| Thursday, September 11, 2025 |
| MSU selected as finalist in National Academies' Gulf Futures Challenge | |
 | A Mississippi State University proposal to use cutting-edge tools to promote healthy marine life and enhance water quality in the Gulf Coast region is a finalist for a $20 million prize from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Gulf Research Program and Lever for Change. According to the school, MSU's proposal to the Gulf Futures Challenge brings together partners with key expertise to develop new tools to better understand and track perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances -- commonly known as PFAS -- so that communities, resource managers and health experts can make informed decisions along the Gulf Coast. The MSU-led team is one of 10 finalists receiving an initial project development grant of $300,000. Two finalists will be selected to receive $20 million each to implement their solutions. Narcisa Pricope, MSU associate vice president for research and economic development and team lead, explained that understanding PFAS levels in the Gulf is critical as chemicals from a wide range of industrial sources can impact waterways that flow into the Gulf. |
| SOCSD, MSU agree to partner in planning new Starkville High | |
 | The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District board on Tuesday approved a memorandum of understanding with Mississippi State University, agreeing to partner in planning for the new Starkville High School. While the purpose of the MOU is to outline the two entities' "mutual goals" and "anticipated responsibilities for funding, planning, constructing and operating" the high school, it is unclear on what level MSU will actually be involved. Superintendent Tony McGee said the MOU reflects an agreement between the two entities to locate the new SHS on the north edge of its campus on the same property as Partnership Middle School. As for other details, he said those will come with further discussion. "It does leave some talking points for us to engage in as we go forward, but it gives us that first step," McGee told The Dispatch after the meeting. |
| Randy Travis' More Life Tour comes to MSU Riley Center | |
 | Country music fans can enjoy a night to remember when Mississippi State's Riley Center welcomes Randy Travis' More Life Tour to Meridian on Thursday, Sept. 25. This concert experience, which starts at 7:30 p.m., brings together Randy Travis, his original touring band, and special guest vocalist James Dupré for a celebration of Travis' legendary music like never before. Fans will hear timeless hits such as "On the Other Hand," "Forever and Ever, Amen," "Three Wooden Crosses," and more, all brought to life by Dupré, a gifted singer-songwriter and former contestant on NBC's The Voice. Since Travis' near-fatal stroke in 2013, Dupré has carried the torch as the lead vocalist for the More Life Tour, honoring the singer's legacy while the Country Music Hall of Famer greets fans and shares the stage with the musicians who helped shape his iconic sound. Morgan Dudley, director of the MSU Riley Center, said, "It's a rare and exciting opportunity to experience Randy Travis on stage again. With his original band and James Dupré performing his iconic songs, it promises to be a night when fans can truly celebrate his legendary music." |
| Mary Means Business: Rural King to hold soft opening Sept. 18 | |
| Rural King officials confirmed the farm supply store at 2308 Hwy. 45 will host its soft opening Sept. 18. Less than a year after its October 2024 announcement, the retailer prepares to open its doors to customers. The Rural King representative said they plan to have the grand opening later this month, Sept. 26. Also in Columbus, Wallace Brain and Spine hosted its ribbon cutting Tuesday at 102 Brickerton St. Clara Wallace Walker announced her new chiropractic clinic earlier this month on social media. Clara wasn't the only Walker with good news this week. Her husband, Hagan, announced his company Glo's recent ranking in Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. Fast Company is a business-focused magazine that ranks the most innovative companies, next big things in tech, brands that matter and more. Glo ranked No. 2 on the 100-business list announced Tuesday. Walker co-founded Glo in 2015 for a Mississippi State class project, creating liquid-activated drink cubes. Now, the Starkville-based company creates sensory toys and is valued at $50 million. |
| Master plan, lot prices unveiled for Burns Bottom's Parkview | |
| The first phase of the Parkview development in the former Burns Bottom neighborhood, which will include 28 lots for single-family homes, is projected to begin construction in 2026. Friendly City Development leaders, Nic Parish of the Burns Group and Saunders Ramsey of Live Adelaide LLC, spoke with Columbus community members Tuesday night about the group's plans at the development's launch event at Rosenzweig Arts Center. "We will not use the word subdivision. This is not a subdivision," Ramsey said at the Tuesday night event. "... This is a neighborhood (and) we want to enhance what you've already done in Columbus." The Parkview redevelopment project is the culmination of a decade-long effort by the CRA, which purchased the lots in the Burns Bottom Renewal District -- between Third and Fourth Street and Second and Seventh Avenue North -- to prepare the site for development. The hope now as the Friendly City developers prepare for the first phase is that as word spreads and the lots sell that the area can become something special for Columbus, Parish said. |
| Mississippi to have Rose Parade float for second year in row | |
| For the second year in a row, the state of Mississippi will participate in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day. Visit Mississippi, the state's tourism arm, announced Wednesday that its 2026 Rose Parade float will be titled "Mississippi: Where Creativity Blooms." After the 2025 float was solely focused on musicians who hail from the Magnolia State, the new float will give parade-goers and TV viewers a broader sense of all the different artists who have called Mississippi home. The centerpiece of 'Mississippi: Where Creativity Blooms' will feature Kermit the Frog, representing Mississippian Jim Henson's Muppets. Adding to the artistic flair, Mississippi native and country music star Charlie Worsham will perform live on the float, accompanied by dancers, bringing the state's artistic excellence to life," a press release stated. The design, according to Visit Mississippi executive director Rochelle Hicks, is a perfect homage to the creative side of the state that has produced the most Grammys per capita in the U.S., Pulitzer Prize winners, and even a Nobel Prize when William Faulkner won it for literature in 1949. |
