| Monday, May 19, 2025 |
| MSMS student partners with MSU for new superfood research | |
 | Greenville native Anderson Chaney, an 11th grader attending the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, has spent the year conducting groundbreaking research at Mississippi State. The high school intern has helped researchers in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Environmental Plant Physiology Lab study Centella asiatica, a medicinal herb known in India for its cognitive and health benefits. Raja Reddy, a MAFES scientist and research professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, has served as the rising high school student's mentor. With Reddy's help, Chaney helped uncover new possibilities for this potential specialty herb crop in Mississippi. He was selected for MSMS's competitive research mentorship program, which pairs exceptional high school students with university faculty. Through this opportunity, he joined the MAFES lab and has been collaborating with postdoctoral researchers to study the plant's health benefits and market viability. "I've been able to do a lot of fulfilling research," he said. "Each week, I've gotten hands-on lab experience, from monitoring growth patterns to studying nutrient content." |
| IHL approves news MSU bachelor's and master's degree programs | |
 | Mississippi State University is getting several new bachelor's and master's degree programs. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning approved the programs during a regular Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday morning, May 15. During the board's monthly meetings, the trustees often hear about proposed degree programs that have already received approval from board committees. Thursday morning, the board also welcomed Jackson State University Interim President Denise Jones Gregory, who was present at the meeting. Here are the new bachelor's degree programs approved by the IHL Thursday morning: Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science in Weather and Environmental Science, Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship. Here are the new master's degree programs approved by the IHL Thursday morning: Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Master of Science in Construction Management. |
| Land-grant Universities Support U.S. Beef Production | |
 | The United States is the world's largest producer of high-quality beef, which is primarily grass-fed and grain-finished, with increasing opportunities for grass-finishing, for domestic and export use. Both cow-calf and cattle feeding operations are important industry production sectors supported by funding from USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Mississippi State University scientists are developing a rapid, noninvasive diagnostic method using near infrared spectroscopy to identify Bovine Respiratory Disease in cattle. This new method improves early detection, animal welfare and reduces antibiotic use, ultimately enhancing the sustainability of the U.S. beef industry. This project was supported by Hatch funding and other NIFA competitive grants. |
| Drawn to architecture: Robison retires from Pryor Morrow after 45-year career | |
| Long before Rud Robison began his illustrious 45-year career in architecture, he almost took a different path. The Saltillo native was the son of a physician, and the family also owned farmland. "The idea was that my brother and I would grow farming soybeans and hauling grass sod with our grandfather," Robison said. "And that worked great until he passed away when I was 14. So, it fell to my brother and myself to continue to work the farm until we got out of college." When he was 24, Robison spent his last day on the farm. "There's nothing wrong with farming; it's a great way to grow up, and it gives you work ethic and all that," he said. "But somehow I knew it wasn't something I wanted to continue to do." Robison had always enjoyed drawing and creating and building models. As it so happened, the MSU School of Architecture opened the year before Rudd graduated in 1974. The design profession wasn't something he had ever thought about before, but when he graduated from high school, he went to Northeast Mississippi Community College and earned an associate's degree in drafting design technology. He then transferred to Mississippi State in the fall of 1976 and was admitted into the professional program at the MSU School of Architecture. |
| This planting season, farmers say federal assistance is too little, too late | |
| Mike Graves deferred payments to John Deere for the first time in a half century of farming in 2024. A million dollars for a cotton picker, $800,000 for a combine and $400,000 for a tractor in recent years drove Graves, who grows cotton, soybeans and corn in Tippah County, to borrow money from Mississippi Land Bank, part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, a co-op that provides financial support for farmers. But this year, as dim predictions for 2025 have farmers questioning whether a few bad years could tip into a crisis, borrowing money isn't enough. Graves said he doesn't like to rely on federal subsidies, but without the $31 billion in emergency payments Congress approved to aid farmers in December, "wouldn't any of us survive." "I hate that the government has to get in it, but I'm not going to turn down anything they offer, either," Graves said. Will Maples, an assistant professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University Extension Service, said that while the state is "nowhere near" the conditions that led to the notorious farm failures of the 1980s, "the concern is, can we get there?" "If we stay in this environment," Maples said, "2025 is looking tough, and 2026 is another tough year. That's when talk about 'Can it get as bad as the 80s?' will really pick up." |
| New executive director comes to Starkville arts council | |
 | A new chapter has begun for the Starkville Area Arts Council, with a new face at the helm. Former Interim Executive Director Juliette Reid announced in March that she would be leaving to move to North Carolina. She moved last week, though she is still temporarily helping the organization remotely during the transition. But on Wednesday, the nonprofit announced it had tapped Saltillo native Charla Laney for the role of executive director. Her first day was Monday. "I'm thrilled to step into the role of executive director for the Starkville Area Arts Council," Laney said in a press release. "I'm excited to work alongside our talented artists, dedicated volunteers and incredible supporters. Together, we can continue building a strong, creative and connected community through the arts." Laney is a Saltillo native, who grew up attending gifted art classes in school. She came to Starkville to attend Mississippi State University, where she graduated with her undergraduate degree in anthropology in 2020. After graduation, she briefly worked as an archivist for a museum in New Albany, before returning to Starkville. Before accepting the position at the arts council, she previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA and Public Relations Coordinator with Starkville Habitat for Humanity. Laney is also currently pursuing an MBA at MSU and she also serves as coordinator for the Starkville Community Market. |
