| Wednesday, December 3, 2025 |
| Lyceum Series at MSU continues with Kingfish performance Wednesday | |
 | Internationally acclaimed blues guitarist and singer Christone "Kingfish" Ingram makes his long-awaited Mississippi State debut this Wednesday [Dec. 3] at 7 p.m., headlining the university's 78th annual Lyceum Series in Lee Hall's historic Bettersworth Auditorium. Widely recognized as one of the most electrifying blues voices of his generation, the Clarksdale native has toured extensively across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Tickets are $30 for the general public, $25 for MSU employees and $10 for children. Purchase them at https://msstate.universitytickets.com. Students can attend for free by reserving tickets through the site or picking them up in person at the Center for Student Activities, located in Suite 314 of the Colvard Student Union. The Lyceum Series is MSU's longest-running performing arts series and is a key part of the university's continued commitment to the arts. |
| Panhandling barred after dark in Starkville | |
 | Panhandling will no longer be allowed after dark in Starkville, following the board of aldermen's unanimous vote Tuesday evening to add a nighttime ban to the city's solicitation ordinance. The amendment prohibits solicitation between sunset and sunrise, a change Mayor Lynn Spruill said addresses occasional encounters reported at gas stations and convenience stores. "I'm pleased with our ordinance compared to the state's, but that was one thing that the state ordinance addressed that we did not, and it made very good sense to me," Spruill told The Dispatch following the meeting. Spruill said the provision mirrors part of the state's Safe Solicitation Act, which took effect in July and requires anyone panhandling for donations to obtain a daily permit. Starkville opted out of the state law since it adopted its own ordinance last year governing solicitation and establishing penalties for "aggressive panhandling." Police Chief Mark Ballard said reports of panhandling continue, but he believes the number of calls has dropped substantially since the ordinance was adopted |
| Opinions differ on how remaining BP oil spill money should be spent in Mississippi | |
 | It's been over a decade and a half since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill happened, spewing more than 130 million gallons of BP-owned oil into the Gulf of Mexico across 87 days. What's considered the largest maritime spill in history resulted, five years after, with Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas being on the receiving end of a $20.8 billion settlement with the oil and gas giant. In Mississippi, officials are still working to use what remains of the more than $2 billion the state received as part of the settlement. As it was written, $750 million was for economic damages to be distributed over a running period. As of today, the state has in excess of $250 million left in the coffers for lawmakers to consider dishing out on an annual basis through 2033. And preliminary reviews of how next year's round of money should be spent differ widely. |
| Gulf Shrimpers See Long-Awaited Moment on Federal Seafood Labeling Laws | |
| Mississippi commercial fishermen say years of pushing lawmakers for tougher import and labeling rules are finally translating into national policy proposals -- including a federal bill from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith that would require clearer labeling on seafood. The measure follows state-level reforms along the Gulf Coast and comes as shrimpers warn domestic producers are struggling to compete with cheaper, foreign imports. "We've certainly seen some attention the last couple of years," said Ryan Bradley, executive director of Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United. "They're hearing the alarm bells from not only our organization but many organizations all around the country about the dire straits that our seafood industry is in." A major change this year came with Mississippi House Bill 602, which took effect on July 1 and requires restaurants, seafood markets and wholesalers to label seafood as either domestic or imported. Enforcement is split between the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Department of Agriculture. "We've seen an increase in demand for our local wild-caught products," Bradley said. |
| Chevron supplier redeveloping South Mississippi Superfund site, creating 25 jobs | |
 | A bulk storage and logistics company, BWC Terminals, is building a terminal with seven storage tanks in Pascagoula that is expected to create 25 jobs over the next two years, a company news release says. Under an agreement with Chevron Products Co., the terminal will receive, store and deliver petroleum products for the nearby Chevron Pascagoula Refinery. "That's what Jackson County's economy is built on," Mary Martha Henson, deputy director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, said after a ground-breaking Tuesday. "BWC is a supplier to Chevron and Chevron is what we would consider the prime company. This enhances our supplier network." The terminal is part of BWC's "significant growth" nationwide, the news release says, with construction projects also underway in several other locations. The terminal is being built on a Bayou Casotte site where fertilizer company Mississippi Phosphates Corp. operated from the late 1950s until its 2014 bankruptcy. The EPA declared it a Superfund site in 2018 because of the pollution that fertilizer production created, and has worked with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to mitigate damage. |
| November private payrolls unexpectedly fell by 32,000, led by steep small business job cuts, ADP reports | |
