| Tuesday, July 29, 2025 |
| Mississippi State U. launches AI initiative with Quintilian | |
 | Mississippi State University last week announced a new artificial intelligence initiative that will be supported through a partnership with the technology firm Quintilian, which will use services provided by Amazon Web Services. According to a press release, the new initiative will deliver "powerful" insights for student recruiting, alumni relations and communications. The institution said it plans to use Amazon's SageMaker, a platform that allows users to build and train machine learning models, to better understand prospective students, expand access to underrepresented populations and deploy "more timely, personalized and compelling communications than ever before." "This is a bold step forward in how we connect with present and future Bulldogs," MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter said in a press release. "Using AWS's AI technology, we can optimize and transform the initial contacts and experiences with MSU and make sure that every prospective student and every member of our university community feels appreciated and understood from their very first interaction with MSU." |
| Education: MSU, USDA offers high school students, undergrads notable research experiences | |
 | Mississippi State University is providing hands-on research experiences to both high school and undergraduate students through an integrated project supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Five high school students from North Mississippi, ranging from sophomores to seniors, are participating in the MSU Department of Sustainable Bioproducts' five-week Pre-College Summer Internship Program. Led by assistant professor Mostafa Mohammadabadi, the initiative introduces students to careers in wood-based products through practical research. "Our goal is to support the next generation of skilled professionals in the wood products industry, so we specifically targeted counties with career and technology centers offering carpentry and forestry programs," Mohammadabadi said. "This allowed us to connect with students who showed a genuine passion for sustainable wood-based products and who expressed interest in a career in this field." The same department also is hosting undergraduates from across the country for 10 weeks during the USDA-NIFA-funded Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates program. "This program focuses on students' interests at their home institutions," said Associate Professor Yunsang Kim. "Many have never conducted research before, and we give them that opportunity." |
| Southern rock legend Marshall Tucker Band to perform at MSU Riley Center in August | |
 | A legendary, multi-platinum selling Southern rock group brings its iconic sound to the MSU Riley Center next month. The Marshall Tucker Band, known for timeless classics like "Can't You See" and "Heard It in a Love Song," has been a driving force in American music since its 1972 founding in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Tickets for the Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m. performance are limited and can be purchased by visiting www.msurileycenter.com or by calling the box office at 601-696-2200. Tickets range from $40-$95. Blending rock, country and blues, the Marshall Tucker Band's signature sound continues to inspire audiences across generations. With a legacy spanning more than five decades, the band remains a staple across stages and streaming platforms. Experience one of America's most enduring bands live in Meridian at one of Mississippi's most historic and premier performing arts venues. |
| Starkville Rotary Club learns more about Guatemala Rabbit Project | |
 | The Starkville Rotary Club met on Monday, July 28, to hear from Jessica Graves, the Director of International Capacity Development for the M4 Institute. She spoke about reducing food insecurity at the household level. Graves said malnutrition is something we see in our communities and all over the world. That's why the Guatemala Rabbit Project uses rabbits to build capacity economically and nutritionally for families in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. You may be thinking, "Why rabbits?" Graves said it's because of limited space, ability to utilize forages, reproductive advantages, rate of maturity, nutrient-dense protein sources, and other multipurpose uses. Graves said she hopes attendees take away the opportunities to serve globally. The Rotary Club made a donation on Graves' behalf to Bully's Pantry, which addresses food insecurity needs in the community. |
| Combating food insecurity in Western Guatemala one rabbit at a time | |
| In 2019, Jessica Graves was working on her doctorate in agricultural sciences at Mississippi State University when she felt called to make a difference on malnutrition and food insecurity internationally. After discussing her idea with faculty members she found a way to do just that. Graves joined forces with M4 Institute, a Christian nonprofit that aims to fight poverty across the globe, to start a rabbit farming project in Western Highlands of Guatemala. As she envisioned it, the project would teach women how to successfully raise and tend to their own rabbit farms to create a sustainable source of protein, and thus, combat food insecurity in Guatemalan communities. "Most people say, 'Well, why not dairy goats? You get meat and milk. (Or) cattle.' We've looked at everything, but the rabbits have become a very fantastic vehicle," Graves said at the Starkville Rotary Club meeting on Monday. "... There are a lot of advantages to having rabbits." Graves, now the director of international capacity development for the M4 Institute, has spent the last six years overseeing the project, which has grown from 37 farms across three communities to more than 100 in seven communities in Guatemala. Under the M4 Institute, the program has focused on Guatemala, but Graves could see the same methods applied in other countries. Graves and other MSU faculty members are replicating their rabbit raising efforts in Uganda in hopes of making an impact there as well, she said. |
| The South is facing a Gen Z teacher shortage. How can education professionals combat disinterest? | |
