| Wednesday, February 12, 2025 |
| MSU business students earn real-world chops in class | |
 | Last spring, a group of Mississippi State University's business students helped advise Taylor Logistics, a company based in Louisville, on ways to improve its operations. The recommendations were so good, the company began implementing them right away. This semester, students have a similar opportunity with Terra Delyssa, an olive oil company based in Tunisia where the student team will travel as part of the experience. In 2023-24, the College of Business offered 50 experiential learning opportunities in its curriculum, Dean Scott Grawe told the Rotary Club of Columbus Tuesday at Lion Hills Center. Bringing these opportunities in the classroom allows students to glean real-world business experience before graduating, he said. The courses benefit all students, especially those who do not have the opportunity to get summer internships as many of their peers do. "We build these courses around solving the problems for these companies," Grawe said. "We can create a course and solve problems with businesses, as long as we create the learning objectives to go along with it. ... We really want the bulldog business experience to mean something. Our goal is to become a leader in the country when it comes to experiential learning." |
| Spray Drone Service Provider, Mississippi State Announce Partnership to Advance AI and Autonomy | |
 | Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems, a Seneca, Kans., ag service provider focused on autonomous aerial and ground robotics, is forming a strategic partnership with the Agricultural Autonomy Institute (AAI) at Mississippi State University (MSU). The collaboration aims to advance R&D in farm machine automation by leveraging cutting-edge unmanned systems to enhance efficiency and sustainability. The partnership will focus on integrating advanced unmanned aerial and ground vehicle technologies with AI-driven precision farming solutions. Researchers and engineers from both organizations will work together in research teams to test and refine autonomous systems and applications of AI for crop monitoring, soil analysis and farm management applications. "The artificial intelligence (AI) we're working on is different from Generative AI; this is AI that lives on a machine and as that machine is going through the field it is able to make decisions," says Lukas Koch, CEO, Kelly Hills. "That is one of several items that Kelly Hills and AAI are excited to team up on. We're giving them access to our technology and in return we're able to collaborate with a great university that already has a keen focus on autonomy." Back in October, AAI-MSU and John Deere announced the formation of a master research agreement to work together to "move agricultural automomy forward." |
| Student Association spring elections: key dates and how to participate | |
| As Mississippi State University kicks off its Student Association election week, students are being encouraged to vote for the next SA executive council and senators. Voting will take place on Feb. 18 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Cowbell Connect. Current SA President Carson McFatridge, a senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, and Vice President Lucy Mellen, a senior geoscience major, emphasized the significance of student participation in the election. "It is really encouraging that more people are willing to take this step towards leadership in the SA and for the student body," Mellen said. McFatridge talked about the importance of election leaders who will advocate on behalf of the student body. "You are truly electing people to serve you," McFatridge said. "These people will not only bring activities and events and ideas to campus but are also representing you." This year marks the first time in the three-year history of the ticket system that more than two tickets are competing, with four different tickets vying for the presidential and vice-presidential positions. Active campaigning begins on Thursday, with candidates being allowed to campaign with voters directly on the Drill Field. That evening, at 7 p.m. in Taylor Auditorium, the executive candidate debate will take place, allowing students to hear directly from each ticket about their vision for their possible administration. |
| Comprehensive plan in works for Oktibbeha | |
| County supervisors are calling public meetings to draft a new comprehensive plan, giving residents a chance to shape the direction of their county for years to come. Nathan Willingham, owner of Oxford-based urban planning firm Slaughter and Willingham, told The Dispatch on Tuesday his firm has been laying the groundwork for a new comprehensive plan since May 2024, researching the county's demographics and interviewing local stakeholders. Now, the firm is reaching out to the public, inviting residents, business owners and anyone else who's interested to hear what it found and say what their priorities are as Oktibbeha grows. "We want to share the knowledge we've gained with the public, and it also gives us a chance to validate that approach," Willingham said. "(We want to) make sure the plan has feedback from members of the public, that it's not just something spun out of thin air from an urban planning consulting group. This is Oktibbeha County's comprehensive plan, and it should have involvement from all interested parties." The public meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Belaire Fire Station at 15052 Hwy. 182 and at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Sturgis Fire Station at 137 Montgomery St. |
| MTA conference brings in an estimated $458K of revenue to Meridian, Visit Meridian details the importance of hosting conferences | |
 | The city of Meridian is becoming a major player when it comes to hosting conferences in the Magnolia state. You might think, why would this matter? Well, when you have a major company that has a conference, it brings in people from out of town, meaning more tax dollars and a way to show off what Meridian offers visitors. In January, the city played host to the Mississippi Theater Association, which brought in over 1,000 participants. This alone brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. And this money could go to fixing roads, bettering the education system, and revitalizing the historic downtown. "The estimated was 1000 visitors, so with the estimated 1000 visitors, it was over $458,000 impact on our community. This is big for us. We want to continue it. We want to make it grow. We want to watch it, you know, grow. So you'll be seeing a lot more of us in our efforts to attract those people here to Meridian," said Visit Meridian's Laura Carmichael. Meridian alone has dozens of places to host a conference, like The Riley Center, The Copeland Center, The Max, The Frank Cochran Center, the Soule Steam Feed Works Museum, and so many more. |
| Business of brewing in Mississippi. What is the forecast as big beer tumbles nationwide? | |
 | Nationally, the alcohol industry has been coping with slumping sales on the heels of a pandemic-era boom. Across the board, inflation has raised alcohol prices by roughly 15% since the start of 2020, according to federal data. There are also fears within the industry that prices could climb even higher. And after the recent surgeon general's report that directly linked alcohol to many health problems, including cancer, the business of beer and other alcohol has taken its lumps. In Mississippi, however, craft brewing businesses are still flowing well and owners say the key to the future is being smart in the present. Conner Reeves, co-founder of Fertile Ground Beer Company in Jackson, said that life in the beer business in Mississippi is going well. His brewery located at the Belhaven Town Center in Jackson, has had lots of success since opening in 2022. The brewery has been providing beers on draft and in cans at retailers throughout Central Mississippi for the past two years. The business has been going so well, Reeves said they had to build more tanks are their current location to handle the volume of business they are doing. "Beer has been around for a long time, and I don't think it is going away any time soon," Reeves told the Clarion Ledger. "And yes, people are being more health conscious, but people still want to have a beer. I don't think that is going to change." |
