| Tuesday, September 16, 2025 |
| Selmon talks education, NIL at Starkville Rotary | |
 | Coming off the heels of Mississippi State women's soccer's 3-2 win over then-ranked No. 1 Tennessee and the Bulldogs' 24-20 win over then-ranked Arizona State in football, MSU athletic director Zac Selmon walked up to the podium at Monday's Starkville Rotary Club meeting and opened his talk as the guest speaker with a big smile. "Isn't it a great day to be a Bulldog?" Selmon said, prompting the dozens of people in attendance to cheer and clap. Along with some personal anecdotes, MSU's leader of athletics since 2023 spoke passionately about the ever-changing landscape of college sports in the NIL era and how the university has adapted to meet the new standards while also improving the opportunities student athletes receive from an educational standpoint with the creation of many programs designed to help athletes find success after sports. But first, he wanted to explain just how much he appreciates where his feet are. "Our family has been here going on three years now, and we couldn't be more thankful and grateful to live in Starkville, Mississippi," Selmon said. He then dove into what drives him to lead MSU charge into a new era of athletics. |
| MSU Coastal Research & Extension Center continues mission of restoration across waterways | |
 | Living on the Coast, we've all most likely come across wetland plants, but maybe didn't know how important they are. That is why MSU's Coastal Research and Extension Center has worked for years to educate and grow plants for coastal restoration. Extension Associate Kaitlyn Mitchell says they are growing native wetland plants in hopes of offsetting the demand needed for living shoreline restoration projects. "They provide the habitat for all of the fish, the crustaceans, all those types of invertebrates that live in the water," she said. Not only that, but they function like natural sponges, slowing the force of waves -- ultimately reducing flooding and storm impacts. At the greenhouse, 15,000 plants of smooth Cordgrass and Black Needlerush are being grown. This all falls under the Native Plant Producer Network, which launched in 2024. "We have so much need, so much demand, and not enough people growing them," she said. |
| Accidental needlesticks possible in farm work | |
 | Of all the dangers imagined existing on the farm, accidental needlesticks are probably not high on most people's lists. But Leslie Woolington, safety specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the reality is that needlestick injuries can happen when working around livestock. "Needlestick injuries are usually minor, but they can be serious," said Woolington, who is also risk manager with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. "The most common injuries are skin infections and allergic reactions, but they can cause deep tissue wounds that require surgery." Mary Nelson Robertson, MSU Extension health specialist, said a person who has been accidentally stuck with a needle may show symptoms such as swelling or itching within a few minutes. "Other times, it may take hours or even days for signs to appear, such as a fever or redness from a bacterial infection that starts slow but builds over time," Robertson said. "It really depends on what was in the syringe and the person's own bodily response to what was accidentally injected." |
| Education: 17 local students named 2026 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists | |
| Out of the more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, 17 are local students. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has 16 semifinalists: Andrew Meng, Noel McMichael, Sam Cole, Jasmaan Banipal, William Rymer, Colin Chung, Anthony Nguyen, Jacob Heisler, Poppy Bowling, Rebecca Sun, Grant Zhang, Jesse Shelton, Isabel Beckman, Christian Butler, Jane Kasselman and Raymond Yang. Mary Nicholas from Starkville Academy was also announced as a semifinalist. The semifinalists were selected from more than 1.3 million juniors across the county who took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The pool of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. |
| Education: Starkville Rotary Club honors SHS teacher, two high schoolers | |
| On Monday, Starkville Rotary Club recognized Starkville High School teacher, Stephany Watson, as the organization's Teacher of the Month for September. Watson is a veteran teacher who has been part of the SHS faculty since 2021 and currently teaches chemistry and Advanced Placement chemistry. She also serves as faculty co-sponsor of the SHS Student Council. As part of her Rotary recognition, Watson was invited to honor two Starkville High students as the club's Students of the Month. She chose junior Carmen Hollingshed and senior Gabe Wubben. Watress Harris, SHS principal and a veteran educator himself, nominated Watson for the Rotary honor. "Ms. Watson was also named Starkville High School Teacher of the Year last school year, and she is very deserving of this community honor," Harris said. |
| China's Snub of U.S. Soybeans Is a Crisis for American Farmers | |
 | On a windy September morning, Josh and Jordan Gackle huddled to discuss the looming crisis facing their North Dakota soybean farm. For the first time in the history of their 76-year-old operation, their biggest customer -- China -- had stopped buying soybeans. Their 2,300-acre soybean farm is projected to lose $400,000 in 2025. Soybeans that would normally be harvested and exported to Asia are now set to pile up in large steel bins. Since President Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in February, Beijing has retaliated by halting all purchases of American soybeans. That decision has had devastating repercussions for farmers in North Dakota, which exported more than 70 percent of its soybeans to China before Trump unveiled the new tariffs this year. Unless China agrees to restart its purchases as part of a trade deal, farmers that depend on the Chinese market will be facing steep losses that could fuel farm bankruptcies and farm foreclosures around the United States. "I have never seen as monumental a disruption in agriculture as we're experiencing now," said Bill Wilson, a professor of agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University,, who has been teaching at the university for 43 years. "These are turbulent, turbulent times." |
