| Tuesday, January 28, 2025 |
| Learn more about the new data centers coming to Meridian in Tuesday's EMBDC Annual Meeting | |
 | The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation is the representative for nearly 500 businesses not only in East Mississippi but all over the nation. On Tuesday, the EMBDC is hosting its annual meeting about its plan for 2025 and a recap of 2024. There will be several speakers talking about the growth made in East Mississippi that will not only have a statewide economic impact but an impact on our education system as well. "It was pushed back a little bit this year just because of the big announcement. We wanted to be able to include Compass Datacenters that's going to be there... Our ... speakers are going to go into ... consist of Dr. Keenum from MSU, Governor Tate Reeves, and Mississippi Power President Anthony Wilson and then the President of Compass AJ Byers will be speaking as well," said Meridian Main Street Director Matt Schanrock. |
| Education: New College of Integrative Studies at MSU to transcend traditional classroom education | |
 | Mississippi State University today is announcing the addition of its 10th college and its first with a focus on cross-disciplinary, tailored education to prepare students for solving some of the nation and world's greatest challenges. The new College of Integrative Studies was approved Thursday by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. A unit of the Division of Academic Affairs, the college will equip students to look beyond the boundaries of a single discipline -- equipping them with an interdisciplinary and adaptable approach in today's global marketplace. A major focus will be research and experiential, or hands-on, learning opportunities incorporated into the course of study. The college is the new home for MSU's Data Science Academic Institute, which offers programs including the Bachelor of Science in Data Science – with 10 concentrations -- the Master of Science in Applied Data Science, and the Graduate Certificate for Data Science Pedagogy. These programs provide expertise in the context of the artificial intelligence revolution and digital transformation in the world of work. According to MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw, the university's introduction of the College of Integrative Studies can be seen as an incubator for other new degrees emerging from cutting-edge computing technologies. |
| MSU's Lance named Mississippi Outstanding Band Director of the Year | |
 | Elva Kaye Lance, Mississippi State's director of bands, is the Magnolia State's Outstanding Band Director of the Year for the second time in her career. The award is given by the Mississippi chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Honorary Bandmasters Fraternity to recognize outstanding work in the profession. It was established in 1938 by longtime Texas music educator Earl D. Irons. Lance also received the award in 2015 as well as the organization's Mississippi Outstanding Contributor to Bands award in 2017. "It is humbling to have your work recognized and supported by your colleagues," Lance said. "All of us who are fortunate enough to spend our career working with students recognize that awards of this nature really are awards that honor the work of our students. Without their talent, cooperation and commitment, we just have ideas. They bring our ideas to life. It is my pleasure to serve our university and to work with the outstanding students and directors we have in our band program at Mississippi State University." |
| MSU signs educational agreement with U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command | |
 | Mississippi State University and the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command are expanding educational and job opportunities in the Magnolia State with a recently signed an Educational Partnership Agreement, or EPA. The agreement will facilitate academic exchanges focused on geosciences, data science and various other disciplines. Headquartered at Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi, the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, or CNMOC, oversees 13 units that work in a wide range of scientific fields to deliver vital information that ranges "from the ocean floor to the stars." "Partnerships like this expose students to the real-world challenges they will be addressing after graduation," said MSU Dean for Integrative Studies and Northern Gulf Institute Associate Director Jamie Dyer. "Opportunities like this are a great complement to the world-class education MSU students receive in the classroom." In addition to the academic partnership, CNMOC and MSU are exploring new research partnerships. "As we work with CNMOC to develop a cooperative research agreement, we have a unique opportunity to leverage MSU's overall research expertise to help drive innovation and engagements with the Naval Research Office, positioning MSU as a leader in maritime research and development," said MSU Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development Narcisa Pricope. |
| Ask The Dispatch: How does qualifying for municipal elections work? | |
| Municipal elections are this year across Mississippi, and the qualifying period for candidates to enter races is coming to a close. Qualifying for municipal elections began Jan. 2 and will run through 5 p.m. Friday. Party primaries are April 1 and the general election is June 3. By Jan. 24, 11 candidates had filed in Starkville, 18 had filed in Columbus and nine had filed in West Point. However, those races still have time to shift. Starkville City Clerk Lesa Hardin said the city tends to see the most qualifying paperwork filed in the first and last three days of the qualifying period. In Starkville, three candidates have filed to run for mayor, including incumbent Mayor Lynn Spruill, former Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough and computer science teacher Brenna Betts. All three are running as Democrats. Incumbents have filed to run for reelection in six of the city wards represented by the Board of Aldermen, including Ward 1 Kim Moreland (Independent), Ward 2 Sandra Sistrunk (Democrat), Ward 3 Jeffrey Rupp (Republican), Ward 4 Mike Brooks (Democrat), Ward 6 and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins (Democrat) and Ward 7 Henry Vaughn (Democrat). The only contested alderman race in Starkville is currently in Ward 7, with fellow Democrat Nedra Lowery facing Vaughn. Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty is not seeking reelection. Independent candidate William Pochop has filed to run for the Ward 5 seat. |
| Starkville Parks and Rec hosts grand opening for new splash pad | |
 | Starkville Parks and Rec hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new splash pad at JL King Park after almost 2 years of work. Not only was this special for the city of Starkville, but it was also a special day for the Taylor family. Helen Taylor, the head of Brickfire and the Mother of State Representative Cheikh Taylor was honored for her work and dedication to the younger generations of Starkville. She says they surprised her with this dedication, and her family from Mississippi, New York, and Atlanta were there to see it. Representative Taylor said his mother has always wanted what's best for the community, and this will help Starkville invest in the youth. "It means that I am being recognized for some of the things I've done and I appreciate the community for it. They've been very supportive to me ever since we've been here, so I appreciate everybody," said Taylor. |
| Construction underway at McKee Park in Starkville | |
| If you've driven by McKee Park lately, you've probably noticed lots of construction underway. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said they are revamping it and giving it a different feel for the community. Soon, the park will be home to a new splash pad, playground, pavilions, dog park, amphitheater, and restrooms. Mayor Spruill and General Manager of Starkville Parks and Rec Doug Heflin agree this project will be a good asset for the city. "The thing about the McKee Park project is that it's going to be something for everybody in the community. It is not specific for one thing, it is a true family-oriented park. It will be something for everybody. And again, the excitement to have that in our community, and brings out just the excitement for the kids, the families. So, yeah, it's an exciting time," said Heflin. |
