| Friday, November 14, 2025 |
| Mississippi State breaks ground on major laminitis research center | |
 | A groundbreaking ceremony has launched construction on a Mississippi State University research center aimed at combating a specific disease that plagues horses. The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center, located at Mississippi State's College of Veterinary Medicine, will bring equine experts to the university to combat the painful and debilitating hoof disease that can lead to euthanasia for affected horses. Link, a horse enthusiast, gifted an unspecified amount of money, which was coined an "exceptionally generous gift" by Mississippi State officials, to bring this research center to fruition. Funds from Link will go toward both the construction of the center, with plans to make Mississippi State a national and international leader in the area of laminitis research. In addition to funding the construction, Link's gift will cover the cost of equipment for the center, faculty salaries, maintenance, and travel for professional research presentations. "The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center will be a global center of excellence in the fight against this devastating disease. We are grateful for Nancy's visionary commitment and remarkable generosity as we work together to create this new center," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. |
| MSU & Ole Miss Student Associations collaborate with food drive | |
 | Food insecurity has gotten a lot of attention lately with the Government Shutdown, furloughed workers, and a pause on SNAP benefits. But for many, it's a year-round problem, even for some on college campuses. It's also a problem that is bringing rivals together. MSU and Ole Miss Student Associations are working together to help those in need with a competitive food drive. The Student Associations of both universities are collaborating in their annual Food Fight drive. The goal is to collect monetary and canned food donations from students. The winners are students and those in the surrounding communities who are experiencing food insecurity. MSU Student Association President Cameron Cummings said their organization tries to find ways to support those who are in need. "One of our mottoes is leading through service, and we want to make sure that service is emphasized. Food Fight is a really good example of that, with a lot of things going on within government, in general, people not knowing where they're next meal is coming from. Making sure that we have an outlet to provide for them since Bully's Pantry is one of the greatest ways we have to do that, and we want to continue to have those resources provided." |
| Starkville-based AI startup has raised over $1M | |
| A Mississippi-based artificial intelligence startup has raised over $1 million in new funding. Starkville-based Campusknot was co-founded by Rahul Gopal, a graduate of Mississippi State University. Its growth and evolution illustrate the possibility and support that exists in Mississippi for startups. "Campusknot is a perfect example of what happens when the in-state ecosystem works together over time," said Lindsey Benefield, investment director at Innovate Mississippi. "They've had support at every stage -- from Mississippi State University and the E-Center, to Innovate Mississippi, to individual angels -- all reinforcing and building momentum around a strong Mississippi founder. The progress they're making is well-earned." Gopal came from India to study aerospace engineering at Mississippi State University. The initial concept for Campusknot started while he was in college, with support from the Mississippi State Center for Entrepreneurship. Over the past 10 years, Campusknot has adapted to new technologies but the core idea of enhancing student engagement in the classroom has remained. |
| What is Fusarium graminearum, the fungus a Chinese scientist pleaded guilty to smuggling into the US? | |
| Mississippi State University's Tom Allen writes for The Conversation: A Chinese plant scientist at the University of Michigan who drew national attention in June 2025 when she was arrested and accused along with another Chinese scientist of smuggling a crop-damaging fungus into the U.S. pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025, to charges of smuggling and making false statements to the FBI. Under her plea agreement, Yunqing Jian, 33, was sentenced to time served and expected to be deported. Her arrest put a spotlight on Fusarium graminearum, a harmful pathogen. But while its risk to grains such as wheat, corn and rice can be alarming, Fusarium isn't new to American farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates it costs wheat and barley farmers more than $1 billion a year. Tom Allen, an extension and research professor of plant pathology at Mississippi State University, explains what Fusarium graminearum is and isn't. |
| MSU prepares students for the upcoming winter season | |
| With cold temperatures being scattered throughout the fall and upcoming winter season, MSU is preparing students for the crisis situations that may come up. MSU Office of Emergency Management hosted its winter weather prep session for students, faculty, and staff. Attendees were able to learn about how to prepare the home, dorm, or office during freezing temperatures. There were also tips for how to properly treat vehicles during cold weather and stay safe during power outages, icy roads, and closures on campus. MSU Emergency Management says they always make sure to help those in the area be prepared for severe weather and seasonal changes. "So for me, emergencies can come in all different shapes and sizes, and it's important for us to be able to take care of ourselves as citizens. So, I pride myself on teaching people what they can do to help protect themselves, but also what resources are available to them if they do need help in different types of emergencies," said MSU Emergency Assistant Director, Natasha Cundy. |
