| Wednesday, January 29, 2025 |
| EMBDC celebrates Compass at annual meeting | |
 | Business leaders and elected officials from throughout the East Mississippi region gathered Tuesday at the MSU Riley Center to celebrate Compass Datacenters as the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation held its annual meeting. Compass, which is based in Dallas, Texas, announced plans to build a data campus in Meridian's Key Brothers Industrial Park, which will consist of eight high-tech data centers built over the next eight years. In total, the campus represents an investment of more than $10 billion, making it one of the largest investments in state history. Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum said Tuesday's celebration was well deserved, and the data center project is a win for both Meridian and Lauderdale County and the University. The data center announcement, he said, is the fruit of efforts first started more than 25 years ago by the Riley Foundation in renovating the old opera house, a project often credited with sparking Meridian's downtown revitalization. "We wouldn't even be here on the Riley campus of Mississippi State University in this beautiful Grand Opera House if it were not for a group of visionary community leaders who had a vision for their community of Meridian and Lauderdale County," he said. |
| Compass Data Centers hosts official groundbreaking ceremony in Lauderdale County | |
 | Many people gathered at the site of the official groundbreaking ceremony for Compass Data Centers. This ten-billion-dollar investment will be located near the I-20 and I-59 core doors, next to Southern Pipe and Supply. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says it will be one of the largest economic announcements in Mississippi's history, a big investment for the Lauderdale County community, and will also attract people from all over. Governor Reeves hopes this will encourage reinvestment in the next major project. "But also is going to bring with it the need for responsible and accountable representation, because obviously, the biggest aspect of this $10 billion capital investment is going to be huge amounts of monies to our local governing authorities., and I'm hopeful that they are responsible for those dollars and particularly reinvest so that we can win the next major economic development project," Reeves says. Katie Hancock, VP of Public Relations for Compass Data Centers, says, "Something that's unique about Compass is that we build single tenant hyperscale data centers. That means we're building a really large campus, and that makes it possible to create economies of scale so that our customers can build service centers and service personnel on the campus rather than importing workers. So it really starts to support the community and build economic opportunity for the community." |
| MSU is studying UAVs' usefulness in ag settings | |
 | Crop dusters are a familiar sight in the skies over agricultural regions, but much smaller versions, unmanned aerial vehicles, are joining them. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are commonly called drones. Unmanned aerial systems, known as UAS, include the vehicle itself, payload, operator and control modules. Mississippi State University is a leader in this new frontier through a variety of UAS research efforts and national designations. Madison Dixon, associate director of research at the MSU Agricultural Autonomy Institute, said the university has the largest U.S.-manufactured ag drone fleet in the country. "With this fleet, we will be performing research flights, testing numerous variables and aiming to provide valuable data and insights to farmers," Dixon said at a December presentation at the MSU Extension Row Crop Short Course. "We will test application efficacy of both liquid and dry agricultural products and will find ways to mitigate off-target drift." Ag drones today have been equipped with tanks and nozzles to spray crops with water-based solutions as well as hoppers and spreaders for dispersing dry material. To date, applications include cover crop seeding; weed, insect and disease control; as well as crop imaging when combined with cameras and sensors. |
| Ransomware attack takes teachers 'old school.' Some of their emergency methods may stay in rotation | |
 | When kindergarten teacher Vivian Spears, who teaches at Sudduth Elementary in Starkville, learned she would start the spring semester teaching without access to the internet, she was admittedly anxious. All of the lesson plans she had made before Christmas break were no longer useful without access to her PowerPoints, the online curriculum or even printers. "It's a little frustrating when you already feel like you have everything together, and then at the last minute, you've got to change," she said. "... Just trying to get it all together at the last minute (was challenging) because you had to do it at home." Spears said it was easy for her to incorporate more hands-on learning activities for her students to keep them engaged. She used teacher edition textbooks instead of the online curriculum. Instead of watching Youtube videos for "brain breaks," Spears broke out a CD player, which the students had never seen before. Now that she's on the other side of it, Spears said she enjoyed going through the experience with her students -- one that she plans to incorporate into future lessons. For the first two weeks of the semester, Spears and other teachers in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District had to adapt to teaching without access to the internet when the district's network was compromised in an apparent ransomware attack. |
| New chemical could better stabilize Oktibbeha roads | |
| County supervisors have announced a partnership with Florida road firm Innovasoil to test chemical treatments that help prevent erosion and wear, eyeing a broader rollout if all goes well. District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer distributed a press release Monday announcing the partnership, touting the chemical MH72 as an option to reduce maintenance costs and allow the county to expand its network of durable roads beyond what its budget would typically allow. The pilot program will apply MH72 to the roughly one-mile length of Cannon Road, located just east of Clayton Village. "If we went out and spent $2 million dollars on every road we could make them wide enough with proper drainage, but we just don't have that in our budget," he said. "When you start putting that money on the ground, that roadwork only goes so far. Hopefully this gives us some more options." MH72 is a liquid that, once it soaks into the soil, binds the dirt together in the base lawyer of the road to resist erosion, Innovasoil CFO Matt Fenner said Tuesday. Similar road stabilizers have existed for years in the form of an enzyme, but Fenner said MH72 eliminates voids in the dirt and provides a more flexible structure, allowing it to last 10 years without covering, 20 years with a chipseal aggregate cover and 20 to 30 years with full pavement. |
| Damaging winds, tornadoes possible as storm front hits Mississippi | |
 | A cold front is expected to move into Mississippi Thursday evening and bring potentially severe weather. Damaging winds are the main concern, but tornadoes are possible, too. "Right now, we have a pretty big cold front coming into the area," said Alan Campbell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. "With that cold front we are looking at some potential for severe storms over the area. "Right now, it looks like the better potential for strong storms is in Warren County, Vicksburg, and down to Natchez. Maybe over toward the Bude area as well." That area is considered to be at slight risk according to NWS. Outside of that, areas along and west of the I-55 corridor are considered to be at marginal risk with possible isolated storms. "The primary threat is damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour," Campbell said. Campbell said the front should begin crossing the Mississippi River into the state around 6-8 p.m. on Thursday. It should be out of Mississippi by 5-6 a.m. Friday. Eastern portions of the state are at a lower risk of damage. "Once it gets into the eastern part of the state it will be significantly weaker than when it moves into the state," Campbell said. |
| Toyota Childcare Center viewed as an investment in its workforce | |
