| Thursday, January 22, 2026 |
| MSU students wrap up service events in Starkville | |
 | The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was Monday, but events honoring his legacy are continuing throughout the week. Students at Mississippi State University wrapped up two days of service events Wednesday afternoon. The university partnered with 6 organizations from across the state. Students, along with faculty and staff, put together 400 winter survival kits that will be distributed to the homeless. Organizers say academics are only part of education. It's also important to learn to be a good citizen, and that starts with service to others. "I think students, us, anybody in general, learns more about themselves when they serve other people. And when you know how to serve other people, when you learn why you should serve other people, I think that that really sets you apart as a leader in the future," said Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Community Engagement Mikela Barlow. The bags that students packed will be distributed in 19 counties across the state. |
| Delta farmers test new automatic polypipe puncher | |
 | Gleaming growing-season rows of bright-white polypipe are as iconic to Delta farming as the turnrows themselves. Spotting these beacons of agricultural productivity across the landscape reminds farmers their wealth lies with the region's greatest resource: water. The Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer is the main source of irrigation water across the Delta region, covering agricultural land along the Mississippi River, as well as the Lower Mississippi River Basin, Arkansas Delta and the Missouri Bootheel. While the aquifer remains a healthy, vital contributor to Midsouth agriculture, there are pockets along its broad coverage area where long-term use is beginning to show depletion. "That starts an emphasis on different irrigation practices, whether implementing new technology on farm or finding different ways to use less water," said Drew Gholson, irrigation specialist at Mississippi State University. "There's been a concerted effort to look at new ways we can be more conservative in our irrigation strategies." Mississippi farmers lead the nation in some of the most innovative water optimizing technology, such as soil moisture sensors, which 30% of farmers use to make their irrigation decisions compared to the national average of 13%. |
| Mary Means Business: Colorado-based Birdcall chicken restaurant coming to Starkville | |
 | Do you hear that? It's almost like a bird is calling. And Starkville answered the phone. Birdcall, a Colorado-based chicken sandwich restaurant, plans to expand its footprint to the Magnolia State. Ryan O'Haro, Birdcall chief financial officer, confirmed the location will open in the historic State Theatre at 213 E. Main St. The plan is to open by August, before Mississippi State students return to school. Building owner and State Theatre operator Mark Hayden, along with his brother Greg, wanted to bring a complementary restaurant to support the local bar downtown. Hayden has another business in Colorado which is where he got the idea to expand Birdcall to Mississippi. "It's an amazing concept that everyone in Colorado loves," he said. "It's going to be a big hit here." Birdcall offers a variety of chicken sandwiches, tenders, sliders, fries, tater tots, salads and even a selection of milkshakes and beers. The 3,500 square-foot building that previously housed Arepa's downtown is already "built out" and won't require a ton of work, Hayden said. "We'll do minor, superficial changes and we'll get started as soon as we get our permits," he said. "... We're happy to bring a fresh, new concept to Starkville and we're encouraged by what the city of Starkville is doing to the downtown area." |
| Crews spread salt on roads and people stock up on batteries as a winter storm threatens the US | |
 | Bags of ice-thwarting salt aren't usually a hot item at Bates Ace Hardware in Atlanta, but store manager Lewis Pane sold all 275 he had in stock in one morning as residents braced for a major storm to deliver heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain on a broad section of the U.S. in coming days. Payne said he had 30 online orders for "ice melt" before 8 a.m. People sprinkle the salts on the ground before a storm to disrupt the formation of ice. "It's impossible to get right now," Payne said. "We have had to make special trips to our warehouse to pick up extra items because people need them." The storm was expected to hit starting Friday, stretching from New Mexico to New England and across the Deep South. The damage could rival that of a major hurricane. Meteorologists say ice may linger on roads and sidewalks because temperatures will be slow to warm in many areas. Ice could also weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread outages. In Arkansas, the Department of Transportation started treating some roads with brine on Tuesday. The salt helps prevent ice from forming. Over 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow were expected in parts of the state. Rain was complicating efforts to pretreat roads with salt in Alabama on Wednesday because precipitation washes away the brine. The Alabama Department of Transportation encouraged people to stay off the roads if ice forms. |
| Winter Storm Fern to bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to Mississippi | |
 | A major winter storm is set to hit a large part of the U.S. this weekend, including the entirety of Mississippi. Eric Carpenter, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Jackson, expects the southern part of the state to experience only minor effects, with snow most likely between Clarksdale and Tupelo. Central Mississippi poses a unique challenge, though, says Scott Simmons, Chief Communications Officer with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. "That cone of uncertainty in the central part of the state is what's so unnerving," Simmons told MPB. "Even if it's just freezing rain, the temperature will remain below freezing, which means that precipitation will freeze: there lies your black ice." "There lies your trees that get ice on them or...rain, and then they freeze; the branches get heavier, they fall on power lines, and then [it's] kind of a cascading problem." In the meantime, Simmons said that MEMA has been working with county and other state agencies to get ahead of the storm. With roads, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is working over the next few days to also prepare beforehand and to be ready for any issues that come up over the weekend. "The last few days we've been getting all of the equipment ready for snow and sleet and ice, along with all the material that will be needed to put out on our roadways and bridges," said Brad White, MDOT's executive director. |
| Southerners Scramble to Prepare as Ice, Snow and Bitter Cold Threaten | |
 | Blankets of snow and sheets of ice. Blustery winds and temperatures plunging to lows that can burst pipes. Across a vast swath of the country on Thursday, officials and meteorologists warned people to be ready for any of it. The forecasts this week have been ominous, but blurred by uncertainty. Meteorologists expect a barrage of harsh winter weather in the eastern two-thirds of the country in the next few days, but exactly which areas will face the brunt of it has been a moving target. The slippery forecast, which has seemed to shift course with every update, has been enough of a jolt to remind Southerners, in particular, of how uniquely anxiety-inducing a burst of frigid winter weather can be. The storm is threatening places that are painfully familiar with other kinds of severe weather -- hurricanes and tropical storms, flash floods, tornadoes. But snow, ice, sleet and bitter cold? Many residents have experienced only just enough of that to know how much of a mess it can cause. On a much larger scale, winter storms test infrastructure and the wherewithal of state and local governments, school districts and businesses that may have limited experience or resources to cope with the cold, compared with their counterparts in the Northeast and the Midwest. |
| Golden Triangle braces for winter storm | |
