| Tuesday, January 21, 2025 |
| How the $10 billion Meridian data center project came together | |
 | The past couple of years for economic development have brought major projects to various places throughout Mississippi. It turns out Mississippi Power had their ducks in a row in East Mississippi and was able to help lure Dallas-based Compass Datacenters, a multinational data center developer to locate its next hyperscale data center campus in Meridian, which was announced last week. "They found us through Mississippi Power," Bill Hannah, president/CEO of East Mississippi Business Development Corporation told the Clarion Ledger. The Compass project will be a long-term process for the area as most expect construction not to get started at least for a year and take up to eight years to complete as thousands of people will be used for the completion. However, he said all of that comes at a perfect time for Meridian as its downtown has been in a renaissance the past several years. There has been the Riley Performing Arts Center that has been in place for several years. But a recent investment from Mississippi State University could complete the process. "Mississippi State is focusing on our downtown with a huge healthcare program that will bring hundreds of students into downtown to work, study and live," Hannah said. "We have always believed we have a cool downtown, but others are seeing that too and investing in that, like Mississippi State. So, to have Compass investing billions into the area means we will have even more to offer as more and more people come to our area. We feel like the dam has broken." |
| MSU hosts breakfast at Starkville's First Baptist Church Warehouse | |
 | Over in Starkville, community members broke bread as a way to honor Dr. King's legacy. On Monday, January 20, Mississippi State University hosted a community breakfast and dialogues at the First Baptist Church Warehouse. As part of other activities and events hosted by the college, the community was invited for a service in the Chapel of Memories. Following the national day of remembrance, people can visit the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center on Thursday for a celebratory experience in the Colvard Student Union that encourages students to envision their legacy through creative artwork. MSU said this is just one way they are taking care of what matters. "We just think this is a great moment to show the community the unity that we already have. Especially, amongst us as pastors and churches here in Starkville, and to remind ourselves there is work still to do. To reach our communities, to help our children grow up with a better future, and to build better relationships across the barriers that tend to separate us far too often," said Joe Horan from Bridgeway Church. |
| MSU-Meridian to hold remote operations Tuesday | |
 | Students and staff at Mississippi State University-Meridian will learn and work remotely Tuesday after the university announced a move to remote operations due to the threat of potential winter weather. In a news release, the university said students and staff at all MSU locations are encouraged to use caution when traveling in adverse conditions. "Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to exercise caution when traveling and to allow extra time," MSU officials said in a news release. "The university asks that each person exercise good judgment in making travel and personal safety decisions, with special precaution toward bridges, stairs and sidewalks if icy conditions should occur." MSU students in the university's gulf coast engineering programs will also move to online learning Tuesday as facilities are housed at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which will be closed because of the weather. All MGCCC facilities will be closed with the exception of the cafeteria and residence halls, MSU said. The closures come as several other area schools also announced closures earlier Monday. Meridian Community College and East Central Community College both canceled classes and activities ahead of the forecasted storm. |
| Mississippi school and college closures for Tuesday ahead of winter storm, snow | |
 | Colleges and high schools around Mississippi have started to cancel classes for Tuesday ahead of projected winter storms that could leave up to four inches of snow in parts of the state. Dangerous road conditions are expected in South Mississippi all the way to the Coast, where parts could see a rare snow event. Temperatures are expected in the teens across the Magnolia State on Tuesday morning. Central Mississippi, including the Jackson area, Vicksburg and Meridian, could receive up to two inches of snow. Mississippi State University (Starkville campus and the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville) will open under "normal operations" on Tuesday. Significant weather impacts are not anticipated for those areas. "The MSU-Meridian campus will shift to remote operations all day on Tuesday, Jan. 21, out of an abundance of caution as winter weather is anticipated for that area," MSU announced. "A decision on MSU-Meridian operations for Wed., Jan. 22 will be announced on Jan. 21. "The University of Southern Mississippi will close operations and cancel classes on Tuesday, Jan. 21 on the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses," the university announced in a statement. |
| Snow is falling in South Mississippi amid historic winter storm | |
 | A rare winter storm started sweeping through South Mississippi on Tuesday with freezing gusts that closed schools and offices, disrupted travel and was expected to cover rooftops, beaches and even wilting palm trees in several inches of thick snow. The snow began at dawn and kept falling, leaving the cloudy Gulf Coast mostly silent except for the wind and the sound of ice hitting windows. A slick layer had already formed on some sidewalks. Forecasters warned residents that driving would be dangerous and pleaded that people stay home. If the forecast comes true, the storm will be historic. The National Weather Service predicted up to 4 inches of snow could fall across the Mississippi Coast, with possibly higher totals to the west. "Stay off the roads," Hancock County Emergency Management Director Brian "Hooty" Adam said Sunday. "I don't think anybody's seen this much snow in this area. I don't remember that much snow in my lifetime." |
| Education: Dapper makes history as first MSU faculty member to receive prestigious Presidential Early Career Award | |
 | Mississippi State University is celebrating a groundbreaking achievement as Associate Professor Amy Dapper becomes the university's first recipient of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE, the highest U.S. government award for early-career scientists and engineers. The PECASE, established by President Clinton in 1996, honors individuals who show exceptional promise in leadership and research. Dapper's work in MSU's Department of Biological Sciences places her among a select group of nearly 400 exceptional scientists from across the country, representing 14 federal agencies and top research institutions. She is recognized for her work supported by the National Science Foundation. "This is quite a remarkable award and incredible recognition for Dr. Dapper," Angus Dawe, head of MSU's Department of Biological Sciences, said. "Her work on understanding how genetic variation is maintained in populations really gets at fundamental questions of critical importance to our understanding of evolutionary processes. This is an amazing way to start 2025." In 2022, Dapper, a native of Blacksburg, Virginia, received a $740,645 five-year NSF CAREER grant to research how traits associated with reproduction can shape patterns of genetic diversity within and between species. |
| Federal funding awarded to programs combatting agricultural pests and disease in Mississippi | |
 | A large sum of federal dollars has been allocated to fight nuisance creatures and ailments in the Magnolia State. U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., announced Friday that more than $667,000 in funding from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been awarded to Mississippi to combat agricultural pests and diseases. Funding from the USDA Plant Protection Act Section will support state programs administered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. "Detecting and combating plant pests and diseases is critical to the protection of agricultural production in Mississippi," Sen. Hyde-Smith said. "It's a constant battle and this USDA funding will help our state identify and fight threats to our crops and forests." The MSU-Pontotoc Mississippi Sweet Potato Clean Plant Program will also receive $165,000 through the National Clean Plant Network -- a program that targets plant pathogens and pests to ensure the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crop producers. The array of funding comes from the farm bill, administered by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. |
| Mississippi receives $667,000 to combat agricultural pests, diseases | |
