| Tuesday, August 18, 2026 |
| Education: Sweet Potato Field Day showcases farmer-MSU researcher alliance | |
 | Mississippi's leading sweet potato producers and the state's leading sweet potato researchers celebrated the official state vegetable Thursday with Mississippi State University's annual Sweet Potato Field Day. The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service event showcased the latest scientific work as part of an ongoing partnership between MSU researchers and farmers to further optimize the commodity, which has seen steady production and consumer demand increases over the past two decades. "Mississippi-grown sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse and dinnertime tradition on tables across our great state and well beyond," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are very proud to support the farmers growing this high-quality commodity through innovative research, diagnostic resources, industry collaboration and consumer education." Mississippi ranks third nationally in the crop's production, with Vardaman -- known as the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World" -- at the heart of the state's industry. For more than 60 years, the university's MAFES Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch has been a national leader in sweet potato research. |
| MSU conducting fireworks, pyrotechnics demonstration Thursday | |
 | Mississippi State and the State Fire Marshal's office will conduct a fireworks and pyrotechnics demonstration in preparation for the upcoming athletics season at various locations across campus 11 a.m. Thursday [Aug. 20]. What to expect: Loud noises, smoke and flashes of light at multiple points around campus beginning at approximately 11 a.m. Uniformed personnel and marked vehicles staged near demonstration areas. Temporary staging in select outdoor areas; please follow any posted signage or instructions from staff on site. This is a planned, supervised demonstration and does not indicate an emergency. No campuswide action is required. If you have questions, please contact the MSU Office of Risk Management at 662-325-0633. |
| Miss. State fraternities, sororities receive Emergency Overdose Boxes | |
 | Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Monday that her officer delivered 44 Emergency Overdose Boxes to Mississippi State University (MSU) Greek Life students as part of her One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to educate, support, and empower Mississippians with information on the dangers of fentanyl, how to identify it, and what to do if a student or friend is overdosing. Each MSU fraternity and sorority received two Emergency Overdose Boxes, which can be mounted in public places and include naloxone and other tools needed to prevent a deadly overdose. The boxes were developed in coordination with Harbor Path, a nonprofit dedicated to putting naloxone within arm's reach of anyone who needs it. |
| Statewide organization stops in Starkville to discuss local workforce | |
 | The Mississippi Business Alliance is a new organization made up of the Mississippi Economic Council, the state's Manufacturers Association and other organizations. The Alliance is hosting the Business Forward Tour to talk with city and county leaders about the opportunities and issues in economic development across the state. President and CEO of the Mississippi Business Alliance, John McKay said it is pivotal to figure out immediate ways to grow the state. "You hear the intersection of business and education and how critical that is so we look moving forward, we look at the workforce development and education," McKay said. "How can we bring all the partners in those areas together so K-12, community college, and then so important in this area in the IHL university level. How can we get businesses to the table and help inform the education partners on what things will be needed in the most relevant business growth and activity." The tour will be making further stops to talk with city leaders around Mississippi. |
| Madison County economic successes celebrated by businesses and government leaders | |
| Madison County's economic landscape is accelerating, and the businesses and government officials are celebrating the widespread commercial growth. Those leaders gathered Monday for the Madison County Business League & Foundation's quarterly meeting. Amazon Web Services' multi-million-dollar investment in local data centers is just one factor. According to officials, $21 billion dollars has been invested in the county, creating 1,700 jobs. Seven hundred positions are already filled by Mississippians. "We want to continue to keep up the great momentum that we've seen," said Congressman Michael Guest, District 3. "We're happy to be able to have the federal dollars partnering with state and local leadership". Mississippi State University's Dr. Julie Jordan, PhD. gave a presentation to the organization on AI's expanding role in business and government. |
| 'It was so bad,' MSU student said of apartment condition on move-in day | |
 | Some Mississippi State University students said they found rat droppings, roaches and rotting food inside their apartments on move-in day at the Yugo Apartments in Starkville. A student identified only as John, whose real name was withheld to protect his identity, said his mother became sick after entering the apartment. "My mother was there with me, and as soon as she got in there, she had to go straight to the bathroom and throw up; it was so bad," John said. John said he decided to move elsewhere after seeing the condition of the apartment. He said the complex had provided a written notice stating the unit would be clean before move-in, and that residents could submit a ticket to the office if it was not. He described the whole situation as disappointing and left him angry. |