| Domtar shuttering Grenada paper mill, impacting more than 150 employees | |
| Paper mills have been under significant pressure in recent years. Across the Southeast, eight mills have closed their doors, and Mississippi has certainly felt that impact. Domtar will be shuttering their Grenada mill later this month, resulting in the loss of jobs for more than 150 employees. The company said the mill will close indefinitely in mid-September as it makes "ongoing efforts to align its operations with current business conditions." A company spokesperson said they recognize the impact the closing will have on employees, their families, and the local economy. Domtar is working to connect affected workers with career transition resources and other support programs. "The reasons are clear -- declining demand for traditional paper products," said Casey Anderson, executive director of the Mississippi Forestry Association. The industry, she said, is evolving. |
| US inflation worsened last month as the cost of gas, food and airfares jumped | |
 | Inflation rose last month as the price of gas, groceries, hotel rooms and airfares rose, along with the cost of clothes and used cars. Consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up from 2.7% the previous month and the biggest increase since January. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, the same as in July. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The reading is the last the Fed will receive before its key meeting next week, when policymakers are widely expected to cut their short-term rate to about 4.1% from 4.3%. Still, the new inflation data underscores the challenges the Fed is facing as it experiences relentless pressure from President Donald Trump to cut rates. |
| The American Farmers China Is Using as a Trade-War Bargaining Chip | |
 | In just a few weeks, U.S. farmers will begin harvesting tens of millions of tons of soybeans. But they have a big problem on their hands: The world's biggest buyer doesn't want any. Over the years, China had become one of the biggest buyers of American agricultural products, as the country's growing middle class developed a taste for pork and poultry that are fattened, in part, on soybean meal. U.S. farmers in turn rushed to cash in on China's ravenous demand. But now, soy has emerged as a potent weapon that Beijing is wielding in its trade fight with Washington. Chinese buyers haven't booked any U.S. soybean purchases, turning instead to Brazilian suppliers. Around this time last year, American soy farmers had already booked large purchases from Chinese buyers, said Jim Sutter, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. Chinese negotiators have suggested that China would buy more U.S. soybeans as part of talks aimed at ending a trade war that erupted earlier this year after the Trump administration slapped stiff tariffs on Chinese imports. But Beijing has insisted that the administration first drop the 20% tariff the U.S. has imposed over China's role in the fentanyl trade, say people familiar with the matter. Washington is reluctant to do that until Beijing takes serious measures to crack down on the trade in chemicals used to produce fentanyl. |
| Ag roundtable meeting coming to Brookhaven | |
 | Brookhaven will be the site of one of five roundtable meetings held around the state between December and March to discuss ways to strengthen Mississippi's agriculture industry. The meeting in Lincoln County is set for Feb. 4. Other meetings are scheduled in Stoneville, Hattiesburg, Verona and Jackson. Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson recently announced plans for developing the Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi Strategic Plan following the initial meeting of the newly appointed F.A.R.M. Council. The F.A.R.M. Plan, recently established by Gipson to strengthen Mississippi's agriculture industry, focuses on locally driven policies and action items that support producers, strengthen markets, protect resources and improve quality of life in rural Mississippi communities. Gibson warned that agriculture is in a time of crisis nationwide. |
| 'Dark day for America': State leaders condemn shooting of Charlie Kirk, ask for prayers for his family | |
| State leaders are pouring out their support for a conservative political activist who was gunned down at an event Wednesday in Utah. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a Turning Point USA rally at Utah Valley University. Gov. Tate Reeves calls this "a truly dark day for America." "Charlie Kirk led discussions -- debating in good faith with his political opponents. He didn't have a cruel or violent bone in his body. He was the perfect example of what civil political engagement should look like," he wrote. Rep. Michael Guest, a Republican, said he and his wife were "heartbroken" to learn of Kirk's death. "Charlie was a husband, father, and a leader in the conservative movement whose influence will live on long after his death," the Congressman wrote on social media. "We pray for his family and for law enforcement as they seek to arrest and bring to justice the gunman who was responsible for this heinous crime. May God bless the family of Charlie Kirk. The Mississippi Republican Party also asked for prayers, saying, "There is no place for political violence in America." |
| 'Disagree Better' governor is now pleading with Americans to stop hating each other | |
