| Thursday, December 18, 2025 |
| Starkville, Columbus on pace to exceed FY 26 sales tax budget | |
 | Both Columbus and Starkville, now a quarter of the way through Fiscal Year 2026, are on pace to exceed their projected sales tax budgets. The cities' budget cycle began Oct. 1. Starkville is on pace to exceed its $10.3 million projected budget by more than $500,000, while Columbus is outpacing its $12 million projected budget by more than $100,000. Month-to-month collections also rose by nearly 12% in Columbus and 15.19% in West Point, while Starkville collections dropped 9.16% compared to November. Starkville collected $850,522 this month, down 9.16% from November's collection of $936,312. This marks a 2.26% decrease from December 2024 collections of $870,261. So far this fiscal year, the city has collected $2,711,227 in sales tax revenue, a 5.48% increase from this time last year ($2,570,225). Three months into the fiscal year, the city is on pace to exceed its projected sales tax budget of $10.3 million by about $544,908. Starkville saw a drop in month-to-month collections of both its restaurant sales tax diversions, which assist in funding for economic development and tourism, and its tourism sales tax, which funds the Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as parks. |
| Mary Means Business: Starkville consignment shop opens under new ownership | |
| Two years ago, Michele Austin, owner of Revolution, planted a seed with store manager Jessica Taylor: start saving so you can buy the shop when I'm ready to retire. "When she mentioned that to me, it was everything I thought about every day," Taylor said. Earlier this month, Taylor closed on the store's property at 204 E. Wood St., purchased its inventory and opened Revolution Resale Co. Longtime shoppers shouldn't worry. Aside from a slightly refreshed logo and name, the store they know and love hasn't changed much at all. "There's not going to be any major changes," she said. "This place runs like a well-oiled machine. I've been running this store as if I was the owner for years now. ... Everything is the same, but it's a new company." Revolution Resale Co. will celebrate with a ribbon cutting and grand opening at 4 p.m. Friday, complete with refreshments and giveaways. One of the things that makes this shop so special, Taylor said, is its constantly rotating inventory, cycling through 1,500 and 2,000 items every week. |
| America's Largest Landowner Bets It Can Replace Met Coal With Pine Trees | |
 | Weyerhaeuser, America's largest private landowner, said it has launched a venture to turn runty trees and sawdust from its fleet of mills into a replacement for metallurgical coal used in steel making. The forest-products company said it expects production to begin in 2027 at a facility being built next to its sawmill in McComb, Miss. -- the first of several biocarbon plants planned by Weyerhaeuser and partner Aymium. It is the latest effort to find a market for the trees too small or otherwise unsuitable for making lumber. Such wood has typically been sent to pulp and paper mills, but U.S. wood-pulp consumption capacity has plunged due to waning paper demand. This year alone, the U.S. has shed roughly 10% of its capacity to produce containerboard, the thick paper used to make corrugated boxes. The closures have walloped timber growers, especially in the South, where landowners ranging from Weyerhaeuser, with its vast loblolly plantations, to families with 40-acre woodlots raise pine for the forest-products industry. Steel producer Steel Dynamics said its own venture with Aymium is ramping up production after biocarbon made in September at a plant in Columbus, Miss., was used successfully by its flat-rolled steel division. |
| Head Start centers reopened by Delta Health Alliance across Northeast Mississippi | |
 | Decorated with a Sesame Street theme, the yellow-painted walls at the newly opened Head Start present a warm and happy invitation to the 3- and 4-year-old preschoolers in attendance. The Head Start center at Shannon Elementary is one of seven across Northeast Mississippi that have opened or will open in the coming weeks. On Monday, a Head Start center opened in Mantachie, and Shannon was joined by Verona on Wednesday. Itawamba County has another Head Start center in Fulton, while the Pontotoc center will open Jan. 5. A center in New Albany will open later in the month. Behind the effort to open and operate the Head Start facilities is the Delta Health Alliance. Funding comes from the federal government, primarily from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Head Start programs provide early education, health, nutrition and family support services to children from birth to age 5, prioritizing low-income families. If a program doesn't meet federal compliance standards or underperforms, it can lose its funding. In North Mississippi, federal funding was pulled from the Mississippi Action for Progress program, which had been administering Head Start. MAP had been charged with multiple operational deficiencies as the reason for the cancellation. This past year the agency received about $78.85 million in federal money to oversee at least 28 local programs. The Delta Health Alliance received funding for five years, and its program will be reevaluated in 2030. |
| First responders fire back about Tier 5 after Hosemann's life-expectancy remarks | |
 | Mississippi's first responders are renewing calls for lawmakers to revisit the state's new public employee retirement tier, arguing it places unreasonable demands on first responders and threatens recruitment, retention and public safety. The pushback follows comments by Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who said first responders "live longer than most people do because they stay healthy." The quote has been circulated on social media on a graphic with Hosemann's photo next to his words. Law enforcement leaders called that assertion inaccurate and said it ignores medical research showing elevated risks faced by firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers. The Mississippi Deputy Sheriffs Association and the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police had previously issued statements criticizing Tier 5 of the Public Employees' Retirement System, which will apply to new hires beginning March 1, 2026. Tier 5 requires 35 years of service for full retirement benefits and replaces a traditional pension with a hybrid plan that includes a smaller guaranteed benefit and an individual investment account tied to market performance. Other lawmakers have said the plan is particularly ill-suited for public safety workers. Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, has called a 35-year service requirement "not reasonable" for firefighters and police officers and said he is drafting legislation to create carve-outs or special provisions for high-stress professions. Research by Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government found Mississippi's requirement would exceed those of neighboring states, many of which allow first responders to retire after 20 to 28 years or provide hazardous-duty credits. |
