| Friday, December 5, 2025 |
| MSU student farm celebrates first harvest, feeds campus community | |
 | Mississippi State University's experiential student farm in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has celebrated its first harvest, and the bounty collected has made its way to university dining halls thanks to a partnership with Aramark. The university's campus dining partner recently received approximately 50-100 pounds of leafy greens, including bok choy, mustard greens, collards and green onions. Associate Professor Tongyin Li and Instructor Pawel Orlinski, both in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, together with Instructor Casey Johnson in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, oversee the farm's teaching, research, outreach and student-driven operations. Professor Juan Silva in the Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition and Health Promotion leads the farm's food safety processes for harvest. The farm, located next to A.B. McKay Food Research and Enology Lab, donates portions of its harvest to Bully's Pantry to help support students facing food insecurity. The one-acre site produces fruits, vegetables and cut flowers, with floral products marketed through the CALS student-run University Florist. As the program grows, the farm will expand its production and crop diversity, with nutrition faculty and students contributing to programming. |
| Farm-to-table: Student farm's first harvest marks milestone in campus-grown dining options at MSU | |
 | Mississippi State University is working to expand farm-to-table options in dining halls across campus through a partnership between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the university's dining service partner, Aramark. Already, campus dining halls serve milk, ice cream, cheese and eggs all produced on campus through the college. Cory Gallo, assistant dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said the department is exploring additional ways to strengthen the connection between local production and consumption. "I think anything we could do to help connect where food is grown to where it's consumed, especially being the College of Agriculture and Life Science, it just makes perfect sense," Gallo said. "So we're really happy that they're willing to partner with us. I think we still have a lot to figure out, but we're excited about continuing that discussion and figuring out where it's going to go." The most recent milestone in this effort came two weeks ago, when MSU's student farm celebrated its first successful harvest. |
| Jeff Gore: Growing Ag Profitability Through Research at DREC | |
 | As a child, Jeff Gore, Ph.D., Director of Mississippi State University's Delta Research and Extension Center (DREC) in Stoneville, loved to be outside. He was greatly interested in the natural world. "Growing up, I didn't stay inside playing video games," recalls Gore. "If it was a nice day, I was outside playing in a creek looking for salamanders, snakes, frogs and whatever insects I could collect. Growing up in the South, I got to do a lot of hunting and fishing. I fished almost all year around." When considering graduate schools, he chose Louisiana State University working on cotton and other row crops. He got both his master's degree and Ph.D., in entomology from LSU working with cotton entomologist Roger Leonard, Ph.D. "One thing I really enjoyed about working with Dr. Leonard is that he wasn't on the main campus at Baton Rouge but was located at a research center in Northeast Louisiana like where I am here in Stoneville," says Gore. "It is great to be able to spend time close to farmers in an area where you see the benefits of your research." |
| Sweet potatoes: A $90M crop that's weathering the storm in the Midsouth | |
| Sweet potatoes are a small side dish with a big economic impact for farms across the Midsouth, providing a $90 million boost to the economy of Louisiana alone. In 2025, holding-steady acreages and higher-than-normal prices meant sweet potato growers had a lot to be thankful for in spite of the many challenges farmers face regarding input prices, labor needs and efficiency of production. In Mississippi, sweet potato producers face considerable weather challenges resulting in a less than stellar crop production, while Louisiana, poised just a few weeks later in the growing season, saw great success. It was a tale of two very distinct seasons. Good early rains provide a pivot point for Louisiana growers, who need quality moisture for planting and then carefully control crop conditions the remainder of the season. Where early rains were a boon to Louisiana producers, the same weather movement was a bane in Mississippi. "We started off [with] record levels of rainfall in the very beginning that pushed transplanting back probably about two weeks later than usual," said specialist Lorin Harvey, Mississippi State University's sweet potato specialist. "Then the water turned off and it didn't really turn back on for the rest of the growing season." |
| MSU librarian leads effort to honor Mississippi's first Black legislators | |
| DeeDee Baldwin, engagement librarian at Mississippi State University, has spent the last six years researching the first Black legislators in the state. "As faculty librarians, we're allowed to research whatever interests us, really. And I got interested in these legislators," Baldwin told The Dispatch. "And at the time, I was the history librarian anyway, so I just sort of got into it that way." Through her research, Baldwin created a list of the first 162 Black representatives that served in legislative roles during the 19th century. Baldwin's dream, she said, was to commemorate and recognize these men -- who served both in the Mississippi State Legislature and in Congress -- with historic markers, but she wasn't sure how she'd ever have the chance without enough money to do it. During the summer, she found that chance. Working with Chuck Yarborough, a history teacher at Mississippi School for Science and Mathematics, Baldwin applied for and received a $100,000 grant from the Monument Lab, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Yarborough said he and Baldwin are working with the nonprofit to propose the creation and installation of 22 markers honoring the 162 legislators by name in 21 counties across the state, including in Oktibbeha, Lowndes and Noxubee counties. |
