| Wednesday, January 7, 2026 |
| Equine therapy at MSU offers relief for veterans and more | |
 | Mississippi State University is offering a unique program that is helping veterans and others find healing through horses. This initiative is making a difference for those who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. Veterans often carry stress, trauma or anxiety after returning from service. The program provides an alternative to traditional therapy, focusing on the bond between humans and horses. Sessions are simple, sometimes involving just walking beside a horse. The program also supports people recovering from addiction, as well as children and teenagers. As it grows, so does the need for community support through volunteers, equipment and donations. |
| Cotton Grower Acreage Survey: American Acres to Hold Flat in 2026 | |
 | Just as the cotton market has remained stagnant and subdued throughout 2025, so too has enthusiasm for planting the crop as the nation's producers look ahead to 2026. For weeks, the Cotton Grower staff has conducted a thorough survey of cotton producers, Extension specialists and other industry stakeholders with unique knowledge of the American cotton industry. Over that time, respondents pointed to a broad range of issues that would impact planting decisions in the spring of 2026. One issue stood out due to the frequency with which it was referenced by survey participants -- subdued market prices and, inevitably, their relation to input costs. Nearly every state in the Mid-South indicated that its cotton acreage would be down compared to 2025. But to best capture the extent to which acreage is decreasing in the Delta region, it's best to compare 2026 projections with final totals from 2024. Mississippi producers indicated they would plant 340,000 acres of cotton next season -- down significantly from the 520,000 acres of growers there planted in 2024. "We have skinned our Mississippi acres down to fewer growers and isolated to the best land suited for cotton production," said Mississippi State University Extension Cotton Specialist Brian Pieralisi. "We had a really good year in terms of lint yield, but still a lot of growers are not returning a profit." |
| Two juveniles charged after car burglary investigation | |
 | A pair juveniles will have to appear in Oktibbeha County youth court after an investigation into car burglary uncovered both felonies and misdemeanors. The Starkville Police Department received a report of an individual pulling on vehicle door handles in the area of Helen Circle near McKee Park and the sportsplex from Oktibbeha County E-911 at around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 5. Officers responded to the area and as part of the investigation made contact with three juveniles at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Lynn Lane. As a result of the investigation, two 17-year-old males were detained. One was charged with felony possession of marijuana and possession of a stolen firearm. The other was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, minor in possession of a firearm and disorderly conduct. Both were transported to a juvenile detention facility. Additional charges may be pending. |
| Loblolly Bakery's King cakes now shipped nationwide | |
 | King cakes are back at Loblolly Bakery in Hattiesburg, just in time for Mardi Gras. This year marks the fourth king cake season, and the bakery is taking things to a whole new level. After selling about 300 king cakes a day last year, the bakery invested in a new oven and expanded to a second kitchen to keep up with demand. Now, they're expecting to push out 500 cakes to 600 cakes a day. And for the first time, Loblolly Bakery is shipping its king cakes nationwide, bringing a taste of Mardi Gras straight to folks' doors. "To be honest with you, four years ago, I just wasn't real happy with what we were doing yet, and it was just last year that we nailed it," said Loblolly owner Robert St. John. "That was the big request we got, 'Do you ship, Do you ship, Do you ship?' And, we were just trying to, you know, catch up. This year, we're all set up for shipping nationwide. You can either come in here and place an order or just go to loblollybakery.com and put an order in and we'll ship it to California, New York or Peoria, wherever you want it." |
| Committee approves $1 billion over next decade to shore up PERS | |
| The Senate Appropriations Committee on the first day of the 2026 legislative session voted to put half-a-billion dollars of the state's current surplus into Mississippi's government pension system, in addition to putting $50 million a year over the next decade into the underfunded system. The measure passed out of the committee with no audible opposition. If passed into law, the proposal would pump at least $1 billion into the Public Employees' Retirement System over the next decade. Sen. Daniel Sparks, a Republican from Belmont who authored the legislation, said giving the Public Employees' Retirement System a large cash infusion is a necessary next step after the Legislature last year overhauled it, moving forward. "The employees of the state of Mississippi have done their part," Sparks said. "Now we've got to fund it." House leaders have proposed a recurring revenue stream for PERS, either from the state lottery or by legalizing mobile sports betting. Sparks on Tuesday did not appear receptive to those proposals, and said such earmarked streams would not stabilize the system like the large cash infusion the committee passed. The Senate measure now heads to the full chamber. |
| Senate committee wastes no time in passing bill aimed at shoring up PERS | |
| The Mississippi Senate Appropriations Committee took less than five minutes Tuesday afternoon to approve transferring hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds to shore up the Public Employees' Retirement System, or PERS, by unanimous vote. The bill, SB 2004, would transfer $500 million from the Capital Expense Fund to the PERS account as of July 1. Subsequent transfers of $50 million would be moved from the Capital Expense Fund to PERS each year until July 2036. The legislation, titled the Mississippi PERS Stability Act, states if the Capital Expense Fund has a balance below $50 million, the State Treasurer, along with the State Fiscal Officer, "shall transfer the balance of the unobligated funds from the Capital Expense Fund and a sum in the amount necessary from the State General Fund so that a total sum of Fifty Million Dollars" is transferred to PERS. PERS currently has an unfunded liability of roughly $26 billion and serves nearly 370,000 members. The House of Representatives is also expected to introduce its own legislation to help buoy the solvency of the state retirement system. During an invitation-only press conference on Monday, Speaker Jason White (R) said he would favor legislation using mobile sports gaming revenue to assist in solving the PERS funding issue. |
| Senate Education Committee moves teacher pay raise, public-to-public transfer bills forward | |
| On the first day of Mississippi's 2026 legislative session, the Senate Education Committee kicked things off by sending three bills to the floor, each intended to strengthen the state's K-12 public school system members said. The first bill -- SB 2001 -- seeks to provide teachers with a pay raise. A second measure – SB 2002 – is focused on public-to-public school transfers. The third bill -- SB 2003 -- would provide options for all retired state employees to become teachers through alternate route programs for certification. The Senate teacher pay raise bill proposes to provide all educators in the state with a $2,000 across-the-board pay raise. The House is likely to propose their own figure soon. The Senate proposal also includes teacher assistants, CTE instructors and those working at community colleges and the state's public universities, Senator Dennis DeBar (R) described. DeBar, who is the committee chair, estimates the total amount of the raise would cost the state an additional $132 million. However, he hopes changes to the bill will result in increasing the raise to $5,000. DeBar said passage of the bill out of committee on Tuesday will allow discussions to that effect to continue. |