| New software could help city 'keep up' with everything it owns | |
| How many buildings does the city own? Or how many fire hydrants does it have in operation? Assistant City Planner Lyle MeCaskey said 65 and 1,243 when he came before the board of aldermen during its Friday work session. He presented those numbers as he recommended the city switch its asset management system to Open Gov, a system that would allow the city to keep track of everything it owns, along with citizens' requests for repairs and maintenance. "The city's growing. It's expanding," MeCaskey said. "At a certain point, you ask yourself, can I keep up with everything and every individual detail that comes along with that expansion? And while we do our best to do so, there are obviously some areas we look to improve." The contract with Open Gov would not exceed $208,188 over two years, with charges between June and September not exceeding $40,074.70, MeCaskey said. The price is an increase from the city's previous system, he said, which charges about $30,000 annually. MeCaskey told The Dispatch the city started transitioning its permitting process to Open Gov in February, since the software is more user-friendly for citizens applying for a permit. That system should be online in June, he said. |
| Despite economic concerns, Americans are set on getting away for Memorial Day weekend | |
 | Whether it's a road trip to a nearby lake or jumping on a plane to explore a big city, Americans are expected to get away in record numbers over the long Memorial Day weekend even as economic and technical worries rattle the U.S. travel industry. Over 45 million people -- 1.4 million more than last year -- will venture at least 50 miles from their homes between Thursday and next Monday, with the vast majority going by car, auto club organization AAA predicts. The holiday's previous domestic travel record was set 20 years ago. AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said the analysts who prepared the forecast weren't sure when they started their research if concerns about the economy would cause fewer U.S. residents to plan getaways for the unofficial start of summer, but it doesn't seem to be the case. "People are still feeling pretty good about travel," Diaz said, adding that some households and individuals may just opt to spend less money on their trips. Like last year, about 87% of travelers are driving to their Memorial Day destinations, AAA said. About 39 million people, or 1 million more than last year, are expected to take road trips, which Diaz noted many families find easier and cheaper than flying. |
| NWS Jackson warns of strong storms, tornadoes in Mississippi on Tuesday | |
| The National Weather Service in Jackson is warning of severe weather this week that could bring tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds to Mississippi. "As we go into the next couple of days, today is going to be quiet," said David Cox, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. "As we transition into Tuesday, a strong cold front will move into the Gulf Coast region and that is going to help with the development of strong storms. As that system moves in there's strong winds in the atmosphere and a favorable set-up overall for damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes; really, north of the Natchez Trace and especially north of Highway 82. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts could reach 70 mph and hail could be the size of golf balls in the area of Enhanced Risk, which is a Level 3 threat out of a possible five. In the area of slight risk, a Level 2 of five risk, wind gusts could reach 60 mph and hail could reach the size of golf balls. n the area of marginal risk, a Level 1 threat, wind gusts could reach 60 mph and hail could reach the size of quarters. Tornadoes are more likely to form in the areas of slight and enhanced risk, but can't be ruled out in the area of marginal risk. |
| Mississippi state veterinarian issues alert for flesh-eating screwworms | |
| Mississippi State Veterinarian Dr. James Watson is urging animal owners to be aware of New World Screwworm (NWS), an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including pets. In rare cases, the invasive species could be harmful to humans. According to an alert issued by the Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH), adult screwworm flies have orange eyes, a metallic blue or green body, and three dark stripes along their backs. They are slightly larger than a housefly. "The unique ability of screwworm larvae to feed on fresh flesh is what makes this insect so dangerous to livestock and other animals," MBAH wrote. NWS was eradicated from the U.S. decades ago. However, recent detections of the pest in Mexico highlights the potential for reintroduction and spread, particularly in southern states. In addition, the spread of NWS is possible through natural wildlife movements. In an effort to prevent the spread of the flesh-eating pest, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has suspended live cattle, horse, and bison imports through the southern border for the time being. |
| Neshoba County Fair moving to June | |
| The 2026 Neshoba County Fair is moving to June, it was announced late Friday. The Neshoba County Fair Association has officially moved the 2026 Fair dates to June 19–26. This change was made to better accommodate early school starts and late summer scheduling conflicts, ensuring more families and friends can enjoy Mississippi's Giant House Party without interference, officials said. "Consideration of the date change for the 2026 Neshoba County Fair was not taken without considerable discussion. We value tremendously our friends, patrons and partners and their desire to participate in the Fair and its many activities that are unique only to The Neshoba County Fair. After the 2026 Fair, the Fair Associations' Board of Directors will thoroughly analyze possible similar dates for the 2027 Fair," Neshoba County Fair Association President C. Scott Bounds said. |
| Mississippi politics: Andy Gipson wants more regulation on solar industry | |
| During a press luncheon sponsored by the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute for Government on Monday, May 12, Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson told reporters the state isn't doing enough to regulate a fast-growing solar industry in Mississippi. "It is the farmer's land. It is the farmers' decision ... on these matters," Gipson said. "The concern is, at some point, how much is enough, and how (are solar projects) going to impact our long-term food supply and our agricultural backbone... ." Gipson, who has led the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce since 2018, has at various times expressed concern with the development of agricultural land through Mississippi for non-agriculture uses. Since 2017, the solar industry has grown rapidly in Mississippi, with more than $4 billion in private investment for dozens of projects throughout the state, as reported by the Clarion Ledger. Gipson said specifically the state is doing little in the way of regulating those projects via permitting processes before they break ground. |
