| Thursday, March 20, 2025 |
| MSU generates $3.9 billion economic impact in 2024 | |
 | From Extension offices in every county to partnerships with industry across the state, Mississippi State University reaches far beyond its campus. A new study released by the university Wednesday quantified that reach, finding the university generated an estimated $3.9 billion in economic impact in 2024. That means for every tax dollar invested at MSU, the state sees a $25 return -- an impact MSU President Mark E. Keenum said underscores the university's role as a core economic driver in Mississippi. "Mississippi State does more to uplift and move our state forward than any other entity in the state, and it makes me very proud of this institution and the role that we are playing in helping grow our economy (and) create jobs for our citizens," he said Wednesday during a press conference with other university leaders. MSU's research is one of its largest economic drivers, generating $320 million in income for Mississippians and $33.1 million in state and local tax revenue. While it can be difficult to quantify the financial impact of some efforts, Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan said the applications of MSU's research are broad. Broad applications and a wide reach are also drivers behind the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine's economic impact last year, division Vice President Keith Coble said Wednesday. |
| MSU making big impact in both education and state economy | |
 | Mississippi State University is making a big impact. Not just in education, but in the state's economy. A new study finds that MSU generates nearly $3.9 billion annually for Mississippi. The report released on Wednesday, March 19, highlights the university's growing influence. With more than 80,000 jobs supported, MSU accounts for one in every 15 jobs statewide. MSU President Mark Keenum said the numbers confirm what they've long believed: "This university is a powerful economic engine that's helping to drive our state economy that helps create jobs and opportunities for our citizens of course, we are about education and the outstanding job that we do of educating our students and equipping them with the skills that they need to have outstanding careers here in Mississippi and beyond that is something that we take great pride in," said Keenum. The university also fuels the economy through alumni wages, student and visitor spending, and cutting-edge innovation. |
| Our View: A $3.9 billion 'secret' | |
| The Dispatch editorializes: When we think about economic impact in the Golden Triangle, our thoughts naturally turn to the booming industrial and manufacturing landscape. Companies such as PACCAR, Steel Dynamics, Yokohama, Airbus, Stark Aerospace, International Paper, et al, provide thousands of jobs, generating millions in tax revenue that support our communities and schools. But there is another asset in which the Golden Triangle is rich. It isn't typically a part of economic impact discussions even though it may dwarf all of the other companies who have so enriched the Golden Triangle. In the Golden Triangle, higher education is not just big business, it's the biggest business. Every few years we are reminded of just how great of an economic powerhouse higher education is when Mississippi State conducts a study of the university's economic impact. The university released that data during a news conference Tuesday. According to the study, MSU supports $3.9 billion in wages and more than 80,000 jobs statewide. ... At a time where there is a climate of anti-higher education sentiment, it is important to take a moment and consider the oversized role higher education plays in the Golden Triangle and throughout the state. All of us benefit from the presence of these institutions, even those who may never set foot on campus. They enhance the quality of life while pouring millions of dollars into our economy. Given that, every citizen should be an uncompromising supporter of higher education. |
| Potential OCH buyers meet with supes behind closed doors | |
| Supervisors met in executive session Wednesday with representatives of at least two parties interested in acquiring OCH Regional Medical Center. The board spent almost two hours working through proposals from two legal teams representing potential buyers. Details beyond that are scarce, with District 3 Supervisor and Board President Marvell Howard declining even to specify how many parties submitted proposals. "There were multiple. We were very pleased with the initial bidding," he said. "Right now we're moving forward with multiple bids. They've given us an overview of their intentions, and that did include some things favorable to Oktibbeha County, but at this point we're not ready to disclose any specifics." That said, there were two law firms at the meeting, Raymond James and Butler Snow. Two regional medical groups confirmed interest in buying OCH earlier this year -- Baptist Memorial Health Care and North Mississippi Health Services. Howard said that he expects the refinement stage to go on for more than a month, with hopes of selecting a proposal May 25. |
| Mary Means Business: Columbus Rural King location moves forward | |
| Rural King has filed plans with the city's building office. Building Official Kenny Wiegel confirmed the outdoor retailer is one step closer to taking over the former K-Mart lot. The Dispatch broke the news in October and it looks like plans are coming to fruition. The city has received blueprints and Wiegel expects permits to be filed "any day now." Rural King was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Mattoon, Illinois. It has 133 locations in 13 states and this location will be the first in Mississippi. According to Dispatch reporting, the company plans to invest $8 million into the 110,000 square-foot building that has remained vacant since K-Mart's closure in 2018. The business will occupy approximately 90,000 square feet. This investment is expected to create up to 70 jobs with an annual payroll of $1 million. I reached out to Rural King for more information but did not hear back by press time Wednesday. |
| NauticStar manufacturing operations relocating to North Carolina | |
 | According to a press release from the company, NauticStar Boats is relocating its manufacturing operations from Amory to Washington, North Carolina in a business move to consolidate the Iconic Marine Group's other brands under one roof. The company released a statement about the decision. "For the last few years, the boating industry has experienced a significant decrease in demand due to changes in the overall U.S. economy, as well as within the boating industry, itself. Losing a portion of the plant to the tornado in 2023 limited our ability to increase production to pre-storm levels. In the past year, we have taken action to adapt to the smaller plant and changes within the market with our improved products and processes. Despite these challenges, our employees have been able to maintain a stellar safety record, our efficiency is on point, and quality has been consistently improving. However, due to these circumstances, and in order to increase production efficiencies, we have come to the decision to consolidate the manufacturing of our NauticStar brand with the Fountain and Donzi brands at the Iconic Marine Group location in Washington, North Carolina." NauticStar has 100 employees and contractors, and 19 were initially released. Every employee was given the opportunity to relocate, and severance and retention bonuses were offered. |
| Nissan's $661 million deal will bring batteries to Canton | |
 | Nissan keeps pushing toward the electric vehicle production it has been talking about for years. On Wednesday, Nissan announced an agreement with a South Korean company, SK On, that will supply batteries for the EVs to be produced at its Canton, Mississippi assembly plant. The SK On production facility in the United States is in Commerce, Georgia. However, a spokesperson for Nissan told the Clarion Ledger Wednesday an announcement about where the batteries will be made will come at a later time. According to Nissan, SK On will supply nearly 100GWh of high-performance, high-nickel batteries to Nissan from 2028 to 2033. Those U.S.-manufactured batteries will power Nissan's next-generation EVs to be produced at its Canton assembly plant. The agreement reinforces both companies' commitment to electrification and sustainable mobility, according to the Wednesday press announcement. In January, Nissan said it is transforming its Canton facility into a Nissan Intelligent Factory by 2028. That was a change in philosophy as Nissan had originally planned to start producing electric vehicles in the Madison plant this year. |
