| Wednesday, July 16, 2025 |
| Five of Mississippi's public universities named to 2025 Best Colleges list | |
 | Five of Mississippi's eight public universities were included in the 2025 Best Colleges listing by Money, a data-driven financial website. Of the 2,400 four-year public and private non-profit colleges across the nation, Money selected more than 700 to be named as one of its 2025 Best Colleges based on the quality of the education provided, how the alumni were managing after graduation, and the affordability of earning a degree. Of those listed, Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi received the highest star rankings at 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. "This recognition shows we're assisting prospective students and families looking for their best financial fit, while providing a big SEC school experience with a small school feel. MSU is a great option for students in terms of size, student involvement opportunities, career outcomes and affordability," said MSU Director of Student Recruitment and Marketing Naron Remillard in a statement. Delta State University and the University of Southern Mississippi both received a rating of 3 stars, while Alcorn State received a 2.5 star rating. Jackson State University, Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi Valley State University were not on Money's list this year. |
| MSU makes Money's Best Colleges in America | |
| Mississippi State University is in Money's recently released list of the 2025 Best Colleges in America. MSU's Naron Remillard, director of student recruitment and marketing, said the university is "the total package for families." "This recognition shows we're assisting prospective students and families looking for their best financial fit, while providing a big SEC school experience with a small school feel. MSU is a great option for students in terms of size, student involvement opportunities, career outcomes and affordability." For graduates, MSU is showing exceptionally strong career success rates for those gaining employment soon after earning their degrees. In fact, the First Destination Survey in March revealed the institution's successful career outcomes rate exceeds the national average. Based on 2023-24 data, the success rate for MSU graduates within six months is 95%, representing alumni respondents who reported being employed full or part time, enrolled in a continuing education program like graduate school, participating in a service program, or serving in the U.S. military. |
| MSU 'cooking up' new blueberry, sweet potato ice cream flavors | |
 | Move over, Muscadine Ripple -- to make room on the freezer shelf for two new Mississippi State-borne ice cream flavors. Blueberry and sweet potato plan to join MSU's 11 other palette-pleasing ice cream flavors in 2026 at the MAFES Sales Store, also the home of infamous MSU cheese. Shecoya White, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion, and her students have been busy "cooking up" the new formulations to turn the state's official fruit and vegetable into churnable ice cream. While the sweet potato-flavored ice cream may be unconventional, White and her team put the product in front of a stakeholder sensory panel in the north Mississippi town of Vardaman, known as "The Sweet Potato Capital of the World." Judging was based on qualities like visual appeal, aroma, flavor, creaminess and texture. Panel member and third-generation sweet potato farmer Caleb Englert said he's enthusiastic about a new opportunity for the storage root. White then held an on-campus event with 120 participants and another sensory panel of producers and MSU employees at Sandy Run Farm in Purvis, owned by blueberry producer Tim Goggans. |
| Mississippi State unveils new ice cream flavors for 2026 | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) will introduce two new ice cream flavors in 2026! Blueberry and sweet potato will join MSU's 11 other ice cream flavors at the MAFES Sales Store, also the home of infamous MSU cheese. Shecoya White, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion, and her students have been working on the new formulations to turn the state's official fruit and vegetable into churnable ice cream. Their efforts have resulted in the development and testing of 15 to 20 variations of each flavor in her lab. "This was an incredible opportunity to work on value-added products to meet stakeholders' needs," White said. "It also gave my students hands-on experience to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world research project." White worked alongside graduate students Jhennys Paola Becerra Ossa and Kenisha Gordon and students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, Krystell Charles, Cerissa Cooley and Morgan Mosby. |
| MSU to release blueberry and sweet potato ice cream flavors | |
 | Mississippi State University announced the upcoming release of two new ice cream flavors: blueberry and sweet potato. The university plans to release the new flavors in 2026, along with a dairy-free version of the famous muscadine ripple flavor. The blueberry and sweet potato are Mississippi's state fruit and vegetable, respectively. The university famously produces its own cheese, ice cream, milk and other products. Existing ice cream flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, butter pecan and chocolate almond. |
| Experts urge not to disturb fawns found in woods | |
| It's human nature to want help a defenseless baby animal that is alone in the woods. But officials at the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service warned that if you see a baby fawn alone in the woods, avoid contact with them. During deer season, it's normal to encounter fawns that are alone in the woods. But this is done on purpose, and experts said it's a vital survival tactic that the doe does to keep her fawn alive. Dr. Jacob Lee Dykes, with the MSU Extension Service, said within 10 hours of birth, the doe will move the fawn to a different area, and the fawn will instinctively bed down. While the fawn may look like it is alone and in need of help, this is completely the opposite. If the doe has multiple fawns, she will separate them to reduce the risk of both fawns (sometimes three) being taken by a predator. These fawns also are not near as vulnerable as one might think. They lie very still, and if alarmed by a predator, they can lower their heart rate by more than 30% to help avoid detection. Their spots help with concealment and allow them to blend into the surrounding vegetation. |
| Sheriff: Suspect leads authorities to body of woman months after she went missing in Mississippi | |
| After searching for nearly two months, the body of a missing Kansas City woman was found in a wooded area in Mississippi. According to Lawrence County Sheriff Ryan Everett, local authorities, the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, and the FBI have been conducting a search for Ladatra Williams. On Monday, Sheriff Everett said after around eight hours of interviewing Charles Matthew Sims, who had been in custody since July 11, told authorities they would never find Williams where we were searching, and that he would take officials to her. Around 2 p.m., Sims, a deputy sheriff, and Everett entered a wooded area in the southeastern portion of the county. Around 11:30 p.m. that same day, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, Lawrence County Coroner's Office, MBI, MBI's Crime Scene Unit, the Mississippi State University Police Department Forensic Recovery Unit, and the MSU Department of Anthropology exhumed the shallow grave and recovered a deceased female believed to be Williams. Everett said DNA testing will be utilized to make a positive identification. |
| Starkville Man Arrested After Felony Fleeing Incident on Old West Point Road | |
