Daily News Digest (Mississippi State University)

Thursday, November 5, 2026


Garrison named MSU's latest Rhodes Scholarship finalist
Mississippi State senior Evan Garrison is the university's latest finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. An aerospace engineering/astronautics and mathematics double major from Webb City, Missouri, Garrison now advances to the Nov. 13-14 interview phase in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Scholar and member of MSU's Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. "Evan truly fits the characteristics expected of Rhodes scholars. He excels academically, leads and inspires others in both his research endeavors and extra-curriculars, collaborates locally and globally, and works tirelessly in all his pursuits but especially on his passion for resolving the orbital debris crisis," said Professor David Hoffman, director of MSU's Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. With Garrison's selection, MSU students have been named Rhodes finalists for six years in a row, with 13 MSU Rhodes finalists over the last 13 years.

Mississippi State to open 'world's largest' laminitis research center in 2027
Mississippi State University (MSU) is building what it says will be the world's largest research center dedicated to laminitis, a painful hoof disease in horses. The Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center is under construction at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in Starkville, alongside a $50 million state-funded expansion of the college's teaching hospitals. MSU broke ground on the facility in November 2025 and expects to open the 12,500-sq-ft building in fall 2027. Plans include a multi-investigator laboratory, clinical research and farrier space, positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanners, and an adjacent 24-stall equine research barn. The new center is being funded by a gift from Nancy Link, who has a longstanding relationship with MSU. The funds will cover construction, operation, equipment, faculty salaries, and maintenance. "[W]e're looking at how better to prevent [laminitis], and how better to treat that condition, which is extremely painful and can be quite debilitating in horses," Heath King, DVM, director of MSU's Animal Health Center, told WCBI.

James C. Kennedy Receives North American Waterfowl Management Plan International Canvasback Award
The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Committee is pleased to announce that James "Jim" C. Kennedy has been selected as the recipient of the NAWMP International Canvasback Award, one of the highest honors recognizing extraordinary contributions to waterfowl, wetland, and migratory bird conservation across North America. "Few individuals have inspired the course of waterfowl conservation the way Jim Kennedy has," said Adam Putnam, Chief Executive Officer of Ducks Unlimited. "For nearly 55 years, Jim has led by example through extraordinary generosity, engaged volunteerism, visionary leadership, and an unwavering commitment to wetlands and waterfowl conservation." Kennedy has also demonstrated a longstanding commitment to advancing waterfowl science and conservation education. In 2008, he established the first Endowed Chair in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation at Mississippi State University.

Mary Means Business: Quirky Audacious Goods opening this month
For Shannon Voges-Haupt, her latest entrepreneurial venture might seem niche at first glance, but she promises there is a little something for everyone. Modeled after the eclectic shops she has encountered while traveling, Voges-Haupt is opening Audacious Goods this month at 329 B University Drive in Starkville. Though difficult to summarize, she best describes the shop as a home for the unusual, upcycled, unexpected finds and fun. "Not everybody can be like Mrs. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, but I do think that everybody can use a statement piece," she said. "... You can find something here; you can step outside your comfort zone. I'm just trying to bring a little joy back." Audacious Goods won't just sell one-of-a-kind items, it will also double as a community gathering space. Voges-Haupt plans to host a variety of hands-on events, including puzzle nights, "crafternoons" and collaborative workshops. "As an art student, I'm getting back to my roots," she said. "... I'm a crafty and creative person and I haven't had an outlet yet, so I'm very excited."

Lawmakers, Governor expect higher revenues, adopt $7.8 billion estimated revenue for Fiscal Year 2028
A strong workforce, growing economy and inflation are contributing to a rise in tax revenue in Mississippi, leading the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, including Governor Tate Reeves (R), to adopt a nearly $7.8 billion estimated revenue for the coming fiscal year. That amount is $266.4 million more than the Legislature's current fiscal year sine die estimate, state economist and chair of the Revenue Estimating Group Corey Miller told the committee. "I think that this revenue estimate is something that we should all be proud of because even as we have been literally cutting individual income taxes for our people for almost ten years now, overall tax revenues continue to grow," Governor Reeves said after hearing the proposed revenue estimate. An increase in predicted revenue comes as the state is working to lower the personal income tax rate on an annual basis and put a 2% reduction in the sales tax on groceries in place.

Legislators plan for 3.5% increase in tax revenue, keeping up with inflation
In the upcoming 2027 session, the Mississippi Legislature will have an additional $266 million to spend, an increase of 3.5% from last year's estimate partially driven by changes in tax collections, wage growth and inflation. Wednesday's Joint Legislative Budget Committee meeting was just the latest step in the state budget process. The committee, which consists of state House and Senate members, and Gov. Tate Reeves adopted a revenue estimate of $7.8 billion for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The bulk of the money comes from state taxes, such as sales and income taxes. The revenue estimate, presented by Corey Miller, the state economist, is based on tax collections to date and state and national economic conditions. The estimate may be adjusted based on new data. Miller said the growth is good, given the inflation rate, which is about 3.4% this year. "I think Mississippi's future is bright, and I think we can continue this economic growth," Reeves said.

Factors behind midterm election shifts examined as Senate race remains close
Democrats made major gains in this year's midterm elections, flipping control of both the House and the Senate. While the party holding the White House typically loses congressional seats during midterms, this year saw Democrats take control of both chambers. Political observers and voters point to a mix of national issues and administration leadership as primary factors driving turnout. Dr. Brian Shoup, head of the Mississippi State University Political Science Department, said multiple issues contributed to the outcome. Despite the tight contest, Shoup noted that the competitive race does not necessarily mean Mississippi is shifting politically. "It's kind of reflective of the fact that politics in America is a thing that you know, it's never a given," Shoup said.