| Small-Town Locals and Newcomers Unite Against a Common Foe: Data Centers | |
 | Data-center wars have erupted in West Virginia. Last month, in a bid to entice tech firms to the state, West Virginia passed legislation promoting the use of natural gas and coal to power artificial-intelligence projects. But residents are fighting the first proposal under the new law---determined to keep big tech out of one of the most scenic and ecologically diverse stretches of Appalachia. "I don't want it built anywhere in Tucker County," said Al Tomson, mayor of Davis, a cozy mountain retreat roughly three hours west of Washington, D.C. Tourists come here for the dark skies, wildflowers, art galleries, trails and Blackwater Falls. The county has one stoplight -- 16 miles away. Similar clashes are happening in other states. Memphis, Tenn., residents are trying to shut down the complex powering Elon Musk's Grok chatbot, citing emissions concerns. A company recently withdrew data-center plans in Pittsylvania County, Va., after local pushback. In the AI boom, tech companies are scouring America for land and energy sources to run their power-hungry data centers. These warehouselike structures have exploded in hubs such as Northern Virginia, but more remote areas see opportunity, too. But West Virginia's new law is unusual. Boasting the "least restrictive regulatory environment in the nation," it prohibits local officials from having any input into where off-grid data centers go. This provision appears to be a nationwide first and is angering mayors and commissioners statewide. |
| House Budget panel approves reconciliation package on second try | |
 | Four House Freedom Caucus members on the Budget Committee who held up the GOP's massive reconciliation package last week reversed course late Sunday night, opening the path to a floor vote on the measure later this week. The holdouts who blocked the bill in Friday's Budget panel markup -- Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Chip Roy, R-Texas -- were satisfied enough with the changes promised to them during weekend negotiations. They allowed the package to move forward by voting "present," enabling the panel to report out the bill on a 17-16, party-line vote. "I'm excited about the changes that have been made," Norman said before the vote. But it quickly became apparent the negotiations weren't over. Shortly after the vote, Roy and the broader Freedom Caucus leadership issued statements expressing dissatisfaction with the state of play, even as they acknowledged the progress made over the weekend. The measure "does not yet meet the moment," their statements said, arguing more must be done to wring savings out of Medicaid and roll back green energy subsidies enacted during the Biden administration. |
| Biden Is Diagnosed With an Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer | |
 | Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was diagnosed on Friday with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday. The diagnosis came after Mr. Biden reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to find a "small nodule" on his prostate. Mr. Biden's cancer is "characterized by a Gleason score of 9" with "metastasis to the bone," the statement said. Prostate cancer experts say that Mr. Biden's diagnosis is serious, and that once the cancer has spread to the bones -- where it tends to go -- it cannot be cured. But Dr. Judd Moul, a prostate cancer expert at Duke University, said men whose prostate cancer has spread "can live five, seven, 10 or more years." President Trump, who has repeatedly bashed Mr. Biden and blames him for most of the country's problems, was among those who issued supportive statements on Sunday evening. "Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis," Mr. Trump wrote on social media. "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery." |
| Vance and Rubio meet with pope in push to reset relations with Vatican | |
 | Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first formal meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Monday as the Trump administration seeks to reset relations with the Vatican by working together on resolving the war in Ukraine and de-emphasizing fundamental disagreements over migrant policy. The meeting came one month after the vice president met with Pope Francis, who had once questioned President Donald Trump's Christianity and said Vance had wrongly interpreted a medieval Catholic concept to defend the administration's immigration crackdown. A day after the meeting, the first Latin American pope died. Now, U.S. officials see an opportunity to strengthen relations with Leo, the first pontiff from the United States, whose focus on ending the world's most destructive conflicts dovetails with the vision Trump laid out for himself as "peacemaker" during last week's visit to the Middle East. Vance, a Catholic convert, and Rubio, raised in the faith by his Cuban immigrant parents, say religion plays an important role in their lives. But whether they can bridge the Vatican gap is far from clear. |
| Low prices and Trump's trade war are pushing these Northwest farmers to the brink | |
 | Back in the New Deal era, the Northwest's mighty rivers were dammed allowing barges to cheaply bring grain from the wheat fields of eastern Washington to the coast for export. Today, at ports along the Snake River, trucks unload grain to five-storey high bins along the banks. Most barges that pull up to the terminals carry the equivalent of 150 semi trucks worth of grain downriver to Portland. Typically more than 90 percent of all the wheat grown here ends up in countries like Japan, Korea and the Philippines, where it's used for noodles, confections and crackers. This is how it's been for as long as Jim Moyer can remember. His family first started farming along the rolling, fertile Palouse region of Washington in the 1890s. It's never been easy out here but right now, like almost never before, things feel like they're on the brink. Wheat prices have been stubbornly low for years while inflation continues to be high. Uncertainty is something people across America's heartland are talking about, whether it be wheat farmers in states like Washington or Montana, or corn and soybean growers in North Dakota and Indiana. It's yet unclear what farmers stand to gain from the second Trump administration's trade policies. Across the rural Midwest and West, plenty of farmers still fly Trump 2024 flags over their barns, but quietly worry his latest trade war will bankrupt them. |
| Libraries are cutting back on staff and services after Trump's order to dismantle small agency | |
| Libraries across the United States are cutting back on e-books, audiobooks and loan programs after the Trump administration suspended millions of dollars in federal grants as it tries to dissolve the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Federal judges have issued temporary orders to block the Trump administration from taking any further steps toward gutting the agency. But the unexpected slashing of grants has delivered a significant blow to many libraries, which are reshuffling budgets and looking at different ways to raise money. Maine has laid off a fifth of its staff and temporarily closed its state library after not receiving the remainder of its annual funding. Libraries in Mississippi have indefinitely stopped offering a popular e-book service, and the South Dakota state library has suspended its interlibrary loan program. E-book and audiobook programs are especially vulnerable to budget cuts, even though those offerings have exploded in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think everyone should know the cost of providing digital sources is too expensive for most libraries," said Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association. "It's a continuous and growing need." |
