| Monday, May 5, 2025 |
| MSU's Green named university's newest Truman Scholar | |
 | Mississippi State is celebrating the university's newest Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner. Claire Green of North Little Rock, Arkansas, is receiving up to $30,000 in graduate-study expenses as part of the highly coveted national award honoring the nation's 33rd president. The MSU junior is one of 54 selected from 49 colleges and universities. The Truman Foundation's Finalist Selection Committee chose 201 students from 137 institutions to interview with the Foundation's Regional Review Panels in March and early May, narrowed from an initial pool of 743 applicants from 288 institutions. Green, a biochemistry major concentrating in entomology, is a Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Endowed Scholar in MSU's Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. "Claire's journey through Mississippi State has been a real pleasure to observe," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "Claire has worked very hard to earn her accolades and is most deserving of this high honor. Throughout her MSU career, Claire has consistently exuded excellence, and attaining the impressive status of a Truman Scholar is a continuation of that remarkable trajectory. Rhonda and I are extremely proud of her and offer our very sincere congratulations." |
| MSU's spring graduation ceremonies set for May 13-16 | |
 | More than 3,000 Mississippi State University (MSU) spring graduates will conclude a major chapter in their educational journeys this month during commencement ceremonies scheduled May 13-16 in Starkville and Meridian. During the May 16 Starkville campus ceremonies, MSU President Mark E. Keenum will award Richard H. Puckett Sr., chairman and chief executive officer of the Flowood-based Puckett Machinery Company, and Anthony Wilson, CEO of Mississippi Power in Gulfport, honorary Doctor of Public Service degrees. Keenum will serve as the commencement featured speaker for all MSU ceremonies and will award bachelor's, master's, educational specialist and doctoral degrees. Starkville graduates can invite up to eight guests, and Meridian graduates can have up to four. Tickets are required for the May 15 and 16 Humphrey Coliseum events, and instructions for claiming them have been emailed to graduates. |
| MSU one of eight universities receiving funding from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine | |
| A collaborative design studio and an interdisciplinary research seminar at Mississippi State University together are recipients of an almost $750,000 award from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to investigate complex challenges in the Gulf region. Among eight universities in Gulf states to receive funds, MSU's Mississippi Gulf Coast Collaborative Studio is one of five studios that participated in the initial pilot phase of the Gulf Futures Design Studio program. Gulf Coast Community Design Studio Director David Perkes said students are better able to understand coastal ecology and engage with community stakeholders when they travel to the Gulf Coast, and the NASEM award provides that support. Architecture and landscape architecture majors in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Collaborative Studio, led by faculty in MSU's School of Architecture and Department of Landscape Architecture, have spent the year exploring ways to respond and adapt to ongoing struggles of Mississippi Gulf Coast communities. |
| Mississippi State launches all-new dining for fall | |
| This fall, Mississippi State University (MSU) will offer new dining options and updates on familiar favorites for students, as well as changes in Dawg Dollars, the university's prepaid student debit account. After being closed for major renovations, the historic Perry Cafeteria will reopen with new dining features and a new name: Perry Food Hall. Students also will have a new dining location, Azalea Marketplace, located in MSU's newest residence hall, Azalea Hall. Both locations will open in August. The renovated Perry Food Hall will feature three restaurant-style concepts: 1921 Café, The Beet Drop and Bark. The 1921 Café features Southern staples, including MSU traditions like Fried Chicken Wednesday and Catfish Friday. Bark brings a handcrafted smokehouse experience with bold flavors and delicious sides, while The Beet Drop offerings are the choice of a customizable salad experience or a vegan meal. Starbucks also is relocating to Perry. A revitalized north end of Perry Food Hall is providing an expanded Moe's Southwest Grill and reintroducing State Fountain Bakery. |
| Brown spot needle blight hits loblolly pines in Mississippi | |
| Officials with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service said brown spot needle blight (BSNB) has been widespread in Mississippi. BSNB, which is caused by the native fungus Lecanosticta acicola, commonly affects young longleaf pine trees but is now affecting mature loblolly pine trees across the Southeast. "This disease wasn't really a concern with loblolly in the past, but now we are seeing it in mature trees pretty frequently," said Kristy McAndrew, a forestry health specialist with the MSU Extension Service. "Early reports in the region started around the mid-2010s, and we've been seeing it in loblolly since then at varying rates." The fungus is present year-round, but trees don't show symptoms until very late winter or early spring. In northeast Mississippi, McAndrew said needle loss and discoloration was observed from February to March in previous years. But this year, symptoms were not seen until the last few weeks of April. The timing of observable symptoms could vary in different areas of the state. |
| Small Ruminant Conference Welcomes Sheep, Goat Producers | |
 | Sheep and goat producers, researchers and industry professionals will convene at Mississippi State University June 13-14 for the sixth annual Small Ruminant Conference. The two-day event, hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, highlights cutting-edge research and practical applications in small ruminant production. The conference's first day begins at 12:30 p.m. with a preconference tour of the university's animal and dairy sciences department and Henry H. Leveck Animal Research Farm, also known as South Farm. The second day of the conference will take place at The Mill Conference Center, beginning with registration and a welcome session at 8:30 a.m. That is followed by a series of expert-led presentations on silvopasture systems, health management, solar farms in the sheep industry and small ruminant management. Presentations during the event will be led by faculty from MSU, North Carolina State University, Florida State University, Tuskegee University and West Virginia University. |
| Worsening allergies aren't your imagination -- windy days create the perfect pollen storm | |
| Mississippi State University's Christine Cairns Fortuin writes for The Conversation: Evolution has fostered many reproductive strategies across the spectrum of life. From dandelions to giraffes, nature finds a way. One of those ways creates quite a bit of suffering for humans: pollen, the infamous male gametophyte of the plant kingdom. In the Southeastern U.S., where I live, you know it's spring when your car has turned yellow and pollen blankets your patio furniture and anything else left outside. Suddenly there are long lines at every car wash in town. Even people who aren't allergic to pollen -- clearly an advantage for a pollination ecologist like me -- can experience sneezing and watery eyes during the release of tree pollen each spring. Enough particulate matter in the air will irritate just about anyone, even if your immune system does not launch an all-out attack. So, why is there so much pollen? And why does it seem to be getting worse? |
| Starkville could be among most park-convenient cities | |
 | The service areas of city parks already cover much more of the population than officials expected. Adding three more parks over the next 10 years could place its coverage percentage in the company of some of the most recreation-friendly cities in the country. City Planner Daniel Havelin presented GIS mapping data Friday at a board of aldermen work session showing 47.01% of Starkville's population already live in the service area of an existing city-owned park. Taking into account the parks at Sudduth Elementary, Overstreet Elementary and Armstrong Middle School -- for which the city has an agreement with Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District to allow use as public parks after school and on weekends -- the coverage percentage rises to 54.19%. "The national average is 39.2%," Havelin said during the work session. However, adding three parks in strategic areas as part of the city's new 10-year parks plan -- which is being developed -- would mean as much as 62.72% of residents would live within a park's coverage area, Havelin said. To do that, he suggested placing parks near Garrard and North Montgomery, behind the Greenbriar subdivision along South Montgomery and near the Pleasant Acres subdivision. |