 | Last week, during an event at the National Press Club, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore quoted a common rule for governors: "If you have not faced a tragedy," Moore said, "just give it a second. Yours is on its way." Moore's tragedy was the Key Bridge collapse last year, he said. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, sitting next to Moore, shook his head and offered his condolences. "I haven't had to face anything quite like that," Cox noted. That tragedy for Cox came Wednesday afternoon, when conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, thrusting Cox's state into the national spotlight. The Utah governor offered a forceful rebuke Wednesday evening, calling it a "political assassination" and vowing justice against the killer. But he also made an emotional plea, noting the assassination of a Democratic Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in June and the attempted killings of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, and President Donald Trump. "Our nation is broken," he said, pleading that "all of us will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans." Cox, the second-term Republican governor of Utah, has made such efforts at depolarization the central theme of his governorship. |
| Lawmakers react to assassination of Charlie Kirk | |
 | A moment of silence for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot in the neck Wednesday at an event in Utah, devolved into frustrated shouts on the House floor Wednesday. Moments of silence, while not unusual in the House for tragedies, are typically undisturbed. But this time, as it ended, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said from the floor that "silent prayer gets silent results" and asked about a spoken prayer. This spurred House Democrats to begin yelling, with Republicans responding with shouts of their own. The calls from Democrats on the floor were comments critical of the Republican Party's opposition to laws aimed at reducing gun violence. "Pass some gun laws," one Democrat yelled. Kirk, 31, was shot at an event at at Utah Valley University in the city of Orem. Speaker Mike Johnson, speaking before the moment of silence, decried the shooting. "Political violence has become all too common in American society, and this is not who we are," the Louisiana Republican said, adding, "We need every political leader to decry the violence and to do it loudly." |
| In Trump's White House, Charlie Kirk's killing is deeply personal | |
 | The West Wing was a place of wet eyes on Wednesday as shocked White House officials processed that Charlie Kirk, the firebrand conservative activist and for many a personal friend, was in critical condition and then pronounced dead. Kirk, 31, who succumbed to a gunshot to the neck while speaking on a Utah college campus, was on a first-name basis with an entire generation of White House officials, a cadre of twenty- and thirtysomethings who came of political age in the era after President Donald Trump first took office and who now occupy some of the country's most powerful positions. Many of them have credited Kirk with Trump's reelection and their own paths to political engagement. While he was a divisive figure who taunted the left with anti-trans, anti-feminist and anti-affirmative action rhetoric, Kirk was the leading voice of young conservatism in America, tirelessly spreading his gospel on college campuses with help from wealthy donors since he founded Turning Point USA when he was just 18. The White House was transfixed Wednesday as administration officials absorbed what had happened. |
| Political Violence Has Become a Terrifying Fact of American Life | |
| The killing of the conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, as he spoke Wednesday to university students on a Utah campus, is the latest evidence that political violence is now a frequent and terrifying fact of American life. From President Trump, who was targeted in two assassination attempts last year, to lawmakers, judges and local elections officials, violence is now a continuous threat for public figures across the country. The shooting of Kirk is poised to drive a divided nation even further into its partisan silos, amplifying the animosity between the political parties. "It's 'us versus them' on steroids," Lilliana Mason, a Johns Hopkins University professor who studies political identity, said of the American political landscape. She added: "It's not just a matter of us having political power versus them having power. It's us surviving versus them surviving." Last year, nearly 9,500 threats and concerning statements were leveled against Congress members, families and staff, and the Capitol complex, up from about 8,000 the year prior, the U.S. Capitol Police reported. In 2017, the number was less than 4,000. Judges and prosecutors have also been targeted. Compared with 2021, threats against federal judges doubled to 457 in the fiscal year that ended in September 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service has said. Political disagreements have grown to the point where each party feels that losing an election means more than losing a policy debate; it means one's way of life is at risk. |
| 'War Is Here': The Far-Right Responds to Charlie Kirk Shooting With Calls for Violence | |
 | Minutes after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at an event in Utah on Wednesday, far-right influencers and extremist communities lit up social media with calls for violence against the left. Kirk, the cofounder of the conservative youth organizing group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed while taking questions at a TPUSA event held at Utah Valley University. Law enforcement officials said late afternoon Wednesday that a "person of interest" was in custody, but that individual was later released. No motive has yet been reported by authorities. Despite this, many far-right influencers and Republican officials immediately blamed the left for carrying out the shooting. In some extremist groups, members called for civil war and violent retribution. "This is a war, this is a war, this is a war," said Alex Jones, the influencer and school-shooting conspiracy theorist, during a livestream on his Infowars channel. Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist who popularized the demonization of critical race theory, suggested in a post on X that the "radical left" was responsible for the shooting, and urged the US government "to infiltrate, disrupt, arrest, and incarcerate all of those who are responsible for this chaos." For extremist researchers who closely track these groups, the immediate and unified response to the death of Kirk is particularly worrying. |