| Sometime this fall, a state-of-the-art 18,000-square-foot childcare center for Toyota Mississippi will open, paving the way for employees to access an array of services for their children while they're at work. Located west of the Toyota Experience Center, the multimillion-dollar facility is currently under construction. It will be the automaker's third childcare center in the United States, joining Toyota Kentucky and Toyota Indiana, which opened in 1993 and 2003, respectively. A fourth center, for Toyota North Carolina, is set to open this fall. "We'll be able to accommodate over 100 kids on both shifts," said Tiffannie Hedin, manager of corporate communications for Toyota Mississippi. "So that's more than 200 kids with the shift rotation, morning and night." The center will seek NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accreditation to uphold the highest standard for quality early learning, Hedin said. "This is an investment in our current workforce, but we're also looking at it for our future," Hedin said. "The children who come to the center will receive a greater rigor of care and education, starting at six weeks. It is a childcare center and learning center; it is not a daycare." Hedin said Toyota is doing its part in helping to ease a childcare "desert" in Northeast Mississippi. |
| $30K national grant for Munson and Bros to fund expansion | |
| Munson and Brothers Trading Post has been selected as one of 25 small businesses nationwide to receive a $30,000 grant, which it will use to improve its kitchen and build a more professional stage. The nonprofit Main Street America announced its winners Tuesday, choosing from more than 2,000 applicants. Ryan Munson, one of the trading posts' owners, told The Dispatch on Tuesday he was still coming to grips with what the influx of cash would mean for the combination pizza shop, outdoor venue, and vendor of hair products, apparel and candles. The trading post already has a partnership with Mississippi University for Women where students can do internships and work with the business' ovens, but Munson hopes he could host lectures or meetings in the future with the new stage. "We're hoping that a professional stage will bring even more professional bands too, and that adds a lot to the community," he said. "I'd really love to open that bigger more professional stage up to people in the community. I'd like to expand our taps so we can offer more as well, but we've been working on a couple different partnerships with the W, with Catfish Alley Studio, with the Air Force." |
| Pafford to take over ambulance operations for North Mississippi Health Services | |
 | Residents of northeast Mississippi will soon have a new ambulance service provider. North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS) announced that Pafford Emergency Medical Services will soon take over the Tupelo-based medical provider's ground and air patient transportation operations. An exact date has not been released. Pafford will assume ownership of ambulance and CareFlight helicopter services for NMHS emergency, critical care, and neonatal care centers in Eupora, Iuka, Pontotoc, Tupelo, and West Point. In addition, Pafford will replace older ambulance vehicles, add three new ones to the fleet, and add new ambulance stations while maintaining its equipment. Over 200 emergency medical technicians and paramedics will transition from NMHS to the new provider's team. NMHS is the largest non-urban health system in the country and serves more than one million patients annually. |
| Bill to strip auditor's powers filed with Mississippi Senate | |
 | State Auditor Shad White's $2 million government waste study released last year seems to have ruffled feathers, and perhaps not in the way he would have hoped. Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, has filed a bill seeking to strip some authority from the auditor's office and require legislative or gubernatorial approval before the office can conduct certain audits or contract with outside help to perform its duties. The bill was sent off to Parker's Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee for first consideration, where it is unlikely he will not bring it up and pass it to the Senate chamber for a vote. "I think we can more clearly define financial affairs, and we can more clearly define what's under the purview of the auditor to clear up any misconceptions that are out there," Parker said. The AET Committee has a scheduled meeting for Thursday at 8 a.m. Parker told the Clarion Ledger Monday his bill seeks to address a total lack of transparency between the auditor's office and the Mississippi Legislature concerning the government waste study, which has been scrutinized by other top-ranking Republican officials and lawmakers. |
| Public Health Report Card shows promise for Mississippi as well as areas for improvement | |
| At the Capitol on Tuesday morning, representatives of the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) and the Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) provided an overview of the Magnolia State's most recent health report card. The results highlight many areas where health is improving in Mississippi while also showing where more focus is needed to protect the lives of Mississippians, the groups said. Overall, Mississippi moved up in the national rankings issued by America's Health Rankings from its previous rank of 54th to 49th this year, State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney said during the Capitol press event. While most of the news was positive, such as the state demonstrating improvements in the areas of declining opioid deaths, HIV infection rates and cases of tuberculosis, there are areas of concern that linger, namely in preventable deaths due to obesity, diabetes and heart conditions. When compared to the rest of the nation, Mississippi is currently ranked 50th in infant mortality, 48th in diabetes, 48th in obesity, 49th in hypertension and 45th for overall maternal mortality, the report card shows. "We are better than we were, and that is a public health win," Dr. Edney said. "But every notch of improvement we are able to demonstrate means more lives saved, more Mississippians are living healthier and happier. So, we're seeing modest improvement." |
| Trump makes moves to expand his power, sparking chaos and a possible constitutional crisis | |
 | Just a little over a week into his second term, President Donald Trump is taking steps to maximize his power, sparking chaos and what critics contend is a constitutional crisis as he challenges the separation of powers that have defined American government for more than 200 years. The new administration's most provocative move came this week, as it announced it would temporarily halt federal payments to ensure they complied with Trump's orders barring diversity programs. The technical-sounding directive had enormous immediate impact before it was blocked by a federal judge, potentially pulling trillions of dollars from police departments, domestic violence shelters, nutrition services and disaster relief programs that rely on federal grants. Though the Republican administration denied Medicaid was affected, it acknowledged the online portal allowing states to file for reimbursement from the program was shut down for part of Tuesday in what it insisted was an error. Legal experts noted the president is explicitly forbidden from cutting off spending for programs that Congress has approved. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to appropriate money and requires the executive to pay it out. A 50-year-old law known as the Impoundment Control Act makes that explicit by prohibiting the president from halting payments on grants or other programs approved by Congress. |
| GOP steps aside as Trump assaults Congress' power | |
 | President Donald Trump has declared an all-out war on congressional power. And his allies on Capitol Hill aren't doing much to fend off the invasion. From firing a slate of inspectors general to changing citizenship qualifications to delaying a ban on the TikTok app, the president is running roughshod over Congress in his first week back in office. The effort culminated Monday night with a budget office memo freezing "all federal financial assistance" pending a review by administration political appointees. The effort represents a frontal assault on the legislative branch's core constitutional power to raise and spend federal funds -- the "power of the purse" that has been zealously protected by generations of congressional leaders of both parties. A federal judge temporarily blocked the move Tuesday. Yet many senior Republicans quickly fell in line, brushing off the implications of the freeze --- with some saying they expected it to be narrowed and many others defending it as Trump simply making good on his electoral mandate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) also downplayed the freeze as a "preliminary step," describing it as "a normal practice at the beginning of the administration until they have an opportunity to review how the money is being spent." (He later called for "additional clarity" from the White House.) Trump's actions amount to the most significant test yet of just how much deference he can expect out of the Republican congressional majorities. |