| ACA coverage at risk for many in Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi residents could soon face higher health insurance costs as federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remain uncertain. Enrollment in ACA plans have dropped significantly this year. With subsidies at risk, thousands of Mississippians may see their premiums rise or lose coverage altogether. Last year, roughly 335,000 Mississippians were enrolled in ACA health plans. This year, re-enrollment numbers have dropped sharply, raising concerns about a growing uninsured population across the state. "We are probably looking at 200,000 people dropping their insurance coverage and go on to the uninsured category. And if that happens, it's a spiral downward," said Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney (R-Miss.). He said the possible loss of subsidies could dramatically reduce how many people are able to afford coverage. As of December 2025, nearly all ACA enrollees in Mississippi receive financial help. "The 97% that have gotten subsidies will probably drop down to around a 40%. That's a number, if you just do the math at 335 versus 140, and we think those numbers will drop down to around 120,000 that will actually pay. So it's, you know, you're looking at a pretty big drop," Chaney stated. |
| Young Democrat launches primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson in Mississippi | |
 | A 33-year-old antitrust lawyer with ties to major Democratic politicians is challenging U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to represent Mississippi's 2nd congressional district. Evan Turnage is the latest in a trend of young Democrats looking to oust the party's old guard and rebrand the party after the 2024 election. "The same old playbook from the '90s isn't going to work anymore," Turnage said. "We are dealing with Big Tech firms and social media and AI, and we need members of Congress who know how to navigate that terrain." The Yale-educated attorney has served as chief counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and senior counsel to Sen. Elizabeth Warren. If elected, Turnage said he would focus on creating economic opportunity and political reform. The last time Thompson faced a meaningful primary challenge was in 2012 against former Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer Toney. In a statement, Thompson said he is confident his record will speak for itself. "Elections were created to give people the ability to make a choice," Thompson said. "I trust the voters of the district." |
| Senate passes defense bill that defies Trump and forces sharing of boat strike videos | |
 | The Senate on Wednesday delivered a clear rebuke of President Donald Trump's authority, signing off on legislation that could force the Pentagon to turn over footage of strikes against suspected drug smugglers and rein in the administration's ability to limit troops abroad. The annual defense policy bill cleared the chamber in a wide bipartisan vote after it passed the House last week. Trump is expected to sign the measure, despite the White House's misgivings with some provisions. The 77-20 vote saw substantial support from Democrats and Republicans to push through the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act, the product of months of negotiations between leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services committees. Just two Republicans -- Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky -- broke ranks on the bill while 18 members of the Democratic caucus opposed it. Lawmakers are using the sprawling policy bill to demand the Pentagon hand over unedited videos of strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats near Latin America. The bill restricts a quarter of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget until Congress receives the footage. The bill also reflects bipartisan angst at the Trump administration's efforts to reshape U.S. foreign policy and reconsider long-held U.S. military commitments abroad. |
| Trump expected to sign $901 billion defense spending bill backed by Mississippi delegation | |
| Mississippi's U.S. Senators voted in favor of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, sending the $901 billion in defense spending bill to President Donald Trump's desk. The NDAA, which passed by a 77-20 vote, provides a 3.8% pay raise for troops and implements policy reforms through appropriations that are vital for defense and national security activities. It also authorizes funding for the nation's nuclear weapons programs and military construction and family housing projects. Notably, the legislation officially ends the war in Iraq, repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Senator Roger Wicker (R), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped shepherd the legislation through the process. "Not since the era of World War II has our nation faced an axis of aggressors across multiple theaters seeking to dismantle American influence. The bill we now send to the president's desk is a reflection of that reality and an appropriate response," Wicker said in a statement after final passage. "In this NDAA, my colleagues and I have prioritized the structural rebuilding of the arsenal of democracy and returning the department to its warfighting mission. Crucially, it also contains the most sweeping upgrades to the Pentagon's business practices in 60 years -- a watershed moment for our military." |
| Trump Defends Handling of Economy, Announces Military Dividend | |
