| Wednesday, September 23, 2026 |
| U.N.'s FAO renews Miss. State designation | |
 | The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is redesignating Mississippi State University as an FAO Reference Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity. The school said the renewal follows FAO's positive review of MSU's progress since it was first named an FAO Reference Centre in 2022, and it extends the agreement for a five-year period through October 2031. The university has a long history of leading expertise in the areas of fisheries and aquaculture, working with the FAO in the areas of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, as well as aquaculture biosecurity and aquatic animal health. The center is housed within the university's Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, or GCAHFS. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms evolve to resist treatments such as antibiotics. |
| Turfgrass research explores water savings, year-round quality | |
| Researchers at Oklahoma State University and Mississippi State University are evaluating bluemuda turfgass, a system that combines bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass to improve year-round turf quality while reducing irrigation needs in transition-zone climates. Choosing specific types of turfgrass to thrive year-round is a little more straightforward in states like California and Florida, which stay consistently warm, and further north in Minnesota and Iowa, where the weather is consistently cooler. But states in the transition zone, which include Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi, experience both extreme summer heat and harsh winter freezes. Bluemuda turfgrass combines warm-season bermudagrass with cool-season Kentucky bluegrass. The multistate project is evaluating whether the dual system can provide year-round green turf, reduce irrigation needs and lower maintenance costs in transition-zone climates. In Mississippi, the bluemuda system could provide year-round green turf without the annual expense of overseeding, said Barry Stewart, an MSU professor in plant and soil sciences. |
| 'You guys can shave my head:' Space Cowboys win big at international competition | |
| When Ruth Barnett watched Bandit shoot into the Texas sky, she had two thoughts. The first was pride. The second was that she might be about to lose all her hair. "I was so proud and happy," Barnett, a junior mechanical engineering major and the president of Mississippi State University's Space Cowboys, said, "but I was also dreading it because I was like, 'Oh, we totally just won that.'" A few days earlier, on the way to the launch field at the International Rocket Engineering Competition in Midland, Texas, Barnett had made her team a promise: If the Space Cowboys placed in the top three overall, they could shave her head. Their rocket, Bandit, did a little better than that. MSU finished first overall at the 2026 International Rocket Engineering Competition, competing against more than 140 teams from 16 countries. Bandit, the team's student-designed and built rocket, reached 29,518 feet -- just 482 feet short of its 30,000-foot target -- and also took home first place in the 30K Commercial Off-the-Shelf division. The championship marked the culmination of nearly a year of designing, manufacturing, testing and, at one point, rebuilding almost the entire rocket. |
| Starkville man charged with 23 counts of auto burglary, vehicle theft | |
| A Starkville man has been charged with 23 counts of auto burglary and one count of felony taking of a motor vehicle following a series of break-ins reported last week, according to the Starkville Police Department. Anthony Buchanan, 20, was charged Tuesday, Sept. 22, in connection with vehicle burglaries reported Sept. 15 in southern Starkville, off Louisville Street. Police said Buchanan had been arrested in connection with previous auto burglary investigations. In November 2023, he was charged with multiple counts after a series of 25 reported vehicle burglaries and two stolen vehicles. In July 2024, Buchanan was charged with five counts of auto burglary, one count of grand larceny involving a vehicle and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. According to police, Buchanan was on parole for auto burglary at the time of his latest arrest. The department urged residents to follow its nightly "9 p.m. Routine" by removing valuables and firearms from vehicles and locking their doors. |
| Mississippi Rose Parade float to celebrate state's culinary scene, landscape | |
| Mississippi will once again be on display during the world-famous Rose Parade. Visit Mississippi announced Tuesday that the state's tourism arm will make its third appearance in the iconic Pasadena New Year's celebration. This newest float, "Mississippi: Where Hospitality is Always on the Menu," aims to highlight the Magnolia State's culinary scene and landscape. Designed and fabricated by Artistic Entertainment Services, the culinary-themed float transforms the parade route into an outdoor gathering place. From fresh Gulf seafood and picturesque landscapes to hospitality, the float is being designed to showcase a place where there is always room at the table. "Mississippi hospitality is something you have to experience to truly understand," Visit Mississippi Executive Director Rochelle Hicks said. "It's the invitation to pull up a chair, stay awhile, share a meal and enjoy the music. 'Where Hospitality is Always on the Menu' captures that spirit beautifully, showcasing the incredible food, music, and landscapes that visitors can experience throughout Mississippi." The upcoming Rose Parade will take place on Jan. 1, 2027. |
