| Monday, October 27, 2025 |
| Mississippi State breaks ground on hotel connecting campus to Cotton District | |
 | As colleges across the Southeastern Conference continue to mobilize to boost the quality of life for current and prospective students, visitors, Mississippi State, and its host town of Starkville have taken a major step to connect the university to the city to enhance the guest experience. Construction formally began Thursday on a hotel that will anchor development of the new Crossroads District between the university's campus and the city's Cotton District. Hotel Madelon will be a 122-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, which will include a full-service restaurant and a rooftop bar. The hotel is scheduled to open in summer 2027. The district it will anchor, including entertainment, restaurant, housing, and additional parking venues, will be developed over several phases. "This groundbreaking represents the vision we have for our university and our hometown to be the very best they can be. Hotel Madelon will provide guests and visitors with an unmatched experience and be the catalyst that drives the development of future phases of the Crossroads District," Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum said. |
| Mississippi State begins construction on hotel in Crossroads District | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) broke ground on the first building in their Crossroads District project. MSU officials met with construction and management partners on October 23, 2025, to begin construction on Hotel Madelon. The hotel will have 122 rooms and will serve as the anchor development of the Crossroads District. This hotel will also house a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar and dedicated underground parking. The planned date for opening Hotel Madelon will be sometime within summer 2027. "This groundbreaking represents the vision we have for our university and our hometown to be the very best they can be," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "Hotel Madelon will provide guests and visitors with an unmatched experience and be the catalyst that drives the development of future phases of the Crossroads District." This development is the first of many planned development projects in the Crossroads District. The groundbreaking on Hotel Madelon marks the beginning of the first phase. |
| Magnolia Mornings: MSU's Hotel Madelon now under construction | |
| Construction formally began last Thursday on the hotel that will anchor development of the new Crossroads District between the Mississippi State University campus and the city's Cotton District. MSU said Hotel Madelon will be a 122-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, which will include a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar and dedicated underground parking. The hotel, located at 910 University Dr., is set to open in the summer of 2027. The district it will anchor, including entertainment, restaurant, housing and additional parking venues, will be developed over several phases. Hotel Madelon, named in honor of the university's original fight song, will be a boutique hotel, celebrating the legacy of MSU and the culture of Starkville. The hotel is being positioned on a prime site that will offer stunning campus views and an overall design that will attract both visitors and locals. |
| MSU breaks ground on Hotel Madelon, anchor for new district | |
| Construction formally began Thursday [Oct. 23] on the hotel that will anchor development of the new Crossroads District between the Mississippi State University campus and the city's Cotton District. Hotel Madelon will be a 122-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel, which will include a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar and dedicated underground parking. The hotel, located at 910 University Dr., is set to open in the summer of 2027. The district it will anchor, including entertainment, restaurant, housing and additional parking venues, will be developed over several phases. "Hotel Madelon is the anchor that will set the tone for the Crossroads District," said John Rush, president and CEO of the MSU Foundation. "It will share some of the most familiar parts of our story, the parts that bring people here and bring people together. It will be a brand new place that feels like home to a guest from the moment they arrive." |
| Jordan to lead MSU's AI efforts in new role, Willard named interim VP for research, economic development | |
| Continuing its commitment to innovation and responsible leadership in technology, Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum Friday [Oct. 24] announced the appointment of current MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan as the university's first Senior Adviser for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance beginning Nov. 1. Jordan will transition from vice president to devote her full efforts to this new role, where she will lead the university's strategic initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI) and oversee the development and implementation of comprehensive data governance. This new position reflects MSU's commitment to advancing research and education while ensuring the ethical and effective use of data and AI. "Dr. Jordan's extensive experience and foresight have been instrumental in our growth as a research leader," said Keenum. "Her new leadership position is vital for MSU as we pioneer the responsible adoption of these technologies across our campus, ensuring our position at the forefront of this new era of innovation." |
| Student salutes: a visual tribute to MSU alumni & veterans | |
