| Tuesday, May 20, 2025 |
| MSU program 'upskilling' state's workforce to be robot ready | |
 | A single employee in a manufacturing facility does the same task over and over almost 40 hours a week. But doing the same thing repeatedly can lead to injuries for the "industrial athlete" over time, and honestly, a human probably shouldn't be doing the job at all. Reuben Burch, a professor in systems engineering at Mississippi State University, discovered this as he traveled across the state visiting manufacturing facilities in 2018, he told the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday at the Hilton Garden Inn. Ultimately, he said, his team found an opportunity to introduce autonomous systems to manufacturing facilities in the state -- and a gap in training within the state for skilled workers who can operate those systems. "Why can't they stay in the state of Mississippi to see what their options are to look at automation for these employees that essentially don't want to do the repetitive task?" Burch asked. "And why do they have to fly out of state to get training?" Burch's findings were the start of the creation of the Advancements in Manufacturing Upskilling Program (AiM UP) at MSU, a workforce development program that teaches skills in advanced and automated manufacturing across the state. |
| MSU's AiM UP working to build talent shortage of skilled workers | |
 | The Advances in Manufacturing, or AiM UP, program is a statewide initiative led by Mississippi State University. The state has a talent shortage for skilled workers in manufacturing roles, things as robotics and automation. AiM UP is working to build that capacity by providing skills instruction to the current workforce. MSU is building partnerships with the state's largest manufacturers to supply the right training. Those involved with the program said it's not about replacing workers, it's about teaching new skills to meet new needs. "That's a common misperception about industrial automation, is it's going to take someone's job. But what we have to say is it's going to increase an individual's capacity for work. So, we didn't say that the computer was going to take our jobs when it came around. It increased our capacity to do more work, and industrial automation in the manufacturing sector is going to do the same," said MSU Engineer Carver Middleton. |
| A legend laid to rest: Ed Smylie's daughter scatters the NASA engineer's ashes in Brookhaven | |
 | A legend was laid to rest in Brookhaven Monday in a small, quiet ceremony. Susan Smylie spent a moment in silence alone, took a deep breath, and dusted her grandparents' graves with her father's ashes. Then she hopped into her truck with her dog riding shotgun and a U-Haul trailing behind her and headed back home to San Antonio. Some of Ed Smylie's ashes will stay here in Rosehill Cemetery with his parents, Robert and Leona Smylie. Some were sprinkled at the Tennessee home he shared with his wife Carolyn. Hers are there now, too. The ceremony was brief. Susan Smylie found her grandparents' headstones after a short search. She'd placed flowers there in October on her way through town. It was her first time back since her grandmother died in 1986. It took her a moment to find them again. She told this reporter a few stories about her dad, a Brookhaven High School graduate who passed away peacefully in late April in Tennessee. She talked about an engineer with a degree from Mississippi State University who is credited with saving the crew of the Apollo 13 on what would have been only the world's third manned landing on the moon. |
| Officials warn of potential severe weather in majority of state Tuesday | |
 | Mississippi weather officials are warning that much of the state is under the threat of severe storms beginning Tuesday afternoon. National Weather Service officials are forecasting a marginal threat of severe weather beginning after midnight, while the risk will be upgraded to "enhanced" Tuesday afternoon. "Severe storms are likely along & northwest of the Natchez Trace corridor Tuesday afternoon into night, while possible to the southeast," Mississippi Emergency Management Officials said Monday. "The main threats: damaging wind gusts to 70 mph, large hail up to golf ball size & tornadoes. Take your severe weather precautions." |
| While Trump overhauls FEMA, Mississippi tornado survivors await assistance | |
 | More than two months after a tornado destroyed his home, Brian Lowery still looks through the rubble, hoping to find a tie clip his mother gave him, made from the center stone of her wedding band. "I still have hope," Lowery said. Lowery considers himself lucky. He, his wife and 13-year-old son made it to safety before the tornado ripped apart their trailer home of 15 years. Despite his positive outlook, Lowery admits he's frustrated; Mississippi's request for federal aid is still pending before the Federal Emergency Management Agency, meaning badly needed assistance has not yet made it to his hard-hit community of Tylertown. "I don't know what you got to do or what you got to have to be able to be declared for a federal disaster area because this is pretty bad," Lowery said. "We can't help you because, whatever, we're waiting on a letter; we're waiting on somebody to sign his name. You know, all that. I'm just over it." Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves asked the Trump administration for a major disaster declaration on April 1 after 18 tornadoes tore through the state on March 14 and 15, leaving seven people dead and hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged. Mississippi's request comes at a time of upheaval for FEMA. |
| Modine expanding data center cooling equipment manufacturing in Grenada County | |