| Largest lottery jackpot in Mississippi just hit. Here's the payoff, where ticket was sold | |
 | Monday was a lucky day for a Mississippi Powerball player who won the largest jackpot in the state's history. Mississippi Lottery Corp. announced Tuesday the ticket was purchased at Petal Food Mart in Petal, near Hattiesburg. The winner matched all five Double Play white balls plus the Double Play Powerball in the drawing Monday night. Besides being the largest Mississippi Lottery win, it's the fifth Double Play jackpot winner of the game ever. "Not only do we have our first Powerball Double Play top-prize winner, but this is also the largest lottery win in our state lottery's history. It's an exciting day for players and retailers," said Jeff Hewitt, president of Mississippi Lottery. The Powerball Double Play feature launched nationwide Aug. 23, 2021, and Mississippi Lottery launched the Double Play feature in September 2023. The biggest lottery jackpot in South Mississippi is the $2 million a Gautier woman won in June 2020 in the Mega Millions drawing. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, told the lottery commission she chose her own numbers and played the Megaplier. For an extra $1, her winning ticket was doubled to $2 million with the multiplier. She purchased the winning ticket at Jerry Lee's Grocery in Gautier. The store now is Ramey's Marketplace. |
| Ask The Dispatch: What do local governments want from the legislature this year? | |
| With this year's state legislative session well underway, local government agencies have either formed or are finalizing their wish lists for state funding. The legislature each year designates money for local projects through direct appropriation or through a bond bill. This funding has helped build infrastructure and facilities all over the state. In other cases, local governments ask legislators to approve a local and private tax. Or they simply ask for lawmakers to support their position on a certain issue or bill. Starkville did not approve a new legislative priorities resolution for this session, Mayor Lynn Spruill told The Dispatch, instead continuing lobbying efforts to fund things like watershed improvements and future phases of its Main Street Redesign project. Oktibbeha County has not yet set its priorities, though board of supervisors attorney Rob Roberson said it may request money for a fire truck, roadwork and sewer upgrades. But Roberson, District 43 state representative and chair for the House Education Committee, said his primary focus is landing funds for a new Starkville High School build. |
| Early voting legislation again passes the Senate, drawing criticism from Governor Reeves | |
| For the second consecutive year, the Mississippi Senate has passed an early voting bill authored by State Senator Jeremy England (R) that would allow no excuse, 15-day voting prior to an election day. England's bill -- SB 2654 -- is similar to the legislation he filed in 2024 which passed the Senate by a vote of 44 to 8 but ultimately died in the House. On Tuesday, the legislation passed the chamber by a vote of 39-12. The legislation would eliminate the need for in-person absentee voting, which currently requires a lawful reason, or excuse, to be eligible to cast a ballot absentee. However, mail-in absentee voting would still be accessible under England's bill. Senator England told his colleagues that Mississippi was one of only three states without early voting. He said not having it is causing confusion and frustration in elections as it becomes more prevalent across the nation. As for election integrity, England said the legislation goes to the heart of the matter as it means votes are more secure and able to be counted quicker on election night. Following the vote, Governor Tate Reeves (R) took issue with the Senate bill, more specifically with England, saying every Republican Elections Chairman before him had killed this "terrible idea." England responded to the Governor's comments by saying, "I don't care if you're Governor. You won't bully me. And you're just plain wrong on this one." |
| Court-ordered redistricting will require do-over legislative elections this year | |
| Five House seats will be re-decided in a November special election, pending court approval, under a resolution the House approved to comply with a federal court order. Even though voters just elected members of the Legislature in 2023, the races will be held again because a three-judge federal panel determined last year that the Legislature did not create enough Black-majority districts when it redrew its districts. The panel ordered the state to redraw the districts and create a new majority-Black district in north Mississippi's Chickasaw County. House Elections Chairman Noah Sanford, R-Collins, told House members he believes the new map complies with the federal Voting Rights Act and will allow Black voters in Chickasaw County to elect a candidate of their choice. "I tried to keep the number of members affected minimal," Sanford said. The House plan does not require incumbent legislators to run against each other. The main change in the new map is that it makes the District 22 seat in Chickasaw County, currently held by Republican Rep. Jon Lancaster of Houston, who is white and a majority-Black voter district. |
| Inflation rose in January as prices for groceries and housing picked up | |
 | Inflation heated up more than expected in January, as prices for groceries, housing and energy all picked up for Americans in early 2025, potentially complicating President Donald Trump's agenda. A key gauge of inflation -- the consumer price index -- showed Wednesday morning that prices rose by 3.0 percent in January from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department. That's hotter than the 2.9 percent annual gain reported in December, underscoring economic concerns of Americans who voted out incumbents in federal elections last fall. Stripping out volatile food and energy categories, so-called core inflation was also higher, growing by 3.3 percent for the year ending in January. Wednesday's data could strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to remain in an extended pause mode while the economy is strong and inflation remains elevated. This surge in prices comes at a time of heightened uncertainty about the economic outlook, with Trump promising a series of trade, immigration and spending policies that could rekindle inflation or stifle growth. "This is an unambiguously bad piece of news for everyone involved -- the administration, Trump and the Fed," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. |
| Republicans Try to Save USAID Food Program | |
 | One of the first efforts to restore a program run by the U.S. Agency for International Development has begun---and it is coming from Republicans. Congressional Republicans from farm states are trying to save a $1.8 billion U.S. food-aid program that purchases U.S.-grown food and is administered by USAID, which has been largely closed by the Trump administration in recent weeks. Legislation to be introduced Tuesday would preserve the Food for Peace program by transferring it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which currently funds it but doesn't run it. The bill's sponsors include GOP Reps. Tracey Mann of Kansas, Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Dan Newhouse of Washington, David Rouzer of North Carolina and House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson of Pennsylvania, along with Republican Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Hoeven of North Dakota. "By moving Food for Peace to USDA, the program can continue to equip American producers to serve hungry people while providing more transparency and efficiency as to how taxpayer dollars are stewarded," Mann said in a written statement Tuesday. The bill marks a rare effort from Republicans to defend a federal program targeted by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency as it has blitzed through USAID in an unprecedented effort to shrink the federal government. In 2022, American farmers provided more than 4 billion pounds of U.S.-grown grains, soybeans, lentils, rice and other commodity staples through the program, according to a congressional office. |
| USAID funding freeze to shutter Soybean Innovation Lab | |