| Former Starkville High teacher pleads guilty to touching minor | |
| A former Starkville High School coach and teacher will now have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty Monday in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court to inappropriately touching a student. Randy Carlisle, 50, accepted a plea deal before his case was set for a jury trial this week. In addition to being declared a sex offender, he received five years probation. Judge Michelle Easterling also fined Carlisle $2,500, according to a press release from 16th Circuit District Attorney Scott Colom's office. "He was guilty," Colom told The Dispatch after Carlisle's plea. "People who are guilty often plead guilty. He was on the verge of trial and didn't have any more options to avoid it, I think that was also a factor." Colom said the plea deal was also heavily influenced by the victim's input, who wanted to prioritize Carlisle's entry into the sex offender registry. "In these situations you try to prioritize what the victim wants," he said. "She told us her priority was that he'd have to register as a sex offender so he would not be able to prey on any other young people like her again. ... She recommended that we offer this plea to him." |
| School choice bill filed in House. See how it affects underperforming schools | |
 | The House Education Committee is now poised to debate a piece of legislation aimed partly at allowing children in failing or near-failing school districts to attend "accredited" private schools. However, the bill's sponsor and House Education Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, said it is unlikely to pass through his committee or the House chamber in the form it has been introduced, hinting that he filed the bill to "stir the pot" and promote discussions on school choice. "Sometimes the best way to get answers is to drop the bill, have a conversation, and see the good, the bad and the ugly that will come with it," Roberson said. "My biggest concern over it right now is if we're trying to have a solution to something. Will this be a solution? And I'm not certain of that yet." House Bill 1433, or the Mississippi Quality Desert Education Enrollment and Transfer Scholarship Act, would allow students in D- and F-rated school districts or schools to take their individual portion of state education, $6,995, and spend it on tuition at a private school with good standing. Roberson, who has been opposed to universal school choice in the past, said he was not directed by House Speaker Jason White, R-West, an outspoken advocate of school choice, to push forward the bill. "I'm not going to sit here and say that he's all in on this particular bill. We still haven't gotten it all ironed out," Roberson said. |
| House revises presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women to align with federal guidelines | |
 | Last week, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill to clean up language concerning presumptive Medicaid eligibility for low-income pregnant women by a vote of 115-3. Presumptive eligibility refers to the process of granting Medicaid services to those who may qualify before their eligibility is verified by the program. A similar bill -- HB 539 -- passed the Legislature in the 2024 session and was signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R). The 2024 legislation passed the House by a vote of 117-5 and the Senate by a vote of 48-4. However, due to a discrepancy lawmakers learned about over the summer, new legislation that removed language that requires women to show proof of income was needed to align with federal guidelines. Also, the new legislation revises the 60-day presumptive eligibility for pregnant women to however long it takes for her Medicaid application to be approved, with the caveat being that application must be made by the end of the second month of presumptive eligibility coverage. State Rep. Missy McGee (R), chair of the House Medicaid Committee, is hopeful that the updated measure -- HB 662 -- will receive similar support in the Senate as the issue did in 2024. |
| Pine Belt lawmakers discuss legislative issues at ADP meeting | |
 | Monday morning, the Area Development Partnership's first of two 'Legislative Forums' was held at USM's Trent Lott National Center. The forum served as an opportunity for people to talk to their state lawmakers about decisions being made this legislative session. "It's important to community members because the legislative session is confusing to the average person," said ADP's Community Development Coordinator Kaitlyn Smith. "People don't know what goes on, what the process looks like. This kind of breaks it down so people can understand what's happening." Senator Robin Robinson along with Representatives Missy McGee, Larry Byrd and Kent McCarty, were the panelists in Monday's discussion. During the forum, the Pine Belt lawmakers discussed revisions for a law that didn't go into effect after July 1st. House Medicaid Chair, Rep. Missy McGee authored the bill. "Which is a law that provides early prenatal care for pregnant women on Medicaid," said McGee. Another hot topic in Monday's forum was HB 1. McCarty says this bill would eliminate income tax in the state and cut the grocery tax from 7% to 2 1/2%. |
| Mississippi Bounty Hunter Bill to Go After Undocumented Immigrants Faces Legal and Political Hurdles, Experts Say | |
| Mississippi lawmakers could put a price on the heads of undocumented migrants and authorize certified bounty hunters to locate and detain them under a new proposal in the Legislature. But immigration attorneys, advocacy groups and community leaders tell the Mississippi Free Press that the measure is unlikely to gain traction, amounting to a political stunt designed to stoke fear and generate news coverage. Mississippi House Bill 1484 has garnered local and national headlines since its filing on Jan. 22. Drafted by Mississippi House Rep. Justin Keen, R-Byhalia, and backed by DeSoto County District attorney Matthew Barton, the legislation would award residents $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and eventual deportation of people living in the state without authorization. It also directs the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to establish a "bounty hunter" certification program in the state, empowering eligible residents to find and detain undocumented migrants for a $1,000 reward. House Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, vice chairman of the Judiciary B committee (one of two House committees that the bill has been referred to), expressed deep skepticism about Keen's bill. "I'm concerned about the constitutionality of some of those provisions," he told the Mississippi Free Press on Jan. 24. The Republican lawmaker explained that he had not personally reviewed the bill, but he stressed that determining the legality of immigrants was above the jurisdiction of the state to begin with. |
| ICE activity in Mississippi ramps up after Trump orders immigration crackdown | |
 | The immigration crackdown promised by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign is active in Mississippi just days after his return to power. Twenty immigrants were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Mississippi last week and charged with illegal entry. It is unknown where in the state these arrests took place, but all were being held in the Madison County Detention Center as of Friday. This increase in immigration enforcement activity is already visible across the state, according to Cliff Johnson, Director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. "We're hearing stories right here in Mississippi of ICE agents popping up in different places," Johnson said. "We heard a story yesterday about ICE agents at the Wal-Mart in Oxford asking people to show identifying papers. It's deeply troubling." Some of the largest workplace immigration raids of Trump's first term took place in Mississippi in 2019, when sweeps of chicken-processing plants resulted in the arrests of 680 people. Johnson says the uncertainty around how their communities will be affected by this latest crackdown has immigrants across the state living in fear. "Whether we'll see, in addition to ICE picking up isolated people here, additional mass raids, we just don't know." Johnson said. "That's what makes it so difficult for people to go on with their lives, and I can assure you, our immigrant friends are very concerned and obviously quite scared." |