 | U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced $667,00 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding will be used in Mississippi to combat agricultural pests and diseases. The USDA Plant Protection Act Section 7721 funding will support a series of Mississippi-based programs administered by the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service and Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC). "Detecting and combatting plant pests and diseases is critical to the protection of agricultural production in Mississippi. It's a constant battle and this USDA funding will help our state identify and fight threats to our crops and forests," said Hyde-Smith. FY2025 Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program awards: MSU Invasive Insect Screening Lab, $170,000; MSU Mississippi Bug Blues/Invasive Insect Education Outreach, $122,000; MSU Bug Eyes/Volunteer Invasive Insect Searches, $63,500; MSU Mississippi Bug Blues Educator Education Boxes, $55,900; MSU Asian Defoliator Survey, $48,949; MSU Pine Pest Survey, $39,414; and MDAC Exotic Bark Beetle Commodity Survey, $3,000. |
| Keep pets' health, safety in mind during severe cold | |
| Remembering the "four P's" of freeze safety -- people, pets, plants and pipes -- is an adage heard constantly this time of year, but doing so will be even more critical than normal during the week between Jan. 20-24 as temperatures are projected to dip below freezing and stay there for several days in Mississippi. Caring for pets in prolonged cold weather will not involve many adjustments for owners of indoor pets, but protecting outside pets and livestock in these conditions requires extra attention. Carla Huston, Mississippi State University Extension Service veterinarian and professor with the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, said indoors is the best place for all pets to be when temperatures stay below freezing for days at a time. There are alternatives, however, to shield them from the elements when bringing them inside the home is not feasible. "The big thing is to provide a shelter to protect your animals from wind and moisture," Huston said. "If you have a garage or shed, even if it's unheated, keeping pets there during a cold snap is a good option, but heat lamps and space heaters in an area that doesn't create a fire hazard are handy to have this time of year. Try to avoid blankets unless the pet will be in an indoor area. Blankets can get wet and hold in moisture, which makes it easier for animals to get frostbite or hypothermia. |
| Woman's Club of Starkville kicks off 2025 with speaker Zac Selmon | |
| The Woman's Club of Starkville kicked off 2025 by having Mississippi State Athletic Director Zac Selman speak at its Tuesday meeting held at the First Baptist Church. President Anne Buffington opened the meeting and Sheila Rees introduced speaker Zac Selmon to the members who welcomed him by ringing their cowbells. Selmon delivered an excellent presentation including information about his background and his calling to make a difference. He highlighted the personal importance of faith and family, and then he gave a thorough overview of Mississippi State Athletics by discussing some of the challenges they face, highlighting programs he has initiated, and mentioning proposed building plans. He also emphasized four foundational components for all athletic programs which were athlete graduation rates and careers, tools for life, transformational experiences, and winning athletic programs. He then graciously answered numerous questions from club members. |
| Land squeeze limiting retail development in Starkville | |
| Retail development in the city is experiencing something of a real estate squeeze, with space running out around major hotspots and new properties along Highway 182 not quite ready for tenants yet. Jennifer Gregory, the president of downtown strategies for business firm Retail Strategies, told the board of aldermen during a work session Friday that while Starkville remains an attractive option for new business, a shortage of perfect spots has made it challenging to attract transplants. The city contracts with Retail Strategies for retail development. "You don't have a lot of inventory for retail growth," Gregory said. "Name a retailer we want here in Starkville, more than likely there is not a place for them to go. ... They don't exist to do us favors. They exist to make money. So they're not going to open unless they find the perfect spot." Part of Starkville's shortage of retail properties has to do with "co-locating," Gregory said. National chains have identified other chains that share a customer base and will try to cluster together. A large retailer like Walmart will bring in a lot of companion businesses, but once space fills up in the immediate area, new businesses become more reluctant. Retail Strategies is trying to attract businesses to spots closer to the overpass at Highways 12 and 25, which is just west of Walmart, but tenants are reluctant to gamble money on being the first to open in a new area, especially when they can go to other similar cities that do have space near anchor businesses. |
| Ask The Dispatch: What happened to relocating Pecan Acres? | |
| The idea of relocating the tenants of the Starkville Housing Authority's Pecan Acres development sparked debate in 2018 but has gotten barely a mention in recent years. Despite the lack of progress, the land surrounding Pecan Acres has continued to develop, and the buildings the housing authority wanted to replace aren't getting any younger. Is the housing authority still looking to relocate Pecan Acres? Why was relocation proposed in the first place? And what does the future hold for the proposal? Loren Bell, the chairman of the Starkville Housing Authority's board of commissioners, told The Dispatch the developer seems to have backed off the proposal since the COVID-19 pandemic. Bell said that while he'd discussed it a couple times after COVID-19's onset, talks slowed down during the pandemic economy, and it's been years since relocating Pecan Acres has been seriously discussed. |
| WTVA facing more layoffs from parent company Allen Media | |
 | WTVA in Tupelo may be facing a third round of layoffs that includes its entire meteorology team, according to sources with knowledge of the situation that asked to remain anonymous. The layoffs will be in phases and completed by the end of the first quarter, sources said. Station manager Luke Stanford declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Journal. WTVA's parent company Allen Media Group in May announced a restructuring move that affected about 12%, or some 2,500 employees. In October AMG laid off several station employees. The newest round of layoffs is a continuation of the restructuring plan, as several stations across the country have experienced similar cuts. Stations in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Indiana and elsewhere have reported layoffs. As for weather at WTVA and other Allen Media Group stations, broadcast industry observer FTVLive said AMG "is looking to hub weather forecasts for some of their stations out of the Weather Channel in Atlanta." The privately-owned AMG currently owns 36 ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox network affiliate broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets and several other television networks including The Weather Channel. WTVA was among 11 stations purchased for $210 million by AMG in 2019. |
| James Spann: Allen Media switching to Weather Channel is the future of the 'Ron Burgundy newscast' | |
 | ABC 33/40′s James Spann shared more of his thoughts Monday night on news that Allen Media Broadcasting "laid off every single meteorologist" in cities nationwide in favor of the Weather Channel. Spann said he "feels so badly for those who lost their jobs .... I know it's traumatic when you lose a job." The company, which operates 27 broadcast television stations in 21 U.S. markets, has announced plans to begin using "local weather coverage powered by The Weather Channel across local markets nationwide." Spann said the move is part of the ever-evolving nature of broadcast news and weather. "Some people are just furious," Spann said. "They feel like those local meteorologists are part of their family." Still, Spann said, he feels "so positive for the future" of the industry. "There's going to be a lot of short-term pain .... But, there will be long-term gain in that the products and services we deliver will still be there on different platforms, but in a much more efficient way." The audience for what he called the "Ron Burgundy newscast" is getting older, Spann said in reference to "Anchorman," the 2004 Will Ferrell comedy. As that happens, "the products of a bygone era are going away." Spann said a new generation emerging from college will help build a new model for the industry. "I want to help build the new model." |
| Triple whammy: Eggs, cocoa and coffee near record highs | |