 | As teacher shortages persist nationally, education professionals are looking to Generation Z to fill in the gaps. Gen Z, however, doesn't seem interested. The nation, and the South in particular, has seen a record low in Gen Z adults choosing teaching. In Mississippi alone, the percentage of high school students reporting interest in teaching careers dropped from 6.2% in 2016 to 4.8% in 2022, according to the Southern Regional Education Board. Many Gen Z teachers go into teaching for the same reason all generations have gone into teaching; they are driven by a strong passion that makes the myriad challenges of teaching worthwhile. For Adyson Stewart, a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary in Clinton, that passion started early. As a Northside Elementary student herself, Stewart admired her teachers and her mother, who has worked in the Clinton Public School District teaching at Lovett Elementary School for 25 years. Anna Lea Roberts, a kindergarten teacher at Madison Station Elementary, has a similar story. Roberts comes from a long line of teachers. She spent her childhood in Hattiesburg helping her mom and grandmothers in their classrooms. During Roberts' first year teaching, she was one of two Gen Z teachers in her school. While studying elementary education at Mississippi State, Roberts was very aware of the growing teacher shortages. |
| The puzzle of what happened to Mitanette Cooper has Oktibbeha County deputies stymied | |
| It's hard for Oktibbeha County detectives to formulate a strong theory about what happened to Mitanette Cooper. The 47-year-old Illinois woman was last heard from on June 11, and was reported missing July 3. She was last seen with a man who had come to Illinois to pick her up, but who has been absolutely cooperative with police since she disappeared. This should be pretty easy. Except that it's not. Cooper has gone missing before. She's got an unfortunate reputation, whether she earned it or not, of scamming people and going off the grid. Her own family took almost a month to report her because they weren't sure what happened either. Add in the internet rumors. A video surfaced in which a social media personality talked about how much Oktibbeha County authorities weren't doing.... only they hadn't been informed anyone was missing yet. The host talked about how Algernon Young allegedly denied ever being with Cooper in spite of video evidence, but the thing was that he never denied it. Then there's the information that's not so widely-spread. Cooper had been the victim in a domestic case in Illinois, and some believe she disappeared so she wouldn't have to testify against the accused, who some believe had the wherewithal to hurt her. And in all the noise, there's still absolutely no sign of Mitanette Cooper. Young gave officials consent to search his property, particularly a burn pile that was in a video that Cooper had sent to a friend. Mississippi State University provided a forensics team that sifted through the ashes and dirt and went over the whole property, but it was clean -- no sign of Mitanette. |
| Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office warns public about scam | |
 | Oktibbeha County authorities warn the public about an ongoing scam. Capt. Brett Watson of the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office said his office received several calls on Monday from potential scam victims. The scammer or scammers contacted these individuals and told them to transfer money via Bitcoin -- a form of cryptocurrency -- or risk arrest for missed court appearances. The scammers posed as sheriff's department employees and even sent fake subpoenas via email. The sheriff's office reminds the public that it will never ask or accept money over the phone, nor will it require anyone to purchase gift cards, prepaid debit cards or cryptocurrency. Anyone who receives a suspicious call can always contact the sheriff's office at 662-338-1084 to receive confirmation. |
| Fairgoers contend with scorching heat at the Neshoba County Fair | |
 | Day 4 of the Neshoba County Fair, and the heat is on full blast. Temperatures today are as hot as the upper 90s feeling as hot as the triple digits, with heat advisories all over the state. People at Mississippi's Giant Houseparty are finding any and all ways to stay cool. "You never know what to expect, they say, in weather, but we do expect it to be hot at the Neshoba County Fair, so we are ready," said fairgoer Speedy Calvert. "We always like to say it's a marathon, not a sprint, so we try to stay cool, stay in front of that air conditioner, stay hydrated, be smart, and just don't overdo it." But it's not just the humans that have to keep cool. Livestock are also having to be kept watered and air condition to avoid heatstroke. "We make sure they have plenty of water and keep fans on them, wet them down regularly, keep them wet and all that," said Curtis Gipson with G&W Racing. The Neshoba County Fair continues through this Friday, with still more heat to come in the next few days. We'll see those temperatures fall in the back half of the week, but the front part will remain baking, with more heat advisories on for Tuesday. |
| Head of world's largest bank offers insight, outlook on economic opportunities here | |
| Business leaders and changemakers converged on the Capital City to give their solutions tailored to Mississippi's economic future. JPMorganChase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, the man in charge of the world's largest bank, talked about economic development, income disparities, and his company's future goal of having a bank within 25 miles of everyone in the U.S., particularly in rural areas. He also explored what he sees as one of the biggest barriers to growth: bad policy, particularly when it comes to leaders in these cities he visits. One audience member asked Dimon if he would consider a regional corporate office in Mississippi. While Dimon didn't immediately dismiss the idea, he did offer examples of what a prospective city would need to have to lure them. "The towns that make themselves attractive for corporate headquarters, it's usually the following list of things: good universities that are graduating kids that they need, that they have the land, that the city wants them there, that the tax structure is right, that governance is consistent," Dimon said. |
| 'A Season of Success' to be celebrated at the Governor's Mansion this Christmas | |