| The Mississippi Development Authority announced Monday that thermal management company Modine is upgrading one of its existing facilities in Grenada County to manufacture data center cooling equipment. Modine Manufacturing Company has been in thermal management since 1916, the company said. They design, engineer, test, and manufacture heat transfer products for a wide range of applications and markets. The Mississippi project will see an investment of more than $38 million by the end of 2028 and will create more than 450 jobs, MDA said. The expansion in Grenada County includes building enhancements and product line additions to support increased demand for the company's data center cooling solutions. MDA noted that the agency is providing assistance for building improvements while Entergy Mississippi is assisting with utility needs. "MDA is in the business of bringing new opportunities to the people of our state, and these are the types of projects that keep them in good, steady jobs -- jobs that will one day be filled by future generations of Mississippians," said MDA Executive Director Bill Cork. "We are proud to support Modine's growth and appreciate the company for choosing to produce its data center cooling equipment right here at home." |
| 2 Nissan plants named as part of 7 expected to shut down. | |
 | After Nissan announced on May 13 new cost cuts that eliminate 11,000 more jobs and close seven production plants, Mississippians were nervous that the Canton plant in Madison County might be one of those impacted. Nissan has seen its profit significantly decrease. Operating profit totaled $472 million in the 12 months to March, a decline of 88% from the previous year. The new job cuts will bring Nissan's total U.S. workforce reduction to around 20,000 jobs, after it previously announced plans to cut 9,000 U.S.-based positions. It will cut the number of its production plants from 17 to 10 and reduce the complexity of parts by 70%. However, there has been news in recent days that might alleviate fears for those in the Magnolia State. First, there was news Nissan is considering changing course on its Sentra production in Mexico and would use the Mississippi plant to make the sedan. While the report did not say Nissan would be leaving Mexico altogether, it did suggest it may shift production to the United States for Sentra sedans intended for sale in America. Then, on May 18, it was reported that Nissan is considering closing two of its car assembly plants in Japan as part of the restructuring plan to cut costs and improve profitability. The plants under consideration are the Oppama plant, where Nissan started production in 1961 and the Shonan plant, operated by Nissan Shatai. This move, if finalized, would leave Nissan with only three vehicle assembly plants in Japan. |
| Hancock County could lose high-paying jobs under Trump's 'skinny budget' | |
 | Supporters are jetting to Washington this week in hopes of saving NASA's Artemis program for launching astronauts to the moon, and eventually Mars, saying its loss would be financially devastating for Hancock County. President Donald Trump's "skinny budget" calls for phasing out the Space Launch System and Orion capsule, which space.com calls the "backbone" of the Artemis program. The Space Launch System's booster engines are assembled and tested at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, while the rocket's core stage, or major sections, are built at NASA's Michoud Assembly Plant Facility in New Orleans. The Orion capsule that carries crew members is partially assembled at Michoud. "I believe Congress is going to do everything they can to keep these jobs in place at Stennis and Michoud," said Tish Williams, executive director of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the group in Washington to push for funding. The company assembling the engines, L3Harris/AeroJet Rockdyne, would have to cut its workforce if funding is stripped, said general manager Michael McDaniel, who is also on the trip. The company has 110 employees working at Stennis, he said. NASA and program suppliers also would lose jobs. "It would be a significant impact to the Hancock County economy," McDaniel said. |
| Will Anyone Take the Factory Jobs Trump Wants to Bring Back to America? | |
 | At 6 a.m. every weekday, a group of sturdy-framed men in steel-toed boots clock into the small factory at Quaker City Castings in Salem, Ohio, to build sand molds, pour molten metal and grind iron and steel castings. The jobs are tiring, feature hazards not found at desk jobs and are tough to fill. Once workers are recruited, it can be difficult to get them to stay. This is work politicians lionize, but Americans often don't want. "A lot of people say they wouldn't work in a place like this because of how hard it is," said Zachary Puchajda, a 25-year old worker who took up metalcasting when a friend who worked at Quaker City introduced him to it. The work represents the type of gritty, physically demanding labor that President Trump envisions will recast the U.S. as the manufacturing powerhouse it once was. America has nearly half a million unfilled manufacturing jobs, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Nearly half of manufacturing companies say their biggest challenge is recruiting and retaining workers, according to a survey this year by the National Association of Manufacturers. Carolyn Lee, president of the Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit focused on workforce development for the sector, said the labor shortage makes it challenging to scale up production on a dime. "You can't just plop a factory down and hope people will miraculously appear," she said. |
| Mississippi's average teacher salary is again lowest in country | |
| You may remember the big celebration of the 2022 teacher pay raise. But in the three legislative sessions since, pay hasn't been boosted further. This year's report from the National Education Association shows Mississippi is back on the bottom, dropping from 48th to 51st for average teacher salary. "We are continuing to lose our educators to other industries because of this low pay," explained Mississippi Association of Educators Executive Director Erica Jones. We reached out to members of the House Education Committee to get their reaction to the drop in rankings. Chairman Rob Roberson says everyone he speaks with wants to find ways to help our teachers. But there are factors to consider, like population loss and the need for a stronger tax base. "It's a moving target that it seems like we'll never be able to get our head above water so long as is the moving target and there's no ability to ever catch up," noted Roberson. "I will say that I think that you've got to take into consideration the cost of living in another place." Roberson believes the state should consider some consolidation to determine if that could save dollars that could be poured back into classrooms and teacher salaries. |