| Residents and officials across the Golden Triangle are ramping up preparations ahead of a winter storm forecast expected to arrive at the end of the work week. For 4-County Electric Power Association, that means preparing for the worst while hoping for the best, Jon Turner, director of public relations and marketing, told The Dispatch on Wednesday. "You can only prepare so much because you don't know what you're going to get, and you don't know where it's going to hit," Turner said. "It could just be a portion of our service territory. It could be all of it. It could be none of it. ... We're in the mindset that this could rival some of the worst weather events that we've seen, and we will proceed accordingly." In anticipation of the storm, Turner said 4-County crews are stocking supplies, from salt and sharpened chainsaws to new poles and transformers, reviewing response plans and even preparing snack packs to send with lineman working in the field. "We're making sure that everybody is available, especially over the weekend because right now, that's when it look like it's going to come in," he said. Executive Director Brandi Herrington said Starkville Strong has already started distributing winter weather supplies to its clients. Additionally, the nonprofit received about 50 winter weather survival kits to distribute that were packed Wednesday as a part of Mississippi State University's Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Service. |
| Local meteorologists say prep for ice this weekend | |
 | A large winter storm will hit Northeast Mississippi this weekend dropping a wintry mix of precipitation from Friday through Sunday. But with most of the region hovering right around the freezing point Saturday, the exact location of the front will determine who gets sleet, freezing rain or just rain. "With all this moisture, a few hours below freezing could cause problems," said Mississippi Live Weather meteorologist Matt Laubhan. "Sleet causes travel disruptions. Freezing rain is where you get trees down and power outages." By Friday, meteorologists should have a better idea of just when and where it will hit and what to expect. Until then, local governments are working hard to prepare and be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at them. "An atypical storm has atypical results," Laubhan said. "We are gaming the system. The jet stream is at just the right angle. The moisture is at just the right angle. But nothing is written in stone. It's just the ingredients are in place." |
| State agricultural commissioner hosts 2nd stakeholder meeting for F.A.R.M. plan | |
 | Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce is meeting with farmers from across the state to develop a new strategic plan for the future of agriculture in the Magnolia State. Andy Gipson is hosting five stakeholder meetings to get input for his new Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi plan. Gipson said the comprehensive plan not only addresses the challenges facing farmers in Mississippi, but also ways to grow agriculture in the state. The second of the five meetings was held on Wednesday at the Woodall Center at Pearl River Community College's Forrest County campus. Attending the meeting were farmers from all across Mississippi and members of Gipson's F.A.R.M. advisory board. "The goal of these meetings, these five regional meetings, is to develop ideas, policies, infrastructure that we need to make sure we have today, for the future of Mississippi tomorrow, for our farmers, for our food security, for the future of our state," Gipson said. Three other meetings will be held in Verona, Brookhaven and Jackson. |
| Mississippi could soon lead in lithium extraction, experts say | |
| Could lithium brine be Mississippi's next energy boon? That was the question debated for nearly four hours on Wednesday at the Mississippi Natural Resources Summit in Jackson, where participants learned the Magnolia State could lead in the production of domestic lithium, which is critical in national energy security. Mississippi sits on the Smackover Formation, which contains one of the nation's highest-grade lithium brines, high-salinity waters associated with deep salt deposits, said Tim Palmer, a surface geologist at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The geological formation dating back to the Jurassic era extends across several states, from Texas to Florida. "Mississippi holds one of the highest quality lithium brines in the world," he said, challenging the much sought-after products of South America's Lithium Triangle in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. Lithium brine is used mainly in lithium-ion batteries, which are essential in electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems, and energy-intensive industries. Data centers, of which Mississippi has seen major investments from over the last three years, are using lithium-ion batteries more due to efficiency, reliability, and sustainability benefits versus traditional batteries system, according to CloudCow, a comprehensive resource for cloud computing news, analysis and information. |
| Mississippi Secretary of State pushes campaign finance reform as top priority | |
| Secretary of State Michael Watson said campaign finance reform is his main priority for the legislative session, with plans to require all candidates to file reports through a new online system. Watson said his office is building the online system but needs lawmakers to mandate its use. "I think when we can tell Mississippians, look, we want you to hold us accountable because when you hold us accountable, you get better government," Watson said. Secretary Watson said recent criminal cases highlight the need for reform. "The issue in Jackson not too long ago where some indictments came down. And a lot of those dollars were used through campaign funds to try to mask them. We also saw what happened with the sheriffs in the Delta. That too, where campaign finance was involved. So, this isn't just a political issue. This is also a crime fighting issue," Watson said. The proposal would limit cash donations and require candidates to establish a registered bank account before collecting money. Every candidate at any level of government would be required to file reports online. "People are going to be able to see that I went and had a dinner with so-and-so, or I went on a trip here, or I did this or did that. I got no problem with that. ...It's fine. Mississippians should know about it," Watson said. Watson said the spotlight on campaign finance issues will help the legislation pass this year. |
| Senate bill would require Mississippi cities to stream meetings | |
 | Cities, towns and villages throughout Mississippi could be required to livestream their public meetings as early as next year if a Senate bill passes into law. The bill, proposed by Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, would require municipalities to publish their meeting notices beforehand and put livestream feeds on the state Department of Finance and Administration website. A nearly identical version of the bill was proposed last session and passed the Senate, but it died in the House. This year's bill passed the Senate government structure committee on Wednesday, Jan. 21, where lawmakers spoke about the importance of increasing the accessibility of local government for their constituents. "It's almost embarrassing," said Sen. Daniel Sparks, R-Belmont. "I think we're way past the time of apologizing for transparency." Sen. Bart Williams, R-Starkville, said he didn't expect the bill's requirement to pose a financial burden on small towns that they couldn't handle, particularly if given time to prepare. "Based on a quick search, $0-500 seems to get a town in business," he told the committee. "Is that something that a municipality cannot afford?" |
| Parents' push for direct voice behind bill to make all Mississippi public school boards elected | |
| State Rep. Jansen Owen (R) says the Mississippi Department of Education reports that nearly half of the school boards across the Magnolia State are either fully or partially appointed by city councils or county supervisors. He has filed legislation to make all public school board members elected. It is not the first time such legislation has been filed in the Legislature. Similar bills have been proposed and allowed to die for well over a decade. Even still, Rep. Owen told Magnola Tribune Wednesday his filing of the measure came out of the desire of parents who want a direct voice on their local school boards. "I've heard from a significant number of parents in communities I represent and across the state who feel that appointed school boards too often accommodate the wish lists of administrators as opposed to the needs of parents," the Pearl River County lawmaker said. Mississippi legislators mandated that all public school superintendents be appointed in 2016. The measure was signed into law by former Governor Phil Bryant. Nearly a third of superintendents were elected at the time. A push from advocates to make all school board members elected followed, but the effort never gained enough traction at the Mississippi Capitol to make to the governor's desk. Now, given the focus on expanding parental say in their child's education in Mississippi, Owen hopes to advance the legislation to a vote in the House. |
