| Wednesday, June 4, 2025 |
| Trump appoints Mississippi's Laurie Todd-Smith to key HHS position | |
 | Laurie Todd-Smith, a graduate of Mississippi State University, will operate in a leadership role in the Trump administration. Todd-Smith has been appointed to be the next assistant secretary for early childhood development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In her new role, Mississippi State alumna will lead the nation's Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, guiding programs that support early learning and care for millions of children and families across the country. Prior to this appointment, she served in Washington, D.C., as the director at the America First Policy Institute's Center for Education Opportunity. This marks Todd-Smith's second appointment under President Donald Trump's reign in the White House, previously serving as U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau director. A Phoenix, Ariz., native, Todd-Smith has lived in the Magnolia State for more than 25 years. She earned her doctorate in education at Mississippi State, where she also taught undergraduate courses with the College of Education and served as the director of State Programs at the university's Early Childhood Institute. |
| EMCED holds annual Principal Bootcamp at MSU-Meridian | |
 | The East Mississippi Center for Educational Development held their annual Principal Bootcamp at MSU-Meridian. This two-day event brings principals and administrators from schools around Mississippi to learn how to improve their schools, leadership skills, and share success stories from their own classrooms. Dr. Raymond Morgigno, Executive Director of EMCED, said this bootcamp improves Mississippi's schools from the top down by helping their principals know how to better lead Mississippi's teachers and children in their academic efforts. "It's basically training for school administrators in our consortium and from others across the state. We have about 120 principals here training yesterday and today and we have our superintendents and some of our college professors from Mississippi State as well from their Department of Ed Leadership just working together to share and to share best practices and just make sure that we're training up the next batch of principals," said Dr. Morgigno. |
| Yes, warm, humid weather triggers termite swarms in Mississippi | |
| As spring gives way to summer in Mississippi, termite swarms become a common concern for homeowners across the state. Social media posts, pest control advertisements and backyard conversations often warn that termites begin swarming once the weather turns warm and wet. And according to entomologists and pest control experts, that's not just folklore -- it's true. The Eastern subterranean termite, the most common species in Mississippi, typically begins to swarm in the spring and continues into early summer. These swarms are part of the insect's reproductive cycle, when winged termites emerge from the colony to find mates and establish new colonies. Triggering that exodus is a rise in temperature and humidity, often following rain. The Mississippi State University Extension Service and the National Pest Management Association both note that swarming is most likely to occur when the soil warms and the air becomes humid -- two conditions that reliably appear in Mississippi between May and June. While colonies remain active throughout the year, swarms are when termites become most visible to the public. |
| Spruill elected for third term as Starkville mayor | |
 | Democrat Lynn Spruill has won a third term in the Starkville mayoral election, defeating Republican challenger Roger Bassett. After all valid votes were counted, the unofficial total number of ballots stood at 4,298. Spruill received 1,823 (82.27%); Bassett received 393 (17.73%). City Clerk Lesa Hardin said nine affidavit ballots were cast Tuesday, which the city will process on June 11. Spruill thanked her supporters, saying it is "humbling and gratifying" to see citizens voice that they are happy with the city's current direction through their votes. Spruill said she is looking forward to continuing ongoing projects, like the Main Street Redesign, the Highway 182 Revitalization project, the potential Rails to Trails conversion, parks projects and other infrastructure projects that "are not particularly sexy." In Ward 3, Republican James Kyle Skinner defeated Democrat Laurel Lynn Rowse by a 568-242 margin (70.12% to 29.88%). All other races were uncontested heading into the general election, leaving the Ward 1 seat to incumbent Kim Moreland, an independent, Ward 2 to Democratic incumbent Sandra Sistrunk, Ward 4 to Democratic incumbent Mike Brooks, Ward 5 to Republican William Pochop, Ward 6 to Democratic incumbent Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 to Democratic incumbent Henry Vaughn. |
| Airbus solar farm to generate 72% of facility's electricity needs | |
| Airbus Helicopters hopes to make the Golden Triangle a little greener with a near 6-acre solar farm on the facility's grounds along Airport Road. Bart Reijnen, president for Airbus Helicopters in the U.S. and head of the North America region, took to shoveling dirt Tuesday during the ceremonial groundbreaking of the site. Reijnen said moving toward sustainability is a vital part of the company's operations. "We want this business to be sustainable from an economic perspective, and of course we continue to invest in what we are doing here," Reijnen said. "But it's also important to be conscious about the environmental footprint we cause as a result of the business we want to be doing." Construction on the 2 megawatt solar array is expected to begin later this month and wrap up by late fall. The installation will include approximately 4,000 solar panels, each covering 32 square feet, and is projected to offset about 72% of the facility's electricity consumption. Reijnen said the $4 million investment will pay off over time through reduced energy costs. |
| Severe weather expected in Mississippi later this week | |