| A Starkville man is facing multiple charges after fleeing from police during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning. According to a news release from the Starkville Police Department, officers attempted to stop a vehicle around 12:21 a.m. on July 15, 2025, driven by David Locke, 53, of Starkville. Rather than complying, Locke fled the scene, leading officers on a pursuit through the city. The chase ended in the 2300 block of Old West Point Road, where Locke brought the vehicle to a stop and was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Oktibbeha County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131, Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151, or submit an anonymous tip through the department's website. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward. |
| Starkville sewer rates increasing for third straight year | |
 | Sewer rates for Starkville Utilities Customers are going up for the third straight year. Aldermen on Tuesday approved a $2 increase to the monthly base rate, as well as added $3 to the variable rate charged for usage over 1,000 gallons. As of Oct. 1, the customer base rate will be $11 and the variable rate, charged for each additional 1,000 gallons over the base, will bump to $7.50. For a customer using 3,000 gallons, their monthly sewer bill would go from $18 to $26 with the new rates. That represents a 144% increase to the base rate and an 81% increase to the variable rate since Fiscal Year 2023. The rate increase will raise an additional $2.3 million next fiscal year to help cover debt payments for the first phase of wastewater treatment facility improvements and future projects, Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk said. The rate increase will help fund improvements at the city's wastewater treatment plant, including replacing broken aerators, making electrical upgrades and adding a new headworks facility. The projects were previously staggered, but are now being fast-tracked to be completed by 2027, said Starkville Utilities General Manager Edward Kemp, in order to address growth in the city. The city's population has increased by 60% since the treatment plant was built in 1979. |
| Meta or Microsoft coming to Mississippi? Compass Datacenters says data center delivery is underway | |
 | It was January 2025 when Compass Datacenters CEO AJ Byers took the stage in front of a packed house at the Riley Center in Meridian to celebrate his company locating its next hyperscale data center campus in Lauderdale County. The question now is, when will something more be happening just outside of Meridian along Interstate 20 than pushing dirt around at the mega site. Katy Hancock, vice president of community relations for Compass Datacenters, said progress is being made at the Lauderdale County site, even if that is just pushing dirt around. "Pushing dirt around, truly that is where we are right now," Hancock told the Clarion Ledger. "We are getting what we call pad ready. Eutaw Construction is now out there preparing the land. So, that is good." Hancock said that getting the site ready is one of the most important parts of the project because so much of the actual construction, or what Compass Datacenters calls delivery, because the construction is done offsite. She said that once the site work is done, the rest should move relatively quickly. "One of the things Compass is known for in the industry is speed. We say fastest to ready," Hancock said. "We can go from pad, which is where we are now, to shell in 45-to-60 days." |
| Meridian Fire Department Unveils New Explosives Detection Dog at Press Conference | |
| The Meridian Fire Department introduced its newest and most specialized member Tuesday morning -- a German shepherd named Naty trained to sniff out explosives, locate firearms, and track missing people. At a press conference held at Fire Station 1 at 11:00 a.m., Fire Chief Michael Evans presented Naty, a 1-year and 8-month-old female dog imported from Czechoslovakia. Naty recently completed an intensive training program in Alabama last week and is now ready for duty. "She is trained in explosives detection, firearm recovery, and missing persons tracking," Evans said. "Just last week we had a missing elderly lady, so this dog would have come in handy." The addition of Naty marks a milestone for the department, which previously had to rely on outside agencies for bomb threat response. "They've always been good to come help us, so we are going to return the favor and go help them," Evans added. In the time Evans has served as chief, the department has responded to five bomb threats. Because there are no other explosive-trained dogs in East Mississippi, assistance could take "3 or 4 hours" to arrive, he said. |
| Alana Broughton named executive director of Jimmie Rodgers Foundation | |
 | The Jimmie Rodgers Foundation announced the appointment of Alana Broughton Tuesday as its new executive director. Since joining the Board of Directors in 2023, Broughton has quickly become a driving force within the organization, serving as festival chair and most recently stepping up as interim executive director during the 2025 Jimmie Rodgers Festival. Her leadership brought stability, innovation and renewed momentum to the organization. Broughton has spearheaded critical outreach initiatives, including a music and arts program for foster youth, designed to provide creative opportunities and build confidence through songwriting and performance. Additionally, she secured vital grant funding that supported the foundation's operations and future planning. The Jimmie Rodgers Foundation remains dedicated to honoring the legacy of the Father of Country Music through education, preservation and live events including its annual fundraiser, the Jimmie Rodgers Festival, held every May in Meridian. Under Broughton's leadership, the foundation plans to enhance its programming and outreach, continuing its role as a cultural cornerstone in Mississippi and beyond. |
| More than 80 panelists confirmed for 2025 Mississippi Book Festival | |
| Mississippi's largest literary lawn party will return to the state capitol grounds in Jackson on September 13, with an impressive list of more than 80 panelists already booked. Officials with the Mississippi Book Festival recently announced 86 panelists who will bring stories, conversation, and expertise to stages at the event. "On Saturday, September 13, in the heart of Jackson, meet best-selling authors, hear their insights, get your favorite reads signed, and so much more -- all with the Southern hospitality only Mississippi can offer," a portion of the announcement reads. The downtown Jackson event continues to grow and is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the capital city once again. The festival is free and open to the public, offering bookworms of every age a chance to celebrate writing, reading, and Mississippi's unique literary heritage by connecting readers with hundreds of contemporary authors. The 2025 Mississippi Book Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., also offering food, live music, pop-up shops, activities for children, and writing workshops. |
| Lowndes ranks among best counties in nation for economic development | |
| Lowndes County has been named No. 17 among the top 20 counties in the nation for economic development per capita by Site Selection Magazine. Site Selection is a national magazine recognized as a leading publication in corporate real estate, facility planning, location analysis and foreign direct investment. The annual ranking is based on total points awarded to counties for the number of projects between January 2024 and March 2025, capital investment and the number of jobs created. Lowndes County was one of only two Mississippi counties to make the top 20, with Marshall County claiming the No. 20 spot. Golden Triangle Development LINK Chief Operating Officer Meryl Fisackerly said the recognition is the result of hard work shared by county officials, economic development partners and the community. "Lowndes County continues to deliver real results and this recognition confirms we are moving in the right direction," Fisackerly wrote in a text to The Dispatch. Hairston credited projects like the Aluminum Dynamics site, Terberg Taylor and continued development at the Infinity Megasite as major contributors to the county's placement on the list. |