| Mississippi's First Lady Elee Reeves put out a call to the florists and decorators across the Magnolia State seeking plans and designs for the fifth annual Christmas at the Mansion. Visitors will walk through the white brick Greek Revival edifice beginning at 4 p.m. December 5 with a candlelight tour, she said. Between now and then, she and her staff will be busy getting the second-oldest governor's mansion in the U.S. ready for the big event. During a news conference on Monday, First Lady Reeves said all proposals should be submitted by August 3. She and her staff will review all entries and announce winners in September. For submission rules, guidelines, and deadlines, visit her Instagram, Facebook or X accounts. "Our state is home to abundantly talented and created individuals," she said. This year's theme is "A Season of Success," which celebrates the achievements the state has witnessed in education. "This year we are honored to celebrate the students, teachers, and their remarkable achievements. Because of their achievements our state has become a leader in education," she said, referring to the state jumping from the bottom of most education rankings to be No. 16 nationwide. |
| Mississippi's strides in education to headline theme of Governor's Mansion Christmas design | |
| It may not be beginning to look or feel like Christmas in Mississippi, but the countdown has begun to get the Governor's Mansion decorated ahead of the holiday season -- and we're 150 days away from when Santa's sleigh will make its rounds. An annual tradition spearheaded by Mississippi's First Lady Elee Reeves entails getting "the people's house" all dolled up with festive garb honoring one unique aspect of the state's history, culture, and its people. In years past, the interior of the mansion has been decorated to pay tribute to first responders, to highlight Mississippi as the birthplace of America's music, and to symbolize the warm southern hospitality felt in the Magnolia State. The governor and first lady, surrounded by a large group of youth indulging in snow cones during a sweltering hot Monday in July in the Governor's Mansion garden, announced that the 2025 Christmas theme would be the major successes Mississippi has experienced in education. It's no secret that the state's education scene has made tremendous strides in recent years. What's been referred to as "The Mississippi Miracle" has been felt in classrooms statewide. In order to do the theme justice, Mississippi's first family is calling on local designers to put their creativity to work and submit proposals for a Christmas design highlighting recent wins in education. |
| Republican candidates Johnson and Lott vying for Senate District 44 in August's special primary election | |
 | With just over a week until August's special primary election, two Republican candidates are vying for Senate District 44. That candidate list includes incumbent Chris Johnson and challenger Patrick Lott. "I'm running on a track record that I'm happy for people to look at," Johnson said. "So, I hope people will take a look at that and consider it when they vote." State leaders redrew district lines earlier this year. District 44 includes parts of Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties. Johnson was elected to the Mississippi Senate in 2020 after serving in the Mississippi House of Representatives. "It was the end of April, first of May before the court finally locked it in," Johnson said. "So, it was a short timeframe, quick turnaround." Lott is a Perry County native who attended the University of Southern Mississippi before beginning his career overseas with the United States Department of Defense. |
| Trump Administration Weighs Patent System Overhaul to Raise Revenue | |
 | The Trump administration is considering a plan to raise tens of billions of dollars with a new fee that would transform the patent system, a radical move that would likely fuel pushback from businesses. Commerce Department officials are discussing charging patent holders 1% to 5% of their overall patent value, a shift that could dramatically increase fees, according to people familiar with the matter. The idea is being considered by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as part of his plans to raise revenue and narrow the government's budget deficit. The new structure would be a major change in the 235-year old practice of applying for a patent, a bedrock process in the U.S. economy. Companies and researchers use patents to protect inventions and make money from them. Because they are public, patents let others in the same field build on previous work. "It's a total paradigm shift in how you think about protecting intellectual property rights," said Brad Watts, senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Center, which advocates for strong IP standards. Many businesses would likely have major concerns with what they perceive as a tax on innovation, he said. |
| Federal employees can pray and preach in the workplace under new Trump rules | |
 | Federal employees can preach in the workplace under new guidelines issued Monday by the Trump administration that have alarmed advocates for the separation of church and state. The guidelines, outlined in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, allow public employees to pray and discuss religion, including efforts to "persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views," but do not endorse a specific faith. Supervisors are also allowed to encourage workers to engage in expressions of faith, including prayer. "Federal employees should never have to choose between their faith and their career," OPR Director Scott Kupor said in a statement outlining the policy. "This guidance ensures the federal workplace is not just compliant with the law but welcoming to Americans of all faiths." The White House also pointed to a memo with similar language and protections issued under former President Bill Clinton. Still, religious liberty advocates were disturbed. Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said the guidelines appeared to be in conflict with the Constitution and the rights of workers. But Andrew Walker, an associate dean at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said the new policy merely "resets" the rules back to neutrality. |