| The director of the Soybean Innovation Lab says the Trump administration's decision to cease funding for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) projects will hurt soybean farmers. Peter Goldsmith says since 2013 the Soybean Innovation Lab has utilized USAID funding to not only bring modern soybean farming practices to Africa, but also processing demand for U.S.-grown beans. "It's about utilization." He says, "It's a great opportunity for U.S. farmers to export soybeans to the continent, but they can't export if there's no demand for their product. We are creating that demand so these processors know how to process soybean, are efficient with it, and can handle the product." Although based at the University of Illinois, several other institutions contribute to SIL, including Iowa State University, Mississippi State University and University of Missouri. Goldsmith tells Brownfield the loss of that funding means more than 100 soybean experts from 24 countries are now out of work. "We're losing, I think, the greatest force for the market in Africa, the last potential soybean market that could be." He says, "We've shown already that we are able to affect and grow that soybean market." He says that impact is measurable in soy's increasing African market share against palm oil. |
| USAID shutdown would halt research grants to state universities | |
| If the Trump administration succeeds in shutting down the federal United States Agency for International Development, known globally as USAID, state colleges and universities stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in annual research funding. For decades, USAID has turned to experts at state colleges and universities to help it improve agriculture, education and public health in foreign countries -- and in the process build goodwill toward the United States. Federal research grants such as the ones provided by USAID are an important component of the overall funding for state universities, which also rely on money allocated by state legislatures, tuition and endowments. "Grants from outside agencies like USAID allow us to seek and receive additional funding that, in turn, allows us to further advance our teaching, research and engagement central to our land grant mission," said Mark Owczarski, a spokesperson for Virginia Tech. Owczarski said Virginia Tech is "working to better understand what the long-term impact of these orders will be on the university." Many other public universities are grappling with the same uncertainty. ... last summer, Mississippi State University announced that USAID would extend a five-year grant and provide up to an additional $15 million for the university's efforts to help farmers and fishers in Africa and Asia better utilize aquatic food resources. |
| Senate GOP moves first in race to fulfill Trump's dreams | |
 | Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham says he's ready to "fire the starting gun" to turn President Donald Trump's policy ambitions into law, beginning with a Wednesday committee vote on a fiscal blueprint that would allow Republicans to pass party-line legislation to enact the president's domestic agenda. It's all track and field analogies these days on Capitol Hill, where the South Carolina Republican's panel is pressing ahead with plans to pass two proposals through the budget reconciliation process that will allow the GOP to try to sidestep a filibuster by Democrats. Graham is in competition with House GOP leaders who want to cram the party's energy, border and tax priorities into one bill. So far he is winning the race against his counterpart, House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington, in terms of speed and support. While Arrington, a Texas Republican, is preparing to mark up his chamber's budget resolution Thursday, his members have not yet signed off on a final product as they squabble over the scope and scale of the spending cuts necessary to offset their bill. It's still possible the House Budget vote slips to Friday or later. On Graham's committee across the Capitol, even the biggest deficit hawks have coalesced around his plan and are committed to voting for it. |
| House Republicans Release Blueprint for Tax Relief, Spending Cuts After Tense Talks | |
| House Republicans released on Wednesday the first blueprint for their "one big, beautiful bill" that would cut taxes, reduce spending and provide money for border enforcement. Lawmakers created that outline after weeks of tense internal meetings among their competing factions, and it isn't clear yet whether they satisfied everyone. That plan -- headed for a Budget Committee vote Thursday -- calls for a minimum of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over a decade and a maximum of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts from the Ways and Means Committee. It would also increase the federal debt limit by $4 trillion, likely enough to get through about two years. The plan also calls for $300 billion in new spending, likely for immigration enforcement and defense. The release of the plan came as Senate Republicans also claimed progress Wednesday in implementing President Trump's top priorities. But the House and Senate are still moving in different and incompatible directions, and they have to resolve that dispute before they can get anything significant to Trump's desk. "We've got to be working with our members, whipping the bill, doing other things, to get it passed on the floor," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) "That's never been an easy process in the past. This will be no different this year." |
| GOP lawmakers urge Trump to respect federal court rulings | |
 | Senate Republicans are urging President Trump to respect the rulings of federal judges who have blocked his executive actions to freeze spending on federal grants and loans, dismantle the U.S. Agency on International Development (USAID) and ban birthright citizenship. GOP lawmakers have been reluctant to criticize Trump's actions, fearing it could make them targets for primary challenges next year. But they are growing increasingly worried about the nation plunging into a constitutional crisis if Trump ignores court orders halting his most aggressive actions. "The White House should comply with court rulings. The Congress should comply," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. "We have a judicial system. If you don't like the ruling, you can appeal the ruling and you can follow that through. But we are a nation of laws and it is not necessarily for you or I to be the final arbiter here. This is why we entrust the judiciary with this responsibility," she said. Trump later Tuesday said he would abide by court rulings, and that he would appeal those with which he disagreed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday said the growing tensions between the White House and federal judges is a "nature give and take" between the branches but added that the president must respect the judiciary. |
| Are Trump's Attempts to Overhaul the Federal Workforce Legal? | |
| President Trump enjoys considerable power to reshape and shrink the federal workforce, but his administration's swift actions so far have raised legal questions about the outer bounds of his authority. Layoffs, targeted firings, buyouts and the removal of independent officials are constrained by a complex web of civil-service rules, federal laws and constitutional guarantees -- all of which will face legal tests in the coming months. Federal laws and regulations set rules for mass layoffs, known as a reduction in force, or RIF. Agencies can eliminate jobs in bulk, even whole divisions, because of budget constraints or as part of a bureaucratic reorganization. RIF regulations require 60 days advance notice of a layoff. And the layoffs can't be a pretext for replacing disfavored employees with other workers. "They have to abolish the job," said Kevin Owen, a lawyer who represents federal employees in civil-service and whistleblower litigation. Agencies are legally required to follow retention rules. Workers with longer tenures and good performance ratings and military veterans could have a better shot at keeping their jobs, and they can be entitled to reassignment elsewhere in the agency by bumping someone else lower down the retention-rating scale. Trump in a Day 1 executive order broadened the scope of government employees who can be hired outside the merit-based system and fired without cause. The order strips employment protections from nonpolitical, career posts that have a "confidential, policy-determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating character." Some 50,000 jobs could now be exempted from the typical government hiring system. Trump's power to do this treads into unexplored legal territory. |