| Supervisors approve $10K for road-rating system | |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors plan to get a full accounting of the current conditions of all county roads and create an interactive map to visualize which are in need of repairs. The board unanimously approved $10,000 to go toward building a rating system for county road evaluation during its Monday meeting at the Chancery Court House. The board hopes the new system will allow it to approach road repairs from a more data-driven position. "I think we just realized the more data we have when it comes to these issues, the better informed decisions we can make," said Board President and District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard. "Sometimes it just takes us a little while to digest it and I think that's basically what happened." he plan was originally proposed by County Engineer Clyde Pritchard during the board's Aug. 3 meeting, but it was tabled at the time due to reservations District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams raised about starting new projects before hiring a full time engineer. Williams raised no similar concerns during Monday's meeting. The proposed plan is similar to Starkville's approach to road maintenance, where roads are evaluated by Southaven-based company Civil-Link and given a score out of 10. Starkville paid Civil-Link $54,500 for its initial analysis of the city's roads. |
| Gov. Reeves appoints Oxford attorney Amanda Tollison to state Supreme Court | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday appointed Amanda Jones Tollison, a private-practice attorney in Oxford, to a vacant seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Tollison is currently a partner with the law firm Butler Snow, where she has practiced since 2012. Before this, she served as legal counsel to former Gov. Haley Barbour from 2008 to 2012. In that role, she advised Barbour on legal, legislative, and policy matters, including judicial appointments, elections, budget issues, and disaster recovery efforts. Tollison earned her law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University. When Tollison is sworn in, she will become the third woman on the court, serving alongside current justices Jenifer Branning from Philadelphia and Celeste Wilson of DeSoto County. This is the largest number of women who have served on the state's highest court at the same time. |
| Tindell believes he's 'uniquely qualified' to be Mississippi's next Attorney General | |
| Sean Tindell is hitting the campaign trail after six years of serving as the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, an appointed position Governor Tate Reeves (R) asked the Coast attorney to take on in 2020. Tindell, a Republican, is running to be Mississippi's next Attorney General, a seat that came open recently when incumbent two-term Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) announced that she would be running for Governor in 2027. "I've been honored to be [DPS Commissioner], to serve in that capacity, promoting public safety across the state and working with law enforcement from one end of the state to the other and trying to get them better equipment, better assets, better exposure and highlight the good things that law enforcement and public safety officials do every day," Tindell told Magnolia Tribune early Monday morning. Now, he believes he is uniquely qualified to be the Magnolia State's 41st Attorney General. |
| Gulfport native throws hat in ring for one of Mississippi's top elected positions | |
 | Sean Tindell, the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, announced Monday that he will enter the race to become the state's new attorney general. Tindell will officially kick off his bid with events across the state, including a gathering Wednesday in his hometown of Gulfport. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. at The Chapel at Centennial Plaza. The Gulfport High School graduate has served as the leader of the DPS since his appointment by Gov. Tate Reeves in 2020. Tindell previously served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals for three years. He was appointed to that position by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2017. He ran unopposed in the non-partisan judicial election in 2018. Targeting public corruption in the state would be one of Tindell's main goals as attorney general, he said. "All to often, we allow the Justice Department to come in and handle cases," Tindell said. "To me, that's something we need to work on with the legislature. We need to give the attorney general broader authority to not just investigate, but to prosecute." |
| Mississippi weighs three-year short-term health plan as coverage drops | |
| More than 200,000 Mississippians have recently lost health coverage, according to Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. "We had 335,000 people on the Affordable Care Act at the end of December of 2025... and we're down to 125,000 or less people," Chaney said. Chaney said his office is looking for a way to help fill that gap. One-year short-term plans are already available. The state is working on a three-year option through an online portal where people could compare doctors, drugs and provider networks. "It's an alternative for the consumer to make that choice," Chaney said. Chaney said it won't work for everyone. He sees it as a bridge for young adults leaving college, people aging off a parent's plan, and others who are relatively healthy. "If you're healthy, say you're under 40... and if you're relatively healthy, this will fit you fairly well," Chaney said. Chaney said these plans are meant to be a lower-cost alternative, not a replacement for comprehensive coverage. He said the earliest the proposed three-year option could be available is January 2027. |
| Advocates worry new bans on student IDs will trip up younger voters | |