| Drone Barrage Over Poland Was a Test for NATO, and the U.S. | |
 | The flock of Russian drones that entered Poland from Belarus on Tuesday night and Wednesday was a sharp reminder of how easily the war in Ukraine could set Europe ablaze. Europe is a continent already on edge. Russia is militarizing, spending nearly 7 percent of its gross domestic product on the military and training schoolchildren in basic martial skills. There is widespread uncertainty about precisely what President Trump's commitment to Ukraine, NATO and European security really means. Polish, Ukrainian and many Western officials believe the Russian drone barrage was intentional, although Russia sent conflicting messages about that, and the top general of its ally Belarus said the drones had veered off course. But in any case, Russia got important intelligence for the future, testing and revealing NATO's readiness and responses to any incursion. With Mr. Trump downgrading American financial and military support for Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia may be trying to test American responses, too, said Max Bergmann, director for Europe and Russia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. |
| Inside NATO's Scramble to Shoot Down Russia's All-Night Drone Raid Over Poland | |
| Just before midnight on Tuesday, NATO sensors scanning for hostile aircraft spotted drones infiltrating Poland's eastern border from Ukraine and Belarus. Fighter pilots from the military alliance were already in the air preparing to lock on and shoot them down. What unfolded over the course of the night marked a moment in North Atlantic Treaty Organization history: the first time its warplanes engaged Russian aerial weapons over an alliance member's territory. "This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told lawmakers in the hours afterward. NATO surveillance planes and jet fighters are regularly deployed above Poland when large attacks on Ukraine threaten to spill over into allied territory, but the direct engagement marked a significant escalation in the game of cat-and-mouse between Russian drones entering alliance airspace and NATO aircraft sent to deter them. |
| Student, armed man with ski masks charged after EMCC threat | |
| A threat that sparked a lockdown Tuesday evening at East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle in Mayhew has since resulted in two arrests. Sheriff's investigators are still working to determine if there is any connection between the two suspects. Ethan Vick, 18, is charged with making terroristic threats, a felony. Michael Frierson, 23, is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both suspects are from West Point. At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, EMCC police notified the sheriff's office of a threat it received through the campus Chatbot system, a messaging platform designed to assist students with questions related to classes and campus life. The threatening message, later traced to a phone belonging to Vick, who is a student, read, "I'm coming to shoot up the school," according to a sheriff's office press release. "This was a dangerous situation that could have had tragic consequences, " Hawkins said in the press release. "Thanks to the quick actions of EMCC Campus Police and our deputies, we were able to intervene before any harm came to students, faculty or staff." |
| Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dead after campus shooting in Utah, weeks before a planned stop at Ole Miss | |
| Conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk died following a shooting during a university appearance on Wednesday afternoon, just weeks before a planned stop at the University of Mississippi. The incident occurred at Utah Valley University during a live Q&A session under a tented area marked with banners from TPUSA's "American Comeback" campus tour. According to eyewitnesses and footage circulating on social media, a single gunshot rang out while Kirk was responding to questions from students. In the video, Kirk is seen clutching his neck as blood pours from the wound. Kirk had been scheduled to speak at the University of Mississippi on Oct. 29 inside The Pavilion as part of the same American Comeback tour. The event was being jointly hosted by the TPUSA chapter at Ole Miss and The Declaration of Independence Center for the Study of American Freedom. The Declaration of Independence Center posted on X, asking people to pray for Kirk and his family. |
| Registered Student Organizations Grapple With Uncertain Funding | |
 | Registered student organizations are uncertain whether they can hold events or produce programming this fall after Provost Noel Wilkin announced last month that the University of Mississippi is closing access requests for the Student Activity Fee. As part of their tuition, UM students pay $2 per credit hour to fund the SAF. The university indicates that a new plan for RSO funding will be announced soon. "The university is working with student leaders to create a plan for student programming that will serve our student body and uphold our commitment to having student events and activities this semester. We expect to be able to share those plans soon," UM Director of News and Media Relations Jacob Batte said in an email to The Daily Mississippian on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Director of Communications John Sewell emphasized that the programming funded will be consistent with state and federal law, wherever that stands. |
| UMMC opens walk-in clinic | |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center is offering a walk-in clinic on Friday nights geared toward potential sports-related injuries. An injury clinic offering full sports medicine evaluation and on-site radiology services will be open Friday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Colony Park South location in Ridgeland. The specialty clinic treats an array of sports injuries, from football to cheerleading, Dr. Derrick Burgess, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, said. "During the entire football season, we are open late for our pediatric patients so that they can have the convenience of being seen by a sports medicine physician immediately after their injury," Burgess said. "This allows parents and athletes to avoid going to the Emergency Department on Friday night." The availability of walk-in care leads to faster diagnosis and treatment, Burgess said. "Early diagnosis is key to getting children and athletes safely back to play," he said. |
