| Friday, June 20, 2025 |
| Mississippi State one step closer to launching hybrid physical therapy doctoral program | |
 | Mississippi State University plans to address healthcare outcomes in rural and underserved areas of the state through its newly approved Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program offered at the school's Meridian campus. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning gave the program the green light on Thursday. The hybrid program is slated to be the first of its kind in the state to admit applicants from any background who have completed the appropriate prerequisites. Those participating in MSU's Doctor of Physical Therapy degree will receive online and on-site learning. "For 53 years, MSU-Meridian has been providing education for non-traditional students -- meeting students where they are, while maintaining the high academic standards the university is known for," David Buys, associate vice provost for health sciences and interim head of campus, said. "This PT program is just the next in our long history of innovation in higher education and another example of our more recent commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of this region and the state as a whole." |
| Hybrid physical therapy doctoral program on horizon at MSU-Meridian | |
| Mississippi State University is continuing to take crucial steps in improving health outcomes in rural Mississippi and beyond after the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning voted today [June 19] to approve MSU's new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. Unlike place-bound DPT curriculums, this innovative academic model at MSU-Meridian will help eliminate geographic and financial barriers for those who want to pursue this degree, with 50% of coursework offered in asynchronous and synchronous formats. The additional 50% involves on-campus, hands-on lab immersion and in-person clinical experiences. The curriculum will be designed by this campus's School of Health Professions. School of Health Professions Dean Lesley Clack, said, "With this growing shortage of physical therapists in Mississippi, particularly in rural areas, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program will be an important addition in Meridian. Through the combination of online and in-person learning, it will allow healthcare professionals to earn the DPT degree without relocating, which is a huge benefit to students and those needing PT care." |
| MSU announces new bachelor's degree in learning, user experience design | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) will launch a new bachelor's degree in August. Housed in the College of Education's Department of Industrial Technology, Instructional Design, and Community College Leadership, MSU's new Bachelor of Science in Learning and User Experience Design is the result of a makeover of the university's current information technology services degree program being phased out this fall. "We designed this program to include skills needed to prepare students to be successful in the user experience and learning experience fields after graduation," said Greg Francom, associate professor of instructional design and LUX program coordinator. "Not many people know there are great jobs in these fields at the intersection of design, learning, technology and psychology, where you can start a career right after a bachelor's degree. If you have an interest in any of these areas but don't want to be limited to just one, this could be a great program for you." |
| Placements remain the number to watch | |
| The industry continues to watch the number of cattle placed into feedyards. Mississippi State University Extension ag economist Josh Maples says there are some seasonal patterns in placements. "As we get into May, we typically see a pop here," he says. Placements for April were down, Maples says that's similar to 2024. "Then as we went into May, we jumped up nearly 300,000 head from where we were in April last year," he says. "I'm expecting a rebound. I think we're kind of seeing that bounce back and forth a little bit. Now the question is how much." He tells Brownfield there are a lot of questions heading into Friday's report. "Are we actually going to bump back on those five-year average numbers that we've seen," he says. "I just don't see how we do that." Maples says the ongoing ban of live cattle imports from Mexico will continue to play a factor in placements. |
| Meridian Main Street wins 2 awards at annual meeting | |
 | Meridian Main Street was recognized for its downtown revitalization success by winning two awards at a recent meeting of The Mississippi Main Street Association. The annual event honors Main Street directors, board members and volunteers and recognizes the most outstanding downtown revitalization projects and events from designated Main Street communities throughout Mississippi. Meridian Main Street, along with Penny Kemp, president and CEO of The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience was named this year's winner of the outstanding creative small event under 5,000 award for The MAX's annual Sipp & Savor fundraiser. The event blends culinary and cultural experiences into an evening of fun and celebration. Meridian was also awarded the outstanding adaptive reuse project, along with Cater's Market owner Jamie Cater, for Cater's Market Downtown, also called Cater's at the Museum. Opened in early 2024, the restaurant set up shop in a former bank building along 22nd Avenue in addition to its stores on North Hills Street and in Starkville. |