| Medical experts release 2025 Public Health Report Card | |
| State medical experts release findings of the status of your health. The annual study outlines health issues impacting residents, and officials say our national ranking is improving. During White Coat Day at the capitol building, an analysis of Mississippi health conditions was announced by the Mississippi State Department of Health and Mississippi State Medical Association. The 2025 Public Heath Report Card outlined health indicators, areas of progress, and issues requiring attention. Mississippi has risen to 48th in the nation in the overall health ranking. Opioid deaths, teen births, and accidental deaths are decreasing. The state is third in the nation for vaccinations. "It's been a long time coming for us. Four years ago, we weren't just 50th. We were 50th way in the back of the pack. And so for us to have closed that gap meant more Mississippians living longer," said Mississippi State Department of Health Executive Director and State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney. Meanwhile, there remain high rates of infant and maternal mortality, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. |
| Supreme Court Balks at Trump's Push to Control the Fed | |
 | Supreme Court justices across the ideological spectrum expressed deep unease on Wednesday about President Trump's attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve, with several stressing the importance of a central bank insulated from political pressure. Their comments during nearly two hours of oral arguments signaled that the court will likely allow Fed board member Lisa Cook to remain in the job while her legal challenge to her dismissal proceeds in the lower courts. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, highlighted the long history and economic impetus of shielding monetary policy from White House control. The Trump administration's claims of broad and unreviewable firing authority "would weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve," Kavanaugh warned. And he cautioned that such a broad power would pass to other presidents, allowing a future Democrat to dismiss anyone Trump appoints to the Fed during the remainder of his term. "Thinking big picture, what goes around comes around," Kavanaugh said. "History is a pretty good guide. Once these tools are unleashed, they are used by both sides." The Supreme Court's skepticism toward Trump's bid to oust Cook is a shift for its conservative majority, which in recent months has largely allowed the president to swiftly fire board members of other historically independent agencies in the executive branch. But even in those rulings, the court has signaled that it views the Fed as occupying a unique place in the government ecosystem. And on Wednesday, the justices reiterated that view, saying the financial markets and the public need confidence in the Fed's decisions. |
| Trump launches 'Board of Peace' at Davos, testing global order | |
 | President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants his new "Board of Peace" to work with the United Nations, but it was unclear if that pledge would ease concerns among some leaders that he is trying to sideline the international body. Trump discussed the potential for collaboration at the board's formal launch, which his administration has advertised as a tool to resolve global conflicts with a scope rivaling the U.N. He was joined by 19 world leaders but just two representatives from European Union nations, Hungary and Bulgaria, a contrast that underscored his ambition to reshape the world order and the limits of his approach. "Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations," Trump said at the signing ceremony. "You know, I've always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential, has not used it, but there's tremendous potential in the United Nations." Initially envisioned to shepherd the peace process in Gaza, the body was presented Thursday by senior Trump administration officials as a vehicle for broader ambitions. The administration has also emphasized that the board's scope will extend beyond the conflict in the Middle East, spooking some of the countries that were invited to join. |
| Trump backs off tariff threats and hails 'framework of a future deal' on Greenland | |
 | President Trump on Wednesday announced following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that they had "formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region." Trump added that because of the progress he is not planning to impose the tariffs he threatened on regional countries on February 1. "Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress," he said in his Truth Social post. The announcement -- a marked backing off of the heated rhetoric from Trump preceding the conference -- was a culmination of a day that began by with him ruling out military force to take over Greenland. "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," he said during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "That's probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force, but I don't have to use force -- I don't want to use force. I won't use force," he said. In his address, Trump went beyond his desire for Greenland and slammed European values as inferior to the values he is attempting to impose on the United States. |
| As U.S. withdraws from World Health Organization, health experts see big risks | |
| The United States' withdrawal from the World Health Organization became official Thursday, formalizing a fissure between the Trump administration and the Geneva-based global health agency that dates back to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the date on which the WHO was informed that President Trump had decreed that the U.S. would terminate its membership in the organization, something he tried to do during his first term in office. According to a joint congressional resolution passed in 1948 to allow the United States to join the WHO, the country had to give a year's notice before withdrawing. (The joint resolution also stipulated that the country had to pay outstanding bills before leaving, a condition that has not been met.) The executive order Trump signed on his first day back in the White House cited the WHO's "mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states" as its rationale for leaving the organization. It also complained about the country's assessed contributions, the highest of any member country. (Assess contributions are set based on a country's GDP.) |
| Vance Heads to Minnesota, Where Things Are Only Getting Worse | |
| Air Force One took President Trump to Switzerland this week, where he drew the world's attention about Greenland. But Air Force Two could end up being part of an equally consequential story. Air Force Two will take Vice President JD Vance to Minnesota on Thursday. Tensions there are flaring, following an escalating clash between the Trump administration and local governments over crime and immigration policy. Vance will arrive one day before local Democrats are planning a huge "general strike" to protest ICE, in which some people are planning to stop shopping, working, or attending school in advance of an afternoon march. Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, and the Justice Department in recent days has sent subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials. Vance follows Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was just in Minneapolis meeting with federal prosecutors. The big question is, where is this headed? Is there a way to lower the temperature (not literally, as the high on Thursday will be 9 degrees)? Both sides appear to be only digging in more. Vance could be effectively running for president this time next year, and he will have an opportunity Thursday to address a very fractured state looking for answers. |
| Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge's warrant, memo says | |
| Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people's homes without a judge's warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches. The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections and upends years of advice given to immigrant communities. The shift comes as the Trump administration dramatically expands immigration arrests nationwide, deploying thousands of officers under a mass deportation campaign that is already reshaping enforcement tactics in cities such as Minneapolis. For years, immigrant advocates, legal aid groups and local governments have urged people not to open their doors to immigration agents unless they are shown a warrant signed by a judge. That guidance is rooted in Supreme Court rulings that generally prohibit law enforcement from entering a home without judicial approval. The ICE directive directly undercuts that advice at a time when arrests are accelerating under the administration's immigration crackdown. |
