| Friday, October 10, 2025 |
| Soybean harvest underway in Mississippi | |
 | It's been a season of highs and lows for Mississippi soybean farmers, a strong harvest following a tough start to the year. "Harvest this year has been really good because we've had the weather that's been favorable for harvest conditions. We really needed that with how much of a struggle the year was to start, and some of the struggles we had in the season," said Mississippi State University Extension Service State Agronomist Justin Calhoun. Early rainfall delayed planting, especially across the eastern part of the state, but dry fall weather helped farmers make up time. However, rising input costs and dropping soybean prices are cutting into profits. "Soybean prices are below the average of what we'd want them to be, and combined with high input costs, it's really hard for our growers to have a good return on investment right now," said Calhoun. In Noxubee County, longtime farmer Philip Good said it's one of the toughest years he's seen, between weather, costs, and losing key export buyers. "We're missing some export markets, and with some of the tariffs, we're missing China, which is a big customer of U.S. soybeans," said Good. |
| The Riley Foundation celebrates 2025 interns | |
 | Pictured are students who participated in the 2025 Riley Foundation Summer Intern Program, front row Catherine Freeman, Mary Margaret Freeman, Aubrie Denton, Mary Emma Honeycutt, Jamesa Bias; back row, George Paxton, Fletcher Mayerhoff, Parker Henry, Maggie Triplett, Christian Gray, Alysen Hester, Abbie Thornton, Sarah Dudley Reed, Kenaysha Gale and Lauren Boutwell. This program was established in 2004 to provide resources to assist local non-profit organizations in hiring college students to accomplish special projects that further their mission. The program has since granted over $1.3M and paired more than 325 college students with various local nonprofit organizations. Students gain knowledge about the nonprofit sector and the important services they provide. To learn more about The Riley Foundation Summer Intern Program, visit rileyfoundation.org. |
| Mississippi's Mike Hurst confirmed as general counsel of Republican National Committee | |
 | On Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced Mississippian Mike Hurst as its new general counsel. Hurst currently serves as the Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party and as one of three committee members from Mississippi at the RNC, together with Lesley Davis and former party chairman Arnie Hederman. Hurst previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, after appointment by President Donald Trump during his first term in office. The general counsel of the two major political parties serves as the top legal officer. In the role, Hurst will advise RNC Chairman Joe Gruters and other party officials on a wide range of topics from election law compliance to the management of outside litigation strategy and execution. Hurst will continue his duties as chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party. |
| Senate Passes Bipartisan $925 Billion Defense Policy Bill | |
 | The Senate approved legislation on Thursday that would authorize $925 billion for national defense, giving overwhelming bipartisan support to the annual defense policy bill. The vote set up a potentially contentious series of negotiations with the House, which has loaded its version of the measure with a range of conservative social policy dictates that the Senate mostly avoided. The 77-to-20 vote took place late on Day 9 of a federal government shutdown, advancing legislation that would authorize everything from new submarines and fighter jets to the annual pay increase for troops. The bipartisan bill also overhauls how the military buys weapons and supports the large network of private and public organizations that provides the U.S. government with materials, products and services for defense and military operations. "Today, the Senate passed one of the most important legislative priorities to enable the modernization of our military and strengthen our national security," Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late Thursday. The legislation helps the U.S. military contend with a threat environment "that we have not faced since World War II," he added. |
| Senate passes mammoth annual defense policy bill | |
 | The Senate late Thursday approved its massive annual defense policy bill as the U.S. government remains shut down. The GOP-led chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 70-20, which funds the U.S. military at $924.7 billion in fiscal year 2026. The NDAA had come to the Senate floor in early September but saw little movement until Thursday morning. Action on the bill was stalled as all 100 senators must agree to hold votes on amendments, with several sticking points causing a handful of lawmakers to halt the process. But Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) secured an agreement to vote on 17 stand-alone amendments and a package of nearly 50 less controversial amendments. "We simply cannot delay this process any longer," Wicker said on the Senate floor. "Let me make it clear, if we do not bring this to the floor today, this matter will not have time for deliberation on the Senate floor, and we'll have to basically pretend that we're having a conference between House and Senate members, and a very small group of senators will have to write this bill and bring it to the floor for final passage. That's not the way this ought to be done." |
