| Tuesday, May 13, 2025 |
| MSU celebrates alumna's selfless, lifesaving act for her student | |
 | Holly Allgood was in her classroom at Tupelo's Early Childhood Education Center with her student, Bowen Dorr, when the phone call came -- she was a match. Allgood, a Mississippi State University alumna and Tupelo Public School District special education teacher, donated 30% of her liver to Bowen, a young student battling carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency, or CPS1, a rare and life-threatening metabolic condition. The Daily Journal first shared Allgood's story in September 2024. "MSU alumna Holly Allgood's selfless act of love and concern for one of her students reflects what I believe is a core value of our university, which is service," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We try to instill in our College of Education graduates the sense that they are stewards of the future in teaching and impacting the lives of their students. Certainly, Holly has taken that to an entirely new level, and all of us in the Mississippi State family admire and applaud her sacrifice and devotion to her student." |
| Education: MSU E-Center preparing for Golden Triangle Lemonade Day, expanding to neighboring town | |
 | Mississippi State's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach in the College of Business is helping local children make sweet profits and foster entrepreneurial skills with its annual Lemonade Day. The Golden Triangle Lemonade Day is Saturday, June 14 -- and this year is expanding to Louisville. E-Center Program Coordinator Garrison Walker said the event invites children to become business owners by running a lemonade stand for the day, encouraging them to become business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of the future. When registering their business, children receive access to a digital or physical Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches Lemonade Day lessons like creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors and giving back to the community. Cadence Bank is the annual sponsor. |
| MCITy hosts Dawg Tank startup pitch June 26; application deadline May 30 | |
 | Mississippi State University at MCITy will host "Dawg Tank," a startup pitch competition and qualifier event for the CoBuilders accelerator program, on Thursday, June 26, at 2 p.m. on the second floor of MCITy in Vicksburg. The competition, which mimics a real investment environment, invites early-stage startups to pitch their business ideas before a panel of judges for a chance to win a share of $20,000 in prizes. Individual category awards will total $10,000. MCITy's Dawg Tank is a qualifier for CoBuilders, a statewide accelerator led by Innovate Mississippi. Innovation-based teams may become eligible for the program, which offers enhanced mentorship, funding, and investment opportunities. In addition, three lifestyle or service-based businesses will receive scholarships to the Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp, hosted by the Vicksburg Warren Partnership. For more information or to apply, contact Tasha Bibb, senior program manager, MSU Office of Technology Management at tasha.bibb@msstate.edu. |
| Starkville PD discusses safety ahead of graduation | |
 | It's graduation week at Mississippi State University. This is an exciting time of life as students are about to enter the next phase. It's also a week full of celebrations. The Starkville Police Department wants to make sure citizens stay safe and make good decisions as they commemorate this milestone. "It's the highest call ratio we handle throughout the year," said Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard. "It's higher than even our game day operations. We get it because people are excited. It's a large crowd, and it's a fun time." "It's marking the end of a journey, and you have more family, you have cousins, everybody comes to town to celebrate, and many times they're not used to the normal game day operations, whereas you have season holders and people kind of getting used to a routine. When you do one game, you've done them all, as far as routines go. But celebrations are a little different. People are new to town, new to parking, new to traffic. So it can be confusing if you don't plan ahead," Ballard said. |
| Westbound flights, expansion keys to growth at GTRA | |
| In its first week offering westbound flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Golden Triangle Regional Airport is already seeing early signs of soaring success. The daily flight, offered through a partnership between GTRA and American Airlines, began service May 5. Matt Dowell, GTRA executive director, said passengers on the first return flight to Columbus were welcomed with cowbells, Mississippi State University's Bully mascot, cheerleaders and music. "They were the rockstars that didn't realize they were rockstars," Dowell said Monday during a presentation to Starkville Rotary Club at Hilton Garden Inn. "We're seeing some really good signs that everyone's excited about it," Dowell told The Dispatch following his presentation. "For example, on Friday, we saw that over 50 people actually got off the airplane and on the airplane. ... There's only 65 seats. So it does seem like it's a very popular option." The terminal expansion, expected to be completed by the end of the year, includes an 8,200-square-foot waiting area, two escalators, an elevator and a jet bridge to replace the existing outdoor ramp. |
| Ag Commissioner talks tariffs, trade impact on Mississippi farmers | |
| Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Andy Gipson, said Monday that President Donald Trump's tariffs will benefit the state's farmers by negotiating treaties advantageous to the U.S. farming sector. "We were literally the world's breadbasket," he said during a speech at the Stennis Institute Luncheon in Jackson. "But in 2024, we had a $30 billion trade deficit in food." Mississippi will benefit from the trade talks and eventual agreements, Gipson said, especially one of the state's leading crops, soybeans. Gipson told the gathering of Capitol press that soybean prices likely will not return to pre-COVID levels but should rise higher than their current future price of $10.61 a bushel at 2:15 p.m. Monday, up slightly from $10.44 Friday on news of a tentative trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Commissioner Gipson said former trade deals weakened the prices, but under the Trump administration, that should change. "This trade imbalance needs to be balanced again," he said. |
