| Monday, March 30, 2026 |
| MSU-Meridian, Baptist Anderson create student care clinic | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian and Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center are announcing a new collaboration to provide more than 500 university students with direct access to one of the city's primary care clinics for minor illnesses and injuries. "Student overall wellness has been a topic of conversation and now has come to fruition," said Deanna Smith, associate dean of students. "Baptist Anderson Family Medical Center Meridian is helping meet the needs of students with office visits paid for by Mississippi State University." Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Administrator and CEO John G. Anderson said hospital officials are excited about expanding their longstanding relationship with MSU-Meridian to meet immediate student healthcare needs. "We are proud to work with MSU-Meridian to support local students and provide another avenue for them to access quality healthcare," Anderson said. "Primary care is the foundation to well-being and overall health, and this clinic will give students easy access to quick care for such conditions as colds, stomach bugs or sprained ankles." Smith said the partnership enhances student health initiatives already underway at the Meridian campus. |
| MSU Meridian official speaks on Baptist Anderson partnership | |
 | MSU Meridian and Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center announced a new collaboration on Wednesday to provide more than 500 students access to one of Meridian's primary care clinics for minor illnesses and injuries. The clinic is connected to Baptist Anderson's electronic health record system and patient portal. Students will also have access to a reduced rate gym membership and unlimited access to mental health services via Weems Community Mental Health Center. Kelli Wallace with MSU Meridian says it's important to ensure students can stay healthy to maintain academic success. "Our motto at Mississippi State is 'Taking Care of What Matters', and what better way to do than to be able to afford students' health care, but also alleviate the stress that comes with being able to have stress relief in affording that, so we pick up that burden and we take it and we make sure that we allow our students to have any opportunity that they need to be successful in the classroom," said Wallace. |
| 4-H'ers earn first place in prestigious cooking contest | |
 | For Noah Parmer, cooking is something he's enjoyed since he was a child. "It's something I've always done with my mom and my grandmother," he explains. "It's relaxing for me." So, his entering last summer's cooking contest at 4-H Club Congress was no surprise to his family, friends and 4-H agent. Club Congress is an annual event that hosts a variety of contests for members of the Mississippi State University Extension Service youth development organization. But he needed a partner to participate. So, he asked friend and fellow Pontotoc County 4-H member Brooklyn Kilpatrick to join him. "I'm not really a cook, but I like to hang out with Noah, so I told him I would help him," Brooklyn said. Neither of them was thinking about what would happen if they actually won the competition. But the duo brought home first place from Club Congress, which also earned them one of six spots in a prestigious regional cook-off in New Orleans. The main dish featured Mississippi farm-raised catfish and is a well-loved Kilpatrick family recipe. The cheeses they used were sourced from two local dairies -- one of them where both Parmer and Kilpatrick families' dairy cows are milked. Their dishes also included vegetables from several Pontotoc gardens, peaches from a local orchard and honey from the hives at the MSU Extension office. |
| Mississippi's $9.5 billion agriculture sector facing economic pressure as planting season begins | |
 | Mississippi's agriculture sector reported $9.5 billion worth in 2025, a number largely dominated by row crops. "Soybeans is a billion dollars worth of that," said Dr. Will Maples, PhD., an associate professor of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University. "It's by far the biggest row crop commodity we have this past year. We planted a lot of corn acres, $619 million of that as well. And then cotton was $330 million." However, the state's row crop agricultural sector is facing various economic pressures as the planting season begins. Last year, when farmers across the country and Mississippi faced tighter margins caused by the Trump administration's broad tariff policy, many pulled back acreage for bean crops because of the trade wars born from the situation. Mississippi exports most of its soybeans to China, which is also a major competitor in the trade war. "That has definitely had a negative impact on the soybean market," said Maples. "Producers have been struggling with prices and because our exports to China had been down 80-something percent on soybeans due to the kind of the tariff and trade war." While Maples expects farmers in the state to plant more soybeans this year to balance out last year's high corn output, input costs haven't helped either. |
| Wings Over Meridian takes flight at NAS Meridian | |
| Fans of aviation flocked to NAS Meridian to see some of the finest flyers and fighters in the air today, including demonstrations from the United States Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team, U.S. Army Golden Knights, and the United States Navy's Blue Angels. "I just have to say, it's been so fun seeing all of these aircraft and how we've been learning about them. Like, I'm getting to see what I've been learning in class, learning about how the ailerons, the airplane, what roll, pitch, and yaw actually look like, what shockwaves look like, so it's been really awesome to see that," said said Sloan Berry, an Aerospace Engineering major from Mississippi State University. "I really love going to air shows, this is probably my fourth one. It's really exciting getting to see the different types of aircraft and their performance capabilities, since that's what air shows primarily highlight, with the aerobatics of the slower ones, and then the jets of course, always a favorite," said Allison White, an Aerospace Engineering Masters Student from Mississippi State University. |