Mississippi has an unexpectedly close Senate race but no recount procedure
The Mississippi Senate race could be headed for the courts, as two candidates are locked in a tight contest with no recount procedure on the books. The election between Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Scott Colom remained too close to call as of Wednesday evening, with Colom leading by less than a quarter of a percentage point. That's fewer than 2,000 votes. The final margins may well determine what happens next. A wide swing in either direction could soften the chance of legal challenges, but a close result could have the loser's lawyers racing to court. That's where things get tricky. "In some states, you know, a really close election automatically triggers a recount. That's not true in Mississippi," said Ronald Rychlak, a professor at the University of Mississippi Law School. "In fact, a candidate does not have an automatic right to a recount, even if they offer to pay for it in Mississippi." When it comes to federal offices like the U.S. Senate, nothing in Mississippi law provides an express way to contest the general election. It effectively leaves it up to judges to determine how disputes are resolved in any push by either side.

Mississippi Democrat Scott Colom defies odds, pulls further ahead in vote tally
The race for Mississippi's Senate seat remains dramatically close: Scott Colom (D) pulled further ahead of incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) in a state that hasn't elected a Black senator since Reconstruction. Colom was leading incumbent Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes as of late Wednesday, extending his small lead after election night. The gap could be hard for Hyde-Smith to overcome -- the state has until Nov. 10 to count what are expected to be several thousand provisional and late-arriving mail ballots. But Mississippi does not have automatic recounts or allow one of the candidates to request a recount; instead they are only done by court order. Even some Democratic party officials were surprised with the number of seats their party gained this week. But in a night full of surprises, Mississippi was one of the biggest. The race had gotten surprisingly competitive in the lead-up to election day; Trump traveled to Mississippi to hold a rally in support of Hyde-Smith in the state in late October.

A blue wave in Mississippi? Here's what has Coast Republicans concerned
The tight race for a U.S. Senate seat in Mississippi stunned some political pundits around the country on Wednesday, even as Democrats reveled in a wave of midterm triumphs. But many across Mississippi, where Democrats have fought close races in several recent elections, viewed it differently. "I was not surprised," said famed Democratic strategist James Carville, who campaigned for Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom alongside former President Bill Clinton last week. "The reason they were surprised," Carville added, "is because the national institution of the Democratic Party and the national institution of media doesn't believe that Louisiana or Mississippi exist." Colom made gains even in the most conservative parts of the state, including the coastal counties that have long drawn Louisianans for vacations and summer retreats. Republicans still held an edge across southern Mississippi, where voters re-elected Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell by a wide margin. But some GOP leaders said they viewed the Senate race as a wake-up call."I'm concerned that voters are getting fatigue," said Holly Gibbs, president of the Harrison County Republican Club. "Republicans need to be concerned."

'Mississippi Politics' co-authors say they could not have predicted close U.S. Senate race
Two longtime political strategists who co-wrote "Mississippi Politics" said Wednesday they could not have predicted how close the state's U.S. Senate race would be. Jere Nash and Andy Taggart, who are political strategists from opposing sides of the aisle, held a discussion Wednesday evening in Pass Christian about the third edition of their book. The discussion took place the night after the midterm elections. Mississippi has been the focus of media outlets across the country Wednesday. Nash said urban and suburban voters in Mississippi decided "to tell Donald Trump that they didn't appreciate the way in which he's been managing the presidency" and "that they were going to give their vote to somebody else." Taggart also spoke about Scott Colom's campaign. "Scott Colom ran a classic, energetic, hard-driving campaign. Even on my side of the aisle, you have to admire the fact that without really having a high level of confidence that he could win this race, he ran as though he was going to win it. And it was very impressive to see," Taggart said.

GOP attorney Whitney Lipscomb announces run for Mississippi secretary of state
A new candidate has entered the race to be Mississippi's next secretary of state. On Thursday morning, Whitney Lipscomb broke the news on Mornings with Richard Cross that she is running for the state office. Lipscomb, the general counsel for the Republican Attorneys General Association, said that, if elected, she would use her platform to keep the integrity of Mississippi's elections, establish an enhanced security division to crack down on election fraud, ensure that Mississippi is the easiest place to open a business, and also make it easy for any Mississippian to earn an honest living. Lipscomb joins Democrat-turned-Republican Shuwaski Young in the GOP primary field seeking the state position. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson announced in April 2026 that he would not seek a second term overseeing the agency. Instead, he is looking to fill an upcoming vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office, with current officeholder Delbert Hosemann being term-limited.

Billy Adam Calvert announces candidacy for Mississippi Senate District 33
State Rep. Billy Adam Calvert has announced his candidacy for the Mississippi Senate, District 33, representing Lauderdale and Clarke counties. "Serving the people of East Mississippi has been one of the greatest honors of my life," Calvert said in a news release. "Over the past seven years, I have worked to lower taxes, strengthen our schools, support economic development, and secure investments in our communities. We've accomplished a lot, but there is more work to do." Calvert said his priorities will continue to include tax relief, quality education, job creation, infrastructure improvements, public safety, and protecting the conservative Christian values that are the foundation of families and communities.

