| Tuesday, February 10, 2026 |
| Endangered sea turtles receive critical imaging at Mississippi State | |
 | Two endangered sea turtles receiving long-term medical care on the Mississippi Gulf Coast spent time last week at Mississippi State University's (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine for advanced diagnostic imaging that will guide their ongoing treatment. According to the university, Alfonzo, a sub-adult Green sea turtle, and Sawyer, an adult male Kemp's ridley sea turtle, were transported to MSU CVM for computed tomography scans performed by the college's radiology team led by Assistant Clinical Professor Dr. Tom Campbell. The turtles were originally rescued by the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) stranding team in Gulfport. Through a partnership with IMMS, MSU veterinarians Dr. Debra Moore and Dr. Alexandra Emelianchik have been overseeing the needed medical care. The turtles will continue receiving treatment in Gulfport, returning to MSU CVM as needed for surgical procedures or additional imaging. Both Alfonzo and Sawyer are expected to require extended treatment and medical decisions will continue to be guided by their ongoing clinical progress. |
| Mississippi economic development director says 2025 was historic year | |
 | Bill Cork, director of the Mississippi Development Authority, on Monday made the case that Mississippi's economy is ascendent, citing multi-billion dollar deals, strategic efforts from his office and the governor and new jobs. At the Stennis Capitol Press Forum, Cork, who was nominated by Gov. Tate Reeves in December of 2023 to run the state's economic development agency, gave the audience a recap of MDA's accomplishments in 2025. He said the state saw over $21 billion in capital investment in 2025, in addition to a $20 billion xAI deal that was announced in early 2026. Cork said that he is frequently asked whether Mississippi can deliver the workforce a project needs. He thinks it's possible to "move the needle for Mississippi by recruiting companies that take lower-skill, lower-wage employees and convert them into the high-skill, high-wage, family sustaining careers." Recently, data centers have been a top source of capital investment for the state and across the South, including a large deal with Amazon for Mississippi. Cork talked about the advanced computing, sophisticated technology, jobs and innovative engineers that come with these projects, benefits beyond the millions of local taxes data centers bring. But some residents have raised concerns about impacts to the water and air quality, noise pollution, the relatively few jobs these projects bring considering the investment, and primarily, energy utility costs for customers. |
| Mississippi's economic boom continues with new 2,000-job project expected | |
 | The next big economic development project in Mississippi could come in the next 60 days and could employ up to 2,000 people. That was the message delivered by Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork to the Stennis-Capitol Press Forum at Hal and Mal's of Jackson on Feb. 9, and that is proof that his organization is not resting on its laurels. Cork and the MDA have overseen the most productive economic development surge in the state's history with the latest victory coming last month as xAI, the American artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, announced a corporate investment exceeding $20 billion that will culminate in a data center in Southaven. The project is expected to create hundreds of permanent jobs throughout DeSoto County. Cork was at the press forum to highlight the achievements of 2025, but he promised to look forward and keep the momentum going in 2026 and beyond. "The large projects get a lot of attention, and deservedly so," Cork said. "But through the first week of January in 2026, the MDA has been involved in closing more than 219 projects. So, we had about five or six big notable projects, but we spent most of our time not working on those." |
| State to hold permit hearing for xAI turbines in Southaven, EPA updates rules on temporary generators | |
| Mississippi environmental officials will hold a hearing Feb. 17 where members of the public can comment on a proposed permit to run 41 new turbines at xAI's facility in Southaven. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Northwest Mississippi Community College's DeSoto County campus in Southaven. The public has until the day of the hearing to submit comments to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality through the agency's website or in writing to the Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board at P.O. Box 2261, Jackson, MS 39225. The company, owned by Elon Musk, is looking to add the turbines to its facility that help power large data centers just outside Memphis. The news comes just after Mississippi leaders boasted about a record-setting $20 billion investment from the company to build a new data center in Southaven. With this new investment, the state now has five large data center projects in the works. Neighbors of the facility have complained about constant humming noises from the turbines since August, despite Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite saying months ago he expected it would be a temporary issue. Just north in Memphis, xAI already has faced similar public criticism over using temporary turbines to run its two data centers there. But after receiving pushback from groups such as the NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center, xAI eventually applied for air permits for its Memphis centers before moving the smaller, temporary turbines to Mississippi. |
| Thousands in Mississippi Remain Without Power Two Weeks After Winter Storm | |
 | Thousands of homes remained without power across Mississippi on Saturday afternoon, two weeks after an ice storm froze over the northern part of the state, downing trees, toppling power lines and killing at least 29 people statewide. As temperatures rebounded to well above freezing on Saturday, local utilities had yet to restore electricity to around 15,000 customers concentrated around Lafayette County and the hard-hit town of Oxford, according to the site poweroutage.us. The storm had initially knocked out power to 10 times as many people across the region. The persistent power outages have fallen most heavily on rural areas, where debris and downed lines continued to pose challenges, according to spokespeople for a regional utility provider and Lafayette County's emergency management agency. Beau Moore, an emergency management officer for the county, said the region had a monthslong cleanup process ahead. "This impact we've had from trees for the power companies, the utilities, is like if an EF1, EF2 tornado was 700 miles wide and hit the county all at one time," Mr. Moore said, adding that he expected several thousand people to remain without power for at least another week. On Friday, President Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he would approve Gov. Tate Reeves's request for a major disaster declaration from the White House, including support for local governments undertaking cleanup efforts. The declaration, Mr. Trump wrote, would make available $39 million to aid the recovery. |
| Mississippi lawmakers push water system oversight bills after investigation reveals rate hike crisis | |
| After our 3 On Your Side investigation, Paying Through the Tap, exposed shocking water bill increases at Canton Municipal Utilities (CMU), state lawmakers are moving forward with legislation designed to prevent similar crises across Mississippi. The two bills, introduced by state Sen. Bart Williams, would establish the first statewide framework for overseeing rural water systems and protecting consumers from unexpected rate spikes. "If they are moving in a direction where there is a substantial rate increase coming because of inadequacy, we deal with it now beforehand," Williams said. "There's always been a lot of governmental financial assistance to help associations, and I hope they will continue to be there in the future so that rates can be kept to a very minimum." CMU customers faced a stark reality in 2025 when water bills nearly doubled or tripled despite using the same amount of water as the previous year. While the Public Service Commission (PSC) had approved what was described as a 25% rate increase, actual bills reflected a 110% hike, catching residents off guard. "A lot of the ratepayers called, I talked to personally that had concerns about the situation at CMU," Williams said. "The fact that the PSC has a little bit more ability to step in and interact, so while it may not be an immediate fix, I think it puts us on the path to resolution." |
