| Wednesday, February 5, 2025 |
| Professional bull riders, barrel racers to ride again at Rotary Classic Rodeo | |
 | Cowfolk are about to be back in the saddle in Starkville, as the Rotary Classic Rodeo returns to the Mississippi Horse Park for its 18th year. Kyle Jordan, president for Starkville Rotary Club, said the event will be kicking off this weekend, bringing high-quality fun for the whole family Friday and Saturday nights and supporting the club's community service projects at the same time. "This is our big fundraiser that we get to do, but it also gives the community something to do with a family friendly aspect," Jordan said. "... A lot of the arrivants you'll see are participating now with the Dixie National (Rodeo) in Jackson." The main event of the rodeo will start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jordan said, though there will also be a petting zoo and pony rides for children at 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday. There will also be concession stands and merchandise booths at the event, Jordan said. While the rodeo brings with it entertainment and fun, Jordan said it also supports Starkville Rotary Club service projects. Last year, the rodeo raised about $40,000, he said. Funds raised go toward legacy projects like Oktibbeha County Young Leaders -- a mentorship program for high school sophomores teaching them about civic engagement and business skills -- and support of local Boy Scout troops. Funds also help the club support other organizations with grants throughout the year, Jordan said, like the J.L. King Center, the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library and the Starkville-MSU Symphony. |
| Mississippi State University hosts career expo | |
 | It's career expo week for Mississippi State University, and students are connecting with potential employers. On Tuesday, February 4, the focus was on engineering and technical majors. "We have a lot of employers, who are seeking out those engineering skillsets. And so, they are often our biggest employer base, who come to recruit on campus," said Bethany Mills, the Executive Director for The Career Center at MSU. The event was held at Mill Conference Center in Starkville. 85 different companies from across the U.S. set up to offer opportunities for students and alumni. Mills also said many students land their first job after college from the event. Many of the employers will return for the second part of the career expo Wednesday, February 5, for all majors. The last day of the fair is Thursday, February 6, from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
| "I hope to leave it in a better place than when I started:" David Ford to become new Bagley College of Engineering dean | |
 | Mississippi State University has named David Ford as the new dean of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Starting in the position on March 1, Ford will also hold the Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport Jr. Endowed Chair in Engineering in addition to his deanship. Ford's appointment follows the departure of former Bagley College of Engineering Dean Jason Keith, who recently took up the role of provost at Iowa State University. Ford discussed his goals for the Bagley College of Engineering, emphasizing his commitment to raising the institution's status for the future and sharing his hopes for how he will be remembered. "If I could sum it up in one sentence, I hope to leave it in a better place than when I started," Ford said. Ford also shared his favorable first impressions during his campus visit, reinforcing his decision to accept the position. "When I visited, I was just really impressed with it all," Ford said. "I met somebody from almost everywhere in the university, from Dr. Keenum to Dr. Shaw, down to the current leadership of the college, to faculty and staff and students, and I was just really impressed with what people are doing, and everybody's just, in addition to being smart and being capable and doing great things, just very nice and hospitable." |
| What to look out for if you hunt, raise or sell poultry of any kind when it comes to 'Bird Flu' | |
 | In the last 30 days, over 23 million birds have died from the Avian Flu. These deaths are having many negative effects on commercial flocks, natural waterfowl, and your backyard pets. Right now, this strain of Avian Flu is highly pathogenic, meaning it is very severe and even deadly. This illness not only affects chickens but actually gets its start from different types of waterfowl. "So actually, your aquatic fowl, like your ducks and your shore birds, are the natural host, and they're what is spreading this. So your hunters need to be especially careful when handling some of these game birds, and you know, especially if you have backyard poultry. You know, maybe you're married to a hunter, or you're a hunter with backyard poultry, you need to make sure you're really changing your clothes, washing your hands, not handling your birds," said MSU Extension Agent Meribeth Boland. If you own birds of any sort, there are many symptoms to be on the lookout for. "So some symptoms would be decreased appetite if you have egg layers that they're going to not lay as many eggs. If you are affected with the highly pathogenic, you're going to notice an increased rate in death of your poultry. It can affect up to 95% of. Your flock, so if you notice them dying a lot or just them acting, Sick, not wanting to eat or drink. That is some symptoms that you'll see with this," said Boland. |
| ERDC inducts 3 leaders into Senior Executive Service | |
| The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) recently inducted Patricia Sullivan, Nick Boone and Dr. Robert Moser into the Senior Executive Service (SES) during a ceremony at ERDC Headquarters in Vicksburg. The event, which was attended by ERDC leadership and employees, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials and family members, recognized the inductees for their exceptional contributions to research and development, as well as their new responsibilities as top leaders of the organization. ERDC Commander Col. Christian Patterson hosted the ceremony, which featured remarks from Commanding General of the Mississippi Valley Division Maj. Gen. Kimberly Peeples and ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman. Both highlighted the significance of the SES and the critical role these leaders will play in shaping ERDC's future. "The SES designation means planning, directing and coordinating multimillion-dollar research programs, managing hundreds of team members and identifying new and strategic research opportunities to address the nation's toughest challenges," Pittman said. "For ERDC, it means overseeing the operation and business aspects of the organization as a member of the ERDC Board of Directors -- one of the most challenging tasks." |
| Mississippi tax collections rebound in January | |
| The latest revenue report from the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office shows tax collections in the Magnolia State rebounded in January after a significant decline in December. Collections in December raised eyebrows when revenues came in $106 million below legislative estimates, sending the current fiscal year's total collections off by $80 million. Much of the underperformance came by way of corporate income tax collections that came in $146.6 million under monthly estimates. However, according to the LBO report on Tuesday, total revenue collections for the month of January -- the seventh month in the fiscal year -- moved the needle closer to overall projections, as revenues were $55,917,799, or 10.26 percent above legislative estimates. This brings the year-to-date collections up from being $80 million under projections to $24,606,730, or 0.59 percent below the annual estimate. As expected, individual income tax collections for the month of January were below the prior year by $21.1 million. Mississippi continues to phase-down the income tax to a flat 4 percent as passed in 2022, with expectations that it be fully implemented by 2026. Lawmakers continue to debate whether to add another round of income tax cuts in hopes of reaching full elimination on the tax on work in the years ahead. However, after the House passed a tax reform package to that extent early in the 2025 legislative session, the Senate has yet to take the measure up nor have Senators rolled out their own tax reform plan. |
| A look at what survived initial deadline day at the Capitol | |
| It's the first significant deadline day at the State Capitol. We've told you about the House tax reform plans. That was House Bill 1. The Senate leadership has said they plan to introduce their own version, but it is not subject to this first deadline because it will be a revenue bill With a later set of deadlines. A few of the bills we're monitoring have cleared not only committees but the full House. They've passed an online sports betting bill, HB 1302, and there's a repeat, a House concurrent resolution that seeks to restore a ballot initiative process. "This is going to be about the fourth time that we've tried this," said author and Constitution committee chairman Rep. Price Wallace. "Just keep asking us to try and get it passed." Meanwhile, it was standing room only in the House Education Committee Tuesday as they brought out House Bill 1433. It would allow students in D and F schools and districts to take their state share of funding to a better-rated nearby public school or a private school. State superintendents have been actively lobbying against it and several were in attendance for the meeting. In healthcare, it's a waiting game for any specifics on Medicaid expansion as they want to get guidance from the feds first. "We filed, you know, a placeholder bill on this side," said Senate Medicaid chairman Sen. Kevin Blackwell. "I believe the House did one, as well." |