| Trump abolishes Federal Executive Institute, imperils dozens of Charlottesville jobs | |
| President Donald Trump's executive order eliminating the country's leading development and training center for federal employees has sent shockwaves through Charlottesville, where the Federal Executive Institute has been based for 57 years. The decision leaves the fates of the dozens who work there at risk and raises questions as to when, where and how future federal employees will be trained to do their jobs. Trump's executive order says the Federal Executive Institute is "purportedly designed to provide leadership training to bureaucrats" but that it has contributed to "Federal policies that enlarge and entrench the Washington, D.C., managerial class, a development that has not benefited the American family." The Federal Executive Institute was founded in 1968 during the Johnson administration as part of the Office of Personnel Management, the main human resources arm of the federal government. Since its founding it has been housed in the former Thomas Jefferson Inn off Emmet Street in Charlottesville's Meadows neighborhood about a mile and a half north of the University of Virginia. Trump's executive order is part of what many see as an assault on the federal workforce. These efforts have targeted federal workers nationwide, but have had a disproportionate impact on Virginia, which hosts the second-largest population of federal workers in the U.S. at 144,483. |
| Trump won't block immigration arrests in houses of worship. Now these 27 religious groups are suing | |
 | More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans -- ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites and Unitarian Universalists -- filed a federal court lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, contends that the new policy is spreading fear of raids, thus lowering attendance at worship services and other valuable church programs. The result, says the suit, infringes on the groups' religious freedom -- namely their ability to minister to migrants, including those in the United States illegally. "We have immigrants, refugees, people who are documented and undocumented," said the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. "We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear," he told The Associated Press. "By joining this lawsuit, we're seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves." |
| With public broadcasters pressured by the Trump administration, PBS shuts down its diversity office | |
| PBS says it is shutting down its office of diversity, equity and inclusion to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order, firing the two executives brought on when the effort was begun in 2021. The move, eliminating the jobs held by Cecilia Loving and her associate Gina Leow, comes as public television and radio girds for a fight over federal funding likely to be more serious than it has faced in many years. Despite eliminating the DEI effort, PBS CEO Paula Kerger said Tuesday that "we were committed to telling the stories of all Americans before we had an office, and will continue to do it afterwards." Because PBS gets federal funding through U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation for its children's programming, the system's lawyers determined that it needed to comply with Trump's order, she said. The system gets some $535 million in general support from the government, about 16% of its budget, but because it is filtered through the private Corporation for Public Broadcasting, it's unclear whether that would require compliance. Four years ago, PBS faced pressure from the opposite direction. More than 130 filmmakers sent a letter to the system saying that its relationship with documentarian Ken Burns came at the expense of others and that PBS showed a "systemic failure to fulfill a mandate for a diversity of voices." |
| 'Chilling effect': Arts organizations react to end of DEI initiatives from fed agency | |
 | In a move that has shaken arts organizations, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) said on its website that it is eliminating a funding program that supports diversity, equity and inclusion and underserved communities. Instead, the federal agency will prioritize programs that celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The NEA is cutting the grant program Challenge America which primarily supported small organizations that reached "historically underserved communities that have limited access to the arts relative to geography, ethnicity, economics, and/or disability." Challenge America's $10,000 grants funded a wide range of programs by arts groups across the country, from free or reduced prices for theater tickets in Florida, to an arts program for Native American residents at a nursing facility in North Carolina. The NEA is encouraging arts groups to instead apply for Grants for Arts Projects (GAP), which support projects that "celebrate the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity by honoring the semiquincentennial of the United States of America (America250)." Another change: The NEA says applicants for all grants must follow "all applicable executive orders" from the White House. The guidelines state that applicants "will not operate any programs promoting" DEI or use federal funds "to promote gender ideology." |
| Mississippi House aims to address workforce needs with tuition-free community college | |
| The House of Representatives passed a bill Monday afternoon that could create a path for Mississippi residents to receive a tuition-free community college education, if they are interested in seeking a career in a high demand skilled trade. The focus of the program is on recipients of Career and Technical Education who want to earn an associate's degree in order to apply for a higher wage, high demand job. State Representative Donnie Bell (R), author of HB 1556, presented the legislation titled the "Mississippi Connecting Career and Technical Education Employability (MissCATEE) Program." He told House members that the certification or training sought must align with a job that is in high demand and is experiencing workforce shortages in the state. Additionally, the state would only cover the costs that remains for the student to attend community college once all scholarships and federal student aid has been applied. An amendment approved on the House floor added that the student has to attend community college as a full-time student and enroll in the qualifying program within 12 months of completing high school. A requirement to work within the state upon completion of the certification in the applicable field was also included |
| Ole Miss historian explores Mississippi River's 1784 closing and its impact in new book | |
 | The early days of America are often told from the perspective of the East Coast, where George Washington and company forged a new country. But much of what made America actually originated on the mighty Mississippi River, a University of Mississippi professor argues in her new book. Susan Gaunt Stearns, associate professor of history, has published "Empire of Commerce: The Closing of the Mississippi and the Opening of Atlantic Trade," published last year by the University of Virginia Press. In it, she explores how the Mississippi River -- and trade along it -- influenced a young country. "This is not the traditional story," she said. "It really disrupts narratives of early America that focus on Massachusetts and Virginia, and it adds a lot of players to the story that aren't the traditional players we necessarily think about. "What I ultimately argue in my book is that the Mississippi River issue is hugely divisive and hugely important to the beginning of the country." Stearns began work on the book in 2008 as a part of her dissertation at the University of Chicago. One of the first things she learned was that the wild, wild West may not have been as far west as most believe. The country's most lawless frontier was actually just over the Appalachian Mountains. That region included present-day Tennessee, Kentucky and states along the Mississippi River. |
