| Tuesday, March 17, 2026 |
| Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center under construction at Keesler Air Force Base | |
 | Construction is underway on the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. The facility, which broke ground last August, will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi Cyber Initiative -- a program aimed at delivering cybersecurity training and promoting workforce development. Steel framing on the building has reached the third story. The project is a partnership between Keesler Air Force Base and Mississippi State University. "It's a great project and a great partnership between Keesler Air Force Base and Mississippi State University to build a $50 million facility to bring government, state, and industry partners together into one place to work on cyber-related issues that face all of us," said Evan Mines, 81st Civil Engineer Squadron Commander. The center is expected to be completed in the spring of 2027. |
| Thousands strike at JBS facility in Colorado, raising questions about cattle prices and market volatility | |
 | More than 3,800 employees at the JBS meat processing plant in Greeley, Colorado have walked out following months of failed contract negotiations. Ag economist Josh Maples with Mississippi State University Extension says it's uncertain how the strike will impact cattle markets. "This is a duration matters type event," he says. "If we see some kind of bigger disruptions here that last for a while, it's absolutely going to have some local impacts. It's going to have impacts on cattle in particular that are going to that plant." Because cattle supplies are tight and there is plenty of shackle space available, in the long run, it could mitigate any immediate negative reaction. "There may be a little bit of ability to pick up with some other plants," he tells Brownfield. "So, it's going to be really interesting to see how it plays out. But again, it's really kind of a duration thing in terms of how much impact this is actually going to have on fed cattle prices or passed down to feeder cattle prices." |
| Starkville business left with damage to assess after overnight storms | |
 | Several North Mississippi communities like Starkville are cleaning up Monday after severe weather overnight. Powerful winds ripped off part of the tin roof and aluminum siding at Brewski's off MS-12. Some pieces of the building were tossed on the ground and others were found wrapped around a nearby utility pole. Brewski's Owner Ashley Ray said one of her employees called her to report the damage and even their loss of power. "We came up here," she said. "We were here until about 2:00 a.m. trying to mitigate the damage. [We] moved everything out of the driveway, so people can get to and from through the parking lot safely. We are just trying now to clean up the office. We are open." Ray added that the downstairs area is fine in both locations. The damage to the office does not effect normal business hours. |
| Mississippi Made exhibit at Two Museums is part of 250th national birthday celebration | |
| A new exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson showcases the diversity of the state's contributions to the United States as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday. The Mississippi Made exhibit consists of 250 individual artifacts that showcase Mississippians' work and achievements in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, music, fashion, science, literature, sports and the arts. Items on display include a 19th century cotton gin, Elvis Presley's bathrobe, a cartoon by Marshall Ramsey and a box of Wheaties featuring the late Walter Payton, a NFL Hall of Fame running back, on the front of the box. Another one of the Mississippi Made exhibits is the NASA flight jacket worn by Mississippi astronaut Richard Truly of Fayette, who also served as the administrator of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 1989 until 1992. "I think everyone can find something that they find interesting in this exhibit," said Jessica Walzer, curator of collections and exhibits at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. She added that the exhibit would be great representation for young Mississippians. |
| E. Grady Jolly, longtime US appeals court judge, dies at 88 | |
| Judge E. Grady Jolly, who served 35 years on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, died Monday. He was 88. On the appeals court that handles cases from Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, Jolly was viewed as a conservative who followed existing law and Supreme Court precedents. Jolly, a native of Louisville, Mississippi, was recommended to the 5th Circuit by Thad Cochran, who was at the time the state's sole Republican U.S. senator. Jolly took senior status in 2017, meaning he no longer served as a full-time member of the 5th Circuit. In a tribute at the time, Cochran wrote that Jolly had an exemplary tenure on the bench. Cochran recalled that when he recommended Jolly for the post, he said Jolly was "'well suited for this important job by reason of his education, philosophy and experience, and I'm confident that he would be one of the outstanding members of the court.' Now, 35 years later, I am convinced Grady's service has proven those words accurate." Jolly and Cochran became close friends at the University of Mississippi, where they both earned their undergraduate and law degrees. Jolly served as Cochran's campaign chairman when he first won the Senate post in 1978. |