| Does Trump Have the Power to Block Spending That Congress Has Authorized? | |
 | President Trump has moved aggressively to block the government from disbursing funds authorized by Congress for a range of programs, potentially seizing power from the legislative branch to wield greater say in public spending. Even as the White House cast the step as a temporary freeze that would allow it to inspect spending to make sure that it does not conflict with Mr. Trump's policy priorities, the move set off chaos and uncertainty for vast swaths of the federal government at home and abroad. It also appears to plant the seeds of a potential Supreme Court fight over how much power a president has to refuse to spend money that Congress has appropriated, a tactic that lawmakers sharply curtailed under President Richard Nixon. Should the freeze become permanent for a program that Congress approved but the White House does not like, it could set off a court fight over the constitutionality of a law banning unilateral "impoundment" by presidents. While it is routine for the executive branch to hold back some authorized spending if it is able to come in under budget while still accomplishing Congress's goal, the practice becomes contentious when a president refuses to spend money Congress has appropriated for a program because he objects to it. There are reasons to believe that the president wants a legal confrontation over the legality of permanent impoundment, although the current freeze is not yet ripe for that. |
| Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order | |
 | Hundreds of people were laid off Tuesday by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as the Trump Administration's stop-work order for foreign assistance goes into effect. A USAID official with knowledge of the layoffs put the total at 390. The official spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency. The laid-off employees are all contractors based in the U.S., part of a workforce of some 10,000, the official noted. NPR obtained a copy of a letter of termination of employment from a contractor who was laid off by Credence, one of the three main contractors that provides staffing services to USAID. The agency funds projects that aim to alleviate poverty, disease and humanitarian needs in countries around the world. People who were laid off spoke to NPR and said all departments within the agency were affected, including the offices that address HIV and AIDs, infectious disease and child health. Employees told NPR that entire floors had been emptied out and the walls stripped of USAID-related photos -- and forwarded photos of the bare walls. |
| State Department Reverses Near-Full Stop of Foreign Aid | |
 | The Trump administration pulled back from its order to pause nearly all foreign aid, and will now exempt "core life saving programs" that involve medicine, medical services, food and shelter, according to a Tuesday memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A Jan. 24 State Department directive had called for a broad suspension of foreign assistance while the agency carried out a three-month review of aid programs. That suspension spurred alarm and confusion among humanitarian organizations that the step would disrupt the distribution of vaccines, food and other vital assistance in needy countries around the world. The original directive allowed U.S. officials and aid groups to seek waivers so that the programs could proceed without interruption. That produced a flood of appeals for exemptions, leaving unclear which might be granted and when. While aid experts welcomed Tuesday's memo, they noted that the State Department directive still pauses other programs unless specific waivers are granted. Rubio's Tuesday memo says that the funding pause will continue for assistance that involves abortions, family-planning conferences, transgender surgeries and gender and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. |
| White House incentivizes federal workers to resign | |
 | The White House's Office of Personnel Management sent an email blast Tuesday to federal employees offering them a way to resign with pay through Sept. 30, the most sweeping effort yet by the new Trump administration to shrink the ranks of the federal workforce. The email instructed workers to reply to the message if they want to resign and take the offer, which expires Feb. 6. According to a White House Q&A, most of the 2.3 million federal workers are eligible for the incentive, which landed as many employees were facing return-to-office mandates and threats of layoffs. "At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions," reads the email, which was titled "Fork in the Road." The email blast came less than a day after the White House announced a freeze on federal spending that sent public officials scrambling for answers, with food safety, crime prevention and housing assistance programs, among others, on the line. And it topped off days of escalating anxiety over the personnel management office's deployment of a "new distribution system" that sent "test" emails to groups of federal workers from a generic "hr" address. |
| Elon Musk Is Running the Twitter Playbook on the Federal Government | |
 | Elon Musk is only one week into his role in President Donald Trump's new administration, but the US federal government is already rolling out the Twitter playbook to manage its spending and personnel. Just like Musk did when he took over the social media platform, Trump's team is attempting to drastically reduce the number of government staffers and ensure those who remain are loyal to the president's agenda. On Tuesday, federal employees received an email that mirrors the "Fork in the Road" missive sent to Twitter (now X) staff shortly after Musk bought the company in 2022. The email asks federal workers to resign by February 6 if they do not wish to return to the office five days a week and commit to a culture of excellence. Those who choose to resign will continue to get pay and benefits until September, according to the memo. Musk and his advisors, including Trump's newly appointed AI and crypto czar David Sacks, used a remarkably similar strategy at Twitter. About a week after the acquisition was complete, Musk laid off half the workforce. Sacks helped advise him on which teams and people would be cut. About two weeks later, remaining employees received an email with the subject line "A Fork in the Road." "We are all shaking our heads in disbelief at how familiar this all feels," says Yao Yue, a former principal engineer at Twitter. "Except, the federal government and its employees have specific laws in terms of spending, hiring, and firing." |
| Louisiana's Bill Cassidy is under microscope as RFK Jr. Senate confirmation hearings begin | |
 | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will sit down Wednesday for the first of two U.S. Senate hearings that will prove consequential for one of the president's most controversial nominations -- and for Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, considered a key player in the confirmation battle. President Donald Trump has made some controversial cabinet nominations, and his choice of Kennedy to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is among them. Kennedy appears Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee, which will decide, probably next week, whether to recommend his confirmation to the full Senate. The Finance committee oversees expenditures on Medicaid and other health services. Then, on Thursday, Kennedy goes before the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions, which oversees Health and Human Services, a department with a $1.7 trillion budget and more than 80,000 employees that influences drug approvals, public health and medical research. Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, chairs the Health, Education Labor & Pensions committee and also sits on the Finance committee, where he'll be called upon to vote on advancing Kennedy's confirmation. If Kennedy loses the support of Republicans on either committee and more than three GOP senators during the floor vote, he won't be confirmed if all the Democrats also oppose him. Standing up to Trump and rejecting one of his cabinet nominees makes many of the 53 Republican senators nervous. But some say confirming a nominee about whom they have reservations is equally troubling. That's why they're turning towards Cassidy, a physician, to signal whether Kennedy can do the job despite widespread opposition from the medical community. |