| Trump's quest for the Nobel Peace Prize falls short again despite high-profile nominations | |
 | President Donald Trump was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday despite jockeying from his fellow Republicans, various world leaders and -- most vocally -- himself. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was honoring her "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." The White House responded bitterly, with communications director Steven Cheung saying members of "the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace" because they didn't recognize Trump. "He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will," Cheung wrote on social media. The White House did not comment on Machado's recognition. Her opposition to President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela aligns with the Trump administration's own stance on Venezuela, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has praised her as "the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism." Trump, who has long coveted the prestigious prize, has been outspoken about his desire for the honor during both of his presidential terms, particularly lately as he takes credit for ending conflicts around the world. |
| Oklahoma's Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago | |
| Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, a Republican and the chairman of the National Governors Association, on Thursday criticized the deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois as a violation of his beliefs in federalism and "states' rights." His comments, in an interview with The New York Times, marked the first time a Republican governor has questioned the interstate deployment of National Guard troops over a governor's objections. Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois and other Democratic elected officials have been strongly critical of the move and have implored Republican governors to join the opposition. Mr. Stitt on Thursday said, "We believe in the federalist system -- that's states' rights," adding, "Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration." Mr. Stitt stressed that he supported President Trump's efforts to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and ensure "law and order" in cities like Chicago and Portland, Ore. But he worried about the precedent that was being set by the guard deployment and how it could be used by a president from another party. Instead, Mr. Stitt said, Mr. Trump should have moved to federalize the troops in Illinois first. |
| King Mohammed VI set to speak as Gen Z protesters demand reforms in Morocco | |
| Morocco's elusive King Mohammed VI inaugurates parliament Friday in a speech with far higher stakes than in recent years, as anti-government protests sweep the nation's cities, questioning the government's spending priorities. He's the country's highest authority, but Mohammed VI rarely addresses the public and often leaves it to ministers or members of the royal family to represent Morocco internationally. Decades ago dubbed Morocco's "King of the Poor," he now faces a public expressing disillusionment with slow progress and widening economic divides. Since Sept. 27, protesters have filled the streets of more than a dozen Moroccan cities, denouncing the billions being poured into preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Angered by underfunded schools and hospitals, the "Gen Z 212" movement has drawn a direct line between new stadiums and neglected public services, mobilizing a nationwide movement unlike any seen since the Arab Spring in 2011. Named for Morocco's +212 dialing code, the group has organized on platforms like TikTok and Discord, mirroring similar youth-led protests in Nepal. |
| Roberts meets with AAUP to discuss recent terminations | |
| On Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m. Auburn University released a statement via social media stating that employees had made social media posts that were at odds with the university's beliefs. These employees were terminated. On Sept. 26, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) at Auburn met with President Christopher Roberts and Provost Vini Nathan to discuss the terminations. Upon the completion of this meeting and a receival of the minutes, an anonymous source reached out to The Plainsman with those minutes. The first and only item in the agenda reads as follows: "Agenda Item #1: Speech and Policy: Faculty and staff have reached out from across campus with their concerns about the implications of Dr. Roberts' statement regarding the recent AU employee firings." Under this item, there are three bullet points, two of which point attention to articles that deal with Auburn and other universities around the country firing employees due to their statements regarding the death of Charlie Kirk. The third item, was the code of conduct document. These issues were immediately addressed by President Roberts. He stated that there is no person or group assigned with monitoring social media posts, the "community" monitors speech. He also stated that he regretted some elements of his statement, which caused confusion over "offensive speech vs threatening speech." He also stated that actions taken went through a process related to "safety/threats/promotion of violence" instead of just "offensive statements" which were also confused in his statement. |
