| Tuesday, June 24, 2025 |
| Mississippi State, Rome's Pontifical University Antonianum sign MOU | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) President Mark E. Keenum and Pontifical University Antonianum (PUA) Professor Agustin Hernández Vidales, Rector of the university in Rome, Italy, formalized a partnership on June 23 to establish the framework for joint academic, research and cultural initiatives. The memorandum of understanding with PUA establishes a collaborative focus on legal and social implications of digital transition, integrative intelligence and cultural exchange between the U.S. and Mediterranean region. Officials said some of the key areas of the partnership are educational programs and training; joint courses, including master's degree programs and specialization tracks; internships for students, graduates and professionals; and exchange programs for students, doctoral candidates and faculty. Joint research projects cover topics such as the ethics of technology, artificial intelligence, poverty, climate change and cultural heritage with a special focus on Franciscans. |
| Student-led neuroscience club leads to new minor at MSU | |
 | When Zoe Ishee first started out as a Mississippi State University student in 2021, she didn't know much about neuroscience, but she knew she wanted to learn more about how the brain functions. The only problem was, as Ishee searched the university's websites for anything related to neuroscience, she couldn't find anything except one lab-based class with the word in the name. Ishee's search for information on the brain eventually led her to create the Neuroscience Club -- which has now partially inspired the university's new neuroscience minor. "I've always been interested in the brain specifically -- the mind and the brain," Ishee told The Dispatch on Thursday. "... So when I came here, I was just willy nilly looking for anything brain. And I guess I just fell into that path, and I found exactly what I was looking for." After the Perception and Cognitive Neuroscience lab, taught by MSU Associate Professor Michael Pratte, Ishee realized she still had a lot more she could learn from her fellow students in the room. She wanted to make a hub for all things neuroscience at the university, and Ishee asked a few other students if they wanted to found a club with Pratte as their adviser. |
| Mississippi State launches applied neuroscience minor | |
| Mississippi State University (MSU) will offer an applied neuroscience minor for students this fall. Approved this spring by the University Committee on Courses and Curricula, the new minor will be housed in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychology. It's a cross-college collaboration with the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. "Neuroscience is transforming the approach to healthcare, education and emerging technologies, and this minor will equip students with the core knowledge and applied skills needed to be leaders in these rapidly evolving areas. Designed to be intentionally interdisciplinary, students from a wide range of academic backgrounds -- whether they're interested in science, healthcare, engineering or technology -- will explore how neuroscience connects with nearly every field," said Adam Jones, the interim associate head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering who is serving as the program's first director. |
| IHL approves Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center, new degree paths | |
 | Mississippi's Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning approved the creation of several new degree programs and the establishment of a new center during last week's regular meeting. The new center will be located at the University of Southern Mississippi and will be called the Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center. Two new advanced level programs were also approved by the IHL Board: the Master of Science (MS) in Business Analytics at USM and the Doctor of Physical Therapy at Mississippi State University. The Doctor of Physical Therapy at MSU will employ a hybrid model for completion. "This 106-credit hour degree program leverages an innovative hybrid model, allowing students to complete roughly 50 percent of their coursework through asynchronous and synchronous online instruction," Dr. Casey Prestwood, Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs, described. Twenty percent of the remaining instruction will be completed on campus through lab work focused on clinical and hands-on skill enrichment, while the last 30 percent will be conducted in-person through community-based clinical work. |
| Two Oktibbeha voting precincts changing locations | |
| Changes are coming to Oktibbeha County voting precincts, District 3 Election Commissioner Dennis Daniels told The Dispatch. Daniels said two precincts are changing locations. County voting precincts are only used for county, state and federal elections. The north Starkville precinct located at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Hospital Road will move to New Covenant Church at 200 Garrard Road, Daniels said. "We found out that that precinct was actually in violation of election law because it was just outside of the district," he said. "State law requires the precinct to physically lie within the district. ... The address of the building showed it on the district line, but the building itself was actually outside the district. So we had to move that to get in compliance with the state election laws." he second precinct, located at the Mississippi State University RecPlex on Buckner Lane, will move back to its original location on East Gillespie Street at the Needmore Community Center. While the change is effective immediately, the precincts won't be used until federal elections next year. |
