| Monday, January 26, 2026 |
| MSU Riley Center unveils 2026 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series | |
 | A dynamic lineup of iconic and acclaimed artists will take the stage as Mississippi State's Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts announces its 2026 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series. The five-show season, which runs March through June, features artists whose influence spans genres and generations. The series includes legendary hitmaker Billy Ocean, blues and rock duo Tab Benoit's Swampland Jam & Samantha Fish, pop icon Air Supply, bluegrass legend Alison Krauss & Union Station and a powerhouse evening with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Firefall, Orleans and Pure Prairie League. "Building on the strong response to our fall and winter season, this spring/summer series reflects the continued evolution of the Riley Center," said Morgan Dudley, center director. "From iconic names to extraordinary musicianship, this lineup underscores our commitment to presenting performances of the highest caliber while expanding the reach of the performing arts in our region." Dudley also expressed sincere appreciation to The Riley Foundation, The Phil Hardin Foundation, MSU and Friends of the Lady members. "Their generous support and dedication make it possible for us to bring these remarkable performances to our community, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership in keeping the performing arts vibrant and accessible at the Riley Center," she said. |
| Golden Triangle largely spared by winter storm | |
 | Severe winter weather left most of the Golden Triangle unscathed this weekend, while western parts of the region bore the brunt of the storm with power outages and downed trees. An extreme cold warning was issued Jan. 25 as a winter storm swept the region, bringing with it heavy rain, light snow and temperatures falling just below freezing, according to the National Weather Service. The advisory will remain in effect through Tuesday afternoon. Jon Turner, director of public relations and marketing for 4-County Electric Power Association, said between 7,000 and 8,000 meters were without power across the company's nine territories during the peak of the storm early Sunday morning, with most of the outages concentrated west of Highway 45 Alternate. During the peak of the storm, roughly 4,500 meters were out in Oktibbeha County, 800 in Clay County and only about 20 meters in Lowndes County, he said. Turner said he anticipates all power to be restored by Monday, though heavy rain and saturated ground have slowed restoration efforts. Tiara Cole, operations coordinator for Starkville Utilities, said roughly 1,000 customers in the city were without power on Saturday night due to fallen tree limbs, though most power was restored within one to three hours. |
| Northeast sees more snow from the tail end of a colossal winter storm, at least 13 deaths reported | |
 | The U.S. workweek opened with yet more snow dumping on the Northeast under the tail end of a colossal winter storm that brought ice and power outages, impassable roads, canceled flights and frigid cold to much of the southern and eastern United States. At least 13 weather-related deaths have been reported. Deep snow -- over a foot (30 centimeters) extending in a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) swath from Arkansas to New England -- halted traffic, canceled flights and triggered wide school cancellations Monday. Up to two feet (60 centimeters) were forecast in some of the harder-hit places. There were more than 800,000 power outages in the nation on Monday morning, most of them in the South. The region got its share of sleet and freezing rain during the storm. There also were more than 4,400 flight delays and cancellations nationwide, according to flight tracker flightaware.com. Meanwhile, bitter cold followed in the storm's wake. Many communities across the Midwest, South, and Northeast awakened Monday to subzero weather. Even with precipitation ending in Mississippi, "that doesn't mean the danger is behind us," Gov. Tate Reeves said in a news conference Sunday. Freezing rain that slickened roads and brought trees and branches down on roads and power lines were the main peril in the South over the weekend. In Corinth, Mississippi, heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar told employees at its remanufacturing site to stay home Monday and Tuesday. |
| Freezing cold still ahead as winter storm knocks out power, ices roads across the state | |
 | Over 150,000 homes and businesses were without power late Sunday afternoon, especially in the Delta and north part of Mississippi, as Winter Storm Fern crept eastward over the weekend. Earlier the day, that number got up to 175,000 outages, according to poweroutage.com. At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Governor Tate Reeves said emergency managers and first responders are trying to work quickly under precarious conditions to restore power, with 47 counties affected by the storm and 37 covered in ice. "I don't even want to try to begin to forecast or estimate when some of the power can or can't be put back on," Reeves said. "In some of the northernmost counties, the roads are such that they haven't been really been able to get out and get a real assessment." "At this time, trying to put a timeframe on it would be pure speculation on my part." While they've been able to send out workers to restore power to some parts of the state that were severely affected along with crews to clear the roads, there's difficulty getting out quickly. Much of Lafayette, along with several other heavily impacted northern counties, is served by North East Mississippi Electric Power Association. In a Facebook update early Sunday, CEO and general manager Keith Hayward called current conditions "dangerous" and predicted a "long duration restoration" ahead. "We are not in a real big storm restoration mode yet," he said. "We are still in an emergency mode where we're trying to get lines out of the roadways, trying to help people get out from their houses, trying to help the other first responders with medical conditions and firefighters and such." |
| Winter storm causes massive power loss and treacherous roads across Mississippi | |
 | Snow and ice left widespread damage across northern Mississippi as a massive storm moved across large parts of the U.S., creating dangerous travel conditions. Trees split open and dropped heavy branches, and power lines crashed down in some areas. Though the worst damage was in the northern part of the state, areas as far south as Natchez saw icy conditions. As much as 12% of Mississippi customers were without electricity at peak outages Sunday, and the hardest-hit areas were in the northern part of the state, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us. "The situation is expected to get worse before it gets better," Gov. Tate Reeves said, warning that restoring power could take days. He said 47 of Mississippi's 82 counties have been affected by the storm. "We haven't seen a storm of this magnitude in terms of ice since 1994," Reeves said. "This magnitude, this large an area in our state, and quite honestly, this much ice, we haven't seen anything like this for 32 years." About half of Mississippi's public school districts will be closed Monday. In hard-hit Oxford and Lafayette County, where fallen trees were blocking many roads, officials announced schools will close all week. |
