| Tuesday, November 11, 2025 |
| Magnolia Mornings: MSU launches Energy Resilience, Innovation Hub | |
 | Mississippi State University is launching the Energy Resilience and Innovation Hub to foster collaboration and innovation that will support the Magnolia State's future energy needs. Led by MSU Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development Narcisa Pricope, the school said the unit will serve as a thinktank and collaborative hub working to catalyze economic growth, strengthen community and institutional energy resilience, foster policy alignment and promote access to energy resources. Pricope noted MSU is working toward several projects that tackle areas such as energy efficiency, local government retrofits and audits, water-energy resilience, policy and workforce, and renewable site planning. The new initiative builds on existing MSU expertise in energy systems, grid resilience, clean fuels, energy storage, artificial intelligence and carbon utilization. MSU added that the hub will provide a dedicated space for sharing information, building partnerships and aligning research and development efforts across multiple sectors. |
| MSU launches Energy Resilience, Innovation Hub to drive advancements in energy sector | |
| Building on a growing energy-related research portfolio, Mississippi State University is launching the Energy Resilience and Innovation Hub to foster collaboration and innovation that will support the Magnolia State's future energy needs. Led by MSU Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development Narcisa Pricope, the unit will serve as a thinktank and collaborative hub working to catalyze economic growth, strengthen community and institutional energy resilience, foster policy alignment and promote access to energy resources. "The Energy Resilience and Innovation Hub will bring together researchers, industry partners and communities to accelerate innovation and ensure Mississippi remains at the forefront of a secure and sustainable energy future," Pricope said. "This initiative underscores our commitment to advancing technologies and strategies that strengthen energy systems statewide and beyond." The hub was announced at this month's Mississippi Water and Energy Conference hosted by MSU. |
| Ag economist says missing USDA export data adds volatility to livestock markets | |
| An ag economist says the lack of trade and export data from the USDA is adding to the volatility to beef and pork markets. Josh Maples with Mississippi State University Extension says there's only information available through the first seven months of this year. "We're having to guess quite a bit on the pork side and the beef side," he says. "We're certainly looking forward to that trade data coming back so we can start to make some sense about how trade has adjusted in the last couple of months." He tells Brownfield Brazil is a good example. "We saw the tariff increase on Brazil in August," he says. "We haven't had trade data since July. A lot of the conversations that are going on about what impact has that had, we're kind of really in the dark." Maples says the continual trade and tariff announcements have made it challenging to fully understand the full impact on the ag economy. "Now we're to the point where there are discussions about other tariffs getting removed or renewed or increased access to other places." |
| Community Profile: White brothers carry lessons of service, integrity through military, civilian careers | |
 | On the way to the assembly line at Airbus, a sign reads, "392 days without an accident." It's a reminder of the care and attention to detail required by the workers, both for their own safety and the safety of others who will be flying the aircraft. For technician Keith White, those values and the attention to detail are extra important. He comes from a family of servicemen including his father Frank, who served in the Air Force, his father-in-law Thomas Breland, who served in the Army and his sons Nolan and Chase, who are Air National Guard veterans. They are also his Airbus coworkers. Nolan is a quality engineer, having picked up the trade through seven years in the Air National Guard. His younger brother, Chase, also works at Airbus as a flightline technician and has been a member of the Air National Guard since 2022, where he works on fueling systems and aircraft maintenance. According to an Airbus spokesperson, nearly 35% of the workers at the Golden Triangle facility are veterans or active duty, which has helped the White brothers find community and trust within the workforce. |
| Todd calls for county to cut taxes, hike pay with datacenter revenue | |
 | Drivers heading down Highway 11/80 can expect to see signs of a building going up as Compass Datacenters is set to begin construction on its first of eight data centers in the city's Key Brothers' Industrial Park within the month. The project, which will total $10 billion, is tied for the largest economic development deal in Mississippi's history and is expected to provide significant amounts of tax revenue for both Lauderdale County and the city of Meridian. In a Council of Governments meeting Monday, Lauderdale County Supervisor Josh Todd said local officials have heard numbers thrown around, but no one has been able to provide concrete numbers about the potential tax revenue. Todd said he wants to know how much the county is set to receive and have a plan in place to allocate the funds before they arrive to address the county's most dire needs. "We've all heard numbers. I've heard city numbers, county numbers, school numbers. I want to know for sure, and once we get that, my goal, my push and publicly saying now, I want to have the highest tax cut in the state of Mississippi, especially Lauderdale County," he said. Beyond tax cuts, Todd said he also wants to raise pay for county employees. Third, Todd said, is roads and bridges. |
| Cal-Maine Foods donates more than 10,000 eggs to food assistance distributors as demand grows | |