| Former Gov. Roy Cooper enters Senate race in North Carolina in boost to Democrats | |
 | Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper jumped into the state's open Senate race Monday, boosting Democrats' hopes and setting up a likely contest with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley in one of the nation's most competitive battlegrounds. "I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina,'' Cooper posted on social media. Democrats had sought to recruit Cooper even before Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced late last month that he wouldn't seek reelection. Tillis was facing intense backlash over his opposition to Republicans' massive tax and spending legislation, with President Donald Trump threatening to support a primary opponent against him. Trump has already publicly endorsed Whatley, who is expected to formally enter the race in the coming days. Lara Trump, a North Carolina native and the president's daughter-in-law, took herself out of contention by declaring last week that she wouldn't seek the seat. Democratic leaders in the Senate cheered Cooper's decision to run. Cooper's launch video leaned heavily on a populist economic message calibrated to appeal to the middle- and working-class voters who have left the Democratic Party in recent years. |
| States sue USDA over efforts to gather food stamp data on tens of millions of people | |
 | A coalition of 21 states and Washington, D.C. filed a lawsuit Monday against the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the federal agency told states to turn over the detailed, personal information of food assistance applicants and their household members. The USDA has told states they have until July 30 to turn over data about all applicants to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, over the last five years, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses. Last week, the agency broadened the scope of information it is collecting to include other data points, including immigration status and information about household members. USDA has suggested states that do not comply could lose funds. The legal fight over SNAP data comes as the Trump administration is collecting and linking government data in new ways for purposes that include immigration enforcement. The administration is taking steps to share IRS and Medicaid data with immigration enforcement officials to help them locate people who may be subject to deportation. The lawsuit calls USDA's demand for SNAP data as "another step in this Orwellian surveillance campaign." |
| How US adults are using AI, according to AP-NORC polling | |
 | Most U.S. adults say they use artificial intelligence to search for information, but fewer are using it for work, drafting email or shopping. Younger adults are most likely to be leaning into AI, with many using it for brainstorming and work tasks. The new findings from an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll show that 60% of Americans overall -- and 74% of those under 30 -- use AI to find information at least some of the time. The poll highlights the ubiquity of AI in some areas -- as well as its limits in others. Only about 4 in 10 Americans say they have used AI for work tasks or coming up with ideas, a sign that the tech industry's promises of highly productive AI assistants still haven't touched most livelihoods after years of promotion and investment. At the same time, wider AI adoption by younger Americans shows that could change. There's a particularly large age divide on brainstorming: About 6 in 10 adults under age 30 have used AI for coming up with ideas, compared with only 2 in 10 of those age 60 or older. Young adults are also more likely to use AI to come up with ideas at least "daily." |
| Motion filed to correct errant federal order blocking Mississippi's anti-DEI law | |
| Last week, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate temporarily blocked Mississippi's anti-DEI law passed by the Legislature this year as part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Justice in June. However, after Wingate entered the order both sides of the legal challenge noticed significant factual errors in the federal judge's ruling. Two days later, Mississippi Attorney General's office defending the new law, in consultation with the plaintiffs, filed a motion to clarify or correct the Order Granting Temporary Restraining Order issued by Wingate. Judge Wingate amended his original order the following day and then removed the initial ruling from docket, back dating the amended order as if it were the original ruling. The Attorney General notes in their motion to correct that Wingate's order identifies incorrect plaintiffs and defendants. Wingate also recites allegations that do not appear in the operative complaint and/or are not supported by record evidence while identifying as quoted excerpts certain terms that do not appear in the language of the law. The Attorney General's office also said Wingate's order relies on the purported declaration testimony of four individuals whose declarations do not appear in the record for this case. |
| Contractor dies after falling from a roof on MUW campus | |
| A contractor working on a building at Mississippi University for Women has died. It appears the worker fell from the roof or a piece of equipment being lifted to the roof of Painter Hall. In a statement, MUW confirmed an incident happened at about 11:15 am on Monday, July 28. The worker was taken to Baptist Golden Triangle for treatment. Law enforcement did give the ambulance an escort to the hospital. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant is attempting to contact the family of the worker. Roof work is being completed on Painter Hall before students return for the fall semester. |
| EMCC launches aerospace training that leads to jobs in industry | |