| Economic Development: Response times to industrial park emergencies cut in half with new fire and rescue station | |
 | When two contractors were critically injured last week in a fire at Steel Dynamics' Biocarbon Solutions plant, firefighters and paramedics from the new industrial fire and rescue station at the Lowndes County Industrial Park made it to the scene in less than nine minutes. That was roughly half the time it would have taken if Lowndes County volunteer firefighters were responding to the call, Station Manager Neal Austin told The Dispatch. "These guys that are volunteers, they have to take off work, come get a truck and then go," Austin said of the rural firefighters. "Just the nature of the beast. It's time consuming. Some of this stuff out here doesn't have that kind of time." The industrial park station opened Oct. 1 with the purpose of providing fire and life preservation services to industry in the park. The station was funded with a $10 million contribution from SDI, but plans for the upcoming legislative session could create a new tax district at the park that would fund the station in the future. Since opening, Austin said the station, consisting of three firefighters and an on-site paramedic, has responded to about 22 calls in and around the industrial park. |
| Thanksgiving Farmers Market set for Nov. 25 | |
 | Shoppers should plan to attend the annual Brookhaven Thanksgiving Farmers Market and leave with something fresh, local and delicious. The market is set for Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 8 a.m. to noon at Railroad Park. Vendors should have fresh vegetables, baked goods and assortments of jams, jellies and pickles and other canned goods for sale. "A lot of what all is offered will be perfect for your Thanksgiving table," said Agent Tristan Peavey with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Peavey expects many familiar faces to be selling their wares. "We don't have a vendor account yet, but we're working on getting that finalized," he said. "But it should be most of the regular crew that you see during the summer markets." Peavey is planning the annual Christmas Market, which is set for Dec. 23. |
| MMA hopes to join elite group with purchase of Wright house | |
| Monet, Picasso and Georgia O'Keefe draw visitors to the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N.H. So do two houses, owned by the museum that Frank Lloyd Wright, the pre-eminent 20th-century American architect, designed. And the Mississippi Museum of Art hopes to join the small number of art museums across the country such as the Currier Museum and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. that own buildings designed by Wright. That will be possible provided the museum is successful in its negotiation to purchase Fountainhead, a residence in Woodland Hills that Wright designed. Jordana Pomeroy, Ph.D., director and chief executive officer of the Currier Museum, applauds the efforts of the Mississippi Museum of Art. "It's ambitious," she said. "It says a lot about the museum...These are not easy undertakings. You have one facility to manage and now you're taking on a satellite facility. "It's neat that the Jackson community says, 'We care and want to pursue this."' |
| Options presented to Mississippi lawmakers to tackle PERS funding | |
 | Mississippi leaders are looking for a funding solution to help pay down the $26 billion unfunded liability to the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). The system accrued the shortfall because lawmakers promised benefits in the 80s and 90s without a funding plan. Financial experts in recent weeks have presented a list of options and showed how long each would take to fully fund PERS. As the executive director of the system, Ray Higgins said PERS is a complex issue with a lot of moving parts. He said the most important decision is to find additional funding. State Sen. Daniel Sparks (R-District 5) said lawmakers have dedicated additional funding to PERS in recent years. "We have dedicated more revenue. There's $186 million more per year. With the two and a half percent increase, we put $110 million in the system two years ago," Sparks said. It's not enough to make sure the state can pay retirement benefits later down the road. Financial experts have told lawmakers and the PERS Board in recent weeks that they should pay now or pay more later. Financial experts presented six funding options to House lawmakers and the PERS Board in different meetings. |
| Mississippi issues remaining SNAP benefits after Trump, Congress end federal shutdown | |
| Mississippi will resume normal issuance of food stamps immediately, the Mississippi Department of Human Services announced Thursday. This development happened after the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history ended Wednesday after the House approved the Senate-passed funding package, which President Donald Trump signed into law. Mississippians who receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits between the 14th and the 21st of each month can expect to receive their full benefits as usual, the agency said in a press release. Those who receive their benefits between the 4th and the 13th will receive the remainder of November's benefits "as soon as possible," after having received partial benefits this week, according to the press release. December benefits will be rolled out as usual, the department said. About 1 in 8 Mississippians -- over 350,000 people -- receive food assistance through SNAP. More than 67% of participants are in households with children, and about 41% are in households with older adults or adults with a disability. |