| Endowment boosts Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship fund | |
 | The Jennifer Payne Leadership Scholarship Endowment has been established at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). The gift will support the Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship Program. According to USM officials, Leadership Scholars are selected based on their demonstrated leadership and engagement. "My husband and my father-in-law know how much Southern Miss means to me. My father-in-law is a Southern Miss grad, and it's really special that he and I share that bond. I mentioned to them both on multiple occasions that when the time was right, I wanted to be able to do this for a future student," said Jennifer Payne, whose husband, Abb, and father-in-law, W.A. Payne, made the gift in her honor. USM officials said the establishment of the Jennifer Payne Leadership Scholarship Endowment supports the broader effort of the USM Foundation to raise $30 million to endow the Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship Program in perpetuity. |
| Local expert gives parents advice on talking with college students on substance abuse | |
 | With college and university students returning to campus, there is one conversation that may be needed. Substance abuse, whether alcohol or drugs, is becoming all too common in the college-aged group, said Dr. Linda Vasquez, DREAM of Hattiesburg executive director. "We as a culture have highlighted the party culture in our universities," Vasquez said. "Many students think, 'I've never been to a tailgate, but I want to fit in,' and alcohol is available. "Most of it boils down to a student wanting to fit in with their peers." Vasquez said talking with college-bound students was important. Talk to them," she said. "Work together as a family. Make sure you are giving students expectations and norms." Students also need to set goals and then take responsibility for their decisions. "Remember your purpose, why you want to do that, and how substance abuse can hinder you from getting there," she said. |
| Viral video of comedian's exit at Tougaloo College sparks investigation | |
| A viral video showing comedian Charleston White storming out of a panel discussion at Tougaloo College has led to an investigation into the event's approval process. In the video, White is heard making disparaging remarks about Historically Black Colleges and Universities and African Americans. "What would cause him to react that way in front of an audience (of) HBCU students, Black students of his own kind?" Jadarrion Woodard, a Tougaloo student, asked. Another student, Aznii Welchlin, expressed her disapproval. "I feel like it was disrespectful, not only to the students, but to the campus, as well," Welchlin said. The Monday morning discussion in Warren Hall focused on academic perspectives on snitching and hip-hop discourse. Students reported that White stormed out after someone challenged his perspective. Tougaloo College is investigating the incident after President Donzell Lee said in a statement that the approval process for the event was not followed, and three days before the gathering, administrators denied an attempt by the organizers to get approval for the location to hold the discussion. |
| A gross national TikTok video trend is going viral at LSU. It's unclear whether it's real. | |
 | College towns across America are facing a stream of viral TikTok videos, some with hundreds of thousands of views, depicting anonymous students urinating on campus landmarks and signage. Now, Baton Rouge has its own "LSU Leaker," responsible for multiple POV-style videos showing a liquid being sprayed on campus building signs and on the ground near Memorial Tower. The videos flooded LSU TikTok last week, with the first being posted on Friday and receiving nearly 150,000 views. A copycat account began posting similar videos Wednesday, with signs at the Electrical Engineering building, Mary Coleman Herget Hall and Robert L. Himes Hall being targeted. In a statement to The Advocate, an LSU spokesperson could not confirm if the incidents involved actual urine or if there is any serious effort to find the students responsible. |
| 'It's a tragedy': Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk dead after speaking at Utah Valley University | |
| Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is dead at 31. Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University Sept. 10 at approximately 12:20 mountain time when he was fatally shot from within the crowd. Kirk visited UT's Knoxville campus in March on his American Comeback Tour, drawing a large crowd to the HSS amphitheater and sparking political debate from students. William Maher, a sophomore electrical engineering major who spoke with Kirk in March, said his reaction to the news "was horror. I couldn't believe this man I had just talked to was a victim of something like that. ... I don't believe anyone should be subjected to a death like that. It's a tragedy." Students expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding Kirk's murder. "No matter who it is that's speaking, whatever they're believing, we should have the freedom to speak, you know, on what we think is important," Logan Graff, a third-year civil engineering student, said. "This could have happened here, when he was here." |
| Texas A&M professor fired after viral video disputes termination | |