| Local church hosts 'Exam Slam' for college students | |
 | Final exams have started at area universities. Students are putting in the extra hours to get the grade they desire. Mississippi State University senior Ollie Franklin is nearing the end of his last fall semester. The Economics and Finance double-major said he's learned a few things over the years. "Having been in college for three years now, in the second to last semester, you definitely get the hang of how I need to prioritize my time, what tests require my attention," said Franklin. Since freshman year, Franklin has studied at First United Methodist Church in Starkville during finals week. Each semester, the church hosts students for "Exam Slam." "It's been just a phenomenal experience to come here and study. There are snacks for us to eat, and it's just better than studying at home or even in the library where it's very isolating, I think," said Franklin. Franklin said he enjoys the company of other students and the fellowship. |
| High School State Championships Set to Bring Boost to Starkville Businesses | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs' season may be over, but the stands at Davis Wade Stadium will still be filled with football fans this weekend. For three days, the Mississippi High School Activities Association football championship games will be the best show in Starkville. Seven games, 14 teams -- that means 14 sets of players, coaches, and families coming to town, and that can be a big shot-in-the-arm for area businesses. "It's really nice when you have a lot of customers that can show grace, especially this time of year," Lee Peeples said. "In the retail and hospitality industries, we work around the holidays. We are in this business to be there for people and important events, and we have people who eat in here seven days a week. So we take pride in being a local place that is always there for our local community." After facing many challenges with construction, downtown businesses say they are ready to show off and provide their services to customers. |
| Mississippi federal delegation unites in effort to protect state's agriculture, forestry exports from EU regulations | |
| Mississippi's federal delegation united Thursday in hopes of protecting the state's forestry and agricultural industry, which could be impacted by deforestation regulations soon to be enforced by the European Union. Enforcement of these regulations is expected to go into effect next year and Mississippi officials say it could negatively impact the state's multibillion dollar industry if concessions are not made. In a letter led by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) that was sent to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, all members of the state's delegation outline that in Mississippi, forestry has a nearly $20 billion impact on the state's economy, supporting 130,000 landowners and 84,000 jobs. "As currently designed, the EUDR is a non-tariff trade barrier that introduces substantial uncertainty for landowners, manufacturers, and exporters in our state, and risks further depressing already strained log and wood-product markets, harming rural communities that depend on healthy, functioning timber economies," the officials write. Joining Hyde-Smith in the letter were U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) and Congressmen Bennie Thompson (D), Mike Ezell (R), Trent Kelly (R) and Michael Guest (R). |
| More states are offering cheap health plans to farmers, with a catch | |
 | For years, Indiana farmer Corina Brant found herself squeezed on health care. Unable to qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies, she worked an extra job that took her away from her farm duties. That all changed in 2021, when she bought a policy for herself and her family under the Indiana Farm Bureau. It's one of the growing number of states that allow these agencies -- which lobby on behalf of farmers -- to sell policies underwritten by large insurers such as UnitedHealthcare. The laws are modeled after a decades-old Tennessee statute that allows a state farm bureau to sell health coverage to farmers. The catch: While these policies are inexpensive, they come with major restrictions. The plans cover checkups and most medical procedures, but they aren't required to cover applicants with preexisting conditions or maintain coverage for someone who becomes seriously ill. For Brant, who grows corn and soybeans near Frankfort, it's still worth it. "With us not having to worry about coverage, I was able to be a full-time employee" on the farm, she said. The latest state to embrace these plans is Ohio, which passed legislation last summer with broad bipartisan support letting its farm bureau participate. It joins almost a dozen other states -- Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas -- that have enacted similar measures. Wisconsin might also join that group, although prospects there are less certain. |
| Microsoft, Mississippi nonprofits to use AI to boost efficiency | |