| Carpenter helps lead state nonprofit celebrating America's 250th anniversary | |
 | As America gets ready to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Mississippi is gearing up to have events all across the state. America250 Mississippi was commissioned in 2023 by the state legislature and is a nonprofit collaborating on events across the state to celebrate the nation's semiquincentennial. Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation CEO Nancy Carpenter spoke to Columbus Exchange Club Thursday about events the nonprofit is coordinating, including flyovers at Ole Miss and Mississippi State football games, a naturalization ceremony at both the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson and a showing a preview of the new "The American Revolution" documentary by Ken Burns at Ole Miss and MSU, Carpenter said. The 41st army band will be performing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at HUB plaza in Starkville, she said. "We aim to inspire fellow Americans and to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of our country and renew our commitment to the ideal of democracy through programs that educate, engage and unite us as a nation," Carpenter, the development director for America250 Mississippi, said during the meeting at Lion Hills Center. |
| Mississippi tornadoes: Why so many in 2025 and what's next? | |
 | Mississippi was battered by deadly tornadoes during the first five months of 2025 as wave after wave of severe storms crossed the state taking lives and destroying property. At one point, Accuweather reported the state led the nation for tornadoes this year. So, what caused so many tornadoes and what's in store for the state next? According to Chad Entremont, science and operations officer with the National Weather Service in Jackson, an outbreak of tornadoes in late December 2024 seemed to set the stage. "We had an active pattern right at the first," Entremont said. "That was kind of the beginning to the start of the year. "The favorable regime hung around, and we got some tornadoes Jan. 5. We pretty much maintained that progressive pattern that systems came through once a week, and it seemed to be on weekends." The National Weather Service in Jackson reported eight tornadoes in Mississippi on Jan. 5 and another on Jan. 30. Nine additional tornadoes were confirmed in February. "Anytime you start getting tornadoes in January and February, that just sets you up for an active season, because you got an early start," Entremont said. |
| Longtime pediatrician Dr. Tami Brooks appointed to help guide healthcare initiatives in Mississippi | |
| Longtime pediatrician Dr. Tami Brooks has been appointed as the agency medical director for the Mississippi State Department of Health. In this position, Brooks will provide medical oversight and expertise across all program areas of the state agency. Her mission, according to a release from the state health department, will be to ensure healthcare initiatives are guided by the highest standards of public health and medical care, and to support the ongoing campaign of promoting and protecting the wellness of all Mississippians. Brooks, a pediatrician with nearly 30 years of experience in the field, began her career as an instructor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she served on the faculty for 24 years and rose through the ranks to professor. More recently, she practiced pediatrics in Starkville and served as the medical director of the Starkville Pediatric Extended Care Facility. Brooks earned an MD from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she also completed her pediatric residency. She earned a BS in Biological Sciences/Education from Mississippi State University. |
| Governor signs bulk of appropriations bills into law, setting $7.135 billion FY 2026 budget | |
| Governor Tate Reeves signed the bulk of the spending bills that set the state's $7.135 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget into law Thursday, saying that it "essentially halts government growth" and is the most conservative in seven years. "I'm not excited about all of the legislative drama it took to get here, but I am proud of what we accomplished on behalf of Mississippians," Reeves said, adding the state is in the best financial situation since its founding. Lawmakers were forced to return to the Capitol for a special session to pass appropriations bills after negotiations between the two chambers broke down at the end of the regular session. The new fiscal year begins July 1. The governor had scores of spending bills to examine after last month's two-day special legislative session. When the dust settled, he vetoed four bills, in part or in whole, according to his office. The governor went on to highlight parts of the state's FY 2026 budget that he is proud of, specifically noting that it "fully funds the waitlist for our current ESA (Educational Scholarship Account) program." |
| Food, Agriculture Leaders Sound Warnings on MAHA Overreach | |
 | Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" mantra sounds simple. Food and agriculture leaders warned that reality is more complicated -- and the stakes are high for the U.S. food supply. The MAHA movement argues that a heavily consolidated and industrialized U.S. food industry is the central factor in Americans' high rates of chronic illness. Kennedy and his allies are ratcheting up federal scrutiny on ultra-processed foods, artificial dyes, food additives and pesticides. Chuck Magro, chief executive of pesticide and crop seed giant Corteva Agriscience, said at The Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum in Chicago this week that agricultural chemicals are rigorously studied before farmers can spray them on fields. "Some of these products have had 100 reviews, from a safety perspective," he said. Corteva has some naturally-derived alternatives in the works, but Magro said the chemicals currently used remain critical to American food production. "Farmers need those tools. This notion that they can farm without these products, it's just not accurate," he said. |
| ICE raids and their uncertainty scare off workers and baffle businesses | |
 | Farmers, cattle ranchers and hotel and restaurant managers breathed a sigh of relief last week when President Donald Trump ordered a pause to immigration raids that were disrupting those industries and scaring foreign-born workers off the job. "There was finally a sense of calm,'' said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition. That respite didn't last long. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin declared, "There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine (immigration enforcement) efforts. Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.'' The flipflop baffled businesses trying to figure out the government's actual policy, and Shi says now "there's fear and worry once more." “It really is clear to me that the people pushing for these raids that target farms and feed yards and dairies have no idea how farms operate,” Matt Teagarden, CEO of the Kansas Livestock Association, said Tuesday. |
| Trump's megabill hits more trouble as Senate conservatives demand changes | |
 | The Senate version of legislation to enact President Trump's agenda is hitting new turbulence as conservatives led by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are demanding deeper spending cuts to address the nation's $2.2 trillion annual deficit. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has focused this week on addressing the concerns of Senate GOP colleagues such as Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), who raised alarms about cuts to federal Medicaid spending. But Thune has to worry about his right flank as Johnson and his allies are threatening to hold up the bill unless GOP leaders agree to deeper cuts to federal Medicaid spending and a faster rollback of the renewable energy tax credits enacted under former President Biden. Johnson, Lee and Scott are threatening to vote as a bloc against the bill next week unless it undergoes significant changes. Thune plans to bring the bill to the floor Wednesday or Thursday next week, but he may not have enough votes to proceed on the legislation, say Republican senators. "There's no way I vote for this thing next week," Johnson told reporters. |
| Senate GOP mulls shielding rural hospitals from Medicaid cuts | |
 | Senate Republicans say they are looking for ways to safeguard rural hospitals from proposed cuts to a key Medicaid funding method, amid concerns from the powerful hospital lobby and others that the budget reconciliation bill could force many facilities to close. The draft text that the Senate Finance Committee released this week reduces the ability of states who expanded Medicaid under the 2010 health care law to levy taxes on providers to fund their programs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday he is working on the issue, though he did not offer details. Leadership is attempting to balance directives to cut government spending with demands from senators like Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who said that the bill should protect rural hospitals from the effects of shrinking provider taxes. "The right thing to do is not defund rural hospitals to pay for your pet projects," Hawley said. "So if you want your pet project in the bill, go find your own money. Don't defund rural hospitals." Medicaid is often one of the top payers for rural facilities. |
| White House floats a new funding trick -- and GOP lawmakers grimace | |
 | Russ Vought's relationship with Republican appropriators was already strained. Then he started talking about pursuing the ultimate end-run around their funding power heading into the fall. The White House budget director has been persistently touting the virtues of "pocket rescissions," a tactic he has floated as a way to codify the spending cuts Elon Musk made while atop his Department of Government Efficiency initiative, and which the federal government's top watchdog says is illegal. On Capitol Hill, leading GOP appropriators see Vought's comments as another shot against them in an escalating battle with the Trump administration over Congress' "power of the purse." And they warn that the budget director's adversarial posture hinders their relationship with the White House as they work to head off a government shutdown in just over three months. "Pocket rescissions are illegal, in my judgment," Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a brief interview this week, "and contradict the will of Congress and the constitutional authority of Congress to appropriate funds." The dizzying ploy is another means toward the same goal Trump has been chasing since Inauguration Day: to spend less money than Congress has explicitly mandated in law. |
| Trump extends TikTok ban deadline for a third time, without clear legal basis | |