 | Building on the university's rich military history, Mississippi State students are recognizing MSU's veteran alumni with an exhibition in the Colvard Student Union Art Gallery. Located on the Union's second floor, "Student Salutes: A Visual Tribute to MSU Alumni & Veterans" runs Oct. 27-Nov. 17 and features original student artwork and research exploring the connections between the university and the U.S. Armed Forces. November is National Veterans and Military Families Month. In honor of this observance, a public reception will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, to recognize the service and sacrifice of our nation's veterans and highlight this year's theme "Military family support: from home to those abroad." The Union Art Gallery is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Third Annual Festival of Trees Kicks Off Holiday Season in Starkville | |
| The holiday season is in full swing in Starkville as Friends of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum present the Third Annual Festival of Trees, a celebration of creativity, community and holiday spirit. The festivities begin with the Lighting of the Trees Gala at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Museum, 206 Fellowship St. The gala will feature the grand unveiling of beautifully decorated trees and wreaths created by local businesses, organizations and individuals. Guests can enjoy hors d'oeuvres, festive music, and a silent auction of the decorated trees and wreaths. Tickets for the gala are $50 per person and may be purchased online at the museum's website, at the museum or through the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. The festival is a fundraiser for the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum, supporting enhancements to exhibits, facilities and museum grounds. Following the gala, the Museum will be open to the public Friday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., coinciding with the Starkville Downtown Christmas Open House. Admission is $10 per person, with tickets available online or at the door. |
| Huntington Reaches $7.4 Billion Deal to Buy Cadence Bank | |
 | Ohio-based Huntington Bancshares reached an agreement to buy a midsize southern bank for $7.4 billion, the latest sign that deals are back on the table for lenders under pressure to compete in the highly fragmented industry. The all-stock deal to acquire Cadence Bank will raise Huntington higher in the ranks of super regionals, giving it around $276 billion in assets. It further expands its presence deeper into the South, particularly Texas, where Huntington last week completed a separate acquisition of a smaller Dallas-based bank called Veritex Holdings. The Cadence deal represents an "important next stage" for Huntington, Chief Executive Steve Steinour said in an interview. With dual headquarters in Houston, Texas, and Tupelo, Miss., Cadence has roughly 400 locations across the South, bringing Huntington into 21 states. It will give Huntington top-five deposit market share in Dallas and Houston, according to the bank. The banking industry has long awaited a wave of regional and community bank tie-ups as executives attempt to fortify themselves against the scale and diversity of megabanks such as JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. The Trump administration has signaled a friendlier approach toward bank consolidation, with several multibillion-dollar deals announced in recent months. "I do think there will be more" deals, said Steinour, who said the two banks have been in conversations for about four months. The regulatory environment is "constructive." |
| Two tornadoes strike South Mississippi, leaving trail of damage in Gautier and Pascagoula | |
 | Two tornadoes pounded Gautier and Pascagoula on Sunday with fierce winds that broke windows, pulled apart buildings and knocked out power for thousands of homes as severe storms thundered east across the region. The storm damaged the roof of Aztecas Restaurant & Cantina in Gautier and collapsed walls of several nearby apartments. In Pascagoula, winds downed trees across the east side of the city and authorities said at least one person was rescued from flooding in a low-lying area. "Everybody that I've come across is amazed at the damage a storm can cause to a building," Gautier Police Chief David Bever said. Emergency responders said Sunday morning that they had already searched the heaviest-hit areas and had no reports of injuries. Photos and videos from Gautier showed scattered chairs and tables at Aztecas, splintered and torn-apart roofs and debris swirling across neighborhoods where the weather disrupted many residents' plans for Sunday church services. The exact track of each tornado was not immediately clear. But authorities said the worst damage seemed to be in Gautier, near Aztecas and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where the tornado touched down. |
| Shutdown caused NFIP's authorization to lapse. Congressman Ezell says it's hurting Mississippi | |
| The National Flood Insurance Program authorization expired on October 1, and due to the government shutdown, no new flood insurance policies can be issued. As such, Mississippi 4th District Congressman Mike Ezell (R) along with Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter (D) are urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R), also of Louisiana, and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to a take immediate action to addresses the lapse in the NFIP. In a joint letter sent to Johnson and Jeffries, Ezell and Carter state that the NFIP's lapse "is a serious, immediate problem for families, homeowners, and local economies across not just the Gulf Coast but the entire nation." "We co-authored legislation (H.R. 2882) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31, 2026, ahead of any potential government shutdown, to ensure our communities would not be left vulnerable. We introduced this bill early enough to avoid exactly the scenario we face today," Ezell and Carter, co-chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Flood Resilience Caucus, wrote. "Unfortunately, it was never brought to the floor for a vote, and now the program has lapsed. The two Congressmen say the lapse is causing real problems, especially along the Gulf Coast. |
| Trump endorses Ezell's midterm re-election bid | |