| Mississippi Teachers Could Get a $2,000 Raise, and Retirees Could Be Asked to Teach as Senate Advances Reforms | |
| Mississippi educators could soon get an annual pay raise of at least $2,000 after the Mississippi Senate Education Committee advanced legislation on Tuesday to increase teacher salaries. The pay raise under Senate Bill 2001 would include all K-12 teachers and teachers' assistants, as well as community college teachers, professors and assistant professors. The State of Mississippi would have to spend $132 million to raise salaries by $2,000 yearly, Mississippi Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, told his committee on Jan. 6. He said he hoped that the $2,000 raise could be increased if the state budget allows. "We know that our educators deserve and need more than $2,000. I would like to see it get closer to $5,000 as most of our education groups have requested, and so, what this will do is allow us time to work through the process," he said. "And maybe by the end of the session, if Sen. (Briggs) Hopson and the Appropriations Committee can find some more money, we can increase the pay raise." Hopson, a Republican from Vicksburg, is the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. |
| Legislators to focus on infrastructure during session | |
| As state lawmakers convene in Jackson this week for the start of the 2026 legislative session, Neshoba County's delegation is focused on infrastructure needs, constituent accessibility, and collaboration in the months ahead. State Rep. C. Scott Bounds said top priorities for the session include water infrastructure improvements, county road projects, and continued investment at Neshoba General hospital. "Our top priorities are to consider the needs of the citizens," Bounds said, adding that the scope of the projects could total several million dollars. "We'll be working toward that." Bounds said he also plans to file several standalone bills this session based on issues brought to him by constituents. While he did not specify, he said they have been discussed with State Sen. Lane Taylor and will be made public once filed. "You can have an idea for 100 different bills, and when you take into consideration general policy, the Legislature passes about 100 bills a year," Bounds said. "We're going to try to take care of our constituents the best way we can." Bounds said his seniority in the House and his role as chair of an appropriations committee will help him advocate for Neshoba County projects, including continued efforts toward completion of the Neshoba Lake project. Taylor, who is entering his first full legislative session after being elected in last April's special election, said his top priority is listening to constituents and amplifying their concerns in Jackson. |
| Mississippi lawmakers to revisit CON reforms as House picks up vetoed legislation | |
| Mississippi's lawmakers will once again work to reform the state's certificate of need laws after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed a bill that would do so last year. The 2026 legislative session kicked off on Tuesday, and the House of Representatives was quickly moved to revisit a measure that was axed by the state's top elected official. House Bill 569 from the 2025 session was reintroduced after having been vetoed and referred to the Public Health and Human Services Committee. "We'll be back with that bill. I don't know that there's an appetite to override the veto of the CON legislation that the governor vetoed at the end of last session," House Speaker Jason White said ahead of the session on Monday. "But if not, you'll see the House moving pretty quickly with a new CON bill that mirrors the one that was vetoed, which may remove the offending language that the governor's office had a problem with." Members of the Public Health and Welfare Committee, chaired by New Albany Republican Sam Creekmore, did not take up the measure on the first day of the new session. |
| Guest unopposed in primary as midterms take shape | |
| U.S. Rep. Michael Guest won't have a primary opponent in the 3rd District as the 2026 midterms take shape. Guest, a Republican, is unopposed in the primary and will face Democrat Michael Chiaradio and Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the Nov. 3 general election. The deadline for party primary and independent candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate was Friday, Dec. 26. Incumbents are seeking re-election in all four congressional districts, as well as Mississippi's junior U.S. Senate seat. In the 1st District, Union native and Republican incumbent Trent Kelly will not face a primary challenger, but will have opposition in the general election. Democrats will select their nominee in a contested primary between Ole Miss law professor Cliff Johnson and former state Rep. Kelvin Buck. For the Senate seat, Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is seeking re-election and will face newcomer Sarah Adlakha in the Republican Primary. In the Democrat Primary, District Attorney Scott Colom is running against Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Former Democrat Ty Pinkins is running as an Independent after previously challenging U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. Wicker's term doesn't expire until January 2031. |
| JOLTS Report Hints at Cooling Labor Market | |
 | Job openings and hiring declined in November, the Labor Department's monthly job openings and labor turnover survey showed. The economy had about 7.1 million open jobs in November, down from nearly 7.5 million in October, the JOLTS report showed Wednesday. The rate of job openings declined to 4.3%, from 4.5% a month earlier. Hiring fell as well, with about 5.1 million workers finding new roles in November, versus 5.4 million in October. The hiring rate dropped to 3.2%, from 3.4% in October. In one bit of upbeat news, the number of layoffs didn't rise. About 1.7 million workers, lost their jobs involuntarily in November, a rate of 1.1%, down from 1.9 million in October, or 1.2%. There also was a slight uptick in workers leaving their jobs of their own accord. The quits rate rose to 2%, from 1.9% a month prior. A more up-to-date labor-market dispatch is on the way Friday, when the government releases the official December jobs report. |
| At House GOP retreat, Trump questions 'mind of the public' ahead of midterms | |
 | President Donald Trump on Tuesday sought to keep his House Republican troops in line even as he expressed concerns about November's midterm elections and issued a warning to American weapons manufacturers. "We got to close the deal," Trump said of an election that will decide control of the House and Senate as he urged his party mates to "just stay together" because "what we're doing is the right thing for the country." He stressed legislative work needed ahead of Election Day, including on immigration, health care and paring down energy prices, offering what has been a loyal GOP Conference a glimpse into his 2026 strategy just days after his administration's contentious operation to oust and arrest Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Speaking from the Kennedy Center, whose board voted last month to add "Trump" to its name, the president framed the U.S. military action as a demonstration of American strength. The president used the retreat to hammer home his influence over the Republican Party heading into the midterms, which have traditionally served as referenda on the party in power. Trump praised GOP lawmakers who largely have stuck with him in backing his domestic agenda. But polls have shown Democrats with ample momentum, something that appeared to be on Trump's mind Tuesday. |