 | The Mississippi Food Network and Extra Table Feeds recently announced that Ridgeland-based Cal-Maine Foods donated 10,800 dozen eggs to their food bank distribution efforts. "Our 5,400 dozen egg donation was gone in three text messages," said Cassandra Mobley, interim CEO of the Mississippi Food Network. Mobley says typically, her organization serves more than 150,000 individuals per month across 56 counties in the state, but the demand on the network's supply chain has grown in recent weeks as more people seek food assistance because of the government shutdown. "Some people may not have ever had to go to a food pantry that have been affected by this situation. You've got federal workers not getting paid right now and they don't even know where to go," she said. More than 13% of Mississippi's population rely on SNAP benefits. Mobley says there is a common misconception that charitable food programs only accept shelf-stable food. Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson says farmers have also been hit hard by the delay in SNAP benefits. "Lots of grocery stores not selling product, not moving product. That trickles back to the farmers who have product to sell," he said. "So yes, it's having a very negative effect in terms of the overall commerce of the state as well, that interruption. I think we have to start looking at innovative ways that we can be prepared for this type of a federal shutdown in the future." |
| Mississippi begins issuing partial SNAP benefits amid federal government shutdown | |
| Mississippi will begin distributing up to 65% of food assistance benefits for the month of November to recipients, the Mississippi Department of Human Services announced Monday. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are distributed on a rolling basis between the 4th and 21st of each month. Recipients who were scheduled to receive SNAP benefits earlier this month but have not yet due to the federal government shutdown will begin receiving partial assistance as early as today, the agency said in a press release. Others will receive their benefits on their regularly scheduled date. Mississippi is distributing up to 65% of SNAP benefits to recipients in accordance with guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that administers the program, said the state Department of Human Services in a statement. Full benefits will be distributed once the federal government approves their release. About 1 in 8 Mississippians -- over 350,000 people -- receive food assistance through SNAP. More than 67% of participants are in households with children, and about 41% are in households with older adults or adults with a disability. |
| Sam's Town casino officially closes doors in Tunica | |
| Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall has officially closed its doors after more than 30 years in Tunica. The casino, which opened in 1994, shut down for good on Sunday. Boyd Gaming, the Las Vegas company that owns Sam's Town, announced plans to shutter the Mississippi casino in September. The company's decision centered on dwindling foot traffic to Tunica over the last two decades, along with increased competition elsewhere. The casino employed up to 200 people at the time of its closure. With Sam's Town turning off the lights, only five gaming centers remain afloat in Tunica: 1st Jackpot Casino, Fitz Tunica Casino & Hotel, Gold Strike, Hollywood Casino, and Horseshoe Casino. North Mississippi's gaming market continues to lag behind the Gulf Coast, which boasts a dozen casinos with more planned to be built in the near future. From January through May of this year, the north Mississippi market has totaled just over $222 million in monthly casino adjusted gross gaming revenue, while the Gulf Coast has tripled that figure, earning more than $659 million through the five-month span, according to data from the state's gaming commission. |
| Trump nominees for Mississippi held up in Senate | |
| President Donald Trump's nominees for federal judgeships and U.S. attorneys in Mississippi appear to have stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee has yet to vote on Robert Chamberlin and James Maxwell, both nominated by Trump in August to fill open federal judge positions in Mississippi's Northern District. Both are current justices on the Mississippi Supreme Court. The committee also has not taken up Trump's nominations in early July of Scott Leary and Baxter Kruger, his choices for U.S. attorney for the Northern and Southern districts of Mississippi, respectively. Leary declined to comment. None of the other three nominees responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley told Mississippi Today that the delay in advancing the Mississippi nominees out of committee is unrelated to the nominees themselves. "They're caught up in a dispute between on-committee and off-committee senators," the spokesperson said. "The chairman will plan to advance them when the issue is resolved." |
| Senate approves bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House | |
 | The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats ratified a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation. President Donald Trump has signaled support for the bill, saying Monday that "we're going to be opening up our country very quickly." The final Senate vote, 60-40, broke a grueling stalemate that lasted more than six weeks as Democrats demanded that Republicans negotiate with them to extend health care tax credits that expire Jan. 1. The Republicans never did, and five moderate Democrats eventually switched their votes as federal food aid was delayed, airport delays worsened and hundreds of thousands of federal workers continued to go unpaid. House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers to start returning to Washington "right now" given shutdown-related travel delays, but an official notice issued after the Senate vote said the earliest the House will vote is Wednesday afternoon. |
| Democratic opposition to Senate deal runs party's ideological gamut | |
 | Democrats from across the political spectrum expressed opposition to a Senate deal to end the longest partial government shutdown, less than a week after the party was celebrating major election victories. A handful of candidates also criticized Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, even though he opposed the agreement, with some calling for him to step down from his leadership role. Under the terms of the deal, the Senate would extend current funding levels through Jan. 30 and advance three full-year spending bills covering the Veterans Affairs and Agriculture departments, as well as legislative operations. The agreement would also reverse the layoffs of thousands of federal workers since Oct. 1, when the shutdown began, and would ensure that federal workers who were furloughed or who have been working without pay would receive back pay. But the package doesn't directly include anything to address Democrats' top demand to end the shutdown: the extension of enhanced premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year, hiking health insurance rates for plans sold on the federal exchanges. Senate Republicans have committed to schedule a vote on legislation to renew the tax credits before the end of next month -- but most Democrats, both progressives and centrists, say that's not enough to win their support. |