| Melissa McCoul, the professor fired by Texas A&M University on Tuesday for allegedly not changing her course content to match its description, is disputing her cause for termination and exploring legal options, according to a statement her attorney sent to The Texas Tribune on Wednesday. McCoul's attorney Amanda Reichek said the listed reason for termination was that she failed to change her course content to align with the catalog and course descriptions despite numerous instructions to do so. However, Reichek countered that McCoul's course content was consistent with the descriptions, and she wasn't instructed to change her course content. She had also been teaching the course for multiple years at that point with no difficulty. McCoul has appealed the firing and is exploring legal action, Reichek said. |
| Texas Professor Fired After Accusations of Teaching 'Gender Ideology' | |
| Texas A&M University swiftly fired a lecturer and removed two administrators after a student filmed herself arguing with the instructor that a children's literature course broke the law because the coursework recognized more than two genders. The student cited President Trump, who has signed an executive order saying his administration would push for the recognition of only two genders. After the video taken by the student was posted on social media, Republican politicians in the state, including the governor, demanded quick action from the public university, accusing the instructor of "blatantly indoctrinating students in gender ideology." Amanda L. Reichek, a lawyer for Dr. McCoul, said she was "never instructed to change her course content" before being fired. "In fact, Dr. McCoul taught this course and others like it for many years, successfully and without challenge," Ms. Reichek said in a statement. "Instead, Dr. McCoul was fired in derogation of her constitutional rights and the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of higher education in Texas. She has appealed her termination and is exploring further legal action." |
| OU Turning Point USA, politicians condemn fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk | |
| The University of Oklahoma's Turning Point USA's president and political leaders condemned Wednesday's fatal shooting of conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk. Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University Wednesday afternoon. Kalib Magana, president of Turning Point USA's OU chapter, visited the OU Daily newsroom shortly after Kirk was shot -- before news emerged that his injury was fatal -- and called the shooting despicable. Reached again after Kirk's death was confirmed, Magana told OU Daily he knew Kirk personally after working with Turning Point for three years and was emotional at the news. "He loved everybody who he surrounded himself with. He really made everybody who contributed to his organization (feel) heard," Magana said. "He inspired me to take action and fight for what I believe in." Magana said Turning Point USA had hoped to host Kirk on OU's campus later in the fall. Magana criticized violence as a response to political differences. |
| Charlie Kirk's killer blended in on Utah university campus, and a high-powered rifle is recovered | |
| The sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing one shot and has not yet been identified, authorities said Thursday in disclosing they recovered a high-powered rifle. The shooter appeared to be of "college age" and is believed to have blended in on the university campus where Kirk was shot, authorities said as they investigated the latest act of political violence to befall America. "I can tell you this was a targeted event," said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City. Kirk was killed with a gunshot from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking Wednesday. Federal, state and local authorities were working what they called "multiple active crime scenes." Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political youth organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, at the Sorensen Center courtyard on campus. Utah Valley University said the campus was evacuated after the shooting and will be closed until Monday. |
| Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk Killed at Utah Valley University | |
 | Charlie Kirk, the young founder of Turning Point USA, a campus-focused conservative organization that rose to general prominence on the right, died Wednesday after he was shot during one of his group's events at Utah Valley University in Orem. Kirk, 31, leaves behind a wife and two children. He first rose to prominence in 2012 after creating Turning Point and speaking out about the need to reform higher education. In recent years, he became a close ally of Donald Trump. Kirk died doing what he had become known and drawn protests for: visiting college campuses and sharing his right-wing views. He was at Utah Valley kicking off Turning Point's The American Comeback Tour, which planned at least 10 stops on college campuses across the country. Trump ordered U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff. UVU officials said in a statement that they were "shocked and saddened" by Kirk's death. "We firmly believe that UVU is a place to share ideas and to debate openly and respectfully," the statement said. "Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here." |
| Fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk raises questions about campus security | |
| The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus Wednesday raises questions about what security measures were in place to protect him and students attending the event. UVU police Chief Jeff Long briefly addressed that question at a news conference hours after the tragedy. "We're devastated by what happened today. This is a police chief's nightmare," he said. Kirk spoke sitting under a pop-up tent at the bottom of a tiered outdoor amphitheater in the center of campus surrounded by buildings. Long said six police officers were working the event along with plain-clothes officers among the crowd he estimated to be about 3,000 people. He didn't specify the number of undercover officers. The UVU police force, he said, is "small" and covers a large campus with 40,000 students. Kirk also had a security team at the event, the chief said. "They do this all over the country. We all know that. This is not uncommon for them. They're very comfortable on campuses. I was coordinating with his lead security guy and we worked together," Long said. |
| Charlie Kirk's Killing Silences a Conservative Voice. His Movement May Grow Louder. | |