| Venezuela strike marks a turning point for US cyber warfare | |
 | President Donald Trump and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine suggested that the U.S. used its cyber might to plunge Caracas into darkness during the capture of Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday -- a stunning disclosure from the leaders of a nation that has long maintained a veil of secrecy around its sophisticated cyber operations. Trump's comments, made hours after the large-scale military operation, mark one of the first times a U.S. president has so publicly alluded to U.S. cyber efforts against other nations, as these operations are typically highly classified. It also serves as a stern warning for top cyber foes, including Russia and China, that the U.S. has the cyber capabilities to inflict serious damage -- and is not shy about using them. "Policymakers are getting more comfortable employing and, crucially, acknowledging cyber operations as tools of statecraft and military power," said Michael Sulmeyer, former assistant secretary of Defense for cyber policy under the Biden administration. "It is one thing to do it; it is another to say it." Eric O'Neill, a former FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, said the more public use of cyberattacks may help "raise some caution and concern in the Chinese and Russians that we're able to do this as well." "It's an incredibly stark warning," he said. "You strike us, we can strike you." |
| Trump meeting with oil execs as he urges them to invest in Venezuela | |
 | President Donald Trump will meet with oil executives as his administration looks to U.S. companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil infrastructure under new leadership in the country after an American military operation. The meeting with take place at the White House on Jan. 9, according to a White House official. The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an extraordinary move early Jan. 3, bringing him to New York City to face drug-trafficking charges. Maduro pleaded not guilty in federal court on Jan. 5. Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president, has been sworn in as the country's interim president. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and once had multiple American oil companies operating there, but Chevron is the only major U.S. oil company still there after former leader Hugo Chávez pushed to nationalize the country's oil industry. Now the administration is looking to entice American oil companies to reinvest in Venezuela, which could be complicated by the country's political instability and history of state control over the oil industry. |
| Rubio Tells Lawmakers Trump Aims to Buy Greenland, Downplays Military Action | |
| Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that recent administration threats against Greenland didn't signal an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussions. Rubio's statements, which were made Monday during a closed briefing, come as the White House has been offering increasingly belligerent statements about controlling the island. President Trump and senior administration officials have publicly declined to rule out seizing the territory by force. "President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief's disposal." Trump discussed buying Greenland in his first term, but he has become more insistent on making the territory part of the U.S. Fear of an aggressive American action has spread across Europe, as six of the continent's leaders joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in an unusual joint statement Tuesday calling on the U.S. to "collectively" work with allies to address security concerns in the Arctic. |
| No to artificial sweetener, yes to red meat: How RFK Jr. changed dietary guidance | |
 | The Trump administration released new dietary guidelines Wednesday that call for Americans to limit highly processed foods, such as those high in added sugars and sodium, and that endorse products that had once been discouraged by many nutritionists, such as whole milk, butter and red meat. The recommendations emphasize eating whole foods -- such as fruits and vegetables in their original forms -- and foods rich in protein and whole grains. They call for avoiding packaged, prepared or other ready-to-eat foods that are salty or sweet -- such as many chips, candies and cookies -- as well as staying away from sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks and some artificial sweeteners. The guidance comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made overhauling the nation's food supply a priority of his Make America Healthy Again agenda, aimed at addressing chronic disease and childhood illness. He has claimed the industry is mass poisoning this generation of children, and his messaging around food has found broad appeal, unlike his handling of vaccination policy. Some nutrition experts praised some of the main changes, such as the move away from processed foods, and the guidance is also generally expected to get a warm reception from MAHA allies. |
| Republicans risk erasing gains with young voters | |
 | Some Republicans are concerned they could be erasing their gains with young voters, a blue-leaning demographic that President Trump made significant inroads with in 2024. Recent polling has shown young voters overwhelmingly disapproving of Trump and the GOP amid increasing anxiety over the state of the economy, while young people played a big role in helping Democrats win in 2025's off-year races. And though young Americans are persistently pessimistic about both major parties, strategists believe anger over Trump's policies and affordability issues could help draw them further into the Democratic fold. "If you're 29 and you're paying out the nose for health care, and you can't own your own home and groceries are killing you, you don't really care about the conversations about tariffs. That's not where you're living. You're living at, 'Hey, I need the price of eggs to drop,'" said Brett Loyd, a longtime Republican pollster who now works with an independent firm. Young voters have long favored Democrats, but Trump cut significantly into that advantage in 2024, particularly among young men, rattling a party that has long relied on the bloc. |
| Michael Reagan's death reverberates among Californians of both parties | |
 | The son of a storied Republican president, Michael Reagan, who recently died, was memorialized as a stalwart supporter of his father's legacy. But in his home state of California, Reagan was remembered as much for his community involvement -- which was at times so low-key that some didn't even realize his father was Ronald Reagan. "The cool thing about Michael is you never would have known that he was the son of a president," said Victor Franco, a Democratic strategist who met Reagan more than a decade ago while Franco's kids were students at St. Mel's Catholic school in Woodland Hills, where Reagan's daughter was a teacher. "He was an everyday guy chatting up with the dads." Though Reagan would speak at career days and donate tours of the Reagan ranch near Santa Barbara for school fundraisers, Franco recalls Reagan's presence during the fathers club's annual chili cook-offs and barbecue competitions. After battling cancer, Reagan died Sunday, according to statements released on Tuesday by organizations affiliated with former President Reagan. Michael Reagan was lauded by former state GOP leaders not only for his work in leading the conservative movement through his nationally syndicated radio show, but also his willingness to engage in California politics. |
