| Monday, September 29, 2025 |
| Starkville police could be first to try MSU's new drone | |
 | Missions for first responders can range anywhere from search and rescue to aiding during natural disasters. These dangerous and difficult situations often put first responders in the middle of the action to help where they're needed. What if first responders could get a leg up by using drones to assess the situation from a safer distance? Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Laboratory's recent research efforts testing the Aurora Flight Sciences SKIRON-X, an unmanned aircraft system, is seeking to answer that question. Developed by Aurora Flight Sciences, the SKIRON-X drone design and on board system allows for vertical takeoffs and extended flight time, which provides improved surveillance capabilities for first responders. "The value of the system is an ability to, specifically when we're talking about law enforcement, emergency response and those types of efforts, ... get in and collect more situational awareness information to be able to achieve a mission," Raspet Director Bryan Farrell told The Dispatch. "... What you often hear about (unmanned aircraft systems) usage is it does the dull, dangerous and dirty (work), and so it's a tool that can achieve those missions more safely and reliably than otherwise." |
| MSU Cuts Ribbon on Coastal Forest Research Center | |
 | Mississippi State University leaders and partners gathered Tuesday for a ribbon cutting at the Wolf River Coastal Forest Research and Education Center. The center celebrates the land that will help protect water quality, provide wildlife habitat, and fill a gap in watershed conservation efforts along the Mississippi Coast. The Coastal Forestland property spans 14,000 acres across parts of Harrison and Hancock Counties and is now under strategic management by MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center. The ribbon cutting brings to life a decades long vision for a major restoration project in the Wolf River Watershed which empties into the Mississippi Sound at the Bay of St. Louis. |
| Mississippi 4-H'er's successes in 4-H Kayak and Fishing Club opens opportunities | |
 | Patience. Self-discipline. Respect for life. Appreciation for the outdoors. When children learn to fish, they grow up sharpening these important life skills, and the popular Mississippi 4-H Kayak and Fishing Clubs are teaching young people all over the state how to succeed in fishing---and in life. Charlie Sanders started 4-H, which is delivered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, at 8 years old in the 4-H Shooting Sports program in Oktibbeha County; he competed in archery and several other disciplines until he was 12. Then, in 2023, a new county Extension agent, Thad Moody, introduced the state's new 4-H Kayak and Fishing program. Charlie, now 15, was a member from the start. "I had fished and kayaked since I was able to walk; I got my first kayak at 4," he laughs. "I was learning new things, and I started fishing a lot. We met at a lot of different lakes all over the area. Thad would also take us 4-H'ers to residents in the county who had overstocked ponds help them manage the ponds. Breann Keowen, current Extension agent in Oktibbeha County, leans on Charlie's expertise and encourages him to take on leadership roles with the local Kayak and Fishing Club. "He's helped maintain the program, and the younger 4-H'ers look up to him," she says. "He's dedicated and always willing to try new things. He loves bass fishing, and he's super patient with the young 4-H'ers. He walks them through step by step, and they look up to him." |
| This is the 'most beautiful' garden in Mississippi, HGTV says. Here's where to find it | |
 | HGTV recently chose the best garden in each state based on "colorful flower beds, inventive landscaping and inspiring art." Mississippi's Crosby Arboretum in Picayune was chosen as the "most beautiful" garden in the state, according to HGTV. The 700-acre garden stood out for the arboretum's Pinecote Pavilion, a Mississippi landmark designed by E. Fay Jones and built in 1986, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. The structure "seems to float above a pond," according to HGTV. Affiliated with Mississippi State University, the Crosby Arboretum includes more than 300 indigenous trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses, according to the arboretum's website. It was originally a strawberry farm but was transformed to an interpretive center for native plants after 1978 in memoriam of L.O. Crosby, a civic leader and philanthropist who was passionate about nature. Now, the arboretum is the Southeast's premier native plant conservatory with a 104-acre native plant center. |
| Department of Psychology Alumni Day awardee: Dr. Daniel L. Gadke '06, M.S. '09, Ph.D. '12 | |
| The Illinois State University Department of Psychology will recognize Alumnus of the Year: Early Career awardee Dr. Daniel L. Gadke '06, M.S. '09, Ph.D. '12, on Alumni Day, Friday, October 17. A professor at Mississippi State University (MSU), Gadke will present a talk titled "From Redbird to Bulldog: Lessons in Leadership, Research, and Impact" from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in 551 DeGarmo Hall. Gadke is a professor of school psychology, serving as department head of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations; and associate dean for Research in the College of Education. A licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst, he co-founded MSU's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Gadke earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Illinois State University and completed his postdoctoral training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. |
| Unity Park committee calls for honoree nominations | |
| The Oktibbeha County Unity Park Committee has honored 14 outstanding county citizens who have worked to bring more civil rights and unity to the community since 2018. Their names are now permanently placed on plaques on the Unity Park Wall of Honor, along with Douglas L. Conner, Martin Luther King, Governor William Winter, Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer. This year, the Unity Park Committee is again requesting nominations of other citizens to add to the wonderful collection of names that can be seen on the Wall of Honor and read about on the Unity Park website and Facebook page. The nominations are being accepted all year, but the deadline is Nov. 1. At that time, the committee will select two 2026 Unity Park Honorees, who will be honored at a special ceremony in 2026. The committee is urging people to again nominate someone for this great honor. |
| Two charged following Tuesday night robbery | |
| A Starkville couple have been charged following an assault and robbery in the central part of town. A report of a physical altercation in the street on Westside Drive brought a response from Starkville police on Sept. 23, around 8:45 p.m. According to reports, a woman assaulted a victim with a weapon and took another individual's wallet. Zyria Kennedy, 24, of Starkville, was arrested just after midnight the same evening at a Starkville residence and charged with aggravated assault and robbery. During the arrest, Peruzo Duck, 47, of Starkville, was also arrested, charged with felony possession of a cocaine. Neither suspect is a stranger to law enforcement. Kennedy was convicted of felony shoplifting in 2024 and has an extensive criminal history with the Starkville Police Department. Duck has previous convictions for possession of a controlled substance and burglary in 1997, as well as possession of a controlled substance in 2011. He also has other pending felony charges unrelated to this incident. Both individuals were transported to the Oktibbeha County Jail. |