| Bill eliminating sales tax on agricultural equipment passes in Mississippi Senate | |
| Mississippi farmers could soon see financial relief after the state Senate passed legislation eliminating the 1.5% sales tax on certain agricultural equipment. After being introduced by state Sen. Neil Whaley, R-Potts Camp, and passing out of the Senate Finance Committee, the chamber passed Senate Bill 2272 nearly unanimously in a 50-1 vote on Monday. According to the bill, the tax exemption would apply to farm tractors and farm implements used directly in agricultural production, including equipment used to raise poultry, livestock, fish, crops, and ornamental plants. The exemption would also cover parts and labor to maintain or repair that equipment, as long as it is used on a farm. The bill also extends to logging, pulpwood, and tree-farming equipment, along with related parts and labor, provided the machinery is self-propelled or permanently attached to self-propelled equipment. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who has identified the measure as one of his legislative priorities this season, highlighted the bill's impact in a social media post following the vote. "Today, the Mississippi Senate passed Senate Bill 2272 to eliminate the 1.5% sales tax on agricultural equipment. Mississippi farmers have been struggling with multiple years of losses, and this is a straightforward way we can provide immediate relief and cut their operating costs." Hosemann said. |
| PBM reform bill passes in House, aims to bring down prescription costs | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a Pharmacy Benefit Manager reform bill on the floor last week. The Pharmacy Benefit Prompt Pay Act, or HB 1665, is authored by State Rep. Hank Zuber (R). His stated goal is to remove clawbacks, ensuring independent pharmacists do not lose money when they fill prescriptions for medications. The measure would also place deadlines on PBMs to pay claims and do away with pharmacy steering and spread pricing. There are currently no other bills being considered for the 2026 legislative session with the aim of PBM reform. The effort, advocates say, is intended to lower prescription costs. "This is the only game in town, this is the only vehicle for PBM reform," Zuber stated while explaining the bill to the House. "The Senate, for whatever reason, does not have a bill." Some of the provisions outlined in the legislation would mandate that the reimbursement cost provided to any pharmacist cannot be less than the cost incurred to acquire the medication. "The independent pharmacists, if this bill passes, cannot be forced to fill a prescription for less than their independent costs," Zuber told his colleagues. |
| Senate sends Financial Literacy Act, Civics education bills to House | |
| The Mississippi Senate passed two education bills late last week that aim to increase young people's knowledge of finances and civics. The J.P. Wilemon Jr. Financial Literacy Act, also known as SB 2483, would require all high school students to complete a half Carnegie unit course on financial literacy in order to graduate. State Senator Daniel Sparks (R), author of the bill, said that the requirement would incorporate components of financial literacy into the curriculum for grades 6th through 8th to prepare the students to receive that Carnegie unit in a later grade. "This is preparing them to complete a half Carnegie unit in either the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade in financial literacy," Sparks said of the middle school instruction. Subject matter in the course should focus on earning an income, tax obligations, withholdings, personal savings, cash flow management, financial services, and understanding credit and how to use it. Another bill, SB 2292, would require public schools to incorporate a civics course so Mississippi's students are versed on how government works. "This is unfortunately not being taught like it needs to be," Senator Brice Wiggins (R) said. "It would be a separate course from the government course that is taught in 8th grade." |
| Legislators keep options open for redrawing Mississippi Supreme Court districts | |
| Lawmakers have not unveiled a new map of Mississippi Supreme Court districts, but they still could before the adjournment of their 2026 session. The House and Senate have advanced so-called "dummy bills," which are empty placeholder bills that meet legislative deadlines, but would not actually change state law without more work. These bills allow lawmakers to keep studying an issue and propose changes. The reason lawmakers are considering changing the Supreme Court districts is because U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled last year that the districts violated the Voting Rights Act because one of the districts dilutes Black voting strength. She later ruled that the Legislature should be granted the opportunity to redraw the districts to comply with federal law. The two top legislators who will lead negotiations over redrawing the districts are House Judiciary B Chairman Kevin Horan, a Republican from Grenada, and Senate Judiciary A Chairman Brice Wiggins, a Republican from Pascagoula. Both lawmakers told Mississippi Today they intend to comply with the order, but Horan said the Legislature should consider all options because the U.S. Supreme Court could upend redistricting in the coming weeks. |
| Medicaid Expansion Dead in Mississippi Due to Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' Top Republican Says | |
| Mississippi will not expand Medicaid this year because of federal Medicaid funding cuts under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a top Republican in the Mississippi Senate says. "There is no expansion," Mississippi Senate Medicaid Chairman Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, told the Mississippi Free Press. "... There is a reason why -- it's funding, it's the money aspect of it. The Big Beautiful Bill changed funding. I don't see it happening, and those states that have expanded will probably be going back to their regular programs before expansion." The Mississippi Free Press asked the senator if he was concerned about the state's Medicaid program not having enough funding under Trump's law if the State were to expand the program under the 2010 U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. "I wouldn't phrase it like that, but we have a limited pot of money, and we have a lot of services and a lot of people to provide care for, and so we're just trying to balance that," said Blackwell, who in 2024 backed a Medicaid expansion plan in the Senate. On the other side of the Mississippi Capitol Building, the Mississippi Free Press asked House Medicaid Committee Chairwoman Rep. Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, if she was considering Medicaid expansion legislation. While the chairwoman would not comment, she said to check the list of filed bills. |
| Donated Ring cameras add protection for domestic violence survivors | |