| Vicksburg National Military Park bill passes U.S. Senate | |
| The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act. The legislation permits the State of Mississippi to build a new informational visitor center and make necessary structural improvements around the park. It now heads to President Trump's desk. "Every generation has a solemn responsibility to preserve our nation's history for the ones that follow," said Senator Wicker. "The Senate is helping fulfill that duty, unanimously approving our legislation to enhance the experience of visiting Vicksburg National Military Park. This legislation will support Mississippi's efforts to keep the story of Vicksburg alive and accessible for students, families, and visitors." "This is a monumental step for Vicksburg National Military Park and the State of Mississippi. The land transfer facilitated by this legislation gives the state the ability to tell the complete story of the Siege of Vicksburg for generations to come," Senator Hyde-Smith said. "I look forward to seeing these improvements to enhance one of Mississippi's most visited and treasured parks." |
| Senator Wicker unhappy with President Trump's 'lavish welcome' of China's Xi Jinping to U.S. | |
| With Chinese President Xi Jinping set to visit the U.S. to meet with President Donald Trump, Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker took to the floor of the Senate on Tuesday to outline the increasing tempo of Chinese aggression. He called the Chinese President a "brutal, unelected, and oppressive dictator." "Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party," Wicker said. Wicker, a Republican that serves as the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, addressed the Chinese Communist Party's support for Iran, religious persecutions, and international coercion. "The president might inquire about the purposes of China's massive military build-up, or about China's clear support for Iran," Wicker continued. "This summer, it was all over the press that China gave Iran satellite imagery intelligence, and that intelligence led to the death of American troops." |
| Clyburn Isn't 'Confident' in Democrats' Chances to Win the Majority | |
| Rep. Jim Clyburn says Democrats need to fix their voter-targeting methods while looking to mobilize Black voters ahead of the midterms, as the party deals with the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the elimination of majority-Black congressional districts. "We've always had a good message, that's not the problem," Clyburn said on the latest episode of The Washington Sun Cast. "The problem is the messaging. ... Our problem has been with our methods, the methods that we use to convey the message." Clyburn is taking part in the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's "So Vote" initiative, which is looking to mobilize turnout among Black voters in the midterms by using community action rather than advertising. "Why are we dependent upon television to do it when we ought to put boots on the ground," Clyburn said. "What is it when you pay somebody 20% to place a TV ad from their air-conditioned office? Ain't nobody saying anything about that. And we lose in those elections when you do that." Clyburn gave a stern "no" when asked if he has confidence Democrats will win the House majority in November, but he said he is encouraged by the work being done on the campaign trail. |
| At UN, Trump again threatens Iran, but suggests end of war is near | |
 | President Donald Trump used his address Tuesday to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly both to threaten the annihilation of Iran and to suggest the Iranian regime has had enough of a war that is dragging on with no end in sight. "I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?" he asked. "Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?" As Mr. Trump issued his threat, the Iranian delegation stood and walked out, though one reportedly lower-level member remained. While world leaders have used this podium in the past for aggressive language against foes, only Mr. Trump has delivered this level of violent threat, both in his remarks on Tuesday and his address here in 2017, when he made a similar warning to North Korea. This is the third time he has threatened Iran's destruction. Despite his rhetoric on Tuesday, Mr. Trump also said he thought Iran and the U.S. could be heading toward a resolution of the war "one way or the other." In his speech, Mr. Trump also praised America's projection of power globally. |
| Trump says AI will be renamed 'super intelligence' in all US documents | |
 | President Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that artificial intelligence will be renamed "super intelligence" in all U.S. documents. "The United States also totally rejects any attempt to construct a globality scheme to control for the artificial intelligence being spoken of so much now, hereinafter called super intelligence. Changing the name," Trump told the global body. "The use of the word artificial makes intelligence sound fake," he continued. "It is not fake. It's actually amazing. But we have to be careful. In fact, it is exactly the opposite of what it purports." "From this point forward, all of United States documents and hopefully the world's will be changed to use the much more accurate term super as opposed to artificial," he continued. "In other words, welcome to the new world of super intelligence -- SI," he said. "Let's see if that goes. It sounds much better. It is much better, and it's much more accurate." Super intelligence is already defined as a form of artificial intelligence that exceeds human intelligence. It is both the ultimate goal of many frontier AI firms and the greatest worry among those warning about its threat to humanity. |
