| Friday, May 16, 2025 |
| MSU-Meridian criminology students gain firsthand insight of night court | |
 | Judge K. Dustin Markham donned his black judicial robe when he approached a group of Mississippi State University-Meridian students in his courtroom -- immediately garnering their full attention. "Let me explain what just happened here," he said as he detailed the trial that had just taken place in municipal court, where the students witnessed a defendant charged with murder and out on bond return to Markham's court after he was found in possession of an assault rifle. The group's presence was part of a hands-on initiative led by MSU-Meridian Associate Professor of Criminology Amanda Cox, whose students take part in MSU's Quality Enhancement Plan -- titled Bulldog Experience -- a university-wide effort to provide immersive, experiential learning. Expectations for her students to witness valuable, real-world insight were exceeded, Cox said. "The students were fascinated," she said of the spring semester experience. David Buys, MSU-Meridian associate vice provost for health sciences and interim head of campus, said Cox's approach is a great example of what a Bulldog Experience should be through the university's QEP. |
| Young Mississippians weigh future in farming as family traditions and hardships collide | |
 | The family farming business is facing challenges in Mississippi. "I grew up on this farm," said Phillip Good. The Good family has thousands of acres in Macon, where they grow corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat. "Feeding the world is very important," Good said. It's a labor of love for the family that spans generations. But the family farming business is difficult. "I think right now, because farming in particular is just really, unprofitable, and those guys are probably steering their children away from coming back to the family farm," said Mike McCormick, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. McCormick said this is like a case of déjà vu, because his father once encouraged him to pursue another career path. "When the early 1980s hit, we had embargoes. We had high interest rates, and things just really turned sour for farmers," McCormick said. He said current farmers are dealing with similar situations with the threat of tariffs, inflation and a lack of a safety net through the Farm Bill, all of which are pushing young people out. But not Christian Good. He's ready to take over the family business. MSU has one of the largest agricultural learning departments in the country and is working hard to keep young people invested in the industry. “We have a school farm right near where we’re standing today,” said Keith Coble at MSU. “That school farm is designed to help young people to gain the skills so that they can know how they could be a farmer.” |
| FOX Weather scholarship program with Mississippi State University launches careers of young meteorologists | |
| A thriving partnership between FOX Weather and Mississippi State University (MSU) continues to launch the careers of aspiring meteorologists by tapping into the expansive expertise of FOX Weather meteorologists and giants in the broadcast industry. Through their annual scholarship, which also comes with internship and mentorship opportunities, the weather news network and one of the top meteorology schools in the nation have so far given three undergraduate students in the MSU Department of Geosciences opportunities for professional growth. This year, a fourth student, Isabelle Stewart, has been named the next recipient of the annual FOX Weather-MSU scholarship program. Stewart is a sophomore studying Geosciences with a concentration in Professional Meteorology and an emphasis in Broadcast Meteorology and a minor in Communications. As part of the scholarship, FOX Weather meteorologist Steve Bender will serve as a mentor to Stewart effective immediately and she will intern with FOX Weather beginning in 2026. |
| Officials unveil 'Cinco' mega site in Mississippi Golden Triangle | |
| Officials in the Mississippi Golden Triangle have unveiled a fifth mega site aimed at continuing the recent wave of economic development success the state has experienced. Appropriately labeled "Cinco," the site in Lowndes County boasts roughly 1,440 acres of prime developable land with infrastructure plans already in place to accommodate multiple tenants. The site also offers direct access to U.S. Highway 82 linking to I-55 West, I-20/59 East, and I-22 North via U.S. Highway 45. "Generally, the projects find us, and generally they fit into what we're putting together," Golden Triangle Development Link CEO Joe Max Higgins said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. "My guess is that this is going to emerge as the preeminent megasite in Mississippi just because of its size and attributes." What will make the site so attractive to prospective companies, according to Higgins, is that it is already "shovel-ready," meaning businesses will not have to worry about fronting the cost for road construction, sewage lines, and other utility infrastructure. The Golden Triangle has been one of the nation's best success stories in site development for major businesses. Major companies like Steel Dynamics, PACCAR, Boeing, and Yokohama Tire, among many others. |
| Cinco Megasite issued a $5.5 million grant from state | |
 | The Cinco Megasite has been issued a $5.5 million site development grant from the state to construct a million-gallon water tank on the site's grounds. Gov. Tate Reeves announced the grant to a crowd of about 150 community leaders during the Cinco Megasite's unveiling celebration Thursday afternoon at 4-County Electric at 5265 S. Frontage Road. "While I said that we at the state don't often invest in land, that is true," Reeves said. "What we do invest in is communities that have the land that need a little help getting whatever that next step is. ... So today, I'm happy to announce that the state is going to participate in this Cinco Megasite, and we have awarded a $5.5 million site development grant for this project. "... When you have infrastructure in place, it makes it a heck of a lot easier to recruit that next major employer, and so we look forward to continuing to work to make days like today become even more exciting," Reeves added. The Cinco Megasite, which lies north of Highway 82, encompasses almost 1,500 acres bounded by North Frontage Road to the south, Steger Road and Golden Horn Road to the east, Swoope Road to the north and the area across from Paccar and east of the catfish ponds to the west. |
| CREATE honors Hamilton, Riley for community leadership | |