 | To vote in the 2024 election, Lia Symer remembers checking in at her polling place with her student ID card. "I tend to not carry my driver's license on my person when I'm walking around campus. Most students just carry their student IDs to get into buildings," says Symer, who's about to start her senior year at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire -- one of about three dozen states with in-person voter ID laws. But to cast a ballot this year, Symer is going to need to show a state ID, U.S. passport or another accepted identification now that New Hampshire has become the latest of several states to ban registered voters from using a student ID to verify their identity at the polls. Weeks before New Hampshire's student ID ban began in June, a federal appeals court put a similar Indiana law back into effect in April. And earlier that same month, Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law an upcoming ban on accepting student IDs when checking in voters at the polls. Florida's restriction is set to start in 2027. Those state laws come amid President Trump's so-far failed push for a Republican plan to overhaul voting in federal elections in every state, including a proposal that would not allow in-person voters to use student IDs. |
| Trump votes by mail again in his home state of Florida | |
 | President Donald Trump voted by mail in Florida's Republican primary, according to local voting records, even as he continues to rail against mail-in voting with wide-ranging allegations of fraud. Voting records from Palm Beach County show the president requested his ballot in late July and it was returned on Aug. 13. This is not the first time that Trump has voted by mail in his adopted home state. He voted by mail in a special election in Palm Beach County earlier this year. Florida's GOP primary features a crowded ballot for governor that includes Trump-endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds, who is seen as the frontrunner. But he is being challenged by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former state House speaker Paul Renner and James Fishback, an investor and harsh critic of Donalds who has embraced far-right rhetoric on Israel and other topics. Trump, who has falsely claimed he won the 2020 election, has repeatedly pushed Congress this year to adopt the SAVE America Act, a measure that mandates the use of photo IDs in federal elections as well as documentary proof of citizenship. |
| U.S. debt is set to hit $40 trillion, months earlier than expected, as bond yields rise | |
 | The U.S. national debt is likely to surpass $40 trillion this week, months earlier than forecasters previously expected, in part because of billions of dollars in lost revenue from President Donald Trump's invalidated tariffs. The lost revenue has forced the Treasury Department to borrow more rapidly to cover the nation's bills: Six months ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that total borrowing would top out at $39.4 trillion this fiscal year. But on Monday, Treasury reported that the debt stood at $39.9 trillion and counting. The faster accumulation of debt comes at a perilous moment. An array of concerns, including inflation, the war in Iran and rising debt levels around the world, are driving investors to dump government bonds. On Tuesday, the interest rates that investors demanded on 30-year U.S. Treasury bonds spiked to their highest level in nearly two decades. This year, annual interest payments on the debt are projected to top $1 trillion, according to the CBO -- about the size of the Pentagon budget. More rapid borrowing also means the next deadline for raising the legal debt limit is likely to arrive ahead of schedule. |
| CDC's new director is pressed to do something about its zombie programs | |
 | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has an Alzheimer's disease program. Congress appropriated $41 million to it this year. There's just no one staffing it. Then there's the agency's Office on Smoking and Health. Congress allocated $246 million for that. Its staffers were cut, too. Same for the epilepsy program. Its sickle cell disease data collection operation. Its rape prevention unit. Think of them as the CDC's zombie programs -- they appear to be alive, at least according to legislation and congressional appropriations. But functionally they are dead or nearly dead, because the CDC experts who did the work were laid off by President Donald Trump's administration or remain on leave -- paid but not allowed to do their jobs. The Atlanta-based CDC is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. When Dr. Erica Schwartz became the agency's latest director last week, she inherited these zombie programs and congressional pressure to bring some of them back to life. |
| Nurse anesthetist program at UMMC welcomes first students | |
| UMMC announced Monday that the first nurse anesthetist program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center brought 16 registered nurses back to the classroom this semester. For the inaugural group, it felt like quite an honor to have a seat in class following a months-long application and accreditation process. "It's always been a goal of mine to train here at UMMC," said Joya Johnson, 34, a Meridian native who earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Mississippi College. "You get the best, most rigorous training to prepare you for the real world. It feels like it's a real privilege to be part of this first class here." The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or CRNA, program is Mississippi's second such academic program of study for the specialization and was accredited in July by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs. The degree itself is the post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice, nurse anesthesia track, a 36-month program based on COA standards and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice. The state's only other program is at the University of Southern Mississippi. |
| First day of fall classes brings welcome week events to MCC | |