| The U.S. labor market slowdown intensified in November as private companies cut 32,000 workers, with small businesses hit the hardest, payrolls processing firm ADP reported Wednesday. With worries intensifying over the domestic jobs picture, ADP indicated the issues were worse than anticipated. The payrolls decline marked a sharp step down from October, which saw an upwardly revised gain of 47,000 positions, and was well below the Dow Jones consensus estimate from economists for an increase of 40,000. Larger businesses, entailing companies with 50 or more employees, actually reported a net gain of 90,000 workers. However, establishments with fewer than 50 workers saw a decline of 120,000, including a drop of 74,000 among firms with 20 to 49 employees. The total loss was the biggest drop since March 2023. Education and health services led gainers with 33,000 hires, while leisure and hospitality added 13,000. But a broad-based decline across industries drove the total lower. |
| Trump's Aides Cancel Fed Chair Interviews as President Homes In On Pick | |
 | The Trump administration canceled a slate of interviews set to start this week with a group of finalists to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve as President Trump again suggested he had made up his mind about who should lead the central bank. Trump's team informed candidates that interviews scheduled for Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance had been canceled, according to people familiar with the matter. No reason was given for the decision. A person familiar with the matter said the cancellation was because of a scheduling conflict for the vice president. The person said it wasn't clear if the meetings would be rescheduled. Longtime Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett, considered the front-runner, was among those expected to meet with Vance and White House officials about the job, a person close to him said. Other finalists for the job include former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and sitting Fed governor Christopher Waller. Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that he had narrowed down the list of candidates to one. At a later event, he singled out Hassett, who was in the room, as a "potential Fed chair." Even as Trump suggested that the process of selecting the next Fed chair was nearly completed, he said he wouldn't reveal his choice until early next year. In announcing that he had already made his choice, Trump undercut a tightly choreographed interview process that his senior advisers had put in place. |
| Mississippi anesthesiologist says safety, not speed is important in delivering anesthesia services | |
| A Jackson anesthesiologist is urging lawmakers to be proactive in addressing a recent medical trend that could harm surgical patients, not just in Mississippi, but nationwide. During a recent hearing of the state Senate Insurance Study Committee, Dr. Tyler Stout said Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield advanced a policy proposal last year that set a time limit on anesthesiologists, known as counting down the clock. The insurer was to use Physician Work Time values to "target the number of minutes reported for anesthesia services." The outcry from providers and policyholders was loud, and the insurer backed away from the policy proposal. However, similar proposals are again being considered within the industry. If the surgery went beyond the time Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield estimated, the anesthesiologists would not have been paid, Dr. Stout said. "Safety, not speed, should determine how long a person is in the operating room," he told the Senate committee. The impact, he said, would be wide-ranging, from teaching and community hospitals to "really sick" patients. |
| Supreme Court Considers Whether Street Preacher Can Sue to Be Heard | |
 | When a public amphitheater opened outside of Jackson, Miss. in 2018, it attracted popular musicians such as Kenny Chesney and Chris Stapleton who drew thousands of fans to the venue set in a 250-acre park. The large crowds also brought out Gabriel Olivier, a street preacher who with church colleagues staked out a busy intersection with a bullhorn and banners featuring scripture and photos of aborted fetuses. They aggressively evangelized concertgoers, at times calling patrons "whores," "Jezebels" and "sissies," court records show. Officials in the suburban city of Brandon quickly restricted demonstrations outside the amphitheater, forcing protesters further from the facility. But the new city ordinance did not deter Mr. Olivier, a 33-year-old evangelical Christian. After he tested the law outside a 2021 show, he was arrested, convicted and ordered to pay a fine. Mr. Olivier later sued, and the Supreme Court on Wednesday is set to hear his challenge to the ordinance that he says interfered with his religious rights. |
| Senate panel sets up hearing on impeachments of 'rogue judges' | |
 | Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are poised to square off at a hearing Wednesday on a long-running, but so far unsuccessful, Republican push to impeach judges who have ruled against President Donald Trump's agenda. Republican House members have filed impeachment resolutions against a myriad of judges this Congress after rulings against immigration policies, Trump administration funding decisions and more. But those efforts have stalled in the House, amid concerns that moving forward would break with a centuries-old tradition of not ousting judges based solely on their decisions. Senators will have an opportunity to weigh in on the debate during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing Wednesday entitled, "Impeachment: Holding Rogue Judges Accountable." Since 1803, only 15 judges have faced impeachment, the last in 2010 on charges of accepting bribes and making false statements under penalty of perjury, according to the Federal Judicial Center. |
| Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny from Congress over boat strikes | |
 | Pete Hegseth barely squeaked through a grueling Senate confirmation process to become secretary of defense earlier this year, facing lawmakers wary of the Fox News Channel host and skeptical of his capacity, temperament and fitness for the job. Just three months later, he quickly became embroiled in Signalgate as he and other top U.S. officials used the popular Signal messaging application to discuss pending military strikes in Yemen. And now, in what may be his most career-defining moment yet, Hegseth is confronting questions about the use of military force after a special operations team reportedly attacked survivors of a strike on an alleged drug boat off the coast of Venezuela. Some lawmakers and legal experts say the second strike would have violated the laws of armed conflict. "These are serious charges, and that's the reason we're going to have special oversight," said Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. |
| Rand Paul: Hegseth is either 'lying to us' about boat strike or 'he's incompetent' | |
 | Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday sharply criticized Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for defending a second military strike on survivors of an initial attack on an alleged drug boat in September, after the secretary first dismissed the bombshell report as "fake news." In remarks to reporters at the Capitol, the libertarian senator said Hegseth was either "lying to us" about his knowledge of the strike or "he's incompetent." "Secretary Hegseth said he had no knowledge of this and it did not happen. It was fake news. It didn't happen," Paul said. "And then the next day, from the podium of the White House, they're saying it did happen." "So, either he was lying to us on Sunday, or he's incompetent and didn't know it had happened," he continued. Paul later clarified to CNN that he was referring to Hegseth's social media post on Friday, when he responded to The Washington Post story by blaming the "fake news" for "delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting," but did not explicitly deny any details in the Post story. |
| GOP frets 'dangerous' result in Tennessee | |
 | Republicans won Tuesday's special election in Tennessee. But instead of celebrating, many are dreading what it means about the midterms. Republican Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps' roughly nine point win marks a massive shift toward Democrats from 2024, when President Donald Trump carried the district by 22 points. That double digit swing -- on the heels of crushing losses in off-year elections in November -- could be a harbinger of what House Republicans will face in the midterms next year, members and strategists warned, as they seek to hold on to their narrow control of the chamber. "Tonight is a sign that 2026 is going to be a bitch of an election cycle," said one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly. "Republicans can survive if we play team and the Trump administration officials play smart. Neither is certain." "I'm glad we won. But the GOP should not ignore the Virginia, New Jersey and Tennessee elections," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who is retiring from his swingy Omaha-based district, said. "We must reach swing voters. America wants some normalcy." |
| Will Jared Isaacman be NASA's next administrator? | |
 | Entrepreneur Jared Isaacman may experience a little bit of déjà vu on Capitol Hill this week. The billionaire space traveler -- President Donald Trump's pick to lead NASA -- is due back in the halls of Congress to again meet with U.S. senators who are part of a committee that first questioned Isaacman in April. That was when Isaacman was on the cusp of getting the congressional green light he needed to take over the world's largest space agency. But then, Trump changed his mind at the end of May and axed Isaacman's NASA bid. Now, Isaacman is once again the top contender to step into the role of NASA administrator after Trump's change of heart. And his next step on the path to the job is to appear for a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, will lead the hearing. Isaacman is poised to take over an agency that is facing looming historic budget cuts as it prepares for its first human moon missions in more than 50 years under the Artemis program. |
| Pentagon Deploys New Kamikaze Drone Copied From Iranian Design | |
| The Pentagon is deploying to the Middle East a new kamikaze drone copied from a widely used Iranian version, turning to a crude but effective weapon. The move mirrors an Iranian tactic of recovering crashed American drones, such as the Central Intelligence Agency's RQ-170 Sentinel, and reverse-engineering them to build their own versions. It is also an early example of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's initiative, known as Drone Dominance, to buy cheap drones made by American companies that can quickly be moved to the field. The Defense Department on Wednesday is announcing Task Force Scorpion Strike, a squadron of low-cost unmanned systems built by an Arizona-based defense company, SpektreWorks, as the U.S. military's first one-way attack drone unit based in the Middle East. SpektreWorks designed the system by reverse-engineering Iran's Shahed-136 drone, which has been used by Tehran and its associated militia groups to attack U.S. troops and commercial vessels across the Middle East, and by Russia to strike Ukrainian troops and cities. |
| From vaccines to gender: How Christian 'momfluencers' are reshaping the American right | |