DeSoto County asking SpaceXAI to increase buyout offers
DeSoto County Board of Supervisors is encouraging SpaceXAI to increase their buyout offers to homeowners who have been impacted by the noise stemming from the company's power plant off Stateline Road. SpaceXAI is looking to purchase over 400 homes near the former Duke Energy power plant on Stanton Road, specifically targeting neighborhoods like Colonial Hills. The area is part of a proposed class action lawsuit brought by a handful of residents who claim the noise from the plant has lowered their property value and disrupted their lives. Supervisor Ray Denison said he has been told by residents in the affected areas that representatives from MZX Tech LLC, a subsidiary of SpaceXAI, are not offering enough money for their homes to make it worth relocating. "This is one of the biggest snowball jobs I've ever seen in DeSoto County," Denison said. "The people have lived there their entire lives. They can't just go and buy one. That's a half-hearted offer." Denison said there is no question that people are being disrupted by the data centers. Offering 110 percent above appraised value is not sufficient for affected residents to be able to afford to purchase a new home.

Midterm Voters Reject Data Centers
It was a bad night for data centers. In hotly contested gubernatorial races, Democrats who campaigned on pausing development beat Republican challengers who proposed more moderate approaches. At least 38 towns and cities passed ballot measures to restrict data centers locally. The message voters sent was clear even to Elon Musk, who appeared to be writing off the future of data centers on Earth as results rolled in: "Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now," he posted on X on election night. Americans' strong opposition to data centers, and by extension the results of Tuesday's elections, could have a real impact on the future of the industry. Some artificial intelligence industry stocks fell as investors contended with political shifts in states that host large swaths of planned development. The decisive swing toward Democrats in several states could allow governors and state legislatures to move quickly on state policy that places new regulations on AI infrastructure developers, restricting the massive growth they've pursued over the past two years.

The South flexes political power in midterms, sets regional influence in 2028 election
Tuesday's dramatic midterm results have transformed the electoral map, ensuring the future path to power for Democrats and Republicans alike must run through the South. Black voter turnout surged in states like Louisiana and Georgia, as Democrats flipped Senate seats in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Mississippi is too close to call. Republican-led efforts to redraw House districts to gain more favorable districts in places like Alabama, North Carolina, Texas and Florida backfired, with Democrats poised to net several seats in the region. In several states, the margins at the top of the ticket were so large that the blue tsunami carried down ballot races along with it, flipping several state legislative chambers and statewide offices along the way. Even in contests where Democrats ultimately did not prevail, the millions of dollars of investment from both sides and the wide-ranging repudiation of the Trump administration from every demographic group highlight the South's important role in control of Congress and the White House in future election cycles.

Thune to run for minority leader
Senate Republicans are preparing to make the transition from the majority to the minority --- and their top leaders will seek to retain their positions in the 120th Congress, even after the political drubbing they endured Tuesday night. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will run for minority leader during next week's GOP leadership elections, a spokesperson for his office said. After enjoying a 53-47 majority, he will face a very different chamber next year, with Democrats looking to control between 54 to 56 seats, depending on how the dust settles. Thune, 65, has served as the majority leader for nearly two years since winning a three-way race to succeed Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as the chamber's top Republican. That was a spot McConnell had held since taking his party's leadership reins in early 2007, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in history, counting his time in both the minority and the majority. Thune at times had a tumultuous relationship with the president. So far, no one has publicly come forward to challenge Thune, and his fellow Republican colleagues were already coalescing around him ahead of the midterms.

House Democrats debate their agenda
Hakeem Jeffries will have the largest House majority in decades next year, and he's gearing up to use it. In comments to reporters Wednesday afternoon, Jeffries, set to be the country's first Black speaker, said his caucus "made a promise to the country that we would fight for an affordable America, and we intend to keep it." House Democrats' initial plans involve voting to repeal cuts to Medicaid enacted in Republicans' megabill, restore lapsed healthcare subsidies, end the Iran war, and sunset tariffs. He and Democratic leaders plan to talk as a caucus about plans to tackle AI and other issues. The larger-than-expected House majority along with control of the Senate opens more legislative options for Democrats -- though President Donald Trump still has veto power. And Democrats have to contend with the Senate filibuster and a new bloc of progressives angling to push for more ambitious policies. Newly elected House lawmakers are going to quickly face pressure to deliver on their campaign promises to tackle cost-of-living issues.

Trump brags about his White House ballroom and seeks to deflect blame for GOP midterm drubbing
President Donald Trump reacted Wednesday to Republicans' midterm election losses by showing off the White House ballroom he's building as he demonstrated the kind of detached behavior that voters around the country said was a key reason they opted to punish his party. In an extraordinary scene, Trump summoned reporters to the hulking construction site that he demolished the East Wing to make room for and the Republican president spoke for nearly 20 minutes about minute building details. He did not mention his party losing control of Congress after defeats in some of the country's deepest GOP strongholds, including Texas and South Carolina, or voter concerns about the high cost of living and federal corruption that helped cause the election losses. Presidents usually speak with reporters the day after the midterms. It's normal for those whose party endured big losses to shoulder publicly at least part of the responsibility. But not Trump. He began the day with a schedule that showed only private meetings, then suggested he had decided at the last minute to invite the press to watch as the final steel beam -- topped with a small evergreen tree symbolizing growth and luck -- was hoisted into place on the ballroom roof. Trump eventually took questions at the ballroom site and attempted to duck responsibility for the broad Republican losses.