 | Monday was the first day of class for the fall semester at Meridian Community College. The first day included finding classrooms, personal introductions, going over course expectations and getting back into a routine. Events were also held to welcome students back to campus and encourage them to mingle with classmates and professors. Activities will continue throughout the week as part of MCC's welcome week. Tom Huebner, president of MCC, said the college is trying to make students feel welcome. "We've got events planned all week, things that are designed to get them engaged and keep them, yanno help them just transition from the exciting life at home to the exciting life at Meridian Community College," Huebner said. Huebner said there is still time to register. "There's still time to register. If you're sitting at home watching this story and you think, I think I might wanna go to school, come on. We have advisors, we have people in our enrollment offices, enrollment services our one stop shop that can help, take your, guide you into what we think the great opportunities for you and so it's not too late," Huebner said. |
| Co-Lin Foundation celebrates $2M milestone in funds raised | | |
 | The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Foundation received more than $2 million in donations during the 2025-2026 fiscal year for the first time in its history. The Foundation's Board of Directors and college administrators celebrated following a board meeting on July 16. The new milestone comes after the Foundation reached $1 million in funds raised for the first time two years ago. "Reaching one million in giving for the first time was an incredible achievement for us," said Angela Furr, who has served as executive director of the Foundation since 2018. During the year ending June 30, the Foundation awarded more than half a million dollars in scholarships to students and faculty, more than $450,000 designated to athletics and another $500,000 in other direct support of the college. Furr said she looks forward to seeing the Foundation provide even more support to the college in the coming years. State funding and tuition revenue does not cover all the costs associated with running the college, and the Foundation helps bridge those gaps, said Co-Lin president Dr. Dewayne Middleton. |
| What Parents Need to Know About OpenAI's New ChatGPT for Teens | |
 | As parents and teachers grow increasingly anxious about students' use of chatbots, OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT for Teens starting Tuesday. The company intends for it to help students think through problems, rather than just spitting out answers. It is increasing the guardrails against emotional dependence, too. Globally, nine out of 10 teens who use ChatGPT do so for learning, productivity and skill-building, Ann O'Leary, OpenAI's vice president of global policy, told me. The experience combines new and existing features such as the homework-helper "study mode." The chatbot will help students come up with a thesis but won't write an essay for them, and it will walk them through how to solve an equation instead of jumping to the answer. If the teen tries a shortcut, "responsible homework reminders" will redirect teens. And the chatbot will offer quizzes to help students deepen their understanding of a particular subject. The best part, at least for the parents and teachers: Teens will have a hard time finding workarounds. Even if they already have a ChatGPT account, the platform will automatically place teens in the new under-18 experience. OpenAI is using an age-prediction model that relies on some 2,000 signals including chat content and times of day. |
| Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook | |
| A coalition of states suing Meta Platforms over claims Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harmed young users' mental health will begin making its case on Tuesday in California federal court in a trial that could reshape some of the most popular apps on the planet. Attorneys for Colorado, California, New Jersey and Kentucky, who are leading a bipartisan group of 29 states, will give their opening statements before an eight-person jury in Oakland that is serving expressly in an advisory capacity for U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will ultimately decide the case. The trial will test the four states' allegations that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and teens and misled consumers about the safety of the platforms for young users. It will also address the claims of all 29 states accusing Meta of improperly collecting and using children's personal data while they used the company's platforms in violation of federal law. In terms of potential damages and implications for Meta, experts have said the trial is the biggest test yet of youth social media litigation and comes amid a broader reckoning across the globe over social media's effects on young users. |
| How Louisiana's law requiring Ten Commandments displays is unfolding on college campuses | |
 | As Louisiana college students return to campus this month, they will encounter mandated displays of the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. This fall marks the first full semester since a federal appeals court in February allowed the Louisiana law requiring displays of the religious text in all public classrooms -- including the lecture halls of colleges and universities -- to take effect. Many of Louisiana's public higher education institutions have completed or nearly completed the task of hanging the posters in their classrooms, according to administrators. The law left some ambiguity about how to comply on a college campus, where "classroom" can be a murky term. The Louisiana Family Forum, a conservative advocacy group, donated thousands of posters to public colleges and universities to support the statute, which states that institutions are not required to spend their own funds to be compliant. LSU Faculty Senate President and political science professor Daniel Tirone said he wants all students to still feel welcome in the classroom as campuses implement the law. "I would not anticipate that there would be any element of the education that would change as a result of this," Tirone said. |