| President Donald Trump rolled out a slew of congressional endorsements over the weekend, with Mississippi 4th District Congressman Mike Ezell among the lot. Trump said the Republican Congressman "is a fantastic Representative for the wonderful People of Mississippi's 4th Congressional District!" "As the former Sheriff of Jackson County, and now, Highly Respected U.S. Congressman, Mike strongly supports our incredible Law Enforcement, Military, and Veterans, and knows the Wisdom and Courage it takes to Ensure LAW AND ORDER," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "In Congress, he is working tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment." Trump, who has backed the South Mississippi Congressman in the past, added that Ezell "has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election -- HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" Ezell won his first term in 2022, defeating then-incumbent 4th District Congressman Steven Palazzo in a GOP Primary runoff election. Two years later, Ezell bested two Republican challengers, one of which endorsed him in the previous election, to go on to win his first re-election bid over a Democrat newcomer. |
| Trump administration posts notice that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1 | |
 | The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1, raising the stakes for families nationwide as the government shutdown drags on. The new notice comes after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries. "Bottom line, the well has run dry," the USDA notice says. "At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats." The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, is now the second-longest on record. While the Republican administration took steps leading up to the shutdown to ensure SNAP benefits were paid this month, the cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to a wider swath of Americans -- and some of those most in need -- unless a political resolution is found in just a few days. |
| Mississippi pauses SNAP food aid because of federal shutdown | |
| Mississippi's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is being paused because of the federal government shutdown, the Mississippi Department of Human Services said Friday. "No new SNAP benefits will be issued for November unless federal guidance changes," the department said in a press release. This move comes more than three weeks into the federal shutdown, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would not tap into its $6 billion contingency fund to cover food assistance next month. Nearly 400,000 Mississippians receive food assistance through SNAP, and the vast majority are families with children or elderly people. That is about 13% of the population, slightly higher than the 12% nationwide who use SNAP to help buy groceries. The Mississippi Department of Human Services said in its first press release Friday that it was unclear whether SNAP clients would be able to use pre-existing benefits beyond Oct. 31. The department issued a corrected press release hours later, saying unused benefits can carry over from month to month. |
| Bessent: U.S. 'addressed' soybean farmers' concerns with China | |
 | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that U.S. soybean exports to China were addressed during a meeting between the two sides in Malaysia. "I think we have addressed the farmers' concerns," Bessent told Martha Raddatz on ABC News's "This Week," of the meeting with Li Chenggang, China's top trade negotiator, and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. American soybean farmers have been impacted by President Trump's tariff battle with China. While the U.S. is typically the top supplier of soybeans to China, China purchased more than 1 million tons of soybeans from Argentina last month after the South American country suspended its 26 percent export tax on soybeans, according to Reuters. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. farmers sold $12.64 billion worth of soybeans to China last year, more than $10 billion more than that sold to the next closest trading partner, the European Union. "Our soybean farmers will feel very good about what's going on both for this season and the coming seasons for several years," Bessent said. |
| Political peril spurs Trump to act on beef prices even as ranchers rage | |
 | The Trump administration is acutely aware of a looming political vulnerability: beef. In just the last month, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the high prices U.S. consumers are seeing in grocery stores, promising "a deal" to "bring the price down." The near-term solution to boost supply -- plans to purchase 80,000 metric tons of beef from Argentina, quadruple the typical quota -- has spurred intense backlash from farm-state Republicans and agriculture industry groups who have felt burned by several Trump administration policies in recent months. But Trump's election was fueled, in part, by Americans' concerns over high costs, an issue the president often hammered on the campaign trail as he promised food prices would fall if he returned to the White House. Ten months in, Trump and his top aides are scrambling to keep the campaign pledge, calculating that in the short-term it's worth antagonizing ranchers, a loyal GOP constituency that benefits from elevated beef prices, if they can bring down costs for consumers. "It's kind of like eggs, part two," said one person close to the Trump administration, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. "This all kind of started with just concern over consumer prices." |
| The Lone House Democrat Who Thinks His Party Has the Shutdown All Wrong | |