| Monthly Inflation Picked Up in April in Midst of Tariff Swings | |
 | Annual inflation cooled in April, a month when businesses were yanked back and forth as they tried to adjust to President Trump's unpredictable trade policies. However, prices rose 0.2% from the previous month, matching forecasts of economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. In March, month-over-month prices had fallen 0.1%. The consumer-price index was up 2.3% in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, cooler than March's gain of 2.4%. That was below the 2.4% that economists had expected. Prices excluding food and energy categories -- the so-called core measure that economists watch in an effort to better capture inflation's underlying trend -- rose 2.8%. That matched forecasts by economists. The 2.3% rate of annual inflation was the lowest rate since February 2021, right before supply-chain snarls and pent-up consumer demand sent inflation soaring. Futures for the S&P 500 turned positive after the inflation report. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down. U.S. stocks had soared the day before after the U.S. and China announced that they would pause severe tariffs on each other's goods. |
| Nissan plans to shut down 7 plants. What will happen to the Canton plant? | |
 | Nissan announced Tuesday, May 13 new cost cuts, saying it would eliminate 11,000 more jobs and close seven production plants. Nissan saw its profit significantly decrease. Operating profit totaled 69.8 billion yen ($472 million) in the 12 months to March, a decline of 88% from the previous year. The new job cuts will bring Nissan's total U.S. workforce reduction to around 20,000 jobs, after it previously announced plans to cut 9,000 U.S.-based positions. It will cut the number of its production plants from 17 to 10 and reduce the complexity of parts by 70%. It did not give specifics on which plants it expects to close. While Nissan has not announced which plants will be shuttered, the Canton, Mississippi plant had been expected to be a large part of its future. Nissan officials have previously told the Clarion Ledger that it expects to reinvent its plans for electric vehicle production at its Canton plant. That comes on the heels of reports saying the company intends to scrap development of two sedan EV models planned to be produced in Madison County. Amanda Plecas of Nissan North America told the Clarion Ledger Tuesday there is no further information on which plants may or may not closing. |
| Toyota Experience Center receives coveted LEED Platinum certification | |
| Toyota Mississippi's Experience Center has achieved LEED Platinum certification, making it one of only five facilities with the distinction statewide. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system was developed in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council. It allows for independent, third-party certification that a new building implements measurable, positive steps toward protecting and improving human and environmental health. LEED Platinum buildings are characterized by exceptional energy efficiency, minimal water usage, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and a commitment to improving occupant health and well-being. The 15,000-square foot Toyota Experience Center opened in June 2022 with an innovative flare for teaching the Toyota Way to guests from around the world. The concept is rooted in the company's principles for environmental performance and sustainability spanning across four key focus areas: Carbon, Water, Biodiversity and Circular Economy. "The Mississippi Experience Center is a blend of innovation coupled with Toyota's fundamental environmental philosophy to make a better planet," said Sean McCarthy, Toyota Mississippi engineering manager. "We're proud our facility is one of five in the state at this level, and we hope it sets an example for others to build sustainably and do what's right for the future of our planet." |
| VCVB to open downtown visitor's center, office complex | |
| The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) is opening a visitor's center on Washington Street. On Thursday, May 1, during the monthly VCVB board meeting, members voted to approve the purchase of 1500 Washington St., the Old JCPenney building, which will operate as a downtown visitor's center and will also house VCVB offices. The decision to open a visitor's center in a prominent location in Vicksburg's downtown is aimed at providing easier access for visitors, which applies especially to riverboat passengers and conference attendees, VCVB Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland said. "This allows us to have a downtown visitor center locally and centrally between the Vicksburg Convention Center, Vicksburg riverfront, and the main core of Washington Street," she said. The VCVB secured the Old JCPenney property for $1.1 million. This purchase price also consists of upgrades to the building, which include a visitor's center, office and meeting space and ADA-approved restroom facilities. "The VCVB is proud to be investing and improving a historic property to showcase our city to people around the world," VCVB Board of Directors Chairman Johnny Reynolds said. |
| Over $1 billion invested in developments near upcoming Buc-ee's, county officials say | |