 | After bouts of thunderstorms and rain in May, Mississippi has enjoyed sunny skies and pleasant temperatures in June, but don't get too comfortable because potentially dangerous storms are in the forecast for the weekend. "We have a frontal boundary pushing down from the Midwest," said Kendall Parks, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. "It's an upper frontal boundary. "We're expecting for that to interact with tropical moisture in our area. It's going to create instability over the region. We're going to get potential for a line of storms coming through our area Friday night, then dissipating, and picking back up Saturday night." From a line crossing the state just south of Yazoo City to Philadelphia and north to the U.S. 82 corridor will be under a Marginal Risk warning on Friday night and north of the U.S. 82 corridor under a Slight Risk warning. Marginal Risk is a Level 1 threat and Slight Risk is a Level 2 risk out of a possible five. On Saturday night the threat extends further south. From the U.S. 84 corridor and north to the I-20 corridor will be under a Marginal Risk warning. North of I-20 is under a Slight Risk warning. Wind gusts up to 60 mph and possibly higher along with hail up to the size of quarters are the main threats. Tornadoes aren't expected. |
| Lt. Gov. Hosemann, Speaker White look ahead to 2026 session | |
| Next year's legislative session could see several bills aimed at continuing the "Mississippi Miracle" in public education as well as streamlining state government, House and Senate leaders said late last week. Speaker Jason White (R) said during a press conference Friday that the House will create a study committee to explore school choice legislation. The newly formed committee will conduct hearings this summer and into the fall to gather input from Mississippians on the issue. "Students and parents should have a say in their education," White said, adding the conversations will be "uncomfortable." White noted that surrounding states have open enrollment, but it could be a challenge to gain support for the idea among Mississippi lawmakers. Over in the Senate, chamber leader Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) favors bringing retired teachers back into the classroom. He said the state is experiencing a teacher shortage and bringing back former educators could be one solution. Hosemann noted that Mississippi is losing teachers to neighboring states. Both leaders said the state employees' retirement system, PERS, must continue to be addressed during the next legislative session. |
| Bland wins mayor's race, council set | |
 | Queen City voters made their wishes known Tuesday as they elected Percy Bland to be the next mayor of Meridian, unofficial results from the city clerk's office show. Bland, who previously served as mayor from 2013 to 2021, beat local businessman Jimmy Copeland by a margin of 98 votes. Bland's victory is tentative as mail-in absentee and affidavit ballots continue to be counted. State law allows for mail-in absentee ballots to be counted up to five days after the election as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. While hotly contested at times, Tuesday's election failed to draw voters to the polls in significant numbers with just 36.26% of registered voters in the city casting a ballot. Bland received 3,174 votes, or 50.53%, to Copeland's 3,076, or 48.97%. In a statement posted to social media, Bland thanked his supporters for their efforts and said he is ready to get to work making the community stronger. "Thank you to every single one of you who voted, volunteered, knocked doors, made calls, spread the word, and believed in our vision for a stronger, safer, and more united Meridian. Your support made this victory possible," he said. |
| Jones wins mayor's race in Columbus | |
| Stephen Jones stood smiling Tuesday night in the lobby of the Municipal Complex, sure his late mother was proudly looking down from Heaven. Though "just a little ol' boy from Northside" -- something he's called himself from the beginning of his campaign -- Jones is now the mayor-elect for the city. "I think that resonated with the people," he told The Dispatch. Jones, a Democrat, took 2,471 votes (56.4%), according to unofficial general election totals, easily outpacing his two independent opponents, Bill Strauss with 1,263 (28.8%) and Darren Leach with 648 (14.8%). He will take the mayor's seat July 1, after serving as Ward 5 councilman since 2016. His term as mayor will see four new faces on the city council. Communication with those council members, Jones said, will be a "big factor" in his administration. "I will sit down with all of them, see what they have on their agenda, what promises they made to their constituents, and then we'll work from there," Jones said. "I expect to work with them, and I expect them to work with me." |
| Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs upset by Democrat Willis Thompson in election | |
| The city of Vicksburg will soon have a new mayor after incumbent George Flaggs was upset in his fourth reelection bid on Tuesday night. Flaggs, a former Democrat turned independent candidate, was defeated by Willis Thompson, who represents the incumbent's former party. Thompson, a former Vicksburg South Ward alderman, narrowly defeated the longtime River City mayor, winning by 61 votes. The Democratic challenger garnered 1,770 votes while Flaggs received 1,709 of the ballots cast. Independent Kasman Massey received 546 votes. In recent years, Vicksburg leadership has had to put multiple youth curfews in place as a result of an uptick in violence by juveniles. To address the criminal element of the community, Thompson plans to work on improving the quality of life for citizens of Vicksburg through public safety initiatives and further investment in youth programs. Another issue hindering Vicksburg's ability to capitalize on its historic charm is aging infrastructure, particularly in the downtown area. Through "productive partnerships" with community leaders, Thompson vows to come up with a strategy to improve facilities and roads across the city to build a more business-friendly environment. |
| State Sen. John Horhn is Jackson's next mayor, with dominating win | |
| The fourth time proved to be the charm for John Horhn. The longtime Mississippi state senator is now Jackson's next mayor. The skilled Democratic politician with a history of working with both sides of the political aisle is now charged with mending fences with the state and restoring trust in a city that has seen its incumbent mayor under the glare of federal indictment charges. It was another dominant performance for Horhn, 70, who crushed incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in both the April 1 Democratic primary and April 22 runoff to secure the Democratic nomination for mayor. Horhn, a state senator for over 30 years, won Tuesday's June 3 general election with 16,377 votes, a clear mandate of 67.11% with all 80 precincts reporting, according to the unofficial results. Horhn took the lead early and never looked back. With almost half of Jackson's 80 precincts reporting, Horhn already had 5,000 votes. His closest challenger at that time? Independent candidate Rodney DePriest had secured 1,880 votes. Horhn previously shared with the Clarion Ledger what his top priorities would be if elected as Jackson's next mayor, including restoring public trust, improving city services and defending local control over critical assets. |