| MIND Center's new facility receives $1 million donation | |
 | The Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Center is making significant progress in its plan to build a new centralized facility with a $1 million donation from longtime supporter Michael E. Johnson, of Madison. "We haven't settled on exactly what to name it, yet, but it will be a family decision," Johnson said. "I'm honored for the opportunity, but it's not about me. I just want to help and support the important work they are doing." The Fred R. Adams Jr. MIND Center and Geriatric Clinic will unite the center's clinical services, which are currently spread out between UMMC's River Chase, Grant's Ferry, Flowood Family Medicine and Colony Park South locations. It will be located at 1405 North State Street, just down the road from the Medical Center's main campus in Jackson. The four-story, 30,000-square-foot facility will include 25 exam rooms, consultation and therapy spaces, and an entire floor dedicated to research, where The UMMC MIND Center-Mayo Clinic Study of Aging will be based. |
| Ole Miss graduate facing new charge for hiding Jimmie 'Jay' Lee's body | |
| The University of Mississippi graduate accused of killing Jimmie "Jay" Lee was indicted for tampering with physical evidence, a new charge that comes on the heels of the unexpected discovery of Lee's body last week. Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. reported to the Lafayette County Circuit Court on Tuesday to face a new indictment that alleges he obstructed justice by hiding Lee's body after he killed Lee on July 8, 2022. Herrington, who pleaded not guilty, was also appointed a public defender, Oxford-based attorney Denise Fondren, according to multiple reports. Then he was taken to jail where he will remain until his bond hearing next week. That's when Lafayette County District Attorney Ben Creekmore said he would announce if the state will seek the death penalty or life in prison in the event Herrington is convicted of capital murder at the next trial, a date for which has yet to be set. Creekmore did not pursue the death penalty at the trial in December, but he told the Daily Journal that the finding of Lee's body last week was a "material change in circumstances." |
| William Carey aiming to seize momentum of record growth | |
| In a world of nosediving student enrollment for colleges and universities across the U.S. and increasingly stingy competition among peers, William Carey University is thriving. The National Center for Education Statistics says enrollment nationwide has dropped more than 15% in the last decade, a number that sunk 5% more from the 2022-23 to 2023-24 school year. The climb for private institutions is even steeper, with less than 30% of American undergraduates now attending non-public schools. But in that same 10-year stretch, Carey has defiantly marched in the opposite direction. It began with a renewed objective of expansion under the late Dr. Tommy King in post-Katrina south Mississippi. It hit warp speed in the wake of the 2017 tornado that decimated the Hattiesburg campus, sparking a recovery that turned to transformation. Dr. Ben Burnett has held the reigns as president since King's retirement in 2022. As he put it following his inauguration, Burnett isn't filling King's shoes but "standing on the shoulders of a giant." Since 2015, William Carey has poured more than $175 million into construction, capital improvements, and a slew of other projects at both its home base in Hattiesburg and its newer Tradition campus in Biloxi. Accolades, attention, and enrollment have all followed suit. |
| MGCCC Harrison County Campus STEM building, new entrance road to open this summer | |
 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Harrison County Campus will look a little different by this summer. WLOX News spoke with the campus officials on Tuesday to get an update. "It's looking like a building!" Dr. Erin Riggins exclaimed as she spoke with WLOX News in front of the construction site. "They've got masonry going up; the inside is looking more like a building as well. Construction on the Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) building began in July 2023. MGCCC hopes it will be complete by this summer. "This building will very soon house those educating our future scientists, technologists and innovators -- and we're thrilled," Dr. Riggins added. "This is an opportunity for people to get the education they need to go out into the workforce and do great things." On the other end of campus, the new entrance road, Eula Street, is in the final stage of construction. "We have another layer of asphalt to put down, finishing up some sidewalks and striping, then we should be ready to go once the city gets the light installed," Dr. Riggins said. |
| NIH cut would cost UAB $70 million, threaten jobs and 'life-saving research' in Alabama | |
 | A rate cut at the National Institutes of Health could cost the University of Alabama at Birmingham about $70 million a year, officials said today. "Drastically lowering NIH indirect cost recovery jeopardizes life-saving research, and it would also result in job and economic loss in Birmingham and Alabama," the university told AL.com in a statement. A federal judge on Monday afternoon temporarily blocked the Trump administration's cut to the NIH's indirect cost rate, a move that went into effect earlier in the day. The ruling, however, only applies to institutions in the states that joined the lawsuit. So the cut to 15% still holds in Alabama, where it hits especially hard at UAB, the largest employer in Alabama. In 2023, UAB received $413 million in grant funding from the NIH, the university said today. Last year, NIH grants to the university totaled $407 million. In 2023 NIH grants in Alabama supported 4,769 jobs for an economic impact of $909 million," according to United for Health. They impact almost 13,000 jobs at more than 1,200 businesses, it was noted. Over the weekend, Sen. Katie Britt said she will work with Health Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "to not hinder life-saving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama." Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he supports the cuts. |
| Tulane, LSU presidents warn of crippling shortfalls if President Trump cuts NIH funding | |
 | The presidents of Louisiana's largest public and private universities this week warned of severe financial deficits that would derail critical research, cost hundreds of jobs, and push top talent out of the state if a proposed cut to federal research funding is allowed to take place. The Trump administration's plan to slash $4 billion in research support would leave Louisiana institutions scrambling to cover an estimated $28 million funding gap annually, which could devastate projects on cancer, metabolic disorders and environmental toxins. "Without sufficient support, life-saving discoveries will stall, and research institutions across the state and nation will face crippling financial shortfalls," LSU President William F. Tate IV said in a statement Tuesday. Tulane University President Michael Fitts said the policy change is "of great concern" in a letter to staff on Monday. University officials are contacting Congressional leaders and working "around the clock" to assess the impact of the potential cut and lobby for continued support, he added. "One thing I've heard loud and clear from my people in Louisiana is that Louisiana will suffer from these cuts," Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy told STAT News. "And research that benefits people in Louisiana may not be done." |
| Georgia Board of Regents approves first degree in artificial intelligence | |
 | The University System of Georgia is responding to the rapid growth of artificial technology with a new degree program. The system's Board of Regents voted Tuesday to create the system's first baccalaureate program, a bachelor of science degree in applied artificial intelligence at Middle Georgia State University's Warner Robins campus. The AI degree program is intended to offer students a pathway to pursue careers in industries including health care, business, and cybersecurity. Atlanta's emergence as a tech hub is creating an increasing number of job openings in information technology, while transportation assets including the Port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport rely heavily on AI for supply chain optimization, route planning, and operational efficiency. The AI program is expected to attract 65 students initially and up to 168 by its fourth year. Classes are due to begin this fall. |