| Last Sunday, Tiffany Grice went to Sam's Club in Tupelo to refill her supply of eggs for her recently-opened bakery, Kreecher's Creations. What she found was a not-so-pleasant surprise. "It was kind of scary," she said. "They had the 15-dozen box of eggs, and it was $53.44. I just stood there in disbelief." Three weeks ago the same box of eggs was about $33, which means the price had risen some 67%. "But what can I do? I have to have eggs," Grice said. An egg supply shortage caused by the bird flu is limiting supply and driving up prices, and the situation may not improve for months. As if that wasn't enough, the cost of chocolate also has hit new record highs. Prices for cocoa, the essential ingredient in chocolate, have soared to almost $12,000 per metric ton in December, an almost 90% increase in the last three months and nearly triple a year ago. The typical cost is about $2,000 to $4,000 per metric ton for the previous 15 years. It is a relentless onslaught of challenges for restaurants, but especially bakeries that use eggs and chocolate in great volume. For Crave in Tupelo, it's a hat trick of increased costs. Not only are eggs and chocolate higher, but the dessert and coffee cafe is seeing higher coffee bean prices. Coffee prices hit a near 50-year high in 2024. In late December, the price of coffee beans had jumped 30% since the beginning of November. Futures prices on arabica beans, the world's most popular variety, reached more than $3.30 per pound in mid-December, a 47-year high. An increase in demand, combined with a severe drought in Brazil, the largest supplier of arabica beans, decimated the harvest and reduced the supply. |
| 'Finally time to finish the pumps!': Mississippi Levee Board commissioners praise Record of Decision | |
| Last week, Maj. Gen. Kimberly A. Peeples, commander of the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, officially signed the Record of Decision for the Yazoo Backwater Area Water Management Project. This week, the Mississippi Levee Board commissioners are praising the step as a significant move toward rectifying a flooding issue that goes back decades and has devastated farmlands in the area during flooding incidents. "This plan will finally provide adequate flood protection to protect our people, homes, infrastructure, crop land, wildlife, trees and the environment," Mississippi Levee Board Chief Engineer Peter Nimrod said. "This 25,000 cfs pump will be able to maintain certain water levels and provide real flood protection to the land above these proposed elevations." With the USACE signing the Record of Decision it is officially announcing that the environmental documentation phase of the project is now complete and they are ready to start on the design and construction of the project. "This is a monumental day for the Pumps," Mississippi Levee Board President Kenny Rodgers said. "The Levee Board is extremely grateful for the strong and steady leadership and support of the entire Mississippi Congressional Delegation including Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Cong. Bennie Thompson." |
| Bill filed to make insurance commissioner an appointed position | |
| Months after Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said he wanted to see his role become an appointed position, a bill to fulfill that request has been filed. The 2025 Legislative Session is well underway, and District 25 Sen. Walter Michel has introduced S.B. 2024, which would transition the position from an elected role to an appointed one beginning on July 1, 2025. Michel said he filed the bill at the behest of Chaney, saying the commissioner thinks an appointed insurance head would be a better model for the state. "He does an excellent job... If he didn't want it, I would not have [introduced] it," he said. If passed, Chaney would be allowed to serve out the remainder of his four-year term before a new commissioner is appointed. The next commissioner also would be appointed if Chaney left office before his current term expires. The commissioner would be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The person selected would have to be a resident of the state, be at least 30 years old, and have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. |
| Mississippi lawmaker files bill to do away with honoring Robert E. Lee on Martin Luther King Day | |
| Only two states -- one of which is Mississippi -- recognize Robert E. Lee Day at the same time as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and one lawmaker is looking to change that. Rep. Kabir Karriem, D-Columbus, introduced a bill that would officially retire Robert E. Lee Day as a legal holiday in Mississippi and solely reserve the third Monday of every January for King. Karriem has introduced similar legislation in the past but to no avail. He wrote in House Bill 704 that if the legislature "desires to reflect the transformative power of Mississippi from its past to its present by celebrating holidays that wholly reflect the remarkable strides made by all citizens," lawmakers should not celebrate the civil rights icon and the Confederate general on the same day. King, who would have been 96 years old last Thursday, often visited Mississippi during his career in activism. The only other state that celebrates Lee and King's birthday on the same day is Alabama. Karriem's bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee and would need approval there before heading to the floor for a full vote. |
| MDAH retells history through updates at Windsor Ruins, Vicksburg, Jefferson College and more | |
| Mississippi is a state rich with history. From the northern corners, to the Delta, to the coast, there are hundreds of historical sites telling the story of the state. Many of these sites, however, do not tell the whole story. With a history as vast and complex as Mississippi's, it can be a challenge to paint a complete picture. Over the next few years, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History aims to revitalize some of the state's most beloved historical sites and tell the lesser-known stories of those sites. Windsor Ruins in Claiborne County is one of the state's most iconic historical landmarks. In 1890, the sprawling Windsor Plantation was marred by a fire, leaving only 29 large columns standing from the home of Smith Coffee Daniell II. At the time, Daniell's home was one of the largest private residences in the state. Today the antebellum home's history is preserved by the columns, which are now 23 full columns and five partial columns. MDAH acquired the ruins in the 1970s. Over the years, MDAH has taken steps to restore and expand Windsor Ruins. The final stage of the restoration centers on reinterpreting the site's history. MDAH Director Katie Blount said her team is striving to tell a broader story of Windsor Ruins, one that includes the Native Americans that first lived on the land as well as the enslaved people who later lived on the Windsor Plantation. |
| 'The man who never stopped believing in Mississippi and its people': Paul Gallo, SuperTalk host, dies at 77 | |
| SuperTalk, a Mississippi-based talk radio company, announced Monday that one of their long-time hosts has died at 77. According to Supertalk, Paul Gallo died on Sunday. The company stated, "For over five decades, Paul didn't just talk about Mississippi -- he helped shape its story. From his first day behind a microphone on February 12, 1968, to his final broadcast, Paul dedicated his life to his listeners, his state, and the pursuit of truth." Gallo, a Mississippi Delta native, joined Supertalk in January of 1990 and hosted the Gallo Radio Show on weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. Paul Gallo is survived by his wife of 55 years Patsy, his children Jennifer Campbell (Jason) and Mark Galtelli (Susan), his six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. SuperTalk stated, "As we reflect on Paul's life, we remember not only the legendary broadcaster but also the man who never stopped believing in Mississippi and its people. Paul Gallo's voice may be silent, but his stories, his legacy, and his vision will forever echo across the state he loved so dearly." |
| Former Mississippi GOP chair boosted to permanent role with Republican National Committee | |
| Mississippi's former GOP head has been tabbed to chair the party's national rules committee. Frank Bordeaux, a native of Gulfport, was elevated to the position with the Republican National Committee by a unanimous vote. Bordeaux takes over after spending nearly four years running the political party's operations at the local level in the Magnolia State. Bordeaux assumes the role of rules committee chairman from California RNC committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, who was recently nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the Justice Department's Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. In his new role, Bordeaux will also serve as a member of the RNC's executive committee, which exercises all of the executive and administrative functions of the Republican National Committee between meetings of national GOP officials. The RNC's rules committee serves to review and propose rules that govern the internal workings of the party and its presidential nomination process. "This is an incredible honor for Frank and a huge benefit to Mississippi, as our state will have a front-row seat and a strong voice in making the Republican Party even better," Mississippi GOP Chairman Mike Hurst said. |
| Senate passes Laken Riley Act in first move after Trump inauguration | |
