| Wednesday, January 21, 2026 |
| Maroon Alert test scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23 | |
 | Mississippi State University will conduct a routine test of the Maroon Alert Emergency Notification System Friday, Jan. 23, at noon. MSU Meridian will conduct an additional test for its campus at 1 p.m. This test is vital in ensuring the university can share important information with faculty, staff, students and the community in a timely manner. This test will include notifications to mobile devices, university desktops, campus digital signage, social media, university email accounts and the emergency website. The Maroon Alert test message will include instructions for acknowledging the message. This will allow the university to know how you received the message and will halt further attempts to reach you. Follow @MaroonAlert on Twitter for important advisory information and emergency updates. Instructions for downloading and installing the Everbridge 360 app to your mobile device can be found at emergency.msstate.edu/app. Visit the personal information section of the MSU Banner system to modify your Maroon Alert preferences. |
| USDA Announces National Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences | |
 | The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture have announced that four public university faculty have been honored with national teaching awards recognizing excellence in agricultural sciences teaching and student engagement. Six regional and two early-career awardees are also the recipients of the 2025 Excellence in College and University Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences, including Aswathy Rai, Mississippi State University. The awards, which celebrate university faculty for their use of innovative teaching methods and service to students, will be presented during the 2026 APLU Annual Meeting. In recognition of their scholarship, exemplary pedagogy, and dedication to instruction, the annual awards include stipends of $5,000 for the national winners and $2,000 for regional and early-career honorees to be used for improving teaching at their respective universities. |
| Agriculture Future of America Ambassador Program selects 41 student leaders | |
| The Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Ambassador Program equips ambitious students to shape the future of the agriculture industry. This year, 41 student leaders representing campuses nationwide were selected to serve as a bridge between AFA and the next generation of agricultural professionals. As Ambassadors, students work with AFA to set goals and get personalized coaching to develop creative outreach strategies to achieve these goals. Designed for student leaders who believe in the power of connection, the AFA Ambassador Program empowers real-world leadership, marketing mindsets and industry engagement. The Agriculture Future of America 2026 Ambassadors include Libbey Logan, Mississippi State University. |
| MSU students assemble winter kits for homeless as part of MLK Day of Service | |
 | Video: Mississippi State University students assembled and distributed over 400 emergency winter kits for people experiencing homelessness as part of the annual MLK Day of Service. |
| Mississippi State University's Startup Summit Offers Cash Prizes for Business Startup Ideas | |
| Video: Entrepreneurs can pitch their business startup ideas and potentially win cash prizes at Mississippi State University Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach! The Startup Summit will be held on April 10th at The Mill Conference Center in Starkville. The deadline to apply is March 9th. Participants have the opportunity to win cash from the $100,000 pool to jumpstart a business. The event includes pitches for all ages. Dr. Nick Pashos, the director for the E-Center, joined Studio 3 to share all the details for the upcoming Startup Summit. |
| Starkville eyes earlier alcohol sales for Sunday brunch | |
 | Restaurant owners and residents could soon see alcohol sales begin an hour earlier on Sunday mornings. Mayor Lynn Spruill called for two public hearings to amend the city's alcohol ordinance during the board of aldermen's regular monthly meeting Tuesday at City Hall. The proposed change would allow Sunday alcohol sales to begin at 10 a.m., instead of the current 11 a.m. start time. Spruill said she consulted local restaurant owners before bringing the proposal to the board and received positive feedback. "Before I brought this forward, I spoke with our restaurateurs ... and the answer was yes," Spruill said. "A lot of them open at 10, but they don't have an opportunity to serve the full complement of what they have available, so this does allow for serving Sunday brunch with alcohol to be an option for mimosas or whatever people are drinking at Sunday brunch." Ward 2 Alderwoman and Budget Chair Sandra Sistrunk also spoke in favor of the change and moved to approve holding two public hearings on the amendment. Board members also heard an update on the Starkville-MSU Rapid Area Transit system, which Mississippi State University Executive Director of Transportation Jeremiah Dumas said continues to see strong growth. SMART recorded more than 455,000 rides in 2025, an increase of 32,087 riders from 2024, Dumas said. |
| Supervisors prepare to launch first phase of countywide comprehensive plan | |
| Supervisors will soon begin considering new land-use ordinances and development guidelines as they move into the first phase of implementing the county's comprehensive plan. Nathan Willingham, owner of Oxford-based urban planning firm Slaughter and Willingham, addressed supervisors during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday at the Oktibbeha County Chancery Courthouse to outline how the firm would assist with implementation. The proposed scope of work includes drafting a zoning ordinance, updating subdivision regulations, creating a septic system oversight ordinance and providing planning structure and training assistance to the board. This will be the first phase of implementations for the comprehensive plan, approved in October, which established a 20-year roadmap addressing residential, commercial and industrial development, transportation and infrastructure improvements, as well as community facilities. |
| Three charged following Sunday shooting at Starkville Sonic | |
 | Three people, including a juvenile, have been arrested and charged with felonies following a Sunday morning shooting at the Sonic Drive-in on the west side of Starkville. The Starkville Police Department was called to the Sonic Drive-In at 913 Highway 12 West on Sunday, Jan. 18, around 10:45 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Investigators determined that individuals who knew each other got into an altercation and a firearm was discharged. A vehicle was struck by the gunfire, but no one was reported injured. As part of the ongoing investigation, the SPD SWAT team executed search warrants Sunday at multiple locations. Several persons of interest, ranging in age from 16 to 19, were taken into custody and an arrest warrant was issued for another suspect. Jakobe George, 19, of Sturgis, turned himself in to police Monday. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Demarion Brand, 16, of Starkville, was arrested Sunday and charged as an adult with aggravated assault. Shana Ferguson, 40, of Sturgis, was arrested Monday and charged with accessory after the fact of attempted murder. Police say the investigation is still ongoing. |