| Keating wins Gulfport mayor's race; Williams Barnes hails 'historic' turnout | |
 | Attorney Hugh Keating has defeated former state Rep. Sonya Williams Barnes in a contentious and high-profile race for Gulfport mayor that saw what she described early Wednesday as "a historic level of voter participation." "While we didn't win the election, what we accomplished together was nothing short of extraordinary," Williams Barnes said in a news release. "In past elections, about 2,000 voters would determine who leads our city. But this time, over 13,000 citizens made their voices heard. That kind of turnout is not only historic -- it's transformative." Keating greeted supporters Tuesday night at Centennial Plaza after his initial reports showed him edging Sonya Williams Barnes by a little more than 1,100 votes with all precincts counted. While 1,404 absentee ballots remained to be counted, he felt confident that he would be victorious. "I want to be the mayor for all of Gulfport, and that means every persuasion," he said during a speech Tuesday night. Supporters on both sides hurled allegations of wrongdoing in the campaign's waning days, while both candidates welcomed well-known politicians to boost their chances. |
| Davis, Thompson qualify for District 16 special election | |
 | Incumbent Rep. Rickey Thompson, Democrat, has qualified for re-election to his seat in District 16 for the Mississippi House of Representatives, and he's picked up a challenger in Chickasaw Inkana Foundation CEO Brady Davis of Tupelo. Both Davis and Thompson qualified to run for the seat Monday morning, the first day to qualify for the Nov. 4 special election, with primaries set for Aug. 5. District 16 encompasses Chickasaw, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties and includes portions of Tupelo, Verona and Shannon. Following recent redistricting, District 16 took in much of southwest Pontotoc County, northwest Chickasaw County and expanded further south of Monroe County. Thompson, 60, defeated independent candidate Steve Holland in 2019 and ran unopposed in 2023. Thompson said, if reelected, he will continue to focus on workforce development, economic growth and education. This is Davis' first attempt at political office. However, he said he has worked closely with state and local officials in his work at the foundation and in his professional relationship with the Chickasaw Nation. He said, if elected, he wants to be present for the community and bring goodwill and do the right thing. |
| Snyder resigns as director of Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services | |
| Former Mississippi Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder has resigned from his post in the Trump Administration as the director and deputy administrator for the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. The announcement came Monday, with Politico breaking the news, citing "personal family matters" as the reason for Snyder's resignation. Snyder took the federal position in January. "Drew has played an invaluable role leading our Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services as we began strengthening the programs to better serve the nation's most vulnerable," said Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, in a statement reported by Politico. Dr. Caprice Knapp has been announced as interim acting director of CMCS. Knapp is currently Medicaid counselor to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Caprice is an incredibly talented leader and will help lead the Center through this transition, ensuring we continue building upon Drew's efforts," Oz said. |
| Spike in steel tariffs could imperil Trump promise of lower grocery prices | |
 | President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum could hit Americans in an unexpected place: grocery aisles. The staggering 50% levies on those imports took effect Wednesday, stoking fear that big-ticket purchases from cars to washing machines to houses could see major price increases. But those metals are so ubiquitous in packaging, they're likely to pack a punch across consumer products from soup to nuts. "Rising grocery prices would be part of the ripple effects," says Usha Haley, an expert on trade and professor at Wichita State University, who added that the tariffs could raise costs across industries and further strain ties with allies "without aiding a long-term U.S. manufacturing revival." Trump's return to the White House has come with an unrivaled barrage of tariffs, with levies threatened, added and often taken away, in such a whiplash-inducing frenzy it's hard to keep up. He insisted the latest tariff hike was necessary to "even further secure the steel industry in the U.S." That promise, though, could be at odds with his pledge to reduce food costs. "It plays into the hands of China and other foreign canned food producers, which are more than happy to undercut American farmers and food producers," insists Can Manufacturers Institute president Robert Budway. "Doubling the steel tariff will further increase the cost of canned goods at the grocery store." |
| Trump officials delayed farm trade report over deficit forecast | |
 | Trump administration officials delayed and redacted a government forecast because it predicts an increase in the nation's trade deficit in farm goods later this year, according to two people familiar with the matter. The numbers run counter to President Donald Trump's messaging that his economic policies, including tariffs, will reduce U.S. trade imbalances. The politically inconvenient data prompted administration officials to block publication of the written analysis normally attached to the report because they disliked what it said about the deficit. The published report, released Monday but dated May 29, includes numbers that are unchanged from how they would've read in the unredacted report, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal decision-making. Policymakers, farm groups and commodities traders rely on the closely watched report, which the Agriculture Department issues quarterly, for its analysis of imports and exports of major farm commodities including cotton and livestock. The highly unusual rollout could raise questions about potential political meddling with government reports that have traditionally been trusted for decades. "Objectivity is really key here and the public depends on it," said Joe Glauber, a former USDA chief economist. "To lose that trust would be terrible." |