| Bessent easily confirmed as Trump's Treasury secretary | |
 | The Senate confirmed Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, despite criticism levied by Democrats for his handling of self-employment taxes tied to ownership of his hedge fund Key Square Group. Bessent is poised to be a key player as Congress faces down more than $4 trillion in expiring tax cuts at the end of this year, which he warned during his confirmation hearing would have "devastating" consequences if allowed to lapse. The expiring tax cuts, and whom they would benefit, monopolized debate at Bessent's Finance Committee hearing, as they are likely to dominate discourse on the Hill for the remainder of this year. As Treasury secretary, he'll have a critical role in global finance and managing the U.S. debt load, in addition to tax policy. Bessent at his hearing also emphasized the need to cut government spending and defended Trump's vow to impose across-the-board tariffs on imported goods. Bessent, 62, will become the nation's first openly gay Treasury secretary and the highest-ranking LGBTQ government official in the country's history. The 68-29 vote, which drew substantial Democratic support, also makes Bessent the first Cabinet official to be confirmed in a role that isn't central to U.S. national security and foreign policy, though Treasury has a hand in some aspects of both. |
| Trump orders a funding freeze as his administration reviews federal loans and grants | |
 | The White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting on Tuesday as President Donald Trump's administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending. The funding freeze by the Republican administration could affect trillions of dollars and cause widespread disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Even grants that have been awarded but not spent are supposed to be halted. "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve," said a memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. The pause takes effect at 5 p.m. ET, and it's unclear from the memo how sweeping it will be. Vaeth said that all spending must comply with Trump's executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts. Washington is a hub of spending that flows to various departments, local governments, nonprofits and contractors, and the memo has left countless people who are dependent on that money wondering how they will be affected. "Are you stopping NIH cancer trials?" Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, wrote on social media, referring to the National Institutes of Health. |
| USAID officials put on leave for allegedly not abiding by executive order | |
 | Just after 6 p.m. EST on Monday, the Trump administration placed a number of senior career officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on leave for allegedly not abiding by President Trump's executive order to freeze much of U.S. foreign aid. NPR obtained a copy of a message sent to all USAID staff by acting administrator Jason Gray: "We have identified several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President's Executive Order and the mandate from the American people. As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions." The memo did not say how many people were placed on leave. An agency staff member spoke about the memo to NPR on the condition of anonymity because of fears of retribution. "It's shocking," the individual said. "To my knowledge the stop-work order has been closely followed" The staff member added that such an action by a new administration is unheard of. Over the weekend, USAID staff were told in an email by Ken Jackson, assistant to the administrator for management and resources, that the "pause on all foreign assistance means a complete halt" and that USAID staff should help ensure that aid work aligns with Trump's America First policy and that staff who to ignore these orders could be disciplined. NPR obtained a copy of the email. |
| 'It will kill people': Chaos, confusion after Trump halts US foreign aid | |
 | The Trump administration's sudden halt on U.S. foreign aid is causing chaos inside groups ranging from health providers to landmine removers -- interrupting lifesaving programs as officials struggle to understand the scope of the directive. Following the Friday order from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leaders of aid organizations are looking at which programs to stop, and whether to immediately cut staff or even shut down. As they seek waivers, aid groups are scrambling to adjust -- from seeking non-federal funds to help refugees arriving in the U.S. to halting efforts at HIV clinics in Africa. Many federal workers, from the Pentagon to the U.S. Agency for International Development, are confused by the wording of the order, such as what exactly could qualify for an exemption. In some cases, their ability to get information is being stymied: In a note to staff obtained by POLITICO, a top USAID official told employees they needed prior top-level approval to even talk to institutions outside of the agency. The U.S. is the world's No. 1 provider of humanitarian aid. The billions involved are less than 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget, but advocates say the money is key to protecting lives and helping America's global reputation as it competes for influence with geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia. The order also affects billions of dollars in foreign military financing. |
| Trump: DeepSeek 'wake-up call' for US tech giants | |
 | President Trump said Monday that DeepSeek, a Chinese startup behind a popular new artificial intelligence (AI) model, represented a "wake-up call" for American tech firms. "The release of DeepSeek, AI from a Chinese company, should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win," Trump told House Republicans at their annual policy retreat. The president also suggested that the rise of the new AI model, which contributed to significant stock losses for the tech sector Monday, could be seen as a positive. "That could be very much a positive development," he added during the address at his National Doral resort outside Miami. "So instead of spending billions and billions, you'll spend less and you'll come up with, hopefully, the same solution." DeepSeek exploded onto the AI scene last week after releasing its R1 open-source reasoning model, which it claims performs on par with OpenAI's models. It surged to the top of Apple's App Store over the weekend, overtaking OpenAI's ChatGPT. Most notable about the AI model, however, is how it was built. DeepSeek claims to have spent just $5.6 million and relied on a couple thousand reduced-capability chips to train its latest models. |
| How China's DeepSeek Outsmarted America | |