| Grand Theft Auto: Scruffy City? Video games teach US history at U. of Tennessee | |
 | Associate professor Tore Olsson is bringing the fictious streets of Liberty City, Vice City and Los Santos from the popular Grand Theft Auto video game franchise into the classroom at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. When the HIST 150 course begins in January for the spring 2026 semester, students won't be learning how to hijack cars or rob banks. Olsson makes it clear the class isn't a celebration of violence, but an examination of the past 40 years of United States history and culture as displayed through the games. It's in the class's name: "Grand Theft America: U.S. History since 1980 Through the GTA Video Games." "It's an opportunity to use one of the most influential pieces of pop culture ever made -- a franchise that is paradoxically both crude and thoughtful, sensational yet sophisticated -- to foster interest in recent American history and to explain how we arrived at our particular moment," Olsson told Knox News via email. Olsson, the director of graduate studies in UT's history department, made headlines in recent years for a class focused on Red Dead Redemption 2, another title from GTA publisher Rockstar Games, that is set in the American Old West. |
| Texas A&M chancellor on culture wars and a new era of state-driven reforms in academia | |
 | Glenn Hegar leaned forward in his seat on a bumpy plane ride from College Station to Victoria, a picture of confidence after years of flying in small aircrafts on state business. A gold Aggie ring glinted as he gestured with his right hand. The new chancellor of the Texas A&M University System was traveling to a Sept. 4 community event at a recently acquired university, where he agreed to an interview that, at one point, shifted to the changing tides in higher education. The pendulum swings, the 54-year-old said, but the constant is that people want an education and need to be skilled for the workforce. Universities have to "right size" their offerings to ensure they're providing that service, however, and the "vast majority" of people don't want their teachers to insert personal opinions in the classroom, he said. Still, Hegar said he didn't see a larger problem at the Texas A&M System's 12 universities, despite the occasional "buzzword" on a syllabus or school website. "The reality is the Texas A&M University System is right there doing its job, which is providing quality education to their students," the politician-turned-college administrator said. "And do you have one person here or there, maybe somewhere in 165,000 students, 28,000 employees? ... There's going to be somebody somewhere." |
| Bachelor finalist Daisy Kent inspires Mizzou audience to follow their passion | |
 | Students, alumni and community members crowded into Jesse Auditorium on Wednesday to hear "Bachelor" Season 28 finalist, Daisy Kent, speak in a moderated interview about her resilience and how she has navigated life after losing her hearing. The most important lesson she learned in college was "to just be me and not try to be anyone else," Kent said. She was the speaker for this year's Delta Gamma Lectureship, an annual program that brings guest speakers to the University of Missouri to speak about ethical conduct and excellence through leadership. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Campus Activities Programming Board. "Everybody has something (going on in their lives)," is an idea Kent kept coming back to. "I think it's how you take things and can make it into something positive." Kent was born and raised in small-town Becker, Minnesota and moved west to San Diego State University to study communications and digital media. When she was about 15, she started to lose her hearing and was later diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a disorder of the inner ear. She was also diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was 20. Kent said that throughout her health struggles, she spent a lot of time alone and reflecting on what she was going through, before trying to use her unique experience to connect to others with health struggles. |
| Democratic Lawmakers Pressure UVA | |
 | Months after Jim Ryan stepped down as University of Virginia president, state Sen. Creigh Deeds is still waiting for answers on whether political interference and external pressure played a role. Ryan resigned in late June, citing pressure from the federal government amid Department of Justice investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the public university. Although the Board of Visitors voted to shutter its DEI office in March, conservative critics accused UVA of failing to dismantle such efforts. The DOJ subsequently launched seven investigations, two of which have been closed. The status of the other five remains unclear. Deeds, a Democrat who represents Charlottesville and the surrounding area, has been seeking answers since Aug. 1 through a series of letters sent to the Board of Visitors and a far-reaching Freedom of Information Act request. But so far, university lawyers have largely refused to answer the state lawmaker's questions, citing ongoing investigations. Faculty members have also said they can't get straight answers from the university or face time with the board. And complaints over an alleged lack of transparency at UVA are piling up as state lawmakers are applying additional pressure over how the university will respond to an invitation to sign on to the proposed "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" that the Trump administration sent to UVA and eight other universities last week. |