| J's Grocery brings fresh food, hope to Clarksdale neighborhood | |
| J's Grocery opened its doors in Clarksdale, marking a turning point for a community lacking access to fresh produce. Located in the Eastgate neighborhood, a historically underserved area, the store brings not only convenience but also a vital resource for those facing food insecurity. Tyler Yarbrough, a local advocate and director of Mississippi Delta programs at Partnership for a Healthier America, has deep personal ties to the neighborhood. He grew up just a few blocks away in Eastgate, where he witnessed firsthand the struggles families faced in accessing fresh food. Before the opening of J's Grocery, many neighborhood stores had closed, and those still open primarily offered shelf-stable snacks. Yarbrough and other partners have worked to revitalize this corner of Clarksdale by reconnecting the community with local farmers and providing fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. The Jones family has served the Clarksdale community for over 27 years by providing essential groceries and community services, including a laundromat and barber shop. After J's Grocery closed for several years, the family took the lead in its recent reopening, working closely with local advocates and organizations -- such as Yarbrough's Partnership for a Healthier America and the nonprofit Rootswell -- to renovate the space and refocus the store on fresh, healthy food options. |
| Secretary of State's Office launches new text messaging system for election updates | |
| The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office has launched a new platform for prospective voters to access important election information and report issues through text messaging. Secretary Michael Watson unveiled the "TextMyGov" resource on Monday, allowing Mississippians to initiate a conversation with the Secretary of State's Office to seek guidance on a variety of topics. By texting "HI" to (601) 586-7600, users can initiate a conversation with state officials to solicit guidance on a variety of topics. The system utilizes keywords to categorize inquiries, directing users to appropriate responses or information sources. Residents can text the relevant keyword to receive an automated response or a link to the Secretary of State's website for more detailed information. A new text alert system has also been installed. Users may receive a text notification from the number 80946. This is a legitimate text from the Secretary of State's Office, not a scam. Residents who receive the initial text message and opt in will receive election alerts, which will provide important election information. Users may opt out at any time by texting "STOP." |
| Trump comes to the Capitol to try to persuade a divided GOP to unify around his big tax cuts bill | |
| President Donald Trump arrived on Capitol Hill early Tuesday to try to seal the deal on his big tax cuts bill, using the power of political persuasion to unify divided House Republicans on the multitrillion-dollar package that is at risk of collapsing before planned votes this week. Trump called himself a "cheerleader" for the Republican Party and praised the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson as he headed behind closed doors to rally Republicans. He also criticized at least one of the holdout Republicans as a "grandstander" in a warning to others. "We have a very, very unified party," Trump said in hallway remarks at the Capitol. "We're going to have available one big beautiful bill." The president arrived at a pivotal moment. Negotiations are slogging along and it's not at all clear the package, with its sweeping tax breaks and cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs, has the support needed from the House's slim Republican majority. Lawmakers are also being asked to add some $350 billion to Trump's border security, deportation and defense agenda. |
| Joe Biden Had Unrivaled Medical Care. How Did His Cancer Go Undetected? | |
| How was Joe Biden's cancer not caught earlier? The news that the former president is battling an aggressive, stage-4 prostate cancer that has spread to the bone ignited a public debate about why a person with peerless access to medical care was diagnosed at such an advanced stage with a disease that is quite common in men his age. Many prostate cancers in the U.S. are detected with a blood test that measures prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. The test is cheap and can help find potential cancer before symptoms appear. There are some particularly aggressive prostate cancers that don't secrete enough PSA to be flagged on the test. But those are rare, doctors said. Whether Biden, 82, had been getting regular PSA screening before his diagnosis isn't publicly known, and prostate-cancer screening for men in their 80s isn't considered standard care. "It's in many ways unsettling that someone who has what is undoubtedly fantastic medical care could suddenly be diagnosed with aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer," said Dr. Todd Morgan, co-director of the Weiser Center for Prostate Cancer at Michigan Medicine. "On the other hand, this is often how prostate cancer presents. We typically don't do PSA screening beyond 75 or late 70s." Biden, however, wasn't a typical patient. As the oldest president in U.S. history to seek re-election, his health was under considerable scrutiny by voters. |
| Trump signs Take It Down Act, criminalizing deepfake and revenge porn | |
