| Monday, December 22, 2025 |
| MSU researchers study disease-resistant Christmas trees to help southern growers | |
 | While Christmas trees are a holiday staple, the work behind growing them often goes unnoticed. Scientists at Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center are working to change that through new research focused on improving tree health and production. Forestry Associate Professor Joshua Granger said Christmas trees have long fallen into a gray area within the forestry world, often overlooked in research and academic purposes. Since joining Mississippi State, Granger has partnered with the Southern Christmas Tree Association to develop studies aimed at helping growers address disease and production challenges. One project began last year through a partnership with Shady Pond Tree Farm in Louisiana, where a unique Leyland Cypress tree was discovered showing resistance to Passalora sequoia, a damaging fungal disease. The disease attacks foliage and can quickly kill trees, particularly those that are sheared to meet consumer demand for dense, cone-shaped trees. At Mississippi State's North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona, researchers recently completed a three-year study examining fertilizer use on common Christmas tree species. The project was requested by the Southern Christmas Tree Association and supported by a grant from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. |
| MSU faculty, students earn international honor for wood science innovation | |
 | A Mississippi State University research project born in the classroom and expanded through hands-on collaboration is earning international recognition for advancing wood science. Faculty and students in MSU's Department of Sustainable Bioproducts received the George Marra Award from the Society of Wood Science and Technology for their peer-reviewed publication investigating how wood grain angle influences structural performance. This is the second consecutive year for scientists in MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center to receive the recognition. The team compared the century-old Hankinson formula, which predicts strength based on grain angle direction, with real-time acoustic emission data gathered during compression testing to better understand how damage forms inside the wood. The work originated in the College of Forest Resources' Advanced Wood Mechanics course, taught by Jilei Zhang, the university's Warren S. Thompson Professor of Wood Science and Technology, who has emphasized inquiry-driven learning throughout his career. "We found a knowledge gap. Everyone knows wood grain affects strength, but no one had completed a comprehensive study connecting grain angle and acoustic emission from 0-90 degrees," Zhang said. |
| Faith-based community supports farm industry | |
| A farmer's life has been compared to a person's faith journey, and that faith is being tested through the recent economic uncertainty associated with high costs and low profits in agriculture. Jason Franklin, pastor of Clarksdale Methodist Church, told the hundreds of agriculture professionals at Mississippi State University's recent Row Crop Short Course that the faith community needs to come alongside this hardworking group who are navigating significant pressures. "The church hasn't done a really good job of showing up in crisis," Franklin said. "We say, 'You are in my thoughts and prayers.'" He was in his office one day when he said God spoke to him clearly stating he could offer those words, but for a family that just lost everything they worked for generations to have, those well wishes don't mean a thing. "A thought and a prayer is good, but boots on the ground is even better," he said. As Franklin realized the farming community is legitimately concerned about their future, he began to look for ways he individually and the faith community as a whole can support them. He asked the group gathered at Mississippi State University the questions he asked himself at that time. "How can we take visible action to show these people who mean so much to our community of faith, our community at large, how can we show them we care?" he said. |
| Philadelphia native part of graduates recognized by MSU-Meridian | |
 | Four MSU-Meridian students have been recognized and earned Outstanding Student Awards for their excellent academic performance as graduates at last week's fall graduation ceremonies. The students are: Amanda Blackwell McLeod of Ellisville, Madison White of Philadelphia, McKinely Goodin of Pelahatchie, and Bennett Higginbotham of Oxford. White earned her Bachelor's degree in Applied Science and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University. She hopes her educational choices will also inspire her two children to pursue their own aspirations. She plans to continue her education by earning a Master of Arts in Teaching and hopes to pursue a career in elementary education, "I have always loved working with children," she said. "I have a natural connection with them, and I am passionate about providing them with the best education possible." |
| Man arrested in Oktibbeha County homicide, may be linked to another | |
| Human remains found earlier this month in a wooded area off Stuart Road in Oktibbeha County have been identified as a missing Starkville man, and the man arrested is also tied to a woman who has not been seen since June. The Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Department and the Starkville Police Department announced that the remains belong to Carl Baptist Jr., who had been missing since Sept. 18, 2025. Investigators have arrested Algernon Young, 37, of Starkville, charging him with burglary of a dwelling and first-degree murder. Young is being held in the Oktibbeha County Jail. Bail has not been set. Young has also been linked to the disappearance of Mitanette Cooper, a 47-year-old Illinois woman who went missing June 11 while visiting Oktibbeha County. Cooper was last heard from on June 11 and was reported missing July 3. Authorities say she was last seen with Young, who traveled to Illinois to pick her up, but at the time, officials said Young was cooperative with law enforcement since she disappeared. Authorities said the investigation into Baptist's death remains ongoing and additional arrests are possible. Officials stressed that there is no danger to the public. |
| Rocket weapons manufacturer to bring 100 jobs | |
