| Friday, January 31, 2025 |
| MSU, EMCC formalize Communiversity partnership to upskill workforce for advanced manufacturing | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum and East Mississippi Community College President Scott Alsobrooks signed a Memorandum of Understanding Jan. 29 to formalize the MSU at the Communiversity partnership through the Advancements in Manufacturing Upskilling Program, better known as AiM UP. The Communiversity houses EMCC's Workforce Services Division and is located off Highway 82 between Starkville and Columbus, positioned in a region that is a hub of economic development. "Mississippi State is well-known for the collaborative culture we have, and so much of our success comes from the outstanding relationships and partnerships we have that made today possible," Keenum said. "The Communiversity is the perfect example of teamwork, and we're proud to be here as the higher education partner. The Communiversity is focused on giving students and workers the skills and training they need to compete and succeed in the 21st Century marketplace. We're working together at the Communiversity so companies will continue to create next-gen jobs in our state and more Mississippians will be ready to fill these jobs of the future," said Keenum, who thanked Gov. Tate Reeves, AccelerateMS Executive Director Courtney Taylor, and EMCC's Alsobrooks for their visionary leadership. |
| MSU and EMCC formalize communiversity partnership | |
 | Video: Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College signed an advanced manufacturing workforce agreement. |
| 'The Mississippi Advantage': Energy has data economy flocking to state | |
 | When Compass Data Center CEO AJ Byers took the stage in front of a packed house at the Riley Center in Meridian on Tuesday to celebrate his company locating its next hyperscale data center campus in Lauderdale County, no one sidestepped the issue of energy usage. Mississippi Power CEO Anthony Wilson didn't mince words when he spoke to an enthusiastic crowd in Meridian, which is excited about the opportunities the $10 billion, 500 megawatt project will bring over the next decade. "Five hundred megawatts. That's the equivalent of building 500 Super Wal-Marts on that site. That's what the electric load is," Wilson said also noting that Compass Data Centers will immediately become its largest energy customer. Before there was ever an announcement of AWS data center construction in Madison County or Data Compass Center building in Lauderdale County, there was Mississippi State University. MSU President Mark Keenum spoke at the Meridian celebration about its foray into the needs of electricity for its own super computers. "Our data center consumes more electricity than every other building on campus," Keenum said. Now, MSU is building a second data center in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. The 35,000-square-foot, $45 million building will further expand MSU's capabilities in high performance computing. It is expected to be completed this summer. "It will consume even more electricity than the other," Keenum said. |
| Are eggs and poultry products in Mississippi safe to eat amid the spread of bird flu? | |
 | Mississippi residents are becoming increasingly wary of buying eggs and poultry products since the detection of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Greene County in December. The presence of the virus has raised concerns for consumers across the state as more and more cases are reported and egg prices skyrocket. The Mississippi Board of Animal Safety assures consumers that eggs and poultry are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. Birds are inspected for signs of illness before being processed, and only healthy birds enter the food supply chain. Consumers should opt for pasteurized dairy products, as pasteurization is proven to kill harmful bacteria and viruses, including highly pathogenic avian influenza. Cook all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F. Josh Maples, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said egg prices over the Christmas holiday were more than double what they were at the same time in 2021. He went on to say, "Fewer laying hens has led to fewer eggs produced and tighter supplies for egg consumers." The Mississippi State Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory is conducting tests on samples from suspected cases. The state is maintaining an up-to-date website with the latest information on the avian influenza situation in Mississippi. |
| Fire consumes part of Starkville house, kills family's pet rabbit | |
 | A fire consumed part of a Starkville home early Friday morning, leaving one pet dead, though the family living there evacuated safely. Starkville firefighters responded to a residential fire around 1:30 a.m. Friday on Edgewater Lane. Interim Fire Chief Dewayne Davis told The Dispatch that firefighters arrived on the scene to find one bedroom alight, with flames burning through the attic and onto the roof along one side of the structure. The family occupying the home consisted of two adults and two children, all of whom escaped the building safely, Davis said. He also said there was a dog, a rabbit and three cats in the home. The dog exited the house with the rest of the family, but the rabbit perished in the blaze, Davis said. Davis said one cat escaped, but is in critical condition at the Mississippi State University Veterinary Center. The status of the other two cats was unknown. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though Davis said it didn’t appear intentional. The family has found alternative lodging for the time being. |
| It's about to feel like spring for millions in the U.S. | |
 | It's time to break out the T-shirts and shorts once again -- at least for the next week. In stark contrast to recent frigid weather dominated by a displaced polar vortex, February will start on an entirely different and warmer note across much of the United States. After 100 million people across the country experienced subzero temperatures during January, more than 200 million people in about 30 states can now expect temperatures to exceed 60 degrees over the next two weeks. Around 140 million people may experience temperatures greater than 70 degrees. It will be an opportunity for many people to open their windows and welcome fresh, warmer air -- and for some, it may require dipping into their spring wardrobe. The abrupt pattern change is tied to a change in the jet stream, which will blow in a linear, west-to-east fashion across the country over the next week to 10 days. This will transport mild, Pacific Ocean air into the United States -- from an ocean that continues to run warmer than average. The warm conditions will continue across the South on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Atlanta probably reaching into the 70s most of the week, making it feel more like April. Warm conditions could continue in the South next weekend as cooler air gradually spreads across much of the rest of the country. |
| Nissan offering voluntary buyout packages to some employees at Canton plant | |