| From anti-vaccine advocacy to raw milk, many of RFK Jr.'s views fall outside the mainstream | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy is outside the mainstream. His previous statements on abortion could alienate Republicans. But a new poll finds that not all of his controversial health goals are unpopular -- in fact, at least one has broad support among Democrats and Republicans. As Kennedy's Senate confirmation hearings begin, his bid to become the nation's top health official could depend on how staunchly he sticks to these personal beliefs during questioning. He has already softened some of his long-held views. He's facing some skepticism from the public, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Only about 3 in 10 US adults approve of President Donald Trump nominating him to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while about one-quarter are either neutral or don't know enough to say. But he has points of strength, too. Trump's choice of Kennedy is especially popular among Republicans: About 6 in 10 approve, compared to about 1 in 10 Democrats. And while many Americans disagree with some of Kennedy's controversial health stances -- including beliefs around reevaluating childhood vaccine recommendations and changing guidelines around fluoride in drinking water and raw milk consumption -- some of his other stances, like reformulating processed foods, are broadly popular. |
| In First White House Briefing, Youngest Press Secretary Ever Eschews Tradition | |
| President Trump is opening up the White House briefing room to bloggers, podcasters and social-media influencers, as he seeks to challenge the dominant role that mainstream news outlets play in coverage of the nation's capital. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking Tuesday at her first briefing since Trump took office, said the president would restore more than 400 press passes that were revoked during the Biden administration. The White House is also opening up new seats at the front of the briefing room for new media outlets. "The Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media seated in this room," Leavitt said, encouraging all independent journalists who create news-related content to apply for credentials through a new government website. Tuesday's briefing was a first for Leavitt, who at age 27 is the youngest press secretary in White House history. She served as a press aide during Trump's first term and then ran for Congress in 2022 in New Hampshire, where she grew up. Leavitt deflected questions about the pause in federal aid grants as well as when and how Trump would implement tariffs, often repeating what Trump has said publicly. |
| Mississippi universities scramble to understand impact of federal grant pause: 'It's a lot' | |
| Mississippi universities scrambled to understand the far-reaching implications of a memo issued by the White House late Monday night that ordered a temporary freeze of all federal grants, specifically those supporting research and programs that do not align with President Donald Trump's ideology. The Office of Management and Budget memo, which is set to take effect at 5 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, sparked widespread anxiety in faculty, staff and administrators at Mississippi's universities where federal dollars fund everything from research into automated blackberry harvesting, medical centers focused on major diseases affecting Mississippians, salaries, and tuition and health insurance for graduate students. In total, Mississippi's universities receive more than $530 million in federal funding for research, with the bulk of that going to Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. It's still unclear what will happen to programs at those universities. As of press time, little information was available about what that will look like or if the universities are putting any programs on pause. The Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees released a statement that it was monitoring the OMB directive. Sid Salter, Mississippi State's vice president for strategic communications, said any further comment beyond IHL's statement was premature. "Because of the size of our research enterprise, it's a lot to review, so we're going to review before we speak," Salter said. |
| Federal funding pause could cost MSU millions | |
| A federal judge has blocked a Trump administration temporary pause on federal grants and loans that could cost Mississippi State University hundreds of millions in research and development funding. Federal agencies were ordered to "temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance" in a Monday memo from the Office of Management and Budget. The court stopped the restrictions from taking effect until at least Feb. 3. In 2023, the most recent year available, Mississippi State spent $319 million on research and development expenditures, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Of that total, about 47% -- roughly $150 million -- was covered by federal dollars. The National Science Foundation ranks MSU among the top 100 research universities in the country. MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications and Director of Public Affairs Sid Salter would not comment on the "pause" Tuesday and instead deferred to a statement from John Sewell, director of communications for the Mississippi Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning. "We are aware of the temporary pause on federal financial assistance programs and its potential impact on the state's public universities," Sewell said. "We will continue to monitor this directive and the pending review of programs by the Office of Management and Budget." |
| 'Make it happen': Legislature pushes to ban DEI as political pressure mounts | |
| With President Donald Trump elevating bans of diversity, equity and inclusion programs to the top of national Republicans' education agenda, Mississippi lawmakers are working to shutter DEI across the state's higher education system. Lawmakers in Mississippi's Republican-dominated Legislature have for months considered the issue and met with university officials. Now, legislators will decide how far they will go in rooting out DEI in the state's colleges and universities. They are determining what academic concepts count as "divisive" and what legal recourse to provide students and faculty who feel wronged by DEI-related initiatives. In the House, Republican Reps. Donnie Scoggin, Joey Hood and Becky Currie have introduced bills to clamp down on DEI. Scoggin, Chair of the House Universities and Colleges Committee, said negotiations around the proposals are ongoing, but Hood's bill is the leading contender to move forward. There are two bills in the Senate aimed at regulating DEI, one from Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, chairwoman of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee, and the other from Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune. Boyd's proposal will be the vehicle for action in the chamber, as Hill's bill was "double referred" to two committees for first consideration, a likely indication it won't move forward. The Senate Universities and Colleges Committee could take up DEI legislation as soon as its Thursday committee meeting. |
| Southern Miss receives Beckman Scholars Program grant | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was awarded an undergraduate scholar program grant, which is considered the most prestigious of its kind for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academic disciplines. The Beckman Scholars Program allows institutions to provide a 15-month mentored research experience for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry and biochemistry, biological sciences, polymer science, or interdisciplinary combinations thereof. The Beckman Foundation selects 14 institutional grant recipients annually through a rigorous two-step review process. Over the next three years, the Southern Miss Beckman Scholars Program will be administered through the Southern Miss Honors College; two outstanding students per year will be selected and named Beckman Scholars based on their career goals and motivation to engage in long-term research. A call for student applicants will be made early in the spring semester, with applications due in mid-February. The first two Southern Miss Beckman scholars will be announced in March 2025. |
| William Carey University doubles campus size with new land acquisition in Hattiesburg | |