| Seeing who is at the front door before you open it can mean the difference between danger and safety, or even life and death for a domestic violence survivor. To help victims stay safe and potentially document the presence of an abuser, the state attorney general's office on Monday announced a partnership with Amazon, which is donating 1,000 Ring doorbell and outdoor video cameras to the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "When that victim is going through that long, hard journey to survivorship, anything we can all do that helps restore their sense of security, their safety and their peace of mind is so important," said Attorney General Lynn Fitch during a press conference. The domestic violence coalition will distribute the cameras to the state's dozen domestic violence service organizations to get them to survivors across Mississippi. Each camera comes with a complimentary subscription that covers the lifetime of the device. Joy Jones, executive director of the coalition, said the Ring cameras will go to people who have left a shelter and are in independent or transitional housing. "They're not just cameras," Jones said. "They'll help survivors reclaim a sense of control and security in their homes." |
| White House, Democrats negotiate as shutdown deadline nears | |
 | With days left to pass a Homeland Security spending bill, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate dismissed a White House counteroffer to their own, calling it "insufficient." Hours after the White House shared a counterproposal to one offered this weekend by Senate Democrats, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer released a terse statement dismissing the proposal. "Republicans shared an outline of a counterproposal, which included neither details nor legislative text," the two New York Democrats said. "The initial GOP response is both incomplete and insufficient in terms of addressing the concerns Americans have about ICE's lawless conduct. Democrats await additional detail and text." The dismissal comes as lawmakers face a four-day deadline to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid harsh Democratic criticism of the Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement and less than a month after federal immigration officials shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis within a span of weeks. Earlier Monday, Senate Republicans appeared optimistic that a partial shutdown could be avoided, floating the prospect of a continuing resolution to keep DHS open while negotiations happened. But Senate leaders were reluctant to specify the details of such a plan -- including the length of a funding extension -- Monday evening. |
| White House eyes data center agreements amid energy price spikes | |
 | The Trump administration wants some of the world's largest technology companies to publicly commit to a new compact governing the rapid expansion of AI data centers, according to two administration officials granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. A draft of the compact obtained by POLITICO lays out commitments designed to ensure energy-hungry data centers do not raise household electricity prices, strain water supplies or undermine grid reliability, and that the companies driving demand also carry the cost of building new infrastructure. The proposed pact, which is not final and could be subject to change, is framed as a voluntary agreement between President Donald Trump and major U.S. tech companies and data center developers. It could bind OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook parent Meta and other AI giants to a broad set of energy, water and community principles. None of these companies immediately responded to a request for comment. The initiative, which the administration wants to roll out with a splashy White House event, has yet to be formally announced -- and it remains unclear which companies have agreed to the compact or been invited to participate. Beyond energy, the compact aims to address local opposition in fast-growing data center regions. |
| Trump to Repeal Landmark Climate Finding in Huge Regulatory Rollback | |
 | The Trump administration is planning this week to repeal the Obama-era scientific finding that serves as the legal basis for federal greenhouse-gas regulation, according to U.S. officials, in the most far-reaching rollback of U.S. climate policy to date. The reversal targets the 2009 "endangerment finding," which concluded that six greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. The finding provided the legal underpinning for the Environmental Protection Agency's climate rules, which limited emissions from power plants and tightened fuel-economy standards for vehicles under the Clean Air Act. "This amounts to the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an interview. The final rule, set to be made public later this week, removes the regulatory requirements to measure, report, certify and comply with federal greenhouse-gas emission standards for motor vehicles, and repeals associated compliance programs, credit provisions and reporting obligations for industries, according to administration officials. It wouldn't apply to rules governing emissions from power plants and other stationary sources such as oil-and-gas facilities, the officials said. But repealing the finding could open up the door to rolling back regulations that affect those facilities. Environmental groups have said they would challenge a rollback in the courts, and it could be years before litigation is resolved. |
| 'We are ready': Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says U.S., Texas ready to fight parasitic fly | |
| The United States and Texas are fully prepared to combat a parasitic fly that poses a billion-dollar threat to the Texas economy, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday. During a visit to the Rio Grande Valley with Gov. Greg Abbott, Rollins said proactive steps by the USDA and state response teams had prepared the region to eradicate New World Screwworm. This parasitic fly lays eggs in open wounds, posing a threat to livestock. Texas leads the U.S. in cattle production, making the screwworm an extraordinary risk to the industry. Ranchers and other agriculture advocates have sounded the alarm about screwworm for more than a year. Cases of screwworm have been detected in Mexico, as close as 70 miles from the border in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. "I don't want to underplay it because it is a big threat to our country, but I believe we're as prepared as we could possibly be, if that happens, to deal with it, to move toward eradication," Rollins said. Rollins and Abbott celebrated the opening of a sterile fly dispersal facility located at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, which is meant to help deploy the main strategy in combating the screwworm. Sterile male flies are intended to mate with female screwworm flies, which then lay unfertilized eggs. |
| GOP senator on Epstein files: 'Now I see what the big deal is' | |
 | Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) on Monday said she now understands "what the big deal is" after reviewing unredacted files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "I've not been one of the members who has glommed on to this as an issue," Lummis said in an interview with journalist Pablo Manríquez. "I've sort of intentionally deferred to others to find out about it. But nine-year-old victims ... Wow." "Well, initially, my reaction to all this was, 'I don't care. I don't know what the big deal is.' But now I see what the big deal is, and it was worth investigating," she added. "And the members of Congress that have been pushing this were not wrong. So that's really my only reaction." Her comments mark a notable shift in perspective as few GOP lawmakers have broken with President Trump in support of pursuing criminal leads found within the released documents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) put out its final tranche of files related to Epstein late last month -- and several lawmakers were given the chance to view unredacted copies this week. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have led the charge to uncover more details related to the disgraced financier's wealthy circle of businessmen and who may have been involved with his crimes -- including allegations of running a sex trafficking ring involving underage girls. The lawmakers, after reviewing the files, said they spotted at least six names of individuals "likely incriminated" by their inclusion in the Epstein files. |
