yet-to-be-seen package of changes to the state's higher education system. Sanders dubbed the legislation "Arkansas ACCESS." Some of the proposals she outlined sound positive, such as creating a single application and single fee that would allow students to apply to any state-supported college or university. But she also threw out a sizable slab of red meat to her conservative base, promising to make it easier to fire instructors -- including tenured professors -- who "indoctrinate" students with "anti-American, historically illiterate, woke nonsense." Sanders was vague on the all-important question of what specific changes might be in store for higher ed funding, but she indicated the state will do more to support programs outside of a traditional four-year college track, including "non-degree credentials." |
| Audit shows University System of Georgia has reduced cost of attending college for students | |
 | The University System of Georgia (USG) has reduced the financial burden of attending college significantly in recent years, the system's chief financial officer said Tuesday. The state's share of the cost fell as low as 47% in the aftermath of the Great Recession more than a decade ago, Tracey Cook told members of the university system Board of Regents. Students were forced to pick up the other 53%, Cook said. The economic recovery since then has allowed the state to increase its share of the cost to 60%, while students now are paying 40% of the tab, she said. Besides restoring cuts to the state's student funding formula imposed during the pandemic, the General Assembly also has eliminated the special institutional fees the system began charging students during the Great Recession and restored full funding of HOPE scholarships, Cook said. "We know going to college costs a lot," system Chancellor Sonny Perdue added. "But the USG has done a good job in making it as affordable as possible." Cook said the federal government also played a role in boosting the system's funding by allocating $1.6 billion during the pandemic, 40% of which went directly to students. |
| Florida bill would ban students in the US without legal permission from some public universities | |
| A Florida state lawmaker has filed a bill that would ban some public colleges and universities from admitting immigrants who are in the country without legal permission. The proposal comes the day after Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to help implement President-elect Donald Trump's immigration policies. The proposal was filed Tuesday by Republican state Sen. Randy Fine, who is currently running for a seat in Congress to replace Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security advisor. "Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a spot that could be taken by a Floridian or an American? I would argue no," Fine said. Representatives for Florida's public college and university systems did not immediately respond to questions on how many students could be affected by Fine's bill, which would ban public schools of higher education with an acceptance rate of less than 85% from admitting students in the country without legal authorization. The University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and Florida International University are among institutions that would be affected, according to the schools' admissions data. |
| Texas A&M rescinds trip to conference after Abbott threatens A&M president's job | |
 | Texas A&M University announced Tuesday morning it has backed off a plan to send doctoral students to a conference in Chicago in an apparent violation of the state's diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) ban after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened A&M President Mark A. Welsh III with his job in a Monday night post on social media. A poster on X directed a message to Abbott stating, "Texas A&M is sponsoring a trip to a DEI conference that prohibits whites and Asians from attending. The university falsely claims that this use of taxpayer funds does not violate the state's DEI ban. @TAMU is supporting racial segregation and breaking the law." The post included a portion of an email sent by professor Yong Chen inviting colleagues and advanced Ph.D. students if they were interested in attending the annual The PhD Project conference March 20-21 in Chicago. Another attachment highlighted the conference requirement that attendees be Black, Hispanic or Indigenous people. Abbott responded, "Hell, no. It's against Texas law and violates the US Constitution. It will be fixed immediately or the president will soon be gone." In a letter addressed to the faculty and staff of Mays Business School, Welsh said the university made a mistake in approving attendance at the conference. |
| SMU Wants to Separate From the Church but Keep the 'Methodist' | |
 | A contentious, six-year legal battle between the United Methodist Church and Southern Methodist University is coming before the Texas Supreme Court today. The controversy centers around who maintains control over the university -- its Board of Trustees or the church -- after the university tried to distance itself in 2019. The move came at a time when the church strengthened restrictive policies toward LGBTQ+ ordinations and marriages, exacerbating ideological fault lines within the denomination. SMU president R. Gerald Turner said at the time that the church decision would have no bearing on the university as "a separate corporate entity governed by the SMU Board of Trustees" and the university would continue to follow its nondiscrimination statement, which includes "sexual orientation and gender identity and expression." The United Methodist Church has since backed away from its hard-line stance on LGBTQ+ issues, but that didn't end the power struggle over the private Dallas university, which now enrolls more than 12,000 students and has a $2.2 billion endowment. The conflict started when university leaders changed its articles of incorporation in November 2019 "to make it clear that SMU is solely maintained and controlled by its board as the ultimate authority for the university," Turner said at the time. The Board of Trustees also removed language that the university was "to be forever owned, maintained and controlled by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church." |
| West Virginia governor axes DEI and enacts vaccine exemptions on first full day in office | |
| Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a slew of aggressive executive orders on his first full day as West Virginia's chief executive Tuesday, including one enabling families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations -- a massive departure for a state with one of the strictest vaccine policies in the nation. Another order called for the termination of all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives from state-run institutions, something Morrisey said he believes will protect West Virginians from racial and gender discrimination -- especially "inappropriate" preferential treatment for certain groups over others. Efforts to end DEI initiatives are expected to expand in Republican-led states under President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to get rid of perceived "wokeness" in education. Some higher education institutions are already dismantling diversity offices in states such as Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas. In announcing the executive orders, Morrisey cited the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action, declaring race cannot be a factor in college admissions. The vaccine executive order upends a school vaccination policy long heralded by medical experts as one of the most protective in the country for kids. |