 | Major changes are on the way to the Nissan Manufacturing Plant in Canton. Jobs will soon be cut and eliminated. This comes as Nissan offers voluntary buyout packages to certain hourly employees. "Buyouts are not uncommon at all in the automobile industry," said Joey Deason, Executive Director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority. "I think as you look at manufacturing, especially advanced manufacturing which includes automobile manufacturing as well, you're going to see less and less people and more automation of the facilities." Roughly 4,300 employees currently work at the plant. Nissan did not specify which workers would be getting the buyout packages or how many, only saying certain hourly employees would be eligible. "The majority of those people are probably going to be long-term employees that were probably nearing retirement, either way," said Deason. "They're going to be able to take advantage of an early retirement." If workers choose not to accept the buyout, which is voluntary, the company said they will not be laid off. The company plans to begin offering the buyout packages in mid-February. |
| Mississippi House unanimously passes paid parental leave bill for state employees | |
| A bill to allow state employees to spend quality time with newborns or newly adopted children without fear of financial ramifications has cruised through the Mississippi House of Representatives with unanimous support. Lawmakers on Thursday passed House Bill 1063, dubbed the "Mississippi State Employees Paid Paternal Leave Act," in a 114-0 vote. The bill serves to give employees who have worked with a state agency for at least one calendar year paid parental leave. According to the legislation, eligible state employees designated as the primary or secondary caregivers of a child would be compensated for time away from the workplace. Primary caregivers would be entitled to eight weeks of time off where they are paid 100% of their salaried earnings. Secondary caregivers would have two fully paid weeks off. "As a pro-life state, Mississippi is in a critical position to meet the needs for healthier outcomes for parents and children and to support families in our state's workplace," House Speaker Jason White, R-West, said. "With our fellow southern states offering some form of parental leave, and Mississippi currently offering no paid leave to their state employees, we too can reflect our commitment to the well-being of families, as well as utilize the benefit as an employee recruitment and retention tool." |
| Bill filed by House Education chairman would allow students in low performing schools to transfer | |
| As promised before the session kicked off for 2025, State Representative Rob Roberson (R) has introduced a bill in the Mississippi House that aims to provide some level of school choice for parents of children attending low performing schools. HB 1433, title the "Mississippi Quality Desert Educational Enrollment and Transfer Scholarship (QDESA) Act, " would allow parents of children attending schools that were rated a D or F within the last five years to apply to have their child attend another, higher rated, public school. There is also an option to allow that child to transfer to an accredited "nonpublic school." Prior to the start of the session, Rep. Roberson said he planned to introduce a bill to that effect, but initially said there were no plans to offer school choice to parents who intend to send their child to a nonpublic school. However, this bill currently offers that option. The legislation states that the student can submit an application to a higher performing school and that the state funding that would have been sent to the original school district will instead be used to reimburse the higher performing school district for the cost of educating that transfer student. If the student transfers to an accredited nonpublic school, the QDESA funds would be paid as a reimbursement for certain education expenses on a monthly basis. |
| Senate committee advances legislation to restrict power of Auditor's Office | |
| A Senate bill limiting the State Auditor's powers passed the Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency Committee Thursday morning by unanimous voice vote. The bill's author and Committee Chairman David Parker (R) said it would improve cooperation between the office of the State Auditor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. State Auditor Shad White (R) strongly disagrees. "This bill defies common sense," White wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about SB 2847, adding that it strips his office of key powers. "We are on the precipice of going back to being the most corrupt state in the country." The bill prevents the Auditor's Office from filing lawsuits to recoup money on behalf of the state without prior approval from the Governor or Legislature. It also removes from the Auditor the ability to hire consulting firms for what the Legislature has called "managerial studies." Both of these issues have been at the forefront of public disputes between Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R), Auditor White, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) in recent months. |
| 'It's 2025': Health care leaders plead with lawmakers to expand Medicaid | |
| Several health care organizations gathered at the Capitol Thursday to advocate for patients and call on legislative leaders to expand Medicaid. "Forty-seven years after I began my practice in Laurel, (it's) 2025, there are still thousands and thousands of Mississippians who don't have access to health care," said Dr. Dan Jones, former chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Jones was joined by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Advocates said there is "no time like the present" to take advantage of a state-federal program that would bring in billions of federal dollars, as 40 other states have done since the Affordable Care Act made it an option in 2014. Expanding Medicaid in Mississippi would provide health insurance to tens of thousands of low-income working Mississippians whose income is too much to qualify for Medicaid under the state's strict eligibility requirements but too little to afford private insurance from the marketplace. As it stands, Mississippi has one of the country's strictest income requirements for Medicaid. |
| House on track to, again, pass ballot initiative that would prevent voters deciding abortion issues | |
| The state House is again trying to reinstate Mississippi voters' right to place issues directly on the ballot. But the latest measure, again, would not allow voters to consider any abortion issues. A House committee on Wednesday passed House Concurrent Resolution 30, which is still several legislative steps away from being finalized. It would reinstate citizens' ability to gather signatures to propose new state laws or change existing laws. The measure also would not allow them to amend the state Constitution. "I'm trying to give something to the people," House Constitution Chairman Price Wallace told reporters after the committee vote. The House leadership's previous recent proposals also would have barred voters from considering any initiative related to abortion. However, the Senate has blocked voters regaining any right to ballot initiatives. This is now the fourth year in a row that lawmakers have attempted to reinstate some version of a ballot initiative after the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2021 ruled the state's initiative process was unworkable because of a technicality of the number of the state's congressional districts. |