| Sen. Boozman pushing for farm aid | |
 | U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is keenly aware that farmers are in a crisis, but solving the dilemma is proving elusive and time-consuming. Still optimistic, Boozman said he has been meeting with colleagues and the White House to address the situation. "I think your description as a crisis doesn't understate the problem at all. It's not only in Arkansas, but it's throughout the country, and agriculture is not about Democrats and Republicans," said Boozman. "We're in the situation where everything is down unless you're raising livestock, and it's not just located in the South or the Midwest -- these things also are regional, but not just in the South or Midwest or the Great Plains, it's again throughout the country. So it really is a crisis. The bottom line is our farmers are in a position where when they put a crop in, it is costing them more than they'll be able to sell it for, and some right now simply can't find a market." |
| 'The whole thing is screwed up': Farmers in deep-red Pennsylvania struggle to find workers | |
 | As House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson prepares to introduce legislation aimed at easing the farm labor crisis, farmers in the Pennsylvania Republican's district are hoping he's heard their cries that they need more help right now. In Tioga County, where President Donald Trump won 75 percent of the vote in 2024, farmers are losing patience with the White House's promise of a quick solution for farm workers. Their urgent need is highlighted by stories like those of a multigenerational dairy farm that sold off all its dairy cows because the owner could not find workers and another where a farmer's job listings have received no responses. Farmers in the rural region near the New York border say those stories are not unique. "The whole thing is screwed up," said John Painter, a three-time Trump voter who runs an organic dairy farm in Westfield. "We need people to do the jobs Americans are too spoiled to do." These are the voices Thompson and other farm-state lawmakers are hearing as they discuss potential solutions. |
| Mississippi GOP lawmaker to make another run at ballot initiative in 2026 | |
| It's been more than four years since Mississippians have been able to propose new laws or constitutional amendments directly on the ballot for public vote during an election. But one elected official is hoping that will change in 2026. "I've got a bill that I've looked at for the last couple of years on the ballot initiative," state Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleve, said. "I am planning on working on that this year." The ballot initiative process was stripped by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2021 over challenges to signature-gathering requirements and a change to the state's congressional districts. Since then, efforts to give citizens the right to circumvent the legislature in making new laws have proven fruitless. A series of debates over what citizens should or should not be able to put on the ballot, signature requirements for a measure to be featured on an election day, and the percentage of votes needed for a measure to be approved have resulted in multiple impasses within the state capitol. England, however, is committed to bringing the item to the table once more, but in a way that might be more appealing to his colleagues. |
| Mississippi AG asks U.S. Supreme Court to limit central part of Voting Rights Act | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to sharply curtail the federal Voting Rights Act by limiting who can sue to enforce protection against racial discrimination at the ballot box. The Mississippi appeal could have significant repercussions nationwide and for the federal law that stems from the Civil Rights era. If the nation's highest court rules in Fitch's favor, it would mean civil rights groups could no longer bring a suit on behalf of citizens. "This direct appeal presents an important legal question that has divided the courts of appeals: whether private parties may sue to enforce section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965," Fitch's office writes. "The answer is no." The AG's office declined to comment on why it filed the appeal, which stems from a lawsuit brought by the Mississippi branch of the NAACP over the state's legislative districts. The litigation resulted in a federal three-judge panel ruling last year that Mississippi's legislative districts diluted Black-voting strength in three areas of the state. |
| Charlie Kirk Helped Republicans Break Through to Young People | |
 | When Olivia Hubbard left Iowa to attend college, she thought she was going to get a break from the conservatism her dad was always touting. Instead, she was politically awakened. Hubbard, now 19 years old, was convinced by a roommate to see Charlie Kirk last year when he visited Grand Canyon University, 20 minutes from the headquarters of Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA. Listening to Kirk speak, Hubbard said, was like hearing all of her beliefs articulated clearly. "I thought it was supercool that there's someone younger who was going to all these universities, and who did believe in God and really made that known," said Hubbard, who is Christian. From that moment on she was hooked, staying up late watching videos of Kirk debating liberal students on other college campuses. Kirk was killed Wednesday during a visit to Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old had become a standard-bearer of the MAGA movement and has been credited by President Trump for building his support with young people and helping ensure his return to office. A master of 21st century mass media, Kirk accomplished what Republicans had failed to do for decades: break through with younger generations. Regardless of whether they supported him or not, it was nearly impossible for college students to open social media without being served a video of Kirk. For a generation of young conservatives, he inspired them to proudly tout their views. |