| For third month in a row, Americans are spending more than they're making | |
| Along with the headline August personal consumption expenditure data, new personal income and spending data came out Friday: For the third month in a row, Americans have been spending more than they're making -- and saving less, too. In an ideal world, you want to be making more than you're spending. But in reality, that's not always how it works. What do households do when they see the prices for things they're buying going up? Betsey Stevenson, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan, said often, they'll keep buying what they're used to buying and just dip into savings or pull out a credit card to do it. "You know, you go to the store and you got your ingredients list for dinner, and now the prices are higher," she said. "And you know, cognitively, do you want to, like, rethink your entire dinner right there on the spot at the grocery store? Or do you just buy the stuff and then rethink your dinner for the next week?" Lately, many Americans are spending down savings and putting more on credit cards. Michael Linden, senior policy fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, said that is not sustainable. Especially with the labor market slowing. "You can only finance your consumption through credit for so long. Credit is good as a bridge," he said, but not as a long-term solution. |
| Walmart CEO Issues Wake-Up Call: 'AI Is Going to Change Literally Every Job' | |
 | Walmart executives aren't sugarcoating the message: Artificial intelligence will wipe out some jobs and reshape its workforce. Now the country's largest private employer is making plans to confront that reality. "It's very clear that AI is going to change literally every job," Chief Executive Doug McMillon said this week in one of the most pointed assessments to date from a big-company CEO on AI's likely impact on employment. His remarks reflect a rapid shift from just months ago in how business leaders discuss the potential human cost of the technology. Companies including Ford, JPMorgan Chase and Amazon have bluntly predicted job losses associated with AI. Some have advised other employers to prepare their workforces for change. Some jobs and tasks at the retail juggernaut will be eliminated, while others will be created, McMillon said this week at Walmart's Bentonville headquarters during a workforce conference with executives from other companies. "Maybe there's a job in the world that AI won't change, but I haven't thought of it." At the Bentonville confab, executives from Bank of America, Blackstone and other employers sought to emphasize that, with the right training opportunities, employees could weather the AI storm. Essential human qualities, like the ability to connect with others and develop meaningful relationships, would become even more important, they said. |
| China weaponizes ag imports to target Trump and US farmers | |
 | As the clock ticks down on President Donald Trump's deadline to seal a trade deal with China, a top U.S. farming industry is becoming collateral damage -- again. Trump launched his tariff war earlier this year expressing confidence that China's reliance on the U.S. market would force Beijing to accept trade terms that benefited American businesses and consumers. Six months after the president's "Liberation Day" tariffs and weeks from the Nov. 10 White House cutoff for a trade pact between the two countries, U.S. soybean farmers are learning that China -- long the predominant market for their product -- doesn't need them anymore. China has not purchased any U.S. soybeans since May, according to the American Soybean Association. Beijing has pivoted to suppliers in Brazil and Argentina -- logging huge orders for Latin American beans and leaving U.S. farmers in the cold and panicking. The dramatic shift echoes China's response to the tariff war during Trump's first term when the value of U.S. soybean exports plunged to $3.1 billion in 2018 from $14 billion in 2016. China's move to stop buying U.S. soybeans underscores how Trump's ambitions to use aggressive tariffs as a lever for better trade deals with Beijing have repeatedly backfired. The Chinese government has responded with counter-tariffs, an array of non-tariff trade retaliation tactics, export restrictions on critical minerals and has now slammed the brakes on a key U.S. agricultural export sector that faces potential ruin if Chinese buyers stay away. |
| Xi Is Chasing a Huge Concession From Trump: Opposing Taiwan Independence | |
| Having set the stage for a year of high-level engagement with the Trump administration, Xi Jinping is now chasing his ultimate prize, according to people familiar with the matter: a change in U.S. policy that Beijing hopes could isolate Taiwan. As President Trump has shown interest in striking an economic accord with China in the coming year, the people said, the Chinese leader is planning to press his American counterpart to formally state that the U.S. "opposes" Taiwan's independence. Since coming to power in late 2012, Xi has made bringing Taiwan under Beijing's control a key tenet of his "China Dream" of national revival. Now, well into an unprecedented third term, he has repeatedly emphasized that "reunification" is inevitable and can't be stopped by outside forces -- a reference to Washington's political and military support to Taipei. Xi is no longer satisfied with the U.S. position adopted by the administration of President Joe Biden that Washington "does not support" Taiwanese independence, the people said. That statement reassured Beijing but didn't deviate from the U.S.'s strategically ambiguous "One China" policy, which acknowledges Beijing's claim over Taiwan without endorsing it. For Xi, the difference between not supporting Taiwan's independence and explicitly opposing it is more than semantics. It would signal a shift in U.S. policy from a neutral position to one that actively aligns with Beijing against Taiwanese sovereignty -- a change that could further cement Xi's hold on power at home. |
| Amid court review, Trump says tariff revenue can aid farmers | |
 | President Donald Trump said Thursday he would use tariff revenue to provide aid to farmers, but his promise may be premature as the Supreme Court considers whether he has the constitutional authority to set the levies. "We're going to take some of that tariff money that we've made, we're going to give it to our farmers, who are, for a little while, going to be hurt, until it kicks in, the tariffs kick in, to their benefit," Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office. The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan group, estimated this month that the tariffs will increase tax revenue by $171.7 billion in 2025 -- provided the Supreme Court doesn't find them illegal. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in November on whether the president has the authority to levy the tariffs. Critics say tariffs are a tax and only Congress has the authority to raise taxes. House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., described U.S. agriculture as "devastated" in a statement about Trump's tariff proposal. "President Trump is right to support them and step in to provide a bridge to the enhanced farm safety net policies in HR 1, which will kick in next year," he said referring to the bill that became the reconciliation law. "I'm committed to working with the Trump Administration to support farmers and rural America during critical economic times." |