| Local community theatres shine at Mississippi Theatre Association Festival | |
| Local theater groups from the Golden Triangle area recently participated in the Mississippi Theatre Association Festival, joining organizations from across the state for performances, workshops and opportunities to learn from theater professionals. The festival brings together high school students, community theaters and professional artists for adjudicated performances and educational sessions. Starkville Community Theatre presented "The Revolutionists" and received multiple awards, including the Warren McDaniel Award for Best Production, which recognizes overall theatrical achievement. "The festival was a wonderful opportunity for our company to share our work, learn from other theater groups and celebrate the dedication of our cast and crew," said Louie P. Gallo, director of "The Revolutionists." The company's performance also qualified it to advance to the Southeastern Theatre Conference Festival in March in Chattanooga, Tennessee. |
| South Mississippi casinos see $1.5 billion in gaming activity in 2025 | |
 | Casinos continue booming in South Mississippi, with the latest data from the Mississippi Gaming Commission showing that more than $1.5 billion was spent in Coast casinos in 2025. Barry Regula, president of Hollywood and Boomtown Casinos, said the Mississippi Gulf Coast remains a success story in the gaming industry due to strong operators with established loyalty programs. "You've got operators like MGM, you've got Caesars, you've got Boyd, you've got people with big loyalty programs," Regula said. "So they have a lot of people in their database that come to the Gulf Coast." Mississippi lawmakers are again considering legalizing mobile sports betting after previous attempts passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Regula said mobile betting would provide another option for customers who are not physically in casino buildings. Regula said Hollywood Casino saw a drop in in-person sports betting after Louisiana legalized mobile betting. "We're hoping that if mobile sports betting comes online, some of those same customers will choose to use our platform and come on over into Mississippi from Louisiana," Regula said. |
| Mississippi Legislature will not convene Monday following winter storm | |
| The Mississippi Legislature will not convene on Monday after Winter Storm Fern trekked through the state, bringing with it dangerous elements and leaving behind layers of ice not expected to melt for days. On Sunday, leaders in the House and Senate confirmed that lawmakers have been told not to immediately travel back to Jackson as most returned to their districts on Friday. No word was given on whether lawmakers would gavel in on Tuesday. As of the current calendars, both chambers are scheduled to come in on Tuesday at 2 p.m. As of Sunday night, over 160,000 residents remained without power as Fern impacted 47 counties. Chances of below-freezing temperatures are forecast through the early part of the week, making it more difficult for existing ice to melt and new ice to form. |
| City legislative asks may focus on forensics lab, watershed | |
| For the past three years, the Columbus has sought both federal and state funds for a regional crime center that would house improved crime monitoring technology and a more capable forensics lab. This year, it looks like the city council might opt to focus on upgrading the forensics lab and shelve the rest, at least temporarily. The council discussed legislative funding priorities Thursday toward the end of a more than six-hour strategic planning retreat at Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center. Since the mayor and a quorum of the city council were present, the retreat was advertised as a special-call meeting and was open to the public. During the legislative priority discussion, Chief Operations Officer Jammie Garrett again proposed seeking $2 million for the Northeast Mississippi Area Crime Center, which would provide staffing, surveillance and monitoring equipment, as well as space to house the monitoring center and city's forensics lab under one roof. However, she proposed asking the legislature for another more than $700,000 in equipment just for the forensics lab. "I can't stress enough how much expensive equipment we have there but also (some) expensive equipment that's at its life (expectancy)," Garrett said. "We definitely need to make sure we keep it in the best condition we can." The biggest-ticket item is a $450,000 instrument for quantifying substances it identifies, something the lab now cannot do. That capability would not only save Columbus and Lowndes County law enforcement from paying outside labs for that service, it would also help the local lab capture more revenue from outside agencies. |
| From vehicle registrations to school nurse pay, House Education Committee moves bills forward | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a number of education-related bills out of committee this week, ranging from requiring schools to have automatic defibrillators on hand during sporting events and practices to requiring parents to use vehicle registration as proof of residency during school registration. ... In the booming age of digital devices and artificial intelligence, HB 1035 aims to ensure Mississippi's children are well versed in the new technologies. Titled the "Future Innovators Act," the bill would mandate all students complete one credit hour of a Computer Science class, which should include literacy and concepts in the field of artificial intelligence. This will not result in the addition of credits required for graduation since it can count as a math or science course, State Rep. Kevin Felsher (R) told the committee. "The main thrust of the Act is to help ensure every student in Mississippi graduates with a foundation of computer science and AI literacy," Felsher added. ... HB 927 allows the Mississippi School of Math and Science to begin offering 10th grade classes, starting with 10 to 20 slots for enrollment. |
| How $16B in earmarks evaded conservative ire -- and helped clinch a funding deal | |
 | Fiscal conservatives in Congress threatened for months to block government funding if GOP leaders didn't shun earmarks. They succeeded in scrapping just one; the rest, almost $16 billion worth, are slated in the package the Senate needs to clear by Friday to avoid a shutdown. Republican hard-liners on both sides of the Capitol have made things difficult this winter for their leadership, which has been scrambling to fund the government before cash runs out Friday for the vast majority of federal agencies. But they failed to significantly curtail the practice of directing federal dollars to specific projects back home. Republicans swore off earmarks for more than a decade in 2010 amid corruption scandals and demands from conservatives empowered by the rise of the Tea Party movement that has since receded. Then in 2021, Democrats brought back the practice after the party swept control of the White House and Congress, softening the return with a rebrand as "community project funding," new rules to prevent abuse and a cap at 1 percent of funding. Now Republicans run Washington once again, and they're overwhelmingly embracing the renaissance. As the Senate considers a nearly $1.3 trillion funding package this week loaded with thousands of earmarks for projects in specific congressional districts, fiscal hawks are acknowledging defeat. The multibill funding package has yet to reach President Donald Trump's desk and is now complicated by Democratic outrage over ICE funding after a federal immigration enforcement agent fatally shot another U.S. citizen in Minnesota over the weekend. But lawmakers in both parties are already touting the cash they secured for local projects as they campaign for reelection nine months out from the midterms. |