| The electric-vehicle revolution may be on shakier ground than you think | |
 | Republican plans to scrap nearly all federal support for electric vehicles could kneecap the nascent industry, auto industry experts say, just when more Americans are considering buying an EV and car companies are planning big investments. "Everything that's happening politically couldn't have happened at a worse time from the point of view of EV adoption," Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at the car market research firm AutoPacific, said in an interview. Ending federal EV tax credits, weakening tailpipe pollution rules and slashing funding for charging stations -- as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have proposed --- would slow EV sales and trigger a wave of factory shutdowns and canceled investments, according to energy policy and auto industry researchers. These moves would delay, but not prevent, the gradual shift from gas-powered cars and trucks to EVs in the United States. Even without government support, analysts say, electric vehicles will continue to eat away at sales of gas-powered cars. But the tipping point when EVs break into the mainstream U.S. car market is moving further away, experts say, and could have far-reaching effects on the economy and environment. |
| Ex-CEO of Express Grain sentenced for fraud charges | |
 | Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R-Miss.) announced the former CEO of Express Grain Terminals, LCC, has been sentenced on five counts of making false representations to defraud the government and one count of false pretenses to the more than 400 victim farmers. According to Fitch, Express Grain operated as a grain elevator in the Greenwood area that purchased, processed, and stored grain that had been harvested by local farmers. She said John R. Coleman altered the audited financial statements of Express Grain in order to receive a State warehouse license, lied about the amount of debt he owed on grain held at the Express Grain facility, and claimed to farmers that Express Grain was financially healthy when Express Grain was on the brink of bankruptcy. Express Grain eventually filed bankruptcy in 2021. On Wednesday, March 19, Leflore County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Carey-McCray sentenced Coleman to 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), with the first 10 years to be served concurrent with the federal sentence. He was also ordered to pay $750,000 in restitution to the State |
| Prices for U.S. agricultural exports rose in February | |
 | There was some inflation data out this week that didn't get a lot of attention. Not the consumer price index, not the Federal Reserve's go-to personal consumption expenditures report, but import and export prices. Higher energy costs sent import prices higher in February. Export prices rose too, driven mostly by agricultural products like corn, soybeans and meat. Part of what's going on has to do with demand, said Glynn Tonsor, an agricultural economics professor at Kansas State University. "Each month I put out something called the export demand index. And that particular index has been increasing basically throughout calendar year '23 and '24," he said. Tonsor said that was mostly thanks to a decent global economy. But these days, he said the uncertainty around tariffs has also been pushing up demand, especially for American beef, pork and chicken. But along with demand, supply has been pushing up prices too. Back in January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the fall harvest wasn't as big as anticipated. "That was the prompting reason why corn and soybean prices then raced higher in January and early February," said Naomi Blohm, senior market adviser with Total Farm Marketing. She said higher export prices can be welcome news, especially for corn growers. |
| Fed Projections See an Economy Dramatically Reset by Trump's Election | |
 | The Federal Reserve's first set of projections since Donald Trump's inauguration underscored -- in the central bank's understated and technocratic fashion -- just how much the president's plans to press ahead with widespread tariffs have turned the economic outlook on its head. Months ago, policymakers presumed they would spend 2025 gradually cutting rates to keep inflation heading down without a big rise in joblessness to achieve the so-called soft landing. The latest projections point to the prospect that tariffs covering a swath of goods and materials will send up prices while sapping investment, sentiment and growth, at least in the short run. "We now have inflation coming in from an exogenous source, but the underlying inflationary picture before that was basically 2½% inflation, 2% growth and 4% unemployment," said Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday. Officials projected weaker growth, higher unemployment and higher inflation than they had anticipated in December. Moreover, nearly all officials judged that if their forecasts were to be proven wrong, it would be in the direction of even softer growth, more joblessness and firmer price growth. A combination of stagnant growth and higher prices, sometimes called stagflation, could make it harder for the Fed to cut interest rates this year to pre-empt any slowdown. |
| Mississippi lawmakers monitor federal funding cuts | |
| Legislative concerns about federal funding is catching the attention of Mississippi lawmakers, because a majority of the state's funding comes from the nation's capital. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) said he's remaining cautious due to uncertainties over how much federal funding the state will receive moving forward. He doubts there will be an increase in federal funding. "I want to tell you something most people don't know. We collect $7 billion in income tax, gaming tax, all kinds of different taxes. The federal government sends us almost $14 billion, between $13 and $14 billion we don't even control. But one third of our budget's here, the rest of it comes from the federal government," Hosemann said. In the House, there was a motion to reconsider Senate Bill 3095, which includes the Senate's plan involving tax cuts. The motion was tabled. The bill is heading back to the Senate without a safeguard for Medicaid funding moving forward. State Rep. Omeria Scott (D-District 80) said if the federal government cuts millions out of Medicaid, the state will lose $3 billion for some of those services. "We tried to get the House this morning to commit to having level funding of $8 billion dollars for the Medicaid program. Cut your taxes, if that's what you want to do, but make a commitment to healthcare. But they wouldn't do it because they know the money is not there," Scott said. |
| Breaking: House concurs with Senate on tax relief for Mississippians | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives has voted 92-27 to concur with the Senate changes to HB 1, passing a tax relief package aimed at phasing out the state's income tax. The measure cuts the current income tax rate of 4 percent by 0.25 percent each year until 2030. The first cut would take place in 2027. After 2031, future cuts would be determined by the performance of the state's economy. The bill proposes an immediate two percent cut to the sales tax on groceries, bringing the rate from 7 to 5 percent starting July 1 of this year. To keep cities whole, 18.5 percent of the general sales tax and 25.9 percent of the grocery sales tax will go to cities. The measure includes a 3-cent increase on gasoline to occur each year for three consecutive years, making the total increase 9 cents per gallon. It also would establish a new Tier 5 for state employees hired after March 1, 2026, where 4 percent of their retirement savings would be placed in a defined benefit plan and 5 percent would go to a defined contribution plan. |