| The acquisition of a previously abandoned munitions assembly facility by Firehawk Aerospace is set to bring 100 new jobs to the region over the next five years. Firehawk acquired three buildings at the Crawford site and entered into a 20-year lease agreement for 636 acres, according to a press release issued Friday by the Golden Triangle Development LINK. Firehawk Aerospace is a Texas-based munitions company that develops rockets and motors powered by 3D printed propellants. "It's always exciting, and a good sign when we see vacant buildings that are being (repurposed)," Meryl Fisackerly, chief operating officer for the LINK, told The Dispatch. "... It speaks strongly of the assets that we have here and that they're ready for business." The Defense Contract Management Agency-certified integration site sits off Wicker Road in Crawford and was previously an assembly center for Nammo Talley, a munitions development company under Norway-based Nammo, Fisackerly said. The site has sat abandoned since it ceased production around 2022, Fisackerly said. |
| Cadence Bank layoffs begin, company maintains it is committed to Tupelo | |
 | Some Cadence Bank employees are receiving notifications of pending layoffs, following Huntington Bank's $7.4 billion acquisition announcement in October. How many workers will be affected is not known. A Huntington Bank spokesperson called the layoffs a part of a realignment now that the two banks are merging. "As part of the combination, we plan to make changes that align staffing levels with customer needs," the spokesperson said. "We are in the process of communicating to all impacted colleagues and are working to support them by helping identify other opportunities within the bank and providing access to outplacement services and assistance." Cadence, with dual headquarters in Tupelo and Houston, Texas, has some 5,300 employees at 350 locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas. It also maintains a large operations center in Tupelo, which employs the bulk of its Mississippi employees. Earlier this month, Huntington CEO Stephen Steinour told Reuters that the bank would focus on shifting resources to high-growth areas like Texas and the Carolinas. "There'll be more layoffs," he said in the interview. "We want to be transparent. So right away, we communicate, there are going to be impacts." |
| Education freedom expected to play a major role in the 2026 midterm elections | |
| Lawmakers in Mississippi are not the only ones considering ways to expand education freedom and provide more parental flexibility. There is a growing national trend away from the traditional zip-code based school model. The issue looks to be a key talking point during the 2026 midterms as candidates run for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Polling conducted earlier this year shows a majority of Americans support education freedom, open enrollment, true parent accountability measures, and direct funding models that give families greater control and flexibility to provide the best education possible for their children. The poll, conducted by YouGov for yes. every kid. foundation, found that parents prefer to have a say in how their child receives an education. The data included results from a national education poll, 14 state surveys, three national surveys, and 60 interviews with parents that took place during 2025. Scott Foster, Director of Education Marketplace and Insights for yes. every kid. foundation, said education freedom is expected to play a major role in the upcoming midterms. |
| Sen. Wiggins discusses economic development, school choice ahead of legislative session | |
 | State Sen. Brice Wiggins detailed his plans for the upcoming legislative session and called on the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to increase its efforts to bring major economic development projects to the Gulf Coast during an interview on WLOX News This Week. Wiggins called on the MDA to increase its efforts to bring major economic development projects to the Gulf Coast, saying the agency has failed to deliver for the region. Wiggins sent a letter to MDA Director Bill Cork this month expressing concerns that the agency has directed major developments, such as data centers, to other parts of the state while neglecting the Coast. "It is not an unknown secret at the Capitol that MDA has not done and landed the projects that you see in other parts of the state," Wiggins said. "That is their job, and they don't do it." Wiggins said he would support bringing data centers and high-tech jobs to the Coast, but wants MDA to better understand local operations and work with regional development authorities. The senator said legislators fund MDA and will be examining the agency's performance. |
| Jackson focus is fewer asks, bigger goals with 2026 legislative agenda | |
 | Jackson officials are rethinking how they ask the Mississippi Legislature for help. At a meeting of the Jackson City Council's Legislative Committee on Friday, Mayor John Horhn urged council members to move away from long, scattered wish lists. Instead, the city should focus on a smaller set of major priorities ahead of the 2026 legislative session. It was the first such legislative discussion under Horhn, a former state senator who represented Jackson's District 26 for more than 30 years and brings decades of experience navigating the Capitol. "We would be better served if we had a limited number of priority items that we can focus on," Horhn said. "Not come with so much of a scatter approach." At the top of the mayor's list is creating a new water authority that would be primarily controlled by the City of Jackson -- if the city regains control of its water and sewer system from the federal court-appointed manager. Beyond water, council members repeatedly raised concerns about blight and squatting, which several said have worsened as abandoned and tax-forfeited properties continue to deteriorate across the city. The Legislature's session starts Tuesday, Jan. 6. |
| Turning Point showcases the discord that Republicans will need to navigate | |
