| Friday, July 25, 2025 |
| MSU master's students work to preserve Louisville church | |
 | In the heart of Louisville, a small group of Mississippi State University students is working to preserve a piece of local history. Four graduate students in the Master of Fine Arts in Historical Preservation program have spent the last month researching and documenting Louisville Presbyterian Church to nominate it to the National Register for Historic Places. The project is part of the program's summer field studies course which, unlike seminar and lecture courses, gives students the opportunity for hands-on learning, said Associate Professor Jeff Fulton. "When we put together the program, we decided we wanted a nuts and bolts program rather than a theoretical one," Fulton said. "So one of the reasons we have the field studies class is so the students are actually in the field, measuring, and doing the leg work that they would normally do if they were working in a preservation office, architectural firm or interior design firm." The MFA in Historic Preservation is still relatively new, Fulton said, and saw its first graduating class last fall. Fulton worked with department head Beth Miller to develop the curriculum during the pandemic, and the program officially launched in 2021. Miller said the degree is one of a kind at MSU, and it is one of few like it in the U.S. |
| MSU's MAFES program receives USDA funding to combat plant pests | |
 | The United States Department of Agriculture is funding multiple Mississippi State University-based initiatives in the battle against destructive pests threatening both farms and forests across the country. The USDA is sending approximately $667,000 to the college, which will be allocated to support MSU's Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, which will be pushed toward diagnostic screenings, youth education, and citizen science programs. "This is the first line of defense for invasive insects across the Eastern U.S.," JoVonn Hill, professor and scientist in MAFES, said. "We screen millions of insects each year to protect both agriculture and forests." The Mississippi Entomological Museum, a center within MAFES and home to the third largest collection of insects in the Southeast, is one of two USDA identification labs in the nation. "This funding strengthens our three-part land-grant mission: research, education, and service," Hill explained. "And helps us better protect agriculture and natural resources in Mississippi and across the U.S." |
| FBI's Jackson Field Office announces arrests in Mississippi multi-district operation | |
| A multi-agency effort to crack down on violent, drug-related crimes across Mississippi has netted double-digit arrests. The FBI's Jackson Field Office held a press conference Thursday to announce the arrest of ten people in an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Mississippi Multi-District Takedown operation referred to their Summer Heat Initiative. "By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country," said Clay Joiner, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi. Those arrested in the Magnolia State were charged with possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, officials said. They are Terrance Rush, Gary Wraggs, Tilnorris Macon, Tonnee Holmes, Tyler Tanksley, Darnell Stone, Harvey Savior, Marcus Metts and Austin Snow. The arrests took place in Winston County, said Sheriff Mile Perkins. Agencies involved in the Summer Heat Initiative were the FBI Jackson Field Office, USAO, U.S. Marshal Service, Winston County Sheriff's Office, Louisville Police Department, Starkville Police Department, ATF, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. |
| FBI jumpstarts new initiative to fight violent crime, while voicing a need for better local reporting | |
| FBI Jackson announced Thursday 10 arrests were made and 50 grams of methamphetamines as well as over 400 grams of fentanyl were seized as part of Operation Summer Heat, a national effort to combat violent crime during peak summer months. The federal agency also called for more collaboration from local communities and agencies. Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff said 40% of Mississippi's law enforcement agencies do not provide information to the National Incident Based Reporting System. In 2023, the FBI reported that 73.2% of law enforcement agencies nationwide reported their data to NIBRS. The FBI can only assist agencies where it sees a need. Winston County and the city of Louisville were chosen for a targeted operation due to increased criminal activity. Eikhoff wants local agencies to report data to the national system to understand what "communities are experiencing" and to help become "partners" with federal law enforcement. Although violent crime has decreased over the last three years, the FBI announced the existence of at least 200 gangs operating in Mississippi. They estimate that 20 national gangs are operating in Mississippi today. They include "neighborhood gangs." "These neighborhood gangs, they're younger, they're not driven wholly by the financial gains that you get from the national gangs," said Eikhoff. |
| Jackson police setting renewed sights on violent crime, rampant gang activity | |
| Mississippi's capital city has long stood in a dark, red-hued spotlight marred by bloodshed on its streets. Jackson has worn an unenviable crown of America's highest per capita murder rate since 2021. But violent crime is slowly, yet steadily, dropping in The City with Soul. A new administration under Mayor John Horhn has reignited vigor amongst law enforcement leaders like JPD Chief Joseph Wade. Guardrails that previously stood in the way of proactive policing are being stripped away. Or as Horhn put it at a recent city council meeting, "the handcuffs are off" of his city's force. Wade has held the mantle of Jackson's top cop for nearly two full years since being appointed by former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in August of 2023. The 30-year JPD veteran is the first to admit that quieting the city's streets will be a challenge marked by storms, but aligned cooperation at multiple levels could be a gale force wind in his department's sails. "We've been talking about these things for years," Wade said about initiatives that will boost his department's capacity to fight violent crime. "But now under the leadership of Mayor Horhn, the city council, the state, (Department of Public Safety) Commissioner (Sean) Tindell, (Capitol Police) Chief Bo Luckey, now we're going to bring them to fruition." Wade says there are as many as 30 gangs active within city bounds, a problem that has grown considerably worse in recent decades. A humming underground drug trade and human trafficking market is deeply rooted in Jackson and is largely operated by gang outfits, much like other major cities. |
