| Tuesday, May 6, 2025 |
| Baptist selected as buyer for OCH hospital sale | |
 | Oktibbeha County supervisors are moving forward with selling OCH Regional Medical Center to Baptist Memorial Health Care. After a months-long request for proposals process, Board of Supervisors President Marvell Howard announced the county's decision to move forward with negotiations at a Monday press conference in front of the hospital. "We are excited to move forward with Baptist Memorial Health Care in this transformative process," Howard said in a press release. Howard also said Baptist's proposal included a commitment to retain all OCH employees, though he did not specify a time frame on that commitment. Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, said his company is honored to have been selected to acquire the county-owned hospital and that his team is looking forward to the next phase of the process. "I would like to welcome Baptist Memorial Health Systems to the Mississippi State University and Starkville community as our new, local healthcare provider," MSU President Mark Keenum said in a Monday press release. "Baptist Memorial Health Systems has an impressive track record of delivering quality healthcare throughout our region, and we look forward to having them provide that same top level of care in our hometown." |
| Baptist selected as potential buyer for Starkville's only hospital | |
 | Months after Starkville's only hospital went up for sale, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors has selected a potential buyer from the private sector. WTVA reported that the board announced Monday afternoon to allow Baptist Memorial Health Care to purchase the Oktibbeha County Hospital (OCH) Regional Medical Center if the two sides can come to a contractual agreement. The decision to negotiate with Baptist, one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare systems in the U.S., comes after the board met with not only representation from OCH but also community pillars such as Mississippi State University and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. "This decision, taking into consideration participation from stakeholders including the public, Mississippi State University, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and OCH leadership, marks a pivotal step toward ensuring sustainable, high-quality healthcare for the residents of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi," members of the board announced. During the announcement Monday, board members said the sale should be finalized sometime this summer or early fall. |
| MSU students make lasting impact through Puppies With a Purpose | |
 | Students at Mississippi State University (MSU) got the chance to make a meaningful and lasting impact in Starkville and far beyond. Students involved with Puppies With a Purpose, an MSU student organization connected with the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind's national volunteer network, demonstrated their selfless service of time and dedication to help others who will benefit from their efforts. Founded in 2021, the club has quickly grown to more than 145 current members. The group has three classifications of involvement: regular members, supporting the club and advocating for service dogs and their handlers; puppy campers, caring for dogs for short periods in the absence of the dogs' raisers; and puppy raisers, committing to the 24/7 responsibilities of raising a puppy from about two months old, up to 12-18 months when they graduate to the next level of formal training administered through the Guide Dog Foundation. |
| Silvopasture: A Sustainable Path to More Food, Healthy Forests, and Stronger Farms | |
| Across the country, researchers, farmers and forestry experts are embracing a simple idea with big impacts: raising animals in forests. It's called silvopasture -- a practice that combines trees, forages and livestock on the same land. This approach is a win-win-win. It boosts food and timber production, supports environmental health and creates new economic opportunities for farmers. With support from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, researchers from Mississippi to Hawaii to Missouri and South Carolina are demonstrating that silvopasture is more than an alternative agricultural method -- it's a long-term investment in productivity and sustainability. Mississippi State University researchers are exploring how silvopasture can help landowners in the Southeast produce more meat and maintain healthier forests. Sheep and goats are the stars of the project. These animals thrive differently. Sheep prefer grazing on grass, while goats browse on shrubs and leaves. That makes them ideal for managing different types of vegetation in woodland areas. The project has two key goals: to improve meat production and reduce invasive species like kudzu. This research is already reaching rural communities. |
| Haley Fisackerly: CEO of Entergy Mississippi: Dedicated to corporation's, customers and state's continued growth | |
| With his youthful looks and unbridled enthusiasm, one would easily assume that Haley Fisackerly is nowhere near the age of 60. Yet, the President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, an electric utility that serves more than 459,000 customers in 45 Mississippi counties, is indeed entering his sixth decade. But he is doing so as one of the state's -- and South's -- most prolific and productive executives. And doesn't look to stop anytime soon. Responsible for overseeing the company's long track record of safe and reliable service, financial performance, customer service, regulatory and public affairs, resource planning, economic development programs, and charitable contributions, Fisackerly is indefatigable. However, in spite of his workload and schedule, his easygoing and friendly nature challenges the oft-usage adage to describe men like him: in Fisackerly's case, nice guys finish first. "It's interesting: I grew up on a soybean and cattle farm that my late father, Howard, ran while he also worked as an insurance agent for Farm Bureau," he said. "He and my mother, Doris, kept me and my older brother, Howard, and younger brother, Barrett, working hard on the farm to keep us out of trouble. Or that's what they said later," said Fisackerly. Fisackerly went on to obtain a Master's Degree in Public Policy Administration from George Washington University after receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Mississippi State University after briefly toying with the idea of majoring in Sports Medicine. Later, he was named the Mississippi State University College of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2016. |
| Mississippi 98% compliant as REAL ID deadline nears | |