 | The early stages of Buc-ee's construction on Menge Avenue proved to be a major headache for drivers. However, the payoff is around the corner as development nears its end. On Monday, the Harrison County Development Commission held a special presentation for the Board of Supervisors to discuss multiple projects, including Buc-ee's, taking place in the county. "[There's] lots to be excited about," explained executive director Bill Lavers. "Lots are happening, and there are a very diverse group of projects in multiple areas of the county, not one section." Lavers states the projects taking place are work over $1 billion and bringing in hundreds of jobs. The projected annual tax revenue stands at over $2.8 million. "There's several that are finished and others that are coming," he added. "Seemann Composites is going to do some expansion around the corner. US Marine is going to be doing some expansions as well. There's been a lot of activity on Seaway Road, and there's more to come. According to Lavers, the county is close to $1 billion in investments just between Menge Avenue and Kiln-Delisle with the belief that Buc-ee's will spring growth to the area. |
| Hosemann expects he'll run for Governor in 2027 | |
| Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann is gearing up for a gubernatorial run in 2027, he told Meridian podcaster Scotty Ray recently. "Yeah, we're looking at doing that, and I expect that we will run for governor," Hosemann said, noting that he and his family have had those conversations. "We're very interested in and we will end up running for governor this next time." The 40-second clip is the most definitive public answer the Republican leader of the state Senate has given to date on his intentions. Hosemann, 77, has been visiting groups across the state since the end of the regular legislative session, touting legislation this session while looking ahead to the pending special session where lawmakers will set the budget for the next fiscal year. Hosemann could face a crowded field in the open seat Republican Primary in two years. State Auditor Shad White is already on the stump, actively campaigning for governor and seeking to distance himself from Hosemann as policy differences arise. Others rumored to be considering a run are Attorney General Lynn Fitch, businessman Tommy Duff, former Speaker Philip Gunn, and 1st District Congressman Trent Kelly. |
| L. Gov. Hosemann has been traveling to the state to update residents on the 2025 legislative session. | |
 | Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann has been traveling to the state to update residents on the 2025 legislative session. On Monday afternoon, he stopped by WTOK Studios in downtown Meridian as he was passing through. Lt. Governor Hosemann is optimistic about finalizing a state budget soon and says that legislators are working to compensate in areas that may be impacted by federal budget cuts. He suggested that in the upcoming year, the state would be looking at possible changes to what is paid for by the federal government. "So, the president is trying to get us where we at least get a balanced budget, and to do that, obviously, it's going to cut Mississippi. I don't know anybody I've talked to that said that we're going to get more money than we did last year. So, when we get 50% of the money from the federal government, and if they cut, then we don't print money, so we have to cut too, so I think that will probably be a major discussion this coming year is what does the federal government continue to pay for, and what do they not continue to pay for? You're just you're seeing the facts come that we're going to be. We're gonna have to tighten our belt," says Lt. Governor Hosemann. |
| State auditor Shad White comments on nonprofit misspending, DEI in public schools, proposed state budget cuts | |
| Mississippi state auditor Shad White was in Gulfport Tuesday, speaking at a Coast Young Professionals event. Last week, the auditor's office released a report claiming hundreds of thousands of federal tax dollars went to Mississippi nonprofit organizations without any records on how those organizations spent the money. White says more than $850,000 in federal grant money meant for HIV testing and prevention in the state went to three nonprofits -- the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity, Love Inside for Everyone, and Love Me Unlimited 4 Life -- that misused the funds. White also alleges that the Mississippi State Department of Health played a part in letting this happen. White says that although Mississippi has some good nonprofits, it is very common to see taxpayer money being mishandled by nonprofits. "Sometimes it's fraudulent, so sometimes somebody is stealing the money, but a lot of times it's just simply wasteful, and that's what we found here. Money that's going to nonprofits--- you're hoping they do what they're supposed to do -- which is test people for sexually transmitted diseases, and instead what you get is a bunch of parties, you get Lyft ride shares in New York City, bar hopping in the middle of the night... Those are being paid for by our taxpayer dollars. It's happening even here in Mississippi in a red state." |
| National Park Service among those looking at land for sale on Horn Island | |
 | Yes, a small part of Horn Island is owned by private individuals, the National Park Service confirmed after 96 acres were listed by a real estate company. This list price is $25 million. Many people posted on social media they thought the barrier island, which lies less than 10 miles off the coast of Jackson County, is entirely owned by the National Park Service. The majority of Horn Island is owned and administered by the National Park Service as part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the park service said in a statement to the Sun Herald. Before the National Seashore was established in 1971, there were, and still are, some small parcels owned by multiple owners and associated land ownership groups, the park service said. Gulf Islands National Park is aware of the private owners and continues to research and identify the ownership of the four privately held parcels, it said. When there was talk in the early 1970s about developing Horn Island, John Anderson, son of Mississippi artist Walter Anderson, wondered if anyone would come to a public hearing to support the wilderness designation for the island his father so loved. "Imagine the amazement of those present when they discovered that the large auditorium was completely packed with people adamantly demanding that Horn Island remain untouched. Instead of no support, there was actually no opposition," he said at the time. |