| Pope Leo XIV signals reforms ahead with the Holy Year over | |
 | A day after closing out the 2025 Holy Year, Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday opened a new phase of his pontificate by gathering the world's cardinals to Rome and indicating some reform-minded priorities going forward. For starters, Leo signalled an emphasis on more fully implementing the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized and revolutionized the Catholic Church. He called the Vatican II teachings the "guiding star" of the church. Leo told his weekly general audience that for the foreseeable future, he would devote his weekly catechism lessons to a rereading of key Vatican II documents, noting that the generation of bishops and theologians who had attended the meetings and crafted the reforms are dead. Among other things, Vatican II allowed for use of the vernacular rather than Latin for Mass. It called for greater participation of lay faithful in the life of the church and revolutionized Catholic relations with Jews and people of other faiths. On the agenda is a discussion of two of Francis' key reform documents: his original mission statement issued at the start of his pontificate, and the 2022 document that reformed the Vatican bureaucracy. Also being discussed is Francis' call for the church to be more "synodal," or responsive to the needs of rank-and-file Catholics, and a discussion of the liturgy, according to Vatican News. |
| 72,000 Mississippi federal student loan borrowers in default could soon face wage garnishment | |
 | The U.S. Department of Education is expected to begin issuing wage garnishment notices this week to 1,000 federal student loan borrowers in default across the country. Millions around the country have loans considered to be in default. Mississippi currently has 72,000 defaulted federal student loan borrowers, according to the U.S. Department of Education. A loan is considered delinquent after one missed payment, but in default once no payments have been made 270 days past the last due date. "It is critical that borrowers reach out to their student loan servicers," said Apryll Washington, the deputy director of the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid. "Number one, make sure that they have updated contact information. So they can receive those communications, right?" Defaulted Mississippi borrowers currently owe nearly $1.5 billion dollars in federal student loans. "During a large portion of time, borrowers were subject to what's called the COVID-19 payment pause where payments were suspended," said Washington. "But, of course, that's all behind us now. Every borrower, they are in repayment unless they have been granted deferment or forbearance." Washington says it's important that borrowers understand how much they owe in order to avoid the repercussions of wage garnishment, tax refund seizures and hits to one's credit score. |
| USM Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo Returns to Hattiesburg February 6-7 | |
| The "Greatest Show on Dirt" returns to Hattiesburg Feb. 6 and 7 for the 40th Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo. The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Campus Recreation will host the event at The Center at Forrest County. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by The Misfit Cowboy, a trick rider and specialty performance act rooted in Western flare, including a saddle-broke, trick-trained American Red Brahman bull as its centerpiece. This crowd-favorite variety act consists of whips, ropes, gun spinning and lots of fire. Featuring the largest prop in professional rodeo, The Misfit Cowboy will raise a 1,800-pound bull through the roof of a moving 40-foot trailer. Also featured at this year's event is rodeo Grand Marshal Jeff Cook, president and chief executive officer of Forrest Health. "We are fortunate that the rodeo continues to be produced by Harper-Morgan Rodeo Company, the producers of the Dixie National Rodeo," said Mark Crager, director of Southern Miss Campus Recreation. "Because of the quality and consistency of a professionally produced PRCA/WPRA rodeo, we have been able to provide scholarships annually to Southern Miss students." |
| Mississippi College starts bicentennial events in January | |
 | Mississippi College's (MC) bicentennial celebration is set to begin in January as students return to campus for the spring semester. In late 2024, the school announced academic and athletic restructuring. Among other things, the state's oldest university announced the end of its football program and an eventual name change to Mississippi Christian University. To start the new year, the school announced a plan to engage the university community and alumni in upcoming changes and the university's historic milestone. The Bicentennial Exhibition Grand Opening and MC's 200th Birthday Party are both set for Friday, January 23, outside of Alumni Hall on the Clinton campus. The exhibition stretches from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the party stretches from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Other events are happening on the Clinton campus leading up to the exhibition and house party. On Wednesday, January 21, there will be a worship service at Provine Chapel from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The National Park Service added the chapel to the National Register of Historic Places in 2025. Thursday evening at the same time, a Bicentennial Storytellers Event will feature stories from MC alums and will be held at the Entergy Theater located in the Gore Arts Complex. |
| Dream of Tougaloo officials is for repairs of historic Ballard Hall | |
| For Alexis Dean, age 21, attending Tougaloo College is literally a dream come true. The idea came to her in a dream. The dream worked out, and she's now a senior music education major. There's a lot of hands-on instruction, the teachers are supportive and she loves her classes, though the building where her classes are located might be considered nightmarish by some. Ballard Hall is the home of Tougaloo's music department and one of the oldest buildings on campus, but it's in need of renovations after over a century of use. "People are scared of this building," Dean said. "They call it the haunted house because of how it looks on the outside." Tougaloo College is working to secure funding to save the historic Ballard Hall from disrepair. C. Erskine Brown is the assistant vice president of facilities and real property management at Tougaloo. Brown explained that Tougaloo is preparing "a comprehensive preservation and rehabilitation effort" that is in line with preservation guidelines from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the National Park Service. In 1998, Ballard Hall and the rest of the Tougaloo College Historic District joined the National Register of Historic Places. |
| U. of Florida research team targets nonconsensual nude photo apps to protect privacy | |
 | A University of Florida research team with an eye on privacy and real-world impacts is working with government leaders and other universities to combat AI-based platforms that turn personal images into nude photos without consent. The research recently earned international recognition with the NYU Center for Cybersecurity Awareness Week's Social Impact award. It is designed to inform discussions around state and international legislation and engage industry partners to combat serious privacy invasions posed by generative AI. Their paper, "Analyzing the AI Nudification Application Ecosystem," was one of 11 finalists selected from 189 submissions to the Applied Research Competition. The research examined 20 popular websites that use artificial intelligence to generate nude or sexualized images from a single photo in under 30 seconds for only a few cents. The paper finds that most sites explicitly target women. |