| House sends community college, university funding proposals to the Senate | |
| Strike-all amendments were made to two Senate appropriations bills to reflect the House of Representative's stance on state support for public community colleges and universities. During discussion of the bills, Speaker Jason White (R) said the strike-all amendments only reflect totals proposed by the House and are not final. He also added that the appropriations bills sent over by the Senate were not taken up in groups, or en bloc, in an effort to keep the members abreast of how those figures may change as they move through the process. "Our appropriators thought that you, as members, ought to see where the House positions exactly are on the number now, whether we agree with the numbers or not," White said. "Don't be surprised when conference is invited." On the university front, suggested state general support funding proposed by the House for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning came in just shy of $1.7 billion, or about $53 million above the Legislative Budget Request. The House position was added as a strike-all to SB 3053. |
| Law professor: 'I would want to keep as far away from the district attorney's case as possible' | |
| Two former Jackson officials accused of taking bribes tied to a proposed convention center hotel are asking to be tried separately from their alleged co-conspirator, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens. In February, attorneys for former Ward Six Councilman Aaron Banks and former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba filed motions to sever their cases in U.S. District Court. The motions were filed under seal. Mississippi College School of Law Professor Matt Steffey says the motions are likely the right legal move for both men. "If I were the mayor, I would want to keep as far away from the district attorney's case as possible," he said. "The case against the DA has always seemed to be exceptionally strong and very difficult to defend. The case for the mayor, from the outside looking in, is much weaker." Lumumba, Banks, and Owens are each facing multiple counts in connection with the scheme. |
| The Fed Keeps Getting Hit With New Shocks in Its Yearslong Inflation Fight | |
 | It's happening again. For the fifth year running, Federal Reserve officials find themselves expecting inflation to fall back to their 2% goal only to be confronted with another disruption that complicates the path. First it was the pandemic's aftershocks. Then, Russia's war in Ukraine. Last year, a sweeping tariff program. The most recent data suggested inflation progress stalled even before America's war in the Middle East disrupted one of the world's most important shipping routes. The turmoil could send up energy and commodity prices in ways that could further delay reaching the target. Officials meeting this week face a question that would have seemed unlikely a few months ago: It isn't when they will next cut rates, but whether they can credibly keep telling markets to expect a rate cut at all. The war is likely to reinforce the consensus around holding rates steady. The harder question is what officials signal beyond the next few months. |
| Trump orders task force to counter fraud in SNAP, nutrition programs | |
 | President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to establish a task force intended to eliminate fraud in food stamp and federal child nutrition programs, and other federal programs, addressing a GOP talking point after a fraud scheme was uncovered in Minnesota. The order would establish a task force, led by Vice President JD Vance, to coordinate a national strategy to stop fraud, waste and abuse in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition programs. The task force will develop measures to overhaul eligibility verification and controls to operate the funds before they are obligated to prevent improper payments, evaluate fraud indicators and high-risk vulnerabilities, promote information and data sharing, and dismantle fraud networks, among other activities. The administration said several fraud cases in Minnesota justified the need for the task force. |
| Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, has breast cancer, Trump says | |
 | Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff and a longtime confidante of President Donald Trump, has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, the president announced Monday. "She's going to be in great shape. The prognosis there is excellent, beyond excellent," Trump said, sitting next to Wiles, 68, at a news conference. She will continue to work while she receives treatment, he said in an earlier statement. Wiles, a longtime Florida-based political strategist, helped Trump win the state in 2016, a key pickup in his successful bid for the White House that year. After Trump lost the 2020 election and seethed about his diminished political fortunes, Wiles managed his victorious 2024 presidential campaign and has served as his chief of staff since January 2025. Wiles has told colleagues that she plans to remain closely involved in her work while undergoing treatment, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private remarks. She is helping shape the White House political strategy ahead of this year's midterm elections, encouraging officials to focus on affordability and other messages with bipartisan appeal. |