| How UGA Made Submitting Transcripts Simpler | |
 | Historically, freshmen applying to the University of Georgia -- and most colleges across the U.S. -- have had to not only send their high school transcript to the institution but also manually write out courses they took and grades they received in application portals. Perhaps not the most arduous part of the application, but it's annoying, said Andy Borst, UGA's vice provost for enrollment management. He compared it to when job applications ask applicants to both submit a résumé -- and then type out their full work history in text boxes. The current system of submitting courses and grades is also a lot of work for the admissions office to parse. That's a big deal at UGA, where the number of applications has surged in recent years to about 51,600 in the 2025–26 application cycle. So, the office looked for a solution. They considered using artificial intelligence, which some institutions, such as neighboring Georgia Tech and Stony Brook University in New York, have employed to extract data from transcripts. But ultimately, they realized the perfect fix might not involve creating a new tool, but leveraging an existing partnership with the state's Student Finance Commission, which facilitates state scholarships. Inside Higher Ed spoke with Borst about the innovation. |
| U. of Tennessee's Fraternity Park takes on record number of recruits | |
| The University of Tennessee kicked off Fraternity recruitment last week with 1,316 registered rushees, the highest number of participants the UT Interfraternity Council has ever recorded. The number of registered students this year more than doubled the 681 students who registered in 2021. Parker Huskey, vice president of Lambda Chi Alpha, said the increase in potential new members, or PNMs, is expected considering UT's continued enrollment growth. The Kappa Alpha Order finalized its return to UT in April, officially rechartered. This fall rush served as a further opportunity to allow the chapter to rebuild its membership on campus. Chance Townson, recruitment chair of Kappa Alpha Order, said the large number of candidates will give the chapter an opportunity to construct its first fall recruitment class that reflects its values. Freshman PNM Christian Dillard said family members involved in Greek life influenced his decision to rush. "Coming into UT, I just want to have a brotherhood, have guys to rely on, and I want to grow," Dillard said. "The main point of college is becoming a better person, becoming a better man." |
| UGA students kick off first day of fall semester | |
| For senior Selest Kok, the first day of fall semester began well before most students woke up. As a management information systems and international business major entering her final semester at the University of Georgia, Kok got up around 5:30 a.m. to make it to a 7 a.m. cycling class at the Ramsey Student Center. "I'm not a morning person, but I was like, 'Well, it's my last first day,'" Kok said. "Ten years from now, I'm gonna regret it if I don't go." Kok added that because parking on campus can be tough, she drove her friend Nadine Mbughuni to the class with her. Kok spent the rest of her day class-free, renting a MacBook from the Zell B. Miller Learning Center while waiting for her own to be repaired, taking first day of class pictures and catching up with friends. She is spending an extra semester at the university networking and solidifying her post-grad plans. While the upperclassmen navigated a familiar campus, more than 6,250 first-year students were busy figuring out a brand new environment. For freshman Andy Lockwood, an intended finance major, the day included free Chick-Fil-A and an eagerness to begin his classes. |
| What U. of Texas students would study under proposed core curriculum | |
| Last week, University of Texas President Jim Davis unveiled a proposal to change the core curriculum for all future Longhorns. The plan, if approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and UT regents, could shift what students must learn, in part by decreasing the number of required courses. Texas core curriculum accounts for about a third of the credits needed to obtain a bachelor's degree. Under a 2025 law, all public universities and the state agency are reviewing what courses count toward the requirements. UT is the only institution so far that has suggested an entirely new model. Under the new proposal, UT students would have to take 36 credits across three pillars: arts and humanities, social sciences and STEM. There are 12 topics included within the three pillars. Writing is not a specific requirement, but the proposal encourages each core class to include a section featuring the skill. |
| A Texas University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content | |
 | The Texas Tech faculty meeting began amicably this spring, with offers of refreshments. Then administrators handed out reports, created partly by artificial intelligence, listing the lessons professors needed to stop teaching. "What?" one professor asked. "I don't even teach those things." "There are factual errors," added another. "It's A.I. slop," a third said. Texas Tech is using A.I. to ferret out books and other materials that touch on topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. Professors describe the effort as a dystopian academic nightmare, in which ideologues are wielding technology to sideline subject-matter experts. Last month, the American Association of University Professors sued the university, saying the course-review effort is viewpoint discrimination that violates the First Amendment. That is not how the Texas Tech system's leader, Brandon Creighton, sees things. Mr. Creighton, a former state lawmaker who has been heading the five-university system since November, is the force behind the effort. Mr. Creighton represents something of a trend in red states like Florida and Texas: a former Republican lawmaker tapped as higher education leader. In Florida, at least seven college presidents are former Republican politicians, as are the heads of both the Texas A&M and University of Texas systems. |