| Economic frustration tests Trump's standing with rural voters, new AP-KFF poll finds | |
 | About half of rural American voters believe the economy is worse off now than when President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a new survey that points to economic frustration among a key group that has backed Trump and other Republicans in recent elections. The Associated Press, in partnership with KFF, polled more than 2,000 rural registered voters and found broadly negative views of the national and local economies, including among many Republicans. The costs of groceries, gas and healthcare rank as top pain points for the rural voters, who were surveyed over two weeks starting in mid-August. And a larger share than among voters overall say they are worried about being able to afford groceries or gas. At the same time, about half of rural voters approve of Trump's job performance, more than among U.S. adults overall in separate AP-NORC polling. The findings suggest that many rural voters haven't turned on Trump but that they also largely don't think he has delivered the economic renaissance he promised on the campaign trail. |
| No ransoms paid in cyberattacks on UMMC and IHL, officials say | |
| No ransoms were paid to hackers during the cyberattacks that hit the University of Mississippi Medical Center or Institutes of Higher Learning this year, officials confirmed to Mississippi Today. "No state taxpayer dollars were used" to pay the perpetrators of either attack, said Sen. Nicole Boyd, a Republican from Oxford and the chair of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee. A cyberattack struck the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning offices on Sep. 7, temporarily rendering the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid unable to process student applications and payments. IHL officials are working with federal law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals to determine what happened and whether confidential or sensitive data was accessed or compromised. IHL spokesperson John Sewell said the agency did not pay a ransom connected to the attack. He said he could not yet share an update on the agency's recovery process. Marc Rolph, a spokesperson for UMMC, said Friday the medical center did not pay a ransom to the hackers. On Monday, State Auditor Shad White sent a letter to IHL Commissioner Al Rankins Jr. seeking more information about the agency's response to both attacks. |
| Two Ole Miss students found dead as packaged kratom is recovered at two sites: officials | |
 | Two University of Mississippi students were found dead amid a drug-related investigation, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in a news release that law enforcement is investigating the deaths of two college-aged individuals found at separate locations. Authorities have not confirmed the deaths are connected, but packaged kratom sold from a retail store was recovered in both investigations. "We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death," the agency said. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the University of Mississippi confirmed that both of the deceased were students there. Law enforcement is treating the deaths as two separate investigations, and officials have not confirmed whether any substance contributed to either death. Officials asked the public "to avoid speculation regarding the circumstances or cause of either death while these investigations remain ongoing." |
| Library exhibit explores 150 years of A&M architecture | |
| As Texas A&M University prepares to celebrate 150 years, the Cushing Library is looking back at the school's history through its architecture in the Legacy of Brick and Stone exhibit. "We talk about architecture a lot, but really we like to think of this as the built environment because it goes beyond just architecture," said Ian Muise, historian and co-curator of the exhibit. The Legacy of Brick and Stone opened Sept. 18 and will remain until May 15. It features artifacts and photographs of buildings long gone and materials repurposed across the campus. Muise and co-curator Audrey Lloyd started out a couple of years ago trying to create a map of where original buildings stood and collecting historic photographs of them. The result of their research tells the architectural history of Texas A&M. "The way we've arranged this is it's pretty much chronological, and we start here with Old Main, which was the first building built on campus. It was built in 1875, and it stood until 1912, and in May of 1912 it burned," Muise said. |
| U. of Oklahoma receives $150 million, largest gift in university history | |