 | President Donald Trump signed a law Monday criminalizing the spread of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes and revenge porn. The Rose Garden ceremony, dotted with cabinet officials and lawmakers, marks a major policy win for first lady Melania Trump, who championed the Take It Down Act as part of her revitalized Be Best initiative. "Today, through the Take It Down Act, we affirm that the well-being of our children is central to the future of our families and America," Melania Trump said during the ceremony. She also signed the executive order in a symbolic gesture. The bill passed the House 409–2 in April after unanimously clearing the Senate in February. Under the law, anyone who distributes intimate images of someone without their consent faces federal criminal penalties. The law mandates that social media companies promptly remove such content when alerted, and empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce it. The law comes amid mounting concerns over the weaponization of AI to create realistic but fake sexual content, often targeting women and public figures. The bill originated under the co-sponsorship of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who was at the signing ceremony, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Lawmakers from both parties have described it as a long-overdue protection against online abuse. |
| White House officials wanted to put federal workers 'in trauma.' It's working. | |
 | The president had called federal employees "crooked" and "dishonest," and his deputies had vowed to purge them from government and make them suffer. When Trump took office in January, 2.4 million people worked for the federal government, making it America's largest employer. In four months, Trump and a chainsaw-wielding Elon Musk have hacked off chunks of government in the name of efficiency, with tactics rarely seen in public or private industry. The cuts so far represent just 6 percent of the federal workforce, but they have effectively wiped out entire departments and agencies. Some have found themselves fired, rehired, then let go again. Many have been ridiculed as "lazy" and "corrupt." They've been locked out of offices by police, fired for political "disloyalty," and told to check their email to see if they still draw a paycheck. In interviews, more than 30 former and current federal workers told The Washington Post that the chaos and mass firings had left them feeling devalued, demoralized and scared for themselves and the country. Many workers said they believe cruelty is part of the plan. In a 2023 recording surfaced by ProPublica, Trump budget director Russell Vought said, "We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains." |
| Elon Musk brought 'the world's biggest supercomputer' to Memphis. Residents say they're choking on its pollution | |
 | Last summer, an abandoned factory in southwest Memphis got a new life courtesy of the world's richest man. Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI moved in to transform this unprepossessing building into the "world's largest supercomputer." Musk named it Colossus and said it was the "most powerful AI training system in the world." It was sold locally as a source of jobs, tax dollars and a key addition to the "Digital Delta" -- the move to make Memphis a hotspot for advanced technology. "This is just the beginning," xAI said on its website; the company already has plans for a second facility in the city. But for some residents in nearby Boxtown, a majority Black, economically-disadvantaged community that has long endured industrial pollution, xAI's facility represents yet another threat to their health. AI is immensely power-hungry, and Musk's company installed dozens of gas-powered turbines, known to produce a cocktail of toxic pollutants. What's unfolding in Memphis should be a warning to other communities, said Erika Sugarmon, a commissioner of Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis and the surrounding area. "All these different safeguards are being taken away," she told CNN. "So where do you go?" What's happening in southwest Memphis reveals the tension between two very different narratives of what AI can bring US communities. |
| Uproar Over Leadership Churn at Jackson State | |
 | The abrupt departure of Marcus Thompson, Jackson State University's now-former president, who served for less than two years before leaving earlier this month, has sparked criticism of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the body that oversees public universities in the state and hires and fires campus leaders. Thompson is the fourth president of Jackson State in five years, including acting presidents, some surrounded by scandal and controversy. But some local lawmakers and alumni blame the IHL for chronic leadership churn at the historically Black university and are calling for more transparency in the next presidential selection process. IHL leaders say their process for hiring leaders is -- and will continue to be -- transparent, but they're open to change. John Sewell, IHL's director of communications, wrote in an email to Inside Higher Ed that the board discussed Thompson in executive session, but "since personnel matters are considered confidential, we cannot comment on the nature of the discussion." The resignation was a blow to a university that's suffered its fair share of presidential turnover. |
| LSU's Agriculture VP Matt Lee will serve as interim president | |
 | Matt Lee, LSU's vice president for agriculture, will serve as the university's interim president starting July 1, the university said Monday. He will serve as interim leader while the university conducts a national search for a permanent president. The announcement follows the news that LSU President William Tate IV will step down after June 30 to become president of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Lee, who is also dean of LSU's agriculture college, oversees agriculture research and education at the college and the university's AgCenter. He previously held several leadership positions at LSU, including interim executive vice president and provost. With a doctorate in sociology from LSU, Lee is a criminologist and public health expert specializing in rural crime and community development. Prior to LSU, he was on the faculty at Mississippi State University, where he was affiliated with the Rural Health, Safety, and Security Institute. |
| Rutgers names LSU president as its next leader | |