| 'Crash test dummy': Police chief says Jackson will set tone on enforcing Mississippi homeless laws | |
 | Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade shared that officers will begin mandatory training next week on how to enforce new state laws targeting solicitation, squatters and homeless encampments. The state laws that passed earlier this year and went into effect on July 1 were: House Bill 1197, the "Safe Solicitation Act," which requires those panhandling to get a permit that can cost up to $25 per day; HB 1200, the "Real Property Owners Protection Act", which expedites the process of removing squatters; and HB 1203, which prohibits camping on public property. Violating the policies could result in hundreds of dollars in fines and months-long jail sentences. "I want to make sure our people are properly training as we roll that out because we know this is a major issue," Wade said on Thursday. "I want to make sure that we are not violating anybody civil rights or constitutional rights as we enforce these three new state laws." Wade said while these laws impact all law enforcement agencies from DeSoto County to Harrison County, Jackson police will be the "crash test dummy" as it relates to implementing the legislation. "What I mean by that is as we go out and start enforcing the bill, I'll be the first one to get sued," Wade said. Wade said arresting homeless individuals is not a viable solution to the broader issue, noting the jail system is already "strained." |
| Mississippi Beauty Professionals in Limbo After Senate Fails to Confirm Board Members | |
| More than 50,000 licensed beauty professionals across Mississippi are in regulatory limbo. The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering has had no confirmed members since April, after the state Senate adjourned without approving Gov. Tate Reeves' appointees. The board is currently operating under temporary rules adopted before it lost quorum, but those expire Oct. 1. Without confirmed members, the board can't hold hearings, approve rules or move forward with upgrades -- with the state's licensed cosmetologists and barbers saying they've been left to figure out what to do on their own. "I first found out about everything going on with state board from other hairstylists posting their stuff," said stylist Ally McIsaac. "That's the only reason I found out about it." For stylists like McIsaac, the lack of a functioning board doesn't just create confusion -- it cuts off their only avenue to challenge citations. Executive Director Catherine Bell confirmed complaints are still being accepted but can't be resolved until board members take office. The governor has the authority to appoint a new board at any time. Once appointed, members can begin serving immediately, though they must be confirmed by the Senate in the next legislative session. |
| Doctors noticing AI code errors in records | |
| You may have noticed your doctor using artificial intelligence to help transcribe your office visit, but there are behind the scenes uses of the technology that are raising red flags for both you and the doctors. "There are inherent -- what people are beginning to call -- hallucinations," Dr. Jennifer Bryan explains. "We're used to them in ChatGPT. We hear and see the funny things but it's not so funny when you're talking about human lives and medical care." Dr. Bryan, President of the Mississippi State Medical Association, says AI is built into the electronic records systems. Those systems are where she has discovered there are some issues. "Suggesting maybe diagnosis patterns that are suspected diagnoses," she said. Those have to be accepted, but doctors around the country are discovering those suggestions aren't always rooted in sound clinical evidence. The first issue here is for you. "Patients at home should be checking those portals," Bryan advises. "If you see a diagnosis that doesn't make sense, ask about it or find out where things came from. Chances are we didn't put it there or we didn't know it got put there and if somebody else erroneously puts it in, it's done. It's going to go from institution to institution across the electronic record." |
| Agriculture Department to shift more than half of DC workforce to field | |
 | The Agriculture Department on Thursday said it will relocate more than half of its Washington, D.C., workforce to primarily red-state farm areas as it works to shrink its workforce under the Trump administration. A memorandum signed by Secretary Brooke Rollins said that the reorganization is being conducted in lockstep with the department's effort to get smaller, having already offered employees deferred resignations, voluntary early retirement and voluntary separation incentive payments. The memo states that the department is not conducting a large-scale reduction, but notes that as of Thursday, 15,364 employees have taken deferred resignations. The agency had employed about 100,000 people as of last year. "Focused and limited Reductions in Force will be implemented only if needed," and only after approval by USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden, the memo said. The USDA employs approximately 4,600 people in the area around D.C., which carries federal salary "locality rate," of nearly 34 percent, an adjustment for the cost of living. The department plans to retain no more than 2,000 employees in the region. The five hubs employees will be dispersed have lower cost of living adjustments: Raleigh, N.C., has a rate of 22.2 percent; Kansas City, Mo., has a rate of nearly 19 percent; Indianapolis has a 18.2 percent rate; Fort Collins, Colo., has a 30.5 percent rate; and Salt Lake City has a 17 percent rate. |