| US drops reciprocal tariff on Argentine beef, plans to boost quota | |
 | The Trump administration said it will drop a 10 percent tariff on Argentine beef imports and will quadruple the amount of Argentine beef that can enter the U.S. before imports reach a quota that triggers a 25 percent levy. The White House announcement comes despite criticism of President Donald Trump from lawmakers and ranchers last month over his plan to boost imports from Argentina in an effort to bring down beef prices for consumers. "There is a reciprocal tariff of 10 percent on Argentina. We expect that to be eliminated," a senior White House official said in a briefing on new trade framework agreements with Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador. The agreements are expected to be signed within two weeks, the official said. The briefing conditions were that the official can't be named. The duty-free amount for Argentina is currently 20,000 metric tons of beef, but the administration plans to boost that to 80,000 tons -- although the increase isn't part of the framework agreement. When imports reach 80,000 tons, the 25 percent tariff would take effect. The official didn't say when the higher quota would take effect. "But that 25 percent out-of-quota tariff is, you know, that's congressionally set. So in the near term, I think we're just going to let the market figure out, you know, how much beef it needs," the official said. |
| Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts Trump's Epstein focus | |
 | Donald Trump says Marjorie Taylor Greene has lost her way. Greene disagrees. The Republican firebrand, once one of the president's strongest Capitol Hill allies, says it's the president who is off course. He shouldn't be trying to stop the release of the Epstein files, when so many of his most ardent followers are struggling to pay the bills. "It's insanely the wrong direction to go," Greene told POLITICO. "The five-alarm fire is health care and affordability for Americans. And that's where the focus should be." As the Trump administration struggles with how to respond to voters' worries around rising prices, Greene is banging the drum that the Republican Party needs to be laser focused on the economy instead of getting sidetracked, in her eyes, by foreign crises and trying to block the release of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Georgia Republican, who has become a rare Trump critic within the GOP, has grown increasingly critical of how the president is handling the issue of affordability, issuing a warning ahead of 2026: |
| After email release, Trump calls on DOJ to probe Democrats tied to Epstein | |
 | President Donald Trump says he's asking the Department of Justice to investigate Democrats linked to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton, who he says "spent large portions of their life" with the disgraced financier. "I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump's call came after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released emails obtained from Epstein's estate in which the late financier, who was friends with Trump for more than a decade, alleged the president "knew about the girls." "I am the one able to take him down," Epstein wrote in another email. |
| China's new aircraft supercarrier challenges U.S. dominance in Pacific | |
 | China's efforts to blunt American maritime power in the Pacific, a region the United States has long considered its domain, received a major boost this month with the official launch of its third -- and most advanced by far -- aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The 80,000-ton supercarrier, which can accommodate about 60 aircraft and will be accompanied by as many as 10 warships, will dramatically narrow the naval capability gap between the U.S. and China, according to American, Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese analysts. It will also enable Beijing to further intimidate rivals in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. "We're really entering a new era here," said Lyle Goldstein, an associate professor at the Naval War College. China was already a significant adversary: It has the world's largest navy by number of ships, biggest arsenal of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, and largest active military service, with a standing army of 2 million soldiers. But China has lagged the United States in aircraft carrier technology. Now, the launch of the Fujian will bring Beijing closer to its goal of eroding U.S. maritime primacy in its backyard, not least because the warship uses electromagnetic catapults to launch planes, making China the only the country, after United States, to have developed and built this technology. |
| How American and Chinese Drone Arsenals Stack Up | |