| While it is still summer break for many college students, one group has spent their Summer getting training that could land them high-tech jobs. East Mississippi Community College's Aviation Manufacturing Technology Program offers training and certification necessary to begin working for aerospace companies like Airbus. When it comes to landing a job in any manufacturing field, hands-on training can give you a definite edge. East Mississippi Community College is partnering with Airbus and Flight Works Alabama to launch its Aviation Manufacturing Technology program. The goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to enter and advance in the aerospace industry. EMCC Workforce Business Outreach Training Manager, Carlton Ray Hollis, said this opportunity can be a launchpad for those wanting a career in the field. Students said the skills training is only part of the program.. "My experience is more how to become a better team, teamwork how to be more professional, learn a different ability and what's their standards," student Lemadrick Macon said. "You see what do they look for or expect from us, pretty much be classifies, be into tools." |
| MGCCC nationally recognized for nursing and health professions program | |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's School of Nursing and Health Professions has earned national recognition. The school, with campuses in Stone, Jackson, and Harrison counties, has been designated a 2025 Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing, an organization that brands itself as being dedicated to advancing excellence in nursing education. MGCCC is one of only 21 institutions nationwide, and the lone Mississippi institution, selected for the honor. "This recognition is a reflection of the outstanding commitment of our faculty, staff, and students," said Teresa McDonald, associate vice president of MGCCC's School of Nursing and Health Professions. "At Gulf Coast, we continually strive to elevate our programs to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry, while fostering an environment where students can grow into compassionate and skilled professionals. We are honored to be recognized on a national stage for that work." |
| William Carey University dedicates new Institute of Primary Care | |
| William Carey University leaders said the institution has made a major investment in the future of Mississippi's healthcare system. On Monday, university leaders dedicated the first phase of the new Institute of Primary Care. The 50,000-square-foot training facility was designed to prepare future physicians to serve communities across the state. The building was named in honor of retired Judge Charles Pickering, a member of William Carey's Board of Trustees. "We are dedicating it to Judge Charles Pickering, who has been a tremendous advocate and support for our program since the very beginning," said Dr. Italo Subbarao, College of Osteopathic Medicine dean. Pickering said he was honored by the dedication and hopeful about the institute's potential impact on local healthcare. "The things they can do here and teach will help better health for South Mississippi," Pickering said. "And to have it named after me is a great honor." Leaders said the entire project is being funded through federal COVID relief money, meaning no cost to the school. "It didn't cost William Carey anything," said WCU President Dr. Ben Burnett. "We're very grateful to the Legislature, |
| How William Carey's Institute of Primary Care could improve Mississippians' health | |
| Hattiesburg is expanding its base as a medical community, this time with the opening of William Carey University's Institute of Primary Care, part of the university's College of Osteopathic Medicine. The university is naming the institute's first building after longtime supporter and board member Charles Pickering, a retired federal judge. The Charles W. Pickering Institute of Primary Care was officially dedicated Monday, July 28, during a ceremony that brought hundreds of community leaders, faculty, staff and alumni to the institute. A groundbreaking for the institute was held in December 2023, but the planning began years earlier, WCU officials said during the dedication. In May 2023, the university announced a $20 million Mississippi Health Sciences Training Infrastructure grant allocated by Accelerate Mississippi for the institute, but it took planning, gathering support and convincing state lawmakers it was a worthy investment, not only for the state's economy, but for the health and well-being of its residents. Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney, who is a WCU alum, said the institute will do wonders for improving the state's health, which in turn will result in improvements in education and other aspects of people's lives. |
| U. of Oklahoma implements campus mowing robots on North, South ovals | |
| The University of Oklahoma implemented two mowing robots across the Norman campus early July in an effort to enhance efficiency and contribute to the department's sustainability goal. Marissa Pierson, OU Facilities senior director, wrote in an email to OU Daily Wednesday that the robots, Barry and Bob, named after former football coaches Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops, are currently deployed on the North and South ovals and surrounding lawns. Bob focuses on the North Oval while Barry focuses on the South Oval. Pierson wrote the mowers are a great addition to operations. "There have been some kinks to work out with mapping," Pierson wrote. "But they are performing well overall." According to Pierson, Barry and Bob operate day and night, with each robot mowing up to 15 acres per day. The robots use real-time kinematic GPS coordinates and navigation to understand their working area, Pierson wrote. As they continue to learn their zones, staff have been following Barry and Bob, but Pierson wrote the supervision is temporary and they will soon be able to operate on their own. Pierson wrote the robots operate safely around pedestrians and obstacles through their built-in sensors and geofencing technology. If the robots are lifted or tipped they shut down automatically, Pierson wrote. |
| Conservative Group Requests Materials for Over 70 UNC Courses | |