| Study committee to examine wind turbines' impact on Mississippi agriculture gains Senate committee approval | |
| The Senate Energy Committee voted Monday to advance legislation creating a study group to determine wind power's impact on its surroundings in the Magnolia State. The bill, SB 2227, would create a committee to study wind turbines' impact on Mississippi agriculture. The committee would consider if "the installation and usage of wind turbines are potentially having unintended impacts on surrounding properties, the aquifer and agricultural aviation pilots." By the end of 2025, if formed, the committee would deliver a comprehensive study highlighting the potential issues and its recommendation for appropriate legislation. Freshman State Sen. Brian Rhodes (R) introduced the measure. f passed and signed into law, the wind turbines committee would consist of representatives from the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi State University Agricultural Department, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, one gubernatorial appointee, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and a representative from the Delta Council. |
| School choice bill advances to Mississippi House floor for vote | |
 | The Mississippi House Education Committee has advanced legislation to establish a program to use public education dollars on private schools for students in D- and F-rated school districts. On Tuesday, the committee met and passed the measure with an unclear majority via a voiced vote. Several Democrats on the committee, including Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, demanded a roll call vote. They did not get one. The chairman, Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, declined to recognize anyone asking for a roll call vote. In the House, a chairman has the right to accept or deny a roll call vote on any measure before the committee. "We do voice votes on everything else. We've never done one like that before," Roberson said. "At the end of this, I'm going to do it like we normally do it, and that's how we normally do it." Taylor later told the Clarion Ledger Roberson likely declined to recognize the vote because he believes the bill would have failed. Now, he and House Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, plan to put up a formidable opposition to the bill. "There'll be an educational gap that will be furthered by this bill, and the bill constitutionality has not been vetted," Taylor said. |
| School choice bill heads to floor of Mississippi House | |
| HB 1433 passed out of the House Education Committee Tuesday, overcoming the first hurdle required to expand school choice to more Mississippi families. During Tuesday's committee meeting, Chairman Rep. Rob Roberson (R) described the bill as an outlet to address education disparities across the state, specifically among low-income students and families in underperforming districts. The bill would allow students attending a school within a district rated D or F within the past five years to use their per pupil student funding to offset the cost to transfer to another public school within 30 miles of their home. If no public school meets the bill's criteria, the family could then choose to use the same funds at a private school of their choice. Roberson emphasized that the funds would only be eligible for use to transfer to a private school if the transferring student does not live within 30 miles of a public school rated B or higher, or is not accepted into to a qualifying public school. State Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D), also chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, asked if making this change is constitutional, since it involves diverting tax funds to private schools. Rep. Roberson explained that because the bill directs the resources to individual families, versus specific schools, it does not run afoul of Mississippi's prohibition of direct funding to private schools. |
| Sending taxpayer money to private schools advances in Mississippi House | |
| A House committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would send taxpayer money from public to private schools. The move keeps alive a yearslong push from private school advocates and prompted concern among Democrats that the legislation could undermine public schools serving some of the state's neediest students. House Education Chairman Rob Roberson's bill passed after an hour of debate. Roberson advanced the bill by voice vote and denied Democrats' request for a roll call where each member's vote could be recorded. Roberson acknowledged the bill faces a tough road ahead in the Legislature before it would have a chance of becoming law. But he said lawmakers needed to discuss solutions for students in disadvantaged areas who aren't getting a quality education. "The purpose of this is for us to continue having a conversation about how we help the poorest of the poor (students)," Roberon said. "I do realize that you all are getting a lot of pressure to push back on this, but we've got to keep talking about these things. Even if it makes you uncomfortable, even if you're getting a million phone calls, these kids deserve to have us talking about this." The bill has already drawn fierce opposition from public education groups, who said the measure could lay the groundwork for an unconstitutional voucher program impacting all public schools in the state |
| Campaign finance transparency bill faces uphill battle in Mississippi Legislature | |
| A measure that would provide Mississippi voters a searchable database of campaign contributions to politicians -- like most other states have -- drew criticism from a panel of lawmakers Tuesday, and its future passage looks dicey. "There are people who are not sophisticated running for public office, and you shouldn't have to be sophisticated to run for public office," said Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, who said Mississippi candidates shouldn't be required to use a computer to file campaign finance reports. "That's not helping transparency," Bryan said. "That's laying booby traps for someone running for the first time." Senate Bill 2650, authored by Senate Elections Chairman Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, is supported by Secretary of State Michael Watson, who has said his office is already in the process of purchasing a new computer system that would make searchable campaign donations possible. Most other states, including all those surrounding Mississippi, have searchable databases of campaign contributions, as there also are for federal candidates. For instance, a voter could type in a donor's name and see to whom and how much that donor has given. While Mississippi's SOS office has online campaign finance records, they are non-searchable PDFs -- essentially pictures of pages -- and candidates are still allowed to file paper, handwritten campaign finance reports. |
| Mississippi midwives push for licensure: 'If we don't do something now, it's going to get done for us' | |
| A group of Mississippi midwives is again advocating for regulations around their profession -- a move they say will actually make it easier for midwives to practice in the state in the long run. Under proposed legislation, midwives who want to practice in Mississippi would need to attain licensure from a board, and in turn would gain multiple privileges. As it stands, Mississippi is one of 13 states that has no regulations around professional midwifery -- a freedom that hasn't benefited midwives or mothers, advocates say. "Tattoo artists have to apply for a license within our state, but yet someone who's actually delivering a life and taking care of a mom, prenatal and postnatal – there's no oversight," said Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus, author of the bill. McLean has proposed similar legislation over the past few years. This is the first year the legislation made it to a full floor vote. The bill specifically addresses professional midwifery -- not nurse midwifery, which requires more extensive medical training. |
| Mayors express support for House tax reform package | |