 | Vice President JD Vance said Sunday the conservative movement should be open to everyone as long as they "love America," declining to condemn a streak of antisemitism that has divided the Republican Party and roiled the opening days of Turning Point USA's annual convention. After a long weekend of debates about whether the movement should exclude figures such as bigoted podcaster Nick Fuentes, Vance came down firmly against "purity tests." "I didn't bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform," Vance said during the convention's closing speech. Turning Point leader Erika Kirk, who took the helm after the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, has endorsed Vance as a potential successor to President Donald Trump, a helpful nod from an influential group with an army of volunteers. But the tension on display at the four-day gathering foreshadowed the treacherous political waters that Vance, or anyone else who seeks the next Republican presidential nomination, will need to navigate in the coming years. Top voices in the "Make America Great Again" movement are jockeying for influence as Republicans begin considering a future without Trump, and there is no clear path to holding his coalition together. |
| Ted Cruz weighs another presidential run, setting up clash with Vance | |
 | Sen. Ted Cruz sat down with a longtime ally in November at an office near D.C.'s Union Station to discuss the future of the Republican Party. Before long, the discussion touched on his own future. His friend Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization for America, told Cruz he believed that "Jew hatred and Israel bashing" was on the rise on the right -- and that something had to be done about it. Cruz, who had begun a series of speeches decrying antisemitism in the GOP, told Klein he had been fielding requests from people urging him to run for president in 2028. Cruz came across as someone "seriously" considering such a run, Klein recalled. With the future of the party up for grabs in a Donald Trump-less 2028 primary, Cruz has in recent months positioned himself as a loud voice for a more traditional, hawkish Republican foreign policy. He's also urging the GOP to rid itself of popular MAGA pundit Tucker Carlson, who he argues is injecting the "poison" of antisemitism into the movement with his broadsides against Israel. Carlson has rejected that characterization. As he feuds with Carlson, Cruz is weighing a second presidential bid, according to a person close to the senator and another briefed on his thinking, who spoke like others on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal conversations. A White House run would be politically risky for Cruz, 55, putting him on course to collide with Vice President JD Vance, whom many Republicans expect to enter the 2028 race. |
| Top Heritage Officials Flee to Mike Pence's Nonprofit as Think Tank Fractures | |
 | Former Vice President Mike Pence's political group is poaching top officials from the conservative Heritage Foundation amid growing ideological fights within the conservative movement and backlash at the think tank. Pence's Washington-based group, started in 2021 and called Advancing American Freedom, is slated to hire about 15 of Heritage's employees including several of its prominent leaders, the group's officials said. In an interview, Pence told the Journal he had long admired the Heritage Foundation but sees the group now "abandoning its principles." He said the foundation had "fallen" because it had embraced elements of isolationism, stopped backing Ukraine in the war with Russia, supported some tariffs and backed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, among other things. "Why these people are coming our way is that Heritage and some other voices and commentators have embraced big-government populism and have been willing to tolerate antisemitism," Pence said. Conservative groups are jockeying to hold significant influence as the Republican Party charts its future in the coming years, with President Trump's term ending in January 2029. The fight has played out at "America Fest" this week, with prominent speakers clashing in Arizona over the future of the party -- how aggressive it should be in shaping the world, what economic policies it should embrace, how it should handle social issues and who its next leaders should be. Pence has held less influence in the GOP since he broke with Trump in 2021 over the president's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. |
| Scott Bessent is no longer a soybean farmer | |
 | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is no longer in the soybean business and the details of his $12.4 million divestiture are now public. Bessent raised eyebrows in late October when he told ABC's Martha Raddatz that he, too, felt the pain of the agricultural trade war with China, saying, "I'm actually a soybean farmer." The claim set off a frenzy of online memes and commentators skewering the 63-year-old Ivy League graduate rolling up his sleeves and firing up the combine. In truth, Bessent disclosed early in the Trump Administration that he owned several thousand acres of farm land in North Dakota through a limited liability partnership. He was supposed to divest those holdings 90 days after taking office, by April 28. In August, government ethics officials warned in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee that the secretary failed to comply with the rules and needed to sell the land. Bessent's Treasury ethics officials explained that the "assets are illiquid and not readily marketable." The August letter said Bessent "would be recused from particular matters affecting these assets." But that was just weeks before Bessent flew to Malaysia to meet with Chinese counterparts and hash out the framework of a deal that crucially included a commitment to buy American soybeans. |
| Democrats Just Won Seats in Mississippi. The Supreme Court Could Block a Repeat. | |
 | The beleaguered Voting Rights Act is on the ropes again -- and it may soon suffer a crippling strike. The Supreme Court seems on the verge of making it much harder to use the landmark civil rights measure to force states to draw districts where minority candidates stand a strong chance of winning. And a key provision that lets private groups sue under the 60-year-old law could be the next to fall. That would be a huge blow to civil rights lawyers like Mississippi's Carroll Rhodes, who's spent his career leveraging the Voting Rights Act to increase the political power of Black people and other minorities. "It becomes almost an impossible hill to climb," Rhodes told POLITICO Magazine. Over the past decade or so, the VRA has been battered by a series of hits from the increasingly conservative high court. In 2013, the justices knocked out a key pillar of the law by eliminating "pre-clearance" requirements for advance approval of voting changes, including redistricting, in most or all of nine states and a smattering of localities. Despite those challenges, litigators like Rhodes have had significant success harnessing the VRA. A lawsuit he pressed forced redistricting and a special election in Mississippi last month led to Black Democrats picking up two additional seats in the state's House. The incremental gain broke a longstanding GOP supermajority in a state that is nearly 40 percent Black -- the highest percentage in the nation. Those sorts of advances for minority representation could come to a halt if the Supreme Court rules against the law. |