| Protecting Texas research focus of hearing as Abbott eyes limiting foreign influence in education | |
| Texas lawmakers will examine Tuesday whether colleges are doing enough to protect research from foreign adversaries, while Gov. Greg Abbott plans to unveil measures aimed at limiting foreign influence in education during a campaign event later that day. The House Higher Education Committee's agenda does not name a specific law. However, its focus on screening, reporting, oversight and the Higher Education Research Security Council closely tracks House Bill 127, which committee chair Rep. Terry M. Wilson, R-Georgetown, authored last year. The law created the new council and set safeguards for certain researchers, foreign gifts, academic partnerships and work-related travel. Texas universities must screen foreign citizens who are not permanent residents, as well as people with certain work, training or institutional ties to a foreign adversary, before hiring them into research jobs or giving them access to research data, according to the law. At a July 28 Senate hearing, Kevin Gamache, the Texas A&M University System's chief research-security officer and chair of the new council, said HB 127 was "on the mark" because it gave universities both a framework and flexibility to protect research without being overly restrictive. Gamache said Texas' law "must not become nationality-based screening" or a "blanket prohibition on international collaboration." |
| New federal student loan requirements pose little threat to U. of Missouri programs | |
 | University of Missouri students are unlikely to be affected by new federal loan rules that target low-earning degrees, university officials say. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, colleges whose graduates consistently earn less than the median income of a high school graduate will lose access to federal student loans and Pell Grants. Some provisions took effect July 1, and others will kick in July 1, 2027. Mizzou administrators say the university's existing efforts to track graduate outcomes have already put most, if not all, of its programs above the federal requirements. The "Do No Harm" provision of the bill requires colleges participating in the federal Direct Loan Program to demonstrate that four years after earning their degrees, undergraduate students earn more than workers whose highest level of education is a high school diploma. Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies at Mizzou, said the university has measured graduate employment, salaries and other career outcomes for the past seven to eight years. About 95% of Mizzou's programs meet or exceed the requirements, he said. Mizzou follows best-practice standards from the National Association of Colleges and Employers to assess career outcomes, he said. The university also uses its career center to collect information about employment and salaries by major. |
| U.Va.'s planned data center expands $30 million amid statewide debate over energy use | |
| The University of Virginia is moving forward with its plans for a new research data center at Fontaine Research Park, expanding the project by roughly $30 million as demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continues to grow throughout the Commonwealth. The project has grown since it was initially approved by the Board of Visitors in June 2025 as a $72 million, two-story data center facility. At the time, University officials described the facility as necessary to support the University's growing high-capacity computing needs. In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the Fontaine Data Center project will be funded through a combination of institutional funds, repayment from institutional resources and strategic fund allocations. The facility will initially provide four megawatts for Research Computing and 0.5 megawatts for U.Va. Health IT, the website also states, with plans to scale up to 17 megawatts as demand increases in the future. Glover said that the Fontaine Data Center will ensure the University is prepared for the increasing role that computation plays in modern research, which she said will enable the recruitment and retention of faculty at the "pinnacle of their fields." |
| Many recent grads say AI is making it harder to get a job. Economists aren't so sure | |
| Irene Chang, 21, studied engineering in college because she enjoys solving problems. She also wanted to major in something she thought would lead to a stable career. "I wanted to work a job right after college," she says. But that has been a challenge. Chang graduated in May from Georgia Tech with a bachelor's degree in industrial and systems engineering. She says she started applying for entry-level data analyst roles about a year ago, while she was still in school. Chang estimates she has submitted around 450 applications since last September and has had about 19 interviews -- so far she hasn't gotten any offers. Jacqueline Kline, 25, is in the same boat. She graduated this past spring from Florida State University with a master's degree in communications. So far, she says, she has applied to more than 500 entry-level jobs since last December. Both Kline and Chang say they think AI may be part of the reason that finding a job in their respective fields has been such a challenge. Many of those recent graduates think AI is to blame for their employment struggles. This year, in a survey from ZipRecruiter, 47% of them said AI had already affected hiring in their field. But is AI really the problem, or is it more complicated? Here's what economists have to say. |