| Panhandling across Mississippi could soon require a permit | |
| Legislation aimed at curbing panhandling and aggressive solicitation on Mississippi streets now awaits the Governor's signature. HB 1197, titled the "Safe Solicitation Act," requires a person to obtain a solicitation permit issued by a municipality, county or other political subdivision where the solicitation will occur. The permit fee is not to exceed $25. Under the law, a permit is only good between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and one hour before sunset, as determined by the governing authority. Only one permit will be issued on a first come, first serve basis for an intersection on any given day. The application for a solicitation permit must list the name, mailing address and telephone number of the person as well as the location and times the solicitation will take place. Advocates for the legislation cited the need for local law enforcement to have more ability to crack down on panhandling while those opposed to the measure claim it adversely impacts the homeless population seeking assistance. The legislation overwhelmingly passed in both the House and Senate. |
| Federal appeals court affirms Mississippi can't count late mail-in absentee ballots for federal elections | |
| The conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on has ruled that it would not change its prior decree that Mississippi cannot count mail-in absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day. The order means that Mississippi's law allowing election workers to process mail-in ballots for up to five business days after the election will be suspended for all federal elections. The law only allowed the workers to count ballots postmarked by Election Day. The ruling does not impact state or local races, including Mississippi's upcoming municipal elections. Mississippi's next federal election will be the 2026 midterm, where all four of Mississippi's U.S. House members are up for reelection, as well as U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The recent order affirms an October ruling from a three-judge court that sided with the Republican National Committee and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi, who sued Secretary of State Michael Watson's office because he administers the state's elections. It's unclear if Secretary Watson's office will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both Watson and Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office told Mississippi Today they are reviewing the court's decision. Senate Elections Chairman Jeremy England said he doubts the Legislature will address the issue this session, meaning the only way for the state to address the ruling is to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. |
| Congressman Thompson speaks in Warren County | |
| U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) held a public town hall at Greater Grove Street Missionary Baptist Church in Warren County on Tuesday evening. Thompson spoke about the current state of the federal government, covering topics including the privatization and defunding of essential services, disruptions in the federal workforce, and the implications of undermining due process. "The budget we just voted on cuts Medicaid (by) $880 billion. Okay, that's a big number. Now somebody's going to have to decide what gets cut and what gets left on the table," Thompson said. "And in all likelihood, the people who need it the most are the ones who will feel the hurt the most. And so part of what we're doing at town halls is trying to educate people that these are the things coming down the path." Thompson also spoke about recent and ongoing layoffs of federal employees by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "Most of the government employees that I know are real challenged right now. And one of the reasons we picked Warren County to start (the town halls) was because, proportionately, we have more people who work for the federal government in this county... than any other county I represent," Thompson said. "So you have significant reason to be concerned about your job." |
| Trump Officials Circulate Plan That Would Overhaul USAID | |
| The Trump administration is crafting plans to reorganize the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had been dismantled by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, according to a memo detailing the plans. The agency would be renamed the U.S. Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance and fall under the control of the State Department to help enhance national security and counter adversaries like China, according to the memo, viewed by The Wall Street Journal. USAID had long operated as an independent agency with its own administrator. During its first few weeks, the Trump administration, aided by DOGE, effectively took apart the 10,000-person agency and the thousands of people in nonprofits and other groups who work with it. In the process, the agency's headquarters were closed, its name taken off the building and most of its staff put on paid leave. It is unclear whether a federal judge's ruling earlier this week that DOGE's dismantling of USAID was unconstitutional will have an impact on the administration's new plans. The proposed new structure aims to project American soft power and enhance national security, with a focus on countering competitors such as China. Politically oriented programs, including the promotion of democracy, empowering women, religious freedom and combating human trafficking, will be redirected to other sections of the State Department, according to the memo. |
| GOP chairs 'very concerned' over report of Trump changing military commands | |
 | The Republican chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees issued a joint statement on Wednesday criticizing the idea of the U.S. drastically changing its military combatant command structure, saying they "will not accept" those changes without coordination with Congress and other agencies. The statement marks one of the first major instances of Republican lawmakers pushing back on President Trump in his second term. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) responded to an NBC News article published Tuesday that said the Pentagon is considering giving up its role as NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, or SACEUR as part of restructuring of commands and headquarters. "U.S. combatant commands are the tip of the American warfighting spear. Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim [the Defense Department] is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues, including significant reductions to U.S. forces stationed abroad, absent coordination with the White House and Congress," the two chairs said. The statement indicated that the chairs of the powerful committees, who oversee the crafting of annual military and defense authorization bills, could use the power of the purse and other legislative tools to combat such a change, should the Trump administration move forward with it. |
| Senate Armed Services chairman Wicker concerned by potential combatant command structure changes | |
| Mississippi's senior U.S. Senator is "very concerned" about reports that claim the Department of Defense is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues. Senator Roger Wicker (R) chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. On Wednesday, he and his counterpart in the House, Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama), issued a joint statement responding to press reports suggesting that the United States might soon change its entire combatant command structure, withdraw from NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) command structure, and cancel modernization plans for U.S. Forces Japan. "U.S. combatant commands are the tip of the American warfighting spear. Therefore, we are very concerned about reports that claim DoD is considering unilateral changes on major strategic issues, including significant reductions to U.S. forces stationed abroad, absent coordination with the White House and Congress," Wicker and Rogers said in the statement. NBC News noted, "For nearly 75 years, it has been a distinctly American responsibility to have a four-star U.S. general oversee all NATO military operations in Europe -- a command that began with then-World War II hero and future president Dwight D. Eisenhower." |