| 4-County FASTnet project wraps at $120M, serves 13,000 locally | |
| 4-County Electric Power Association's FASTnet broadband service has grown to provide about 22,000 homes with high speed internet since installations started nearly six years ago. The cooperative's FASTnet broadband service plan began construction of fiber optic cable across its coverage area in 2020 to provide Wi-Fi services to customers, including those in Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Lowndes and Clay counties. Installation across 4-County's primary coverage area wrapped up in 2023 before the project expanded to include West Point and Macon, CEO Brian Clark told The Dispatch. "(This project was) very important to us because in rural Mississippi and rural America, young people weren't going back home when they went to college, or they got out working," Clark said. "They left, and didn't come back. This is creating an environment where you can live in the most remote part of North Mississippi and have equal or better internet than (what) you can have in a major city." Clark told The Dispatch the FASTnet program took about four years and nearly $120 million to bring to completion. Now every member that sits within 4-County's coverage area can access FASTnet, he said, thanks to roughly 5,500 miles of fiber optic lines laid by the cooperative. |
| Americans brace for another snowstorm as ice threatens southern states | |
 | With many Americans still recovering from multiple blasts of snow and unrelenting freezing temperatures in the nation's northern tier, a new storm is set to emerge this weekend that could coat roads, trees and power lines with devastating ice across a wide expanse of the South. The storm arriving late this week and into the weekend is shaping up to be a "widespread potentially catastrophic event from Texas to the Carolinas," said Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "I don't know how people are going to deal with it," he said. Forecasters on Tuesday warned that the ice could weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages. "If you get a half of an inch of ice -- or heaven forbid an inch of ice -- that could be catastrophic," said Keith Avery, CEO of the Newberry Electric Cooperative in South Carolina. The National Weather Service warned of "great swaths of heavy snow, sleet, and treacherous freezing rain" starting Friday in much of the nation's midsection and then shifting toward the East Coast through Sunday. Temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas, meaning ice that forms on roads and sidewalks might stick around, forecasters say. The exact timing of the approaching storm -- and where it is headed -- remained uncertain on Tuesday. |
| Mississippi on edge as timing of cold front will decide rain, ice or snow | |
| Mississippians are urged to prepare for what could be a major winter storm this weekend. A winter storm watch will go into effect Friday and this weekend for several states, including north Mississippi. North Mississippi and Tennessee will have higher impacts in regards to snow and sleet. Central Mississippi's precipitation remains dependent on the temperature forecast. Cold air is expected to sink south over the weekend. Snow at this time looks unlikely for central Mississippi, but possible to the north and in the Delta. Shifts will be likely over the next few days as details become more known. The precipitation type and the timing of the cold air could change the impacts from minimal to significant and vice versa. Temperatures will be just above the freezing mark for the metro Jackson area on Saturday. This could cause more of a cold rain mix during the day. Once the sun sets and surface temperatures drop below freezing, the concern will be for a changeover to sleet and freezing rain. This could cause travel concerns. Bitter cold follows the winter storm as temperatures should plummet to the teens by Monday morning with real feels even colder. Highs will struggle to be above freezing in spots early next week. |
| Winter storm watch has extreme cold, ice forecast in Mississippi | |
 | Brutally cold air is expected to move into Mississippi later this week and cause freezing rain, sleet and snow creating hazardous conditions throughout much of the state and bringing below-freezing temperatures all the way down to the Gulf Coast. According to the National Weather Service, potential dangers include hazardous driving conditions, downed trees and power outages with temperatures in some parts of the state predicted to drop to near zero. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is advising residents to prepare now. Rain is in the forecast for Mississippi for the next couple of days, but on Friday, colder temperatures will begin to turn that into a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow. The areas along the Interstate 20 corridor and north are currently at the greatest risk of a significant, extended impact. The winter system with freezing rain, sleet and snow is expected to move into the state from the northwest and make its way southeast through the weekend. The National Weather Service is advising people to watch for updates as the forecast may change. |
| Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund Board approves 20 projects totaling over $13.6 million | |
| The Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (MOSTF) Board of Trustees has awarded its fourth round of competitive grants since its inception in 2022. Governor Tate Reeves made the announcement on Tuesday. "There have now been 100 projects funded across the state benefiting Mississippi communities and supporting jobs. Since 2022, MOSTF has awarded over $50.2 million in legislative appropriations to projects that leveraged over $100.2 million in matching funds, for a total of over $150.5 million invested in wildlife and fisheries conservation and nature-based outdoor recreation across our great state," Reeves said in a statement. "It is exciting to watch these investments improve communities around the state and enhance our state's $8 billion outdoor recreation economy, which supports more than 79,000 jobs." According to the governor's office, the latest awards add 20 additional projects, totaling more than $13.6 million for conservation and outdoor recreation projects statewide and leverage over $14.1 million in additional federal, state, local, private, and in-kind funding to complete these projects for communities located across Mississippi. MOSTF plans to open its next grant application period on August 1, 2026, pending funding secured during the 2026 Legislative Session. |
| 'People want this back': Republican senator again seeking to restore Mississippi's ballot initiative | |
| It's been half a decade since Mississippians have been able to propose new laws or constitutional amendments directly on the ballot for a vote on election day. One state lawmaker, however, says he is on a mission to change that. State Sen. Jeremy England, who heads the Elections Committee in his chamber, is vowing to push his colleagues to restore the ballot initiative process. The Republican from Vancleave has long maintained that the people of Mississippi not only want their quasi-legislative voice back, but that it's also something they're entitled to have. "People want this back. It's guaranteed to them in the Constitution, so we need to do that," England said Wednesday on Mornings with Richard Cross. The ballot initiative process was stripped by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2021 over challenges to signature-gathering requirements and a change to the state's congressional districts. Since then, efforts to give citizens the right to circumvent the legislature in making new laws have proven fruitless. |