| 'Proud to join your ranks': ERDC changes command | |
| The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) held a change of command ceremony Tuesday marking the transfer of command of ERDC from Col. Christian Patterson to Lt. Col. Joshua Haynes. Haynes, who is the 13th commander of ERDC, spoke at the event. "Col. Patterson: Thank you for your leadership and commitment to the ERDC mission. You've advanced this organization during a time of rapid change and growth," Haynes said. "Growing from modernization of infrastructure to advancing military engineering and environmental research. Your impact will resonate long after today." The ceremony took place in the ERDC headquarters and was attended by many community leaders and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel. "As a proud Mississippian, I would like to welcome Lt. Col. Haynes and his family to the Magnolia State. He's a tremendous leader who is highly motivated to rally the team and achieve victory," Patterson said. "Lt. Col. Haynes: You're getting a very talented group of roughly 300 professionals who go to the ends of the earth every day to support the world-class R&D that occurs not only within our facilities, but in much of the world." |
| Coast emergency management crews preparing for heavy rain, possible flooding | |
 | With the tropical rains expected on the Coast this week, Coast emergency management crews are putting plans in place for public safety organizations and non-profits to coordinate efforts. The main concern in the coming days is flooding. Public safety professionals, like the Harrison County Fire Department, have rescue teams on standby in the event that they are needed. The first safety tip for driving in heavy rain is do not attempt to drive through flooded roads. Harrison County Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said, "If you're out on the roads, if you have to be on the roads, you need to know what the situation is with the water, with the rivers that are rising, and low-lying areas. You may not be near a river, but there may be an area that ponds and holds water, and it can be just as dangerous as if you're going through an area with flowing water from a river." Harrison County EMA Director Matt Stratton says the next couple of days will be valuable practice for bigger threats when they come. "Resources and teams that are used for a flooding event like we are looking at would be used in a hurricane or tropical situation, but this is the time of year to plan and prepare and be ready," Stratton said. |
| Drones, AI and Robot Pickers: Meet the Fully Autonomous Farm | |
 | In the verdant hills of Washington state's Palouse region, Andrew Nelson's tractor hums through the wheat fields on his 7,500-acre farm. Inside the cab, he's not gripping the steering wheel -- he's on a Zoom call or checking messages. A software engineer and fifth-generation farmer, Nelson, 41, is at the vanguard of a transformation that is changing the way we grow and harvest our food. The tractor isn't only driving itself; its array of sensors, cameras, and analytic software is also constantly deciding where and when to spray fertilizer or whack weeds. Many modern farms already use GPS-guided tractors and digital technology such as farm-management software systems. Now, advances in artificial intelligence mean that the next step -- the autonomous farm, with only minimal human tending -- is finally coming into focus. Imagine a farm where fleets of autonomous tractors, drones and harvesters are guided by AI that tweaks operations minute by minute based on soil and weather data. Sensors would track plant health across thousands of acres, triggering precise sprays or irrigation exactly where needed. Farmers could swap long hours in the cab for monitoring dashboards and making high-level decisions. Every seed, drop of water and ounce of fertilizer would be optimized to boost yields and protect the land -- driven by a connected system that gets smarter with each season. |
| Hyde-Smith in driver's seat as 2026 midterms approach | |
| The latest round of campaign finance filings show U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is ramping up fundraising efforts ahead of what looks to be an active 2026 midterm election cycle while her potential challengers struggle to find footing. Hyde-Smith, a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump, reported raising over $900,000 during the second quarter filing period, bringing her cash on hand total to nearly $1.5 million -- more than double what it was just three months earlier. The junior Senator from Mississippi has served in the chamber since 2018 after being appointed by former Governor Phil Bryant (R) to fill the unexpired term of retiring Senator Thad Cochran. She is the first woman to represent the Magnolia State at the federal level. Hyde-Smith went on to win the 2018 special election by 8 points of Democrat nominee Mike Espy. Then in a rematch two years later, she bested Espy again by 10 points to earn her first full six-year term. The state's former Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce currently serves on a number of key Senate committees, including the Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, Rules and Administration, and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. |
| Trump Effect Starts to Show Up in Economy | |
| A chaotic rollout of tariffs is starting to filter through to price tags on store shelves. An immigration crackdown is beginning to weigh on jobs growth, measured by federal surveys. Taken together, the impact of President Trump's whirlwind six months back in office is showing up in the economy. The effect isn't yet enough to derail the economy, which by many measures has weathered Trump's trade wars much better than many on Wall Street and in Washington feared. Economists see less risk of a recession now than three months ago, a Wall Street Journal survey found. Yet a long stretch when Trump's policies left little imprint on the hard data appears to be ending. Investors have grown accustomed to America rolling with the punches, first during the pandemic in 2020-21 and then during the Federal Reserve's interest-rate increases from 2022-23. This time, pressure is building internally in hard-to-predict ways. Tuesday's inflation numbers for June came in close to economists' expectations at 2.7% annually. But there were price bumps on what Americans pay for key imports such as furniture and clothing, a potential sign of tariff-linked price increases that many economists think will continue in the months ahead. |
| Senate poised to hand Trump $9B in cuts, second big legislative victory | |
 | Senate Republicans say they have the votes to pass a package of $9 billion in spending cuts, which would give President Trump another big legislative victory in less than a month after GOP leaders quelled a revolt from members of the powerful Appropriations Committee. Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told reporters Tuesday that the so-called rescissions package now has enough votes to pass the Senate after he and the Senate GOP leaders agreed to an amendment to remove cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the global initiative launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 to combat AIDS. Vought, the administration's chief budget watchdog, also worked out a side deal with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) to redirect money in the Interior Department to help approximately 28 radio stations across 14 states that broadcast onto tribal lands who are at risk of being hurt by $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. As a result of the last-minute dealmaking, the overall size of the rescissions package is expected to shrink slightly from $9.4 billion to $9 billion. |