| Mississippians who plan to travel commercially by air and/or access military and secure federal facilities will want to ensure their form of identification is REAL ID compliant. REAL ID forms of identification will include a gold star in the right-upper corner of the front of the card. The deadline to have a REAL ID to fly or access those facilities is Wednesday, May 7, 2025. While a REAL ID will be required to book a commercial flight and access federal and military facilities, a valid passport can be presented instead. "If you have a passport, you also can use that to travel as well," Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Sean Tindell told Magnolia Tribune. "This is just for primarily for the purposes of flying. If you're going to be traveling you're going to need that REAL ID to get on the plane." Residents will not require a REAL ID to drive, vote, conduct banking transactions, apply for federal benefits or access hospitals, post offices and federal courts. Mississippians who do not have a need for a REAL ID can still use their current driver's license. Tindell said the push for REAL ID was enacted by Congress in response to the tragedies of 9/11, leading to a desire from all 50 states to ensure people are issued credentials based on their true identity. The goal is to prevent those with ill intent from stealing someone's identity to conduct terroristic acts or engage in identity theft. |
| Border Patrol arrests 48 undocumented immigrants in Mississippi | |
| U.S. Border Patrol officials say nearly 50 undocumented immigrants were apprehended in Mississippi during the last week of April. In partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and local law enforcement agencies, U.S. Border Patrol's New Orleans Sector conducted a sting called "Operation Magnolia" to arrest 48 undocumented immigrants traveling through Mississippi across the Interstate 10 corridor in Harrison County. Those taken into custody hailed from Mexico, Nicaragua, Kazakhstan, Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala, along with three U.S. citizens who were charges with various federal crimes. Each of the 48 immigrants were processed for removal from the U.S., while eight of the subjects are set to be prosecuted for re-entry after previous deportation. One undocumented individual was also charged with attempting to use false documents. In addition to the arrests, $104,000 in cash, multiple firearms and magazines, and other illegal contraband was seized. Operation Magnolia, a collaborative initiative between federal and state law enforcement partners that aims to identify, apprehend, and prosecute undocumented immigrants in Mississippi and surrounding states, previously led to the arrest of 25 undocumented immigrants in Pearl during March. |
| State health department admits grant oversight failure after misspent HIV/AIDS funds uncovered | |
| The Mississippi State Health Department has responded to a report alleging a grand lack of oversight when issuing public funds to nonprofits. On Monday, State Auditor Shad White reported that MSDH sent money intended to encourage the public to get tested for HIV/AIDS to nonprofits that used the funds for wasteful purposes. Specific groups, including the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity, Love Inside for Everyone, and Love Me Unlimited 4 Life, are said to have been allocated $853,000 between 2020 and 2025 while using a substantial portion of those dollars on counterproductive ventures. During the five-year stint in which these nonprofits received taxpayer dollars, a total of 35 HIV tests were administered by the three groups. State Health Officer Dan Edney promptly responded to the auditor's report and noted that the department took the findings therein "seriously," while also admitting that there were lapses in how HIV/AIDS prevention funds were monitored. While noting that the mistakes are "unacceptable" and "not reflective" of the state agency's mission, Edney said that the report dealt with prior agreements with nonprofits, none of which are currently in place. The state health officer further emphasized that actions had been taken in the past to strengthen oversight and accountability, including a leadership overhaul in the affected program in 2024. |
| Clinics forced to increase costs for family planning services like birth control, STI testing | |
| Five Horizons Health Services in Starkville provides sex education and low-cost reproductive health care to Mississippians who might never receive it otherwise – but the federal government is withholding the funds that make the work possible. Title X, a federal program that has been providing money for family planning services to states for over 50 years, flows through the nonprofit Converge to 91 clinics in Mississippi, including Five Horizons. But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on March 31 told Converge it was withholding its funding indefinitely. The organization's head said despite complying with the demands of the letter, the funds still haven't been distributed and she hasn't been told if or when they will be. The nonprofit had to furlough half of its Title X staff, who will be laid off June 1 if the funding doesn't come through. Clinics around the state are scrambling to notify patients of cost increases for services like birth control, cancer screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections. Mississippi has the highest rate of deaths from cervical cancer and the nation's worst uptake of the vaccine that protects against this cancer. Meanwhile, the influence of social media on young people has meant that much of the work providers do in well visits is combating misinformation. |
| G.O.P. Targets a Medicaid Loophole Used by 49 States to Grab Federal Money | |
 | In 1989, New Hampshire's Republican governor, Judd Gregg, had a gaping budget hole he didn't know how to fill. His health secretary came up with a solution: a tax maneuver he'd learned through the grapevine that would force Washington to send the state millions in extra Medicaid funds. It was called a Medicaid provider tax, and New Hampshire was among the first states to try it. On paper, the tax inflated the state's Medicaid spending, allowing it to collect more matching funds from the federal government. "It was a way of the state basically gaming the federal government, for lack of a better term," Mr. Gregg said recently. What started as creative budgeting in New England has, over four decades, snowballed into a mainstay of financing Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor that covers 72 million Americans. Long after these taxes have become entrenched, congressional Republicans are now considering curtailing or ending them as one way to achieve the steep federal spending reductions proposed in the House budget. The change could hit some Republican-led states the hardest. Even so, the idea has gained traction among conservative think tanks and congressional Republicans. In Mississippi, where the Medicaid program also relies heavily on provider taxes, the state could lose about $2.1 billion in federal funds, roughly 37 percent of what the state typically gets from the federal government. |