 | The Oversight Project, a spinoff of the conservative Heritage Foundation known for deluging government agencies with public records requests, has set its sights on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to Chapel Hill's open records request database, Mike Howell, the Oversight Project's president, submitted a sweeping request to the university on July 2, asking for syllabi and class materials presented to students in roughly 70 courses that contain "any of the following search terms, whether in titles, body text, footnotes, metadata, or hyperlinks." He then listed 30 search terms he wanted Chapel Hill to use, including "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging"; "gender identity"; "intersectionality"; "white privilege"; "cultural humility"; "racial equity"; "implicit bias"; "microaggressions"; "queer"; and "sexuality." The courses whose materials he asked the university to search included Gender and Sexuality in Islam, Increasing Diversity in STEM Research and Black Families in Social and Contemporary Contexts, as well as Right-Wing Populism in Global Perspective; First-Year Seminar: Mobility, Roads, NASCAR, and Southern Culture; and Introduction to the American Stage Musical. It's another example of conservatives using open records laws to target what's being researched or taught -- or what they think is being taught -- at public universities. |
| Clemson researchers discover hundreds of bots on X using AI to stoke controversy over Epstein files | |
 | Researchers have identified over 400 AI-driven accounts on the X social media platform formerly Twitter that are flooding replies with pro-Trump talking points. But as MAGA ranks break over the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, cracks in the accounts' messaging are starting to show. Analytics firm Alethea and Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub worked with NBC News to identify hundreds of bot accounts that inundate the platform's algorithm with praise for high-level conservative leaders -- key Trump administration people like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Researchers discovered the bot network because they've been working to develop tools that analyze conversations on social media to better understand when they are being manipulated by outside actors, said Clemson economics professor Patrick Warren, who co-directs the Media Forensics Lab. "It is by no means the first network of AI-empowered accounts that we've found, and certainly won't be the last," Warren said. The accounts -- which are increasing rapidly -- use AI to write content and help the program understand what content to engage with. It's not clear who is behind the accounts. |
| USDA reorganization will cut agricultural and forest research | |
| The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will close its flagship, but deteriorating research site in Maryland as part of a major reorganization aiming to shift 2600 employees away from the nation's capital area, the agency announced this week. At the same time, USDA said it plans to shutter most of its forest research stations around the country. "It's a real punch to the gut," says a senior scientist at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, which is slated for closure. USDA says the decision will cut costs and red tape. The plan will also free up governmental office space in downtown Washington, D.C., for other federal purposes. The fate of the Beltsville, Maryland, campus is unclear, but a memo from the secretary of Agriculture mentions the possible sale of the headquarters office there. Some veteran observers are skeptical about any savings. "It costs time and money [to close down facilities and relocate staff], and the outcome is not always what you expect," says Ann Bartuska, a former undersecretary for research at USDA. The reorganization would also bring dramatic changes to research at the U.S. Forest Service, which is part of USDA. Scientists currently work at five regional stations around the country. Four will be closed and their work consolidated at a single site in Fort Collins. |
| NIH director say cuts aim to reduce 'ideological research,' focus on health | |
 | "I'm not a politician," the new director of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya insists. "I'm not going to get involved in the political fight over things." But the great challenge facing the former Stanford University doctor and economist as he guides the world's largest public funder of biomedical research is the fear for many that science and American politics have become intertwined as perhaps never before. In June, NIH staffers issued the Bethesda Declaration, now signed by 484 employees, some named, others anonymous. The declaration said that on Bhattacharya's watch, the Trump administration has forced the NIH "to politicize research by halting high-quality, peer reviewed grants and contracts." The declaration also accused the administration of "censoring critical research" on subjects including health disparities, health effects of climate change and gender identity. As Bhattacharya sees it, however, the cuts that aligned the NIH with the president's agenda were actually about distancing the agency from politics. "Making America healthy again," he said in a recent one-hour interview with The Washington Post, "involves deprioritizing research that doesn't have a chance of making America healthy, [such as] a lot of ideological research that I think served to create a perception that the NIH is a political organization rather than the scientific organization it actually is." |
| New analysis predicts sprawling effects of proposed NIH budget cuts | |
| Initial analyses of the Trump administration's proposed National Institutes of Health budget cuts have overlooked key aspects of their long-term economic and health impact, according to a newly released paper, which suggests the effects will be sprawling and ultimately cost the country more than is being saved through the cuts. The authors point to NIH budget cuts decimating the scientific workforce, diminishing support for public health programs that have increased life expectancy, and creating gaps in scientific knowledge that are not likely to be filled by private industry. The paper, published in JAMA Health Forum, also highlights difficulties researchers have had in quantifying, and communicating, the potential impacts of declining federal support. "Our goal wasn't to predict the immediate effect or the exact dollar amount of these outcomes, but to show the feedback loops and the long-term consequences that are absent from the conversation," said Mohammad Jalali, a systems engineer at Harvard Medical School, and one of the authors of the paper. Since Donald Trump took office, his administration has ordered radical changes to the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. The administration has proposed slashing NIH support for overhead costs of research, canceled grants in topic areas it deems taboo, and laid off swaths of agency employees. |