 | Take a team of young Chinese engineers, hired by a boss with disdain for experience. Add some clever programming shortcuts, and a loophole in American rules that allowed them to get advanced chips. That is the formula China's DeepSeek used to shock the world with its artificial-intelligence programs. Conventional thinking held that developing leading AI required loads of expensive, cutting-edge computer chips---and that Chinese companies would have trouble competing because they couldn't get those chips. DeepSeek defied those predictions with a resourcefulness that led to a $1 trillion bloodbath on Wall Street and is spurring Silicon Valley to rethink its approach. The Chinese company has also delivered a wake-up call to Washington, according to President Trump, whose administration is set to decide in the coming months what to do about Biden-era policies limiting China's access to the best chips for AI. DeepSeek's leader, Liang Wenfeng, built his company in the tech hub of Hangzhou, the same city where tech giant Alibaba is based. The AI company grew out of a hedge fund co-founded by Liang that uses AI to find profitable trades in financial markets. In an interview with a Chinese publication in 2023, Liang said most technical positions were filled by fresh graduates or people with one or two years of experience. Experience, he said, was a potential obstacle. "When doing something, experienced people will tell you without hesitation that you should do it this way, but inexperienced people will have to repeatedly explore and think seriously about how to do it, and then find a solution that suits the current actual situation," Liang said. What they came up with is now being studied by Silicon Valley's best and brightest. |
| DeepSeek's Popular AI App Is Explicitly Sending US Data to China | |
 | The United States' recent regulatory action against the Chinese-owned social video platform TikTok prompted mass migration to another Chinese app, the social platform "Rednote." Now, a generative artificial intelligence platform from the Chinese developer DeepSeek is exploding in popularity, posing a potential threat to US AI dominance and offering the latest evidence that moratoriums like the TikTok ban will not stop Americans from using Chinese-owned digital services. DeepSeek, an AI research lab created by a prominent Chinese hedge fund, recently gained popularity after releasing its latest open source generative AI model that easily competes with top US platforms like those developed by OpenAI. However, to help avoid US sanctions on hardware and software, DeepSeek created some clever workarounds when building its models. On Monday, DeepSeek's creators limited new sign-ups after claiming the app had been overrun with a "large-scale malicious attack." While DeepSeek has several AI models, some of which can be downloaded and run locally on your laptop, the majority of people will likely access the service through its iOS or Android apps or its web chat interface. Like with other generative AI models, you can ask it questions and get answers; it can search the web; or it can alternatively use a reasoning model to elaborate on answers. To be clear, DeepSeek is sending your data to China. The English-language DeepSeek privacy policy, which lays out how the company handles user data, is unequivocal: "We store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People's Republic of China." |
| State Department Urged to Observe 'Spirit' of Trump's Anti-DEI Order During Black History Month | |
| The State Department should observe the "spirit" of the Trump administration's elimination of diversity programs in its public messaging, according to a Monday directive viewed by The Wall Street Journal, likely prohibiting the agency from openly observing Black History Month in February. The new public-affairs guidance states that any communications should reflect President Trump's priorities, which have included the closure of diversity, equity and inclusion offices throughout the government and revocation of a six-decade-old executive order that required government contractors to proactively root out discrimination on the basis of race and sex. The DEI rollbacks prompted State Department officials over the last week to seek permission to release public statements about Black History Month as well as other "heritage months and commemorative events." The answer arrived in an email: Public-diplomacy staff should highlight the "valuable contribution of individual Americans throughout U.S. history, while ensuring our public communications maintain the spirit of the directive eliminating DEAI programs," referring to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. There would be "no restrictions," however, on content or any programming related to accessibility or people with disabilities. A State Department official said it was clear there would be no public-facing messages or events about Black History Month when it begins on Saturday. |
| LSU law professor pulled from the classroom; his lawyer says it was for political comments | |
 | LSU removed a tenured law professor from the classroom due to comments he made earlier this month during a first-year law school class, according to the professor's lawyer. Ken Levy spoke out against an instance in which Gov. Jeff Landry last year publicly criticized LSU law professor Nicholas Bryner, according to Levy's attorney, Jill Craft. Levy, a criminal law professor who began teaching at LSU's Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2009, also talked to students about major changes to Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment case law that may lie ahead due to changing dynamics at the U.S. Supreme Court, Craft said. In that context, he revealed he was a Democrat and referred to President Donald Trump "in some colorful terms," she said. Levy made the comments during the course Law 5010: Administration of Criminal Justice I. He later received a letter indicating he had been removed from teaching due to the comments, Craft said. She argued the move amounted to content-based censorship. "My client's desire is that this be fixed immediately, because it never should have happened in the first place," Craft said. "He needs to be back in the classroom and teaching. He never should have been removed for the content of his speech, and certainly his assertion of academic freedom in the classroom." |
| What were university presidents doing at Washington Mardi Gras? | |
| Washington Mardi Gras is known as a boozy political party for lobbyists, donors and politicians. But for higher education leaders, it's also an opportunity to take advantage of having Louisiana's most rich and powerful in the same building -- and in a good mood. While higher education leaders do engage in the party -- LSU President William Tate was spotted on his way into Saturday night's ball, the main event of the week -- they also use the trip to D.C. as an opportunity to meet with Louisiana's congressional delegation to discuss funding for state colleges and universities. Several universities, including LSU, Tulane and Southern, hosted their own hospitality suites, with a buffet and open bar for revelers. Campus leaders were seen milling about, meeting with D.C.-based alumni, donors and elected officials. McNeese State and the University of Louisiana Lafayette did not host their own suite but helped sponsor one for their regions. LSU, the University of New Orleans and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System also hosted their own events during the four-day long event. Tate arrived late to the party, having traveled with the LSU women's basketball team to Columbia for their matchup against South Carolina. The Lady Tigers lost the game, 66-55. Tate said his main priority was meeting with state legislators, several of whom made appearances at LSU's purple and gold-lit suite at the Washington Hilton. |
| New U. of Tennessee textbook initiative sparks challenges for professors, students | |
| In the fall of 2024, VolBooks launched Total Access, a program charging a flat fee for primarily digital access to undergraduate student course materials at the University of Tennessee. An evolution of Inclusive Access, which provided individually-priced digital textbooks, Total Access is supposed to improve affordability, sustainability, equity and accessibility. However, the new program, which provides digital materials by default, has led to complaints from both students and professors in the Department of English at UT. While students are able to opt out of Total Access for a refund before the add/drop deadline, doing so means they forfeit access to course materials for all of their classes. This all or nothing approach has put professors and students who prefer physical books for English courses in a bind. Urmila Seshagiri, an English professor, voiced several concerns about the impact of Total Access on the classroom environment and her ability to teach course materials effectively. Acknowledging the advantages of digital materials for certain disciplines, Seshagiri emphasized that English professors do not seek the nostalgia of fully-stocked university bookstores or library reserves, but the ability to choose the materials that will allow them to best teach their classes. She stressed that physical books are not obsolete and are a crucial element of English pedagogy. "An e-book, a PDF read on a screen, a digital transcription of published literature -- they are not equivalent to or interchangeable with a print book," Seshagiri said. "This is not a value judgment, it's a fact." |