| Years before she became a homeschool influencer in western Arkansas, Taylor Moran was a liberal Dallas mom who voted for Bernie Sanders. But when the pandemic hit, Moran, now 34, was struck by the government's inability to provide for her family. "It was a lot of rules, a lot of hysteria, a lot of things that didn't make sense," Moran told RNS. In early 2021, after what she described as an "overnight spiritual experience," Moran embraced Christianity and moved her family to rural Arkansas. As her faith grew, so did her skepticism of the pharmaceutical industry, rigid school curriculums and gender as a construct. Today, while her social media content isn't overtly political or religious, her convictions surface in posts about organic whole foods, her family's nature school and how to raise sons. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many American mothers like Moran began to question the institutions they had once trusted to uphold their lives. Into that vacuum stepped conservative Christian women influencers -- like political commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, Make America Healthy Again pioneer Alex Clark, and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines Barker -- who blend religion, polished aesthetics and personal stories to build trust on issues from food dyes and vaccines to transgender athletes and immigration. |
| Confident of military success, Putin refuses compromise in Moscow talks | |
 | Five hours of talks in Moscow between the U.S. delegation and Russian President Vladimir Putin over a U.S. plan to resolve the war in Ukraine ended without a "compromise option," the Kremlin said Wednesday, adding that its military victories had swayed the Americans. Even without a comprehensive briefing on what transpired during the lengthy talks, it did not appear as if the swift end to the conflict desired by President Donald Trump is near. Ukrainian and European officials expressed doubt on Wednesday about Putin's interest in ending the war diplomatically. The U.S. delegation for the first time includes Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner joining the president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. As they were headed to Moscow on Monday, Putin and his top brass announced the capture of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine that could pave way for Russian forces to capture the two remaining key cities in the area still under Ukrainian control. Meanwhile, NATO foreign ministers who are convening in Brussels on Wednesday said they would assess progress in the talks on the U.S. plan. But several European officials conceded early Wednesday that they still did not know their outcome. |
| S&P Global donating 500 laptops to JSU students through partnership | |
| Jackson State University announced a partnership with S&P Global in November which has led to the company's Culture & Engagement team providing underclassmen studying business with enhanced enrichment opportunities aimed at developing essential skills and improving internship readiness. In addition, through S&P Global's Laptop Donation Program, JSU will receive nearly 500 laptops for students, the first of which was received recently. The program repurposes old laptops in good condition, diverting them from e-waste and placing them into the hands of young scholars. JSU alum Guyna Johnson is the managing director at S&P Global. She said part of her responsibility is to be a sponsor and advocate for JSU and HBCUs. According to Johnson, the company currently employs six Jackson State graduates in various roles. |
| A short social media detox improves mental health, a study shows | |
 | If you have ever sworn off social media for a week or two because you sensed it was feeding your anxiety or dampening your mood, you may be on to something. A new study out last week in JAMA Network Open found that cutting down on social media use even for a week can significantly reduce mental health symptoms in young adults. It's part of a growing body of research that shows that taking breaks from scrolling and posting can be a mental health boon, especially for young people. For example, a recently published meta-analysis found that limiting social media is tied to a statistically significant boost in "subjective well-being." Most studies on the impacts of social media ask users to recall how much time they spend on their phones or these platforms, as well as other aspects of their health like mood and sleep. But that data is often unreliable, says psychiatrist John Torous, director of the Division of Digital Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and author of the new study. In the new study, Torus and his colleagues tried to get a more objective measure of social media use. |
| A University Shuts Down 2 Campus Magazines Because They Might Look Like DEI | |
 | The University of Alabama on Monday suspended two student magazines, one about fashion and one about Black culture, citing Department of Justice guidance about "unlawful discrimination." "I said that both magazines don't bar membership from anyone, and that we let everyone join, but I was told that Alice still looks like a women's magazine," said Gabrielle Gunter, a master's student in women's studies at the university and the editor-in-chief of Alice, which describes itself as a "fashion and wellness magazine." Kendal Wright, editor-in-chief of Nineteen Fifty-Six, which focuses on Black culture and Black students' experiences, didn't respond to a request for an interview. The suspensions of Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six are the latest in crackdowns at the University of Alabama and elsewhere on student activities that would seem to have anything to do with serving minorities on campus. Still, the magazine suspensions stand out because they violate First Amendment rights, experts say. Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel for the Student Press Law Center, said that he hadn't heard of any other colleges using the Justice Department guidance to target student publications. |