 | The CREATE Foundation recognized a pair of longtime community supporters during their annual State of the Region meeting on Wednesday, where a state education leader extolled Northeast Mississippi schools. Betsey Hamilton of New Albany and Jane Riley of Tupelo were both presented the Jack Reed Sr. Community Leadership Award for their dedication and support of causes in their communities. Former New Albany School Superintendent Lance Evans, who was named head of the Mississippi Department of Education last July, said schools in this region are "extra lucky," because they have the support of both the community and also businesses looking for employees. CREATE also touted its Community of Excellence program which connects experts with local communities to tackle the problems faced by that area, whether it's health care, jobs, economic development or even public appearance. "A community can be shaped by choice or it can be shaped by chance," said Joe Fratesi, project director with the Stennis Institute. "You have to drive your own future. Self-identify the needs in each community, and we help find partners to help." |
| Will Tate Reeves back Shad White for Mississippi governor? | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves last week attended and spoke at a fundraiser for State Auditor Shad White, whose 2027 gubernatorial aspirations at this point are well known. Reeves' office in a statement said he's not endorsing anyone yet to replace him after his final term in office, but his appearance at the White fundraiser at a wealthy patron's home in Northeast Jackson spurred speculation among politicos that Reeves is aligning early with White. Over his many years in statewide office, including two terms as lieutenant governor, Reeves has most often kept his powder dry on endorsing or openly helping other statewide candidates in Republican primaries. But his criticism of another fellow Republican who has made his 2027 gubernatorial aspirations known, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, has some folks suspecting Reeves is getting out front early supporting White to thwart Hosemann's aspirations. "The governor often supports -- financially and otherwise -- elected officials throughout the state with whom he regularly works with to improve the state he loves," Reeves' Deputy Chief of Staff Cory Custer said in a statement. "Auditor White certainly meets that criteria." "But, no, the governor has not made any endorsements for any office in the 2027 Mississippi elections," Custer said. |
| $32 million in federal funds going to Yazoo pumps project in Mississippi Delta | |
| It's been more than 83 years since the federal government approved plans to protect the south Delta area of Mississippi from flooding. Now, major financial resources have been allocated to see the Yazoo pumps project come to fruition. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has earmarked $32 million for mitigation requirements and pre-construction project planning for the new, recently approved Yazoo Backwater Area Water Management Project. Earlier this year, the USACE signed a landmark record of decision, clearing the way for the pumps to be constructed. "We reached a significant milestone in January when the Corps signed a Record of Decision for the new Yazoo Backwater pumps plan, completing an exhaustive environmental review process and paving the way for the next key stages of making this project a reality," U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss) stated. "I'm pleased the Corps agreed with my argument that there is more than sufficient funding in the Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries account to move this project forward." Hyde-Smith is confident that the funding set aside for the Yazoo pumps project will allow the USACE to meet compensatory mitigation requirements and advance into the pre-construction, engineering, and design phase -- all of which have to occur before construction can take place. |
| Megabill teeters after hard-liners make their stand | |
 | House Republican leaders are having to salvage their party-line megabill a lot sooner than they thought. A surprise holdout by ultraconservative members of the House Budget Committee Thursday is forcing Speaker Mike Johnson to entertain significant changes to the GOP sweeping domestic policy bill, endangering his ambitious Memorial Day timeline for House passage. The hard-right objections surrounded missing fiscal scores for the legislation and ongoing concerns about the depth of Medicaid cuts that Republicans are prepared to make. One option under serious discussion as a concession to fiscal hard-liners is moving up the onset of work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries by two years -- from 2029 to 2027. Three Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the negotiations confirmed the possible change, and Johnson himself was overheard discussing the proposal with House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington as the two left a Capitol Hill meeting Thursday. "We're working to settle all the pieces, so stay tuned," Johnson said. He later promised the package would clear the Budget panel. Even if GOP leaders agree to tweak the package before passage, it can't be amended during the Budget meeting Friday. The next opportunity for changes would come in the House Rules Committee, which Johnson wants to meet Monday to prepare the bill for floor debate. |
| Trump's firing of FEMA director unsettles GOP senators | |
 | Senate Republicans are unsettled by the Trump administration's decision to fire Cameron Hamilton, the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for speaking out against Trump's plan to shutter the agency. Hamilton testified to lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month that closing FEMA would not be in the best interest of the American people. The next day he was escorted out of FEMA's headquarters after losing his job. The swift retaliation against an administration official over testimony before a congressional panel is jarring to Republican lawmakers, who worry that it could chill the willingness of officials to answer questions candidly at future hearings. And the move signals that the president is serious about eliminating FEMA, something that many Republican senators strongly oppose. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), whose home state was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September, said it was a mistake to fire Hamilton over his testimony. "I think so," he said. "I think he was giving his honest opinion and in some respects he had an obligation to do that because he was under oath." |
| FEMA Head Admits in Internal Meetings He Doesn't Yet Have a Plan for Hurricane Season | |