| US justice department to examine rising cost of farm inputs, says farm secretary | |
| The U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division will work with the Department of Agriculture to look closely at the rising cost of agricultural inputs like fertilizer and seeds under a memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday, said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The goal of the joint effort is to "protect American farmers and ranchers from the burdens imposed by high and volatile input costs, such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment and other essential goods," Rollins said at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. The DOJ will scrutinize competitive conditions in the agricultural marketplace, including antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition, Rollins said. Rollins previously said the USDA is examining high fertilizer costs and exploring options for farmer relief. The U.S. farm economy is saddled this year with low crop prices and trade disputes. |
| Agriculture secretary announces major crops purchase, antitrust efforts at Kansas City conference | |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Thursday plans to boost American farmers by purchasing millions of bushels of crops. In an effort to increase American exports, the USDA will purchase 417,000 metric tons of commodities immediately to support the international food aid programs. That's equivalent to more than 16 million bushels of corn and sorghum. Rollins made the announcement during a speech that earned a standing ovation at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Missouri, where she outlined the Trump Administration's efforts to aid a struggling farm economy. "The cost of doing business for our farmers has increased drastically while commodity prices have slipped," Rollins said. The large purchase would benefit America First International Food Assistance programs, the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program and Food for Progress, which rely on U.S.-grown crops. Rollins outlined a series of dire economic challenges facing farmers and ranchers in the United States, blaming the Biden administration for inflation and policies that "all but ignored the needs" of farmers. |
| Trump to Host Last-Ditch Talks to Avoid Government Shutdown | |
| President Trump has agreed to meet in the Oval Office with the four top congressional leaders, setting up dramatic last-minute talks just as Republicans and Democrats are bracing for a government shutdown within days that could also involve a fresh round of firings of federal workers. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, ahead of an expected redo of a Senate vote that will determine whether Congress will keep the government funded beyond Tuesday. House Republicans narrowly passed a bill this month that would fund the government into late November and add millions for security for lawmakers and other officials, but Democrats blocked that measure in the Senate and sought bipartisan negotiations on healthcare funding. The meeting will include House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) along with their Democratic counterparts, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.). Republicans cast it as a last chance for Democrats to get on board with the GOP's proposal for a seven-week funding patch, while Democrats said Republicans owed them talks. |
| An Entire Generation of Americans is Turning on Israel | |
| President Donald Trump is often at his most frank when he plays pundit, and so it went with his recent musings about Israel's war with Hamas and the political fallout. "They had total control over Congress, and now they don't," Trump told the Daily Caller in an interview published earlier this month, referring to Israel. "They're gonna have to get that war over with. ... They may be winning the war, but they're not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them." Trump's not wrong about Israel's increasingly tattered international reputation. In just the last few days, Canada, the U.K. and Australia became the newest countries to recognize the state of Palestine. The U.S.-Israel relationship is also facing more scrutiny than ever before, with a rising number of lawmakers who once jostled to portray themselves as staunchly pro-Israel growing deeply critical. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest moves to launch a ground offensive in Gaza City, target Hamas leaders in Doha and deny evidence of widespread famine in the besieged strip are only further fueling the uproar. Despite all that, the reality is that little is likely to change in Washington, at least for now. But that won't last forever. Public polling makes clear that generational change is coming that is set to reshape U.S. policy toward Israel in fundamental ways. On both the left and the right, young Americans are growing more skeptical of offering unconditional U.S. support to Israel. |
| Hairston concerned new specialty school could 'starve' MSMS | |
| While Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science no longer appears to be included in the plans for a new Starkville High School campus, Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston said this is "not a victory lap" for the pro-Columbus side of the relocation debate. "It's not over until ... Sine Die," Hairston told The Dispatch on Friday, referring to when the legislation session will adjourn next spring. District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, confirmed Thursday the current SHS plans do not include MSMS, but could eventually pair with "an engineering or cybersecurity-type" specialty school in its place. That specialty school "possibly" could be residential, he said. Roberson also confirmed he will pursue legislative funding for the project, though he has not determined the exact amount. Hairston said Roberson's comments didn't dispel any fears he has about MSMS being relocated because any move will require action from lawmakers during the legislative session, which doesn't start until January. While SBE recommended the legislature approve MSU's plan for operating MSMS, lawmakers did not address the matter in the last session. |
| New USM Air Force ROTC commander is 2007 Southern Miss grad | |
 | The new commander of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps detachment at the University of Southern Mississippi is no stranger to the school or the Hattiesburg community. Lt. Col. Michael Palmore was a cadet in USM's Air Force ROTC Detachment 432 and a 2007 graduate of USM. Palmore became commander of Detachment 432 this semester. Since 2007, he's served as a missile instructor, a teacher at officer training school and worked at The Pentagon in nuclear command and control and communications. Palmore also will command the Air Force ROTC detachment at Jackson State University. "Twenty-one years ago, I saw somebody taking (the USM ROTC) job, earning this job, and it's been a goal I've been working toward ever since then," Palmore said. "So, 18 years after commissioning, I've finally made that first goal that I truly, really had." |
| JSU students team up with West Jackson church for neighborhood cleanup | |