| President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to keep TikTok running in the U.S. for another 90 days to give his administration more time to broker a deal to bring the social media platform under American ownership. Trump disclosed the executive order on the Truth Social platform Thursday morning. "He's making an extension so we can get this deal done," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. "It's wildly popular. He also wants to protect Americans' data and privacy concerns on this app. And he believes we can do both at the same time." It is the third time Trump has extended the deadline. The first one was through an executive order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, after the platform went dark briefly when a national ban -- approved by Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court -- took effect. The second was in April when White House officials believed they were nearing a deal to spin off TikTok into a new company with U.S. ownership that fell apart after China backed out following Trump's tariff announcement. It is not clear how many times Trump can -- or will -- keep extending the ban as the government continues to try to negotiate a deal for TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance. While there is no clear legal basis for the extensions, so far there have been no legal challenges to fight them. |
| Trump can command National Guard as California's legal challenge moves forward, appeals court says | |
 | The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided Thursday to leave troops in Los Angeles in the hands of the Trump administration while California's objections are litigated in federal court, finding the president had broad -- though not "unreviewable" -- authority to deploy the military in American cities. "We disagree with Defendants' primary argument that the President's decision to federalize members of the California National Guard ... is completely insulated from judicial review," Judge Mark J. Bennett of Honolulu, a Trump appointee, wrote for the appellate panel. "Nonetheless, we are persuaded that, under long-standing precedent interpreting the statutory predecessor ... our review of that decision must be highly deferential." California leaders vowed to fight back in federal court. Legal scholars said the decision was expected -- particularly as the 9th Circuit has moved from the country's most liberal to one of its most "balanced" since the start of Trump's first term. "It's critically important for the people to understand just how much power Congress has given the president through these statutes," said Eric Merriam, a professor of legal studies at Central Florida University and an appellate military judge. "Judges for hundreds of years now have given extreme deference to the president in national security decisions, [including] use of the military," Merriam added. "There is no other area of law where the president or executive gets that level of deference." |
| Mississippi K-12, higher education boards adopt policy to handle DEI complaints | |
| The Board of Trustees for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and the Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) on Thursday adopted a new policy aimed at complying with HB 1193, the state's new law prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in public K-12 schools as well as in Mississippi's public colleges and universities. Adoption of the policy by the boards was the next step in the mandatory process outlined in the bill following the public comment period. The public comment period for both boards involved publishing the proposed policy with the Secretary of State's Office. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R) on April 17, bans public higher education institutions and K-12 schools from utilizing DEI practices when making decisions concerning school employment, academic opportunities, and student engagement. Such decisions are to be based on an individual's merit and qualifications rather than a person's race, color, sexual orientation, or gender. The law required the boards to provide a method for receiving reports and investigating alleged violations. Under the law, second and subsequent violations of the DEI law could result in a loss of state funding until the violation is corrected. A federal lawsuit has been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Justice challenging the new law. |
| Holmes Community College breaks ground on new building for health programs | |
| Holmes Community College broke ground Thursday on a new facility for health programs being taught at its Ridgeland campus. According to Holmes officials, the new facility will be called the Health Science Building and serve as home to the campus' associate degree nursing, practical nursing, occupational therapy assistant, and surgical technology programs. "The Health Science Building will allow the Health Science programs on the Ridgeland campus to continue to grow as well as expand our Health Science offerings," Director of Health Sciences Allison DeWeese said. "The building has been a vision for several years. I am excited to see the vision become a reality." Dr. Bronwyn Martin, vice president of the Ridgeland campus, said the Health Science Building is not only a win for students but it's a win for further exposure in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The new facility will be visible from Interstate 55. "Madison County has grown 14.6 percent in the past 10 years. Therefore, the addition of this new space has poised Holmes for future growth in our allied health programs," she said. "The facility's location alongside I-55 will increase our visibility, emphasizing our footprint in Madison County. |