| New Minnesota shooting leaves spending package in peril | |
 | The risk of another partial government shutdown escalated quickly Saturday after federal agents shot and killed a Minneapolis resident who was protesting a Trump administration immigration crackdown. Within hours of the shooting, Senate Democrats pledged to oppose a roughly $1.33 trillion spending package needed by Friday to avert a shutdown if funding for the Homeland Security Department remains part of it. "Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included," Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement Saturday night, calling the federal tactics used in Minneapolis "appalling" and "unacceptable in any American city." Support from Democrats may need to be in the double digits to clear the six-bill spending package in the Senate, where 60 votes are required to break a filibuster. Republicans control just 53 seats, and several of those GOP senators -- Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin -- have been "no" votes to advance full-year appropriations measures, citing earmarks and other concerns. The Senate won't be back until Tuesday after Monday votes were delayed because of the snowstorm impacting a large swath of the country over the weekend. |
| Republicans demand investigation into Minneapolis, suggest agents leave | |
 | A growing number of Republican lawmakers are weighing in on the fatal shooting in Minneapolis as concern over the conflicting accounts of the incident from administration officials spill across the partisan aisle. A little more than 24 hours after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, several GOP congressmen are either calling for a thorough investigation, or proposing federal immigration agents pull out of the Twin Cities altogether. "The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing," Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said in a statement on social media Jan. 24. "The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake." North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis joined Cassidy in calling for an investigation of the incident that has roiled Minneapolis and turned the city into an epicenter of unrest and outrage over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been in the Twin Cities area for months as part of the administration's operation. Pretti was the third person to be shot by federal agents this month, and the second to be killed, following an ICE agent's fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good. As with Good's shooting, multiple eyewitness and video accounts of the shooting appear to contradict statements from the Department of Homeland Security, as top administration officials, including the president, have called both victims domestic terrorists. |
| Miller, Noem Dig In on Immigration Tactics, but Political Reckoning Is Coming | |
 | Republican unity over President Trump's immigration tactics has started to splinter. And Trump himself is even starting to hedge. But two of his top advisers have dug in. Much of the GOP angst is aimed at some of Trump's top advisers following Saturday's deadly shooting of a Minnesota protester by immigration officials (the second such killing this month). Vermont's Republican Gov. Phil Scott suggested Saturday's killing could amount to "murder." White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who has massive influence over domestic and foreign policy matters, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have been unflinching in their criticisms of protesters and unwavering in their defense of the actions of immigration officials. Both Miller and Noem have, within hours of the two deadly shootings this month, been quick to label the deceased protesters as villains. On Saturday, Miller referred to Alex Pretti, who was killed just hours earlier, as both an "assassin" and a "would-be assassin" even though a Wall Street Journal investigation contradicts the Trump administration's narrative of events. Asked on Sunday by the Journal's Josh Dawsey, Trump was less certain. He said the shooting would be investigated and added that "I don't like any shooting." He also blamed Pretti for showing up to the protest with a firearm. Changes could be coming. Trump told Dawsey that the federal officials will leave Minnesota at some point, though he didn't say when. And there are growing signs that Democrats could force a government shutdown if DHS doesn't change its approach. |
| Minnesota in 'uncharted territory' as state, feds clash over shooting of Alex Pretti | |
| The killing of a Minneapolis man by federal agents is escalating a standoff between state and federal officials over the Trump administration's massive deportation operation in Minnesota, prompting tense and urgent debates over federal jurisdiction and the rule of law. In the wake of Alex Pretti's killing on Saturday, Minnesota leaders sounded alarms about federal agents violating Minnesota law while they carry out Operation Metro Surge. A federal judge ordered Trump administration officials not to destroy evidence related to the shooting, after the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit to preserve crime scene materials. Six hours after Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse with the Minneapolis VA, was shot and killed on a busy stretch of restaurants by federal agents, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a Minnesota native, posted a statement to social media that included a simple argument: "ICE > MN" If the statement was meant to be provocative -- the second-highest ranking military commander in the country belittling his home state as it wrestled with another tragedy -- it was also hard to dispute given the facts on the ground. Federal agents quickly left the scene after shooting Pretti, leaving it unsecure as protesters swarmed to the area and potentially compromised evidence. State investigators were physically blocked from accessing the crime scene to conduct an independent investigation. |
| Trump tries -- again -- to deliver a winning message on affordability | |