 | The newly appointed head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged in private meetings that with two weeks to go until hurricane season, the agency doesn't yet have a fully formed disaster-response plan. David Richardson, who previously served as a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security and doesn't have a background in emergency management, told staff he would share a hurricane plan with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after he completes it late next week. He said Thursday he's 80% to 85% done with the plan. The agency is already months behind schedule in its preparations for the hurricane season starting June 1, which is expected to have above-normal activity, according to FEMA employees. Richardson said in a recent meeting with FEMA staff that "clarifying the intent of the president," who has called for terminating the agency, was a challenge in preparing a strategy for hurricane season, according to a video recording of the meeting viewed by The Wall Street Journal. He also seemed to express surprise at the vast range of FEMA's responsibilities, raising concerns among career officials about his ability to run the nation's disaster-management agency. Richardson, who leads FEMA in an acting capacity, took over the complex agency last week. |
| Supreme Court sounds open to limits on nationwide injunctions | |
 | A majority of the Supreme Court appeared ready Thursday to place some limits on the power of single federal district judges to freeze presidential actions nationwide, in oral arguments over the future of President Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship. However, the justices appeared divided on just how to do so in three cases, where the court procedures could shape the future citizenship status of thousands of American-born children. The arguments reflected a years-long struggle over nationwide injunctions, which have exploded in use over the past several decades and frustrated presidents from both parties who sought to use their authority to make policy changes. The executive order from Trump, signed on the first day of his second term as part of a tough-on-immigration approach, sought to deny citizenship to children born in the United States if their parents were not current citizens or permanent residents. Courts have blocked the government from enforcing the policy through nationwide injunctions, finding it contradicts more than a century of established law about who gets citizenship. The government did not ask the justices to weigh in on the merits of the executive order, only to limit the scope of those injunctions. |
| Walmart warns it will raise prices within weeks because of tariffs | |
 | Walmart warned Thursday that price increases look certain -- possibly within weeks -- underscoring that even the world's biggest retailer is not immune from President Donald Trump's trade war. National brands as disparate as Adidas and McDonald's have signaled that the White House's tariff campaign could raise prices, stymie supply chains and push inflation-battered consumers to a breaking point. But analysts have taken the view that Walmart is somewhat insulated to the shifting trade winds because the bulk of its revenue comes from groceries, much of which are sourced domestically. Plus, its growing appeal with high-income shoppers could allow it to pass on some costs while holding the line on essentials. But chief executive Doug McMillon's admission Thursday that Walmart shoppers should expect to see higher prices -- even in the face of a recent reprieve that slashes duties on Chinese imports for 90 days -- signals that the rest of the retail industry will undoubtedly follow suit, said Arun Sundaram, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research. "If Walmart says they're struggling [on price], then you know everyone else is going to struggle a little bit more," Sundaram said. Walmart historically has performed well in uncertain times and is seen as a bellwether for the health of U.S. consumers. |
| U. of Mississippi engineers create novel heart attack detection tech | |
 | University of Mississippi engineers developed a new technology that could help detect heart attacks and save lives. In the United States, someone dies from a heart attack every 40 seconds. Heart disease is the country's leading cause of death. Mississippi has the second-highest heart disease mortality rate among all states in the country. Early detection of heart attacks could help save lives. Technology developed in Professor Kasem Khalil's lab detects heart attacks in half the time of traditional methods. The electrical and computer engineering professor and his team used artificial intelligence and advanced mathematics to design a chip that can analyze the heart's electrical signals to detect a heart attack in real-time. For Khalil, the technology has the opportunity to change health outcomes. "For this issue, a few minutes or even a few extra seconds is going to give this person the care they need before it becomes worse," Khalil said. |
| USM recognized for supporting military-affiliated students | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has been recognized as one of the country's top institutions of higher learning for supporting military-affiliated students. USM earned the designation as a 2025-2026 Military Friendly School. Southern Miss ranked No. 3 among Tier 1 Military Friendly Research Institutions and secured the No. 1 spot as a Tier 1 Military Spouse Friendly School. According to Southern Miss, the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families on campus has been praised for meeting the unique needs and academic goals of veterans, active-duty service members, their families and survivors. "The USM Center for Military Veterans team is a family of families who work long and hard to enroll, retain, nurture and mentor our many students who come from all walks of the military service-oriented lifestyle," said Maj. Gen. (U.S. Army, ret.) Jeff Hammond, director of USM's Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families. |
| State leaders express concern about the search for Jackson State University's next president | |