| Age Is the Issue That Democrats Can't Shut Down | |
 | The Democratic unity and good feelings after the party's big election victories lasted under a week. Now, the knives are back out. As eight Democratic-aligned senators with an average age of about 70 voted with Republicans to end the 40-day government shutdown without the health care concessions Democrats had demanded, the party again convulsed with two questions that have long racked its members: How old is too old and how vigorously should they fight Republicans? Democrats are still dealing with the fallout of Joe Biden's calamitous decision to seek re-election at age 79. What has been less discussed is the fallout of having so many members of Congress who are at (and well beyond) retirement age. And as liberal voters just found out, it's a lot easier to vote for something your base hates if you're too old to worry about re-election. "This is the problem with the gerontocracy," said Amanda Litman, the leader of Run for Something, a group that recruits young progressive candidates to run for office. "When you have older leaders who are never going to face re-election again, you make decisions that are disconnected from what their voters believe." |
| Supreme Court will decide whether states can count late-arriving mail ballots, a Trump target | |
| The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether states can continue to count late-arriving mail ballots, which have been a target of President Donald Trump. The justices took up an appeal from Mississippi after a panel of three judges nominated by the Republican president on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the state law allowing ballots that arrive shortly after Election Day to be counted violated federal law. Mississippi is one of 16 states and the District of Columbia that accept mailed ballots received after Election Day as long as the ballots are postmarked on or before that date, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. An additional 14 states allow the counting of late-arriving ballots from some eligible voters, including overseas U.S. service members and their families, according to a filing from Democratic-led states that urged the justices to reverse the appellate ruling. |
| Hyde-Smith heralds results of meeting with Trump, federal officials over beef industry | |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is lauding the results of a meeting she had with White House officials and a few of her colleagues centered on concerns within America's beef industry. Hyde-Smith, who is seeking another term in office, posted on social media Saturday that she had requested a meeting with President Donald Trump, along with Senate peers Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by cattle farmers. The president did not show up alone. Joining Trump for the meeting were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. As a result of the meeting, according to Hyde-Smith, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into meat-packing companies that are allegedly driving up beef costs through collusion, as well as price fixing and manipulation. SuperTalk Mississippi News reached out to Hyde-Smith's office regarding her remarks about the removal of tariffs on fertilizer but has not received a response at this time. |
| USDA official who roiled Capitol Hill with his erotica now one of Rollins' closest advisers | |
 | The USDA staffer whose smutty novella sparked controversy in September -- and inside President Donald Trump's White House, where top aides considered his termination -- remains at the department. In fact, he's been promoted -- despite the swift blowback his foray into penmanship sparked just months ago. After the dust settled, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins quietly made Tucker Stewart a trusted legal adviser, moving him out of his position as deputy assistant secretary of agriculture in the department's congressional affairs unit, according to five people. Those people, who include an agriculture lobbyist, two Capitol Hill aides and others with knowledge of the matter, were all granted anonymity to speak candidly about sensitive personnel matters. A spokesperson for the USDA verified that Stewart has left the agency's congressional affairs unit and "is now working on USDA's lawfare portfolio."The new position, a second person said, places the young Kansan in Rollins' inner circle and in a position to advise the secretary on some of the most sensitive initiatives at the department. |
| The AI Cold War That Will Redefine Everything | |
 | China's leaders were anxious and frustrated. The world's most promising new technology was being dominated by OpenAI, Google and other American companies. Chinese tech companies were so far behind on generative artificial intelligence early last year that many were relying on Meta Platforms' open-source Llama models, which can be downloaded for free. Worse, U.S. restrictions on exports of top-end AI chips threatened to hobble China even further. So in the spring of 2024, Beijing ratcheted up pressure on tech executives. One leading Chinese AI company told The Wall Street Journal it fielded calls from 10 different government agencies in a single month urging action on native AI models. The country relaxed regulations, rolled out funding and rushed to install computing power. Nine months later, Chinese startup DeepSeek turned heads in Silicon Valley with a powerful new AI model. Hope began to take hold. "China finally has a model it can be proud of," Premier Li Qiang told officials, according to people familiar with the comment. The optimism catalyzed China's tech industry, unleashed an even bigger geyser of government support and jolted American competition into overdrive. The escalating AI race is drawing comparisons with the Cold War, and the great scientific and technological clashes that characterized it. It is likely to be at least as consequential. |