Trump accepts the blue tsunami, despite months of election legal battles, threats
Ahead of the midterms, Democrats wargamed dozens of scenarios looking at how President Donald Trump might try to undermine the election, everything from seizing voting machines to falsely declaring a foreign attack. But when the blue tsunami arrived Tuesday night, Trump seemed to let it wash right over him. In a series of late-night interviews, the president said he would accept the results. He acknowledged that Democrats had performed well as they retook the House and Senate. And while he refused responsibility for Republicans' newfound misfortune, he also spoke of cutting deals with Democrats. "Yes, I'll accept them," Trump said on Fox News when asked about the results. He added a short time later, "Congratulations to the Democrats, they did a good job." The comments marked a stunning departure for a mercurial president with a long history of alleging elections were stolen in response to unfavorable results. Trump's admission of defeat may not fully end his administration's pressure campaign over elections.

After Two Years of Unchecked Power, Trump Faces a Tough New Reality
Even before it was clear just how brutal the election results would be, the recriminations rolled across the nation's capital -- starting at the White House. Frustration rose from those gathered in the East Room with President Trump on Tuesday night as they watched his coalition collapsing and Democrats making sweeping gains in deep-red states. For the past two years, he has governed with near unchecked power -- making far-reaching edicts on trade, immigration and the economy as he reshaped alliances and launched foreign wars. He steamrolled an ineffectual Congress and even bulldozed the East Wing of the White House. But in the span of just a few hours on Tuesday, the power dynamic for the remaining two years of the Trump presidency shifted dramatically. Now, he's left contemplating a world in which he's weakened and less influential. If Trump wants to accomplish anything durable going forward, he will have to accept limits to his authority and compromise -- things he's shown little interest in doing during his political career. Republicans who have long aligned themselves with him -- including those in his administration with future political aspirations -- will face enormous pressure to create more distance from him following a historic bipartisan rebuke from voters. Trump's longtime advisers expect the backbiting and interpersonal squabbles that defined much of his first term in office could come roaring back.

'Knives out' at Pentagon after unpopular Iran war dooms GOP in midterms
Senior Pentagon officials were confronted Wednesday by how the unpopular Iran war spelled disaster for the Trump administration in the midterm elections, as Democrats seized power in Congress and questions arose about whether President Donald Trump will hold someone accountable for the GOP's shellacking. Democrats immediately set their sights on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with whom they have clashed repeatedly over the past two years. But those close to the Trump administration questioned whether the president instead might dismiss Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Adm. Brad Cooper, who has overseen the war. Hegseth has served as a top salesman for the Iran war, which the Trump administration and Israel initiated in February. He has publicly berated lawmakers and journalists who have scrutinized the conflict's shifting strategic objectives, cost and lack of congressional authorization; he falsely claimed Iran's military has been destroyed for "years to come"; and he declared total victory over Tehran after a few weeks of fighting. But months later hostilities endure and a peace deal remains elusive.

Trump: Hegseth would be 'very popular' as Tennessee senator
President Trump said Wednesday he is not considering replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth but predicted the Pentagon chief would be "very popular" if he filled Sen. Marsha Blackburn's (R-Tenn.) seat. "No, I think he's doing a very good job," the president said when asked whether he is considering replacing Hegseth following the Republican Party's poor showing during Tuesday's midterms, where Democrats took the House, the Senate and multiple governors' mansions. CBS News reported Wednesday that Trump has been asking advisers and allies whether Hegseth should stay in the post following the midterms. Hegseth, a former Army National Guard major, is interested in the open Tennessee Senate seat and has been campaigning behind the scenes for the post, The Hill previously reported. Some political observers agree Hegseth would be a heavyweight in the race. Blackburn beat Democrat Jerri Green on Tuesday night to become Tennessee's first female governor.

RFK Jr.'s alliance with Trump is on tenterhooks
The MAHA and MAGA marriage is going through its roughest patch yet. Tuesday's sweep by the Democrats, along with waning support from some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s biggest followers, suggests there's plenty of reason for divorce. Kennedy now faces a gauntlet of hostile Democrats on Capitol Hill, while others are openly courting his supporters. Some of his MAHA allies are blaming President Donald Trump for the loss, pointing to his support of glyphosate, a weedkiller MAHA supporters say causes cancer, or to the lack of far-reaching action against vaccines. The union two years ago of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again movement and Donald Trump's MAGA legions was one of convenience. Trump wanted to defeat Kamala Harris. Kennedy got a chance to pursue food, agriculture and vaccine policies that would have been anathema in earlier eras of Republican politics. This week's losses have thrown that calculus into doubt, raising questions about whether the energy that brought MAHA and MAGA together can sustain the coalition into 2028 -- and whether Republicans have sufficiently engaged the voters that helped them elect Trump in 2024.

Does MAGA have a future? After anti-Trump backlash in midterms, it may not
"Pretend I'm on the ballot," President Donald Trump repeatedly urged, as he crisscrossed the country ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Voters frustrated by President Trump's practices and policies -- including a costly war against Iran that has fueled inflation -- did just that, seizing the opportunity to vote against him by pulling the lever for Democrats. And despite Mr. Trump's urging, many Republicans, including adherents of his Make America Great Again movement, or MAGA, stayed home. The result, a massive backlash against the Republican Party that handed Democrats control of Congress and a majority of governorships, was the biggest "wave" election in the modern history of U.S. midterms when measured by the vote margin, Democrat vs. Republican. Already, with two years to go in the Trump presidency, political observers are gaming out the future of his MAGA movement. Signs point to profound changes, as the unique figure at its center -- Mr. Trump -- navigates the final phase of his tenure. "Unless there are other very high-profile candidates who can generate some coattail effects, I don't think there's a future for Trump's movement post-Trump," says Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. Jockeying for the 2028 presidential race is gearing up -- and with it, clear signs of a post-Trump era in the works.