| Ole Miss center has become recognized authority on botanicals, consumer safety | |
| Over 30 years of scientific discovery and consumer advocacy, the National Center for Natural Products Research has cemented itself as an international authority in botanical medicine and pharmaceuticals. The University of Mississippi center, which opened its doors in 1995, is celebrating 30 years of studying plants, herbs and other natural medicines and dietary supplements with an eye for quality control and consumer health. The opening lecture of the 23rd annual International Conference on the Science of Botanicals highlights the work and successes of the center. "The vision then was to create a hub where the stakeholders -- academics, government agencies and private entities -- can work together to develop safer natural products," said Ikhlas Khan, center director. "That mission hasn't changed." Over the last three decades NCNPR scientists have documented how a compound in blueberries can help reduce blood pressure and how turmeric and thyme can repel fire ants, among dozens of other discoveries. |
| USM researchers ask for public's help in tracking whale sharks | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Fisheries Research and Development is asking for the public's help in tracking the whale shark. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because of the animated character from Finding Dory. But these massive, gentle giants aren't just movie stars -- they're real and found in the Gulf of America. "We actually have them here in the Gulf," said Jill Hendon, director of USM's Center for Fisheries Research and Development. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean. Despite their name, they aren't whales. They're toothless, filter-feeding sharks that glide slowly through the water, feeding on plankton, fish eggs and small fish. "They are very graceful movers, very slow, and just beautiful to see in the wild," Hendon said. Hendon said whale sharks are typically spotted during the summer and fall, but researchers have seen fewer in recent years. That's why the center is turning to "citizen scientists" -- anyone on the water who might spot a whale shark. That includes charter boat captains, offshore workers, fishermen and the general public. |
| Jackson State's Sonic Boom of the South to compete in 2025 Battle of the Bands | |
| Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of the South is no stranger to the national scene. The popular marching band is coming off appearances in Super Bowl LVIII, the 2025 Rose Parade, and Coachella. Now, the group will once again represent Mississippi's capital city in a national competition against other bands. The Sonic Boom will be among seven of its peers competing in the 2025 Battle of the Bands. This year, the annual competition will be held in NRG Stadium in Houston from August 22-24. The Battle of the Bands celebrates the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to music, culture, and leadership. Founded by Derek Webber, the event serves as the ultimate showcase of these universities' marching bands, connecting communities and inspiring the next generation. |
| Conservatives Clash Over Ono Hire at U. of Florida | |
 | Less than a year after former president Ben Sasse resigned abruptly, the University of Florida has gone in the opposite direction for its next presidential pick, announcing Santa Ono as the sole finalist. Ono, who stepped down from the University of Michigan presidency last week after less than three years on the job, brings a wealth of academic and research experience: He also served in the top jobs at the University of Cincinnati and the University of British Columbia. Sasse, a Republican U.S. senator from Nebraska when he was hired in late 2022, previously served as president of Midland University, a small institution in his home state. Despite a lack of experience overseeing a massive research enterprise like UF, Sasse fit a profile in demand in Florida, where GOP lawmakers have ascended to presidencies at multiple universities. But his time at UF was short-lived; after less than 18 months on the job, he stepped down amid a spending scandal. At the time, he cited his wife's deteriorating health as his reason for leaving. Ideology has regularly trumped experience in recent Florida presidential hires. Multiple former lawmakers, all Republicans, are at the helm of various state institutions. And while many faculty members have celebrated the selection of a candidate with strong research and leadership credentials, some conservative figures are pushing back on Ono. Now a public battle appears to be brewing over who will lead the University of Florida. |
| On Education, DeSantis's Florida Paved the Way for Trump's America | |
| When it comes to education, America under President Trump increasingly looks a lot like Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Supreme Court is poised to allow parents to opt their children out of school lessons they oppose on religious grounds; in Florida, parents already have some opt-out rights. The Trump administration has moved to withhold funding from schools and colleges with diversity practices it opposes, while pushing a "patriotic" curriculum. Mr. DeSantis got there first. Texas Republicans have created a gargantuan new private-school choice program, while Republican leaders in Congress have advanced a bill to allow federal dollars to pay for private-school tuition and home-schooling. Florida has more children using vouchers than any other state in the nation. Mr. Trump easily vanquished Mr. DeSantis in last year's Republican primary, often belittling him along the way. But it is Mr. DeSantis who pioneered the education agenda that Mr. Trump and so many other conservatives have taken up with zeal. |
| Bristol lawyer honored in donor's $32.5M University of Tennessee law school naming | |
 | For just the fifth time, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has attached a person's name to one of its colleges, with the law school becoming the Frank Winston College of Law in honor of a notable 1952 graduate and former member of the Tennessee State House of Representatives. The naming is boosted by a multi-million-dollar donation from The Bill Gatton Foundation, which historically has focused its efforts more on the University of Kentucky. The donation is rooted in the foundation's relationship with Frank Winston, who practiced law for 40 years before serving 25 years as legal counsel to entrepreneur Carol Martin "Bill" Gatton. Winston was a trustee of the Bill Gatton foundation until his death in 2023. Brian Boyles, UT's senior vice chancellor for advancement, told Knox News the foundation donated $32.5 million in Winston's honor. A new endowment like this "has to spin off at least 10% of today's operating income or operating budget for the college" for a renaming, he said. "There's going to be people whose lives are changed because of this gift," Broyles said. "But even more so, it's going to be about the hundreds, maybe even millions, of lives that are affected because of those people who got to come to the University of Tennessee because of The Bill Gatton Foundation" |