| Tragedy hits home for Reagan National's powerful frequent flyers | |
 | America's worst air disaster in a generation happened at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and its powerful frequent flyers are watching the aftermath intently. Members of Congress have an intimate relationship with the airport, which is a 10-minute drive from Capitol Hill and is used by hundreds of lawmakers as a commuter hub. They've also taken an unusually active role in managing it, and lawmakers were quick to offer condolences, share observations, assert oversight authority and otherwise insert themselves after the deadly crash. "It is the American airport," said Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), who said Reagan National isn't just the most convenient airport for lawmakers. "It's the place where citizens all over the country come to lobby their members of Congress, their US senators on issues of extreme importance to them." That observation has been used to justify decades of congressional interventions into the airport's operations. And it is now presaging an active effort by multiple congressional committees to probe aspects of the crash, which is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Leaders of the House Transportation and Senate Commerce committees have announced plans to monitor the response, as have the chambers' Armed Services panels, given the involvement of a military helicopter. Already the disaster has placed a spotlight on the many connections between Reagan National and Capitol Hill. It's not the first time a Washington air tragedy has made an impact on Capitol Hill. After the January 1982 crash of an Air Florida jetliner, President Reagan himself invited Congressional Budget Office worker Lenny Skutnik to his State of the Union address two weeks later -- paying tribute to Skutnik for diving into the icy Potomac to save a stricken passenger. |
| Noxubee man among soldiers on helicopter that collided with jet in DC, killing 67 | |
 | A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot in the country's deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century. At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the Black Hawk helicopter apparently flew into the path of the American Airlines regional jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter. A connection to the Golden Triangle emerged Thursday morning on Facebook, as one of the soldiers on the helicopter was identified as Noxubee County native Andrew Eaves. At about 8 a.m., Carrie Eaves posted a family photo with a message that read: "I am sure by now all of you have heard the news of the tragedy that has occurred in DC. My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve." The Macon Beacon newspaper also shared that information on its Facebook page, noting that Eaves is from the Brooksville area. Eaves graduated from Central Academy, where he was a standout running back for the Vikings football team. |
| Gabbard in danger after views on Snowden rankle GOP senators | |
 | Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard's views on former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and his theft of more than a million classified documents mushroomed into a major point of contention with Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday. Republican senators pressed Gabbard to declare Snowden a "traitor" and to acknowledge that he "harmed" U.S. national security, but Gabbard refused to do so, raising alarm among Republican who will be voting on her nomination in the weeks ahead. "People are holding their cards pretty close to the vest but that nomination is in trouble," said one Republican senator, who requested anonymity to comment candidly on Gabbard's chances of getting through the Senate. A second Republican senator said there's been "a lot of discussion" among GOP lawmakers over Gabbard's fitness to lead the nation's intelligence community. "There's been a lot of conversation on that," the senator said. Gabbard, if confirmed, would serve as the nation's leading intelligence official, and would be in charge of preparing President Trump's daily intelligence brief. A key moment during Thursday’s hearing came when Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) asked whether Gabbard views Snowden as a “traitor,” advising her that members of the Intelligence panel would feel a lot better about her nomination if she would do so. Instead, Gabbard sidestepped two questions. |
| Senate confirms Burgum for Interior secretary | |
 | The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be Interior secretary by a vote of 79-18. Burgum will be tasked with supporting President Donald Trump's "drill, baby, drill" agenda as the head of a department that manages over 70 percent of all federal public lands. Trump has said Burgum will also serve on a National Energy Council, to be created by executive order, whose mission Burgum described as reducing "red tape and bureaucratic redundancy between agencies" to increase domestic energy production. As Interior secretary, Burgum will lead a department that houses the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. Burgum sailed through his confirmation hearing with little criticism from Democrats, even as he acknowledged he'll work to increase oil and natural gas production on public lands to "achieve energy dominance." "Under the Biden administration, the Interior Department was the tip of the spear in restricting development of America's resources," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday on the Senate floor. "I'm pleased that Gov. Burgum is committed to restoring the multiple-use approach to managing public lands." |
| US aid agency is in upheaval during Trump's foreign assistance freeze and staff departures | |
| Trump administration changes have upended the U.S. agency charged with providing humanitarian aid to countries overseas, with dozens of senior officials put on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and a sweeping freeze imposed on billions of dollars in foreign assistance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the pause on foreign assistance Thursday, saying "the U.S. government is not a charity." Aid organizations say the funding freeze -- and deep confusion over what U.S.-funded programs must stop work as a result -- has left them agonizing over whether they could continue operating programs such as those providing round-the-clock nutritional support to extremely malnourished infants and children, knowing that closing the doors means that many of those children would die. Current and former officials at the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development say staffers were invited to submit requests to exempt certain programs from the foreign aid freeze, which President Donald Trump imposed Jan. 20 and the State Department detailed how to execute on Jan. 24. Three days later, at least 56 senior career USAID staffers were abruptly placed on administrative leave. |
| Trump, Facing Two Crises in His Second Week, Spreads the Blame Around | |