| Trump is losing one battle after another. Cue the posts. | |
 | President Donald Trump is increasingly at the mercy of forces he unleashed but can't control -- so he's taking aim at the umpires. Gas prices surging. Unemployment climbing. War with Iran threatening to engulf his presidency. The fracturing of his political coalition. The collapse of his signature trade-negotiations-by-tariff strategy. Relentless scrutiny of the Epstein files. A public backlash to his agenda that could swamp Republicans in the midterms. Failure after failure to criminalize the conduct of his political adversaries. So it was, in a fit of Sunday night fury that set Washington's armchair psychoanalysts ablaze, that the president channeled his rage at the few functioning checks on his power: the media, independent regulators and -- most pointedly -- the federal judiciary. Trump's Sunday night outburst took on all of them, but it was most notable for how he cast the Supreme Court -- one that has staved off the destruction of his agenda and even his own criminal prosecution -- as "a weaponized, and unjust Political Organization." It was a remarkable attack. Until the Feb. 20 tariff ruling, the Trump administration had been touting its winning streak at the Supreme Court. But to Trump, that's ancient history. |
| Senators unable to detect any Trump exit strategy from Iran war | |
| As President Donald Trump's Iran war enters its third week with the Islamic Republic government still intact, lawmakers from both parties say they have not heard administration officials describe an exit strategy. The commander in chief on Sunday night again contended that the U.S. and Israel have "essentially defeated Iran." But the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for oil tanker ships, remains mostly closed and the Iranian government remains in power. "I think I just say they're decimated," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "I think that we've done damage to them. Right now, if we left right now, it would take them 10 years at war to rebuild. But I'm still not declaring it over." In June 2019, during Trump's first term, a CQ Roll Call reporter asked him as he mulled military action against Iran during his first term: "Do you have an exit strategy for Iran, if war does break out?" The president replied, "You're not going to need an exit strategy. I don't do exit strategies." Fast forward nearly seven years, and Trump 2.0 has boldly gone where Trump 1.0 never did with his air war that, along with Israel's help, killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But he has sounded as vague about how to get out of the conflict as he did seven years ago, frustrating some Democratic lawmakers. Arkansas GOP Sen. John Boozman said administration officials, in conversations and briefings with lawmakers, have "outlined a number of points that they want to achieve." But he did not mention any plans for a possible exit strategy. |
| Top counterterrorism official Kent resigns over Trump's Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat | |
 | Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the Trump administration's war in Iran. Kent said on social media Iran "posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." There was no immediate comment from the White House. Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats. Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA. Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures. |
| Israel says Iran's top security official killed in airstrike in blow to Tehran leadership | |
 | Iran's top security official and the head of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij militia were both killed in overnight strikes in a blow to the country's leadership, Israel's defense minister said Tuesday, while Tehran defiantly fired new salvos of missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel. Both security official Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani were "eliminated last night," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in an airstrike Feb. 28, the first day of the war launched by the United States and Israel, and other top leaders from the Iranian theocracy have been killed since then. The announcement came after the Israeli military had earlier said it had carried out a "wide-scale wave of strikes" across Iran's capital and stepped up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel also reported two incoming salvos before dawn from Iran at Tel Aviv and elsewhere, and said Hezbollah targeted Israel's north. Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, has given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis. |
| Trump Says He Will Have the 'Honor' of 'Taking Cuba' | |