| How ICE defies judges' orders to release detainees, step by step | |
| Courts across the country have overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration's effort to round up thousands of immigrants and lock them up without a chance for bond -- even if they have no criminal records and have lived in the United States for years. But the Trump administration has slow-walked or outright defied judges' orders demanding the release of people scooped up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at an increasingly rapid clip. Sometimes, ICE has raced detainees across state lines in ways judges say are designed to thwart legal proceedings. Other times, they're detaining people for days or weeks after judges have ordered them released. ICE officials have at times ignored other arms of the federal government trying to ensure compliance with court orders. And sometimes the administration has given judges bad or incomplete information. A POLITICO review of hundreds of cases brought by ICE detainees across the country shows judges increasingly furious and exhausted by the Trump administration's tactics. "There has been an undeniable move by the Government in the past month to defy court orders or at least to stretch the legal process to the breaking point in an attempt to deny noncitizens their due process rights," U.S. District Judge Michael Davis, a Clinton appointee from Minnesota, said in a recent order. As a result, judges have issued more detailed and prescriptive orders to head off potential loopholes or hair-splitting results. And when all else fails, they threaten to hold administration officials in contempt. Here's how the administration's noncompliance plays out. |
| Under growing pressure, the biggest social networks agree to be rated on teen safety | |
 | Three leading social media companies have agreed to undergo independent assessments of how effectively they protect the mental health of teenage users, submitting to a battery of tests announced Tuesday by a coalition of advocacy organizations. The platforms will be graded on whether they mandate breaks and provide options to turn off endless scrolling, among a host of other measures of their safety policies and transparency commitments. Companies that reviewers rate highly will receive a blue shield badge, while those that fair poorly will be branded as not able to block harmful content. Meta -- which operates Facebook and Instagram -- TikTok and Snap are first three companies to sign up for the process. Teenagers represent a coveted demographic for social media sites and the new standards come as the tech industry faces increasing pressure to better protect young users. A wave of lawsuits alleges that leading firms have engineered their platforms to be addictive. Congress is weighing a suite of bills designed to protect children's safety online. And state lawmakers have sought to impose age limits on social apps. But those efforts have borne little fruit. |
| Department of Music at The W welcomes prospective students for Music Day | |
 | Mississippi University for Women's Department of Music will welcome prospective students to campus Feb. 20 for Music Day. The annual event is designed for high school and community college students who would like to experience a day in the life of a music major. This unique experience offers a comprehensive insight into the life of a music student, featuring engaging activities, lessons, rehearsals and workshops. "We are thrilled to showcase The W music department's musical and academic offerings to high school and community college students in our region, while highlighting the wide range of exciting and rewarding career opportunities made possible through a degree in music," said Valentin Bodgan, professor of music. The event is free to attend, but it does require registration at https://www.muw.edu/music/openhouse/. The deadline to register is Saturday, Feb. 14. Parents are also invited to a dedicated information session, where they can learn more about the academic and extracurricular aspects of the music programs. This session aims to address any questions or concerns parents may have about their child's pursuit of a music education. |
| U. of Mississippi resumes operations as Oxford recovers from ice, sleet and freezing rain | |
 | The University of Mississippi is reopening as storm recovery continues. While operations have resumed, the university is reminding folks that those operations will be adjusted while crews work to repair damaged parts of campus. And, it may be a long road to normalcy for Ole Miss and Oxford. Antonia Eliason, a professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the law school, has had to stay with friends and colleagues while her home was without power. "It's the scale of the disaster: we live in a particularly wooded area," she said. "It looks like a tornado went through, but not selectively, went through everywhere." She says that fortunately, power returned to the university pretty quickly. She's hearing most students on campus are doing well. But, she worries about the students who live off-campus and may have had damage to their homes, especially if they left for the storm. "I think for students who are coming back into town, this is going to be more disruptive than I think people are thinking," Eliason told MPB. "My gut feeling is that we may even end up with some students who struggle to come back in person because they may not have somewhere that they can live." |
| Ole Miss reopens after two-week hiatus due to ice storm | |
| The University of Mississippi is up and running after damages from Winter Storm Fern caused a two-week hiatus of students attending classes and staff working. Ahead of the historic ice storm, Ole Miss was initially scheduled to be shut down for one day on Jan. 26. But iced-over roads, downed trees, and power outages, among other damages, prompted university officials to close the Oxford campus until Monday, Feb. 9, so that work could be done to ensure students and employees could return safely. "As you return, you'll notice debris piles and ongoing cleanup work across campus," a release from the university reads. "We ask that you please be patient and mindful of posted closures and work zones as this work is expected to continue over the coming weeks." After consulting with federal education officials, the university is moving forward with a modified spring calendar -- one that has been shortened and does include a full spring break. "The university worked with the U.S. Department of Education to adjust the academic calendar for the Spring Semester, allowing for a shortened semester due to the two weeks the university was closed because of the impacts of Winter Storm Fern," the release further stated. "This approval enables the university to maintain Spring Break, March 7-15, and conclude the semester as originally scheduled." |
| IHL approves hike in cost cap for debris removal at Ole Miss | |
| At a specially called meeting on Monday, the Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning mapped out next steps in cleaning up the University of Mississippi. The board approved a large hike in a funding cap for debris cleanup at the university, amending a contract already in place with Looks Great Services of Mississippi. LGS is based in Columbia. "The agreement includes trimming, cutting and hauling debris from the campus," said IHL Senior Associate Commissioner for Finance John Pearce during the meeting. "The original agreement was for just under $2 million for a term of 90 days. The university is seeking to amend the agreement for an expenditure up to 10 million." Work began late last month and while the contract is for 90 days, the university has the option to end it sooner. Neither IHL nor Ole Miss had a tentative timeline for when debris removal would be completed. And, the additional $8 million doesn't necessarily reflect the damage to campus. "They may not spend that much: it just gave them that cushion, if you will," said IHL communications director John Sewell. "And then they will work with FEMA, MEMA, and other insurance to recover those expenses." Ole Miss will initially pay for services with its own money to make sure that work continues without interruption. They'll then seek reimbursement from those state and federal agencies. |