 | The Senate on Monday passed the Laken Riley Act, making the immigration-related bill the first piece of legislation to make it through the upper chamber in the new Congress and putting it a step closer to being signed into law by President Trump. Senators voted 64-35 on the bill. Twelve Democrats voted with every Republican. The legislation -- which mandates the federal detention of immigrants without legal status who are accused of theft and burglary, among other things -- was a priority for Republicans after immigration emerged as a signature issue for Trump and an effective cudgel against Democrats in November. "This legislation will ensure that illegal aliens who steal or assault a law enforcement officer are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead of being allowed out on the streets," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the floor ahead of the vote. "I'm looking forward to getting this legislation to the president's desk." The bill is named after Laken Riley, a college student who was killed almost a year ago in Athens, Ga., by a Venezuelan migrant who had been arrested for shoplifting ahead of the attack and paroled in the U.S. |
| Senate confirms Marco Rubio as secretary of State | |
 | The Senate on Monday resoundingly confirmed colleague Sen. Marco Rubio to be President Donald Trump's secretary of State, making him the first member of the 47th president's cabinet to win the chamber's backing. The swift Senate vote, 99-0, for Rubio followed shortly after the senior senator from Florida received unanimous support, 22-0, from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which he was a member for his 14 years in the Senate. "Anyone in America who wants to see what American foreign policy looks like and get a good rundown on it, needs to watch [Rubio's confirmation] hearing and watch the questions that were asked [of] Sen. Rubio and his answer to those questions," Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said to reporters as committee members were still filing into the room to cast their vote. "He was flawless in his presentation of American foreign policy." Rubio's confirmation may be one of the few overwhelmingly bipartisan votes that Trump's early nominations receive from the Senate. Other top national security nominees such as former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth to be the Defense secretary and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence have been met with deep Democratic opposition. Prior to his confirmation, Rubio was the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the second-ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations panel. |
| Trump sets out to erase Biden's legacy with pardons and orders immediately after taking office | |
 | Donald Trump began erasing Joe Biden 's legacy immediately after taking office as the nation's 47th president on Monday, pardoning nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and issuing a blizzard of executive orders that signal his desire to remake American institutions. It was an aggressive start for a returning president who feels emboldened and vindicated by his unprecedented political comeback. Four years after being voted out of the White House, Trump has a second chance to launch what he called "a golden age" for the country. He signed orders for increasing border security, designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, limiting birthright citizenship, freezing new regulations and establishing a task force for reducing the size of the federal government. He also rescinded dozens of directives issued by Biden, including those relating to climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trump said that walking back into the already-remodeled Oval Office after his inauguration was "one of the better feelings I've ever had." Unlike during his first term, when new staff members scrambled to figure out what exactly their president was trying to achieve, Trump moved rapidly and methodically to advance his agenda Monday. |
| Trump signs executive order to give TikTok extension | |
 | President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to delay enforcement of a TikTok ban by 75 days, hours after his swearing in ceremony and a day after a federal ban took effect. His order directs his attorney general to not levy fines against app stores and service providers that continue helping TikTok stay up. Trump will also order his administration to "issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred." Experts and some Republican lawmakers have said the measures could be legally dubious. Signing the order on his first day was a theatrical snub to Republican China hawks who have maintained the app must be sold over concerns that TikTok's Beijing-based owner ByteDance poses a threat to national security. Earlier in the day, TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trump's inauguration, seated next to Tulsi Gabbard, who is nominated to serve as director of national intelligence. The company also sponsored a Washington party to celebrate the inauguration. TikTok's fate has roiled the Republican party less than a year after Congress passed the law to force its sale or ban with overwhelming bipartisan support. |
| MSU students and TikTok influencers react to recent changes | |
| With the inauguration of Donald Trump today, January 20, as the 47th president, significant developments have emerged regarding the popular social media app, TikTok. The well-known app faced a nationwide ban in the U.S. However, the new Trump administration provided a temporary extension. On January 18 the ban took effect and became inaccessible to its nearly 200 million American users. The next day it was back up. After it shut down, Mississippi State students said it felt unusual to pick up the phone. "I was pretty upset about it being gone because that's like normally when I'm in my room," Amya Bowling said. "That's what I used to take the time to just chill before I go to sleep and when it was gone I was like well I guess I have to go to Instagram and start watching Instagram Reels on there." "It was kind of like a little absent because when you scroll on TikTok a little bit every morning when you first wake up and or right before you go to bed," Christian Kingdom said. "So I kind of did miss that." Beyond the entertainment, the app served as a source of income for some users. |
| How MAGA Is Taking Back the Culture | |
 | Across many facets of society -- in sports, entertainment, the classroom and the workplace -- there are signs that MAGA isn't just retaking the White House. It is gaining a firmer foothold in the broader culture. Instead of taking a knee to call for social justice, NFL players are doing the "Trump dance" in the end zone at football games. Mainstream entertainers, among them the country singer Carrie Underwood and the rapper Snoop Dogg, agreed to perform at events celebrating Donald Trump's inauguration, something music stars largely shunned eight years ago. A new generation of Trump-friendly comedians and wellness influencers is populating YouTube and other social media, while a snippet of audio featuring Barron and Melania Trump has become one of the hottest online memes, with celebrities such as Paris Hilton and brands including Frontier Airlines using it in their TikTok and Instagram posts. "Every time I walk on campus, I see a few MAGA hats. That's definitely new," said Carson Carpenter, 19, a senior at Arizona State University. Conservatism, he said, "has really become intertwined in our pop culture.... It's really showing that conservatism is cool now." Many political analysts have said Americans are becoming more open to conservative ideas because of fatigue with a "cancel culture'' that some found stifling and overly sensitive to gender and racial identity. The rise of social media is another important factor. By appearing on YouTube, Instagram or other platforms, content creators avoid the gatekeepers of legacy media and can build like-minded audiences. |
| Biden pardons his siblings and their spouses on his way out of the White House | |
| Joe Biden pardoned his siblings and their spouses on his way out of the White House, saying Monday that his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me -- the worst kind of partisan politics." "Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," he said as his presidential term was ending. The family pardons were the surprise finale in a series of unprecedented presidential actions by the Democrat, who has been known as an intuitionalist during his half-century in politics. Biden also pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and allies who have been targeted by Republican President Donald Trump. He was sworn in Monday. It was a remarkable use of Biden's presidential power: None of the above has been charged with any crime, and the move was designed to guard against possible retribution by Trump. The pardons came just before noon. Biden was already at the Capitol to see Trump inaugurated. |
| Biden's last day: Denouncing Trumpism but inviting Trump to tea | |