| Giant 'sea dragon' fossil found in creek near Starkville | |
| James Starnes was walking along a creek last month, field-checking a geological map of an area between the city and the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and looking for fossilized seashells, when he saw a bone sticking out of the ground. Starnes, the director of the surface geology division for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, almost immediately assumed it was from some kind of large animal. But it wasn't until his colleague Jonathan Leard uncovered the fossil that they realized they had found part of a giant marine lizard, or "sea dragon," from the late Cretaceous period. After discovering the vertebra, Starnes sent the fossil to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. George Phillips, paleontology curator for the museum, said finding a mosasaur vertebra in the Golden Triangle is fairly common, since the creatures had many vertebrae in their bodies and they were abundant in the sea. But the size of the vertebra Starnes discovered makes Phillips believe the creature was a mosasaurus hoffmanni, which is much less common of a find. "This one is a particularly large one," Phillips said. While Starnes was excited for his find, he also said the Golden Triangle is a particularly rich region for fossil hunting. With a growing interest in fossil hunting on the rise, he encouraged others to get out and look for pieces of history themselves. |
| Tupelo celebrates The Depot opening | |
| Friday night saw the culmination of months of effort by city officials and contractors with the opening of The Depot in Downtown Tupelo. The city held a ribbon-cutting in conjunction with the first day of the Blue Suede Cruise, making an event of the evening that included music, food and speeches. Mayor Todd Jordan opened the ceremony with a history of the project from its conceptualization to construction. "It's a great addition to downtown," he said, noting that the project will go a long way in alleviating stress on downtown when events take place that typically shut the streets down. "I'm proud of it. I hope you're proud of it." The building will be multi-purpose, with the city envisioning The Depot as an event space for all manner of festivities. It is equipped with a stage, electricity and restrooms. Not only is Blue Suede Cruise happening alongside the $2.2 million venue's opening, but The Depot opened just in time for the farmers market season to begin on May 17. The market, which will move to The Depot, is held each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon from May to October. |
| Battle between rural life and growing suburbs taking root in South Mississippi | |
 | Tucked behind fields, farms and winding creeks, a quiet stretch of rural land could soon give way to a new conservation-style subdivision -- if the county approves a developer's rezoning request. But longtime residents argue it's more than zoning lines on a map; it's about preserving the character of their community. Jackson County officials are considering whether a rezoning request for 109 acres on Old Fort Bayou Road fills a public need -- and if the character of the neighborhood has changed enough to justify it. The land sits just up the road from a 110-acre subdivision already underway. If approved, the new project would be one of nine recent subdivisions reshaping the area. Kenneth Jones, a real estate developer from Gulfport, said the area has been preparing for this kind of growth for years. "Walker Road and Old Fort Bayou have already developed up to I-10," Jones said. "It's been happening for the last 20 years, and the natural progression of development is just heading that direction." At a county Planning Commission meeting in April, residents voiced a different concern: Vancleave's rural identity being steadily replaced by subdivisions. Laurie Claxton, who has lived off Old Fort Bayou Road for 25 years, said the proposed development would directly affect her way of life. |
| Mississippi lawmakers working behind the scenes on budget agreement ahead of special session | |
| The Mississippi legislature has less than two months to pass a state operating budget ahead of the June 30 deadline. Negotiations appear to be at a standstill as both chambers attempt to find common ground. The 2025 regular session ended on a sour note after the final gavel signaled the conclusion of the assembly on April 3 with no budget passed. Since then, a host of closed-door meetings have been conducted to allow movers and shakers space to settle the upcoming fiscal year's financial allocations. According to Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, the plan is to have a "general framework" established before stepping foot back into the state capitol. "I don't want to come in and sit around for a few days trying to figure things out," Hopson said. "We want to have a good idea of where we stand overall -- both Senate and House -- to get something that everybody can be happy with. Then we'll probably have to tweak a few things." Hopson underscored the importance of hammering out an agreement as soon as possible so as to allow state agencies, municipalities, and other organizations that depend on state money to plan for Fiscal Year 2026. |
| Governor frustrated with lack of budget consensus from legislative leaders | |
| It's still a waiting game for a special session, and the Governor is frustrated about the progress from the legislature. "I strongly encouraged them to have an agreement on the operating budget by the end of April," said Governor Tate Reeves. "That didn't happen. And that's disappointing to me." The work did restart this week. Senate Appropriations Chairman Briggs Hopson says they made progress, but it's not complete. "It's just a long, difficult process because there are many issues in each budget," explained Hopson. "People don't realize it's not just a number, it's also dealing with different issues in each budget that you want to work on. So, it's just it takes time." The Speaker says the disagreement continues to center around how they'll spend Capital Expense Funds and whether that should include local infrastructure projects throughout the state. The House believes it should, while the Senate thinks they should be careful about spending amid federal cuts. The Governor says the discussion has derailed the priority issue. "The annual operating budget will not be used as leverage going forward by anyone because it can't be," said Reeves. "Because it is the legislature's responsibility to fund the budget, and they need to do it." |
| How will Trump funding cuts to NPR, PBS affect Mississippi Public Broadcasting? | |
 | Public TV and radio stations across the U.S. are in a state of limbo after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday night that seeks to terminate federal funding to National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service. The executive order specifically instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit that disburses public funds to NPR and PBS, to cease sending funds. Trump's reasoning centers on what the executive order calls "outdated" and "corrosive" government funding of "biased media." Organizations such as Mississippi Public Broadcasting are now at risk of losing funding from NPR and PBS. MPB Chief Operating Officer Anna Neel said the team is in a waiting period following Thursday's executive order. Neel said it's unclear if pulling the funding is within Trump's authority, but if the funding does end, it will affect MPB. The question that lingers now is, what will the effects look like? Neel said MPB is waiting to see just how much the executive order will affect operations. However, the funding cuts would not greatly affect local projects such as television shows and radio programs since those projects are funded by the state. |
| Ballou sees Jackson as a crossroads city with big potential | |
| Jackson television newsman Howard Ballou spoke to the Canton Rotary Club on Thursday, saying he was nervous about coming to Mississippi four decades ago but quickly realized it was the "best place in the world to be." An anchor and reporter at WLBT, the NBC affiliate owned by Gray Media, Ballou loves fishing and hunting in Mississippi. He left briefly in 1989 to work at CBS in Dallas, but returned to Mississippi and "never looked back." Ballou said Jackson's recent mayoral race was a "mandate for change." The television news anchor is highly optimistic about Jackson's future. "Jackson is poised to be a crossroads city -- Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, Birmingham -- needing next-level leadership to capitalize on its potential," he said. Jackson is often unfairly criticized, he said, but acknowledges issues with crime and infrastructure that need to be fixed. He pointed to "Taking Back Our Neighborhood," an award-winning series he did, highlighting positive changes. It's important to address issues and get involved rather than ignoring them, he said. |