| U.S. senator wants DOGE out of sensitive payment system for farmers | |
 | Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revoke high-level access granted to the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to a sensitive database that controls tens of billions of dollars in payments and loans to American farmers and ranchers. In a letter first shared with NPR addressed to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Baldwin writes "on behalf of Wisconsin farmers," arguing that DOGE's access to sensitive agricultural information is "an intrusion that not only breaches [farmers'] privacy, but also raises serious concerns about the future of USDA payments, our nation's food security, and the consolidation of farmland and processing operations." Baldwin's letter comes days after an exclusive investigation published by NPR revealed that one USDA staffer publicly tied to DOGE, Jordan Wick, recently got high-level access to what's called the National Payment Service system, a database that controls subsidiary payments and loans issued to U.S. agricultural producers. The system is housed at the Farm Service Agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The access granted to Wick, a level no other individual at USDA has, allows him to view highly sensitive financial and personal information stored in the system, as well as alter or cancel payments and loans with little oversight. That's according to a source who provided access logs to NPR and requested anonymity, fearing retribution from the Trump administration. |
| The MAGA blowup over Pam Bondi has been a long time coming | |
 | Pam Bondi's political crisis over the Jeffrey Epstein saga is the latest, most acute expression of a persistent problem she has with the MAGA base. The attorney general has long tried to establish herself as one of Donald Trump's most faithful allies: She was part of his defense team during his first impeachment, she helped him challenge his 2020 election loss and she stood by his side during his New York hush money trial. But many of Trump's very online MAGA supporters have always distrusted Bondi. Far-right influencers haven't forgotten that she did not vocally defend the people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They view her career in Florida politics as tainted by her links to the GOP establishment, especially the state's former governor, Jeb Bush. As a private lawyer, she even represented Pfizer, a company that some elements of Trump's base view with suspicion due to its Covid-19 vaccine. Now, the simmering tension has come to a full boil as the Trump administration takes friendly fire from MAGA allies furious over the Justice Department and FBI's decision to withhold files related to Epstein, the disgraced mega-financier who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution and was facing a slew of federal sex-trafficking charges when he killed himself in jail in 2019. For now, Bondi's job appears to be safe. |
| DOJ hits states with broad requests for voter rolls, election data | |
 | The Trump administration and its allies have launched a multipronged effort to gather data on voters and inspect voting equipment, sparking concern among local and state election officials about federal interference ahead of the 2026 midterms. The most unusual activity is happening in Colorado -- a state that then-candidate Donald Trump lost by 11 points -- where a well-connected consultant who says he is working with the White House is asking county clerks whether they will allow the federal government or a third party to physically examine their election equipment. Federal agencies have long offered technical assistance and cybersecurity advice to election officials but have not examined their equipment because election laws tightly limit who has access. Separately, the Justice Department has taken the unusual step of asking at least nine states for copies of their voter rolls, and at least two have turned them over, according to state officials. The administration's efforts, fueled by Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, have rattled state and local election officials from both parties who have spent years contending with threats, harassment and litigation. Under the Constitution, states are responsible for running elections, and the federal government plays a limited role -- such as by dictating when states must offer opportunities to register to vote -- that must be spelled out by Congress. |
| Adelita Grijalva wins Democratic primary for late father's seat in Arizona | |
 | Adelita Grijalva, the daughter of the late Arizona Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, prevailed over four fellow Democrats in Tuesday's primary for the special election to serve out the remainder of her father's term. A former Pima County supervisor, the younger Grijalva was leading with 62 percent of the vote when The Associated Press called the race for Arizona's 7th District at 11:19 p.m. Eastern time. Her nearest opponents, progressive social media influencer Deja Foxx and former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, trailed with 21 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Grijalva enters the Sept. 23 special general election as the heavy favorite in the deep-blue Southern Arizona district, which stretches along the U.S.-Mexico border and extends into Tucson and the Phoenix area. She would be the first Latina congresswoman from Arizona if elected. The Democratic race reflected some of the divisions roiling the party nationally, especially over age and experience. Foxx, a 25-year-old newcomer to electoral politics and a former Kamala Harris campaign staffer, sought to portray Grijalva as the establishment candidate relying on her family connections. "We're building generational change,'' Foxx, who was seeking to become the first Generation Z woman elected to Congress, posted on social media. "This race is about more than politics. It's about building a future where everyone can get ahead." But Grijalva, 54, rejected such characterizations, saying she would preserve her father's progressive legacy while walking her own path. |
| Sonic Boom of the South, Bobby Rush to play National Folk Festival in Jackson | |
| The National Folk Festival, which kicks off its three-year Jackson residency in November 2025, has announced the third round of artists, with Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South joining the impressive lineup. Legendary blues artist Bobby Rush is also joining the lineup. Rush and the Sonic Boom are the first two Jackson-based artists to be announced. Produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the National Folk Festival began in 1934 and has since become the nation's longest-running traditional arts event, according to its website. Jackson is the first city in Mississippi to serve as a host city and will hold the National Folk Festival from 2025 to 2027. The capital city was chosen out of 42 competing cities nationwide for the three-year run. Festival expect the event to draw as many as 80,000 attendees in its inaugural Jackson year. In a July 15 press release announcing the third round of artists, newly inaugurated Jackson Mayor John Horhn said the 82nd annual National Folk Festival is a great opportunity to show that Jackson is capable of hosting a world-class festival. |
| Kentucky Republican lawmaker questions gender and women's studies course at U. of Kentucky | |