| Republicans grow antsy after Trump comments on tariffs, recession | |
 | Senate Republicans on Monday grew increasingly nervous after President Trump's comments over the weekend that some of his tariffs could be permanent and that things would be "OK" even if the U.S. experienced a short-term recession. Republicans have been on edge for weeks as the Trump administration's hemming and hawing on tariffs have created instability in the market and questions about the White House's handling of the economy. Now, GOP lawmakers acknowledge the president's refusal over the weekend to rule out the possibility that some of his levies could remain in place in the long term, coupled with his remarks on the possibility of a recession, constitutes a one-two punch that is spooking consumers. "I think there's just a lot of uneasiness," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership. "They keep saying they're close to a deal with a country, so I think that would be helpful to show that there's progress here. I think people are sort of wondering where this is all going to lead." The president's remarks came during a lengthy interview with "Meet the Press" on Sunday, tossing another wrench into the questions surrounding the administration's trade plans. Trump also indicated that a short-term recession would be worthwhile if it is followed by the realization of his economic goals. |
| White House urges patience on tariffs as anxiety over prices escalates | |
 | President Donald Trump and his top aides have settled on a decidedly non-Trumpian message for American businesses and consumers panicked by his trade war: Be patient. Ahead of the next stage of economic fallout, that plea is already wearing thin. U.S. manufacturers and retailers are bracing for a massive drop-off in goods arriving from China, as ports across the West Coast warn of a plunge in shipments not seen since the early days of the Covid pandemic. The looming repercussions have prompted a new round of warnings and lobbying from business groups desperate to dodge Trump's tariffs. But there's little reassurance as the White House tries to coalesce around a consistent communications strategy, even as key allies like truckers begin to feel the effects of supply-chain gaps. A slump in arrivals at ports represents the first clear sign of supply chain disruption that industry players say could ripple to consumers over the next several weeks, sparking shortages and pushing prices higher for everyday goods like cars, furniture, clothes and even basic children's toys. "That means fewer jobs, along with rising prices for consumers and businesses," said Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. "Consumers and manufacturers will face difficult decisions." Senior Trump aides on the White House's National Economic Council and in the Treasury Department are closely monitoring the disruption, according to one White House official granted anonymity to discuss internal strategy. But they've felt little need to do any major outreach so far. |
| Why Brazil's soy farmers love Trump and his tariffs on China | |
 | At the agricultural fair along Highway 158, the cowboy hats were on and the mood was festive. A decadent arrangement of fine cheeses, fresh fruits and sausages had been spread out across several tables. People were joking around, sipping guaraná, the local soda, and admiring expensive farming equipment draped with the Brazilian flag. In the heart of Brazil's soy country, there was reason to celebrate: Donald Trump had reignited a trade war with China, and farmers here were ready to reap the rewards. "The United States is provoking this fight," said soy farmer Wesley Moacir Rosa, 50. "But it is Brazil that is going to end up benefiting." China is by far the world's largest market for soy, importing more than 100 million tons each year to sustain its vast hog farms. For years, this was a boon for both Brazilian and American farmers. Together, they supplied the bulk of China's demand for soy, and the product became the top agricultural export for both countries. But the first trade war between Trump and China in 2018 sent American exports plummeting. Brazil overtook the U.S. as the world's largest soy producer and, by last year, accounted for more than 70 percent of soy exports to China. Expecting a record harvest this year, Brazil is poised to solidify its dominance. |
| Fed Confronts Lose-Lose Scenario Amid Haphazard Tariff Rollout | |
 | The haphazard rollout of President Trump's tariff policy threatens to put the Federal Reserve in a lose-lose scenario: Navigate a recession or manage a period of stagflation. How the Fed negotiates tricky communications around these trade-offs will be front and center at officials' two-day policy meeting this week. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues are on track to extend their wait-and-see stance on cutting interest rates and strategize how to refine it. This calculated patience reflects officials' determination to avoid prematurely abandoning their inflation fight. The problem for the Fed amounts to a goalkeeper's dilemma: Dive right to address inflation by keeping rates where they are, or dive left to counter weaker growth by cutting rates. "We'll make what will no doubt be a very difficult judgment," Powell said last month. Acting early to cushion the economy against a slowdown risks adding to short-term inflation pressures from tariffs or shortages. "This is not going to be a cycle where the Fed pre-emptively cuts because there's a forecast of a slowdown. They're going to actually need to see it in the tangible data, in particular the labor market," said Richard Clarida, who served as Powell's second-in-command for three years and is now a senior adviser at bond giant Pimco. Waiting for that economic weakness to show up means tolerating risks of a deeper recession. |
| Hegseth orders cuts to Pentagon's stable of generals and admirals | |
| Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed significant cuts to the U.S. military's senior-most ranks, saying the elimination of positions held by about 100 generals and admirals is necessary to slash "redundant force structure" and streamline the Pentagon's sprawling bureaucracy. The plan was announced with scant detail in a one-page memo signed by the defense secretary. It calls for a "minimum" 20 percent cut to the number of four-star generals and admirals -- the military's top rank -- on active duty and a corresponding number of generals in the National Guard. There also will be another 10 percent reduction, at least, to the total number of generals and admirals across the force. It was unclear whether Hegseth intends to gradually phase out the targeted positions, which his memo does not identify, or move quickly to force out the men and women who now fill those roles. Sen. Jack Reed (Rhode Island), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned in a statement Monday night the rationale that Hegseth is using to make the cuts, noting the defense secretary's propensity for dismissing senior military leaders. |