| Florida Scours College Textbooks, Looking for Antisemitism | |
 | The test questions from a class at Florida International University enraged Randy Fine, a state lawmaker endorsed by President Trump. One of the questions, uploaded onto social media by a student, said that Palestine was a country before Israel was created. Another seemed to suggest that Zionists invented terrorism. To Mr. Fine, they were proof that college textbooks and the test materials that accompany them were awash in antisemitism. Mr. Fine said it made him wonder, "How many other Muslim terror textbooks are being used in our university system?" The sprawling State University System of Florida, which educates more than 430,000 students, has been trying to find out. Ray Rodrigues, the system's chancellor, removed the textbook, "Terrorism and Homeland Security," from use in the system, pending a review. Then in August, he announced a remarkable effort that has worried some professors and advocates of academic freedom: All 12 universities he oversees were to set up faculty panels to vet course materials, including textbooks, for antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. Academic freedom groups like the American Association of University Professors have blasted the state textbook-vetting effort, calling it "thought policing" that "deepens Florida's increasingly authoritarian approach to higher education." Faculty members have said that it may violate their collective-bargaining agreement, which grants professors the right to "determine pedagogy." |
| Florida educators, students speak out against curriculum changes | |
| Educators, students and advocates across the Florida higher education system spoke out Monday against the recent removal by the state of hundreds of general education courses that touch on race, gender, and sexual orientation, calling the restrictions "censorship" during a webinar hosted by the United Faculty of Florida union. "I chose to pursue a career in education to engage students in critical thinking, adaptability and global competence -- skills that are essential to success and societal contribution," said Jeniah Jones, a Florida State College at Jacksonville professor. "Restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion in the curriculum ... undermine this mission by narrowing students' understanding of the world and their role in it." Educators also argue that limiting general education options may also make it harder for students to fulfill their general education requirements. A slate of directives and policy changes from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the State University System of Florida's Board of Governors in recent years has changed the landscape around what colleges and universities can say about race, politics, gender and sexual orientation. DeSantis signed SB 266 in 2023, which prohibits universities from expending state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that relate to diversity, equity and inclusion. |
| Cardiff University: Hundreds of jobs under threat due to funding black hole | |
| Meetings are being held with staff and unions amid concern that hundreds of jobs are under threat at Cardiff University. Academic departments have been summoned to briefings with managers with speculation that some departments could be merged and subjects affected. Chair of the University and College Union (UCU) Cymru Estelle Hart said there had been a "lack of communication" by university bosses which was causing "anxiety" to staff. A Cardiff University spokesperson said that staff and students would be the first to know if any changes were proposed. The university had previously said it had to take action to address a £30m black hole in its budget with the pressure of increased costs and falling international student numbers affecting the whole higher education sector. An offer of voluntary severance between June and September 2024 was taken up and approved for 155 staff and a second round closed earlier this month. But the latest announcement is set to go further with staff fearing that "hundreds" more jobs will go from the 7,000 strong workforce. Cardiff University is the largest in Wales with 32,725 students in 2023. It is a member of the Russell group of 24 leading and research-intensive institutions, often considered to be the most elite in the country. |
| Polarization is battering campuses. Here is how college leaders are fighting back. | |
| Colleges have historically been held up as pillars of free inquiry, constructive discourse and debate. But in an increasingly polarized era, campuses have become microcosms of the political divisions plaguing the country. Even previously nonpolitical statements can draw blowback, Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, said Thursday. "Do you accept the SAT? Well, that's a political issue," she said during a panel at the American Association of Colleges and Universities′ annual conference. "Do you have a view about what's being taught in your science department? Well, that's a political issue. So there is no avoiding it." Hass, along with college presidents and other higher education experts, offered advice on how to lead an institution through choppy waters while maintaining an open culture of free speech. Lori White, president of DePauw University, in Indiana, advised attendees to articulate their institutions' values and establish what they look like in practice. From there, college leaders can make informed decisions on how to respond to conflict, both on campus and externally. The more closely an issue is tied to a college's mission, the more moral authority leaders have to speak on it, Hass said. Panelists agreed that students are coming to college ill-equipped to handle conflict productively. |
| What Some Colleges Say They'll Do if Immigration Authorities Come to Campus | |
 | As immigration enforcement ramps up under the new Trump administration, some colleges are releasing statements and revised protocols for what faculty, staff, and students should do if they are approached by federal authorities. The announcements from institutions follow a slew of immigration-related orders signed by President Trump during his first week in office. In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive rescinding a policy that had protected schools and colleges from Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Colleges now could be subject to enforcement actions, including arrests by ICE officers, without advance notice. Around 400,000 college students nationwide are undocumented. Some colleges have released information regarding what ICE can and cannot do on their campuses. Northern Illinois University published a resource page specifying which areas of campus are publicly accessible, such as library common areas, hallways of academic buildings, and cultural centers. Other colleges announced plans to comply with law enforcement, but it's not yet clear what compliance would look like. During a faculty-council meeting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Friday, Chancellor Lee Roberts said the university will "follow the law" when questioned about responding to the new directive. |
| NSF Cancels Grant Reviews to 'Ensure Compliance' With Trump's Executive Orders | |