 | President Donald Trump's attempts to show Americans he cares about their struggles with rising costs began in earnest last month, when he went to a casino in Pennsylvania to talk about affordability -- but instead mocked Democrats who use the term and called it "a hoax." Next, he traveled to Detroit to tout his efforts to revive American manufacturing. But again, he called affordability "a fake word by Democrats." Then, on a trip to Davos last week, he unveiled a new domestic housing policy meant to help families struggling with rising costs. There, too, the president stepped on his own announcement by stoking a global crisis over his desire to wrest control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark. Again and again, Trump has tried to stay focused on domestic economic uncertainty, an issue that Republicans fear could hobble them in this year's midterm elections. Again and again, the president's attention has drifted elsewhere --- and away from the concerns of his restive base. In the past month, he has ordered a strike on Venezuela, considered military action against Iran and threatened to use force to take Greenland. None of these actions have inspired broad support within his core America First constituency, which the GOP needs to hold Congress. On Tuesday, Trump will give it another go. The planned afternoon speech in Des Moines -- assuming winter weather doesn't upend the trip -- will focus on energy and the economy. It is part of what White House officials say will be an uptick in domestic travel to avert what even Trump has acknowledged could be a difficult election in November. The trip also comes amid growing concern and political pressure on federal law enforcement actions in the aftermath of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. |
| CDC pauses, then unpauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states | |
| Federal officials have ended a brief pause of more than 100 grants totaling over $5 billion awarded to states to bolster their public health infrastructure. States and organizations that had gotten funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health infrastructure grant had received notices on Friday telling them that the money had been put on hold while the department reviewed its uses to "ensure alignment with administration and agency priorities," per screenshots of the notices shared with STAT. But by Saturday evening, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed that the pause had ended. The Trump administration has put heightened scrutiny in the past year on health care grants, canceling some believed to be related to diversity, equity, and inclusion or counter to the White House's agenda. Just this week, the Office of Management and Budget reportedly requested all federal agencies compile a detailed list of how much money each provides to certain states led by Democrats. That memo, however, called the request a data-collection exercise, aimed at reducing fraud, and does not involve withholding funds. |
| How Americans are using AI at work, according to a new Gallup poll | |
| American workers adopted artificial intelligence into their work lives at a remarkable pace over the past few years, according to a new poll. Some 12% of employed adults say they use AI daily in their job, according to a Gallup Workforce survey conducted this fall of more than 22,000 U.S. workers. The survey found roughly one-quarter say they use AI at least frequently, which is defined as at least a few times a week, and nearly half say they use it at least a few times a year. That compares with 21% who were using AI at least occasionally in 2023, when Gallup began asking the question, and points to the impact of the widespread commercial boom that ChatGPT sparked for generative AI tools that can write emails and computer code, summarize long documents, create images or help answer questions. A separate Gallup Workforce survey from 2025 found that even as AI use is increasing, few employees said it was "very" or "somewhat" likely that new technology, automation, robots or AI will eliminate their job within the next five years. Half said it was "not at all likely," but that has decreased from about 6 in 10 in 2023. |
| Oxford under shelter-in-place as thousands without power | |
| The City of Oxford is still under a shelter-in-place order Monday morning as trees and large limbs scatter across the road -- with powerlines torn down, leaving neighborhoods in the dark. Video shows students at Ole Miss checking out the damage to their campus Sunday. And for many, it's their first time experiencing the power outages and impacts from a major storm on their own. As of Sunday morning, more than 24,000 people were without power. Crews reported widespread downed trees, live power lines on the ground, and numerous outages. Officials also said roads are impassable. In a statement, Ole Miss said that GCF Student Union has power and is open as a warming shelter. The facility -- which will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday -- has water but no food, the university said. The university reported Sunday night that power was restored to several residence halls. |
| Could Southwest MS CC become the Summit campus of Co-Lin? A new House bill wants to make it that way | |
 | A bill introduced in the Mississippi House would consolidate the number of community college districts, if approved. Written by District 8 Rep. Trey Lamar and District 10 Rep. Josh Hawkins, HB1284 proposes the merging of three community colleges with other schools, and reducing the number of CC districts to 12 from 15. The bill was introduced in the regular session on Jan. 19, and referred to the Universities and Colleges Committee. One of the mergers proposed would be that of Copiah-Lincoln and Southwest Mississippi. SMCC would then become the "Summit Campus" of CLCC, with administrative offices consolidated with Co-Lin's in Wesson. The board of supervisors would then consist of 27 members from 11 counties -- Adams, 3; Amite, 2; Copiah, 3; Franklin, 2; Jefferson, 2; Lawrence, 2; Lincoln, 3; Pike, 3; Simpson, 3; Walthall, 2; and Wilkinson, 2. In each merger, any administrative officers serving as of July 1, 2026, would be retained. All property would transfer to the new district. If passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law, the consolidations would go into effect July 1, 2027. |
| Southwest Mississippi Community College president opposes consolidation plan introduced in Legislature | |
| The president of Southwest Mississippi Community College is speaking out after a bill was introduced in the Mississippi Legislature to consolidate six community colleges statewide. House Bill 1284 was authored by Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, and would merge nearly half of the state's 15 community colleges. Per the text, Coahoma Community College would be absorbed by Mississippi Delta Community College; Meridian Community College would be absorbed by East Mississippi Community College; and Southwest Mississippi Community College would be absorbed by Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Dr. Steve Bishop, the president of SMCC, is against the consolidation effort and believes what Lamar considers a cost-saving effort would ultimately dilute what, year in and year out, is ranked as one of the top community-college systems in the U.S. "Over the last two days, Southwest has received overwhelming support. All of this is a reminder that we must always protect our college and the value it holds to so many," Bishop said. "All 15 community colleges, in their current structure, have allowed Mississippi to be ranked among the best community college systems in the United States. Now isn't that something to hold on to and celebrate?" |
| U. of Alabama Suspends Normal Operations | |