| Alcatraz visitors react to Trump: From 'the man's a moron' to 'idea seems good' | |
 | Visitors to the prison here had mixed reactions Monday to President Donald Trump's expressed desire to once again house hardened criminals in the notorious former federal prison. Some of the tourists were willing to entertain the notion while others found it impractical at best and ridiculous at worst. "The man's a moron,'' said Chris Smith, on a swing through the American West with his wife Clair from their hometown of Lincolnshire, England. Nearly all interviewed, including travelers from Brazil, Germany, the U.K., Argentina, France, the Netherlands, Taiwan and Canada, agreed it would be very expensive to restore the historic facility on a 22-acre island in San Francisco Bay, built from 1909-1911 and showing its age. It was also clear many would miss the popular attraction, which draws up to 1.6 million visitors and generates some $60 million per year, according to the National Park Service. On a sparkling day that stood in contrast to The Rock's reputation for cold and damp conditions, the old penitentiary was teeming with tourists eager to absorb its checkered history. Should it be brought back at the expense of what's now a profitable park and museum? Rob and Kari Kraemer, residents of the Twin Cities area in Minnesota who describe themselves as conservative, said they would be open to the idea. |
| Trump administration offers unauthorized immigrants $1,000 to leave the country | |
 | The Trump administration announced a plan Monday to try to ramp up the number of deportations: paying unauthorized immigrants $1,000 if they return to their home country voluntarily. The Department of Homeland Security called the plan a "historic opportunity for illegal aliens," noting in a news release that it would also pay for travel assistance. Any immigrant who used the Customs and Border Protection Home App to inform the government that they plan to return home, the department said, would receive a $1,000 payment after the government had confirmed their return. President Trump has made mass deportations -- a key platform of his 2024 election campaign -- a priority in his first three months in office. But so far, the actual number of immigrants deported under his Republican administration has slightly lagged the number deported under his predecessor, Democratic President Biden, as fewer immigrants are now attempting to cross the U.S. border. Hiroshi Motomura, a law professor at UCLA who specializes in American immigration and citizenship, said the U.S. is not the first nation to try to persuade immigrants to leave the country. Over the years, other countries, such as Germany and Japan, have offered financial incentives for immigrants to self-deport. Clearly, the Trump administration is looking for ways to up the number of deportations to match its campaign rhetoric, Motomura said. But he urged any immigrant considering whether to self-deport to consult with an attorney. |
| National Endowment for the Arts cuts off funding, pushes for staff resignations | |
 | President Donald Trump's proposed budget calls for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars each year to individuals and institutions around the country. Meanwhile, dozens of organizations have received notifications that grants have been rejected or rescinded, and an NEA official reported Monday that staff members have been asked to resign or retire. The NEA is the latest target of Trump's sweeping overhaul of federal cultural agencies as he seeks to eliminate what he calls "woke" influences. The president has fired top officials, cut funding and demanded new guidelines at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The NEA and NEH were established in the mid-1960s, part of a wave of domestic initiatives during President Lyndon Johnson's administration, and have become an essential part of the country's cultural infrastructure. During his first term, Trump also called for the NEA to be defunded, but the money was restored by Congress. |
| MUW holds graduation ceremony for the Owls baseball seniors | |
 | Graduation came a few days early for some Mississippi University for Women Seniors. A special graduation ceremony was held on May 5 for members of the Owls Baseball Team. The team has reached the Final Four in the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and will be away Friday, when regular commencement ceremonies are being held. University officials didn't want the athletes to be left out, so they stepped up to the plate and scheduled the special ceremony for this morning at Nissan Auditorium. 7 of the 8 Seniors who crossed the stage earned their degrees in Business, the eighth man out got his in Political Science. The Owls are the two-seed in the SLIAC tourney. |
| UM students hold study-in protest | |
| On Friday, May 2, the University of Mississippi Environmental Coalition organized a study-in protest on campus, in coordination with the Campus Climate Network's This Is A Test national day of action. In the past few weeks, the Trump administration has issued threats of funding cuts to universities around the country, targeting a vast array of university programming, research, admissions policies, protest rules, and more. In parallel, ICE has threatened international students holding visas or even permanent residence status with deportation. These attempts at suppression put freedom of speech on campus– a bastion of democracy and a constitutional right– at risk. Different universities have responded to these threats with various levels of cooperation, but today students demand that higher ed stands up for students' rights. In addition to the federal threats, the University of Mississippi is also facing state-level intervention. "At this moment, universities across the country face authoritarian attacks from the Trump administration against freedom of personal and academic expression, and ours faces additional attacks from our state legislature," said Hailey Smith, president of the UM Environmental Coalition. |
| Ole Miss students create audio tours for Rowan Oak | |
 | Visitors to Rowan Oak, home of William Faulkner, can immerse themselves even more into the world of the Nobel Prize-winning author with a new series of audio tours, developed and recorded by students in a University of Mississippi exhibition design course. These recordings help engage visitors to the house and deepen their understanding of how Faulkner lived and worked there. Kariann Fuqua, director of museum studies and instructional assistant professor of art, developed the project for 11 students in her Exhibition Design course. She worked with the staff at Rowan Oak, operated by the university as a museum, and Bryce Heesacker, assistant professor of art, to give the class a real-world assignment. The audio tours provide historical context for five areas of Rowan Oak: the parlor, office, stable, Estelle Faulkner's bedroom and a house where enslaved workers lived during the property's antebellum history. Fuqua's students worked with Rowan Oak assistant curator Rachel Hudson to develop scripts for the project. Hudson was impressed by the students' dedication to the project. |