| JD Vance vows retribution on liberal institutions after Charlie Kirk killing | |
 | Vice President JD Vance vowed to dismantle institutions on the left that he said promote violence and terrorism, denouncing two of the country's most prominent liberal foundations in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. President Donald Trump later in the day also attacked groups on the left and renewed his talk about potential racketeering prosecutions of unspecified groups that he alleged were involved in paying for violent protests. Vance called out the "generous tax treatment" that George Soros's Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation receive as he accused the groups of funding a "disgusting article" in the Nation magazine that he said was used to justify Kirk's death. Neither group appears to have provided money to the Nation in the past five years. The moves underscore the extraordinary amount of time and resources the administration has dedicated to advancing the legacy of Kirk and the way officials have harnessed the emotions surrounding his killing to potentially suppress dissent. "There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination," Vance said, raising his voice during a broadcast from the White House on Kirk's podcast, which he hosted. |
| Cost, service questions loom over revamped broadband push | |
 | The federal program intended to bring broadband internet to rural areas is moving into a new phase as states propose how they plan to use billions in grant funds under a new set of guidelines issued by the Trump administration this summer. Now that most states have submitted their final plans for grants from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program, some Democrats are worried the grants will no longer be the broad fix for internet access they were intended to be when the program was created in the 2021 infrastructure law. More changes could be coming. On Thursday the House Energy and Commerce's subcommittee on Communications and Technology plans a hearing on a slate of 29 bills on broadband deployment and permitting. One would prohibit states from discriminating in broadband regulations based on what technology, such as fiber or satellite, is used to provide equivalent service and another would exempt repairs or replacement of communications facilities after a disaster from environmental reviews. |
| The rural health 'Hunger Games' are underway | |
| The Trump administration on Monday kicked off a scramble among the 50 states for a slice of a new $50 billion fund for rural health care, but experts on the ground fear the program's rushed timeline, lack of guardrails and potential for politicization will leave some hospitals struggling to stay open. States have just a few weeks to submit detailed applications for the fund, which Congress created late in its negotiations over a bill this summer that made deep cuts to Medicaid and other health programs. Federal health officials will then have a couple months to review them and dispense the money. On a press call Monday morning, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz made sweeping promises about the impact of the program, which he called a "massive opportunity to make rural America healthy again." Monday's announcement kicks off a "Hunger Games"-like competition for the federal funds, but health industry leaders in states desperate to shore up their crumbling rural health systems remain skeptical about where the money will ultimately go. |
| In first interview, Pope Leo XIV takes on billionaires, polarization and war | |
 | In his first interview as leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV talked about his concerns about income inequality, polarization and the need for peace. "We have to continue to remind ourselves of the potential that humanity has to overcome the violence and the hatred that is just dividing us more and more," Leo said in the interview. "We live in times when polarization seems to be one of the words of the day, but it's not helping anybody. Or if it's helping anyone, it's very few when everyone else is suffering." The interview, conducted over two sessions in recent weeks and published by the Catholic news site Crux on the his 70th birthday, offer a first glimpse into Leo's personality and priorities. In his conversation with Crux's senior Vatican correspondent, Elise Ann Allen, Leo signaled continuity with his predecessor Pope Francis and the late pontiff's vision for dialogue and full participation in the church, known as synodality. Already positioning himself as a pope of reconciliation, Leo reflected on the reasons behind the deep polarization in society and the church today. He pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a sense of loss of the value of human life as partly responsible for sectarianism and division. |
| Joe Biden Is Struggling to Cash In on His Presidency | |
| Joe Biden spent his first Independence Day out of the White House at a high-end trailer park. The former first family crashed in this wealthy enclave at a place that belongs to the musician Moby, a buddy of Biden's son Hunter. The ex-president and his wife parked themselves on the beach and dined in a sandy corner of the nearby Paradise Cove Beach Cafe. It was a far cry from how Biden's peers spent their summers. Barack and Michelle Obama wined and dined on Martha's Vineyard while Bill and Hillary Clinton donned black tie in the Hamptons for wedding celebrations uniting her former staffer Huma Abedin with the favored son of billionaire Democratic funder George Soros. Biden, 82 years old, is charting a postpresidency that is less lucrative than what he'd expected when he left office. Options for big jobs are limited by his advanced age, his unpopularity in Democratic circles and companies -- concerned about retribution from President Trump -- that aren't offering speaking gigs. His own allies have grown critical of his presidency, most recently former Vice President Kamala Harris, who in a new book says the Democratic Party was reckless to allow Biden to run a second time. The result for Biden is a leaner next chapter that lacks the well-funded foundations, plans for exquisite libraries and full calendar of paid speeches his peers enjoyed. |