 | The fatal shooting on Wednesday of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who galvanized a pugnacious political movement deeply critical of higher education's leftward tilt, immediately registered with professors and others as a historic moment that will jolt already-intense debates about free speech, civil discourse, and political polarization on college campuses. Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, a right-wing group that for years has skewered and targeted liberal professors, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. His violent death during a campus event, at which he was an invited speaker, easily conjured the darkest of possible narratives about hostility toward conservative voices on college campuses -- even as the shooter's motives and facts about what exactly transpired remained uncertain. Ruth Braunstein, a sociology professor at the Johns Hopkins University who writes about political extremism, said the Kirk shooting is bound to be interpreted as a validation of Turning Point USA's central grievances. "The fact that he was shot while speaking on a college campus is in some ways the scenario that the organization talked about as a threat to free speech for the past decade --- right-wing voices were being silenced and activists were being persecuted for their views," said Braunstein, who works at the university's SNF Agora Institute, a group that supports inclusive dialogue and civic engagement. |
| Education Department Ends Grant Funding Worth $350 Million for Minority-Serving Colleges | |
| U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced Wednesday that she was halting $350 million in federal funding for some of America's most diverse colleges and universities, saying programs aimed at supporting specific enrollment requirements for minority students were inherently racist. "Stereotyping an individual based on immutable characteristics diminishes the full picture of that person's life and contributions, including their character, resiliency and merit," Ms. McMahon said in a statement, adding that the Education Department would seek to "re-envision" the grant programs to continue supporting "underprepared or under-resourced students." Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that the decision showed the Trump administration was "putting politics ahead of students simply looking to get ahead, and is sowing chaos in our nation's schools." The $350 million was the total of seven grant programs aimed at supporting minority enrollment in science and engineering programs, strengthening predominantly Black institutions, Asian American- and Native American-serving colleges, and developing Hispanic-serving institutions, according to an Education Department news release. |
| NIH Cuts Mean Job Losses in College Towns | |
| Some college towns would lose thousands of jobs if the National Institutes of Health implements President Trump's drastic proposed budget cuts, according to new economic projections published by the Brookings Institution last month. "Overall, the broader labor markets in which recipient institutions reside could benefit from NIH funding," said the paper, which used federal data to examine the relationship between local labor markets and NIH funding. "Cutting that funding may be detrimental to the community." In 2024, the federal agency spent $26 billion of its $47 billion budget on research grants to more than 500 higher education institutions or their affiliated research centers. The paper found that about 80 percent of the NIH's budget goes to cities where universities with large medical facilities account for a significant share of the local economy. |
| The assassination of Charlie Kirk presents a turning point opportunity | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: Charlie Kirk sat under a tent in Orem, Utah. Before him, a sea of college students from Utah Valley University, as well an assortment of fans and critics from near and far. An estimated 3,000 people gathered for the show. Prior to the event's start, Kirk tossed out hats for his "American Comeback" tour and interacted enthusiastically with audience members. The mood was joyful. Now, he found himself in a familiar position, fielding questions and inviting debate on a myriad of political and social issues. Twenty minutes in, everything changed. A shot rang out. Contemporaneously recorded video from onlookers showed a bullet strike the right side of Kirk's neck and exit to the left. Anyone unlucky enough to come across those videos saw a devastating wound, almost immediately identifiable as fatal. (It was one of the worst things I've ever seen & I wish I had not). Kirk collapsed. Panic ensued. ... Kirk was just 31-years-old. He had a wife and two small children. They are left without a husband and dad. In his short life, he built the most influential conservative organization on college campuses in America, earned the trust and admiration of a sitting president, garnered millions of followers, and offered an unapologetic defense of his faith, traditional social values, and conservative principle -- at least as he saw them. Now Kirk's tragic death offers a chance at national introspection about the nature of political discourse and how we view people who think differently than us. |
SPORTS
| What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Alcorn State | |
| Mississippi State football is back at home on Saturday for a visit from Alcorn State. It's another nonconference matchup, and one the Bulldogs are very likely to win comfortably, but it's also an opportunity for head coach Jeff Lebby and staff to work through the playbook and test personnel who might not otherwise get on the field this season. With injuries in key areas, it's also a good time to get live game reps for players who will have to step up into key roles over the rest of the season. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 2-0, with the last result a 51-7 win in 2013 at Davis Wade Stadium. The only other meeting was a 49-16 home win for MSU in 2010. |
| Thompson Living Out A Fairy-Tale Football Life | |