| If the US Has to Build Data Centers, Here's Where They Should Go | |
 | Tech companies have invested so much money in building data centers in recent months, it's actively driving the US economy -- and the AI race is showing no signs of slowing down. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg told President Donald Trump last week that the company would spend $600 billion on US infrastructure -- including data centers -- by 2028, while OpenAI has committed already to spending $1.4 trillion. An extensive new analysis looks at the environmental footprint of data centers in the US to get a handle on what, exactly, the country might be facing as this buildout continues over the next few years -- and where the US should be building data centers to avoid the most harmful environmental impacts. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on Monday, uses a variety of data, including demand for AI chips and information on state electricity and water scarcity, to project the potential environmental impacts of future data centers through the end of the decade. The study models a number of different possible scenarios on how data centers could affect the US and the planet -- and cautions that tech companies' net zero promises aren't likely to hold up against the energy and water needs of the massive facilities they're building. Fengqi You, a professor in energy systems engineering at Cornell and one of the authors of the analysis, says that the study, which began three years ago, comes at "a perfect time to understand how AI is making an impact on climate systems and water usage and consumption." |
| Holiday catalogs are making a comeback | |
| The holiday shopping campaigns have already begun: by way of TV ads, emails, social media, and -- increasingly -- catalogs. Yes, real paper ads that arrive in your mailbox, those are becoming more popular again. Walmart published its first furniture catalog this year. Brands like J.Crew and Nordstrom have recently restarted mailed advertising, too. So why are companies filling up your mailbox with what you might look at as junk mail? When you think of mailed catalogs, maybe you imagine those old ones from Sears that were hundreds of pages and as thick as a phone book. (And that you could buy homes from.) The catalogs of today are different. "These catalogs are smaller. They're intended to be much more targeted," said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester. Catalogs are a way for retailers to exist in real life when they don't have physical stores. For bigger and more well-known retailers, catalogs are about curation. They're an offering of what's in style -- not a display of everything that's for sale. Plus, mailers offer nostalgia. |
| MUW nursing enrollment up by 8% for fall semester | |
 | Mississippi University for Women has a lot to celebrate recently. Enrollment is up 8% for the Fall Semester. And, the W's Nursing and Speech Pathology programs have both been named tops in the state. That was cause for celebration this afternoon, November 10, at the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences at The W. This is at least the third year in a row for the Nursing school to take top honors. The school's dean, Brandy Larmon, said this is good news for the university, but it's better news for the state. 84% of those Nursing graduates and 60% of Speech Pathology graduates stay in Mississippi, and often return to their hometowns. "Well, it's really important to have nurses that know their own community, and that's one thing we can say about our students is that they are out and about, and they go back to these communities to work, and that's just invaluable, because they know the people; they know the area, and they can provide the best level of healthcare for those people," said Brandy. |
| UM Student Named Finalist For Rhodes Scholarship | |
 | University of Mississippi senior Sydney Guntharp has been named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship -- one of the most prestigious international awards for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in England. With only a small number of students in the United States becoming finalists each year, the Hernando, Miss., native joins an elite group of scholars recognized for their academic excellence and commitment to global change. "(The Rhodes Scholarship) wants you to think about changing the entire world. They want you to have ambition at that scale and that level," Guntharp said in a phone interview with The Daily Mississippian. "That's what's exciting to me, because I'm a big picture thinker, and that's how I've always been. So that's what draws me to (the scholarship)." As a student double majoring in English and political science with a minor in gender studies, Guntharp balances her coursework with four different jobs, from mentoring students at the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement to working as a bookseller in Water Valley, Miss. |
| Ole Miss Banking and Finance Symposium to address AI, technology issues | |
 | The rapid advance of artificial intelligence and other technologies and their impact on the banking industry are the focus of this year's Banking and Financial Symposium at the University of Mississippi. This year's symposium, the 24th hosted by the School of Business Administration, is set for Nov. 14 at the Oxford Conference Center. The daylong event also includes discussion on trends in mergers and acquisitions. Rebeca Romero Rainey is this year's keynote speaker. Rainey is president and CEO of Independent Community Bankers of America and one of the nation's foremost advocates of the community banking industry. The symposium begins with the annual Women in Finance breakfast featuring Kathy Kraninger, president and CEO of Florida Bankers Association, and Chris Malloy, Ole Miss men's golf coach. |
| Auburn's Whitetail Deer Lab: A leader in wildlife study and conservation | |