| Education board axes U.S. history test for Mississippi high schoolers | |
| Mississippi high schoolers no longer have to pass the U.S. history test to graduate. The Mississippi State Board of Education voted Thursday to remove the requirement starting this fall. Department officials reiterated at the meeting that high schoolers would still have to take and pass history classes to graduate. Paula Vanderford, the education department's chief accountability officer, said the agency has informally discussed releasing test resources to local districts if they want to create their own assessments. She said at a previous board meeting that getting rid of the test would save the state money. The state board voted to open public comments about the decision in April after the Commission on School Accreditation voted to propose eliminating the test. Ultimately, it received 20 comments in support of the test's removal, many of them from parents who cited their children's test anxiety, and 16 against it, arguing that getting rid of the test would diminish the importance of the country's history. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker recently co-authored an editorial advocating against removing the U.S. history state test with board member Mary Werner, who voted against the decision at the meeting. |
| Will UNO become LSUNO? Identity questions loom ahead of LSU shift | |
 | On a wintry day in 1969, thousands of Louisiana State University in New Orleans students crammed into the library where the letters "LSUNO" had been strung across a hallway. As student body president Malcom Ehrhardt gave an impassioned speech, someone snipped off the L and S, which came "clattering down to wild applause," according to Times-Picayune reports at the time. "As part of the (LSU) board's system, we find ourselves continually used as a political football," Ehrhardt told the crowd. "As students, we simply do not belong there." The school known today as the University of New Orleans began life as part of the LSU system. After years of rallies and student advocacy, it was renamed UNO in 1974. In 2011, amid tensions between LSU and UNO leadership, the university left LSU's oversight entirely. Nearly 60 years later, UNO is on the precipice of reverting to that system -- and, possibly, to the LSUNO name. A bill that would shift UNO from the University of Louisiana system back to LSU is headed to Gov. Jeff Landry to be signed into law, though it still needs approval from UNO's accreditation agency. Supporters of the move say it could bolster enrollment and help the beleaguered university weather its current financial storm. But it's unclear what the shift will mean for UNO's identity. |
| DOJ Targets In-State Tuition for Noncitizens in Kentucky as Texas Students Fight Back | |
 | Undocumented students and immigrant advocacy organizations are still reeling after Texas, earlier this month, swiftly sided with a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against its policy of permitting in-state tuition for undocumented students. The two-decade-old law, which Republican state lawmakers had recently tried and failed to quash, was dismantled within a matter of hours in a move some critics called collusive. Now the DOJ is employing the same strategy all over again---this time in Kentucky. The department filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on Tuesday challenging the in-state tuition policy for undocumented students. The lawsuit, which names Democratic governor Andy Beshear, Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, takes issue with a policy that allows graduates of Kentucky high schools who live in the state, regardless of citizenship, to access in-state tuition benefits. "No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens," U.S. attorney general Pamela Bondi said in a statement. "The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to fighting in Kentucky to protect the rights of American citizens." |
| UGA study: Lack of sleep disrupts key brain functions in adolescents | |
 | Your teen's sleeping habits may affect how their brain functions, according to new research from the University of Georgia. And lack of quality sleep may put kids at risk of developing problem behaviors in the future. The study found that adolescents who got less sleep had less connectivity between the parts of the brain that play a critical role in decision making, self-reflection and processing information. Malfunctions in these parts of the brain are also linked to mental illnesses such as depression, ADHD and schizophrenia. The children with less brain connectivity in this region were more likely to exhibit behavioral issues like acting out, poor impulse control and aggressiveness. "Sleep isn't just good for children. It helps keep their mental health intact and helps them regulate their emotions," said Assaf Oshri, corresponding author of the study and a professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Oshri also serves as director of the UGA Georgia Center for Developmental Science. |
| 40K U. of South Carolina students are on summer vacation. How do Columbia businesses survive? | |