| Boaters take to the water as Mississippi's shrimp season kicks off | |
 | Monday, June 23, marked the start of shrimp season in Mississippi, with shrimpers allowed to take to the waters as of 6 a.m. Many of the shrimpers who took to the waters this morning are already back for the day after kicking off the 2025 season. From sampling reports, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Director Jason Saucier says the shrimp population seems to be doing well. Saucier says where numbers are low are the permits. He says they don't have an official count on permits sold so far this year, but says there has been a noticeable decline in permits over the years. "Prices for shrimp right now are really low, and that's hard for our fishermen. We're doing everything we can to improve that and make consumers aware. Trying to get them out to look for locally caught shrimp and do what we can to help that out. We think the population is very healthy, it's just a matter of the folks not able to go because they can't make the money they need to survive." |
| 'The nation is taking notice': Mississippi wins trio of national economic development awards | |
| Mississippi's economic development surge is starting to capture national attention. The state has been honored with a Gold Shovel Award by Area Development, recognizing Mississippi's total economic development throughout 2024, along with project of the year awards for the $10 billion Amazon Web Services development in Madison County and the $1.9 billion Marshall County battery plant. "Mississippi is making history, and the nation is taking notice. These awards are another testament to the special things happening across our state, like record-breaking private sector investment and the creation of thousands of high-paying jobs," Governor Tate Reeves said. "From technology to manufacturing to aerospace, companies are choosing Mississippi because they know we deliver results. We're building a stronger economy and proving that Mississippi's momentum is real." Area Development's Shovel Awards are given to "states that stand out for their ability to attract high-impact economic development projects." |
| Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust announces latest round of funding, projects | |
| Within three years, the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust has released more than $37 million in funding to preserve and enhance the state's natural resources and the recreational opportunities they provide. With an additional $87 million in matching funds from various sources, the Trust has green lighted more than 80 preservation projects across the state, aiding Mississippi in quickly becoming a sportsman paradise. "We already have one of the most beautiful states in the country," said Governor Tate Reeves (R) late last week during the Trust's workshop at the Museum of Natural Science. "In short, there's no place like Mississippi. We are blessed with a state with a wealth of natural beauty." Reeves continued by saying the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust has funded projects that attract both native Mississippians and tourists, which goes hand and hand with one of his top priorities: economic development. Reeves and the Trust's Executive Director, Ricky Flynt, thanked the state Legislature for funding the program. What started as a blank piece of paper and became law in July 2022 has turned into one of the state's biggest funders of outdoor projects. |
| Anti-abortion doctors ask Mississippi Supreme Court to overturn 1998 ruling | |
| Lawyers for the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists have filed an appeal asking the state Supreme Court to overrule its 1998 decision and declare Mississippi's effective ban on abortion constitutional. In a 1998 ruling in Pro Choice Mississippi v. Fordice, the state high court said the state constitution provides Mississippians a right to abortion. Late last year, a Hinds County judge ruled members of AAPLOG did not have standing to pursue a lawsuit to overturn the 1998 decision because they have not been harmed by the court ruling. AAPLOG, represented by new public interest law firm American Dream Legal, is appealing that ruling, and asking the state Supreme Court to "clarify whether Mississippi considers elective abortion a crime or a constitutional right," according to a press release. Based on another Mississippi case, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decades old Roe v. Wade right to abortion via the U.S. Constitution. The Mississippi Legislature has passed laws that prohibit most all abortions in the state and there are no clinics in Mississippi offering abortions. But the 1998 state Supreme Court decision holding that the state constitution provides a right to abortion has never been overturned and remains on the books. |
| Lipscomb named general counsel for Republican Attorneys General Association | |