| William Carey University announced it has acquired an additional 107 acres, functionally doubling the size of its Hattiesburg campus. The deal for the 107 acres, which was finalized on Monday, was announced before an enthusiastic gathering Tuesday at William Carey's King Student Center. The new tract buttresses a 25-acre undeveloped parcel near the university's baseball and softball fields and will create a contiguous stretch to the existing campus. Half of the cost of acquisition came through donations, according to WIlliam Carey President Ben Burnett. "The sky's the limit," Burnett said. The first project on the newly acquired land will be another entrance into the campus. Burnett said the land is being studied by engineering firms and the new entrance could come as early as two years. The announcement came as part of a larger announcement of the impact of William Carey on Hattiesburg and the state. The university announced it directly creates 807 jobs per year based on a 10-year average and has a direct impact on the economy of around $81.1 million annually. When you factor in the indirect and induced economic impact, the university announced a $136 million total annual economic impact. Burnett said that total will only grow, noting the university had a record fall class and that 2025 applications have nearly doubled year over year. |
| American Children's Reading Skills Reach New Lows | |
| In the latest release of federal test scores, educators had hoped to see widespread recovery from the learning loss incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, the results, from last year's National Assessment of Educational Progress, tell a grim tale, especially in reading: The slide in achievement has only continued. The percentage of eighth graders who have "below basic" reading skills according to NAEP was the largest it has been in the exam's three-decade history -- 33 percent. The percentage of fourth graders at "below basic" was the largest in 20 years, at 40 percent. Recent reading declines have cut across lines of race and class. And while students at the top end of the academic distribution are performing similarly to students prepandemic, the drops remain pronounced for struggling students, despite a robust, bipartisan movement in recent years to improve foundational literacy skills. The NAEP exam is considered more challenging than many state-level standardized tests. Still, the poor scores indicate a lack of skills that are necessary for school and work. Experts have no clear explanation for the dismal reading results. In a new paper, Nat Malkus, an education researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, points out that declines in American children's performance are echoed in tests of adults' skills over the same time period. So while we often look to classrooms to understand why students are not learning more, some of the causes may be attributed to screen time, cellphones and social media, he argues. |
| Federal freeze won't affect student loans, but preschool may be in peril | |
| The Trump administration's freeze on federal spending will not affect some of the biggest education-related spending, including student loans, Pell grants and a huge program for high-poverty schools, officials said Tuesday. But it at least temporarily imperiled the Head Start preschool program and sowed confusion among families, students and schools from prekindergarten through college. Over the course of the day Tuesday, the Education Department and the White House clarified that funding for programs including student loans, Pell grants, Title I funding for high-poverty schools and the IDEA program for students with disabilities are safe. The funding halt, an Education Department spokeswoman said Tuesday, was meant to affect only discretionary grants, which are doled out to schools, colleges and universities to support a wide array of initiatives, from after-school activities to charter schools to the Special Olympics. A second budget memo issued Tuesday clarified that the freeze did not affect Head Start, which runs preschool centers nationwide. But a chaotic and confused implementation of the budget memo nonetheless led some federal education funding to become unavailable. Providers of Head Start said Tuesday that they could not access the federal funds needed to keep the program running. Asked about the funding problem, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, declined to comment. |
| Trump suspends certain NIH operations, putting biomedical research center at LSU at risk | |
| The Trump administration temporarily suspended much of the National Institutes of Health's operations, plunging into uncertainty state research centers such as LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, that have millions in NIH and other federal grants. Louisiana's public and private research centers got more than $190 million in NIH grants during the 2024 fiscal year, with more than $20 million going to the LSU Pennington center. At Pennington, the grant money powers several research centers, including the Louisiana Clinical & Translational Science Center. That clinical science center is comprised of 10 institutions across the state, including LSU, Tulane, Xavier and others, which strives to address health disparities and improve "health outcomes in our underserved population with chronic diseases." The specific federal action last week affecting NIH is part of a wider halt to federal grant and loan programs President Trump ordered Tuesday. That controversial move, met with immediate blowback from state attorneys general, threatens billions in grants owed by the federal government to Louisiana agencies. Law professors and certain think tanks claim Trump's action Tuesday was illegal and unconstitutional. A coalition of states sued the federal government Tuesday, and got initial relief from a federal judge. Todd Woodward, a spokesman for LSU, said via email the university was working with Washington, D.C. partners to get clarification. He said the university doesn't think grants and loans to individual students or the university veterinarians will be affected. |
| Will the pause on federal grants affect UGA? How do universities use these grants | |
 | President Donald Trump has issued a temporary pause on all federal assistance activities, effective by 5 p.m. Tuesday. This includes a halt to all federal grants and loan disbursements. The White House has not yet clarified how this will affect universities, but it is expected to have a significant impact. Most research done at universities is paid for by grants. These grants give money, equipment, or both to researchers so they can do approved projects. According to usafacts.org, universities also use federal grants towards financial aid, which helps students pay for college. The University of Georgia receives federal research grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funds the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and Innovation Corps (I-Corps). Another federal grant that UGA receives is from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant supports research in areas such as HIV, Alzheimer's disease, and substance-use disorders. |
| New semester, new records: U. of Tennessee System may exceed its goal of 71,000 students | |
 | For the past year, the University of Tennessee System has made its enrollment mission clear: Increasing the student population at a record-breaking pace to reach 71,000 students by 2030. The goal is on track after the system broke records again in 2024. The UT System may even exceed that goal if recent numbers are any indication, and that's been the case since at least October when Knox News reported UT was on pace to enroll 73,416 students by 2030. In fall 2024, UT had 62,149 students enrolled across its five campuses. That's about 1,000 more than the end-of-year goal of 61,000. UT is prioritizing enrollment, in part, to account for the looming "enrollment cliff" when the 18-year-old population will begin to decline year-to-year after 2026. The spring semester's enrollment count at UT's flagship Knoxville campus is at 36,900 students, though a finalized figure will be released in February. If numbers stay about the same, UT Knoxville could surpass the spring enrollment record set last year by 2,000 students. This comes one semester after UT Knoxville celebrated a record 38,728 students enrolled for the fall. This number, like the UT System total, was about 1,000 more than what UT leaders expected. |
| Trump push to freeze federal funds sparks confusion in Texas | |