 | Artificial intelligence is coming to nonprofits in Mississippi, thanks to Microsoft. The technology giant, along with the Mississippi Alliance for Nonprofits and Philanthropy are working together on a first-of-its-kind AI initiative, which they believe will help the nonprofits use AI more effectively. What is being called the Nonprofit AI Innovation Hub is supported by Microsoft TechSpark and will provide resources, training, and strategic support to nonprofits in Mississippi. "What we are trying to do is give nonprofits access to tools to help responsibly integrate AI into their everyday work life," MANP's first Nonprofit AI Manager and Technical Advisor Tiffiney Carter-Washington told the Clarion Ledger. "Right now, they are doing a lot of repetitive work. So, we want to streamline that and become more effective. We believe this will help us do that." In its initial phase, the Nonprofit AI Innovation Hub will work with United Way of the Capital Area, Innovate Mississippi, and the CoBuilders accelerator to pilot AI solutions and digital training programs. The initiative is expected to expand in 2026 to include additional community and nonprofit partners. |
| State auditor discusses his legislative priorities for 2026 session | |
 | The State Auditor of Mississippi is headed to lawmakers with ideas for bills that would cut the "fat" out of state government. "So, our audits found that Mississippi state government has more cars and spends more money on travel than Louisiana's government, than Arkansas' government, than Iowa's government," State Auditor Shad White said. "These are similar states, similar population size. They're all rural, so their state employees have to drive. We need to crack down on waste in those kinds of areas." Another of "those kinds of areas" that has caught the attention of White's office: Unused office space. "We have tons of office space, state government does, in Mississippi that is basically unused, so we need to get rid of a lot of those leases," White said. "And I think if you crack down on that kind of waste, you're talking about tens of millions of dollars of savings. Another concern White said he had was illegal immigration. |
| Mississippi expands obesity response as rates continue to climb | |
| Mississippi faces a worsening obesity crisis, with projections showing 57% of adults could be classified as obese by 2030. State health officials say the epidemic is fueling chronic disease and infant mortality. Without major intervention, they warn, the health care system could be overwhelmed. To counter the crisis, multiple state agencies are rolling out coordinated programs to expand treatment access, improve nutrition education and promote physical activity. Mississippi ranks among the worst in national health outcomes, with about 1.2 million adults -- roughly 40% of the population -- classified as obese, according to federal data. Only West Virginia and Arkansas have higher rates, per Statista. Obesity significantly increases the risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, neurodegenerative conditions, diabetes and cancer, according to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Daniel Edney, the state health officer and executive director of the Mississippi Department of Health, said obesity also drives some of the state's most severe health challenges. Edney said low-income and minority communities experience the highest rates, but the problem affects all Mississippians. Reports also show that more than 40% of children in the state are overweight or obese. |
| New Dietary Guidelines Delayed Until Early 2026 | |
 | The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans will not arrive until early 2026, a representative for the Department of Health and Human Services told The New York Times on Thursday, marking a delay of the release of the government's official advice on what to eat and drink for good health. For months, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's health secretary, has promised to overhaul the guidelines. Federal law requires that they are updated every five years; the current edition was supposed to be replaced by the end of 2025. In the last few decades, the guidelines have not changed much from edition to edition. They typically emphasize eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Mr. Kennedy, who has railed against ultraprocessed foods and artificial food dyes, has said that the new guidelines would prioritize whole foods and offer clear advice to help Americans follow healthier diets. But he has also suggested that the guidelines would encourage people to consume more meat, full-fat dairy and saturated fats, leaving many experts concerned. Following this advice, they say, could raise cholesterol and the risk for heart disease. The guidelines affect the meals served in day cares, schools and military cafeterias, as well as the foods offered in programs for low-income Americans and older adults. They also influence the diet advice that doctors give to patients and the nutrition lessons taught in schools. |
| RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel weakens recommendation on hepatitis B shot for babies, scrapping universal guidance | |
| Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s hand-picked vaccine committee voted on Friday to do away with the long-standing, universal recommendation that all babies receive a hepatitis B shot at birth, issuing weaker guidance for certain infants. The group, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, recommended that parents use individual decision-making in consultation with a health-care provider to determine when or if to give the hepatitis B birth dose to a baby whose mother tested negative for the virus. For babies who don't receive the birth dose, the committee recommended that they wait to receive a first vaccine until they are at least 2 months old. The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has to sign off on that new recommendation. The CDC currently recommends that every baby get vaccinated against hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth, regardless of their mother's testing status. The move overturns that guidance, which has been credited with driving down infections in children by 99% since it was first introduced three decades ago and is widely considered to be a public health success story. Some members and public health experts warn that the change could have wide-ranging consequences. |