| After review of the most recent weather forecast and increased chances for icy road conditions in surrounding areas, The University of Alabama will suspend operations Monday, Jan. 26. All Monday classes, including those conducted online or remotely, and events are canceled. Libraries, recreation centers and other campus offices and facilities will close. For information on hours of operation for dining halls and other dining options, visit the Bama Dining website. Essential employees should check with their supervisors regarding work schedules during the suspension of normal operations. Check road conditions and use caution before traveling. The 2nd Ave bridge between Bryant Drive and 15th Street is closed due to the chance for ice accumulation. It will be inspected Monday morning, and will reopen when it's safe to do so. |
| UGA President Emeritus Michael F. Adams leaves impressive legacy | |
| Michael F. Adams, University of Georgia president emeritus, died on Jan. 25, 2026, following a brief illness. He was 77 years old. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn Ethridge Adams and their sons, David Adams and Taylor Adams (Carrie), as well as three granddaughters, Campbell, Tucker and Lawson Adams. Adams, who served as the university's 21st president from 1997 to 2013, led the university to national prominence as one of the country's top 20 public research universities. During his tenure, the university grew its enrollment, expanded its faculty, increased its fundraising, and enlarged its footprint -- all while improving academic quality across the board. Adams' leadership helped UGA become a more selective academic institution, while growing enrollment from 29,673 students in 1997 to 35,000 in 2012. UGA added 127 endowed professorships and 14 Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholars. Federal research expenditures nearly tripled. During Adams' presidency, the university transformed its campus, spending more than $1 billion on construction and renovation. The university doubled private giving during Adams' tenure, while UGA's endowment grew from $249.4 million in 1997 to $745.8 million in 2011. |
| Monday classes moved online for all U. of Tennessee students | |
| Due to forecasted weather conditions, The University of Tennessee has moved all classes online for Monday, Jan. 26. Students received an email from the University at 4:04 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 announcing the cancellation as a result of possible "dangerous driving conditions tomorrow morning." The email also confirmed that all university residence and dining halls will remain open and operate normally, and that additional dining options will be "available but more limited than usual." Students can check dining.utk.edu for details of the dining changes. The hours of multiple campus services have been impacted as well, such as the Student Union, which will remain closed all day. However, locations such as Hodges Library and RecSports will be open. The UT website states that "T Bus schedules and routes will be available based on conditions," and to visit the website for updated information on Monday, Jan. 26. In addition, the Student Health Center and Student Counseling Center will hold telehealth sessions for all students with appointments already scheduled. |
| Mizzou researchers develop AI tools to detect skin cancer | |
 | Artificial intelligence may soon help identify dangerous skin cancers, including melanoma, thanks to groundbreaking research at the University of Missouri. The study used a database of over 400,000 images to train AI models to recognize early signs of skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. It works by flagging suspicious skin abnormalities so dermatologists can give the suspected cancerous spots extra attention. Kamlendra Singh, associate research professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, directed the study, emphasizing the tool is intended to supplement medical expertise rather than replace it. Singh is also principal investigator at Bond Life Science Center and the director of the Molecular Interactions Core. "I do not see AI replacing human beings ... it'll help expedite the decision making process," Singh said. While the tool could soon be used in clinics, Singh said its primary hurdle will be waiting for approval from regulatory agencies. The long-term goal is to develop an app that allows patients to submit photos of concerning skin spots, which would then be evaluated by the tool and treated by a dermatologist. |
| Columbia Selects University of Wisconsin Chancellor as Its President | |
 | Columbia University has chosen Jennifer Mnookin, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as its next president, hoping to usher in a period of growth and stability after a tumultuous two years on its campus. Dr. Mnookin, 58, is a legal scholar who served as the dean of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law before arriving at Wisconsin to lead its flagship state university in 2022. In an announcement sent to the Columbia campus on Sunday night, David Greenwald and Jeh Johnson, the co-chairs of Columbia University's board of trustees, said that Dr. Mnookin would bring to Columbia "an exceptional academic and leadership pedigree and a reputation for building trust through listening and engagement." At Columbia, Dr. Mnookin will find a large, complex research university that has been coping with challenges on many fronts, including cuts to its research enterprise by the Trump administration and deep divisions over how it handled a burst of student protest activity on campus after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. She earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University, a law degree from Yale University and a doctorate in the history and social study of science and technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her academic work focuses on evidence, proof and decision making in the legal system. |
| Interest in Law School Is Surging. A.I. Makes the Payoff Less Certain. | |
| For decades, the American law school has served as a popular hedge against a cooling economy. When the "Help Wanted" signs disappear, the "J.D." applications surge. That's what is happening now. The number of U.S. law school applicants for the 2026 cycle is up an estimated 17 percent from last year, according to data from the American Bar Association compiled by the Law School Admission Council. That figure is a staggering 44 percent increase from just two years ago. But for this new wave of aspiring lawyers, the safety of the ivory tower comes with a steep entry fee and a shifting floor. Between new federal loan caps and the looming shadow of generative artificial intelligence, the legal profession's newest recruits are walking into a high-stakes gamble that looks very different from the one their predecessors lost after the 2008 financial crisis. Enrollment rose to 52,404 by 2010, a 7 percent jump from three years earlier. Many of those students didn't enter the legal careers they may have envisioned; about half of 2011 law school graduates were not working in full-time jobs that required a law degree within a year of graduation. The job prospects for lawyers have since greatly improved, with more than 80 percent of students who graduated in 2023 and 2024 working in jobs that require their legal credentials within a year, according to the American Bar Association. But the flocks of people applying to law school face new risks. |
| GOP pitches student loan repayment as Americans struggle to keep up with bills | |