| Inside Trump's plan to keep control of Congress in 2026 | |
 | President Donald Trump and senior White House aides in recent weeks have privately, and sometimes publicly, steered Republican candidates in House races in Iowa, Michigan and New York and Senate contests in Maine, Iowa and North Carolina, in hopes of staving off contentious primaries and shoring up swing districts with Trump-loyal candidates. The kingmaker moves are part of a broad White House strategy designed to ensure Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in next fall's midterm elections, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. The president intends to get on the trail in support of Republican candidates and his senior aides are putting together a 2027 policy agenda so Trump can spell out for voters what a continued GOP trifecta would get them. Typically, midterms favor the party that doesn't control the White House and, for Trump, the possibility of Democrats retaking Congress carries risk of not only ending his legislative agenda but also opening congressional investigations into his administration. During the midterms in Trump's first term, Republicans took a shellacking in the House and Democrats broke the GOP trifecta. "I'm sure there's some memories from 2018, but it's all about these last two years of his presidency and his legacy, and he doesn't want the Democrats nipping at his heels all the time for the last two years," said Tony Fabrizio, the president's pollster. |
| Republicans and independents have warmed on Supreme Court since 2022 abortion ruling: AP-NORC poll | |
 | Americans' views of the Supreme Court have moderated somewhat since the court's standing dropped sharply after its ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to a new poll. But concern that the court has too much power is rising, fueled largely by Democrats. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about a third of U.S. adults have "hardly any confidence at all" in the court, but that's down from 43% three years ago. As the new AP-NORC polling tracker shows, about half of Americans have "only some confidence" in the court, up from 39% in July 2022, while a relatively small number, about 1 in 5, have "a great deal of confidence," which hasn't shifted meaningfully in the past few years. The moderate increase in confidence is driven by Republicans and independents. Still, views of the nation's highest court remain more negative than they were as recently as early 2022, before the high-profile ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion. An AP-NORC poll conducted in February 2022 found that only around one-quarter of Americans had hardly any confidence in the court's justices. The partisan divide has been persistent and stark, particularly since the Dobbs ruling, when Democrats' confidence in the nine justices plummeted. |
| Justice Kagan Urges Supreme Court to Explain Itself in Emergency Decisions | |
 | Justice Elena Kagan said Thursday that the Supreme Court was shortchanging the public and lower court judges by failing to explain its reasoning in rulings on cases that come before the court on an emergency basis, including challenges to the Trump administration's efforts to transform the federal government. "I think as we have done more and more on this emergency docket, there becomes a real responsibility that I think we didn't recognize when we first started down this road, to explain things better," Justice Kagan said. "I think that we should hold ourselves, sort of on both sides, to a standard of explaining why we're doing what we're doing." Even two or three pages of explanation, she said, would be helpful -- "to just sort of say, Here's the basic issue, the basic problem that we see. Go fix it." Her comments came during an appearance in Monterey at an annual meeting of federal judges and lawyers from the Ninth Circuit. Speaking in conversation with a federal judge and a lawyer, Justice Kagan focused on the emergency docket and her concerns that the justices' failure to provide the court's reasoning in cases could make it difficult for lower court judges to understand how to apply the decisions and for the public to understand the court's reasoning. Justice Kagan's focus on the trial and appeals court judges was a theme throughout her interview, in which she also addressed rising threats against judges. |
| Public broadcasters game out a future without federal funding | |
 | Public radio and television stations across the country are weighing cuts and possible alternative sources of funding a week after Congress narrowly passed President Donald Trump's bill gutting the entire $1.1 billion in federal funding set aside for NPR, PBS and member stations over the next two years. The rescissions law, which also claws back $7.9 billion Congress had allocated for foreign aid, takes effect on Oct. 1, meaning stations have to immediately address existing employment and programming costs. Member stations that are outside major metropolitan areas and depend most on federal dollars face the toughest, most immediate choices. But the new law poses broader questions about the positives and perils of depending on government funding, and whether other means can fill the breach. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, a longtime public media advocate, warns that the cuts will most impact "those smaller, rural stations that people rely on for emergency alerts, homeland security information, continuing education, and children's programming." |
| Ole Miss, MUW invest in early childhood learning | |