| Rule of law is 'endangered,' chief justice says | |
 | Chief Justice John Roberts described the rule of law as "endangered" and warned against "trashing the justices," but speaking in Washington Monday he didn't point fingers directly at President Donald Trump or his allies for publicly excoriating judges who've ruled against aspects of Trump's agenda. "The notion that rule of law governs is the basic proposition," Roberts said during an appearance at Georgetown Law. "Certainly as a matter of theory, but also as a matter of practice, we need to stop and reflect every now and then how rare that is, certainly rare throughout history, and rare in the world today." As many legal experts express grave concern about Trump's attacks on law firms and with several federal judges advancing inquiries into whether the administration is refusing to comply with court orders, Roberts took a longer-term view Monday. He blamed schools for shortchanging civics education and leaving students with little understanding of the structure of U.S. government or the role of the courts. "That's really too bad," the chief justice told graduating students at the law school. "We're developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works." Roberts suggested some recent verbal attacks on the justices had gone too far, but he gave no specific examples. |
| Trump drug pricing proposal puts GOP senators in a tough spot | |
 | An executive order from President Trump aims to make deep cuts to prescription drug costs, putting GOP lawmakers who have traditionally opposed government-directed drug pricing in a tough position. Republican lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) and Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso (Wyo.), have warned in the past that directing the federal government to set drug prices will slow innovation and limit patients' access to lifesaving therapies. Now they're in the tough position of having to respond to Trump's latest move, which would cut deeply into pharmaceutical companies' profits. The industry, which contributes generously to members of both parties, warns that Trump's proposed reform could jeopardize hundreds of billions of dollars in research and development investments. Thune on Monday said that Trump's executive order would be "fairly controversial" if put into legislation on Capitol Hill, reflecting his party's longtime skepticism of using Medicare's huge buying power to pressure drug companies to lower prices. "My assumption is that would be fairly controversial up here if we were doing it ... legislatively," Thune said of Trump's executive order on drug pricing. |
| Trump taps Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting head of Library of Congress | |
 | Uncertainty gripped the Library of Congress on Monday as the White House moved to assert more control over the legislative branch agency, naming Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as its acting head. It comes after President Donald Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden last week, followed by U.S. Copyright Office chief Shira Perlmutter over the weekend. The steps caused confusion for library employees and raised questions about who was rightfully in charge. "You may have read that the White House has appointed a new acting Librarian. Currently, Congress is engaged with the White House, and we have not yet received direction from Congress about how to move forward," Robert Newlen, who had stepped into the acting director role after Hayden's firing, wrote Monday morning in an email to Library of Congress employees obtained by CQ Roll Call. Newlen identified himself as acting librarian in the subject line of the email, which was sent just before noon. Some critics argued that Blanche should not pull double duty at a legislative branch agency, while others said it opened up complicated legal questions. "You can't name an executive branch official to head a legislative branch agency. It is unconstitutional, illegal and imprudent," said Daniel Schuman, executive director of the American Governance Institute and a former employee of the Congressional Research Service, which is part of the Library of Congress. |
| Why aren't Americans filling the manufacturing jobs we already have? | |
 | President Trump has been upending the global economy in the name of bringing manufacturing back. President Joe Biden signed into law massive investments aimed at doing something similar. The American manufacturing sector is reviving after decades of decay. But there's something a bit weird undercutting this movement to reshore factory jobs: American manufacturers say they are struggling to fill the jobs they already have. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs right now. Last year, the Manufacturing Institute, a non-profit aimed at developing America's manufacturing workforce, and Deloitte, a consultancy firm, surveyed more than 200 manufacturing companies. More than 65% percent of the firms said recruiting and retaining workers was their number one business challenge. Part of the story has been a tight labor market. There have been similar worker recruitment and retention issues in other sectors, like construction and transportation. But the shortfall of manufacturing workers is about more than just that -- and, with both parties pushing to reshore manufacturing, analysts expect the industry's workforce issues to get even more challenging. |
| Education: Longtime W scholar Thomas Richardson receives three emeritus distinctions | |