| The University of Oklahoma announced Tuesday it will rename its Health Campus to the Harold Hamm Health Campus at the University of Oklahoma after the oil tycoon donated $150 million, the single largest gift in university history. Of the $150 million, $100 million will be allocated to the Health Campus and $50 million will go toward research at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. Hamm is now the largest individual donor in OU's history, with his total donations to the university approaching $250 million. "Today is one of those days where you remember where you were because you knew something extraordinary was taking place," said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. "We've created an academic health system that's there for the entire state, ... and we're honored to have his name on our campus." During the announcement event Tuesday, Hamm reflected on his own experience with his diabetes diagnosis, which was his motivation for funding OU's Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. Harroz said Hamm was struck by the cost of insulin and while he does not personally take insulin, he wanted to help those who couldn't afford it each month. Following the event, Harroz said the $100 million allocated to the Health Campus will go toward Project 200, an initiative to recruit 200 of the nation's leading researchers. Of those hires, 150 will be at the OU Health Campus, Harroz said. The remaining $50 million, which is allocated to the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, will go toward research initiatives at the center. |
| $1 Billion Donation to University of Oregon Makes History | |
 | The unscheduled phone call turned out to be worth $1 billion. University of Oregon leaders have long been accustomed to big checks from Phil Knight, a Nike co-founder whose surname is splashed on everything from the library to the law center. When Mr. Knight called Oregon's president this year, though, he and his wife, Penny, had a greater gift in mind: the largest known contribution to a public flagship university in the United States. Oregon announced the donation, which will go toward starting an engineering college, on Wednesday, bringing the Knight family's known total giving to Oregon to more than $2 billion. But the contribution underscores how even the biggest gifts rarely erase financial strains at places like Oregon, which is weighing millions of dollars in fresh budget cuts as enrollment ebbs. Declining birthrates suggest a darkening outlook for colleges in the coming years as the number of children drops, and the Trump administration is pursuing a vigorous campaign to overhaul -- and reduce -- federal research funding. In 1964, Mr. Knight, working with his former track coach at the university, started the company that became Nike. Today, Mr. Knight is 88, and his company is so entwined with Oregon that some refer to the school as "the University of Nike." |
| From AI Use to Funding Cuts: How Provosts Are Navigating 2026 | |
 | As artificial intelligence continues to disrupt college campuses, chief academic officers are embracing AI tools. Roughly seven in 10 provosts use AI in their own day-to-day work at least once per week, according to Inside Higher Ed's latest survey of CAOs -- but only one in 10 reported their institution has a centralized AI strategy. Provosts report that AI has most delivered value to their institution in the form of individual productivity gains (39 percent said this) and administrative efficiency (36 percent), which is reflected in how they most often use the technology. Seventy-one percent of provosts use AI to summarize documents and reports, 66 percent for presentations and meetings, and 65 percent to draft communications to faculty, staff or students. One survey respondent noted they receive more than 100 emails per day and use AI to "identify high-priority action items" in their inbox. Others said they use AI to help source data from other institutions, for calendar analysis, grant development and organizing higher ed news. |
| The Most AI-Exposed College Graduates Are Entering Another Great Recession | |
 | Recent college graduates in majors particularly vulnerable to artificial-intelligence disruptions are seeing worse initial job outcomes, according to a new government working paper. The working paper, released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau, found that graduates of the most AI-exposed programs are experiencing a decline in their likelihood of immediate employment after graduation, as well as a decline in earnings. The report offers concrete evidence of how young graduates are faring in a job market shaped by AI -- an environment that may shift what students choose to study. The AI exposure across different fields was determined using a 2024 study, which assessed tasks based on how easily they could be automated and mapped those tasks to a variety of occupations. Census Bureau researchers then used those measures and traced them back to graduates using data provided to the bureau by colleges about students and majors. |
| Midterm elections in Mississippi shaping up as a familiar exercise in black-and-white | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: In Washington, Republicans and Democrats share a real concern and a real anticipation: the 2026 midterm election may become a realigning election -- meaning one in which significant segments of voters change their partisan loyalty, resulting in a change in control of Congress. Those fears are stronger regarding the U.S. House than in the Senate, but some believe both could be in play. Yet for the 2026 midterm elections in Mississippi, the stars are aligning for a status-quo outcome. Available polling and the professional political prognosticators' reading of the proverbial tea leaves indicate that our state's incumbent members of Congress appear headed for re-election and aren't facing particularly close challenges. In other words, color the midterms in Mississippi with a flamboyant shade of black and white. What does that mean? It means what it has often meant historically in Mississippi -- despite more than a half-century of demonstrable progress on the thorny issue of race in our state, the lowest common denominator in politics often remains race. |