 | They appear suddenly in Columbia, during the hottest of months. Parking spaces in the downtown core, typically at a premium through the fall, winter and spring, can sometimes actually be found in the summer, their painted lines beckoning disbelieving drivers, almost as if inviting a hug. City center office workers desperate for cold libations after a long day can find a welcome friend -- i.e. an open happy hour barstool -- that would hardly ever be available from September through early May. And weary commuters from nearby Midlands areas suddenly find reasonably passable roads as they traverse into and out of the city for their jobs. Indeed, it is summertime in the capital city, and students at the University of South Carolina, for the most part, are gone until late August. As has been the case for generations, USC -- South Carolina's flagship university -- continues to have an outsize impact on daily life in Columbia and the Midlands. And it is a key component of the state and the local region's economic engine. According to the university's 2025 economic impact study, USC has a more than $7 billion impact on the state, which marks a 35% increase in statewide impact compared to just eight years ago, researchers found. |
| Labs to lagers: How one Aggie redefined beer | |
 | For Grant Wood, beer is more than a beverage -- it's a pathway for connection, creativity and community. A native Texan and proud Aggie, Wood has spent decades shaping the American beer landscape, brewing everything from some of the strongest beers on the market to one of the most buzzed-about non-alcoholic options today. But at the heart of his journey, the 1984 A&M graduate credits a foundational experience that started in the labs of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Wood has never been willing to settle for "good enough." To him, the challenge of crafting a non-alcoholic beer that doesn't compromise quality was the "final frontier." Now the brewmaster behind BERO -- a new non-alcoholic beer brand co-founded by actor Tom Holland -- Wood's career reflects the power of pairing science with bold vision. Wood took a few detours before his beginning in brewing. During his sophomore year, he discovered food science via an academic program now homed within the Department of Food Science and Technology. "I discovered the satisfaction of solving concrete problems in a lab," Wood said. "I was fascinated by the way food science brought together chemistry, microbiology and process engineering to solve real-world problems." The fascination turned into passion, sharpened by hands-on experiences during his time as an undergraduate. |
| Texas Approves Bills Increasing Support for Military Programs in Higher Ed | |
| Four bills have been sent to the governor to strengthen military service programs at Texas higher education institutions, including the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. One of the bills includes expanded funding for career and technical education programs identified as a legislative emergency priority by Gov. Greg Abbott. The bills were filed by Republicans and passed the legislature with bipartisan support with multiple cosponsors. They were filed to strengthen opportunities for students pursuing military service, including allowing students enrolled in them with priority registration access, providing them with in-state tuition, expanding financial support for the programs, among other provisions. The legislative package sends "a clear message that Texas honors and supports those who answer the call to serve," said state Sen. Kelly Hancock, Chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, who sponsored two of the bills. "By investing in students from the very beginning of their journey, from high school preparation to college ROTC programs, we are building up the next generation of military leaders with the resources and recognition they deserve." |
| English university students must face 'shocking' ideas in a drive to protect free speech on campus | |
| Students at English universities must prepare to confront ideas they find uncomfortable and shocking, the national regulator for higher education said as it released new guidelines governing free speech on campuses across the country. The Office for Students said Thursday that freedom of speech and academic freedom are crucial to higher education, so the guidelines are designed to ensure that universities don't stifle any form of legal speech on their campuses or in their classrooms. Students must be allowed to freely share their opinions and be prepared to hear a range of views during their studies, Arif Ahmed, free speech director for the regulator, said in a statement. "This includes things that they may find uncomfortable or shocking," he said. "By being exposed to a diversity of academic thought, students will develop their analytical and critical thinking skills." The guidance comes as concern grows that British universities had gone too far in silencing professors and students who expressed ideas some people found offensive. In particular, gender-critical academics and pro-Israeli groups say they have been targeted by university officials and students who disagree with their ideas. |
| Tuition Increases and Layoffs Are Coming to a Broad Set of Universities | |