| Mississippi University for Women has awarded Thomas Richardson the ranks of professor emeritus of English, dean emeritus of the College of Arts and Sciences and provost emeritus. A long-time academic leader and scholar, Richardson is recognized for decades of service and literary contributions. "Dr. Richardson's impact on this university is profound and enduring," said W President Nora Miller. "His leadership, scholarship and unwavering commitment to students and faculty have shaped The W in countless ways. It is an honor to recognize his extraordinary career with these distinctions." Richardson has served as a professor of English and held the Eudora Welty Chair of Humanities since 1998. Over the years, he has occupied various administrative roles, including multiple terms as provost and vice president for academic affairs, as well as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Richardson earned his doctorate and master of education from Duke University and holds a bachelor's degree with honors in English from Davidson College. His doctoral research focused on the relationship between Scottish education and fiction in the early 19th century. He also completed non-degree graduate study in English at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Edinburgh. |
| Blue Envelope Law inspired by Oxford Ole Miss student | |
| A new law in Mississippi aims to make traffic stops safer and less stressful for drivers with autism. The program was inspired by Ella Snyder, a freshman at the University of Mississippi majoring in Creative Writing and a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. "I was actually scrolling on TikTok," Snyder said, "and I came across the Blue Envelope program and how it helps serve as a mediator between autistic drivers and police officers. I was really impressed by the blue envelope and its potential for helping relieve miscommunications between people." The bill allows people with autism to voluntarily participate in a program designed to help them communicate more easily with law enforcement officers during traffic stops. Parents may also apply for the program on behalf of children under 18. Sen. Nicole Boyd, who represents District 9, helped turn Snyder's idea into law. Snyder didn't need to testify in Jackson herself -- the support for the bill was already strong. "There was a chance that I was going to go to Jackson ... but Senator Boyd told my Dad that there was overwhelming support from the committees, so I didn't need to go down there," Snyder said. |
| USM's new facility named Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall after $1.5M gift | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) announced the naming of its new shared facility for services provided by DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children's Center for Communication and Development on the Gulf Park campus as Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall. The facility was named in recognition of a $1.5 million gift from the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation. According to USM officials, the gift supports the construction of a facility designed to expand the services and impact of two of Southern Miss' most respected clinical programs, both housed within the College of Nursing and Health Professions. Established in 1962, the DuBard School serves children ages three to 13 with severe speech and language disorders. Founded in 1974, The Children's Center provides transdisciplinary services to support children from birth to age five, helping them reach key developmental and communication milestones. Construction of the facility will begin as early as Summer 2025. |
| Shop owner wants to donate bikes to USM's international students | |
 | James Moore recently issued a challenge to the Pine Belt community to help him provide some wheels so that a group of University of Southern Mississippi international students had a way to get back and forth to their summer jobs. Monday, Moore thanked the public, announcing that the "bike drive" had reached the halfway point. "A big 'thank you' to all who responded to our plea for used bicycle donations for the international students that will be helping out at the zoo and waterpark this summer," said in a post on the Facebook page of Moore's Bicycle Shop in Hattiesburg. "Thanks to this community's generosity, we're about halfway to the 25 bikes we need." Moore, who owns Hattiesburg's iconic bike shop on Hardy Street, asked the public to donate 25 bikes, whether beaten up, broken down, flat-tired, or flat-out ugly. Moore promised to pretty up and make mechanically sound the donations so that the students who are staying the summer would have a mode of transportation to get from campus to summer work at venues under the Hattiesburg Convention Commission umbrella. |
| JPS, JSU celebrate inaugural cohort of Jackson Middle College students | |
| The Jackson Public School district honored the academic achievements and milestones of scholars from the Jackson Middle College program's first graduating class. The ceremony was held on Monday at 6 p.m. at the CSET Engineering Building at Jackson State University. The Jackson Middle College program provides high school students with the opportunity to earn college credits at JSU on an academic track to become math teachers while completing their high school education. "We knew we had a need, not just a need at JPS, but all throughout the country, really throughout the world, to find great teachers, to develop great teachers, great educators," said JPS Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene. Greene said he's excited to see students continue their education at JSU. |
| Sorority building swapped for science as U. of Tennessee grows with global partners | |
 | As University of Tennessee at Knoxville students say farewell for the summer, the university has already said its goodbyes to what was once a sorority hub, demolishing a building to make way for a state-of-the-art science facility on track to be finished in 2029. With the reimagined graduation weekend being a great time to think about futures, UT is already looking ahead to next year and preparing to welcome its first batch of students to a new campus academy. The university also is celebrating and looking ahead to another five years of its research facility built through a partnership with a major German automotive maker. The Panhellenic Building has finally come down on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 16th Street to make way for the new Chemistry Building, with $165.5 million in state funding. This is the "largest state investment ever funded for a single higher education project in Tennessee," according to a UT news release. The new eight-story building will include new amenities for the chemistry department, which is housed across five buildings on campus. The growing set of amenities aligns with the department's projected 15% increase in undergraduate majors, along with a 20% projected increase in graduate students. |