| GOP senators, lacking confidence in Hegseth, say his future is Trump's call | |
 | Republican senators, who are growing increasingly exasperated with the proliferation of high-profile controversies at the Pentagon, are not expressing much confidence in Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership -- but they say it's up to President Trump whether to keep him in the Cabinet. Many GOP senators have been careful not to provoke Trump's anger by publicly criticizing Hegseth, whom Trump went to bat for during difficult Senate confirmation proceedings in January. At the same time, they aren't vouching for him -- and are keeping their distance from the growing list of controversies. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), said Hegseth also undercut his credibility last week by disparaging as "fake news" a bombshell Washington Post report that the Navy had launched a follow-up missile strike on two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a suspected Venezuelan drug boat. "Just have the information and don't undermine your credibility by making a snap statement that proves to be either false or inadequate," Tillis said. "I believe that when there were reports that there was a so-called double-tap. There was some reporting that [Hegseth] said it was either fake news or not true. The next day, it proved to be true." "It's just bush league. Get the data. Don't say anything until you're absolutely certain. You're the secretary of Defense for the United States of America. Precision is important," he added. |
| With Cuellar pardon, Trump again appears to undercut GOP's midterm message | |
 | On Tuesday, Republican Tano Tijerina kicked off his run in a key South Texas battleground district by highlighting the legal and ethical case against his Democratic opponent, Rep. Henry Cuellar. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a "full and unconditional" pardon of Cuellar, effectively neutralizing a political attack Republicans were hoping to deploy in their quest to flip his 28th District seat. Democrats see the decision as another example of Trump stepping on the GOP's midterm messaging. Just last month, the president held a surprisingly congenial meeting in the Oval Office with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist he had previously slammed as a "communist lunatic." The National Republican Congressional Committee had already been using Mamdani as a new bogeyman as part of its effort to maintain the House majority by expanding the party's map for 2026. "Republicans in ruin," Viet Shelton, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement. "The NRCC can't seem to get it together -- even the President is undermining them." |
| Trump's New National-Security Strategy Takes Aim at Europe | |
 | President Trump has issued a new national-security strategy that sharply criticizes the "unrealistic expectations" of European leaders for settling the war in Ukraine and calls for an end to NATO expansion. The long-awaited document sets out the core principles of Trump's "America First" foreign policy, underscoring its priorities of addressing dangers in the Western Hemisphere, including the use of "lethal force" to stop drug cartels, and competing economically with China. The document underscores the growing rifts between the U.S. and Europe. It fuses the criticism by top Trump administration officials of Europe's domestic policies with Washington's peace push in Ukraine, which many European leaders fear will come at Kyiv's expense. Trump's new strategy document, which was issued late Thursday, says the U.S. "finds itself at odds with European officials who hold unrealistic expectations for the war perched in unstable minority governments, many of which trample on basic principles of democracy to suppress opposition." The Trump strategy document says Europe faces "civilizational erasure" because of its failure to check illegal migration. Some former U.S. officials were sharply critical. |
| Supreme Court hands Trump victory in fight over Texas congressional map | |
| The Supreme Court on Thursday handed President Donald Trump and Republicans a major political victory by clearing the way for a Texas congressional map that was drawn in the hope of flipping up to five House seats to the GOP. "The District Court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections," the court said in an unsigned order that put a lower court decision on hold. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch wrote a separate concurrence. The court's three liberal justices objected. Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the liberals, wrote that Thursday's order "disserves the millions of Texans whom the District Court found were assigned to their new districts based on their race." The order marks the latest development in a high-stakes battle between Republican and Democratic states that are seeking partisan advantage ahead of the 2026 midterms. |
| Four new tenants join Ole Miss Innovation Hub | |
| Four new companies are setting up offices at the University of Mississippi's Innovation Hub at Insight Park, opening the door to new internships, partnerships and hands-on learning opportunities for students. The new companies represent a variety of fields, from technology, philanthropy and advanced construction to financial technology entrepreneurship. Having an office at the Innovation Hub at Insight Park means gaining access to research partnerships, talent pipelines and business support services, said William Nicholas, director of economic development and Insight Park. "Each new tenant represents a different part of the economic engine we're building," he said. "From cybersecurity to philanthropy, construction and fintech -- these companies will bring new jobs, internships and partnerships directly to the university community and the region." Oxford-Lafayette Inc., the region's economic development foundation, and AccelerateMS, the state's workforce training and development office, also recently opened offices in Insight Park. |