| Haley Concourse will be a wheels-free zone starting spring 2026 | |
| Starting Jan. 7, 2026, Haley Concourse will be a wheels-free zone, according to Student Government Association President Owen Beaverstock. The policy will be in effect from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. from Monday to Friday. According to Beaverstock, the new policy will be a pilot project that can change, revoke or even expand across campus depending on effectiveness and student reaction. The move was fueled by observing other universities' policies and feedback from students about scooters on campus, including a random SGA survey of 1,000 Auburn students about different campus initiatives. "Early view from that survey and all the in-person feedback from student groups that we did in our outreach is that there is a negative feeling among the student body towards scooters and other mobility devices on campus," Beaverstock said. "Within that survey, we saw 78% of that 1,000-person survey in support of a wheels-free zone on campus in a couple different locations, and we also got that from the outreach we did in person." Daytime security officers will enforce the policy through a broader initiative to increase daytime security across Auburn's campus. |
| 'I'm just a person who lives in Tennessee': Shrinian discusses lawsuit in first public interview | |
| "There was no consideration for me whatsoever," Tamar Shirinian said. "There didn't seem to be any care for me." Shirinian, University of Tennessee assistant professor of anthropology, faces termination proceedings after commenting online about Charlie Kirk's assassination in September, saying "the world is better off without him in it." Shirinian has since filed a complaint against Chancellor Donde Plowman, President Randy Boyd and Faculty Senate President Charles Noble in both their personal and official capacities. Shirinian's comment, which she made on a private account, surfaced online the evening of Sept. 14. Harassment emails swarmed her inbox soon after. "The whole day is kind of a blur now," Shirinian said. Shirinian wrote in a letter of appeal to Plowman that she received "a significant amount of hate mail" as political influencers and government officials publicized her comment. "I was seriously concerned about my safety," Shirinian said. |
| Kentucky Study Shows Most Effective Way to Deliver Dual-Enrollment Courses | |
 | Research has repeatedly shown that high school dual enrollment correlates with higher rates of college attendance and graduation. But it's unclear how different ways of delivering such courses -- online or in person, by high school teachers or college faculty, in a high school or on a college campus -- impact their effectiveness. A new study out of Kentucky, where 46.2 percent of high schoolers graduate with dual-enrollment credits, is among the first to dig into the modalities that lead to best outcomes for students. Looking at five years of state dual-enrollment data and controlling for factors like past academic success, researchers found that courses taught by high school teachers in person on a college campus were the most effective; taking just one such course boosted a student's likelihood of enrolling in college by 11 percentage points compared to those who took no dual-enrollment courses. By comparison, taking a single dual-enrollment class in any modality increased a student's likelihood of college enrollment by five percentage points. |
| U. of Kentucky will use $150M donation from Gatton Foundation to build on-campus arts district | |
 | The largest donation in the University of Kentucky's history will be used to create a new arts district on campus, officials announced Tuesday. A $150 million donation from the Bill Gatton Foundation will be used to build "a state-of-the-art arts district" for the College of Fine Arts, UK President Eli Capilouto announced at a board of trustees meeting. Included in the area will be theaters, recital halls, practice venues, an outdoor pavilion and more. It will bring music, theater and dance programs under one roof for the first time in the university's history. "This is going to be a place to gather, a place to inspire," Capilouto said. "This creates a vibrant district of connection that we know is going to further foster creativity." It will include a 170,000-square-foot Arts and Innovation Complex for the College of Fine Arts, as well as outdoor space. The donation tops the university's previous largest -- also from the Gatton Foundation -- of $100 million to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in 2023. |
| Austin police say no foul play in Texas A&M student's fatal fall as family seeks answers | |
| Austin authorities said Tuesday that an ongoing probe into the weekend falling death of Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera continues to suggest the 19-year-old did not die by homicide, but also cautioned they have not reached any conclusions. Since Aguilera fell from a 17th-floor balcony Saturday at the 21 Rio Apartments in West Campus, her mother and other family members have disputed the Austin Police Department's initial determination that the incident was non-suspicious and accused detectives of a botched investigation. Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers told the American-Statesman that findings continue to point to an accidental fall or suicide but that the probe is still open and has expanded in scope. "There is no indication of foul play," Rogers said, adding that detectives are still piecing together Aguilera's final hours. Investigators have built a preliminary timeline that places Aguilera at a tailgate event before the University of Texas–Texas A&M football game. |