| Mayors across Mississippi have expressed support for a provision in the proposed House Republican tax reform legislation allowing a local sales tax option, which would replace current diversions from the state sales tax to cities. This option is expected to generate $700 million in new revenue for cities and counties. The legislation would also phase out the state income tax over a ten-year period. However, the mayors are anxiously awaiting details of the Senate's tax proposal before celebrating and signing infrastructure contracts, they said. "We don't know what's coming out of the Senate and until we see what comes out of there, we'll only have a wish list," said Charley Dumas, Mayor of Prentiss. Dumas and mayors from Cleveland and Ocean Springs said the extra funds in the House bill will go a long way in shoring up major infrastructure projects and public safety, which are financial headaches, big and small. Dumas, a former President of the Mississippi Municipal League, noted that within Prentiss's city limits are a grocery store, six convenience stores, two Dollar Generals, and a Family Dollar. He said the sales tax on groceries is perhaps one of the "hardest taxes" on "working-class people." |
| Convicted felon, indicted mayor among those seeking Jackson's top elected office | |
| A convicted felon, a current mayor under indictment, and two contractors tied to the city's lawsuit against Siemens U.S.A. are among the nearly two dozen hopefuls submitting paperwork to run for Jackson's highest office. Friday was the qualifying deadline for the 2025 municipal elections, and 22 people have thrown their names into the hat to run for Jackson mayor. The unofficial list released by the Municipal Clerk's Office on January 31 includes 14 Democrats, five independents, and three Republicans, including incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, former Constituent Services Manager Keyshia Sanders, former Edwards Mayor Marcus Wallace, and Jackson businessman Socrates Garrett. Candidates must be qualified by the Municipal Executive Committee. It is not known when that committee would meet. The party primaries are slated for April 1. Lumumba, seeking his third term in office, is currently charged with five felony counts in connection with a scheme to bring a convention center hotel to downtown Jackson. During his tenure, the mayor has seen the city's water and sewer system get taken over by the federal government. Multiple public libraries have been shut down due to a lack of maintenance, as has Thalia Mara Hall. In 2023, Jackson took the top spot as the nation's fastest-shrinking city, losing some 2.5 percent of its population between July 2021 and 2022. |
| Musk shocks lawmakers, setting himself on collision course | |
 | Billionaire businessman Elon Musk is on a collision course with lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are starting to challenge his authority. Senate Republicans acknowledge they need to cut government spending, but Musk's bold decision to lock federal workers out of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk called "a ball of worms" and a "criminal organization," caught them by surprise. They are now questioning the basis of Musk's authority to shutter an agency Congress funds annually through the appropriations bills for the State Department and foreign operations. Other Republicans warned that the sudden closure of the nation's chief foreign assistance agency would undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts in countries where China is trying to gain influence by building out local infrastructure. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said foreign aid is necessary to match China's efforts to expand its global influence. "I have felt for a long time that USAID is our way to combat the Belt and Road Initiative, which is China's effort to really gain influence around the world, including Africa, South America and the Western Hemisphere," he told reporters in the Russell Senate Office Building. Wicker said "if there's massive fraud" at the agency, "we need to know about that," but he cautioned "we need an aid program to match the Chinese effort." |
| 'What Elon Musk Said Is a Bold-Faced Lie' | |
 | In recent days, the Trump administration has taken steps to shutter the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, which distributes billions of dollars worldwide annually to help alleviate poverty, treat diseases and respond to famines and natural disasters, as well as promote development and democracy. President Donald Trump has said USAID is run by "lunatic radicals" who promote leftist causes and his appointed efficiency expert, billionaire Elon Musk, has called USAID a "criminal organization" that "needs to die." Now Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's the acting director of USAID, and the administration is reportedly trying to fold the agency into the State Department. But Andrew Natsios, who ran USAID under President George W. Bush and is a lifelong conservative Republican, calls such moves "illegal" and "outrageous." What Musk and Rubio are doing "is criminal. They can't abolish the aid program without a vote of Congress." Moreover, Natsios says, they miss the point that USAID is critical to winning the competition with China and reflects longstanding Republican priorities. "It's just 1 percent of the federal budget, right?" says Natsios, who also played a leading role in building World Vision, the largest Christian nongovernmental organization in the world with programs in 103 countries. "And it builds goodwill and political influence and economic influence. It promotes American business. It protects us in terms of disease threats around the world. It is in our national interest to run these programs." |
| Divided House GOP searches for solution on budget resolution | |
 | House Republicans met late into the evening Tuesday in Speaker Mike Johnson's office furiously trying to avoid letting the Senate jump out ahead of them and take any remaining steam out of the House's "one big, beautiful" budget reconciliation bill. The House is scheduled to be in recess the week of Feb. 17. And under the timetable that Johnson, R-La., initially laid out, the chamber by then would have adopted the budget blueprint needed to write the reconciliation bill, which can bypass the Senate's 60-vote hurdle. But there was no sign late Tuesday that the Budget Committee would be ready to mark up the budget resolution this week. "It's not scheduled for this week. ... We still have some more work to do," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters after the roughly three-hour meeting. Factions within the House GOP are still wrestling with what the budget's "instructions" for the reconciliation bill will look like. Some of the most outspoken spending hawks are pushing for at least $1 trillion in cuts over a decade; according to sources familiar with the talks, GOP leaders have proffered around $900 billion. But Scalise said the gap was narrowing. "I think, when you look at where we are, we're close to a trillion and still working," he said. Scalise said the conference plans to keep talking about the budget and reconciliation in their regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday morning as well as in smaller groups throughout the week, eyeing next week as the current target for a budget markup. |
| Trump tariffs pose existential threat to Nissan struggling to survive world market | |
 | One of the biggest casualties of Donald Trump's potential tariffs on Mexico and Canada is likely to be the Japanese automaker that can least afford the pain: Nissan. While it's unclear whether the U.S. President will follow through with his promised 25% levies after agreeing to a 30-day pause on Monday, the blowback would be profound for Japan's No. 3 carmaker, which is struggling to turn itself around and is in talks to merge with Honda. The hit could reverberate through the automotive sector in Mississippi and Tennessee, where Franklin-based Nissan Americas produces models including the Altima, Murano, Rogue, Maxima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Frontier, and Titan. Last week, Nissan offered buyouts to U.S. employees amid production cuts in hopes of staving off layoffs as it downsizes because of ongoing profit declines. "The problem is Nissan, which is basically barely making money in the automotive business," said James Hong, head of mobility research at Macquarie. Many of the models it builds in Mexico for export to the U.S. are more compact cars like the Sentra and Kicks, which are targeted at cost-conscious consumers who can't easily absorb higher prices. For Japan's automakers, Trump's move would turn what has long been a stronghold for the industry -- a low-cost production base near the U.S. -- into a fresh burden. |
| South Mississippi has 17,000 federal employees. Here's how Trump's buyout offer will affect them | |
 | The Trump administration's offer to let more than 2 million government employees resign with eight months of pay could shrink the Mississippi Coast's federal work force even though military personnel who make up most of it are exempt from the proposal. The step could affect thousands of workers in South Mississippi from the Stennis Space Center to the Keesler Air Force base. The Office of Personnel Management, a human resources agency for the federal government, emailed the offer last month and said workers could reply with the word "resign" and be paid through September. Employees can accept the offer until Thursday. The Office of Personnel Management said military personnel, postal workers and people in immigration enforcement and national security jobs would not receive the offer. There are 17,126 federal government workers in South Mississippi and the Pine Belt, according to the Congressional Research Service. About 5 percent of employees in the Coast's congressional district work for the federal government. The area also has the largest share of federal workers in the state. That is because of two military bases: the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi and the Naval Construction Battalion Center, or Seabee base, in Gulfport. The resignation offer is also an "an ongoing option" for some at NASA's Stennis Space Center, said C. Lacy Thompson, the center's news chief. There are over 50 federal, state, academic, public and private aerospace, technology and research organizations at Stennis that employ over 5,000 people. |