| Law enforcement investigating the death of a Delta State University student found hanging | |
 | At approximately 7:05 a.m. Monday, officers on the campus of Delta State University were notified of the body of a young, Black male found hanging from a tree on campus. The body was identified as Demartravion "Trey" Reed, a 21 year-old student from Grenada. Speaking at a press conference at Delta State Monday afternoon, President Daniel J. Ennis acknowledged the emotions present on campus. "Our community is deeply saddened by this loss and we extend our heartfelt condolences to families and friends and all those who were impacted by Trey's loss," he said. "I've spoken to Trey's family and expressed our heartbreak." Classes and several events around campus were canceled, but the university did not go into full lockdown. Col. Michael Peeler is the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at Delta State University. He says the circumstances behind Reed's death are still under investigation. "As of this time, there's no evidence of foul play," Peeler said. "While there's no evidence of foul play, the body has been retrieved by the Bolivar County Coroner's Office." The Cleveland Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and the Bolivar County Sheriff's Office are also assisting with the investigation. Responding to a reporter asking about rumors of the death circulating on social media, Peeler again said any further details are dependent on ongoing investigations. |
| Coroner addresses broken bones in hanging at Delta State University | |
 | The Bolivar County Coroner's office released a statement late on Monday, Sept. 15 in response to the death of Demartravion "Trey" Reed, who officials said committed suicide on the Cleveland campus of Delta State University, earlier that day. DSU president Dan Ennis said that, despite the details of a hanging of a 21-year-old Black man in the Mississippi Delta, there no evidence of foul play involved. The Bolivar County Coroner's office had not returned calls to the Clarion Ledger earlier Monday but released a statement after internet social media accounts arose surrounding the facts of the case. "At 7:32 a.m., the Bolivar County Coroner's office was notified by the Cleveland Police Department regarding an unresponsive individual on the campus of Delta State University. At 8:08 a.m., representatives from the coroner's office arrived on the scene and observed and unresponsive subject hanging from a tree," the statement reads. "At this current time, we are conducting a thorough death investigation. Based on the preliminary examination, we can confirm that the deceased did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with an assault. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death." |
| Vicksburg Police confirm hanging death not related to Delta State incident | |
| A Brandon man was found dead Monday afternoon in a wooded area off Washington Street. Vicksburg Police Captain Curtis Judge confirmed that this incident is not related to an incident at Delta State University in which a student was found hanged. The man found in Vicksburg was identified as Cory Zukatis of Brandon. Judge said Vicksburg police responded to a wooded area near Ameristar Casino around 1:30 p.m. Monday for a report of a male hanging. "Upon arrival a white male, identified as Cory Zukatis, was hanging from a tree. Vicksburg Police are currently investigating the incident," Capt. Judge said. Zukatis' death remains under investigation. Judge added that police are aware of the student death reported the same day at Delta State University but confirmed the two incidents are not related. |
| Professors Unsure How To Proceed After Federal Judge Strikes Mississippi's Total 'DEI Ban' | |
 | Uncertainty about the legal standing of House Bill 1193 -- which would prohibit Mississippi public schools from teaching about diversity, equity and inclusion-related topics, specifically sex and gender, race and DEI-supporting programs -- has left many University of Mississippi professors uncertain about how to proceed in the classroom. Last month, United States District Judge Henry T. Wingate issued a preliminary injunction blocking the law's enforcement while the case proceeds in court. The judge found that the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments by infringing on free expression and causing injury to educators and students. UM faculty have expressed concern over whether they should make adjustments to course content to accommodate the law, which was signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves in April. Cliff Johnson, a UM law professor, worries that his curriculum may violate the new ban. Johnson told the Associated Press that he and his students often discuss what could be considered "divisive topics" and added that he did not believe that the law would allow him to teach about the First, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments in the U.S. Constitution. "I think I'm in a very difficult position," Johnson said. "I can teach my class as usual and run the risk of being disciplined, or I could abandon something that's very important to me." |
| Millsaps College enrollment steadies after years of decline | |
| After years of declining enrollment, Millsaps College has reached a plateau. President Frank Neville hopes to build up momentum to increase enrollment and bring the campus back to its former glory. For fall 2025, Millsaps saw enrollment numbers roughly the same as fall 2024, dipping slightly in some areas and rising slightly in others. The college has a total student population of 584 this semester, down 10 from fall 2024, when the total student population was 594. The number of freshmen this fall is 172, an increase from fall 2024, when the college welcomed 128 freshmen. Combining the 172 freshmen and transfer students, Millsaps welcomed 207 new students this fall. This number is up one from fall 2024, when Millsaps welcomed 206 new students. Neville took over as Millsaps College's 12th president in June 2024. In September 2024, three months into his new role, Neville told the Clarion Ledger he was focused on rebuilding enrollment incrementally for the private liberal arts college. This year, Neville expressed similar sentiments. If enrollment reaches 900 to 1,000 students, the college would be considered "flourishing," Neville said. |