| U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson visits Bean Path to support tech growth in Jackson | |
| U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson visited the Bean Path in Jackson on Friday to support the nonprofit's efforts in advancing technology and workforce training in Mississippi. The Bean Path, founded by Dr. Nashlie Sephus, is located in the Jackson Tech District and provides technical advice and guidance through workshops, robotics, and coding to people of all ages. "The city will grow, and we want to make sure the community isn't left out of that growth," Sephus said. "And also that we aren't left behind when it comes to technology." After more than six years of bringing tech to the capital city, Thompson paid a special visit for the first time. "I'm very impressed," Thompson said. "I know a lot about this area. I've represented it for quite a while and I've seen the highs and the lows, and so now we are back moving toward the top." "We love it when our leaders and elected officials come to see the great work that we are doing right here at the Bean Path in downtown Jackson," Sephus said. "Our need and passion for wanting to share workforce training, especially AI and tech all across Mississippi -- the more people involved the better." |
| Senator Wicker on Trump's budget request: President's advisors 'were apparently not listening' | |
| The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent President Donald Trump's topline discretionary budget request for fiscal year 2026 to the U.S. Congress on Friday. The President's proposal reduces non-defense discretionary by $163 billion or 23 percent from the 2025 enacted level. The White House said it would also increase defense spending by 13 percent, and appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security would increase by nearly 65 percent, "to ensure that our military and other agencies repelling the invasion of our border have the resources they need to complete the mission." However, Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R), the Senate Armed Service Committee chairman, took issue with the OMB's request. Wicker said in a statement released Friday that President Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda, "but his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget were apparently not listening." "For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms," Senator Wicker said. "The Big, Beautiful Reconciliation Bill was always meant to change fundamentally the direction of the Pentagon on programs like Golden Dome, border support, and unmanned capabilities -- not to paper over OMB's intent to shred to the bone our military capabilities and our support to service members." |
| Defense budget increase hinges on reconciliation success | |
 | The White House made official Friday that President Donald Trump wants the first ever $1 trillion defense budget. Yet Trump will not be able to increase defense spending at all above current levels -- in fact it would decrease after accounting for inflation -- unless a narrowly divided Congress sends him a reconciliation bill containing a huge increase for defense in fiscal 2026, hardly a given. White House officials unveiled on Friday morning a so-called "skinny" version of Trump's fiscal 2026 federal budget request. More details are expected in the weeks ahead. Hawks are already up in arms. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., issued a statement Friday criticizing the Office of Management and Budget, not Trump, for sending Congress what Wicker called an inadequate budget. Likewise, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, issued a statement expressing "serious objections to the proposed freeze in our defense funding given the security challenges we face." And Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said Trump's request "will double down on the Biden Administration's material neglect" for security threats and, he said, "a one-time influx [of] reconciliation spending is not a substitute for full-year appropriations." |
| Maxwell appointed USDA State Director by President Trump | |
| Former Southern District Public Service Commissioner Dane Maxwell has been appointed by President Donald Trump as the new Mississippi State Director for Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Maxwell as part of a slate of presidential appointments for the agency on Friday. "When America's farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump's America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again," Rollins said. Maxwell was also the Mississippi State Director for the Trump presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. In addition to Maxwell, Rollins announced that Chris McDonald was named the new State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Mississippi. Most recently, McDonald served as the Director of Federal and Environmental Affairs at the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. |
| More than 15,000 USDA employees take Trump's offer to resign | |
 | At least 15,000 Agriculture Department employees have taken the Trump administration's offers to resign, according to a readout of a USDA briefing with congressional staff that was shared with POLITICO. The departures represent a drastic contraction of a department that handles a diverse portfolio including flagship federal nutrition programs, food safety, farm loans and rural broadband initiatives. While just 3,877 USDA employees signed up for the first deferred resignation program offered in January, 11,305 agreed to leave under the second round, with potentially more resignations to come, according to the readout. The program allows employees to quit and be paid through September. USDA spokesperson Seth Christensen confirmed the resignation numbers in an email. Many staffers say they've made the difficult decision to resign rather than face what they describe as a climate of surveillance and fear. More than 1,300 employees at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 1,255 employees at the Agricultural Research Service, 78 employees from the Economic Research Service, 54 employees from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture and 243 employees from the National Agricultural Statistics Service will also depart. |
| Rep. Bacon says farmers 'already seeing an impact from tariffs,' calls for opening trade | |
 | Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said farmers in his state and across the Midwest are "already seeing" the impacts of President Trump's tariffs and called for the country to open agricultural trade with other countries to support the industry. Bacon joined NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday" where host Blake Burman asked him about agricultural workers and how they are handling tariff impacts slowing trade. "Well, the [agriculture] community is very worried. If you talk to the Farm Bureau, the cattlemen ... some of our biggest meat producers here are for beef, they're already getting their markets shut off," Bacon said. "We're already seeing an impact on our exports in Nebraska, where we've lost market access in Europe primarily ... particularly with our beef and popcorn and things like that," he continued. "So, we are going into a recession in the Midwest farm community." Republicans in Congress, like Bacon, are concerned that there is no outcome or exit plan for Trump's trade war, which they say will hurt markets for wheat, corn, soybeans, pork and other U.S. products. Bacon noted that the imports of fertilizers and herbicides are being impacted by higher prices and barriers due to tariffs. |
| Conservatives have long dreamed of passing a bill to shred tons of regulations. They may be closer than ever. | |
| Conservative Republicans have spent more than a decade working toward a wholesale rollback of federal regulations -- and now they think they have the legislative battle plan to make it happen. Advocates of the rule-shredding proposal are seeking to give their legislation a coveted spot in the GOP's party-line energy, tax and border security megabill, a maneuver that would defuse the filibuster threat that has repeatedly thwarted their dreams. They say they have spent the better part of the past year crafting ways to ensure their latest iteration can pass muster in the Senate. The proposal would turn Congress into a gatekeeper for certain major rules and allow lawmakers to roll back countless regulations for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term, drastically transforming the way the federal government oversees everything from businesses and banks to health care and energy development. The House Judiciary Committee advanced it last week as part of the Republicans' broader budget reconciliation package -- a potentially major step toward finally catapulting the deregulatory proposal to Trump's desk. |