 | The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning held a board meeting Thursday with one new person in attendance. Former Jackson State University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Denise Jones Gregory, has recently been named interim president. JSU's former president, Marcus Thompson, resigned suddenly May 7. He was the third president to leave the university in the past five years. Speaking to journalists at a state event, Governor Tate Reeves expressed concerns about the news. "Jackson State needs consistency," he said. "They need quality leadership, and I think that the IHL board and the IHL commissioner owe the taxpayers an explanation as to why they have gotten it so wrong at Jackson State." IHL Board President Gee Ogletree says he's aware of the criticism. "We always are going to receive comments from elected officials and from the public, and we listen to those," he said. "So we are aware that we'll be going through a new process as we select the president of JSU, and we're going to have an open and transparent process that will follow our policy." |
| U. of Alabama Practically Eliminates Tuition Costs for Dual Enrollment Courses | |
| High schoolers looking to get a head start on college careers can save 90% on tuition after the University of Alabama announced it will virtually eliminate dual enrollment costs. In a surprise Wednesday announcement, UA's Early College said that beginning this fall, tuition for dual enrollment will be just $33 per credit hour -- less than 10 percent of the previous rate of $385 per credit hour. Now, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors with a GPA of at least 3.0 can enroll in more than 100 courses at the Capstone for a fraction of the cost in years past. "This move makes Early College accessible to even more students to experience our support-driven dual enrollment program," Lynette Campos, director of UA Early College, said. "The reduction reduces financial barriers and opens doors for more students to experience college-level coursework from a prominent, nationally ranked university." The Early College program is also designed with student flexibility in mind, so courses are available both on campus and online for those who can't attend classes in Tuscaloosa. |
| U. of Alabama's Ozzy Molina to perform at Carnegie Hall | |
 | The punchline: "Practice, practice, practice." The setup: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" In Osiris J. "Ozzy" Molina's case, the no-joke answer comes following 19 years at the University of Alabama School of Music, and 18 performing with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, a journey begun when a New Jersey third-grader, eager to join the school band, faced an instrument he couldn't recognize. Since he had rejected the band director's first two possibilities, flute and trumpet, Molina was stuck with clarinet. And he has stuck it out in decades since, recording and performing, teaching and earning advanced degrees, leading up to May 20, when he'll get to Carnegie Hall for the first time -- aside from a high school field trip -- playing the world premiere of a new piece by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. The late 19th century-constructed venue, one of the world's most prestigious, is a place Molina never thought he'd enter as a performing artist, despite a rising profile, and renown as a soloist. |
| Scott Huffman chosen as Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Foundation president | |
| A Tuscaloosa resident will lead fundraising efforts for a health care-focused high school scheduled to open in Demopolis. Scott Huffman, who graduated from the University of Alabama, began his duties May 15 as the inaugural president and CEO of the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Foundation. The foundation will serve as the finanical support system for the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, set to open in 2026 with a 100-student freshman class. The goal of the school is to offer work-based training to help alleviate Alabama's crisis in rural health care, the news release states. Students can use their diplomas immediately to begin in-demand careers, or they can go on to advanced medical training in community college and four-year college and university programs. He earned a master's degree in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University, and for 27 years has held the Certified Fundraising Executive designation. |
| After FSU shooting, Florida universities to assess campus security, lockdown drills | |
 | The state panel that oversees Florida's public universities is asking them to review their security measures this summer in response to the mass shooting that happened on the Florida State University campus in April. While on lockdown during the shooting, many FSU students and teachers said they attempted to secure the doors to their classrooms but could not lock them from the inside. At a Florida Board of Governors meeting on May 15, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said presidents of each state university were asked to work with their staff to assess campus safety and the ability to hold a lockdown drill. Specifically, the questions to be addressed are: Can classroom doors be locked from the inside? And, if there are windows in those doors, can they be covered or otherwise protected? The universities will share their best practices at a safety summit to be held in October, Rodrigues said, to identify any common concerns or improvements needed. He praised FSU police for their swift response and called it "nothing short of amazing." |
| Universities come under FIRE for targeting free speech | |
 | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which successfully sued to overturn Texas A&M's ban of Draggieland in March, released a report Thursday detailing threats against protected free speech by students from the universities they attend. Although the report did not mention Texas A&M by name, incidents from the College Station campus were figured into statistics in the report, according to FIRE spokesperson Jack Whitten. "Texas A&M punished seven student groups between 2020-2024," he said in an email to The Eagle. "For example: In 2022, the university prevented four student groups from hosting Draggieland, the annual student-run drag show. The university tried to force The Battalion, the university's independent student newspaper, to immediately cease printing, move to the journalism department, and become a fully online paper. Texas A&M spokesperson Kelly Brown said the university has not punished any person or group and maintains FIRE's highest rating for free speech. "The fact is that Texas A&M continues to uphold its commitment to free expression," she said. "The university maintains a 'green light' rating from FIRE -- the organization's highest possible ranking -- for policies that support free speech on campus. |
| Faculty and students blast Texas House panel for limiting testimony on bill that targets state universities | |