 | The U.S. is falling behind China in one of the defining technologies of the modern battlefield. Drones have proven indispensable in conflicts like Ukraine, where troops rely on them to destroy tanks, lay mines, evacuate wounded fighters, and deliver food and medication. Advances in artificial intelligence increasingly allow unmanned systems to operate with minimal human direction, such as tracking and attacking targets on their own. For years, the U.S. led in quality while China won on quantity. But across the spectrum, from stealth drones capable of flying at the edge of space to cheap foldable quadcopters that fit in a soldier's backpack, Chinese technology has either drawn even with the U.S. or nudged ahead. China's drive to pursue drone dominance is fueled by the possibility of conflict with the U.S. over Taiwan, according to military analysts. Footage of an urban combat exercise aired last year by China's state broadcaster showed soldiers working with teams of drones and robot dogs in a simulated assault on the Taiwanese city of Taoyuan. "In order to minimize casualties on the PLA side, they have to use robotic systems as a first wave of attack," said Sunny Cheung, an open-source intelligence expert at the Washington think tank Jamestown Foundation. "They're quite explicit about that." |
| Public universities see enrollment increases in Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi universities have seen significant enrollment increases -- with over two thousand more students in the university system this year compared to last. "Mississippi's universities continue to set a high standard for our students in terms of value and price, and these enrollment figures reflect the confidence that families from around the state and beyond have in our university system," said Dr. Al Rankins Jr., commissioner of higher education, in a statement. At the same time, that means education administrators are looking at how to handle new students and the financial aid many of them will need. Jaime Missimer is the president of the Mississippi Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and director of financial aid at Pearl River Community College. At PRCC, she says the expansion of programs has led to more students. "There's a lot of students who are wanting to take online classes, so that has grown a lot," she said. "And for us, we've added several new career technical programs that students want to enroll in." Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, public universities and colleges will see some changes to financial aid, although many of those changes have to do with student loans specifically. Missimer says they'll have to wait and see when it comes to the effect on Mississippi higher education. |
| Conference center, trail upgrades nearly done at Plymouth Bluff | |
| Since taking over as the director for Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center in 2024, Chandler Lester has been looking to make improvements wherever he can. After wrapping up renovations to the Sherman Conference Center and to the site's 23 cabins that year he said the site has become more of a destination for locals, but he's not settling on his laurels anytime soon. "I wanted it (to be) something that I could be proud of showing and we, as Plymouth Bluff as MUW, can be proud to show the community," Lester told The Dispatch. "... We want to increase exposure. ... (We) want people to know about us and be proud of what we're showing. That was a big thing when I first got here." "Plymouth Bluff is a hub for educational activities for the university and the community," Carla Lowery, Mississippi University for Women's vice president for operations and chief financial officer, said in a statement to The Dispatch. "... The recent improvements allow organizations to comfortably host multi-day workshops and conferences in the updated cabins. Our hope is that Plymouth Bluff will become the community's premier event space." |
| USM faculty appointed to Mississippi Academy of Physician Assistants Board of Directors | |
| University of Southern Mississippi College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) faculty members Lee Matthews and Dr. Katherine Gunther have been chosen president-elect and treasurer-elect, respectively, for the Mississippi Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA) Board of Directors. Matthews joined the Southern Miss faculty in March 2024. This year, she was named director of Clinical Education for the university's Physician Assistant Studies program at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss. Her clinical experience as a PA includes outpatient internal medicine (adult primary care) and women's health, and she continues providing women's health services in a volunteer role. Gunther is an assistant teaching professor and director of Didactic Education with CNHP's Physician Assistant Studies program. She joined the Southern Miss faculty in 2024 after nearly a decade of experience in emergency medicine. She continues to practice clinically one day a week, emphasizing the importance of remaining connected to patient care. |
| Resolution introduced in U.S. Senate honoring Delta State's centennial | |
| Delta State University has reached the centennial mark, and federal lawmakers are joining in on the celebration. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of Delta State University in conjunction with the school's official celebration currently underway. The resolution notes the school's launch as Delta State Teacher's College in 1925 to its transformation into Delta State University in 1974 and its subsequent growth as a modern institution with a "commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the students it serves with world-leading, industry-acclaimed programs." "It's an honor to recognize Delta State University as it commemorates its history and looks ahead to an even brighter future," Hyde-Smith said. "Delta State continues to be a cornerstone of opportunity for students, a source of pride for Cleveland, and a vital asset for the entire Mississippi Delta and our state." "For the last century, Delta State has been an asset to the Magnolia State," Wicker added. |