| America's long history of 'checks and balances' is being tested by Trump like rarely before | |
 | It's what one historian calls an "elaborate, clunky machine," one that's been fundamental to American democracy for more than two centuries. The principle of "checks and balances" is rooted in the Constitution's design of a national government with three distinct, coequal branches. President Donald Trump in his first 100 days tested that system like rarely before, signing dozens of executive orders, closing or sharply reducing government agencies funded by Congress, and denigrating judges who have issued dozens of rulings against him. "The framers were acutely aware of competing interests, and they had great distrust of concentrated authority," said Dartmouth College professor John Carey, an expert on American democracy. "That's where the idea came from." Their road map has mostly prevented control from falling into "one person's hands," Carey said. But he warned that the system depends on "people operating in good faith ... and not necessarily exercising power to the fullest extent imaginable." |
| Trump says he's unsure whether people in the US are entitled to due process | |
| President Donald Trump said he was unsure whether people in the U.S. are entitled to due process rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution as his administration pushes aggressively to deport immigrants who are in the country illegally and other non-citizens. Trump made his comments during an interview conducted on Friday that was set to air on Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker." Welker asked Trump whether he agreed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said last month that "of course" all people in the U.S. are entitled to due process, which generally requires the government to provide notice and a hearing before taking certain adverse legal actions. "I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know," Trump said, adding that such a requirement would mean "we'd have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials." Trump added that his lawyers "are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said." Separately, Trump said during the NBC interview that pursuing a third presidential term "is not something I'm looking to do. "It's something that, to the best of my knowledge, you're not allowed to do," said Trump, who has occasionally hinted he would like to run for a third term. |
| Trump Plays Down Talk of a Third Term, Backing Vance and Rubio | |
 | President Trump poured cold water on the idea of serving a third term, an idea he has frequently teased but is prohibited by the Constitution, and instead floated Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio as possible successors in an interview aired on Sunday. Mr. Trump said in the interview, with NBC's "Meet the Press," that he was reluctant to be drawn into a debate about who could follow him, but he called Mr. Vance a "fantastic, brilliant guy" and Mr. Rubio "great." Mr. Trump added that "a lot" of people are great, but said, "certainly you would say that somebody's the V.P., if that person is outstanding, I guess that person would have an advantage." Mr. Trump has often mused about the idea of a third term, going so far as to say in March that he was "not joking" about the possibility and suggesting there were "methods" of circumventing the 22nd Amendment, which says no person may be elected president more than twice. Last month, his family business began selling "Trump 2028" merchandise -- some with the phrase "Rewrite the Rules" -- that added to the speculation. On Sunday, the interviewer, Kristen Welker, asked Mr. Trump about that merchandise, and the president insisted that many people wanted him to seek another term before he played down the idea. "There are many people selling the 2028 hat, but this is not something I'm looking to do," he said. "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody, ideally a great Republican." |
| U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil | |
 | The world's most powerful economy is showing remarkable resilience in the face of enormous pressure. Employers added more jobs than many economists expected last month, and the low unemployment rate held steady. The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, but the result was distorted by a rush of imports that offset generally solid demand. The stock market rallied sharply from its April lows. Yet real turmoil is threatening that strong foundation. President Trump's ever-changing tariff policies, government cuts and immigration restrictions are disrupting trade and sparking deep unease among consumers, businesses and investors. Trump's 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are causing cargo shipments from China to plummet, prompting major retailers to warn of likely price hikes and even shortages of some goods. In early April, economists forecast the likelihood of a recession in the coming year to be twice as high as it was at the start of the year. At the moment, however, things are still looking surprisingly good. |
| Ken Cyree, Ole Miss Business Dean, announces his retirement | |
| After 21 years as a faculty member at the UM School of Business Administration, and 17 of those years serving at the helm as dean, Ken Cyree will retire in December 2025. Cyree, who came to Ole Miss from Texas Tech in 2004 as an associate professor of finance, is the school's 11th dean and the second-longest serving dean in the school's history, except for James Warsaw Bell, the school's founding dean in 1917. He is also the longest serving current dean of a business school in the Southeastern Conference. "I have enjoyed a relatively long career at Ole Miss, and especially as dean," Cyree said when asked about his decision to retire. "I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together." "Any student of Dean Cyree's knows that his courses are rigorous, but offer some of the most valuable lessons you will take away from your time at Ole Miss," said Lily Martin, a senior from Providence, Kentucky, majoring in banking and finance and risk management and insurance, who also won the Taylor Medal and the Swayze Award. "I will miss many of the interactions and relationships with the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends, but I am hopeful that new leadership will allow the school to take a path that will benefit all into the 21st century," Cyree said. |
| Ole Miss pharmacy professor works to unlock secrets of cellular sugar | |
| A University of Mississippi pharmacy professor will study how sugar molecules on proteins could lead to new ways to detect and treat diseases using a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation. The NSF has awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Program grant to Jing Li, assistant professor of medical chemistry and research and assistant professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Science. Li will use computer modeling to study the effects of sugar molecules connected to proteins. These molecules -- known as glycosylation -- affect ion channels that play a crucial role in brain activity, heartbeats and muscle movement. Sugar molecules attached to proteins have been underexplored for the past two decades, Li said. By understanding the functions of sugar molecules, researchers might be able to identify indicators known as novel biomarkers to diagnose diseases at the molecular level. "It will be used for diagnosis of diseases," he said. "And then if we understand it very clearly, we can design and develop new treatments or drugs to treat patients." |
| What goes into making Commencement happen for 5,500 graduates? | |
 | The University of Mississippi will host more than 5,500 graduates at its 2025 Commencement ceremony, which is set to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 10 in the Grove. In the case of bad weather, the ceremony will be moved to The Pavilion. "We've got about 3,900 prospective spring graduates, plus December and August candidates totaling 5,522," Caitlin Bagwell, systems and reporting analyst for the Office of the Registrar, said. The number of graduates is increasing yearly. "Ole Miss anticipates a slight increase in 2025 graduates," Bagwell said. "It's not yet a dramatic growth, but we're seeing those bigger incoming classes start to graduate." Each school within the university has its graduation ceremony, as well. With growing class sizes, there is also growing paperwork. The registrar's office processes thousands of records related to graduation, from final degree audits to ensuring each name is spelled correctly before diplomas ship after the ceremonies. |