 | Joe Biden began the final morning of his presidency by looking backward, announcing pardons just after 7 a.m. for those who investigated the attack on the Capitol four years earlier and exposed actions by Donald Trump that Biden has called a threat to democracy. By 10 a.m., Biden was warmly welcoming Trump to the White House for a coffee-and-tea reception. "Welcome home!" he shouted out excitedly to the man who, months earlier, Biden had said represented "an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic." The change in tone marked a head-snapping final hours for an outgoing president attempting to hew to tradition while simultaneously issuing dire warnings about the actions of the incoming president. At some point amid it all, Biden sat to write a letter to Trump, one that he said he would leave behind but the contents of which he would not reveal. The relationship between Biden and Trump has always been fraught, marked by animosity, personal insults, and testosterone-filled threats. But as Biden marked the culmination of a 50-year career in public life -- and as Trump began a second four-year term as president -- it provided odd moments of bonhomie amid the hostility. The Bidens and Trumps then shared tea and coffee in the Blue Room, a reception area on the first floor. They shared a limousine ride to the U.S. Capitol. And as Trump took the presidential oath of office for the second time, the Bidens stood watch nearby. "Thank you very much," Trump said to Biden. |
| Mississippi college board raises two presidents' salaries | |
| The presidents of the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi Valley State University received raises at the end of last year, according to meeting minutes from the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees' November executive session. The raises, which took effect earlier this month, appear to have been granted after trustees discussed the job performances of USM President Joe Paul and MVSU President Jerryl Briggs, minutes show. "University presidents across the state and throughout the country are facing substantive challenges in an increasingly competitive environment, and it is important that good work in that environment is recognized and rewarded," an IHL spokesperson wrote in a statement. The third highest-paid college president in the state, Paul is now making $700,000 a year, a $50,000 raise over his previous salary, meeting minutes show. The raise came from the state-funded portion of Paul's salary while the USM Foundation will continue to pay him an annual supplement of $200,000. Briggs will now make $310,000 a year, an increase of $10,000 in state funds. He will continue to receive a $5,000 supplement from the MVSU J.H. White Foundation. |
| Lt. Gov.: The W must adapt to market demands, purge unpopular classes | |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann believes Mississippi's universities should be "selling what people want to buy," even if that means cutting unpopular classes. Hosemann told The Dispatch Jan. 6 he shared that same advice with Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller. "In my discussions with the president, I told her that -- like everything else -- education is evolving," he said during a Zoom press conference with a handful of media outlets on the first day of this year's legislative session. "You need to be selling what people want to buy. ... You're seeing a purging of classes throughout the (the State Institutions of Higher Learning). You're seeing people start to focus ... on what kids want to do." Mississippi University for Women officials said the university is already doing that but by focusing on expanding students' options and workforce development opportunities rather than cutting classes. Miller and Hosemann also discussed several new and future programs during their August meeting aimed at building MUW's largest programs while meeting market demands by offering a faster, less expensive way to obtain a degree, Miller said. "We believe that offering an affordable and accessible higher education is a popular choice," she said. "... Creating pathways and streamlining curriculum has allowed The W to meet students where they are and provide them with the resources and tools that they need to be productive members of our campus and society." |
| Paul Thorn to perform in pair of album release concerts at MUW | |
| When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who has spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop. Maybe he learned the power of minimalism from his years as a pro boxer; maybe it just comes naturally. But whether he's targeting heads, hearts, hips or the occasional funny bone, he somehow manages to condense large nuggets of wisdom into tight little mantras, the kind embroiderers stitched onto pillows before internet memes existed. Thorn will be bringing his unique style of songwriting and storytelling to Columbus for a pair of album release concerts on March 1 at Cromwell Theater on the Mississippi University for Women campus. The shows, produced by Steve and Kay Ellis of The Barn Concert Series, will begin at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. "Paul Thorn is one of those storytellers, both in song and words, that you just can't get enough of," Steve Ellis said. "He is a master entertainer in every sense of the word and always leaves his audience wanting for more. He has played our concert series several times and we're so excited that he's allowing us to produce and promote the shows that will bring his newest songs to his fans." |
| University leases more than 300 new bed spaces for Fall 2025 | |
 | The University of Mississippi will lease 228 bed spaces at the Flatts at South Campus, located on Whirlpool Drive, July 2025-July 31, 2026. This is the sixth master lease agreement the university has signed with off-campus apartment complexes. The others include Revel Oxford, Taylor Bend, The Lark, the Quarters at Oxford and Gather Oxford. In addition to the new leasing agreement, the university is expanding its agreements with Revel Oxford and Taylor Bend Apartments. he master lease at Revel Oxford will increase from 200 bed spaces to 316 bed spaces and will remain in effect until July 31, 2027. The master lease at Taylor Bend Apartments will increase from 126 bed spaces to 201 beds and will remain in effect until July 31, 2026, with options to extend the lease yearly until July 31, 2028. "Between the addition of the Flatts and expansions at other complexes, the university has added more than 300 beds for freshmen and upperclassmen next year," Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations for UM, said on Friday. "Student Housing staff will oversee on-site programming and activities to foster a sense of community and belonging that reflects the on-campus experience," Batte said. |
| 'Whatever you can do matters:' Jackson State University celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy | |
 | Students, faculty members and guests filled the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium at Jackson State University Friday morning to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event's keynote speaker was Charles M. Payne, a professor of African American studies at Rutgers University Newark and author of the book "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle." Payne began his speech noting the contrast he sees between King's legacy and the country's current political climate. "The history we are here to celebrate is being undermined in a very, very systematic, deliberate and coldblooded way," Payne said. "It's hard to not despair. When you think about some of the things that are likely to be happening to the vulnerable Americans, to the poor Americans, to the young Americans, the old Americans. It's hard to not despair." Payne says people can draw inspiration from the example set by people like Vernon Dahmer, who was an American civil rights movement leader from Hattiesburg who urged African-Americans to register to vote. Dozens of JSU students were in attendance. Computer Science sophomore Zachari Pittman said the event was a good learning experience. "As a resident of Jackson, Mississippi, it actually opened my eyes to something new, because I didn't know the information," he said. "I'm kind of grateful that I came here." |
| Education: Mother-daughter duo graduate from EMCC in pursuit of nursing careers | |
| It's been a little more than a month since Dennisia Batts and her daughter, Kylie Brown, graduated from East Mississippi Community College. For Batts, her Dec. 5 graduation from the associate degree nursing program on EMCC's Golden Triangle campus was the culmination of a protracted educational journey fraught with obstacles, heartbreak and ultimately joy. "All the trials and tribulations I endured didn't matter," Batts said. "To be able to graduate with my daughter and share that with her was amazing. I would have gone through all the hardships three times over to experience that." On Dec. 13, Brown graduated with honors in a commencement ceremony on EMCC's Scooba campus. While her mother was working full time and taking classes on EMCC's Golden Triangle campus, Brown resided in student housing on the Scooba campus where she was immersed in college activities. A member of the Student Government Association, the Baptist Student Union and Phi Theta Kappa, Brown also served as a resident assistant for the Women's Honor Hall. She was nominated to the Homecoming Court in 2023 and in 2024 and served on the Lions cheerleading team. Batts, an Ackerman native who resides in Mathiston, is a two-time graduate of EMCC who first completed the practical nursing program before later returning to enroll in the associate degree nursing program's LPN to RN transition option. |