| CIA Offers Buyout to Entire Workforce as Part of Trump Makeover | |
 | The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts to its entire workforce Tuesday, in what officials said is a bid to bring the agency in line with President Trump's priorities, including targeting drug cartels. The CIA appeared to be the first intelligence agency to tell its employees that they can quit their jobs and receive about eight months of pay and benefits as part of Trump's push to downsize the federal government. The offer last month made to most civilian federal agencies exempted some categories of federal workers, including those with national security roles. The agency is also freezing the hiring of job seekers already given a conditional offer, an aide to CIA Director John Ratcliffe said. Some are likely to be rescinded if the applicants don't have the right background for the agency's new goals, which also include Trump's trade war and undermining China, the aide said. Trump administration officials have said the offers are also meant to signal to those who oppose Trump's agenda to find work elsewhere. Ratcliffe told the White House to extend the same buyout package to the CIA, the aide said, believing it would pave the way for a more aggressive spy agency. In his confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe promised to launch more hard-edge spying operations and covert action, naming drug cartels and China as key adversaries. "To the brave CIA officers listening around the world, if all of that sounds like what you signed up for, then buckle up and get ready to make a difference," he told lawmakers last month. "If it doesn't then it's time to find a new line of work." |
| In major policy shift, Trump says the US should take over Gaza and does not rule out using US troops | |
 | President Donald Trump, proposing a major shift in Middle East policy, called for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate roughly two million Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries. His goal, he said, is to turn the war-ravaged enclave into the "Riviera of the Middle East." The statement escalates a proposal he made a week ago, when Trump said he wanted to "clean out" the seaside enclave and send all its residents to Egypt and Jordan. ''We'll own it," Trump said in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first White House meeting. "Level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area." The extraordinary announcement upends decades of U.S. policy toward the Middle East. It is likely to enrage Palestinian leaders and Arab nations. Trump did not rule out U.S troops in Gaza to secure the territory. Once rebuilt, Trump said Gaza could be repopulated with "the world's people," including Palestinians. Mike Duran, the senior director for Near East and North African affairs at the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush, said he'd never heard anyone talk about the U.S. taking over Gaza before. "It was the last thing that I expected from Donald Trump," Duran said. "He represents, in many ways, a desire to get the United States less involved in places like the Middle East." |
| Pronouns Are Being Forcibly Removed From Government Email Signatures | |
 | Following a White House edict effectively banning federal employees from disclosing their personal pronouns in email signatures, sources within multiple federal agencies say pronouns are now being systemically blocked across multiple email clients and other software. WIRED confirmed various automated efforts with employees at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the General Services Administration (GSA), the US Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The employees spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity, citing fears of retaliation. Multiple agency directors sent emails over the weekend telling staff that, due to President Donald Trump's executive order, their offices would be removing the pronoun capability from Office 365. Employees were told they'd also need to remove pronouns from their email signatures in order to comply with the directive. Reached for comment, the White House transferred WIRED to OPM communications director McLaurine Pinover, who pointed to January 29 memorandum ordering agencies to disable all features "that prompt users for their pronouns." |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announces 5 major appointments | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announced multiple appointments to various positions across state government on Tuesday afternoon. The appointments include: Amy Bland Arrington, of Hattiesburg, for an open position on the Board of Trustees of the Institutions of Higher Learning. She would represent the Second Supreme Court District, a seat left open by the death of former Board member Jeanne Luckey. "I'm proud to make these appointments," Reeves said in a press release. "I know these individuals have what it takes to help make our state even better. Thanks to all of the appointees for stepping up to serve in these important roles. I look forward to seeing the good things they will accomplish on behalf of Mississippians." All five nominees have been submitted to the Mississippi Senate for confirmation. |
| Senate bill banning DEI offices on Mississippi college campuses passes committee | |
 | If passed by the Mississippi Senate, a recently introduced bill would eliminate DEI offices on Mississippi public university and college campuses and establish a "Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force" designed to limit any other DEI efforts. The Universities and Colleges Committee passed the bill with substitutions Monday afternoon. Senate bill 2515, authored by Universities and Colleges Chairwoman Sen. Nichole Boyd, would prevent Mississippi institutions from creating DEI offices or maintaining existing offices unless required by federal law. The bill also prevents institutions from giving "preference on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation to an applicant for employment, or awarding a contract at the institution or college." The bill would also prevent penalizing any student or employee "on the basis of their refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, act upon or otherwise assent to a diversity equity or inclusion concept." The Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force established under this bill would enforce the proposed rules as well as collect data related to enrollment and graduation rates. This task force would then work with the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning to "evaluate successful strategies for addressing challenges in efficiency and enrollment in the Mississippi university system and across the nation." Critics of DEI offices say the diversity efforts hinder enrollment. |
| U. of Mississippi Medical Center's new Ridgeland campus now welcoming patients | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center has officially expanded its operations with a new footprint in Madison County. Officials with the state's largest hospital system announced on Monday that the new Colony Park South location in Ridgeland has begun welcoming patients. In addition, a total of 20 specialty clinics will be opening within the facility over the course of the next month. With this additional location, UMMC is looking to expand its patient care and academic programs. "This expansion of our services will benefit all patients, our faculty, and learners," Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs, said. Colony Park South will house several UMMC ambulatory clinics, including surgical services (acute care, cardiac, general, plastic, surgical oncology, urology, and thoracic), allergy/immunology, gastroenterology, genetics, geriatrics, internal medicine, neurology, radiology, orthopedics, travel clinic, and physical and occupational therapies. Colony Park North, another phase of UMMC's Madison County expansion, is scheduled to open in 2026. |
| Southern Miss launches AI, cybersecurity research hub to amplify student opportunity | |