| The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) offers many opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in their respective fields. One such opportunity is with the College's whitetail Deer Lab -- a facility that not only studies the characteristics and breeding patterns of deer but also raises conservational awareness for wild animals. Founded in 2007 near Camp Hill, Alabama, the facility spans nearly 430 acres. Surrounded by an eight-foot-tall fence, the Deer Lab is home to around 100 adult deer at any one time. "We constructed it with the intent of trying to understand reproductive success in whitetail deer," said Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff, wildlife professor and director of the Deer Lab. "It's a big part of Auburn's wildlife research program, as well as other research programs across the Southeast and across the country." In addition to the research staff, Ditchkoff explained that 20 to 30 undergraduate students who also do field work at the lab, while around four graduate students focus on researching the native deer population. |
| LSU can potentially fire law professor for Trump, Landry comments, court decides | |
 | LSU is free to continue pursuing potential job action, including termination, against law professor Ken Levy, who was suspended from the classroom after making comments about President Donald Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry in front of students. That's the conclusion of a three-judge panel of judges on the First Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge. They found that Levy failed to demonstrate how his suspension from teaching violated his right to due process because he is still being paid and retains his tenure with the university. The appellate court's decision, issued Friday, overturns a Feb. 18 ruling by district court judge Tarvald Smith in favor of Levy. The judges rejected Levy's argument that LSU erred when it failed to identify a violation of university policy before barring him from the classroom. If LSU takes further action, the judges said Levy can try to sue then. |
| Bill would require higher education professionals to take oath to nation and to Florida | |
| Under a proposal filed Friday by Jacksonville Sen. Clay Yarborough, state college and university administrators and instructors would have to take an oath to the nation and Florida. The measure (SB 430) also calls for public school administrators and instructional personnel, including prekindergarten instructors, to perform a similar oath. The oaths require the individual to pledge to serve as a positive role model, work in a "professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner," and "foster a respectful learning environment for all students which promotes critical thinking, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning." Educational workers also would have to affirm that they are qualified for employment in the state. The measure was filed for consideration during the 2026 legislative session that begins Jan. 13. Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, also has filed a measure (HB 147) that would require public school teachers to make a similar oath. Fabricio has equated his proposal with oaths taken by lawyers, doctors, and public officials. |
| TAMU Regents will vote to ban classes in race, gender ideology without prior approval | |
| Texas A&M University System regents will vote Thursday to ban classes on "race" and "gender ideology" unless they are approved by the institution's president or a designee -- the latest escalation in a statewide conservative push to rid universities of liberal leaning teaching. If passed, the Texas A&M System, which serves 175,000 students as the second largest university system in the state, would be the first institution to explicitly bar teaching related to "race ideology." The policy proposal describes the term as "a concept that attempts to shame a particular race or ethnicity, accuse them of being oppressors in a racial hierarchy or conspiracy, ascribe to them less value as contributors to society... assign them intrinsic guilt" or promotes activism "rather than instruction." It defines gender ideology as "a concept of self-assessed gender identity replacing, and disconnected from, the biological category of sex," though biology and Women's and Gender Studies scholars for decades have found that not all people fit into male or female categories neatly. Opponents of the proposal say the policy will impede academic freedom and hurt Texas A&M University's quality of education. The Texas American Federation of Teachers and American Association of University Professors chapter said the "unconstitutional" policies would "codify institutional censorship." |
| Texas A&M faculty panel report says professor's firing violated her academic freedom | |
| A Texas A&M University faculty committee created in the wake of two high-profile controversies that raised concerns about political interference in academic and personnel decisions found that the recent firing of English professor Melissa McCoul violated her academic freedom. McCoul was fired in September after a video of her discussing gender identity in class was recorded without her knowledge and circulated online, drawing intense political and social media criticism. The university said she was fired because the content of her course did not match its catalog description. McCoul is appealing her termination. In a report dated Sept. 25 and obtained by The Texas Tribune on Monday, the Academic Freedom Council concluded McCoul's dismissal appeared to be based on what she taught rather than any failure to follow the course catalog. The council compared the course catalog entry, course description and McCoul's syllabus and said the materials were consistent with one another. The catalog describes the class broadly as covering "representative writers, genres, texts and movements." |
| Democrat's Win May Upend a Conservative Push in Virginia Universities | |
| When she takes office as governor of Virginia in January, Abigail Spanberger will step into a partisan war over the political direction of one of the nation's most respected public university systems. The schools have lately been at the center of a push by Republicans to overhaul universities that they see as having liberal biases. The Democratic victory in the election may test the limits of that effort in public universities, where state politicians often play a significant role in selecting administrators and setting policy. In Virginia, the battle over public higher education has pitted legislative Democrats against Republican-appointed boards, primarily at the University of Virginia and two other public schools, George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute. Virginia's governor appoints the board members at each campus who oversee the state's public university system, and conservative board members and alumni have engineered efforts to oust leaders of the universities, largely over disputes about diversity initiatives. Now, though, Ms. Spanberger will take office as the first woman to serve as governor, with a new Democratic attorney general and her party in control of the General Assembly. Virginia may be an early example of how shifting political control could hobble the White House's national campaign to change higher education. |