| Lawmakers seek Georgia Lottery money for need-based college scholarships | | |
| A record number enrolled in Georgia's public colleges and universities this fall as the state's lottery continued to produce a windfall for academic scholarships, but a bipartisan legislative committee thinks too many students are still being left behind. More than 2 million have received a HOPE Scholarship since the public lottery that funds them was established three decades ago. To qualify, they had to graduate high school with at least a 3.0 grade point average. They also had to maintain their GPA in college to keep the money. Many have slipped below that line, especially students from lower-income families. They must work while they take classes, leaving less time for studies. When they lose HOPE, they fall further behind, often failing to improve their grades enough to recover the scholarship. Many then drop out. So, a state Senate committee adopted bipartisan recommendations this week calling for Georgia to provide financial aid based on need and not just merit, like 48 other states. "This is about affordability and about opening doors," said Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, who led the study committee that concluded its work Tuesday. |
| U. of Florida Honors Program class teaches Gainesville's punk history | |
 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Hot Water Music and Sister Hazel are just a few examples of Gainesville-based music groups that make the city's music scene one of the most eclectic in the country. While Gainesville's music scene offers a diverse musical palette, many local fans might be more familiar with the city's ska/punk roots shaped by bands like Against Me! and Less Than Jake. Though we can't travel back to experience Gainesville's punk heyday, one University of Florida course helps fill that gap. Matt Walker, author of the 2016 biographical book "Gainesville Punk: A History of Bands and Music," co-teaches a course based on his work. Walker said the book takes a journalistic approach to capturing the history of Gainesville's punk and "do-it-yourself" scene. Walker said the class was conceptualized in 2021 after the book was published and a conversation he had with Regan Garner, associate director of UF's Honors Program, at The Fest, an independent three-day, multi-venue underground music festival held annually in Gainesville since 2002. Garner, who also co-teaches the one-credit class, said the Honors Program teaches a variety of courses centered around books from different genres called uncommon reads. |
| Austin police say Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera died by suicide in West Campus | |
| Austin police confirmed Thursday that 19-year-old Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera died by suicide over the weekend at a high-rise apartment complex in West Campus amid ongoing speculation about the nature of her death. Some of Aguilera's family members have publicly accused the Austin Police Department of a shoddy investigation and continue to strongly dismiss the determination that the 19-year-old took her own life. But at a news conference Thursday, police said investigators had found a Nov. 25 suicide note in a deleted folder on Aguilera's phone "addressed to specific people in her life" and learned that she had expressed suicidal thoughts to friends the previous month, as well as via text message on Friday. "I understand how grief and the need for answers can raise intense emotions and many questions. But sometimes the truth doesn't provide the answers we're looking for, and that is this case," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at the press conference, which came a day after the famed trial lawyer Tony Buzbee announced that Aguilera's family had hired him to conduct an independent investigation into her death. |
| OU Graduate Student Senate condemns university, defends graduate student instructor put on leave | |
| The University of Oklahoma Graduate Student Senate passed a resolution calling on university administration to provide more transparency regarding administrative leave and additional protection for graduate teaching assistants in the course of investigations at its Thursday meeting. The university is processing the appeal of junior psychology student Samantha Fulnecky, who alleges religious discrimination after she received zero points on an essay in which she cited the Bible, according to a statement released Sunday. OU wrote that it was taking concerns of discrimination seriously, and that the graduate student who served as the course instructor had been placed on administrative leave. A different full-time professor will teach the class for the remainder of the semester, according to the statement. The resolution read that dismissing the accusations against the instructor is necessary to preserve OU's academic integrity. "If the accusations were upheld, external employers and academic institutions could reasonably conclude that OU grants grades and degrees without requiring students to demonstrate genuine learning through coursework, exams, and honest evaluation," the resolution read. Ways and Means Committee Chair Sam Jenson, who authored the bill, said he is aware the graduate instructor has received death threats for the situation. |
| To boost research, states are building their own AI-ready supercomputers | |