| A new student hub for computing research -- centered around artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity -- is now in action at The University of Southern Mississippi courtesy of a foundation grant. The Computing Research Hub at Southern Miss recently received a $32,000 grant from the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation, part of a larger grant wave that is also funding 16 other projects across the Hattiesburg campus. Last year, the Payne Foundation, whose late namesake Jim Payne was a Southern Miss alumnus and extensive booster, made grants totaling $502,689 through the USM Foundation to support 17 projects across all four academic colleges at the university. The funding will allow The Computing Research Hub to build out an array of research-focused, community-centered resources designed to "transform the learning experience of undergraduate and graduate students" in the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering. "Our mission is to empower students to explore ideas, innovate, and lead in the ever-evolving technology landscape," director of the research hub and School of CSCE professor Dr. Nick Rahimi said. |
| Belhaven University: Angie Thomas Surprises Aspiring Writer with a Full Ride Scholarship in a Heartfelt Moment | |
| Renowned author Angie Thomas surprised high school senior and aspiring writer Owen Jarvis with a full-ride scholarship to her alma mater, Belhaven University. The emotional moment was recorded during a Zoom call on Wednesday, January 22. Named in honor of best-selling author and Belhaven alumna, the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship covers tuition, room, and board at the university. The scholarship was created by Belhaven University to help young aspiring writers who need extra support to make their dreams of authorship a reality. Jarvis, from Pelham, Alabama, believed he was in the final round of interviews when Thomas appeared on screen with good news. "I was blown away -- it was quite the ambush," said Jarvis. Thomas is the author of New York Times best-selling novels "Concrete Rose," "On the Come Up," "The Hate U Give," and "Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy." "The Hate U Give" and "On the Come Up" were both developed into major motion pictures. |
| Appeals court blocks order requiring LSU reinstate law professor who criticized Jeff Landry | |
 | A state appeals court has overturned part of a district court order that would have required LSU to reinstate a professor it suspended after he used vulgar language to criticize Gov. Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump. LSU last month suspended Ken Levy, a tenured law professor, saying it was investigating "student complaints of inappropriate, vulgar, and harassing statements." Levy sued, arguing LSU was interfering with his free speech and due process rights, and a district court judge ordered LSU to return him to a classroom while the legal battle plays out. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal agreed with LSU that it was premature to force the university to reinstate Levy. But from LSU's perspective, the fact that the appeals court threw out a mandate to return Levy to his teaching duties is what matters most, said Jimmy Faircloth Jr., an attorney retained to represent LSU in the case. "He's been suspended for valid reasons," said Faircloth. "Our position is LSU has handled this appropriately and continues to handle it appropriately." |
| Parents, potential students upset over changes to UF's Innovation Academy program | |
 | The University of Florida's Innovation Academy (IA) is facing backlash from parents after abruptly changing its program structure, leaving many future Gators feeling blindsided. Applicants who had signed up with the expectation of living on campus and starting the program in fall 2025 were recently informed that they will now have to begin their college journey in spring 2026, following UF's decision to revert to IA's original design -- a move made after the application process and during the screening process. Many had planned their college experience around a traditional fall start, eager to participate in hallmark activities like rushing for fraternities and sororities, living in on-campus dorms, and cheering at UF football games. Parents and students shared their concerns anonymously with The Sun out of concern their statements might be used to blackball applicants of the program. "Maybe this is legal, but it's certainly not ethical," said one applicant. "Since students have already submitted their applications to IA and can't switch to apply for general admission to the school, this seems wholly unfair." |
| Texas lawmaker proposes defunding colleges with LGBTQ+ studies, blacklisting professors | |
| A Republican Texas lawmaker wants to defund all public universities in the state that offer LGBTQ+ studies and create a blacklist of professors who continue to teach the subject. State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, filed House Bill 2339 on Feb. 3. It would bar public higher education institutions in Texas from offering a certificate or degree program in LGBTQ+ studies or "diversity, equity and inclusion." This includes both majors and minors. If a school does not comply with the law, it will lose all state funding. Students forced to take a LGBTQ+ studies or DEI course can sue their university for injunctive or declaratory relief, which does not involve monetary compensation. The law also requires all certificates and degree programs at public universities to deny the existence of transgender people. The state representative was also involved in his alma mater Texas A&M University's decision to eliminate its LGBTQ+ studies minor last year. In November, the board of regents unanimously voted to eliminate 52 minors and certificates from Texas A&M's flagship College Station campus, including its LGBTQ+ studies minor. Both faculty members and university president Mark Welsh objected to the decision. |
| Texas A&M goes nuclear by partnering with four companies to build SMRs at RELLIS | |
 | The state of Texas has a long history of being on the cutting edge of energy, and the Texas A&M University System has played an important role in shaping that history. If the future of energy in Texas is nuclear, then Texas A&M wants to help craft that future. On Tuesday, the A&M System announced that it would offer land on the RELLIS campus to four companies to build small modular reactors (SMRs) on an area of campus dubbed the "Energy Proving Ground." The location is expected to advance nuclear innovation in Texas and provide an opportunity for collaboration between the SMR industry and Texas A&M faculty, researchers and students. The Energy Proving Ground at RELLIS will be unique not only in Texas but also in the rest of the United States. "This idea came to me from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Both of them have very strong feelings about the importance of nuclear power," Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said during a press conference Tuesday. "We have a state that is growing by leaps and bounds. We need more power and we believe that SMRs, in particular, and nuclear power have to be part of the answer." |
| Oklahoma State University President Dr. Kayse Shrum resigns from position | |
| The Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents accepted the resignation of President Kayse Shrum, effective February 3. The board released a statement thanking Dr. Shrum for her leadership and contributions to the university. "We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Shrum for her dedicated leadership, unwavering commitment to students, and significant contributions to the OSU System," the statement said. "Dr. Shrum has led with passion and vision, championing key initiatives in academics, research, and innovation while advancing OSU's land-grant mission." Under Dr. Shrum's leadership, OSU saw record enrollment, improved student retention rates, increased research funding, and stronger philanthropic support, positioning the university for future success. The statement also highlighted her efforts to stabilize the Big 12 Conference during a period of disruption, ensuring OSU's athletic programs remained competitive. "OSU has strengthened its impact in healthcare and STEM education while expanding access to higher education," the statement continued. "Ensuring that students of all backgrounds had opportunities and a home at OSU." The board will begin the search for a new president and will provide updates as the process moves forward. |
| Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs | |
| One of the United States' leading funders of science and engineering research is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months, a top National Science Foundation official said Tuesday. The comments by Assistant Director Susan Margulies came at an all-hands meeting of the NSF's Engineering Directorate, according to two program managers who attended. Marguiles, NSF and the White House didn't respond to detailed questions about the layoffs and their potential implications. "A large-scale reduction, in response to the President's workforce executive orders, is already happening," a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management said in an email. "The government is restructuring, and unfortunately, many employees will later realize they missed a valuable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the deferred resignation offer." The NSF announcement comes amid reports of planned layoffs at the General Services Administration and with a Thursday deadline looming for federal workers to accept buyouts from the Trump administration that some former government officials have warned are legally dubious. But if the White House and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency are serious about slashing NSF, the result would be catastrophic, the same program manager warned. Cutting the $10 billion grantmaking agency in half would "gut the intellectual center of U.S. leadership in science and technology," the official said. |