| Alabama higher ed commission reports enrollment increase, approves new programs | |
| Undergraduate enrollment at Alabama's public universities is up this fall, according to figures presented to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Preliminary data show a 3.1% increase over last year across the state's 14 four-year schools, with only three reporting small declines. The commission's quarterly meeting on Friday combined updates on enrollment with votes on scholarships, student loan programs and new degrees aimed at expanding program options. High school students taking college classes account for part of the rise. Dual enrollment grew from 6,735 to 8,100 students, with most universities showing gains. Executive Director Jim Purcell told commissioners that the program now makes up about 5.7% of total enrollment. "The Legislature had a good conversation about dual enrollment last year, and it opened it up more for universities," Purcell said. Noting the overall percentage of enrollment that dual enrollment accounts for, he added, ""That's how big and important dual enrollment is in helping them graduate early." |
| Auburn to demolish Cambridge Residence Hall, replace it with 680-bed student dormitory | |
 | Over two years since it was closed to the public, Auburn University will be tearing down Cambridge Residence Hall and building a new, larger student dormitory on the property. The Auburn University Board of Trustees unanimously approved initiating the demolition and replacement of Cambridge Residence Hall. The decision comes after the AUBOT initiated a renovation of the hall earlier this year, and AU Vice President of Facilities Management Jim Carroll said that analysis of the building and reviewing short- and long-term student housing opportunities led to the recommendation for demolition. "This provides a long-term solution better supporting the university's sustained increase in demand for on-campus living, and will maximize the opportunity for student housing in its prime location, engaging with the university campus, with the Rane Culinary Center and the nearby amenities within the city," Carroll said. |
| Sale of U. of Tennessee-made fLEX startup reflects growing focus on research | |
| Maha Krishnamurthy, president of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, described UT research in one word: booming. "I think that's the best word to use," Krishnamurthy said. "It is growing. It's firing on all cylinders." UT's efforts to become a research university have surged in the past few years, and it is starting to pay off. A recent product rights sale of UT-developed technology has placed the university's research in over 140 athletic fields worldwide. The technology, called fLEX, measures the quality of athletic fields by simulating how an athlete's foot strikes the surface of the field. The strike can simulate different athlete interactions through changes in pressure and shoe type. Data produced by the machines inform athletic organizations about how fields might be impacting player safety and performance. John Sorochan works at the UT Institute of Agriculture as a Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management. Sorochan co-founded the startup in 2019 after witnessing an NFL game be cancelled due to unstable field conditions. |
| Charlie Kirk post spurs investigation, suspension of U. of Tennessee professor | |
 | The University of Tennessee System suspended and is pursuing the firing of an assistant professor at the flagship Knoxville campus who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media after he was shot to death. Assistant anthropology professor Tamar Shirinian posted the comment in response to a post about Kirk's killing. "The world is better off without him in it," her comment said. It also referred to Kirk with an expletive. UT campus leaders suspended Shirinian on Sept. 15 and initiated termination proceedings, spokeswoman Kerry Gardner told Knox News in an email. "The university has taken swift action against a faculty member who has failed to meet our expectations for civil engagement. Her actions endorsing violence and murder do not represent the university or our values," Gardner said. Shirinian's comment was picked up by and shared Sept. 14 by conservative social media activist Robby Starbuck with his nearly 845,000 followers. He called for his followers to contact the university and UT System President Randy Boyd to ask them to "act now." |
| House panel to hear from SC colleges on campus safety after Kirk shooting, USC hoax call | |
| Police chiefs from five universities and state law enforcement will testify before the House Education and Public Work's Higher Education Subcommittee about current safety practices and possible needs. The universities include the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, South Carolina State University, Coastal Carolina University and the College of Charleston. As the subcommittee's chair and a parent to a student attending college, state Rep. Tim McGinnis said it was imperative to hold the hearing after Kirk's assassination. The Horry County Republican said he hopes to hear about current campus procedures and the needs these campuses have. "It's a shame we have to deal with this," McGinnis said. "Life's tough enough without having to worry about the safety of your child, or your child having to worry about their own safety when they're ... just going to school, trying to learn." |
| Faculty, advocacy groups fear Texas A&M firing threatens academic freedom | |