| A tale of two Ralphs -- Lauren and the supermarket -- shows the reality of a K-shaped economy | |
 | John and Theresa Anderson meandered through the sprawling Ralph Lauren clothing store on Rodeo Drive, shopping for holiday gifts. They emerged carrying boxy blue bags. John scored quarter-zip sweaters for himself and his father-in-law, and his wife splurged on a tweed jacket for Christmas Day. "I'm going for quality over quantity this year," said John, an apparel company executive and Palos Verdes Estates resident. They strolled through the world-famous Beverly Hills shopping mecca, where there was little evidence of any big sales. One mile away, shoppers at a Ralphs grocery store in West Hollywood were hunting for bargains. The chain's website has been advertising discounts on a wide variety of products, including wine and wrapping paper. Massi Gharibian was there looking for cream cheese and ways to save money. "I'm buying less this year," she said. "Everything is expensive." The tale of two Ralphs shows how Americans are experiencing radically different realities this holiday season. It represents the country's K-shaped economy -- the growing divide between those who are affluent and those trying to stretch their budgets. In the K-shaped economy, high-income households sit on the upward arm of the "K," benefiting from rising pay as well as the value of their stock and property holdings. At the same time, lower-income families occupy the downward stroke, squeezed by inflation and lackluster income gains. |
| Want to read more in 2026? Here's how to revive your love of books | |
| People stop reading in adulthood for lots of reasons. But it's never too late to turn the page on old habits and start again. Curling up with a good book can reduce stress, increase creativity and boost empathy. A recent analysis of U.S. government data found that the percentage of Americans who read for pleasure during an average day has fallen to 16% in 2023 from 28% in 2004. That includes not just books but audiobooks, e-books and periodicals like magazines. Some people say they're fatigued from years of assigned reading in school. Others don't have the time or would rather zone out by doom-scrolling on social media. And many just got out of the habit. "It's difficult for people who are really tired and busy to think about getting into reading if it's not something they're used to," said Jacqueline Rammer, director of Menomonee Falls Public Library in Wisconsin. To create a habit that sticks, "start by scheduling reading into your day," said Gloria Mark, an attention span expert with the University of California, Irvine. Read five pages during a lunch break or right before bed. |
| W Theatre to hold auditions for spring show | |
| The Department of Theatre at Mississippi University for Women will hold auditions for its spring show, These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. Auditions are open to W faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the community. Interested performers should prepare a monologue. Information packets with audition details are available in Cromwell Communications Center, Room 182, where a sign-up sheet also is posted. Anyone planning to audition is encouraged to pick up a packet before the university closes for Christmas break on Dec. 19. "This will give them time to perfect their auditions and be amply prepared," said Kathy Newman, associate professor of theatre. Performances are scheduled for April 9–11. The play tells the story of four young women at the Radium Dial Company, who face the devastating effects of radium poisoning and fight for workers' rights. Themes include friendship, female empowerment, corporate negligence and resilience. |
| IHL approves leadership profile and waives policy in national Jackson State presidential search | |
 | The search for Jackson State University's next president has entered a new phase. The Board of Trustees for the Institutions of Higher Learning has voted to approve a leadership profile for the school's presidential search. Trustees also voted in favor of waiving a policy that allows an interim president to apply for the permanent position. Denise Jones Gregory is the school's current interim leader. Information on Jackson State, Mississippi's largest historically Black university, will be included within the profile alongside leadership expectations desired of prospective candidates and information on how to submit an application to the AGB Search consulting firm. "I think one of the things is, people know the reputation of Jackson State University," said John Sewell, IHL director of communications. "They know that it's a top research institution, they know that it's Mississippi's only urban institution. It's a leading HBCU around the country." |
| JSU faces third lawsuit related to presidential choices | |
| Another lawsuit has emerged in the aftermath of presidential hires at Jackson State University. Jerome Tinker, who serves in a leadership position in JSU's Alumni Affairs office, is suing former president Marcus Thompon and the university in federal court for being turned down for the position of office director. The lawsuit, filed Dec. 12, represents one side of a legal argument. It says Thompson instructed Monica Lewis, then interim vice president of institutional advancement, not to select Tinker as the interim director of Alumni Affairs or for the permanent post even though as alumni engagement officer he was second in command. The lawsuit alleges Thompson's motivation was retaliation because Tinker had reported the "unlawful conduct toward a female employee" by Thompson's predecessor, Thomas Hudson. "We are aware of the lawsuit and do not comment on pending litigation," said John Sewell, communications director for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees. |