| UNC, NC State seek tuition hikes ahead of expected state budget cuts | |
| Incoming undergraduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill could see a tuition and fee increase beginning next year, for the first time in nearly a decade. North Carolina State University is also proposing tuition increases for all of its students as public universities deal with expected budget cuts from North Carolina lawmakers. The UNC board of trustees this week will consider a proposal to raise tuition for resident undergraduate students by 3%, the maximum allowable under state law. The change would go into effect for the class that matriculates in 2026. Current students wouldn't see a tuition increase. The 3% increase would raise tuition by $211 per year at UNC. Along with a proposed $53 fee increase for a new recreation and wellness center, UNC resident undergrads would pay $9,360 in tuition and fees per year. Resident undergraduate tuition at UNC-Chapel Hill has been flat since the fall of 2017 as it has at other public schools in the UNC System. The university is routinely ranked among the best values among public universities in the nation. State lawmakers considered large cuts to higher education funding last year during their stalled budget process and pushed for universities to consider tuition increases. |
| Enrollment Growth Continues, Bolstered by Short-Term Credentials | |
 | College enrollment continued to grow this fall, increasing by 2 percent compared to fall 2024, according to preliminary fall data released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The biggest gains came from students studying for short-term credentials, whose ranks increased 6.6 percent, while the number of students enrolled in associate and bachelor's degree programs rose 3.1 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. Enrollment also grew faster at community colleges, which experienced a 4 percent increase, than at public (1.9 percent) and private (0.9 percent) four-year institutions. Total graduate enrollment was stagnant, however, and the number of master's students actually decreased by 0.6 percent. And a major that has long been one of the most popular in the U.S. -- computer science -- saw massive declines at both the undergraduate and graduate level. |
| As Headwinds Abound, College Enrollment Ticks Up This Fall | |
 | Fall enrollment growth shouldn't obscure important changes in who is going to college, and for how long. Higher-ed enrollment increased by 2 percent this fall as colleges powered through concerns about prices, politicization, value, and visas. This rising tide didn't lift all boats equally, according to a report released today by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Undergraduate enrollment climbed by 2.4 percent, buoyed by a 4-percent increase at community colleges. Graduate enrollment didn't change substantially. Master's programs sank by 0.6 percent. Doctoral programs picked up 1.1 percent more students. Lower-income students posted the strongest growth. Enrollment increased by 3.3 percent from the poorest fifth of neighborhoods and by just 1 percent from the wealthiest fifth. Nondegree programs just keep growing. Undergraduate certificates picked up 6.6 percent more students this fall, a year after posting a 7.6-percent increase. |
| Community College Leaders Ask Carnegie to Pull Its New Classification | |
| Earlier this year, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education came out with a new classification, focused on colleges' low-income student enrollments and whether their students wind up in well-paying jobs. Released in April, the Student Access and Earnings Classification marks a shift in Carnegie's approach, years in the making, to assess institutions based on student success. The move was designed in part to acknowledge institutions, such as community colleges, that don't spend heavily on research or confer doctorates but drive economic opportunity for students. But not everyone is pleased with the new classification and the way the results shook out. Community college leaders are raising concerns that the methodology isn't well-suited for their institutions and paints community colleges, particularly in high-cost-of-living areas, in a negative light by labeling some "lower access" or "lower earnings." Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and senior vice president of the American Council on Education, said he's open to feedback and debate, and future refinements, but at the end of the day, "we stand by the data." |
SPORTS
| Soccer: Bulldogs Set To Host Lipscomb In NCAA Tournament | |
| For the fourth consecutive year, Mississippi State soccer will host NCAA Tournament action in Starkville. The Bulldogs will play Lipscomb at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 15. State (12-6-1, 5-4-1 SEC) is fresh off its third consecutive SEC Tournament semifinal appearance. The Bulldogs will be making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance overall, having hosted at least a first round match in every prior bracket. MSU reached the Sweet 16 in each of the past two years, and in 2024 earned its first No. 1 national seed. "It's always an exciting time when you know how much work that this group has put in both on and off the field, how intentional they've been to earn an opportunity to be one of 64 teams in the country to keep playing," head coach Nick Zimmerman said. "It means a lot. There are 348 teams when you start this journey back in early August. To have an opportunity to continue to play in the middle of November, it's really exciting and a testament on how tough this group is together." Zimmerman is one of two first-year head coaches in the field this year, and he is the first Bulldog head coach to reach the tournament in his first year at the helm. Tickets for Saturday's match will go on sale at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, with general admission seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are $10 and children two years old and younger are free. |