| On Sept. 8, a viral video showing a student confronting a Texas A&M University professor over gender identity content in a children's literature course sparked backlash that escalated to the highest tiers of state government. State Rep. Brian Harrison, a Midlothian Republican and Texas A&M alum, called it "transgender and DEI indoctrination." Gov. Greg Abbott demanded her termination a day later. Within hours of those calls, the dean and English department's head were demoted and Melissa McCoul, the professor in question, fired. A&M's President Mark A. Welsh III, who backtracked on his initial defense of the professor, is also facing calls to resign. "It's one of the most chilling stories I've seen in recent years," said Jonathan Friedman, the Sy Syms Managing Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America. McCoul didn't violate any laws by discussing gender identity because Texas has yet to pass any such restrictions in higher education. Instead, for faculty members and civil rights groups, the latest controversy signals the rapid unraveling of academic freedom at one of the largest campuses in Texas and the country. |
| Mizzou's new Homecoming parade policy bans political groups | |
 | The University of Missouri has updated its Homecoming Day parade policy to exclude political expression. The new policy allows only approved participants and denies participation of organizations that don't adhere to the parade's theme of "Black and Gold." The updated policy outlines the parade's values and celebratory nature stating, "the purpose of the Homecoming Parade is to celebrate Mizzou and its supporters. It is not a venue for protests." "In making these changes, we sought to modernize the Homecoming Parade to better reflect its purpose and to right-size the event," Christopher Ave, a spokesperson for Mizzou, said in an email. "The length of the event was becoming problematic, and closing streets on a game day in Columbia is a challenge," he said. Last year's parade, in an election year, showcased a considerable amount of political messaging from student and community organizations. The political messages led some observers to complain. |
| Clemson U. Touted Free Speech After 3 Employees Posted About Charlie Kirk. Then It Reversed Course. | |
 | Amid a nationwide storm of recriminations following last week's murder of Charlie Kirk, Clemson University on Monday fired an employee and suspended two faculty members for social-media posts concerning Kirk's death. The decision follows a weekend of pressure on Clemson from Republicans in South Carolina's legislature and congressional delegation, who threatened to pull the university's funding if it didn't fire employees who "celebrate" Kirk's death. Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday during a debate-style event on Utah Valley University's campus. The lawmakers' campaign against Clemson, bolstered by right-wing X accounts with large followings, even got the attention of President Trump. Clemson had initially condemned the employees' remarks about Kirk while emphasizing that the university was committed to upholding the First Amendment, saying that "appropriate action" would be taken "for speech that constitutes a genuine threat." A day later, Clemson said it had suspended a staff member and would continue to investigate social-media activity brought to its attention. By Monday, the university's tone had changed. |
| It's not just UCLA. UC president warns of Trump push into all campuses and hospitals | |
 | The University of California's top leader warned Monday that the federal government's $1.2-billion fine and sweeping proposals to remake UCLA are "minor in comparison" to what could hit the entirety of the nation's premier university system of campuses, hospitals and clinics. "As we consider the unprecedented action against UCLA, it is important to keep in mind that the federal government is also pursuing investigations and actions in various stages against all 10 UC campuses," UC President James B. Milliken said in a Monday letter. "So, while we are first focused on the direct action involving UCLA, we must also consider the implications of expanded federal action." The "investigations and actions" range from Trump administration allegations of the illegal use of race in admissions -- at Irvine, Berkeley and San Francisco campuses -- to civil rights complaints lodged with the Department of Education by Jewish and other community members at UCLA, Davis, San Diego and Santa Barbara campuses. There is also a UC-wide investigation alleging the system discriminates against Jews in hiring, retention and promotion. |
| Survey: Provosts Focused on Funding Cuts, Academic Freedom and AI | |
 | Despite the rising costs of college, weakened public support for higher education and the onslaught of political challenges facing colleges and universities, provosts remain optimistic about what their institution offers students. Nearly all provosts -- 99 percent -- report that their institution provides a quality undergraduate education. They are generally happy about their jobs, too: 91 percent say they are glad they pursued administrative work, and 86 percent say they enjoy being a chief academic officer. These stats and others come from the latest Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers, released today by Inside Higher Ed with Hanover Research. The survey -- conducted in June and July of this year and garnering 478 responses -- asked provosts for their thoughts on the rapidly changing federal policy landscape, the growing prominence of artificial intelligence, the importance of tenure and academic freedom, their faculty's job satisfaction and mental health as well as their own, and more. More than half (56 percent) of provosts say that federal funding to their institution has decreased during the second Trump administration -- relatively more than the 46 percent of college chief business officers who told Inside Higher Ed in the spring that they'd seen a drop in funding to their institution. |
| The Newest Face of Long-Term Unemployment? The College Educated. | |