| Mizzou graduates 5,954 during spring commencement | |
 | University of Missouri graduation weekend fell upon Columbia once again, the streets filling with friends and family to celebrate their graduates. The celebrations began in Jesse Auditorium, as 221 graduates walked across the stage to complete their degrees with the Honors College. The cozy atmosphere of Jesse Auditorium was a stark contrast to Mizzou Arena, where doctoral candidates were hooded. Come Saturday, the College of Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences were greeted with celebratory cheers from their loved ones. Sunday marks the final day of commencement ceremonies, seeing the graduations of the schools of Journalism, Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, Education and Health Sciences (Professional/Clinical.) In total, 5,954 students will graduate across all the ceremonies. The graduations will award 4,638 bachelor's degrees, 1,101 master's and education specialist degrees and 689 doctoral degrees. |
| 'These are our new customers:' colleges seek out retirees as students | |
| Ann Dahl had to be at her anthropology class by 8:40 a.m. -- which, in the world of college students, is basically the crack of dawn. But she still took the time to add a little blue pin to her outfit. "It says 'Goucher Student,' and that's what I am right now," she said. Dahl is 86 and a 1960 graduate of Goucher, a private liberal arts college just north of Baltimore. Now, she's back as part of a pilot program for a university retirement community. Dahl is a resident at Edenwald, a senior living complex right next door, along with her fellow classmate, 87-year-old Pat Blanchard, another Goucher grad. "I think that stimulating my brain is really important, because we've spent our lives doing that. And so we look for activities that are going to involve that," Blanchard said. University retirement communities are on the rise in the U.S. This is where a college works with a senior living community to provide its residents, who are usually 55 and older, access to classes and sporting events, along with free run of the libraries and dining halls. You could say that colleges are moving to meet the market where it is: The share of the U.S. population that's over the age of 65 has grown significantly in the past two decades, and colleges are looking to those septa- and octogenarians to become part of campus life. |
| International students targeted in visa crackdown struggle to rebuild lives | |
| After the government terminated his legal status in the U.S., one student abruptly lost his laboratory job in Houston and, fearing detention, he returned to his home country in south Asia on a one-way ticket. The Trump administration later reversed course in its expansive crackdown on international students, but there was a major obstacle. The student cannot return because his American visa was revoked. Without it, he's "stranded," said the student, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. As the government begins reinstating students' records, many face a daunting and complicated path toward rebuilding their lives. For those who left, there is no guarantee they can return. Others have faced challenges reenrolling in school and returning to jobs. Mental anguish from their ordeals linger, as do feelings of vulnerability. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has expanded the grounds for terminating a student's legal status, leaving many to fear they could be targeted again. A total of more than 4,700 international students had their permission to study in the U.S. canceled this spring, with little notice or explanation. |
| Why the College Premium Is Shrinking for Low-Income Students | |
 | Attending college once provided a similar payoff for students regardless of their parents' income, but that's no longer the case, according to a new working paper published on Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Since the 1960s, researchers found, college-going has become steadily "less valuable," in terms of wage and employment benefits, for lower-income students, but increasingly valuable for wealthier ones. Those findings appear in "Changes in the College Mobility Pipeline Since 1900," based on a nationally representative database of Americans that draws from dozens of surveys and administrative datasets matching high-school graduates' educational attainment with their standardized test scores, colleges, majors, and employment outcomes. The paper's authors found that the college-going premium -- the difference in wages earned by college graduates and people with just a high-school diploma -- was comparably large for lower- and higher-income students born in the 1900s. But by the end of the last century, that gap had narrowed for the poor students and widened for wealthier ones. Why? Zachary Bleemer, assistant professor of economics at Princeton University, set out years ago to answer that question. He worked with Sarah Quincy, an assistant professor of economics at Vanderbilt University, to explain the causes of "collegiate regressivity," or why, as Bleemer puts it, "going to college has become regressive, offering more to kids the richer they are." |
| Colleges to use summer break to regroup after rough start with Trump | |
 | U.S. colleges and universities will have three months to regroup after a brutal beginning to the second Trump administration that included sweeping funding cuts, foreign students arrested and the launch of investigations from multiple federal agencies. President Trump is living up to his promise of a crusade against higher education, leaving campus administrators struggling for a path forward after watching both defiance, such as in Harvard University's case, and compliance, as exemplified by Columbia University, result in devastating funding freezes. School leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place as they navigate how to keep community trust while also working with the administration when possible. Some experts are advising strength through numbers. Schools "absolutely should be thinking strategically in both the short and long term about the current effects on higher education and what it means for moving forward in ways that are grounded in the mission, vision and values of their institutions," said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. "You must take this time to reflect, to engage in both retrospective and prospective analysis about how they will respond if these attacks continue, and to communicate clearly with their campuses, with all of their constituents, around what priorities they will put in place," Pasquerella added. |
| House GOP Wants to Put Colleges on the Hook for Unpaid Loans. How Would It Work? | |