| Ole Miss pulls support of Oxford Pride Parade citing new DEI law | |
| The University of Mississippi has decided not to provide funding for the 2025 Oxford Pride Parade, citing efforts to comply with the new law that prevents public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions across the state of Mississippi from engaging in discriminatory practices under banner of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). "The 2025 Oxford Pride Parade will continue with support from many community partners. This year, the university has paused its institutional support as leadership evaluates the impact of new state legislation on university involvement in events and activities," Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations at the university, said, as reported by the Oxford Eagle. "The university remains committed to fostering a welcoming environment for all while ensuring compliance with state law." The legislation -- HB 1193 -- signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R) is titled the "Requiring Efficiency For Our Colleges and Universities System and Education System (REFOCUSES) Act," otherwise referred to as the anti-DEI bill. It prevents universities, community colleges, public schools, and charter schools from using Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices when selecting faculty, providing academic opportunities, and offering student engagement. |
| Children's Center celebrates ribbon cutting for new therapy playground | |
| The Children's Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently celebrated a significant milestone with the ribbon cutting of its newly constructed, state-of-the-art therapy playground. Located on the Hattiesburg campus of Southern Miss, the playground is a transformative therapy setting for young children with complex communication needs and developmental disabilities. The playground includes carefully selected equipment and features that support therapeutic goals while inviting inclusive, child-led play among children of all abilities. "This playground was designed with therapy and engaged learning at the forefront. The impact it will have on our children's progress -- across language, motor and social development -- will be profound," said Sarah Myers, director of The Children's Center. "We are so thankful to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for making this vision a reality. This new space will be the backdrop for so many milestones -- first words, first steps and first friendships. It's a gift that will keep giving for years to come." |
| Delta State announces program offering free tuition to Mississippi students | |
| Beginning in the fall of 2025, some new college students will be able to attend Delta State University free of charge. The school announced the Delta State Free Tuition Scholarship on Friday, a program that will cover 100% of tuition for Pell Grant-eligible, first-time freshmen. "We believe that a student's financial situation should never be a barrier to earning a college degree," Delta State President Dr. Daniel Ennis said. "This scholarship reinforces our mission to empower students and invest in the future of our communities." Students are eligible for a Federal Student Aid Pell Grant if they "display exceptional financial need," per the FSA. Through Delta State's supplemental program, any remaining out-of-pocket costs not covered by the federal grant will be paid. "With this program, we're sending a clear message: If you want to go to college, let's go," Ennis continued. "Delta State is all in on making higher education more accessible and affordable." |
| NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton receives Golden Diploma posthumously during JSU graduation ceremonies | |
| NFL Hall of Famer and Jackson State University graduate Walter "Sweetness" Payton is honored today during commencement ceremonies. The Golden Class is the 50th-year reunion of the Class of 1975. Ninety-seven members of the class returned to receive their golden diplomas. NFL great Walter Payton was a 1975 JSU graduate. The Chicago Bears running back was posthumously awarded the Golden Diploma. His brother, former JSU golf coach Eddie Payton, accepted it on his behalf. "I couldn't think of anything that I would rather have done than be here in Walter's place, because I know if he would have been here, he would have been front and center with a big smile on his face," said Payton. The college All-American Player of the Year earned a degree in Special Education and became a record-setting NFL legend. He died in 1999 at the age of 46. This year's commencement ceremonies began Friday for recipients of master's and doctoral degrees. More than 260 graduates crossed the stage at Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. |
| Congresswoman delivers keynote address at Tougaloo College | |
| Tougaloo College's Sunday graduation featured U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, of Texas. Crockett has become a political lightning rod in the era of President Donald Trump. The Democratic congresswoman from Texas shared criticism of the nation's 47th president while defending herself against critics. The attorney told the more than 100 graduates receiving diplomas that they should get ready to fight the political rhetoric that African-Americans are less than or not entitled to equal treatment. "You're accepting a calling. You're agreeing to pursue a purpose, one larger than you," Crockett said. "A weight just heavy enough for you to bear, because after all, you made it through Tougaloo." Crockett went on to honor fellow member of Congress Bennie Thompson, telling the class of 2025, "He may have left Tougaloo, but believe me when I say, Tougaloo has never left him." |
| Stuart Bell presides at final commencement as U. of Alabama president | |
 | Friends and family gathered May 2-4 in Tuscaloosa to celebrate spring graduation for the class of 2025. Around 6,000 students became University of Alabama graduates during spring commencement exercises at Coleman Coliseum on the UA campus. Eight college-specific ceremonies were held in total. The spring 2025 commencement ceremonies also marked the final commencement for retiring UA President Stuart Bell. Bell has said he planned to retire as UA's president in July after leading the Capstone for 10 years. The 67-year-old Bell announced those plans in a Jan. 15 statement, saying his retirement will go into effect mid-summer. "It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to be a part of this community," said Bell during the May 3 ceremony at Coleman Coliseum. Bell, who has shaken hands with over 100,000 graduates during his 10 year tenure, expressed his gratitude to the graduates for allowing him to be a part of their journey. "Thank you for letting us walk alongside you, for letting us see your wins, to see your journeys. You have inspired us more than you will ever know," Bell told graduates. |
| International students in Alabama fearful after researcher with no political ties is detained | |
| Sama Ebrahimi Bajgani and her fiance, Alireza Doroudi, had just spent an evening celebrating the Persian new year at the University of Alabama when seven armed immigration officers came to their apartment before dawn and arrested Doroudi. In a moment, the young couple's life was upended. "I was living a normal life until that night. After that nothing is just normal," Bajgani said. Details about Doroudi's detention spread through the small Iranian community in Tuscaloosa, where Bajgani and Doroudi are doctoral students. Other Iranian students say they have been informally advised by faculty to "lay low" and "be invisible" -- instilling fear among a once vibrant cohort. Doroudi is among students across the U.S. who have been detained in recent weeks as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Bajgani said the couple does not know why Doroudi -- who has no criminal record or public political views -- faces deportation, adding that Trump's recent visit to the school made her feel like the university was "ignorant of our crisis." The University of Alabama didn't comment on Doroudi's case, but said it offers resources to help immigrants on campus comply with federal law. It also offers guidance to students whose visas are revoked. |
| U. of Florida announces U. of Michigan leader as only finalist for next president | |