| A Republican lawmaker questioned a University of Kentucky administrator Tuesday about a course offering in the university's Gender and Women's Studies program. During a legislative committee meeting, Rep. Shane Baker of Somerset read from a course description that begins: "The 14th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees equal protection under the laws, but as Black Lives Matter and other protest movements indicate, this promise remains unfulfilled." The course is listed for the 2025 fall semester. Baker asked if the course is being offered. UK Provost and Co-Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Robert DiPaola replied that while he did not know the status of the Gender and Women's Studies courses, university websites are still being updated. A search of all eight Kentucky public universities' websites shows most of the universities have courses in gender and women's studies. "Could you check on that and let us know if those are still offered?" Baker said. "And help us understand the value of those and why the taxpayer dollars should be expended on those things." The exchange came as the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education heard from higher education officials about their campuses' compliance with a recently passed state law that bars diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education, also known as House Bill 4 from this year's legislative session. |
| U. of Florida, police department union reach agreement on $13,000 raise | |
 | Following a weeklong standoff, the University of Florida and its police department on July 15 reached an agreement over salary negotiations that will increase officers' starting base pay by $13,000. The agreement comes a week after UF's chief labor negotiator, Patrick Keegan, on July 7 balked at a proposed $15,000 raise put forward by the Florida Police Benevolent Association's (PBA) George Corwine. The two sides met again on July 14 at the University of Florida's Public Safety Building where a tentative agreement was reached. Keegan at the July 14 meeting thanked the PBA and UPD for coming back to the negotiating table on such short notice, and said he felt both parties were "at odds" at the July 7 meeting. Keegan stressed that the July 14 meeting was UF's last effort to negotiate and that UF was interested in moving forward with an agreement. With the raise, officers' new annual starting base salary will be $64,000. This comes after much discussion and a miscommunication over what officers' starting base salary was before the raise agreement. |
| U. of Michigan faces federal investigation after arrest of 2 Chinese scientists | |
 | The University of Michigan is under federal scrutiny after two Chinese scientists linked to the school were separately charged with smuggling biological materials into the United States. The Education Department on Tuesday opened an investigation into the university's foreign funding, citing the pair of cases that were announced days apart in June. It said the "highly disturbing criminal charges" raise concerns about Michigan's vulnerability to national security threats from China. "Despite the University of Michigan's history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence, recent reports reveal that UM's research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage," said Paul Moore, chief investigative counsel of the department. President Donald Trump has made it a priority to increase transparency around foreign gifts and contracts to U.S. universities, especially those tied to China. Similar investigations have been opened at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. The new investigation demands financial records from Michigan, along with information about research collaborations with institutions outside the U.S. The Education Department accuses Michigan of being "incomplete, inaccurate and untimely" in its public disclosures around funding from foreign sources. |
| For Once, Public Confidence in Higher Ed Has Increased | |
 | A long-souring public finally found a little more to like at colleges. For the first time in a decade, Americans grew more confident in higher ed, according to a Lumina Foundation-Gallup education survey conducted in June. 42 percent expressed confidence in the sector -- either a "great deal" or "quite a lot." That's up six percentage points. Just 36 percent had confidence in both 2023 and 2024. And fewer people expressed a lack of confidence. Only 23 percent said they had little or no confidence in colleges, down from 32 percent last year. Among cited reasons for support, institutional excellence gained ground on individual opportunity. Pollsters asked those who are confident in the sector why they feel that way. This year, a greater share of respondents said American colleges are among the world's best, pointing to innovation sparked by research. A falling share mentioned the opportunities colleges provide for graduates. "It's less about themselves, it's less about a good job, and more about the idea of higher ed," Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina, told the Daily Briefing. The bigger picture: Americans have broadly lost faith in institutions in recent years. For all the concern about the sector's loss of public trust, higher ed remains more popular than most, falling behind only small business, the military, and the police. |
| Are misperceptions about higher education's cost causing adults to skip college? | |
| A large majority of U.S. adults say the cost of attaining a college degree is more expensive than it actually is -- a perception that may cause some to forgo education beyond high school, according to a May report from Strada. Among adults , 77% say college is unaffordable, according to Strada's November 2024 survey of over 2,000 people. And 65% somewhat or strongly agreed that college is prohibitively expensive, regardless of how motivated the student is. But most people significantly overestimated the cost of attending both two- and four- year public institutions, the report found. According to Strada's latest report, 1 in 5 people "substantially overestimate" the cost of attending community college -- reporting that the cost is more than $20,000 annually. A majority estimated that it costs more than $10,000 a year. In actuality, the average student pays about $6,000 annually, the report said, citing College Board data. For public four-year institutions, just 22% of the survey's respondents correctly identified that it costs the average student between $20,000 and $30,000 annually to attend, with about 35% believing it costs $40,000 or more. These misperceptions are often fueled by the complex financial aid process and a lack of transparency surrounding the true cost of attending college, as many students are unaware that the price of attendance is often much less than the sticker price, the report added. That's an issue that many colleges have tried to address in recent years. |
| Rufo, Shapiro, Others Request New Higher Ed 'Contract' | |
 | A conservative think tank called on President Trump Tuesday to "draft a new contract" that universities must follow or face "revocation of all public benefit." Among other things, institutions would have to end "their direct participation in social and political activism," abolish "DEI bureaucracies," and publish "complete data on race, admissions, and class rank," according to the statement put out by the Manhattan Institute. "The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education" also says universities must deliver "swift and significant penalties, including suspension and expulsion, for anyone who would disrupt speakers, vandalize property, occupy buildings, call for violence, or interrupt the operations of the university." "Beginning with the George Floyd riots and culminating in the celebration of the Hamas terror campaign, the institutions of higher education finally ripped off the mask and revealed their animating spirit: racialism, ideology, chaos," the statement says. "The universities have contributed to a new kind of tyranny, with publicly funded initiatives designed to advance the cause of digital censorship, public health lockdowns, child sex-trait modification, race-based redistribution, and other infringements on America's long-standing rights," it says. |
