| Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Miss. State among Southeast Regional AI Computing Consortium founding partners | |
 | A new Southeast Regional AI Computing Consortium includes Mississippi State University among founding partners. Announced by the White House at Thursday's Science: A New Golden Age Summit in Washington, D.C., the consortium will strengthen and grow super intelligence-powered discovery and innovation across the Southeast region through shared investments in and support for state-of-the-art, leadership-class AI compute infrastructure. In addition to Mississippi State, founding partners include Auburn, Louisiana State and Vanderbilt universities, and the universities of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee Knoxville. Scott Willard, MSU interim vice president for research and economic development, said consortium initiatives will advance the scientific frontier and fuel innovation clusters that create a more secure, prosperous and innovation-focused future for the Southeast region. Mississippi State is home to two of the world's top-ranked supercomputers. The university also is a strategic partner of the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center, which will house the MSU-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative. |
| AI and autonomous ag machines share a tie | |
| When it comes to technology in agriculture, there is no shortage of topics and that includes artificial intelligence and autonomous equipment. Farmers and ranchers, who have a long history of integrating technology, understand that investments in such practices have to be profitable and increase efficiency. While the headlines in the past year have been about data centers and their impact, there is overlap with what farmers have already been doing. Alex Thomasson, a professor and director of the Agricultural Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University, was a featured presenter on the Ames, Iowa-based Council of Agricultural Science and Technology's webinar, noted that precision agriculture has been a part of the economic landscape for many years. Artificial intelligence in agriculture is a demanding environment, he said, citing weather conditions and connectivity that can vary from region to region -- even from field to field. "Agriculture is a biological system, and we know that biological systems are inherently variable," Thomasson said. "Agriculture takes place outdoors under the climate and we know that weather changes continuously. We know that there are pests in agriculture, diseases, weeds, and insects, and those are unpredictable, and their prevalence varies from one farm field to another." |
| Rice Season Ends Positively Despite Fewer Acres Planted | |
| Although Mississippi rice producers planted fewer acres this year than is typical, it was a good production year overall. "Yield reports were positive for the majority of our fields," said Will Eubank, rice specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "We had some outliers, of course. But compared to 2024 and 2025, which were pretty bad years for yields, we had a good year. It wasn't great, but it was good." He estimated 90% to 95% of fields had been harvested as of Sept. 30. Producers planted 48,000 acres of rice, down about 70% from 2025's 162,000 acres. Producers experienced favorable weather during planting season, and about half of the state's acreage was planted between March 15 and 20. Then, a period of dry weather hit that affected germination. "We got a lot of rice planted during that early window, but around early April, we had a month and a half of very dry weather that caused uneven germination," said Eubank, who is stationed at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. |
| Extension scientists ask public to watch for new insect in Mississippi | |
| What might appear to some to be a beautifully exotic butterfly is actually an invasive pest that can devastate fruit crops and be a nuisance in home landscapes. Although not yet detected in Mississippi, the spotted lanternfly is spreading across the country. Scientists with the Mississippi State University Extension Service are asking the public to help watch for signs that the pest is present in the state. In infested states, it has become a key pest in fruit crops, including grapes, apples and peaches, requiring ongoing monitoring and management. "Mississippi has several small-scale fruit production areas that would suffer from this insect if it made its way into the state," said Jermaine Perier, Extension entomologist who focuses on insect pests of fruits, vegetables and nuts. "However, because these farms and gardens are small, the impact from this pest can potentially be missed if the public is unaware that they should watch for it." |
| High school, community college students invited to MSU's Music Discovery Day | |
| Mississippi State's Department of Music is hosting its annual Music Discovery Day for high school juniors, seniors and community college students Nov. 9. The event takes place 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Music Building, located at 124 Hardy Road. Registration -- free for attendees and one guest -- is available online. Attendees will have opportunities to visit with faculty members and current students. In addition to learning about the department's academic programs, scholarships and career opportunities, participants can observe music classes and attend faculty and student performances. High school seniors and community college students also may audition for a music scholarship during the event. For more about Music Discovery Day, email Assistant Professor Jenna Klein at jmk734@msstate.edu. |
| Hurricane Isaias upgraded to Cat 3 strength, targeting Pensacola | |