| In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to the Google DeepMind team behind AlphaFold, a disruptive artificial intelligence (AI) system that predicts the 3D structure of proteins based on their amino acid sequences. But proteins by nature are shapeshifters, morphing as conditions like pH or temperature change. To forecast those transformations, University at Buffalo (UB) structural biologist Thomas Grant is building a homegrown AI spinoff called SWAXSFold. And he's doing it without Google's deep pockets. Universities are hard-pressed to afford the costly, cutting-edge AI chips that systems like SWAXSFold require, and that Silicon Valley tech giants are stockpiling in their race to build ever-larger chatbots. But New York state is now stepping in, giving researchers like Grant access to the computers they need through a $500 million, 10-year initiative called Empire AI. Launched last year, it will inaugurate its second supercomputer in the coming months -- one expected to be among the most powerful AI-focused academic supercomputers in the nation. "Before Empire AI, only a handful of massive tech companies had the computer resources to create a tool like AlphaFold," says Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research at UB and an Empire AI board member. "With Empire AI, a researcher in New York can now build their own." |
| 'Constructive Dialogue' Is All the Rage. What Does It Mean to Teach It? | |
 | What, exactly, is the problem with college students? According to many people, they've lost the ability to tolerate dissenting views and engage in civil debate. Even before the pro-Palestinian encampment movement of 2024, which sharply divided college communities, disruptive protests of campus speakers stoked widespread consternation on and off campus. Now, under the second Trump administration, the federal government has gotten in on the game. It faulted colleges for not protecting Jewish students by allowing the encampments. It threatened billions in federal funding as leverage to get colleges to promise to promote "civil discourse" and "the marketplace of ideas." It focused especially on America's brand-name institutions, withholding billions from the likes of Columbia and Harvard Universities. Leaders of some of those highly selective private colleges seem to agree that they've got a civil-debate problem on their hands. They even gathered to talk about it in Washington, D.C., in early October. Presidents and administrators from Brown, Duke, Harvard, New York, Tufts, Vanderbilt, and Yale Universities, Dartmouth College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology attended what was billed as a "leadership institute," organized by the Constructive Dialogue Institute. CDI is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2017 by the NYU psychologist Jonathan Haidt, that offers civil-discourse training and consulting. |
| Libraries and museums get federal funding back after Trump cuts | |
 | The Institute of Museum and Library Services is reinstating all grants that were previously terminated by the Trump administration. A short statement posted on the agency's website Wednesday reads, "this action supersedes any prior notices which may have been received related to grant termination." The IMLS is the independent agency in charge of awarding federal grant funding to libraries and museums across the country. Earlier this year, it was the target of one of President Trump's executive orders, which led to the termination of grants that had been previously awarded. Library insiders said the move particularly hurt small and rural libraries, with limited access to other sources of funding. American Library Association President Sam Helmick said in a statement that the reinstatement was a "massive win" for libraries in all states. "We are breathing a sigh of relief, but the fight is not finished," the statement reads. "The administration can appeal court decisions. Congress can choose to not fund IMLS in future years. ALA calls on everyone who values libraries to remind their Congressmembers and elected officials at every level why America's libraries deserve more, not fewer resources." |
| The NIH Policy Holding Researchers 'Hostage' | |
 | Rachael Sirianni is one of the thousands of research scientists whose work has been decimated by the Trump administration's massive cuts to the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies. "My lab is crumbling," said the pediatric brain cancer researcher, who works at the University of Massachusetts T. H. Chan School of Medicine. "Over the course of the last eight months, my entire research program has more or less shut down." At the same time, she has a backlog of papers she's still trying to get published in journals that are the best fit for her research and career, including several that charge thousands in fees to make the paper free to access. And if she wants her work to comply with a new NIH policy to expedite public access to federally funded research -- part of the agency's effort to restore trust in science, it says -- she may have to start paying even more. The 2024 Public Access Policy, which took effect July 1, requires federally funded researchers to deposit their accepted peer-reviewed article manuscript into an open-access repository, such as the NIH-managed PubMed Central, immediately after a journal accepts it for publication. But researchers are reporting that some journals, including at least several high-impact titles owned by Elsevier, Wiley and Springer---are charging authors anywhere from $2,000 to more than $10,000 in article processing charges (APCs) to make their work immediately accessible. |
| The Billion-Dollar Ripple Effect: Trump's research cuts will damage more than just universities | |
| James M. Dewar is worried about his frog guy. Dewar, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, researches the genetic causes of cancer and aging with the goal of developing better cancer treatments. And that requires frog eggs. Lots of them. Frogs, it turns out, have a lot in common genetically with humans, which allows Dewar and his team to use cell extracts from frog eggs to study DNA replication and repair. There's just one supplier that can provide him with the volume of eggs he needs: a Michigan frog farm called Xenopus 1. Dewar is concerned that deep cuts to federal support for research could be a blow not just to university scientists, but to Xenopus 1 and other companies that work with colleges. The Trump administration's assault on research -- grants terminated on ideological grounds, support for overhead costs slashed, funding frozen across big-name universities to try to bring them in line with the president's priorities -- has disrupted research agendas and hurt Ph.D. enrollments. But less attention has been paid to another potential casualty: the web of businesses that undergird academic science. Dewar estimates that he spends between one-third and one-half of each grant he's awarded by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies on materials and services from outside vendors. |