| Rutgers University selected Louisiana State University President William F. Tate IV as the school's new president Monday, ending a national search for the next leader of New Jersey's state university. Tate will be Rutgers' 22nd president and oversee one of the oldest and largest universities in the nation, with more than 69,000 students on three campuses and a $5 billion annual budget. The new president was approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors with the consent of the Rutgers Board of Trustees and introduced at a joint meeting in New Brunswick. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who attended the Rutgers meeting, said he was sold on Tate as soon as the pair spoke. "He had me at hello," Murphy said. Tate, 63, said his childhood in Chicago's Southside prepared him for the high-profile job in New Jersey. He spoke about Rutgers' possibilities in the future. Tate has been president of Louisiana State University since 2021. He was the school's first Black president. Like Rutgers, Louisiana State is a statewide university system. The school currently enrolls more than 50,000 students statewide. |
| Office of Undergraduate Admissions under scrutiny for alleged illegal actions, mass exodus of staff | |
| In November, The Plainsman received a tip about the Auburn University Office of Undergraduate Admissions office committing "unethical and potentially illegal" actions. At that time eight employees had resigned from the office. Now, nearly six months later, there has been a mass-exodus of the staff in correlation with this behavior, and that number is up to 15. Ten people close to the matter have agreed to speak on the basis of anonymity and corroborated information regarding this article. No one was willing to be quoted or directly cited for fear of retaliation from the university. These inaccuracies and misleading numbers, along with the reported behavior surrounding the coverup of the truth, could have implications for current and prospective students at Auburn. These stories involve the Office of Admissions, Enrollment as well as the university as a whole. Many of the resignations have to do with a "toxic, negative and unsupportive work environment that [they] dread coming to every day." The catalyst struck in March 2024 when Phil Verpil was hired into his current position as executive director of undergraduate admissions, serving as assistant vice president of enrollment management. He reports directly to Joffery Gaymon, Auburn's vice president of enrollment. |
| Civil rights icon Rita Geier revisits 'consequences' of change at U. of Tennessee | |
 | Rita Geier -- an equal rights icon, a force for social change and an instrumental campus worker -- has led a historic life, leading the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to award her one of the school's highest honors. On May 15, the day before the law school's historic renaming to the Frank Winston College of Law, Chancellor Donde Plowman and College of Law Dean Lonnie Brown presented an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Geier during the university's revamped graduation weekend. "I am very awed because that's something that happens to other people. I'm very thankful," Geier told Knox News. "The recognition is something that I don't think of because we worked here with a lot of people to make things happen. Not me, certainly not me alone, but it does take a community and good leadership, and fortunately I think that existed during my time here, which made some of the changes that we wanted to see happen, happen." She taught history at Tennessee State University, another historically Black college, while pursuing a law degree from Vanderbilt University law school from 1966 to 1967. Geier -- along with Ernest Tarrell, Patrick Gilpin, Harold Sweatt and Phillip Sweatt -- filed a class action lawsuit against the state of Tennessee the following year, saying Black students and faculty members were segregated from equal higher education opportunities. |
| Tuition rates rise 5% for all Mizzou students | |
 | Tuition will go up by 5% for all undergraduate students at the four University of Missouri System campuses this fall. The UM System Board of Curators approved the new schedule of fees and tuition for the 2025-26 academic year Monday. "Today's tuition increases keep our costs competitive regionally and nationally while maintaining our commitment to students, faculty, staff and our state," Todd Graves, Board of Curators chair, said. Graduate tuition will increase for most campuses by 5%. Tuition for students in professional programs will increase 2.6% to 5% at all four campuses. Graduate tuition at Mizzou is charged per credit hour, with five tiers of differential rates based on program. The minimum tier rate for the 2025-26 academic year will be $551.30 per credit hour for residents and the maximum tier will reach $1,543.50 for nonresidents. Nonresidents will see an additional $826.90 added to the resident rates in each tier. Mizzou undergraduate students taking 12 to 18 credit hours are charged a flat rate of tuition. Students taking more than 18 credit hours are charged at a per-credit-hour rate for all additional hours. The rates are divided into three tiers based on major. Dual major students are charged the rate of the major in the higher tier. |
| Texas House committee advances legislation that targets state's universities | |
| The Texas House on Monday advanced legislation that would reduce the influence of faculties on curriculum and hiring and increase oversight at public colleges and universities. During a last-minute meeting in the Agriculture Museum that was not broadcast, the House Higher Education Committee voted 6-5 to advance Senate Bill 37 as well as another measure, Senate Bill 2972, to restrict protesting on college campuses. Both measures are authored by Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton of Conroe. It will probably take at least a day before SB 37 and SB 2972 reaches the House Calendars Committee, which is responsible for prioritizing which bills get considered by the full House. Sunday is the final day the House can distribute a daily calendar that includes Senate bills. Earlier this month, state Rep. Matt Shaheen, who is carrying SB 37 in the lower chamber, explained to the House Higher Education Committee how he'd like to change the wide-ranging Senate bill. In the House, Shaheen, a Plano Republican, proposed removing references to social and political beliefs and the rating system. His version also only allows regents to overturn the hirings of provosts, vice presidents and deans, and limits who can report violations of the law to students and those involved with the university. The bill is part of an effort by Republicans to address what they see as a liberal bias in higher education. |