 | President Trump raised the possibility of the United States "taking" Cuba on Monday, telling reporters at the White House, "I do believe I will be having the honor of taking Cuba." "Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it," he said. "They're a very weakened nation right now." The president's words came on the same day as Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout, amid diminishing fuel supplies. On Monday evening, Cuban officials had also planned to announce that the country's Communist government would open itself to foreign investment, including from the United States, Cuba's deputy prime minister, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, told NBC News. It is unclear how widely Cuba intends to open its economy, or how the moves compare with those made a decade ago under President Barack Obama. But the scheduled announcement coincides with a severe humanitarian and energy crisis, with some experts saying the island could run out of fuel within weeks because of a de facto blockade by the Trump administration. As U.S. and Cuban officials negotiate over the future of the Communist-ruled island, the Trump administration is said to be seeking to push President Miguel Díaz-Canel from power. |
| Trump says Newsom's dyslexia should prevent him from being president | |
 | President Trump suggested Monday that California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) dyslexia should prevent the governor, who's widely seen as a 2028 candidate, from being president. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office while talking about voter identification in California, he described Newsom as a "low-IQ person." "Gavin 'Newscum' has admitted that he is a -- that he has learning disabilities," Trump said, using his derisive nickname for the California Democrat. "Honestly, I'm all for people with learning disabilities, but not for my president. I don't want -- I think a president should not have learning disabilities, OK?" "And I know it's highly controversial to say such a horrible thing. The president of the United States, Gavin Newscum, admitted that he has learning disabilities, dyslexia," Trump continued. "Everything about him is dumb." White House spokesperson Davis Ingle defended Trump's remarks. It's not the first time that the president has taken shots at the California governor and his dyslexia, which Newsom was diagnosed with when he was 5 years old. |
| Federal judge halts RFK Jr.'s changes to children's vaccine policies | |
 | A federal judge Monday dealt a major blow to the Trump administration's efforts to overhaul the nation's vaccine policies, including the controversial decision to slash the number of federally recommended vaccinations for children. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy in Boston put a hold on the decisions made by an influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee, ruling that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had improperly replaced the entire committee. The decision was hailed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading health groups that brought the lawsuit, as well as infectious disease experts around the country. The administration plans to appeal the decision. This is a significant victory for public health, evidence-based medicine, the rule of law, and the American people," Richard Hughes, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told reporters after the ruling. |
| Country star Gavin Adcock announces tour stop in Oxford | |
 | Country singer-songwriter Gavin Adcock will headline a performance at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at the University of Mississippi on Friday, Sept. 25. Adcock announced the show on Monday as part of his "The Day I Hang It Up Tour 2026." Supporting acts for the Oxford show include fellow country singer Corey Kent and bluegrass six-piece band The Creekers. Adcock was nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards and opened for Morgan Wallen on select dates of the 2025 "I'm The Problem Tour." Clayton Windham, a sophomore history major from Oxford, Miss., said he is excited for the university to welcome more musical acts to perform on campus. "I've never heard of him," Windham said. "I don't really know who he is, but I'm about to look into it. I'd love to find out more about him." |
| Gulf Coast Business Council, USM launch Executive Leadership Academy | |
| The Gulf Coast Business Council (GCBC), in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), has launched the inaugural Executive Leadership Academy: Executives and Artificial Intelligence on Friday at the USM Gulf Park Campus with 28 participants. The nine-month, executive-level academy is designed for senior leaders responsible for integrating artificial intelligence into their organization's strategy and decision-making. As AI rapidly transforms industries ranging from health care and shipbuilding to finance and government, the academy equips executives with the knowledge and leadership frameworks needed to guide responsible adoption while strengthening regional competitiveness. Executives who complete the academy will develop practical frameworks for evaluating AI opportunities, leading responsible implementation and making strategic decisions about emerging technologies. The program also strengthens collaboration among senior leaders across the Gulf Coast region. |
| Staff report: U. of Tennessee to launch AI Hub late March | |
| The University of Tennessee announced the addition of a new AI Hub set to launch in late March, which will act as a virtual liaison for students to fully utilize the power of artificial intelligence. According to an email sent from the Office of the Provost on Feb. 27, this hub will serve as a platform for students to gain access to full premium versions of large language models. AI models ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity and Claude will be added to the current AI ecosystem. This ecosystem consists of Microsoft Copilot Chat and UT Verse AI Assistant. "Our growing AI ecosystem is designed to support innovation, academic excellence and student success. We are excited about the new AI Hub and look forward to offering more AI tools and learning opportunities to support students, faculty and staff," an email from the Office of the Provost said. All tools will be available to students through their NetID at no cost. |