SPORTS
| Women's Basketball: Dawgs Dominate Pitt On Thursday | |
| Mississippi State strolled to their fourth-consecutive victory on Thursday, as they took down Pitt in the ACC/SEC Challenge, 79-44. Destiney McPhaul led the Bulldogs with a new career-high in scoring. "It's a great win against a great league in the ACC; we wanted to make sure we did our part. I appreciate the fans that showed up and want to give the same message I gave last time. My challenge is to keep supporting these women as they're playing their hearts out for this university." The Bulldog defense was suffocating in the contest, as they held Pitt to 22 percent shooting from the floor, the lowest percentage an opponent has shot this season. The Panthers were also held to just 14 first half points, which tied an opponent low this season. On the offensive side, the Bulldogs turned the ball over eight times, a season low. The Bulldogs will be back in action this Sunday when they take on the Charlotte 49ers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on SEC Network+. |
| State slams Pitt Panthers 79-44 in ACC/SEC Challenge | |
| Sam Purcell challenged his team to take care of the basketball and rebound the ball better as they entered a matchup with Pittsburgh in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Bulldogs emphatically answered that on Thursday night. Behind Destiney McPhaul's 22-point evening, the Bulldogs rolled Pitt 79-44. It was a game that was much worse than the final score as State surrendered a 16-2 run in the final 5:26 as the Bulldogs emptied the bench. In the win, State shot 45% and made 7-of-22 3-pointers and 6-of-9 free throws. In the areas that Purcell was most focused, State outrebounded the Panthers 51-41 and had just eight turnovers offensively while scoring 23 points on 18 turnovers from the Panthers. State had an 8-6 lead midway through the first quarter and then the rout would begin. The Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 12-0 the rest of the quarter to take a 20-8 lead and that dominance would continue the next two quarters as State had a 42-14 lead at the half and made it as much as a 77-28 lead with 5:49 remaining. The Bulldogs moved to 8-1 on the season with another matchup on Sunday night at Humphrey Coliseum against Charlotte. |
| Football: Jackson Named to SEC Community Service Team | |
| On Thursday, the Southeastern Conference announced the Community Service Team for football, with Mississippi State offensive lineman Jacoby Jackson earning the honor. The SEC names a Community Service Team for each of its 22-league sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community through superior service efforts. Jackson, a native of Arlington, Texas, has been one of the Mississippi State locker room leaders when it comes to giving back to the community. Since coming to Starkville before the start of the 2024 season, Jackson has participated in numerous community service events. The D.A.W.G. program has allowed Jackson to participate in community service events such as MLK Day of Service, Goldton at Adelaide Mardi Gras Parade, Community Reading programs at preschools and elementaries and even started his own 'Jacoby Jackson Sickle Cell Event' just to name a few. |
| MSU soccer coach Nick Zimmerman leaves for Florida | |
| Mississippi State will once again search for a new head soccer coach after the departure of Nick Zimmerman. The successor to James Armstrong is leaving Starkville after just one year in charge of the Bulldogs, heading to Florida to coach the Gators. Zimmerman announced his departure on social media shortly before Gators media confirmed the appointment. "One of the toughest things to do is to leave your family and to move on to the next opportunity," Zimmerman said. "Today I am leaving my family here at Mississippi State to move back to my roots to be the head coach at the University of Florida in the state where I grew up and played. Here in Starkville, I have been blessed with great staff and administrative support, a faithful student body and fantastic players who have demonstrated their courage and passion in their hard work on and off the field. I am grateful for all the support I have received over the last seven years and I will never forget all of the things that we accomplished together. You have impacted my life and I am grateful for this time I had with you in Mississippi." His departure also marks the second time in as many years that the Bulldogs lose a head soccer coach to a former athletic director at a rival SEC program, with John Cohen at Auburn and Scott Stricklin at Florida. |
| An NCAA-backed effort to reshape college sport regulations has hit a wall in Congress | |
 | An effort to regulate college sports backed by the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic organization and the White House has faltered in Congress, with opponents raising concerns over the wide-reaching power it gives the NCAA and its most powerful programs. House Republican leaders had planned to push the bill, known as the SCORE Act, to a final vote this week. But those plans were abruptly scrapped after a procedural vote to advance the bill earlier this week nearly failed. "There were a few members that had some questions and wanted to know more about the bill," Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Thursday. "So we're just going to take our time with it to make sure we can get the coalition finalized." It's only the latest delay for a bill that had appeared headed for passage over the summer before repeatedly hitting roadblocks. Scalise would not commit to bringing the bill back to the floor this year, saying the House has a "busy agenda." The latest round of trouble for the bill began on Tuesday, when a procedural vote to advance multiple bills to a final vote was held open for over an hour as Republicans debated changes. Since then, Republican dissent has only seemed to grow -- with some members who previously supported the bill now wavering. |