| U. of Arkansas student dies after balcony fall; second injured in separate incident | |
| Two University of Arkansas students have fallen from balconies at The Cardinal at West Center apartments within the past week, leaving one student dead and another critically injured. Police said officers responded to the apartment complex at 831 W. Center St. on Monday, Jan. 20 after a 911 caller reported finding a 19-year-old male unresponsive on the ground, according to a social media post from the Fayetteville Police Department. Authorities said the student was pronounced dead at the scene, with early findings suggesting he fell from one of the building's elevated balconies. The incident follows a similar fall on Jan. 14, when an 18-year-old female student fell from a fifth-floor balcony at the same complex, suffering critical injuries, police said. Investigators are working to determine whether criminal activity was involved in either incident. The police department is urging residents and visitors of high-rise apartments to exercise caution when using balconies. |
| The Exile and Rebirth of the South's Storied 'Iron Horse' | |
 | The most famous beastly sculpture in the college town of Athens, Ga., is -- improbably -- not a bulldog. It is an 11-foot-tall welded steel horse, an abstract labyrinth of undulations and crescents, created at the University of Georgia by a visiting Chicago sculptor, Abbott Pattison, in 1954. When a crane first heaved Pattison's mammoth steed from the basement of the university's Fine Arts Building that spring, it was unlike anything the campus had seen before, with a cage-like midsection of pointed ribs, flat, Cubist planes, and a wavy, squared-off mane and tail. It was recognizably a horse, but it was no classical equestrian sculpture. And the artwork had many on campus seething. Last spring, when the sculpture -- briefly titled "Steel Horse" and then "Pegasus" by the artist, but popularly known as Iron Horse -- was extricated from a concrete pad in a cornfield outside Athens for conservation, it was missing 32 pieces and bore decades-deep scars of etching and graffiti, and a bullet wound in its neck. Its hooves had rusted the color of Georgia clay. Statues on college campuses have long been lightning rods for the issues and debates coursing through society. But exactly why the Iron Horse was attacked by students may always be a mystery. "If I were teaching at the University of Georgia and I was wanting to split my classes into modern and traditional art, I could use this piece as the perfect pivot point," said David Raskin, a professor of contemporary art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where Pattison taught in the 1940s and '50s. |
| U. of Missouri develops farm subsidy calculator | |
 | Last month, Congress passed an extension of the federal Farm Bill, and with it $10 billion in economic assistance for commodity farmers. University of Missouri agriculture economists have developed a tool to help farmers calculate the cash they'll receive. Alejandro Plastina is director of the MU Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center and said the tool can help producers learn how much money they qualify for depending on the crops they grow and amount of acres they plant. "Each farm is different from their neighbors, and they have different combinations of crops at any point in time based on their own rotations," Plastina said. "So exactly how much a farmer will collect from this program will depend on the commodities that each farmer is typically producing." Plastina said knowing the estimated amount of federal financial assistance is essential for farm planning, giving producers information needed before applying for crop insurance plans and loans. "Knowing how much money can come through this program can help the farmer know how much money will be needed for financing the operations over the next six months, or 12 months, or 18 months," he said. The subsidy calculator can be downloaded from the MU Food & Agriculture Policy Research Center. |
| Survey: College Students Don't Want Statements After Political Events | |
 | Colleges can be hot spots for debate, inquiry and disagreement, particularly on political topics. Sometimes institutional leaders weigh in on the debate, issuing public statements or sharing resources internally among students, staff and faculty. This past fall, following the 2024 presidential election, college administrators were notably silent. A November Student Voice survey found a majority (63 percent) of student respondents (n=1,031) said their college did not do or say anything after the election, and only 17 percent released a statement to students about the election. A more recent survey from Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found this aligns with students' preferences for institutional response. Over half (54 percent) of respondents (n=1,034) to a December Student Voice survey said colleges and universities should not make statements about political events, such as the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. One-quarter of students said they weren't sure if institutions should make statements, and fewer than a quarter of learners said colleges should publish a statement. Across demographics -- including institution size and classification, student race, political identification, income level or age -- the greatest share of students indicated that colleges shouldn't make statements. |
| Brace for Trump's education actions | |
| President-elect Donald Trump is expected to unleash a slew of education-related executive orders. Trump aides briefed Republican leaders Sunday about his plans, which will include reversing President Joe Biden's efforts to bolster diversity, equity and inclusion across the federal government. Fox News Digital reported Trump is expected to sign more than 200 executive actions. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly threatened to pull funding from schools that he says teach "critical race theory" and vowed to bar transgender students from women's sports on Day One. At his Sunday pre-inauguration rally, Trump again promised "to stop the destructive and divisive diversity, equity and inclusion mandates," "restore patriotism to our schools," and "get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of our schools." The president-elect is widely expected to quickly issue an executive order that would scrap Biden's order directing federal agencies to implement discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. The Free Press on Sunday reported that Trump will sign an expansive executive order entitled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." Trump's action would also address the use of pronouns that match a person's gender identity. |
| What Higher Ed Can Expect as Trump Takes Office | |
| President Donald Trump's inauguration today kicks off what is likely to be a disruptive four years for higher education. He enters office at a time when college and university enrollment numbers are floundering, public disillusionment with the cost of a degree is growing and culture wars are raging on. Combined, these circumstances give the president -- and his Republican counterparts on Capitol Hill -- an opportunity to ramp up scrutiny and accountability measures for the nation's top institutions while also decreasing the federal footprint in education. During the campaign, Trump said he plans to abolish the Education Department, ban the participation of trans athletes in women's sports, "fire" accreditors and cut funding for scientific research. He has also discussed expanding short-term financial aid offerings, making student unionization more difficult, protecting conservatives' speech on campuses, disallowing college vaccine mandates and creating a free online national college funded by new taxes on wealthy private universities. Since winning the election, Trump has yet to offer more details on how he will fulfill the policy promises he's made. Colleges, meanwhile, have mostly adopted a wait-and-see approach to the incoming Trump administration. Over all, reactions to Trump's election on college campuses were more muted this time around compared to the protests and outcry in 2016. |