 | A strengthening Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall as a "high-end Category 2" storm tonight or Saturday morning, according to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center. At 7:20 a.m., the National Hurricane Center announced Isaias is carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 mph Friday morning, making the storm a major Category 3 hurricane. While the forecast indicates there will "probably" weaken before landfall, Isaias is expected to make landfall with winds of about 100 mph. While warnings and watches remain for all of South Mississippi, the hurricane center's forecast track continues to call for a landfall east of Pensacola. The NHC says Isaias is expected to turn northward and accelerate later Friday due to increasing flow between an upper trough near the northwestern Gulf Coast and a subtropical ridge extending across the western Atlantic. Landfall is expected to occur within the hurricane warning area Friday night or early Saturday. Regardless of its exact wind speed at landfall, Isaias will be a dangerous hurricane with significant storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains. The wind field is also predicted to grow, and some of Isaias' effects will extend well away from the center. After landfall, gusty winds are expected to reach well inland over portions of the southeastern United States. |
| Hurricane Isaias remnants to hit Golden Triangle on Saturday | |
 | Starting tonight, Lowndes, Oktibbeha and Clay counties are all under a flood watch with Hurricane Isaias expected to blow through the Golden Triangle on Saturday. By the time Isaias reaches the area, it will be too weak to be considered a hurricane, but residents should be prepared for heavy rainfall and strong winds with gusts potentially up to 45 mph, Matt Laubhan, Mississippi LIVE Weather meteorologist, told The Dispatch. Laubhan added there is also a chance of tornadoes forming in the area although they are more likely to the east of the region. Isaias is expected to make landfall tonight along the Alabama Gulf Coast, Laubhan said. Residents of the Golden Triangle should expect some strong wind gusts and rain as early as tonight, he said. Laubhan said the storm will have weakened to less than Tropical Storm force by the time it reaches the Golden Triangle. "Rain is probably the biggest impact, some gusty wind, but depending on the track the possibility of tornadoes I think is still on the table," Laubhan said. |
| Barbour, Ezell talk hurricane reflections and lessons as Isaias approaches Coast | |
| Coast residents and officials filed into the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's hospitality center to talk about disaster preparedness as Hurricane Isaias, an expected Category 2 storm as of Thursday, approached the state's shores. The state's Public Service Commission put on the timely "From Recovery to Resilience" summit, announced a few weeks ago, just before Isaias' expected landfall on Friday evening. The hurricane's path shifted east since initial forecasts earlier this week, but as of Thursday Jackson County was under a hurricane warning and all of Mississippi's Coast was under a storm surge warning. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Stephen McCraney said MEMA will likely send National Guard members to support Alabama and Florida, where Isaias is expected to have the greatest impacts. But the summit attempted to shift the public's attention from the short term to the long term: What can we do now to prepare for storms down the road? The event was the PSC's second in a series of resilience summits, following one in Tupelo over the summer focused on lessons learned from Winter Storm Fern in January. Thursday's edition, led by Southern District Public Service Commissioner Wayne Carr, homed in on hurricanes, and featured speeches from former Gov. Haley Barbour and U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell. |
| Tribe receives $12M grant for new business park | |
| The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians recently was awarded more than $12 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA). The primary use of the funds will be to support the development of a new business park to industrial tenants to MBCI Tribal lands. $10.7 million was awarded by the EDA to fund roadway, water, sewer and stormwater construction to support a new industrial site and foster business creation in the region. The planned industrial site will be more than 200 acres of shovel-ready land that can be developed to suit a variety of tenants. Plans are to hold a groundbreaking on the site in 2027. "This grant represents another step forward in creating opportunities for our people. We have run out of industrial property, and this investment gives us the infrastructure to bring industry to Choctaw lands and create jobs for our community," said Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. The EDA also issued a $1.9 million grant to the MBCI to support the completion of the Tribe's Workforce Training Center, which is currently under construction. |
| Musselwhite says SpaceXAI being good corporate citizen offering buyouts near data center | |
 | Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite said the offer by the parent company of SpaceXAI to buy resident's homes near its power plant and data center shows that the company is trying to be a good corporate citizen. The mayor blasted media reports on Memphis television stations that claimed residents are being forced to sell and move as inaccurate and misleading. "This past weekend we had some very slanted journalism occur with Memphis media, particularly Memphis TV," Musselwhite said at the Oct. 6 Board of Aldermen meeting. "There were stories that alarmed people who lived in the area who could be potential property owners of the buy out, and basically stirred this information that people are being forced out. This story that people are being forced to move out by SpaceXAI is slanted and false." Musselwhite reiterated that nobody is being forced to sell or accept the buyout offers. He said SpaceXAI is simply being a good corporate citizen. Their goal is to eliminate any negative impact or perception of negative impact to neighboring residents. |