| USDA says demand for sensitive food stamp data from states is on hold | |
 | The Department of Agriculture's unprecedented demand that states and payment processors turn over sensitive data about people who receive federal food assistance is on hold -- for now. A USDA official said in court filings late Friday the agency has not yet begun collecting the personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, after a coalition of groups filed a lawsuit alleging the directive violated federal privacy laws. In a letter last month, the department told states they would be required to turn over the data of people who had applied to or received aid from SNAP over the past five years, including their names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses. The letter said states should submit the data through their third-party contractors tasked with processing electronic bank transfers. A coalition of SNAP recipients and hunger, privacy and student groups sued the USDA in federal court on May 22, arguing the request was unlawful and the agency did not follow the proper procedures for data collection. But in Friday's court filings, USDA official Shiela Corley indicated the agency's data request was temporarily paused. |
| USDA Budget Plan Slashes Conservation Technical Assistance and NRCS Staff | |
| Farmers would have a harder time getting Conservation Technical Assistance under USDA's 2026 budget proposal, which would slash free, voluntary expert guidance by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff. The cut to Conservation Technical Assistance is just one of nearly $7 billion in budget cuts USDA has proposed, but cutting technical assistance would create a ripple effect across USDA's broader conservation programs. The Trump administration has already seen more than 2,400 NRCS staff take a voluntary buyout while roughly 1,700 other probationary employees at the agency had their jobs restored after their firings were blocked by the courts. Under the budget, NRCS staffing would fall from 11,715 to 8,000 employees, nearly a one-third reduction in staff. Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) is considered the backbone of USDA's conservation programs. NRCS staff help farmers with voluntary plans to implement various conservation practices on their land. NRCS staff advise farmers on how to install a range of practices such as integrating cover crops, managing nutrient runoff, restoring wetlands or improving habitats. Technical assistance also serves as an entry point for farmers and ranchers into the suite of USDA conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). |
| GOP Senators' Demands Push Megabill Price Tag Up | |
 | Republican senators want changes to the GOP tax-and-spending megabill, and their ideas come with price tags that will challenge party leaders' ability to cobble together a version that can get to President Trump's desk quickly. Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) says the Medicaid cuts go too far for his state, and wants some funding restored, while Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) is concerned about the bill's effects on rural hospitals and low-income families. Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) wants slower phaseouts of clean-energy tax credits to avoid scuttling private-sector investments that responded to federal incentives. Sens. James Lankford (R., Okla.) and Steve Daines (R., Mont.) want to take some tax cuts that are temporary in the House bill and make them permanent to provide certainty for businesses. Locking down the votes of those senators and others with similar requests will cost money one way or another, and could further inflame intraparty tension with fiscal hawks. The difficulties don't mean the bill is close to collapse. GOP senators share a sense of purpose and they are committed to passing legislation that would avert an outcome they can't countenance: The scheduled expiration of many of Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which are slated to lapse Dec. 31. |
| Trump formally asks Congress to claw back approved spending targeted by DOGE | |
| The White House on Tuesday officially asked Congress to claw back $9.4 billion in already approved spending, taking funding away from programs targeted by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. It's a process known as "rescission," which requires President Donald Trump to get approval from Congress to return money that had previously been appropriated. Trump's aides say the funding cuts target programs that promote liberal ideologies. The request, if it passes the House and Senate, would formally enshrine many of the spending cuts and freezes sought by DOGE. It comes at a time when Musk is extremely unhappy with the tax cut and spending plan making its way through Congress, calling it on Tuesday a "disgusting abomination" for increasing the federal deficit. White House budget director Russ Vought said more rescission packages and other efforts to cut spending could follow if the current effort succeeds. "We are certainly willing and able to send up additional packages if the congressional will is there," Vought told reporters. |
| Ahead of 2028, Vance, Rubio offer up a vision to the future of the GOP | |
| Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a preview of a post-Trump Republican Party on Tuesday at a gathering of many of those who in the coming years will be responsible for running it. No one at the black-tie conservative gathering mentioned "2028," though it was an unmistakable undercurrent as the two featured speakers, who both hope to carry the Trump legacy into the future, laid out their respective visions. The affair was ostensibly a celebration of the brand of economic populism that's taken hold in the Republican Party under President Donald Trump. But American Compass' "New World Gala" at Washington's National Building Museum was really a forum for laying the intellectual groundwork for a MAGA movement once the president leaves office. "This is not a five, a 10 -- this is a 20-year project to actually get America back to common-sense economic policy," Vance said. Vance and Rubio -- who lavished praise on one another -- offered similar assessments of the current state of the country and where they hope to take it. Both spoke of reindustrialization, of an America First approach to economic and foreign policy and the role the next generation will play. |