| Democratic Rep. Jared Golden didn't just side with Republicans in the House's vote to avoid the government shutdown. He said they were right in their central criticism of his party's stance. The House passed the GOP's stopgap measure last month, but it has been blocked by Democrats in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to advance most legislation. As the lone House Democrat to back the bill, Golden argues his party's healthcare demands and the government shutdown are totally separate issues -- and that Democrats shouldn't be using the shutdown as leverage. "What they're doing is wrong," said Golden in an interview. A tattooed Marine Corps veteran, Golden doesn't look or sound like most rank-and-file Democrats. The 43-year-old centrist, who represents one of the most competitive House districts in the country, in recent years has broken with Democrats on politically sticky issues such as a GOP-led bill that requires proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. His vote to keep the government funded wasn't a big surprise, but his commentary afterward made waves. In a statement on the first day of the shutdown, he accused Democratic leaders of falling prey to the demands of "far-left groups" who wanted them to "put on a show of their opposition to President Trump" while hurting Americans in the process. |
| Trump Pushes for New Classes of Navy Warships | |
| resident Trump has said he wants a whole new fleet of warships. And now they have a name. Senior White House and Navy officials are in early discussions to replace the current mix of warships with a new "Golden Fleet" that would be better suited to counter China and other potential future threats, according to former and current officials. Trump, who has previously criticized the look of modern warships, is involved in the plans and has had multiple conversations with Navy officials about the new vessels, the current and former officials said. Navy officials have dubbed the project Golden Fleet, following other similarly branded Trump-era initiatives, such as the Golden Dome missile defense system he ordered the military to build in January and the Gold Card immigration program. The new fleet would comprise a number of large warships outfitted with more powerful long-range missiles, along with smaller ships such as corvettes, the people said. The Navy has 287 ships in its current inventory, mostly destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships and submarines. A new class of frigates is also in the works. While experts applauded Trump's prioritization of the Navy's fleet, some pointed out that revitalizing America's shipbuilding industry will take more than a new name. Mark Montgomery, a retired naval officer and senior fellow with Foundation for Defense of Democracies, urged the Trump administration to invest in consistently funding modernization of the country's shipyards and fixing the current backlog of ship maintenance. |
| Virtual classrooms keep students learning despite teacher shortage | |
| Near the beginning of this school year, West Point High School lost their Algebra II teacher to a family emergency. Principal Temeka Shannon said there wasn't much time to hire a replacement, but the school did have an opportunity to try a different solution through the REACH MS program, a collaboration between the Mississippi Department of Education and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Funded by a $2.2 million legislative appropriation, the program pairs school districts struggling to staff core subjects with a virtual teacher. At WPHS, that means the nearly 50 students in need of their Algebra II credit now have access to daily, high-quality instruction through a virtual teacher, as well as an academic coach to work with students offline. Kelly Ballard, associate professor and chair of the MUW Department of Education, told The Dispatch the grant is "truly transformational" for teacher preparation at The W. "It will allow us to remove major financial barriers for our elementary education teacher candidates as they complete their internship semester, covering tuition, licensure exams, technology and essential tools for success," Ballard said. |
| MUW celebrates Sonya Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day | |
 | Math is everywhere. That's one of the messages behind Mississippi University for Women's celebration of Sonya Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day. The annual event gives high school students the chance to see math in action, and works to make the subject more accessible and relatable to their daily lives. There were presentations and small group sessions throughout the day. But the big draw is a timed math competition with MUW Scholarships on the line for the top finishers. It's not so much about equations and "problems," but discovering what math can do. "Math is accessible. They can see math a lot and form a lot in places, and it's less about showing them actual equations and things like that. We want them to experience just where math can crop up, and, you know, just see it everywhere," said MUW Coordinator for Kovalevsky Day, Dr. Joshua Hanes. |
| Student Organizations Unite Against TPUSA Event, Plan Counter Town Hall | |
 | Several University of Mississippi registered student organizations (RSOs) plan to host "Mississippi Rise Up Town Hall" at the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union on Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 5-6:30 p.m. to show dissent against the Trump Administration during Turning Point USA's "This is the Turning Point Tour," which will be held at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion the same day and starting at the same time. UM Professor of Sociology James Thomas will host a presentation, and Gloria Johnson -- Tennessee state representative and former Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate -- will provide remarks. Other local and state political candidates and officials will speak at the event, but, according to the event organizers, the complete guest list is uncertain due to the government shutdown. UM College Democrats provided The Daily Mississippian with a press release on Friday detailing the event. "This event intends to show that our campus and student body is not beholden to any singular ideology," the press release said. "It will provide a space for students and community members during the vice president's visit to show their dissent against the Trump Administration, as well as an opportunity to hear from and interact with dedicated public officials and community organizers." |
| Campus listening sessions are set for Jackson State president search | |