| Oklahoma State gets $250 million for College of Veterinary Medicine | |
| Oklahoma State University is getting a $250 million appropriation for the College of Veterinary Medicine. In recent years, the American Veterinary Medical Association has put the college on probationary accreditation twice. In an effort to prevent future accreditation issues, the university asked state lawmakers for a $295 million appropriation to modernize facilities and recruit faculty and students to maintain long-term accreditation. The state budget framework announced Wednesday includes $250 million to go toward the facility. "We are deeply grateful to the Oklahoma legislature for recognizing the critical importance of a new veterinary teaching hospital," OSU President Jim Hess said in a statement. "This investment will ensure OSU can continue training veterinarians who protect our food supply and safeguard public health." The current appropriation is earmarked renovation and construction of the Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. During an Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee meeting in April, Hess said long-term accreditation of the vet school depends on replacing the 40-year-old facility. The $250 million will be added to an existing $79 million dollar appropriation. |
| Iowa State University president Wendy Wintersteen is retiring | |
| Iowa State University's first female president is stepping down after an eight-year run. Wendy Wintersteen, who's worked for the university for more than 40 years, recently announced her intention to retire in January. Iowa State's 16th president was the second alumna to hold the university's highest office when she was selected in 2017. Wintersteen announced her retirement on Friday, May 16, to the campus community. "I am fortunate to have served Iowa State University in many roles over the past 46 years, and it's been a fascinating journey," Wintersteen said in ISU's news release. "I am truly proud of Iowa State's extraordinary faculty and staff for their remarkable performance these past years. Perhaps most of all, I will miss the amazing energy, talent and potential of our Iowa State students." Wintersteen's tenure included upgraded campus facilities, record-breaking research grants, and improved student outcomes. She engineered vast growth in the ISU Research Park and strong fundraising success, according to the news release. The university received more than $4.2 billion in external funding during Wintersetten's tenure, including three consecutive years of record-setting research funding. |
| Federal judge blocks Energy Department's 15% cap on indirect research costs | |
| A federal judge on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Energy from instituting a 15% cap on reimbursement for colleges' indirect research costs. A group of universities and higher education associations sued the department in April, alleging it had overstepped its authority in implementing the policy and applying the change retroactively by terminating grants with reimbursement rates above the cap. In her ruling last week, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs agreed with the plaintiffs' arguments and said they are likely to succeed in proving the Energy Department's funding cap is "arbitrary and capricious" and violates federal law. Burroughs had temporarily blocked the Energy Department's policy days after the plaintiffs filed suit. Thursday's ruling extends that freeze, banning the agency from applying its rate cap policy to any colleges until she orders otherwise. Despite the government's mounting legal losses, the Trump administration is not letting up on efforts to limit research-related funding to colleges. |
| Trump's science adviser defends funding cuts as a chance to 'revitalize' U.S. science | |
| The U.S. research community needs to learn how to thrive with less money from the federal government. That was the blunt message today from Michael Kratsios, science adviser to President Donald Trump and head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Speaking to a small and hastily assembled gathering at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) building a few blocks from the White House, the former tech executive said the Trump administration's termination of billions of dollars in federal grants and its proposal to slash of agency budgets next year should prompt the science community to rethink its priorities. "Spending more money on the wrong things is far worse than spending less money on the right things," he said to a group of NAS staffers, university lobbyists, and a handful of senior administrators from the National Science Foundation. The country has received "diminishing returns" on the government's investment since 1980, he asserted, adding that the "slowdown" requires "new methods and approaches" to supporting research. The grant cuts, driven by Elon Musk's team at the Department of Government Efficiency, should bring "a moment of clarity." |
SPORTS
| Baseball: State Starts SEC Tournament Play Against Texas A&M | |
| Postseason play has arrived for red-hot Mississippi State. Having won nine of their last 10 games, the Bulldogs are set to try and carry their momentum into the Southeastern Conference Tournament. State, the No. 11 seed in the event, will battle 14th-seeded Texas A&M at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Tuesday night at approximately 8 p.m. The game will be televised by SEC Network and start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the Florida-South Carolina game, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Ryan McPherson will draw the start on the mound for the Bulldogs. It will be just the second starting assignment of the freshman right-hander's career, and he'll look to continue what has been a strong debut season with State. McPherson has racked up 49 strikeouts over 32 2/3 innings in 17 total appearances this year. He boasts a perfect 4-0 record, as well as a pair of saves. Opponents have hit only .176 against McPherson. Texas A&M will counter with righty Weston Moss. The sophomore will be making his 22nd appearance of the season and third start. Moss has a 3.35 ERA over 45 2/3 innings, striking out 49 and walking 17. Opposing batters have hit .215 against Moss. |