| Black Prairie museum wants story of blues heard clearer | |
 | From the outside, it doesn't seem that special. Walking along Commerce Street in downtown West Point, the Black Prairie Blues Museum looks like any other historic building on the road. But after passing through the building's front door, a traveler might find themselves in the midst of a soulful gospel performance or listening to the deep bass lines and sorrowful harmonica notes of a blues song. Deborah Mansfield, museum director, said that's by design, and the monthly performances are just one of the ways the museum honors the rich blues history of the area beyond displays and exhibits. Now with an extra $50,000 on hand from a T-Mobile Hometown Grant, that story can be heard clearer. The museum was awarded the grant to fund new sound equipment and artifact storage, a Thursday press release said. Mansfield said while the grant is a great boost, the museum still needs about $2 million to fully fund repairs and expansion efforts to get the museum closer to its initial design from eight years ago. |
| Thunderstorms, rain expected in Mississippi this week | |
 | Mississippi has seen warmer than average temperatures recently and that trend is expected to continue, but showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast and storms may become strong over the weekend. According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, chances of showers and thunderstorms will move into the Jackson and Hattiesburg areas Monday afternoon, March 30. In Oxford, chances of rain will begin on Tuesday, March 31, and in Starkville, chances of thunderstorms will begin Monday afternoon, March 30. In extreme North Mississippi, Southaven is forecast to see storms beginning Tuesday night and in Corinth, Tuesday afternoon. To the south, Biloxi should experience showers and storms beginning Monday. While the rain is much needed as almost the entire state is in a drought, rainfall totals are not expected to offset low precipitation in the state so far this year. Chances of storms and showers are expected to last throughout the week and continue into the weekend, but Saturday, April 4, into Sunday, April 5, there are chances of stronger thunderstorms developing. |
| Lawmakers pass much of a $7.4B budget Sunday night, plan to end 2026 session this week | |
 | Lawmakers on Sunday evening finalized the bulk of the state's $7.36 billion budget for the next fiscal year to fund state agencies and signaled they will conclude their 2026 session by the end of the week. Legislators still have to pass final budgets on Monday for roughly eight state agencies, but they are on track to spend roughly $225 million more on state services than the current year, or about a 3% increase. House and Senate leaders told reporters that state spending is growing this year primarily because they're giving teachers a $2,000 pay raise and pumping more money into the state's Medicaid program. Senate Appropriations Chairman Briggs Hopson, a Republican from Vicksburg, said lawmakers had very little wiggle room left for other large spending items once an increase in Medicaid and education spending was factored into the overall budget. But Sen. Hob Bryan, a Democrat from Amory, said state money is spread thin over the needs of state agencies largely because of recent tax cuts and the ongoing phase-out of the state income tax passed last year. "It's very obvious this budget is the first splash of water from what could be a Category 5 hurricane," Bryan said. "These are self-inflicted structural deficiencies." |
| Lawmakers agree on PERS Tier 5 changes | |
| Lawmakers agreed on a conference report Sunday that changes the service requirement from 35 years to 30 years under the new Tier 5 in Mississippi's state employee retirement system. Tier 5 was passed during the 2025 session and became effective on March 1 of this year. The move was made to help the state address PERS' $26 billion unfunded liability. It has since drawn critics over the past year, particularly from the law enforcement community. Under the conference report on HB 4073, lawmakers also agreed to change how the retirement amount is calculated. Tier 5 will return to using an employee's highest four years of salary instead of the highest eight years as adopted last year. Additionally, retirees will be able to return to state employment after a 30 day hiatus. This provision is intended to fill gaps in agencies as well as at the school district level struggling to fill vacant teaching positions. State Senator Daniel Sparks (R) told the Senate that the measure is employer-friendly. State Rep. Trey Lamar (R) told the House the provision applies to nearly all state employees but does not apply to certain positions such as school superintendents. Senator Sparks said the first responder community was receptive to the bill's hire-back section. |
| Lawmakers strike deal on lower, $2,000 teacher pay raise. Educators say they 'desperately need' more | |
| Legislative negotiators on Friday said they have agreed, after months of back-and-forth and considering larger amounts, that Mississippi teachers will get a $2,000 pay raise. It's an anticlimactic result to a teacher pay raise debate that, at one point weeks ago, saw dueling offers from the Senate and House that reached $6,000. The state's educators, the lowest paid on average in the country, who have helped rocket Mississippi students to academic achievement that's been nationally recognized say they're disappointed. "We're certainly grateful for any type of raise, but everyone involved in this process knows this does not meet the standard of what educators both have earned and desperately need," said Jason Reid, a longtime teacher in the DeSoto County School District. Reid drives a school bus before and after work to supplement his income. The teacher pay debate has been a top issue of the 2026 legislative session. The Senate and the House passed their respective plans early in the year --- first $2,000 from the Senate, with a promise of trying to raise the number later in the process, and $5,000 from the House. But as the weeks wound on, both chambers proceeded to kill each other's bills. |