| States Narrow Funding Gaps for Historically Black Land-Grants | |
| Three years ago, the Biden administration publicly scolded 16 states for underfunding historically Black land-grant universities by a whopping $13 billion over 30 years. The then–education and agriculture secretaries asked the states to pay up. The Biden officials, in letters to the 16 governors, called states out for low per-student spending on their historically Black land-grants compared to their predominantly white counterparts. States are supposed to equitably distribute funds between the institutions and annually match federal land-grants for food and agriculture research. But states haven't always doled out all of those matching funds to historically Black universities, which can prevent institutions from accessing their total federal money. And in some cases, states lavished more generous allocations on predominantly white land-grant institutions, leaving historically Black land-grant universities at a disadvantage for decades. Several years later, did the Biden administration's pressure campaign work? Historically Black land-grant leaders and advocates say not entirely -- but many states did make strides, paying institutions their full land-grant matches after years of neglect and chipping away at their debts. |
| Scientists Scramble for Private Cash in Response to Fresh Funding Turbulence | |
| When the Trump administration proposed new changes to how it awards grants this spring, Erin Ingvalson had to make some tough decisions. The University of Washington speech-perception researcher was awaiting a decision on a proposal to study literacy in children with hearing impairments. With the future of government backing unclear, she froze hiring for a postdoctoral researcher and warned partner preschools that her timeline was uncertain. "I feel like I don't know what's going to happen next," said Ingvalson. It is "really challenging to plan long-term projects." University researchers are navigating more turbulence in federal funding. After last year's cuts and disruptions, new policies brewing in Washington threaten to upend grants again. Many scientists are trying to diversify their funding by courting foundations and private companies instead. Others are downsizing their teams. Another response has been to pull back investment in young talent. Major American research universities admitted 15% fewer students to Ph.D. programs this fall compared with a year earlier, according to data from 55 universities that are members of the Association of American Universities. It marks the second consecutive year of substantial reduction for doctoral programs. |
| AI Helped Researchers Win NIH Grants. Will Science Suffer? | |
| New research shows that scientists who rely heavily on artificial intelligence to write grant applications are more likely to get funding from the National Institutes of Health. But that tactic could come at the expense of exploring more novel scientific ideas. That's one of the central takeaways of a study published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which analyzed more than 125,000 grant applications -- including funded, unfunded and pending proposals -- submitted to the NIH and National Science Foundation from 2021 to 2025. The study's time frame encompasses the rapid rise of generative AI tools that first became widely available in late 2022. Using word-distribution modeling to identify proposals suggestive of high levels of large language model involvement, the researchers identified a surge in AI use between 2023 and 2025. "Federal funding is the primary mechanism through which the U.S. converts public resources into scientific knowledge," Yifan Qian, a research assistant professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and co-author of the new paper, told Inside Higher Ed. "Understanding the forces that influence the federal funding process is critical not only for science policy and scientific progress, but also for accountability of public investment in research." |
| DHS to propose end of 60-day grace period for H-1B visa holders | |
| The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will soon propose a rule to eliminate the 60-day grace period that H-1B and similar nonimmigrant visa holders receive if their employment ends before the expiration date of their visas. The rule was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 6, but it has yet to be published in the Federal Register, with no indication from White House officials when it will be approved for publication. If the current 60-day grace period is eliminated, H-1B visa holders who lose their jobs may be required to leave the country immediately "and would likely be unable to change status or change employers unless [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] authorizes the change through an exercise of favorable discretion," per a post from law firm Ogletree Deakins. "It's going to be really difficult" for employers if the 60-day grace period is removed, Maxine Bayley, a partner at Duane Morris who practices immigration law, told HR Dive. |
| U.S. universities are in decline globally as fewer students come, more scholars leave | |
| The nation was distracted by other things when a quiet warning sounded: Support was diminishing for American academic research that had led to breakthroughs and innovation. That familiar-sounding worry came not this year, but near the end of World War II, in a pivotal government study by the wartime Office of Scientific Research and Development. The response then: infusions of government cash that would propel the U.S. higher education system into international preeminence over the subsequent decades. American colleges and universities rose to the ranks of the best in the world. They attracted top scholars who won a disproportionate number of Nobel Prizes. They helped drive the innovation economy. As trade deficits beset other industries, education became the sixth-largest U.S. services export. At their peak enrollment, international students brought in more than $40 billion a year. Now, as a new academic year begins, American dominance in higher education globally is incontrovertibly in decline, according to data, international rankings and independent experts. |