 | President Trump's handling of two crises this week---one, a bureaucratic mess and the other, a horrific tragedy---quickly shifted the White House from inaugural euphoria to the realities of governing. His defiant stand in the face of nationwide confusion and fear left some aides scrambling to fortify the image of a White House that could do no wrong. But he handled both problems with the same approach: deflecting blame and attacking Democrats, the media and his predecessors. His message was an amplified version of what he has tried to exude since taking office: He is in charge. The country also received its first live-action glimpse of a White House and cabinet that is being hastily assembled and crafting policies on the fly that in one case had to be quickly reversed. On Monday, a memo written by an acting director of the White House's budget office caused a widespread panic and might have inadvertently led the Medicaid system to freeze in less than 24 hours. On Thursday, Trump's new Defense and Transportation chiefs were thrust in the middle of investigating the worst domestic airplane crash in two decades. On camera and on Truth Social all week, Trump governed with his usual confidence and bravado. But behind the scenes, there was evidence of frustration and breakdowns in communication in an administration that has moved with lightning speed to try to shake up the government. |
| Anti-DEI bill would create taskforce to study 'efficiency' in university system | |
| A Senate bill seeking to ban diversity, equity and inclusion offices on Mississippi college campuses would also create a taskforce to study how the state's higher education system can become more efficient, a discussion some have feared is the opening salvo in an effort to close or merge universities. In addition to banning DEI initiatives, Senate Bill 2515, also known as the "Requiring Efficiency For Our Colleges And Universities System" (REFOCUS) Act, would seek to answer questions like, why does Mississippi have a lower rate of postsecondary degrees than other states and what can be done about it when fewer high school graduates will go to college in the coming years? Last year's version of this bill, which was introduced at the same time as other legislation to close universities, sparked concerns that lawmakers were dipping their toes into closing some of the state's eight public universities. An online petition garnered more than 15,000 signatures opposing the bill. But the bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, told Mississippi Today that's not her goal. The chair of the Senate Colleges and Universities committee said she wants to use the taskforce to dig into a range of questions, from if Mississippi's higher education funding formula is equitable to why some universities in the state have better graduation rates than others. By "efficiency," Boyd said she's referring to whether state dollars invested in Mississippi's colleges and universities "are producing the best results." |
| Latina sorority Lambda Theta Alpha explores establishing first Mississippi chapter | |
 | The University of Mississippi may welcome its first Latina-based sorority, Lambda Theta Alpha. Jazmyne Mendez, the Tennessee Area One orientation coordinator of the sorority, led an orientation for interested students in the union on Monday, Jan. 27. Founded in 1975 at Kean University, N.J., LTA is the first and largest Latina-based sorority in the United States. If established at UM, this chapter would be the first of its kind in Mississippi, joining a national network of more than 150 undergraduate chapters. "During the expansion process, interested members will talk about how there's a need on campus for the organization and the support it provides for this demographic of people," Mendez said. "It's a great way to provide social, charitable and educational programs and promote diversity on campus." With Hispanic undergraduate enrollment exceeding 1,175 students -- more than 5% of the student body for the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the UM Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning -- students felt a need for a space for their community. "If you look at those numbers, there is a need for a Hispanic organization on campus," Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at UM Sedric Scott said. "Every year our Latino population steadily rises. It just shows the growth of our university." |
| Month-long exhibit at USM showcases posters from across U.S. | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is hosting a prestigious new art exhibit, showcasing the work of artists from all over the United States. USM's "National Poster Show" features 18 contemporary works from a dozen artists running from California to Virginia. The show opened Thursday at the Gallery of Art and Design in the George Hurst Building on the Hattiesburg campus. "The posters are very ephemeral, and they touch on all different aspects of society and culture," said Jacob Cotton, USM Design associate professor. "So, politics, economics, different promotional things that happen." The show is juried by renowned designer and USM graduate Michael Borosky and includes a display of early, 20th century posters on loan from Laurel's Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. "This is a very unique exhibit," said Meg Brooker, USM School of Performing Arts and Design director. ""It's unique that we're showcasing posters in this way and it's also unique that we're showcasing this artwork alongside historical work." |
| Delta State announces a new Bachelor of Science in Second Ed. | |
 | Delta State University announces a new Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education program. The university made the announcement earlier on Monday, January 27. The program was approved at the December State Board meeting of the Mississippi Department of Education. The BSSE program was designed to address the growing need for qualified secondary educators. Students enrolled in the program can expect rigorous coursework paired with practical teaching experience to successfully equip them with the knowledge to succeed in the classroom. The BSSE program will begin enrolling students after a mandatory 30-day implementation period |
| William Carey opens medical school opportunities to veterans via new partnership | |
| William Carey University has announced a collaboration with a nonprofit to help retired military special operations forces members to go to medical school. Special Operations Forces to School of Medicine (SOFtoSOM), which fosters the transition of highly skilled veterans to post-military careers in medicine, is partnering with the private higher institution learning center out of Hattiesburg. Under the partnership, SOFtoSOM retirees who meet specific criteria -- including an MCAT score of 500 and a science GPA of 3.60 -- are guaranteed an interview when they apply to William Carey's College of Osteopathic Medicine. "This partnership reflects our commitment to serving those who have served us," William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean Dr. Italo Subbarao. "By creating clear pathways for veterans to enter the field of medicine, we are not only enhancing the diversity of our future healthcare providers but also strengthening the healthcare system as a whole." Special operations forces service members receive more advanced medical training than their counterparts in conventional military units. Medical preparedness is a critical skill set for these military members, as their units often function in environments where immediate medical support may not be available. |