| Additional funding sought to expand Miss. Dept. of Education's coaching support program | |
| Investment in coaching support has been instrumental in Mississippi's education gains, and the Mississippi Department of Education will be asking for more funding to expand the program. Currently, the state has nearly 90 coaches that help schools with literacy, math, special education and improvement of the school, according to MDE. When the program started in 2013 after passage of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, MDE had only 29 coaches. Today, MDE also has 32 coaches that focus on early childhood education who operate within the state's Early Learning Collaboratives and Pre-K programs receiving state funds. Utilization of the coaches has allowed for the implementation of initiatives MDE says were instrumental in Mississippi's education improvements over the past decade. Two of those gains include increasing proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics from 33.6 percent to 47.4 percent and 33 percent to 54.5 percent, respectively. Coaching has also led to the state's 4th grade NAEP scores in math and reading to rise from being nationally ranked 50th and 49th, respectively, to 9th in reading and 16th in math. Mississippi saw its graduation rate rise to 89.2 percent in 2024, higher than the national average of 86 percent. |
| The rise of deepfake cyberbullying poses a growing problem for schools | |
| Schools are facing a growing problem of students using artificial intelligence to transform innocent images of classmates into sexually explicit deepfakes. The fallout from the spread of the manipulated photos and videos can create a nightmare for the victims. The challenge for schools was highlighted this fall when AI-generated nude images swept through a Louisiana middle school. Two boys ultimately were charged, but not before one of the victims was expelled for starting a fight with a boy she accused of creating the images of her and her friends. "While the ability to alter images has been available for decades, the rise of A.I. has made it easier for anyone to alter or create such images with little to no training or experience," Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said in a news release. "This incident highlights a serious concern that all parents should address with their children." The prosecution stemming from the Louisiana middle school deepfakes is believed to be the first under the state's new law, said Republican state Sen. Patrick Connick, who authored the legislation. The law is one of many across the country taking aim at deepfakes. |
| Students with disabilities find path to independence with U. of Alabama program | |
 | Anna Kathryn Bonner picked up a framed photo near her desk of herself and sister Bethany Compton. Her sister is dressed up as Lydia from the Beetlejuice movies. Compton participated in CrossingPoints, a University of Alabama program for students with intellectual disabilities. Bonner works for the program and keeps the photo to remind herself how her sister "found her voice." "I will forever be known as Bethany's sister," said Bonner, an independent living and social inclusion coordinator. "And I think that is so cool." The program is a collaborative effort between Tuscaloosa city and county schools and the university. Students who are 18 to 21 years old can attend classes on independent living, get job training and take college classes. Jeremy Reid, CrossingPoints' external relations coordinator, said Bethany represents the ultimate goal for their students. After finishing the program, Bethany did clerical work for 18 years. She is now retired. Reid said the program helps 75% of its students get jobs. |
| Culverhouse donations to U. of Alabama top $20 million with latest gift | |
 | With a gift to the University of Alabama's new School of Leadership and Policy, benefactor Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. has surpassed $20 million in donations to his father's alma mater. The most recent largesse is $500,000, pending approval by the UA System board of trustees in February, to create the Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. Endowed Professorship in Leadership and Policy. "This is a school where you're emphasizing thoughtfulness and solutions," Culverhouse said, in a written release, about UA's new School of Policy and Leadership, announced in mid-November. "That appeals to me tremendously." The family name has stood tall for decades at the Capstone. His father, Hugh F. Culverhouse Sr., donated gifts totaling $10 million, after which his name was attached to first the School of Accountancy, then the overall College of Commerce and Business Administration. In 2018, the title was shortened, for clarity, to the Hugh F. Culverhouse College of Business. With his wife Eliza, Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. has followed in those philanthropic footsteps, with almost 13 years of charitable donations to UA. |
| Alabama nears 500,000 credential goal as Success Plus deadline passes quietly | |
| The deadline for Alabama's much-touted goal of credentialing 500,000 people to bolster its workforce base has come with little fanfare. Yet one estimate shows the state has come within just 12,000 of that lofty goal despite significant headwinds. The objective, announced by Gov. Kay Ivey in April 2018 as part of the state's Success Plus initiative, officially expired April 30, a date that appears only in Alabama's federal workforce plan under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Outside of that document, there was no public marker, announcement or acknowledgment that the deadline had arrived -- and the goal was nearly reached -- or what's next. Another goal of the initiative -- raising the percentage of Alabamians in the workforce, was not met. But Ivey's original effort has been picked up by the Alabama Legislature, which has made workforce issues a top priority in recent years. Success Plus set out to add 500,000 newly credentialed workers to Alabama's labor force by 2025, a benchmark tied to the Lumina Foundation's then-national goal that 60% of working-age adults hold a postsecondary credential or degree. According to a newly released update from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, Alabama came close, but did not fully reach the goal. |