| Georgia-Pacific Monticello completes $110 million log line improvement project | |
 | Georgia-Pacific's containerboard facility in Monticello, Mississippi, recently commissioned a $110 million log line modernization project -- upgrades that reduce truck unloading times and strengthen the mill's status as an industry leader. The project represents one of the company's largest investments at the Lawrence County facility. The facility's log line consists of weigh scales, cranes, a debarker, a chipper and other equipment needed to safely unload trucks and prepare logs for processing into pulp. Mill leaders recently celebrated the completion of the project. Public officials on hand for the celebration were the Lawrence County Board of Supervisors, Monticello Mayor Justin Mullins, Rep. Vince Mangold, Sen. Jason Barrett and Lawrence County Community Development Association Director Stevie Yoas. "The support of the local community and the hard work of our employees made this project possible," Tony Brown, the mill's general manager, said. "The improved truck unloading times will help loggers and allow us to process more logs into chips. This mutually beneficial relationship is key to our success." |
| Officials commemorate Mississippi State Fair with ribbon-cutting | |
| Law enforcement, officials, media, and community members gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially kick off the 167th Mississippi State Fair on Thursday. Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson thanked the Mississippi National Guard and others who make the event and the state fair possible, with two Black Hawk helicopters in a special flyover. In his opening speech, Gipson emphasized the importance of the 2026 state fair's "Let Freedom Ring" theme. Gipson invited special guests Brigadier General Tommy Tillman Jr. and Mississippi Department of Transportation Central Commissioner Willie Simmons to thank them and allow them to say a few words about what they do and their contributions to the fair. "I'm so honored to be here to open up the fair on the year our nation turned 250 years old," Tillman said. The 11-day Mississippi State Fair runs through Oct. 18 this year and offers amusement-style rides, local eats, classic fair-food staples, rodeo events, an antique car show, and more. |
| Tindell's Attorney General campaign tops million-dollar fundraising mark | |
| Sean Tindell started his campaign to be Mississippi's next Attorney General in August with roughly $507,000 cash on hand, according to finance reports filed in January. Now, the current Commissioner of Public Safety says he has brought in $700,000 a little over a month into his statewide campaign. On Thursday, Tindell's campaign showed that his campaign coffers topped $1.2 million thanks to the broad-based grassroots support he has received from across Mississippi. Surpassing the million-dollar mark is likely to give potential challengers pause. As DPS Commissioner, Tindell has been able to travel the state and visit with local law enforcement agencies, District Attorneys and Sheriffs. That network, coupled with his previous campaign experience as a former State Senator, has presumably allowed him to build relationships that are willing to invest in his Attorney General bid. In addition to his sizable fundraising haul, Tindell has also picked up more than 65 endorsements from elected officials and law enforcement leaders, giving him another leg up on any challengers who may be considering entering the race. |
| Replacing Alito on the court? It's if, not when | |
 | As Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. hints he could retire next year, senators are watching closely. It would mean a tough confirmation process on Capitol Hill for any replacement picked by President Donald Trump, experts say. Alito, 76, has contemplated retirement but decided to stay through the end of the Supreme Court term that started this week, he told CBS and Bloomberg in recent interviews. Replacing Alito during the Trump administration could mean cementing the court's current controlling 6-3 conservative bloc for years to come and would give Trump his fourth pick on the court. "I intend to stick around through this term," Alito said in the Bloomberg interview released Tuesday. The statements come weeks before the midterms as Senate control hangs in the balance, and do not commit Alito to actually retiring. Casey Burgat, legislative affairs program director at George Washington University, called them an "October surprise to say the least," coming so close to the election. But the impact may be limited. Multiple experts think it's unlikely Democrats would move forward with any candidate Trump nominated, following the decision by then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2016 to refuse to act on President Barack Obama's choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. |
| Senate rules would change under sweeping bipartisan proposal | |
| A bipartisan pair of senators wants to do something bold before a new Congress takes over: Fix the Senate's frequently maligned rules. No, Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., don't want to end the filibuster. But they have a proposal that would allow more bipartisan bills to get votes, end time-wasting procedures, and actually allow popular bills to come to the Senate floor and pass, according to details reviewed by Semafor. "More bills passed, more votes taken, less time wasted. That sums up," Daines told Semafor in a joint interview with Merkley. It's a big undertaking for the odd couple, but the effort has more momentum behind it than one would expect. Merkley is the Senate's resident rules expert and has literally written the book on Senate gridlock. Daines, who is retiring, is close to two of the people they'll need on board to pass the proposal: President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. |
| Midterms could mark start of a generational shift in Congress | |