 | On Monday, the National Science Foundation confirmed to Inside Higher Ed that it has canceled all the grant application review meetings it had scheduled this week. The decision came just days after President Donald Trump issued a temporary freeze on grant reviews at the National Institutes of Health, heightening scientists' fears that funding delays could threaten research. In an email, an NSF spokesperson said that all review panels "will be rescheduled to a future date as appropriate" to allow the independent federal agency "to make the best use of everyone's time and resources as we continue to develop guidance to ensure compliance with the recent executive orders." Like the NIH, the NSF provides billions in research funding for colleges and universities each year. Last week, NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan sent a memo to staff announcing the closure of the agency's Office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and plans to end all DEIA-related contracts in compliance with Trump's executive orders. Without more federal guidance, others in the academic research community are waiting to see what happens after the NSF and NIH's grant review panels are scheduled to resume on Saturday. |
| Scientists funded by National Institutes of Health concerned at latest developments | |
| Research scientists around the country who get funding from the National Institutes of Health have had key meetings about their grants canceled in the last few days. This is happening at the same time as a broader ban on all external communication by the NIH and other agencies that fall under Health and Human Services through Feb. 1. The NIH is the biggest funder of biomedical research in the world, and there's little clarity on why meetings are being canceled, and whether it's a temporary pause or something bigger. This Thursday, Gregory Ducker was supposed to be going to a meeting where he and a bunch of other scientists would review grant applications for NIH funding. But last week, he got an email "kind of a little cryptically saying that it was canceled," he said. Ducker is an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, where he does NIH-funded research of his own. Lots of scientists have had upcoming grant reviews canceled, he said, and there's been no communication from the NIH about why or when they might be rescheduled. "People are anxious because the research is very dependent upon having funding renewed so that you can continue the studies," Ducker said. |
| For Jackson's Lumumba, running for mayor could worsen legal headache | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba says he will seek re-election this year. He has until Friday at 5 p.m. to file the paperwork. That paperwork, though, could create additional evidence for the U.S. Attorney's Office in its pending case against the embattled mayor. Lumumba could also find himself in hot water with state prosecutors and regulators. Last November, Lumumba was indicted by the Biden Department of Justice on five federal counts related to an alleged bribery scheme. Prosecutors say the Jackson Mayor took $50,000 in checks in exchange for moving the deadline for a proposal to build a hotel near the Jackson Convention Center. The indictment alleges Lumumba deposited those checks in a bank account designated for his campaign and then wrote checks to himself out of the account. If convicted, Lumumba faces up to 70 years in prison and up to $1.5 million in fines. That same campaign bank account will be under a magnifying glass should Lumumba pull the trigger for re-election. Here's why. Mississippi law requires a candidate or officeholder to file annual campaign finance reports. Mayor Lumumba admits he last filed a report in 2021, meaning he is likely in current violation of the law. In 2023, the Legislature amended campaign finance law to provide new, stronger penalties for non-compliance. ... So he just files the back campaign finance reports and moves forward, right? Herein lies the dilemma for Lumumba. Because those reports would almost certainly become evidence in the bribery case against him. |
| Legislative recap: Shad White vs. everybody, Jackson casino effort, immigration 'bounty hunters' | |
| Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender writes: What would normally have been a dull, boring budget subcommittee hearing in the Senate last week turned into a political donnybrook, and more 2027 Mississippi gubernatorial race posturing. State Auditor Shad White appeared before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Sen. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, that oversees the auditor's budget. After some normal pleasantries, the hearing soon became a heated sparring match between White and Polk, with White calling Polk "a liar" and threatening to sue him for defamation. Now, an agency head doesn't often use such discourse with the folks who help set his budget, but White has been on a roll lately, taking shots at, apparently, anyone he views as a potential opponent or obstacle to his ambitions for higher office. It would appear that White, once a mild-mannered, Ivy League-educated state auditor has become Shad the Irascible, drainer of swamps, bane of the woke, author of bizarre tell-all books about audit investigations. White, as he eyes the governor's office, has obviously drafted a strategy to channel the spirit of the late Gov. Kirk Fordice, a gruff, quick-to-anger, non-politician type, and to imitate President Donald Trump. ... Problem is, White is himself a product of the Mississippi Republican establishment -- be it swamp-like or not -- and academia. He first became state auditor via political fiat from former Gov. Phil Bryant. It's unclear whether White, who's spent his adult life to date in politics and government, can pull off the role of a non-politician politician or whether he can raise enough money for a gubernatorial run after ticking off much of the state's GOP leadership. |
| Addressing Mississippi's agriculture crisis: A call to action for our state | |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann writes: As a state whose roots run deep in the soil, Mississippi's agriculture isn't just an industry here -- it is the foundation of our state's economy, producing over $7 billion annually and accounting for 18.6% of our state's economy. Our farmers are facing challenges which threaten their livelihoods, revenue and our economy. As a state, we can't afford to turn a blind eye to this crisis. This Fall, I was informed by many agricultural lenders that they did not intend to furnish funds for some of our farmers to plant crops. Last week, the Mississippi Senate Agriculture Committee came together to dig into the issues hearing from experts at Mississippi State University, Pinion Global, Delta Council, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau. They brought data, real-life stories, and perspectives that made one thing abundantly clear: our farmers are in trouble, and the ripple effects are being felt across the entire state. ... These financial hits don't just affect farmers, they impact each of us, especially the Delta where agriculture is so crucial. When our farmers struggle, our entire state feels it. We are in competition with an international market. Other countries are clearing land and producing the same cash crops that have fueled our state for decades and selling to our long-term trade partners for cheaper. |
SPORTS
| Basketball Dawg Talk Returns On Tuesday | |
| Mississippi State basketball's radio show, "Dawg Talk" presented by Learfield, returns on Tuesday at Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux from 7-8 p.m. CT with head coach Chris Jans along with forwards Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy. The 60-minute program airs on the MSU Sports Radio Network affiliates from Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux which is locally owned by State alumni and located at 996 MS HWY 12 E in Starkville. Neil Price, "The Voice of the Bulldogs", will serve as the show's host. For those unable to attend the show in-person, "Dawg Talk" can be watched online at www.Facebook.com/HailState in addition to being streamed courtesy of Hail State On-Demand at www.HailState.com/watch and The Varsity Network App. State (15-4, 4-3 SEC) maintained its No. 14 ranking in the Associated Press and advanced to No. 13 in the USA Today Top 25 polls which were released earlier on Monday. State plays host to a pair of top 20 opponents in No. 4 Alabama (Wednesday – 8 p.m. CT) and No. 20 Missouri (Saturday – 12 p.m. CT) at Humphrey Coliseum this week. |