| More Texas students complete journey through college, but low-income students still left behind | |
| Texas has long failed to get most of its students the higher education credentials the workforce increasingly demands. But recent laws that reward schools for helping students succeed later in life could help the state make up lost ground, experts say. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board regularly tracks if students enrolled in eighth grade eventually receive a degree or certificate at a two- or four- year institution within the state. The proportion of students who have received a degree has climbed over the last 15 years, according to data the board released in December 2025. Still, the state appears to be far short of meeting workforce demand. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. jobs will require education or training after high school by 2031, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. In Texas, 25% of students obtained such education or training within the state. (The coordinating board didn't track students who went out of state for college every year.) Students who are economically disadvantaged are far less likely to receive a degree or certificate. In Texas, nearly 60% of public education students are economically disadvantaged. |
| Nearly 1,700 Mizzou students become alumni during winter commencement | |
 | The University of Missouri celebrated winter commencement once again Friday and Saturday. The ritualized ceremonies, with their regular speakers and an assembly line of photo-taking, handshaking and degree issuance, celebrated the nearly 1,700 students receiving a degree from Mizzou this winter. Students' family and friends gathered together in Jesse Hall and at the Hearnes Center to cheer on the new grads from the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Business, Education, Health Sciences and Agriculture, as well as the schools of Nursing and Journalism. Relatives held bouquets while cheers jumped from one side of the room to the other as each graduate's name was called. For Tim and Zandee Bahr, the routine of graduation is a familiar one. The couple met while studying at Mizzou and have raised three kids, each a graduate of Mizzou as well. On Saturday, the couple, along with 16 other relatives, celebrated their youngest son, George, who graduated with a degree in computer science. "He's our last one, so it is bittersweet," Tim Bahr said. "It is a success that all three of our kids graduated from Mizzou and all three are going to be employed." |
| Amid Political Jostling and Scrutiny of Its Board, UVa Picks a President | |
 | On Friday, the University of Virginia's embattled Board of Visitors unanimously chose Scott C. Beardsley, dean of UVa's Darden School of Business, to be the university's next president. The selection seals one chapter of a monthslong conflict involving the Trump administration; the Republican-majority board; Democratic lawmakers; and the university's previous president, James E. Ryan, over diversity initiatives, the legitimacy of the board, and ultimately, Ryan's ouster. Faculty members, deans, and alumni advocates called on the board to hold off on choosing a leader until the Democratic governor-elect, Abigail Spanberger, took office and filled empty seats on the board. But the board, entirely appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, pressed on. Now, Beardsley, who will begin his term January 1 and has been dean since 2015, faces a skeptical campus community and a potentially rocky start to his relationship with the next governor and the Democratic-majority Legislature. Spanberger herself had asked the board to pause its search, irritating Youngkin, who saw several of his board picks blocked by the Legislature. |
| Why Workers in Their 40s Are Going Back to School | |
| It's tough to go back to school in your 40s. But with layoffs, stagnant pay and inroads by artificial intelligence, many of those nearing midlife are heading back to classrooms and trade schools. Some are making radical career changes, going from chef to software engineer. Others are getting higher degrees to stand out from peers as qualification standards intensify. Some who skipped college after high school return to the classroom because they can't get top jobs without degrees. Returning to school isn't easy. Those in their 40s often have to juggle work, family and academics. They take on new debt when peers are entering peak-earning years. The average cost of in-state public college is about $30,000 a year and much more for private nonprofit schools. For many, it's worth it. People are living longer and aren't retiring at 65. More than 1 million people in their 40s are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Many are looking to make more money in the white-collar world and have greater job security, even at a time when many younger people are questioning the value of a college degree. Skilled trade and apprenticeship programs, which can cost as little as $3,000 a year, are seeing an influx, too, in part because those jobs are seen as less vulnerable to automation and artificial intelligence. |
| These Rising Costs Are Squeezing College Budgets | |
| Higher education's uncertain financial picture is often talked about chiefly as a matter of revenue. Enrollments -- and tuition revenue -- are under pressure as the number of traditional-age students descends. The federal government's suddenly unpredictable commitment to funding research poses a threat to some of the nation's most august institutions. Less commonly discussed is the other side of the equation: costs. But warning lights are flashing. The cost of doing business in the sector in 2025, as determined by Commonfund's Higher Education Price Index, was above expectations set from prior decades. The inflation rate for 2025, 3.6 percent, surpassed the prior decade's average for the fifth straight year. The ratings agency Fitch explained its negative outlook for the sector in 2026 by writing that, in addition to intensifying competition for students, "elevated operating expenses are exacerbating budget pressures." Forvis Mazars, an auditing and consulting company, flagged more than a half-dozen "hidden costs" that could shock colleges' finances. |
| U.S. senator asks Science to provide its coronavirus manuscripts, emails | |