| Two Mississippi public universities recently announced the creation of early childhood learning initiatives to ensure the state's youngest students are reached during the most pivotal years in their development. At the University of Mississippi, more than $30 million in funding will be used to establish a new Early Learning and Evaluation Center. Set to open in 2027, the new center will work to identify learning disabilities in children while also bringing more educational resources to the northern part of the state. Since it will be the new home of the university's accredited preschool, the Willie Price Lab School, it will also provide Ole Miss students with a space for clinical instruction. State Senator Nicole Boyd (R) told Magnolia Tribune she is pleased the center will help address ongoing childcare and development shortages in the state. Through a grant totaling $500,000, the Mississippi University for Women will launch the Wise Early Childhood Project. According to The W, the project will be an early childhood education initiative spearheaded through the university's new Office of Early Childhood under the Center for Education Support. The Office of Early Childhood will utilize the Excel by 5 model which has seen success in various communities around the state. "This initiative highlights The W's dedication to early childhood education by enhancing local services, supporting early educators and giving Columbus and Lowndes County's youngest learners a strong foundation for the future," said University President Nora Miller. |
| Southern Miss announces streamlined scholarship program for PRCC graduates | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi has announced a new scholarship program for Pearl River Community College students looking to continue their education at USM Gulf Park campus. USM and PRCC officials held a joint press conference Wednesday in Long Beach to unveil the new "Coastal Pathways Scholarship," a collaborative effort designed to create a clear and affordable route for PRCC graduates to complete their bachelor's degrees. The scholarship offers $5,000 annually to qualified transfer students from PRCC and is renewed with continued eligibility. Applicant requirements include the completion of at least 60 credit hours with a minimum transfer cumulative GPA of 2.5. Students participating in the program will be able to select from the following majors once arriving to USM: biological sciences, business administration, elementary education, marine biology, marine science, ocean engineering, organizational leadership, psychology, and secondary education. Students must also enroll in at least 15 credit hours per semester, including a minimum of nine hours of face-to-face instruction on the Gulf Park campus, and maintain a 2.5 GPA to keep their scholarships. |
| Here's how Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' will impact Mississippi schools | |
| President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, signed into law earlier this month, slashes social safety net programs that impact schools and children across the nation. The ramifications could be particularly devastating in Mississippi, one of the most federally dependent states in the country. The law limits eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through which about a quarter of a million Mississippians with children receive food assistance. The policy also cuts the federal contribution to Medicaid, the country's largest insurer of children, and creates a tax credit program that doles out private-school scholarships. Another portion of the law in line with education movements in Mississippi: The ability to use federal grants to pay for short-term workforce training. Low-income students who qualify for federal Pell Grants can use a Workforce Pell Grant on certain weeks-long training programs for skilled jobs starting next school year. Scott Waller, president of the Mississippi Economic Council, said the change will have a positive impact in Mississippi, where state leaders have been advocating for more career and technical education opportunities for students. The push comes at a critical time, as Republican state leaders tout the state's economic growth. "Are you getting an education that's tied to employment? That's the key," Waller said. "If that happens, it's going to change the trajectory of a lot of lives in Mississippi." |
| Gov. Jeff Landry says Louisiana will join 6 states creating a new anti-DEI college accreditor | |
 | Louisiana will join other Southern states that are developing a new accrediting agency for public colleges and universities, Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday, echoing a conservative complaint that existing accreditors have imposed liberal values on the institutions they evaluate. Accrediting agencies hold significant sway over universities, which must meet accreditors' quality standards in order for students to receive federal financial aid. Lately, the little-known private agencies have come under fire from conservative critics. In April, President Donald Trump said some accreditors "abused their enormous authority" by requiring schools to meet standards related to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Last month, Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, said the public university systems in Florida and five other Southern states -- Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas -- will create a new accreditor to compete with the "accreditation cartel." On Tuesday, Landry signed an executive order creating a task force to explore adopting that new accreditor, which he said will offer "an alternative to the out-of-touch accreditation system." Higher-education experts say that developing an accreditor specifically to serve public institutions could offer some advantages. But some have raised concerns about college accreditation becoming overly politicized, with politicians wielding the process -- which Trump has called his "secret weapon" -- as a cudgel to reshape higher education. |
| Boozman joins U.S. Senate colleagues on bill addressing physician training, shortage | |