| House committee recommends contempt of Congress for Clintons | |
 | A House committee recommended holding Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress on Wednesday, a key step on a path that could lead to criminal charges against the high-profile Democrats. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to advance separate reports on contempt, citing the duo's failure to appear for separate depositions tied to the panel's investigation of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The panel voted 34-8, with two voting present, on a report on the former Democratic president and 28-15, with one voting present, on a report on the former secretary of State. The reports recommend House resolutions on contempt. The contempt measures would tee up Speaker Mike Johnson to take "all appropriate action to enforce the subpoena." Both reports conclude the Clintons' "willful refusal to comply" with committee subpoenas "warrants referral to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution as prescribed by law." Chairman James R. Comer, R-Ky., said the panel offered the Clintons flexibility on scheduling depositions, but were met by defiance with delays and excuses. And he said proposals from the Clintons' attorneys were not acceptable. A spokesperson for Bill Clinton said on social media Wednesday morning that the Clintons have both been out of office for more than a decade, and neither "had anything to do with him for more than 20 years." |
| Cover crops can heal soil, but need time to take root | |
| Regenerative agriculture methods, such as cover crops, are one way farmers try to improve the health of their overworked soil. But adopting new farming practices takes time and costs money. And in an industry with slim margins, farmers aren't incentivized to take the risk. Now, researchers are developing new varieties of cover crop seeds intended to ensure better bang for the farmers' buck. Farmers who grow, process and sell seeds are key to the work. Inside a barn in southwest Missouri, farmer Macaulay Kincaid operates a massive and noisy seed mill. Kincaid is the second generation in his family to cultivate crops for seed production, and he's still using the technology his uncle invested in 40 years ago. "This version here is actually like a 1980s version," he said. "This was like the bee's knees back in the '80s." From the mill the seeds are bagged and sold, to be planted by farmers throughout the Midwest. Kincaid sells cover crops -- vegetation that grows in the offseason to keep otherwise bare ground covered to reduce erosion and retain moisture. Keeping a living root in the ground for as much of the year as possible is a tenet of regenerative agriculture -- a movement that aims to farm with nature and reduce dependence on chemicals. But cover crops can be a tough sell for farmers. It's expensive and could take years for those environmental benefits to appear. |
| The US and China Are Collaborating More Closely on AI Than You Think | |
 | The US and China are, by many measures, archrivals in the field of artificial intelligence, with companies racing to outdo each other on algorithms, models, and specialized silicon. And yet, the world's AI superpowers still collaborate to a surprising degree when it comes to cutting-edge research. A WIRED analysis of more than 5,000 AI research papers presented last month at the industry's premier conference, Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), reveals a significant amount of collaboration between US and Chinese labs. The analysis found that 141 out of the 5,290 total papers (roughly 3 percent) involve collaboration between authors affiliated with US institutions and those affiliated with Chinese ones. US-China collaboration appears fairly constant, too, with 134 out of 4,497 total papers involving authors from institutions in both countries in 2024. Jeffrey Ding, an assistant professor at George Washington University who tracks China's AI landscape, says he is not surprised to see this level of teamwork. "Whether policymakers on both sides like it or not, the US and Chinese AI ecosystems are inextricably enmeshed -- and both benefit from the arrangement," Ding says. The analysis no doubt simplifies the degree to which the US and China share ideas and talent. Many Chinese-born researchers study in the US, forging bonds with colleagues that last a lifetime. |
| Delta State closing Thursday afternoon in anticipation of winter storm | |
| Delta State University announced Wednesday afternoon a shift in class schedules as much of Mississippi braces for severe winter weather forecast to arrive this weekend. The university in Cleveland announced that all classes scheduled for after 12:15 p.m. on Thursday will transition to online instruction. All labs and classes with clinical rotations will be rescheduled to an online format, as well. The entire campus apart from essential services will be closed Friday as the potential for dangerous weather heightens that afternoon. University officials will meet over the weekend to assess conditions and announce plans for Monday. As part of the Wednesday announcement, Delta State officials "strongly encouraged" residential students to make plans to stay off campus if at all possible. "All residential students who are able and have a reliable place to stay with family or trusted friends are strongly encouraged to leave campus during this time," the announcement said. "Leaving campus helps reduce the risk and eases strain on essential services, allowing our staff and emergency personnel to focus on the students who must remain." |
| Ole Miss physics student to advocate for science policy in DC | |
| The University Research Association selected University of Mississippi doctoral student Byungchul Yu as one of the top winners of the 2025 Science Policy and Advocacy for Research Competition. Yu, a fifth-year doctoral student in physics from Suwon, South Korea, spent 11 weeks last fall learning to communicate about research as part of the association's annual competition. As one of the top students in that program, he will travel to Washington, D.C., to speak with national leaders about the importance of supporting fundamental science. "Fundamental physics -- like particle physics, astrophysics, astronomy -- those researchers are supported by funding from the general public," he said. "So, without their help, we could not exist and we could not study this. We have a responsibility to let people know what we are doing, why it matters to the scientific community and even broader, why it matters to society. "And it can become a beautiful circle. If we spread our knowledge, some of the public, including some new generation, their curiosity may be sparked. Then they can become a part of the scientific community, too." |
| USM School of Music to host 2 free concert showcases | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) School of Music will host two special concert evenings in February 2026. In celebration of the school's ongoing excellence and as part of the National Association of Schools of Music accreditation site visit, both concerts are free and open to the public. "These concerts are a wonderful chance for the public to hear the remarkable artistry and dedication of our students -- young musicians who represent the best of Southern Miss on stages both at home and around the world," said Dr. Colin McKenzie, director of the School of Music. "We are proud of their achievements and excited to share their performances with the community." |
| Alcorn State University on lockdown due to 'threat to campus safety' | |
 | Alcorn State University officials implemented a lockdown Thursday morning, Jan. 22, due to a "threat to campus safety." Officials with the university released a statement at 7:22 a.m. Thursday via social media asking students to shelter in place due to a safety threat on campus. Details of the threat were not immediately released. Only essential employees were told to report to work. The university said it will have a late start on Thursday, beginning at noon. "Updates will be shared once they become available," the university's post reads. "Monitor your Alcorn email and the University's official social media channels. For emergencies, contact Campus Police at 601.877.3000." |
| Mississippi bill could reduce out-of-state tuition at community colleges near state lines | |