| MSU Soccer named No. 6 seed, will host Lipscomb in NCAA Tourney | |
| Mississippi State Soccer is going dancing in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row, and will host its First Round matchup against Lipscomb at the MSU Soccer Field on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs (12-6-1) won two games at the SEC Tournament in Florida before going out in the semi-finals against LSU. They were playing competitively against the Tigers when disaster struck, with a red card foul against Rebeka Vega-Peleka, leaving the team down a player as well as giving up a penalty. It was a difficult defeat, but the spirits remained high in the Touchdown Club of Davis Wade Stadium on Monday. "I would say the confidence is through the roof," midfielder Kara Harris said, celebrating her birthday as well as her team's tournament selection on Monday. "I think Pensacola was another step in our process. It's the most together we've been, and we're playing our best soccer. No better time to play your best soccer than right now." The day also saw the team's leading goalscorer, Ally Perry, and freshman Tatum Borman named to the SEC All-Tournament team, highlighting their contributions in an exciting run to the conference semis. |
| MSU's Blake Shapen missed Monday practice with injury, will start at Mizzou if 'truly healthy' | |
| Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby informed the media on Monday that starting quarterback Blake Shapen did not return to practice after exiting the game against Georgia from a heavy blindside hit. The sack knocked Shapen out of the game, and though he returned from the locker room, he did not go back into the game. "He did not do anything today, so we'll be evaluating him as we move through the week," Lebby said of Shapen. True freshman Kamario Taylor stepped up in Shapen's place, scoring all three MSU touchdowns in the 41-21 loss. Lebby was asked if the door was open for Taylor to start, but the head coach remarked that the job is still Shapen's if he is full go. "If (Shapen) is healthy, truly healthy, he'll start," Lebby said. "It's all about getting him healthy. As we evaluate this thing and move through, we'll see where we're at." Taylor's skillset was valuable enough early on for Lebby to burn his redshirt, and it has yielded positive results thus far. The former Noxubee County Tiger has played plenty of football at the highest stage in Mississippi high school ball, and now could earn his first start for the Bulldogs should Shapen not recover in time for a trip to face Missouri this weekend. |
| State getting back to basics, Shapen's status unknown | |
| Mississippi State came into this week with an anger and a purpose. The Bulldogs are heading into their penultimate game week with two more chances to reach bowl eligibility. State is coming off a 41-21 loss to Georgia, its second-most lopsided loss of the season. "Our energy as we got on the field today was workmanlike, which I love, and our guys know that we've got so much out in front of us," coach Jeff Lebby said at the team's press conference on Monday. "We need to go find a way to play the best ball that we've played all year, not perfect, and go 1-0 on Saturday." However, when MSU took the field for practice, it did so without its starting quarterback. Blake Shapen took a big hit against Georgia in the third quarter and did not return. He did not participate in practice on Monday, which leaves the door open for freshman Kamario Taylor to get the nod against Missouri. Taylor ran for all three of State's touchdowns against Georgia. Lebby noted that if Shapen is "truly healthy", he will start, but feels confident in Taylor in the event that he can't go. |
| SEC pushes for no automatic qualifiers in playoff; last week's results show it might have a point | |
| Instead of simply pushing for a limited number of automatic qualifiers in the next version of the College Football Playoff, leaders in the Southeastern Conference are now suggesting they don't want any at all. The results from last weekend might show they have a point. The last two teams in the season's first projected 12-team bracket -- both of which were outside the selection committee's top 12 -- each lost last week, meaning the bracket that comes out Tuesday could include a pair of even lower-ranked teams. If the SEC gets its way, those sort of stories from places that don't regularly generate college football headlines could be all but gone from the sport's biggest stage. All of which might not feel like such a loss to hear key SEC leaders tell it. "I've been amazingly consistent since we moved from four to something else that I'm not a fan of automatic qualifiers," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Saturday. "In fact, we don't have a G5 representative in the top 25. That's problematic and that's an indicator of why you just don't jump on the AQ bandwagon." A day earlier, Mississippi State President Mark Keenum, who chairs the CFP playoff board, told ESPN "I'm not a big fan of automatic qualifiers." |
| 'We've got a lot of learning to do': Bulldogs swarmed by No. 16 Cyclones | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball was served a rude awakening up north on Monday, falling 96-80 against No. 16 Iowa State. The Bulldogs, now 1-1, were boatraced in their first matchup against a Power Four opponent, coughing up possession 26 times to gift the Cyclones 29 points off of turnovers. "I don't remember a team that had 26 turnovers," head coach Chris Jans said on the postgame radio show. Jans didn't assert that it's never happened to his teams before, but from what he could remember it was a unique experience, and one the Bulldogs expected. Jans said that before the game, his team knew to expect high pressure defensively and for the Cyclones to be right on top of them. What he may not have envisioned was nine different Iowa State players recording a steal on the night, or four reaching double digits to spur the team on just short of the century mark in points. "We certainly knew that going into the game and thought we had prepared our guys better than that," Jans said of the Iowa State defensive display. "At the end of the day, that's what I told them in the locker room as well... I'm responsible for this program, this team. Certainly, we all have a hand in it, and we've got to do a better job of preparing for whoever the opponent is." |