| State funding for Mississippi Medicaid tops $1 billion | |
| Mississippi lawmakers have approved the conference report for the state's Medicaid appropriation, with state funding for the social welfare healthcare program. The total budget for the Mississippi Division of Medicaid came in at $8.5 billion, of which $1.026 billion will be in state funding, according to State Rep. Clay Deweese (R). The appropriation was approved as part of the passage of the conference report for HB 1912. Deweese told the House on Sunday that the funding reflects an increase of state funding of just over $200 million above the Fiscal Year 2025 recommended funding level and over $165 million above the Fiscal Year 2026 estimated funding. The 16% increase came in below the Division of Medicaid's requested increase of $390 million. Notably, the division told lawmakers in hearings this session that enrollment in Medicaid is down, reportedly at the lowest level in nearly a decade. The agency's January report to the Legislative Budget Office showed 644,869 Medicaid recipients on the rolls in Mississippi, down 11,917 from the prior year. Of the agreed upon increase this session, $100 million is set aside for the operational fund and $1.6 million is intended for vacancy funding. Another $100 million is directed to capital expenses, Deweese described. |
| Birthright Citizenship Case Pushes Trump's Relationship With Supreme Court to Brink | |
 | President Trump's relationship with the Supreme Court has never been more toxic. Now, it risks getting worse. After the court's rejection of Trump's tariffs provoked a new level of hostility from the president, the justices are set to consider a pillar of his immigration crackdown: limiting U.S. citizenship. Trump seems to be bracing for defeat. The case, which will be argued Wednesday, tests Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship for the children of unlawful immigrants and temporary visitors. He has gotten trounced in the lower courts, and several conservative Supreme Court justices have already hinted, through little-noticed cues, that they may be skeptical, too. A ruling against the president would further undercut Trump's stated desire for a court that rubber-stamps his agenda. In the six weeks since the tariff decision, he has repeatedly disparaged the patriotism and loyalty of the justices who ruled against him. Amid Trump's attacks, his solicitor general, D. John Sauer, will stand before the justices and endorse a once-fringe theory about citizenship that even some hard-line conservative scholars rejected. He will ask the court to upend the longstanding notion that virtually anyone born on American soil is a citizen. "I think President Trump believes that he wins politically no matter what the Supreme Court does," said César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University. "If he loses at the Supreme Court, he can point to the justices as the bad guys." |
| U.S. allows Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba, breaking Trump's effective blockade | |
 | As a Russian tanker loaded with crude oil neared Cuba, President Donald Trump said late Sunday he would not enforce his effective blockade against fuel supplies to the island. "If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem, whether it's Russia ... and if other countries want to do it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home. "It's not going to have an impact," Trump said. "Cuba's finished ... whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter." The approach of the Russian-owned tanker Anatoly Kolodkin over the weekend set up a test of the Trump administration's will to block fuel for Cuba -- and how far the Kremlin is willing to go to help its longtime ally 90 miles from U.S. territory. The ship was in Cuba by Monday morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Peskov said the delivery was "raised well in advance ... with our American counterparts." Trump has said he expects Cuba's communist government to fall under U.S. economic strangulation rather than military action in a matter of weeks. He has said he will devote his attention to achieving that goal as soon as he finishes the war in Iran. |
| Once again, many farmers won't make money this year. Blame the war and tariffs. | |
| Chris Gibbs already knows he's going to be in the red this year. Again. He owns 560 acres in Maplewood, Ohio. He farms mostly soybeans and corn, which get turned into vegetable oil, livestock feed, and corn syrup. He also grows a bit of wheat and has a few dozen cattle. In the driveway, he's got a semi-truck holding a thousand bushels of corn, ready to go to Dayton, Ohio, tomorrow to get turned into syrup. A lot of his costs have gone up this year. Since the war in the Middle East started, the price of diesel is up more than 30%. Fertilizer has also gotten more expensive. He says prior to the war, he paid $665 per ton for urea. By March, it was $852 per ton. Gibbs uses a lot of both, especially as he enters planting season. And while his costs are up, his sale price is down. Because of import taxes, countries aren't buying U.S. crops like they used to. He's also got corn leftover from last year. And he's got to take whatever price his buyer offers, just like every other farmer. |
| Trump Offers More Aid to Farmers, a Key Support Bloc Hurt by Tariffs and War | |
 | With a giant, golden tractor parked in the White House driveway, President Trump on Friday cast himself as a champion of the American farmer, promising to bolster small-business loan guarantees for an industry hit hard by his tariffs and rising prices from the war in Iran. Mr. Trump announced the measure during an event at the White House where, speaking before hundreds of farmers from across the country, he declared that the expansion would drive down grocery costs. Mr. Trump also said he was urging major tractor companies, such as John Deere and Caterpillar, to "produce a bigger, better tractor at substantially less money." And he vowed that his administration would be "cutting out massive amounts of nonsense that are mandated to be put on your tractors and all of your trucks that cost you a fortune." "From Minnesota to Mississippi, we're lifting up our hard-working farmers and ranchers and growers, and we're putting more money in American pockets," Mr. Trump said. "We're going to prove that the golden age of American agriculture is right here and right now." The remarks come as American farmers find themselves once again in the cross hairs of Mr. Trump's most consequential policies. |