| Jackson State University students joined forces with a West Jackson church and neighborhood leaders this weekend to help clean up the community. Instead of sleeping in Saturday morning, dozens of JSU students spent the day picking up trash in neighborhoods surrounding the campus. "As students at Jackson State, we're in this community -- so why not help clean up and make it a better place?" said Krista Martin, a JSU student. Another student, Taniya DeGrate, said the effort was about showing pride in their environment. "Sometimes you have to be the one to pick up the trash and make your environment look more beautiful. Like the slogan says, 'Keep Jackson Beautiful,'" DeGrate said. The cleanup was led by St. Luther Missionary Baptist Church in partnership with Keep Jackson Beautiful and local neighborhood associations. While the volunteers made a visible impact, the city still faces challenges from illegal dumping and abandoned properties. Students said efforts like this show how individuals can help make a difference. |
| Without COVID waiver for licensure exams, teachers in 'critical shortage areas' are struggling again to get certified | |
| Jennifer Allen has wanted to be a teacher since high school. She admired her social studies and English teachers especially. After four years studying elementary education at Delta State University and a full-time teaching position in a local district her senior year, she felt she had cleared all the important hurdles to becoming a certified teacher in Mississippi. But then came PRAXIS, a series of tests that nearly every teacher in Mississippi must take to become a certified teacher. "It made me second guess a career that I fell in love with," she said. "Much of what I learned over the four years of college is not in the practice material." She's not alone. In roughly half of public and private universities with education programs, 50% or more of students do not pass at least one section of the PRAXIS exam on their first try. Some students even opted for more classes at school to bypass having to take the test, which would mean an additional $1,200 for Allen. The Board of Education implemented a waiver during the pandemic to allow students to be certified without taking the PRAXIS, but that waiver ended in December 2021. Students graduating as late as December 2023 took advantage of the waiver. Now university education departments, school district officials and teachers are struggling to re-adjust to a more rigid path to teacher licensure. |
| UGA's plan to demolish Legion Pool drawing opposition, just like last time | |
 | What happened 13 years ago in Athens looks like it could happen again. The University of Georgia this week announced that it plans to demolish Legion Pool and replace it with an amphitheater and additional parking. But in the wake of the news, community members who say Legion Pool is historically important to Athens are once again forming an opposition to the plan. In 2012, UGA also planned to demolish the pool, but the controversy only died when Michael Adams, who was then president of UGA, announced he was withdrawing the plan. Prophetically, Adams wrote in a letter, "We will save this issue for another day." That day has come. Historic Athens, a nonprofit preservation organization that also operates the Welcome Center, stated that it "strongly opposes" demolishing the pool. Legion Pool is located off Lumpkin Street in the older part of the UGA campus. Built in 1936, the pool and adjacent Legion Field were deeded to the Board of Regents of the University System in 1952, according to Historic Athens. |
| U. of Tennessee professor terminated over Kirk comment apologizes, appeals to chancellor | |
| Tamar Shirinian, the University of Tennessee Knoxville professor who received notice of termination after her Sept. 14 social media comment regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk, submitted a letter of appeal to Chancellor Donde Plowman. "Admittedly, the Facebook comment I made, privately and not in my capacity as a UT professor, was ineloquent and heartless. It was insensitive and, I assure you, uncharacteristic of me as a person, a mother, a friend, and someone who advocates for social justice and respect for all," Shirinian said in the letter. "And, for that, I apologize." Shirinian describes writing the post out of "anger and grief" and explains that she did not expect the comment to reach so many people so publicly. "I have been a long-time advocate for peace, as I see peace and civility as the only means to the making and sustaining of a world where everybody's rights and safety will be protected," Shirinian said. Shirinian attributes her anger in the moment of writing the comment to her intense feelings on the war in Gaza, which she has been following for the past 23 months. Shirinian concludes the letter asking Plowman to change her mind on the termination, saying that she will bring the decision to court if necessary. |
| Plowman's mission is to make U. of Tennessee 'the place of our dreams' | |
 | In her seventh Flagship Address on Sept. 25, Chancellor Donde Plowman outlined bold plans to elevate the University of Tennessee at Knoxville by attracting more "rock star" faculty and taking new approaches to expand the school's research capabilities. She also laid out a strategy for stabilizing on-campus student enrollment while providing spots for the state's top high school students, even as UT is simultaneously making higher education broadly accessible through an online degree program that caters to people at a different stage in life, including military veterans and parents seeking to enhance their career prospects. The fall 2025 semester kicked off with record-breaking enrollment of 40,421 students on campus and online and a record 92.4% first-year retention rate. University leaders cut the ribbon on the new UT Medical Nursing Building, broke ground on the new Charles and Julie Wharton Chemistry Building and have a plan in place to lure preeminent scholars, or "rock star" faculty, as Plowman calls them. |
| Texas A&M System regents authorize settlement with former president | |
| The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously voted to authorize a settlement with former Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III during a meeting on Friday. A system spokesperson said Friday they couldn't share details of the agreement with Welsh until it was finalized. Chair Robert L. Albritton said the regents had seen the agreement before voting to authorize it. The vote follows weeks of turbulence at Texas A&M, after state Rep. Brian Harrison posted a video on Sept. 8 that went viral on X of a student confronting a professor over gender-identity content in a children's literature course. Republican lawmakers called for firings over how the incident was handled. In another video, Welsh can be heard telling a student he wouldn't be firing Professor Melissa McCoul. In the aftermath of the video, Welsh fired McCoul, and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and head of the English department were demoted. Welsh resigned on Sept. 19 amid increasing pressure after more than two years in the role. |
| Black and gold unites community at Mizzou Homecoming Parade | |