| Texas Tech Puts Its Anti-Trans Rules In Writing | |
| Months after beginning to enforce unwritten policies about how faculty members can and cannot teach topics related to gender, Texas Tech University system officials released a memo Monday that officially put those policies -- and more -- in writing. "Effective immediately, faculty must not include or advocate in any form course content that conflicts with the following standards," Chancellor Brandon Creighton wrote in the memo to system presidents, which was passed along to faculty members. The standards include specific rules around race and sexuality that were not previously discussed, system faculty members told Inside Higher Ed. The memo also enshrines that the Texas Tech system recognizes only two sexes -- male and female. Texas Tech is far from alone in its efforts; public systems across Texas have taken on varying politically motivated course reviews, leaving faculty members in the state angry and confused. For example, the University of Texas system recently completed a review of all courses on gender identity, and the Texas A&M system board approved a new policy last month mandating presidential approval for classes that "advocate race or gender ideology, sexual orientation, or gender identity." |
| UVa Asked Its Community to Weigh in on Trump's Compact. Here's What They Said. | |
| "Nope. Nothing. Nada." "Not at all." "No". "NO." "NO!" Those are just some of the more than 2,000 responses the University of Virginia received in October to a survey question asking community members whether there were parts of the Trump administration's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" that they supported. Those curt replies were broadly representative of the responses as a whole. Faculty, staff, and students who answered the survey expressed overwhelming opposition to the compact, which would require UVa to make substantial changes in enrollment, hiring, grading, and more in exchange for preferential access to federal funding. UVa was one of the initial nine universities presented with a draft of the compact. No college has officially signed on. The feedback, obtained by The Chronicle via a public-records request, illuminates the extent to which large swaths of the campus community balked at the idea of their university signing not just the controversial compact -- but any agreement with the federal government. There were nearly 200 references to UVa’s founder, Thomas Jefferson, almost all of which were in service of the argument that the compact went against his vision of the university. |
| Chief Diversity Officers Report Stress Amid Shifting Roles | |
| Chief diversity officers find their work has gotten harder and more stressful over the past two years, according to a new national survey by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. The survey results, published Tuesday, are based on responses from 394 chief and academic diversity officers in February 2025. At the time of the survey, 52 percent of respondents said their budgets hadn't changed over the last two years. And among those who reported budget changes, a little over half said their budgets had increased due to new positions, expanded programs and other initiatives. The remaining 48 percent who reported budget cuts described via write-in responses reductions ranging from 10 percent to 60 percent or funding freezes due to institutional budget deficits, enrollment declines or federal and state anti-DEI policies. Salaries remained consistent with 2023 survey results. |
| Sen. Wicker's asking the right questions as Congress weighs Ukraine policy, boat strikes | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: As the U.S. became increasingly mired in the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon had relied on the solid support of cold warriors in Congress to support his authority to both wage and escalate that war through presidential authority. Few members of Congress had been more staunchly anti-Communist or more supportive of a strong executive branch than Mississippi U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis, D-DeKalb. Republican Nixon openly courted the support of Stennis and fellow Mississippi U.S Sen. Jim Eastland, D-Doddsville, as evidenced by his rush to aid Mississippi in the wake of 1969's Hurricane Camille. With Stennis chairing the Senate Armed Services Committee and Eastland chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, Nixon needed and valued their support. But Stennis, after years of U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia, had become convinced that Congress needed to assert a stronger role in the constitutional power to make war. ... Fast-forward to today -- Mississippi U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker sits in that same powerful Senate Armed Services chairmanship. But the posture is markedly different. In recent years, Wicker has been a stalwart supporter of supplying Ukraine with weapons in the face of the Russia–Ukraine War, calling for "more, better, and faster" deliveries so Ukraine can prevail. |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: Five Things To Know: State vs. Georgia Tech | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball turns the calendar to December as the Bulldogs travel to Georgia Tech for the third-annual ACC/SEC Challenge at McCamish Pavilion on Wednesday evening. Last time out, State (3-4, 0-0 SEC) was unable to close out a nine-point lead down the stretch against another ACC opponent as SMU rallied to claim an 87-81 overtime decision. The Bulldogs have split their first two outings in the ACC/SEC Challenge under Coach Jans. State blitzed No. 18 Pittsburgh for a 90-57 rout last season at Humphrey Coliseum and will look to avenge a 67-59 loss to Georgia Tech (5-3, 0-0 ACC) from the 2022-23 season. The Yellow Jackets have won all five of their decisions at home and are led by Kowacie Reeves Jr. (12.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG). Baye Ndongo (11.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG) and Mouhamed Sylla (10.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG) have been strong on the interior and combined to hit a little over 60 percent of their shot attempts. State and Georgia Tech have met only three times since the Yellow Jackets left the Southeastern Conference. The Yellow Jackets have won the last two matchups and hold a 17-13 series edge. |