| UMMC opens dedicated burn unit at Batson Tower | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) officially opened a dedicated burn unit inside Batson Tower. This marks a major expansion of the Mississippi Burn Center at UMMC, which was designated as a state burn center by the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) in 2023. Spanning 9,000 square feet, UMMC officials said the area includes eight patient rooms, a hydrotherapy room for wound debridement and a rehabilitation gym to support physical and occupational therapy. According to UMMC, the unit includes a specialized hydrotherapy room for wound debridement to support healing, minimizing the need for trips to the operating room. When surgery is needed, patients can access OR suites in the same tower, minimizing transport time and improving continuity of care. "The rooms are larger, which gives us the space we need for dressing changes and other procedures right in the patient's room," said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs. |
| U. of Southern Miss Launches Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub | |
| The Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub at The University of Southern Mississippi is providing community-based support for projects that help preserve Mississippi's historical, cultural, and literary heritage. With the support of a two-million-dollar grant championed by Senators Roger Wicker and Cyndi Hyde-Smith and administered by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (a division of the National Archives), the "Hub" will help institutions throughout the state by providing workshops, grants, and support to those seeking to digitize and publicize Mississippi's rich history and culture. New technologies make it possible for a museum in northern Mississippi, a scholar in southern Mississippi, and people throughout the state to collaborate with each other to preserve and explore Mississippi's legacy. Historical accounts of a Civil War battle or, perhaps, a play written for a town's centennial, once languished in local libraries or historical archives, but that's no longer necessary when it is possible to share these resources over the internet. Yet digitizing those records, publicizing them, and providing tools to make them searchable and understandable requires expertise. That is where the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub can provide help, officials stated. |
| U. of Alabama at Birmingham offers degree for emerging esports, coach field | |
 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham will soon give students the opportunity to get a chunk out of a billion-dollar industry: Coaching competitive video games. Starting in the fall, students can earn a bachelor's degree in Esports Performance Management and Coaching, making UAB the first school in the state to offer such an academic curriculum and the ninth school in the country. The field is "quickly evolving," according to Teresa Taber Doughty, dean of the School of Education and Human Sciences. The closest school for interested Alabama students is Shenandoah University in Virginia, "one of the pioneers in this space." "Our focus was about how can we take an academic approach so that we are preparing people for this field and for engaging in research," Doughty said. "At the same time, we could then start building a team and that infrastructure on campus so that students are actually engaged in this more formally. So we're really taking a different approach." UAB already offers programming for kinesiology, the study of human movement, so Doughty said there's expert faculty in place for supporting courses, including professors who understand the gaming landscape. |
| U. of Kentucky canceled LBGTQ+, Black student graduations to 'protect our people,' president says | |
 | University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said canceling graduation celebrations for minority students was required because "complying with the law is the best way to protect our people." Capilouto addressed the canceled celebrations in a video message sent to campus more than a week after the university said it would no longer host events for graduating LGBTQ+, Black and first-generation students. The move came as diversity, equity and inclusion policies and practices are being targeted at the state and federal levels. "We have made tough decisions -- decisions that in and of themselves cause concern and in some cases, hurt," Capilouto said. "Canceling celebrations for people on our campus who haven't always seen themselves reflected in our broader community is one example. We've taken that action because we believe that's what is required, and we believe complying with the law is the best way to protect our people and our continued capacity to support them." |
| White House seeking to end taxpayer funding for UT Media Center member WUOT 91.9 FM Radio, an NPR affiliate | |
| The White House issued an executive order to cease federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service the night of May 1, 2025. The Media Center, home to The Daily Beacon, is also home to NPR member WUOT. WUOT calls CPB funding "crucial" and has stated that this funding makes up almost 8% of its total revenue. According to WUOT's 2024 financial statement, the station receives a community service grant from the CPB annually, which is used to purchase network programming. For 2023-2025, the grant amounted to $157,420. WUOT received $177,00 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2025. NPR and PBS receive funding via taxpayer dollars through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which outlines in its governing statute that it may not "contribute to or otherwise support any political party." The executive order wrote that by funding NPR and PBS, CPB does not follow in line with this principle. "We are working to determine the full impact of the cuts," the University of Tennessee's Director of Media and Internal Relations Kerry Gardner told the Beacon. "WUOT is committed to serving East Tennessee and that mission will continue." |
| Trump administration grant cuts hit U. of Tennessee agriculture projects hardest | |