| Sidelined by Trump and Musk, Hill spending leaders fight for relevance | |
 | Congressional appropriators, the lawmakers with jurisdiction over government funding, were once among the most powerful figures on Capitol Hill -- tough and often-revered negotiators who struck bipartisan deals even in the most polarized times. Those days might be over. Last week's rapid-fire push by GOP leaders to enact a stopgap funding bill through September put into sharp relief the waning influence of the House and Senate Appropriations committees that once ran the show. With President Donald Trump giving Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk and White House budget director Russ Vought unprecedented latitude over the federal purse strings, the leaders of the spending panels were ultimately sidelined by the executive branch and their own party leaders. Appropriators insist they are merely experiencing a setback, not headed for extinction, and that they fully intend to regain their relevance. Republicans are pledging a return to "regular order" by completing all 12 annual spending bills on time -- a feat that has not been accomplished since the 1990s. But with a looming mandate to codify DOGE cuts as a part of those 12 bills, morale among many members of the Appropriations Committees is at an all-time low, while distrust between the two parties has reached a fever pitch. |
| Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul wants to confront President Trump on tariffs. It's a lonely battle | |
 | Sen. Rand Paul is attempting to quietly rally support for a strategy to oppose President Donald Trump's tariffs on foreign imports, recently convening a meeting with a group of Senate Republicans, according to people familiar with the gathering. The libertarian Kentucky senator, a longtime proponent of free trade, used economic data behind closed doors in his attempt to sway senators to his side. But so far, not many of his colleagues have been willing to embrace his stance --- at least publicly. Even outside conservative groups aware of Paul's strategy have refrained from endorsing an approach that would set them on a collision course with a bellicose president, who has repeatedly expressed his love for the trade tool he believes will reinvigorate American manufacturing. "Tariff wars hurt homebuilders, real estate brokers, bourbon sellers, farmers, carmakers, shippers, purchasers of steel, etc.," Paul posted on social media this week. "Growth in international trade is proportional to growth in GDP. A fact. If you cripple trade, you will ultimately cripple GDP. Not a good thing." In an interview with The Herald-Leader in January, Paul lamented Trump's likely use of tariffs. He said while the president likely had the legal authority to impose them, the unilateral power was "inconsistent with principles of the republic." "To be fair, both Republicans and Democrats gave this power away over many many years," Paul said. "[The founders] would be horrified to think that the president alone would be raising taxes." |
| Trump's bluntness powered a White House comeback. Now his words are getting him in trouble in court | |
 | Donald Trump's shoot-from-the-lip style kept Americans on the edge of their seats during last year's campaign. But now that he's speaking as a president and not as a candidate, his words are being used against him in court in the blizzard of litigation challenging his agenda. The spontaneity is complicating his administration's legal positions. Nowhere has this been clearer than in cases involving his adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, the driving force in his efforts to downsize and overhaul the federal government. The latest example came earlier this week, when U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ruled that Musk had likely violated the Constitution by dismantling the United States Agency for International Development. The lawsuit turned on the question of whether the billionaire entrepreneur had overstepped his authority. Justice Department lawyers and White House officials insist that Musk is merely a presidential adviser, not the actual leader of DOGE. But Trump has said otherwise -- in speeches, interviews and public remarks -- and Chuang quoted him extensively in his decision. "Trump's words were essential, central and indispensable," said Norm Eisen, one of the lawyers for USAID employees who filed the lawsuit. "His admissions took what would have been a tough case and made it into a straightforward one." |
| Trump Turns Fight Over Deportation Flights Into a Constitutional Showdown | |
| The Trump administration is framing a legal fight over flights deporting alleged gang members as a constitutional showdown pitting the vast power of the executive branch against a judiciary determined to thwart it. The clash with U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., which could be headed to the Supreme Court, has emerged as an early top test case for the president's sweeping assertions of executive authority. The Trump administration has faced more than 100 lawsuits since it took office this year, and a string of injunctions and orders have paused or halted some of its priorities. This week, President Trump and his administration have singled out Boasberg as the face of its attacks on what it describes as activist, Democratic-appointed judges who are seeking to derail Trump's agenda and undermine his authority on critical issues such as immigration and national security. A court filing Wednesday signed by Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, accused the judge of "continued intrusions into the prerogatives of the Executive Branch." Trump went so far as to call for Boasberg's impeachment on Tuesday, triggering a rare rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday accused Boasberg of "undermining the will of the American public." |
| Colorado senator on Schumer: 'It's important for people to know when it's time to go' | |
 | Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet stopped short Wednesday of calling on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down from leadership, but came pretty darn close. "I do think on the leadership question, it's always better to examine whether folks are in the right place, and we're certainly going to have that conversation," he said at a town hall in Golden. Schumer has come under widespread criticism from House Democrats and within his own caucus for voting to advance GOP legislation that would prevent a shutdown of the federal government. Schumer had signaled that Republicans didn't have the votes to advance the spending measure, but later shifted course, arguing the bill's passage was the lesser of two evils. "It is really important that we are able to lift up the stakes that we're fighting for -- for the American people to know what we're fighting for on their behalf. And I don't think it was clear in this debate that we were," Bennet told attendees. Bennet, 60, recalled how he was the first Senate Democrat to say he didn't think then-President Joe Biden could win reelection after his poor debate performance. "And in dodging your question, let me just say it's important for people to know when it's time to go," he said in response to an attendee, who asked when Bennet would call for the 74-year-old Schumer to step aside. "We're going to have conversations, I'm sure, in the foreseeable future, about all the Democratic leadership." |
| Elon Musk, once a tacit backer of DEI, now focuses on anti-White bias | |