| Confusion reigned in Texas as local governments, nonprofits and state agencies scrambled Tuesday to figure out just how deep cuts from President Donald Trump's new push to pause federal spending could go. The state's higher education institutions also assessed what a pause could mean for students and research endeavors. Before a federal judge paused Trump's move, Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III, told faculty and staff in an email Tuesday afternoon that federal agencies have already begun reaching out to the university with initial guidance. Officials at the University of Texas at Austin instructed researchers to continue work on already funded projects. "Even so, at this time we do not believe it is necessary to pause federally funded research activities unless you have received a stop-work order from the federal sponsor directly," Daniel Jaffe, vice president for research, wrote in an email obtained by the Austin American-Statesman. "We currently expect the pause to be lifted within a few weeks, at which point reimbursements will resume for work funded by federal grants and cooperative agreements, and the university will be able to recover the funds it has advanced." |
| Local organizations are preparing for life without federal funds | |
 | On Monday evening, President Donald Trump ordered a temporary pause on federal funding while his administration conducts a comprehensive ideological review of programs. By Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge had blocked the sweeping funding freeze until Feb. 3. The freeze may affect agencies across the country, including Missouri. With FAFSA deadlines approaching, some students are concerned about the future of financial aid under the freeze. The FAFSA priority deadline is Feb. 1, and the final Missouri deadline is April 1. Posts across University of Missouri student and family Facebook pages sought clarification on how the freeze may affect student loans and financial aid. Trump administration officials said programs that provide direct assistance to Americans would not be affected, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, student loans and food stamps, according to the Associated Press. While the pause shouldn't impact financial assistance for individuals, it could halt health care research, education programs and other initiatives, according to the Associated Press. Many research initiatives rely heavily on grants from federal agencies, which could disrupt research initiatives, as well as hiring. Christopher Ave, University of Missouri spokesperson, said researchers at the school are continuing their work until more information is known. |
| Governor Leaves Indiana's Predominantly Black University Out of Budget | |
 | Martin University, the only predominantly Black institution in Indiana, started receiving state funding two years ago -- a welcome $5 million cash influx for the enrollment-starved private university. But this year, Republican governor Mike Braun left the university out of his proposed 2025–27 budget. The decision sparked outrage among Democratic lawmakers who view the omission as part of Braun's broader anti-DEI agenda. "I won't mince my words: It's racist," state representative Gregory Porter, a Democrat, said in a statement. He told Inside Higher Ed he was shocked and "highly disappointed" by the move. "We never saw it coming," he said. Porter sees the decision as linked to Braun's executive order, issued earlier this month, banning state funding for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The order also requires all executive-branch state agencies to follow the Supreme Court's 2023 decision against affirmative action in college admissions and bans government offices from mandating diversity statements as part of their hiring processes. Martin University wasn't the only noteworthy omission. The College Success Program, an academic support service for low-income and minority students administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, was also conspicuously missing from Braun's proposed budget. The program, launched in 2023, sent student success coaches to about two dozen campuses. |
| Cardiff University confirms plans to cut 400 jobs and axe courses | |
| Cardiff University has confirmed plans to cut 400 full-time jobs amid a funding shortfall. The cost-cutting proposals could also involve course closures, as well as department mergers, with nursing, music and modern languages among the subjects facing cuts. The Cardiff University and College Union (UCU) called the measures "cruel and unnecessary" and said it would fight plans for compulsory redundancies. The university said it would only make compulsory redundancies "if absolutely necessary". Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, compared the job cuts to a "canary in a coalmine" for the severe financial pressures facing universities across the UK. 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. Cardiff University is far from alone - Newcastle University, the University of East Anglia and the University of Kent are just some of the institutions looking at how to deal with their multi-million pound financial deficits. |
| Is your research on Trump's spending hit list? | |
| A White House order set to go into effect today that would freeze huge chunks of federal spending is the latest attempt by President Donald Trump to bend the government to his will. Democrats say it violates the law giving final spending authority to Congress, and several states and nonprofit groups have gone to court to block the order. A federal judge temporarily blocked its implementation late this afternoon. But science advocates worry that if it proceeds, it could jeopardize federal support for research by delaying many grants for an indefinite period. Under the order, which was to take effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, each agency is supposed to begin to identify any of its programs or activities disbursing funds that might clash with the new administration's priorities. Those topics are described in a welter of executive orders issued since Trump took office on 20 January, and include foreign aid; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs; support for "woke gender ideology;" and the "green new deal." The 27 January memo from Matthew Vaeth, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), also calls out any money going to "nongovernmental organizations" -- which would seem to apply to anyone working at thousands of colleges, universities, and medical centers. Institutions don't get grants in lump sums that sit in their accounts. Rather, they receive them in increments. Under the law, a grant is a reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection with an institution's support of that research. So investigators hire graduate students and buy equipment for the labs with money already in their institution's coffers; the institution then requests the release of grant funds to pay themselves back. Any interruption in that continuous flow of research money from the government is a major concern for institutions, some of which receive more than $1 billion a year. "Some institutions have the money to float their researchers, and others don't," one veteran administrator says. |
| 'Institutional Destruction': A Federal-Funding Pause Sent Shockwaves Through Higher Ed | |
 | The Trump administration left heads spinning across higher education and elsewhere after ordering a temporary pause on all federal financial assistance, including billions of dollars in grants and loans to colleges. Late Tuesday, a federal court blocked the directive until Monday, February 3. The court injunction came in response to a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups and a small-business organization. Higher-education advocates condemned the administration's move. "This is horrible, horrible public policy," said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, during a discussion with 3,000 of ACE's members. "Procedurally, it's also horrible, horrible public policy. It's institutional destruction." "This isn't just a Department of Education issue," Charles L. Welch, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, said. "It's across the entire government." Sarah Spreitzer, the organization's vice president and chief of staff for government relations, said that while the White House said programs that directly affect people weren't paused, all of the targeted research grants, student-support efforts, and other federal programs do affect people every day. "I immediately thought about the Department of Agriculture grants and how universities go out into those communities and provide services to farmers," Spreitzer said. |
| Higher Ed Alarmed by Trump's Plan to Freeze Federal Grants | |