 | Americans say they're looking for generational change in Congress. Members are, on average, two decades older than the American public. At a time when 3 out of 4 senators are baby boomers or Silent Generation, public polling shows most Americans favor age and term limits. And recently, the public has criticized members for being out of touch with issues like artificial intelligence that may be more easily understood by digital natives. It appears some change is coming. In 27 House races in which an incumbent is leaving or lost a primary, the seat will get younger, according to a Monitor analysis. In 21 of those, the new representative will be at least a decade younger. And in four, like the one for retiring Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett's seat, a departing baby boomer will be replaced by a millennial -- someone almost two generations younger. It's a similar story in the Senate, where in 11 of 14 open races, both candidates are younger than the departing incumbent (including the race for former GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat, where his replacement Darline Graham was appointed, not elected). "We seem to be reaching an inflection point," says Jim Curry, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame who co-authored a study on lawmaker age and representation in Congress. "After 10, 15 or so years of Congress and its leaders continuing to age ... we're starting to suddenly see that shift." |
| For Walmart, Replacing Humans With Robots Is a Multibillion-Dollar Struggle | |
 | Walmart has relied for years on more than 140,000 warehouse workers to unload trucks, forklift pallets of merchandise into warehouses, sort and store the goods on towering racks, then reverse the entire flow to send them out to stores and homes. It isn't an easy job. A worker might walk 20,000 steps a shift. It also isn't all that complicated -- unless you try to program robots to do it. Consider the seemingly simple task called "breakpack" -- removing items from cardboard boxes to send out individually. It's a no-brainer for Walmart's humans. But it turned into one of the many challenges bedeviling the company's decadelong, multibillion-dollar quest to automate its warehouses. "We are kind of in this peak complexity," said Rob Montgomery, head of supply-chain operations for Walmart U.S., who is overseeing the automation transition now under way at most of Walmart's roughly 200 U.S. supply-chain buildings. Problems have multiplied. The cardboard shipping boxes Walmart has used for years are too big for the automated systems. The miniature robots that shuttle goods break down too often. The systems can't accommodate some oversize products, such as big bags of dog food. |
| 'Breathtaking,' 'Devastating': Mathematics Reels After New OpenAI Release | |
 | "If a human did this, it would be an instant Fields Medal, no questions asked." That's how Alex Kontorovich, chair of the department of mathematics at Rutgers, responded to an A.I.-generated proof that OpenAI, the artificial intelligence giant, released on Tuesday. And that single proof -- worthy, in Dr. Kontorovich's assessment on social media, of arguably the highest honor in the field of mathematics -- was just one among more than 350 findings that the firm released that day, all at once. Not all of them were quite so remarkable. But Martin Bridson, a mathematician at Oxford and the president of the Clay Mathematics Institute, which established the coveted Millennium Prize Problems, called OpenAI's release "breathtaking." "Until very recently, it would have been impossible to imagine that the frontiers of mathematics could move so far in one day," Dr. Bridson said. If there had been any doubt that the leaps achieved by artificial intelligence this year would transform the discipline of mathematics, the tens of thousands of pages let loose on Tuesday have put that doubt to rest. Talking to mathematicians after the release, it is clear that it is a highly conflicting environment, motivating a wild range of reactions. |
| New dean brings 40 years of expertise to Ole Miss libraries | |
 | The University of Mississippi has named Michael Arthur as its new dean of libraries, a position that oversees the J.D. Williams and Science libraries on the Oxford campus, pending approval by the board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Arthur comes to Ole Miss from the University of Alabama, where the tenured professor served as senior associate dean and associate dean for special collections. He brings nearly 40 years of experience in multiple dimensions of library work, from archives and special collections to acquisition and discovery. "In academic libraries, whether it's behind the scenes or out in front, I feel strongly that the library plays an important role in the teaching and research mission of a university," Arthur said. "I take a lot of pride in the fact that every day we're doing something that contributes to student success and to the research and teaching of our faculty. I've always felt that the work we're doing every day matters, and that's the work I want to continue to do at Ole Miss." |
| 'It could have been any one of us': Black college students march for Nolan Wells | |
| On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of students gathered on the Jackson State University (JSU) campus for a rally to call for transparency in the mysterious death of young Black people and to encourage student engagement in politics and the fight for voting rights. As the sun began to set, the students, many of whom wore black, marched through the historically Black university's plaza chanting: "Nolan Wells, Trey Reed, Tasia Fortune, Kohen Wiley, Jaylen Lewis – Black Lives Matter!" All five were young Black Mississippians -- the youngest, Wiley, was one-year-old while the eldest, Fortune, was 29 -- who either died under suspicious circumstances or were killed by police. The students wound through the campus, with school police and others looking on. "This is the first step of advocacy," Camrynn Wimberly, a JSU student and one of the organizers of the march, said. "This is the first step of collective action and political power." |