| Republicans say it's long past time for millions of people to pay down their overdue student debt -- a message they are trying to send to Americans already stressed about the cost of food, health care and housing. After the Biden administration let borrowers put off their bills during the pandemic-era payment pauses and canceled billions of dollars in student debt, Republicans are taking steps to collect. Within the first few months of the Trump administration, the Education Department moved to forcibly recover payments on student loans. But the GOP's messaging to resume payments is on a collision course with economic reality: Nearly 12 million borrowers are behind on their loans. The Trump administration has already retreated from some of its efforts to collect on student loan debt, including plans last year to seize Social Security benefits from borrowers in default. And in a surprising reversal, the Education Department said last week it is pausing its plans to nab wages and tax refunds from people with past-due student loans. Republicans say their new repayment policies focus on the borrowers who need the most help, debt cancellation is unfair to people without student loans and that the latest financial strain and mixed messages are former President Joe Biden's fault. But that hasn't obscured the fact that student loan bills are piling up ahead of a midterm election where concerns about the cost of living could flip majorities in Congress. |
| Tenure Under Threat: A spate of firings in the fall revealed just how corroded tenure protections have become | |
 | Tom Alter was standing on the sidelines of his son's soccer practice one Wednesday evening last September when his phone buzzed with a text from someone in his Palestine Solidarity group. "We need an emergency meeting for Dr. Alter," it read. Alter knew what this was about. A few days earlier, a self-described "anti-communist fascist" had quietly infiltrated and recorded his talk at an online socialism conference, as well as the typically private break period after his session. She spliced the footage together, coupling a hypothetical question from Alter's talk -- "Without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven mad organization in the history of the world: that of the U.S. government?" -- with a moment during the break in which he identified himself as a faculty member at Texas State University. Then, she posted the doctored clip to X, and it caught fire. "I responded, 'No, it's OK, I'm aware. Let's just ignore it. Let's not give it any air,'" Alter said about the infiltrator's doxing campaign. Then the texter followed up with a link to a statement from Texas State president Kelly Damphousse, posted to the university website and on Facebook, "announcing my termination for 'inciting violence,' effective immediately," Alter said. |
| He left the US for an internship. Trump's travel ban made it impossible to return | |
| The first time Patrick Thaw saw his University of Michigan friends together since sophomore year ended was bittersweet. They were starting a new semester in Ann Arbor, while he was FaceTiming in from Singapore, stranded half a world away. One day last June he was interviewing to renew his U.S. student visa, and the next his world was turned upside down by President Donald Trump's travel ban on people from 12 countries, including Thaw's native Myanmar. "If I knew it was going to go down this badly, I wouldn't have left the United States," he said of his decision to leave Michigan for a summer internship in Singapore. The ban was one of several ways the Trump administration made life harder for international students during his first year back in the White House, including a pause in visa appointments and additional layers of vetting that contributed to a dip in foreign enrollment for first-time students. New students had to look elsewhere, but the hurdles made life particularly complicated for those like Thaw who were well into their U.S. college careers. Universities have had to come up with increasingly flexible solutions, such as bringing back pandemic-era remote learning arrangements or offering admission to international campuses they partner with, said Sarah Spreitzer, assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education. |
| DHS Targeted Students for Protected Speech | |
| Federal government officials targeted and arrested international students for First Amendment–protected activity last year, despite internal concerns about the legality of such efforts, newly unsealed court documents show. Dossiers and summaries compiled by government officials used to justify legal action against international students targeted by the Department of Homeland Security do not include allegations of criminality but instead focus on their participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Documents show such arrests were in connection with students exercising their First Amendment rights, with DHS officials casting pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic and arguing that targeted individuals presented a threat to U.S foreign policy based on their activism. While a judge ruled against the federal government last fall, documents unsealed on Thursday offer new insights into the case. That same day, U.S. District Judge William Young also ruled that the Trump administration's policy of targeting international students and faculty members for their activism was unlawful and in violation of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act, and he imposed limits on how the federal government may pursue related immigration actions. |
| Trump backs away from DEI case, but advocates survey a grim landscape | |
 | The Trump administration pulling out of a diversity, equity and inclusion lawsuit against schools this week marks a rare win for a movement that has largely seen the president devastate DEI efforts in the first year of his second term. While the retreat is welcome, advocates say schools have already caved to some of the goals in the anti-DEI memos they challenged in court. As diversity offices shutter and programs close down in K-12 and higher education across the country, the future looks dim for those who say these initiatives were meant to uplift marginalized communities. "I'll say dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, of institutions have already dismantled their DEI programs, fired their chief diversity officers, renamed culture centers and programs and other resources. So, the damage has already been done. So, in that way, the Trump administration absolutely succeeds, even without a legal victory on this, because institutions got spooked a year ago and did not wait for legal opinions or legal judgments, rather, to be issued," said Shaun Harper, a professor of education, business, and public policy at the University of Southern California. |
| Speaker White makes sure almost 'everyone voted' on his school choice/voucher bill | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: While Speaker Jason White said he did not pressure House members for their support to garner the narrow 61-59 margin to pass his massive school choice/voucher bill, he at the least had a laser-like understanding of how representatives were going to vote. Normally, during final passage of a bill in the House, the speaker opens the voting machine and then asks three times "has everyone voted" before closing the machine. When it came time to vote on the controversial school choice/voucher bill, White opened the machine, which displays on two giant boards on the House floor how members are voting, and asked twice "has everyone voted?" Before he repeated that phrase the third and final time, he took the unusual move of interjecting, "waiting on the gentleman from Grenada," presumably Republican Kevin Horan. White then asked, "anyone else?" Without the momentarily delayed vote of the gentleman from Grenada, the bill would have passed by a one-vote margin instead of the two-vote difference. A tie vote would have been a rejection of the bill. The bottom line is that White can say he did not apply pressure, as he told reporters after the vote earlier this month, but it was obvious he had a clear understanding of the members' votes he needed to pass his signature bill for the 2026 session. |