| How Did Enrollment Researchers Get It So Wrong? | |
| In October, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released its annual preliminary "Stay Informed" enrollment report, which proclaimed that first-year college enrollments had fallen by 5 percent from fall 2023 to fall 2024. That would have signified the largest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. The data, it turns out, was false. On Monday, the NSC acknowledged that a methodological error led to a major misrepresentation of first-year enrollment trends. In fact, the nonprofit said, first-year enrollment appears to have increased last fall. NSC officials said the error was caused by mislabeling many incoming first-year students as dually enrolled high school students---which also helps explain the whopping 7.2 percent increase in dual enrollment in the October report. The error also compromised a special report on 18-year-old enrollment and FAFSA completion that the NSC published in December with the National College Attainment Network. Doug Shapiro, the research center's executive director, wrote in an email to Inside Higher Ed that the research team uncovered the mistake while preparing its upcoming Current Term Enrollment Estimates report, set to release next Thursday. Results for that report -- which uses different methodology -- showed significantly higher first-year enrollments, Shapiro said, prompting a retroactive review of the October report. |
| Mississippi sporting a growing ability to recruit and land high-tech economic development prospects | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: One thing that Mississippi has not been known for is national expertise in computer science and cybersecurity. But as of last week, that reality changed when the U.S. Air Force announced that Keesler Air Base in Biloxi, Mississippi is now the national hub for cyber operations training in that branch of service. Leaders from Mississippi State University, the U.S. Air Force, and the City of Biloxi, along with Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves, signed a joint proclamation Jan. 10 for the state-of-the-art Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center and collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the MSU-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative. ... Mississippi Power Company President & CEO Anthony Wilson sees the ribbon-cutting for the Mississippi Cyber Technology Center in Biloxi as one of a series of transformational high-tech economic development projects that will transform how the rest of the country sees Mississippi and perhaps more importantly, how we see ourselves. "We are witnessing a revolution in Mississippi that is transforming the state's economic landscape, attracting new businesses, providing job opportunities now and learning opportunities for a new generation. When you consider the $20 billion investment in two data centers over the last two years, the Cyber Center at Keesler, and much more, Mississippi is clearly a leader in these cutting-edge technologies. I believe this is only the beginning of a period of tremendous growth as perceptions of our state are seen in a new light," Wilson said. |
SPORTS
| How Atlanta is adjusting security plans for college football game after deadly New Orleans attack | |
| Atlanta leaders say the New Year's Eve vehicle attack on New Orleans' Bourbon Street has helped guide their security plans for large upcoming events such as Monday's national championship college football game. They also urged people who see threats online to report them to authorities, just as they would a suspicious bag or person at the events. "We were taking note on how a vehicle was used to harm citizens to carry out the attack, and how IEDs were placed in the area," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said, referring to improvised explosive devices. Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented pickup truck into the New Year's Eve crowd on Bourbon Street, police said, killing more than a dozen people and injuring about 30. "It's not just New Orleans," Schierbaum added. "We look at terror attacks around the globe, and where terrorists try to harm, we do our very best to make sure we stand in that gap for the citizens." Schierbaum and other city leaders spoke about their security plans during a Tuesday briefing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will host Monday's game between the University of Notre Dame and Ohio State University. They also said they were prepared to keep people safe at events associated with the Martin Luther King holiday. |
| The Eight Minutes That Will Decide the College Football Season | |
| There are plenty of reasons why Notre Dame is one of the last two teams standing in college football. The Fighting Irish have one of the best defenses in the sport, a burgeoning star at running back in sophomore Jeremiyah Love and an experienced quarterback in Riley Leonard. But when Penn State head coach James Franklin began to prepare for a matchup against Notre Dame in the playoff semifinal last week, he identified one specific quality that he believed could make the difference. "They're one of the better 'middle eight' teams in the country," Franklin said, minutes after Notre Dame clinched a spot in Monday's national championship game with a dramatic 27-24 win. The "middle eight" is how modern coaches refer to the final four minutes of the second quarter and the first four minutes of the third. The reason that seemingly unremarkable stretch has a fancy name is that football wonks consider it to be one of the most profoundly consequential periods in any game. The thinking behind the middle eight is laughably simple. If you're able to score points in the waning seconds of the first half and then immediately regain the ball on the opening kickoff of the second, you're effectively stealing a valuable possession from your opponent. In theory, it's possible to score two consecutive touchdowns without the other team ever touching the ball. |
| How do you stop players from faking injuries? College football coaches torn on problematic issue | |