| Bulldogs looking inward ahead of first true road test | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball dropped below .500 again on Black Friday after an overtime loss to SMU at Humphrey Coliseum. It was the program's first home loss of the year, but only the latest in a poor stretch of games to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Head coach Chris Jans spoke with the media again on Monday, and the opening question led him right back into the details of the painful loss to the Mustangs. "I'm still not happy with the results of Friday night's game," Jans said. "I shared with the team... we had that game and we didn't make the plays in a timely fashion. We had a nine-point lead with seven minutes and some change left, and we just didn't do what we needed to do to make sure that there was no comeback effort. We just had some bad plays that turned into points for the other team." SMU's Boopie Miller scored seven points on two possessions to help close the gap late, and that moment had an impact on the mood around the crowd as much as it did for the visiting team as they forced overtime and eventually won, 87-81. "That's what happens sometimes, it can be fragile that way," Jans added. The Bulldogs, now 3-4, face another up-and-down team in Georgia Tech in Atlanta today, the first true road test for Jans' squad. |
| Women's Basketball: Madison Francis Named USBWA National Freshman Of The Week | |
| After a standout week for Mississippi State women's basketball, Madison Francis was named the Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced on Tuesday. Francis, a 6-2 forward from Lancaster, New York, averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 2.5 steals and 1.5 steals per game over the past week. On the season, Franics leads the Bulldogs with 12 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. Francis is the only player in the nation to average 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Francis has quickly established herself as not only one of the best shot-blockers in the SEC, but in the entire nation. Through eight games, Francis is second in the nation and first in the Southeastern Conference in blocks per game. She is one of only seven players in the country to have collected 25 or more blocks this season. Francis and the Bulldogs will be back in action this Thursday, December 4, when they welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers to Humphrey Coliseum for the ACC/SEC Challenge. The game will be nationally televised on SEC Network and will tip off at 6 p.m. |
| Soccer: Perry Tabbed Hermann Trophy Semifinalist, Main Earns All-Region Recognition | |
| Ally Perry continues to add to her resume. The Mississippi State midfielder was tabbed a Hermann Trophy semifinalist on Tuesday while also earning First Team All-Southeast Region honors from United Soccer Coaches. Additionally, Zoe Main earned Fourth Team All-Southeast Region recognition. The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States, which later became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012. Perry was named the SEC Midfielder of the Year and earned First Team All-SEC honors for the second consecutive season this year. She led the Bulldogs in goals (8), assists (8), points (24), shots (71) and shots on goal (31) while climbing State's career leaderboards. Main was second on the team in scoring this fall, registering six goals and 14 points. She was one of just four Bulldogs to start every match on her way to earning Third Team All-SEC honors. |
| Ally Perry named semifinalist for Hermann Trophy, college soccer's top individual honor | |
| Mississippi State soccer's continued success in 2025 has led to another Bulldog being named among the best in the country. Ally Perry, a team captain and the leading goal scorer for the Bulldogs in each of the last two seasons, was named as a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy on Tuesday. The award is regarded as the highest individual honor in college soccer, given annually to the National Player of the Year as voted on by Division I head coaches. Perry and teammate Zoe Main were both honored by the United Soccer Coaches in the All-Southeast Region teams, with Perry named to the First Team and Main to the Fourth Team. The recognition for Perry follows a remarkable final season for her with the Bulldogs, where she led the team with eight goals and eight assists and earned First Team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row. She was also named the SEC Midfielder of the Year. Hodge, who now plays professionally with Angel City Football Club in the National Women's Soccer League, was the team's first semifinalist. |
| Former Bulldogs Sacco and Davidson team up on AUSL Cascade | |