| In the spring of 2017, two months after a Black employee sued Tesla and alleged that co-workers frequently called him the n-word with impunity, chief executive Elon Musk sent out a companywide email with the subject line "Doing the right thing." The note marked one of the first times that the billionaire tech icon, born and raised in privilege during South African apartheid, engaged in a public conversation about race. Avoid making offensive comments, Musk said -- but don't be overly sensitive. "Part of not being a huge jerk is considering how someone might feel who is part of an historically less represented group," Musk wrote to thousands of employees, in a message later included in court filings in another lawsuit. But Musk added: "In fairness, if someone is a jerk to you, but sincerely apologizes, it is important to be thick-skinned and accept that apology." Over the next eight years, as he became the richest man in the world, Musk shifted from a Democratic-leaning critic of Donald Trump to a Republican-friendly Trump acolyte. He emerged as a hero on the far right who frequently comments on racial issues -- and who wields extraordinary power overseeing the president's cost-cutting operation, known as the U.S. DOGE Service. An early target was the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at all federal agencies. While opposition to DEI programs has become a mainstream Republican position, Musk has articulated more radical views on race in interviews and posts on X, his social media platform. |
| UM student Wyatt James Thistle dies at 20 | |
 | Ole Miss student Wyatt James Thistle died on Tuesday, March 11 while on a boating excursion in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with his friends, according to a Dignity Memorial Obituary. Thistle, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Mississippi, was pursuing a Bachelor's in General Business. Thistle was born on Oct. 20, 2004, in Dallas. His family moved to Seattle and then Chicago before settling in Alamo Heights, Texas, where he attended school starting in the second grade. After graduating from high school in 2023, Thistle enrolled at Ole Miss. Thistle was a member of the Mississippi Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, where he served as rush chairman. A funeral service will take place on Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in San Antonio. Campus resources, such as the University Counseling Center and UMatter, are available free of charge for those needing support. |
| Knoxville scientist laid off at USAID says DOGE is 'not just about DC.' It truly hits home | |
 | When President Donald Trump was elected for a second nonconsecutive term, federal contractor Jay Gulledge figured his days were numbered at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. What Gulledge didn't expect was the "chaotic, unsystematic way," as he refers to it, that the Trump administration almost completely dismantled USAID in a matter of weeks. Most USAID employees around the world were placed on administrative leave on Feb. 23 as the administration sought to cut 1,600 agency jobs. Gulledge, who holds a doctorate in ecology and environmental science, was the climate change integration advisor in USAID's bureau for democracy, human rights and governance. He moved to Knoxville in 2012 to lead the environmental sciences division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and he stayed here even after joining USAID as a full-time contractor in 2022. Gulledge figured the Senate would confirm a new administrator, who would then systematically review programs to decide how to implement the Trump administration's priorities. His contract would expire, he thought, and it might not be renewed. But the richest man in the world, appointed by Trump to cut government spending, calling the agency Gulledge worked for "evil" and "a viper's nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America" -- no one expected that. "The idea that USAID is not serving the interests of the country is a complete fiction," Gulledge said. "It's being cast as having drifted away from its mission, and it's just completely untrue." |
| A diluted version of the DEI bill advanced to the SC House with some still calling it an attack | |
 | A watered-down version of a diversity, equity and inclusion bill advanced in the S.C. House of Representatives but questions remain about what problems lawmakers are trying to address. Legislation dubbed the DEI bill, H. 3927, would cover admissions and organizations at public universities, state agencies and quasi-state agencies, like Palmetto Railways and the S.C. Lottery Commission that have diversity initiatives. Under the proposal, state entities could not require DEI training or have DEI offices. The bill's intent is to focus on "individual merit" over group identity, sponsors say. No differential treatment can be given based on race or gender -- among other orientations -- for admissions processes. The Attorney General's office would be tasked with enforcing the law and could bring legal action if necessary, though the bill has no penalties listed in the text. There would be a reporting system for complaints made concerning DEI at these state agencies. |
| Brothers of man convicted of killing Laken Riley sentenced in U.S. District Court | |
 | Diego "Gocho" Ibarra, the brother of the man serving life in prison for murdering nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in 2024, was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Athens. Ibarra, wearing orange jail garb from the Clarke County Jail, came before the judge where his Athens lawyer, Eric Eberhardt, read a letter from the defendant in which he asked for forgiveness for his actions in the U.S., where he had entered illegally in 2023. But District Court Judge Tilman Self III told Ibarra the results of a presentencing investigation that documented his multiple arrests showed he came into this country to do whatever he wanted to do. Sentences were also imposed on Ibarra's youngest brother, Argenis "Meny" Ibarra, 25, and another defendant, 29-year-old Rosbeli Flores-Bello, who lived with all three brothers in Athens. All three, along with Jose Ibarra, the man convicted of murdering Laken Riley who was slain on Feb. 22, 2024, were Venezuelans who entered the U.S. illegally. During the state trial where Jose Ibarra was convicted, neither of the brothers was linked by evidence to the slaying of Riley, which generated national interest due to heated immigration issues. |
| Texas A&M offers measles vaccine for students on campus amid West Texas outbreak | |
 | As health officials are urging the public to stay alert for measles symptoms and make sure their vaccinations are up to date, Texas A&M University is offering measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines for students at the A.P. Beutel Health Center. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported an outbreak of measles in the South Plains and Panhandle regions of Texas. From early January to March 18, they reported 279 cases of measles, with the most cases, around 191, being reported in Gaines County. All but a couple cases came from unvaccinated or unknown cases. There has been one measles fatality reported in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions. Over half of all reported cases for measles are for children below the age of 17. According to health officials, the best way to prevent getting sick is for each individual to be immunized with two doses of the MMR vaccine in their life spaced at least 28 days apart. Due to the highly contagious nature of measles, health officials also predict additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and surrounding communities. Texas A&M health officials also recommend that students who suspect they have the measles immediately mask and isolate themselves, call a doctor for next steps, stay home for four days after the rash appears and disinfect surfaces. |
| Texas A&M student killed after being struck by a vehicle in College Station | |
| A Texas A&M University student has died after being hit by a vehicle near campus late Wednesday. The College Station Police Department said it began receiving multiple calls around 10:15 p.m. that a pedestrian running into Wellborn Rd. was hit by a vehicle near the intersection of Fidelity St. When officers arrived on scene, they located 19-year-old Nikman Sarraf with severe trauma, according to a post on social media. The department's post says Sarraf died at a local hospital. Police say the driver of the vehicle stayed on scene and was cooperative through the investigation. |
| Bill that would screen for 'ideological bias' in college curricula to be debated | |