| MDES unveils new virtual Navigator Pod to boost workforce | |
| As the Golden Triangle attracts new industry development, a need for more workers is following. East Mississippi Community College President Scott Alsobrooks said that's what makes programs like the recently developed Mississippi Department of Employment Security's Navigator key to connecting those industries with area workers. MDES officials, EMCC leaders and others gathered for a ribbon cutting for the program's first Navigator Pod, an encased computer system that offers live meetings with MDES representatives, in the Workforce Investment Network Job Center at the Communiversity on Highway 82. "People come in (to EMCC) and want to get a skill to get some of these jobs, and now it'll go right to these jobs," Alsobrooks said during a ribbon-cutting event Thursday at The Communiversity. "... I know that if we're going to land more PACCARs and more steel mills and more aluminum mills and on and on and on, we have got to have a strong workforce. We can't build a strong workforce without these partnerships." The WIN Job Center at EMCC services a six-county area, which includes Clay, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Webster and Choctaw. |
| Hinds Community College to close Eagle Ridge Golf Course | |
| An area sports fixture is closing after nearly 70 years of operation. Hinds Community College announced Thursday that it will close Eagle Ridge, its 18-hole on-campus golf course, at the end of the year. The course, which opened in 1958, will cease operations on Jan. 1. Hinds president Dr. Stephen Vacik said in a statement that the decision was made after evaluating the college's financial situation and the cost of maintaining and operating the course. The golf course is part of a larger conference and meeting center and includes a hotel. There was no indication in Vacik's statement that those facilities would be affected. Eagle Ridge is one of Mississippi's oldest golf courses. In addition to hosting individual players -- a round costs just $15 on weekdays -- it was the site of numerous benefit tournaments and the home of Hinds' men's golf team. The future of the golf team was not immediately announced. |
| U. of Arkansas launches 10-year intiative to boost engineering graduates, expand state workforce | |
| Educating Arkansas' next generation of engineers and supplying the state's workforce needs is the focus of Vision 2035, a 10-year industry initiative by the University of Arkansas' College of Engineering. Details of the project -- designed to grow the number of engineers graduating from UA, expand research, facilities and partnerships and keep local talent in the state -- were outlined Thursday at an event at the Capital Hotel. An independent study by Heartland Forward predicts there will be approximately 58,000 open engineering jobs in Arkansas by 2038. Heartland Forward discovered that doubling the number of engineering graduates, research spending and patents could generate roughly $3.9 billion in additional annual economic impact for the state, as well as support 19,000 new jobs, according to a UA news release. "Vision 2035 is about more than one college or campus ... (it is) about Arkansas' workforce, the people who will build high demand, high impact and high paying jobs in the industries that are growing here right now, and in the ones we hope to bring here next," said Kim LaScola Needy, dean of the College of Engineering at the Fayetteville campus. |
| Records: U. of Texas president's office reserved campus venue for Ben Shapiro | |
| This summer, the University of Texas president's office reserved the school's Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium, Bass Lecture Hall, nearby rooms and lobbies for an unnamed all-day event on Oct. 7. That event, students discovered this week, is an address from conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, hosted by UT's Turning Point USA chapter. On Wednesday evening, Shapiro -- who co-founded The Daily Wire and has been criticized for his comments on race and gender -- will address the 967-seat auditorium in the university's public affairs school. The event is part of Turning Point USA's "America: Love it or Leave it" tour -- a fall series at universities across the country focused on promoting patriotism. As of Tuesday afternoon, the department sponsor for the event was listed as the UT president's office and LBJ Library, according to an online reservations document obtained by the Austin American-Statesman. After the Statesman asked UT about the reservation, the document was changed on Wednesday to identify the event as "Turning Point USA -- Ben Shapiro" and the sponsor as the Thompson Conference Center, which manages the auditorium. Casey Murphy, a spokesperson for the LBJ Library, said the library must have been listed accidentally, as "neither the LBJ Library nor the LBJ Foundation are hosting or sponsoring the event." |
| U. of Missouri Faculty Council discusses finals week | |
 | The University of Missouri Faculty Council members discussed the concept of scheduling issues for finals week and the previous week during a meeting Thursday. Nicole Monnier, a member of the academic affairs committee, said the current system reflects a much older understanding of how we assess course learning outcomes. The way the university schedules finals week reflects this older understanding. The University of Missouri currently assigns every class a finals period during finals week, regardless of whether a professor plans to have a final exam. Monnier explained that, holistically, the council is looking at a two-week period at the end of the semester: the week before finals and finals week. James Crozier, a member of the academic affairs committee, asked, "What are professors using finals week for?" Some colleges use finals week for giving final exams or turning in final projects, while some colleges do not use the week. "One of the difficulties is colleges use the finals in different ways," Crozier said. Crozier said a four-day finals week would be better for students. |