| The End of Unlimited Grad-School Loans Could Leave Some Colleges and Students in the Lurch | |
| Shae-Marie Stafford-Trujillo has tried to do everything right on her path to becoming a doctor. She's worked in research labs. She's gotten good grades. She enrolled in a program at Baylor College of Medicine to boost her medical-school applications. But Stafford-Trujillo now has to rethink how to pay for those additional years of education. The sweeping tax and spending package that President Trump signed into law this month will soon eliminate Grad PLUS, a federal program that allowed students to take out virtually unlimited loans to pay for graduate school. The legislation will place caps on the total amount grad students can borrow, varying by program. The limit is now $200,000 total for students pursuing law and medical programs, which often cost more than that. This cycle, the median four-year cost of attendance for in-state medical students at public institutions is $286,454, while at private institutions, it's $390,848, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Three years of law school costs $217,480 on average, according to the Education Data Initiative. Stafford-Trujillo, a 2023 graduate of Sam Houston State University who is hoping to start medical-school applications next year, said it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. "It's one thing when you're talking about your own merit, right? Because I've worked my butt off and I'm willing to continue working until I am the best student that I could be, but there's nothing I can do about being able to go," she said. |
| What Happened to the Smaller Agencies Trump Tried to Shutter? | |
| Since President Donald Trump took office, he's sought out to downsize the federal government, targeting agencies big and small for closure or deep cuts. From international development and medical research projects to the preservation of historical documents and community service initiatives, it all had to go. Helped by then-ally Elon Musk and his novel Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, Trump laid off thousands of employees and cut off millions of dollars in grant funding. Some of those on the chopping block included the National Endowment for the Humanities, AmeriCorps and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, all of which provide critical funding and support to higher education institutions. Multiple higher education associations and nonprofit groups have since pushed back against Trump's pink slips. But while the advocacy groups have won some relief via the courts, some higher ed experts still worry that in many cases the damage is done, even if the agencies remain standing. "These aren't fringe programs; they're core infrastructure," said Leo Lo, president of the Association of Research and College Libraries. When the Trump administration pulls funding, "even small disruptions cascade, limiting access, service and equity on campuses big and small." |
| Exclusive: NIH to dismiss dozens of grant reviewers to align with Trump priorities | |
| In an unprecedented move, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) will soon disinvite dozens of scientists who were about to take positions on advisory councils that make final decisions on grant applications for the agency, Nature has learnt. NIH staff members have been instructed to nominate replacements who are aligned with the priorities of the administration of US President Donald Trump -- and have been warned that political appointees might still override their suggestions and hand-pick alternative reviewers. The researchers up for dismissal, who are based at academic institutions across the country, were all nominated during the administration of Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, through a process that has been used for decades, but had not yet taken up their positions. The move will leave advisory councils at most of the NIH's institutes understaffed and without a breadth of expertise in making final decisions about which research projects the agency funds. The move throws away all the effort put into vetting those reviewers, says Eric Green, who was director of the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) for more than 15 years, until March, when his tenure was not renewed. |
| University Leaders Reject Republican Attacks on Campus Antisemitism | |
 | Republican lawmakers grilled university leaders on Tuesday over accusations that they failed to do enough to combat antisemitism on their campuses, assertions that the educators strongly rejected. Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which oversees the Department of Education, questioned the leaders of Georgetown University, the City University of New York and the University of California, Berkeley in the latest hearing on campus antisemitism. The three-hour hearing hit familiar notes. Over the last two years, a series of similar Congressional panels have been called in response to a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests over the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Republicans accused the university leaders of fostering an antisemitic climate and failing to rein in professors and students the lawmakers said were antisemitic. Democrats on the committee argued the hearing was part of a crackdown on speech that attempted to scapegoat academia for a broader societal problem. The university leaders, meanwhile, seemed to have learned from the past. They attempted, with apparent success, to avoid the kinds of viral moments that have characterized previous antisemitism hearings and brought down other university presidents. And they tried to walk a fine line. |
| The Texas disaster stirs memories of the dangers facing Mississippians from flooding | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Mississippians are generally a generous and empathetic people. We sincerely feel the pain of others struggling to deal with the suffering of natural disasters and communities that are ravaged by wind, water and unrelenting storms. That Mississippi characteristic is often revealed through acts of self-sufficiency and Good Samaritan service – truckloads of our people, armed with chainsaws, generators, and trailers of drinking water, along with mobile kitchens funded by people of faith in various churches, show up where they are needed. Perhaps over our history, there have been so many instances after hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy rains with flooding and other calamities in which we in Mississippi have needed and received such help. "Thoughts and prayers" are nice and beneficial in their ways, but real help comes in the form of muscle, money, hot meals, and cold drinks. Bill Hardin, a popular former Mississippi State College of Business professor and current dean of Florida International University, was in their vacation home in Hunt, Texas, when the surge of the Guadalupe River swept the home away. Hardin survived, but his wife and daughter were still missing as of Sunday and were presumed drowned. So many accounts of pain and loss have risen from the Texas floods. The sudden brutality of these events is difficult to accept and process, regardless of whether the victims are family, friends, or strangers. In Mississippi, such disasters are sadly part of our DNA. |
SPORTS
| State Student-Athletes Set For SEC Leadership Council Meetings | |