| Whitney Lipscomb is leaving the Mississippi Attorney General's office to be the general counsel for the Republican Attorneys General Association. She will also head up the Rule of Law Defense Fund. "Serving the State of Mississippi as Deputy Attorney General has deepened my conviction in the value of principled leadership and an unwavering dedication to the rule of law," Lipscomb told Magnolia Tribune. "Under General Fitch's strong and steady leadership, I'm proud of all we've achieved and the countless lives we've touched in Mississippi." Lipscomb said it is a "true honor" to continue to the mission alongside the nation's Republican Attorneys General "as we defend our Constitution and support the Trump Administration." Lipscomb has repeatedly been mentioned among those to watch for future high-profile positions in Mississippi, such as U.S. Attorney or even as a potential candidate for statewide office. Before her time at the Attorney General's Office, Lipscomb served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel to former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. A summa cum laude graduate of Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law, |
| Most Mississippi leaders backing Trump's Iran decision | |
 | Mississippi's conservative leadership is sticking by President Donald Trump's decision to militarily engage with Iran after several Iranian nuclear development sites were bombed over the weekend. Mississippi's two U.S. Sens., Cindy Hyde Smith and Roger Wicker, both Republicans, chose to congratulate the president and supported his decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites. "Our commander-in-chief has made a deliberate -- and correct -- decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime," Wicker wrote in a social media post. "We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies and stability for the middle east. Well-done to our military personnel. You're the best." Republican U.S. Reps. Trent Kelly, Michael Guest and Mike Ezell also expressed support in Trump's attempt to knock out Iran's nuclear capabilities. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-District 2, was the only Mississippi delegate to voice disapproval of Trump's decision. "Donald Trump launched strikes on Iran without Congressional approval. I condemn this illegal act of war," Thompson posted on social media on Saturday. |
| Republicans Struggle to Finalize Trump Megabill Mix | |
 | Republicans are attempting to get their "one big, beautiful bill" to President Trump's desk by July 4 -- just a week from Friday. But they still face intraparty hurdles and headaches on issues ranging from artificial intelligence to deficit spending and rural hospitals. Senate GOP leaders are revising their version in advance of potential votes later this week, searching for a mix that can garner a majority in the chamber, which is divided 53-47. Anything that gets through the Senate must pass the House, which is divided 220-212 in Republicans' favor; any subsequent House changes would require another Senate vote. Lawmakers are scheduled to leave Washington for a recess next week but could stay to finish the bill. The House and Senate bills are broadly similar. Both would extend tax cuts scheduled to expire at the end of the year, preventing tax increases on most households. They would also create versions of Trump's promises to remove income taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits while lowering projected spending on Medicaid and nutrition assistance. The legislation would provide more money for border security and national defense. Despite that general agreement, there are dozens of provisions still unsettled. |
| Lawmakers to Bondi: DOJ funding cuts threaten national security | |
 | Attorney General Pam Bondi came under bipartisan pressure Monday from lawmakers who argued that proposed funding cuts to the Justice Department, including the FBI, are unwise as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran intensifies. During Bondi's first congressional testimony since her confirmation hearings, House members said the threat of attacks in the U.S. had risen significantly in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites and Iran's apparent retaliation with a missile attack Monday on a U.S. base in Qatar. "When the DOJ submitted their budget, the United States was a nation at peace, and now we're a nation at war," Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said. "I want us to, as much as we can, get ahead of it to give you the resources, the instruments that you need to go out and make sure that we're preventing things from happening, not waiting until after the fact." Bondi was testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee on DOJ's budget request proposing $33.6 billion for fiscal year 2026 -- a $2.5 billion or roughly 7% decrease compared to the current year. About one-third of the total request would support programs directed at reducing violent crime. The difference in funding year over year would also represent a reduction of about 5,000 positions. |
| Cassidy calls to delay meeting of CDC's vaccine panel in challenge to RFK Jr. | |