| Ben Sasse Came Under Fire for His Spending. A New Audit Has More Details. | |
 | Benjamin E. Sasse, former president of the University of Florida, spent unjustified amounts of money on university salaries, events, and contracts, with little to show for the expenses, according to a report the state's auditor general released Tuesday. The university failed to show how any of the expenses detailed in the report benefited the university, the auditor wrote. That included $6.4 million in contracts with outside consultants, about $900,000 in food catering, and flights totaling about $159,000 for 13 remote employees who reported to Sasse. The report says the university didn't "document the reasonableness" of maintaining Sasse's more than $1-million salary after he stepped down from the presidency in July 2024. He now serves as a part-time professor and an adviser to the university's trustees. In a seven-page response to the audit, the university's general counsel, Ryan R. Fuller, defended many of Sasse's expenditures but said the university has made changes to its policies on chartered flights, administrator hiring, and consulting contracts. Sasse's office spent $14.8 million during the year he was in office, about 72 percent more than his predecessor did the year before. |
| New U. of Tennessee dorm names: Beacon, Poplar and Torchbearer | |
 | The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has selected names for three new dorms, two of which are nearing completion, a "Beacon" of hope for students who have struggled to find housing in recent years. Beacon Hall: This new dormitory will be on Caledonia Avenue and will accommodate up to 1,166 students. Although the residence hall is split into two sections, UT considers it one dormitory on a hill that separates the Lake Avenue and Terrace Avenue parking garages from campus. The name reflects how the Torchbearer lights a beacon for students, a metaphor adopted by the student newspaper, The Daily Beacon. Poplar Hall: The new dormitory will be located along Andy Holt Avenue and will accommodate up to 788 students. The name pays homage to Tennessee's state tree, the tulip poplar, which fits nicely considering the new dorm is located near Magnolia and Dogwood halls. Torchbearer Hall: This dormitory will be located along Volunteer Boulevard and will accommodate up to 1,028 students. The name comes from the iconic Torchbearer statue, just a short walk away from the dorm. The ground level will include a retail center, with hopes of including a "satellite UT Creamery location" to complement the main location in the UT Culinary Institute, Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Life Frank Cuevas said. |
| Trump cuts to NIH research grants could cost Missouri universities, hospitals $100 million | |
 | Missouri universities and research organizations will need to cut about $100 million from administrative costs for research funded last year by the National Institutes of Health or replace the money from other sources if President Donald Trump's attempt to reduce indirect costs is successful. There were 1,553 grants worth $901 million issued by the NIH to Missouri institutions during the most recent federal fiscal year. The recipients reported spending as much as 30% of their grant on indirect costs to support their research. The grants allow research into medical problems, such as pandemic preparedness or the control of infections acquired in hospitals. They also cover agriculture and veterinary research, like the Swine Resource Center at the University of Missouri, and public health problems such as how policies on E-cigarettes impact youth tobacco use. By far the biggest recipient of NIH grants was Washington University in St. Louis, which received 1,192 grants totaling $732 million, followed by the 162 grants worth almost $70 million to the University of Missouri's Columbia campus. Both universities spend well above the 15% cap on indirect costs set as the goal for NIH research under the new policy. |
| Red state education officials eager for end of Department of Education | |
| Republican states are embracing the idea of a future with no federal Department of Education, preparing plans for its Trump-promised demise and voicing confidence their own agencies can pick up the slack. President Trump has long called for the dismantling of the Education Department, and he's reportedly eyeing executive actions to gut its major functions while simultaneously pushing lawmakers to perform the coup de grâce. The heads of the education departments in multiple GOP-led states describe the move as a potential opportunity to get rid of red tape around funding and burdensome reporting requirements on their schools. The Trump administration is "providing states greater control over the education of the children in their states," said Frank Edelblut, the Republican commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Education. Megan Degenfelder, Wyoming's GOP state superintendent of public instruction, said that Trump following through on the promise to eliminate the department "really aligns with my belief that education policy should be returned to the States, allowing for more localized and effective decision-making." While the Department of Education only makes up around 10 percent of K-12 school funding, it also runs numerous programs to assist states and protect students. |
| University Endowments Spend a Lot on Financial Aid. GOP Wants Tax Hikes. | |
| U.S. colleges and universities spend more on student financial aid from their endowments than on anything else, a study released Wednesday found. The figures arrive as endowments are under rising attacks by President Donald Trump's administration and Republicans in Congress, who are seeking significant tax hikes on these funds. They charge that colleges and universities need to rely more on their endowments to benefit students and academic programs, and to lower tuition. On the back of 10-year average annual returns of 6.8%, the 658 institutions studied boosted their spending to $30 billion overall in the 12 months through June 30---a 6.4% increase year over year, the annual report by the National Association of College and University Business Officers and asset manager Commonfund said. Of that amount, nearly half went to student financial aid. Another 17.7% was distributed to academic programs and research, 10.8% to endowed faculty positions, and 6.7% to the operation and maintenance of campus facilities. On Friday, Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, proposed raising the tax rate on college and university endowment investment earnings to 10% from the 1.4% rate passed in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. |
| Ahead of Confirmation Hearing, Senators Back McMahon | |
 | Linda McMahon -- a former wrestling mogul and longtime ally of the president -- will likely experience a smoother confirmation hearing Thursday than some of Donald Trump's other cabinet members have so far, interviews with senators show. But after a tumultuous three weeks, senators on both sides of the aisle say they still have questions for the education secretary nominee, and recent reports that the president is finalizing an executive order to dismantle the department will likely loom large over the hearing. Since Jan. 20, the Trump administration has cut critical research funding for hundreds of universities, granted data access to controversial DOGE staffers, reverted to a more narrow definition of sexual harassment and put certain employees on administrative leave for connections to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Combined, these moves have set off alarms for college and university stakeholders across the country. So Inside Higher Ed spent time on the Hill early this week asking senators from the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee what hopes and concerns they have for the nominee and her agenda. Republicans generally showed support for McMahon or kept their comments neutral, though a select few voiced hesitation. Democrats, on the other hand, were quick to express a multitude of concerns, particularly regarding whether the department would be abolished. |