| 'Mississippi marathon' continues: 85% of third-graders pass reading test | |
| The latest results of Mississippi's third-grade reading test show no dramatic declines in student performance. But they show no significant gains, either. Since 2021-22, the first year of student data after the pandemic, the share of students passing the assessment -- including the initial test and any retest -- has hovered around 85%. The Mississippi Department of Education announced Thursday that data point holds true for the 2024-25 school year, with 85% of the state's third-graders ultimately passing the reading assessment required to graduate to the next grade, just barely higher than last year's rate of 84%. The new pass rate remains lower than in 2018-19, when it was 85.6%. It's the latest chapter in Mississippi's national reading success story, called a "miracle" by some but, more recently, a "marathon" by state education leaders. Over the past decade, the percentage of the state's fourth-graders scoring advanced or proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress -- or The Nation's Report Card -- has skyrocketed, with Mississippi going from last in the nation to ninth. NAEP is separate from the state assessment. |
| New LSU President Wade Rousse to officially start Monday | |
 | LSU's incoming president, Wade Rousse, will officially take the helm Nov. 17, having resigned from McNeese State University on Friday. Rousse was named the 29th president by the LSU Board of Supervisors on Nov. 4 after a nationwide search that began in August. Former President William Tate announced his departure for Rutgers University in May. Dr. Kedrick Nicholas, senior vice president of student affairs, will serve as interim president at McNeese State. The University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to appoint him to the position, for which he was recommended by Rousse. James Dalton, announced along with Rousse's hire as the executive vice president of the LSU system and chancellor of the flagship LSU campus in Baton Rouge, will also start Nov. 17, according to an LSU spokesperson. Dalton was a finalist in the presidential search and most recently the executive vice president and provost at the University of Alabama. The two leaders are expected to share duties, with Rousse overseeing athletics and the entire university system and Dalton taking charge of academics and research at the campus in Baton Rouge and LSU's medical facilities. |
| Texas A&M University professors now need approval for some race and gender topics | |
 | Texas A&M University System regents on Thursday required professors to receive approval from the school president to discuss some race and gender topics, tightening rules months after a viral video of a student confronting an instructor over her lessons threw the flagship campus into upheaval. The new policy will apply to all 12 schools within the system, including at Texas A&M, one of the largest universities in the country. The new policy states that no academic course "will advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity" unless approved in advance by a campus president. The new policy appears to be the first time that a public university system in Texas has put in rules on what faculty can talk about in their classroom on the topics of race and gender. Other university systems in Texas have also placed restrictions on classroom instruction or have begun internal reviews of course offerings following a new state law. Critics of the new policy say it would impede the ability of faculty to teach, undermine academic freedom and could be a violation of First Amendment rights. Two A&M professors spoke in favor of the policy, including Adam Kolasinski, with the Department of Finance, who said "academic freedom does not mean you get to teach whatever you want." |
| Texas lawmakers say colleges have to balance free speech with duty to keep discourse civil | |
| Texas lawmakers on Thursday opened a sweeping review of campus speech with a call to restore civil discourse, saying student reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk exposed deeper problems with intimidation, hostility and uneven responses from universities. "Freedom of speech is not the freedom to threaten, harass or disrupt," said Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown. "Academic freedom is not the license to defy public accountability." Kirk was killed Sept. 10 while speaking at a college in Utah. State leaders announced the formation of bipartisan committees to discuss campus speech and related policies two days later. The Senate and House Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education convened jointly Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in Austin. Lawmakers heard from 11 invited witnesses, including University of Texas at Austin leaders, state higher education officials, law enforcement representatives and the student body presidents from UT-Austin and Texas A&M. Wilson, who co-chairs the committee, said hearings next year will include public testimony. |
| 'Stunned and Angry': James Ryan Gives First Detailed Account of His Ouster at UVa | |