| UA professors, UAB students file for a stay of Alabama's anti-DEI law | |
 | Professors, students and civil rights advocates filed a motion Thursday seeking a preliminary injunction against Alabama's SB 129, a law they claim imposes restrictions on discussions of race and gender in public universities. The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 14 and brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP on behalf of three University of Alabama professors and three University of Alabama in Birmingham students. It argues that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by restricting academic freedom and imposing vague prohibitions that chill free speech. "This law undermines the fundamental mission of higher education and erodes students' right to learn in an environment that fosters open dialogue," said Antonio Ingram, senior counsel for LDF, in a statement. "SB 129 is at odds with the Constitution's protections of free speech and due process." The lawsuit claims that educators fear discipline or termination if they discuss topics that could be construed as advocating for banned concepts. Students, meanwhile, have seen funding cut for organizations that support Black and LGBTQIA communities. University of Alabama professor Cassandra Simon, who teaches a course on anti-oppression and social justice, said she has already faced threats of discipline for class discussions that included systemic inequality. |
| Judge tells LSU to return law professor who criticized Jeff Landry back to the classroom | |
 | LSU must immediately allow law professor Ken Levy to return to teaching, an East Baton Rouge Parish district judge ruled Thursday morning. Under a temporary restraining order issued by Judge Donald Johnson, LSU cannot infringe on Levy's "rights to free speech and due process of laws." And the school must avoid "further harassing or retaliating" against Levy "on account of his protected academic freedom and free speech." Levy on Tuesday sued the university, accusing it of violating his constitutionally protected free speech, academic freedom, and employment and due process rights. He did so after receiving a Jan. 17 letter from LSU's human resources department advising him that he was immediately suspended from teaching "pending an investigation into student complaints of inappropriate statements made in your class." During the first day of a criminal law course, Levy criticized Gov. Jeff Landry for publicly rebuking another law school professor, Nicholas Bryner, according to legal filings in the case. A court date is set for Feb. 10 to hear testimony and evidence in the case. |
| Florida University System Approves a New Gen-Ed Curriculum After Law Restricted 'Exploratory' Content | |
 | Florida's Board of Governors, which oversees its 12 public universities, on Thursday approved a greatly reduced selection of courses that qualify for general-education status -- the result of a monthslong process spurred by a state law that regulates "identity politics" in the curriculum. Senate Bill 266, among other things, bars general-education core courses from distorting "significant historical events" or from including a curriculum that "teaches identity politics." Courses with "unproven, speculative, or exploratory content" should also not be taken for general-education credit, the law says. After Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the law in 2023, public colleges and universities were required to review their general-education offerings, which sometimes numbered in the hundreds, for compliance. Over months, their course lists got winnowed down. Many that were stripped had not been offered in years. Others lost their designation because of their subject matter, according to a Chronicle analysis. The process culminated on Thursday, with the governing board's approving vote. |
| Preview: UT Libraries host blind book dates for the fifth year | |
| Starting next week Hodges and Pendergrass libraries will have their "Blind Date with a Book" displays. These will have books of various genres wrapped up with a brief description of each book written on the front. If students are interested, they can pick up one of these books and check them out. Alex Boris, who works in the University of Tennessee Libraries' Health, Wellness and Professional Programs Department, hopes that this display will teach people not to judge a book by its cover. "A lot of it is not taking a book's cover for what it is," Boris said. "We also hope to bring students experiences that will get them out of their comfort zones." Included in the display will be books for Black History Month. These books will have special labels. Nicole Stephens, a Public Services Supervisor within Pendergrass Library at UT Libraries, is hoping that students will fall back in love with reading. "At Pendergrass, we are hoping to engage more people in leisure reading," Stephens said. "I know in college, it's hard to find time to enjoy a good book, but maybe looking at a brief, fun description of a story can help people rediscover their love for reading and hopefully find it as a form of self-care as well." This is the fifth year of Blind Date with a Book, and the initiative has been incredibly successful. In past years, Boris says that this may be the library's most popular book display. |
| Trump federal employee buyout offer doesn't include TVA or Oak Ridge National Lab contractors | |
 | Millions of federal workers could choose to resign with temporary pay rather than comply with Trump administration executive orders, though the offer was not sent to the large workforces of federal contractors in Oak Ridge or the Tennessee Valley Authority. Spokespeople for TVA, United Cleanup Oak Ridge and Y-12 National Security Complex confirmed to Knox News that their workforces did not receive a memo offering a deferred resignation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory was not immediately available to confirm whether employees of contractor UT-Battelle received the memo. ORNL did not receive an earlier memo from the Trump administration eliminating DEI offices from federal agencies, spokesperson Morgan McCorkle said. Critics of the buyout say President Trump does not have the authority to make the offer and warned employees could miss out on the promised pay and benefits. The U.S. Department of Energy's management contractors in Oak Ridge and TVA together employ nearly 30,000 people. UT-Battelle, a 50-50 private partnership between the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute, has managed ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science since 2000. It now employs more than 7,000 staff members at the nation's largest science and technology lab. |
| Universities Close Offices, Halt Research in Response to Trump's Ban on DEI | |