| What Does Law Require of Colleges to Prevent Sexual Assault? | |
 | College students across the country are once again demanding their institutions do more to prevent sexual assault on campus. During a planned day of action Thursday, students on campuses around the country marched to stop sexual violence and show solidarity with survivors, vowing to take their fight "from the frat house to the White House." Earlier in the week, University of Oregon students called on the university to reform how it handles campus sexual violence after the institution issued a crime warning about five sexual assaults that had taken place less than week into the fall semester. Emory University students are asking their university to overhaul Title IX education and "improve the ways it conveys information about sexual assault resources." At Stanford University, students are seeking the return of recently discontinued sexual assault–prevention programs. And it's not just students calling for change; at the University of Wisconsin at Madison's first Faculty Senate meeting of the year, faculty urged Interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots to do more to address sexual assault on campus. Many of these conversations have been driven by the news out of Cornell. |
| Cornell's President Says Banning Frats Would Make Things Worse. Is He Right? | |
 | When Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell University's president, was asked this week about calls to abolish fraternities, he offered a warning. Banning them, he said at a faculty town hall on Monday, could send the problems associated with Greek life "into the shadows." Several news outlets obtained audio from the meeting, which took place amid continuing fallout from a former Cornell student's lawsuit alleging gang rape at a fraternity house. Kotlikoff's comment gets at a difficult question confronting Cornell as the university takes what the president has called a "serious look" at the future of Greek life: Would eliminating fraternities make students safer or simply make the organizations harder for the university to monitor? The answer depends partly on what a ban, if that was the course of action, would mean in practice. A Cornell spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether the "serious look" at Greek life could involve getting rid of it. The university could withdraw recognition, prohibit recruitment on campus, cut off institutional support, suspend chapters, or discipline individual students. But those measures would not necessarily prevent students from continuing to associate with one another -- particularly when fraternities can operate out of privately owned houses. And experts who study Greek life say colleges that have abolished fraternities have found that eliminating the organizations does not necessarily eliminate the behaviors and culture that prompted the bans. |
| Cornell case highlights the patchwork of state laws governing intoxication, sexual consent | |
| A Cornell University student's allegations of gang rape in 2024 have renewed attention on a difficult area of sexual assault law. A person can be awake, responsive and even able to move during a sexual encounter while still being so intoxicated or impaired that they cannot understand what is happening or make an informed decision about sex. But whether that person is considered legally incapable of consenting can depend on the state and, in some cases, on how the person became intoxicated. "There are a lot of very good laws on the books," said Renée Williams, CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime. "The problem is that nobody knows how to enforce them, including district attorneys, and enforcement varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, even within the same state." The legal debate comes amid years of scrutiny over sexual assault and safety on college campuses, particularly around fraternity and sorority life, where alcohol and drugs are often part of the social environment. The Cornell case has brought those broader concerns back into focus while New York state lawmakers consider changes to the state's sexual assault laws. Across the country, sexual assault statutes vary in how they define incapacity, what level of impairment can make someone legally unable to consent and what prosecutors must prove about the accused person's knowledge of the victim's condition. |
| 9 Universities Accused of J-1 Visa Fraud | |
| Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that nine universities are under investigation for allegedly abusing the J-1 visa program, which allows noncitizens to temporarily teach, lecture, conduct research or receive graduate medical education, among other options. The Labor Department is leading the investigation, and at a press conference on visa fraud Thursday, an official said that subpoenas "have been served" to higher ed institutions. The department's inspector general, Anthony D'Esposito, pledged to "follow the money and uncover the schemes." At the press conference, Vance, who chairs the administration's fraud task force, accused some universities of using the program to "bring in foreigners to undercut the wages of American residents." He singled out Arizona State, Brown, Harvard, Yale and Stanford Universities, as well as the California Institute of Technology; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the University of California, Davis; and the University of Pittsburgh. "These universities are employing J-1 visas for federally funded grants at a rate of about 61 percent. The national average is 38 percent," he said. "So something weird is going on at these universities. They're using these visas way too much. They're using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers." Several universities told Insider Higher Ed on Thursday that they comply with all applicable laws and defended international scholars. |