| U. of West Florida President Martha Saunders resigns | |
 | Martha Saunders has announced her resignation from her post as president of the University of West Florida. Saunders has served as president since January 2017. In a letter she sent out Monday morning to UWF students, faculty and staff, Saunders announced her resignation: "When I returned to the University of West Florida as president, it felt like coming home. This University gave me my start as an academic, and serving as its leader has been one of the great honors of my life. In accordance with the terms of my contract, and after thoughtful reflection, I have made the decision to conclude my presidency. This was not an easy choice. I know it may come as a surprise, and for some, a disappointment. Please know I did not make it lightly. I believe this is the right time -- for me and for UWF." Her resignation follows months of attacks by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed four controversial picks to the University of Board of Trustees and warned of the bumpy road ahead for the university. Two of his appointees resigned -- Scott Yenor and Gates Garcia -- and a third, Adam Kissel, was not confirmed by the Senate. Just a few days later, DeSantis appointed Zack Smith as a trustee, who wasted no time going on the attack in his first UWF Board of Trustees meeting. |
| Trump DEI policies threaten millions in scholarships raised by Black doctors | |
 | It took Kenneth Davis and his wife more than 20 years to raise the $1.4 million endowment they established for Black medical students entering the University of Cincinnati. Davis had spent 36 years as the only Black general surgeon in Cincinnati before retiring in 2020. Now, according to the Cincinnati Medical Association, which represents Black doctors in the city, there are none. The scholarship, Davis hoped, would help grow the minuscule ranks of Black doctors in the region. The endowment is now one of many across the country caught in the Trump administration's campaign to dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Washington and pressuring corporations and universities to pull back from such efforts nationwide. The University of Cincinnati wants to make all students eligible for Davis's scholarship, not just Black applicants. At least six other scholarships worth about $4 million established by Black doctors at the school are also under review, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post. As the Trump administration's attacks on DEI have ramped up, universities across the country have started reevaluating their race-based scholarships, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham which is ending a scholarship for high-performing Black medical students established by the family of the city's first Black general surgeon to be certified by the American Medical Association. |
| Campus protests flare on a smaller scale than last spring, but with higher stakes | |
 | Campus activism has flared as the academic year winds down, with pro-Palestinian demonstrations leading to arrests at several colleges. Compared with last spring, when more than 2,100 people were arrested in campus protests nationwide, the demonstrations have been smaller and more scattered. But the stakes are also much higher. President Donald Trump's administration has been investigating dozens of colleges over their handling of protests, including allegations of antisemitism, and frozen federal grant money as leverage to press demands for new rules on activism. Colleges, in turn, have been taking a harder line on discipline and enforcement, following new policies adopted to prevent tent encampments of the kind that stayed up for weeks last year on many campuses. The timing of recent protests may owe to developments in the war itself and the approaching end of the school year, said Robert Cohen, a professor of history and social studies at New York University. Cohen said activists may be energized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's discussion of an escalation of the war, at a time many Palestinians already are at risk of starvation amid an Israeli blockade of food and other goods. "And the fact that it is the end of the semester -- maybe it seems like the last chance they have to take a stance, to publicize this," he said. |
| Trump Sends Mixed Signals on Apprenticeship and Job Training | |
 | President Trump issued an executive order last month instructing federal officials to "reach and surpass" a million new active apprenticeships. It was an ambitious target that apprenticeship advocates celebrated, anticipating new federal investments in more paid on-the-job training programs, in new industries and via a more efficient system. "After years of shuffling Americans through an economically unproductive postsecondary system, President Trump will refocus young Americans on career preparation," federal officials wrote in a fact sheet on the order. They also emphasized that the federal government spends billions on the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, or WIOA, and Career and Technical Education, but "neither of these programs are structured to promote apprenticeships or have incentives to meet workforce training needs." Ryan Craig, author of the book Apprenticeship Nation, managing director of Achieve Partners, co-founder of Apprenticeships for America and an occasional contributor to Inside Higher Ed, said it was the first time a president set a goal for the number of apprentices in the U.S., as far as he's aware. But the excitement for an expanded apprenticeship model in the U.S. might be short-lived. Craig and other apprenticeship advocates worry that Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 doesn't reflect the executive order's vision. “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing here,” Craig said. |