| Congressional panels resist White House proposals for sharp cuts in indirect cost rates | |
| The U.S. Congress is pushing back on attempts by President Donald Trump's administration to make drastic cuts in what the government pays universities to support research on their campus. The response could bolster efforts by a coalition of higher education associations to revise how federal agencies calculate these so-called indirect costs to ensure universities are reimbursed for what they say are the full costs of research. Three bills moving forward that would set U.S. spending levels for the 2026 fiscal year starting on 1 October express a range of views on the payments, which amount to tens of billions of dollars annually. But even though Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress, none endorses the low flat rate that four federal research agencies attempted to impose earlier this year -- moves that have been temporarily blocked by federal judges. Those actions spurred a group of 10 higher education organizations to seek alternatives to the current system. The coalition, dubbed the Joint Associations Group (JAG), has spent the past 3 months soliciting input from Congress and the White House. This month it unveiled its final recommendations, which would make the system more transparent but might result in the same or higher payments to universities. JAG's lobbying efforts may be bearing fruit. |
| What DOJ Letters to UVA Say About Trump Attack on Higher Ed | |
| Before James Ryan stepped down as president of the University of Virginia last month, the Department of Justice accused him and other leaders of actively attempting to "defy and evade federal antidiscrimination laws." Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the DOJ's civil rights division, said that needed to change. "Dramatic, wholesale changes are required, now, to repair what appears to be a history of clear abuses and breaches of our nation's laws and our Constitution by the University of Virginia under its current administration," she wrote. In a series of seven letters obtained by Inside Higher Ed via an open records request, Dhillon and other Department of Justice officials laid out their increasingly aggressive case that the university was at risk of losing federal funding, just as Ivy League institutions like Harvard and Columbia Universities had in the months prior for allegations of antisemitism. The Cavalier Daily first published the letters in full. Taken together, the letters sent between April 11 and June 17 were used to launch what the DOJ called an investigation but that legal experts say is among the latest instances in an all-out pressure campaign against higher education. Dhillon and the DOJ have defended their actions, stating multiple times that they did not explicitly call for Ryan's resignation. But now, with similar investigations launched against George Mason University (also located in Virginia), many onlookers view these letters as a template. |
| How China's bold talent recruitment has shaped science | |
| Materials chemist Nan Liu took a career shortcut that many researchers can only dream of. She went from a postdoctoral position in the United States to a full professorship at a Chinese university with a research budget of 4 million yuan (US$560,000). Liu, now at Beijing Normal University, was recruited as part of the Thousand Young Talents Plan, a government-run initiative to bring talented overseas researchers back to China. Over the past three decades, thousands of Chinese researchers who studied or worked abroad have returned to the country through similar talent-recruitment programmes. These recruits -- who often receive substantial funding and benefits -- have largely had a positive influence on China's research landscape and contributed to its global competitiveness, say scientists. Studies have shown that returnees have helped to improve research quality, quantity and impact in China, says Lili Yang, who studies higher education at the University of Hong Kong. Many hold key positions in universities or government agencies. But the funding and other advantages afforded to those recruited through talent programmes have caused some resentment among young Chinese researchers who remain in the country, says Jiang Li, who studies the science of science at Nanjing University in China. "They complain a lot." |
| Trump tightens reins on foreign students in multifront immigration crackdown on universities | |
 | President Trump is making it harder and harder for international students and immigrants to pursue higher education in the U.S. Dreamers, foreign students seeking visas and potentially even those looking to work in the country after graduation have all found themselves caught in the crossfire as Trump seeks to curb immigration while also cracking down on colleges and universities. "It certainly did strike me that universities kept coming up as a very attractive target, and as a place where a lot of things that might not be really noticeable for another few years are becoming noticeable just in the scope of a few months," said Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. The most recent Trump administration action came against Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, those who came to the country undocumented as children who are allowed to renew their status every two years to avoid deportation. The Education Department announced last week it was investigating five universities for scholarship programs they have for DACA recipients, arguing the policies are unfair to U.S. citizens. Advocates worry the Trump administration will also seek to end a program that allows international students to work for a year in the U.S. after they graduate or require foreign students to apply for extensions if their studies take longer than originally predicted. |
| Trump is seeking to reshape higher education. Meet the man he wants leading the charge. | |
