| Friday, September 18, 2026 |
| Cantwell, Wicker, Hickenlooper & Hyde-Smith Introduce Bill to Codify NOAA's Cooperative Institutes | |
 | U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a senior member of the Commerce Committee, John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) have introduced the bipartisan Cooperative Institute Act of 2026 to codify the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) long-standing Cooperative Institute (CI) program in statute, ensuring the agency maintains its nationwide network of academic research partnerships. "For coastal states like Mississippi, maritime research is crucial to our economy and security. The findings support our fisheries and mitigate the devastating impacts of perilous hurricanes," said Sen. Wicker. "This legislation would bolster partnerships between NOAA and outstanding academic institutions, such as Mississippi State and the University of Southern Mississippi. Their collaboration has borne great fruit for the Magnolia State and beyond." "The Cooperative Institute Act will create greater certainty for NOAA and the wonderful universities, like Mississippi State and Southern Miss, in understanding, protecting, and harnessing our natural resources," said Sen. Hyde-Smith. |
| Hyde-Smith, Colleagues Promote Bill to Codify NOAA Cooperative Research Program Involving Mississippi Schools | |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Thursday joined colleagues in promoting bipartisan legislation they introduced to ensure the future of a long-standing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program that involves Mississippi universities in academic research partnerships. Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the Cooperative Institute Act of 2026 (S.5332), which would codify the NOAA Cooperative Institutes program that involves a nationwide network of universities that support the NOAA mission. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), with Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) as an additional cosponsor. "The Cooperative Institute Act will create greater certainty for NOAA and the wonderful universities, like Mississippi State and Southern Miss, in understanding, protecting, and harnessing our natural resources," Hyde-Smith said. "We want to ensure that the Northern Gulf Institute and the Cooperative Institute for Fostering Aquaculture Research and Markets, which benefit Coastal Mississippi, can continue to benefit our nation and grow to meet future challenges and opportunities. This bipartisan legislation is national in scope, which should help generate broad support in Congress." |
| Precision Over Expansion: Inside the Cattle Rebuild | |
| The latest State of the Beef Industry insights reveal a rare paradox for U.S. cattle producers: Historic profitability and strong demand are clashing with persistent drought, labor shortages and rising biosecurity threats. Across interviews with producers, economists and industry stakeholders, a clear theme emerges: The future belongs to those who pair resilient herds and deep customer awareness with robust data and deliberate succession plans. "What shape herd expansion takes is the biggest factor to watch," says Josh Maples, Mississippi State University associate professor and assistant Extension director. "Additionally, strong beef demand will be key, and what happens in grain markets will be a major driver. Cattle markets have benefited from ample corn supplies and relatively affordable feed in recent years." The future of the beef industry will be heavily influenced by forces beyond any ranch gate -- trade flows, border policy and regulation. |
| 9 Considerations When Developing a Cattle Vaccination Protocol | |
| The first question when developing a vaccination protocol may not be, "Which vaccine should I use?" Instead, Dr. Amelia Woolums, endowed professor at Mississippi State University, suggests starting with a more basic question: What is happening on this operation? Understanding the production system, cattle populations, disease history and timing of disease risk provides the foundation for deciding what vaccination can contribute. From there, veterinarians can weigh the evidence, risks, timing and practicality of the available options. Here are nine considerations to work through when developing or reviewing a cattle vaccination protocol. Past disease problems can provide important clues when developing a vaccination protocol. A disease that is not currently causing problems may still represent a future risk. Woolums describes disease patterns as capable of waxing and waning as exposure and herd immunity change. |
| 2 Mississippi lawmakers honored for efforts in passing biomarker testing bill | |
| A pair of Mississippi lawmakers have been recognized for moving legislation advancing healthcare for cancer patients across the finish line. Rep. Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, and Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland, received the National Distinguished Advocacy Award for their advocacy for Jill's Law this past legislative session. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network presented the award. Jill's Law, which was signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves in March, mandates that insurers regulated by the Mississippi Insurance Department, including Medicaid and the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan, provide coverage for biomarker testing when used for the diagnosis, treatment, appropriate management, or ongoing monitoring of a patient's cancer. Jill's Law was named in honor of the late wife of state Rep. Casey Eure, R-Saucier. Before her passing, Jill Eure notably used biomarker testing following her cancer diagnosis. |
| Hyde-Smith, Colom continue website war, mocking each other in Senate race | |
| Scott Colom has a question for Mississippi voters: Where's Cindy? According to his campaign's new website, not at any town halls. Republican Sen. Cindy-Hyde Smith's latest website, ColomForSenate.com, named to look like it belongs to her Democratic opponent Colom, calls him a "transgender defender" among many other digs. The two campaigns are going tit-for-tat with websites. Colom unveiled a new site on Thursday, whereiscindyhydesmith.com, to criticize the senator for not meeting with enough voters to answer questions before the November election. Colom's new site comes after Hyde-Smith's campaign launched a spoof website last week, a page whose address might look like it belongs to his campaign, but designed to brand him a "liberal," "transgender defender," and "Biden's pick" for office. |
| Trump 'confident' Republicans will pass next farm bill vote | |
 | President Trump on Thursday expressed optimism that this year's farm bill will be approved by the Senate after it narrowly cleared a key hurdle the day before. On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the "Farm Bill 2.0" with a 12-11 vote along party lines. The legislation will require some Democratic support to reach the required 60-vote threshold to pass in the upper chamber of Congress. Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee blocked the legislation from advancing to a floor vote last month, citing concerns that it does not adequately deal with changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) returned to the committee on Wednesday to cast the deciding vote on this measure after his long absence from Congress following his hospitalization in June. On Thursday, the president said he wanted to "totally ensure" the farming and ranching communities "that they will be extremely happy with the end result" in this farm bill fight. |
| USM coastal entrepreneurship scholarship extended through 2031 | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi's Coastal Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Scholarship has received a five-year grant extension, allowing students to continue pursuing an accelerated degree program combining engineering, business and entrepreneurship through February 2031. The scholarship covers all tuition and fees for the Master of Business Administration and is designed to support Mississippi's growing Blue Economy and the development of ocean science, engineering and maritime technology along the Gulf Coast. The scholarship was established in 2019 as one of 15 restoration projects funded through the RESTORE Act following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Funding was distributed by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Treasury as part of the state's restoration efforts. |
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