| Colleges Spend Heavily on Lobbying | |
| As President Trump's broadside attacks on higher education continue, few institutions have shown a willingness to push back publicly. But behind closed doors, the sector has already pumped millions of dollars into federal lobbying efforts this year to plead their case in Washington. An Inside Higher Ed analysis of federal lobbying data shows that some of the universities in Trump's crosshairs have dramatically increased spending this year compared to the first quarter of last year, hiring advocates on the Hill to represent their interests to lawmakers. Northwestern University, for example, has already spent more than $600,000 on federal lobbying this year, compared to $110,000 in the first quarter of 2024. Among individual institutions, Northwestern has spent by far the most on lobbying this year. Since the analysis is focused on research universities, many of which have come under attack by the Trump administration, Inside Higher Ed reviewed the lobbying expenditures primarily by members of the Association of American Universities. Together, they've spent almost $9 million this year. Experts find the increase in lobbying expenditures unsurprising for two reasons. First, there is typically an uptick in lobbying efforts in the early days of a new presidential administration. Second, sectors tend to lobby heavily when presented with new opportunities or major change. |
| GOP proposes five-fold increase in tax on college endowments | |
| House Republicans are proposing a steep tax increase on endowment income at the nation's wealthiest colleges and universities, adding to the financial strain of institutions already facing the Trump administration's sharp cuts to federal research funding. If the proposed tax hike goes into effect, universities could reduce spending on research and scholarships -- expenses often covered by endowment earnings. That would ultimately most affect students who rely on the generous financial aid provided by wealthy institutions to limit the need for loans. The legislation, released Monday, would create a tiered tax on college endowments, a collection of donations and investments that pay for salaries, research, financial aid and other expenses. Instead of the current 1.4 percent tax on the net investment income of private schools with an endowment of more than $500,000 per student, House Republicans want to raise that tax as high as 21 percent. The excise tax is directed at schools with at least 500 students. It excludes international students from the count. The proposal would exempt religious schools from the tax burden, a move that could help institutions such as Hillsdale College and the University of Notre Dame. |
SPORTS
| Baseball Game Against North Alabama Canceled | |
| Mississippi State's final regular season home game against North Alabama on Tuesday has been canceled. Due to the abundance of rainfall in the Golden Triangle over the past few days and more inclement weather in the forecast for Tuesday, the decision was made to cancel Tuesday's contest against the Lions and will not be made up. Single game tickets purchased through Mississippi State Athletics will be refunded in the next seven business days. MSU hosted 330,009 fans during its 30-game home slate at Dudy Noble Field, an average of 11,000 per game. The Diamond Dawgs will close out their regular season slate on the road in a three-game SEC series at Missouri starting on Thursday at 6 p.m. |
| Where Mississippi State baseball stands in bid for SEC tournament bye ahead of Missouri series | |
| One week remains in the college baseball regular season, and Mississippi State does not know yet which seed it will land in the SEC tournament. The Bulldogs (31-20, 12-15 SEC) have won five of their past six SEC games. Even after firing coach Chris Lemonis on April 28, they can finish at .500 in the conference. It would be their first consecutive seasons with at least a .500 conference record since 2018 and 2019. That would require sweeping Missouri (16-35, 3-24) on the road beginning on May 15 (6 p.m., SEC Network+). The Bulldogs are in 13th place with a 12-15 conference record. They are ahead of Missouri (3-24), South Carolina (5-22) and Texas A&M (10-17). If the regular season ended today, they would play No. 12 seed Kentucky on May 20 (12:30 p.m., SEC Network). Only three games separate seventh place from Mississippi State at 13th place. Mississippi State can finish as high as tied for eighth, the lowest seed with a first-round bye, but it's unlikely to win tiebreakers. Mississippi State cannot reach the seventh or eighth seed if Tennessee gets at least one win at Arkansas. |
| Baseball: Siary Selected As SEC Pitcher Of The Week | |
| Mississippi State's Evan Siary was selected as the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The junior right-hander posted a career-high 15 strikeouts over a career-long eight shutout innings in the Diamond Dawgs' 4-1 win against No. 24 Ole Miss in the second game of a doubleheader last Friday. Siary did not walk any Rebels and scattered six hits on a career-high 98 pitches. Prior to Friday, the Columbus Mississippi native hadn't struck out more than six in any of his previous 36 appearances over the course of his career. Siary's strikeout total was the most of any pitcher during conference play this season and ties LSU's Anthony Eyanson's performance against North Alabama on March 8 for the most by any SEC hurler in 2025. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder improved to 2-1 on the mound and lowered his ERA to 4.06 on the year. In 13 appearances and eight starts, Siary has fanned 57 and walked only 13 through 44 1/3 innings of work while limiting opposing hitters to a .225 batting average. |
| Men's Golf: Bulldogs Lead After Shortened NCAA Regional Day One | |