| Senate takes baby step toward reorganizing government | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Can Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann do what so many government leaders have touted but failed to accomplish and actually reorganize state government? He has his Mississippi Senate looking to restructure state government and run it more like a business. A little history. In 1932 the Institute for Government Research of the Brookings Institution studied Mississippi government. Its Report on a Survey of the Organization and Administration of State and County Government in Mississippi recommended a maximum of 12 agencies. A study by Highsaw and Mullican, The Growth of State Administration in Mississippi, suggested 17 agencies in 1950. A group of CEOs, said 32 agencies in 1971. These thoughtful recommendations got nowhere with the Mississippi Legislature which wields the power over agency creation and dissolution. In 1817 the state started with eight administrative agencies, by 1932 there were 80 and by 1950 just over 100, and in 2023 over 140. Hosemann says we have over 200 today. As I have written time and again, our state government more resembles kudzu -- the "vine that ate the South" -- than an efficient organism. |
SPORTS
| Men's Tennis: Bulldogs Sweep ITA Kickoff Weekend, Advance to ITA Indoor National Championship | |
| For the fourth consecutive match, Mississippi State surrendered the doubles point, but once again the Bulldogs responded with authority in singles to secure the victory. State opened doubles play with momentum as Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano delivered a convincing 6-2 win over No. 49 Nicholas Heng and Joseph Phillips. However, Auburn answered on the remaining courts. The No. 2 duo of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez battled back after falling behind and forced a tiebreak against No. 24 Billy Blaydes and Freddy Blaydes, but Auburn edged the Bulldogs 7-3 in the breaker to claim the doubles point. The Bulldogs wasted no time flipping the match in singles. No. 37 Martinez Serrano and Baroni each cruised to straight-set victories, giving State its first lead of the day. No. 13 Jovanovic followed with his first ranked win of the season, defeating No. 36 Billy Blaydes 6-4, 6-4 to extend the advantage. With the match within reach, Bryan Hernandez Cortes was unable to close after dropping a third-set decision to Auburn's Manel Lazaro, keeping the Tigers alive. Freshman No. 125 Raphael Vaksmann sealed the win for the Bulldogs, showcasing poise beyond his years in a three-set battle. Vaksmann outlasted Alan Bojarski 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-2 to clinch the match. |
| College Football Playoff to remain a 12-team field next season | |
| The College Football Playoff will remain a 12-team field in 2026, the CFP's management committee announced on Friday. The decision gives the CFP and conference commissioners additional time to consider the playoff's expansion to possible a 16- or 24-team format in the future, a move all sides of the discussion could not agree on at this time, with the biggest contention existing between the Big Ten and SEC on the immediate direction of the playoff. "After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure," said CFP executive director Rich Clark in a statement Friday. "This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change. While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful." There hasn't been any pushback from CFP leaders about remaining at 12 for at least another season, sources told ESPN, as it will be only the third year of the fledgling system. |
| NCAA approves uniform patches, opening up revenue possibilities for athletic departments | |
| The NCAA unearthed another revenue stream Friday when Division I leaders approved patches for uniforms in a move that could generate millions to fund athletic departments that are looking for new ways to pay players. Beginning Aug. 1, Division I teams can place up to two patches of no more than 4 square inches on uniforms for regular-season games. Those are in addition to the logos already allowed for the uniform manufacturers. Rules committees for the postseason will decide how to handle March Madness, the College World Series and other playoff tournaments, with attention being paid to making sure individual schools aren't advertising for companies that compete with NCAA sponsors. The College Football Playoff has also been looking into how to allow patches for that sport's postseason. It's the latest move for schools to help bankroll the $20.5 million in revenue they're allowed to share with players under new rules that went into play this school year. It comes about 18 months after the NCAA approved allowing schools to place logos on their football fields. |
| Oklahoma hires Roger Denny to replace longtime AD Joe Castiglione | |
| The University of Oklahoma has found its replacement for longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione, announcing the hiring of Illinois deputy athletic director and chief operating officer Roger Denny on Friday. Sources told ESPN that Oklahoma officials were attracted to Denny's legal background and saw a skill set for the new era, which includes experience with collective bargaining, private equity and mergers and acquisitions. Denny's last four years at Illinois included oversight of the football program as well as internal operations, facilities and capital projects, human resources, business intelligence and sports technology. He brings an extensive legal background, including 15 years at the St. Louis office of the firm Spencer Fane LLP. "College athletics is undergoing profound disruption that requires us to think well beyond conventional structures and roles," Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz Jr. said in a statement. "In Roger we have the next natural leader who understands both the complexity of the moment and the opportunities it presents. It is clear Roger will advance the bold vision needed for OU to continue leading in a highly dynamic environment." Along with hiring Denny, Oklahoma is set to keep former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson in his role as the chair and special adviser to the president and athletic director. |
| Clemson's Dabo Swinney accuses Ole Miss of 'blatant tampering' with transfer Luke Ferrelli | |