| Jerusalem heads into a subdued Passover and Easter under the shadow of the Iran war | |
 | Jerusalem's major holy sites are shuttered and families are dejected and exhausted ahead of Passover and Easter as the Iran war enters its fifth week. The mood stands in stark contrast to a usual spring, when longer days herald a period of family gatherings and an influx of tourists for the major Jewish and Christian holidays. Metal shutters are drawn on nearly all stores in the Old City, home to key holy sites, and only scattered footsteps echo on deserted stone alleyways. Vast plazas are missing the typical throngs of faithful and tourists. Jerusalem has largely escaped past wars, with Israel's enemies appearing to be hesitant to launch missiles near the city's Muslim holy sites. But since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Jerusalem has repeatedly come under fire. Earlier this month, an intercepted Iranian missile sprayed shrapnel on the rooftop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, just steps from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the most important sites in Christianity. The Latin Patriarchate canceled the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem, complying with Israeli military guidelines that limited gatherings to under 50 people. The traditional Palm Sunday procession normally sees tens of thousands of Christians from around the world walk from the Mount of Olives down the narrow, hilly streets toward the Old City, waving palm fronds and singing. |
| Apple at 50: How a garage startup became a $3.5-trillion titan | |
 | Fifty years ago, Steve Wozniak knew he built a great personal computer, but the young engineer couldn't convince his employer, Hewlett-Packard, to buy into the big idea. "Five times they turned me down for the personal computer. I wanted Hewlett-Packard to do it. I loved my company, but now Steve Jobs and I had to go into business," Wozniak told The Times. Wozniak and Jobs, both in their 20s, co-founded Apple with Ron Wayne on April 1, 1976. Back then, personal computers were very expensive and rare. Apple would go on to revolutionize the tech industry, creating innovative, intuitive and beautiful gadgets billions of people would buy again and again. Apple, now one of the world's most valuable and powerful companies, turns 50 this week. From its humble beginnings when the founders worked out of Jobs' family garage, Apple has ballooned over the last five decades, opening a sprawling ring-shaped headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., and employing roughly 166,000 workers. "Every company claims to strive for excellence. It's just a trope. But, man, you go inside Apple and talk to these people, and it's almost a mania. It's intense to work at Apple. A lot is expected of you," said David Pogue, a journalist and author of "Apple: The First 50 Years." |
| The W launches exclusive three-course dining series | |
| The Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women is launching a new luncheon series titled, "Savor The W," a three-part dining experience debuting this April. Designed to highlight fresh flavors, great company and the rising talent of future chefs, the series showcases the mastery and leadership of senior students as they transition from the classroom to professional practice. "This luncheon series showcases the remarkable talent and leadership emerging from our senior culinary students," said Tracee Watkins, director of the Culinary Arts Institute at The W. "Every menu reflects the students' ideas, hard work and creativity, giving guests a unique opportunity to watch those concepts come to life. Fresh ingredients, great company and student leadership come together to create a dining experience that is polished and genuinely fun." Under the expert guidance of CAI faculty and consulting chef John Fitzgerald, Chef de Cuisine, Restaurant Tyler, students have conceptualized and will execute every element of the series – from themed menu development to final plate presentation. |
| Debate, roundtable discussion on housing | |
| A service-learning team from the University of Mississippi, in partnership with community members from Oxford and Lafayette County, invites anyone interested in collaborative problem solving to register their attendance for a debate and roundtable discussion on housing on the evening of April 7. Unlike traditional debates that focus on winning, persuading or attacking opposing viewpoints, this event will ask participants to think together and listen to each other's ideas with open minds. The debate and roundtable discussion will take place during the ninth annual National Week of Conversation, at Oxford-University United Methodist Church. The evening will center on the following resolution: Resolved: The partnership between Lafayette County, the city of Oxford, and the University of Mississippi deserves a good grade (A or B) for how it has addressed housing challenges while balancing the interests of students, employees, residents, visitors and developers. |
| USM professor to study Fort Rosalie in Natchez | |
 | A University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Humanities faculty member and a former colleague will conduct a special history study of Natchez and the Fort Rosalie military garrison. Thanks to a $120,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Interior's National Park Service (NPS), the study will look at the city and the fort's intersection with native peoples and enslaved Blacks. Dr. Max Grivno, associate professor of history in the School of the Humanities, and Dr. John Winters, will assemble an interdisciplinary team of scholars to complete the project in the coming years. Grivno has worked previously with NPS, including from 2019-22 as co-principal investigator on the study of the Forks of the Road slave market in Natchez. Fort Rosalie was the military garrison constructed by the French in the early 1700s and maintained by the British, the Spanish, and Americans into the early 1800s. It was the scene of the 1729 Natchez Revolt by the Natchez tribe and was a center for the economic and social life of the community for the better part of a century. |