 | Chants of "M-I-Z" and "Z-O-U" rang out during the University of Missouri's Homecoming Parade. Floats decked out in Black and Gold rolled through downtown Columbia hours before the Saturday Homecoming game against UMass. The parade brought together residents from Columbia and beyond to celebrate this year's 114th Homecoming. Crowds of onlookers lined the streets while children waited for candy and treats. More than 100 floats and organizations participated in this year's parade under updated guidelines. The new policy denied organizations that didn't adhere to the parade's "Black and Gold" theme and excluded political expression. After Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine was denied a spot in this year's parade and sued UM System President Mun Choi, a federal judge ruled Sept. 19 that the organization could participate. The new policy changed the parade's atmosphere compared to the political messaging seen during last year's parade, which took place before the 2024 November general election. "I enjoyed this year so much better because the last parade had a lot of politics," sophomore Abby Cross said. "I'm personally not really involved with that, so I really enjoyed this one a lot better." |
| A College Accreditor Has Faced Years of Political Targeting. Now It's Angling for a Fresh Chapter. | |
 | As dozens of colleges in the South weigh cutting ties with the accreditation organization that's traditionally served the region, its new leader is pushing for an overhaul. Stephen L. Pruitt, who became president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in August, told The Chronicle on Friday that the organization had begun a review of all of its policies governing how the accreditor exercises oversight over colleges, as well as its standards for assessing institutional quality. Those standards -- called the principles of accreditation -- are the bedrock of accountability in higher education. Colleges must be approved by a federally recognized accreditor in order for their students to be eligible for federal student aid, such as loans and Pell Grants. The goal of the review and any subsequent changes is to make sure that the accreditor is more responsive to the needs of students and its member colleges, said Pruitt. But he acknowledged that the organization also faces steeper competition from other accreditors, as well as perceptions that its processes and requirements are cumbersome and costly. SACS, as it is commonly referred to, accredits more than 750 colleges across 11 states. But it has become a political lightning rod in recent years, as conservative state politicians have blamed it for pursuing a political agenda and overstepping its authority by questioning governance issues at public universities. Belle S. Wheelan, who led the accreditor for 20 years, was a chief target of Republican ire. |
| SACS's New Head Shares His Vision for the Accreditor | |
 | After two decades with Belle Wheelan at the helm, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is under new leadership since she retired earlier this year. New SACS president Stephen Pruitt comes from the Southern Regional Education Board, which he led from 2018 until June, when he stepped down, before starting his current job in August. Pruitt previously served as the commissioner of education in Kentucky, worked for the Georgia Department of Education and taught both at the Kâ12 level and as an adjunct faculty member. Pruitt arrives at a time when accreditors are increasingly under fire from federal and state officials, who have accused such bodies -- and SACSCOC specifically -- of overstepping, and as the Trump administration aims to make it easier for new accreditors to enter the market. In a phone interview last week with Inside Higher Ed, Pruitt discussed how he intends to approach the job, his 100-day plan, the current landscape for accreditation and more. |
| Give In or Fight Back? Colleges Are Torn on How to Respond to Trump. | |
 | The Trump administration has attacked the University of California system's research funding, launched a swarm of investigations and demanded that it pay more than $1 billion. But people across the 10-campus system are at odds over how to fight back, stirring a war within about countering President Trump's tactics. In many ways, the conflicts reflect academia at large, which has not mustered a consensus about how to fend off the White House's campaign to remake American campuses. California administrators have tried to negotiate with the same government that professors have sued. The university system's regents have huddled behind closed doors while one, Gov. Gavin Newsom, has publicly called for defiance. And system leaders have clashed with campus-level officials over giving the Trump administration the names of scores of students and employees connected to complaints about antisemitism. The White House's barrage against top schools has sometimes proven a rallying cry for higher education, especially after Harvard University rejected the Trump administration's demands and sued. But as the federal government has challenged schools, it has often faced a fractured response among campus leaders, workers, students, donors and sympathetic elected officials, even in places where there is far-reaching opposition to Mr. Trump. |
| White House considers funding advantage for colleges that align with Trump policies | |
 | The White House is developing a plan that could change how universities are awarded research grants, giving a competitive advantage to schools that pledge to adhere to the values and policies of the Trump administration on admissions, hiring and other matters. The new system, described by two White House officials, would represent a shift away from the unprecedented wave of investigations and punishments being delivered to individual schools and toward an effort to bring large swaths of colleges into compliance with Trump priorities all at once. Universities could be asked to affirm that admissions and hiring decisions are based on merit rather than racial or ethnic background or other factors, that specific factors are taken into account when considering foreign student applications, and that college costs are not out of line with the value students receive. "Now it's time to effect change nationwide, not on a one-off basis," said a senior White House official, who like the other official described the plan on the condition of anonymity because it is still being developed. Under the current system, the federal government's vast research funding operation awards billions of dollars' worth of grants based on peer reviews and scientific merit. |
| Charlie Kirk: Hero of 'Civil Discourse' or Fount of Division? | |
| The House of Representatives passed a resolution this month honoring Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and close Trump ally who was shot to death Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. The resolution twice praised Kirk, the founder of the campus-focused group Turning Point USA, for fostering "civil discourse" -- something that many universities have been trying to cultivate amid political polarization. "Kirk became one of the most prominent voices in America, engaging in respectful, civil discourse across college campuses, media platforms, and national forums, always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding, and strengthen the Republic," the resolution said. His "commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity." The resolution further praised Kirk's "steadfast dedication to the Constitution, civil discourse, and Biblical truth." Jed Atkins, the controversial dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Civic Life and Leadership, wrote in a RealClearEducation column that Kirk's slaying "shows the danger of the continued decline of civil discourse in America." But did Kirk actually practice civil discourse? Calls for civil discourse increased in the wake of the 2023â24 academic year's pro-Palestinian campus protests, which prompted criticism of universities for tolerating polarizing rhetoric. But does civil discourse require some level of civility? |