| Baseball: Reese Receives Multiple SEC Honors | |
| If you scan through the offensive leaders in the Southeastern Conference, there's one name that is consistently listed in nearly every category. Mississippi State's Ace Reese leads the league with 159 total bases, is second with 18 doubles, 21 homers and a slugging percentage of .772 and ranks third in batting average (.369), hits (76) and RBIs (66). It's that type of offensive output that landed the sophomore third baseman on the All-SEC first team as well as being honored as the SEC Newcomer of the Year on Monday. MSU has a total of 167 All-SEC honors throughout its storied history shared by 131 different Diamond Dawgs. Reese is the 122nd first team All-SEC selection that State has had. David Mershon and Khal Stephen were both tabbed to the All-SEC first team last season while Dakota Jordan was selected to the second team. Reese is currently riding a career-high 21-game hitting streak and has homered in four-straight. The native of Canton, Texas also has 24 multi-hit and 20 multi-RBI games this season. |
| History does not favor the Texas A&M baseball team making a run at the SEC tournament | |
 | The Texas A&M baseball team likely needs to win the Southeastern Conference tournament to make the NCAA tournament when the brackets are unveiled next Monday. The Aggies (28-25, 11-19 SEC) open the conference tournament in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday as the 14-seed against 11-seed Mississippi State. The first pitch is scheduled for approximately 8 p.m. with the winner facing 6-seed Auburn on Wednesday. This year's conference tournament format has moved to single-elimination for all rounds since the league now has 16 teams. The top four seeds received double byes. Seeds No. 5-8 received a single bye. Historical evidence shows the odds of A&M winning the SEC tournament, or even making the championship game, are slim. Since 1999, 13 other SEC baseball teams have finished with 11 league wins out of a 30-game conference slate. None have made the NCAA tournament. Six of those were from 1999-2012 when the SEC had 12 teams and played an eight-team conference tournament. None of them finished in the top eight to play in the league tournament and compete for the automatic bid. Since A&M joined the SEC in 2013, all seven 11-win teams have made it to Hoover, but not even one has won a game there. While a path to the postseason still exists for A&M by earning the league's automatic bid, the Aggies would likely have to make history to do it. |
| 2025 SEC Baseball Tournament Bracket: Updated matchups, scores, schedule, TV | |
| SEC Baseball continues to dominate on the diamond with 13 of their 16 teams currently projected to be in the NCAA Tournament, including eight who could host Regionals or Super Regionals, this time next week. First for them, though, is the SEC Tournament down in Hoover, Alabama. Again, a lot is in play this week just south of Birmingham. Several of these teams will be in contention this week but also want to best position themselves to host, or even just make, the bigger tournament next week in hopes of reaching the College World Series, which five different teams from the conference have won the past five times it has been held in Omaha. Here's the latest scores and updates from the SEC Baseball Tournament at Hoover Met Stadium. |
| Ron Polk jokes about Mississippi State coaching search, Missouri pitching | |
| With Mississippi State baseball preparing for the SEC tournament, a pinch-hitter was called in for a speech at the annual Ferris Trophy Ceremony on May 19. Ron Polk, the legendary MSU coach, filled in for interim Justin Parker to talk about trophy finalist Ace Reese. His speech was full of jokes, including him announcing that he's not a candidate for the opening after Chris Lemonis was fired on April 28. Polk, who coached the Bulldogs twice for 29 seasons from 1976-97 and 2002-08, also jabbed at Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. Polk works as radio analyst for MSU baseball. "First thing I want to get across to everyone here, I am not a candidate for the baseball job at Mississippi State University," he said. "I think that will make Mike very happy. Mike and Luke (Hill), you won't have to face me next year. I'll be in the radio booth broadcasting our wins against you." Southern Miss pitcher JB Middleton won the 2025 Ferris Trophy, given annually to the top baseball player in Mississippi. He's the fifth member of the Golden Eagles to win it and first since Tanner Hall in 2022. |
| Longtime director of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announces retirement | |
| The executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame is retiring. Bill Blackwell made the announcement during the opening remarks of the Ferriss Trophy presentation on Monday. "This is the 11th Ferriss Trophy Banquet that I have hosted, and it will be my last as the executive director," he said. "It's been an honor to serve in this position, and I thank each and every one of you for your support during my time here." Blackwell says his retirement will be effective at the end of the month. He will be replaced by Andrea Patterson, who is currently the senior director of community relations and marketing for the Hall of Fame, according to its website. Blackwell became the third executive director of the Hall in 2016. The position was previously held by Rick Cleveland, a longtime Mississippi sportswriter, and Michael Rubenstein, the former sports director for WLBT, who passed away in 2011. Before becoming executive director, Blackwell served a stint as general manager of the Jackson Generals and was on the Hall's original Board of Directors. During his career in minor league baseball, he was named Executive of the Year four times. |
| Women's Golf Concludes Season In Fourth Round Of NCAA Championship | |