 | The University of Florida's Presidential Search Committee announced that Dr. Santa J. Ono, the current president at the University of Michigan, is the sole finalist to become the university's 14th president. Rahul Patel, chair of the search committee and a member of UF's board of trustees, made the announcement in an email to the university community on Sunday, May 4. "Throughout an extensive and thorough process, we sought a leader who could match UF's extraordinary momentum, understand its role as the flagship university of one of the most dynamic states in the country, and inspire our community to reach even greater heights," Patel said in the announcement. "Dr. Ono's proven record of academic excellence, innovation and collaborative leadership at world-class institutions made him our unanimous choice. We are confident he is the right person to build on UF's strong foundation and help realize our bold vision for the future," he added. "If I could select a dream candidate for the university's next president, it would be Santa Ono," said Kent Fuchs, UF's interim president, in the news release. According to the release, Ono will be in Gainesville on May 6 to meet with students, faculty and administrators. |
| UGA's new Dining, Learning, & Wellness Center has broken ground. What will it offer students? | |
 | The University of Georgia is getting a brand-new, 68,000-square-foot Dining, Learning, & Wellness Center. According to the UGADining Instagram, construction is officially on its way. "To mark the start of construction, members of the dining, wellness, and student affairs teams signed the first beam," the post wrote. The new center will feature a two-story dining hall with seating for 800 students, plus a third floor for active learning classrooms and dedicated spaces for student organizations. Students will also have easy access to medical, mental health, and nutritional services all in one place. The center is being built at the intersection of East Cloverhurst Avenue and University Court, which was a parking lot. According to UGA news, it is on track for completion by fall 2026. |
| U. of Texas System chancellor leaves to lead U. of California | |
| University of Texas System Chancellor JB Milliken will leave the 256,000-student system to take a new out-of-state position as University of California president, system officials said Friday. "We are fortunate to have had Chancellor Milliken at the helm of the UT System for almost seven years," said UT System Regents' Chair Kevin P. Eltife in a statement. "The board and I are grateful for our close and very productive relationship with him, and we are proud of what we accomplished together. He has led the UT System admirably and innovatively." Milliken was appointed as UT System chancellor in 2018 after spending years as chancellor for City University of New York, and has also served as president of the University of Nebraska. Milliken was named the new president of the University of California on Friday, and will enter that role in August, according to statements from UC and the UT System. John Zerwas, the University of Texas System's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and a former Republican member of the Texas House, will serve as acting chancellor when Milliken leaves in June. Zerwas, who is a doctor, retired from the Legislature in 2019 after seven terms in the House, at one point serving as chair of the budget-writing House Appropriations committee. |
| South Dakota students weigh protest against university honors for homeland security chief Noem | |
| Dakota State University hasn't experienced the student protests taking place at other U.S. colleges. Nestled in rural South Dakota, most of the nearly 4,000 students have been focused on their studies or job hunts, avoiding politics and partisan groups. Until now. The university administration decided to award an honorary doctorate to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and invited her to give a commencement speech May 10, bringing politics to the campus. In response, students have planned a rally on graduation day opposing the former South Dakota governor and the Trump administration and expect protestors from across southeast South Dakota to join them. They want to speak out against the federal government's immigration policies, which are being implemented with Noem's oversight, on behalf of peers who fear for their legal status. They also are expected to protest Noem's anti-LGBT actions during her time as governor. Students studying in its renowned cybersecurity program have traditionally been hesitant to take political stances because they fear potential blowback when they later seek government and private sector jobs. |
| Chief Diversity Officers Are Struggling | |
 | Campus chief diversity officers are under significant pressure as state, and now federal, DEI bans proliferate. Their work has been repeatedly questioned, rebranded or slashed in recent years, and they've been tasked with difficult decisions about how to respond. It's taking a toll on them, according to a recent report by researchers at the University of Michigan and George Mason University. And that was even before Donald Trump was re-elected. The report based its findings on hourlong qualitative interviews with 40 chief diversity officers, conducted between November 2023 and June 2024, in states with proposed or enacted laws or executive orders against DEI or critical race theory. It found that CDOs took a variety of approaches to navigating an increasingly hostile political environment---and the challenges of doing so have had a detrimental impact on their health and careers. Jeffrey Grim, a co-author of the report and assistant professor of higher education at George Mason, said chief diversity officers generally "came in wanting to help all faculty, staff and students excel and be successful." Now diversity officers report feeling not just stressed and anxious but also socially isolated from other executive-level leaders because of growing tensions around DEI work in their states. "The minute this became an uncomfortable political situation, the CDOs were left out to dry," Grim said. "Nobody should feel isolated and wrong for doing the job that they were hired to do." |
| Medical journals hit with threatening letters from Justice Department | |
 | The letters began arriving at medical journals around the country over the last few weeks. "It has been brought to my attention that more and more journals and publications ... are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates," wrote Edward R. Martin Jr., the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, in a letter to the journal CHEST. Martin then asks a series of questions -- about misinformation, competing viewpoints and the influence of funders such as advertisers and the National Institutes of Health. "The public has certain expectations and you have certain responsibilities," the letter adds. Martin asks for a response by May 2. "We were surprised," says Dr. Eric Rubin, the editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, one of at least four journal editors to get a letter from Martin and probably the most prominent. "Other journals had gotten letters before, so it wasn't a shock, but, still, a surprise." In addition to Rubin's journal, Martin has sent letters to JAMA, which is published by the American Medical Association; Obstetrics & Gynecology, a journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and CHEST, which is published by the American College of Chest Physicians. There may be others. |
| Trump Halts Grants, Caps Indirect Costs at the National Science Foundation | |
 | The National Science Foundation has frozen funding for all new and existing grants, according to Nature, bringing billions of dollars in federally supported research to a halt. The agency also announced on Friday that it was capping indirect funding for new awards at 15 percent, following the lead of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, which imposed their own 15-percent limits in recent months. Both of those agencies' caps have been paused by federal judges. NSF staff members were told on Wednesday to "stop awarding all funding actions until further notice," Nature reported. An email reviewed by the publication did not offer a reason for the freeze and said it would last "until further notice." (Asked to confirm the freeze, an NSF spokesperson declined to comment to The Chronicle, but NSF's public awards database showed that no grants had been awarded on Thursday.) The blanket freeze comes amid mass terminations of individual grants at the NSF. Meanwhile, the indirect-cost cap is scheduled to take effect Monday. In its announcement, the NSF said the change would allow the agency and its grantees "to focus more on scientific progress and less on administrative overhead by aligning with common federal benchmarks," and would apply only to new grants. |