| The Therapist Next Door: College students are meeting with 'embedded' counselors in dorms and academic buildings, with promising results. | |
| As a child, Xiomara Garcia, 21, assumed that attending a four-year college was out of reach. Her parents had never finished middle school, and money was tight. But there she was -- a bioengineering major at Santa Clara University with a generous scholarship. In some of her classes, she was the only person of color. "It was like the biggest culture shock of my life," Ms. Garcia said. She began to worry that she was an impostor who didn't belong. Then a family member died. All of this, plus a stressful course load and unresolved childhood trauma, made it difficult to control her emotions. She tried online therapy, but finding a place to log in to her sessions privately, away from her roommate, proved difficult. Once, she talked to her therapist over video from underneath a stairwell on campus, steps away from a cafe. Eventually, she decided to see someone in person. Her new therapist had an office in the dorm where she had lived during her freshman year. The space included shells and rocks that her therapist had found, as well as soft lighting, cozy chairs and a basket of snacks -- a welcome change from hiding in a busy building or braving the clinical environment of the main counseling center, she said. A growing number of campus mental health professionals, often referred to as "embedded counselors," are now working out of dorms and other academic buildings. |
| Higher Ed Will Likely Be a Key Topic for SCOTUS. Which Cases Will Make the Cut? | |
| As the Supreme Court begins its new term this week, legal experts predict that higher education will be a frequent subject for the justices. Yet only two college-related cases -- both of which center on transgender rights -- are currently listed on the main docket. That's in large part because of a less formal but increasingly popular second list of cases known as the shadow docket. Historically, the shadow docket, also called the emergency docket, was used on rare occasions for just that -- emergencies. In situations when the lack of a ruling from the highest court could lead to immediate, irreversible consequences, this alternate route allowed the justices to move quickly and issue an interim decision without going through traditional processes such as briefings, oral arguments or written opinions. But over the course of the past three administrations, use of this secondary docket has skyrocketed, creating a lack of predictability and an immense sense of uncertainty for the public. Normally, it can take months for a case's petition to be processed, and then once a case is on the docket it can take even longer for it to be heard and ruled upon. This leaves the parties directly involved -- and all who may be affected by the decision---time to prepare and create contingency plans for the potential outcomes. But when the shadow docket is used, cases can be introduced and receive a ruling in a matter of weeks, if not days, often without any explanation. |
| How a Trump-Supporting Congressman Turned College President Disarmed His Critics | |
 | Bill Johnson knew he was an unconventional choice to become Youngstown State University's next president. He'd had a 26-year career in the Air Force, rising to lieutenant colonel; led three tech companies; and spent more than a decade in Congress. On its face, that experience is unconventional but not unheard of. What is more unusual is that, while in Congress, Johnson, a staunch conservative, swapped endorsements with President Trump, and was perhaps best known for voting not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and supporting a travel ban on majority-Muslim nations during Trump's first administration. Johnson, 70, wasn't seeking a fourth act. So when representatives from the search firm WittKieffer came calling about the Youngstown State job, he had a question of his own: "Why would I consider something like this?" Now in the second year of his three-year contract, Johnson has weathered that rocky start and placated -- if not won over -- a substantial share of his campus. His unusual trajectory, from election-denying congressman to college president, offers a window into what might be a new crop of higher-ed leaders. His ability to change perceptions during his early tenure has derived from his political skills: listening, being a quick study, and avoiding ideological hot buttons. |
SPORTS
| Soccer: Bulldogs Travel To Florida On Friday Night | |