| Mississippi State women's golf concluded their season in the fourth round of stroke play at the NCAA Championship on Monday. The Bulldogs finished in 14th place at 26-over par. State secured their fifth consecutive postseason bid in five seasons under Charlie Ewing when they were selected for the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional. They advanced past the regional round and into the NCAA Championship for the fourth straight season and have now advanced to the final round of stroke play for the past three years. Avery Weed had a solid week for the Bulldogs. The sophomore earned her fourth top 10 finish of the season at 4-under par. Weed finished three rounds under par, becoming the first Bulldog in program history to card three under-par rounds in the NCAA Championship. |
| New documentary highlights Favre's fall from NFL great to defendant in state's biggest welfare scandal | |
| Brett Favre's triumphs and tribulations will be the subject of a new documentary premiering this week. With it comes new details about the man some Mississippians once celebrated and now denounce because of taxpayer dollars meant for the poorest residents that went to him and his causes instead. The new Netflix documentary, Untold: The Fall of Favre, begins with the NFL legend's rise to prominence in professional sports. "Everybody wishes they could be a NFL quarterback. You get all the notoriety, you get paid all the money," said former Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick, who was interviewed for the film. The hour-long documentary took nine months to put together, said executive producer A.J. Perez. "The hard part really for us was finding people close to Brett to talk to us because, you know, he didn't want anybody to participate," Perez said. That's likely because the film also dives into the more controversial parts of his life, including allegations of stalking, sexting and the welfare scandal. |
| Bill Belichick Was Always in Control. Then He Met His Gen Z Girlfriend. | |
 | When Bill Belichick appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" last week to promote his new book, "The Art of Winning," the most revealing moment of the interview had nothing to do with his storied N.F.L. coaching career or his new job leading the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's football program. In fact, it was not about Mr. Belichick or his book at all. It was about the 73-year-old football coach's 24-year-old girlfriend. "A lot has been made about your relationship with Jordon Hudson," said the host, Michael Strahan, himself a former N.F.L. star. "It's been getting a lot of attention." Then he paused to note: "She isn't here this morning." In the five months since the University of North Carolina announced it had hired Mr. Belichick as its new head football coach, giving him a five-year-contract that could be worth more than $50 million, Ms. Hudson has been there, standing not behind her man, but more often next to him -- if not in front. Mr. Belichick should be the most famous person in their relationship. But right now he is a side-player in a spectacle that is built on the public's fascination with young women who date much older, wealthier men and a provocative Instagram account in which Ms. Hudson has asserted herself as a partner in full to one of the most successful leaders in the world of professional sports. |
| Power conferences working on contract to bind schools to new enforcement rules, with strict punishments | |
| On May 1, in perhaps an intentionally quiet signing, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee scrawled his name across the bottom of a six-page state bill. Tennessee Senate Bill No. 536, its details unearthed last week, paves the way for state schools -- University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Memphis, etc. -- and their affiliated collectives to break House settlement-related rules and prevents college sports' new enforcement entity from penalizing those schools. In layman's terms, the law is a launched missile toward plans from the NCAA and power conferences to police the revenue-sharing era of college sports, taking aim at the athlete compensation cap, the severe penalties for rule-breakers and the policies that prevent phony booster-backed name, image and likeness deals to players. But power conference executives have plans to combat such laws. Officials from the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC are circulating a draft of a groundbreaking and first-of-its-kind document intended to prevent universities from using their state laws to violate new enforcement rules and, in a wholly stunning concept, requires schools to waive their right to pursue legal challenges against the new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission. The document, now viewed by dozens of leading school administrators, would bind institutions to the enforcement policies, even if their state law is contradictory, and would exempt the CSC from lawsuits from member schools over enforcement decisions, offering instead a route for schools to pursue arbitration. |
| How proposed CEO could dole out punishments in college sports | |
| With a long-awaited ruling in the settlement of the House case expected this week, college sports are on the precipice of a major overhaul. While Judge Claudia Ann Wilken still needs to issue a final approval on the long-awaited settlement, a decision is expected to arrive in the near future. Changes will come quickly to the way college sports work if the settlement is formalized. Most prominent among them will be a change in how enforcement works, as the NCAA will no longer be in charge of traditional enforcement, and a CEO will soon be put in place with powers that never existed prior. The CEO of college sports' new enforcement organization -- the College Sports Commission -- will have the final say in doling out punishments and deciding when rules have been violated, according to sources, a level of singular power that never existed during the NCAA's era of struggling to enforce its rules. The CEO's hire is expected to come quickly after the House settlement is finalized and has been spearheaded by the Power 4 commissioners from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. Their pick to lead the new agency will quickly become one of the most powerful and influential people in college sports. |
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