| MCBB: Mississippi State remains at No. 14, Ole Miss falls to No. 23 in latest AP Top 25 | |
| Another week of college basketball has wrapped up in the Southeastern Conference and Mississippi State has stayed put in the polls while Ole Miss took a dip in the latest Associated Press top 25. The Bulldogs split their two most recent contests, whereas the Rebels are on a three-game losing streak. Mississippi State (16-4, 4-3 SEC) remained the No. 14 team in the country after falling to Tennessee on the road on Tuesday before traveling to South Carolina, where the Bulldogs emerged a 65-60 overtime victor. In the 68-56 loss to the Volunteers, Josh Hubbard scored 16 points and Riley Kugel had 12 points. Kugel led the way for Mississippi State in Saturday's overtime thriller. Next up for Chris Jans' crew is a Wednesday night matchup against No. 4 Alabama. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT. Ole Miss (15-5, 4-3 SEC) dropped seven spots in the rankings after suffering its third consecutive loss this past week. A three-pointer by Manny Obaseki lifted Texas A&M to a one-point victory in the SJB Pavilion on Wednesday after the Rebels had led the entire game. On Saturday, Ole Miss was unable to steal a road victory at Missouri. The Rebels will look to get back on the winning side of the column on Wednesday when Texas, head coach Chris Beard's former employer, comes to Oxford on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff. |
| Alabama basketball vs Mississippi State score prediction: Picks, injury updates and more | |
| The gauntlet begins ... again ... for Alabama basketball this week. The No. 4 Crimson Tide head for Starkville, Miss., to face No. 13 Mississippi State on Wednesday after a two-game homestand in Coleman Coliseum. In the Bulldogs, Alabama (17-3, 6-1 SEC) will face the first of 10 consecutive Quad 1 opponents remaining on its regular season schedule. Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard leads the Bulldogs with an average 16.3 points per game, and there's not a lot of offensive firepower otherwise with Claudell Harris Jr., Riley Kugel and KeShawn Murphy all averaging around 10 points. The Crimson Tide should be in good shape if All-American Mark Sears bounces back from being benched with a 20-plus point performance the same way he did after another scoreless night against Illinois in November. If not, though, the Bulldogs could take a bite out of Alabama's near-perfect start to conference play. Alabama basketball and Mississippi State are set for late night hoops with an 8 p.m. CT tipoff at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, MS. The game will be shown on SEC Network and streaming will be available through ESPN+ and Fubo. |
| Jay Bilas: SEC Tournament will be more difficult than NCAA Tournament | |
| The SEC has dominated college basketball so far this season and has proven time and time again that it has the best league in the sport. ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas believes that the SEC is so good that it will be harder to win the SEC Tournament than the NCAA Tournament this year. Bilas explained his reasoning Monday morning when speaking on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning show. "Winning the SEC Tournament is going to be harder than winning the national championship, because you're doing it day after day after day and all of that stuff, and playing better teams throughout the course of it than you would play in the course of the NCAA Tournament," Bilas said. He added that because of the gauntlet that you will have to go through to win the SEC Tournament, whichever team does win it could be at a disadvantage as the NCAA Tournament begins. "The one concern I'd have in the SEC, there's two things -- if you win the SEC Tournament, how much gas are you going to have left in the tank after that?" Bilas said. His other concern is that SEC teams will have to adjust to different types of officiating once the NCAA Tournament begins. Bilas has watched numerous SEC games this year and said that officials are letting teams be more physical in that league than in other conferences around the country. |
| Diamond Dawgs Ranked No. 18 in Baseball America Preseason Top 25 | |
| Less than three weeks away from the first baseball season, the Mississippi State baseball team was tabbed as the No. 18 team in the country by Baseball America on Monday. The Diamond Dawgs completed 2024 with a 40-23 overall record. MSU earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament, their 40th appearance in an NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State tied a program record with MLB Draft Picks in 2024 with 11 players being drafted, the most by a university. The 2025 season gets underway on Feb. 14 when the Diamond Dawgs host Manhattan in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. Mississippi State's 55-game schedule features 31 home games, 18 road contests, and six neutral-site matchups. The schedule features the Diamond Dawg playing seven of their first eight games at home and an eight-game homestand from April 29 to May 13. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs fall on buzzer-beater despite Jordan's record-setting night | |
| Jerkaila Jordan was on a mission, doing her best to nearly single-handedly save Mississippi State on Monday night against a Missouri team looking for its first Southeastern Conference win in more than a full calendar year. The fifth-year senior guard from New Orleans finished with a career-best 40 points for the Bulldogs, but it was the points she didn't score that will be the lasting memory from this back-and-forth affair at Mizzou Arena. Jordan missed six of her final seven free throw attempts and turned the ball over on MSU's final possession with a one-point lead. Grace Slaughter beat the buzzer with a turnaround jumper on the other end to hand the Bulldogs a 78-77 defeat. "This one stings," MSU head coach Sam Purcell said. "The kids, they're heartbroken in that locker room. They wanted this bad. I'm proud of the effort they gave, but at the end of the day, our defense was not good enough to get enough stops tonight." MSU was without sixth woman Destiney McPhaul, who did not make the trip due to an illness. Debreasha Powe, also battling an illness, did not participate in the pregame shootaround but played 31 minutes, although she was held to just two points. Denim DeShields had to shoulder the load at point guard, with Jordan taking over as the lead ball-handler when DeShields was dealing with foul trouble. MSU has its first conference bye this week before returning to action Sunday at No. 7 LSU. |
| Mississippi State alums set for Super Bowl rematch | |
| n recent years, Super Bowl Sunday has begun to be appointment viewing for Mississippi State fans beyond anticipating commercials and the halftime show. For the third-straight season, the Bulldogs will have at least one player playing in the big game as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay and Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones each punched tickets on Sunday. Their appearances at Super Bowl LIX in two weeks will mark the 39th Super Bowl all-time with a Bulldog playing. It's the fifth time in the last six years. State has had 36 players earn trips to the game over the years. It was a 2-0 day for the former Dawgs in their conference championships beginning with the Eagles in the early afternoon. Philly ran wild including pouring in 21 fourth quarter points in a 55-23 blowout win over the Washington Commanders. While the second Super Bowl appearance for Slay makes him one of just 12 former Bulldogs to accomplish it, Jones is almost in a league of his own. The Chiefs star grabbed his fifth Super Bowl appearance as his Chiefs found a way to win a 32-29 ball game against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship. The Chiefs will be making a third-straight trip to the Super Bowl and the fifth in Jones' career. Jones will tie D.D. Lewis for the most trips for a Bulldog to the biggest game. |