| After Senate override, NC House repeatedly delays vote on bill banning DEI at public universities | |
| The North Carolina State House scheduled an override vote for next Monday on Democratic N.C. Gov. Josh Stein's veto of a controversial bill that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at public institutions of higher education, including the University of North Carolina system. Stein vetoed the legislation, known as Senate Bill 558, July 3. His veto was promptly overridden by the Senate 30-19. However, the House has repeatedly scheduled and then withdrawn a veto override vote for nearly five months. The bill is repeatedly placed on the calendar to be voted on then pulled right before the session and rescheduled for a later date. Monday's scheduled vote marks the eight time since the end of July that the House has planned to vote to override the veto. The constant rescheduling may suggest that the Republican majority in the State House lacks the votes for an override. Although Republicans control both houses of the General Assembly, they narrowly lost their supermajority in the State House in 2024. A veto override requires three-fifths of the chamber to be successful, assuming that legislators vote along party lines, Republicans need the support or an absence of at least one Democrat to successfully override Stein's vetoes. |
| UVA Presidential Hire Raises Process Concerns | |
 | On paper, freshly hired University of Virginia president Scott C. Beardsley appears to have all the bona fides of a qualified higher ed leader: multiple advanced degrees and more than a decade of experience leading a top business school. But that has not stymied outrage about his selection. Last month the Virginia Board of Visitors voted to elevate him from business school dean to the top job, filling a vacancy left by former president James Ryan, who resigned under pressure after board leadership struck an agreement with the Department of Justice to close investigations into alleged civil rights infractions. Ryan has since accused the board of being complicit in his ouster. The hobbled board, which is missing five members after Democratic lawmakers refused to confirm outgoing Republican governor Glenn Youngkin's nominees, selected Beardsley unanimously, tapping a known quantity in a fraught moment for UVA. But in doing so, the board defied Democratic governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and other state lawmakers who called on the university to pause its presidential search until she could name new board members. The board also rejected pleas from faculty members and nine deans to pause the hiring process. |
| Shooter who killed Brown students and MIT professor planned attack for years, DOJ says | |
| The man identified as the shooter who killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor planned the attack for years and left behind videos in which he confessed to the murders but gave no motive, according to information released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice. Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility after he killed two students and wounded nine others in an engineering building on Dec. 13. Two days later he killed MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in his home in the Boston suburb of Brookline. Justice Department officials said Tuesday that during the search of the storage facility where Neves Valente's body was found on Dec. 18, the FBI recovered an electronic device containing a series of short videos made by Neves Valente after the shootings. In the recordings, the shooter admitted in Portuguese that he had been working out details for at least six semesters. He did not give a motive for targeting Brown or the professor, with whom he attended school in Portugal decades ago. Brown University said in a statement Tuesday that "the gravity of this tragedy continues to weigh heavily on the full Brown University community" and that they continue to mourn the deaths of the two students and pray for the full recovery of those who were injured. |
| 2025 Brought Chaos for International Students. In 2026, Institutions Hope to Adapt | |
| Colleges and universities are deep in the first admissions cycle since the Trump administration dramatically disrupted the landscape for international students in the United States, and experts say that the past year has altered how they're recruiting this year -- and perhaps beyond. Amid uncertainty about what the future may bring for international higher education, institutions are investing in new recruitment strategies or looking at new ways to reach international students, according to international education experts. That may involve recruiting more from countries that weren't as affected by visa delays, forging new partnerships with international recruiting agencies or launching new branch campuses to reach international students in their home countries. Anthony C. Ogden, founder and managing director at Gateway International Group, an international higher education firm, said he's heard from a swath of institutions in recent months that are considering shaking up their international recruitment strategies as a result of the tumult of the past year. "And that's not unique to a certain section of higher ed," he said. "It's from the Big Tens to smaller institutions. Everybody's considering different partners." |
| 'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from 'talent is everywhere,' double down on top colleges | |
| Higher education is undergoing an identity crisis. Repeated attacks from the Trump administration, the rise of AI and budget shortfalls have put top universities on the defensive as public sentiment on the value of a college degree sours. But a new trend in company hiring suggests that elite colleges aren't losing their edge anytime soon. A 2025 survey of over 150 companies found that more than a quarter, 26%, were recruiting from a brief selection of schools, up from 17% that were doing the same in 2022, according to recruiting intelligence firm Veris Insights, which conducted the research. Even most of the surveyed companies that weren't recruiting from a shortlist of universities said they were focusing on "target schools," while also accepting applications from a list of other schools. That means candidates from prestigious universities that are located close to a company's headquarters are typically given priority, according to Chelsea Schein, Veris's vice president of research strategy, the Wall Street Journal reported. "Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA in a hiring decision," Schein told Fortune. "There's an increasing recognition among employers that they can be more targeted in their approach." |
| Grad Loan Caps Could Hurt Students With Low Credit Scores | |