| Mississippi lawmakers push identity protection bill amid rise of AI | |
 | In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is being used more, Mississippi lawmakers are working on a bill that would make it illegal to use someone's name, image or voice without their permission. The Mississippians' Right to Name, Likeness and Voice Act would penalize people for creating fake or manipulated content using someone else's identity without consent. "This bill says your name, your image and your voice are yours. And no one gets to use those without your permission," said State Sen. Bradford Blackmon (D-District 21). The legislation has received support from well-known Mississippi entertainers, including Grammy-winning Blues icon Bobby Rush. He wants to hold people accountable for using his voice without his permission. Blackmon said the bill would protect all Mississippians, including children. "We've seen several cases where children in our elementary schools, our middle schools, our high schools and our colleges have had their likeness digitally altered in videos or images, and often with damaging and long lasting effects," he said. |
| House committee aims to allow clinical trials of psychedelic drug to treat PTSD, addiction withdrawals | |
| Lawmakers on the Mississippi House Public Health and Human Services Committee got down to work Tuesday afternoon, passing five bills out of committee for full consideration by their chamber. One of the bills, HB 314, would allow clinical trials of a psychedelic drug called Ibogaine. Committee Chair State Rep. Samuel Creekmore (R) said the drug has shown promise in treating people who are dealing with PTSD, namely veterans, and those with opioid withdrawals. The drug is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, leading those seeking treatment to seek care out of the country. Creekmore said the drug is typically administered in a clinical setting under the care of a physician because it poses a health risk. As such, each patient has to undergo tests before being approved for treatment. "There are some drawbacks to the treatment. One, it's done in a clinical setting. It is administered by doctors and nurses," Creekmore said. "The same thing would be done here, but you have to have a strong healthy heart to do this." Most of those seeking treatment must travel to Mexico. If the bill were to pass, it would allow those individuals to undergo clinical trials in Mississippi. |
| McLendon introduces bill to encourage cooperation with ICE | |
 | State Senator Michael McLendon has introduced new legislation that would offer state grants to encourage state and local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Senate Bill 2329, known as the Mississippi Glacier (ICE) Act, creates a first-of-its-kind state grant program to support Mississippi law enforcement agencies that partner with ICE through the federal 287(g) program. The bill establishes a dedicated fund to reimburse local agencies for costs tied directly to enforcing federal immigration law, including detention bed space, equipment, training, travel, and lodging. "Mississippi is not going to pretend illegal immigration is someone else's problem," said Senator McLendon. "If you are here illegally, we are going to work with ICE to detain you and send you back to the country you came from, which more often than not is a far greater punishment than jail." Under the legislation, only agencies that formally partner with ICE through a signed 287(g) agreement are eligible for funding. Grants will be awarded by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring fast and efficient support for agencies that are willing to help enforce federal immigration law. |
| Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Turns Up the Heat on Fed's Jerome Powell | |
 | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who for the past year has been seen as the Trump administration's moderating voice on Jerome Powell, delivered his most pointed public critique of the Federal Reserve chair to date. During a CNBC interview on Tuesday, Bessent said it was inappropriate for Powell to attend Wednesday's oral arguments in the case of Fed governor Lisa Cook, arguing that his attendance would be an attempt to "put his thumb on the scale" for the institution. Bessent also criticized Powell for asset purchases during and after the Covid-19 pandemic that have led the Fed to run large losses, for not meeting with federal prosecutors last month before they issued grand jury subpoenas in a criminal investigation of the Fed's building project, and for the resignation of "between four to six" senior Fed officials over their compliance with personal-financial rules and disclosure. "If that happened at a Wall Street firm, the CEO would be out," Bessent said. Powell and the Fed have been named by Cook as defendants in her initial lawsuit contesting President Trump's attempt to remove her from the Fed board over disputed mortgage-fraud allegations. Powell wouldn't be the first Fed chair to attend such proceedings. Paul Volcker sat in the gallery for oral arguments in a 1985 Supreme Court case involving banking policy. |
| Trump threatens to upend GOP agenda, Senate race with Louisiana endorsement | |
 | President Trump is giving Senate GOP leaders a major headache with his decision to endorse Rep. Julia Letlow's (R-La.) Senate campaign over Sen. Bill Cassidy's (R-La.), tossing fresh uncertainty over key parts of their agenda and upending the race in a red state. Trump preemptively backed Letlow's Senate campaign over the weekend. The move roiled the contest for a safe GOP Senate seat, put him at odds with Senate GOP leaders and created fresh tumult for the party's forthcoming legislative push. Headlining that effort would be a second partisan package passed with only GOP votes and a potential health care bill, both of which would likely run through the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee -- which Cassidy chairs. This year could offer Republicans' last chance to usher through a bill with only GOP support if the party loses the House in November. "Did anyone explain that to the president?" one GOP operative with knowledge of the Trump-Cassidy relationship asked. "Cassidy as a free agent is one of the scarier ones in the Senate Republican Conference." Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are also fully behind Cassidy, with Thune appearing in Louisiana alongside the senator for an event to promote the GOP's tax cut bill and a fundraiser last Thursday. |
| 'This is not good policy': Some GOP senators question advice Trump is receiving | |