| UM Professors Adjust Classes After Winter Storm Fern | |
 | In the wake of the two-week campus closure following Winter Storm Fern, University of Mississippi professors had to adjust their class curriculum and syllabi to make up for lost instructional time. In an email sent to the UM student body by Chancellor Glenn Boyce on Thursday, Feb. 5, he confirmed that the university would shorten its semester by two weeks, keeping spring break intact and the Commencement date unmoved. Two weeks of lost time can be detrimental for a professor, especially for those that meticulously craft their syllabi to spread out their schedule in the most optimal fashion. "It's going to be a lot more work because of the truncated time frame," Vanessa Charlot, assistant professor of media and communication, said. "Balancing teaching, workload and students and personal projects that are research-based as a professor, it's going to be a very hectic semester." Professors must adapt quickly as they select what material to prioritize and what topics can be cut out. Each professor is using a different strategy to move forward, carefully considering what will work best with their content, students and learning goals. |
| USM GTEC accepting applications for 2026 scholars program | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Graduate Training and Education Center (GTEC) is now accepting applications for the 2026 GTEC Scholars Program, a competitive, two-year program designed to prepare graduate students for impactful careers in cardiovascular disease research. The GTEC Scholars Program aims to strengthen the research pipeline by equipping graduate students with advanced skills, professional development opportunities and meaningful community engagement experiences. The program focuses on building research knowledge, enhancing research capacity, fostering professional growth and promoting community-centered approaches to cardiovascular health. Eligible applicants must be accepted into a biomedical or health-related graduate program, be enrolled full-time by fall 2026, demonstrate an interest in cardiovascular disease research, commit to all program requirements and be a U.S. citizen. "This program represents a significant investment in the next generation of researchers dedicated to addressing cardiovascular disease and advancing health outcomes," said Dr. Jennifer Lemacks, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Nursing and Health Professions and co-principal investigator of the project. |
| The Fight Against Suicide comes to Auburn | |
| On Friday, Feb. 25, mental health nonprofit The Fight Against Suicide (TFAS) will host its second annual boxing match event in Auburn, bringing the community together to confront one of the most pressing mental health challenges facing young adults today. Through the event, TFAS works to raise awareness of suicide and suicidal ideation among individuals ages 18 to 25 through prevention-focused education and open dialogue. "We exist to really build sustained on-campus suicide prevention systems that last just beyond a moment or conversation," said Reilly Spitzer, Auburn team lead and corporate team coordinator. Spitzer said the organization focuses on maintaining a proactive approach rather than responding only after a crisis occurs. Its efforts center on prevention through consistent, evidence-based training and continuous access to care. The organization also emphasizes the importance of sustaining a year-round, on-campus suicide prevention system to ensure intervention and connection are readily available whenever and wherever they are needed. |
| LSU system names Meg Casper Sunstrom new communications chief amid leadership changes | |
 | The LSU System will soon have a new face leading its media and public outreach efforts after President Wade Rousse announced Monday that Meg Casper Sunstrom will take over as chief communications officer on Feb. 18. "Meg's experience and expertise as a strategic communicator will immediately elevate our efforts to tell LSU's story across Louisiana and the nation," Rousse said in a statement. "She believes in LSU and shares our ambition of making LSU one of the nation's elite institutions." Rousse selected Sunstrom for the job, according to a news release. The appointment comes after LSU announced Thursday that Vice President of Marketing and Communications Todd Woodward was leaving the university. Most recently, Sunstrom was chief communications officer for the Louisiana Legislature. She held previous communications roles at the Louisiana Department of Education, Board of Regents and Louisiana Secretary of State. Before that, she was a producer and reporter at WAFB. She is a graduate of LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication. |
| Proposed Tennessee legislation poses to end UT's ability to grant tenure | |
| The Tennessee General Assembly has proposed a bill that would end the ability for the University of Tennessee to grant any faculty members tenure status on or after July 1, 2026. This would not affect currently tenured faculty. The bill, Senate Bill 1838, was filed for introduction on Jan. 21, 2026. The bill has been passed on first and second consideration in the Tennessee Senate, on Jan. 22 and Feb. 2 respectively. Sens. Joseph Hensley and Rusty Crowe, both Republicans, are the bill's sponsors. If passed, the legislature would amend Tennessee Code Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9, all language relative to tenure. The Faculty Senate is keeping a close eye on the situation. "I want to assure you that the Faculty Senate monitors developments here very carefully and is doing whatever we can to support VP Whitworth and her team," an email from the Senate leadership team said. "I want to add that all interactions we have had with our campus administrative leaders have shown nothing but unequivocal support for the value of tenure for a thriving university such as ours." |
| Missouri farmers testing virtual fencing for livestock | |
 | Five Missouri farmers are testing GPS-enabled collars that guide livestock with sound and mild shocks, reducing the need for traditional fences. The project, led by the University of Missouri's Center for Regenerative Agriculture, received a $900,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, according to a community announcement. The collars, controlled via a mobile app, aim to make livestock management more efficient and less labor-intensive. "Farmers might be out multiple times a day moving their physical fences in extreme weather, so using virtual fencing can make their lives so much easier," Kaitlyn Dozler, manager of Mizzou's Virtual Fence Program, said in the announcement. "One producer told me she was able to take a vacation for the first time in five years because she knew she could just go online at any time and see exactly where her goats were." Four of the five farmers are using the collars on cattle, while the fifth is using them on sheep. The project, which began last summer, is specifically designed for farmers whose animals graze on cover crops. |
| Students Push Back Against Immigration Agencies Recruiting on Campus | |
 | Students at colleges and universities nationwide are protesting the presence of Customs and Border Protection recruiters at campus career fairs in the wake of massive immigration raids and the high-profile killings of two U.S. citizens by immigration officials. Some have asked institutional leaders to disinvite the agency. The student backlash comes amid national outrage over the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown, which has been criticized for its use of violent tactics and racial profiling. Though the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has led most of the deportation efforts, CBP, which is a larger agency and recruits more heavily than ICE on college campuses, has been involved in the campaign as well. CBP officers shot and killed Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti after he attempted to help a woman whom officers had just pushed to the ground. In many cases, universities have declined to disinvite the agency, arguing that they welcome a wide variety of employers to recruitment events and noting that CBP has attended similar events in the past. But in a handful of cases, CBP appears to have pulled out in advance of the event, including at Saint Louis, Villanova and Western Michigan Universities, as well as at the University of Maine. |