| Hegseth Moves to End Race-Based Admissions at Military Academies | |
 | Newly confirmed U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth issued a memo Jan. 29 ordering the Department of Defense to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and offices -- including race-conscious admissions at military academies. The memo establishes a task force "charged with overseeing the department's efforts to abolish DEI offices" and specifically prohibits "sex-based, race-based or ethnicity-based goals for academic admission" within the department, which oversees military academies. Hegseth wrote that he's enforcing an executive order issued by President Trump instructing military academy leaders to eliminate DEI initiatives. When the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2023's Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill, the justices explicitly made an exception for the military academies. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the institutions, which train the military officer corps, may have "potentially distinct interests" when it comes to admissions and that diversity in the armed forces may be a national security prerogative. It is unclear if Hegseth's order to eliminate race-based "quotas" in admissions would prohibit military academies from considering race at all when reviewing applications. |
| 'Enough': Campus Diversity Advocates Sue Over Trump's Anti-DEI Orders | |
 | President Trump overstepped his authority in trying to stamp out diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts with "unconstitutionally vague" executive orders that seek to roll back decades of civil-rights progress and silence those those who disagree with him, a lawsuit filed Monday states. The lawsuit is higher education's first major attempt to push back against a deluge of executive actions in the first weeks of Trump's tenure. Paulette Granberry Russell, president and chief executive of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, said she understands why many colleges are preemptively shutting down programs and erasing references to diversity from their websites. But, she added in an interview on Tuesday, "As frightening as it feels right now, there's a point at which you have to say 'enough.'" The plaintiffs, including the diversity officers' association, known as NADOHE, and the American Association of University Professors, said Trump had failed to define terms such as DEI, equity, and "illegal DEIA," that he wants to eliminate. Colleges are left wondering "whether, and for how long, they can rely on the federal funding that Congress appropriated using its exclusive power of the purse," the lawsuit states. Nothing in the U.S. Constitution gives the president or the executive branch the power to dictate government spending, the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, argues. Trump's order also rescinded the decades-old executive order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson requiring colleges to adopt fair-hiring practices, known as equal employment opportunity. |
| Higher Ed Fights Back Against Trump's DEI Order | |
| College professors and university diversity officers are teaming up with nonprofits and local governments to challenge President Trump's executive orders that target diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, higher education and the private sector. Those orders, they argue, violate the U.S. Constitution and have already caused much uncertainty on college campuses. The American Association of University Professors, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and other groups argue in a lawsuit filed Monday that the orders exceed executive legal authority, violate both the First and Fifth Amendments, and threaten academic freedom and access to higher education for all. AAUP president Todd Wolfson said the association is committed to fighting for a higher education system that's accessible to all, regardless of background. He went on to describe Trump's orders as "destructive" and said that eliminating DEI at public institutions would threaten the democratic purpose of higher ed. But Tyler Coward, lead counsel for government affairs at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a First Amendment advocacy group, isn't so sure. He said in an email statement that Trump's executive orders on DEI "appear to avoid running afoul of the First Amendment," but in a more detailed analysis memo, FIRE warns that "implementation should proceed carefully." Neither Coward nor the foundation at large, however, commented on the lawsuit's standing as far as violations of the Fifth Amendment or the separation of powers. |
| Musk Team Scrutinizes Education Department Operations | |
 | Officials with the Education Department told employees in the civil rights office on Tuesday that Elon Musk's cost-cutting team was scrutinizing the department's operations, which could lead to further staff reductions. In an all-hands call with the employees in the department's Office of Civil Rights on Tuesday, Craig Trainor, the office's acting assistant secretary, signaled that the moves were part of a broader effort by Mr. Musk, the world's richest man, to reshape the federal government. The Musk team's presence at the Education Department is the latest sign of the billionaire's expanding government influence, which already stretches into more than half a dozen agencies. His allies have gained access to closely held financial and data systems and helped rapidly dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development in the last week. The Musk team's engagement came as the White House has been discussing the possibility of issuing an executive order to effectively shut down the Education Department, according to people familiar with the conversations. Within the civil rights office, staff were bereft, according to two people who attended the meeting and spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Even though the group had anticipated the changes, one person said, hearing them laid out in such stark detail was upsetting. In the past week, staff members who had recently been hired were told to expect to lose their jobs, according to several people across the department. |
| In Trump's quest to close the Education Department, Congress and his own agenda may get in the way | |
 | President Donald Trump is preparing to gut the U.S. Education Department to the full extent of his power, directing his administration to slash spending while pressuring employees to quit. Yet his promise to close the department is colliding with another reality: Most of its spending -- and its very existence -- is ordered by Congress. An executive order in preparation by the White House appears to recognize the limits of the president's power. The planned order would direct his education chief to start winding down the agency but urge Congress to pass a measure abolishing it, according to sources familiar with the plan. Trump has yet to sign such an order. But at a White House press conference Tuesday, Trump quipped about the first task for Linda McMahon, his nominee for education secretary. "I want Linda to put herself out of a job," Trump said. Trump is expected to give his education chief a deadline to deliver a plan for the agency's winddown. Yet even some of his allies question how far he can go without Congress. Some of the department's most significant programs are required by federal legislation, including Title I money for low-income schools and federal student loans. What's more, Trump's quest to shut down the department could be complicated by his own agenda. Already, he has created new work for the department, including plans to promote "patriotic" education and efforts to go after schools that teach controversial lessons on race and gender. The agency also has opened new investigations into colleges, after Trump ordered a crackdown on campus antisemitism. |
| How do President Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China impact Mississippi? | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: In a move his administration says is aimed at impeding the flow of illegal immigration and fentanyl, President Donald Trump on Feb. 1 announced the imposition of tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico -- some of the nation's top trading partners. Those countries are also some of Mississippi's leading trading partners. The new tariffs are to take effect on Feb. 4. Trump set a 25% tariff on the import of products from neighboring Canada and Mexico while putting a 10% tariff on the import of products from China. Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff. The announcement of the U.S. tariffs set off swift threats of reprisals from both Canada and Mexico. The White House reported clauses in the U.S. tariffs that allow U.S. tariff increases if there are reprisals from the impacted nations that are almost certain to happen. Mexico, the nation's largest trading partner, accounts for 16% of U.S. trade while Canada represents 14% and China 11%, according to U.S. government sources. Those imports represent over $1 trillion in goods. So how does President Trump's new tariffs impact Mississippi's trade? |