| Making Mississippi's insurance commissioner post appointive is an overdue improvement | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Kudos to Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney for advocating for the elimination of his elective office by changing it to an appointive one in the interest of "taking the politics out" of the regulation of the insurance industry in the state. He's right. Mississippi is one of only 11 states that elected insurance commissioners, while the position is appointed in the other 39 states. Insurance regulators who have to campaign will find one reliable group of campaign contributors -- the very industry they are supposed to regulate. Neighboring states Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Tennessee appoint their commissioners, while Georgia and Louisiana elect theirs. Mississippi lawmakers seem to think well of Chaney's efforts, and prospects for the change to become law this session seem good. This isn't the first time cooler heads prevailed in a state that just loves to elect any many offices as possible. Mississippi voters like electing their political leaders and that's all the way down the ballot from governor to justice court judges. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: Vets To Set Stage For Dawgs On Opening Weekend | |
| There is just no substitute for experience. So, it should come as little surprise then that when Mississippi State opens up its 2025 baseball season this weekend, head coach Chris Lemonis has chosen to get this year off and running on the backs of Bulldogs that have been under the bright lights of Dudy Noble Field before. Junior Pico Kohn, senior Karson Ligon and graduate Stone Simmons are all set to take the ball to start State's first three games. Kohn will toe the slab on Opening Day against Manhattan at 4 p.m. on Friday, while Ligon is set for Saturday's 2 p.m. tilt ahead of Simmons hurling in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale. "Handing it to some older guys that are out there," Lemonis explained. "We have a lot of guys in the mix that could start. A lot of our talent on the mound is young. They probably haven't been out there in The Dude yet [for a regular game]...But I do think some of the younger guys can really fight for some starting rolls down the road." But before any pups get a chance to perform, it'll be the old Dawgs looking to set the tone with their own barks and bites. Kohn, Ligon and Simmons each bring high levels of not only experience, but toughness and resilience into their weekend opportunities. Their personal backgrounds make them ideal as team leaders and table setters. |
| Mississippi State recognized for top soccer pitch nationally | |
| Coming off a historic women's soccer campaign, Mississippi State has been recognized for its excellent pitch. The Sports Field Management Association has named Mississippi State's pitch as the top college and university soccer field in the country for 2024. The turf, along with playing surfaces at the school's other athletic facilities, is overseen by Athletic Grounds Associate Director Brandon Hardin, a 2006 graduate of MSU's golf and sports management program. His team includes five assistants and a half dozen student workers. "This award is a testament to my team," Hardin said per a release from the university. "I try to keep them pointed in the right direction, but every award they win is on them. It's a testament to their hard work and their dedication to the athletes at our university." This year, the sports turf crew maintained the soccer field late into the season with Mississippi State vying for a national title. The Bulldogs amassed a 19-3 record, went 10-0 in conference play, and ultimately fell to Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. In the process, the team garnered consistent support, breaking four separate all-time attendance records. "Those games were played here in Starkville, which means the season is longer for us and more wear and tear, and we've got to keep that pitch up. That's a good problem to have," Hardin said. |
| MSU soccer field receives national recognition | |
| Mississippi State has received a top national honor for its quality collegiate soccer field. The Sports Field Management Association has named MSU's soccer pitch as the top college and university soccer field in the country for 2024. The awards are chosen by a panel of judges that score entries based on playability, appearance, utilization of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation, or a comprehensive program. The turf, along with playing surfaces at MSU's other athletic facilities, is overseen by Athletic Grounds Associate Director Brandon Hardin, a 2006 graduate of MSU's golf and sports management program. His team includes five assistants and a half-dozen student workers. The field is covered with Tifway 419 Hybrid Bermuda Grass grown in Tupelo, overseeded each fall with perennial ryegrass. Because Hardin and his crew have maintained an exceptional playing surface for long term use, the pitch hasn't needed renovation for more than a decade. "It was a shock to win this one because it's our oldest field on campus," Hardin said. "There are some state-of-the-art fields around the country that have been renovated and updated. And a lot of places have their own practice facility, and their game field doesn't see the wear and tear that ours does." |
| Cowboys' Dak Prescott on Eagles' Super Bowl win: 'It's our turn' | |
 | The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl champions once again after beating the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in dominant fashion. Philadelphia rode a strong performance by the defense to a 34-0 lead and ultimately a 40-22 victory in their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. Many of their best players will be returning next year so it's no surprise that they're the early favorites to win next year's Super Bowl. They hold a slight edge in odds over the Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills. The Detroit Lions are the closest NFC team in odds for a title next year behind Philadelphia. But an Eagles division rival thinks they should be in the mix, too. When asked about how far away the Dallas Cowboys are from the Eagles, quarterback Dak Prescott said it's the Cowboys' turn for a Super Bowl title. "I feel like we compete with Eagles and beat them for the most part," Prescott said. "I don't want to say check the record when the other guy is holding the trophy right now, so credit to them. They've earned it and they deserved it by all means." Prescott noted how two of the Cowboys' division rivals competed for the NFC title this season, and Dallas is familiar with both. "[We] feel confident about we've gotten the better part each and every time," he said. "To see [Philadelphia win] in such a dominating fashion, credit to them. It's our turn and it's on us." |
| House passes 'Tim Tebow Act' to allow homeschoolers to play sports | |
| The state House advanced a bill that would allow Mississippi children being home schooled to play public school sports. Similar legislation has been considered or passed in other states and has become known as the "Tim Tebow Act," named for the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who was home schooled in Florida. House Bill 1617 was authored by House Education Chairman Rob Roberson and Rep. Jon Lancaster, R-Houston. It passed the House 76-26, and now heads to the Senate. Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville, who presented the measure for a House vote Tuesday, said it would require home-schooled students to participate in statewide testing and meet academic standards required of public school students to play sports. "As we've debated it through the process, that's the one thing we heard the most, that the students be held to the same academic standards," Owen said. |
| Governor appoints new wildlife commissioner | |