| U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and a bipartisan Senate coalition introduced legislation on Thursday intended to increase Medicare-backed positions in residency programs in hopes of getting ahead of a nationwide shortage of physicians. Boozman, of Rogers, and three other senators are pushing the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act with the intent of raising the number of residency program positions receiving support from Medicare, the federal health care program covering medical care and other related costs. Sens. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, as well as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., joined Boozman in introducing the legislation. The senators cited concerns about a looming physician shortage as the main reason for introducing the legislation. The Association of American Medical Colleges -- a not-for-profit organization representing medical schools and teaching hospitals -- projects the United States will have a shortage of between 13,500 and 86,000 physicians by 2036. Dr. Steven Webber, executive vice chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said a universal issue among health care facilities is the maldistribution of physicians between areas, which could limit rural Americans' access to services. |
| Stroke study at U. of Texas helps answer treatment questions | |
| If you had a stroke and an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, should you start blood thinners to prevent another stroke? And if so, when should those blood thinners be started? For years, doctors only had broad guidelines to answer those questions. They relied on their experiences with previous patients to guide them. "There were no clinical trials, just clinical experience," said Dr. Steven Warach, a vascular neurologist and neuroscientist at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas. Most doctors, he said, agreed that an anticoagulate, or blood thinner, should be started within two weeks of a stroke and preferably before leaving the hospital. Atrial fibrillation, commonly known as AFib, is an irregular heartbeat that can cause clots to form and go into the brain, causing a stroke. About 20% to 30% of all ischemic strokes are caused by AFib, and these strokes can be more debilitating than ischemic strokes not caused by AFib. Then, at an international stroke conference about eight years ago, Warach and his stroke doctor colleagues were talking about when to give blood thinners and realized that four separate clinical trials were underway or about to be launched to answer this question. Instead of doing one large study, they decided to continue to do the four separate studies and then pool the study data together to see if they found similar results. |
| Epstein fallout delays House but Senate is primed to okay NWS, NOAA money | |
| A key House Appropriations hearing that would have determined funding for the National Weather Center and research programs in Norman, including those at the University of Oklahoma, has been postponed indefinitely after Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly recessed the House early amid uproar over the release of sealed Jeffrey Epstein documents. While the House stalled, the Senate's version of the CJS bill has quietly advanced out of committee and is waiting a floor vote. The Senate proposal includes $6.1 billion for NOAA, significantly more than Trump's $4.5 billion request and the House's proposed $5.8 billion, though still a cut from current levels. It also preserves full operational funding for the National Weather Service and staffing concerns that could threaten service reliability. U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Science and Justice, said, "NOAA, and particularly the National Weather Service, is a hugely important component of what this bill funds, and this bill recognizes that importance." NOAA currently provides roughly 20% of the University of Oklahoma's research funding. At the university's Norman campus alone, NOAA supports 73 active projects totaling $274 million, with $28 million spent annually. In total, the agency has contributed to over 240 research projects in the past decade and supports more than 900 jobs in the area. |
| Columbia Struck a Deal to Save Research Funding. How Do Its Researchers Feel About That? | |
 | When Columbia University announced its unprecedented $221-million settlement with the Trump administration, its acting president, Claire Shipman, made clear what was at stake. Since the Trump administration's cancellation of $400 million in federal funding in March, research at the elite private university has been "at a fairly catastrophic point," Shipman told the student newspaper Wednesday night. Under the finalized deal --- higher education's first over the Trump administration's claims of antisemitism on college campuses -- the "vast majority" of Columbia's research funding will be reinstated. In exchange, Columbia will pay $221 million to settle pending Title VI and Title VII investigations. It also agreed to sprawling changes targeting admissions practices and financial dependency on international-student enrollment. Was it worth it? Columbia researchers who spoke to The Chronicle expressed a mixture of relief and frustration over the deal. While many were grateful their work could continue, some worried about the settlement's implications for the rest of the university and higher education as a whole. |
| White House Seeks Payments From Other Universities -- Including Harvard -- After Columbia Deal Sets Precedent | |
 | The White House is seeking fines from several universities it says failed to stop antisemitism on campus, including hundreds of millions of dollars from Harvard University, in exchange for allowing the schools to access federal funding, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal that the Trump administration struck with Columbia University on Wednesday is now a blueprint for negotiations with other universities, a White House official said. Columbia agreed to pay $200 million to the federal government over three years to settle allegations it violated antidiscrimination law and to restore its federal grants. The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the person familiar with the talks said, though it sees striking a deal with Harvard, America's oldest university, as a key target. The White House hopes to extract hundreds of millions of dollars from Harvard, in a deal that would make Columbia's $200 million payment look like peanuts, the person said. The Columbia deal sets a striking precedent in the relationship between the federal government and universities. "We're in a world now where the government can say to all these schools, 'Hey, we're serious, you're going to have to pay the piper to get along with the most powerful organization in the world,'" said Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University in Connecticut. "Which is the federal government." |