| Four Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to take part in this year's Southeastern Conference Leadership Council meetings in Atlanta on July 17 and 18. Men's basketball's Josh Hubbard and Dellquan Warren, women's basketball's Chandler Prater, as well as football's Isaac Smith will all participate. Attendees include representatives from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Football Leadership Council and Men's and Women's Basketball Leadership Councils. Warren is MSU's SAAC representative. The four Bulldogs will be joined in Atlanta by a host of student-athletes with all 16 SEC universities represented. Over the course of the two-day event, participants will meet with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to discuss topics including SEC governance structure, legislation and name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities. Student-athletes will also have the chance to talk with SEC Chief Medical Officer Catherine O'Neal to learn more about the conference's efforts to keep athletes safe, plus have conversations regarding sport psychology protocols. Other activities will include breakout sessions for the student-athletes' respective leadership councils. |
| Mississippi State football: Isaac Smith promises improved 2025 defense | |
| Mississippi State football had many issues in the 2024 season, but the defense was at the forefront. The unit ranked last in the SEC in multiple statistical categories, culminated by 34.1 points allowed per game. The Bulldogs finished 2-10 in coach Jeff Lebby's first season without winning a conference game. Safety Isaac Smith, who led the SEC with 127 tackles in 2024, promised an improved MSU defense while speaking at SEC media days on July 16. "Everybody on the team, we look really good defensively now," the junior from Fulton said. "We're ready for everybody to see. I think we were dead last in every category last year. But I can promise you, we are putting in the work and we're going to go out there and show everybody." Lebby opted for continuity on the coaching staff. All of the defensive assistant coaches were retained, including coordinator Coleman Hutzler. The Bulldogs added instead, hiring Vincent Dancy as the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach, and former FBS head coaches Paul Rhoads and Mike MacIntyre as defensive analysts. "Coleman's done an unbelievable job with the unit in creating buy-in and belief," Lebby said. "That room, from a staff standpoint, those guys are speaking the same language and there is just a great amount of experience in that room compared to a year ago today, which I think is going to be incredibly helpful." |
| Seven Bulldogs, three commits taken in 2025 MLB Draft | |
| Mississippi State baseball's strong track record in producing Major League prospects continued this weekend at the MLB Draft in Atlanta. The program saw seven players from the 2025 team selected in the draft, including six pitchers from Justin Parker's staff. Parker and new head coach Brian O'Connor will enter 2025 with a mostly bare cupboard due to graduation, transfer departures and draft selections. All three weekend starters were taken in the top 10 rounds. Pico Kohn (Yankees), Evan Siary (Rangers), Karson Ligon (Blue Jays), Luke Dotson (Diamondbacks), Nate Williams (Cubs) and Jacob Pruitt (Phillies) all heard their names called on Monday. Kohn was the highest drafted Bulldog, going 134th overall to the Yankees in the fourth round after a strong year as MSU's Friday starter. He finished with a 5-4 record and a 4.73 ERA while registering 114 strikeouts. In his career he allowed just a .236 batting average against. Hunter Hines (Nationals) was the only MSU position player taken in the draft. He ended his four-year MSU career as the program's all-time home run leader, overtaking Rafael Palmeiro with 70 while posting a .282 career average at the plate with 221 RBI. The seven Bulldogs drafted takes the program's total number of draft picks to 248. |
| How Brian O'Connor's Mississippi State baseball roster was impacted by 2025 MLB Draft | |
| The Mississippi State baseball roster appears to be in good shape for next season after the 2025 MLB Draft. Eleven players tied to the Bulldogs were picked from July 13-14, but not all of them were expected to be on next season's roster anyway. There were plenty of players on the fence, though, and that made it difficult to project what exactly new coach Brian O'Connor's roster would be in 2026. Players picked in the first 10 rounds typically sign pro contracts. Some could still sign as undrafted free agents. Here's why the Mississippi State 2026 roster wasn't hit hard in the 2025 MLB Draft. |
| Mississippi State's Cameron Matthews earns contract with Houston Rockets | |
| Former Mississippi State basketball standout Cameron Matthews has been signed by the Houston Rockets. Matthews, who is a part of the NBA franchise's summer league roster, earned an unspecified contract on Sunday. Two days prior, the 6-foot-7 hybrid player found himself in an altercation with Los Angeles Clippers guard Trentyn Flowers in his professional debut. Matthews ended his career at Mississippi State with a school-record 167 games played. The Olive Branch native is the only player in SEC history to pile up at least 975 points, 850 rebounds, 375 assists, and 250 steals. As a graduate in 2024-25, his stat line rounded out at 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Dating back to 1990-91, only nine other Division I players reached his totals for points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a single season. He was picked up by Houston after not hearing his name in the 2025 NBA Draft. He will now have an opportunity to cement himself as an everyday member of the Rockets' roster in the fall. |
| Greg Sankey calls out 'naysayers' after SEC's College World Series, NCAA Tournament showings | |
| When most fans think about the SEC and sports, their minds jump to football. That's no surprise, but the conference won national championships across nine different sports, including softball, baseball, and men's basketball, which is something that Commissioner Greg Sankey is very proud of. At SEC Media Days, Sankey appeared on SEC This Morning. There, he praised the state of sports outside of football, while also calling out the critics and naysayers of the SEC following the College World Series and the NCAA Tournament. "Outstanding," Sankey said. "I probably would have said that last year as well. But you take basketball. We felt we were going to be good. Just use that term. We thought we were going to have success. I couldn't have predicted the level of success." The SEC had 14 teams make the NCAA Tournament, with Florida eventually winning it all. However, along the way, the conference faced criticism for the number of early-round losses it suffered. In baseball, the SEC faced a similar situation. The conference got more teams in than anyone else, with 13 teams making the Field of 64. Then, there was a poor early showing, but an SEC school, LSU, eventually won it all. At the same time, Sankey is also proud of the success that the SEC has had in smaller sports, often referred to as Olympic sports. There, the conference again found success, including in sports where it traditionally may not be a power. |
| SEC football officials coordinator discusses rule changes, including abrupt movements | |