SPORTS
| Physicality, competition shine in MSU's first scrimmage | |
| Mississippi State football's first preseason scrimmage was competitive and physical in the eyes of Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs hosted their first of three preseason scrimmages behind closed doors Sunday evening. Lebby told media members in the post-scrimmage presser that the first-teamers got 47 plays in the scrimmage with the "twos" playing around 40. Lebby said, like he has been saying about his roster since the start of fall camp, there was "great competition" during the scrimmage. "There was a ton of back and forth," Lebby said. "Number one, we're coming off the field healthy. Number two, the energy, the physicality... is really good." |
| 5 Mississippi State football freshmen we're predicting will have biggest 2026 impact | |
 | Mississippi State football has increased its recruiting class ranking every year under coach Jeff Lebby, so 2026 could feature more freshmen who are immediate contributors. The Bulldogs' 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 23 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, the program's highest ranking since 2015. Hartfield Academy four-star safety Bralan Womack was the top player in the class and is expected to have an impact as a freshman. There are other freshmen who could factor into the season, too, and not just the players ranked at the top of the class. Here are the five freshmen who could have the biggest impacts for Mississippi State in 2026. |
| MSU soccer downs UAB in Birmingham, starts season 2-0 | |
| The Kevin O'Brien era is off to a 2-0 start. Mississippi State soccer won its first road game of the season Sunday, taking down the UAB Blazers, 2-1. "It was our first road win of the year and second game of the week. We showed some tired legs and a little fatigue factored in," O'Brien said in an MSU soccer press release. "We talked about it before the game, that you've got to grind out wins on Sundays – that's the nature of college soccer – and the girls did. I'm really, really proud of the way that they dug deep, competed and battled for first and second balls." Two of MSU's 19 newcomers found the net against the Blazers. Hailey Johnson, who followed O'Brien from Lipscomb, scored the Bulldogs' first goal seven minutes in, stealing possession in MSU's offensive box and banking a goal in off the left post. MSU will look to carry its strong start into a Thursday night bout at home against Arkansas State. |
| Former MSU basketball player, broadcaster Joe Dean Jr. dies | |
| Mississippi State basketball alum and longtime coach and broadcaster Joe Dean Jr. died Sunday at 71-years-old. Dean was a three-year letter winner with MSU men's basketball in the 1970s, and was the first recipient of the James H. McCarthy award for leadership, according to a social media post from MSU athletics. He spent time as an assistant coach at MSU, and at the University of Kentucky, where he served on Joe B. Hall's 1978 national championship winning staff. He was named head coach at Birmingham-Southern in 1983, where he won multiple championships, before stepping into the Division I ranks at the University of Central Florida. He also served as Birmingham-Southern's athletic director after his coaching career. Dean also enjoyed a long broadcasting career which spanned two decades. |
| Arkansas retains baseball coach Dave Van Horn through 2031 | |
| Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn, the Division I active leader in career wins, on Monday signed a new contract through 2031. The contract replaces the 10-year agreement he signed in 2021 and will increase his pay to $2.1 million annually. He also would receive bonuses for winning the College World Series and fulfilling the length of the contract. "All I ever wanted to do was coach at Arkansas, and I'm thankful to continue leading my alma mater for many more years to come," Van Horn said. The 2027 season will mark Van Horn's 39th as a head coach and 25th at Arkansas. Van Horn has led the Razorbacks to eight CWS appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 2018. |
| Appeals Court Weighs Nationwide NCAA Eligibility Injunction | |
| he U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit is now in receipt of dueling briefs by the NCAA and a dozen athletes who began college play in 2022–2023, completed four years of eligibility and are now seeking to play an additional season. The briefs debate whether to stay a nationwide injunction permitting thousands of formerly ineligible athletes to return to college sports at the start of the 2026–27 campaign. While the debate is about antitrust law, at stake are roster spots and playing time opportunities. The 10th Circuit set Monday as the final deadline for briefing by the two sides, who hold very different views regarding the injunction that U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney granted on July 31. The judge surprisingly certified a nationwide class of Division I athletes after only a couple of weeks of litigation -- certification in antitrust litigation often takes years -- and barred the NCAA from denying those athletes' eligibility. These athletes, many of whom are 22 or 23 years old and already completed college, might take roster spots from freshmen and transfer students who lack the track record of seasoned college athletes. The NCAA has asked the 10th Circuit to stay the injunction pending the appellate court's review of whether Sweeney correctly applied the law in granting the injunction. That review could take weeks or months, so the stay motion may effectively decide the practical outcome of the case. |
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