| Universities are suspending research projects, canceling conferences and closing offices in response to a volley of orders from President Trump banning "diversity, equity and inclusion" across the U.S. government. The directives threaten vital federal funding and have thrown university leaders into disarray. To avoid running afoul of the orders, which include "the termination of all discriminatory programs," some school leaders have assumed a defensive posture on anything associated with DEI. Arizona State University told researchers to immediately stop work on federally funded DEI-related projects and avoid using unspent funds. Michigan State University canceled a DEI webinar and began a review of campus programs to understand how they could be affected by the executive orders. North Carolina State University directed faculty to stop working on any projects that "included the terms diversity, equity and inclusion" in the program's proposal. President Trump pledged during his campaign to end DEI but the breadth of his executive orders last week still stunned university leaders who have spent years incorporating DEI practices, values and personnel into curriculum, hiring and research under the Biden administration. Federal funding in the form of research grants is critical to the financial health of major research universities. Scott Goldschmidt, a lawyer specializing in higher education at Thompson Coburn in Washington, D.C., urged universities to prepare by looking at how public institutions have adapted in states that have already passed legislation banning DEI. "The world didn't end, right?" Goldschmidt said. "They're still able to fulfill their mission. They just have to adapt based on the law, and they've successfully done that for the most part." |
| EXCLUSIVE: NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump's orders | |
| In a radical break with tradition, the National Science Foundation (NSF) this week began to search through billions of dollars of grants the agency has already awarded for anything touching on topics that President Donald Trump has criticized. And NSF has blocked grantees and trainees from accessing funds while the review is underway, wreaking havoc across the academic research community. The funding freeze and vetting of research and training projects that NSF previously decided were worthy of support is a response to a slew of presidential directives since 20 January that ban all federal funding for what Trump considers to be "woke gender ideology;" diversity, equity, and inclusion; foreign aid; the green new deal; and support for nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest. For academic scientists, the list of banned activities could include efforts to increase diversity in the scientific workforce, collaborations with foreign scientists, and research on more environmentally friendly technologies. Agencies have taken different routes to comply with those orders. The reviews have also roiled the NSF workforce. Program officers -- typically Ph.D. scientists who are either permanent federal employees or on leave from their college or university -- have been asked to examine the projects they manage for any offending language and then go over their findings with their supervisor. |
| National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills | |
| One scientist texted his landlord to say February rent would be late. Another wasn't able to pay her credit card bill. Yet another wondered how much longer he could afford his mortgage. These were some of the effects of President Trump's federal funding freeze on the postdoctoral researchers who rely on grants from the National Science Foundation. Though a judge blocked that suspension on Tuesday before it could take effect, and the administration rescinded the memo that ordered it on Wednesday, on Thursday the NSF's online payment system was still down, throwing lives into uncertainty. An NSF email seen by STAT suggested salaries had been suspended to "ensure only eligible activities" are funded. "If the freeze is not stopped, I might lose my house," said one biologist doing a postdoctoral fellowship in the southeast, who spoke on condition that neither his name nor his state of residence be used, out of fear of retaliation. He said he had enough in his bank account to last until March, but had no idea how long the pay stoppage might last. "We just have no idea when we'll be paid," said Julia Van Etten, an NSF fellow at both Rutgers University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who studies how DNA gets transferred between microbes. "It could be today, with the website going back up. It could be six months from now. We are under the impression that as soon as the NSF is done investigating us for DEI or whatever, we will get paid again. I don't think my grant is gone." |
| Trump Order Pushes Universities to 'Monitor' Protesters on Student Visas | |
 | Universities have set up task forces, tightened discipline policies and used surveillance cameras to track protesters' movements. They have hired private investigators to examine cases of anti-Israel speech and activism. These are just a few of the measures administrators have taken to curb criticisms that they have allowed antisemitism to fester as pro-Palestinian demonstrations spread across campuses during the last academic year. On Wednesday, President Trump signed an order meant to push them to do more -- to "prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the perpetrators of unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence." Specifically, it directed several agencies, including the State and Education Departments, to guide colleges to "report activities by alien students and staff" that could be considered antisemitic or supportive of terrorism, so that those students or staff members could be investigated or deported as noncitizens. A fact sheet distributed with the order quotes President Trump promising: "I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before." |
| 10 Days In: What Actions Has Trump Taken? | |
 | During his first 10 days in office, President Trump signed a plethora of executive orders to combat so-called woke ideology, reversed a long-standing immigration policy that barred ICE officers from raiding college campuses and sought to freeze federal grants that don't align with his agenda -- a move blocked by a federal court. So far, his actions have had few immediate consequences for higher ed, and policy experts say more guidance is necessary to understand their implications. But the president has certainly created chaos and confusion, raising concern among university administrators across the country and inciting pre-emptive responses from some. Throughout the past two weeks, higher ed experts have told Inside Higher Ed they are trying to walk the thin line between necessary caution and undue alarm. Many of Trump's initial actions will take time to enforce and may face intervention from the courts. And while the president has nominated former wrestling mogul Linda McMahon as secretary of education and former University of Florida vice president Penny Schwinn as deputy, neither has a confirmation hearing scheduled. Trump has yet to nominate an under secretary -- the highest-ranking official overseeing colleges and universities. So it will likely be at least a few weeks, if not more, until the department reaches full capacity. |
SPORTS
| Neil Price Named Voice Of The Diamond Dawgs | |