| The Trump Agenda: Higher-Ed Groups Dealt a Blow in Court Fight Over Trump's Anti-DEI Orders | |
 | A federal appeals court has handed President Trump a legal victory in a case brought by two higher-ed associations -- further muddying the landscape for his administration's crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In a Friday ruling, Chief Judge Albert Diaz of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction affecting Trump's executive orders aimed at DEI programs in the public and private sectors, including at colleges receiving federal funding. Higher-education advocates had argued in a lawsuit last year that the orders, signed during Trump's first week in office, violated free-speech protections. While the ruling only concerned the injunction, which had been stayed for nearly a year, Diaz wrote that Trump's orders likely did not violate the Constitution. "The president may determine his policy priorities and instruct his agents to make funding decisions based on them," wrote Diaz, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama. "President Trump has decided that equity isn't a priority in his administration and so has directed his subordinates to terminate funding that supports equity-related projects to the maximum extent allowed by law. Whether that's sound policy or not isn't our call." The lawsuit in question was brought by the American Association of University Professors and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, marking the first time groups representing college stakeholders challenged the second Trump administration in court. |
| NIH Avoided Funding Cuts. But It Lacks Permanent Leaders in Top Posts. | |
| More than a year into the second Trump administration, the National Institutes of Health looks, in some ways, better than expected. Congress increased its budget for this fiscal year to over $47 billion, instead of cutting it 40 percent as the president had requested. The total amount of grant money it allocated last fiscal year also didn't plunge, as many observers had expected. But, as the agency that touts itself as the world's largest public funder of biomedical research marches forward with full funding this year, it lacks permanent directors to lead it. Fifteen directors of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the agency are in an acting capacity. Directors have departed for multiple reasons, including terminations by the Trump administration and resignations. The vacancies raise questions about the agency's future research funding strategy, both internally for its scientists and externally for university faculty who rely on NIH dollars. Now that the NIH has a budget, its leadership must shape how it uses it. "The institute or center director is really responsible for setting the direction of that center, including implementing the funding priorities or the funding strategy," said Heather Pierce, senior director of science policy for the Association of American Medical Colleges. While she said the acting directors are "highly competent," it's "important to have someone who is a permanent position in that role who can guide that forward." |
| Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent | |
| France announced late last week that it would be awarding funds to 46 scientists as part of a high-profile initiative to recruit foreign researchers to the country with the promise of greater academic freedom. Almost all of them were previously at US institutions. The more than €30-million Choose France for Science initiative, launched last April, is just one of a slew of European initiatives that aim to bring in research talent disaffected by changes elsewhere. These include the European Union's Choose Europe initiative, which is currently supported by nearly €900 million (US$1.1 billion) in research funding. The French programme will see 41 of the 46 recruits relocate to France from the United States. Eight of these researchers worked at Columbia University in New York City, which last year saw hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of its research grants cut and frozen by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Under Trump's second presidency, US researchers have experienced grant cuts, the dismantling of science-funding agencies and increased federal control over universities. US foreign aid and awards to international collaborators have also been terminated. When announcing the call last year, Élisabeth Borne, then French minister for higher education and research, said that France would offer a "refuge" to researchers as "science and research face unprecedented threats worldwide". |
| RIP Education Dept.? Not quite. Trump struggles in bid to kill agency | |
 | Over the past year, congressional Republicans have cheered on President Donald Trump's quest to dismantle the Education Department. Yet those same lawmakers just reached a deal with Democrats to give what's left of the agency more money -- not less -- compared to last year. Congress' annual appropriations bills, which Trump signed into law Feb. 3, fully retained spending for many of the department's programs, funding things like special education and afterschool activities. Even programs the Trump administration has unilaterally cut or ignored, prompting lawsuits, were supported at roughly their usual levels. A mixed-bag victory for Democrats, the bipartisan dealmaking represented a quiet rebuke from GOP lawmakers of Trump's stated crusade to curb the federal role in education policy. And the end result -- which set aside roughly $80 billion to the Education Department for fiscal year 2026 -- underlined the political limitations of one of the White House's most nebulous goals. It also highlighted the logistical difficulty of trying to fully do away with an agency whose entrenched functions are relied upon (though in limited ways) by states, schools and students across the country. The Education Department implements widely popular programs that, among other things, protect students with disabilities, help schools hire counselors and make college more affordable. |
| Opinion | The 5 Trends That Will Shape Higher Ed in 2026 | |
| If there's a sliver of good news for higher education emerging from the Trump administration after a year that kept the sector on edge, it may be a recent remark by the education secretary, Linda McMahon, that the administration plans to shift its attention away from colleges in 2026, and toward K–12 schools. For much of the past year, higher education has been operating in reaction mode. Nearly constant missives from the Trump administration demanded attention and response, leaving little room to plan ahead even as the financial, demographic, and cultural pressures that have reshaped the sector since the pandemic continued to intensify. With college leaders finally receiving a moment to breathe, the question now is, what should they do with it? |
SPORTS
| Softball: Nusz Park Opener Set For Tuesday Afternoon | |
| The No. 22/24 Mississippi State softball team will host Southern Miss for its home opener at Nusz Park on Tuesday, Feb. 10. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ The Bulldogs started the season 4-0 at the Getterman Classic and climbed to No. 18 in Monday's Softball America poll. The weekend saw State homer in every game it played with Nadia Barbary, Morgan Stiles and Taylor Troutman all leaving the yard twice. In the circle, Peja Goold and Alyssa Faircloth are 2-0. Goold was one out away from a no-hitter in her MSU debut, and Faircloth struck out 14 in just her second outing in Maroon and White, good for fourth-most in a game in program history. Gates to Nusz Park will open one hour prior to first pitch. Single-game tickets are available starting at $6 on HailState.com/Tickets. Southern Miss went 4-1 at its home tournament to open the year. Mississippi State remains in Starkville this weekend to host The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial presented by Newk's Eatery. State welcomes Murray State, Rutgers and North Texas for five games on Feb. 13-15. |