| President Trump's plan to temporarily freeze federal grants and loans set off a wave of confusion and concerns across higher ed Tuesday. But just minutes before it was set to take effect, a federal judge blocked the order. It is now on hold until next Monday, at least. College leaders worried they would lose access to a wide variety of federal funds, though the specific programs affected by the pause remained in flux throughout the day. Education Department officials said Pell Grants, student loans and Federal Work-Study would not be subject to the pause. But critical STEM research and student success initiatives were among the thousands of programs whose funding would have been paused until at least Feb. 10, according to the original White House directive released late Monday night. Conservative policy experts say Trump's actions are necessary to combat years of misguided spending and argue that institutions shouldn't run budgets so razor-thin that a short-term loss of federal funds empties their coffers. But other higher ed representatives say the proposed freeze along with other executive actions raises questions about whether they can count on stable federal funding in the long run. Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, called the memo's orders "unnecessary and damaging." "While we understand the Trump administration wants to review programs to ensure consistency with its priorities, it is imperative that the reviews not interfere with American innovation and competitiveness," Becker said. "It will have far-reaching impacts in every corner of the country and hamper American innovation at a moment when it's being fiercely challenged on a global stage." |
| What Trump's funding freeze could mean for universities, nonprofits and more | |
| A White House directive to pause federal grants and loans raised uncertainty and fears among many who depend on federal aid before a judge intervened Tuesday to temporarily block it from taking effect. President Donald Trump's administration said the freeze would not affect federal assistance to individuals, such as Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships. But it said a pause is necessary to ensure funding for other programs complies with Trump's executive orders, which aim to reverse progressive policies on transgender rights, environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion. States on average receive about 30% of their revenues from the federal government, according to Federal Funds Information for States, a nonprofit that analyzes the affect of federal actions on states. Although the federal government has rescinded unspent funds in the past, it hasn't normally halted grants on the front-end, said Marcia Howard, executive director of Federal Funds Information for States. Universities around the country are scrambling to determine how a funding freeze could affect their research programs, students and faculty. University of North Carolina administrators sent a campus email urging patience until decisions can be confirmed directly from federal agencies. "The messaging is, 'Try not to panic, and sit tight,'" said psychology professor Keely Muscatell. "But I also think it's a lot easier said than done." |
| Pete Johnson's political family tree filled with twisting branches of Mississippi's history | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: The death last week of Patrick Hayes "Pete" Johnson of Clarksdale at age 76 brings to mind a very capable, affable and decent man whose life story chronicled an almost gothic illustration of how much Mississippi politics has changed over the last century -- and then again, how much it really hasn't changed. Pete was at first blush everything he appeared to be -- a successful Delta banker, lawyer and financial planner, a solid husband and father, and a young man filled with political aspirations and a strong work ethic. ... Running like his forebears as a Democrat, Pete Johnson was elected Mississippi's state auditor in 1987. He served ably and without controversy. During that term, Johnson became the first Mississippi statewide elected official to change parties from Democrat to Republican. He was considered the favorite for the GOP nomination to take on incumbent Democratic Gov. Ray Mabus in 1991. ... But an unknown lifelong Republican contractor from Vicksburg named Kirk Fordice entered the race against Johnson. |
SPORTS
| Lemonis previews Mississippi State baseball season at Starkville Rotary Club | |
| In the modern age of college sports, success will inevitably lead to some amount of attrition. But in no sport is that the case more than baseball, and Mississippi State found that out the hard way last summer. After two years without postseason play in the wake of their 2021 national championship, the Bulldogs won 40 games last spring and returned to the NCAA Tournament, losing in the regional finals to Virginia. MSU then had 11 players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft -- more than any other college program -- so the 2025 Bulldogs will look much different at almost every position than the group that took the field in Charlottesville last June. Head coach Chris Lemonis, whom many believed was on the hot seat following back-to-back 9-21 showings in Southeastern Conference play, bought himself another year thanks largely to a pitching staff that made huge improvements with new pitching coach Justin Parker. Lemonis' staff is all back in place, though first baseman Hunter Hines and outfielder Bryce Chance are the only starting position players from a year ago who are back in the fold. "Hunter Hines and Bryce Chance, they're high school buddies. They room together," Lemonis said Monday, speaking at a Starkville Rotary Club meeting. "You're doing so much as a coach right now to build a team. It used to be (players) were with me (for) three or four years. Half my team is new. We were playing a scrimmage in September, a guy threw a pitch, and one of the hitters was like, 'Man, that guy's good! What's his name?'" |
| Selmon announces Mississippi State Athletics 10-year master plan | |
| On January 13, 2023, Mississippi State University introduced Zac Selmon as its 18th director of Athletics, taking over after John Cohen departed for Auburn University. Selmon, formerly the deputy athletic director at the University of Oklahoma, entered his first role as the head of a department during an era of significant change in college sports. The rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) policies and evolving NCAA transfer portal rules have completely reshaped the landscape of college athletics since Selmon's start, with NIL now evolving into revenue sharing for athletic departments. Mississippi State has faced its own challenges during Selmon's tenure. Over the last two years, the Bulldogs have faced two new head football coaches, a constant need for fundraising and the pressure to keep up with the rest of the SEC. Yet, despite those trials, Selmon has embraced the role with confidence and made significant strides. In the last year, the Bulldogs celebrated their first SEC championship in soccer, the women's golf team captured its first-ever SEC Tournament championship and men's tennis remained a national powerhouse. Meanwhile, head coach Chris Jans and the men's basketball program earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and most programs across campus remained competitive. |
| Men's Basketball: Five Things To Know: No. 14 State-No. 4 Alabama | |
| Another top 15 matchup is on the horizon for No. 14 Mississippi State when No. 4 Alabama makes its yearly visit to Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday evening. State (16-4, 4-3 SEC) has won 16 of its first 20 games for the 10th time in program history and for the first time since 2011-12. The Bulldogs are one of five SEC squads (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M) and are one of 13 teams nationally with at least 8 combined NCAA NET Quad 1 and 2 victories on the season. State is joined by Memphis and Tennessee as the only teams in the nation to collect a pair of true non-conference road wins over NCAA NET Quad 1 foes. State is one of seven programs (Alabama, Auburn, Marquette, Memphis, Oregon, Texas A&M) in the country to amass at least five non-conference victories. Only the Bulldogs, Auburn and Oregon have amassed a 5-1 record or better against NCAA NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 non-conference opponents. Earlier this week, State remained at No. 14 in this week's Associated Press and advanced to No. 13 in the USA Today Top 25 rankings. The No. 14 ranking matches a program watermark in the AP poll under Coach Jans reached multiple times earlier this season. With their victories over No. 18 Pitt (80-57), No. 21 Memphis (79-66) and No. 21 Ole Miss (84-81), the Bulldogs have won three games over AP Top 25 foes for the first time in program history before the month of February. |