| A familiar voice will now be calling Mississippi State baseball games. Neil Price, who has served as the "Voice of the Bulldogs" for football and men's basketball since 2017, has added "Voice of the Diamond Dawgs" to his duties. Price will assume the play-by-play role for Bulldog baseball, previously held by veteran broadcaster Jim Ellis, who retired in December. Price, who was named the state of Mississippi's Sportscaster of the Year by NSMA Sports Media for 2024, will also contribute to the strategy and creation of MSU Athletics digital content, including interviews, features, podcasts, and more. "It is an honor to be named the broadcaster for one of the most iconic programs in college baseball history," Price said. "It is humbling to follow Jim Ellis in this role. Jim's broadcasts set the standard for college baseball on the radio. Over 47 seasons, Jim played a major role in building the popularity of the Diamond Dawgs. I will do my best to follow his wonderful example." "I look forward to sharing the booth with two Mississippi State legends, Coach Ron Polk and Jay Powell," Price said. "Together, I hope we will deliver broadcasts that keep State fans informed about their team and make them proud to be Bulldogs." The 2025 season begins on Feb. 14, when the Diamond Dawgs host Manhattan in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. |
| Missouri basketball vs Mississippi State: Scouting report, score prediction | |
 | Can Mizzou get over the Hump? No. 21/20 Missouri basketball will play No. 13/14 Mississippi State at noon Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi. MU has lost eight straight games at Humphrey Coliseum, with its last win coming in 2013. The Tigers (16-4, 5-2 SEC) are currently third place in the SEC standings but are in the midst of one of their toughest two-week stretches of the season. Mizzou knocked off a ranked Ole Miss squad last Saturday in Columbia and now faces three straight top-15 teams, including back-to-back road games. That run begins with Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4), which is coming off an 88-84 loss at home against Alabama on Wednesday and now has four defeats since SEC play started. This isn't your typical coach Chris Jans squad, where defense is the cornerstone for the squad's success. This season, Mississippi State has an excellent offensive rating, scoring 1.17 points per possession -- a mark that ranks among the 10% of all teams in the nation. The analytics site KenPom ranks MSU as the No. 18 offense in the nation in its adjusted offensive efficiency metric. That's because of a combination of factors. The Bulldogs get the third-most shots off per game among SEC teams, averaging 63.7 attempts from the field per game. They are excellent at avoiding turnovers and forcing their opponents into giveaways, creating the extra possessions to get those extra shots off with a top-five ranking in both categories in the league. They're in the 92nd percentile nationally for offensive rebounding rate, only aiding the extra possession cause. |
| Mizzou athletic director details plans to boost sports revenue generation | |
 | On Thursday, University of Missouri Athletic Director Laird Veatch outlined major changes his department plans to make to improve revenue generation and fundraising practices in the athletic department. Along with these major shifts, the department is also preparing for funding from the House v. NCAA settlement that will allow athletic departments to share as much as an estimated $20 million to $22 million of annual revenue directly with student-athletes. The final approval hearing is scheduled for April 7. Despite efforts to increase funding for the growing department, Veatch said Mizzou Athletics is approximately $35 million below the average in terms of revenue generated compared to other universities in the SEC. "If you look at how we average in terms of fundraising overall, most of that is fundraising associated with football tickets," Veatch said. "If you look at our peers across the board, what has been a Tiger scholarship is gifts that people make to get good tickets for football. "Most of our peers are in that mid-30 range; we're at 18, and ours actually includes men's basketball. We have this outdated policy that cannot adjust it," Veatch added. Veatch also said that during this process the department will focus on establishing a lifetime giving society and motivating lifetime philanthropy. |
| Women's Tennis: Bulldogs Back In Action With Friday Doubleheader | |
| Mississippi State is back in action hosting a doubleheader inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion on Friday. The Bulldogs begin the day against Tulane at 1 p.m. followed by a matchup against Alabama A&M at 4 p.m. It'll be MSU's first time back on the courts since posting back-to-back 4-0 shutouts over Bellarmine and Samford to open the season on Jan. 18. "This weekend is going to be a good, challenging weekend," said head coach Chris Hooshyar. "We have to be ready to fight for every point! Our emotional intelligence will be challenged and our physicality will be challenged. I'm excited for this weekend because we have to face these battles in non-conference season because every SEC weekend will be a battle!" The Bulldogs have won 75 of their last 77 non-conference matches at home dating back to Feb. 27, 2013. Hooshyar has posted an 11-1 mark during non-conference play at home since his arrival last season. Friday will mark the season openers for both Tulane and Alabama A&M. The Green Wave are coming off an 11-9 campaign last spring while Alabama A&M posted a 7-15 mark in 2024. |
| Zimmerman adds Henry Zapata to coaching staff | |
| Mississippi State announced the final addition to Nick Zimmerman's coaching staff this week, naming Henry Zapata as an assistant coach. Zapata joins the staff to work mainly on the defensive side of the game and assist in recruiting. He was most recently the associate head coach under Steve Holeman at Texas State, who finished runners-up to James Madison in the Sun Belt Conference last season. "We are very excited to welcome Henry and his family to Starkville," Zimmerman said of his new assistant. "His passion for recruiting, his building of relationships with the players and his tireless work rate are exactly the type of qualities we want here at Mississippi State." Zapata previously worked with Iowa State, Lamar, Elon, Georgia and the College of Charleston in a career that spans more than a decade. He joins a team of coaches that now includes the reigning Conference USA Coach of the Year Jonathan Garbar and Kat Stratton, who helped turn the Bulldogs around over the last five seasons alongside Zimmerman and previous head coach James Armstrong. Zapata earned his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism in 2008 and a master's degree in sport management in 2011, both from Illinois. |
| Hauck To Represent State at SEC Football Leadership Council Meetings | |
| Mississippi State kicker Marlon Hauck is set to head to Birmingham, Alabama, to represent the Bulldogs at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council. Hauck will join 15 other players -- one from each SEC school -- throughout Friday and Saturday. Agenda items for the group this weekend include a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, engagement with football officials on rules of the game, student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating, and a presentation from motivational speaker Timothy Alexander. The group will also review SEC student-athlete engagement opportunities. The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The other two components are the Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Councils. Student-Athlete Leadership Councils for the sports of football and men's and women's basketball, along with the conference's longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules. |