| The University of Tennessee lost $37.65 million from the termination of federal grants by the Trump administration, according to a university spokesperson. As of Monday, the university said 42 grants have been terminated systemwide so far, eight of which impact UT's Institute of Agriculture and total $31.19 million. UT Vice President of Communications and Marketing Tiffany Carpenter said the direct impact of the cuts is on students and staff on the projects. Carpenter said students and staff who report, research compliance and do other research-related activities will need new sources of funding. Carpenter said a total of 23 stop-work orders have been rescinded across the university system. The university also received nine partial stop-work orders, meaning that portions of the projects cannot be completed, Carpenter said. It's unclear which projects were cut. On Monday morning, a spreadsheet mistakenly made public listed more than 150 research projects that were under consideration for termination. The University of Tennessee's "Secondary Analyses of Child Care and Early Education Data" was on the list. |
| Nine commencement ceremonies to be held at Texas A&M this weekend | |
 | The number of former students at Texas A&M University will grow by 13,016 this weekend. That is the number of degrees that will be awarded by the university across nine commencement ceremonies in Reed Arena beginning Thursday and running to Saturday. Commencement ceremonies will be held for undergraduate, master's and doctoral students. All ceremonies will be televised live by KAMU-TV and livestreamed on the KAMU website. Undergraduate degrees will be awarded at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and at 9 a.m. Saturday. A military commissioning ceremony for members of the Corps of Cadets will be held as part of the 2 p.m. Friday ceremony. That ceremony also will include undergraduates in the College of Engineering with majors in biological and agricultural engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering technology and industrial distribution and ocean engineering. Master's degrees and doctoral hooding ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, respectively. |
| Texas lawmakers moving to greatly increase control of state universities | |
| A bruising battle over academic freedom is being waged in Texas, where the legislature is poised to give the state power to screen faculty, programs and courses in one of the country's largest public university systems, and experts say the outcome could reverberate for higher education nationwide. Conservative lawmakers, who control all levers of the state government, are advancing a measure they say would hold institutions more accountable and ensure curriculum is "free from ideological bias." Faculty could be removed or face civil penalties for violations. Schools that fail to comply could be barred from spending state funds. "Higher education should be about teaching students how to think, not what to think," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said. The 27-page omnibus bill, which would rate academic programs based on average student debt and "return on investment for students," has already passed the state Senate. A House committee is expected to consider a version of S.B. 37 on Tuesday. If the chamber also approves the measure, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is expected to sign it into law. Opponents say the result would essentially be a takeover of the state's 126 public universities, community college districts and medical schools, with state officials even allowed to overturn hiring decisions. They fear it could damage the institutions' reputations and lead to a faculty brain drain. |
| No more federal grants for Harvard University until it meets White House demands, Trump administration letter says | |
| The Trump administration on Monday issued a new ultimatum to Harvard University in its escalating feud over federal funding and oversight of academic affairs at the Ivy League university in Cambridge. Harvard will no longer be eligible for new research grants until the school complies with a series of demands from the administration, including ending diversity, education and inclusion programs, and curtailing campus protests. Education Secretary Linda McMahon notified Harvard president Alan Garber of the consequences in a letter sent Monday evening. The university "should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided," McMahon wrote. The ban applies to federal research grants and not to federal financial aid that helps students cover college tuition and fees, McMahon's office said in a press call. The letter marks a major escalation of Trump's battle with the university. Harvard filed a lawsuit last month, after the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal research funding to the school. Harvard issued a statement denouncing the administration's latest demand. To become eligible for new grants, Harvard would have to enter negotiations with the federal government and prove it has satisfied the administration's demands. |
| Documenting Trump's 'Arbitrary' Cuts to Science | |
 | The federal government has terminated thousands of grants it deemed unworthy of scientific study in the months since President Donald Trump started his second term. But scholars still aren't clear why or how the government made those determinations. Although the Trump administration and its allies have spotlighted National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation–funded projects on politically charged topics -- including transgender people's health, HIV prevention, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion -- as examples of canceled projects, those are far from the only research areas that have lost funding since January. The agencies have also axed funding for research on cancer, maternal mortality and internet freedom without much explanation. And lacking comprehensive data from the government, the scholarly community has been tracking the cuts on their own terms in an attempt to understand the scope and scale of the losses. "It's super arbitrary and there's not a lot of transparency," said Scott Delaney, an epidemiologist at Harvard University and former lawyer who's been tracking grant cancellations. Delaney and his colleagues were aware of terminated NIH grants that weren't on the HHS spreadsheet. So, they put out a call for submissions on social media and created their own publicly accessible spreadsheet. The culmination of those efforts is available on Grant Watch, a website Delaney helped launch last week. |
| Education Dept. Tells Colleges to Advise Struggling Borrowers | |