| Sanders appoints former campaign manager's wife to U. of Arkansas System board | |
| Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Ashley Caldwell, a corporate executive and graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to a 10-year term on the University of Arkansas System board of trustees. Ashley Caldwell's husband, Chris Caldwell, managed Sanders' campaign for governor in 2022 and served as a special advisor to her transition team as governor-elect. Sanders appointed Chris Caldwell to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 2024. A native of Jacksonville, Ark., Ashley Caldwell replaces Kelly Eichler, who completed her term earlier this year after serving as the UA System board's chair the previous two years. Ashley Caldwell is senior director of strategic accounts at Embecta Corporation, a health care company that specializes in diabetes treatment. In the governor's office release, Ashley Caldwell emphasized the role the University of Arkansas has played in her life's trajectory. |
| U. of Arkansas chapter of Turning Point USA announces disaffiliation from national group | |
| The University of Arkansas chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) announced on Monday it is disaffiliating with the national group and rebranding, citing concerns about messaging and the organization's focus. TPUSA is a conservative student organization promoting conservative values and political activism on college campuses across the country. It was founded by Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a speaking event last year. In a three-page statement posted to Instagram on March 16, U of A TPUSA President Dino Fantegrossi explained that he had been with the group for years and has watched it grow over time. "I joined TPUSA the first semester of my freshman year. That was ten semesters ago," Fantegrossi said. "This chapter has meant the world to me, and I am incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished." Fantegrossi said the organization gave him "countless opportunities," but leadership at the campus chapter recently became concerned about the direction of the national group. Fantegrossi said the chapter's executive board reached a unanimous decision to disaffiliate with TPUSA and rebrand to Young American Revival. |
| Florida Sociologists Tried to Save Their Intro Course. Colleagues Say They Censored It. | |
 | Three years ago, amid Republican lawmakers' burgeoning effort to reform higher education, Florida passed a law that bars courses with "unproven, speculative" content from appearing in general-education catalogs at public colleges. That triggered a seismic reshaping of course offerings in which individual campuses, with direction from state officials, culled their lists. Over time, it seemed one discipline was tripping more wires than most: sociology. Last fall, a statewide workgroup of sociologists was asked by public officials to address a glaring problem. According to Dawn C. Carr, one of its members, the scholars were told that none of the existing syllabi and textbooks for an introductory sociology course offered around the state were determined to have passed legal muster. To Carr, a professor of sociology at Florida State University, the calculus became brutally simple: find a fix, or the course could not be taken for general-education credit at Florida's 12 public universities and 28 state colleges. That could mean fewer majors and potentially fewer jobs. "My impression was: This is how I save my field," she told me. The group quickly created a syllabus-like "framework" for the course designed explicitly to follow the law, Senate Bill 266. But as drafts of the framework, textbook, and manual began to circulate, other Florida sociologists raised concerns that they omit or downplay fundamental topics like race, gender, and inequality, and said their imposition amounts to state censorship. They also questioned why Carr would participate in what they see as an attack on their discipline. |
| 5% Cap on Out-of-State Enrollment at Florida Universities Fails | |
 | Florida lawmakers nixed a proposal to limit how out-of-state enrollment at some Florida universities, The Orlando Sentinel reported. The measure in House Bill 1279 would have limited the nonresident undergraduate enrollment at the state's pre-eminent research universities to 5 percent. Out-of-state students made up 15 percent of Florida State University's most recent first-year class and 20 percent at the University of Florida. State law currently caps out-of-state enrollment at 10 percent on average across Florida's 12 public universities, the Sentinel reported. The proposed cap would've been costly for the affected institutions. The Florida House passed the cap earlier this month as part of a broader education bill. The Senate removed the provision before voting to pass the overall legislation. |
| Texas A&M prepping for sesquicentennial celebration | |