| William Carey University rebuilds plaza destroyed in 2017 tornado | |
 | William Carey University (WCU) has put the finishing touches on recovery efforts after the January 2017 tornado by rebuilding a plaza destroyed in that storm. A rededication ceremony was held Friday afternoon for the new Mississippi Woman's College Heritage Plaza. It was first built in 2007, but was destroyed when the EF-3 tornado hit the campus nine years ago. The new plaza includes a couple of historical markers from the original plaza, but also has several new features. "This whole area is the last thing that we felt we really needed to not just do to preserve the history, but also provide a place for our students," WCU President Ben Burnett said. Heritage Plaza honors those associated with WCU, when it was known as Mississippi Woman's College, from 1911 to 1954. "That's important for us, especially now, when Women's History Month in the nation, for us to recognize our roots as a women's institution for all of those years, before we became William Carey College and then, of course, William Carey University," Burnett said. |
| Could A New Bill Change Tenure For Alabama Professors? | |
| When the Alabama Legislature returns to work Tuesday after taking a week for spring break, lawmakers will have six days to act on the state's two budgets and a lot of other significant legislation. Among the bills awaiting in the house is one that would directly impact the University of Alabama and other higher education institutions - a redefinition of tenure for professors and the authority of faculty senates. Tenure is an indefinite, often lifelong, appointment achieved after a probationary period. It makes firing difficult and protects professors from firing due to unpopular or controversial teaching or research. It does not protect a professor from discipline due to breaking the law or violating university policy. They can be fired "for cause". Proponents of tenure see it as a form of job security, protecting against retaliation. Opponents regard tenure as a way to protect unproductive professors. They also claim it can cause limitations on hiring educators with new ideas because tenured professors remain at schools for long periods. At UA all full-time, regular faculty members are subject to annual evaluations. |
| A college degree in 3 years? Here's how it will work in Louisiana | |
 | Louisiana last week became the latest state to join a burgeoning trend in higher education: the three-year bachelor's degree. The credential, shortened to "AccB," is more than an associate degree, yet it requires 30 fewer hours in the classroom than a traditional bachelor's degree. It has been described by the state's higher education leaders as "efficient," "lean" and "responsive" to industry as well as the evolving expectations placed on colleges and universities. "Students can get to work a year faster," said Liz Beard, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at LSU at Alexandria, where Louisiana's first two degrees in the accelerated model will be offered. "That's a cost saving. That's being respectful of our students and our graduates' time and the commitment it takes to be a full-time student." The Louisiana Board of Regents approved Tuesday the addition of the stripped-down bachelor's to its list of degrees. It is part of ongoing conversations between lawmakers, universities and the Regents about how to make higher education more aligned with labor market demand and guarantee students jobs -- and strong wages -- after graduation. |
| Georgia Senate cuts $110M from public college funding in $38.5B budget | |
| The Georgia Senate approved its version of the $38.5 billion fiscal year 2027 budget Friday, sending it to the state House for negotiations over the disagreements. The House started the budget process, passing its version earlier this month. Among the big differences: the Senate reduced the House's increase in funding for the state's public colleges and universities by just over $110 million, increased the amount for private K-12 school vouchers by $31 million and added $100 million to the state employee pension system. "I think this is one of the most important lines in the budget," Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told senators before Friday's unanimous vote for passage. Pensions have been eroded by decades of inflation as increases have failed to keep pace, he said. The extra money is intended to trigger regular annual cost of living increases. Higher education funding could be a sticking point. Tillery said he had heard complaints about the Senate cutting the University System of Georgia's budget. But he pointed out that the system budget would still rise under the Senate's proposal, from $3.6 billion in state funding this year to $3.76 billion next year. It just would not rise as much as the House proposed. |
| Kentucky Lawmakers Want to Make It Easier to Lay Off Faculty | |
 | Kentucky public college and university boards would be able to lay off faculty -- regardless of tenure -- for low enrollment in a major or, more broadly, "misalignment of revenue and costs," under legislation that has almost passed the General Assembly. And these terminations could happen fast: The legislation only requires 30 days' notice to the professor so they can defend their job to board members. The House had passed the legislation in mid-February, but the Senate took no action on House Bill 490 until Tuesday of last week, when Republican leaders suddenly hit the gas on the bill. They repeatedly removed it from and sent it back to the Senate Education Committee, giving it the required official readings on the full Senate floor early to allow it to pass quickly whenever it escaped the committee. Then, on Thursday, the committee brought out the bill, heard brief comments for and against it, and passed it -- all in roughly 15 minutes. During the meeting, two faculty public commenters opposed the bill, saying public higher ed isn't a business. Republican representative Gex Williams told them, "If it's not a business then maybe, respectfully, you could take some pay cuts or volunteer your time. It is a business." |