| Sports betting insights: Experts say young adult men are the 'new demographic' | |
 | Now that Missouri has been added to the growing list of states that have legalized sports gambling, chatter about potential for revenue gains and collegiate gambling policies have topped the forums. But as the rave for access to mobile sports betting apps grow, experts say one trend that has become more apparent is that young men are more prone to this new form of gambling. The National Collegiate Athletic Association recently released an executive summary that showed by the end of 2024, 22% of NCAA student-athletes on men's teams reported betting on sports at least once in the past year, while only 5% of NCAA student-athletes on women's teams did the same. Additionally, the summary indicated that about 2% of men, as well as a smaller percentage of women, who participated in the 2024 study met the standard diagnostic criteria for problem gambling. This translates to about 6,000 total NCAA competitors in any given year. |
| Can the ACC's longstanding problems ever get resolved? | |
| There are two ways of looking at the situation the ACC faces entering Saturday's championship game in which Duke, a 7-5 team with multiple losses outside the Power 4, could win the conference and, in doing so, keep the league out of the College Football Playoff altogether. The first is that it's simply a quirk of modern college football -- sprawling conferences with limited crossover between teams inevitably leading to a scenario where esoteric tiebreakers come into play. The ACC's system isn't much different than other conferences, the policy was approved by coaches and ADs, and Duke, for all its flaws, went 6-2 in league play. The other perspective, however, is that the ACC -- for reasons rational, coincidental and, perhaps, metaphysical -- attracts the unusual. The latter philosophy might be a charming quirk of the conference if the stakes weren't so high. The ACC's Wheel of Destiny, "Coastal Chaos" and the social media stalwart #goacc have been fundamental to the league's identity for nearly two decades. But as the business of college football has gotten bigger, the rewards of success richer, and the battles for conference supremacy more intense, the ACC's role as college football's most colorful band of swashbuckling misfits isn't so fun for the coaches whose careers hang in the balance and the programs desperate to keep pace in a rapidly evolving landscape in which the ACC often feels woefully behind. "The ACC is becoming a laughingstock," one former ACC coach said. "It's not a cool place to be." |
| How the Unruly Black Market for High-School Athletes Tore a Family Apart | |
| Phillip Bell III was in tears when he phoned his grandparents' farm outside Sacramento. "Come and help me please," his grandmother, Lorna Barnes, recalled the then-16-year-old sobbing in March 2023. Two months earlier, his mother had whisked Bell, a nationally ranked wide receiver, off to a new school in Los Angeles, where they were living in a mansion previously occupied by the rapper Soulja Boy and leased with the help of a sportscaster whose son played quarterback. It was just the first stop on Bell's odyssey through the youth sports black market. Paying students to play sports is against state interscholastic rules. But in the nation's football hotbeds, a secret economy in athletically gifted teens has thrived for years -- and the recent arrival in most states of legal Name, Image and Likeness compensation for high-school athletes has only made it hotter. Bell's mother, who abused drugs, shopped him from school to school, demanding up to $72,000 a year, according to court filings, public records and interviews with relatives and others who knew the family. He also joined a club team that paid thousands of dollars a weekend. Bell is now a freshman at top-ranked Ohio State. His experience demonstrates that far from ridding sports of backroom deals and bagman boosters, the deluge of legal NIL money incentivizes and gives cover to the illicit market. |
| Gianni Infantino's Trump problem: Can FIFA's president keep winning over Donald Trump without losing the world? | |
 | Soccer may be the world's most popular pastime, but much about Friday's lottery draw setting the match schedule for next summer's World Cup has been programmed with just one fan in mind. Never before has the sports governing body given out a peace prize to a politician eager for one, or booked the Village People and Andrea Bocelli to play alongside. President Donald Trump's appearance on the Kennedy Center stage will be at least his seventh encounter this year with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has logged more face time with Trump this year than any world leader. Infantino's savvy navigation of the American political scene has helped FIFA build institutional support for a tournament facing unprecedented logistical complications. But that success is beginning to weaken Infantino, as the third-term FIFA president faces newfound internal opposition for his over-the-top courtship of Trump. Our interviews with six international soccer officials across three continents reveal widespread frustration with Infantino's decision to side with Trump even as White House policies cause chaos for World Cup-bound teams, fans and local organizers, clashing with Infantino's promise to have a tournament that welcomes the world. |
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