| Trump says Charlie's angry at him | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: At Charlie Kirk's memorial service, his wife, Erika, in the midst of deep sorrow, accorded us all an extraordinary moment of unconditional Christian forgiveness. "That young man, I forgive him," she said. "I forgive him because it is what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love -- love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us." Mrs. Kirk displayed great faith and courage in saying this, catching the attention of all sorts. ... The last speaker was President Donald Trump, who spoke fondly of Charlie Kirk and his impact on the MAGA movement. ... Describing Kirk, the president also said, "He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great purpose. He did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents. I don't want the best for them." "I hate my opponents," said the president of the United States. Such a dark statement cannot be overlooked or minimized. A sitting president professing hatred toward citizens who oppose him should alarm true patriots. A favorite of evangelicals proclaiming "I hate" should shock all true Christians. Neither outcome appears to be likely. As columnist David Brooks laments, we have "entered an era of dark passions." We allow hate to pervade social media and infect our politics every day. |
| Speaker Jason White wants citizens to be able to vote, but not on 'school choice' | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: House Speaker Jason White says he wants to restore the initiative process to allow citizens to place issues on the ballot. But at the same time, White apparently does not want people to vote on the important issue of whether the state should expand its so-called "school choice" initiatives, which would provide more public funds to private schools. is positions on two of what he calls his legislative priorities -- restoring the initiative process to allow citizens to vote and expanding school choice options -- seem to be incompatible. White, the Republican House Speaker from West, has established a special committee to look at restoring the ballot initiative process, which allows voters to bypass the will of lawmakers and gather signatures to place issues directly on the ballot. ... White has said he believes restoring the ballot initiative is important. But apparently he does not want school choice to be placed on the ballot for a vote of the citizens. The speaker also has formed a special committee to look at expanding Mississippi school choice. The committee is expected to make recommendations before the start of the 2026 legislative session in January. Though it may seem logical to do so, the committee does not seem interested in recommending a proposal be placed on the ballot to amend the Mississippi Constitution to repeal language that states explicitly that public funds cannot be provided to private schools. |
SPORTS
| Football: State Falls In OT To No. 15 Tennessee | |
| Mississippi State battled hard but came up just short as the Bulldogs dropped a 41-34 overtime heartbreaker to No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. With the game tied at 34-all at the end of regulation, the Volunteers scored a touchdown on the first play of the overtime period courtesy of a 25-yard run. On MSU's ensuing drive, the Dawgs looked poised to respond when they drove inside the 5-yard line. However, the Tennessee defense kept State out of the end zone on four consecutive plays to end the contest. State running back Fluff Bothwell carried the ball for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the ballgame. Fellow running back Davon Booth also turned in a touchdown of his own. Quarterback Blake Shapen passed for 180 yards with a touchdown, but it wasn't enough for the Dawgs to prevail. The Bulldogs hit the road to face Texas A&M on Saturday, October 4, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by SEC Network. |
| No. 15 Tennessee rallies to force OT and beat Mississippi State 41-34 | |
 | Joey Aguilar forced overtime with a 6-yard touchdown run with 1:55 left and DeSean Bishop scored on a 25-yard run on the first play of the extra session in No. 15 Tennessee's 41-34 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday. "At the end of the day, it was a win for the good guys," Vols coach Josh Heupel said. "A lot to clean up, but a good road win against a good football team. Tennessee sacked Blake Shapen five times and had 11 tackles for loss while turning in two defensive touchdowns on an interception and fumble return. "They had sacks and there were other times where it was just pressure, and it affected Blake. They did a good job," Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby said. "We've got to play better and smarter. We've got guys that are good enough to do it and we've got to go do it." For the Bulldogs , it was a solid offensive output as Shapen was 18 of 29 for 180 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Fluff Bothwell's ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. |
| Bulldogs drop OT heartbreaker at home to No. 15 Vols | |
| Mississippi State led twice in the fourth quarter against No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday. The Bulldogs saw their first lead wash away in a flash on a sack strip returned for a touchdown, but fought to get back in front with an interception on defense and a score to take advantage. The Vols drove down the field and tied the game on a touchdown of their own with 1:55 left on the clock. With the ball in hand, the Bulldogs went three and out. The defense prevented a catastrophic loss in regulation, but the fatigue was evident in overtime as the Vols scored in just one play and held strong to seal the win with a goalline stop. "I've just got to be better," MSU quarterback Blake Shapen said when asked about the final drive in regulation. "There are certain situations like that one, I've got to put the ball in the playmaker's hands to make a play. I think there are a few times we're either short or long in our depth of route, miscommunication, things like that. I've got to be better, I've got to play better. I've got to make sure that we don't go three and out in that situation because it can't happen when we've got to go win the game." The loss was a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs, but it's one that the team has to shake quickly. A trip to face Texas A&M awaits next week, the first SEC road test of the season, but the team maintains belief. |
| Bulldogs hang with Tennessee but can't pull off another upset | |
| The search for Mississippi State's first conference win since October of 2023 continues, but the Bulldogs proved their mettle on Saturday. Mississippi State traded punches with No. 15 Tennessee for nearly four hours, only for the Volunteers to come away with the 41-34 win in overtime. "Crushed, disappointed," Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby said. "Everybody inside our walls the entire week knew that we will have the opportunity to go win this game, and we weren't able to make the plays. They did make the plays to win it. That is this league, and I think our guys understand that." Despite all of the scoring, neither team ever led by more than one possession. That meant that every big play could swing the momentum, and the two teams went on a wild rollercoaster ride that wouldn't end until Mississippi State's final pass fell to the turf incomplete at the end of overtime. "The message is, man, hold onto the heart and understand, these moments, this is what we're fighting to stay away from," Lebby said. "And every single day, every single week, have the opportunity to just get a little bit better so that next Saturday when we go on the road and play at night in Kyle Field, it's the best we've been all year long." |