| Pauline Strong wanted to speak to lawmakers last week about how a bill they're considering would make her think twice when discussing sensitive topics with her anthropology students at the University of Texas at Austin. But she had to drop off her grandchildren at school first. Despite rushing to the Texas Capitol afterward, she missed the window to register to testify against Senate Bill 37 by a few minutes. Strong, who testified last session in opposition to a bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher ed, didn't expect registration to end so early this time. "It was disappointing, it was surprising, it was disheartening," Strong said. "And I'm someone who came from Austin. There were lots of people who were driving from Houston or other parts of the state who left very early in the morning and arrived too late to testify." Dozens of students and professors like Strong, who were unable to testify against a bill they fear could limit the free exchange of ideas on college campuses, voiced their frustration on Thursday over losing one of their few chances to address lawmakers directly. "This is not a bill we can risk cleaning up in the next legislative session. It will impact our students and teachers for the worse forever," said Amanda Garcia with the Texas American Federation of Teachers. |
| Former President George W. Bush draws inspiration close to his Dallas home in his latest paintings | |
 | Former President George W. Bush didn't need to look too far for inspiration for his newest works of art. The 78-year-old has brushed portraits of world leaders and people who immigrated to the U.S. But his newest collection draws on scenes much closer to home: his presidential library in Dallas. The exhibit opened Thursday at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush moved to Dallas after he left the White House in 2009, and he took up oil painting a few years later. The 35 new works are an ode not only to life at the center but also to SMU. The exhibit called "A Shining City on the Hilltop" is both a nod to SMU's nickname -- The Hilltop -- and former President Ronald Reagan's famous use of the phrase "shining city upon a hill" to refer to America, said Teresa Lenling, director of the presidential museum. "This features not just the places around the SMU campus but it really takes a look at the people that are the heart of this campus and the community," said Lenling, adding that Bush composed the paintings from photos taken around the center and campus. One of the paintings comes from the center's opening in 2013, when then-President Barack Obama and all of the still-living former presidents, including Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, posed in front of the new building. |
| Choi addresses U. of Missouri Faculty Council on 'new normals' in higher education | |
 | On Thursday, UM System President Mun Choi spoke to members of the MU Faculty Council about "new normals" in the upcoming academic year. Choi spoke about the realities of lower levels of federal funding for research, reduced financial aid, procedures relating to revocation of international student visas and increased enrollment in the fall. He also emphasized the potential to see a decrease in the number of international undergraduate and graduate students in the upcoming academic year. Amid national challenges, Choi advised the council on how to address concerns regarding the potential revoking of student visas. He said faculty should contact the Chancellor's Office and the General Council's Office so administration can work with the Columbia Police Department. Choi added he's not asking faculty to do anything other than that. "I need to know when something is happening on my campus that can be very explosive," Choi said. Moving forward, Choi said the pursuit of grants from corporations and foundations is going to be "key," rather than strictly pursuing grants from federal agencies. "It's probably the most challenging time in higher education" that he can recall, he said. |
| At U. of Michigan, Frustrations Grew Over a President Who Couldn't Be Pinned Down | |
 | As members of the University of Michigan Board of Regents and campus administrators circulated a draft of an op-ed defending institutional independence in the face of attacks by the Trump administration, there was an influential voice missing from the discussion -- President Santa J. Ono. Regents didn't know if Ono disagreed with them, wanted some of the language tweaked, or was completely on board. He was absent from campus, and nobody knew if he was checking emails and messages. That wasn't unusual, a dozen sources who had direct, regular contact with Ono told The Chronicle. Throughout his historically short tenure in charge of one of the premier public universities in the nation, Ono often would disappear, sometimes for days at a time, leaving staff, including the university's top administrators, looking for direction, the sources said. Those sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not cleared to talk to the media. Their accounts were supported by emails and other internal messages shared with The Chronicle. Ono was also disengaged in some conversations around antisemitism and diversity, equity, and inclusion, five people said, complicating his recent claims in an op-ed published through multiple Florida news organizations as he vies to become the next president of the University of Florida. |
| U.S. Universities Eye Branch Campuses as Way to 'Survive Trump' | |
 | Establishing branch campuses abroad -- often used as a crisis mitigation strategy -- could become more important for U.S. universities facing increasing threats at home, but scholars are divided on their likelihood of success. Illinois Institute of Technology has announced that it is to build a campus in Mumbai, while Georgetown University, one of six U.S. universities with satellite campuses in Doha, recently renewed its contract in Qatar's Education City for another 10 years. Research-intensive colleges and universities in the U.S. are faced with "new and profound uncertainties" over future funding and the strength of their endowments under the Trump administration, said Geoff Harkness, formerly postdoctoral teaching fellow at Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon Universities' Education City campuses. "This means that R-1 institutions will have to seek alternative sources of revenue, including partnering with nations in the Middle East. For Georgetown, which has a long-established branch campus at Education City, the renewal was a no-brainer in 2025." It comes just a year after Texas A&M closed its campus in Education City, citing "instability" in the region. However, academics said the decision was more likely a reflection of growing pro-Israel politics in the U.S. and unease with Qatar's role mediating for Hamas in the Gaza conflict. |
| For Some International Students, U.S. Dreams Dim Under Trump | |