| Lawmakers will hear testimony Thursday on a handful of bills that would give Texas university systems' governor-appointed boards more power to control what is taught and who is teaching at the state's public campuses. One bill authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, the Conroe Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Education K-16, would allow college and university governing boards to vet and veto courses so they "do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies or legislation." Senate Bill 37 would also give boards the power to hire anyone in a leadership position at their respective schools, among other things. Faculty currently take the lead in developing curriculum and in hiring and evaluating their fellow academics. Creighton, the architect of the state's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education, said this latest proposal seeks to make universities' curriculum and hiring decisions more accountable and transparent. Neal Hutchens, a professor at the University of Kentucky's College of Education, said that's a worthwhile goal, but state legislatures and governing boards need to be careful not to use a wrecking ball to accomplish it. "These are public institutions, so they should be responsive and representative to the public," he said. "But if we become fixated on the idea that every course and every professor is trying to indoctrinate students, you really run the risk of harming institutions states have spent decades, centuries, building up." |
| U. of Missouri names new vice provost for enrollment management | |
 | Steve Robinson will be the new vice provost for enrollment management at the University of Missouri this coming academic year, according to a university news release Tuesday. Robinson will succeed Rhonda Gibler, who has served as interim vice provost for the Division of Enrollment Management since August. The announcement comes after a national search was conducted by MU, according to the release. Robinson is currently the vice provost for enrollment management at the University of Utah. There, Robinson has led initiatives that have created a 35% surge in first-year enrollment over the past five years. Enrollment reached a record of 36,881 students in fall 2024, according to a release on the University of Utah's website. Robinson has more than 25 years of experience working in student recruitment and enrollment management. He has previously served at major universities, including West Virginia University, the University of Oregon, University of Alabama and the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. |
| 'Every aspect of DEI is to be ripped out,' UVa official says | |
| After two decades of constructing and supporting a far-reaching diversity, equity and inclusion apparatus, the University of Virginia has begun to completely dismantle all DEI initiatives across its 12 schools and multiple departments. All of it must go, said Bert Ellis, who sits on UVa's governing Board of Visitors and has been a vocal critic of DEI in higher education. "This board unanimously voted to rip out the entire DEI infrastructure and everybody who works in the DEI infrastructure," said Ellis, who spoke with The Daily Progress in his personal capacity. "Absolutely every aspect of it, every aspect of every program. Every aspect of DEI is to be ripped out, shredded and terminated." Although the Board of Visitors' resolution passed earlier this month only explicitly calls for the dissolution of UVa's central DEI office, UVa Rector Robert Hardie has since clarified that the scope of the resolution requires UVa to review "all programs across the university." Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who appointed 13 of the 17 members on the Board of Visitors, praised the decision. "DEI is done at UVA," Youngkin said in a statement the day the resolution passed. "Today, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted for commonsense saying NO to illegal discrimination and YES to merit-based opportunity." |
| As Trump attacks DEI, UC bans 'diversity statements' in faculty hiring | |
 | University of California leaders said Wednesday they are eliminating a years-old practice of requiring faculty job applicants to submit "diversity statements," a move that comes after the Trump administration threatened to revoke federal funding from schools and universities that maintain diversity, equity and inclusion programs. As part of job applications or promotions, many departments at UC campuses have asked job seekers to submit written testimonials of one or two pages about how they have worked to enhance and support racial and other kinds of diversity in their fields. The essay requests started to appear in some UC applications in the early 2000s and gained popularity in the 2010s, attracting both praise and controversy. UC regents announced the decision as they convened at UCLA, their first meeting since the federal government launched a series of investigations at UC and other U.S. campuses over allegations that they discriminate against white, Asian American and Jewish employees and students. In a statement, UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said the university "will continue to embrace and celebrate Californians from a variety of life experiences, backgrounds, and points of view." |
| 'Proactive Punishment': Trump Admin Pauses $175M to Penn | |
 | The Trump administration is pausing $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania, apparently because the college allowed a transgender woman to compete in women's sports three years ago. The funding pause, announced Wednesday via a White House social media post, is not related to any investigation. Instead, the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services stopped the $175 million as part of an "immediate proactive action to review discretionary funding streams," a senior White House official said in a statement. The legality of the move isn't clear, and officials didn't specify what the paused funding was intended to be used for. The official did note that the university "infamously permitted a male to compete on its women's swimming team." The University of Pennsylvania became a target for Republicans and conservatives after swimmer Lia Thomas, who initially competed on the men's swimming team, transitioned and then swam for the women's team during the 2021–22 season -- in compliance with the NCAA policies at the time. Thomas went on to win the NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle, although her time was not an NCAA record. Shortly after the order was signed, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights opened a Title IX investigation into transgender athletes participating in college sports at the University of Pennsylvania. |
| Trump is bombarding the Ivy League. This college just hired a staunch ally as its top lawyer. | |
| As the Trump administration intensifies its battle with elite universities, one Ivy League school is lawyering up with a Trump ally. Dartmouth College announced this week that it has tapped Matt Raymer, the former chief counsel at the Republican National Committee, to serve as the college's top lawyer and senior vice president. Raymer will not only run the general counsel's office, but also serve on Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock's leadership team and advise the college on "legal and strategic matters." Raymer, who in January publicly backed President Donald Trump's push to end birthright citizenship, will also oversee the school's Office of Visa and Immigration Services. Raymer's selection comes as Republicans dramatically escalate their attacks on higher education -- training their ire on Ivy League institutions they've long accused of fostering liberalism and censoring conservatives. Dartmouth -- the smallest Ivy League college, tucked away in rural New Hampshire and known for being less progressive than many of its peers -- is the only school in the conference that appears to so far have escaped the administration's wrath. "We've done a good job in the past of permitting free expression and respecting others' voices," said Phil Hanlon, who served as Dartmouth's president before Beilock. "We've worked hard at that over many decades." |
| Trump Order Threatens University Libraries, Museums | |