| A Federal-Funding Rollercoaster Continues as Trump Invests $174 Million in HBCUs | |
| The Trump administration is directing more than $174 million in one-time funding to the nation's historically Black colleges and universities, the Education Department announced today. The funding comes as the administration seeks to increase federal investment in HBCUs but takes away money meant for other kinds of minority-serving institutions. "For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have been engines of opportunity in communities, advancing critical innovations and uplifting local industries across the nation," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. The administration will also make a $61-million, one-time investment in tribal colleges and universities. McMahon announced the investment at this week's HBCU Summit at the White House, which has brought together HBCU presidents, philanthropic organizations, private companies, and several administration officials to discuss improving degree completion and understanding federal policy changes. The summit follows an executive order signed last April in which President Trump directed federal agencies and private companies to "promote excellence and innovation" at HBCUs by partnering with the institutions. |
SPORTS
| Mizzou looking to relaunch passing game that sputtered vs. Troy | Mizzou Football | columbiamissourian.com | |
 | Mizzou football has a big test ahead of it this week as it hits the road to face Mississippi State. Some facets of the Tigers' win over Troy in Week 3 simply won't fly in their first SEC game. The passing game is at the top of that list. New quarterback Austin Simmons struggled to connect with his wide receivers, targets he managed to find earlier in the season. MU coach Eli Drinkwitz spoke Tuesday on what the Tigers need to improve ahead of their Week 4 game against the Bulldogs. "I didn't think it was a lack of trust in the protection or anything like that," Drinkwitz said of the struggles in the passing game against Troy. "I just think it was, for whatever reason, our timing was off." While the passing game took a step back against Troy, Mizzou's special teams unit showed drastic improvement. Wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes scored a massive touchdown and helped in punt coverage as well. "I thought our special teams was really outstanding," Drinkwitz said. "I thought DaMarion Fowlkes really played well, not just on the punt return and making great decisions on the catches, but he was our gunner on our punt team and forced four fair catches." |
| Softball: Bulldogs To Open 2027 Season At NFCA Leadoff Classic | |
| The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has released the schedule for its annual NFCA Leadoff Classic tournament in Clearwater, Florida, on Feb. 11-14. Mississippi State will open its 2027 season at the event, playing five games in three days from Feb. 11-13. Four of the eight Women's College World Series teams from 2026 will be in attendance. Mississippi State won the event in 2020 in head coach Samantha Ricketts' first season at the helm. This spring will be the Bulldogs' 10th appearance in the tournament, and they are 8-1 in the competition under Ricketts. The Bulldogs will open the event against LIU in the tournament's first game at 2 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 11. Following that contest, State will be one of eight teams in action at 5 p.m. when the Bulldogs meet Indiana. On Friday, MSU will open the day with a 9 a.m. first pitch against Virginia Tech before playing Liberty at noon. The Bulldogs close the tournament on Saturday against Nebraska at noon. |
| Sens. Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville file new amendment to Protect College Sports Act | |
| Tuesday evening, the Protect College Sports Act cleared another procedural hurdle as it continues to move in the U.S. Senate. Two Republican lawmakers from Alabama, Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, have also filed an amendment aimed at the rev-share cap, Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger reported. The amendment would implement a hard cap on revenue-sharing for athletes and say NIL funds from associated entities would count toward it. Those entities include school sponsors, multimedia rights partners and NIL collectives. The amendment was included in a request sent to senators for unanimous consent on the Protect College Sports Act, according to Yahoo! Sports. That request failed and it's still unclear if the amendment will be added to the bill. News of the amendment's filing came shortly after the Protect College Sports Act cleared 60 votes on a procedural vote Tuesday. The bill has already cleared two such votes as lawmakers look to bring it to the Senate floor for a full vote this week. |
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