 | Hassan Kamal Wattoo, 25, had received threatening calls for months from Pakistani authorities angry about critical articles he wrote. When he earned a scholarship to study law at the University of California, Berkeley, he jumped at the opportunity to leave Pakistan, and thought he might work in the United States after that. Then came the detentions in the United States of noncitizen students for participating in pro-Palestinian protests, the arrest of a woman who had criticized Israel's war in Gaza, the cancellations of hundreds of student visas with little or no explanation and what many have described as an assault by the Trump administration on science and academia. Now, Mr. Wattoo said, he plans to return to Pakistan next week, after he receives his degree. His parents, worried about being harassed at the border, decided against traveling to Berkeley to attend his graduation on Friday, he said. "That respect in the American system has kind of faded away and been replaced with this bitter animosity," Mr. Wattoo said. He described the Trump administration's tactics as "shockingly similar to what I've seen all my life and what I wanted to run away from." Anton Dolmatov, a Ph.D. student at Rice University in Texas, said that it was jarring to see echoes of the fears he had grown up around in Russia emerge in the United States. |
| As Trump targets DEI, Republican-led states intensify efforts to stamp it out | |
| Republican-led states are accelerating efforts to stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, expanding from higher education to other government functions since President Donald Trump fully embraced the movement. Governors and lawmakers this year have about doubled last year's actions targeting DEI initiatives, which had roughly doubled those of 2023, according to an Associated Press analysis aided by the bill-tracking software Plural. The surge comes as Trump's executive orders seeking to halt DEI initiatives ripple through the federal government, universities and schools, despite legal challenges. "The federal attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion from the Trump administration have further cleared the path for conservative state legislators," said Shaun Harper, a professor of education, business and public policy at the University of Southern California who founded the National DEI Defense Coalition. "We are seeing the multiplication of the anti-DEI effort literally everywhere," Harper added. |
| The Trump Administration Widens Its Scrutiny of Colleges, With Help From the Internet | |
| After months of headlines about the same half-dozen or so colleges, the Trump administration and its allies seem to be trying to broadcast a more expansive message: Any college can come under its eye, not just the household names. On May 8, the Department of Education announced an investigation of Western Carolina University, a comprehensive public institution in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The university, it alleged, had violated Title IX by allowing transgender female students in women's restrooms, locker rooms, and dorm rooms. The announcement followed a congressional hearing that was branded as "Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses." It featured the presidents of Haverford College, DePaul University, and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. "The message to college leaders is that they must follow all federal civil-rights laws," Julie Hartman, a spokeswoman for the Education Department, wrote in an email. "The department's actions have made it clear that it prioritizes all students' civil rights, regardless of the 'brand name' of their university." The government appears to be widening its lens, at least in part in response to headlines. |
| McMahon Sharpens Tone on Accreditation | |
| Education Secretary Linda McMahon has made clear in recent public statements that the current system of college accreditation needs to change. She's accused current accreditors of hindering innovation and called for new actors to join the system. Her comments follow an executive order signed last month that targeted diversity, equity and inclusion standards in accreditation; made it easier for colleges to change accreditors; and opened the door for new entrants. Firing accreditors is one of the many promises -- or threats -- President Donald Trump made on the campaign trail as he accused such agencies of failing to hold universities accountable and vowed change. McMahon offered full-throated support for that vision this week, but her comments also raise questions about her understanding of the system she's aiming to overhaul. On the same day McMahon took shots at accreditors, the University of North Carolina system's president made a surprise announcement that UNC is "exploring the idea" of establishing a new accrediting agency. That effort, he said in remarks at a UNC Board of Governors committee meeting, would be in conjunction with other public university systems, which he did not name. |
| Financial Reckoning Hits Universities: Pay Cuts, Layoffs and No Coffee | |
| A financial reckoning has started at universities from the Ivy League to state schools as President Trump's funding cuts hit home. Spending pullbacks such as hiring freezes, research pauses, broad budget cuts and in some cases layoffs have begun at universities including Harvard, Columbia, Princeton and Michigan State. The cutbacks extend across school budgets, beyond areas directly affected by research funds that Trump has canceled. "We're going to have to really rethink higher education and how we're funded," said Ruth Johnston, vice president of consulting at the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The Trump administration is imperiling universities' traditional funding on several fronts in his campaign to remake higher education. He has yanked or threatened to pull billions of federal research dollars, citing concern about antisemitism and DEI. He has signed an executive order cracking down on foreign funding. And Republicans in Congress have weighed raising taxes on endowment funds. So far, the undergraduate experience hasn't changed at most universities, but cuts in the coming months could have a significant impact by fall. |
| What losing billions in federal grants means for universities, and the nation | |