 | Public universities in the Midwest are raising prices for out-of-state students, as Florida schools consider making the same move for the first time since 2012. Cornell and Duke are among the colleges weighing layoffs. The University of Minnesota is cutting hundreds of jobs, even as undergraduate tuition soars as much as 7.5 percent. Just as America's colleges are preparing to welcome what could be the largest freshman class in the nation's history, political and economic forces are unleashing havoc on higher education budgets. Schools are grappling with meager upticks in state support and topsy-turvy economic forecasts, and Republicans in Washington are pursuing federal budget cuts and threatening tax hikes. Students and employees from coast to coast are poised to feel the squeeze. Although the exact consequences will vary by school, administrators are warning that many students may have to pay more, professors may lose their jobs, programs could vanish and support services could shrink. The turmoil is not limited to any one type of university or college, or any one state. A day before Michigan State University trustees opted for tuition increases, a California State University campus minutes from the Pacific Ocean announced that it was trimming its work force. "If you're a student or family looking to go to college this year, all of the numbers are going in the wrong direction," said Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, who described the mood among higher education leaders as "dark but resolved." |
| How Senate Republicans Want to Hold Colleges Accountable | |
| More than a week after the Senate education committee released its draft plan to overhaul the federal student aid system, higher education leaders across the sector are still breathing a sigh of relief over key provisions concerning how to hold colleges accountable for student outcomes. The high chamber's proposal, which ties a university's access to federal loans to how much their students earn after graduation, is simpler and more productive than the House proposal, known as risk-sharing, which would require colleges to pay an annual penalty based on their students' outstanding loan balances, they say. "More than any other factor, a program having low earnings is the thing that is most connected with the prevalence of students defaulting or struggling to pay down their loans," said Jordan Matsudaira, director of the Postsecondary Education and Economics Research Center at American University. "This is a serious and sensible proposal to establish what I think of as a very necessary accountability in the higher education space." The Senate plan seems to be based on an existing regulation known as gainful employment, which uses students' earnings and debt to measure whether for-profit and non-degree programs adequately prepare their students for the workforce. But Republicans who sponsored the bill and expanded its reach to all degree programs have been wary of drawing attention to the overlap, as lawmakers have avoided calling it anything like "gainful employment 2.0" or "gainful for all." |
| US judge blocks Defense Department from slashing federal research funding | |
| A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from carrying out steep cuts to federal research funding provided to universities by the U.S. Department of Defense. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston issued a temporary restraining order at the behest of 12 schools including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Johns Hopkins University, as well as the Association of American Universities and two other academic trade groups. Those schools sued on Monday to challenge a policy the Defense Department recently adopted to cap reimbursement for indirect research costs at 15%, an action that mirrored funding cuts announced by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Energy that judges in Boston have also blocked. The funding cuts are part of the Trump administration's wide-ranging efforts to slash government spending. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a May 14 memo said the new policy would save his department up to $900 million annually. Indirect costs are often used to fund facilities, equipment and research staff that provide value across multiple research projects, rather than being tied to a single project. The universities in their lawsuit argue that the 15% cap on reimbursement rates for those indirect costs flouted the regulatory regime governing them and Congress' express directives. |
| Business Leaders Call Trump Attacks on Universities a Competitive Threat | |
| More than 200 business leaders signed an open letter calling on the Trump administration to reverse its moves against colleges and universities, arguing that funding cuts and restrictions on student visas threaten America's economic competitiveness. The letter, released Wednesday by the business group Leadership Now Project, is one of the first coordinated public efforts from the business community to push back on some of the Trump administration's moves. Its signatories include former Unilever CEO Paul Polman, former American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall and former Procter & Gamble CEO John Pepper. Many current CEOs, though, remain reluctant to speak out publicly about the administration, fearing repercussions. "Many of us have founded companies and launched ground-breaking products based on campus discoveries," the letter said. "We hire from a wide range of universities and benefit every day from the essential training that they have provided our employees. But last month's federal cutbacks are already causing harm." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State gets 2025-26 SEC basketball opponents | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball learned its Southeastern Conference opponents for the 2025-26 season, a slate that once again features matchups against some of the strongest teams in the country. Since expanding to 16 teams, the SEC women's basketball schedule format has changed to include just one home-and-home series matchup, while the remaining 14 games are against the rest of the conference. The 2026 schedule will set the Bulldogs up with two games against powerhouse Tennessee, the only double matchup with the new scheduling format Like last season, the 2026 conference schedule features only one matchup with in-state rivals Ole Miss, a road trip to Oxford after hosting the matchup in Starkville last season. "It's great for the fans, but the SEC is so loaded," Purcell said when asked if he would like to play Ole Miss twice again. "I think it's great because we rotate partners, like this year, I get Tennessee twice. Tennessee is absolutely loaded, that could be a Final Four team, so the opportunity to play them twice excites me." |
| Track & Field: Five Bulldogs Earn All-American Honors | |
| At the conclusion of the 2025 track and field season, five Mississippi State athletes have earned All-American honors. Athletes are named first-team All-Americans with a first-eighth place finish in their respective event. Second-team honors come with a ninth through 16th-place finish. Peyton Bair and Sam Navarro were named first-team All-Americans after their performances in the decathlon and 800m. This was Woods' second consecutive appearance at the championships, this time competing in the 400m hurdles. Her time of 56.72 was just short of the final, finishing 11th overall. Hassan entered his first outdoor championship as a Bulldog after finishing as the indoor runner-up in the 800m. After a tough race, Hassan just missed the final with a 15th-place finish. He closed his collegiate career as an eight-time All-American. Rougetet made his third appearance at the outdoor championships in the javelin. Just missing the final by one place, he finished 10th overall, good enough for second-team All-American honors. He closed his career as a Bulldog as a three-time All-American and SEC Champion in the javelin. |
| Will Trump cuts to universities affect college sports? 'Touchy topic' | |
 | Hardly anybody in charge of major college athletics wants to talk about this publicly. It's the Trump effect. Will the Trump administration's plan to defund American universities trickle down to college sports in the form of funding cuts? USA TODAY Sports contacted more than 25 universities and college leadership organizations to ask them about concerns that athletics could be affected at least indirectly by this federal funding uncertainty. Almost all of them dodged the question by not responding at all, or by providing vague, undetailed answers, or by saying they didn't want to talk about it on the record. "I'm not surprised that nobody wants to talk, particularly at red-state public universities," said Robert Kelchen, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee. "It's such a touchy topic right now." At the same time, many of the same colleges are bracing for another coming financial earthquake after a federal judge recently approved the House vs. NCAA legal settlement. This allowed colleges to start paying their athletes directly for the first time ever, creating a massive new cost of up to $20.5 million per school per year starting July 1, according to the NCAA. Add it all together and tensions have started simmering during a titanic moment in history for higher education and college sports. Expenses are going up in athletic departments while the other side of campus remains anxious about Trump cuts to higher education, such as grants for medical and scientific research. |
| Trump travel ban, new revenue-sharing model create uncertainty for international college athletes | |
| Moses Jean-Pierre is the son of two Haitian immigrants. He grew up near Boston, where his mother would cook for any child in the neighborhood who looked hungry, regardless of whether the family knew them. His parents were the "cornerstone" of their West Cambridge, Mass. community, Jean-Pierre said, and so before his parents died in 2017 and 2019, he promised them he would honor their roots and continue giving back to Haitian communities. About a decade ago, Jean-Pierre founded Hoops for Haiti, a nonprofit that mentors youth in Haiti and Haitian communities in the U.S. and elsewhere. The organization offers basketball and other initiatives in education and mental health to facilitate better opportunities, including high school and college athletics in the U.S. That mission has encountered sudden and significant change due to Haiti's inclusion in a recent proclamation issued by President Donald Trump that restricts travel to the U.S. Haiti is one of 12 fully restricted countries; another seven have partial restrictions. "It's been very, very, very difficult within this process because I get the tears, I have some students who have gone through so much," said Jean-Pierre. "For me and some of those other kids who are in Haiti, I have to start looking at, 'Maybe the U.S. is not the place to go right now.'" Jean-Pierre's focus is on one of the 19 newly restricted countries, but his sentiment extends to a much broader group of young people facing similar uncertainty: international college athletes. |
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