| A top-10 squad in one poll, the No. 12/10 Mississippi State soccer program is bound for Gainesville, Florida, on Friday night to meet a Florida Gators team that is unbeaten in its last four matches. Two years ago, State claimed its first win in Gainesville in program history, and now the Bulldogs return, looking to win back-to-back matches with the Gators for the first time. Friday night will mark Florida's fifth SEC match against a ranked team. The Bulldogs still have two more ranked opponents on their schedule, and they are tied with the Gators for the most ranked opponents on their conference schedule in the SEC. With a win, MSU will secure its fourth consecutive 10-win season. The Bulldogs had just three in the prior 27 years. It would assure State a winning record in conference play for just the fourth time in school history. A win would also see head coach Nick Zimmerman break the program record for wins by a first-year head coach. The Bulldogs return home on Thursday, Oct. 16 to host Vanderbilt. Kickoff against the No. 21 Commodores is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. |
| Volleyball Preview: Ole Miss and No. 9 Texas | |
| Mississippi State volleyball will continue conference play at home, taking on Ole Miss and No. 9 Texas A&M this weekend. State will play in-state rival Ole Miss on Friday evening. The match will air on the SEC Network and will be a pink out in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sunday's match against Texas A&M is celebrating Student-Athlete Mental Health Awareness week and will air on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs are currently 12-2 over the season and 2-2 in conference play. Lindsey Mangelson is the top freshman nationally in kills per set and points per set. Cayley Hanson is fourth in the NCAA in assists per set and second in the conference. Three Bulldogs rank within the top six in the conference in 10 different statistical categories. The team is ranked in the top 20 nationally in hitting percentage, as well as in the top five in six different statistical categories in the conference. Julie Darty Dennis is currently at 99 wins at MSU. Ole Miss is 9-6 over the season, and 1-3 in conference play on a two-game losing streak. Texas A&M is currently ranked No. 9 on the AVCA poll and is 12-3 over the season. |
| Shuckers, Coastal Mississippi, Visit Mississippi to bring Banana Ball to Keesler Federal Park | |
 | Fans of The Savannah Banana's "Banana Ball" will get a chance to see Banana Ball games on the Mississippi Gulf Coast next September. The Biloxi Shuckers, in partnership with Coastal Mississippi, Visit Mississippi, and the Savannah Bananas announced Thursday that Keesler Federal Park will host The Firefighters and The Loco Beach Coconuts for two games on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, 2026, as part of the 2026 Banana Ball Championship League. With its fast-paced rules and emphasis on continuous play, Banana Ball strips away lulls and lengthy pauses typical of traditional baseball, delivering a more intense and entertainment-packed game that keeps both players and fans on their toes. Coastal Mississippi Tourism CEO Judy Young said the games are the perfect way to Play Coastal Mississippi. "We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Banana Ball to Coastal Mississippi," Young said. "Jesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas organization have redefined what it means to have fun at the ballpark, and we can't wait to see The Firefighters take on Loco Beach Coconuts right here on the Gulf Coast for two incredible nights." |
| In college squabble, booster rips commishes, but they say he doesn't know what he's talking about | |
| One of the most vocal and potentially powerful boosters in college sports lashed out at conference commissioners for stymieing changes he thinks could save the rapidly changing industry, and then the commissioners barked back, with one of them saying the booster's views "reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics." The spat sprang from Texas Tech billionaire head of regents Cody Campbell's argument Thursday about how the proposed pooling of college TV rights could feed additional billions into school coffers, but that progress is being held back because "the conferences are all represented by commissioners who are very, very self-interested." "The commissioners don't really care what happens at the institutional level," Campbell said at a panel discussion held by the Knight Commission, an oversight group that released a survey in which a majority of college executives who responded said Division I sports was headed in the wrong direction. "All they care about is what happens to them. And I think that is fundamentally the problem." Campbell told attendees the move could be worth $7 billion, and said commissioners had said to him "privately" that they know a modification of that law would generate more revenue "but I don't want to give up control of my own media-rights negotiation." Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, told The Associated Press those conversations with Campbell never happened. "I have never stated -- publicly or privately -- that pooling media rights would increase revenue, nor do I believe that it would," Sankey said. "His misrepresentation of my position raises serious concerns about the accuracy of his other claims. ... His comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities of college athletics." |
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