| President Trump on Wednesday defended his handling of the economy during a rare prime-time speech and announced a $1,776 "warrior dividend" check for active-duty servicemembers that he said would be paid for with tariff revenue. "Military servicemembers will receive a special, we call warrior dividend before Christmas, a warrior dividend in honor of our nation's founding in 1776," Trump said, speaking from the Diplomatic Room of the White House, which was decorated for the holidays. "Nobody deserves it more than our military." Trump's speech was aimed at marking almost a year in office and assuaging mounting voter concerns about rising prices. The president claimed that he has brought down the prices of products like eggs and Thanksgiving turkey, and he touted legislation that extended tax cuts, boosted defense and border spending, and reduced spending on domestic programs. Democrats criticized the president in real time, saying that the tone and substance felt out of touch. "I'm watching the speech and it's wild," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) on X. "He has no idea what's going on in the country." Inflation is below its pandemic highs, but prices for many essentials have continued to rise, and inflation has remained stubbornly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The speech comes as Trump's approval ratings have dropped and he received his worst polling ever for his handling of the economy. |
| Inflation cools slightly in November as worries about affordability grip Americans | |
 | The cost of living continued to climb in November -- though a little less than two months ago -- as seven in ten Americans say they're barely able to pay their bills. Consumer prices in November were up 2.7% from a year ago, according to a report Thursday from the Labor Department. That's a smaller annual increase than for the 12 months ending in September, when inflation was clocked at 3%. Prices rose 0.2% between September and November. The Labor Department did not provide an October comparison because the government shutdown kept workers from conducting their usual price checks that month. The data comes as growing concerns about affordability remain a drag on the President Trump's approval rating. A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds just 36% of Americans approve of Trump's economic stewardship. That's the president's lowest rating on the economy in six years of polling, matching former President Biden's low score in 2022. High prices are outweighing other economic concerns, with 71% of those surveyed saying their income just matches or falls short of their monthly expenses. Wealthy families aren't much troubled by rising prices, and continue to spend freely, Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller said Wednesday, at Yale University's CEO Summit. But low- and middle-income families face a genuine "affordability problem." |
| Senate confirms Isaacman to be NASA administrator | |
 | The Senate confirmed in a 67-30 vote Jared Isaacman to head NASA after President Donald Trump nominated and withdrew the nomination earlier this year, and then renominated the billionaire entrepreneur last month. Isaacman will oversee the agency's push to beat China in returning astronauts to the moon and coordinating missions to send humans to Mars. NASA has been without a Senate confirmed head for roughly 11 months, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy standing in as acting administrator in the interim. Isaacman won support from a number of Democrats, including Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., despite concerns from others in the party about his ties to billionaire Elon Musk. "Fortunately, I believe Mr. Isaacman recognizes that some of the most talented people in America work at NASA," Cantwell said on the floor Wednesday. "During his nomination process, Mr. Isaacman emphasized the importance of developing a pipeline of future scientists, engineers, researchers, [and] astronauts to support the science and technology development and align with NASA's objectives. I strongly agree." The Commerce Committee earlier this month advanced Isaacman's nomination in a 18-10 vote, with three Democrats in support. |
| Voters prefer moderate candidates over progressives, MAGA: Poll | |
 | Voters prefer moderate candidates over both progressive and MAGA contenders for the next presidential race, according to a new Emerson College Polling survey. In a hypothetical 2028 matchup against a progressive Democrat, voters sided with a moderate Republican by roughly 12 points. A moderate Democrat, on the other hand, won a showdown against a MAGA Republican by 9 points. "It is clear that a moderate candidate on both the Democratic and Republican side has appeal toward independent voters that a label of progressive or MAGA does not appeal to: the 'moderate Democrat' has a 17-point advantage over the MAGA Republican and the 'moderate Republican' has an 18-point advantage over the 'progressive Democrat,'" said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. In another test between a progressive Democrat and a MAGA Republican, the Democrat eked out a 1-point win. And in a hypothetical race between moderates of both parties, the Republican had a 5-point advantage. The poll results come as both major parties grapple with competing visions ahead of next year's high-stakes midterms. |
| DOJ vowed to punish those who disrupt Trump's immigration crackdown. Dozens of cases have crumbled | |
| The federal agent described her wounds as "boo-boos." Nevertheless, the Department of Justice aggressively pursued the alleged perpetrator. They jailed Sidney Lori Reid on a charge of felony assault, accusing her of injuring the agent during a July protest of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Washington, D.C. When grand jurors thrice declined to indict the 44-year-old on the felony, prosecutors tried her on a misdemeanor. Body camera footage played at trial revealed that Reid had not intentionally struck the agent. Instead, the agent had scratched her hand on a wall while assisting another agent who had shoved Reid and told her to "shut the f--- up" and "mind her own business." It took jurors less than two hours to acquit the animal hospital worker. "It seemed like my life was just going to be taken away from me," said Reid, who spent two days in jail and worried she would lose her new job and apartment. "It broke my heart because this is supposed to be a good and fair country and I did not see anything surrounding my case that was good or fair at all for anybody." "It's clear from this data that the government is being extremely aggressive and charging for things that ordinarily wouldn't be charged at all," said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who is the director of Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy. |