| Mississippi State sits tied for first after day one of the NCAA Reno Regional. The Bulldogs played just seven holes before play was suspended because of darkness. High winds caused play to be delayed until 6 p.m. CT. Ugo Malcor currently sits in seventh place overall with a score of even par. He has played steady golf with four pars and went into the clubhouse with a birdie on his final hole of the day. The remaining Dawgs all sit in a tie for 12th at 1-over. Dain Richie rebounded from two early bogeys with a birdie on his closing hole. Harrison Davis will begin play tomorrow coming off back-to-back birdies before the round was suspended. Josep Serra and Garrett Endicott have both carded six pars in their first seven holes. The Bulldogs resume play Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. CT and will play continuous golf until dark. |
| About 3 in 10 US adults follow women's sports, a new AP-NORC poll finds | |
| When Meghan Sells heads to Providence Park to watch Oregon's professional women's soccer team, she finds herself among a fairly mixed crowd -- groups of young women, dads bringing their children, youth players checking out the Thorns' latest match. The physician's assistant is a self-described lifelong sports fan and former softball player who "will watch any sport." That includes both collegiate and professional sports for women, putting Sells squarely in a fan base that suddenly has more options than ever before and is seen as fertile ground for teams and advertisers eager to ride the rising interest in the women's game. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults follow women's professional or college sports "extremely," "very" or "somewhat" closely, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's lower than the share who follow men's sports by the same measurements -- about half -- but it also shows that Sells is far from alone. As interest and investment in women's sports have picked up in recent years, so have the entry points for fans. The meteoric rise of Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa phenom-turned-WNBA star, helped bring wider attention to women's basketball, and increased streaming availability, international success and name, image and likeness deals have elevated the value and viewership of women's sports. |
| NCAA prez open to President Donald Trump's idea of commission | |
| NCAA president Charlie Baker said Monday he was "up for anything" when asked about a President Donald Trump-proposed commission on collegiate athletics. Reports surfaced last week that Trump was going to create the commission. While his conversations at ACC meetings with league football coaches, men's and women's basketball coaches, athletic directors and other school officials focused on governance and the pending House settlement, Baker was asked during an informal media availability for his thoughts on the presidential commission. "I think the fact that there's an interest on the executive side on this, I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what's going on in college sports," Baker said. "I'm up for anything that can help us get somewhere." Baker noted the NCAA has already spent time in Washington asking for congressional help that is focused on three big issues. Among the biggest: a patchwork of state laws that relate to how collegiate athletics work in individual states; and whether student-athletes should be considered employees. "I think [Congress] can help us. I really do," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said during an interview with ACC Network. |
| Contracts? Buyouts? Study at 1 school, play for another? Ambitious pitches to revamp college sports | |
| As the amateur model of college athletics disintegrates, a handful of unusual ideas have been floated as ways to reign in some of the chaos surrounding the explosion in name, image and likeness compensation and a transfer portal that sees thousands of athletes changing schools every season. Whether any of the ideas end up being implemented is unknown and every school is awaiting a decision from a federal judge on whether a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement against the NCAA and the five largest conferences will take effect as early as July 1. If it does, that opens the floodgates for schools to share millions in revenue directly with their athletes amid a host of other changes. Things are so chaotic right now that the very lines of who an athlete is playing for could get blurred. Saying he was inspired by the NBA's G League, University of Albany basketball coach Dwayne Killings is proposing a two-way contract for college players. Albany would welcome transfers from top-tier programs who need more seasoning and help them develop -- with plenty of game time vs. sitting on the bench -- before sending them back to their original program, where they'd be ready to compete. And then there is Division III, which recently approved an unusual pilot program: Athletes would play for one school but do their coursework at another school that does not sponsor varsity athletics. |
| Inside the high-stakes, high-risk world of sports betting and how it's gripping young men | |
 | It was Game 5 in the Western Conference 2018 finals, and The Houston Rockets were looking to take the lead in a tied series with the Golden State Warriors. With just over a minute left in the game, Rockets guard Eric Gordon hit a clutch shot. Rockets win, 98-94. When Gordon scored, the room erupted in Saul Malek's suburban Houston home. The win was exhilarating for the then 20-year-old, a lifelong Rockets fan, but it was also terrifying. He joined his twin brother and dad, leaping up from the couch and cheering. Unbeknownst to them, he was panicking. He had bet $1,500 on the Warriors to win, and he now owed money he didn't have to his bookie. "My life was centered around gambling. If I wasn't placing a bet, I was thinking of the next one," Malek, now 27, says. Following sports betting's legalization in 2018, 67% of all college students are betting on games, according to a 2023 study from the National Council on Problem Gambling. Gambling experts believe that number is likely even higher now, thanks to the prevalence of apps and a growing market that has captivated more young people. It's a craze that has swept college campuses, and for some young people, it leads to complex, debilitating addictions. The problem, addiction experts say, is widely misunderstood. |
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