| U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R–KY), who has accused scientists of conducting dangerous research that created the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, yesterday asked Science to divulge a range of confidential information about its scholarly articles and external private communications on that family of viruses. His letter seeks all relevant manuscripts submitted to Science, including unpublished ones; peer-reviewer comments and details of editorial decisions; and any coronavirus-related emails to and from certain groups and scientists, including Anthony Fauci, formerly a top official at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Paul has alleged Fauci helped direct NIH funding to coronavirus research in China and that this work sparked the pandemic when SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a lab. Paul's unusual request, which also covers the other five publications in the Science family of journals, was not accompanied by a subpoena. If a subpoena follows, it could raise legal objections. Journals typically keep peer reviews, editorial decision-making, and unpublished manuscripts confidential and several have previously fought off outside efforts to reveal such internal information. In addition, Paul's request for emails encompasses the Science journals' staff -- a request that could include Science's News reporters, which would raise First Amendment concerns. |
| Will we come to love Big Brother too? | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Read George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 to get ready. His "Big Brother" system previews the pervasive government monitoring that's coming. China already uses powerful Big Brother technology to amplify power at home and abroad. Its surveillance technology helped identify and punish almost 900,000 officials last year, an Associated Press investigation found. Outside its borders, China used the technology to threaten wayward officials, dissidents and alleged criminals. Silicon Valley companies such as IBM, Oracle and Microsoft developed the technology. Last week the AP cited a review of hundreds of leaked emails, government procurements, and internal corporate presentations as sources for its findings. The technology, particularly the IBM developed i2 program, mines texts, payments, flights, calls, and other data to identify the friends and family of officials and their assets. ... Government sponsored Big Brother surveillance is building on its foothold in America. |
| Mississippi leaders are quiet on efforts to fix health care in state | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Mississippians have benefitted more from the enhanced subsidies provided for the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace insurance policies than the people of almost any other state. But Mississippi Republican politicians -- on both the state and federal level – have been silent as church mice in offering solutions for when the enhanced federal subsidies expire at the end of 2025. The expiration will cause insurance premiums to skyrocket for 200,000 to 300,000 Mississippians. ... Mississippi politicians, though quiet on the issue of the expiring subsidies, seem to have a reason to be concerned. After all, according to KFF, a national nonprofit organization that studies health care issues, 99% of Mississippians with an ACA exchange health insurance policy receive federal financial premium assistance. And from 2020 through 2025, according to KFF, the number of Mississippians with marketplace health insurance policies has risen an astounding 242%. Only Texas saw a bigger jump of 256%. Both Mississippi and Texas are home of financially struggling hospitals and poor health care outcomes. |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: The Final Horn: State 71, Memphis 66 | |
| Mississippi State rolled into the Christmas break riding a three-game winning streak following a 71-66 victory over Memphis at Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. It marked the second-straight year that the Bulldogs topped Penny Hardaway's Tigers, who fell to 4-7 on the year. The contest went down to the wire, but MSU made its final four shots from the field to improve to 7-5. Chris Jans' squad finished the game shooting 44 percent and forced Memphis to turn the ball over 18 times leading to 20 points for the Bulldogs. Veterans Josh Hubbard and Shawn Jones Jr. scored all 14 of Mississippi State's points in the final four minutes. The Bulldogs regained the lead on a Hubbard jumper with 3:41 remaining, the first of his nine points during that stretch which also included a 3-pointer and four free throws. Jones added a dunk and a layup along with a free throw to help State in the waning moments. Jayden Epps led all scorers with 19 points aided by a 4-of-9 effort behind the arc. Hubbard was the only other Bulldog to reach double figures, finishing with 17 points and has now scored 10-plus points in 11 of 12 contests this season. |
| Bulldogs rounding into form with win over Memphis | |
| Jayden Epps wasn't known as a defender when he transferred to Mississippi State last summer. The former Illinois and Georgetown guard came in to offer scoring relief for MSU's star shooter, Josh Hubbard, and did just that on Saturday. He led the Bulldogs with 19 points, finishing just one shy of a fourth consecutive 20+ scoring performance. But Epps also played crucial defense, recording a momentum-building block for the Bulldogs as they tried to wrestle back control against the Tigers down the stretch. "I'm nervous that he thinks he's a shot blocker now," MSU head coach Chris Jans joked after the game. The play helped fuel a strong period of defense for the Bulldogs, who climbed back on top and never looked back in a 71-66 win. The block wasn't the only important play in the final minutes. Epps also made a couple of buckets. Hubbard got going to score 10 in the final minutes, and Shawn Jones Jr. came up clutch with a pair of fastbreak buckets with a minute left to play. The performance reflected a mentality that the team has been searching for in recent weeks, and may finally have found: a winning mentality. The Bulldogs will take some time off for the holidays before returning to the floor on Monday, Dec. 29, to face Alabama State. |