 | North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is one of a growing number of Republicans who believe that President Donald Trump is getting faulty policy guidance from his White House advisers, potentially jeopardizing his legacy and the GOP's chances of retaining their majority. Several in the Senate Republican Conference, including those at the top in leadership and across the party's political spectrum, have been openly questioning several policy pronouncements coming out of the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, including those that are straining international relations and conservative financial proposals. Addressing the Senate chamber last week, Tillis said he is going to do "everything I can to point out advice" Trump is being given by people who are not considering the president's legacy. "They're not thinking about good policy and from time to time, they are fading far out of the realm of what I consider to be good, conservative, free-market ideology," he said, pointing specifically to proposals on Greenland and credit card interest as well as the independence of the Federal Reserve. Similarly, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been questioning Trump's idea to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent, an issue the South Dakota Republican has been vocal about as Trump hits the one-year mark in his second term. |
| NATO's Rutte says Europe should actually 'be happy' Trump's in charge | |
| It's a good thing Donald Trump was reelected as U.S. president as NATO allies wouldn't have boosted defense spending without him, the military alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday. Rutte's remarks in Davos come as Trump steps up his threats to seize Greenland from Denmark, in a move that would undermine the decades-long transatlantic alliance -- perhaps fatally. "I'm not popular with you now because I'm defending Donald Trump, but I really believe you can be happy that he is there because he has forced us in Europe to step up, to face the consequences that we have to take care of more of our own defense," Rutte said at a panel discussion titled "Can Europe defend itself?" at the World Economic Forum. According to Rutte, the big economies in Europe -- including Spain, Italy and France -- would have never agreed to allocate 2 percent of their GDP to defense if Trump had not become the U.S. president again. "No way, without Donald Trump this would never have happened. They're all on 2 percent now," Rutte said. "I'm absolutely convinced without Donald Trump you would not have taken those decisions and they are crucial, particularly for the European and the Canadian side of NATO to really grow up in the post-Cold War world." |
| Trump calls for Greenland negotiations, says US won't use force | |
 | President Donald Trump said in remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he was seeking "immediate negotiations" to acquire Denmark's Greenland territory and that he does not intend to use military force to gain control of the Arctic island. "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable, but I won't do that," Trump said. Trump opened his speech to world leaders in the mountain ski resort by boasting about his record on the economy and telling Europe it was not going "in the right direction." Trump arrived in Switzerland with European officials and business leaders on edge because he is expected to press his case to expand the territory of the United States in the biggest way in decades by acquiring Greenland. "Would you like me to say a few words of Greenland?" Trump asked the audience, partway through his speech, to scattered laughter in the audience. "I was going to leave it out of the speech, but I thought, I think I would have been reviewed very negatively." He added: "I have tremendous respect for both the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark. Tremendous respect. But every NATO ally has an obligation to be able to defend their own territory. And the fact is, no nation or group of nations is in a position to be able to secure Greenland, other than the United States. We're a great power. Much greater than people even understand. I think they found that out two weeks ago in Venezuela." |
| A Mississippi Congregation Holds Onto More Than Fear After an Attack | |
 | The arsonist started the fire in the library, investigators said, incinerating shelves of prayer books and destroying two Torahs. The flames and smoke then spread rapidly through Beth Israel, the oldest synagogue in Mississippi, reaching the congregation's Tree of Life display, with its ever-growing foliage of brass leaves. The leaves were engraved with messages celebrating bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings and the memories of family members and friends who had died. Some simply contained words of gratitude from one congregant to another -- a way, as one put it, to recognize someone for "being a mensch." The tree was a prominent manifestation of what Beth Israel has been for more than a century: a refuge, a nucleus of fellowship for Jews in a part of the world where they are a tiny minority that could be overlooked and misunderstood. Now the tree was lost and, for the time being, so was that refuge, as the damage to the building was severe enough to displace the congregation indefinitely. "That's our history right there," said Michele Schipper, who has worshiped at Beth Israel for some 40 years and could trace her family's story through the leaves. But the aftermath of the fire has been a heartening reminder of something else: The congregation might be small -- with just over 140 families -- but its members are not alone. They have one another. They also have a kinship with the broader community that has been forged over generations. |
| Pickleball: A Craze Sweeping UM | |
 | Across all hours of the day on the University of Mississippi campus, the cracking of pickleball paddles can be heard as students enjoy the pastime. Since pickleball's creation in 1965, the sport has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity, especially in this decade. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association dubbed pickleball as "the fastest growing sport in America," as evidenced by a 158.6% rise in participation between 2021 and 2023. "It's a great game and brings people closer together," sophomore international studies and Chinese major Eli Striplin said. "There's a great community (of players) that's always willing to reach out and play with others." The rise is also apparent at UM, where in 2023, three tennis courts behind the Turner Center were converted into eight pickleball courts. That same year, the Ole Miss Pickleball Club was founded. The club regularly competes in competitions, in addition to hosting on-campus tournaments and practice sessions. UM jumped on the craze by offering an "Introduction to Pickleball" class that has been available since spring 2024 through the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management. The one-credit class aims to teach students the rules and basics of pickleball and provides an opportunity for students to sharpen their skills. |
| Gulf Coast Business Council, USM launch Executive Leadership Academy | |