| A key Senate health leader is calling for this week's meeting of the panel of vaccine advisers handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be delayed, citing their lack of experience and potential bias against some vaccines. "Although the appointees to [the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology. In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them," Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote on the social media site X Monday evening. Cassidy's comments -- including that the panel's upcoming meeting be canceled until it is "fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation" -- represent the harshest condemnation of Kennedy's actions by the senator, who ultimately cast the key vote that secured Kennedy's confirmation. |
| Worried about political violence, some want to scrub home addresses | |
 | As members of Congress debate how best to protect themselves following the murder of a Minnesota state legislator and her husband, privacy advocates are sounding a note of caution against piecemeal responses, while also urging broader legislation for all Americans. According to court documents, the alleged shooter, who compiled a long list of Democratic politicians to target, may have found his victims' addresses online through data brokers. Now one of the Democrats named in his writings, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, wants to make it easier for lawmakers to scrub their personal info from the web, akin to a law enacted in 2022 for the federal judiciary. In the last Congress, Klobuchar joined with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have covered members of Congress and their families, along with any congressional employee who's been the target of a threat. It would have let those "at-risk individuals" ask government agencies to remove the addresses of their residences (including secondary residences), personal email addresses, home and mobile phone numbers, and other information from publicly available content, and would have prohibited data brokers from selling their information. For Daniel Schuman, executive director of the American Governance Institute, a proposal like that one is simultaneously too broad, too narrow, and besides the point. |
| Sen. Murkowski on why she's having more talks than ever on the state of democracy | |
 | Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, has a reputation for bucking her party. She sometimes broke away from President Trump on key issues during his first term like the push to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She detailed some of those moments in her new book, "Far From Home: An Alaskan Senator Faces the Extreme Climate of Washington, D.C." "I am one who when I see something that needs to be called out, I will call it out if it needs to be," she told NPR. Murkowski sat down with All Things Considered host Juana Summers to discuss her memoir, her thoughts on Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill and the future of democracy: "I think there is still a place in the Congress for moderates. We need more on the Republican side. We need more on the Democrat side. I think we need people who are willing to try to come together to solve problems, not on a partisan basis, but on the basis of, 'Is this going to be good for a rural state like Alaska and an urban state like Massachusetts?'" |
| Israel killed at least 14 scientists in an unprecedented attack on Iran's nuclear know-how | |
 | Israel's tally of the war damage it wrought on Iran includes the targeted killings of at least 14 scientists, an unprecedented attack on the brains behind Iran's nuclear program that outside experts say can only set it back, not stop it. In an interview with The Associated Press, Israel's ambassador to France said the killings will make it "almost" impossible for Iran to build weapons from whatever nuclear infrastructure and material may have survived nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes and massive bunker-busting bombs dropped by U.S. stealth bombers. "The fact that the whole group disappeared is basically throwing back the program by a number of years, by quite a number of years," Ambassador Joshua Zarka said. But nuclear analysts say Iran has other scientists who can take their place. European governments say that military force alone cannot eradicate Iran's nuclear know-how, which is why they want a negotiated solution to put concerns about the Iranian program to rest. |
| With much to lose, China sat on Israel-Iran war's sidelines as U.S. flexed | |
 | First, Washington attacked Iran's nuclear sites. Then, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday, ending what he called the "12-day war," and called on both sides to exercise restraint as violations were reported. Sitting on the sidelines amid this dramatic geopolitical upheaval, with much to lose over the spiraling conflict and ambitions to influence policy in the Middle East, was China. "China has little ability to affect the situation directly," said William Figueroa, a China-Iran expert at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "China does not benefit from any kind of wider conflict," he said, but "has no ability to militarily influence that conflict." There was evidence of some Chinese diplomacy this week -- Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin discussed the Israel-Iran conflict in a meeting with Tehran's new ambassador to China on Monday, and Chinese officials proposed a U.N. draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire alongside Russia and Pakistan on Sunday. But ultimately, it was the United States that emerged as the region's primary power broker this week. |