| Under a new accountability measure recently proposed as part of a larger House budget bill, colleges would have to pay millions of dollars each year to reimburse the government for their students' unpaid loans. The plan builds on an idea -- known as risk-sharing -- that lawmakers and policy analysts have been toying with since at least 2015. As the federal student loan portfolio grew, the goal was to require colleges to have some skin in the game and incentivize them to improve student outcomes. And while the concept has gained some bipartisan support in theory, higher education institutions have repeatedly argued that it is difficult to create a fair accountability system when many of the variables involved are out of an institution's control and depend on the decisions of individual students and borrowers. Many higher education policy experts warn that practically speaking, the latest risk-sharing plan relies on a complicated formula that's essentially a black box. Released in late April, the proposal has not been tested enough to know its ramifications, they say, and the limited data available is inconclusive. Some analyses released by conservative groups say the program will be a financial boost for efficient public institutions and penalize bloated private ones. But one study conducted by a lobbying group suggests that public regional and minority-serving institutions that serve high populations of low-income students will get hit the hardest. |
| America's College Towns Go From Boom to Bust | |
| At Western Illinois University, an empty dorm that once held 800 students is now a police training ground, where active-shooter drills have left behind overturned furniture, rubber-tipped bullets and paintball casings. Nearby dorms have been razed to weedy fields. Two more dorms are set to close this summer. Frat houses and homes once filled with student renters are empty lots. City streets used to be so crowded during the semester that cars moved at a crawl. No more. "It's almost like you're watching the town die," said Kalib McGruder, who was born in Macomb and worked 28 years for the Western Illinois campus police department. Macomb is at the heart of a new Rust Belt: Across the U.S., colleges are faltering and so are the once booming towns around them. Enrollment is down at many of the nation's public colleges and universities, widening the gap between high-profile campuses and struggling schools. Starting next year, there will be fewer high-school graduates for the foreseeable future. For generations, colleges around the U.S. fueled local economies, creating jobs and bringing in students to shop and spend. Growing student enrollment fattened school budgets and freed universities from having to worry about inefficiencies or cutting costs. The student boom has since ended, and college towns are suffering. |
| Federal action again moves the Mississippi Legislature closer to the racial demographics of the state | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: The slow, steady increase in Black Mississippians being elected to public office is the direct result of actions of the federal government -- the executive, legislative and most importantly the judiciary -- and not because of actions of the state. State officials have fought almost every effort of federal officials to expand voting rights for people of color and to increase the number of Black Mississippians holding public office. In the 1800s, the white political leadership crafted a state constitution, rooted in white supremacy and designed to block Black Mississippians from having or obtaining political power. Those Jim Crow efforts, well documented over the years, ranged from poll taxes to literacy tests and more. In the 1960s, laws were passed in Mississippi allowing potential voters to be disqualified based on their "character." Those efforts have continued to the modern day with efforts of white leaders to gerrymander political districts to weaken the political influence of Black Mississippians. And sometimes, those efforts have included reluctance and even outright refusal of white power brokers to remove some of those Jim Crow provisions. |
| Can uncaring anger be reconciled with Christian creed? | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: We should learn to "see, understand, and respect other people in all their depth and dignity," writes David Brooks in his bestselling book "How to Know a Person." My friend George says he has been struggling to do that with friends and family members who have different beliefs and political views than his own. This is hard, he explains. Part of the problem, we agree, is that America has morphed from a society that leans into civic discourse to one that venerates antagonistic speech. How do you respect people who denigrate your views as you try to appreciate theirs? Brooks captures the transition like this: "We live in an environment in which political animosities, technological dehumanization, and social breakdown undermine connection, strain friendships, erase intimacy, and foster distrust. We're living in the middle of some sort of vast emotional, relational, and spiritual crisis. It is as if people across society have lost the ability to see and understand one another, thus producing a culture than can be brutalizing and isolating." |
SPORTS
| Baseball: State Sweeps Mizzou To Conclude Regular Season | |
| The Mississippi State bats stayed hot on Saturday as the Bulldogs earned a run-rule, 12-1 victory over Missouri to polish off a sweep of this weekend's series. MSU used a six-run first inning to set the tone for the blowout win. Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan each had a pair of hits and both connected for home runs for the Diamond Dawgs. Hunter Hines also added a two-run homer to extend his MSU career record to 69 big flies. Bryce Chance, Nolan Stevens and Reed Stallman all recorded doubles as part of State's 11-hit attack. Karson Ligon drew the start on the mound and earned the win to bring his record to 6-5. He struck out seven, surrendered only three hits and a run, and didn't allow a walk over five innings of work. Ryan McPherson and Charlie Foster each tossed scoreless frames to close out the triumph for MSU. With the win, MSU now heads into the Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 34-20 overall record and 15-15 mark in SEC play. Mississippi State travels to Hoover, Ala. for the SEC Tournament. MSU begins play at the event on Tuesday, May 20, against Texas A&M. The Aggies and Diamond Dawgs will square off in the final game of the day, likely around 8 pm CT. The game will be televised by SEC Network. |
| What we learned from Mississippi State baseball, Ace Reese in lopsided series sweep at Missouri | |