| What Trump's Proposed Budget Cuts Mean for Education, Research | |
| President Donald Trump wants to end funding for TRIO, Federal Work-Study and other grant programs that support students on campus as part of a broader plan to cut $163 billion in nondefense programs. The funding cuts were outlined in a budget proposal released Friday. The document, considered a "skinny budget," is essentially a wish list for the fiscal year 2026 budget for Congress to consider. The proposal kicks off what will likely be a yearlong effort to adopt a budget for the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Trump is unlikely to get all of his plan through Congress, though Republicans have seemed especially willing to support his agenda this year. If enacted, the plan would codify Trump's efforts over the last three months to cut spending and reduce the size of the federal government -- moves that some have argued are illegal. (Congress technically has final say over the budget, but Trump and his officials have raised questions about the legality of laws that require the president to spend federal funds as directed by the legislative branch.) For higher ed groups and advocates, the proposed cuts could further jeopardize the country's standing as a leader in global innovation and put college out of reach for some students. "Rather than ushering in a new Golden Age, the administration is proposing cuts to higher education and scientific research of an astonishing magnitude that would decimate U.S. innovation, productivity, and national security," said Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. |
| Members of the Trump administration say the darndest things | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: With apologies to Art Linkletter's "Kids Say the Darndest Things": In a post on X, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth writes, "This morning, I proudly ENDED the 'Women, Peace & Security' (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense. WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops -- distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING." When it was revealed that the program had been championed by Ivanka Trump, pushed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio while in the Senate, and enacted by President Trump in 2017, Hegseth posts a follow-up on X. He says the program was "straight-forward & security-focused" in 2017 when Trump enacted it but was "RUINED" by Joe Biden. Just this April, Rubio touted the program: "President Trump also signed the Women, Peace, and Security Act, a bill that I was very proud to have been a co-sponsor of when I was in the Senate, and it was the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world -- the first law passed by any country anywhere in the world -- focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society," Rubio said at the International Women of Courage Awards. |
| How state law allows private schools to 'double dip' by using two public programs for the same students | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: The Mississippi Legislature's insistence of not requiring oversight has resulted in a way for private schools to "double dip," or receive money from two separate state programs to educate the same handful of students. There is currently no mechanism in state law to allow state officials to determine whether double dipping is occurring. More importantly, there is nothing in state law to prevent double dipping from occurring. So, maybe the private schools are double dipping and maybe they are not. And this is not an effort to demonize private schools -- many of which are doing stellar work -- but to point out the lack of state oversight and to question the wisdom of sending public funds to private schools. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: State Completes Sweep With 6-1 Win Over Kentucky | |
| Mississippi State polished off a Super Bulldog Weekend sweep over Kentucky with a 6-1 win on Sunday at Dudy Noble Field. A three-run sixth inning and strong pitching were key in the Bulldogs' triumph. Joe Powell, less than 24 hours after delivering a walk-off hit to beat Kentucky on Saturday, once again led the way for the State offense. His two-run single was the big blow in MSU's sixth-inning rally. Sawyer Reeves, Ace Reese, Bryce Chance and Ross Highfill also drove in runs for the Diamond Dawgs. On the mound for State, Ben Davis earned the win, evening his record at 2-2. He had a pair of strikeouts through three scoreless innings of work. Davis entered in relief of starter Karson Ligon, who struck out four in his 13th start of the season. Mississippi State hosts Ole Miss in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field next weekend. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and will be aired on SEC Network. Saturday is slated for a 2 p.m. start, and Sunday's contest begins at 1 p.m. with both games streamed on SEC Network+. |
| MSU shows confidence in series sweep of Kentucky | |
| In the week following a major decision, Mississippi State appears to have found a spark. The Bulldogs completed a series sweep of Kentucky with a 6-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field. MSU has now won its last four games since head coach Chris Lemonis was fired. The first two games of the series were part of a doubleheader on Saturday, with the nightcap going 11 innings. However, the Bulldogs (29-19, 10-14 SEC) turned around and went with a committee in the finale. The choice paid off, as Karson Ligon, Ben Davis, Dane Burns and Luke Dotson combined to throw nine innings of six-hit, one-run ball. The decision to go with a committee on Sunday came from confidence in a group that interim coach Justin Parker felt was the strength of the team heading into the season. Parker was previously the pitching coach. "We had a great bullpen the first three quarters of the way we've played so far. You don't just, overnight, lose your bullpen," he said. "There's good arms in there, there's good competitors, there's really good stuff. It was just a matter of going back out there and believing in it and competing." Mississippi State hosts No. 23 Ole Miss next weekend, then hosts North Alabama on May 13 in their last home game of the year. The regular season ends with a trip to Missouri from May 15-17 before the SEC tournament. |
| What we learned from Mississippi State baseball's sweep over Kentucky | |
| Mississippi State played like a team that had nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. And the Bulldogs might have played their way back into the NCAA Tournament field because of it. In its first Southeastern Conference series under interim head coach Justin Parker, MSU played clean, crisp defense most of the time, came up with timely hits and productive outs and got excellent performances out of the bullpen. It added up to a three-game sweep over Kentucky at Dudy Noble Field. "When you're coaching 18, 19, 20-year-old kids, for better or for worse, they're very impressionable. They're very impulsive," Parker said. "There have been a lot of times this year where we haven't played great, but as quick as you can turn it around, we're able to flip it and have a really good week here." "We had a great bullpen all fall. We felt like it was the strength of our team," Parker said. "We had a great bullpen the first three-quarters of the way we've played so far. You don't just overnight lose your bullpen. There's good arms in there, there's good competitors, there's really good stuff. It was just a matter of going back out there and believing in it and competing." |
| What we learned from Mississippi State baseball, Justin Parker's SEC series sweep vs Kentucky | |
| The start of Justin Parker as interim Mississippi State baseball coach couldn't have gone much better. The Bulldogs (29-19, 10-14 SEC) are 4-0 since firing coach Chris Lemonis on April 28. They swept Kentucky (25-20, 10-14) at Dudy Noble Field, MSU's first SEC series sweep of the season. MSU run-ruled the Wildcats 14-4 in Game 1 and won with a Joe Powell walk-off single in Game 2 after the May 2 game was postponed. It won again on May 4, 6-1, to clinch the sweep. "We've been through a lot," Parker said. "It's a tough and resilient group. They're proving it." Parker said he didn't notice a difference in Mississippi State's demeanor in the four games following Lemonis' firing, but it's hard to deny something has changed. The energy, the motivation, the confidence, the urgency all felt elevated in the four games at Dudy Noble Field. The in-game coaching decisions paid off. So many of them this season under Lemonis backfired. "It's not a completely different club, and there's not a whole lot of different moves being made," Parker said. "We're fairly consistent as a staff. I think it was just guys believing in themselves and getting a little bit of wake-up call and responding to it." |