| Vying for U. of Florida Presidency, Santa Ono Embraced Conservative Positions. It Didn't Work. | |
 | Santa J. Ono's politically charged bid to assume the presidency of the University of Florida ended in dramatic fashion Tuesday when the State University System of Florida's Board of Governors voted not to approve his appointment. The vote was a victory for conservative critics who had decried Ono's past stances -- including his support for diversity, equity, and inclusion measures -- that he has since disavowed. Board members peppered Ono on Tuesday with sharp questions about his track record, which he answered with now-familiar defenses. A similar dynamic prevailed during a recent meeting of the Gainesville campus's trustees, who grilled the former University of Michigan president but ultimately voted to hire him, pending the Board of Governors' approval. That approval didn't come; the board members voted 10 to 6 against his appointment. Ono, whose three-year tenure in Ann Arbor was the shortest in the university's history, was named sole finalist for the Florida job in May. Christopher F. Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a trustee at New College of Florida, was among the loudest voices in opposition to Ono. After the board vote, he took to social media and also sent out a note to his followers, claiming "another scalp" in the effort to "recapture academic institutions." |
| Tennessee chancellor Plowman elected SEC Executive Committee president | |
 | Chancellor Donde Plowman, in addition to leading the University of Tennessee at Knoxville through a historic period of growth, will approve the budget and oversee financial decisions of the Southeastern Conference in her new role as executive committee president. Elected May 29, Plowman will begin her two-year term effective July 1. She was an executive member in 2022 and 2023, and she served as vice president of the committee beneath University of Alabama President Stuart Bell from 2023 through 2024. "I look forward to working with my SEC colleagues an (SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey) over the next two years," Plowman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Can't wait to get started!" The committee is made up of three SEC officers and four people elected during its annual spring meeting. The elected members include a CEO, director of athletics, senior woman administrator and faculty athletics representative. |
| Auburn employee claims school discriminated against him as a white man, sues | |
 | An Auburn University employee is suing the school, saying he was treated unfairly based on his age and race. Henry Moreman was hired at Auburn University in April 2018. He worked as a manager of maintenance until he was demoted in November 2024. Moreman is now suing the school, claiming he was treated differently because he is white and over the age of 40. Moreman alleges he was demoted after a worker he supervised, a 26-year-old Black man, complained about him. The other employee claimed Moreman discriminated against him for his race and age. Attorneys for Auburn University did not respond to requests for comment, but in lawsuit filings, the school denied Moreman's allegations. Attorneys for Moreman also did not respond to requests for comment. A jury trial in the case has been set for December 2026. According to university data, Auburn employs 4,586 full-time white employees and 688 full-time Black employees across all departments. |
| Texas Legislature OKs sweeping higher ed reform bill. Here's how SB 37 will affect faculty senates, regents' authority | |
| A sweeping higher education bill that will limit faculty senates' authority, expand university system regents' control, and regulate curriculum and degrees advanced to Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday after the Texas Legislature approved the measure. Senate Bill 37, authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, was signed by the Senate on Sunday and the House on Monday after both chambers hashed out their differences and agreed on a final version of the legislation. SB 37 requires reviews of university curriculum and degrees, broadens regents' power over hiring and instruction, and creates a new oversight office to examine noncompliance complaints. "The legislation demands real accountability from our institutions," Creighton said in a statement. "Texas isn't just leading the conversation -- we're setting the national standard for restoring academic integrity and accountability on college campuses." SB 37 will significantly restructure faculty senates, allowing an institution's president to appoint some members and leaders, requiring meetings to be streamed, and forcing some current senators to vacate their positions unless governing boards grant exceptions to the 60-member limit prescribed by the bill. |
| Chancellor Sharp, student regent Sawyers share farewell with A&M regents | |
 | Last week's Texas A&M University System Board of Regents meeting marked the end of an era as it was the final board meeting for John Sharp as system chancellor. Sharp is the longest-tenured chancellor in A&M history after taking over in September 2011. His first regents' meeting came in November 2011 and at that meeting he commented on how much he had learned about A&M in a short time and how much he still hoped to learn. On Thursday, in his closing remarks to the board, Sharp reflected on his tenure and where the A&M System has gone during that time. It wasn't all thanks to him, though. "One of the great things about this system for the last 14 years and continues to this day is that Gov. [Rick] Perry and Gov. [Greg] Abbott have appointed fantastically successful individuals to this board, including now," Sharp said. "That has allowed this university and the system to do things that frankly aren't done anyplace else." After his closing remarks, Sharp was given the designation of Chancellor Emeritus by Chairman Bob Albritton and the gathered crowd stood to give Sharp a standing ovation. |