 | James E. Ryan, the former University of Virginia president, sent a letter early Friday to the flagship's Faculty Senate that offers his first detailed accounting of the events that led to his controversial resignation amid federal scrutiny of UVa's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. The 12-page document provides a retelling that he says "differs in significant parts" from that of the current rector (chair) of the Board of Visitors and outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican. It comes amid growing tensions between Youngkin and incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, over the ability of the current board -- all appointees of Youngkin -- to select the university's next leader. The former president adopts a sharp tone at points of the document, saying he was left "stunned and angry" by what he calls a lack of honesty among some board members; that some board members were "complicit" in his ouster; and that he had heard that the government would "bleed UVA white" if he didn't resign. Ryan's letter states that he had put this document together over the summer, while the events were still fresh in his mind. "I was never sure if I would release it publicly, but I thought there might be a legislative hearing or inquiry that would require me to respond, and I wanted to make sure my memories were freshly recorded," Ryan writes. |
| Evolving job market, soaring loan debt drive students to community colleges | |
 | The high cost of student loans, fights over policy at four-year universities and a surge in young Americans seeking blue collar work are all driving up enrollment at community colleges. Enrollment numbers are rising across the board at U.S. higher education institutions, but community colleges are outpacing the pack as the shifting economy drives more students into vocational programs and others into starting college-level courses earlier with dual enrollment programs in high school. "Students, as consumers of education, I think are getting smarter ... community colleges are affordable, accredited. They offer relevant education, but they also offer different kinds of higher education," said Martha Parham, senior vice president of public relations at the American Association of Community Colleges. Community colleges serve more than 12 million students across the country. Parham says 60 percent of those are in traditional associate degree transfer programs and 40 percent are in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which "are intended to ... lead to jobs, and, in many cases, those jobs are family sustaining, wage jobs, and so, we are able to offer those different types of higher education opportunities." |
| Companies Predict 2026 Will Be the Worst College Grad Job Market in Five Years | |
| Employers have a warning for the Class of 2026: Next spring's graduate-hiring market is likely to be even worse than this year's. Six months out from graduation season, more than half of 183 employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers rate the job market for the Class of 2026 as poor or fair. That is the most pessimistic outlook since the first year of the pandemic, according to the survey, which is widely seen as an early signal of graduate hiring each year. A cooling job market is darkening that outlook. In recent months, employers from Amazon.com to United Parcel Service have revealed plans to cut thousands of jobs. The latest is Verizon Communications, which, according to people familiar with the matter, plans to cut 15,000 jobs over the next week in its largest reduction ever. Companies say the uncertain economic outlook has pushed them to hire more conservatively, and many are giving priority to recruits with some experience as opposed to fresh-from-college graduates. More executives are also speaking openly about the potential of artificial intelligence to bring deep job cuts and take over more tasks that new graduates are traditionally tapped to do. For college seniors, that means they are also competing against junior workers who have been recently laid off. |
| Courses Studying Trump Proliferate, Despite Risk of President's Ire | |
 | Donald Trump's second term in office continues to confound onlookers. Yet a growing number of universities around the world are offering courses for students to try to make sense of the mercurial president. The University of Pennsylvania has launched Climate and Environment Journalism: Truth-Telling in the Trump Era through its English department and American Conservatism From Taft to Trump for political science students. The New School's Donald Trump as History module will aim to explore the "Trump phenomenon" and how it alters views of U.S. history, while the University of Washington offers a special Trump in the World module. Universities outside the U.S. are also involved. First run in 2017, Trumpism: An American Biography is an optional module for second-year history students at the University of Sheffield, which explores how U.S. history can shed light on the present. Christopher Breem, managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Pennsylvania State University, said it is always hard to teach about something going on in the present. But this is often what students are most interested in because they recognize that it is important to them and their future to understand it, he said. |
SPORTS
| Women's Basketball: Mississippi State Takes Down Jackson State On Thursday | |