| The Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has seen changes over the last year with the appointments of Todd Hairston representing District 5 and Colin Maloney representing District 1. Come July, the commission will likely have another new face as Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed Drew St. John of Madison to fill the vacancy of outgoing District 2 commissioner Scott Coopwood. Coopwood has served 10 years and is currently the chairman of the commission. "I'm very excited," St. John said. "It's been a life-long goal to return something to the state that I enjoyed growing up hunting and fishing all my life." The commission is made up of five commissioners representing the five Mississippi Congressional districts as they existed prior to 2000. Commissioners are appointed to 5-year terms and the mission of the body, along with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, is to conserve and enhance Mississippi's wildlife, fisheries and parks and provide quality outdoor recreation. It's a mission that aligns with St. John's thinking. St. John graduated from Mississippi State University in 1980 with a degree in landscape construction. He has started and owned several companies and currently owns Deep South Precast, which makes concrete products for construction site development. St. John is on the MSU Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Board and also currently serves as chairman of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board of Trustees. |
| Jay Bilas: 'The SEC is the most powerful basketball league, top to bottom, there has ever been' | |
| With March on the horizon, the SEC is putting together a year for the ages. In fact, it's something unlike Jay Bilas has seen in his basketball life. Entering Tuesday night, the SEC leads the nation with a +21.66 efficiency rating, according to KenPom. That's nearly four points more than the second-most efficient conference. As a result, the SEC has the most projected bids in ESPN's latest Bracketology with 13 teams in the field. To Bilas, it's something college basketball hasn't seen in roughly 40 years in the ACC. What makes it even more impressive, though, is the amount of teams in the SEC compared to the ACC back then. "I have never seen anything remotely like what we're seeing in the Southeastern Conference this year," Bilas said on The Paul Finebaum Show. "The non-conference success has not been seen since the ACC in the mid-1980s. That's so long ago, I played in the league back then. But the biggest difference in comparing those two is the ACC was eight teams back then. It's a lot easier to have eight really good teams than it is to have 16 really good teams." |
| College basketball still trying to cope with court storms | |
| When the Auburn men's basketball team visits Vanderbilt tonight, the matchup will pit the nation's top-ranked team against the most-penalized team for field and court storming this school year. In just the past four months, the Southeastern Conference has levied $850,000 in fines against Vanderbilt. The penalties are part of a combined $2.6 million in fines the SEC has levied against nine of its 16 member schools because fans stormed in celebration after football and men's basketball victories before visiting teams had left the field or court. Beyond making announcements asking fans to "stay in your seats after the game," college athletic officials have discussed a variety of ideas to try to curb storms, including limiting alcohol sales or imposing even higher fine amounts. Alabama AD Greg Byrne has said forfeits seemed to be the most effective answer -- a stance he reiterated last week to ESPN. "I truly believe it -- if we said that the home team, if they storm the field or the court, they're going to lose that game right then and there, that will stop it," Byrne said. "I think that's a tough proposition," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. "I do think there's more than Greg in this league who feel that way, though." |
| Why did Auburn scrap new basketball practice facility plans? AD John Cohen explains | |
| Auburn men's basketball is having arguably its best season in program history. The Tigers are 21-2 and have been ranked No. 1 in the AP top 25 for the last five weeks, the longest stretch the program has spent atop the rankings in its history. Success is often rewarded and last Friday the Auburn Board of Trustees approved renovations to Neville Arena that are estimated to cost $9 million. However, the renovations come in place of original plans to build a new basketball practice facility, an idea that has now been scrapped. Those plans were originally approved in February 2022, but stalled due to what Bruce Pearl described later that year as prioritizing Name, Image and Likeness. "We've got to take care of the NIL space first -- in all sports," Pearl in September 2022. "First, that's got to be one of our commitments and our objectives.... We've got some other things to take care of before we take care of the practice facility." Those same concerns led to changes in the proposed plans in 2025. In an interview with AL.com, Auburn athletic director John Cohen said the department has to "prioritize." "There was a time when facilities were the number one priority in terms of the recruitment of student athletes. Now, I think it's very safe to say there are different priorities," Cohen told AL.com. |
| Department of Education rescinds rev-share Title IX guidance | |
| The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has rescinded its Title IX guidance that would have impacted schools' revenue-sharing plans. Released in January in the final days of the Biden administration, the guidance stated that future revenue distributions from an institution to an athlete for NIL rights were classified as "financial assistance." If not proportionally divided, schools would risk violating Title IX. The Trump administration has rescinded that guidance, clearing the pathway for over 80 percent of revenue-sharing dollars to be directed to college football and men's basketball. For the 2025-26 academic year, schools will operate with a revenue-sharing cap of $20.5 million if the House v. NCAA settlement is officially approved this spring. Specifically, most Power Four institutions are planning to distribute 75% to 85% of their $20.5 million revenue sharing to their football programs. "The NIL guidance, rammed through by the Biden Administration in its final days, is overly burdensome, profoundly unfair, and it goes well beyond what agency guidance is intended to achieve," Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement. "Without a credible legal justification, the Biden Administration claimed that NIL agreements between schools and student-athletes are akin to financial aid and must, therefore, be proportionately distributed between male and female athletes under Title IX. Enacted over 50 years ago, Title IX says nothing about how revenue-generating athletics programs should allocate compensation among student-athletes." |
| Department of Education asks NCAA, high schools to erase records set by transgender athletes | |
| The Department of Education took another step Tuesday in advancing the Trump administration's new transgender policy for sports by asking the NCAA and a key high-school sports organization to restore titles, awards and records it says have been "misappropriated by biological males competing in female categories." The department's office of general counsel sent a letter requesting the changes to the National Federation of State High School Associations and the NCAA. In a news release, the department said the request was "entirely consistent with the NCAA's new policy." The day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week aimed at banning transgender athletes from women's and girls sports, the NCAA changed its participation policy to restrict competition in women's sports to athletes who were assigned female at birth. The most obvious target for reallocation on the college level would come in women's swimming, where transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the national title in the 500-yard freestyle in 2022. While the NCAA probably could go back and rewrite its record book, the way it has when recruiting and other violations have stripped titles from certain schools, changing high school records would likely take an effort from individual state high school associations across the country. |
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