| Sean Wittmeyer would seem to be highly employable. He has more than a decade of experience in architecture and product design, impressive coding chops and two master's degrees. His skills make him an asset in two industries, technology and construction, which helped power the economy's growth over the last 15 years. But construction activity has faltered since 2023, after the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates, and many tech companies began layoffs around the same time. That helps explain why Mr. Wittmeyer, 37, has been unemployed for a year and a half, since he lost his job in business development for a company that makes software to help with real estate projects. He has been so eager to earn income that he has applied for positions befitting an intern, only to be told he was overqualified. "I can't even work at the little board game store down the street," he said. When the federal government released its August employment numbers on Sept. 5, the overall unemployment rate was still relatively low, at just over 4 percent. But underneath was a concerning statistic: The portion of unemployed people who have been out of work for more than six months, which is considered "long-term," rose to its highest share in over three years -- to nearly 26 percent. The trend has alarmed some job-market watchers. But just as surprising as the rise in long-term unemployment is the subset of workers who are increasingly driving it: the college educated. |
| More Colleges Promise Graduates Employment, Grad School Placement | |
| For some students, enrolling in college can feel like a gamble due to the high cost and lack of a clear career at the end of the program. But a growing number of colleges and universities are guaranteeing students will land a job or graduate program slot within months of graduation. Bethel University in St. Paul is the latest to make such a promise; Bethel's Career Commitment provides students in the College of Arts & Sciences with additional assistance if they are still unemployed or not enrolled in graduate school six months after graduation -- including by offering a tuition-free spot in a graduate-level Bethel course or a staff job at the university. The trend indicates a growing awareness among institutions of their responsibility to provide students with career-development opportunities, as well as their recognition that a lack of institutional support can impact the college's perceived value. |
| US faces shortfall of 5.3M college-educated workers by 2032 | |
| The U.S. will need over 5 million additional workers who have at least some postsecondary education by 2032, according to a report released Tuesday by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. Of that total, 4.5 million will need at least a bachelor's degree, according to the report. Degree-requiring positions facing "critical skills shortages" include nurses, teachers and engineers, it said. Without intervention, the shortfall in skilled labor would be spurred by retirements outpacing similarly qualified workers entering the labor force and the creation of almost 700,000 new jobs requiring postsecondary education. To address the skills gap, colleges will need to implement teaching and counseling strategies that adapt to the "evolving socioeconomic and racial/ethnic demographics of our classrooms," said Jeff Strohl, co-author of the report and director of CEW. "The transition to a majority-minority population has already occurred among American youth," he said. Colleges will also need to focus on specific sectors. "Both teacher and nursing shortages are pressing concerns with far-reaching implications for the nation's education and healthcare systems," Nicole Smith, lead author on the report and chief economist at CEW, said in a Tuesday statement. |
| Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was shot provided less security than other venues as he toured nation | |
 | Less than two weeks before Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah, a sheriff's department in central California conducted three days of reconnaissance to prepare for a speech by the conservative firebrand at a local church in politically friendly territory. Officials researched potential escape routes and identified local activists opposed to Kirk. On the day of the indoor event in Visalia, which drew 2,000 people, some 60 law enforcement officials monitored Kirk's movements to and from the church, even deploying a drone to secure surrounding rooftops, said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. "The very nature of Charlie Kirk coming in requires you take special attention to the nuances of what could possibly happen," Boudreaux said. By contrast, Kirk's outdoor event at Utah Valley University last week was out in the open, but with far less security. As he crisscrossed the country to spread his conservative ideals at college campuses, Kirk preferred to be as close to students as possible, allowing him to strike up conversations with passersby. His level of protection varied greatly. |
| After Kirk's Death, Some Conservatives Blame Higher Ed for Political Violence | |
| In a Sunday interview on Meet the Press, Utah governor Spencer Cox said it's important to find out what "radicalized" Tyler Robinson, who allegedly shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week on Utah Valley University's Orem campus. Cox, a Republican, said he didn't yet know the answer, but the radicalizing apparently didn't occur at college. "This was a very normal young man, a very smart young man, 4.0 student, I think a 34 on the ACT, went to my alma mater, Utah State University, but was only there for a very short amount of time, dropped out after less than one semester, and it seemed to happen kind of after that," Cox said. (Robinson later enrolled in Dixie Technical College.) "Clearly there was a lot of gaming going on," the governor said, adding that Robinson's friends referenced the "deep, dark internet -- the Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet -- where this person was going deep." While Cox took pains not to explicitly point fingers before receiving more evidence, some conservatives and right-leaning media organizations are blaming higher ed for "political violence" in the wake of Kirk's death. |
| Trump Administration Delays Millions for TRIO Programs | |
| Normally, back-to-school season means that the staff who lead federally funded programs for low-income and first-generation college students are kicking into high gear. But this month, the Trump administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in TRIO grants, creating uncertainty for thousands of programs. Some have been forced to grind to a halt, advocates say. Colleges and nonprofits that had already been approved for the award expected to hear by the end of August that their federal funding was on its way. But rather than an award notice, program leaders received what's known as a "no cost extension," explaining that while programs could continue to operate until the end of the month, they would not yet be receiving the award money. Over all, the Council for Opportunity in Education, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on supporting TRIO programs, estimates that the Trump administration has withheld about $660 million worth of aid for more than 2,000 TRIO programs. (Congress allocated $1.19 billion to TRIO for the current fiscal year.) |