| Can Right-Wing Students Deliver a 'Death Blow' to the Democratic Party? | |
 | It is already 93 degrees, but temperatures are rising further outside the Tampa Convention Center -- especially for the young man dressed in a dinosaur costume. Also sporting a Tom Brady Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey, he is loudly debating immigration with another young man in a smart suit on the pavement. Across the street, a handful of protesters face off against a growing number of right-wing influencers with cameras. Inside the building, political strategist Steve Bannon is denouncing billionaire Elon Musk as "evil" while filming a live TV broadcast. Thousands of young college students cheer when border czar Tom Homan threatens to beat up a heckler in the crowd. And a YouTuber leads the audience in a mass "Trump dance party" to the tune of YMCA. Welcome to the Student Action Summit 2025. Organized by youth activist organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the three-day annual conference is billed as the premier event for conservative college students to debate ideas, network and hear from top Republicans. They include Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump Jr. and, of course, Charlie Kirk, who founded the movement as an 18-year-old college dropout. More than 5,000 people attended this year's event in Florida, held July 11–13, and Times Higher Education was there to learn what matters to college conservatives today, what issues are dividing this branch of the MAGA movement, and whether this youthful "red wave" can reshape U.S. electoral politics. |
| 14 Republican senators urge White House to release delayed NIH funds | |
| Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama is sounding the alarm about "the slow disbursement rate" of National Institutes of Health funding included in the March spending bill signed by President Donald Trump. Britt, who serves as chair of the Senate Appropriations homeland subcommittee, led a letter Friday with thirteen of her GOP colleagues to White House Budget Chief Russ Vought, urging the Office of Management and Budget to "fully implement" the stopgap government funding package enacted earlier this year. It's the latest example of Republican pushback against the Trump administration's pattern of withholding money for any variety of programs that lawmakers have previously approved for a specific purpose. The Republican senators stressed in their letter they shared Vought's "commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs." The NIH is the top funder of biomedical research in the country. The University of Alabama is also major recipient of NIH funding and is the top employer in Britt's home state. Among the signers of the letter is Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins of Maine and several other appropriations subcommittee chairs: Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Other signatures are Sens. John Boozman or Arkansas, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Todd Young of Indiana. |
SPORTS
| Matthews, Smith and Brooks feature in NBA Summer League | |
| The NBA Summer League wrapped up its annual stay in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this week, featuring three former Mississippi State hoopers trying to make NBA rosters. Tolu Smith and Cam Matthews both featured heavily in the tournament, starting all five games for their respective teams, the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets. The former Bulldog frontcourt duo are currently on two-way contracts, meaning they are eligible to play for their organization in the NBA on the 12-man roster as well as for the affiliated NBA G League team. Smith was a Summer League All-Star in 2024 and made an impact again for the Pistons this year, averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds while starting all five games in Las Vegas. He twice scored 16 points in wins against the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Matthews and Smith are both eligible to return to their respective G League teams. Brooks is still contracted with his team in Europe and has yet to sign with the Pistons beyond the summer roster. Preseason training camp for NBA teams begins in September, and the regular season starts on Oct. 21. |
| USM rolls out game day enhancements ahead of 2025 football season | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is making major changes to the game day experience at The Rock. This is just in time for a football season that's expected to draw some of the largest crowds in recent years. With seven home games on the schedule, including a highly anticipated season opener against Mississippi State on Aug. 30, university leaders say they're focused on improving safety, efficiency, and the overall fan experience. "Our goal is to make sure that this heightened season that we've got ahead of us, that we can get people in and out safely and efficiently," said Spencer Bridges with USM Athletics. "More people than we've had in this stadium in a long time." One of the most significant changes involves tailgating. This year, all tailgating must end at kickoff, a new rule aimed at encouraging fans to head into the stadium for the start of the game. However, the policy states that a limited number of people will be allowed to remain behind at tailgating tents to watch over their belongings. "It will be a situation we have to judge each tailgate by what we have," said USM Police Chief Rusty Keyes. "But it's not going to be anything that is unmanageable, and that we'll be able to work through it and keep everybody safe and secure." USM leaders also hope to create a more centralized hub for students on Game Days. That's why this season, students have a designated tailgate area at Spirit Park. |