| In recent years, at least a quarter of all borrowers pursuing a master's degree or higher took out more money than will be allowed under new loan caps that take effect July 1, and data shows that those students, on average, would need to borrow more than $21,000 from nonfederal lenders to make up the difference. Congressional Republicans who put those loan limits in place have stressed that there are plenty of private lenders able to fill the gap. But a recent study shows that based on current lending standards, many of the students who need these loans won't be approved to gain access. Conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and American University's Postsecondary Education and Economics Research Center, the study combines anonymized data representing students' enrollment trends, borrowing history and credit scores to estimate the share of graduate borrowers who'd struggle to obtain the loans they need. According to their analysis, nearly four in 10 have either subprime credit scores (below 670) or have no credit history at all. In either of those cases, researchers say, it could be very difficult for tens of thousands of students to receive a private loan unless they have a strong co-signer. |
| Trump Can't Cap Overhead Rate on NIH Grants to Research Universities, Appeals Court Rules | |
 | A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that the National Institutes of Health cannot unilaterally cap the indirect-cost rate on its grants at 15 percent, continuing a freeze on the controversial policy change that would cost universities billions. The ruling is a victory for the prominent higher-ed associations who joined the attorneys general of 22 states in suing over the move last year, claiming that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the explicit language of congressional appropriations. The NIH's February 7 announcement sent shockwaves through higher education. Research universities routinely negotiate with the federal government for indirect-cost reimbursement rates far above 15 percent; a sudden cap amounted to a multibillion-dollar hit to the sector. The Trump administration argued that a cap on overhead would better support science and be a more efficient use of public funds. Colleges countered that an arbitrary cap would fail to support the significant overhead -- in the form of buildings and administrative staff, among other resources -- not tied to a specific project but required to conduct advanced science. |
| Congress set to reject Trump's major budget cuts to NSF, NASA, and energy science | |
| The U.S. Congress has delivered another rebuke of President Donald Trump's plans to slash this year's budgets of several science agencies. Today, lawmakers hammering out final bills covering the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA science, and Department of Energy (DOE) research programs unveiled an agreement to spend very close to current levels. The three appropriations bills were negotiated by a panel of senators and members of the House of Representatives. The proposed spending package would shrink NSF's $9.06 billion budget by 3.4% this year, or $300 million, compared with Trump's request for a 55% reduction. Its research account would hold steady at $7.18 billion and its education programs, which Trump sought to essentially eliminate, would receive $938 million. However, that total is $180 million less than NSF received in 2025. The budget for DOE's Office of Science would actually grow by almost 2% this year, from $8.24 billion to $8.4 billion. Trump had wanted to lop off more than $1 billion. Appropriators were more amenable to the president's request to slash the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), tasked with funding high-risk ventures. ARPA-E's budget for this year is slated to drop by $110 million, to $350 million; Trump had wanted to shrink it to $200 million. |
| The Trump Admin. Put $169M Toward Its Priorities. Here's Where the Money Went | |
| More than 70 colleges, universities, nonprofits and other organizations are sharing $169 million to advance a number of the Trump administration's priorities. Those include accreditation reform, promoting civil discourse, short-term workforce training programs and advancing the use of artificial intelligence in higher education. The Education Department announced the grant competition in November and said Monday that it had awarded the funds, which have historically gone to programs that support student success. Colleges received funding to switch accreditors, start short-term programs that will be eligible for the new Workforce Pell program, hold workshops on constructive dialogue and support peer-to-peer engagement in civil dialogue. Just over $50 million apiece went to the AI, civil discourse and Workforce Pell priorities, while projects related to accreditation received nearly $15 million, according to an Inside Higher Ed analysis of department data. All the grants in this tranche are for four years. |
| Advocates urge colleges to step up their fight against Trump | |
| Higher education advocates are hoping for a bigger fight from universities in 2026 after President Trump's first year in office focused on attacks against colleges through funding and federal investigations. Universities watched with fear as the Trump administration paused millions of dollars in research funding, demanded leadership and policy changes at multiple schools, attacked diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and targeted international students in ways both broad and specific. "I think the assaults on some of our most storied educational institutions were nothing short of shocking and yet not surprising. I think it is very difficult in this environment to think about what the strategic thing to do is, which is quite different from what the right thing to do is," said Ray Brescia, a professor at Albany Law School. "I think the right thing to do is to stand up for academic freedom and the values that the American university is supposed to stand for, but, at the same time, it is very hard, very difficult for an institution to look at the assault on it and to not say, 'Hey, is there some way to get out of this?'" Brescia added. |
| Open government? Not if you're the Mississippi House speaker | |
| Mississippi Today's Emily Wagster Pettus writes: For journalists, getting into a politician's press conference at the Mississippi Capitol shouldn't be like trying to get into a fancy party at a country club. Not on the invitation list? You're out of luck. House Speaker Jason White and his staff made a bumble-headed decision by blocking a Mississippi Today reporter from attending White's pre-legislative session Q&A on Monday -- a decision that violates the principles of government transparency. The invitation-only press conference was open to most news organizations that regularly cover the Legislature, and it took place in White's office in the Capitol. The Republican from West occupies the space because his House colleagues chose him as their leader and because taxpayers are footing the bill to keep the office running. Mississippi Today published an investigative report last April about Speaker White, members of his staff and some of their spouses taking a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Expenses for the trip were paid, at least in part, by DraftKings, a gaming company that has invested heavily in lobbying for legal online betting. After Mississippi Today posted its report, the speaker's office stopped sending Mississippi Today advisories about press conferences and stopped responding to the newsroom's requests for comments. |