| On Tuesday, the Gulf Coast Business Council (GCBC), in partnership with The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), announced the launch of the GCBC-USM Executive Leadership Academy: Executives and Artificial Intelligence. It is a nine-month executive development experience designed to prepare senior leaders to govern, deploy, and lead with artificial intelligence in an era of rapid technological change. The partners say the Academy will bring together a select cohort of up to 25 executives from across the Gulf Coast for once-monthly, in-person sessions held on the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Mississippi, beginning March 13, 2026, and concluding in November 2026. "This program is about leadership, not technology," said Jamie Miller, President and CEO of the Gulf Coast Business Council. "Artificial intelligence is already shaping how decisions are made, how risk is assessed, and how resources are allocated. If our leaders are not prepared to govern it, they risk losing control of the very systems that determine their organization's future. This Academy gives Gulf Coast executives the tools to lead that transformation instead of reacting to it." |
| Auburn University increases daytime security personnel | |
| Since the beginning of the Spring 2026 semester, Auburn University has increased daytime security. Students can expect to see more security staff patrolling campus and enforcing university policies. The security personnel can be identified by bright orange caps and polos. The polos also have insignia denoting them as part of the Department Campus Safety and Security. Security staff will patrol campus and campus buildings on foot or in golf carts. The new daytime security patrols act as "the front door to Auburn," according to Ashley Gann, the public information officer for the Department of Campus Safety and Security. Anyone on campus can approach security with any questions or concerns. "They are trained to be very warm, and in my opinion, they really capture the culture of Auburn," Gann said. "They're really a great introduction to the university." The increase in security is a part of the university's ongoing strategic plan, according to Gann. Gann emphasized that the move was not related to any incidents and was meant to "foster a spirit of safety on campus." |
| UGA to benefit from Kemp's state budget recommendations | |
| In his recent State of the State address on Jan. 15, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp discussed his state budget recommendations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, including investments in affordability and student opportunity that could benefit the University of Georgia. A notable proposal from Kemp's address was the allocation of a $325 million one-time endowment for the University System of Georgia's (USG) need-based DREAMS Scholarship, aiming to create opportunities for economic advancement and lessen the burden of student debt. DREAMS funds may be used to cover any essential college expense for undergraduate students who still have financial need after receiving other aid. "The governor's amended FY26 and FY27 budget proposals would strengthen UGA's ability to fulfill its critical mission while making higher education more accessible for generations of future students throughout Georgia," UGA President Jere W. Morehead said. "UGA is grateful for the governor's vision, and we look forward to advocating for these proposals throughout the legislative session." Kemp additionally proposed implementing one-time salary supplements of $2,000 for all full-time, regular state employees, as well as giving approximately $9.5 million to support graduate medical education at UGA's new School of Medicine. The governor recommended an additional $5.6 million for UGA to design their School of Nursing facility. |
| U. of Arkansas students protest reversal of law school dean's job offer | |
| The abrupt revocation of a job offer to the University of Arkansas' incoming law school dean prompted a student-led protest on the Fayetteville campus Tuesday and calls for the school to adopt a policy to prevent undue influence on personnel decisions. Approximately 100 demonstrators, mostly students, shouted chants like "keep the Capitol out of the classroom" and "our school won't be sold" as they marched past popular campus landmarks like Old Main Lawn and the Greek Theatre in support of Emily Suski. The university received national attention last week when officials withdrew an offer to Suski following complaints from key Arkansas Republicans about her background and legal positions on transgender athletes. Suski is a University of South Carolina law professor and Title IX expert. The decision to rescind the offer less than a week after announcing Suski's selection sparked concerns about violating academic freedom and chilling faculty speech, complaints echoed during Tuesday's student-led protest. Participants argued it doesn't matter whether people agreed with Suski's legal opinion. The issue is protecting free speech, which they said is being eroded if lawyers have to be concerned about retaliation for expressing a legal opinion or defending a client with viewpoints that lawmakers disagree with. |
| UT's Turning Point USA chapter receives national recognition, is rapidly expanding | |
| The University of Tennessee's very own Turning Point USA chapter is one of the fastest growing organizations on campus, and it has everything to do with the camaraderie they are creating. "It's really a community within itself, a family," Nick Suttle, the chapter's vice president, said. This family rapidly grew after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the group's longstanding CEO and founder. Kirk served as a role model to many, as expressed by freshman and new member Thomas Herbert. "I would say most Gen Z, and especially Gen Z men, looked up to him," Herbert said. "That was all the more reason that I knew I had to, and really wanted to, come in." Suttle saw the rapid, recent growth first-hand. "When Charlie died ... we had people flooding our inboxes on VolLink, people flooding our Instagram, people coming to us, instead of coming to them," Suttle said. Kirk's memorial event proved to be a pivotal moment for the chapter. Over 900 students, locals and children visited the Alumni Memorial Building to grieve Kirk on Sept. 17. |
| Seven‑figure gift to fund UF Hillel renovation, create endowment | |
 | University of Florida Hillel has received a seven-figure donation from philanthropists Diane Lipson Schilit and Howard Schilit that will go toward renovating its facilities and establishing a permanent endowment. UF Hillel, which will now be known as the Diane and Howard Schilit Hillel at University of Florida, previously raised $7.3 million toward its $10 million fundraising campaign to support Jewish students on campus. "We're incredibly grateful to Diane and Howard for their incredible philanthropy," said Rabbi Jonah Zinn, executive director of UF Hillel. "Their gift is going to help ensure that Jewish students at the University of Florida have the resources to be part of a vibrant Jewish community for generations to come." The University of Florida has one of the largest Jewish student populations -- over 6,000 students -- among public universities in the U.S. "UF is a campus where Jewish students feel overwhelmingly safe and welcome, and we're really proud of our work to help create that kind of environment," he said. "This gift is going to help us continue that work." |
| Even MBAs From Top Business Schools Are Struggling to Get Hired | |