| Why Russia Is Giving Iran the Cold Shoulder After Israel Attack | |
| At the start of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart at the Kremlin to sign a new strategic partnership to seal the budding alliance between the two countries that had spent the last decade trying to undermine the U.S.-led world order. Now, after more than a week of punishing Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, that partnership is doing Tehran little good. When Putin met with Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, on Monday, the Kremlin leader gave a stony-faced assessment of the U.S. strikes. He called the strikes unjustified and unprovoked and said Russia wanted to help the Iranian people. But the Kremlin leader made no mention of military support in his public remarks ahead of the talks. Instead, he suggested they discuss an exit ramp out of the conflict. "This gives us a chance to...think together about how it would be possible to get out of this situation," said Putin. "Iran can ask Russia to back it up in retaliation to the U.S., but Moscow will never accept it," said Nikolay Kozhanov, an expert on Russian-Iranian relations and a professor at Qatar University. The move underscores the transactional nature of even Putin's strongest partnerships as the Kremlin is mired in Ukraine and vulnerable to Western sanctions. Putin wants to avoid an escalation of violence that could end badly for Iran and Russia. |
| Mississippi Governor elected chair of the Southern Regional Education Board | |
| Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has been elected chair of the Southern Regional Education Board. The Southern Regional Education Board works with states through an interstate compact aimed at improving education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. SREB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. The election, which was held at the annual meeting of the board on June 22 in Atlanta, means Reeves will now lead the collaborative work of governors, legislators and state education leaders on SREB's 80-member board to improve public education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. In a statement from SREB, Governor Reeves said he was honored to have been elected chair and he is excited to help lead the work to strengthen education across the South. |
| Mississippi's DEI ban challenged in court as boards adopt new policies | |
| A federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday over enforcement of a new law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs from Mississippi public schools and universities. A coalition of civil rights and legal organizations, on behalf of students, parents and educators, is asking U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing state officials from enforcing the mandate. American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi and partner legal groups filed the lawsuit on June 9 against the state's education boards. House Bill 1193, which was passed after heated debate during the 2025 legislative session, prevents public schools from creating diversity, equity and inclusion offices, engaging in "divisive" concepts and hiring people based on their race, sex, color or national origin. It also enshrines in law the teaching that there are two genders -- male and female. The hearing comes after the state Board of Education and the Institutions of Higher Learning, to comply with the law, voted last week to approve policies that create a complaint and investigation process for violations. Now local school boards will have to come up with their own policies that comply with the new law. Rob McDuff, a Mississippi Center for Justice attorney on the case, said a temporary pause would benefit both parties in the lawsuit. |
| U. of Alabama at Huntsville offers major perk for graduate students: 25% off tuition | |
 | New graduate students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville will be able to pay a discounted tuition. University leaders just implemented the Charger EDGE (Educational Discount for Graduate Excellence) program for new students admitted for the upcoming term. Accepted students will be able to receive a 25% discount to their in-state tuition for both on-campus and online programs. There's over 70 master's degrees and graduate certificate programs available at UAH covered by Charger EDGE, ranging from a Master of Arts in English to a Master of Science in Engineering. Applicants don't have to pay a fee to qualify, they just have to be from Alabama or several nearby counties in Tennessee. University leaders say it's especially important to create a program like this right now. "We know many people are facing uncertainty -- economically and in their careers -- and we want to remove barriers to higher education," said Dr. Michael Poll, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at UAH. "Whether someone is looking to advance in their current field or pivot to a new one, the Charger EDGE program offers an affordable, accessible path to a graduate degree." |
| Who will select LSU's next president? Here's the list of search committee members | |