| Mississippi's 2026 mid-term incumbents appear safe but wary of kitchen-table issues | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: As Mississippi approaches its pivotal 2026 mid-term elections, the national spotlight is already trained on our U.S. Senate race and potential kitchen-table issues in the state's congressional districts. Republicans have dominated Mississippi's congressional politics at the federal level for over a decade. The GOP has held both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and three of the state's four U.S. House seats with relative ease. At the heart of the action in 2026 is the race for the Senate, where incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith seeks reelection for a second full term. The first-term senator from Brookhaven, appointed to fill the seat vacated by Thad Cochran in 2018 and winning a subsequent special election, has been seen as a safe bet for Mississippi Republicans. Now, the incumbent senator faces primary challengers Sarah Adlakha and Andrew Scott Smith. Hyde-Smith has, in many ways, been the model of a traditional Mississippi Republican. Her unwavering loyalty to former President Donald Trump and her position on hot-button conservative issues have earned her favor with Mississippi's conservative electorate. ... On the House side, Mississippi's four incumbent congressmen -- 1st District U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Tupelo, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton, 3rd District U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Brandon, and 4th District U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Pascagoula -- are all favored to win reelection. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's growth faces its next test against Oklahoma | |
| It was almost exactly one month ago Mississippi State hit its lowest point of some early season struggles, losing to San Francisco by three points. Maybe it was a wake up call or reality check. Whatever it was, the Bulldogs overcame those struggles and have looked much better. They won their fifth-straight game in their SEC opener against Texas and Josh Hubbard was named SEC player of the Week. "It took us some time to figure out the style of play this team needs to embrace to get the most out of who we are," Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said about his team's play the last month. "We've changed quite a bit, especially offensively, from the summer to the fall, through the early games and to now. That's required a lot of unselfishness from a lot of individuals, and it isn't always perfect. But a big reason we're playing better is the buy-in we're getting from our players, particularly on the offensive end." Next up for the Bulldogs is Oklahoma. |
| Mississippi State, Oklahoma put five-game winning streaks to test | |
| Oklahoma and Mississippi State will put five-game winning streaks on the line in a Southeastern Conference showdown on Wednesday in Starkville, Miss. Both teams have rallied around the stiff challenge of SEC play. "Conference play has the rallying cry of a new season," Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said. "The level of play goes up." Of the Bulldogs' (9-5, 1-0 SEC) five straight wins, the latest was a dramatic 101-98 overtime win at Texas on Saturday. Josh Hubbard nailed the go-head 3-pointer with 39.2 seconds remaining and poured in a career-high-tying 38 points. It was a performance that earned him SEC Player of the Week Honors. While Jans said the Bulldogs' decision-making can improve, he doesn't want to tinker with shot selection too much. "Shot selection is a tricky subject matter," Jans said "I've gone back and forth with it through my whole career. You can't replace confidence. There's no better potion than confidence in yourself, teammates or coach. But when you start messing with shot selection, confidence can become an issue. There's such a fine line when it comes to shot selection." |
| Sooners at Mississippi State for First SEC Road Game | |
| Porter Moser's Oklahoma men's basketball team (11-3, 1-0) plays its first SEC road game of the season when it takes on Mississippi State (9-5, 1-0) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. The Sooners have won five straight games and nine of their last 10, while the Bulldogs have won their last five contests after a 4-5 start. Wednesday's game will be televised by SEC Network with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) announcing. OU is coming off an 86-70 home win over Ole Miss on Saturday in which Xzayvier Brown scored a season-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and center Mohamed Wague turned in one of his best overall outings with 10 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, three assists and a career-high-tying three blocked shots. The Rebels had not surrendered more than 77 points in a game this season. MSU head coach Chris Jans served as an assistant coach for three seasons (2004-05 through 2006-07) under Moser when Moser was head coach at Illinois State. Jans is one of nine former Moser assistant coaches who have gone on to serve as a Division I head coach. |
| Adrian Wojnarowski, Greg Gumbel, Ross Dellenger earn honors from NSMA | |
| The National Sports Media Association (NSMA) announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class on Sunday, electing James Brown, Adrian Wojnarowski, Greg Gumbel, and Sid Hartman. ESPN's Sean McDonough earned National Sportscaster of the Year for the first time in his career, while Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger took home National Sportswriter of the Year. Dellenger covers college football for Yahoo Sports, where he's worked since 2023, and also contributes to On3. The Mississippi State graduate cut his teeth as a beat writer on the SEC circuit before moving to Sports Illustrated in 2018. The NSMA will honor its inductees and award winners at its annual ceremony in late June in Greensboro, North Carolina. |
| Parents sue Jackson Academy, allege retaliation over athletic recruiting concerns | |
| A Madison County couple has filed a lawsuit against Jackson Academy and its head of school, alleging their teenage son was removed from the private school in retaliation after the father shared concerns about alleged illegal athletic recruiting. Carolyn and Jason Voyles filed the complaint Monday in Hinds County Court, naming Jackson Academy and head of school Edward "Eddie" Wettach as defendants. The lawsuit seeks damages and other relief related to their son's removal from the school in June 2025. The lawsuit alleges that during the summer of 2025, Jason Voyles became aware that Jackson Academy had recruited student-athletes from nearby public schools, a practice prohibited under rules of the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools. The complaint claims Voyles compiled a document identifying more than 10 student-athletes who were allegedly recruited and shared it with two other parents. Three days later, according to the lawsuit, Wettach requested a meeting with the Voyles family. During a June 9 meeting that included a school board member, Wettach informed the family that Jackson Academy had decided to unenroll them, including their son. |
| ESPN bowl games continue to drive big viewership numbers | |
| The future of bowl games writ large might be in question, but one thing remains certain -- people are still watching. ESPN released viewership data for non-CFP bowls on Friday. Four of ESPN's 23 bowls posted their highest audiences on record. Eight of 23 bowls hit at least a 10-year high. Nine bowls have hit at least a 5-year high. The Pop-Tarts Bowl, as you might expect, was the big winner in this year's Holiday season, netting 8.7 million viewers -- the best mark for a non-CFP/New Year's Six bowl game since 2019-20. The Pinstripe Bowl (7.6 million), Gator Bowl (6 million), Rate Bowl (4.4 million), LA Bowl (3.8 million) and First Responder Bowl (3.1 million) all also hit at least three million viewers. The sentiment within college football circles has long been that ticket sales aren't really the impetus for bowl games. TV viewership takes that cake. So as long as bowl games continue to deliver on the airwaves, it's hard to imagine stakeholders doing away with them. Could they take different forms? Might there be fewer? Sure, those are all reasonable expectations. Considering the vast changes throughout the college football universe, it's hard to imagine there not being some kind of change. But at present, bowl games are continuing to drive viewers -- and that's never been more important. |