| Mississippi State alumni Sierra Sacco-Ferrie and Mia Davidson both heard their names called at the Athletes Unlimited Softball League expansion draft on Monday, joining the new Cascade team for its inaugural season in the new professional venture. Sacco-Ferrie was a rookie in the inaugural 2025 AUSL season, playing alongside former Bulldog teammate Raelin Chaffin with the Talons. The pair helped the team become the league's first-ever champions at the AUSL championship series in Tuscaloosa in July. It's been a busy offseason for the former Bulldog, who played in the league's All-Star Cup as well as joining up with Team USA, with which she will travel to Australia for competition later this month. She also married fellow Bulldog Kyle Ferrie, the football team's placekicker, the week before the Egg Bowl. Sacco-Ferrie recently joined the coaching staff under MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts, and will be involved in the team's 2026 season before joining up with Davidson and the Cascade in the summer. |
| Golf's Gen Z Boom Reshapes Tee Times | |
| At the University of Mississippi, golfers are finding it harder than ever to secure a tee time, a local reflection of a national trend as Gen Z fuels golf's fastest growth in decades. The Ole Miss Golf Course now advises players to book 14 to 30 days in advance due to an increased demand from college-aged golfers. Pro shop manager Tate Anderson said students make up the majority of players. "I'd say probably that at least 60% of our tee times are our student base, so it can be challenging to book tee times, given our limited space and limited courses in Oxford," said Anderson. Ole Miss student and avid golfer Evan Fitzgerald says he's noticed the change. "I would also say that definitely most of the students are taking most of the tee times. I would say with college kids golf is getting really popular," Fitzgerald said. What's happening in Oxford reflects a broader national movement. Golf, once associated with an older crowd, is now being reshaped by younger players. |
| Ole Miss players accuse Lane Kiffin of lying in his farewell statement | |
| Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss amid heavy criticism from the Rebels fan base and much of the college football world. Now, his former players are calling him out for allegedly lying in his farewell statement. Two Ole Miss players have disputed Kiffin's claim in his public post on X that the Rebels asked him to coach them in their College Football Playoff appearance, a request he said athletic director Keith Carter denied. "'Despite the team asking me to keep coaching,'" Ole Miss starting offensive lineman Brycen Sanders posted on X, quoting Kiffin's statement. "I think everyone that was in that room would disagree." Sanders, a sophomore center, is on the Rebels' leadership council. He, along with other players, including starting quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, reportedly met with Carter on Sunday. Carter held a team meeting later that day to announce Pete Golding as the Rebels' new coach -- a meeting Kiffin said he was asked not to attend. Offensive lineman Paris Wilkins posted in agreement with Sanders, writing, "Fax this was not said from anyone." |
| House bill seeks $50 million of funding per year for major sporting event infrastructure | |
| A new bill will be introduced to the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday which seeks to authorize $50million worth of federal funding every year for host cities to use towards transportation and infrastructure of major sporting events. A draft of the bill, which has been seen by The Athletic, will be introduced by Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat who represents Washington's second congressional district. He is also the co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus. In a phone call with The Athletic, he said the bill will be jointly introduced by Republican Rep. Burgess Owens, indicating bipartisan support for the initiative. Mr. Larsen's home state of Washington will host six games during the men's World Cup in 2026, including the United States men's national team's (USMNT) second group stage game and two knockout games. Rep. Owens may have a local interest because his home state of Utah will host the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034. The bill will be known as the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act of 2025. Qualifying events would include the Olympics, Paralympics or Special Olympics, as well as the men's and women's FIFA World Cups, plus any multi-day international sporting events as determined by the transportation secretary. |
| College sports bill heads to final vote despite GOP defections | |
| House Republicans narrowly avoided an embarrassing setback Tuesday as they pressed ahead with landmark legislation to reshape oversight of college athletics after several GOP members voted against a rule governing the floor debate. The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act, or SCORE Act -- which is backed by the NCAA, college athletics conferences and most House Republicans -- is now set for the chamber's consideration as early as Wednesday after a 210-209 procedural vote to advance the measure for a final vote. The rule also covered several other education-related bills expected to be voted on this week. Dissension among Republicans marked a rare point of public conservative opposition to legislation that was formally endorsed Tuesday by President Donald Trump, whose office said in a statement of administration policy that "urgent federal action is necessary" to resolve legal and financial uncertainty confronting the collegiate sports industry. Several House Democrats have co-sponsored the SCORE Act, which should provide votes that will ease its final passage. Others who voted against the rule could also support the underlying legislation when it comes up as soon as later this week. |
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