| MUW ranks first in state for median earnings post-graduation | |
| A new earnings indicator created by the U.S. Department of Education this month ranks Mississippi University for Women as the top university in the state for undergraduate earnings after graduation. According to the department's data, MUW graduates earn a median of $63,197 in the four years after graduation, nearly $4,000 more than the next highest university – University of Mississippi. President Nora Miller said the ranking reflects a combination of targeted program investments, career preparation and a focus on workforce-aligned degrees. "I think we are gaining momentum and getting our message out there," Miller told The Dispatch on Wednesday. The values are based on the undergraduate earnings reported through the College Scorecard using federal tax data, reflecting outcomes specifically for students who received federal financial aid. Nearly 50% of students at MUW receive federal loans, according to the university’s College Scorecard. “Some of the other schools, they might not be factoring in as many students because they may not have had as many recipients,” Miller said. |
| NOAA awards $3M to USM for Gulf ecosystem study | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) was awarded more than $3 million as part of a $17.2 million investment announced by the NOAA RESTORE Science Program to support long-term research on the Gulf's ecosystem. USM will lead one of five projects selected nationwide through NOAA's highly competitive 2025 RESTORE Science Program funding competition. Each award supports five years of collaborative research focused on long-term ecological trends, with high-performing projects eligible to apply for an additional five years of funding. The Southern Miss-led project, "Understanding Drivers of Change in Seagrass Ecosystems to Inform Management of Critical Habitats in the Gulf Islands National Seashore," will receive $3,059,252. The research will be led by M. Zachary Darnell, associate professor and associate director for Coastal Sciences in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering. According to USM, the project will identify drivers of change in seagrass communities within Gulf Islands National Seashore. |
| Mississippi receives $553,000 to expand oyster shell recycling program | |
 | New RESTORE Act funding is expanding oyster shell recycling efforts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, turning discarded shells from local restaurants into tools for shoreline protection and habitat restoration. Governor Tate Reeves has awarded more than $553,000 in RESTORE Act funding to expand the Mississippi Sound Oyster Shell Recycling Program across Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties. Director of marine programs at The Nature Conservancy of Mississippi Tom Mohrman said the funding builds on the existing Save Our Shells initiative, which has already collected about 300,000 pounds of shells and returned 72,000 pounds to the water. The shells are being used in restoration projects, including a living shoreline at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. "We're really excited about this partnership between GCRL and the Nature Conservancy with their Save Our Shells program," Director of Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at USM Kelly Darnell said. "We have a project funded by the Tidelands program to create a living shoreline at GCRL's Marine Education Center. Really this is to mitigate some erosion that we have there and we'll be using these shells along with marsh plants to create that living shoreline." |
| Pennington's top leader will step down, the latest big leadership change in the LSU System | |
 | Dr. John Kirwan will step down as Pennington Biomedical Research Center's executive director when his contract ends Dec. 31, as leadership changes continue to ripple through the LSU system. A scholar of obesity, diabetes and nutrition research, Kirwan directed the research center in Baton Rouge for eight years. The end of his tenure comes days after the LSU Board of Supervisors and system President Wade Rousse overhauled the structure of the public university system, making it so the heads of several specialized research units, including Pennington, are renamed "senior vice chancellor" and report to Executive Vice President and flagship Chancellor James Dalton. Dr. Jennifer Rood will serve as interim executive director. An international search to fill the role will begin in early 2026. This year, Pennington surpassed $100 million in annual revenue for the first time in its history, according to the letter. |
| Faculty Want Answers on Oklahoma's Suspension Policies | |
 | Through their senate and American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter, faculty at the University of Oklahoma are pushing administrators for clarity on the suspension of Mel Curth, a graduate teaching assistant who was put on paid administrative leave last month after a student claimed Curth gave her an unfair grade because she cited the Bible. Faculty are also asking the university to strengthen its protection of instructors who are politically targeted or harassed. On Wednesday, the faculty senate voted on a vague resolution that doesn't mention Curth by name but says that "several situations have left faculty and the greater OU community uncertain about the stability and clarity" of university protections against political meddling in teaching and scholarship. It also calls on the administration to "engage with [the faculty senate executive committee] in a review of our procedures for dealing with contentious issues and politically charged situations." The result of the vote was not announced as of Wednesday evening. A petition circulated by the University of Oklahoma AAUP chapter makes stronger demands, including that the administration release full details on the processes that led to Curth's suspension, publicly affirm faculty's right to teach and research free from political interference, and help develop a "harassment response and prevention plan" for responding to political attacks. |
| How cutting transgender instruction at Texas medical schools undermines health groups' recommendations | |