| Mississippi State softball legend Mia Davidson selected by Bandits in AUSL Draft | |
| Former Mississippi State standout Mia Davidson heard her name called in Wednesday night's inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League Draft, selected by the Bandits with the 17th overall pick. Since 2020, the Athletes Unlimited league has been player-driven with new teams selected each week and an individual leaderboard. This season, the league is shifting to a more traditional format with four permanent teams playing 24 games each beginning in June. The Bandits are named for the former National Pro Fastpitch franchise based in the Chicago area from 2005 through 2019. In five seasons with the Bulldogs, Davidson became the Southeastern Conference's all-time home run leader with 92. She blasted 26 as a sophomore in 2019, then hit 23 as a fifth-year senior in 2022 to help MSU reach the NCAA super regionals for the first time in program history. Davidson batted .352 in a Bulldogs uniform with a .775 slugging percentage and more walks than strikeouts. Following the end of her collegiate career, Davidson played the last three years with Athletes Unlimited, finishing third in the shorter AUX season in 2023. Last year, she also played for Denso Bright Pegasus in the Japan Diamond League, and last weekend she opened the 2025 season in Liga Mexicana. |
| Universities to converge on Columbus for February Frisbee tourney | |
| Columbus is set to host a February ultimate tournament for the third year in a row as part of a partnership between Golden Triangle Ultimate and Lowndes County Recreation. The "Bulldog Brawl" will be the third iteration of a tournament that began in 2023 and has grown steadily since then. A year ago, 14 university club teams arrived for the event, and this year, 16 universities are sending teams to compete, including clubs from MSU, LSU, Southern Illinois, Berry College, Auburn, Avemaria, Illinois, Missouri, East Carolina, Vanderbilt, Union College, Georgia State, Alabama, St Louis University, Indiana, Kennesaw State and Clemson. "This is its third iteration, it started as 'Columbus Conundrum' two years ago, so this year is pulling the most teams, and it's the biggest event we've hosted at their fields," GT Ultimate member Dawson Archer said. "This is our main regular-season event for the last three years. I think it's part of what makes our program more than just getting off the ground, it establishes us as a pillar for ultimate Frisbee in the southeast." Archer and current Mississippi State University ultimate club president, Gideon Miller, have seen their clubs grow in visibility because of their ability to host tournaments over the years, with two additional tournaments in the works this year. |
| Mississippi online sports betting passes first hurdle, set for bigger vote | |
 | Online sports gambling in Mississippi is one step closer to becoming a reality. A bill that would provide "online race book" and "online sports pool" betting in Mississippi passed out of committee on Wednesday and is set for a larger chamber vote. The bill would only allow for online sports betting anywhere in the state but not for anyone outside of Mississippi. All players would have to be older than 21 with an age verification process. Any sports betting platform would have to partner with an actual brick-and-mortar casino. In Mississippi, casinos can be located along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. Native American casinos are an exception and can also be on tribal land. Casino operators also need to obtain a gaming license from the Mississippi Gaming Commission. Online sports betting is also already technically legal, but players must be located on casino grounds to participate.The 2024 online sports betting bill passed the Mississippi House early in the 2024 Session. It then lingered until its eventual death in a conference committee. |
| 'Creating havoc everywhere' -- House-NCAA settlement causing crunch for Olympic sports as roster limits come into focus | |
| Luke Kalarickal will never run again. Well, at least not competitively for a college cross country program like he did as a freshman at Georgia last season. Last August, just before the semester of his sophomore year began, the team cut him and five other runners as the university began the process of reducing its rosters to adhere to new limits related to the landmark settlement of the House antitrust case. "Coach said we will all have a special waiver to get into the transfer portal," Kalarickal told Yahoo Sports. "He cut us two weeks before school started. How are we supposed to transfer?" ... at Auburn, Heather Rice fears that her son, Keaton, will see his five-year SEC grant-in-aid agreement -- which she thought was guaranteed -- evaporate if he doesn't make the cut from the current 42-man swimming roster to the new SEC roster limit of 22, something that could cost the family an unexpected $45,000 annually in out-of-state tuition, board and meals. "For my son, this was a lock deal," she said, "and now they are saying because they want to pay a bunch of football and basketball players, we are the ones screwed." The new roster limits, imposed on schools that opt into the House settlement's revenue-sharing concept, are expected to lead to the elimination of thousands of Division I roster spots, most notably impacting walk-ons and partial scholarship earners in swimming, football, track and cross country, as detailed in this October story at Yahoo Sports. |
| Take it from locals: Super experience in New Orleans entails more than just the French Quarter | |
| Desiring a more local taste of Big Easy life during Super Bowl week? There's plenty to explore both in and outside the city center. Streetcar lines roll to Uptown, Mid-City or City Park. A ferry crosses the Mississippi River to Algiers Point. By car, it's easy to reach Esplanade Ridge; the shops and eateries on Magazine Street or Metairie Road; and seafood spots in Bucktown, along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. The Lakeview neighborhood is where you'll find chef Susan Spicer. She has taken her Louisiana-inspired cuisine to Super Bowl host cities across the country during the past three decades while participating in the Taste of the NFL charity event. She is involved again this year in her hometown, but those who wish to dine in the spot where Spicer does most of her cooking should visit Rosedale Restaurant. Spicer, whose culinary career has included decades in fine-dining kitchens in the French Quarter and downtown, would by no means advise visitors to eschew the renowned attractions in those historically significant areas. "But if you just venture out a little bit," she added, "there's a lot to discover." Political pundit James Carville, a Louisiana native and New Orleans resident, says first-time visitors with just a few days in town shouldn't "feel like if you're going to the French Quarter, you're not being a local." He says the Friday lunch scene at Galatoire's is "legendary." |
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