| Local government leaders got a sneak peek Monday at plans for Texas A&M University's sesquicentennial celebration. Scott Shafer, a College Station city councilman who is employed in the Office of the President at Texas A&M, gave a presentation on plans for celebrating the university's 150th birthday at the monthly meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. The year-long celebration is branded Texas A&M 150: Here for Good. "So Texas A&M 150 years is a lot easier to say, actually, than sesquicentennial and it's a heck of a lot easier to spell," he joked to start his presentation. "There is a prelude to this which more or less starts with Muster this year. That's April 21 as many of you know. And there may be some of the materials that are associated with Muster that may be 150 branded, if you will. I know for sure that this year, when the Class of 1976 which is going to celebrate their 50th anniversary, they're going to have some branding associated with it, so there'll be a few 150 type mentions along with that." |
| What Will It Take to Address the Pell Shortfall? | |
| Higher education experts and college access advocates are urging Congress to set aside nearly $40 billion in funding for the Pell Grant program this upcoming fiscal year, as the Congressional Budget Office projects the need-based scholarship will face a historic multibillion-dollar shortfall. If annual Pell appropriations remain flat at about $22.5 billion and the deficit is left unaddressed, the program will be short by nearly $17 billion in September 2027, according to the CBO; that number could reach as high as $132 billion by 2036. The Trump administration -- which unsuccessfully sought to cut Pell last year -- could seek to avert the shortfall by slashing the maximum award per student, restricting the eligibility criteria or making other cuts to the Education Department's budget. But any cuts to Pell would be devastating, higher education leaders say. In their view, lawmakers must find a way to not only keep existing funds flat but also to cut and redirect dollars from other areas of the budget to put a total of $39.4 billion toward Pell. "Priority No. 1 is making sure that the program available to the current generation of students continues to be made available to the next at the same levels ... We should not go backwards," said Craig Lindwarm, senior vice president for governmental affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. |
| Meet Nancy, the progressive power broker holding Delbert Hosemann's leash on education | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: On March 4th, on official state letterhead, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann wrote a letter to Nancy Loome soliciting her help in a public relations war with the Mississippi House of Representatives. The two chambers have been at an embarrassing loggerhead over who can deliver the largest teachers' pay raise -- math or market data be damned -- and Hosemann wanted Loome to identify the Senate as the "good boy" in the room for her "members." Loome runs the inaptly named "The Parents Campaign," an advocacy organization that operates as a de facto superintendents' union, one that has positioned itself as the chief opponent of parents having any voice in how their children are educated. Public records request show her at the center of a constellation --- engaging "friendly" media, supplying talking points to superintendents and coordinating lines of attack. With the financial backing of former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, Loome teamed with Barksdale's brother, Claiborne, and former Democratic Secretary of State Dick Molpus to form the organization amid Mississippi's political realignment away from the Democratic Party. In recent years, Loome has pulled down big dollars from the Southern Poverty Law Center, with the ultra-progressive organization announcing $330,000 in grant support for her work in 2024. ... There is a degree of irony in the "Parents Campaign" becoming the most vocal opposition in Mississippi to school choice, one that goes beyond the Orwellian name. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: No. 6 Bulldogs Begin Homestand With Jackson St. | |
| After a week on the road, sixth-ranked Mississippi State returns to Dudy Noble Field for a five-game homestand beginning with Jackson State on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Diamond Dawgs have won 14-straight home games dating back to April 20, 2025, including a 12-0 mark this spring. Tuesday's game against the Tigers will be streamed on SEC Network+. MSU will send freshman left-hander Maddox Miller to the mound for his first-career start. Miller has made six appearances out of the bullpen and sports a 1-2 record with an 8.10 earned run average, 14 strikeouts and only one walk through 6 2/3 innings. JSU has not announced its pitching plans for Tuesday. Mississippi State has won seven-straight against JSU and had dominated the all-time series 57-8. The Bulldogs are 38-2 against the Tigers at home, including a 16-3 victory in seven innings last year. |
| Darius Slay, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, is retiring | |