| State Regents allocate funds for Oklahoma colleges, universities | |
| At the May 30 meeting, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education allocated FY26 state appropriations for the state system of higher education and expressed their gratitude for the retention of funds for campus property insurance premiums, acceleration of funding to help address deferred maintenance at public higher education institutions, and ongoing support of the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship program. "Building the state budget is a complex process, and we thank our legislators and Gov. Stitt for advancing state investment to meet deferred maintenance needs at our colleges and universities," said State Regents' chair Dennis Casey. "Consistent with our Blueprint 2030 strategic plan, public higher education's FY26 budget reflects our commitment to producing workforce-ready graduates, growing the student pipeline, and facilitating student success." State Regents received $23.9 million in state appropriations, representing a 2.34% increased investment by legislators and the Governor over FY25; $70.7 million for the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship, following the transition of funding for the program from a direct legislative apportionment to the State Regents; and $101.3 million in expedited continued capital funding for campus deferred maintenance projects. |
| Visa Pause Could Leave U.S. With Fewer New Doctors Amid Shortage | |
| Newly-minted M.D.s are among the thousands of students, trainees, teachers and exchange visitors put in limbo after the Trump State department hit pause on new visa appointments last week, as it develops a plan to vet visa candidates' social media. For foreign-born and educated doctors who haven't snagged an appointment yet, the timing couldn't be worse -- most medical residencies officially begin July 1, with orientations for the newest M.D.s (known as interns or P.G. 1s) starting some time in June. International medical graduates without visas could miss their start date, putting their positions at risk and leaving hospitals in the lurch, since interns provide hands-on medical care under the supervision of more experienced doctors. According to the American Medical Association, about a quarter of doctors currently in practice in the U.S. were educated in foreign medical schools and the nation faces a growing physician shortage. But before a foreign-educated doctor can be licensed to practice medicine in the United States, they must complete a U.S. residency, making these programs crucial to keeping the needed supply of foreign doctors flowing. "Some people are saying, 'Oh, maybe [foreign doctors] are taking all the spots," says Sebastian Arruarana, a resident physician at the Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. "But no, they're not taking the spots -- there's a bigger number of positions to be filled than the number of medical students graduating here." |
| China Really Wants to Attract Talented Scientists. Trump Just Helped. | |
 | China was already scoring wins in its rivalry with the United States for scientific talent. It had drawn some of the world's best researchers to its campuses, people decorated with Nobel Prizes, MacArthur "Genius" grants and seemingly every other academic laurel on offer. Now the Trump administration's policies might soon bolster China's efforts. Under President Trump, the United States is slashing the research funding that helped establish its reputation as the global leader in science and technology. The president is also attacking the country's premier universities, and trying to limit the enrollment of international students. Scientists from China are under particular pressure, as U.S. officials have said that they may pose a national security threat by funneling valuable knowledge to China. Chinese-born scientists have been investigated or even arrested. Last week, the Trump administration said it would work to "aggressively revoke" the visas of Chinese students in "critical fields." As a result, many scholars are looking elsewhere. And Chinese institutions have been quick to try and capitalize. "The United States is shooting itself in the foot," said Zhang Xiaoming, an anatomy expert who last year left the Baylor College of Medicine, in Texas, to lead the medical education program at Westlake University, a research university in the tech hub of Hangzhou. |
| 'You're just not welcome': researchers grapple with US plan to revoke Chinese student visas | |
| Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and science laboratory leaders are reeling after an announcement last week that the US government will revoke visas for Chinese students -- and they are contacting lawyers. In a statement on 28 May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the policy will apply to students studying in "critical fields" and those with connections to the Chinese Communist party. Rubio also said that the government will revise visa criteria to "enhance scrutiny" for all future visa applications submitted by students from China and Hong Kong. It is not clear which Chinese students the policy applies to or what criteria will be used to determine who is subject to the policy. But the order could potentially impact tens of thousands of students. In the 2023–24 academic year, some 122,788 graduate students from China held positions in US universities, out of a total of 502,291 international graduate students, according to data from the Institute of International Education (IIE). The IIE conducts an annual census of international students with funding from the US government. Researchers and graduate students who spoke to Nature, most on the condition of anonymity out of fear over reprisals, say that Rubio's order could devastate their research groups and upend the careers of talented young scientists. |
| Education Department says it will not garnish Social Security of student loan borrowers in default | |