| CBSB: Southern Miss, Mississippi State score home sweeps as Ole Miss falls on road | |
| Southern Miss stayed hot, Ole Miss slipped, and Mississippi State scored a rousing sweep in their first series without head coach Chris Lemonis in the heat of the final regular season stretch. In Starkville, the drama surrounding Chris Lemonis' termination earlier in the week was compounded by a theatrical sweep for Mississippi State on Super Bulldog Weekend. MSU (29-19, 10-14 SEC) clobbered Kentucky (25-20, 10-14) by pulling away in the middle innings to kick off the party on Friday. Game two was a different story as both sides traded blows and settled at a 5-5 tie through four innings of baseball. The next score came seven innings later, when Joe Powell called game by singling in Bryce Chance in the 11th to keep the Bulldogs undefeated under interim head coach Justin Parker and clinch the series win. Mississippi State added an exclamation point via a 6-1 win on Sunday to complete the sweep. Four pitchers combined for an impressive effort in the finale, allowing a single run and striking out eight Kentucky batters. The postseason picture is still a bit muddled for MSU with 10 SEC wins, but the successful weekend vaulted the Bulldogs 13 spots to No. 32 in the latest RPI rankings, according to Warren Nolan. |
| Softball: State Drops Regular-Season Finale To No. 17 Ole Miss | |
| No. 18 Mississippi State lost 6-4 to No. 17 Ole Miss on Saturday night to close the regular season. The Bulldogs finished the conference slate with a 13-11 record in league play, their first time finishing above .500 since 2001 and their highest win total since the 2008 season. State (37-16, 13-11 SEC) opened the scoring when Sierra Sacco homered on the first pitch a Bulldog batter saw in the bottom of the first. Jessie Blaine added another in the frame with an RBI single, marking her fourth consecutive game with an RBI. Ole Miss (35-16, 11-13 SEC) scored with a pair of sacrifice flies in the second and added two-run homers in both the third and fourth to build a 6-2 lead. Morgan Bernardini drove in a run with a base hit in the fourth, and Sacco plated another with a sacrifice fly that tied the program record for sacrifice flies in a season. "It's tough in this league and after [Raelin Chaffin] throwing the first two days there's no surprises really," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "It's just finding ways to keep them off balance, and usually on Sundays, it's just who's going to be able to outscore the other. I thought they did a good job. They're aggressive. They're attacking. They're taking walks that were given to them. They're a good team. There's a reason that they've been ranked all season long, and I think it's just another good example of an SEC battle and why this conference is the deepest in the country." The postseason begins on Tuesday, May 6, with the first round of the SEC Tournament in Athens, Georgia. Mississippi State will be the No. 8 seed and play No. 9 LSU in the second round at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday. |
| Men's Tennis: No. 12 Bulldogs Shutout No. 22 Spartans in NCAA Second Round | |
| The No. 12 Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the No. 22 Michigan State Spartans 4-0 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. They now advance to the Round of 16 for the third consecutive season, and the sixth time in the last seven years. Doubles was a battle to the very end, as two courts went to tiebreakers to decide the doubles point. Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez bested Ozan Baris and Matthew Forbes first, which was their 15th doubles win in a row. Michigan State fought back in a tiebreaker on court three to bring it back even before No. 60 Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano clinched it for State. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Dusan Milanovic finished both of their singles matches back-to-back to give State an early 3-0 lead. Baroni followed up much later, but he clinched the match for the second time this weekend by beating No. 109 Max Sheldon in a three set thriller, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. No. 12 MSU will face the winner of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 31 Auburn in the Columbus Regional. Dates will be released in the coming week. |
| No. 20 Women's Golf Set To Tee Off At Gold Canyon Regional | |
| Mississippi State women's golf is set to tee off in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season, as they kick off the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional on Monday, May 5. The tournament will be held at the Superstition Mountain Golf Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona. The par-72 course plays 6,554 yards. The Bulldogs will hold the early tee times on the back nine, as State will kick off at 8 a.m. local time and 10 a.m. CT. Avery Weed sits atop of the Bulldog lineup. She is making her second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In the Bermuda Run Regional last year, she finished 4-over par, including an opening round of 1-under. This season, she has led the Bulldogs in multiple categories, including a scoring average of 71.67. The sophomore was recently named an All-SEC Second Team member. The top five teams from each region will advance to the NCAA Championship, The then 30-team field will then conclude their seasons at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California beginning on May 16. Live scoring for the Gold Canyon Regional is available at scoreboard.clippd.com. |
| Trump Considers Executive Order on College Athlete Payments After Nick Saban Meeting | |
| The Trump administration is considering an executive order that could increase scrutiny of the explosion in payments to college athletes since 2021, after the president met with former Alabama coach Nick Saban, White House officials said. Trump met with Saban on Thursday night when he was in Tuscaloosa to deliver the University of Alabama's commencement address. Saban talked about "NIL" deals with Trump, telling the president how he believed the influx of money had damaged college sports. "NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness," but is used as a catchall term for the new era in which college athletes are allowed to earn money from their fame. Under pressure from the courts and state legislators, the NCAA in 2021 relaxed longstanding rules that banned athletes from profiting from their name, image or likeness. A class-action settlement is pending that would allow schools to pay athletes directly from the billions of dollars in revenue, much of it in broadcast-rights fees paid by TV networks, that they help generate. Trump said he agreed with Saban and would look at crafting an executive order, people familiar with the meeting said. Trump told aides to begin studying what an order could say, the people said. Saban didn't propose ending NIL but "reforming" it, according to a person with direct knowledge of the meeting. He described how it was causing an uneven playing field, the people said, with an arms race among powerhouse schools. |
| Trump Idea on College Athlete Pay Would Bring Legal Chaos | |
| President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the issuance of an executive order that would attempt to place restrictions on college athlete compensation. The president's interest follows conversations with two former coaches: Nick Saban and U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). Any executive order that restricts athletes, schools, conferences or the NCAA would encounter a bevy of problems since it would interact, and possibly conflict, with multiple areas of federal and state laws. It could also pose problems for the NCAA as it waits for U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken to grant or deny final approval of the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations. An executive order would likely be pitched as providing stable and predictable rules for compensating college athletes. For instance, an order that says college athletes cannot be recognized as employees would sound simple enough. Except in the law, nothing is simple and that certainly is true of employment. The same goes for the prospect of Trump issuing an edict on name, image and likeness. There are also potential constitutional problems with a Trump executive order on college sports. It could run afoul of Equal Protection if college athletes are denied the same rights, including for employment and other economic opportunities, that their classmates enjoy. An executive order might also run afoul of the First Amendment to the extent it limits how college athletes express themselves. |
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