| Jackson State University students, faculty, staff and alumni have the opportunity to sound off on qualities and qualifications they want to see in their next university president. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board announced last week that trustees and AGB Search, an executive search firm IHL hired to assist with the presidential process, will hold listening sessions Monday and Tuesday at the Jackson State Student Center. The campus sessions are happening after the board announced it would start naming constituent members to serve on an advisory group to provide insight and recommendations to trustees during the search process. It is an action the board said it hasn't taken in years. IHL said it has also released a new survey link to collect community input to develop the job profile for university president. The responses will go directly to AGB Search. Previous comments made through IHL's portal will also be shared with the firm. The surveys will close on Tuesday at 10:59 p.m. CST. |
| Family awaits results of independent autopsy on Delta State student Trey Reed | |
| An independent autopsy has yet to be released for Demartravion "Trey" Reed, the student who was found dead on the Delta State University campus in September, and speculation continues to swirl on campus and online. The initial examination by the Bolivar County coroner and the autopsy completed by the Mississippi medical examiner's office concluded the death of the 21-year-old Black man was a suicide, and no foul play occurred. The independent autopsy, conducted later, was paid for by civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback. Jeremy Marquell Bridges, an activist from Alabama, said he's been in recent contact with Reed's mother, Sophia, and Ben Crump, a nationally prominent attorney representing Reed's family. Delta State University confirmed that Reed had listed his grandparents as his emergency contacts. His grandmother, Sharon Candy Tillman, told Mississippi Today she is waiting to see what the independent autopsy says about claims that Bridges and others are making. |
| Florida wants to post more college syllabi online. Professors fear what's next. | |
| Florida is considering a move that would give people a closer look at what's being taught in its public universities -- another potential flash point as conservative-led states scrutinize higher education. University leaders in Florida want schools to post what textbooks, instructional materials and readings are required for most courses, similar to a policy recently adopted by Georgia colleges. Supporters say the change promotes openness and accountability, helping students see what they're signing up for and encouraging professors to stay on topic. But some faculty fear the changes could invite political pressure and harassment at a time when higher education is under an intense ideological spotlight, particularly around lessons touching on gender, race and diversity. The proposal is the latest step in Florida's broader effort -- led by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state's GOP supermajority -- to reshape higher education. A far-reaching 2024 law forced a review of hundreds of general education courses across the state's 12 universities and banned spending tied to diversity, equity and inclusion. The change, according to the Board of Governors, is intended to "provide greater transparency for students and to allow them to make informed decisions prior to course registration." That aligns with the rationale University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue gave for beefing up syllabus reporting across his system in May. |
| Arkansas colleges see credentials climb for second year | |
| Arkansas colleges and universities reported solid gains in both credentials awarded and the number of students receiving those credentials for a second-consecutive year. In academic year 2025 -- which concluded June 30 -- they awarded 56,708 credentials, up 5.7% from the prior year, to 45,307 students, up 5.3%, according to Sonia Hazelwood, education program supervisor for the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. The number of credentials awarded has increased by more than 13,000 during the last decade, while the number of students receiving credentials has increased by roughly 8,000. Certificates of proficiency were up 22% year to year, continuing an upward trend that dates back four years, while technical certificates remain consistent, Hazelwood explained Friday during a meeting of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board at Arkansas State University-Beebe. Healthcare is the field with the most certificates of proficiency and technical certificates. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville -- which set another record for enrollment this fall and is the state's largest university -- increased the number of credentials it awarded from 2024 to 2025 by nearly 12%. |
| U. of Tennessee reports strong system-wide enrollment numbers, areas for improvement at BOT meeting | |
| The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees' Education, Research and Service Committee convened Friday morning to discuss system progress, complete with new annual statistics and faculty survey data. As a system, UT is seeing rising numbers across the board in terms of students, with a total enrollment of 65,000 students rising at an annual rate of 4.4%. The system goal is to reach 71,000 students by 2030. First-year retention rates are also up all over the state at 85.8% and rising at a rate of 0.3% per year. Across the system, four-year graduation rates have increased by 10.2% in the last five years, reaching 57.7%. Six-year graduation rates, too, have increased by 1.8% in the last five years, hitting 65.6%. UTK boasted rising numbers in student growth and retention. Enrollment has increased 27.5% in the last five years, with the university hosting 40,421 total students this year. UTK Chancellor Donde Plowman's goal is to reach 55,000 students by 2030. Just at the Knoxville campus, the graduation rate for four-year degrees is 66.8% with a goal of 70% by 2030, and the six-year graduation rate stands at 74.5% with a goal of 80%. Graduation rates for both types of degrees have increased in the past five years. |