| Borrowers who have defaulted on their federal student loans will no longer be at risk of having their Social Security benefits garnished, an Education Department spokesperson said Tuesday. The government last month restarted collections for the millions of people in default on their loans. An estimated 452,000 people aged 62 and older had student loans in default, according to a January report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The department has not garnished any Social Security benefits since the post-pandemic resumption of collections and has paused "any future Social Security offsets," department spokesperson Ellen Keast said. "The Trump Administration is committed to protecting Social Security recipients who oftentimes rely on a fixed income," Keast said. Advocates encouraged the Trump administration to go further to provide relief for the roughly 5.3 million borrowers in default. People 60 and older hold an estimated $125 billion in student loans, according to the National Consumer Law Center, a sixfold increase from 20 years ago. |
| McMahon Gets Bipartisan Grilling in the Senate | |
 | Secretary of Education Linda McMahon defended major spending cuts to indignant Democrats and skeptical Republicans at a Senate budget hearing Tuesday. It was the second of three appearances McMahon is making on Capitol Hill in quick succession: In late May, McMahon defended the cuts at a House appropriations committee hearing, and later today she will speak before the House Education and Workforce Committee. The hearings were essentially about the White House's proposed budget, which would slash education spending by 15 percent, including unprecedented funding declines for Pell Grants and research. But McMahon also addressed concerns about major cuts to the Education Department already implemented this spring, including laying off half the department's staff, and about the department's role in the Trump administration's campaign to exert dominance over universities like Harvard and Columbia. Democrats weren't the only lawmakers with tough questions for McMahon. While she was largely praised by Republicans in the House last month, her compatriots in the Senate were more skeptical of the unprecedented spending cuts and bureaucratic overhaul she is overseeing at the department. The opposition could signal that Congress won't include some of the more unpopular proposed cuts in the fiscal year 2026 budget. |
| TRIO cuts emerge as Education budget sticking point | |
 | Senators from both parties challenged Education Secretary Linda McMahon about her agency's detailed fiscal 2026 budget proposal Tuesday, with a focus on cuts to the bipartisan federal TRIO programs. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, who co-chairs the TRIO Caucus, said at a Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearing that she "strongly disagree(s)" with the proposal to cut the collection of federal outreach student services programs aimed at supporting low-income and first-generation students in attaining higher education opportunities. "From my experience in Maine, I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, who will often face barriers to accessing a college education, changed by the TRIO program," Collins said while sporting a pin supporting TRIO. The budget proposal would eliminate all of the nearly $1.2 billion in funding for the TRIO programs. McMahon said one of her concerns stems from the Education Department's ability to understand the impact of TRIO programs and ensure accountability. Collins emphasized her priority is "to reform and strengthen those programs, fix what's wrong, increase accountability, not abolish them." |
| More Than 10,000 TRIO Alumni Urge Congress to Protect the Program | |
| More than 10,000 alumni of federally funded TRIO programs have urged the leaders of the House and Senate appropriations committees to reject budget proposals to cut the programs that help students get access to and complete college. "For more than 60 years, TRIO has helped low-income, first-generation students transform into colleges graduates. We are those college graduates," 10,234 signatories said in a letter to Congress. "With more than six million alumni now serving as leaders in their communities -- as educators, lawmakers, business leaders, and scientists -- the success of TRIO programs is clear." The letter goes on to defend college degrees, saying they "remain a key driver of our economy." "Higher degrees of educational attainment translate into higher wages, a broader tax base, and lower rates of unemployment," it reads. The Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal would cut TRIO programs, saving nearly $1.2 billion. The administration argued that the programs were duplicative; better supported with state, local institutional or private funds; or lack evidence of their effectiveness. |
| 'That's not governing': Most lawmakers don't know what they passed in secret, $7 billion budget | |
| Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender writes: Sometime within the last decade or so, setting the Mississippi state budget became a top-secret affair, closely guarded even against many of the lawmakers who are, ostensibly, tasked with setting it. Why, rank-and-file legislators even have difficulty getting a spreadsheet that clearly shows what's being proposed until just before they are expected to vote on the more than 100 bills -- thousands of pages -- that make up the multi-billion budget. Budget info is on a need-to-know basis in the Mississippi Legislature, and unless you are one of a small handful of negotiators, you don't need to know. And the public or press? Forget about it. Shockingly, we've seen in recent years that mistakes get made in this hurried, harried and secret process. Big, multi-million dollar mistakes. Things get sneaked into budgets that clear headedness, deliberation and transparency would have prevented. Ditto for things that get left out. ... Mississippi budget secrecy hit another crescendo last week that had rank-and-file lawmakers on both side of the aisle angered. In a chaotic two-day special session scrum, lawmakers passed a $7.1 billion budget with nearly no deliberation and little adherence to proper parliamentary procedure. Most lawmakers don't know exactly what they passed in the budget last week. |