 | This week's $450 million in cuts from federal grants to Harvard University added to the growing pot of federal money the Trump administration has frozen in university research funding. In the past four months, the total, at universities across the U.S., is about $11 billion. The cuts affect things like cancer research, diabetes treatments, new wearable technology, farming solutions and studying domestic violence: research across nearly every discipline and subject. More than two dozen universities have been affected. To offset the damage, a handful of universities have moved to self-fund some research. On Wednesday, Harvard announced it would supplement $250 million to continue research efforts. Harvard joined schools such as Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University in seeking to make up at least a part of the lost federal dollars. But university leaders tell NPR it's not a long-term solution, given the high price tag. Even in Wednesday's announcement, Harvard President Alan Garber signaled that cuts, layoffs and "difficult decisions and sacrifices" lie ahead for the world's wealthiest university. That's because when the government stops funding research, there's really no other entity positioned to pick up the void. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: State Sets Records In 25-7 Rout Of Missouri | |
| It was a record-setting night for Mississippi State its opening game at Missouri on Thursday. The Diamond Dawgs set the single-game school record by slugging eight home runs in a 25-7 nine-inning victory over the Tigers at Taylor Stadium. Reed Stallman, Ace Reese and Hunter Hines all hit two home runs with Hines' second blast tying him with Rafael Palmeiro (1982-85) for the most career homers in MSU history at 67. Noah Sullivan and Joe Powell also went deep for the Bulldogs in their season-high 23-hit attack. Sullivan finished the night 3-for-5 with homer and two RBIs while Reese, Hines and Bryce Chance were 3-for-6. Reese and Hines both added doubles to their two-homer games with Reese driving in four and Hines three. Chance provided three singles and had two RBIs. Stallman went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs, Gatlin Sanders went 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI while Sawyer Reeves was 2-for-5 with two singles and drove in one. Steven Spalitta added a pinch hit two-run triple and Gehrig Frei doubled as State improved to 32-20 overall and 13-15 in conference play. Stone Simmons picked up the win in 1 1/3 innings of relief to up his record to 4-2 on the year. Nate Williams earned his first save as a Bulldog after working the final three frames. |
| Mizzou baseball succumbs to Mississippi State's home-run clinic | |
| After sweeping Texas A&M to secure its first conference series win of the season and its first Southeastern Conference victories of 2025, Mizzou baseball came crashing back down to Earth in a 25-7 loss in the series opener against Mississippi State on Thursday at Taylor Stadium. After a roadtrip against the Aggies that exhibited solid pitching performances from the rotation and out of the bullpen, the Tigers regressed to their early-season form, as they surrendered 23 hits and allowed five walks. The Bulldogs (32-20, 13-15) blasted eight home runs in their efforts toward the blowout win, tying an SEC record for most homers in a conference matchup. "Unfortunately, just kind of the same thing we've talked about," Mizzou coach Kerrick Jackson said. "If you can't get zeros, it's tough. Offensively, we had a bunch of letdowns. ... We were just in a bad headspace." Mississippi State quickly jumped out to a commanding lead early in the game, scoring three runs in the very first inning, one in the second and four more in the fourth inning to pull ahead 8-0. Mizzou and Mississippi State play the middle game of the series at 6 p.m. Friday at Taylor Stadium. |
| Inside Raelin Chaffin's path to becoming Mississippi State softball's ace | |
| Sometimes, when a player transfers away from a program, there's some friction between the two sides that can boil over if that player ends up facing her former team. But with Raelin Chaffin and her former coach at LSU, Beth Torina, that was never the case. Although Chaffin joined a Southeastern Conference rival by transferring to Mississippi State, Torina never stopped rooting for the right-hander she coached for three years. She was behind Chaffin throughout her tumultuous offseason, which included a battle with thyroid cancer, and remained behind her as she became one of the best pitchers in the SEC in her final season. "Raelin Chaffin, we truly pulled for her every step of the way this year, watched all the games, and we were for her all the time," Torina said after her Tigers defeated Chaffin and the Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC Tournament. "(We) would have preferred to play anybody else and let her keep going." That great season was the result of months of hard work in her new home, both in her recovery from surgery in September and in her preparation to handle a much more taxing workload than she was used to. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, which for MSU starts Friday against Washington in Lubbock, Texas, Chaffin has nearly doubled her previous career high in innings pitched. And although she has shown some signs of wearing down, it has mostly been smooth sailing for the senior from Bossier City, Louisiana. |
| Women's Golf To Begin NCAA Championship On Friday | |
| The Mississippi State women's golf squad is set to begin the 2025 NCAA Championship on Friday, May 16. The Bulldogs will begin their day at 3:40 p.m. CT on the North Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, 6,297-yard par-72 course. State will be making their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance when they hit the links, which is the longest streak in program history. The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA Championship six times in program history. State's best finish in the event came in the 2014 edition, where they finished in sixth place in stroke play. The format of the NCAA Championship sees 30 teams start their journey with three rounds of stroke play. The top-15 teams after those three rounds will then advance to a fourth round of stroke play to cut the field to eight teams, which will then begin the match play portion of the tournament. The final team standing out of those eight will be crowned the 2025 NCAA Champion. Mississippi State has played in three NCAA Championships since the format changed to include the match play portion in 2015. In those three appearances, the Bulldogs have made the cut for the final round of stroke play twice. Last season, the Bulldogs finished 15th in the stroke play portion of the tournament. |
| Track & Field: Rougetet Siblings Go Big On Day One | |