 | A new bill introduced at the Mississippi Capitol could make it easier for some students to get an education at a community college. House Bill 822 would allow Mississippi community and junior colleges that border other states to reduce or waive out-of-state tuition for nonresident students if approved. The goal is to help those colleges attract more students from nearby states. However, colleges would be on the hook for the lost tuition revenue. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College President Dr. Mary Graham expressed mixed emotions about the proposal. "I can see some real positives for labor shortages, workforce, particularly on the Mississippi Gulf Coast," Graham said. "With Ingalls Shipbuilding and Bollinger and Chevron, a lot of people cross state lines to go to school and to go to work. We do have that option now if they're willing to offset that cost. With this new bill, it would just be reducing the out-of-state tuition. They would need to backfill the budget to offset that impediment for community colleges." If approved, any reduced tuition for out-of-state students would have to be offset by the college, since state funds can only be used for Mississippi residents. |
| 'Ice belongs in Toomer's Lemonade': Indivisible Auburn-Opelika gathers to oppose ICE and war | |
| From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 21, Indivisible Auburn-Opelika held a peaceful protest at Toomer's Corner opposing Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and war. Almost 100 people gathered by the end of the protest. Throughout the event, protesters chanted phrases such as "No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state" and "Oink oink, piggy piggy, we don't want you in our city." Several people held up signs condemning ICE and the Trump administration's actions. Some drew chalk slogans that said "Minnesota strong" and "No ICE, no war." Many protesters heavily criticized the Trump administration's actions, including retired educators Shelley Shields and Cindy Davino. As the daughter of a police officer, Shields had strong words for the administration's use of ICE. "I'm disgusted," Shields said. "I'm disgusted with the way that this administration is using ICE as brownshirts and goons, dragging people out of their homes and acting like police when police are not trained to grab a car, stick their hands in and drag people out." The term "brownshirts" refers to members of the Sturmabteilung (SA), Adolf Hitler's paramilitary organization. They protected Nazi events, disrupted other parties' events and attacked opposing parties. Critics of ICE often compare the it to Nazi organizations like the SA and the Gestapo. |
| U. of Arkansas' reversal on hiring Suski for law dean elicits criticism from some academics, support from others | |
| The University of Arkansas' decision to rescind its offer to Emily Suski to lead its law school has drawn ire from several academics, advocates and members of the legal community across the state and country. Among other things -- including First Amendment rights and the further incursion of politics into academia -- many have expressed concerns about the extent to which the decision was based on legal stances taken by Suski in her capacity as a scholar. "To inflict a punishment on someone for their scholarship is pretty much the gravest offense you can make against academic freedom," said Steve Sanders, a professor of law at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law and founding member of the nonprofit the Academic Freedom Alliance. For law professors participating in an amicus brief -- which is a third party legal brief -- you are providing legal expertise, not saying "this aligns with my politics," Sanders said. Jack Thorlin, an assistant professor of law at the University of Arkansas, said "we were pretty universally disappointed" about the decision. |
| U. of Florida scientists use latest technology to combat citrus greening | |
 | University of Florida scientists are joining forces at the Crop Transformation Center (CTC) to wage a high-tech war against pests and diseases threatening Florida's crops -- arming farmers with cutting-edge solutions to protect the state's agricultural lifeblood. The urgency to find a solution to citrus greening spawned interest to include citrus as an initial focus of the CTC. Through the CTC, faculty at the main UF campus in Gainesville and at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred are working to find citrus varieties that can tolerate or even resist citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing. The CTC was established three years ago by the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the state's citrus industry. "Our purpose is to use cutting-edge tools -- like gene editing, precision breeding and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data analysis -- to create plants that are healthier, more productive and more resilient to challenges like disease and climate stress," said Charlie Messina, director of the CTC and a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences. "We use AI to study how proteins in bacteria and plants interact, so we can stop the bacteria from taking over the plant and messing up how it works." |
| U. of Tennessee professor launches first-ever Grand Theft Auto college history course | |
| Students at the University of Tennessee are already diving deep into the Grand Theft Auto franchise -- not for cheat codes, but for college credit. A new United States history course at the University of Tennessee launched Jan. 20, 2026, and uses the wildly popular video game series as a lens to explore modern America and blend pop culture with academics. "Video games are this really powerful generational bridge in many ways that can help get students excited about subjects they might not otherwise be," Professor Tore Olsson said. "Games are a powerful way to kind of bring that out in them and to show them that while history is essential to making sense of the world we live in today." The course titled "Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games," follows Olsson's previous Red Dead Redemption history course, created five years ago. He said back in 2021 -- with the launch of his first gaming class -- he knew there was a deep connection between students and gaming, and he wanted to continue exploring. |
| This Spat Shows Just How Messy Texas A&M's New Course Reviews Are | |
 | Over the past six years, Leonard Bright has provoked hours-long discussions in his graduate-level "Ethics of Public Policy" course about the thorniest corners of contemporary politics: What is critical race theory? Is DEI dividing America? Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in women's sports? So when Bright, a professor at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service, received an email earlier this month from a department head asking when and how he planned to teach about sexuality in the course, and whether he planned to advocate for race ideology, he knew he was in for a frustrating back-and-forth. Under a new Texas A&M systemwide policy, professors are not allowed to advocate for race or gender ideology or teach about topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity unless they can prove to administrators that it's required for accreditation or career preparation. After a series of sharp and, at times, combative email exchanges, administrators decided last week to cancel his class. They say Bright was being uncooperative. In an interview with The Chronicle, Bright said administrators were using arbitrary definitions of "advocacy" and "controversial content" in their course reviews. Classroom discussions, he said, are impromptu and impossible to predict. |
| 'The Perception of Danger Everywhere': Navigating Campus Life Amid ICE Enforcement | |
| Ever since thousands of officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrived in Minnesota last month, Adam Farah has been careful to stick to the skyways and tunnels that connect buildings at Augsburg University and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Farah is a freshman at Augsburg, a psychology major, and Somali. He doesn't want to take the chance of getting picked up by ICE, even though he's an American citizen and the risk should be small. "They will target anyone and everyone," said Farah, who was sitting in a student lounge on campus, and likened the feeling to the anxiety of trying to avoid a school bully in the hallway. "It doesn't really help that they're targeting my ethnicity." President Trump and Department of Homeland Security officials have said that the agency is pursuing the "worst of the worst" -- violent offenders and other criminals -- but multiple reports have indicated that large percentages of the detainees do not have a violent criminal record, or even a criminal record at all. This is what it feels like to be a student in Minnesota right now. Locals describe the mood as tense, apprehensive, and heavy. Although much of the news coverage of the ICE raids of private homes and businesses, the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, and the subsequent protests has focused on Minneapolis and Saint Paul, local officials and residents say that ICE agents have also been going door-to-door in the state's rural areas, where high numbers of immigrant farmworkers reside. |