| Bulldogs' bats power undefeated start to 2026 season in Waco | |
| No. 22 Mississippi State had scored 32 runs in four games by noon on Saturday, sweeping the Getterman Classic on opening weekend at Baylor. The Bulldogs (4-0) led off the weekend with a run-rule 10-0 mauling of the host Bears, followed up with a midday doubleheader on Friday, 9-3 over Northwestern State and 5-2 over Wichita State, and notched an easy 8-1 win over New Mexico on Saturday morning. The only trickiness came on Friday afternoon as Wichita State took the Bulldogs to extra innings, but the maroon and white fireworks began in the top of the eighth. The extra runner at second got home to give the Bulldogs a lead, but the difference maker was senior Nadia Barbary going to bat with a pair of teammates on base and a chance to put her team in control. "I was just saying to stay calm. We do our best when we're calm, and we know we have a runner on second," Barbary said after the game. She had taken note of the pitching change by the Shockers, and knew it was time to swing for the fences. "They changed the pitcher, we knew it was a dropball pitcher, so I knew I had to get under it. Luckily, I got under it enough, and the ball went flying," she said. |
| Baseball: 'Reel' Chemistry: How Fishing Helped Shape State's Culture | |
| August 16, 2025. That's the date the first post appeared. Several Mississippi State baseball players had a passion for fishing and decided to share their success to the masses by creating an Instagram account -- 'dawgscatchinghawgs'. Since last summer, about three dozen photos have been shared showcasing the big ones State stars have reeled in. It's cool. It's impressive. But to steal a theme from an old Trace Adkins country song, these guys were doing so much more than just fishin'. On random ponds in the Mississippi heat, Bulldog veterans like Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan along with newcomers including Aidan Teel and Chone James were actually laying a foundation. Baiting hooks and casting lines were creating bonds and building trust. It was all serving to help develop a clubhouse chemistry for the season to come that can both celebrate the figurative incredible catches and regroup in the moments when a big one gets away. "All the guys that returned here, they know all the good [fishing] spots," first-year Bulldog and Virgina transfer pitcher Tomas Valincius said. "It's been fun. We just go out and have a good time off the field, don't think about baseball and it kind of comes down to us just being together." |
| Mississippi State baseball reveals starting pitcher rotation for Hofstra series | |
| Mississippi State baseball has announced its starting pitching rotation for the season-opening series against Hofstra at Dudy Noble Field. Ryan McPherson will start on opening day on Feb. 13 (4 p.m. CT, SEC Network+), Charlie Foster the next day (1 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) and Tomas Valincius on Feb. 15 (1 p.m. CT, SEC Network+). It will be the debut of Bulldogs coach Brian O'Connor, hired in June from Virginia to replace Chris Lemonis, who was fired in April. McPherson is a sophomore right-hander who made 20 appearances last season, with two starts, for a 4.12 ERA, 4-1 record and three saves. He played this summer with the USA Baseball Collegiate national team. Foster is a sophomore left-hander who had a 1.59 ERA in 2025, with seven appearances and one start. Valincius transferred to MSU from Virginia after one season as a freshman starter. The lefty posted a 6-1 record and 4.59 ERA in 13 appearances, with 12 starts, with 70 strikeouts. |
| High School NIL legislation quietly dies in Mississippi | |
| A bill that would have allowed Mississippi high school student-athletes to accept Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL, money or benefits quietly died in the House of Representatives last week. Legislation filed by State Rep. Jeffery Harness (D) titled the "Mississippi High School Student-Athlete NIL Protection Act" died the House Judiciary A Committee on deadline day. Harness had proposed that student-athletes could earn compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness, provided that the compensation was not contingent upon athletic performance, statistics or participation. The compensation was also not to be offered as an inducement to enroll in or transfer to a particular school. The measure would have applied to public and private high school students in Mississippi that participate in interscholastic athletics. As previously reported, the vast majority of states across the U.S. now allow some form of high school NIL. A report from Opendorse in November 2025 showed Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, and Mississippi as the only states that have prohibited the practice. Officials with the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), coaches, school administrators and even fans spoke out in opposition to the legislation. |
| City of Hattiesburg breaks ground on $35 million sports complex | |
| Ground has been broken on a $35 million sports complex in Hattiesburg. Local officials gathered at Tatum Park on Monday to begin the process of bringing a 120,000-square-foot recreation and sports event center to life. The indoor venue will feature 16 pickleball courts, 10 volleyball courts, six basketball courts, and four futsal soccer fields, along with offices, concessions stands, and space for a restaurant. Officials expect the venue to serve as an epicenter of sorts for tournaments, large-scale competitions, and regional events, boosting tourism by welcoming visitors who will also be patronizing Hattiesburg's hotels, restaurants, and other small businesses. "When we put these shovels in the ground, we're not just breaking soil. I would say that we're planting something that will grow for generations," Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said. "We're not just building a facility with 120,000 square feet and 60,000 square feet of playing surface, we're building opportunity for our kids, creating one more gathering place for families and friends. We're offering the outside world one more avenue with which to experience our community." |
| Sports leagues race to capture Gen Z and Gen Alpha with AI, influencers and Italian brainrot | |
 | Trevor McOmber and his 14-year-old son, Tye, share a love for the Chicago Blackhawks. When Trevor was his son's age, he watched the Blackhawks on TV, caught highlights on ESPN and read about the team in the newspaper. It's a much different experience for Tye. "I go to YouTube with Snapchat, or Google something if I just have an idea that I want to know," Tye McOmber said while sitting next to his father at a recent Blackhawks game. Tye McOmber is on the border of Generation Z, born roughly between 1997 to 2012, and Generation Alpha, approximately 2012 to 2024 -- a sprawling group of people with unique media habits and diverse attitudes on where sports fit into their lives. Together, they form -- potentially, at least -- the next generation of sports fans, an almost constant topic of conversation in the offices of every major sports organization. And they have proven to be a tricky target. According to a Morning Consult poll, 20% of Gen-Z adults identify as avid sports fans, compared to 33% of Millennials and 27% of Generation X. One-third of the Gen-Z respondents said they do not follow sports at all. Even among those who are fans, the touchpoints for teams and leagues are changing constantly. Gen Z and Gen Alpha gravitate toward personalities, so major sports organizations work with a group of creators to help spread their content. |