 | Abrupt coordinated movements by the defense before the ball is snapped are now illegal, the Southeastern Conference's coordinator of football officials explained at the league's annual media days on Tuesday. John McDaid said officials have seen "a lot" of additional action on the defensive side before a play begins, which has increased the number of false starts per game in the last five years. This is not confined to the SEC, either, McDaid said, but an observation shared by his officiating peers across the country. McDaid said officials have been asked to judge pre-snap defensive movement. He showed an example from a Vanderbilt game last season where several defensive linemen shifted to the left before the snap, which caused several opposing offensive linemen to jump early and resulted in a false start. "This is action that has now been written into the rules, codified that it's illegal, it's what we call delay of game defense," McDaid said. "This is not a false start on the offense. The defense cannot simulate action of a snap for the purpose of trying to get his opponent to move prior to the snap." The SEC now has 10 crews both on the field and in the replay booth with a combined 100 officials assigned to stadiums for game days. |
| From rags to riches, courtrooms and SEC success: Vandy's Diego Pavia is still on the way up | |
| Diego Pavia is a gambler. He likes blackjack, enjoys a game of baccarat and loves to play some poker. As it turns out, during his first-ever spin through SEC media days here Monday, he looked the part of a high-roller -- donning a newly purchased and pressed tuxedo, silver wrist watch, gold chain and diamond studs in his ears. Pavia's meteoric rise, from a no-name junior college player to a Bama-beating SEC big shot at Vanderbilt, is an example of college football's great rags-to-riches stories (they are paid now, remember). But his story does not stop there. True to form, the gambling Pavia rolled the dice last year in a landscape-altering lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility rules. In the end, a Tennessee judge granted his injunction by ruling that Pavia's junior college season should not count against his NCAA eligibility, allowing him to extend his college career by a year. Without it, he's not sitting here in this opulent hotel in downtown Atlanta in the midst of a daylong media circuit before television, radio and print reporters. Before a sitdown with Yahoo Sports on Monday, he popped out earbuds and explained that he had been listening to a recording from one of his many interviews earlier that day to "make sure I didn't say anything too dumb," he says with a smile. Pavia didn't say anything dumb. |
| Arch Manning's moment has arrived. Will he help Texas contend for a national title this season? | |
| A few days ago, Arch Manning phoned his father, Cooper, with a question about his appearance here at SEC media days. "Hey Dad," Arch asked, "what am I wearing?" And so, last weekend, as any dad would, Cooper flew to Austin, connected with an acquaintance in the clothing industry and the two of them put together the wardrobe ensemble that the 21-year-old Texas quarterback showed off on Tuesday during this media extravaganza -- perhaps the unofficial public kickoff to Arch's crowning as the Longhorns starter. Cooper refers to the outfit as one befitting a "Southern gentleman" -- a navy jacket over an orange-and-white striped shirt, matching striped tie, khaki slacks, a brown belt and, for a dash of a different color, a light blue pocket square and blue suede shoes. Twinkling on his left lapel, a golden Longhorns pin. "I don't know that it's really a suit," Arch said with a smile. The Arch Suit was born. In the biggest media moment of his career -- more than 1,000 reporters, radio personalities and TV journalists were in attendance -- Arch, infamously an avoider of the spotlight, spun through this media carwash like a seasoned veteran of such events. He smiled, laughed, cracked jokes, even teased reporters and spoke not like the most highly billed first-year starter in the country but a humbled kid just play'n ball. |
| They pulled off huge March Madness upsets. Now they're opting out of revenue sharing | |
| Saint Peter's, Fairleigh Dickinson and Maryland-Baltimore County -- three schools that have taken March Madness by storm at various points in the past decade -- have declined to opt in to college sports' new revenue sharing model. The newly formed College Sports Commission, which oversees revenue sharing following the House settlement, posted a list of schools that have opted into revenue sharing. All members of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are participating, and other Division I schools had to opt in or out by June 30. Saint Peter's, which reached the men's Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed in 2022, did not opt in. Iona and Manhattan, who play with Saint Peter's in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, didn't either. UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson, the only two teams to pull off a 16-over-1 upset in the men's basketball tournament, opted out as well. Fairleigh Dickinson is part of the Northeast Conference, which had just one school -- Long Island University -- opt in. In addition to the costs of sharing revenue directly with athletes, Title IX concerns and scholarship limitations are among the reasons a school might opt out. |
| House subcommittee advances NIL framework for college sports | |
| A House subcommittee on Tuesday advanced legislation that seeks to address recent seismic changes in how college athletes are compensated. The legislation, introduced last week by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., would create national standards for name, image and likeness deals while preempting a patchwork of existing state laws on the topic. It would bar student-athletes from being considered as university employees and carve out exceptions to antitrust law for conferences and the NCAA. The bill advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade on a party-line, 12-11 vote. Democrats on the subcommittee opposed the measure, saying it would transfer power back to the NCAA and impede progress made over the last few years by student-athletes. "We're here today to consider the SCORE Act, but a title like the NCAA Wish List Act would better reflect its true objectives," said Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y. Next the full committee is expected to consider the proposal, which was also referred to the Education and Workforce Committee. Its prospects on the House floor are unclear, but it already has the backing of two Democratic co-sponsors: Reps. Janelle Bynum of Oregon and Shomari Figures of Alabama. |
| Despite criticism, college sports bill codifying NCAA rules clears first procedural hurdle | |
 | A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would codify critical aspects of college sports has cleared its first procedural hurdle -- albeit along party lines, and despite pointed questions about its impact. At a markup hearing on Tuesday, July 15, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade voted to advance the college sports bill -- known as the "SCORE Act" -- to a full committee hearing, moving it one step closer to a potential vote on the House floor. The vote to advance the bill was 12-11, split along party lines. While the outcome of the markup will be welcomed by the bill's proponents, including subcommittee chair Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., it also came with plenty of pushback -- both in the 24 hours prior to the hearing, and during it. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., was among those who spoke out most frequently and ardently against the bill, which includes antitrust protections for the NCAA and federal parameters around name-image-and-likeness (NIL) deals, among a number of other provisions. Trahan, a former college athlete, proposed several unsuccessful amendments to the legislation and expressed concern that, as written, it would put too much power in the hands of the NCAA, at the expense of athletes. "There is no enforcement mechanism. There is no recourse, right now, for states or for individuals. There is a liability shield into perpetuity, with no susnset, no revisiting by Congress," Trahan said of the SCORE Act (Student Compensation And Opportunity Through Rights and Endorsements). |
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