| Boards, Bills and the Boot: Virginia Dems Move Fast to Reshape Higher Ed | |
 | When Virginia's new Democratic leaders took control of the governor's office and attorney general position last week, they wasted no time overhauling higher ed. Abigail Spanberger, the new governor, immediately appointed more than two dozen members to the governing boards of the Virginia Military Institute, George Mason University and the University of Virginia, meaning she's already appointed the majority of members on the George Mason and UVA boards. Her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, stocked university boards with conservatives who cracked down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. UVA went through high-profile controversies under its Youngkin-era board, including the resignation of former president Jim Ryan under pressure. Now, Spanberger's appointees -- at least 13 of whom donated to her gubernatorial campaign -- are expected to lead universities in a different direction. Spanberger also signed an executive order Saturday directing her education secretary to assess the board member appointment process and recommend legislative changes, including possible modifications to term lengths, term starts and reappointments. In the order, Spanberger wrote that the Trump administration's actions necessitate this review. |
| PeopleSoft Founder Gives $371.5 Million Gift to Cornell's Engineering College | |
| David A. Duffield, the founder of PeopleSoft and Workday, is giving $371.5 million to Cornell University, largely to endow the Ivy League school's engineering college, which will be named after him. The gift pushes Duffield's total philanthropy to the school to $550 million, making him one of the largest university benefactors in the country. The donation comes at a time of rising private philanthropy to colleges and universities. Last year the Trump administration canceled billions in grants to schools across the country, including Cornell. Federal judges have restored much of that but uncertainty about future federal funding remains. Duffield, 85 years old, received an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Cornell in 1962 and earned his M.B.A. there two years later. Duffield started meeting with Cornell Engineering Dean Lynden Archer about five years ago. The two men spoke at length about building students' problem-solving skills. "I see this basically as a vote of confidence in our ability to develop people," Archer said. |
| High-Stakes Policy Talks Shed Light on ED's Playbook | |
| The Department of Education has had a successful few months when it comes to advancing policies that could dramatically reshape federal student aid. But officials' tactics for doing so have raised concern among many of higher ed's top leaders and policy analysts. Over the course of the last four months, Under Secretary Nicholas Kent and his staff secured unanimous support from a variety of college leaders, state officials and student advocates on plans that cap graduate student loans, expand the Pell Grant to short-term job training programs and establish a new accountability measure for all colleges and universities -- an outcome that defied initial expectations and one Kent touted. "Here's the reality: When you come to the table prepared with smart and dedicated people that are focused on a clear goal, you can move quickly and intentionally without sacrificing the thoroughness and the careful deliberation that this process deserves," he said in December. "We have proven that speed and quality are not mutually exclusive." Kent went on to tell Inside Higher Ed this month that in order to implement the policies under a tight July 1 deadline set by Congress, he needed to finalize his proposals and do it fast. The key to doing so, he said, was using open dialogue and compromise to reach consensus -- even as the department held fast to its core principles. But some involved in the negotiations as well as outside policy analysts say the department "strong-armed" committee members into agreement by threatening them with what could happen if they voted no. |
| Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges | |
| The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation's schools and colleges. The Education Department, in a court filing Wednesday, moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge's August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. The dispute centered on federal guidance telling schools and colleges they would lose federal money if they kept a wide range of practices that the Republican administration labeled as diversity, equity and inclusion. The department did not immediately comment. Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy firm representing the plaintiffs, said the dismissal was "a welcome relief and a meaningful win for public education." "Today's dismissal confirms what the data shows: government attorneys are having an increasingly difficult time defending the lawlessness of the president and his cabinet," said Skye Perryman, the group's president and CEO. The department sent the anti-DEI warning in a "Dear Colleague Letter" to schools last February. |
| The Trump Agenda: Trump Is Allowing Some Anti-DEI Directives to Die. That Likely Won't Matter for Colleges. | |
| The Trump administration on Wednesday withdrew its appeal in a lawsuit filed against federal directives that took aim at colleges' and schools' diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. The government's withdrawal means a court ruling last summer striking down the directives will be the final word on the matter. A firm representing the plaintiffs called the news "a welcome relief and a meaningful win for public education," according to the Associated Press. But the development likely won't disrupt the Trump administration's anti-DEI campaign against higher ed. At issue in the case were a series of Education Department guidance documents --- including a "Dear Colleague" letter and a subsequent frequently-asked-questions memo --- issued last February and March. The guidance came in response to two of President Trump's initial executive orders, which sought to pressure institutions and organizations receiving federal funding to dismantle "DEI," as the government called it. The Education Department's anti-DEI guidelines prompted dozens of colleges to preemptively drop diversity-related practices --- wiping language from websites, renaming or closing offices, and restructuring or eliminating jobs. (Federal guidance is not binding and reflects a given administration's interpretation of the law. But because funding could be at stake, colleges tend to take it seriously.) |
SPORTS
| Why new coach Brian O'Connor embraces Mississippi State baseball's lofty preseason rankings: 'Bring it on' | |
| If you attended a Mississippi State baseball fall scrimmage at Dudy Noble Field, you likely did so with a couple hundred fans. That's the standard for Mississippi State fans who love their baseball. Even the October exhibition in Pensacola, Florida, against Florida State was played in front of a sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium. For new Bulldogs coach Brian O'Connor, hired in June after 22 seasons at Virginia, it wasn't a surprise, but it was a different experience. "It's part of what makes Mississippi State baseball so special is the passion with everybody involved," O'Connor said Jan. 21 in an exclusive interview with the Clarion Ledger. "I fully anticipated that it would be that way. I think it's great that people care so much and are so into it." Those fans were eager to get a first-hand look at MSU in what's perhaps the most highly anticipated season in program history. O'Connor spoke in a nearly 30-minute interview about Mississippi State's 2026 season. The interview was conducted three weeks before opening day when Mississippi State hosts Hofstra on Feb. 13. O'Connor addressed what a successful first season would be, how the Bulldogs view their high rankings in the preseason polls and what questions still remain with the team. |
| Baseball: Reese Receives Another All-America Accolade | |