| On Monday, in a conference room at the convention center here, several coaches explored one of the hottest of hot-button topics in the world of college football: faking injuries. In fact, the meeting even featured in-game clips of players (allegedly) dropping to the field in the middle of a drive in an effort, defensively, to slow an offense's momentum and, offensively, to better gather the next play-call. As part of the American Football Coaches Association convention, leaders here are adamant in finding a solution to a vexing issue. How do you penalize programs enough to prevent the feigning of injuries? "Maybe we just need to stop faking injuries," deadpanned Florida coach Billy Napier, in a subtle jab at those who practice this art. Alas, it is not so easy. Coaches, victims of their win-at-all-cost competition levels, need consequences for their actions. They find loopholes and they exploit them. But what if those loopholes were closed? The committee of coaches emerged from Monday's meeting with a plan: Any injured player would be sidelined the rest of the drive unless a team used a timeout to reinstate the player. A head coach fine -- possibly tethered to a post-game review process -- was discussed as well. The proposal is in its very early stages. |
| NCAA to dole out $1.2B to help pay for House settlement. Its president asks for Congress to step in | |
| Stressing his own organization's ability to pay out $1.2 billion over 10 years to help settle an industry-changing lawsuit, NCAA President Charlie Baker also urged Congress to pass legislation that could put college sports on a better path. "When I took this job, the message I heard from Congress was clear --- fix what you control first," Baker said Tuesday in his speech at the NCAA's annual convention. "Since then, we have modernized college sports to meet the needs of today's student-athletes. But we can't solve every threat we face alone." Baker wants Congress to deal with three issues: Eliminate the costly possibility of athletes becoming employees of schools. In the past two weeks, advocates and players at Dartmouth and Southern California withdrew court cases against the NCAA that could have led to unions and employment status. Replace more than 30 state laws with one federal statute to govern the entire college sports enterprise. Protect the NCAA from lawsuits, the likes of which are currently taking place over eligibility issues, via some form of antitrust protection. "I've had people in D.C. say, 'I now get and understand why you all believe you need some help from us to at least create some kind of framework nationally,'" Baker said of the reaction he's received from lawmakers. |
| NCAA president says legal clarity needed on transgender athlete participation | |
 | NCAA president Charlie Baker said Tuesday the association would welcome federal guidance before it considers any possible changes to rules regarding transgender athletes competing in women's sports. "There is no clarity on this from a legal point of view," Baker told reporters shortly after giving his State of College Sports address to membership at the association's annual convention. Baylor president Linda Livingstone, the chairwoman of the NCAA's board of governors, mentioned the board had discussed the policy on transgender student-athlete participation this year during her opening remarks introducing Baker. She said the NCAA was monitoring potential changes to Title IX and related legal cases. The brief mention of the policy during a high-profile event, in front of a room filled with hundreds of representatives from across the NCAA's three divisions and 1,100 schools, was notable. Conservative politicians aggressively hit on the issue of transgender athletes competing in women's sports during the last election cycle after numerous states passed laws banning transgender athletes from girls sports at the high school and youth levels. The NCAA has mostly avoided being pulled into the political fray, but with Republicans winning control of the White House and both chambers of Congress in November's elections, college sports leaders might no longer be able to avoid political pressure to reconsider their policies regarding transgender athletes. |
| This Proposed Law Would Push Transgender Athletes Out of Women's Sports in One Fell Swoop | |
| Congressional Republicans have advanced legislation that would amend the gender-equity law known as Title IX to explicitly prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on school and college sports teams that align with their gender identity. The bill specifies that recipients of federal funds cannot permit people born as male to compete in women's sports. It recognizes sex as based entirely on "reproductive biology and genetics at birth" -- a definition that the bill appears to apply to just athletics participation, not Title IX as a whole. The House on Tuesday passed the Protection of Women and Sports Act by a vote of 218 to 206. Two Democrats supported the bill, alongside all Republicans. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, is sponsoring the Senate version of the bill, and Rep. Gregory Steube, Republican of Florida, is sponsoring the House of Representatives version. Both have dozens of co-sponsors. Legal experts say there's no guarantee the bill will pass, given narrow margins for Republicans in both chambers and the bill's failure in a previous term. Whether it passes or not, though, the bill offers a taste of Republicans' higher-education priorities under the second Trump administration. Democrats, however, are far from united when it comes to the issue of transgender athletes' participation. Representatives Seth Moulton, of Connecticut, and Tom Suozzi, of New York, have both raised concerns about transgender women competing against cisgender women. Suozzi told reporters this week that he is likely to vote no on the bill, however. |
| House Advances Ban on Trans Women in Women's Sports | |
| The House of Representatives voted 218 to 206 to pass a bill that would unilaterally ban trans women from competing in women's sports Tuesday. The votes were nearly split along party lines, but two Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, both from Texas, voted for the bill. Sponsored by Representative Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, the legislation dubbed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, is the latest attempt in Congress to keep trans women off women's sports teams and builds on efforts in the states to restrict the participation of transgender students in sports that align with their gender identity. Last Congress, identical legislation from Steube passed the House but didn't move forward in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Now, Republicans hold the majority in both the House and the Senate, making it far more likely that this iteration will be more successful. In nearly half of the country, trans women are banned from playing women's sports at the K-12 or higher education level, but the legislation would take those bans nationwide. Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have criticized the Biden administration's effort to amend Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to prevent blanket bans that prohibit transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. Last month, the Biden administration scrapped that proposal. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