| Mississippi State baseball emphatically swept Missouri in its final series of the regular season. The Bulldogs (34-20, 15-15 SEC) stormed to a 25-7 win in Game 1, 13-3 in Game 2 and 12-1 in Game 3 on May 17. Games 2 and 3 were both seven-inning run-rule wins. It's their first road series sweep since the 2021 season, when they won the national championship. MSU earned the No. 11 seed in the SEC tournament and will play No. 14 Texas A&M (28-25, 11-19) at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on May 20 (8 p.m., SEC Network). MSU is 9-1 since firing coach Chris Lemonis on April 28. Yes, the schedule has lightened up since then, but this is the best stretch of the season. Four of those wins are via run-rule and eight of them are against SEC opponents. Playing complimentary baseball has been key. Mississippi State was not doing that consistently before Lemonis' firing. "Our focus was so narrow-minded here over the last month or so in just trying to put together good at-bats, making great pitches, playing fundamental defense and to put it all together and continue to answer every challenge," interim coach Justin Parker said in his postgame radio interview on May 17. The offense was jaw-dropping against Missouri. |
| MSU's Reese named SEC Player of the Week | |
| Mississippi State's Ace Reese is the SEC Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The sophomore third baseman led the SEC in hitting last week, going 8 for 12 with three doubles, four home runs, six RBIs and 11 runs scored. He homered in each game of the Bulldogs' sweep of Missouri. Reese extended his career-best hitting streak to 21 games. He's currently batting .369, which ranks third in the SEC, as do his 66 RBIs. Reese and the Bulldogs return to action Tuesday when they open SEC Tournament play against Texas A&M in Hoover, Alabama. Pitcher of the Week is Texas A&M's Justin Lamkin. |
| Softball: State's Season Ends In Slugfest At Lubbock Regional | |
| No. 18 Mississippi State brought the tying run to the plate in three separate innings, but the Bulldogs could never take the lead as they saw their season end with a 9-6 loss at No. 10 Texas Tech. Less than 24 hours after winning a back-and-forth offensive battle to reach the Lubbock Regional final, the No. 18 Bulldogs' bats again rose to the challenge, putting up the most hits and runs that Red Raider ace NiJaree Canady has allowed all season. Freshman Morgan Stiles drove in a pair of runs, while sophomore Ella Wesolowski put up her sixth multi-hit and fifth multi-RBI game of the year. Jessie Blaine and Sierra Sacco both recorded RBI doubles. Seven of Blaine's eight career NCAA Tournament RBIs came in this weekend's regional, and Sacco finished with 19 doubles for the year, which is third in school history, and 64 runs scored, which is second. "First of all, I just want to say congratulations to Texas Tech. They are a great ball club," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "It was a really fun, competitive game for us, but I think going up against a team like that and a pitcher like Nija (Canady), we knew we were going to have our hands full. love the way that our team fought and continued to fight to get runs on the board against the best pitcher in the country." |
| Women's Golf Advances To Final Round Of Stroke Play | |
| For the second consecutive season and third time in program history, the Mississippi State women's golf team made the cut for the final round of stroke play at the NCAA Championship. The Bulldogs enter the final round looking to slide inside of the top eight to advance to the match play portion of the event. State sits at 18-over par after three rounds of golf, 10 strokes behind current eighth place team, South Carolina. Avery Weed remains in the top 10 going into the final round of stroke play. The sophomore from Ocean Springs sits in a tie for eighth place at 3-under par. Weed is six strokes behind the day three leader, Maria Jose Marin of Arkansas, who is 9-under par through 54 holes. Samantha Whateley turned in the best card for the Bulldogs in the third day. She finished the round 1-over par and led the team with three birdies. She climbed 17 spots on Sunday and is 9-over through three rounds. Chiara Horder sits just outside of the top 20 with a three-day total of 1-over par. She finished 2-over par during the third day of action, bringing her total to 1-over. |
| Mississippi State Esports wins another national championship | |
| Mississippi State's esports team continues to dominate the digital arena, capturing yet another national title and further cementing its status as one of the leading programs in the U.S. During the recent National Esports Collegiate Conference tournament, Mississippi State gamers put down the controllers with the knowledge of knowing they successfully defended a Division 8 West championship won in December. MSU Esports' Valorant Black team defeated Western Colorado University in a best-of-five series. The Bulldogs' championship win adds to an already stellar season, including winning the esports Egg Bowl over rival Ole Miss, 4-3, for the second year in a row. MSU Esports supports more than 25 competitive rosters competing in leagues such as the NECC, SEC, SEL, CCS, CRL, CSL, and AVGL. With more than five teams placing nationally this season, Mississippi State has led the way in the Southeastern Conference and become a premiere program across all colleges and universities. |
| Tennessee law shields schools in state from NCAA blame if NIL-driven House settlement fails | |
| A new state law protects Tennessee universities from anticipated antitrust lawsuits by athletes unhappy with the player-pay rules coming to college sports, and it could accelerate college athletics toward a professional model. On May 1, Senate Bill 536 was signed by Gov. Bill Lee and enacted. In theory, the law allows Tennessee universities to pay their college athletes beyond pending NCAA restrictions, such as a salary cap or a clearinghouse that vets name, image and likeness contracts. But circumventing those NCAA rules appears to be a nuclear option. Initially, the law seeks to shift liability to the NCAA and grant flexibility for Tennessee universities to pay players without fear of legal repercussions or NCAA sanctions. That demonstrates a growing skepticism that the House settlement will solve the legal and structural problems in college sports. The House settlement is supposed to fix college sports by approving new NCAA rules on revenue sharing, roster limits and NIL pay. Tennessee universities plan to follow that plan. But as soon as the rules are vulnerable to lawsuits, count on those schools to pull out and push blame back to the NCAA. |
| Georgia athletics budget set to rise in FY 2026 | |
 | The Georgia Athletic Association Board of Directors will be asked this week to approve a fiscal year 2026 budget approaching $223 million, an increase of nearly 16% from the previous year. The majority of that increase is directly related to institutional NIL payments that are part of the budget for the first time, Georgia deputy athletic director for finance Stephanie Ransom told the board's finance committee last week. Georgia is allocating roughly $18 million in payments to athletes and an additional $2.5 million for new scholarships, making up the $20.5 million maximum allowed in the preliminary House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement. The finance committee recommended that the full board approve the budget. Georgia's budget increased 10% last year from the previous year. Georgia is adding about 100 total scholarships for athletes, but will be eliminating Alston academic scholarships that allowed schools payments of up to $5,980 per athlete. Georgia is also planning for a "modest" price increase on some concession items, but offered no specifics on how much prices would rise and on which items. |