| Mississippi State's women's basketball team earned their fourth-consecutive victory of the season after defeating the Jackson State Tigers, 82-55. "It feels great to get another win anytime you play here, and we were able to watch this team continue and grow," coach Sam Purcell said. "The first quarter was as good as basketball as we have played this season." The Bulldogs came out on fire in the first quarter, opening the game on a 9-0 run. State scored 22 points in the opening quarter, outscoring Jackson State by 17. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 62.5 percent, which was the best percentage of any quarter so far this season. The Bulldogs will be back in action when they make their first road trip of the season to Lubbock, Texas to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. on November 20 and will broadcast on ESPN+. |
| Bulldogs get six in double figures, dominate Jackson State 82-55 | |
| Sam Purcell's new-look Mississippi State team is still trying to figure itself out but the Bulldogs seem to be finding their footing early. Thursday night's matchup with Jackson State wasn't a perfectly played game for four quarters, but State's opening frame did the trick. A dominant start held up as the Bulldogs got a multitude of players involved on both ends and cruised to a 82-55 victory over the Tigers. MSU jumped out to a 22-5 lead in the first quarter as the Bulldogs smothered JSU on defense and efficiently scored on offense. "We just wanted to come out and not play with them," senior guard Trayanna Crisp said. "With any team that we have on our schedule, anybody is capable of beating us. We came out with a message that we aren't here to play and they're an instate rival." Defense let up a bit over the next two quarters as the two teams were even at 19-19 in the second quarter and the Bulldogs had a narrow 21-20 advantage during the third, but the lead was never closer than 15 points in each of those instances. The fourth quarter would be a nice close for the Bulldogs as they finished that off with a 20-11 advantage. |
| Nwaedozi and Lampley lead the way in win over JSU | |
| The final score at Humphrey Coliseum on Thursday indicated another comfortable win for the Lady Bulldogs. Head coach Sam Purcell saw his team improve to 4-0 with six players reaching double-digits in scoring and a collective 55% conversion rate from the field in an 82-55 win over Jackson State. The performance was not always controlled for the hosts, with the Bulldogs only edging the visitors by one point over the middle two quarters, but dominant first and final frames saw MSU through to another comfortable win. "The second quarter was on me," Purcell said. "I wanted to try some other stuff for situational basketball that's going to come up later, and I thought we got a little sloppy with the defensive end. And give credit to Jackson State. I told their coach I have a lot of respect for her, their program. There'll be some great film for my other players to watch, how hard (JSU) played despite the score, and I told their coach I hope she can keep the group together because it wouldn't surprise me if they make a run and win their conference." Purcell's group has worked well to adjust offensively this season, adding a quicker tempo to their play compared to previous teams, and working through those growing pains has yielded some prolific offensive performances. |
| Bulldogs hoping for long-distance goals, home-field advantage in NCAA opener | |
| The MSU Soccer Field has played host to plenty of high-stakes meetings in recent years, and will do so once more this season with the arrival of Lipscomb for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Bulldogs (12-6-1) have had a strong season at home, going 5-2-1 with two wins over Top-10 ranked teams. But Lipscomb (14-5-2) is no pushover, and the Bulldogs will know not to overlook them. Head coach Nick Simmerman was an assistant when the Bulldogs last faced the Bisons in Nashville, a 2-0 victory for MSU, but the year before his arrival saw MSU's NCAA run end in the first round via double-overtime loss to Lipscomb in Starkville. MSU will need to continue its hot postseason form from the SEC Tournament, which has included the scoring of great goals to break teams open. The other type of football team at MSU coined a phrase that works well for Zimmerman's group as well: "Score from far." The Bulldogs have developed a habit for firing and scoring goals from the edge and beyond the 18-yard box, including three of the four goals scored at the SEC Tournament last week. |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Missouri | |
| Mississippi State is traveling for its final road test of the season this weekend in Missouri, where both teams will look to rebound from big losses. The Bulldogs are back on the road after a 41-21 loss to Georgia, in which the visitors led 38-7 just after halftime to effectively end the game as a competition in the final frames of action. The Tigers suffered a similar fate, falling 38-17 at home against Texas A&M. Both teams may be without their respective starting quarterbacks, and both teams are eager to end poor runs of form, so it could make for another game of fireworks under the lights on Saturday night. Mizzou is 6-3, 2-3 in SEC play with three losses in their last four games. MSU got a boost with the news that Albert Reese IV and Blake Shapen are both probable for the game, but safety Isaac Smith is out after leaving the Georgia game with another injury. He had been a game-time decision for that one, went through warm-ups and started the game, but went down and needed help to get off the field during the game. The Bulldogs need just one more win to attain bowl eligibility, but are running out of chances. |
| Mizzou wraps home schedule with test from unpredictable Mississippi State | |