| Kelly Marshall remembers a time when health providers in Texas treated transgender people like mental health patients, misdiagnosed them with other conditions, misgendered them, or refused to treat them because they lacked the specialization. "I had times where doctors would tell me I can't treat you because you are transgender, or I don't know how to treat you. I would say I am not there for gender-affirming care, I am here for general care," Marshall said. But amid a push to improve care across all specialties for LGBTQ+ patients over the last two decades, Texas medical schools have turned to Marshall to help teach mental and physical health care students to better treat their transgender patients. Marshall, who is a transgender social worker and DEI educator, doesn't train students on how to deliver hormone replacement therapy and gender transition surgeries. Marshall discusses topics that can be implemented across all types of health care for transgender and nonbinary people, such as asking patients for pronouns on intake forms, incorporating trauma-informed care and gauging patients' comfort about talking about specific body parts. Despite winning accolades for their work, universities have stopped asking Marshall to speak in medical classrooms about this specialized form of care. Nearly a dozen health professors, LGBTQ+ trainers, and health providers for trans patients told The Texas Tribune that universities' anti-transgender policies will cause future generations of health care providers educated in Texas to lose essential training on how to care for transgender patients. |
| Transgender youth face national ban on medical care under rules expected today | |
| The Trump administration is expected to announce several moves Thursday that will have the effect of essentially banning gender-affirming care for transgender young people, even in states where it is still legal. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be announcing the measures in a press conference at 11 a.m. at the headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Dr. Marty Makary, who leads the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health, will all be at the press conference. In October, NPR exclusively reported on two new proposed rules for hospitals that Oz is expected to announce Thursday. The first would prohibit doctors and hospitals from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursement for medical care provided to transgender patients younger than age 18. The second would block all Medicaid and Medicare funding for any services at hospitals that provide pediatric gender-affirming care. Medicaid provides health care coverage to low-income children and adults in the U.S. Medicare is the health program for Americans over 65 and disabled people. Virtually every hospital in the country takes Medicare and relies on it, so the rule would have a wide-ranging effect. |
| Texas Tech Faculty Are Pressed to Ponder: Is Your Course Content 'Relevant' and 'Necessary'? | |
 | Every fall, Linda Kornasky uses Walt Whitman's poem, "A Song of Myself," in her "American Romantic Literature" class to explore themes of nature, human connection, and LGBTQ identity. "His whole approach to poetry is to, as he says, celebrate himself," said Kornasky, a tenured English professor at Angelo State University. "So the poem is very much something that promotes his own sexual identity." Kornasky may soon need approval from her department chair, provost, and the Board of Regents to keep teaching Whitman's poem, under a controversial policy set to be enacted next month at all Texas Tech system campuses. Under the policy, faculty will no longer be allowed to teach any content that promotes "activism" on issues related to race or sex, imply that one race or sex is "inherently superior" to another, or say that a person can be inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive. All course content that mentions sexual orientation and gender identity will require administrative review. Faculty who think their course content violates the policy are encouraged to consult a flow chart to help determine if their material is both "relevant" and "necessary" to classroom instruction. The ambiguity of the flow chart and the policy's language is causing distress and outrage among professors, who say it amounts to censorship that will make teaching and research exceedingly difficult. |
| Mizzou's Black student population fell faster than others after 2015 protests, data shows | |
 | A decade after antiracism protests swept the University of Missouri's campus in 2015, a new data analysis from the Missouri News Network finds the school's Black student population has declined at a steeper rate than other ethnic groups. Overall enrollment at Mizzou fell about 10% from 2013-2023, according to data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics. In that same time period, Black student enrollment declined almost 34%. By comparison, Black student populations at other regional public universities of similar sizes -- in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin -- went up. Ohio State saw the highest increase in Black enrollment: 42% from 2013-2023. The University of Arkansas, which shares a spot in the Southeastern Conference with Mizzou, saw a more than 3% increase over the same period. For both current and former Black and African-American students who describe a history and culture of racism, the numbers are unsurprising -- and are evidence validating their own experiences on campus. |
| 'A dangerous road': Misinformation is spreading about the Brown University shooter | |
| Days after the deadly attack at Brown University, information remains scarce about the assailant who killed two students and wounded nine on Saturday. For some, rumors, misinformation, and widespread fear are filling in the gaps. Authorities said Tuesday evening that they were still searching for the gunman who opened fire in a campus building, working with at least 200 "actionable tips" on the shooting. The few details they released included that he is an approximately 5 foot 8 inch male with a "stocky build" who "definitely targeted Brown." In the absence of a clear narrative, misinformation about the shooter and any possible motives has spread, with a host of right-wing influencers promoting unverified theories. In some cases, they were amplified by members of Congress. The response to the tragedy, misinformation experts said, demonstrates how the information environment has deteriorated. Some elected officials are relaying false information or suggesting unproven motives -- claims that once may have remained in fringe circles, not leaked into the mainstream. Meanwhile, many in the general public have less trust in institutions providing factual information, and there are few measures in place, especially online, to determine what's real. Acts of mass violence are "prone to this sort of rumor-spread, misinformation, where no one knows what's going on," said Adam Berinsky, a political science professor at MIT. "You'd like to think that responsible politicians during times of uncertainty would help turn down the temperature but in the current situation, they're basically cranking it up." |