| Broadcasting legend Paul Gallo passes away, leaves big mic to fill | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: Paul Galtelli passed away on Sunday. To Mississippi's political world, he was better known simply as "Gallo." When God crafted Paul, he bestowed upon him a voice made for the microphone. Over a five decade career in broadcasting, he used that gift to entertain, inform, and advocate for a better Mississippi. A Delta native, Gallo was not a physically imposing man. But if a person's measure in life is the loyalty of his friends and the quality of his enemies, then Paul cast a large, unafraid shadow. "The Gallo Radio Show" aired across every corner of Mississippi, featuring "the movers, shakers and playmakers" in our state. If you were an aspiring politico, sitting across from Paul for an interview was a must -- a sign of arrival. If you were advocating for change, you wanted him on your side. I first met Paul shortly after becoming a lawyer in 2006. Over the years, I had the good fortune of visiting with him both on and off air, and for a nearly four year span, regularly filling in for him as a host. ... Even when we disagreed on issues publicly --- he once called me a pit bull on air during a contentious public policy fight --- behind the scenes, Paul was always amicable and encouraging. My interactions with him were not unique. Along his journey, he touched thousands of Mississippians and was an agent for positive change. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State moves up in national rankings | |
| After a 1-1 week inside the SEC, Mississippi State (15-3 overall, 3-2 in the SEC) moved up in the Top 25 Associated Press Poll, which was released on Monday. The Bulldogs are now No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25, moving up one spot from last week's rankings. In the USA Today Coaches Poll released on Monday, Mississippi State moved up to No. 14 after being ranked No. 18 in last week's rankings. Last week the Bulldogs lost at top-ranked Auburn before bouncing back to defeat No. 16 Ole Miss at Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday. Riley Kugel and KeShawn Murphy combined for 39 points in the win over the rival Rebels in overtime. Once again, the SEC dominated the Associated Press Top 25 as Mississippi State is one of nine SEC teams ranked this week. Auburn remains at No. 1 followed by Alabama at No. 4, Florida at No. 5, Tennessee at No. 6 and Kentucky at No. 9. Texas A&M came in at No. 14 followed by Ole Miss at No. 16 while Missouri made its Top 25 season debut at No. 22. Mississippi State will be on the road this week for a pair of SEC outings. The Bulldogs travel to Tennessee on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tip-off on ESPN2 before traveling to South Carolina for a rematch with the Gamecocks on Saturday with a noon tip-off. |
| Mississippi State at Tennessee: Storylines, odds, how to watch info after Bulldogs' statement win | |
| Havoc at The Hump! Saturday's hardwood Egg Bowl was hardscrabble and a game of the year contender, with Mississippi State pulling the 84-81 overtime win. Matthew Murrell forced the extra five minutes for Ole Miss, but the Bulldogs hung tough behind a tremendous Riley Kugel performance and four other double-figure scorers. As for Tennessee? Saturday must have felt like Pete Campbell in the elevator -- a one-point in-state rivalry loss to Vanderbilt, its second L in the last four games. Tuesday's outing mashes up two fascinating SEC squads in totally different moods. The Volunteers had an off-ramp from disaster in the Vandy loss, but Chaz Lanier missed a game-tying free throw try with 2.8 seconds left. Rick Barnes' Tennessee team is still great off the glass, while sitting second in the country in defensive rating and fouling the least in the SEC, but there are some troubling trends. Mississippi State improved to 3-2 in-conference by dealing Ole Miss its first SEC loss. The Bulldogs play fast and are 17th in the nation in adjusted offense, even with Josh Hubbard slumping (2-for-13 against Mississippi, 2-for-12 against Kentucky). Cameron Matthews is a menace and an irritant, averaging 2.7 takeaways and cracking the SEC's top-10 all-time steals leaderboard. At his current pace, he would finish second, only trailing Clarence Ceasar from LSU (1991-95). |
| Mississippi State basketball vs Tennesse: Predictions, picks, injury updates | |
| Mississippi State basketball achieved a program first on Saturday, playing its third consecutive regular season game with both teams ranked. That streak will now reach four games this week. The No. 14 Bulldogs (15-3, 3-2 SEC) are on the road playing at No. 7 Tennessee (16-2, 3-2) on Tuesday (6 p.m., ESPN2). It's their first matchup since MSU upset the Vols in the SEC Tournament last March. The Vols have the best scoring defense in the SEC, allowing 58.8 points per game. The same holds true in conference games, where they allow 65.4 points per game. They hadn't allowed over 75 points in a game all season until Vanderbilt scored 76 in its victory on Saturday. Opponents are shooting just 36.4% from the floor against Tennessee and 25.5% from 3, also bests in the SEC. Riley Kugel returned from a one-game absence due to injury and played one of his best games in a Mississippi State uniform Saturday to beat Ole Miss. Not only did he drill the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime after RJ Melendez's chase-down block, but he was also MSU's leading scorer with 21 points. It was the third time this season he's scored at least 20 points, all coming off the bench. He's established himself as a formidable secondary scorer to Josh Hubbard. |
| Tennessee basketball vs Mississippi State: Prediction, picks, injury updates | |
 | Tennessee basketball is gearing up to play Mississippi State for the only time this season. The No. 7 Vols (16-2, 3-2 SEC) host the No. 14 Bulldogs (15-3, 3-2) on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at Food City Center. Mississippi State is the lone team the Vols did not beat last season while winning the SEC regular-season title. The Vols lost 77-72 on Jan. 10, 2024, in Starkville, then bowed out on their first game in the SEC Tournament by losing 73-56 to miss out on a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. Star guard Josh Hubbard returns after a sensational freshman season. He is averaging 16.6 points and has the second-most 3-pointers in the SEC with 53. Boston College transfer Claudell Harris Jr. and Florida transfer Riley Kugel are double-digit scorers, while Cameron Matthews is a difference-maker to Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey. "Just like every game in this league, it is going to be won in the paint," Gainey said. "It is going to be who can control the backboards, who can protect the paint and then take care of the basketball." Tennessee vs Mississippi State score prediction: Mississippi State 75, Tennessee 67: The Bulldogs gave Tennessee problems last season and Tennessee is having problems lately. It's the wrong time for a difficult matchup. |
| In Round 5 of a grueling 18-round SEC slate, Mississippi State outlasts Ole Miss | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: There's no such thing as a must-win game in mid-January of a Southeastern Conference basketball season that goes well into March. That doesn't mean it can't sometimes seem that way. Ask Mississippi State coach Chris Jans, whose Bulldogs entered Saturday night's game with arch-rival Ole Miss having lost two straight games and facing the Rebels, who were a perfect 4-0 in the SEC coming in. In Jans' press conference afterward, we did. "Well, I didn't tell our team it was a must-win game, but internally it certainly felt that way for me. We badly needed to win," Jans answered after a grueling, 84-81 overtime State victory. Jans' voice was noticeably raspy from two hours and 45 minutes of nearly constant yelling. There are at least two more extenuating circumstances of why this one seemed so vitally important. First, State goes back on the road for two more games this week, beginning Tuesday night with No. 6 Tennessee in Knoxville. Nobody wants to take a three-game losing streak to a place like Thompson-Boling Arena. Second, well, this was Ole Miss, the team Mississippi State folks most love to despise. ... In a game with so many ups and downs and twists and turns, there's a danger of over-complicating what caused the final result. In this one, there shouldn't be. The closer the ball got to the basket, the more State dominated play. You look at those rebounding and the in-the-paint numbers and you ask yourself: How the heck was it that close? |
| Mississippi State women's tennis opens season with two shutout wins | |
| Mississippi State won every completed match in straight sets in a doubleheader sweep Saturday against Bellarmine and Samford, starting the 2025 season with a pair of 4-0 victories. The Bulldogs took the doubles point against the Knights on a 6-1 victory at No. 3 from sophomore Chiara Di Genova and senior Alessia Tagliente, and a 6-4 win from the No. 1 duo of freshman Gianna Oboniye and sophomore Athina Pitta. Oboniye made quick work of her opponent at No. 2 singles, 6-1, 6-2. Di Genova and sophomore Jayna Clemens each earned second-set shutouts at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, to clinch the match for MSU. "We did a really good job today of focusing on what was in front of us and really working hard on the identity that we want to create on the court," Bulldogs head coach Chris Hooshyar said. The Bulldogs (2-0) are off this week before returning to action on Jan. 31 with home matches against Tulane and Alabama A&M. |
| Any College Football Playoff tweaks for 2025 won't be hashed out until later this year | |