| A $10,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services is allowing a tribal college in northern Michigan to continue offering library services during a building renovation. The IMLS, which is the largest federal funding source for U.S. museums and libraries, also awarded a historically Black university in Virginia $52,000 to digitize an archival collection about the women's college it absorbed in 1932. And an academic researcher in Florida is counting on a $150,000 grant to help school librarians better support students who are autistic. But as of last week, those and hundreds of other federally funded programs at museums and libraries -- many housed at cash-strapped colleges and universities -- are in jeopardy. President Donald Trump issued an executive order last Friday eliminating "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law" the IMLS and six other federal entities he's deemed "unnecessary," including the United States Agency for Global Media, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at the Smithsonian Institution. With libraries and museums emerging as one of Trump's latest targets, librarians, archivists, museum professionals and academic researchers maintain that IMLS funding is essential to colleges, universities and the communities they serve. |
| China calls for protections for students in US after Congressional panel demands data from colleges | |
| Beijing on Thursday demanded protections for Chinese students in the U.S. after a Congressional panel asked six American universities to hand over a large amount of detailed information on their Chinese students, citing national security concerns. A letter sent to the universities, including Stanford and Carnegie Mellon, alleged that the Chinese government was embedding researchers in top American institutions to gain direct access to sensitive technologies. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Chinese students account for about one-quarter of all international students in the U.S. and that their activities have promoted "the economic prosperity and technological development of the U.S." "This is in the interest of both parties," Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. Her remarks came a day after John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, sent a letter to six colleges requesting information on Chinese students enrolled in advanced science and technology programs. He accused the institutions of putting American research at risk in exchange for financial incentives. |
| Trump's Battles With Colleges Could Change American Culture for a Generation | |
 | In October 2023, three days before Hamas fighters attacked Israel, Columbia University's new president stood outside Low Library and posed a foundational question. "What," she asked, "does the world need from a great university in the 21st century?" The president, Nemat Shafik, argued that the world required much. Rigorous thinkers who were grounded in the age's great debates. Researchers whose breakthroughs could transform societies. Universities that extended their missions far beyond their gates. Seventeen months later, Dr. Shafik is gone and the Trump administration is offering a far different answer. The ideal Dr. Shafik described, much of it historically bankrolled by American taxpayers, is under siege, as President Trump ties public money to his government's vision for higher education. That vision is a narrower one. Teach what you must, defend "the American tradition and Western civilization," prepare people for the work force, and limit protests and research. The outcome of this clash over the purpose of higher education stands to shape American culture for a generation or more. If the president realizes his ambitions, many American universities -- public and private, in conservative states and liberal ones -- could be hollowed out, imperiling the backbone of the nation's research endeavors. The sobering reality for university leaders is that Mr. Trump has the administrative upper hand, and academia has startlingly few vocal allies. |
| Trump will order a plan to shut down the US Education Department | |
| President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department, according to a White House official, advancing a campaign promise to eliminate an agency that's been a longtime target of conservatives. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity before an announcement. Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, completing its dismantling is most likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon "to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely." Trump's Republican administration has already been gutting the agency. Its workforce is being slashed in half, and there have been deep cuts to the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which gathers data on the nation's academic progress. Currently, much of the agency's work revolves around managing money --- both its extensive student loan portfolio and a range of aid programs for colleges and school districts, like school meals and support for homeless students. The agency also is key in overseeing civil rights enforcement. |
| Trump still needs Congress' help with plan to abolish Education Department | |
 | President Donald Trump could begin to dismantle the Department of Education via an executive order, but he would need congressional approval in order to officially abolish the agency. Trump is expected to sign the order to start dissolving the department in an effort to "turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies," according to a White House fact sheet previously reported by Fox News Digital. If Trump signs such an order, expected as soon as Thursday, he can significantly diminish the department. However, the entire agency cannot be outright abolished unless Congress passes legislation that addresses the laws establishing the department. In order to pass any legislation, Trump would need congressional approval from a supermajority in Congress to eliminate the department, according to Andrew Stoltmann, an attorney and law professor. "President Trump does not have the ability to eliminate a federal department. Eliminating it would require congressional action, including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate," Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. "So, even if Trump can follow through with what he says, he has to pull in some Democrats in the Senate, and that will likely be impossible." |
SPORTS
| 'Our guys need to play': Lebby, Mississippi State keeping spring game tradition alive | |
| The spring game has been a tradition for most major college football programs for many decades, giving fans a chance to see their favorite team play an intrasquad scrimmage, usually for free, months before the season officially begins in late August or early September. But many programs have opted to cancel their spring games in recent years, or provide alternative programming. Ole Miss opted to instead hold the Grove Bowl Games starting last year, which included 7-on-7 action and various skills competitions. The Southeastern Conference's two newest members, Oklahoma and Texas, are not hosting spring games this year, and neither is Nebraska, which drew more than 60,000 fans to its spring game in 2024. Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule said his program canceling the spring game was due to the spring transfer portal window, which will be open from Apr. 16-25. Other coaches could get a look at players during the spring game and then entice them to transfer. At Mississippi State, however, the spring game is not going anywhere. The Bulldogs will hold their scrimmage at the conclusion of spring practice on Apr. 19, and for head coach Jeff Lebby, the reasoning is simple -- there are a lot of new faces on the roster. |
| Softball: State Sweeps Season Series With 8-4 Victory At UAB | |
| A seven-run first inning proved to be more than enough for No. 18 Mississippi State on Wednesday as the Bulldogs defeated UAB, 8-4. Sierra Sacco finished a home run shy of the cycle after collecting a triple and double in the first inning alone. She plated a pair of runs in the frame along with Kylee Edwards, who smacked a two-run double, and Riley Hull. Morgan Bernardini and Nadia Barbary had State's other two RBIs. "Scoring first, giving Delainey [Everett] a cushion to go out there with, is always good," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "We left too many runners on base in the middle innings, but I love that we set the tone there in first. Raelin [Chaffin] coming in to close us out there in the last few innings, I just thought it was all around a great team effort to get us through that game." The Bulldogs will stay the night in Birmingham before flying to Chicago to face Northwestern in a three-game series this weekend. State will play one game on Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network before a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. |