| When Everyone Can See Your Syllabus | |
| This summer, Christopher D. Petsko got a public-records request for the syllabus of one of his business courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The requesting group was a spinoff of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and on the hunt for terms like "DEI," "LGBTQ+," and "antiracism" in materials for a total of 74 courses. But UNC-Chapel Hill told Petsko that his syllabus was his intellectual property, so he could choose whether or not to provide it under open-records law. Petsko took to LinkedIn to explain why he wouldn't be complying, and why others didn't need to do so, either. Then the Oversight Project, the group that had filed the request, got ahold of his syllabus through other means and declared aspects of it -- an essay titled "Dear White Boss," a podcast called "How to Bust Bias at Work" -- to be "DEI garbage." Critical comments flooded Petsko's X mentions, and he deleted his account. Professors now fear the University of North Carolina system is about to open the door to more politically charged scrutiny. The university is preparing to enact a policy declaring that course syllabi are, in fact, public records. It's also considering creating a publicly searchable database of information from all syllabi. If adopted, it'd be the latest syllabus-disclosure mandate to fall on public universities in red states, including Texas, Georgia, Indiana, Utah, Ohio, and Florida. |
| How Excessive Phone Use Can Hinder Student Success | |
| Many of today's college students are digital natives, having grown up in a world dominated by cellphones, the internet, social media and rapid technological advancements. Coming of age alongside smartphones, however, has been linked to high rates of mental health concerns among Gen Z. A 2024 brief by the National Center for Health Statistics found that half of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 spent four or more hours on screens per day, and those teens were more likely to experience anxiety or depression symptoms. In 2025, 32 percent of college students reported moderate or severe levels of anxiety and 37 percent said they experience moderate or severe depression, according to the Healthy Minds Study. As a result, more primary and secondary schools are introducing phone-free policies to improve children's interpersonal skills and mitigate the harms of social media on their developing brains. At some colleges and universities, students, faculty and administrators have identified opportunities to encourage healthy device habits and promote student success. |
| Turning Point youth conference begins in Phoenix without founder Charlie Kirk | |
| Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization that Charlie Kirk turned into a political juggernaut, will convene its flagship conference on Thursday for the first time since the assassination of its charismatic founder, testing the durability of a fractious movement that helped return President Donald Trump to the White House. Kirk served as a unifying figure on the American right, marshaling college students, online influencers and Republican politicians. But now the party's populist wing is skirmishing over the meaning of "America First" and the future of a decade-old movement defined more by the force of Trump's personality than loyalty to a particular ideological project. Thousands of people are expected to gather for the four-day meeting in Phoenix. Vice President JD Vance, media personalities and a handful of Trump administration officials are slated to appear, plus Christian rock bands and pastors. Attendees will have the chance to take selfies with popular figures and participate in discussions about political organizing, religion and conservative critiques of American culture. |
| Trump expands travel bans and restrictions to 39 countries | |
| President Donald Trump on Tuesday fully banned individuals from an additional seven countries from traveling to the U.S., as well as those with travel documentation from Palestinian authorities, effective Jan. 1. In a presidential proclamation, he also placed partial entry limitations on 15 additional countries, including Nigeria, one of the top 10 sources for international students in the U.S. Higher education officials pushed back on the travel ban expansion -- which will include 39 countries -- arguing it will further constrict the U.S.'s international student pipeline and stymie the country's global competitiveness. Both partial and full federal travel restrictions block F and J visas, the types mostly frequently used by international students. F visas are more commonly known as international student visas. And certain foreign students can obtain J visas, which also cover short-term college instructors and researchers. Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, called the travel ban "a self-inflicted wound that directly undermines our economic competitiveness and our ability to welcome and retain global talent." |
SPORTS
| Women's Basketball: Francis Has Career Night In Victory Over Alabama State | |
| Freshman Madison Francis collected her first career 30-point game and was an integral part of helping the Mississippi State Bulldogs to an 11-1 record when they took down the Alabama State Hornets, 105-57. Francis became the first Bulldog freshman to score at least 30 points since 2020 when Rickea Jackson scored 34. She also joins Bulldog legends Victoria Vivians and LaToya Thomas as the only freshmen in program history to score at least 30 points in the game. "I felt like I played with more patience in this game and my teammates did a really good job finding me when I was open," Francis said about her performance. "[Their play] really contributed to the night I had." "Madison has been putting in hours behind the scenes," head coach Sam Purcell said of his standout freshman. "That's what I want people to know. The reason she had 30 tonight is because she worked for it." The Bulldogs hit the road for the final time in non-conference play as they will take on the La Salle Explorers in Philadelphia, Pa. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+. |