| Why the NCAA is unwilling to fight to keep pros out of college basketball | |
| Only a few months ago, James Nnaji faced a career crossroads. A Summer League audition with the New York Knicks hadn't produced so much as an invitation to training camp, let alone his first NBA contract. Since the salaries top college players were making dwarfed what Nnaji could earn overseas, the Nigerian 7-footer and his agent hatched an audacious plan. They began to explore the unprecedented possibility of going from the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft at 18 to entering college basketball at 21. Desperate for a big man after losing its projected starting center to a season-ending arm injury during the summer, Baylor targeted Nnaji as soon as he became available and began working to try to get the NCAA to clear him to play. Nnaji made his collegiate debut in Baylor's Big 12 opener at TCU this past Saturday, checking in eight minutes into the first half to an onslaught of jeers and boos. Granting Nnaji immediate eligibility is the most extreme example yet of the NCAA's reluctance to fight to keep professional players out of the college game. The NCAA had previously given colleges the greenlight to recruit prospects with experience playing in the G League or top overseas professional leagues. Now the governing body is also rolling out the red carpet for someone who once guarded Victor Wembanyama in a Summer League game, someone who was once a throw-in in the trade that shipped Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. "We don't have any rules," Arkansas coach John Calipari lamented during a recent news conference. |
| Why Danny White poked at Tennessee fans over NIL, transfer portal criticism | |
 | Tennessee athletic director Danny White appeared to take exception to fans blaming him for the football team's relative inactivity in the transfer portal, and he responded with sarcasm. Some UT fans didn't believe this was funny or appropriate for an athletic director. Other fans applauded White's wit in the face of criticism. It all transpired Jan. 6 on social media. "I've been thinking that the Neyland Entertainment District could win us a national championship. Man, I've been thinking about this all wrong. Thank you for your insight!" White posted on X, responding to a UT fan about a touchy topic that requires context. So let's explain. It all started when White was tagged in a post on X that criticized Tennessee football's work in the transfer portal. The Vols have added only two players since the portal opened Jan. 2, second-fewest in the SEC. Some frustrated fans believe that UT doesn't have enough NIL money to outspend competitors for the top transfers. White actually can't increase UT's NIL budget, which is capped by the College Sports Commission, an independent regulatory body established by the power conferences. Nevertheless, fans targeted his latest facility project in their criticism. |
| College football's messy calendar is still causing chaos. What's the best solution? | |
| Late Thursday night, one man meandered through Ole Miss' celebratory locker room with something other than the recent Sugar Bowl win over Georgia on his mind. Somewhat exasperated and a bag thrown over his shoulder as he hurried to round up players to leave the Superdome, Austin Thomas, the program's new general manager, quipped to a couple of nearby media members, "The portal opens in a couple hours!" This time of year, a confluence of events creates a congested college football calendar. The back end of the coaching carousel is roaring, with schools hiring and firing assistant coaches. Roster retainment and replacement is humming as more than one-fifth of FBS players have entered the 15-day transfer portal since it opened on Friday. And, for the last few weeks, teams have been preparing and playing in bowl or playoff games. For another few days, at least the four playoff teams will continue to operate the off-the-field business aspect of the industry while preparing for postseason games. There's something else, too: Because of coaching changes, assistants at playoff teams like Ole Miss and Oregon are juggling jobs elsewhere, too. "We need to change the calendar," former Alabama coach Nick Saban said Thursday during ESPN's "College GameDay," echoing the feeling from many administrators and coaches within the industry. |
| Algorithms in the War Room: What AI Means for College Sport Leaders | |
| As the College Football Playoff nears its tempestuous conclusion, symbolically finishing off calendar year 2025, we wanted to speculate on what lies ahead. If you are an athletic director staring down 2026's dark barrel, the job scarcely resembles what you trained for five years ago. Budgets are tighter and more scrutinized. Rosters churn faster than ever. NIL collectives sit alongside compliance offices. Multiple transfer windows have turned year-round roster management into a virtual professional sport. Worse, every recruiting decision (coach or player) now carries six- or seven-figure consequences -- financial, reputational and competitive. In this environment, intuition isn't enough. Relationships matter but no longer anchor the system. Contemporary college sport is a high-velocity marketplace where athletic directors must simultaneously lead with speed, precision and accountability. Enter the dragon: artificial intelligence. A recent Journal of Applied Sport Management piece by Lawrence Judge and Marshall Magnusen argued AI has suddenly shifted from optional support to a core competitive capability for recruiting operations. Their argument is persuasive but leaves a few important questions unanswered. Judge and Magnusen suggest AI is rising within the twin disruptions reshaping college sport: the transfer portal and NIL. Together, these forces have turned recruiting into a transactional, mobile and financially risky enterprise. |
| New Orleans could get 2031 Super Bowl, NBA arena upgrades | |
 | Pro sports in New Orleans received a major boost this week, including another potential Super Bowl. Summit meetings between Saints-Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, Gov. Jeff Landry, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA commissioner Adam Silver greased the skids for a potential windfall for the city's sports scene. The NFL invited New Orleans to bid on Super Bowl 2031, an olive branch after the city missed the official deadline to submit its proposal last fall. "We had a very positive and productive meeting, and I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to bid on the 2031 Super Bowl," Benson said. The invitation to bid on the 2031 Super Bowl came after a meeting Tuesday with Goodell at NFL offices in New York. The Saints had planned to submit New Orleans' bid for the 2031 game in September, when the league's Engagement & Major Events Advisory Committee met to consider proposals for future Super Bowls. But the team was unable to do so because a lease extension with the state of Louisiana, which owns the Superdome, had not yet been finalized beyond 2030. As such, New Orleans wasn't on the original short list of potential host cities. The Saints and the state reached a deal on a long-term lease extension for the Dome in November, clearing the way to be reconsidered for the Super Bowl. Super Bowl LIX, held in New Orleans last year, was the record-tying 11th Super Bowl hosted by the city and generated an estimated $1.25 billion in economic output in Louisiana, according to an LSU research study. That was more than double the previous time the game was held here, in 2013. |
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