 | Missouri's playoff hopes are likely gone. The thin margin for error is not. With three regular-season games left, Mizzou closes out its Memorial Stadium slate Saturday with senior day against Mississippi State. Jeff Lebby's second-year team has exceeded expectations and remained difficult to predict week to week. The Bulldogs (5-5, 1-5 SEC) were picked to finish last in the conference. While SEC games haven't gone their way, they arrive in Columbia one win from bowl eligibility. It would be their first bowl game since the 2022 season. Three of their SEC losses have come by one score. Two of those have ended in overtime. "They've proven they're improving," Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "It'll be a very difficult challenge." Lebby's system is built on tempo and explosive plays. Mississippi State wants to stretch defenses horizontally with formation and vertically with speed. The Bulldogs have hit on deep-ball shots all season. Wide receivers Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III rank near the top of the SEC in yards, and Thompson has become one of the league's most dangerous vertical threats. |
| Baylor AD Rhoades takes leave, steps down as CFP chairman and is replaced by Arkansas AD Yurachek | |
| CFP selection committee chairman Mack Rhoades has been replaced by Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek following an announcement Thursday that Rhoades had stepped down from the role and taken a leave of absence as the athletic director at Baylor while the school investigates unspecified allegations against him. While not going into additional details, Baylor vice president Jason Cook said Thursday the allegations against Rhoades do not involve Title IX, student-athlete welfare or NCAA rules violations, and do not involve the football program. Cook said the university takes the allegations seriously and is in the process of conducting a thorough investigation. The school earlier in the day released a statement that said Rhoades began his leave for "personal reasons" on Wednesday. Rhoades didn't respond to a message from The Associated Press. He told ESPN that he initiated his leave from Baylor, but declined to explain why. Yurachek, in his second year on the committee, now becomes the primary spokesperson for the CFP decision making process. The chairman regularly appears on weekly prime-time ESPN reveals of the committee's rankings. Utah AD Mark Harlan will fill Rhoades' vacancy on the committee as the Big 12 representative. Harlan previously served a one-year term in 2023. |
| What happens when college football games are only for the rich? Some faithful fans are finding out | |
 | Three hours before kickoff, Ann Whitehead's Subaru Outback pulls into Lot 13 to continue a longstanding family tradition: attending Florida State football games. What started in 1960 with Whitehead in the student section has grown into a three-generation congregation in the west stands at Doak Campbell Stadium. Through scorching heat and pounding rain, the Whiteheads had a 28th-row seat for the glory days of Bobby Bowden and the up-and-down tenure of Mike Norvell. "We love to go," said Whitehead's daughter, Alyson Stone. "It's just, I don't know how much longer we'll be able to." The costs have swelled out of control around sports, an industry of inherent leisure spending. What was once an affordable autumn excursion for a family of four has become a series of $1,000 (or more) weekends. The situation isn't unique to the Whiteheads or Florida State. Florida Gators fan Rob Dotson, a former local alumni association president, got fed up with Gainesville hotels boosting prices while requiring two-night minimum stays; he called giving up his season tickets after 38 years the second-hardest thing he has ever done (after proposing to his wife). The broader concern of feeling priced out extends beyond college football. Stadium suites and wristband-only tailgates are no different from skip-the-line passes at theme parks or luxurious lounges at the airport. The thirst for greater revenue has led to more premium amenities and premium offerings at premium prices -- often at the expense of patrons beneath the top tax bracket. |
| As social media grows more toxic, college athletes ask themselves: Is it worth it? | |
 | In real life, it's hard to imagine that a stranger would decide to harass Cam Corhen. Corhen is 21 years old and 6 feet, 10 inches tall. He's got 235 pounds of muscle draped across his broad frame. And he's a Division I college athlete: a forward for the Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team, averaging 15 points per game. On the internet, though, none of that stops people. The harassment of athletes on social media has become an epidemic, an experience so common that players today accept it as a fact of life. College basketball players are more at risk than athletes in other sports, the NCAA has found, especially around March Madness, when thousands of abusive or threatening messages flood athletes, many of them from gamblers -- some of it so severe and alarmingly specific that the NCAA must alert law enforcement. The toll it takes, players say, has become difficult to bear. When the name, image and likeness door was thrown open for college athletes, social media promised to be a cash cow. Build a personal brand with a following on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and lucrative sponsorship deals would soon come rolling in. But as harassment and threats have grown, players (and coaches, too) have begun to ask themselves: Are the business opportunities worth the harassment? Increasingly, they have decided the answer is no. |
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