| Any adjustments to the College Football Playoff for next season, including a potential tweak in the way byes are awarded, would have to take place later this year, probably in the spring, the leaders of the playoff said Sunday. Conference commissioners and school presidents who operate the playoff met on the eve of the Ohio State-Notre Dame title game to discuss issues related to this season's kickoff of the 12-team playoff, and how to transition to the next TV contract, which begins in 2026. What didn't come up was the 2025 season, where any tweaks would take unanimous approval from the commissioners. Most likely in the "tweak" category would be changes in the way the teams are seeded. This year, the top four conference champions were guaranteed byes, which allowed Arizona State (Big 12) and Boise State (Mountain West) to leapfrog several teams ranked ahead of them. Both lost their first games of the playoff. "We're going to let the management committee and our CFP staff start these conversations," said Mark Keenum, the president of Mississippi State who chairs the CFP board of managers. "But we didn't get into any dialogue in the room about what-ifs. There was none of that discussion." |
| CFP hasn't ruled out 'tweaks' to 12-team format for 2025 | |
| No major decisions were made regarding the future format of the 12-team College Football Playoff on Sunday, but "tweaks" to the 2025 season haven't been ruled out, CFP executive director Rich Clark said. Sunday's annual meeting of the FBS commissioners and the presidents and chancellors who control the playoff wasn't expected to produce any immediate course of action, but it was the first time that people with the power to change the playoff met in person to begin a review of the historic expanded bracket. Clark said the group talked about "a lot of really important issues," but the meeting at the Signia by Hilton set the stage for bigger decisions that need to be made "very soon." Commissioners would have to unanimously agree upon any changes to the 12-team format to implement them for the 2025 season. Ultimately, the 11 presidents and chancellors who comprise the CFP's board of managers will vote on any changes, and some university leaders said they liked rewarding those conference champions with byes because of the emphasis it placed on conference title games. Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the board of managers, said they didn't talk about "what-ifs," but they have tasked the commissioners to produce a plan for future governance and the format for 2026 and beyond. "We're extremely happy with where we are now," Keenum said. "We're looking towards the new contract, which is already in place with ESPN, our media provider, for the next six years through 2032. We've got to make that transition from the current structure that we're in to the new structure we'll have." |
| CFP officials task conference commissioners with reviewing 12-team Playoff format, weighing future changes | |
| The university presidents who oversee the College Football Playoff have charged conference commissioners with reviewing the first year of the 12-team format and determining any potential format changes going forward. The two groups met Sunday to begin discussions that will continue through at least the spring. Their meeting came ahead of Ohio State and Notre Dame squaring off in the first 12-team Playoff championship game on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. "We're going to turn to the Management Committee (the commissioners) and our staff to come up with any (changes), or keep it exactly the way it is," said Mark Keenum, Mississippi State president and CFP board chairman. Next season will be the last year of the CFP's original contract with ESPN, during which any format changes would require a unanimous vote by the FBS conferences and Notre Dame. That is not the case for the new six-year deal that begins in 2026. "We're set to get back together in February and I really believe that's when we're going to dig in," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. "The championship will be over. We'll dig in on format. We'll talk about seeding. We'll talk about all those kinds of things we want to study." |
| Kessler Says DOJ Critiques of House Settlement Are Off Base | |
| The Justice Department's statement of interest criticizing the NCAA's preliminarily approved settlement to resolve the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations is off the mark, attorney Jeffrey Kessler told Sportico in a phone interview on Saturday. The DOJ's court filing was made in a California federal district court late Friday. Among other critiques, the DOJ objects to colleges paying athletes 22% of a defined formula for averaged shared revenue. The DOJ finds this arrangement inadequate because the "cap" has not been collectively bargained with a union (there is no union for college athletes since they are not employees and unions consist only of employees). Kessler, a partner at Winston & Strawn and a lead attorney in several historic sports litigations, stressed the settlement, if granted final approval by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken following a hearing on April 7, will lead to college players being paid "billions of dollars." He also underscored the settlement will change longstanding NCAA rules that have denied players any compensation. A settlement is also just that -- a settlement -- meaning it reflects the give-and-take of a deal. Both sides, including the NCAA, need to find the prospect of settling better than continuing to litigate. The timing of the DOJ's filing is important for at least a few reasons. |
| Outgoing Biden Team: NIL Money Must Be Shared Equally Between Male and Female Athletes | |
| Payments to college athletes through revenue-sharing agreements or from name, image and likeness deals "must be made proportionately available to male and female athletes," the Biden administration said last week. The nine-page fact sheet outlining how Title IX applies to the compensation of student athletes comes as more athletes are signing lucrative NIL deals and amid questions about whether those payments count as financial assistance. The federal gender-equity law requires colleges to provide "substantially proportionate" financial assistance such as scholarships to male and female athletes. The guidance from the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights was released just a few days before the Trump administration began and could be rescinded. But until then, the guidance will remain in effect. Texas senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, criticized the guidance in a statement and predicted that it would be scrapped immediately. "This is a great idea if Biden's intent is to kill both men's and women's college sports," Cruz said in a statement. "Mandating so-called equal pay when not all sports generate equal revenue will force some colleges out of athletics altogether. Everyone wants to be paid like Michael Jordan, but that's not the way the world works." |
| As college sports move toward pay for play, Title IX looms as another hurdle for the NCAA | |
| A court settlement that would require colleges -- for the first time -- to pay athletes billions for their play is not going to settle the debate over amateurism in NCAA sports. Many schools have said that most of the up to $20.5 million they'll pay out to their athletes as part of the $2.8 billion House settlement would go to football and men's basketball players. But guidance from the U.S. Department of Education this week noted that the payments could run afoul of Title IX requirements that the genders are treated equally. For decades, the NCAA has insisted that "student-athletes" are participating in an extracurricular activity, like a member of the glee club or school newspaper. Rather than pay players, the governing body long said, colleges should use the money from revenue sports like football and basketball to fund the other teams that don't draw much of a crowd -- including the Olympic sports that make up the bulk of women's programs. But the reality of modern college sports -- in which football factories are fed by billion-dollar TV contracts, and the transfer portal makes education an afterthought -- now bears little resemblance to the 19th Century ideal of the athlete finding time to practice between classes. |
| Five Ways Trump's Administration Could Reshape the Sports Industry | |
| Donald Trump began his second term as President of the United States Monday amid expectations his administration will institute major and immediate changes to American law and policy. Some of those changes will impact the thinning line between college and pro sports, along with other major trends in the sports industry. Here are five key topics in sports where Trump and his team are poised to dramatically shift the law and economics of American sports: 1. The Department of Justice's role in the House settlement. 2. Department of Education's Title IX Fact Sheet. 3. College Athletes as Employees. 4. Sports Media Companies' Joint Ventures and Antitrust Enforcement. 5. Eligibility of Transgender Athletes. |
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