| International students could see a massive fee increase for OPT work visa | |
| The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will no longer allow Microsoft, Adobe, and a handful of other companies to sponsor foreign workers for green cards -- at least for now -- accusing them of abusing the system and hiring foreign workers instead of American ones. It also announced an investigation into nine universities, accusing them of abusing the J-1 temporary student visa program. Additionally, earlier this week, the administration proposed a new rule that would raise the fee for international students who want to stay in the U.S. and work temporarily after graduation through the Optional Practical Training program from about $500 now to $70,000. More than half of international students stay and work after they graduate through the Optional Practical Training program. "It's a really important bridge for international student graduates who want to stay and work in the United States," said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the U.S. program at the Migration Policy Institute. |
SPORTS
| Soccer: State Hosts Texas A&M In Annual Think Pink Match Friday | |
| A Maroon and White battle awaits Mississippi State on Friday night when the Bulldogs host Texas A&M at 7 p.m. CT at the MSU Soccer Field. Friday's match will air on SEC Network+. The Bulldogs (7-1-4, 1-0-4 SEC) have played to three straight scoreless draws, and it has been 20 days since a ball has entered either net in one of their matches. It's State's longest scoring drought since 2022, while simultaneously being its longest shutout streak since setting the program record in 2023 at nearly 540 minutes. After losing the first nine meetings between the two teams, Mississippi State has won four of the last five and all but the most recent of those five matches has been decided by one goal. Friday night is State's annual Think Pink match, and fans can claim free pink scarves while supplies last. |
| Height, athleticism a focus in building MSU's 2026-27 roster | |
| David Anwar has been coaching for a long time. He's been among the Division I ranks since 2005, and been at Mississippi State since 2023. With the transfer portal, NIL and different eligibility rules, college athletics have changed a lot since Anwar first hit the coaching scene. In dealing with all the changes, Anwar said he has to put the "blinders" on to focus on the main goal. "You never know what they're going to come out with, what changes are going to happen," Anwar said. "But the main thing is to put the best basketball team on the floor." Mississippi State didn't last year. The Bulldogs finished 13-19, 5-13 in SEC play, for a 14th-place finish in conference. MSU overhauled last season's roster, returning just five players and bringing in seven transfers. Assistant coach Dillon Elder, who is entering his third year at MSU, said MSU wanted to get bigger and more athletic heading into this season. |
| Lexington police already preparing for State Street celebrations if Kentucky beats LSU | |
 | The Lexington Police Department is already preparing and cautioning locals about staying safe while celebrating in the event that Kentucky football beats the No. 10 LSU Tigers this weekend. Postgame celebrations on State Street have become famous in Lexington, as Cats fans have gathered on the road near campus for many years following memorable UK victories. Fans most recently crowded State Street following UK football's 31-21 win at Texas A&M Sept. 19. The Aggies were the No. 9 team in the country at the time. Lexington police Sgt. Bige Towery said on Thursday that as is always the case with big UK sporting events, LPD has a plan in case a big crowd winds up on State Street. "That is our responsibility as the law enforcement agency for this community, and for the community itself is to have a contingency plan, regardless of the situation where it is or what it is," Towery said. "Obviously, we do have one for this, and it starts with throughout the entire week." Officers will be on State Street throughout the day Saturday to "evaluate the temperature" of the area as the game approaches, Towery said. More officers could be called to the area if necessary. Towery said police don't want people burning couches or throwing objects. Lighting a couch on fire could result in being charged with arson, while other dangerous behavior could result in a disorderly conduct charge, according to Towery. |
| SEC considering restoration of transfer portal policy | |
| The SEC is considering restoring a transfer policy that would require intraconference athletes to sit out a year before playing for another conference school, sources tell On3. The SEC voted in 2021 to allow players who transfer within the conference to have immediate eligibility. The 2021 transfer policy change followed the NCAA allowing athletes to transfer once in their careers without sitting out a year. The NCAA changed that policy again in spring 2024, when the NCAA Division I Board approved legislation allowing instant eligibility for all multi-time transfers after a federal injunction against the governing body in West Virginia. In recent months, the SEC has explored self-governance possibilities. The Protect College Sports Act passed the Senate last month and is now awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives. The legislation would allow a one-time transfer rule but require multi-time transfers to sit out a year before playing. One SEC school source raised the concern to On3 that restoring the transfer policy would put SEC schools at a competitive disadvantage by not being able to add talent from the conference in the portal. Another SEC school source told On3 that multiple transfer portal policy options are being discussed ahead of January's 10-day window. |
| CFP Director Supportive of 24 Teams, Endorses College Sports Bill | |