| How Mississippi State players found out about bowl game, scrambled back to campus | |
 | Some Mississippi State football players were still in town when the team was surprisingly selected to a bowl game. Others had already gone home. Another player was chilling in bed. The Bulldogs (5-7) thought their season was over the morning of Dec. 7 when bowl game placements were announced. They hadn't reached the required six wins to clinch bowl eligibility. After Kansas State and Iowa State declined bowl invitations, MSU swooped in. The Bulldogs will play Wake Forest (8-4) in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan. 2 (7 p.m. CT, ESPN). "At first it was a lot of initial shock," linebacker Nic Mitchell said on Dec. 17. "A lot of guys were out of town. Once we got the guys back, it was a lot of excitement. You get another opportunity to play football. Why would you not have fun with something like this?" The news of Mississippi State's bowl game came during finals week, so some players had already wrapped up their semesters and left campus. Freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor hadn't left town. He said he was in bed when coach Jeff Lebby called him with the news. Taylor, the former four-star from Noxubee County, will be MSU's starting quarterback against Wake Forest after making his first career start in the Egg Bowl. "He was like, 'Make sure everyone stays in Starkville because we have an opportunity ahead of us,'" Taylor said. "'We can't say it's set in stone yet, but it's on the way." |
| MSU's Ethan Pulliam earns All-American selection | |
| Mississippi State punter Ethan Pulliam was selected as an All-American by The Sporting News on Wednesday, earning a spot on the Second Team after an impressive 2025 campaign. Pulliam, a Starkville native and former Yellow Jacket, punted 40 times this season for a total yardage of 1,874. His average of 46.9 yards per punt ranks 18th in FBS per College Football Reference, and is currently a program record with just the Duke's Mayo Bowl left to play. Pulliam established himself as the team's long-distance punter, registering a long of 67 yards and 16 punts of 50 yards or more. He pinned the other team inside the 20-yard line 10 times. Pulliam is a two-sport athlete, but gave up his spot on the MSU baseball team in the spring to focus solely on football. |
| Greg Sankey: SEC views expansion to 16 teams as 'next right step' for College Football Playoff | |
| As the second installment of the 12-team College Football Playoff gets underway this week, expansion remains a key point of conversation. A 16-team model is still on the table, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reaffirmed the conference's stance. Sankey said the SEC fully supports a 16-team CFP bracket, which would include the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams. He argued that recognizes conference champions by giving them spots in the field while also providing the at-large opportunities. Sankey also defended the move to a 12-team College Football Playoff, though he acknowledged the need to make the transition quicker. But when it comes to expanding the bracket even more, the SEC backs 16 as the "next right step." "I think that the move to 12 was really well timed," Sankey said on The Rich Eisen Show. "There's some clunkiness to it because the model was introduced, remember, in 2021. And that was before we expanded with Oklahoma and Texas, before the Big Ten – there's been a domino effect. We were slow to adapt in real time because we were slow to accept the 12-team idea. And I was part of the group that introduced 12. I think 12 was right. I think it was done at the right time. When we've talked as a league, we think the move to 16 is the next right step that provides 11 at-larges, it honors conference champions." |
| College Football Playoff will change next year ... due to an agreement made 18 months ago | |
| David Cariello has never seen anything quite like this. Since Tulane advanced to the College Football Playoff, merchandise has flown off his store's shelves at such a rate that he's had to order thousands of additional apparel. This time of year, his New Orleans sports shop, Campus Connection, normally receives orders in the single or double digits. Last weekend, he had nearly 1,000 new orders in a span of about 36-48 hours. "I kind of had a minor panic attack with all of the calls for orders," Cariello said. "I didn't know if I could handle it." The outpouring in New Orleans shows the power of an expanded playoff on non-power league programs -- the underdogs of the Football Bowl Subdivision who often operate with limited budgets, smaller stadiums and far less historical accomplishments than their peers in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. The same goes for James Madison, the playoff's No. 12 seed, which sold its allotment of 3,500 tickets despite the cross-country journey to Oregon. While Tulane's and JMU's inclusion brings about the feel-good stories that often make college athletics different from the pros -- for instance, the Cinderellas in the NCAA tournament -- this particular year has introduced an unusual situation that the creators of the playoff probably never imagined: There are two, not just one, non-power programs in a postseason field of 12. Well, it may be the last time it happens. |
| NCAA slams prediction market Kalshi's intent to offer portal trading | |
| Prediction market Kalshi notified a federal regulator on Wednesday that it was self-certifying markets on whether college athletes will enter the transfer portal, and while the company says it has no immediate plans to begin offering trading on the portal, the decision still drew sharp criticism from the NCAA. In a filing submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Kalshi wrote that contracts on the transfer portal will initially be listed Dec. 17, 2025, and that it intends to list such markets daily. Transfer portal markets were not appearing on the site as of 8 p.m. ET Wednesday. According to Kalshi's filing, the markets will include NCAA Division I football and basketball players and will be settled when a player publicly announces their intent to enter the transfer portal or officially enters the transfer portal. Statements on social media from players or announcements from agents or athletic departments constitute valid announcements, according to the filing. It's the latest provocative move by Kalshi, which has emerged as a leading prediction market exchange, while also fighting multiple legal battles with state gambling regulators and pushback from some sports leagues. "The NCAA vehemently opposes college sports prediction markets," NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement to ESPN. |