SPORTS
| 1 on 1 with Mississippi State senior forward Cameron Matthews | |
| Cameron Matthews has already had a successful career at Mississippi State and there's still a lot left to accomplish for the Bulldog senior forward. Currently in his fifth season in Starkville, Matthews has helped the program reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments with sights set on a third straight trip this March. There's also been several individual accolades along the way for the Olive Branch native. But for Matthews, he's always carried a team-first attitude on and off the court. Entering this weekend, Matthews is averaging 7.5 points a game and ranks second on the team with 6.9 rebounds a game. He continues to add to his school-record of 247 career steals and currently leads the team with 85 assists. Recently, Maroon and White Daily spoke with Matthews 1 on 1 about his tenure at State and other topics. |
| Softball Set To Appear On National TV Seven Times In 2025 | |
| Mississippi State softball will be featured on SEC Network seven times this spring. All of the Bulldogs' home games as well as their remaining SEC games will air on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs' nationally televised tenure begins with the final two games of their SEC opening weekend. The Sunday and Monday games of the Auburn series at Nusz Park will be broadcast by SEC Network. First pitch on March 9 is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, and March 10 game will begin at 7 p.m. State will have four road contests on the league network beginning with the Bulldogs' series opener at Tennessee on April 4. The first two games of that series will be broadcast on SEC Network with Friday's first pitch at 5 p.m. and Saturday's at 3 p.m. Additionally, the second game of Mississippi State's Oklahoma series will be broadcast nationally on April 19 at 1 p.m., and the middle game of the series at Kentucky will air on April 25 at 5 p.m. Wrapping up the televised slate, Mississippi State will host in-state rival Ole Miss during Super Bulldog Weekend for its final regular-season series. The final day of the regular season will see the rivalry take center stage on SEC Network at 5 p.m. on May 3. |
| The Dispatch's complete Mississippi State softball 2025 season preview | |
| Sierra Sacco had homered just once in her first season at Mississippi State when she stepped into the batter's box to face Stanford's NiJaree Canady, the best pitcher in college softball, in the fourth inning of an NCAA regional winners' bracket game last May. A transfer from Louisiana Tech, Sacco came to Starkville as a slapper, a left-handed hitter who would beat balls into the ground and use her speed to leg out infield hits. But this time, she turned on the first pitch from Canady, an off-speed pitch that caught too much of the plate, and launched it over the center-field fence to put the Bulldogs on the board. As Sacco enters her senior season, she has decided to change her approach and will hit away rather than slap most of the time. She batted .347 in 2024, but just 11 of her 52 hits went for extra bases. "Slapping only works so well at this level," Sacco said. "The more you hit ground balls and the more you hit it to the shortstop, the more outs you make. So instead of me betting on shortstops making a bad decision or trying to hit it past one player, I want to work on hitting it past all eight players." The first pitcher Sacco will face this year? It's likely to be Canady, who transferred to Texas Tech over the summer with a record NIL deal. No. 24 MSU opens the season Friday against the No. 13 Red Raiders at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, where the Bulldogs will also be challenged against No. 7 Duke, Penn State and No. 19 Nebraska. |
| Women's Golf: No. 10 Bulldogs Shoot Second-Lowest Tournament Score In Program History At PDI Intercollegiate, Finish Fourth | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs earned a fourth-place finish in the PDI Intercollegiate after shooting 23-under par throughout the duration of the tournament, which tied the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history. It is only the fifth time that the Bulldogs have shot 20-under or better in the past 12 seasons. The Bulldogs improved their play each round in Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando. After opening the tournament with a 5-under first round, they followed it up with a 7-under round on the second day. State concluded the tournament shooting 11-under in the final round, which tied the second-best third round score and sixth-lowest single round in program history. State had many golfers excel throughout the PDI Intercollegiate. However, one Bulldog stood out among the others: Izzy Pellot. The junior from Orlando returned to her hometown on fire, as she shot 9-under during the tournament, the lowest score in three seasons of collegiate golf. She earned career-best third place finish. Pellot was under par in all three rounds, which was the first time in her career that she had done such. Ana Pina Ortega had a career-best tournament as well. The Bulldogs will be back in action on when they travel to Houston, Texas for The Chevron Collegiate. The two-day tournament is set to begin on Monday, February 24. |
| Baseball: Hunter Hines Named Preseason All-SEC | |
| Mississippi State's Hunter Hines has earned First Team Preseason All-SEC honors at First Base as voted on by the league's coaches, the conference announced on Wednesday. A senior from Madison, Miss., Hines was named to the 2024 Charlottesville All-Regional Team at first base. In his third season in the Maroon and White, Hines started and played 63 games at first base. He finished second on the team with 16 home runs, his third straight season with 15 or more home runs. Hines drove in 56 runs, the second most on the team, and posted a .257 batting average. During the Charlottesville Regional, he hit .438 with one home run and seven RBIs. During the 2023 season, Hines hit 22 home runs and was the first Diamond Dawg since Brent Rooker in 2017 to hit 20 or more homers in a single season. The 22 home runs during the 2023 season were the sixth most in a single season. He was a First Team All-SEC DH following the season and was a Ferriss Trophy Finalist. He finished hitting .297 on the season with 61 RBIs. The 2025 season gets underway on Feb. 14 when the Diamond Dawgs host Manhattan in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. |
| Hopson hired as Starkville High School athletic director | |
 | A new era of Starkville High School Athletics is now underway. The Starkville Daily News confirmed with Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee that the school has hired a new athletic director. Longtime college football coach Jay Hopson is taking over as the Yellow Jacket athletic director. The hire by McGee cap a successful two-year stint by the superintendent as sitting athletic director. Following the exit of Greg Owen who left for the same position at Starkville Academy, McGee ran the department to great success. Hopson, 56, was approved by the SOCSD board last week and the Mississippi Department of Education has also signed off on the hire. He is expected to join the department in the coming days. Hopson comes to Starkville after spending over 30 years in collegiate football. "We're excited about having Jay Hopson as the new director of athletics and student activities here in Starkville," Dr. McGee told The SDN. "He has a wealth of experience at the athletic level around the state and nation and I'm excited about what he brings to the table. "Coach Hopson coached in Starkville at Mississippi State several years ago and has always had a connection to our area. He loves Starkville and has an affinity for this area with his wife teaching at Sudduth Elementary recently and their family loves it here. He's capable of handling budgets and personnel and brings so much to the position." |
| Starkville hires former Southern Miss, Alcorn football coach Jay Hopson as athletic director: Report | |
| Starkville High School has hired former Southern Miss and Alcorn State football coach Jay Hopson as the school's athletic director, according to a social media post from the Starkville Daily News' Robbie Faulk on Tuesday. Hopson, 56, is a Vicksburg native and Ole Miss and Delta State alumnus. He has coached at 12 Division I schools as an assistant or head coach. Hopson's most recent head coaching job was at Southern Miss from 2016-20 and most recently was cornerbacks coach at South Alabama. Hopson has been defensive analyst and director of high school relations at Mississippi State and running back coach at Ole Miss. Before Southern Miss, Hopson took his first head coaching role at Alcorn State from 2012-15, where he was the first white head coach in the SWAC. He led the Braves to two SWAC titles and claimed the 2014 Black college football national championship. One of Hopson's current tasks is filling Starkville's football coaching position after former coach Chris Jones took over at Hinds College in December. |