| Bo Robinson, appointed to PSC after jarring corruption scandals, dies at age 90 | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: After a season of unprecedented corruption involving elected Mississippi Public Service Commissioners in the late 1980s, then-Democratic Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus faced the task of appointing a successor in 1989 to fill the unexpired term of Northern District Commissioner D.W. Snyder of Eupora, following his trial and conviction on federal charges of extortion, filing false tax returns, bribery, and conspiracy. Snyder had been entrusted with the PSC seat by voters for seven terms. Southern District PSC Commissioner Lynn Havens resigned after facing a federal indictment in 1988 and subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 1989. The Mabus appointment would draw intense scrutiny as questions roiled about the wisdom of electing public service commissioners who could accept campaign contributions from the very utilities and other companies they regulated. Who did Mabus appoint to step into the post after Snyder? State Rep. Dorlos "Bo" Robinson of Hamilton in Monroe County was appointed. Through the prism of history, Mabus made an exemplary choice. Robinson, a distinguished veteran of county, state, and district politics in Mississippi, passed away peacefully at his residence in Hamilton on May 26 at age 90. |
SPORTS
| 'A proven track record': Bulldog community reacts to O'Connor hire | |
| Mississippi State's hit king and current Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, Jake Mangum, was unloading groceries when The Dispatch reached him via phone on Monday. But, like always, he was ready to talk baseball, especially after the big news that the Bulldogs hired Brian O'Connor as the program's next head coach. "I'm excited, it's a good hire. I haven't met him, I don't know too much about him, I just know he's won a bunch of ball games." Mangum has already talked with Rays teammate Matt Thaiss, who was a member of the 2015 national championship team at Virginia, and is sold on the character of O'Connor and his fit for leading the Bulldogs. "He's got a proven track record. I have a teammate (Thaiss) who spoke wonders about him, and told me about how great a coach he is. To have someone to play for him let me know he's a great guy, that makes me excited about his leadership at our program." The news was received with plenty of excitement from fans on social media, and former MSU players in the Starkville community echoed that excitement shared by Mangum and the Bulldog faithful. |
| Brian O'Connor's Mississippi State baseball coaching staff is forming | |
| No Mississippi State baseball assistant coach hires for Brian O'Connor's staff have been made official yet, but clues show who might be coming with him. Several assistant coaches have updated their X profiles to indicate that they are heading to Mississippi State. Most of them are from Virginia, where O'Connor spent the past 22 seasons as the coach before being hired by MSU on June 1. O'Connor will be formally introduced at Dudy Noble Field on June 5 (7 p.m., SEC Network+). It started with Virginia associate head coach Kevin McMullan posting a photo on X of Dudy Noble Field on June 2 with the caption "Morning to you!! Make it a Great Day." He also updated his X profile picture to the M over S Mississippi State baseball logo and his bio says he's the MSU associate head coach. Five other coaches -- Matt Kirby, Michael Roberts, Travis Reifsnider, Joe Savino and Justin Weiss -- have updated their X pages to Mississippi State profile pictures as well. Kirby's bio says he's the MSU recruiting coordinator. A photo posted to X on June 2 shows O'Connor, McMullan, Roberts, Kirby and Virginia associate athletic director for baseball administration Justin Armistead posing with well-known MSU fan Wade Sims outside of Dudy Noble Field. They are all wearing Mississippi State shirts. |
| 'How did this happen?' UVa baseball grapples with O'Connor's exit to Mississippi State. | |
| The thought Sean Doolittle said he and his former Virginia baseball teammates shared upon learning that their former leader, Cavaliers coach Brian O'Connor, would depart for Mississippi State is the same question the entire UVa fan base has pondered since O'Connor's departure. Matt Kirby, is following along to Starkville, too. "There was this disbelief like, 'How did this happen?'" said Doolittle, now the pitching strategist for the Washington Nationals. "How could they -- they being the athletic administration -- how could they let this happen?" Doolittle continued. "Especially after losing Coach [Tony] Bennett seven or eight months ago? How do you lose two of the best coaches in college sports in the last eight months, and kind of leave two really, really good programs -- Virginia basketball and Virginia baseball -- in this kind of limbo?" Doolittle said in recent years, the baseball alumni upped their fundraising efforts to help the program compete in the NIL era. In recent weeks, though, he hadn't heard from anyone at UVa or the Virginia Athletics Foundation about trying to pitch in to help keep O'Connor in place. None of the players, past or present, said they hold any ill will toward O'Connor and his staff. In fact, they're all rooting for O'Connor and company to have success at Mississippi State because of what they meant to UVa and what they meant to each of them individually. "Two things can be true," said Jake McCarthy, an outfielder with the Arizona Diamondbacks and who played from 2016 through 2018 with the Hoos. "You want the guys who coached you to always be at the school you were at, but Mississippi State is an awesome opportunity and I think everyone who pays attention to college baseball is aware of the prestige down there, so I'm really excited and I'll be following them and rooting for them unless they ever play against UVa." |
| Ty Grisham, the author's son, discusses Brian O'Connor's move to Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Ty Grisham, John's son, grew up going with his famous dad to the old Dudy Noble Field, sitting in the Left Field Lounge, gorging himself, he says, on "barbecue, crawfish and college baseball." "I thought that was the way college baseball everywhere," Ty Grisham says. Years later, Ty Grisham played baseball for Brian O'Connor, the new Mississippi State baseball coach, during O'Connor's first two seasons at Virginia. Ty Grisham, who graduated from law school at Ole Miss, still lives and works as a lawyer in Charlottesville. So, yes, he seemed the perfect guy to talk to about State's new baseball coach. "Brian's a first-class individual, savvy, intelligent, extremely thoughtful," Ty Grisham said in a phone conversation Tuesday morning. "I live in Charlottesville, love college baseball and pull for Virginia, so I really, really hate to see him leave. It's a tough loss for us, but at the same time it's a home run hire for State." ... "He's just an incredible baseball coach," Ty Grisham says. "He's top five in the country if he's not No. 1." |
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