| How will Blake Shapen adjust to another OL injury ahead of Mississippi State vs Texas A&M? | |
 | Mississippi State football had just converted a fake punt while holding a four-point lead against Tennessee early in the fourth quarter. MSU quarterback Blake Shapen took a shotgun snap on the next play, faked a handoff and flipped his hips to the right side of the field. One second later, Shapen was blasted from behind for a strip sack. He stood no chance to see the defender barrelling in from the blind side, and the Vols returned the fumble 41 yards for a touchdown. That was one of the five sacks and 11 tackles for loss allowed by the Bulldogs, both season highs, during the Sept. 27 41-34 overtime loss to the Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC). The MSU (4-1, 0-1) offensive line was largely outplayed in its first SEC test, especially in pass protection. And with an injury to starting right tackle Albert Reese IV -- his arm was in a sling at the end of the game -- the pass protection is a growing concern entering Mississippi State's Week 6 game at No. 5 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0) on Oct. 4 (6:30 p.m., SEC Network). If Reese misses time with his injury, it could be a big blow for Mississippi State, which already lost starting tackle Blake Steen to a season-ending injury in Week 1. Reese was last season's Kent Hull Trophy winner, an annual award for the best offensive lineman in Mississippi. |
| A&M hindered by penalties in six-point win over Auburn | |
 | Penalties were aplenty in Texas A&M's 16-10 win over Auburn on Saturday at Kyle Field and were a key reason the No. 9 Aggies could not pull away from the unranked Tigers, whose penalties were part of why they could not pull an upset. A&M and Auburn each entered the game as two of the more penalized teams in the SEC this season as the Aggies were 11th in the league and the Tigers 12th. Those trends held up again this week. A&M was flagged a season-worst 13 times for 113 yards on Saturday. Auburn was penalized 10 times for 69 yards. The Aggies' penalties came in all three phases of the game, too. "It's got to get fixed," Elko said. "It's way too many penalties that kill drives. It's way too many penalties that set us behind the chains. And then if you put that together with not being able to convert third downs, that's how you have 414 yards and not nearly enough points for what 414 yards should get you." |
| Soccer: State Rides Early Lead To Shutout Win At Missouri | |
| No. 15 Mississippi State scored early and often on its way to a 3-0 win at Missouri on Friday night. With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 8-1-1 (3-0-1 SEC) and assured that they will finish the regular season with a winning record. The first half saw two high quality goals from the Bulldogs to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Ally Perry opened the scoring in the fifth minute. After playing a short corner in to Alivia Buxton, Perry received the ball and shot from well out wide near the corner flag. The ball curled inside the far post for her team-leading sixth goal of the year. "I'm really proud of the performance from the group tonight," head coach Nick Zimmerman said. "All week we challenged them to be a little more patient higher up the field and to create more quality chances. Tonight they did a tremendous job of implementing the things we worked on in training against a very organized and tough team. It's never easy to win on the road in the SEC, and this is a big three points." |
| Women's Golf Set For Blessings Collegiate Invitational | |
| Mississippi State will enter their third tournament of the fall season when they tee off at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational on Monday. The unique format of the Blessings not only sees both the men's and women's programs compete in the same event but will see all each team play in a single grouping. The Bulldogs will field their same five from the Mason Rudolph Championship: Avery Weed, Samantha Whateley, Ines Belchior, Izzy Pellot and Moa Stridh. Weed looks to continue an electric start to her season. She sits at 11-under on the season with a pair of top five finishes at both the Carmel Cup and Mason Rudolph Championship. Weed finished T8 in last year's edition of the Blessings. Whateley is coming off a career-best tournament, including earning her first individual collegiate victory, at the Mason Rudolph Championship. She finished the event at 9-under par and earned SEC Golfer of the Week honors for her performance. Alongside the traditional team and individual titles, two other championships will be awarded at the Blessings. The best score between each program's men's and women's teams will earn a combined team championship, as well as a combined individual best-ball championship. Alongside the women's team and individual titles in 2022, the Bulldogs took home the combined best-ball title. |
| Volleyball: Bulldogs Take Down Gators In Five Sets | |
| Mississippi State volleyball extends its winning streak to 11 with a five-set thriller over Florida in Gainesville. "What a way to start conference play! I have said it before and I'll say it again -- I am so proud of this team," said head coach Julie Darty Dennis. "The way they respond, communicate and execute is something special. I love how this was a total team win and everyone did their part. This was not about 2 or 3 people - this took all of us! Such a fun and exciting way to start SEC play. It's just the beginning and we know we have a lot to keep working on, but this was an awesome win for our team and I'm just so proud of them!" This is State's third win over Florida in series history, with all three victories under Darty Dennis. This is the first win over a ranked opponent this season, and the first for State since 2024, when the team beat No. 25 Missouri at home. The last time State beat a ranked opponent on the road was over Florida, 3-2 in 2021. |
| Volleyball: Bulldogs Fall Short Against Auburn | |
| Mississippi State volleyball took its first loss of the season against Auburn in three sets. The Bulldogs are currently 1-1 in conference play after today's match. The 11-match winning streak ends, but this season is tied with 2000 for the best season-opening stretch in program history. Linsdey Mangelson led in kills and points, picking up 15 kills and 18.5 points over the match. Bernardita Aguilar followed closely behind with 11 kills on 27 attempts. Mele Corral-Blagojevich led in digs, earning 11 throughout the match for a new season's best. She also picked up nine kills and a season's best of 2 service aces. MSU earned five aces, with two each from Corral-Blagojevich and Mangelson. Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss earned her first ace in seven matches against the Tigers. She also picked up five kills, three blocks and 7.5 points in the match. The Bulldogs will host Alabama and #2 Texas this weekend for the SEC home opener. Both matches will be held in Newell-Grissom, with the Bulldogs taking on the Crimson Tide on Friday and the Longhorns on Sunday. |