| Mississippi State's Ace Reese received his second All-America honor for 2026. The junior third baseman was selected as a second team Preseason All-American on Tuesday by D1Baseball, the same honor he received from that outlet following the 2025 season. Reese was also recently tabbed a first team Preseason All-American by Perfect Game. Reese started 57 games at third base for the Diamond Dawgs last spring and led the team with a .352 batting average, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage and ranked in the top seven in the Southeastern Conference in each of those categories. His homer total was also the eighth-most in a single season in school history. The native of Canton, Texas was chosen as the SEC Newcomer of the Year, a first team All-SEC selection and produced 25 multi-hit games, 20 multi-RBI games and five multi-homer games during his first year at MSU. He also represented the country playing for Team USA in Japan during the summer of 2025. |
| 2026 Football Season Tickets Now Available | |
| Mississippi State Athletics has officially launched 2026 football season ticket renewals and new sales, including pricing details and exclusive rewards and benefits to honor your commitment to our program. MSU is pleased to share that we are maintaining season ticket prices at the same level as the 2025 season in general seating areas. We believe this approach best supports our fans while continuing to invest in the game-day experience at Davis Wade Stadium. For season ticket pricing, please continue scrolling to view a full map of Davis Wade Stadium. All season-long parking passes now include a required contribution to the Bulldog Club. For information on season parking options, please contact the Mississippi State Ticket Office at 662-325-2600. Bulldogs who renew or purchase season tickets by Feb. 13 may select one of two exclusive custom season ticket holder boxes, featuring Mississippi State memorabilia and commemorative items. |
| Men's Tennis: Benito Sanchez Martinez Named SEC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week | |
| Mississippi State senior Benito Sanchez Martinez was named the SEC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week following a standout opening stretch to the 2026 spring season. Sanchez Martinez has powered the Bulldogs to a perfect 4-0 start, highlighted by a marquee ranked victory over No. 24 Illinois. Competing in all four matches at the No. 1 singles position, the senior is off to a 3-1 start against elite competition. His 2026 resume already includes two ranked wins, defeating No. 10 Kenta Miyoshi of Illinois and No. 105 Sam Landau of Indiana. Sanchez Martinez's lone setback came against No. 2 Trevor Svadja of SMU in his first match of the season at the top spot. The Potsdam, Germany, native has also made an impact in doubles play, teaming up for a statement 6-4 victory over SMU's duo of Trevor Svadja and Alex Finkelstein helping the Bulldogs claim the doubles point in their first match of the season. Sanchez Martinez's consistency at the top of the lineup has set the tone for Mississippi State's strong start and earned him the league's weekly honor as one of the SEC's top performers. |
| No. 7 Bulldogs roll in Big Ten territory | |
| The No. 7-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team kept its perfect start to 2026 rolling with wins over Illinois and Indiana last weekend. The Bulldogs (4-0) took down Illinois 5-2 in Champaign on Friday before recording a 6-1 win over the Hoosiers in Bloomington two days later. The Bulldogs surprisingly struggled in the doubles matchup, with Indiana picking up a point thanks to an upset of the No. 2 ranked duo of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez-Martinez, but the team responded with its first sweep in singles matchups this season. The win marked the 216th career win for head coach Matt Roberts, who is now tied for second all-time and five wins away from holding the most career wins in program history. The productive weekend on the road also saw Sanchez Martinez pick up the SEC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week award. He is the top singles player in the Bulldog lineup with a 3-1 record, and now holds wins against No. 10 Kenta Miyoshi and No. 105 Sam Landau.Weather permitting, the Bulldogs are scheduled to face Santa Clara on Saturday for their first spring match in Starkville. The squad will face either Auburn or Alabama the following day. |
| NIL coming to Mississippi high schools? | |
| Mississippi is currently not among the growing number of states that allow high school student-athletes to accept Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL, money or benefits. That could change if legislation filed by State Rep. Jeffery Harness (D) is signed into law. According to Opendorse, a leading athlete marketplace and NIL technology company, the vast majority of states across the U.S. now allow some form of high school NIL. Their report from November 2025 showed Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, and Mississippi as the only states that have prohibited the practice. "Policies are evolving quickly -- some states have embraced NIL fully, while others remain cautious," Opendorse reported. Rickey Neaves, the executive director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), told Magnolia Tribune in July 2025 that while the Magnolia State does not allow NIL, "students cannot be denied benefit from their own identity." The legislation filed this session by State Rep. Harness, HB 1400, would shake this up. Harness proposes that student-athletes may earn compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness, provided that the compensation is not contingent upon athletic performance, statistics or participation; the compensation is not offered as an inducement to enroll in or transfer to a particular school; and the compensation does not conflict with existing Mississippi law. |
| SportsCenter coming to Jackson State University | |
| ESPN's SportsCenter will be live from the campus of Jackson State University. According to the university, SportsCenter will be live inside the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 2, kicking off Black History Month. JSU head men's basketball coach and NBA Champion Mo Williams, the Sonic Boom of the South, and Dr. Roderick Little will join the show for a segment to highlight Jackson State and its history. Students and fans are invited to attend the event, which begins at 12 p.m., to be a part of the national broadcast. All students and fans who will be attending need to arrive no later than 12:15 p.m. on the Jackson State campus. Later that day, Jackson State men's basketball will host rival Southern at 7 p.m. on SWAC TV. |
| Cooley stepping down as Delta State head coach to join Golding's staff at Ole Miss | |
| Delta State will have to begin a search for a new head football coach as Todd Cooley is stepping down from his post in Cleveland to join Pete Golding's staff at Ole Miss. Golding is bringing Cooley in to be an assistant in Oxford. Cooley, whose services will especially be utilized in high school recruiting, is the winningest coach in Delta State history. Cooley led the Statesmen to an overall record of 82-49 and four Division II playoff appearances after being hired as head coach in 2013. He also mentored quarterback Patrick Shegog when he became the first DII player in over two decades to win the Conerly Trophy as Mississippi's top college football player. Prior to becoming the head coach at Delta State, Cooley served in various offensive coaching capacities at Arkansas Tech, Northeastern State, Ouachita State, Central Arkansas, and Northwestern State. Golding, a former Delta State player and coach, has a lot of respect for Cooley and the work he did in Cleveland. |
| Why the Charles Bediako case could unleash chaos on college basketball, NBA Draft | |
| Charles Bediako is a center for the Alabama basketball team for the first time in nearly three years. Well, at least for the next seven days, after Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge James H. Roberts Jr. granted Bediako a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, a day after he sued the NCAA. Beyond the absurd situational comedy of a player now being eligible to play college basketball after declaring for the NBA Draft three years ago and playing three seasons professionally in the G League, this case has drawn the eyes of everyone in the basketball community. It's no exaggeration to say Bediako's case could be the one that will tell us the future of the NBA, NBA Draft, college basketball and high school development across the United States. The issue that both the NBA and college basketball sources are watching most closely is the early-entry deadline question. Can a player keep his name in the draft past the NCAA's early-entry deadline and still maintain his eligibility? If Bediako is allowed to play and the judge creates a precedent that the NCAA cannot enforce its early-entry deadline dates, that would create a kind of anarchy that even Jon Rothstein wouldn't enjoy or appreciate. Essentially, it would potentially create a world of free agents within college basketball who could sign anywhere -- including the NBA -- at any given time. |