| Brian Schottenheimer says he's 'ready' to coach Cowboys after long career as NFL assistant | |
| Brian Schottenheimer carried a card in his wallet when he was still in college, inscribed with his goal at the time. Become the youngest head coach in the NFL. Didn't quite work out that way for the son of the late coach Marty Schottenheimer, in part because he said it wasn't too many years later when the younger Schottenheimer thought maybe he wasn't ready. The 51-year-old Schottenheimer says he is now, and the Dallas Cowboys promoted him from offensive coordinator to be the 10th coach in the storied franchise's history. "I thought for a while it might not happen, but it's been a lifelong dream," Schottenheimer said at his introductory news conference Monday, with his family and Marty Schottenheimer's widow, Pat, watching along with franchise quarterback Dak Prescott and several teammates. Perhaps the biggest thing working Schottenheimer's favor was the relationship he built the past two years with Prescott, who is about to start the $260 million, four-year contract he signed in 2024. It's the first NFL contract with an average annual value of $60 million. "Dak's not making any coaching decisions, nor does he want to," Stephen Jones said. "But, I can tell you, every team who made a coaching decision was looking at how they solve for their quarterback. That's how you win in this league." |
| Texas athletics department topped $300 million in revenue and operating expenses in 2024 | |
 | The University of Texas athletics department again has shown its status as a national college sports business leviathan, recording $331.9 million in operating revenues and $325 million in operating expenses during its 2024 fiscal year, according to its new financial report to the NCAA. The USA TODAY Network obtained the document Monday through an open-records request made in conjunction with its partnership with the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database at Syracuse University. This is the first time since the NCAA began its current reporting system in 2005 that a Division I public school has reported more than $300 million in both revenues and expenses in the same year. It also is the largest single-year spending total, exceeding the $292.3 million that Ohio State reported for fiscal 2024 in a disclosure that occurred earlier on Monday. However, a separate independent accounting report also obtained Monday through an open-records request showed several caveats to Texas' new figures. The largest of those on the revenue side was what the accountants' report described as a "large one-time donation to fund the construction of the new Moody Center," an on-campus arena that opened in spring 2022. |
| UF dismisses Title IX complaint against Florida basketball coach Todd Golden, cites lack of evidence | |
| Florida basketball coach Todd Golden's attorney released a statement on Monday stating that the Title IX investigation against him by the University of Florida was dismissed due to lack of evidence. A formal complaint was filed against Golden that alleged sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking and cyberstalking on Sept. 27. "The University's conclusion proves that the complaint was meritless," Golden's attorney, William Shepherd, released in a letter on Monday. The University of Florida released a statement on Monday confirming the investigation was closed. "After a thorough investigation that included dozens of interviews over the past months, the University of Florida has found no evidence that Todd Golden violated Title IX," Florida spokesman Steve Orlando said. On the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Golden also commented on the investigation being closed. "The last several months have been a challenge for me and my family as the process has dragged on," Golden said. "We asked the public to allow the process to work through its conclusion and not rush to judgment based on allegation. The UAA and so many from the University have been tremendously supportive -- my family and I are extremely grateful." |
| Vanderbilt finds success is costly. So far, two court-stormings have net them $750,000 in fines | |
| When he was hired by Vanderbilt to rebuild the men's basketball program after years of mediocrity, Mark Byington envisioned a moment like the football team experienced last October, when fans stormed the field following a win over Alabama. Byington might have to start getting used to such moments. In the span of just over a week, the Commodores have edged No. 6 Tennessee and pulled an upset of ninth-ranked Kentucky -- heck, they played No. 4 Alabama tough in a road loss in between -- and finally crashed the AP Top 25 after nearly a decade in the hinterlands. They came in at No. 24 in this week's poll, one of 10 schools from the might SEC in the rankings. "There's big-picture things I wanted to happen around here and ... at one point I want it to be where we're not surprised, that we don't feel like the underdog in these games, and we're going into them knowing that that our program is good and we expect to win," Byington said. "We're not there yet, so let the fans enjoy it." Even if the celebrations prove costly. The court-storming after the win over the Vols cost the Commodores a $250,000 fine from the SEC, and a second storming after the win over the Wildcats earned them another $500,000 punishment. "We got to start a GoFundMe page or something to pay fines," Byington said. "We'll figure it out." |
| Pac-12 Conference, USC Don't Oppose Players' Motion to Withdraw Complaint | |
| The University of Southern California and the Pac-12 Conference want a National Labor Relations Board judge to dismiss a complaint from some football and basketball players who argued that they should have been classified as employees. At the same time, the university and conference won't oppose a motion from the National College Players Association, which represented the athletes, to withdraw the complaint filed in February 2022. The complaint was one of the more notable recent efforts to resolve the long-standing question of whether student athletes are employees who can bargain collectively. Athletes testified before the NLRB judge last spring, and the case has been pending since then. USC and the conference argued in responses filed with the court last week that the case has no merit and requested that the judge dismiss the complaint entirely rather than granting the motion. "If anything, the NCPA's motion confirms that this case never should have been commenced because the purported reasons for withdrawal have nothing to do with the legal merits of the charge the NCPA actually filed," lawyers representing the Pac-12 wrote in a court filing. |
| American Football Coaches Association Taps Federal Lobbyists | |
| The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has hired two different federal lobbying organizations to work with the group in 2025, according to federal lobbying disclosures reviewed by Front Office Sports. The AFCA, which has 11,000 members, including both high school and college coaches, has enlisted the support of the lobbying firms Chet Culver Group and Capitol Counsel. Lobbying disclosures were submitted Jan. 17, and no other disclosures are listed for the AFCA, suggesting this is the first time the group has hired lobbyists in at least two decades. (The news that the AFCA hired Capitol Counsel was first reported by Politico Influence.) Federal lobbying disclosures typically don't go into specifics about the issues organizations are advocating for---but the forms noted that lobbyists would be working in Congress on the AFCA's behalf for "improving the NIL [name, image, and likeness] program." The disclosures did not say how much the group was paying these two organizations. The decision to invest in lobbying comes amid a major push for Congress to pass a law to regulate college athlete compensation rules. Last fall, a group of Olympic sports coaches' organizations hired FCS Global to help them preserve the future of Olympic college sports. |
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