 | LSU's board announced the members of its presidential search committee Friday, a crucial first step in the process of finding a new leader of Louisiana's flagship university. The 19-member committee includes health care executives, business leaders, two professors, one LSU student and several members of LSU's Board of Supervisors, which oversees the LSU system. Five of the seven LSU board members on the committee were appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry. The committee will hire a replacement for former President William Tate IV, who stepped down this month to lead Rutgers University in New Jersey. LSU's next president will lead a system that includes campuses in Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Eunice and Shreveport, along with an agriculture center, biomedical research center and medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport. The University of New Orleans is also poised to join the system under a new bill that Landry is expected to sign into law. LSU Board Chair Scott Ballard, whom Landry appointed, said in an interview this month that a consulting firm will help the committee begin identifying candidates this summer with the goal of selecting a new president during the fall. |
| Texas A&M's Qatar campus near site of Iranian missile strike | |
 | Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III released a statement Monday vowing to keep safety the highest priority at the university's Qatar campus after Iran launched a limited missile attack within 20 miles of the campus. A shelter-in-place alert was issued by A&M at Qatar officials during the attack, which reports indicate injured no one at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base. "As global events continue to unfold in the Middle East, I understand that many of us are feeling a deep sense of concern and uncertainty -- particularly for our colleagues, students and staff at Texas A&M University at Qatar," Welsh wrote in a statement to students and faculty. A&M announced last year that it will shut down the Qatar campus in 2028. The limited attack at a U.S. military base was in retaliation for the American bombing of Iran's nuclear sites, but also indicated Iran's willingness to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region. The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties, said President Donald Trump, who dismissed the attack as a "very weak response." |
| Texas directs public universities to identify undocumented students | |
| Texas is asking public colleges and universities to identify which of their students are living in the country illegally so they can start paying out-of-state tuition, as required by a court ruling earlier this month. In a letter to college presidents last week, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Wynn Rosser said undocumented students who have been paying in-state tuition will need to see tuition adjustments for the fall semester. A spokesperson for the agency said it has no plans to provide further guidance on how schools can go about identifying undocumented students. "The real lack of legal clarity just leaves institutions again having to come up with their own process," said Kasey Corpus, the southern policy and advocacy manager of Young Invincibles, a group that advocates for policies that benefit young adults in the state. It's unclear if any Texas university already knows which of its students are undocumented. Students do not have to provide proof of citizenship or disclose their Social Security number to apply for college. And colleges rarely track the citizenship status of students who are not here on a visa, said Melanie Gottlieb, the executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. “There is not a simple way for an institution to determine if a person is undocumented,” said Gottlieb. “It’s a challenging question.” |
| Study finds applying AI to bank lending may boost capital access for small businesses | |
 | As many small businesses seek to gain access to capital, a recent study found creditworthy borrowers may have a greater chance of getting loans from distant bank branches that use artificial intelligence to identify borrowers. Jeffery Piao, assistant professor for the school of accountancy at the University of Missouri, was one of the researchers who led the study. Piao and his colleagues used the U.S. Census Bureau's annual technology survey to determine that the percentage of banks using artificial intelligence increased from 14% to 43% between 2017 and 2019. "We find that artificial intelligence allows banks to expand their credit access to small businesses without sacrificing the quality of the loans," Piao said. "This is a technology that has the potential to really identify creditworthy borrowers who were not able to find these financing sources previously." Regardless of resources, Piao said the majority of small businesses are not financially secure. "Despite their importance in our economy, only 42% of these small businesses have their financing needs met," he said. |
| Federal Cuts Could Lead to Reduced Financial Aid Offers | |