| ACC distributed record $45 million per school in '23-24 | |
| The Atlantic Coast Conference generated $711 million for the 2023-24 academic year, according to new tax documents released by the league, distributing an average of $45 million to each of its 14 full-time member schools, a record for the conference. The financial reports, which cover the final year of ACC athletics prior to the additions of SMU, Stanford and Cal, show a small uptick in revenue year-over-year and a roughly 56% increase from five years ago. Though the revenue distribution puts the ACC solidly in third place among conferences, it still trails the SEC and Big Ten by a sizable margin. Those relative deficits have remained a source of consternation for members and resulted in lawsuits filed by Florida State (in December 2023) and Clemson (in February 2024) to challenge the ACC's grant of rights, which binds the league together through June 2036. The framework of a settlement of those lawsuits was reached earlier this year, however, as the conference conceded to a new revenue-distribution model that would prioritize the biggest brands. Commissioner Jim Phillips said at this week's annual spring meetings that he believed the agreement would provide stability for the ACC for at least the next three to four years. |
| Universities cutting sports, others adding ahead of $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement | |
| Over the past three months, a growing number of universities have added or dropped entire sports programs on the eve of dramatic changes coming to college athletics under the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement. UTEP dropped women's tennis, Cal Poly discontinued swimming and diving, Marquette added women's swimming and Grand Canyon shuttered a historically dominant men's volleyball program. It was a dizzying set of decisions that appears to offer no pattern except one: Every school is facing a choice on which programs to carry forward once the money really starts flowing. While top-tier athletes in high-revenue sports like football and basketball can look forward to robust compensation from their university for the use of their name, image and likeness, there is widespread uncertainty for athletes in the so-called non-revenue sports where tens of thousands of athletes compete largely under the radar. For them, harsh cuts are a terrifying new reality as athletic departments weigh more than ever before which sports make the most sense to support financially; each school will be able to share as much as $20.5 million with athletes next year but top performers and revenue draws in the big sports will demand the most to keep them out of the transfer portal. |
| Inside Donald Trump's push to fix college sports: How it began and what we know going forward | |
| As Donald Trump flew to the University of Alabama on May 1 to speak at the school's commencement activities, he spent much of the flight time pondering how to fix college athletics. Accompanied by Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, a former college football coach at schools like Auburn and Ole Miss, President Trump wanted to know what was plaguing college football ahead of a meeting with retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban. Trump told the senior U.S. senator that he wanted to get involved in fixing college athletics. It started with assembling a group that intricately knew the ins and outs of a remarkable period of change for the sport. "He said, 'Let's put a group of people together and give me your best shot,'" Tuberville told CBS Sports this week of his Air Force One conversation with President Trump. "And, then after that, see what we can do." That solution starts with Saban and Texas Tech chairman Cody Campbell, who are expected to co-lead a presidential commission on college athletics. The pairing of a seven-time national championship-winning football coach with a billionaire former college football player naturally generated major headlines. "I think you get people involved who are looking at it every day," Tuberville said. "Not just some weekend person. We're going to need player involvement, men and women. One thing that President Trump says on my watch is: 'We're not losing women's sports, we're not losing Title IX.'" |
| Trump looks to meddle in the sports world like no president before | |
 | When President Donald Trump and Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred met at the White House last month, they discussed one of the president's passion projects -- reinstating baseball star Pete Rose to make him eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This week, that's exactly what Manfred did. It's the latest example of how Trump has long tried to harness sports to flex his power and score political points, one of the most significant tools he has used to capture pop culture in ways that few politicians can rival. But his second term embrace has been different from the rocky relationship of his first, when he used clashes with the NFL and other leagues over racial protests to rile his base. Now, he is enjoying his dominance over those same leagues and using the imagery of his constant association with sports to enter American arenas and living rooms like no other president before. Democrats, who argue that Trump is phony on just about everything, don't quibble with his passion for sports. "I can criticize him about 99 things and the one I would defend him on would be his affection for sports," said James Carville, the veteran Democratic strategist. "I'd rather see him distracted by sports than actually doing something." |
| The Time Is Right for a House Settlement Decision This Week | |
| U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken will probably decide this week whether to grant or deny final approval to the 10-year settlement resolving the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations. All the briefs are in, and the new academic year for universities nears, which means the time is right for a decision. Wilken has received the final set of dueling memoranda from objectors on one side and the athletes' attorneys, NCAA and power conferences on the other. Wilken found it problematic that some athletes stand to lose roster spots because the settlement would impose roster limits. She noted that even if those athletes opt out of the settlement, they still lose their spot, meaning they're without recourse whether in or out of the settlement. In response, the NCAA and athletes' attorneys softened roster limits by adding a grandfathering provision that allows colleges to keep current players and recruits on a roster who would otherwise have been cut due to roster limits. The objectors say it's not good enough since it's up to colleges as to whether to use the provision. The NCAA and athlete attorneys counter there have never been guaranteed roster spots in college sports. It's worth pausing to consider this moment for college sports. Not to diminish walk-ons and other college athletes who might face a roster squeeze and won't be protected by their schools, but consider the massive and looming changes that aren't in debate. |
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