| SEC's Greg Sankey trolls Big Ten, James Franklin | |
 | Greg Sankey is in mid-season form. The SEC commissioner trolled Penn State coach James Franklin and the Big Ten with simple post on X. "Greetings from the other conference," he posted. The reference was to Franklin's comments at Big Ten Media Days earlier this week when he referred to the SEC as the other conference when talking about the hurdles of having the conference's preseason press conferences in Las Vegas. Franklin, who once coached at SEC member institution Vanderbilt, delivered a subtle jab. Sankey countered with a stiff uppercut. If you go to the judge's scorecards, the round goes to the SEC commish. "I think that other conference, when they have their meetings, there is essentially a press conference every single day at the end of the meetings," Franklin said in reference to the SEC. "It keeps people talking about that conference at a time in the year and it makes them relevant. We're not doing that. We need to be talking about the Big Ten and our programs and the things we have done and make it as accessible to everyone as we possibly can, and connecting with the fans. And don't misinterpret what I'm saying. I think Vegas is a special place, and I think they run events as well as anyone. But it's a different feeling." |
| NCAA basketball tournament expansion growing more unlikely for 2025-26 season due to 'logistics' | |
| Any expansion of the NCAA basketball tournaments is growing more unlikely for this upcoming season, according to executives in the sport. During a speaking engagement at the National Press Club on Thursday, NCAA president Charlie Baker confirmed comments earlier this week from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips that any expansion of the men's and women's tournaments would be "tough" to do for 2025-26. "I think that's a reasonable statement," Baker said. He pointed to the "logistics" involved with any expansion. The NCAA basketball selection committees -- responsible, along with the basketball oversight committees, for making any expansion decision -- met earlier this month where committee members learned that expansion, if approved, would most likely start in 2026-27, multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting told Yahoo Sports. The comments from Baker and Phillips further advance that notion. However, during an hour-long address to the National Press Club, Baker continued to speak in favor of expanding the tournament to 72 or 76 teams to grant access to more worthy participants, such as those left on the bubble. "There are every year some really good teams that don't get to the tournament for a bunch of reasons," Baker told the crowd. "One of the reasons is we have 32 automatic qualifiers (for conference champions). I love that and think it's great and never want that to change, but that means there's only 36 slots left for everybody else. I don't buy the idea that some of the teams that currently get left out aren't good. I think they are. And I think that sucks," he continued. |
| Trump signs order to clarify college athletes' employment status amid NIL chaos | |
| President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA's name, image and likeness era. Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules "that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics." The order does not provide or suggest specifics on the controversial topic of college athlete employment. The move comes after months of speculation about whether Trump will establish a college sports commission to tackle some of the thorny issues facing what is now a multibillion-dollar industry. He instead issued an order intended to add some controls to "an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season." "Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist," Trump's order says. "It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly." |
| Trump signs executive order aimed at bringing order to college sports: Here's what it means | |
| President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that is intended to bring order and stability to college sports, though NCAA and conference leaders still stressed that federal legislation is needed to address myriad issues schools and athletes are facing. The order was announced by the White House a day after it became apparent Congress was still a ways away from passing a bill to help regulate college sports and the way athletes can be compensated. The SCORE Act, which would help regulate college sports and how athletes are compensated by schools, made it through two Republican-led House committees on partisan lines Wednesday. No college sports bill has ever gotten so far. The move clears the way for a possible vote on the House floor when Congress returns from summer recess, but with little Democratic support, its chances of passing the Senate are dim. "We appreciate President Trump's commitment to protecting the future of college athletics," the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC and Pac-12 said in a joint statement. "This executive order builds on the momentum created by the bipartisan SCORE Act, which will provide long-term stability to college sports and expand resources to support the overall well-being of student-athletes. We hope Congress sends federal legislation to President Trump's desk as soon as possible." |
| Donald Trump signs order, seeks to clarify NCAA athletes' employment status | |