| Mississippi State track and field concluded the first day of the SEC Outdoor Championships with two podium finishes and five final spots secured. Competition began with the multis, with Lewis Barber competing in the decathlon and Kennedy Jackson in the heptathlon. After earning four events, Jackson closed out day one with 3,212 points, sitting at eighth overall. Barber leaves day one with 3,422 points in ninth place over the first five events. Marie Rougetet came out of the gate swinging for the throws, heaving a 66.50m personal best in the fifth round of the hammer. Her new best earned her the runner-up finish in the event and improved her program and freshman record. Kaylee Clark made her first SEC final in the javelin, earning a new personal best of 50.20m to finish ninth overall. Her throw also extends her MSU No. 3 all-time mark in the event. Remi Rougetet struck gold in the javelin, throwing a massive personal best of 80.49m to take home first. Rougetet carries on the legacy of JavU with his win, as the third SEC Javelin Champion, joining the likes of Bulldog greats Anderson Peters and DJ Jónsson. His new mark also moved him onto the MSU all-time list, with the third furthest throw in program history. |
| Mississippi State holding DJ tryouts for football, basketball games | |
| Mississippi State is looking for a new hype man to give fans a boost during home football and basketball games. This opportunity offers prospective DJs a chance to play a key role in shaping the in-venue experience at Davis Wade Stadium and Humphrey Coliseum. Mississippi State is seeking individuals who can read the crowd, set the tone, and support the overall entertainment experience for fans throughout the season. Tryouts are open to experienced DJs ages 18 and older. Current MSU students and non-students are both welcome to apply. The tryout process consists of two rounds. The first round is an online application, which includes a form submission and a sample mix. Selected applicants will be invited to an in-person second round, held on campus. Those invited for the in-person tryouts will receive a formal invitation via email from the school's fan experience staff. "We're looking for DJs with experience performing live, a strong ability to read and react to crowds, and a broad knowledge of music that suits various game day moments," a release from the university stated. |
| College football's schedule battle with the NFL and the law that sets its ground rules | |
| College football and the NFL have historically avoided scheduling games against each other, in part because they legally had to. That has started to change. The NFL recently added a game on Black Friday along with an international game on a September Friday, putting marquee games in conflict with college football action. The expanded College Football Playoff has multiple first-round games on a Saturday that used to belong solely to the NFL. On Dec. 20, the Philadelphia Eagles will play the Washington Commanders and the Green Bay Packers will play the Chicago Bears on the same day as the CFP's first-round tripleheader. Why are key games at football's highest level scheduled like this, and will it change? It all goes back to a bill signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. For decades, the NFL and college football respected each other's space. But the expansion of games and schedules in both sports has eroded that. Thursday night, now an NFL staple, used to be a notable college football window. College football used to play a big rivalry game on Thanksgiving night; now it doesn't because the NFL has added a third game on that day. The NFL has also decided to go big on Christmas, which historically had been ceded to the NBA. What's clear is that college football and the NFL will only battle more over TV windows, and the only thing keeping the peace is a law that dates back more than six decades. |
| Fight over College Football Playoff future getting messy amid SEC, Big Ten power play -- 'No one likes it' | |
| At about 5 p.m. on Monday, just as annual ACC spring meetings began here on Florida's Atlantic Coast, a Pennsylvania congressman made a splash. Rep. Brendan Boyle opened his social media account, typed out a message and sent into the ether a sizzling shot at the SEC and Big Ten for their attempt to manipulate the future of the College Football Playoff format. "The next time the Big Ten or SEC wants to meet with me about NIL, they need to be prepared to first explain to me how they justify trying to rig the CFP," Boyle tweeted. He added one more word -- a hashtag -- at the end of the message: Greed. There is a litany of prevailing issues festering within the college sports industry. The unresolved antitrust settlement that would usher in athlete revenue-sharing; a presidential commission exploring college sports; and a battle over NCAA governance, just to name a few. But another looms: The fight over the future of the football postseason -- the industry's most valuable product. That fight, it appears, is getting messy. The political pressure and public backlash on leaders in the Big Ten and SEC may be mounting. Boyle's tweet, one of the first public criticisms from a congressional lawmaker, is unlikely to be the last. |
| Presidential commission on college sports still in the works despite Saban downplaying it: Sources | |
| Plans for a presidential commission exploring issues in college sports are still moving forward, sources familiar with the project told The Athletic. Comments by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban on Wednesday raised doubts when he seemed to downplay the need for a potential commission during an appearance on ESPN's "The Paul Finebaum Show." Reports last week identified Saban as a likely co-chair alongside Texas Tech board chair and booster Cody Campbell for a commission that would be established by President Donald Trump. "Well first of all, I don't know a lot about the commission. Secondly, I'm not sure we really need a commission," Saban said Wednesday. "I think a lot of people know exactly what the issues are in college football and exactly what we need to do to fix them. I think the key to the drill is getting people together so that we can move it forward." Last week Nick Saban's name was floated as co-chair for a President Trump's potential Commission on College Sports. Nick Saban today: "I'm not sure we really need a Commission. Saban did go on to talk about the need for putting together a group that addresses the ongoing legal, financial and competitive issues college sports have struggled to navigate in this era of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation and the transfer portal. "I think there are a lot of people out there that know how to fix it," Saban said. "I just think we have to push it forward and get everybody together, and some of it may need to be done on the federal level." |
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