Mississippi University for Women ranks as top nursing school in state
The Mississippi University for Women (The W) is the top-ranked nursing school in the state, according to Niche.com. The website placed the university at No. 22 among 796 nursing programs nationally in its Best Colleges for Nursing rankings. According to the university, the ranking places The W among the top 3% of nursing programs in the nation. Among public universities with nursing programs, The W ranked No. 5. "We're proud to be recognized as the top nursing school in the state," Interim President Scott Tollison said. "This recognition affirms that we are moving the region's health care workforce forward and making a critical difference in one of the areas that matter most to Mississippians: the health and well-being of their families."

UM breaks total enrollment record, freshmen class shrinks
The University of Mississippi broke its previous enrollment record for the fourth year in a row with a 2% increase in overall enrollment. The freshman class size fell for the second consecutive year, but the decrease in first-year students was offset by transfers and increased retention. However, not all students see another record-breaking year of enrollment as a good thing. Junior exercise science major Trevor Goodbred from Oswego, Ill., is concerned that the university is not growing its infrastructure in proportion to its student population, which inconveniences students who are currently enrolled. "As a student, I think it's really interesting to keep increasing enrollment without having the housing or parking to facilitate that," Goodbred said. "Parking, especially, is already a nightmare. ... I just think they should be holding off on increasing (enrollment) until they have projects closer to completion to mitigate the increased need for parking and housing that comes with increased attendance."

UMMC to host high school visit day Nov. 6
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine will welcome high school juniors and seniors Nov. 6 for a day of admissions guidance, hands-on activities and conversations with medical students. The High School Visit Day begins at 8:30 a.m. at the School of Medicine, 2500 N. State St., according to UMMC's Office of Communications and Marketing. Morgan McCray, the third-year medical school class president, will offer a student's perspective A noon lunch will include a "High School to Medical School" student panel, with time for questions. The event ends at 1 p.m. UMMC said the program is intended to introduce prospective students to medical education and encourage careers in medicine and health care.

Southern Miss hosts national sales competition as Georgia Collins reaches finals
The University of Southern Mississippi College of Business and Economic Development is proudly serving as the host university for the 2026 Fastenal National Sales Invitational (FNSI), a virtual collegiate sales competition that brings together over 900 students from more than 50 universities across the country. Adding to the excitement, Southern Miss Business student Georgia Collins has earned a spot among the competition's 16 national finalists. Southern Miss earned the opportunity to host the 2026 competition after Southern Miss Business student So'Niya Thompson captured first place in the 2025 Fastenal National Sales Invitational. "Hosting a national competition of this magnitude is a tremendous honor for Southern Miss and a testament to the quality of our Professional Sales program," said Dr. J. Bret Becton, dean of the College of Business and Economic Development.

USM invites public to annual Iron Pour event
The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) School of Performing and Visual Arts invited the community to its annual Iron Pour. The event will be held on November 14, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the 3D Arts Building, located at 2905 West Fourth Street in Hattiesburg. Presented by the Art and Design program in the School of Performing and Visual Arts, the event will offer a rare, up-close look at the dramatic process of transforming molten iron into works of art. From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., guests may purchase a $20 scratch block and carve their own designs, creating a personal piece of artwork to be cast in iron. No artistic experience is necessary. The celebration also includes a free guest artist lecture by Cortnie Matthews on November 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the 3D Arts Building.

U. of Alabama students are surprised, excited by 2026 midterm results
The 2026 midterm elections took place on Tuesday, with the Democrats taking back control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, with at least seven Senate seats flipping to Democrats. Makena Edwards, a University of Alabama junior majoring in food and nutrition, said she is happy with the results of the elections so far. "I saw that there was a bunch of diverse people who won, so I'm just really glad about some of those results," Edwards said. Edwards went on to say that there is still work that needs to be done, and that she felt there should be more voter outreach. "I think college campuses are great for the young people, but also, I think it's easy to get those people because of social media, but sometimes, the older populations, it can sometimes be hard to educate [them] on new things, or things that need to change in our country," Edwards said. Other students like Emma Harkins, a senior majoring in psychology, were disappointed by Tommy Tuberville's victory. "I just didn't see him doing much good for Alabama," Harkins said.

Melania Trump attending LSU-Alabama game to announce scholarship fund
First lady Melania Trump will attend LSU's football game Saturday to announce an endowment to the university that will support students from the foster care system. Trump said she will launch the "Fostering the Future" campaign during the Tigers' matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. It features a $5 million permanent endowment for LSU to fund scholarships. "Every young person deserves the opportunity to build a bright future, and this $5 million investment helps make that possible for students who have experienced foster care," state Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Rebecca Harris said in a statement. "I'm grateful to first lady Melania Trump and LSU for investing in Louisiana's children and creating opportunities that can make a lasting difference in their lives. This is what it looks like when we come together to put children first." LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton has been a vocal proponent of fostering and is a foster parent himself, according to a DCFS social media post earlier this year.