| Mizzou alum bridges the gap between medicine and communications | |
 | Mizzou alumna Eve McDavid is partnering with students at the University of Missouri who are providing research support and social media strategies to promote modern medical treatment options for women diagnosed with cervical cancer. In 2022, McDavid launched Mission-Driven Tech, which specializes in developing modern brachytherapy medical device that a delivers a high dose boost of radiation directly to the tumor. McDavid received her bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications from Mizzou in 2008 and went on to work for Google for 11 years, focusing in commercializing YouTube. In her last role with the company, McDavid ran YouTube's public sector business, looking at ways that Google intersected with the U.S. government. Through this project, McDavid also conducted research with public health initiatives with the CDC and state health departments. "Through that arc, I was able to better understand how the role of technology development and deployment actually impacts individual humans in a day to day capacity, and what our society and systems look like," said McDavid. |
| How a Civics School With a Conservative Bent Divided Its Supporters | |
| The syllabus for SCLL 230-001, also known as "Men and Women," describes requirements different from the typical college course. Students in the class, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, must go on a date, plan their own weddings and organize a ball (a group project). Guest speakers last fall included Chloe Cole, an activist against gender treatment for minors; Dr. William B. Hurlbut, a former White House bioethics adviser who warned about the dangers of premarital sex; and several married couples, one with a baby who was passed around to students. The class reading list includes ideas from both the right and left, and the course is billed as a chance to openly debate issues affecting the genders in the age of a "masculinity crisis in the modern West." But some students who took the class said it tilted toward promoting traditional gender roles in dating, marriage and family life. The class is among the offerings at the U.N.C. School of Civic Life and Leadership, one of more than 40 academic programs that have sprung up across the country as part of a movement among conservatives to combat what they see as excessive leftism on college campuses. While the centers vary in curriculum, they emphasize Western thought, America's founders and civil discourse. At U.N.C., some conservative faculty members say the program has been hypocritical. |
| The spring break battle over Florida's tourism image | |
 | Florida's vital tourism industry has outgrown its rowdy spring break image amid an increase of post-pandemic visitors who just want to relax without nearby all-night ragers. Now, the state is fighting to avoid images of unruly crowds that frequently go viral. Rather than tolerate the large beach gatherings, traffic concerns and underage drinking in hopes of jolting March hotel occupancy rates, more Florida beach localities are cracking down hard. And amid a rebound in tourism post-Covid, the Sunshine State's out-of-town economic engine relies on the fun sun-and-sand image that Florida officials are feverishly working to maintain -- particularly amid the youthful throngs of spring. "Spring break is not something we wanted," Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said. "It's something that we just have to endure." Other beach cities have questioned their own relationship with spring break after combating social media promoters who advertise "takeover events," or unsanctioned beach parties frequently featuring alcohol and fights. |
| Diversity Officers Gather to Grieve and Rally | |
| Diversity and leadership consultant Maurice A. Stinnett looked out at a room of 800 diversity, equity and inclusion officers last Thursday and made a hard ask. "Who is responsible for being courageous in the face of adversity, even at the risk of job loss?" he called out. "You and me," the crowd shouted back. "Who's responsible for encouraging themselves and saying that I'm still going to carry on and do this work?" "You and me." The impassioned speech kicked off the second day of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education conference, where diversity officers came together in Philadelphia to grieve and gather steam after a tumultuous year of rebranding and cuts to DEI offices, programs and jobs. The mood at the event oscillated between mourning and celebration. Some sessions spoke directly to the unique political challenges of the moment, including talks on academic freedom and the "hollowing" of DEI infrastructure and its impact on students of color. Others offered a sense of normalcy, focusing on topics like best practices for campus climate surveys and techniques to support multilingual learners. And some activities aimed to deliver some plain old fun after a long year, including a musical performance by Philadelphia's Mummers and a dance party on Thursday. |
| Biden's Save student loan plan is dead. Borrowers will have to quickly pivot. | |