| College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark has expressed excitement about the prospect of 24-team playoff. "I am a fan of 12," Clark said in an interview with Front Office Sports Tonight's Matt Iseman this week. "But I'm also very excited, if we do go to 24, that it's gonna be pretty spectacular. You're talking about top-25 team football for a month straight. I mean, it'll be good. But it's hard because I love 12 so much." Clark's endorsement speaks to the progress made in the room at CFP meetings throughout the summer -- although, he doesn't make the ultimate decision. Both the commissioners of the Big Ten and SEC have to agree on an expanded Playoff model in order for university presidents and commissioners to move forward on the specifics of a format. "We have looked at this for some time now, and a lot of thought has gone into it," Clark said. "And we believe that we can do this, and that it'll be good for college football. But we have to make sure that every aspect of it -- to include the financials, to include the media partners that we would connect with -- that that's all good, and that it's right for college football." |
| In College Football Playoff expansion discussions, all roads lead to 24. How'd we get here? | |
| Most likely. Highly probable. All but certain. A virtual lock. Practically inevitable. Think of all the different ways you can say something is going to happen while giving just the slightest hedge because nothing is really guaranteed in life. Especially when more than a billion dollars are on the line. That's where things are with the College Football Playoff's attempt to expand to 24 teams. An idea concocted in the Big Ten offices by commissioner Tony Petitti and his staff two summers ago, and initially scoffed at, is now the only option being seriously considered for expanding the field as soon as next season. At this point, it would be surprising if it didn't happen, and as meetings and negotiation deadlines come and go without concrete action, we just want to make sure you're prepared for this. This is not a drill. The CFP and ESPN are nearing the end of a contractually obligated 30-day window in which the network has exclusive negotiating rights to whatever new inventory the Playoff's management committee has created. With no deal expected to be struck Friday, there is an overage period in which the CFP can go back to ESPN with an offer. If ESPN does not accept that, the CFP can take the new Playoff games to market and see what other networks and streamers might want to pay for them. That does not close the door on further negotiations with ESPN. |
| Big Ten has '18 strong members,' no expansion talks, commish says | |
| The Big Ten has had no discussions about pursuing expansion, even if the proposed Protect College Sports Act would allow the 18-member league to add two additional members. Commissioner Tony Petitti said Thursday at Big Ten basketball media days that the conference, while "aggressively supporting" the bill, has had "absolutely no discussions taking place around expansion, and there haven't been for quite some time." "This conference has got 18 strong members," Petitti said. "We're focused on that. There's lots of things that we think we can do inside the conference to continue to grow the position that we have with the 18 members." Petitti is "optimistic" that the bill will pass the House and said it addresses "core things" around eligibility and transfer rules that will help college sports reach "a cleaner system" of operation. He said he respects athletes who take legal means to establish eligibility, noting that a number of Big Ten athletes have done so, but added that returning from a professional league to college crosses a line. |
| Multiple Power Four programs face College Sports Commission investigations over alleged NIL cap evasion | |
| The College Sports Commission is investigating multiple Power Four programs for potential violations of college football's revenue-sharing and NIL rules, CBS Sports has learned. Among those programs are multiple College Football Playoff contenders. The CSC has been on campus at schools conducting interviews in person. The CSC has focused on "potential cap evasion and NIL-related violations between institutions, student-athletes and certain third-parties," per public records. These investigations of potential violations are not dissimilar from the NBA's investigation of the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard, where both struck deals with third parties to get around the salary cap. The CSC is looking into third-party deals that allow college football programs to skirt the rev share cap and rules. Multiple sources believe the CSC participation agreement, which would have given the CSC additional authority and provided a barrier against legal intervention from the states, is very unlikely to ever be adopted. No long-term investigation has been completed to this point. |
| NFL urges the Supreme Court to rule on regulation of prediction markets | |
 | The NFL is urging the Supreme Court to rule on the regulation of prediction markets after the league accounted for $1.8 billion in trading volume on the first Sunday of this season alone, arguing that states are better positioned to oversee sports-related contracts "given the current landscape." The NFL filed a brief Thursday in support of New Jersey's request for a high court decision on the governing authority for prediction markets, which provide an opportunity to trade -- or wager -- on the result of future events. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has maintained it has exclusive jurisdiction, while states have argued that the array of typically yes-or-no questions on prediction markets is akin to gambling and falls under their purview. "Absent the clarity that only this Court can provide, (prediction market) operators will continue exploiting the gap between state and federal regulation, endangering consumers and the integrity of sports events across the country," lawyers for the NFL wrote. |
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