| Growing class sizes threaten on-campus housing space for upperclassmen, international students | |
| The University of Oklahoma's continuous student growth has led to the expansion of on-campus student housing to prioritize incoming first-year students, raising concerns from upperclassmen. OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. confirmed to OU Daily editors on Oct. 7 that the university is considering turning Traditions East into first-year student housing, requiring upperclassmen and international students to find housing off campus. "There's a lot of conversation going into that," Harroz said. "One of the good things about having Stewart Berkinshaw as Senior VP of Strategy and Finance is it allows us to have one person who's looking at these big questions and saying, 'What is the best use of this? How do we provide better services?' We don't have an answer yet." Harroz announced Berkinshaw's hire as OU Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January overseeing financial operations and strategies across all three campuses. Traditions Square Apartments are the only on-campus units available for upperclass students, according to the OU Housing and Food Services website. The website also notes that there will be no residence hall rooms available to upperclassmen for the 2026-27 academic year. Harroz said the university is weighing the positives and negatives of making the change. |
| Texas higher education enrollment reaches all-time high | |
| Student enrollment at Texas colleges reached an all-time high of 1.6 million this fall, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The numbers cover undergraduate, graduate and professional program students enrolled at the state's public and private higher education institutions. Enrollment across the board increased 4.7% compared to fall 2024. Private institutions saw the largest jump, at 6.7%. The total number surpassed the pre-pandemic numbers in each sector -- health, professional, public and private -- of higher education for the first time. Texas had about 1,560,000 students enrolled in fall 2019, but that number dropped to nearly 1,490,000 by fall 2021 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher ed institutions have steadily recovered since. "The record enrollment numbers will help the state's continuing efforts to build a talent-strong Texas and an increasingly educated workforce," said Commissioner of Higher Education Wynn Rosser. "The collaborative work of state leaders, the THECB, and higher education institutions are geared towards helping our students advance in the rapidly growing Texas economy." Several of Texas' largest universities had record-breaking enrollment this year. The University of Texas at Austin enrolled 55,000 students in fall 2025, the highest in history. |
| Data doesn't back public perception of gun violence in college towns | |
 | As campus crime remains at the forefront of the local and national spotlight, the contrast between official numbers and student perceptions at Mizzou has sparked renewed conversations about safety in downtown Columbia. In the University of Missouri's 2025 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, reported cases of violent crimes such as domestic violence and rape went down in 2024, with the exception of aggravated assault, which saw an increase from 4 in 2023 to 9 in 2024. In the past month, the death of a Stephens College student has garnered attention from local leaders, parents and national press. They called for conversations about the need for additional safety protocols. Since then, Columbia Police Department has increased police presence through multi-agency efforts, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe has called for a collegial advisory task force, and The District has proposed the implementation of a downtown safety patrol unit. In a report conducted by SafeHome, the University of Missouri is not ranked among other universities and colleges in the U.S. with the highest numbers in crime. Although reported incidents have decreased at Mizzou, the data doesn't account for crimes that happen a few blocks away from campus. |
| Trump's DEI Crackdown Closes 120 TRIO Programs | |
 | When the leaders of the 26-year-old Upward Bound program at SUNY Adirondack received word earlier this fall that the Trump administration had canceled their grant, they were shocked to see the Education Department's reason for the termination. In the grant application for the college-access program for high school students, they had said they wanted to ensure the program included an equal number of male and female participants, in an effort to address declining male participation in the program. But in the grant termination letter -- delivered mid-September, after the program's annual Sept. 1 start date -- Department of Education officials said that that line reflected the Biden administration's priorities and conflicted with the interests of the current administration. "We are in an underresourced area, and males were probably more focused on [finding] immediate employment ... so we were trying to think about how to make sure we were doing the best we can to design a program that meets all of our service area's needs," said Kate O'Sick, the community college's dean for student affairs. "We weren't trying to exclude. There was no quota." According to the Council for Opportunity in Education, the organization that advocates for TRIO programs, about 100 grants were canceled or rejected in September after the department delayed funding for thousands of TRIO grants that were slated to begin on Sept. 1. Another 23 programs lost funding earlier in the year. The cancellations represent a small portion of TRIO programs -- 3 percent -- but they affect over 43,600 students who will now be without a slew of resources, from tutoring to assistance with financial aid. Colleges that house these programs have also had to lay off staff members. |
| Americans Think Trump Is Overreaching With His Higher-Ed Compact | |