 | The annual National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators conference convened in Anaheim, Calif., this morning under a cloud of worry. For student aid professionals in attendance and thousands more across the country, the past few months of federal funding cuts by the Trump administration have put serious stress on their offices. Now Congress is planning the most significant overhaul of student aid policy in decades. Lawmakers' proposed cuts to federal student aid programs -- such as a $2,000 decrease in the maximum Pell Grant, caps on federal loans for graduate degrees and the elimination of college-access initiatives like TRIO -- would put more onus on colleges to increase affordability. At the same time, universities must cope with the financial gut punch of losing billions of dollars in research funding and the looming threat of state budget cuts. NASFAA president Melanie Storey said she's had many conversations with financial aid professionals and enrollment leaders over the past month about the effects of federal higher ed funding cuts and policy shifts on financial aid. They're all concerned about how the changes will affect students, she said; they just don't know how worried to be yet. "Financial aid budgets thrive on predictability," she said. "Right now, that's in short supply." But one thing seems fairly certain to Storey: Because of federal cuts, students "will be expected to pay more for college." |
| Behind Closed Doors, Harvard Officials Debate a Risky Truce With Trump | |
 | Harvard University, battered by a devastating conflict with the Trump administration that has jeopardized its elite standing, is facing a problem as it weighs a possible truce with President Trump: how to strike a deal without compromising its values or appearing to have capitulated. The conundrum has bedeviled law firms, tech and media companies and even one of the school's Ivy League peers. According to three people familiar with the university's deliberations, it is now shaping internal debates around the school's freshly resurrected talks with the government. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing negotiations that are supposed to be private. Unlike many other powerful institutions that have struck bargains with Mr. Trump, Harvard, the nation's oldest and richest university, spent much of this spring as the vanguard of resistance to the White House, credited by academic leaders, alumni and pro-democracy activists for fighting the administration and serving as a formidable barrier against authoritarianism. Despite a series of legal wins against the administration, though, Harvard officials concluded in recent weeks that those victories alone might be insufficient to protect the university. |
| Nearly Two Million Student-Loan Borrowers Are at Risk of Docked Pay This Summer | |
| Nearly two million student loan borrowers are at risk of having their wages garnished this summer. Roughly six million federal student-loan borrowers are 90 days or more past due after a pandemic-era reprieve ended, according to TransUnion. The credit-reporting company estimates that about a third of them, or nearly two million borrowers, could move into default in July and start having their pay docked by the government. That's up from the 1.2 million that TransUnion had estimated in early May. An additional one million borrowers are on track to default by August, followed by another two million in September. Borrowers fall into default when they are 270 days past due. Some borrowers might be having communication issues with their student-loan servicers, while others might be too financially stretched to make payments, said Joshua Turnbull, head of consumer lending at TransUnion. The Education Department restarted collections on defaulted student loans in May, something it hadn't done since before the pandemic. The department sent notices to borrowers saying their tax refunds and federal benefits could be withheld starting in June if they don't take steps to resume payments. Wage garnishment is also set to restart this summer. |
SPORTS
| Baseball America Tabs Two Dawgs All-Americans | |
| Postseason honors continue to pour in for Mississippi State standouts Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan. The Diamond Dawg duo were tabbed All-Americans by Baseball America, the second such honor the two have shared. Baseball America selected Reese to its second team as a third baseman while Sullivan earned third team credit as a two-way player. Reese and Sullivan were also recently named first team All-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association while Reese additionally added All-America honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (second team) and Perfect Game (third team). State has produced 58 All-Americans in its storied history totaling 163 overall honors, not including Freshman All-Americans. In 2024, Baseball America lauded Dakota Jordan as a third team All-American. |
| Ricketts adds two veterans to impressive portal class | |
| Mississippi State softball head coach Samantha Ricketts added two more impressive players through the transfer portal last week, adding catcher Desiree Rivera from Iowa and outfielder Tatum Silva from Utah State. Rivera was one of the best at her position in the Big Ten last season, leading the conference with 15 runners caught stealing and producing at a high level on offense with 40 hits and nine doubles. Rivera will begin 2026 with an active 16-game on-base streak. "Des brings more experience to the catching position with over 130 games played in her career," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She is a smooth defensive catcher with a big arm that will translate well to the SEC. We are excited to have her spend her last season in Starkville." Rivera and Silva join a class of six Bulldog arrivals through the portal so far in 2025. |