SPORTS
| MSU working to develop depth | |
| Even after a dominant win on Saturday, Mississippi State is maintaining a short-term memory. The Bulldogs' attention now turns to their non-conference finale against Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon. Once the players and coaches sat down for their team meeting on Monday morning, the consensus was that there is still a lot of work to do. "I think guys understood that the score was what it was, but there was a lot of things that we got away with on Saturday," coach Jeff Lebby said. "And that is the message, the urgency that we operate with to be able to fix the problems that showed up is a huge deal. "We were able to overcome some of those things on Saturday. That will not remain the same. We've got to fix it." Developing depth continues to be a top priority for the Bulldogs, especially as the team gets closer to the meat of its schedule. Up to this point, Lebby thinks that a second year under his system has helped with that, especially when it comes to understanding assignments. |
| Soccer: Bulldogs Check In At No. 3 In First NCAA RPI Release | |
| Mississippi State checked in at No. 3 in the NCAA's first RPI release of the 2025 season. The only time the Bulldogs were higher in the first RPI of a season came in 2018 when they were No. 2, the highest RPI in program history. State also climbed to No. 2 for one week last season but spent the majority of the year at No. 3 before finishing the season at No. 4 and earning one of four No. 1 national seeds. The Bulldogs are the only team in the nation with multiple wins against RPI top-five teams, defeating Tennessee (No. 2) and Wake Forest (No. 4) already this season. They are also one of just four teams with multiple wins over teams in the top 25 of the RPI. State has two remaining games against teams currently inside the RPI top-25, hosting Vanderbilt (No. 23) on Oct. 16 and traveling to Alabama (No. 22) on Oct. 19. Mississippi State returns to the pitch on Thursday, Sept. 18, when the Bulldogs travel to Austin, Texas. That match will see the defending SEC regular season champions take on the SEC Tournament champion Texas Longhorns at 7 p.m. CT on ESPNU. |
| Community Profile: 'African Dawg' finds community with MSU soccer | |
| Mississippi State soccer coach Nick Zimmerman received two gifts after his first win as head coach in August. Athletic director Zac Selmon gifted him a commemorative ball to mark the occasion, congratulating him on his first win at the helm after ascending from assistant coach. Zimmerman also received a Kenya national team shirt from MSU fan Corban Makaya, who has been a regular at games since moving to West Point from the East African country in 2022. "This year was the first time I got to go home since I've moved here, and in the process of buying gifts, I thought I'd love to give him a Kenya jersey," Makaya said. "The first game got cancelled, and I was just carrying it around, but I got it to him." Makaya has no ties to MSU apart from being a soccer fan, something that he has found as a way to make living in the U.S. feel a little more like home. |
| College Sports Bill Flounders in House as Legal Challenges Brew | |
| The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act (SCORE Act) was supposed to go to a House floor vote this week, but that plan was scrapped when the bill's sponsors reportedly sensed a majority would vote nay. It's possible that the Act, with revisions, will resurface for a vote at some point. However, it has attracted varying types of criticisms that could doom its fate. For example, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) -- the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee -- has argued to her colleagues that the SCORE Act would consolidate power within the SEC and Big Ten and denigrate other conferences and their member schools to an inferior status. Meanwhile, billionaire Republican Cody Campbell -- who President Donald Trump appointed to his Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition -- says the act "will destroy women's and Olympic sports, and will permanently relegate smaller schools to irrelevance ... will put many of them completely out of business." Even if it overcomes political headwinds, passes both the House and Senate and is signed into law by Trump, the SCORE Act -- or anything resembling it -- would face potential challenges in the courts. This is one of the least discussed points about the SCORE Act: New statutes are vulnerable to litigation over whether they comply with the U.S. Constitution and other sources of law. |
| Many sports fans are unhappy with how much it costs to watch their games, an AP-NORC poll finds | |
| For many dedicated sports fans, keeping up with their favorite teams has become a juggling act. Activate an NFL package in August, unsubscribe after the Super Bowl and before the NBA playoffs get underway, then subscribe to the NBA's service. Grudgingly keep paying the cable bill because it's the only way to get the local baseball team. Throw in a subscription to ESPN's new direct-to-consumer streaming service for college football. This patchwork of expensive subscriptions, cable packages and password shares is common for many sports fans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and it leaves them beholden to multiple platforms at a cost no one seems to like. About 4 in 10 people who follow sports "extremely" or "very" closely use cable or satellite TV and a sports-only streaming platform, according to the poll, compared with about 2 in 10 people who follow sports "somewhat" closely. The people who are happiest with the availability of sports events are the ones who use multiple platforms, according to the poll. |
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.