 | With federal funding as its leverage, the Trump administration has mounted a sustained campaign to give the federal government greater oversight of higher education. By a wide margin, the public rejects that effort -- including the White House's most recent foray, its proposed "compact" for higher education. That's the big takeaway from a Quinnipiac University poll shared exclusively with The Chronicle. Overall, 57 percent of respondents opposed increasing the federal government's role in how colleges and universities operate, according to the poll, and 42 percent strongly opposed doing so. Just one-quarter of those polled supported more federal oversight of higher education; only 12 percent supported it strongly. The results come from a representative, random-sample cell-phone and landline-telephone survey of 1,519 adults in the contiguous United States. Other recent polling has indicated that the public is concerned about the direction of higher education. But the Quinnipiac data strongly suggests that most Americans don't think that the Trump administration's proposed solutions are the right ones. |
| Will our legislators stick with science-based health policies? | |
 | Columnist Bill Crawford writes: How deep will the anti-science MAHA invasion penetrate into Mississippi? Can beleaguered state health officer Dr. Daniel Edney convince legislators to stay the course on vaccinations, fluoridation, pasteurization and other science-based health policies? Such policies face challenges by advocates of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda. "More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections -- vaccines, milk safety and fluoride -- have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law," states an Association Press investigation published last week. The news organization aligns Kennedy's "health freedom" effort with profiteers. "Powerful anti-vaccine advocates and people selling potentially harmful goods are profiting from the push to write anti-science policies into law," wrote AP. Other reports cite doctors' reports of deaths and hospitalizations of patients who refuse vaccinations, abuse drugs like ivermectin, and take medical advice from podcasts and social media. The AP report listed Mississippi as one of the states where bills were introduced in the legislature to hinder vaccinations, water fluoridation, and milk pasteurization. |
| Mississippi Governor's Mansion has more protection from one person's whims than the White House | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: More protections are provided to the Mississippi Governor's Mansion than to the White House based on events unfolding in the nation's capital. While President Donald Trump is demolishing the East Wing of the White House and no one is stopping him, there is a state law that prevents Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves from acting on his own to make major changes to the Governor's Mansion. And to be clear, Gov. Reeves is not planning any major renovations to Mississippi's version of the White House, though he does attempt to emulate President Trump. This past week work began to remove, according to news reports, the entire East Wing of the White House -- arguably the nation's most recognizable building -- to prepare for the construction of President Trump's one big beautiful ballroom. Who knew in America one person could tear down a portion of what we fondly called the people's house and construct a massive structure that based on drawings will dwarf the original building and overwhelm the iconic White House grounds? For comparison, the original White House, situated on 18 acres, is 55,000 square feet while it is anticipated the ballroom will be 90,000 square feet. Based on state law, one person cannot undertake similar activities to public buildings in Mississippi. |
SPORTS
| How the 'baseball priest' uses the sport to spread the Gospel | |
| Father Burke Masters' first dream was to be a major league baseball player, but after feeling a call from God to the priesthood he now uses the sport "to speak about Jesus and the Church." "I played college baseball at Mississippi State University, and then played briefly in the minor leagues," Masters said. "That was my dream to be a major league baseball player, but that didn't work out." "God eventually called me to be a priest," Masters said in an Oct. 24 interview with "EWTN News Nightly." He added: "It really wasn't what I wanted, but it was this persistent and gentle call from the Lord." "I went to seminary fully thinking I would go ... not like it, and then go back to my plans," Masters said. "Yet when I got to seminary I just felt this overwhelming peace, and that's one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit." Masters was ordained in 2002, serving as priest in Illinois. Eventually though, baseball did become a part of his career when he was named the chaplain of the Chicago Cubs in 2013. "God brought baseball back into my life in a way that I never expected," Masters said. "Since then, people have called me the 'baseball priest,' because I love to connect faith with sports." |
| LSU has fired Brian Kelly eight games into his fourth season as football coach | |
 | Brian Kelly parked his black Audi in a space reserved for LSU's head football coach at 7:58 p.m. Sunday, two minutes before the beginning of a team meeting. He tucked his left hand into the pocket of his blue jeans and walked inside the football operations building, waving to a couple staff members on his way to address the players and coaches. It was the last time Kelly would do so. In the midst of his fourth season, Kelly was fired Sunday evening. The decision was made the day after the Tigers lost 49-25 at home to No. 3 Texas A&M, their third loss in the past four games. Decision-makers, including Gov. Jeff Landry, held discussions throughout the day, sources said, related to Kelly's future and his buyout. Kelly is owed nearly $54 million, according to his contract, which would be the second-largest buyout in college football history. That could be offset if Kelly, 64, takes another job in coaching, administration or media. The two sides will continue to negotiate terms of the buyout, which were not finalized Sunday. It was originally expected that LSU would make changes to the offensive staff Sunday after the loss, multiple sources said. But even during the loss to Texas A&M the night before, conversations between LSU officials, members of the LSU board of supervisors, prominent donors and political figures took place about Kelly's future with the program. They continued into Sunday, culminating with a meeting at the Governor's mansion. Landry, who appoints the LSU board of supervisors, was heavily involved in the talks about Kelly, sources said, without a new full-time school president in place. |