| Report: NCAA considering rule change to end fake injury crisis in college football | |
| The NCAA rules committee is reportedly considering an idea to have injured players sit out a full drive, in an effort to stop the fake injury. According to Chris Vannini of the The Athletic, this would apply to all players except quarterbacks. This comes on the heels of coaches discussing a similar rule change based on a report from Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger in January. "There's a push by the stakeholders in the game saying, on feigning injuries, something must be done," Steve Shaw, national coordinator of officials and committee rules editor, told The Athletic and Vannini. "We can't kick the can down the road once again." The reason why quarterbacks and potentially "the green dot players" could be exempt from this injury rule, is the drastic effect on the game. At the start of November, the SEC announced it would begin implementing punishments for faking injuries. This was a move that Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said he was happy about. "I'm glad," Kiffin said. "I know some people say, okay, that sounds weird coming from me. We're a tempo offense. I've been saying this for years, okay, that faking an injury hurts us more than anybody -- us and Tennessee -- probably more than anybody in America." Earlier in the season, broadcaster Sean McDonough pointed out that one of the Ole Miss players went to the ground in an SEC matchup against Kentucky, seemingly faking an injury. However, rules analyst Matt Austin said there was no rule specifically against such a move at the time. |
| Texas A&M Regents to vote on making new baseball player development center its own project | |
| The Texas A&M Board of Regents are slated to vote Thursday on making a new baseball player development center at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park its own $28.3 million project with a Fiscal Year 2025 start date. To do so at their quarterly meeting, regents would have to amend the A&M System's FY 2025-29 Capital Plan to include the project. The A&M System's FY 2025-29 Capital Plan already includes $80 million for an Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park renovation project with a start date of FY 2026. A&M officials have now requested the new player development center to become its own project. The baseball player development center project will be discussed during the board's committee on buildings and physical plant meeting and during open session on Thursday afternoon at the Memorial Student Center's Bethancourt Ballroom. The proposed project would include new batting cages, a pitching lab, sports medicine facilities, strength and conditioning spaces, team meeting rooms, a home clubhouse and new player locker rooms. The project would also replace the current field lighting and playing field. The scope of the initial project proposed in November 2022 included premium seating renovations -- including the current club -- concourses, restrooms, additional reserved seating, and additional food service areas. The agenda noted the current scoreboard, located behind the left-field fence, might be relocated and the current fire lane would need an update to accommodate an increased stadium footprint. |
| 'Kirby Smart bill' aims to help Georgia football, other state programs with tax exemption | |
 | The sponsor of a Georgia Senate bill that would exempt college athletes from state income tax for compensation they make through NIL deals said he's "basically calling it the Kirby Smart bill." Brandon Beach, a Republican who represents Senate District 21 that includes north Fulton County and Cherokee County, said Georgia football and other state programs are at a recruiting disadvantage because players have to pay a 5.39% income tax on deals for their name, image and likeness. Georgia Senate Bill 71 was put in the finance committee Tuesday, Beach said, as it works its way through the legislative process. "Listen, recruiting is a very, very competitive sport," Beach told the Athens Banner-Herald on Tuesday. "When you're recruiting these five-star athletes, they all have agents and we're competing with Tennessee, Texas and Florida who have no state income tax. Eventually, we'll get there and we won't have a state income tax. I hope that happens, but until then we've got to get Kirby and these football coaches and basketball coaches, these coaches a tool in their toolbox to be able to compete." |
| What are next steps in NCAA's $2.8 billion settlement becoming reality? | |
| The deadline to formally object to a landmark settlement of antitrust cases facing the NCAA passed late last week with more than 35 filings to the court. Numerous challenges have been made to how $2.8 billion in damages is expected to be divvied up among claimants, proposed roster restrictions some say unfairly limits opportunities for college athletes and whether the deal violates Title IX. A hearing is scheduled for April 7 in Northern California, the day of the NCAA men's basketball championship game, and federal Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to issue a ruling this spring. The settlement also includes a revenue-sharing plan that will allow schools to start directly paying players next school year, with each school distributing as much as $20.5 million to its athletes. The NCAA and college conferences named in the lawsuits believe Wilken has already addressed most of the issues raised in objections, and are confident she will approve the settlement. "We don't think there's anything in the objections that hasn't been known about the settlement," Rakesh Kilaru, the NCAA's lead counsel who negotiated the settlement, said recently. "We don't think there's going to be anything that should give the judge reason to change her mind. The preliminary approval order, while preliminary, says she's likely to finally approve the settlement. That was after folks came in and raised concerns about Title IX, roster limits, general antitrust concerns." There are potential roadblocks though. |
| President Donald Trump to attend Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, NBC News reports | |
 | A White House official confirmed President Donald Trump will attend Super Bowl LIX Sunday in New Orleans, NBC News reported Tuesday, bringing even more prominence to an event that is expected to bring tens of thousands of fans, international media attention and a massive economic boost to the city. Trump will also do a pre-game sit-down interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, the network said. The big game will be Trump's first visit to New Orleans since he was sworn in for a second non-consecutive term Jan. 20. In June, he came for a campaign fundraiser at the home of of Louisiana business owner and major Republican fundraiser Boysie Bollinger, where he raised $5 million. In 2020, Trump attended the college football National Championship game in the Superdome, where LSU defeated Clemson. Presidential visits bring with them traffic disruptions caused by the motorcade and tight security. The area around the Superdome is already blanketed in law enforcement; after the attack, the federal government gave the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras the highest-possible security status for federal help. |
| Trump Order Set to Ban Transgender Girls and Women From Female School Sports | |
| President Trump is preparing to issue an executive order Wednesday effectively banning transgender girls and women from participating in female sports events in schools and colleges, fulfilling a promise that fueled his campaign for the White House. Trump will sign an order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" Wednesday afternoon, said people familiar with the matter, including a White House official and a member of Congress. Rep. Nancy Mace (R., S.C.) said Tuesday in a press release she plans to join the president as he issues the order. "This executive order restores fairness, upholds Title IX's original intent, and defends the rights of female athletes who have worked their whole lives to compete at the highest levels," Mace said in her press release, which also said that the signing coincides with the 39th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. It wasn't immediately clear exactly what the contents of the order would entail, but one option is for the president to direct the Education Department to interpret federal Title IX rules as barring the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports categories. People on different sides of the issue have anticipated that the department would then base its policies and future regulations around this interpretation, issuing guidance to schools to act accordingly -- and investigating alleged violations. "We're a national governing body and we follow federal law," NCAA President Charlie Baker told Republican senators in a series of contentious exchanges over the issue during a hearing in December. "Clarity on this issue at the federal level would be very helpful." |
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