| Darius Slay is ready to get on with the next chapter of his life. The six-time Pro Bowl cornerback who won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia announced his retirement on Monday, ending a 13-year career in which he became one of the top players at his position in the game. "I've been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5yrs old for an amazing 13yrs at the highest level," Slay wrote on Instagram in a post that included video of the jerseys he's worn throughout his life. "Football was my peace, my joy, my everything." A second-round pick by Detroit in the 2013 draft, Slay played seven seasons with the Lions, making the Pro Bowl every year from 2017-19. A first-team All-Pro in 2017 when his eight interceptions led the league, Slay moved to Philadelphia in 2020, where he earned three more Pro Bowl nods and started for an Eagles defense that won the franchise's second Super Bowl following the 2024 season. |
| Mississippi turkey hunters urged to prioritize safety | |
 | Turkey season is underway in Mississippi, and officials with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service encouraged hunters to stay safe. While in the woods, avoid wearing any clothing or carrying any articles that are red, white or pale blue. When a gobbler is displaying to females, its head takes on these colors. For safety purposes, never have these colors on or around you. Avoid calling too much. On some occasions, turkeys will call often. More commonly, however, birds communicate on and off with fellow flock members in soft tones. Mimic infrequent, softer calling. From a safety perspective, this type of calling will draw less attention to you from nearby hunters who may approach what they believe to be a calling turkey. Lastly, keep still and avoid unnecessary movement that might draw the attention of both wild turkeys and approaching hunters coming to a call. If you see someone approaching you in the woods, speak to this person in normal tones (do not shout) to let that person know you are there. Inexperienced hunters have been known to shoot at a motion or sight they thought was a turkey. It is vital to let someone approaching know immediately that you are there. |
| Why NCAA lawyers in Trinidad Chambliss eligibility case are fighting show cause order | |
 | The lawyers opposing Ole Miss football quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is his eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA don't want to show back up in Judge Robert Whitwell's Pittsboro courtroom. On March 16, the NCAA filed a motion to dismiss Whitwell's show cause order in Lafayette Chancery Court. J Douglas Minor was the one to submit the 14-page motion. The filing ties back to Chambliss' successful preliminary injunction hearing in Whitwell's courtroom on Feb. 12, which the NCAA is appealing. Minor, Taylor Askew and David Zeitlin were ordered to show cause after they left Whitwell's courtroom when Whitwell was in chambers preparing his ruling. They were not present when Whitwell read his lengthy ruling. In the motion, Minor argues that Mississippi law does not authorize the issuance of sanctions against counsel. Under Mississippi law, he wrote, the judicial power authorizes punitive sanctions against an attorney only upon a finding of criminal contempt. He said criminal contempt has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. |
| College football spring football: Notes around the country | |
| Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said he knows what fans expect -- and it's more than his 20-8 record over the past two seasons there. "Ever since I came here, I knew it was always 'must-win' all the time," he said. "We're going to do things the right way. I feel like we took a good step from Year 1 to Year 2 and are looking forward to doing that again this year, but don't get too far ahead of ourselves." DeBoer is hardly the only coach at a blue-blood program who entered this spring shouldering pressure. USC coach Lincoln Riley, who is in his fifth season with the Trojans, is looking for his first College Football Playoff appearance with them. "We were one snap away from it last year, and those are some of the margins that you get into," he said. "We put ourselves in that position. This team excites me a lot." Welcome to spring ball, where everyone is undefeated, optimism is soaring, rosters are finally set and coaches are probably the most amenable to interviews. From the White House to the Big House, there's been no shortage of news, but thankfully -- mercifully -- there's also football practice. |
| ESPN boosts investment in NCAA women's basketball tournament | |
| Caitlin Clark is two years gone from the college game. Angel Reese is well into her WNBA career. But if anyone thought women's basketball's moment was dimming, it's been anything but. As ESPN prepares for the 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament, the network is seeing continued returns on the sport's rapid growth trajectory -- and investing accordingly. What goes into matching that with investment? Let the network explain. "We continue to grow. We continue to expand," Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions, told Sports Business Journal. "But we have to remind ourselves as we're doing it, we're still introducing it to a lot of people. As much as we think that everybody sees it, every time we expand it, it's an opportunity to tell the story of how the game has evolved and who these players are and why this team is so good." ESPN has housed the rights for the NCAA women's basketball tournament since 1996. Yet, for the bulk of those decades, the tournament wasn't trotted out as must-see television. How times have changed. |
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