| No. 1 Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez Capture Doubles Title at ITA Men's All-American Championships | |
| The nation's top-ranked doubles team, Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez, lived up to their billing this week, capturing the 2025 ITA Men's All-American Championships doubles title with a commanding run through a stacked draw at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa. Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez capped off their title run with a 7-5, 6-3 victory in the final over No. 22-ranked Dhakshineswar Suresh and Andrew Delgado of Wake Forest. The championship marks the duo's third career ITA All-America honor and secures them an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, set for Nov. 16â23 in Orlando, Fla. Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez will return to action at the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, continuing their fall campaign and preparation for the National Championships. |
| Arkansas football fires Coach Sam Pittman | |
| The University of Arkansas parted ways with sixth-year Coach Sam Pittman on Sunday following Saturday's 56-13 blowout home loss to No. 22 Notre Dame, which Pittman described as embarrassing. UA announced Pittman's firing and former Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino's appointment as interim coach at noon on Sunday with a statement from Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek. Pittman, who was credited with stabilizing the program in the wake of a disastrous two-year run under Chad Morris (2018-19), had a 32-34 record in his first FBS head coaching job. He was 14-29 (.326) in SEC play, including a 3-7 debut against an All-SEC schedule during the covid-19 season of 2020. Yurachek said a national search would begin immediately and Petrino, who guided Arkansas to a 34-17 record from 2008-11, would be included in the search. Pittman's buyout is roughly $9.3 million to be paid by the UA for the remainder of his contract. |
| Virginia field storm after upset of FSU left 19 people seeking medical treatment: School | |
| Nineteen people were treated at UVA Health University Medical Center following the field storming that occurred after Virginia's 46-38 upset of No. 8 Florida State on Friday night, according to the university. The nature of the injuries was not disclosed due to the health system policy. There was a second incident outside the stadium, where an altercation occurred. The university did not specify which injuries resulted from the field storming or altercation. In addition, Virginia was fined $50,000 by the Atlantic Coast Conference for violating the league's "event security policy." Cavaliers fans at Scott Stadium swarmed the turf in one of the fastest field storms you'll see in college football after an upset that shook up the ACC and College Football Playoff race. The game-sealing interception happened in the end zone right in front of the student section, which stands on the lawn behind the end zone, up a small hill with no barrier in front of them. As soon as the final play happened, students ran onto the field and over the two nearby players. Florida State wide receiver Squirrel White was seen walking off the field afterward and appeared to be OK. Another fan ran in front of FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos and gave him a middle finger while recording it with a phone. Castellanos was being escorted off by a coach. |
| How Schools Are Skirting the New Salary Cap in College Sports | |
| The House v. NCAA settlement was supposed to create a salary cap in college sports. But athletic departments have already found a workaround. Starting this year, schools can directly share revenue with their college athletes -- capped at $20.5 million. At the same time, the settlement implemented new restrictions on NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals specifically aimed at collectives to prevent "pay-for-play" in disguise. Because of the fear that NIL collective deals -- previously used as recruiting inducements -- wouldn't pass the new restrictions, athletic departments came up with a new plan. Athletic departments are now acting as de facto agencies for their players, securing outside deals or incorporating NIL guarantees for players in their own sponsors' contracts. Some schools have created formal in-house "agencies," while others are simply relying on athletic department officials to procure deals as part of their day-to-day. "We can now help our athletes really serve as a marketing agency to go out and source opportunities, whether it's corporate opportunities, whether it's local opportunities, whether it's social media opportunities," Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said on Front Office Sports Today. "That's going to be the next race." |
| Riley Gaines Suit Against NCAA Over Transgender Athletes Mostly Tossed | |
| U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson on Thursday dismissed all but one type of claim brought by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and more than a dozen other female athletes against the NCAA, the University of Georgia and other defendants over the collegiate eligibility of transgender athletes. In March 2024, the athletes sued in a Georgia federal district court, arguing the NCAA's then-policy of permitting transgender athletes on a sport-by-sport basis in alignment with the Olympics and based on determinations by national governing bodies for each sport violated Title IX, the Equal Protection Clause and the right to bodily privacy. In February, the NCAA adopted a new transgender policy that prohibits student-athletes assigned male at birth from competing on women's teams. The NCAA's move came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning transgender athletes. Had the current NCAA policy been in effect a few years ago, then-Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a focal point of the lawsuit and the surrounding political controversy over transgender athletes, would have been ineligible. Thomas and Gaines, an All-American, tied for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle event at the 2022 NCAA swimming and diving championships. Johnson, whom President Joe Biden nominated to the bench last year, identified a number of problems in Gaines' legal theories. |
| 'Are you watching, Donald Trump?' Europe trolls president after winning golf's Ryder Cup | |
| The European Ryder Cup team taunted Donald Trump after sealing victory over the United States on a weekend of acrimony at the prestigious golf tournament. Trump flew in on Friday to root for the American team, but his presence failed to inspire the U.S. as Europe took the lead on day one and pulled further ahead over the weekend. Despite a valiant U.S. fightback Sunday night, Europe secured the trophy thanks to a dramatic putt from Ireland's Shane Lowry, which sparked delirious celebrations -- and some light-hearted trolling of the U.S. president. Trump posted a video clip to his Truth Social account of European players, led by Northern Irish star Rory McIlroy, chanting "Are you watching? Are you watching? Are you watching, Donald Trump?" while holding the iconic golden trophy. In an uncharacteristically magnanimous response to the mockery, Trump replied: "Yes, I'm watching. Congratulations!" Adare Manor in western Ireland will host the next Ryder Cup in 2027. |
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