| Just how difficult is it to get a foothold in today's professional job market? It is taking many of America's most credentialed business-school graduates months to land and accept offers. With companies scrutinizing every white-collar hire, the job market for M.B.A.s has sputtered for more than a year. That is weakening a reliable catapult into executive-track jobs that can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Though there were hiring rebounds at some of the most elite programs -- including Harvard and Columbia universities -- hiring from many top-tier business schools remains below prepandemic levels. At Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, for instance, 21% of job seekers were still looking for work three months after graduation last summer. About 15% of those at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business remained on the hunt. Those rates are similar to 2024 but sharply higher than 2019, when many employers couldn't hire enough white-collar professionals. Just 5% of job-seeking M.B.A.s graduating from Duke then were still looking for work three months postgraduation. At Michigan that year, it was 4%. The U.S. added an average of about 49,000 jobs a month in 2025, the lowest pace of growth in more than two decades outside the two most recent recessions. Most were in health services -- not what business-school graduates widely pursue. And graduates faced steep competition, as layoffs drew hundreds of thousands of workers into the job market. |
| Survey: Faculty Say AI Is Impactful, but Not In a Good Way | |
 | Faculty overwhelmingly agree that generative artificial intelligence will have an impact on teaching and learning in higher education, but whether that impact is positive or negative is still up for debate. Nine in 10 faculty members say that generative AI will diminish students' critical thinking skills, and 95 percent say its impact will increase students' overreliance on AI tools over time, according to a report out today from the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University. In November, the groups surveyed 1,057 faculty members at U.S. institutions about their thoughts on generative AI's impact. Eighty-three percent of faculty said the technology will decrease students' attention spans, and 79 percent said they think the typical teaching model in their department will be affected by AI. Most professors -- 86 percent -- said that the impact of AI on teachers will be "significant and transformative or at least noticeable," the report states. Only 4 percent said that AI's effect on teaching will "not amount to much." About half of faculty respondents said AI will have a negative effect on students' careers over the next five years, while 20 percent said it will have a positive effect and another 20 percent said it will be equally negative and positive. Faculty are largely unprepared for AI in the classroom, the report shows. |
| Brad Carson's latest role puts him in the fight over AI | |
| When the people of Oklahoma said no to electing him to the Senate in 2004, Democratic former Rep. Brad Carson started saying yes. "I supported candidates I believed in. That brought me back to Washington, D.C., to work at the Department of Defense," Carson said. "I said yes to go be an academic at University of Virginia. And so I was always looking for interesting things to do." It's been 21 years since Carson left the Hill at the end of two terms representing Eastern Oklahoma's 2nd District, including parts of outer Tulsa. Since then, he ran the Cherokee Nation Businesses in Oklahoma. He worked in weapons intelligence for the U.S. Navy in Iraq -- his favorite job, and one that earned him a Bronze Star and Army Achievement Medal. He taught classes and worked on energy policy and did a bit of consulting. Most recently, Carson served as president of the University of Tulsa. While there, he co-founded Americans for Responsible Innovation, a nonprofit group focused on ensuring that technology, including artificial intelligence, serves the public interest. The group reports that it has received funding from philanthropic groups including those associated with founders of eBay and Facebook. In higher education, he saw a world on the brink of fundamental change. AI, he believes, will alter how students learn and professors teach and conduct research. It could change the value of a college education and what people need from their schools. |
| CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story. | |
| Business leaders' faith in the productivity-boosting powers of AI is getting a reality check---from their own workforces. Employees say AI isn't saving them much time in their daily work so far, and many report feeling overwhelmed by how to incorporate it into their jobs. Companies, meanwhile, are spending vast amounts on artificial intelligence, betting that the technology's power to speed everything from sales to back-office functions will usher in a new era of efficiency and profit growth. The gulf between senior executives' and workers' actual experience with generative AI is vast, according to a new survey from the AI consulting firm Section of 5,000 white-collar workers. Two-thirds of nonmanagement staffers said they saved less than two hours a week or no time at all with AI. More than 40% of executives, in contrast, said the technology saved them more than eight hours of work a week. Executives "automatically assume AI is going to be the savior," said Steve McGarvey, a user-experience designer in Raleigh, N.C. "I can't count the number of times that I've sought a solution for a problem, asked an LLM, and it gave me a solution to an accessibility problem that was completely wrong," he said, referring to a large language model. |
| Again Defying Trump, Congress Proposes Increasing NIH Budget, Maintaining Education Department | |
| The House and Senate appropriations committees have jointly proposed legislation that would generally maintain the Education Department's funding levels, plus increase the National Institutes of Health's budget by more than $400 million this fiscal year. It's the latest in a trend of bipartisan congressional rebukes of President Trump's call to slash agencies that support higher ed. For the current fiscal year, Trump had asked Congress to cut the NIH by 40 percent and subtract $12 billion from ED's budget. The president proposed eliminating multiple ED programs, including TRIO, GEAR UP and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, all of which help low-income students attend college. He also proposed reducing the ED Office for Civil Rights budget by over a third. But the proposed funding package senators and representatives released this week maintains funding for all of those programs. "We were surprised to see the level of funding for the higher education programs actually be increased, in some regards -- and be maintained," said Emmanual Guillory, senior director of government relations at the American Council on Education. "We knew that level funding would be considered a win in this political environment." This latest set of appropriations bills is the final batch that Congress must approve to avert another government shutdown at the end of the month. |
| Researchers drop projects, consider switching fields after a year of Trump funding cuts and layoffs | |