| In the middle of chaos, there was quiet. It was a few moments after Mississippi State took down No. 12 Arizona State last Saturday night. Wide receiver Brenen Thompson, not long after he'd made himself a Bulldog legend with his game-winning 58-yard touchdown reception, held his wife McKenzie's hand and knelt to pray in the south endzone of Davis Wade Stadium while thousands of MSU fans wildly celebrated a historic win on the field. "I like to pray before and after every game, win or loss," Thompson said. "We give all the glory to Him...Yeah, I'm just blessed. I'm beyond blessed." Thompson unquestionably has so much to be thankful for. In many ways, he's living out a fairy tale. |
| Bulldogs building on positive start from receivers | |
| Brenen Thompson equalled a career best for touchdowns in a season when he hauled in the pass from Blake Shapen to put the Bulldogs ahead in the final minute against Arizona State last Saturday. The 58-yarder, his second-longest career reception, made it two scores on the year, and also put him just 16 yards shy of his previous best for yards in a season. At 13 receptions, he is just six short of his past single-season best in that category as well. Simply put, Thompson is getting his shot at being a true WR1 through two games at Mississippi State, and he is making the most of it. "Obviously, there's a lot of film and preparation that goes into that," Thompson said after the game of winning his matchups. "Ultimately, just going out there and doing my job, winning my one-on-ones, and I feel like I did that tonight." |
| Volleyball: State Extends Winning Streak In Five-Set Thriller Over Duke | |
| Mississippi State volleyball extended its winning streak to seven with a five-set win over Duke Wednesday evening. State played in its first five-set match of the season, after dropping the second and fourth sets to the Blue Devils. State outscored Duke 15-10 in the fifth set to clinch the victory in the Showdown at the Net. The Bulldogs earned 57 kills, with four players entering double-digits. Lindsey Mangelson led the squad with 15, and Mele Corral-Blagojevich followed close behind with 13. Seven out of the 10 Bulldogs who played scored in the night's match-up, with four scoring double-digits. Mangelson led the team with 17 points. The Bulldogs will return to action in the Southern Miss Invitational this weekend, taking on Mercer on Saturday and the hosts on Sunday. The match against Southern Miss will be available to stream on ESPN+. |
| LSU's Brian Kelly: SEC coaches unified on new portal dates | |
| SEC coaches expressed support Wednesday for the proposed move of college football's transfer portal window from December to January, arguing it's the best option even if it conflicts with the College Football Playoff schedule. "I'm sorry, there's no crying on the yacht," LSU coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday during the weekly SEC teleconference. "I mean, we gotta get this thing set and [in] its best position at this time to allow us to set our rosters moving forward." Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that he was not a fan of the proposal to open the transfer portal window on Jan. 2, 2026, for a 10-day period immediately following the CFP quarterfinals. Day is concerned about the difficulty of assembling a roster for next season while still competing in the playoff. He said he believes a majority of Big Ten coaches and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti agree with him. Kelly said his fellow SEC coaches are unanimous in their support of shifting to a January portal period. "I've talked to many that believe across the country this is the progress that we need to make," Kelly said. |
| OU executive associate AD Leah Beasley joins Penn State | |
| Leah Beasley, the University of Oklahoma's executive associate athletic director for external engagement, has taken a deputy AD position at Penn State, the school announced Tuesday. Beasley joined OU's executive leadership team in May 2022 and played a central role in shaping the department's external strategy during the Sooners' transition into the Southeastern Conference. She oversaw communications, creative strategy and facility project management, digital strategy and revenue innovation, licensing, marketing and fan engagement, external NIL, SoonerVision, ticket operations and sales and strategic partnerships with Learfield. Before coming to Norman, Beasley spent nearly a decade at Mississippi State, where she finished as deputy athletics director. She began her career at Louisiana Tech as an Assistant and Associate Athletic Director, her alma mater, where she was a four-year softball letterwinner. |
| College Sports 'House of Cards': Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to Pass SCORE Act | |
| College sports has experienced its own episode of House of Cards this week on Capitol Hill. Ahead of a potential vote to pass the SCORE Act in the House of Representatives next week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), as well as other House Republicans and NCAA/conference lobbyists, have been pushing hard to ensure they have enough votes to pass the bill, sources tell Front Office Sports. It's unclear at this point whether the SCORE Act would pass the House. Not just Scalise, but the entire lobbying apparatus ... is working overdrive," one congressional aide tells FOS. Since 2019, the NCAA and power conferences (including the Pac-12) have spent millions on Capitol Hill lobbying for a law that would allow them to keep college athletes' status as amateurs and win back control to set and enforce rules in college sports. The overarching goal of the NCAA and conferences is to gain antitrust protections that would allow them and the new College Sports Commission to enforce rules around compensation, transfers, and eligibility without fear of lawsuits. They also seek a federal standard for NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals overriding state laws, and a guarantee that athletes would never be university employees. The SCORE Act satisfies those demands. It also puts in place new regulations for agents, minimums for how many sports programs a school must sponsor, and codifies the revenue-sharing terms of the House v. NCAA settlement. The bill made it through two committee markups along party lines before the August recess. |
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