| The Trump administration is giving student loan borrowers enrolled in a Biden-era repayment plan an ultimatum: switch to another federal plan or automatically be placed in the most expensive one. There are more than 7 million people in the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, commonly known as Save, which offers lower monthly payments and a faster path to loan forgiveness than other income-driven repayment plans. Nearly half of those borrowers have incomes that are low enough to qualify for zero-dollar monthly payments. If they fail to act, their loans will be moved to the standard plan with fixed payments over 10 years, which could lead to whopping increases in their monthly bills. On Friday, the Education Department will begin emailing Save borrowers to encourage them to apply to a different repayment plan. The message will be followed up in July by notices from loan servicers giving borrowers 90 days to switch plans or automatically be placed in the standard plan, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Communications from servicers will arrive in waves to stagger the deadline for borrowers to exit the plan, the people said. |
| Sources: White House to propose 20 percent cut to NIH funding | |
 | The White House is expected to ask Congress to cut National Institutes of Health spending by 20 percent in the president's fiscal 2027 budget request, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the planning. The budget request, slated for release next week, reflects President Donald Trump's policy priorities and acts as a guide to lawmakers as they draft appropriations bills for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Cuts of that size would be a step down from the 40 percent reductions the Trump White House proposed last year, but would still represent a massive blow to the biomedical research agency, and one that would get major push back from lawmakers of both parties. The NIH received $48.7 billion in fiscal 2026, a $415 million increase over the previously enacted level. The Trump administration last year proposed $29.3 billion for fiscal 2026. The sources, all in the medical research industry, said that the administration will once again propose consolidating some of the agency's operations, though whether that would mirror proposals from last year isn't clear. The ask may be surprising to lawmakers who summarily rejected the requested cuts last year. The White House disputed the information provided by these sources. |
| Christian militancy common to Hegseth and Sam Bowers | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: What does the holy-warrior culture Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is cultivating in our military have in common with the holy-militant culture Imperial Wizard Sam Bowers cultivated in his White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan? I fell into this question after reading Hegseth's latest militant prayer and then about the trove of Klan artifacts uncovered at the Mississippi Department of Public Safety as it prepared to relocate. Among the items recovered were a Klan charter and a March 1, 1964, Bowers lecture. (See all items at Jackson Jambalaya.) ... Both Bowers and Hegseth invoke militant Christianity in their cultures. The Klan blended patriotic fervor with Christianity to justify cross burnings and violence. Hegseth blends warrior imagery and divine providence to justify warfighting. For example, a DOD video shows Hegseth reciting the Lord's Prayer, segues into a voiceover as images of jets, missiles, tanks, parachuters, and the American flag roll across the screen, and ends with Hegseth saluting along with the president and vice president. |
| Primary turnout gives Mississippi Democrats a glimmer of hope for general election | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Based on the recent party primary elections results for the United States Senate seat, even Mississippi Democrats see a glimmer of hope for the November general election. Granted, it is only a glimmer. Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith remains a heavy favorite in Mississippi to win reelection this November and continue the GOP dominance in the state. But across the nation, Democrats are licking their lips, believing based on turnout in party primaries and special elections, that they have an excellent chance to capture a majority of the U.S. House seats and a reasonable opportunity to win a majority in the Senate. Time will tell, but multiple results across the nation have bolstered Democrats' hopes as President Donald Trump remains unpopular. The belief is that strong performances in current party primary elections and special elections will bode well for the Democrats nationwide in the November midterm election, when one-third of the U.S. Senate seats and all of the 435 U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: No. 6 Bulldogs Complete Sweep At No. 18 Ole Miss | |
| No. 6 Mississippi State capped a dominant weekend in Oxford with a 7-1 victory over No. 18 Ole Miss on Sunday, completing a series sweep and continuing its recent mastery in the rivalry. The Diamond Dawgs (24-4, 7-2 SEC) struck early and never let up, using power at the plate and a deep pitching effort to finish off the Rebels at Swayze Field. MSU wasted little time setting the tone in the first inning when Aidan Teel doubled and Ace Reese followed with a two-run homer to right, giving the Bulldogs a quick 2-0 lead. Ole Miss answered with a run in the bottom half, but it would be the only damage State allowed all afternoon. From there, Mississippi State's pitching staff took control. Duke Stone (5-0) worked 5 2/3 innings, scattering four hits while navigating seven walks and striking out eight to hold the Rebels to a single run. Ben Davis and Dane Burns combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, limiting Ole Miss to just three hits the rest of the way. |
| Mississippi State silences Ole Miss bats again as Bulldogs complete sweep | |
| As was the case Saturday, Ole Miss gave itself plenty of chances. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Sunday yielded the same results as the previous day. Ole Miss stranded the bases loaded four times Sunday afternoon as No. 6 Mississippi State finished off its three-game sweep of the Rebels at Swayze Field with a 7-1 victory. It's Ole Miss' (19-10, 3-6 SEC) fourth loss in a row. The Rebels left 14 runners on base in Sunday's finale. Ole Miss batters struck out 39 times over the three games and went 6 for 27 with runners in scoring position in the series. Mississippi State's (23-4, 6-2 SEC) Duke Stone surrendered one earned run over 5 2/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts and seven walks. "These are the moments where you find out who you are as a club and as a team and where you see the leadership," Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. "And that's on everybody, that's not just the players, that's on the coaches and everybody that's in that dugout. ... Like I told them, you should be miserable. This is embarrassing and not acceptable. But you're going to have to get over yourself and be ready to play baseball again." |