| Women's Basketball: Mississippi State Grabs Eighth Straight Win On Saturday | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs moved to 12-1 on their final road trip of 2025, as they defeated the La Salle Explorers 85-37 on Sunday. Jaylah Lampley led the Bulldogs in scoring for the first time in her career, as she scored a career-high 18 points. Lampley shot 8-12 from the floor, marking the ninth time she has shot above 50 percent in a game. Five games of those nine saw Lampley make at least five shots from the floor. Destiney McPhaul stuffed the stat sheet in her return to Philadelphia with her first career double double. McPhaul finished with 16 points, six rebounds and career-highs of 10 rebounds and six steals. She shot 50 percent from the floor and from beyond the arch with a pair of makes from distance. Favour Nwaedozi earned her seventh double double of the season with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Chandler Prater grabbed her fourth consecutive double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Trayanna Crisp finished in double figures for the fifth time this season with 10 points. |
| Lampley and McPhaul lead Bulldogs past La Salle in Philly | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball extended its winning streak to eight games on Saturday with a dominant 85-37 win over La Salle at John E. Glaser Arena. The Bulldogs improved to 12-1 behind a high-scoring performance from freshman Jaylah Lampley and senior Destiney McPhaul, the latter hosting several friends and family members in a return to her home city. Lampley led the Bulldogs with 18 points, just etching past McPhaul's 16 on the scoresheet thanks to one last dish from the senior in the fourth quarter. The assist took McPhaul to 10 on the game to complete a double-double, joining both Chandler Prater and Favour Nwaedozi in accomplishing the feat that day. Trayanna Crisp also registered double-digits with 10 points, and Madison Francis recorded four with a pair of assists and steals for the Bulldogs before leaving the game prematurely. A hard hit saw Francis leave the game with assistance from trainers. She did not return to action, but appeared to avoid a major setback after returning to test out her motion on the workout bike and continue supporting her teammates courtside. The Bulldogs will take a few days off for the holidays this week before returning to Starkville for one final nonconference test next weekend against Samford at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28. |
| Can AI Help the SEC Maintain Its TV Dominance? | |
| hile a college football champion is yet to be crowned, the SEC decisively won the battle for fan attention this year. Eight of the top 10 most watched teams this regular season hailed from the conference, according to Nielsen data. And next season, the rich get richer, as each SEC team goes from eight to nine conference games. At the same time, the league has adopted a modern scheduling approach, boosted by a rapidly growing AI tool dedicated to the task. Assistant commissioner Matt Evans joined the conference in 2022 after spending time at ESPN and Activision Blizzard, tasked in recent years with helping update how the SEC's football calendar comes together. The SEC didn't commit to its nine-game format until August, meaning the process for 2026 included conference leadership consulting schools on which previously scheduled nonconference games they intended to drop, to ensure an even number of teams were available for SEC play each week of the season. Evans worked with Fastbreak to create balanced slates of opponents for each team, based on the last four years of conference win percentage -- even with the understanding that program performance fluctuates year-to-year given coach and player movement. |
| LSU coach Lane Kiffin calls for peace as Jeff Landry talks smack with Mississippi governor | |
 | After the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl, Lane Kiffin becomes the full-time leader of the LSU football program. But on Saturday morning, his role was social media peacemaker between the Louisiana and Mississippi governors. Ahead of Saturday's College Football Playoff matchup of No. 20 Tulane against No. 6 Ole Miss, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves responded to an old post Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry made that mocked the fact that LSU hired Kiffin away from Mississippi. "Good news, Gov..." Reeves posted on Friday. "The No. 1 football team in Louisiana -- and the only one to ever make the 12-team College Football Playoff -- plays in Mississippi tomorrow afternoon!! "You don't have to wait until next year to visit Oxford. Hope to see you there!" Landry responded to the invitation to watch the SEC heavy favorites against the Group of Five Green Wave with two sentences. "Enjoy today with the team our coach built," Landry posted on X. "See ya next year when you have to build your own." This is where Kiffin stepped in, attempting to end the social media back-and-forth. |
| Inside Sherrone Moore's downfall: Instagram messages, emotional outbursts and Michigan's breaking point | |
 | Five women contacted by The Athletic said they had strange or uncomfortable exchanges with former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore on Instagram as recently as last month and dating as far back as 2020. One woman said she received a hand-waving emoji from Moore a few hours before Michigan kicked off against Purdue on Nov. 1. The woman who received the message had no connection to the Michigan football program and wasn't sure why Moore would be sending her direct messages. She responded with a hello. Moore's next message popped up roughly 20 minutes after Moore finished his postgame news conference. The Wolverines that night narrowly beat the last-place Boilermakers 21-16. The woman, incredulous that Michigan's head coach would be messaging her on a game day, initially believed it to be a fake account. Once Moore assured her it was not, she congratulated him on that night's win. The woman did not respond the next time he engaged with her on Instagram two days later, when he left a fire emoji on a story she posted of herself on a stairmaster at the gym. In the days following their initial conversation, she discovered he was married with kids. She was mystified that he had the time to be scrolling through social media when he had a team to prepare. Those interactions shed light on Moore's behind-the-scenes behavior as his two-year tenure as Michigan's head coach neared its disastrous end. Michigan fired Moore for cause Dec. 10, alleging "credible evidence" that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member. |
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