| The Department of Education reminded colleges and universities Monday of their role in ensuring student loan borrowers repay their debt -- and that they'll be on the hook if a large percentage of their former students default on their debts. The guidance to institutions was sent on the same day the department resumed involuntary collections on student loans, which had been on hold since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. About 5.3 million borrowers have defaulted on their loans, meaning that they've missed at least 270 days of payments, and they could see their federal benefits such as tax refunds or Social Security checks withheld. Another four million borrowers are expected to default in the coming months. Department officials wrote in the Dear Colleague letter that maintaining healthy federal loan programs "has always been a shared responsibility among student borrowers, the department and participating institutions." When it comes to the role of colleges, this means transparently disclosing the net cost to students up front and then providing "clear and accurate information" about repayment standards to borrowers throughout their degree program and after graduation. And though college financial aid offices have long demonstrated a "commitment to providing direct advice and counsel to students," the letter said, in an era of "critical challenges" for the federal loan system, "institutions must refocus and expand these efforts." |
| Risk-sharing: A 'well-intentioned' disaster for colleges? | |
| When Republicans introduced the College Cost Reduction Act in early 2024, they partly aimed to ensure colleges had "skin in the game" by "holding them financially responsible when they charge too much for degrees that leave students with debt they can't afford." That was according to a fact sheet posted by the House Committee on Education and Workforce, then led by North Carolina Republican Virginia Foxx. The linchpin to the CCRA's efforts to give colleges "skin in the game" was a risk-sharing measure that would make institutions pay the federal government if too many of their former students had unpaid federal loans. While the CCRA had little chance of passing under the Biden administration, Republicans have resurrected many of its key proposals. In April, the House Committee on Education and Workforce moved to advance a wide-ranging higher education bill that included the CCRA's risk-sharing measure as part of the budget reconciliation process, which lawmakers are using in an effort to pass Republican spending priorities, such as continuing tax cuts enacted in 2017. Backers of risk-sharing plans say they incentivize colleges to contain costs for students while working harder to ensure students who graduate can land good jobs. Critics, meanwhile, worry that institutions -- looking to hedge their own risks -- might take on fewer students from low-income and historically marginalized backgrounds who face systemic challenges both in higher education and the job market. |
| A new era for student loans begins with garnished wages on the table | |
| Starting Monday, student loan borrowers who find themselves in default will face government-backed involuntary collections, signaling a brand new landscape after years of pauses, delays and Biden-era relief efforts. Garnished tax returns, Social Security payments and even wages will all be fair game starting May 5 after a five-year pause on severe financial consequences that began during the economic upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration has made clear no additional debt forgiveness will be offered to borrowers as congressional Republicans look to revamp the student loan repayment system. Borrowers will also have to contend with changes at the Department of Education, which has laid off half its staff and has been targeted for complete elimination by President Trump. The agency insists it will be able to meet all of its legally mandated functions despite the reductions. "They fired all of the people, all the cops on the beat overseeing the student loan servicers, who have an abominable track record on serving their borrowers," said Julie Morgan, former deputy under secretary at the Department of Education. |
| New State Laws Target DEI, Struggling Academic Programs, and Tenure in Higher Education | |
 | Republican governors this spring have signed into law a wave of legislation targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, tenure, and struggling academic programs as part of a concerted effort to remake the landscape of higher education. The legislation has already spurred college leaders to make a variety of changes to student programming and degree offerings. "It fits into a picture with many, many aspects of attempts to control higher education and intellectual and academic freedom," said Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at Cornell University and a member of the American Association of University Professors' committee on academic freedom and tenure. Legislatures in Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wyoming passed bills targeting explicit and implicit efforts to recruit and retain faculty and staff from historically marginalized communities. Legislatures have also targeted colleges' faculty-tenure process with new measures. Kentucky now requires faculty members and college presidents to be evaluated for productivity and performance at least once every four years. The evaluation process will be established by each college's board of trustees. Legislation in Utah and Ohio directs colleges to more closely align their academic programs with the work force's needs and halt admissions to programs with low enrollment or low graduation rates. |
SPORTS
| Women's Golf: Pellot Leads Dawgs In Opening Round Of Gold Canyon Regional | |
| After 18 holes of golf to open the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional, the Mississippi State Bulldogs sit in fifth place at 3-over par. Izzy Pellot led State in the opening round at 1-under par. The Bulldogs sit five strokes off the team leader, Arizona State, who is 2-under par. The top five of the leaderboard after three rounds will advance to the NCAA Championship. State sits eight strokes above the sixth-place team, Navy, heading into the second day. Pellot carded her 12th par or better round of the season during the opening day at Superstition Mountain Golf Club. She carded a team-leading four birdies in the round, three of which came on the back nine to open her day. She sits in a tie for seventh heading into the second round of action. Avery Weed sits right outside of the top 10 after finishing her round at even par. It marked her 16th par or better round in 28 attempts during the 2024-25 season, which lead the women's golf squad. The Mississippi native remains in contention, as she is three strokes off the individual lead. The Gold Canyon Regional is set to continue into the second round on Tuesday, May 6. Live scoring for the event is available at scoreboard.clippd.com. |
| Attorney says NCAA deal should resolve judge's concerns over roster limits, criticizes Saban | |