| Robinhood to Offer Custom Sports Parlays Using Kalshi Tech | |
| Robinhood will start offering customizable sports parlays early next year as it looks to fend off competition from other financial technology companies that have embraced betting. It will broker these multi-event bets -- which it refers to as "combos" -- using the Request for Quote (RFQ) system on Kalshi's exchange, said Adam Hickerson, Robinhood's senior director of futures and prediction markets, in an interview. Robinhood is racing to introduce custom parlays before the NFL playoffs, which begin Jan. 10. Until then, Hickerson said, the company will offer pre-built parlays. Kalshi pioneered RFQs as a way for people to craft custom parlays within the prediction market framework -- something exchanges had previously failed to accomplish as they looked to replicate one of the most popular products at traditional sportsbooks. Bettors are drawn to custom parlays because they allow for personalization and dangle the prospect of turning small stakes into a large gain. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which oversees most U.S. betting exchanges, has not commented on the novel use of RFQs. Just like at sportsbooks, prediction market parlays are an overwhelmingly losing proposition for retail bettors. They are, however, potentially lucrative for professional market makers working with exchanges because they face less price competition than they do with single-event bets. |
| Safeguarding the Integrity of College Sport | |
| In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a ban on state-authorized sports betting, opening the floodgates to an industry that dumps billions of dollars into state budgets. According to the American Gaming Association, Americans wagered $119.84 billion on sports events in 2023, up 27.5 percent from the previous year. Professional leagues attract the highest betting volumes, but gambling in college sports is growing, according to Jim Borchers, president and CEO of the U.S. Council on Athletes' Health (USCAH) and chief medical officer for the Big 10 Conference. Digital platforms, gamification and prop betting are driving this boom, he says. A former Ohio State football player, Borchers argues the influx in gambling threatens the integrity of college sports and risks athletes' mental and emotional health. Name, image and likeness payments, combined with media revenue-sharing, contribute to a new reality for college sports that is more transactional than ever, with huge sums of money flowing in and out. To help students and institutions respond to the new environment, USCAH developed an accreditation process mapped to the National Collegiate Athletics Association's best practices and standards of care. Gambling is now an integral part of college athletics, Borchers acknowledges, but he is hopeful the new accreditation system will guarantee that student athletes' health isn't lost along the way. |
| Sherrone Moore had 'long history of domestic violence' against Michigan staffer, lawyer alleges | |
 | Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore had a "long history of domestic violence" against a female football staffer during their relationship, the woman's lawyer told police. Detective Jessica Welker of the Pittsfield Township Police Department provided that information in sworn testimony at a complaint authorization hearing Friday prior to Moore's arraignment on charges of third-degree home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering. A transcript of the hearing, obtained by The Athletic, reveals new details about the circumstances that led to Moore's Dec. 10 arrest. The female staffer told police that she disclosed her relationship with Moore to the university earlier that day and was preparing to leave town when Moore barged into her apartment. The woman's lawyer, Heidi Sharp of Clinton Township, Mich., made the 911 call to alert authorities that Moore was inside the staffer's apartment. The woman's lawyer told police she could hear screaming over the phone and the staffer told her, "He's here. He's here. Sherrone is here." On Wednesday, Michigan president Domenico Grasso released an update about the school's response to Moore's conduct, which now includes a law firm's review into the athletic department's culture, conduct and procedures. Grasso said Michigan's next football coach would be of the highest moral character. |
| In 2025, Trump told FIFA, Olympics and NCAA to get in line. For the most part, they complied | |
| It has never been unusual for the leader of the host country to show up for one of the biggest moments of soccer's World Cup -- the gala where the team pairings are revealed. What made President Donald Trump's appearance this month different was the "FIFA Peace Prize." The newly created honor by the sport's international federation was, to no one's surprise, presented to Trump, who'd been angling for a far more prestigious award -- the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump hovering over soccer's international spectacle was a fitting moment in a cycle that shifted into overdrive in 2025: The U.S. president, with the help of some U.S. politicians and many sports leaders, took unprecedented steps to bend sports to his own worldview. "I think sports is one fundamental example of Trump's belief that he's in charge of everything," said David Niven, who teaches a "Sports and Politics" course at the University of Cincinnati. College sports is one area testing the limits of Trump's influence, though that hasn't kept him from trying. "It's one of the thorniest issues out there, and it just defies simple solution," Niven said of the college conundrum. "That's not exactly the description of Congress' sweet spot for contributing." All of which could leave an opening for Trump -- who hasn't weighed in much since the executive order -- to try again in 2026. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