| Mississippi State point guard Kanye Clary out for the season with injury | |
| There's finally some finality to Kanye Clary's status with Mississippi State this season. Chris Jans announced at his weekly Dawg Talk radio show at WalkOns in Starkville that Clary will not be able to return this season due to a lingering injury. Clary hasn't played since the Butler game on November 29 and played in only seven games with the Bulldogs this season. A source told Maroon and White Daily that Clary will seek a redshirt for this season. Clary played in seven games and started four for MSU this season and was averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 assists per game this year. He scored in double figures in two games. With Clary out, the Bulldogs have had a few different players running the point guard spot for the Bulldogs. Josh Hubbard has primarily handled those duties while Cameron Matthews and Riley Kugel have also handled the ball for State in a 16-4 start to the year. The No. 14 Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday night as they take on the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide inside Humphrey Coliseum. State looks to earn its fourth top 25 win with a victory as the Bulldogs have a chance to strengthen what's already a strong resume. |
| Alabama's Nate Oats on benching Mark Sears: 'The program is bigger than any 1 person' | |
 | Nate Oats caused a stir during Alabama basketball's win over LSU Saturday, when he benched Mark Sears for the second half. Oats said at the time that it was a coaching decision, noting he wanted to get more defensive effort from his lineup. On Tuesday, ahead of the Crimson Tide's Wednesday trip to Mississippi State, Oats praised how Sears had performed in practice after the benching. "I think he's had the best two days of practice leading into a game since, probably he's been here," Oats told reporters Tuesday. "We kind of poll our guys on who – we have them grade themselves as a team in various categories after practice. I picked this up when I went to (Dallas Mavericks) training camp a couple years ago, I thought it was good and we've been doing it with our guys. We have them vote a practice MVP. "Cliff (Omoruyi) and Mark, between the two of them had every vote for practice MVP yesterday. So not only did I think he had a great practice, his teammates thought he had a great practice. I thought he repeated it with another great practice today." Still, Oats said he wasn't sure if Sears would be back in the starting lineup for the Mississippi State game. "I don't really know who's going to start this game," Oats said. Alabama and Mississippi State are scheduled to face off at 8 p.m. CT Wednesday in Starkville. The game will be aired on the SEC Network. |
| New Orleans Saints, MHSAA partner to launch girls high school flag football program | |
| The New Orleans Saints and the Mississippi High School Activities Association are collaborating to launch high school flag football for female student-athletes in the Magnolia State. Per officials, the sport's debut in the state is set to begin this spring with the inaugural season slated to kick off in late March. The historic partnership between the NFL franchise and the state will serve to expand access to girls' sports in Mississippi, allowing female athletes to compete in a sport typically dominated by their male peers. The pilot season will feature 12 high schools, with games taking place at Southwest Mississippi Community College and Picayune High School. "In keeping with our mission to enhance the educational experience through opportunities for participation in interscholastic activities, this initiative reflects our commitment to growing access and opportunity for student-athletes throughout the state," MHSAA Executive Director Rickey Neaves said. "We are grateful for the New Orleans Saints and the NFL for their partnership in this effort and look forward to building a robust, long-term relationship with the Saints organization." The kickstarting of girls' flag football in Mississippi also represents a continuation of the Saints' work in advancing the growth of the sport across the Gulf South. The franchise is hoping to inspire future generations of athletes by creating new opportunities for youth to enjoy one of America's most popular sports. |
| Doc: Michigan fighting allegations made by NCAA in Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga | |
| Michigan and the NCAA are in for a long, bruising fight over allegations related to the Connor Stalions-led advanced scouting and sign-stealing scheme. In its response to the association sent earlier this month, the university refutes many of the alleged rules violations and accuses the NCAA of "grossly overreaching" and "wildly overcharging" the program without credible evidence that other staff members knew of Stalions' illegal in-person scouting system. In the 137-page document -- a portion of which Yahoo Sports obtained -- Michigan makes clear that it will not enter into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over the alleged wrongdoing, vigorously defending its former head coach, current head coach, several staff members and even Stalions, the low-level assistant who orchestrated one of the most elaborate sign-stealing systems in college football history on the way to the school winning the 2023 national championship. The school purports that the sign-stealing system offered "minimal relevance to competition," was not credibly proven by NCAA investigators and should be treated as a minor violation. An NCAA spokesperson confirmed that the association received Michigan's response, but declined to provide additional details and refused to confirm the document that Yahoo Sports obtained. |
| Trump Fires Jennifer Abruzzo, NLRB's College Athlete Employment Ally | |
| Jennifer Abruzzo, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, was dismissed Tuesday by President Donald Trump as part of an anticipated shake-up of the federal agency responsible for overseeing the rights of private-sector employees. Abruzzo's tenure as the NLRB's top in-house lawyer began in July 2021, just weeks after the NCAA adopted its interim NIL policy, and was defined by her influential role in shaping the national conversation on college athlete rights. Two months after taking office, Abruzzo issued a landmark memorandum, asserting that college athletes should be recognized as employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). While the NLRB's jurisdiction is limited to the private sector, Abruzzo's memo highlighted the concept of a "joint employer" theory of liability, which could potentially hold the NCAA and athletic conferences accountable for unfair labor practices by schools. For a time, it seemed that these college sports-related labor efforts would ultimately receive favorable rulings from the NLRB leadership when Joe Biden was president. However, the political landscape shifted dramatically after Trump's victory in November, and each of the petitioners subsequently withdrew their efforts, likely out of concern that a newly GOP-dominated NLRB would not support their cause. Nevertheless, in a statement on Tuesday, Abruzzo sounded a general note of optimism. "There's no putting that genie back in the bottle," she said. |
| Ted Cruz plots major NIL push with new Senate committee power | |
| Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is planning to hold an early hearing on the booming name, image, and likeness (NIL) industry as he seeks to pass a federal law to standardize NIL rules, sources told Axios. Federal regulations have a better chance of moving in Congress now that Cruz, their top proponent, chairs the powerful Senate Commerce Committee. NIL laws currently vary by state, which lawmakers fear could drive inequities for athletes and universities, and a bad fan experience. Right now, the current world of college sports is the wild West, name image and likeness, open transfer portals," Cruz said on his podcast in November, adding that "we are going to address it." The NIL issue is expected to be one of the committee's earliest hearings, though the details and timing is not yet set. Senate committees have been most focused on confirming President Trump's nominees in these early weeks. NIL has bipartisan support for reform, but it hadn't been a top priority for congressional leaders. The NCAA has lobbied aggressively in favor of a federal law that would standardize student compensation. Its efforts are being aided by former Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.), who became president of the organization in 2023. |
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