Texas colleges could see shift under Gina Hinojosa, but change will be a 'long game'
Wednesday was a good morning for many Texas professors. A year ago, Republicans took greater control over what can be taught at public universities, limiting race and gender and ordering professors to be terminated for speech deemed too controversial or liberal. Faculty said the changes created a chilling effect across the state, with many feeling like they had to self censor or leave. But after Election Day, when Texas Democrats swept into statewide offices for the first time in more than three decades, some academics felt more job security and hope than they had in years. Experts say Democratic Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa's win could have material changes on higher education from the regents she appoints to oversee public universities to the efforts she makes to restore faculty autonomy. But the still-conservative Texas Senate could pose challenges to her appointees and Democrats working to repeal laws, like the state's 2023 ban on diversity, equity and inclusion. Perhaps no year demonstrated the GOP's strength over academia more than 2025, when Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the firing of a Texas A&M University professor and president for teaching about gender identity in a children's literature class.

Republicans Had an Iron Grip on Texas Public Colleges. Then 'Poof.'
Texas Republicans have spent years trying to put the state's public universities on the bleeding edge of conservative reforms. Now they've hit a blue wall. In perhaps the most stunning string of midterm-election wins for Democrats, Texas voters on Tuesday handed near complete control of state government to the party, ending decades of Republican dominance. After years of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick exerting increasingly direct influence over public universities -- imposing restrictions on diversity initiatives, jumpstarting civic-thought schools, and making changes to faculty governance and academic oversight -- the incoming Democratic administration of Gina Hinojosa could mark a significant shift in the state's approach to higher education. But how much that shift translates into meaningful changes on campus remains an open question. While Democrats reclaimed the Texas House by a slim margin, they are outnumbered in the State Senate. Existing laws will remain on the books, and the governing boards overseeing Texas universities are largely composed of regents appointed by Abbott. "There's no way, given how high-profile these issues have become over the last six months to a year, that this incoming administration won't have remarkable influence over public universities," said Scott Schneider, an education lawyer and adjunct instructor at the University of Texas at Austin's law school. "It will be 180 degrees opposite of the influence that is being exerted on them now."

Democrats' Texas Takeover Could Reshape Boards, Laws and More
Democrats' election capture of Texas's top statewide offices and its House of Representatives could have major consequences for the state's numerous public colleges and universities, especially regarding Board of Regents appointments, higher ed legislation and related litigation. And it likely spells the end of the state's position as a poster child for conservative higher education overhauls. Under Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas passed more restrictive higher education laws than even Florida. The Republicans followed up a sweeping ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programming with a law last year saying that only an institution's governing board can create a faculty senate and only college and university presidents can pick its leaders. "It does feel like a repudiation of a party that has, for decades, argued for smaller government that would not get in the way of certain institutions doing their work, [yet] the Republican Party in Texas has done the exact opposite with public education," said Lina Murillo, an associate professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at UT Austin. "They have done the most -- creating policies and legislation that [directly involves politicians] in the way that teachers and professors can teach."

'Beaver' Aplin stars at fourth annual Texas A&M Architecture Showcase
Arch "Beaver" Aplin spoke on his student experience at Texas A&M during a question-and-answer session Tuesday at Rudder Theatre and noted that he came to A&M from Lake Jackson at the age of 17. It was at Texas A&M that Aplin said he grew up, and now he's at the point where he wants to give back to his alma mater. "It's a bit of a blur. Being a student here was a phenomenal experience for me. I grew up in a really small town and knew everybody in town. To come here and plop into a new town with tens of thousands of people your age all kind of in the same boat was just a phenomenal experience," Aplin said. "I thought I might miss home, but I quickly realized I didn't and it was wonderful and I loved it. I probably, in hindsight, was in too big a hurry. I graduated in four years and I should have drug that out a little longer, but it was a phenomenal experience. The people, the professors, the experience and the friends I still have to this day from Texas A&M University."

Some colleges reined in frats after rapes. Experts urge a bigger fix
For years, rapes and other sexual assault reports accumulated at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. There were so many complaints that Philadelphia magazine titled a 2014 story about the elite liberal arts school "Rape Happens Here." Then the issue hit a breaking point. In 2019, leaked documents from Phi Psi fraternity at Swarthmore captured members referencing a date rape drug and calling an upstairs bedroom of a frat house the "rape attic." Protests erupted including a four-day sit-in at the fraternity until the chapter voted to disband. The only other fraternity on campus, Delta Upsilon, agreed to shut down that same night. Swarthmore's president soon announced a ban on fraternities and sororities on campus that remains in effect today. Since then, the average number of sexual assaults reported each year has declined at the campus, but the rate of reported sexual crimes per student remains higher at Swarthmore than at most other U.S. colleges, federal data shows. "People think that because it's a small liberal arts college that doesn't have frats, that there's a certain element of safety or insulation from these problems," said Patricia Quimby-Moro, a junior who founded a student group to help survivors deal with sexual violence at Swarthmore. "But they still definitely happen." A national debate has unfolded over what colleges should do to prevent and respond to sexual violence since a woman filed a lawsuit in September alleging she was plied with drugs and alcohol and gang-raped at a Cornell University fraternity.