| President Donald Trump has directed members of his Cabinet to develop a plan in the next 30 days aimed at preserving college sports opportunities and preventing college athletes from becoming professionals, according to an executive order he signed Thursday. Trump's order sets out specific guidelines for preserving athletic scholarships based on an athletic department's annual revenue. It also declares that schools should not permit athletes to accept "third-party, pay-for-play payments." The order states that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon should use future federal funding decisions among other tools to force schools to abide by the administration's policy. Steve Berman, one of the co-lead plaintiff attorneys in the antitrust settlement, criticized Trump for trying to intervene. "Plain and simple, college athletes don't need Trump's help, and he shouldn't be aiding the NCAA at the expense of athletes," Berman said last week. "... As a result of our case, college athletes are now free to make their own deals. For Trump to want to put his foot on their deal-making abilities is unwarranted and flouts his own philosophy on the supposed 'art of the deal.'" |
| Alabama AD Greg Byrne 'applauds' Donald Trump for college sports executive order | |
 | Greg Byrne is pleased with the executive order on collegiate athletics issued by President Donald Trump July 24. The Alabama athletics director issued a statement Thursday night applauding Trump for his stance on creating a national standard for Name, Image and Likeness in the NCAA in what the White House coined "saving college athletics." "The University of Alabama applauds this executive order from President Trump to help ensure a long-term, sustainable model of intercollegiate athletics," Byrne posted on social media. "We are proud of our broad-based athletics programs and strongly support future regulatory and congressional action that will preserve these opportunities for student-athletes." According to the executive order fact sheet, the White House stated it would seek to preserve and support "expansion of opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women's and non-revenue sports." In June, the House vs. NCAA settlement paved the way for collegiate programs to share revenue with its athletes. Byrne said the share of revenue at Alabama will be distributed based on "revenue generation." |
| Nike Saban says Trump's executive order is 'huge step' for college athletes | |
 | Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said that the new executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which seeks to clarify the employment status of collegiate athletes, is a "huge step" in the creation of more opportunities for players. Saban appeared on "Fox & Friends" the day after the order to give his take. Trump's order mandates the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board come up with a plan in the next 30 days to stop athletes from becoming professionals amid the chaos that has reigned in college sports since the implementation of players being able to monetize off their own name, image, and likeness. "The executive order provides a huge step in providing the educational model that has always been what we've sort of tried to promote to create opportunities for players, male and female alike, revenue and non-revenue, so that they can have development as people, students and develop careers and develop professionally if that's what they choose to do," Saban said. Trump's executive order, questions the "balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist," "It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my administration will take action accordingly," the order said. |
| Trump signs executive order to 'protect' college sports | |
| President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to prop up college athletics by limiting programs' ability to steer money toward sports like football and basketball at the expense of others. The order, which comes amid lawmakers' heightened interest in having Washington play a role in regulating student-athletes, cast the current state of college sports in apocalyptic terms. It claims that recent litigation has cumulatively chipped away at the NCAA's ability to police athletes, and has threatened the viability of women's sports and so-called Olympic sports like gymnastics as more money flows to athletes in revenue-generating programs and schools attempt to lure highly prized recruits from high schools or other colleges. It is not immediately clear how the White House intends to enforce such a directive, but the Trump administration has been aggressive in pushing its agenda on universities before, such as its efforts to bring colleges to heel for their handling of campus antisemitism. Trump's executive order comes hours after Charlie Baker, the head of the NCAA, said such action would be largely insufficient to address the structural issues with the collegiate sports industry. "Our focus for now really needs to be on trying to get this stuff dealt with through the legislative process because that, at the end of the day, is really the only vehicle we feel can deal with those issues," he said at the National Press Club in D.C. |
| President Trump's executive order on college sports: Here's what it actually means | |
| On Thursday morning in the nation's capital, NCAA president Charlie Baker spoke to a few dozen members and guests of the National Press Club -- an operation located in Washington's downtown, just a short walk to the White House. Just hours later, the association's years-long fight for federal intervention in college sports received, perhaps, a boost from the man living just a few blocks away. President Donald Trump released his long-awaited executive order related to college athletics, announcing in a five-page order titled "SAVING COLLEGE SPORTS" that he is directing members of his cabinet to create policy around several aspects of the industry that protect the NCAA and conferences from enforcing and creating rules to govern it. But what exactly does Trump's executive order mean? What will it change, if anything, about college sports' athlete compensation and transfer environment? The short answer, at least for now, is not very much. The longer answer is ... well ... there are still questions. |
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