| Hugh Freeze turns down hot seat noise -- for now -- as Auburn topples Arkansas | |
| Hugh Freeze strolled into Auburn's locker room Tuesday with a mission: lighten the mood amid a four-game losing streak. His play? A surprise phone check. The chatter online about the Auburn coach's job was rampant -- as well as the general disappointment after a double-overtime collapse against Missouri -- and the coach feared his players were listening to the social media mob. "I made them show me their screen time average," said Freeze, "and it's sad, really, what they average. And then you look at what apps, and man, we had a great time, but I'm like, 'Y'all are wasting a lot of time.'" Turns out, a little more time and a lot less scrolling was just what Auburn needed. The Tigers finally won their first SEC game, knocking off Arkansas 33-24 on Saturday. For a half, it seemed Freeze looked destined to join the crowded carousel of fired coaches, fueling the social media mob in the process. His Tigers fell behind 21-10 after a pick six thrown by Jackson Arnold, the $1.5 million quarterback transfer, whom he subsequently benched. Yes, Freeze earned another week of job security. But there's still work to do after a promising 3-0 start was followed by a four-game skid. Meanwhile, Freeze's boss still refused to provide a full vote of confidence for the coach. Two weeks ago, he compared Freeze's future to the uncertainty of starting a car. After the win on Saturday, he didn't seem to budge. "We've gotta find a way to get better, and we've had some struggles in the second half offensively," Auburn athletics director John Cohen told CBS Sports. |
| Hogs still hunting for complete effort | |
| The University of Arkansas football team's 33-24 loss Saturday to Auburn at Reynolds Razorback Stadium was a game circled as one it had to have. In August, the Tigers (4-4, 1-4 SEC) were viewed from afar as beatable opponents in the heart of a three-game homestand. In October, it aged into a must-win after the Razorbacks' 2-5 and 0-3 SEC start. Without it, interim Coach Bobby Petrino's campaign for the full-time job in the offseason took its first major dent. A third straight game of severance by the offense and defense prompted a worse margin than three-point losses to Tennessee and Texas A&M, ranked 14th and third respectively in the latest Associated Press poll, in his first two interim games. |
| With College Football Playoff deadline approaching, leaders torn on 20-plus team format | |
| From his basketball media day on Wednesday, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made the most news by answering a football question. Would you support a 20-plus team College Football Playoff format that grants an equal amount of automatic berths to each of the four power conferences? "I'm all ears," he told a room full of media members. The latest playoff proposal that some Big Ten athletic directors are socializing -- a mega-field with four autobids per power league and a big at-large pool -- hasn't been at the top of agendas within conference administrator meetings. In fact, some leagues -- like the SEC -- have held little or no formal discussion about the plan. Others, like the Big 12, have discussed it some. ACC administrators, from in-person meetings this week, only glazed over playoff format. Roughly a month before a deadline to decide on playoff expansion for the 2026 season, the four power conference commissioners and their league officials appear no closer to a resolution on expansion. In fact, from his hoops media day this week, Yormark said he doesn't envision college leaders making changes by the Dec. 1 deadline and that any change would take effect in 2027. There's something else, too: The group of power conference athletic directors that Big Ten administrators are working to create hasn't yet been assembled (and, perhaps, it won't be?). It's just another sign that the 2026 postseason will remain unchanged: a 12-team field with automatic qualifiers for the five highest-ranked conference champions plus seven at-large teams. |
| Dem Senators Urge Ted Cruz to Reject SCORE Act's NCAA Immunity | |
| A group of Senate Democrats has sent a letter to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, imploring him to reject the "broad antitrust exemption" for the NCAA contained in the proposed SCORE Act. In the letter, seen by Sportico, Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argue that shielding the NCAA from litigation would serve to entrench the organization's "exploitative practices" and undermine ongoing efforts to ensure fair treatment and compensation for college athletes. A spokesperson for Cruz said the senator's office did not receive the letter until Friday. "Chairman Cruz has been clear that there is a crisis in college sports and he's committed to advancing a real, bipartisan solution," the spokesperson for the senator said. The letter comes as Cruz is expected to soon advance the SCORE Act in the Senate. The Republican-led bill, which was first introduced in the House in July, is widely expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster. However, as unified as Democrats (and at least one major Republican donor) have been against NCAA antitrust protection, the caucus has been divided over how best to legislate the future of college athletics, while in the minority. |
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