| NCAA on Charles Bediako eligibility ruling: ‘Congress must step in’ | |
 | Wednesday morning, a judge in Tuscaloosa gave Charles Bediako a temporary restraining order that will allow him to return to Alabama basketball despite having played professionally since 2023. The NCAA was predictably not thrilled. After the ruling, the organization, which Bediako sued in Tuscaloosa Circuit Court on Tuesday in an effort to return to the Crimson Tide, shared its displeasure in a statement to AL.com. "These attempts to sidestep NCAA rules and recruit individuals who have finished their time in college or signed NBA contracts are taking away opportunities from high school students," the statement reads. "A judge ordering the NCAA let a former NBA player take the court Saturday against actual college student-athletes is exactly why Congress must step in and empower college sports to enforce our eligibility rules." The NCAA had sharply criticized Bediako's move to sue after it denied a petition from Alabama to allow him to return. In a statement to AL.com shortly after the lawsuit, it said it was prepared to fight. "The NCAA is aware of media reports about a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Charles Bediako," the NCAA wrote on Tuesday. "Mr. Bediako signed three NBA contracts after competing in college for two seasons. The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract. Eligibility rules ensure high school students get a shot at earning scholarships, and we will continue to consistently apply and defend these rules." |
| Paul Finebaum shares concern over growing NIL gap between Big Ten, SEC schools | |
| The Indiana Hoosiers are national champions. Just a few years ago, that was seemingly impossible. Now, it's reality, as they become the third straight Big Ten school to win a national championship. In the wake of that national championship, the SEC is facing a near existential threat from the Big Ten. Paul Finebaum knows that concern very well. In particular, a growing concern over an NIL gap between SEC and Big Ten schools, which Finebaum explained on The Matt Barrie Show. "We're talking billionaires now," Paul Finebaum said. "Outside of Texas and Texas A&M, the list of billionaires starts to get really thin. I can tell you, in the state of Alabama, there are two billionaires. Only two in the entire state. They're both Auburn supporters. Alabama doesn't have a billionaire. And why is a billionaire important, Matt? Because they can throw around money." "You can throw around money if you're worth $800 million too," Finebaum said. "But it's a little bit easier if you're a billionaire not only to put your father's name on the business school, but to give your NIL fund whatever it needs. You can't call the commissioner of the SEC and say, 'You have to solve this problem.' You can't print money unless you've got your keys to the printing press." |
| Paul Finebaum: 'Almost everything I said... about Indiana was wrong' | |
 | ESPN's Paul Finebaum spent most of the 2025 college football season talking down to Indiana football and Curt Cignetti. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Finebaum released a video less than a minute-long admitting, "Almost everything I said throughout the season about him and about Indiana was wrong." The Hoosiers capped off a historic 16-0 season with a 27-21 win over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday, Jan. 19. Just last week, Finebaum called Indiana "a cute story." Now, he says, "It is the greatest story in the history of the game." Indiana fans, and college football fans in general, have taken the SEC Network host to task over the past few weeks for his reluctance to give credit to Cignetti and Indiana and get beyond his obvious brand bias. On Wednesday, Jan. 21., Finebaum offered "A mea culpa with a side of crow about the Hoosiers this season..." Finebaum wasn't the only ESPN personality to be wrong about the Hoosiers -- a program that began this season with more all-time losses than any in FBS history. Save for Indiana resident Pat McAfee, ESPN's "College GameDay" crew and Josh Pate consistently picked against the Hoosiers this season. Pate released a video Tuesday, Jan. 20, listing the times he was wrong about Indiana, while wearing a clown nose. |
| FTC Revives Overlooked Law to Police College Sports Agents | |
| The Federal Trade Commission is turning to a seldom-used federal law to investigate sports agents who sign college athletes to agency contracts. The move signals the FTC's heightened interest in an industry undergoing rapid change, where college athletes have expanded opportunities to earn compensation and where, unlike in pro sports, agents aren't licensed by a players' union. In recent letters to 20 universities, which the FTC doesn't name, FTC counsel Josh M. Bransford asked for information on whether sports agents who work with their athletes have complied with the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA) of 2004. SPARTA is a federal law that, according to searches on LexisNexis and Westlaw, has never appeared in a court ruling. Similarly, a search of FTC warning letters produced not one letter referring to possible SPARTA violations. On rare occasions over the last two decades, SPARTA has been referenced in amicus briefs -- which are advocacy documents by parties not in a case -- and assorted litigation exhibits usually not central to a dispute. It's reasonable to say SPARTA has been largely inconsequential in practice. Yet as written, SPARTA is a robust law that ought to protect college athletes from exploitative agents. |
| IOC president says no contact yet with Trump's White House, will meet Vance at Winter Olympics | |
| Olympic leader Kirsty Coventry said Wednesday she is yet to have formal contact with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration but is looking forward to meeting Vice President JD Vance in Milan next month at the Winter Games opening ceremony. The International Olympic Committee's first female president was elected 10 months ago and her first meeting with Trump is much anticipated in the sports world ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. The IOC and organizers in LA face diplomatic challenges in the next 2 ½ years with more than 200 national teams due to compete, including dozens whose fans and sports officials currently face visa bans or travel restrictions. "We have not had any formal communication just yet with the White House," Coventry told reporters in an online call before she travels next week to the Milan Cortina Winter Games that open Feb. 6. The IOC president spoke in Lausanne while Trump also was in Switzerland, about 250 kilometers (150 miles) away, preparing to address world leaders in Davos. Coventry said "we have seen the formal announcement" from the White House at the weekend about the U.S. delegation coming to Milan for the opening ceremony. Also expected are second lady Usha Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We look forward to meeting the vice president and his team that will be with him," Coventry said. |
| Europe Could Kick Trump Where It Hurts: The World Cup | |
 | Europe has spent the last week rummaging around for leverage that would force U.S. President Donald Trump to back off his threats to seize Greenland from Denmark. While Trump now says he will not be imposing planned tariffs on European allies, some politicians think they've found the answer if he changes his mind again: boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The quadrennial soccer jamboree, which will be hosted in the U.S., Mexico and Canada this summer, is a major soft-power asset for Trump -- and an unprecedented European boycott would diminish the tournament beyond repair. "Leverage is currency with Trump, and he clearly covets the World Cup," said Adam Hodge, a former National Security Council official during the Biden administration. "Europe's participation is a piece of leverage Trump would respect and something they could consider using if the transatlantic relationship continues to swirl down the drain." With Trump's Greenland ambitions putting the world on edge, key political figures who've raised the idea say that any decision on a boycott would -- for now, at least -- rest with national sport authorities rather than governments. That means, for the moment, a dozen soccer bureaucrats around Europe -- representing the countries that have so far qualified for the tournament -- have the power to torpedo Trump's World Cup, a pillar of his second term in office like the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