Community colleges rush to expand semiconductor training as labor shortage looms US chip industry
For three years, Ethan Mock worked part-time at a gym to make ends meet while taking on more than $100,000 in debt to pursue a degree in business administration. Earlier this year -- his fifth and final at Northern Arizona University -- he began looking beyond his major for a stable career. So in July, when he learned over the radio about a tuition-free, three-month semiconductor crash course at Rio Salado College, he signed up immediately, despite having no background in the field. The draw: the community college's new program offered students a chance to interview with major chipmakers in Arizona. Two months later, clad in protective gear inside a lab, Mock was operating advanced machinery used to turn thin slices of silicon into semiconductor chips that power smartphones, robotics and data centers. "I do want to be in a booming industry," said Mock, 23. Learning alongside him were a 64-year-old middle school teacher, a software developer in his 50s who recently was laid off, gig workers without degrees, and younger students considering alternatives to a traditional college degree. The cohort is enrolled in a highly specialized chip-manufacturing course that's part of a growing network of short-term, hands-on programs at community colleges. Their goal is to fill entry-level positions, such as technicians who maintain and service production equipment, more quickly.

Coalition Warns Congress That Trump Is Changing Grant Rules
The White House has to wait until mid-December to finalize a sweeping rule that would give political appointees more power over grant making. But more than 100 organizations, including the Association of American Universities and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told Congress in a letter sent Thursday that other federal agencies are trying to make similar changes to their grant-making rules -- moves that they say are "in direct contradiction to bipartisan language" that Congress passed in September as part of a temporary funding measure. According to the letter, the Education Department and the National Science Foundation have proposed rules that mirror the delayed regulations from the Office of Management and Budget, which first proposed changes in May that subject grants to more political review and give the administration more power to cancel funding for projects that don't align with the president's priorities. In addition, NASA and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Housing and Urban Development have sought to incorporate parts of the OMB rules into their grant policies, the letter says.

The MAGA Campus Culture War May Be Over
It's been a blue-wave midterm election, which will surely dampen Republicans' efforts to overhaul public colleges across the country. But even in the months leading up to the vote, Republicans seemed to have decided that the college culture wars had outlived their usefulness as a campaign issue. Democrats swept seats critical to higher-ed policy this Tuesday, including in the North Carolina House, and the governorships of Iowa, Ohio, and Texas. Republican lawmakers in all of those states have made major changes to their public colleges, including banning diversity programs, establishing civics centers, and appointing conservatives to boards. Indeed, Republicans have used colleges as a rhetorical punching bag and policy example for the last half-decade or more. President Trump and Ron DeSantis, Florida's governor, both campaigned in 2024 on rooting out "wokeness" from universities. What does it mean now that the party is out of power in key positions? (Though not all key positions: Term limits kept DeSantis from running again this year, and Floridians voted for Republican Byron Donalds to replace him.) One clue may lie in the fact that candidates barely said anything about higher education this election cycle.

A 'STEM wave': Democratic doctors, scientists win a record number of seats in the midterms
A record number of Democratic doctors, nurses, scientists and engineers will arrive next year in Washington, where they are expected to help shape a new health care agenda for the party and scrutinize Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure. Among them is Annie Andrews, who launched her bid by touting her credentials as a pediatrician before notching a stunning victory to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate in South Carolina in nearly 30 years. Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in a competitive Michigan Senate race, is a former public health official who wrote a book on Medicare-for-all. In Wisconsin, emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman flipped a House seat in a district President Donald Trump carried by 4.5 points in 2024. In California, pediatrician Richard Pan prevailed in a newly redrawn district. And in Iowa, Christina Bohannan, who has an engineering and law background, flipped a House seat. The organization 314 Action, which helps elect Democrats with a science background to public office, called the victories in battleground states a "STEM wave," noting the first Democratic doctors were elected to the Senate since the 1960s. Democrats won the House and Senate with sizable majorities and succeeded in states once unthinkable, such as Texas and Kansas.

'Historic change': what the 2026 US mid-term election results mean for science
The US mid-term elections swept the Democratic party to power in both chambers of the US Congress, raising hopes that lawmakers will now push back against disruptions to science introduced by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump. The results will mark the end of nearly two years in which the Republicans controlled the presidency and both congressional chambers -- and many scientists around the world are celebrating the change as an opportunity to protect the country's research system. This is a big win," says Megan Peters, a cognitive scientist who moved in 2025 from the University of California Irvine to University College London in part because of worries about US science. "It's a demonstration that US [voters] are dissatisfied with what the current administration has been doing." Scientific research "is America's superpower, and it's been cut at the knees". Those hopeful for change include researchers affected by the shuttering of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) early in Trump's presidency. Whether Congress will be able to increase funding for federal science, rather than just hold it relatively steady as they have for the past two years, is doubtful, however.

U.S. midterm election results brighten prospects for science
New lineup. Same challenges. Tuesday's midterm elections have given Democrats firm control of both chambers in the new U.S. Congress that will convene in January 2027, overturning Republican majorities. Many in the research community are hoping the pending power shift means a more sympathetic audience for their criticisms of President Donald Trump's policies. Science advocates are eager to blunt his efforts to slash research budgets, impose political control over grantmaking, and shrink the size of the federal government. They also hope a remade Congress will push back on Trump's efforts to restrict immigration, reduce international collaborations, and degrade federal data sets on everything from climate change to violence against the transgender community. "We think this election bodes well for research. We just have to make sure that it stays an important priority," says Russ Paulsen, CEO of Research!America, a coalition of major scientific organizations.