| Belhaven makes splash of a baseball hire with Madison Central's Patrick Robey | |
| Belhaven University didn't have to go far to find its new baseball coach, hiring one of the most successful prep coaches in the area to lead the NCAA Division III program. Patrick Robey was named the ninth head baseball coach in Blazer history on Monday. He most recently led nearby Madison Central High School, which is just 16 miles away from Belhaven in Jackson, for a decade and coached the Jaguars to three state championships. "I've followed and respected Patrick's work for years, both his track record with player development and his competitive success," Belhaven Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Little said. "The more I've had the chance to get to know him personally, the more I knew I wanted to him to lead our program moving forward. Our young men will benefit greatly from his leadership and coaching both on and off the field." During Robey's tenure, he won 6A state championships in 2016 and 2021. This past season, as a member of the state's highest 7A classification, Madison Central won another state title. Robey takes over for Andrew Gipson, who was hired by Division I New Orleans as head coach after leading the Blazers to their best season in history. |
| From playbooks to power moves: Athletes and visionaries reshaping college sports management | |
| College athletic departments are scrambling. Players are transferring season to season, top talent is demanding big contracts and millions of dollars will start flowing directly from schools to their rostered athletes as early as next week. That is way too much work for a coach or even a coaching staff. Enter the general manager, a position that dates back nearly 20 years but only recently has exploded in popularity for schools desperate to stay on top of details. The GM has become a key to success for programs looking to be in the mix for conference and national championships. From business schools to the NFL and NBA, schools are searching for the right people to fill some of the most high-demand jobs in college sports. Crafting a winning roster requires thoughtful strategy and painstaking diligence, but schools have come to realize that a celebrity presence doesn't hurt, either. A look at three primary types of GM: The active pro athlete, the high-profile retiree and the pioneers. |
| Pac-12 in talks with Texas State over membership after extension of CBS Sports media deal: Sources | |
| The new Pac-12 has found its primary media partner. Now, it's time to finalize the next member school. The league is extending its deal with CBS Sports through the 2030-31 season as the anchor media platform of the new conference, paving the way for the next phase of the Pac-12's rebirth: expansion. Conference officials have engaged in conversations with executives at Texas State, sources tell Yahoo Sports, as the two parties work toward a membership agreement that would start in the fall of 2026. While no deal is finalized, this months-long courtship is expected to reach a crescendo this week, when the formal extension of an invitation may be made. The addition of Texas State, a Sun Belt school located in San Marcos, Texas, would give the Pac-12 a necessary eighth full, football-playing member -- a requirement by the NCAA of all FBS leagues. The expansion would be the latest move of a phased-in rebuilding of a conference that, in 2023, was left with just Washington State and Oregon State. The Pac-12 added five programs from the Mountain West (San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State) and added basketball power Gonzaga as well before entering negotiations this spring with multiple media partners for a new television deal. |
| Texas A&M AD details cuts, changes in light of House settlement | |
| Texas A&M athletics plans to trim its department budget by almost $10 million as a result of the recent House v. NCAA settlement, which requires universities to pay their student-athletes. Trev Alberts, A&M's athletic director, told reporters Monday about the department's plan to increase scholarships, reduce spending and staff, and create a new position to deal with the ramifications of the settlement, which calls for student-athletes to be paid by their schools. Student-athletes were previously able to sign endorsement deals or make salary demands from third parties under loosened name, image and likeness rules. Alberts said he was "really excited about having a hard cap" and excited about work on NIL Go, a clearinghouse that will review NIL deals. Alberts, 54, said he felt the department was "a little heavy" in its executive staffing. The total of the cuts, along with projected revenue increases, will provide an additional $26.5 million in "financial resources," the fact sheet states. Football is A&M's only revenue-creating sport, Alberts said, but revenue-sharing will be spread among six Aggies programs: football, baseball, men's and women's basketball, softball and volleyball. |
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