| Seven-run first helps Mississippi State escape midweek woes at UAB | |
| So thorough was Rickey Henderson's domination for the Oakland Athletics in the 1989 American League Championship Series that Todd Stottlemyre, a pitcher for the opposing Toronto Blue Jays, quipped, "I don't know if it's harder to get God out or Rickey Henderson out." Mississippi State has had its own version of the great Henderson lately on the softball diamond. Sierra Sacco's evolution into a complete offensive player has made her one of the best leadoff hitters in the country, and she both started and completed a seven-run, first-inning rally Wednesday evening at UAB. Sacco led off the game with a triple, then drove in the last two runs of the inning with a double as the Bulldogs batted around. She finished the night 3-for-5 in No. 18 MSU's 8-4 victory, improving her triple slash for the season to .500/.617/.875 through 30 games. The Bulldogs have their week off from Southeastern Conference play this weekend, instead heading to Evanston, Illinois for a three-game series at Northwestern. The Wildcats have won three straight Big Ten titles, and although they started slow this season, they are entering this series winners of their last seven games and typically play very well at home. |
| Track & Field: Outdoor Campaign Begins At Home This Weekend | |
| Mississippi State track and field is set to begin the outdoor season at the Alumni Bulldog Relays this weekend. The meet will be contested at the Mike Sanders Track Complex, beginning Thursday afternoon. "It's always an exciting time to be able to compete in front of the home crowd," said head coach Chris Woods. "We're looking forward to showcasing one of the top programs in the country. Competition and weather will be great so I'm looking to our fans and alumni to show major support throughout the weekend. We are pumped to welcome our alumni back to Starkville and have a lot of exciting things planned for the weekend." The indoor season concluded at the indoor national championships, where the men earned seven first-team All-American honors, including the heptathlon title from Peyton Bair and the 800m runner-up title from Abdullahi Hassan. Nicholas Fakorede finished eighth in the 60m and the men's 4x400m finished fifth, helping the team tie for sixth overall with 23 points. This weekend also holds the annual Alumni Weekend celebration. Several events and activities will be held throughout the weekend to engage alumni with the current program and athletes, with the on-field alumni recognition being held early Saturday afternoon. |
| SEC coaches attribute record bids to investment in basketball | |
| It wasn't long ago that SEC basketball was an afterthought, with only a couple of entrants into the men's NCAA tournament. Those days are over -- a statement that was emphatically made when a record 14 SEC teams received bids to this year's tournament. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, speaking ahead of his team's opening game Thursday, pointed to the investment level of each program into their respective rosters. "The difference between the SEC this year and why there was such a great separation, top to bottom, there was commitment in the NIL and investing in our student-athletes," Pearl said Wednesday. It isn't just NIL; Pearl cited an improvement in coaching hires and staff resources that dates to former SEC commissioner Mike Slive and has continued with current commissioner Greg Sankey. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, who has spent the past 10 of his 38-year career in the SEC, praised the caliber of coaching across the conference. "I haven't coached against any bad coaches," Barnes said. "I really haven't. I've coached against coaches that haven't had the same resources along the way, and sometimes you can win some of the time like that, but not overall at the level that you want to be able to sustain it." |
| Skipping this year's March Madness brackets? It's not just you | |
| In East Lansing, Michigan, college sports often dominate conversations -- especially in March, when everyone seems to be filling out their NCAA brackets. Jessica Caruss would know; she has lived in the area for most of her life. She loves sports, and she's a Michigan State fan, but she won't be drawing up a March Madness bracket that shows her team (or any team) winning it all. "Oh, I'm aware. I just don't do brackets or anything," Caruss said. "I don't gamble; I don't see the appeal of it. For me it's not a rush. It's stressful." She's far from alone in bypassing the brackets. As the annual tournament kicks off, some Americans skip the madness -- or at least they don't try to predict who will win. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they "never" fill out a bracket for the NCAA men's or women's basketball tournament. For some people, the madness is barely registering. Justin Campbell, a 29-year-old from Brookhaven, Mississippi, said he's never followed sports closely. He's not tracking the NCAA tournament, let alone making a bracket. He might tune into a game if it's on at a restaurant he's at, but basketball takes a back seat to football in his corner of southern Mississippi. |
| LeBlanc steps away from women's basketball to turn full attention to being Millsaps AD | |
| Justin LeBlanc is turning his full attention to being the athletic director at Millsaps College, announcing he's stepping down as head women's basketball coach to dedicate more time to his administrative role. "Very grateful for the opportunity to coach the game I love for so many years. Could not be more proud of the program we have built and the players that helped build it along the way! Sad to put the whistle down but so excited about our next chapter. As always...Go Majors!" LeBlanc wrote on social media. LeBlanc was announced in January as athletic director at the Division III school in Jackson. Halfway through the women's basketball season at that point, he finished out the year leading the Lady Majors to a 22-5 overall record and a regular season Southern Athletic Association championship. Being named SAA Coach of the Year on four different occasions, LeBlanc finished with a 146-83 record at Millsaps. LeBlanc's success on the hardwood coincided with serving as associate athletic director in 2023 and 2024. Millsaps' president, Frank Neville, said he was the "ideal candidate" to oversee the entire athletic department, which fields nine men's sports and nine women's sports. |
| What does Jake Mangum have to do to make the Majors? | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Jake Mangum, the all-time Southeastern Conference hits leader,, turned 29 earlier this month. He's a young man, unless we're talking about his baseball age. Baseball-wise, to use a golf analogy, he's making the turn and heading to the back nine. Mangum, perhaps the most popular player in Mississippi State history, now has played five seasons in the minor leagues for three different Major League franchises without getting a chance to play in a big league regular season game. The Tampa Bay Rays last November placed Mangum on their 40-man Major League roster, but they can only keep 26 to begin the regular season. Every projection I've seen does not include Mangum in that number. And, frankly, this long-time baseball observer does not understand why. ... When I talked to Mangum Tuesday, he was enjoying only his second day off this spring training at the Tampa Bay Rays facility in downtown St. Petersburg. Ten days away from the Rays' season opener, Mangum does not know whether he would begin the regular season with the Major League club – or back in Class AAA with the Durham Bulls. ... Know this: Mangum has done everything within his power to make his Major League dream come true. Look at the numbers. |
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