Two party system alive and well
Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Another big U.S. election has come and gone and our unique two-party system is alive and well. I love elections. Democracy is beautiful. I thank God we live in a free country. Three-quarters of the world population lives in countries with autocracies and no real democracy. Our two-party system is unique in the world. It's been a huge factor in the unparalleled success of our nation. Our founding father, George Washington, did not like political parties and warned against them in his farewell address. After all, a political party is a group of private citizens organizing in hopes of taking over the government. That doesn't sound very democratic. But the two-party system has had the remarkable attribute of balancing stability with popular choice. It prevents one-party domination by ensuring there is an equally powerful alternative party to replace the one in power. ... In this case, President Trump got a little too big for his britches and the American people, who detest a powerful bully, knocked him down. Same thing happened just a few years ago when the Democrats controlled all branches of government. It's the way our system works.

SPORTS


Men's Hoops Faces Northwestern State On Thursday
Mississippi State men's basketball continues its opening week homestand with a Thursday evening matchup with Northwestern State at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs (1-0) are coming off a 106-88 season opening victory over Tennessee Tech on Monday where State matched its most points scored under Coach Jans and went over the century mark in a season opener for the first time since 2015-16. The Maroon and White had a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures headed by Josh Hubbard (25 points, career-high 9 assists) and King Grace (career-high 23 points, career-best 8 rebounds, career-high 4 assists) who produced the top two scoring efforts on SEC opening night. State also received double-digit points courtesy of Tajuan Simpkins (15 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) Thomas Bassong (tied career-high 14 points, 6 rebounds) and RJ Johnson (12 points).

Mississippi State vs Vanderbilt injury report, latest on AJ Swann, Fluff Bothwell
Mississippi State football's initial SEC availability report for the Vanderbilt game was released on Nov. 4. Neither quarterback AJ Swann nor starting running back Fluff Bothwell are on the report after getting injured in the previous game at Texas. The Bulldogs (4-4, 2-4 SEC) host the Commodores (3-5, 0-5) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 7 (3:15 p.m., SEC Network). Swann would likely be MSU's starting quarterback for the second game in a row after Kamario Taylor's season-ending foot surgery. Starting safety Isaac Smith remains out, while starting linebacker Tyler Lockhart is questionable. The Bulldogs could also have wide receiver Ayden Williams available for the first time this season. He is listed as probable. The injury report will be updated nightly until 90 minutes before kickoff.

Midterm results put Protect College Sports Act in serious jeopardy
As lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, a relocation is in order. More than 25 Republican House of Representatives incumbents who lost to their Democratic counterparts will be evicted from their offices. The ousted lawmakers and their staffs will be asked to move from their spacious, multi-room, carpeted digs to makeshift cubicles within a windowless wing of the Rayburn office building -- a sort of biennial occurrence after such election results. On Tuesday night, the Democrats reclaimed the U.S. Senate by at least four seats and the U.S. House by a projected 80 seats. They flipped at least 35 seats in the House and another seven in the Senate. Though some of it was expected, few saw such a sweeping victory unfolding across the country. The Democrats were 3-point favorites. They won by three touchdowns. In fact, results were so lopsided that the college sports administrative community scrambled to get a question answered: What does this all mean for the Protect College Sports?

Democratic Election Wins Could Reshape Trump D.C. Golf Course Fight
Democrats won majorities in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, and President Donald Trump's plans to convert East Potomac Golf Links into a championship-style course have now spawned a formal judicial inquiry into whether federal officials misled the presiding judge. These are connected developments. The Democrats' success means they'll chair committees, including the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. As such, they can use subpoenas to compel testimony and obtain documents, conduct investigations and schedule legislative hearings on Trump's various plans to alter government property. Moreover, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who served as the lead House impeachment manager for Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, could become chair of the House Judiciary Committee. In July, Raskin wrote a letter demanding Trump administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowron, share much more information about the golf course plans.

Trans sports bans get voter approval in 4 states
Voters in four states -- Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington -- are on track to pass or have passed measures to restrict transgender athletes' participation in sports, a key policy focus of the Trump administration. Colorado, Nebraska and Washington's measures were ballot initiatives, while Arizona reached the ballot by way of the legislature. Although there were sweeping Democratic wins in Republican strongholds Tuesday, GOP-backed proposals are winning over voters in various parts of the country. Arizona's initiative, which was garnering approximately 59% support late Wednesday, expands existing restrictions on transgender athletes. Colorado's Proposition 134 was passing with 52% of the vote. Washington's initiative will prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' K-12 sports and require healthcare documentation verifying sex eligibility for students seeking to participate on female teams. According to Ballotpedia, 29 states had laws, regulations or interscholastic rules limiting or banning participation on female school sports teams to students of the female sex.

LIV Golf Heading for Liquidation as Last-Ditch Backers Pull Out
Even as LIV Golf circled the drain in bankruptcy court, people around the league insisted that it had the means and vision to turn around the troubled outfit. Just last week, two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau, LIV's most popular player, appeared on a podcast saying he was hopeful it could live forever. But behind the scenes, LIV and its proposed investor, the British firm BC Partners, were having problems bringing golfers on board -- and time was running out. The deadline for players to commit came and went last week. A slew of players, such as Spain's Jon Rahm, said publicly that they wouldn't continue with what was being dubbed "LIV 2.0." And privately, it was somehow worse. Even DeChambeau, LIV's leading hype-man, hadn't signed on, people familiar with the matter said. LIV Golf, the controversial upstart that loudly burst onto the scene in 2022 with billions of dollars of Saudi money and team tournaments around the globe, is now expected to die off quietly in a New Jersey bankruptcy court. The precipitous downfall of LIV leaves many players with uncertain futures.

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