| Spurrier on Clemson-Ole Miss tampering saga: 'Somebody tell Dabo there's no rules now' | |
 | As Steve Spurrier spoke to reporters about his induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 9, the former Gamecocks football coach had a message for his former rival, Clemson's Dabo Swinney. "Somebody tell Dabo there's no rules now," Spurrier said, referencing Swinney's recent callout of Ole Miss for tampering with a Tigers transfer linebacker signee from Cal who inevitably transferred again to the Rebels. "You can complain," Spurrier said, "but I don't know how good it's gonna do." NCAA rules prohibit schools from contacting athletes at other institutions if they aren't in the transfer portal, but the association has had immense difficulty enforcing a wide variety of regulations because of antitrust liabilities in the courts. Clemson has reported Ole Miss to the NCAA for tampering, and Swinney spent 27-plus minutes on Jan. 16 detailing allegations against Golding and his program. The "Head Ball Coach" sympathizes, because Spurrier isn't sure how he would have handled NIL deals and the dynamics of the transfer portal back in his years with Duke, Florida or South Carolina. Spurrier just isn't sure Swinney's airing of grievances --- blasting the Rebels for the equivalent of "an affair on your honeymoon" and telling coaches to call out bad actors or "just shut your mouth" --- will ultimately accomplish anything. Because the same competitive pressures remain, and the NCAA hasn't done much to disincentive programs from crossing blurred lines. |
| Judge rules 7-foot center Charles Bediako is no longer eligible to play for Alabama | |
| An Alabama circuit judge on Monday denied Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako's motion for a preliminary injunction, ending the 7-foot center's collegiate eligibility and his season with the Crimson Tide. County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet cited that Bediako "failed to demonstrate that he is entitled to the injunctive relief that he seeks," according to court documents. Bediako was playing under a temporary restraining order that allowed the former NBA G League player to join Alabama in the middle of the season despite questions regarding his collegiate eligibility. NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement that he was glad the court "upheld the rules of our members." "Common sense won a round today," Baker said. "The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the 'undo' button at the expense of a teenager's dream. While we're glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn't fix the national mess of state laws. It's time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability." |
| Ex-NFL Players Could Join NBA Vets in Seeking NCAA Eligibility | |
| Former pro basketball players, including those who played in the NBA, are unsurprisingly making efforts to play NCAA Division I men's basketball, given the money that can be made through NIL. Now former pros from other leagues -- including the NFL -- are following suit. The old saying in law "the exceptions swallow the rule" is key to understanding why former pros are going back to school and why that trend will accelerate in the months ahead. The legal justification for limiting college sports participants to students who are not former professionals took a hit once the NCAA made eligibility exceptions for former European hockey and basketball athletes and more recently for former G League players. The more exceptions to a rule made, the less necessary and less defensible that exclusion seems. In other words, the exceptions swallow the rule. This dynamic is apparent in Charles Bediako's attempt to play for the University of Alabama basketball team this spring. The player's efforts had been successful until Monday night, when a judge in Alabama denied Bediako a preliminary injunction to play the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Bediako's case is novel but likely a harbinger of future litigation. |
| Indiana to build statue in honor of legendary coach Bob Knight | |
| Indiana plans to build a permanent bronze statue of Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight, the school announced Monday. The statue will be displayed alongside the 1976 national championship statues in the lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. "Coach Knight's influence on the game of basketball is immeasurable, but his impact on this university and Hoosier basketball fans is even deeper," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement. "On a personal level, having started my career here as a student manager under Coach Knight, I saw firsthand the unparalleled standard of excellence he demanded. He taught me, and countless others, that success is the result of meticulous preparation and unwavering discipline. This statue will be a well-deserved tribute to a man who didn't just win games; he changed how the sport is played." Knight, who died in 2023 at the age of 83, led Indiana to three national championships and five Final Four appearances. The statue is being funded by an anonymous Indiana donor. |
| Backed by NFL and Olympics, flag football gains momentum in NCAA emerging sports program | |
| Thousands gathered in San Francisco in the days leading up to the most anticipated game on the NFL calendar. But before the Seahawks and Patriots took center stage in Super Bowl LX, it was the contactless version of the game that repeatedly found itself in the spotlight. Whether it was the NFL's top players going head-to-head in the Pro Bowl, the 2026 NFL Flag International Championship, or a number of showcases highlighting the talents of athletes across the globe, the rapid rise of flag football was represented accordingly in San Francisco. A game once confined to recess has surged in recent years. It helps that three powerhouses are aligned in backing the growth of the sport: the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee. A strong backing is one of the reasons why flag football is on track to move through the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program at a pace few sports have experienced. "With any sport that we've had move through the program, and flag being a good recent example of this, when there are multiple entities that are behind it and are working together towards the shared goal, that's been a lot more successful for growth," Gretchen Miron, the NCAA's director of education and external engagement, told The Associated Press. |
| Political talk at Olympics particularly hazardous for the not-yet-mainstream athletes | |
| Hunter Hess is a big name in skiing, but he is not a household name. Compared with the likes of LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani and Serena Williams, he is something of a proletarian superstar, an Olympic athlete who, when this is all over, will need to make a return to real life, which means bills to pay and a plan for the future. All of which makes it particularly noteworthy that Hess is being called out on social media by President Donald Trump. It's not unusual for the president to weigh in on sports and entertainment topics, and he's certainly ratcheted things up since his second term began a little more than a year ago. But Trump has tended to be a big-game hunter, as when he fired up his Truth Social account to take aim at Bad Bunny's halftime performance at the Super Bowl, calling it "absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!" Trump is also going after Hunter Hess, the 27-year-old freestyle skier from Bend, Ore., who, writes the president, is "a real Loser," and that it's "very hard to root for someone like this." At issue here are comments made by Hess about what it means to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Games. It's important to qualify that he did not walk into the interview room and jump up on a soapbox to deliver a fiery political creed he'd been working on. He was responding to a question, and in doing so said that representing the United States "brings up mixed emotions" and is "a little hard." |
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