| After a year of government layoffs and sweeping funding cuts under President Trump, many researchers are hanging on by a thread. The administration has said it is realigning federal spending to match its agenda, but scientists respond that even proposals that advance the White House's goals have been ignored or cut. Medical advancements, education research, defense priorities -- no area has proven safe from frozen funding, which has also come alongside massive reductions in the government agencies that support these areas. As Trump marks one year back in office on Tuesday, analysts and professors are considering abandoning their projects or even changing occupations altogether, saying there is no outside group capable of replacing the backing of the U.S. government. Research published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine in November found more than 74,000 people had their medical care disrupted last year by cuts to clinical trials by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). From the end of February to August, the Trump administration's cuts canceled 383 clinical trails, disproportionately affecting research into COVID-19; prevention for cancer, heart disease and brain disease; and behavioral interventions. |
| Federal policy uncertainty is disrupting planning, college leaders say | |
| Nearly all senior higher education leaders -- 98% -- reported that federal policymaking has introduced uncertainty into institutional planning, according to the latest pulse survey from the American Council on Education. Topping the list of senior leaders' most pressing concerns is state and federal interference with colleges' autonomy. Over 70% of leaders said they were either extremely or moderately concerned about threats to independence and academic freedom. "Uncertainty around research funding, immigration and international engagement, academic freedom, and student aid policy are shaping institutional decision-making and straining long-term planning efforts," the report's authors wrote. Trump's government has tried to force policy changes at colleges through federal investigations, research funding cuts and his compact for higher education. In some cases, the administration has wrested payments and policy changes from institutions under pressure. But many colleges and universities are also losing their independence through new state laws that aim to weaken governance, direct course content, and banish diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. |
| College Presidents Can't Escape Trump | |
 | A new survey from the American Council on Education shows how the uncertainty over the current federal policy environment has spilled over into higher education's own planning. The ACE Pulse Point survey of nearly 400 senior leaders shows 70 percent of respondents are concerned about "government interference in academic freedom and institutional autonomy" and nearly every respondent said the current environment in Washington, D.C., has led to at least some level of uncertainty in their own planning efforts. "Uncertainty around research funding, immigration and international engagement, academic freedom, and student-aid policy are shaping institutional decision-making and straining long-term planning efforts," wrote the authors of the report, Kara Seidel and Danielle Melidona. Those surveyed in early December were asked to rate their level of concern on 13 different issues. Among those ranking high: More than 8 in 10 respondents said they had extreme or moderate concern about how policymakers viewed higher education's value; more than 75 percent said they had the same concern about the public's perceptions of the value of higher education. |
| Investigations and a Billion-Dollar 'Shakedown': How Trump Targeted Higher Education | |
| President Trump had barely returned to power last year when Hector F. Ruiz, a veteran civil rights lawyer for the Justice Department, shared a directive with his team that some found chilling. He told the team that he had been instructed to open investigations into more than a dozen universities, according to two people with direct knowledge of the meeting. The orders were a sharp break from the department's norm of collecting facts before proceeding with a formal inquiry, and some investigators viewed the demand as a politically motivated attack. Within months, Mr. Ruiz and 17 of his team's lawyers had quit. Trump officials pressed forward despite the exodus, using the full force of the government to target at least 75 universities with investigations into subjects including antisemitism and student aid fraud. The schools have routinely denied wrongdoing, including those that reached settlements with the government, and federal district courts have ruled that some of the Trump administration's methods broke the law. Yet the sweeping campaign has provided the country with an early glimpse of a broader crusade of retribution against political rivals and perceived enemies that has become a driving force of Mr. Trump's second term. In the administration's view, the approach has yielded enough successes to continue pressing to alter the cultures of universities, which Mr. Trump has derided as factories of "woke" ideology and hostile to his presidency. |
| Higher Ed Prepares for New Era of Accessibility | |
| Thousands of visually impaired college students rely on screen readers to complete their coursework and participate in other campus activities. But they regularly encounter content on apps and web pages that screen readers don't translate well. "There are things in PDFs that I can't see as a visually enabled person that they hear in the screen reader," said Cory Tressler, assistant dean for technology and digital programs at Ohio State University libraries, which houses hundreds of thousands of documents that don't translate well to screen readers. "You can hear the screen reader saying something like 'header, header, header,' because it sees all this data in the margins that shouldn't be there. It can be a jumbled mess." And just getting that version can be a challenge; sometimes a visually impaired student has to ask their institution to produce accessible materials in the first place -- an often time-consuming and isolating process. Although people who use screen readers "get used to it and develop skills to avoid these issues," Tressler said, "they shouldn't have to." Mitigating those and other digital accessibility disparities is also the spirit behind looming new federal regulations, which aim to reduce the hurdles students with disabilities face in accessing increasingly complex information on web pages and mobile apps. But many colleges and universities are scrambling to meet the April deadline, creating a situation one higher ed analyst described as a "regulatory time bomb." |
| OP-ED: AI, Agriculture and the Future of Mississippi's Economy | |
| Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson writes: I am concerned about AI and the future of Mississippi. I am concerned about the future of agriculture. Most of all, I am concerned about how AI will impact our children, grandchildren and all our people. I believe people are unique human beings created in the image of God, called to find meaningful, ethical work and called to steward the land which produces everything each person and family needs to live and grow and thrive in the real world. And I believe the question we are called upon to answer in our generation is this: "How will we manage the coming artificial intelligence-driven economy in a way that preserves the human needs, goals, livelihoods and dreams of real people?" In an AI world, how will we safeguard the distinctively human element in the real world with the need for real human creativity, real jobs, real healthcare and real food, fiber and shelter? It begins with understanding how AI may change our world. It's commonly estimated that AI will likely result in displacement or replacement of between 20-30 percent of people's jobs in America. Every industry is going to change. Our economy is already changing. How will we respond? ... We need not fear AI -- we should be deeply concerned -- but we need to proactively manage it with real, honest people at the helm -- people like you and me concerned about our future. |