| An attorney in the $2.8 billion legal case reshaping college sports said Monday he thinks "the agreement we will reach with the NCAA will solve the judge's concerns" over roster limits that have delayed final approval. Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the defendants, told The Associated Press that all is on track to file paperwork by Wednesday, which is U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken's deadline for addressing concerns that prevented her from granting approval to the deal last month. Berman said he created a chart listing the several dozen athletes who lodged objections to the agreement based on roster limits. He said he thinks almost every one will be offered a solution. "We're still negotiating, and I'm confident that everyone who lost a roster spot will have a chance to get a spot back," he said. He did not go into detail about whether those spots would be on their previous teams or new ones. Berman also criticized Nick Saban after reports emerged that the retired Alabama football coach was urging President Donald Trump to undo damage he says has been caused by all the money flowing into college sports. “But here, the question is, ‘Why does the president need to get involved?’” Berman said, while outlining the financial gains players have made in the NIL era. “Just because Nick Saban thinks he knows better and resents change? This is a coach who made more money off college football than any other coach, did absolutely nothing to make it right for these student-athletes. Why should he drive the president’s thinking?” |
| After 3 years on ESPN watching college football change, Dan Mullen rolls the dice at UNLV | |
| On an unseasonably brisk April morning, dozens of recruits congregated in the observatory formed by the sliver of turf that splits UNLV's practice fields in two. Outside the state-of-the-art Fertitta Football Complex, hands were stuffed into sweatpants or pouches on hoodies to stay warm as the winds whipped higher in velocity. Some staffers even wore gloves and beanies. It was all of 65 degrees. Over the next three hours, the eyes of prospective players eventually drifted to the man in the white visor best known for his time on the sidelines in the SEC. UNLV coach Dan Mullen, his whistle often dangling out the side of his mouth, stood quiet and observant -- until he was decidedly not. When a UNLV wide receiver and cornerback squabbled in the back of the end zone during a red zone drill, Mullen bullrushed in and let everyone know there's no time for pedestrian antics, even in the middle of this spring practice so far away from the 2025 season. He leapt into the air in frustration, mimicking the skirmish before asking every player and staffer in scarlet and gray to "cut the bullsh–!" and execute their assignments. Mullen's loud plea was somewhat drowned out by the rumble of yet another plane descending overhead into Sin City -- one of an estimated 500 or so daily flights in and out of Harry Reid International Airport, 1.3 miles away. It's a fitting metaphor for the Mullen era in Las Vegas: Tourists from all over the world directly soar over the Rebels' facility daily, primed to be entertained, to let loose, to gamble and hope to win. Like so many of the more than 40 million visitors who come to roll the dice, the 53-year-old Mullen did the same. |
| Dannen and Long Named to College Football Playoff Selection Committee | |
| The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee has appointed Troy Dannen, athletics director at the University of Nebraska, and Jeff Long, long-time college administrator and former athletics director at the University of Kansas, University of Arkansas and the University of Pittsburgh, to the CFP Selection Committee, it was announced today by Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP. Dannen will replace Damon Evans, who recently became the athletic director at Southern Methodist University, while Long will serve a one-year term, replacing Steve Wieberg, who stepped down from the committee for personal reasons. "We are pleased to have Troy and Jeff join the committee," Clark said. "Troy brings a long commitment to college athletics to our group and previous experience as a member of the FCS Selection Committee, while Jeff, as the first chairman of the CFP selection committee (2014-15) will step in immediately and provide an experienced voice in the room." The CFP selection committee is responsible for ranking the top 25 teams, then assigning the 12 teams to the playoff bracket. The committee meets in-person beginning in early November and produces a ranking of the top 25 teams each week leading up to its final selections. |
| College sports a key driver of Disney/ESPN's advertising, viewing strategy | |
| As upfronts loom, Disney and ESPN see college sports as a key area in advertising attention and investment, accounting for nearly 40% of total sports ad revenue. That's 42% year-over-year growth, and up 50% from 2023. "It really all starts with college football; we're stoked about the season coming up, but we more than sprinkle in a significant portion of women's and men's sports," said Jim Minnich, SVP/revenue and yield management, sports and entertainment at Disney Advertising. "Close to 80% of our advertisers buy college, and it really makes a big difference in our portfolio." To nobody's surprise, College football and basketball are the biggest drivers of revenue. But there is ample opportunity elsewhere -- to the tune of 363 brands investing in other sports across ESPN airwaves. In terms of spring campaigns, sports like gymnastics, baseball and softball are key areas. "When I took over the sport of softball in 2005, we had six linear games on the schedule. Now, we've got 250-plus regular season softball games being televised by ESPN," said Meg Aronowitz, SVP/production at ESPN. "For someone who has been at ESPN for almost 25 years, really trying to harness the energy around these Olympic sports, I just say to everyone, 'Welcome to the party.'" |
| President Donald Trump announces Washington, D.C., as 2027 NFL Draft host | |
| With Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser at his side, President Donald Trump announced Monday that the nation's capital will host the 2027 NFL Draft. Trump said the draft will happen on the National Mall. "It's going to be beautiful, it's going to be something that nobody else will ever be able to duplicate," Trump said in a news conference in the Oval Office. The draft news comes a week after Bowser announced the Commanders' plan to build a new stadium in the city at the site of the former RFK Stadium. That deal still needs approval from the D.C. city council, but if all goes as planned, the stadium would open in 2030. The 65,000-seat facility is expected to cost $2.7 billion, according to the proposal. Goodell said having Trump announce the draft location was a "special treat." "We believe we will have well over a million (attendees) when we come to D.C.," Goodell said. The NFL Draft has become big business for host cities. An estimated 600,000 fans attended this year's three-day event in Green Bay, Wis. That tied Nashville, Tenn., for the second-highest turnout since the draft began rotating locations in 2015. The city's tourism agency, Discover Green Bay, had expected about 250,000 people to attend. |
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