| Clemson coach Dabo Swinney publicly accused Ole Miss coach Pete Golding of tampering with a transfer the Tigers signed during the winter transfer portal window during a news conference on Friday. Cal transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who entered the portal shortly after it opened early this month, signed with Clemson on Jan. 7. Swinney said Ferrelli signed with Clemson, moved to town on Jan. 11, rented an apartment, bought a car, began taking classes and attended team and position meetings before being pursued by Ole Miss. Ferrelli eventually re-entered the portal on Thursday and signed with the Rebels. Minutes after introducing Chad Morris as Clemson's new offensive coordinator, Swinney -- with athletic director Graham Neff at his side -- discussed his other transfer signees, then spent roughly an hour dictating a detailed account of Ferrelli's movement to Clemson, Ole Miss' alleged pursuit of him and how he wound up with the Rebels. The account was complete with specific dates and times of calls and text messages. Swinney's rant was rare in that he openly accused another coach, publicly and by name, of tampering with his players. Tampering is a long-cited issue by college football coaches since transfer restrictions were loosened and players were able to be compensated for their name, image and likeness in 2021. By NCAA rule, schools are not allowed to contact players who are not in the transfer portal, but coaches acknowledge that it's a widespread problem. "This is just a really sad state of affairs," Swinney said. "To me, we have a broken system. And if there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules and we have no governance. It's really just that simple." |
| Lane Kiffin criticized by Troy Carter, others after tagging Trump in tweet, then deleting | |
 | LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is facing criticism after he tagged President Donald Trump on X with a post that included an image of purple and gold "Make Baton Rouge Great" hats, before eventually deleting it. The post received a mixed response on X, including some critical replies that likely contributed to Kiffin deciding to pull down the image that was a play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. The decision to delete the post didn't prevent critiques from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter and Roland Martin, who is a prominent journalist and radio show host. Martin took to Instagram to criticize Kiffin for his original post. "Black Parents: DO NOT let your kids play for @lsufootball. If so, their MAGA head coach @thereallanekiffin does BS like this," Martin said in his post. Carter, who represents the New Orleans area in Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District, offered his response to Kiffin's post in a statement released Sunday morning: "College athletics should never be about slogans or division. It should be about the young men who have worked their entire lives to earn the opportunity to compete, grow, and represent their university with pride. Leadership matters. Words matter. And student-athletes should always come first." |
| Trump won't attend Super Bowl in California, calls performers 'terrible' | |
| President Donald Trump said he will not attend the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, criticizing the game's entertainment lineup -- including Bad Bunny and Green Day -- while insisting his absence is largely about travel. Trump, who attended last year's championship game in New Orleans, said attending the Feb. 8 event in the Bay Area is simply inconvenient. "It's just too far away. I would. I've (gotten) great hands (at) the Super Bowl. They like me," Trump told the New York Post on Saturday, Jan. 24. "I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter." Even so, the president used the interview to sharply criticize the performers selected by the NFL. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar slated to headline the halftime show, and Green Day, the East Bay rock band tapped for the opening ceremony, have both publicly criticized Trump and his immigration policies. The remarks come as the NFL promotes Super Bowl LX as a global and multicultural showcase. The league's official tagline for the event -- "El 8 de febrero, el mundo bailará" ("On February 8, the world will dance") -- reflects that push, with Apple Music releasing a Puerto Rico-filmed trailer previewing Bad Bunny's halftime performance and the league unveiling licensed merchandise featuring Spanish-language Super Bowl branding. The president's comments arrive amid broader political tensions surrounding the Super Bowl in the South Bay, where local officials and advocacy groups have raised concerns about immigration enforcement during the event. |
| German soccer federation official wants World Cup boycott considered because of Trump | |
| A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump. Oke Göttlich, the president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli and one of the German federation's 10 vice presidents, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper in an interview on Friday that "the time has come" to "seriously consider and discuss this." Trump has sowed discord in Europe with his takeover bid for Greenland -- a semiautonomous territory of NATO member Denmark -- and his subsequent threat to impose tariffs on eight European countries who opposed the takeover. It left many of America's closest allies warning of a rupture with Washington capable of shattering the NATO alliance. "What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?" Göttlich said. "By my reckoning the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion." Göttlich, who has called for the defense of values, is likely to meet resistance to calls for a boycott from federation president Bernd Neuendorf and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. |
| Marketers target opportunities in an expected bonanza year | |
| Some of the most positive industry types have been touting 2026 as the greatest and largest cash register ring ever. Every sports/experiential agency is prepping for that forecast. Is there a reason for that degree of boundless optimism beyond the impact of the FIFA World Cup back in the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, followed in 2028 by the first U.S. Olympics since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City? Of course, they get paid to think that way, right? With a new administration to install 12 months ago, uncertainty was unquestionably the flavor of the month. A year later, there's still some murky political and economic waters. "Some of that uncertainty remains, but there's also this absolute focus on experiential driving continued investment in live," said Kate Schoff, who heads JPMorgan Chase's extensive sports and entertainment sponsorship portfolio. "That's been the seismic shift since COVID and it just continues to accelerate. The other side of AI is the growing number of people wanting to get away from their phones and computers." Even before there's clarity as to what's permitted and what's acceptable as far as commercial inventory, there is unanimity on this year's gold rush for sponsorship sales pros. "College is the story this year -- it's the hottest new space," said Jason Miller, EVP/head of properties at Excel Sports Management, which late last year sold the Big 12's Edward Jones sponsorship to make it title sponsor for the Big 12 Football Championship. "Now you have on-field and on-uniform [ads] opening up, along with a new willingness to listen, even among the most prestigious schools. In order to pay those NIL salaries, schools are now going to have to integrate brands across their entire campus, which wasn't generally the case before." |
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