| Belhaven women's soccer earns NCAA Tournament bid after winning first-ever CCS title | |
| Belhaven University's women's soccer team has punched a ticket to compete for a national title. The Blazers earned a spot as a No. 15 seed in the upcoming Division III NCAA Tournament after winning the first Collegiate Conference of the South championship in program history on Saturday, knocking down Asbury 2-1. The big win marks Belhaven's first conference championship as a member of the NCAA and first overall conference championship since 2004. Kimberly Harrell's crew has been led this season by senior Emma Antonoplos' 29 points, including a CCS-leading 13 goals and three assists. Senior Lauren Snell has added 22 points with eight goals and six assists. Freshman Alexis Whiting is third on the team with seven goals. Junior goalkeeper Addi Roberts is second in the CCS with a .767 save percentage along with four shutouts. The Blazers will now gear up to head to Atlanta to take on No. 2 seed Emory. The matchup will take place this Saturday at noon CT. |
| Will new PGA stop in North Carolina kill future of Jackson's golf tournament? | |
 | At a time when the PGA is more inclined to reduce the number of tournaments available to play, it was announced on Monday, October 10 that Asheville, North Carolina will have a tournament for the first time in more than 80 years. The Tour, Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are bringing a new FedEx Cup Fall tournament to the Jack Nicklaus-designed The Cliffs at Walnut Cove for the Biltmore Championship. This comes at a time that organizers in Jackson are evaluating the future of the PGA stop at the Country Club of Jackson. Just last month was the 13th and final year of sponsorship for Wayne Sanderson Farms at Mississippi's only PGA Tour event, and if the tournament cannot find a new sponsor in the next couple of months, Mississippi's run of having a PGA tournament since 1968 could possibly come to an end. However, Jackson's tournament director Steve Jent told the Clarion Ledger that he had seen the announcement, and that the North Carolina tournament would occupy a time slot about two weeks before the "traditional" time for the Mississippi tournament. "We are still working on what next year looks like for Century Club and our tournament," Jent said. |
| Built by a West Point man, Duke basketball plays at Army on Veterans Day | |
 | The architect of modern Duke basketball is a West Point man, and the fourth-ranked Blue Devils will pay homage to him and other cadets by playing at Army on Tuesday, Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day. Mike Krzyzewski played at Army and coached five seasons there (73-59 record) prior to his 42 seasons as Duke coach (1,438-309). "To honor all the veterans on Veterans Day, that's a special thing to be playing at West Point for that reason," Duke coach Jon Scheyer said, per the Fayetteville Observer. Coach K will make the trip with the team to upstate New York, where he played from 1966-69. "It'll be strange being on a flight with him, I don't know if he's going to be watching film or not," Scheyer said after Duke's win over Western Carolina on Nov. 8. "Maybe my first time on a flight with him where he's not watching film. Or he probably will be watching film, who knows?" Maybe he'll feel nostalgic and put on film from the last time the Blue Devils played at West Point, the 1997 season opener. Duke won, 78-45, as fans were introduced to freshmen Elton Brand and Shane Battier, who were making their college debuts. "When you combine the opportunity to host a program with the stature of Duke basketball on Veterans Day in Christl with the connection to a legend in our program's history it is a tremendous thrill for the young men in our program," Army coach Kevin Kuwik said. The game starts at 7 p.m. and will air on the CBS Sports Network. |
| Brian Kelly files suit against LSU, claiming the school now wants to fire him for cause | |
| Brian Kelly has filed a lawsuit against LSU as he seeks confirmation that the school fired him without cause and that he is owed his full buyout of nearly $54 million, according to a copy of the filing obtained by The Advocate. Kelly's attorneys said in a petition for declaratory judgment that LSU representatives told them during a call Monday he was not "formally terminated" as the football coach on Oct. 26 and the school now seeks to fire him for cause. "LSU took the position that Coach Kelly had not been formally terminated and informed Coach Kelly's representatives, for the very first time, that LSU believed grounds for termination for cause existed," the lawsuit said. If fired for cause, LSU would not have to pay Kelly his full buyout. Kelly's lawyers asserted he was fired without cause. According to Kelly's contract, the school can fire him for cause due to various behavioral issues, including NCAA rule violations, crimes or "serious misconduct" that "constitutes moral turpitude." |
| U. of Kentucky STUNT team member sues university, team after injury during tryouts | |
 | A member of the University of Kentucky's STUNT team filed a lawsuit recently against the coaches and the school after she was severely injured during team tryouts. Lilly Rose Zidek filed suit Sept. 22, claiming she was injured when she was dropped during the team's walk-on tryouts, typically held for people who do not have a scholarship for a sport. Zidek a freshman at the time of the Sept. 23, 2024, injury, had an athletic scholarship, and was dropped by someone trying out for the team. Zidek was a "flyer" -- someone who is held up and thrown in the air during competitions -- on UK's STUNT team. STUNT is one of the university's newest varsity sports, focusing on the athletic and technical aspects of cheerleading. It was added as a sport in 2021, and the team began competing in 2022. UK's STUNT team was also in the news recently when one of its now-former members, Laken Snelling, was arrested and charged with several crimes after police said she gave birth to a baby that was later found dead in her closet. |
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