| Echoes: Mississippi has a precedent for the senseless arson of Beth Israel synagogue | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: It is a strange and sorrowful thing to watch history come full circle like a stubborn ghost. On a cold January morning in Jackson, flames scorched the walls of the Beth Israel Congregation -- Mississippi's largest synagogue and a house of worship with roots dating back to the 19th century -- reducing its library and administrative center to charred ruins. We've seen this story before. Nearly sixty years ago, during the civil rights upheaval, members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed synagogues in Jackson and Meridian. Among those involved in these terror campaigns was Thomas Albert Tarrants III, a young man swept up in the violent white supremacist fervor of the 1960s. After his conviction and imprisonment for bombing Jewish targets like the Meridian home of courageous business leader Meyer Davidson in 1968, Tarrants experienced a significant personal transformation in prison -- a religious and moral conversion that caused him to renounce his hatred, pursue higher education, and ultimately dedicate his life to Christian ministry and reconciliation. Today, the suspect in the Jackson arson, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, is jailed on state arson charges and is the focus of an ongoing federal hate crime investigation. |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: Five Things To Know: State vs. Texas A&M | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball continues its SEC grind with a trip to SEC co-leader Texas A&M on Wednesday evening at Reed Arena. State (10-8, 2-3 SEC) is led by Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps who have combined to rack up 37.8 points per game which is 2nd among SEC duos this season. Texas A&M (14-4, 4-1 SEC) has amassed 91.9 points per game and has six players averaging in double figures. Ruben Dominguez (13.6 PPG, 1.6 APG) and Rashaun Agee (13.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG) are the squad's top two scorers. Agee has already posted double-doubles in three SEC contests, most recently a 17-point, 11-rebound effort during a 74-70 rivalry win at Texas. State and A&M have split its previous 20 meetings on the hardwood as the home team has won the last four in the series. The Bulldogs won a 70-54 decision over No. 7 Texas A&M last season at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| What to know about turkey season 2026: Stamps, tags, early opening | |
| As the 2025-26 deer season winds down, some hunters are beginning to focus on the upcoming turkey season. But before you head to the woods to hunt turkeys, be aware that there are several changes this year including an early season opening date. And it's expected to be a good year for hunting turkeys in Mississippi. "It's looking really good across the state," said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "I think it's going to be a really good year, weather permitting. "We've had some really strong hatches for several years. We're expecting a really good population." Hinton said reports from the field are supporting that, too. "I've been hearing reports from hunters and biologists that everybody is seeing a lot of birds this year and getting them on camera," Hinton said. One change will be the addition of turkey stamps. Most hunters will be required to purchase a turkey stamp before hunting this season. The stamp requirement was passed in the Mississippi Legislature during the 2025 session and are required for hunting on both public and private land. |
| Former 'Sunday Night Football' reporter Michele Tafoya launches Minnesota Senate bid with NRSC's support | |
 | Michele Tafoya, the former sideline reporter for "Sunday Night Football" turned conservative commentator, launched a Minnesota Senate campaign Wednesday with the immediate support from Republicans' campaign arm and its leader, Sen. Tim Scott. The endorsement from Scott (R-S.C.), shared first with POLITICO, gives Tafoya an immediate boost in the open seat race. The contest currently has a handful of other Republican primary contenders, including former Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann. Since leaving sports media, Tafoya has hosted her own podcast and increasingly appeared on conservative shows. The NRSC is also out with a new memo about the race, calling Minnesota -- which went for Vice President Kamala Harris by 4 points in 2024 -- "firmly in play for Republicans." Tafoya -- a one-time critic of Donald Trump who has praised the president more recently -- had been considering a bid for months after national Republicans encouraged her to enter the race. Her entrance to the race comes as ICE's presence in Minnesota -- and the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good -- has put a national spotlight on the state. |
| The Elite College Suing Its Own Star Quarterback | |
| When Duke's star quarterback, Darian Mensah, announced last week that he was entering the transfer portal mere hours before the deadline, it was yet another reminder of how quickly college football was changing. Fresh off leading Duke to its first outright ACC championship in more than half a century, Mensah was bolting for the exit -- and, he hoped, toward an even bigger payday from another program. Only now, Duke is attempting to keep him in North Carolina with the kind of lawsuit that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Not only might the outcome tip the scales of the next college football season, it could also become a watershed test for this new era of college sports. Duke filed the suit this week in North Carolina's Durham County Superior Court, alleging that Mensah's actions "violate numerous provisions of his contract" and "disregard his promises and obligations" to the school. The lawsuit effectively argues that if Mensah transferred and played college football anywhere besides Duke next year, he would be in violation of an agreement that's widely reported to pay him millions. The case may have profound implications in more than one way. On the field, Mensah has the talents to anchor teams with national championship aspirations. Miami is rumored to be interested in his services, and the Hurricanes are no strangers to shelling out lucrative deals to lure top passers. With a high-profile transfer named Carson Beck under center, they reached this season's national championship game. And before him, the Hurricanes plucked Cam Ward from Washington State -- he wound up as the No. 1 overall pick of last year's NFL draft. More broadly, the lawsuit could turn into a test case for the new wave of deals between top players and the schools paying them millions. |
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