| Mississippi State sweep of Ole Miss has crazy stat, emerging star, best SEC start in 23 years | |
| Brian O'Connor joined a growing list of first-year Mississippi State baseball coaches to have success against Ole Miss. The No. 4 Bulldogs (24-4, 7-2 SEC) swept the No. 18 Rebels (19-10, 3-6) at Swayze Field. O'Connor is the third consecutive first-year MSU coach to sweep the Rebels, joining Chris Lemonis (2019) and Andy Cannizaro (2017). The Bulldogs won 5-4 on March 27 in a ninth-inning rally, then 6-1 on March 28 and 7-1 on March 29. It extended MSU's winning streak to eight games before a midweek game against Grambling (9-16) on March 31 (6 p.m., SEC Network+) and a three-game home series against Georgia April 2-4. The 7-2 SEC start is also the program's best since 2003. "What I take away from it is that we're consistent," O'Connor said. "You see what you're going to get out of us, and that's shown in most of every game. These young men come ready to play every day. That said, we can't get too far out ahead of ourselves. We've played three SEC series, and we played pretty darn well. The meat of our schedule is moving forward." |
| Softball: Goold Blanks No. 23 South Carolina To Even Series | |
| No. 12 Mississippi State evened the series with No. 23 South Carolina by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 2-0 victory. Peja Goold started in the circle for the Bulldogs (31-7, 3-5 SEC), spinning a two-hit shutout while striking out nine batters. Goold has thrown nine complete games this season with seven shutouts. "I mean, we've got one of the best pitching staffs in the country, and it's shown," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "That just really makes our job to make the routine plays behind him and find a way to get some timely hits in for them. I just love the competitiveness and the fire that they have out there. We just know that we've got a really good chance to win when our staff is on the mound. I love that [Goold] kept us in there and answered right back anytime they had a base runner on. It is going to take a whole team effort tomorrow for Game 3 of a series here." The series finale is set for 6 p.m. CT on Monday night on SEC Network. |
| Mississippi State football holding spring scrimmage on April 11 | |
| Football season will be back before you know it, and to give fans a teaser of the work being done in Starkville, Mississippi State will be holding a free spring scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium. Head coach Jeff Lebby and the Bulldogs will take the field at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, to showcase their early preparations for the 2026-27 campaign. The scrimmage will feature extended live action with the team competing in a full-squad setting. A traditional game format will not be used as no score will be kept and teams will not be split. The scrimmage will not be televised. Following the scrimmage, which will run 100-plus plays, fans will have the opportunity to interact with Mississippi State players, including photo and autograph opportunities, at a post-scrimmage fan event. "We are excited to welcome our fans back to Davis Wade Stadium this spring and give them an early look at our team," Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon said. "This is a great opportunity for our Bulldog Family to connect with our student-athletes, experience our program up close, and be part of a full day of competition across our campus." |
| Bulldogs showcase skills for NFL scouts at MSU pro day | |
| Mississippi State football played host to several professional scouts on Friday to showcase rising prospects from the 2025 team. 24 National Football League and two Canadian Football League franchises sent scouts to Starkville to evaluate draft-eligible Bulldogs. Brenen Thompson, one of the more likely MSU players to hear their name called in Pittsburgh next month, turned heads with his blazing speed as a receiver and a return specialist. Thompson made a name for himself at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, running a 4.26 40-yard dash time, going down as the second fastest in combine history behind Kansas City Chiefs wideout Xavier Worthy. Thompson hit a top speed of 23.95 miles per hour in his 40 run, faster than Worthy, and still came away a bit disappointed with his time. "I think for me, I was a little disappointed," he said. "All my times in training were faster than that, those training with me know that, so I think that was fast in a lot of people's eyes, but for me, just another day in the office." |
| Mississippi Supreme Court panel rejects NCAA appeal, boosting Trinidad Chambliss' Ole Miss hopes | |
| A three-judge panel of the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA's appeal on Friday, increasing the chances Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will play next season. It's not the final decision of the state's Supreme Court, and the NCAA could file a motion for another hearing. "The NCAA is disappointed in today's decision but will continue to defend the Association's eligibility rules against repeated attempts to rob future generations of the opportunity to compete in college and experience the life-changing opportunities only college sports can create," the organization said in a statement. "The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and inconsistent, conflicting court decisions make partnering with Congress essential to provide stability for current and future college athletes." This was the latest court victory for Chambliss. A Mississippi judge granted a preliminary injunction Feb. 12 against the NCAA to pave the way for Chambliss to play. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