 | As President Donald Trump works to reshape America's colleges and universities, the man he wants overseeing higher education has deep ties to an industry often in the Department of Education's crosshairs: for-profit colleges. That person, Nicholas Kent, worked with the preeminent lobbying group for for-profit colleges and was a high-level executive for another that reached a $13 million settlement over claims it had defrauded the federal government's student aid program. As under secretary, Kent would oversee the office in charge of billions in federal student aid and that ensures America's colleges provide a quality education. Kent's nomination comes as the administration has sought to shut down much of the Department of Education while using it and other federal education policies to dramatically upend the higher education system. The administration has specifically investigated and frozen billions in funding to multiple Ivy League institutions like Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. |
| AI Is Wrecking an Already Fragile Job Market for College Graduates | |
| What do you hire a 22-year-old college graduate for these days? For a growing number of bosses, the answer is not much -- AI can do the work instead. At Chicago recruiting firm Hirewell, marketing agency clients have all but stopped requesting entry-level staff -- young grads once in high demand but whose work is now a "home run" for AI, the firm's chief growth officer said. Dating app Grindr is hiring more seasoned engineers, forgoing some junior coders straight out of school, and CEO George Arison said companies are "going to need less and less people at the bottom." Bill Balderaz, CEO of Columbus-based consulting firm Futurety, said he decided not to hire a summer intern this year, opting to run social-media copy through ChatGPT instead. Balderaz has urged his own kids to focus on jobs that require people skills and can't easily be automated. One is becoming a police officer. Having a good job "guaranteed" after college, he said, "I don't think that's an absolute truth today any more." There's long been an unwritten covenant between companies and new graduates: Entry-level employees, young and hungry, are willing to work hard for lower pay. Employers, in turn, provide training and experience to give young professionals a foothold in the job market, seeding the workforce of tomorrow. A yearslong white-collar hiring slump and recession worries have weakened that contract. Artificial intelligence now threatens to break it completely. That is ominous for college graduates looking for starter jobs, but also potentially a fundamental realignment in how the workforce is structured. |
SPORTS
| Sam Purcell's salary raised in Mississippi State women's basketball coach's extended contract | |
| Sam Purcell's extended contract as the Mississippi State women's basketball coach also comes with a raise, according to his two contracts obtained by The Clarion Ledger. Purcell will make $700,000 for the 2025-26 season with a $15,000 annual increase through March 31, 2030. He was previously making $662,500 annually. The buyout on Purcell's contract was also changed. MSU would owe him $1 million if fired for convenience on or before March 31, 2026. That sum decreases by $250,000 annually on April 1. The buyout in his previous contract was 50% of his remaining salary. The performance bonuses for Purcell are not changed. Mississippi State has made the NCAA tournament in two of Purcell's three seasons, reaching the second round each time. His 67 victories are the most by any MSU women's basketball coach through the first three seasons. Purcell earned a performance bonus worth 10% of his annual salary last season with Mississippi State making the second round of the NCAA tournament. |
| Packers' Elgton Jenkins says he has no problem with position switch and should thrive at center | |
| Elgton Jenkins says he doesn't expect the Green Bay Packers to alter his contract before the season to reflect his position switch while adding that he's fine with the move from guard to center. "Right now, it's just (about) being the best player I can be, being the best teammate," Jenkins said Monday. "Like I said, man, I know what I'm going to do this season. I'm confident in my ability, very confident in it. So just going out there playing ball, keep doing what I've been doing and it's going to take care of itself." Jenkins, a two-time Pro Bowl guard, is moving to center after the Packers signed former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Aaron Banks to fill his old spot at left guard. Jenkins will take over for Josh Myers, who was Green Bay's starting center for the past three seasons before signing with the New York Jets in March. The 29-year-old Jenkins practiced on a limited basis Monday for the first time after dealing with a back issue the first few days of training camp. Jenkins said he had hurt his back while lifting weights earlier in the offseason. The Packers and Jenkins have reason to believe he can thrive as a center. Jenkins was at center for 26 of his 34 career starts during his college career at Mississippi State. |
| Packers training camp: Elgton Jenkins returns and doesn't care about the money | |
 | Elgton Jenkins acknowledged Monday that at one point this offseason, he "for sure" thought about the financial implications of switching from left guard to center. Over the Cap's lists of the 10 highest-paid players by position show that the average annual salary for the top left guards is $14.7 million, while it's $11.25 million for centers. According to Over The Cap, the average annual salary among the NFL's 10 highest-paid left guards is $14.7 million. The average annual salary among the 10 highest-paid centers is $11.25 million. Jenkins said his agent discussed a revised contract with the Packers at length but that he doesn't expect the team to touch his deal before the regular season. "Right now, I'm just focused on the season going forward, just being able to perform for the team and just getting our O-line right, our offense right, so we can be better this year than we were last year," Jenkins said when asked about potential reservations moving to a less lucrative position. "Right now, I'm not even thinking about that. ... Been playing this game for 20-some years, seven years in the league. I'm very confident in my ability and what I can do. The financial side, I know that's going to come." Jenkins, a 2019 second-round pick, played center at Mississippi State but has played the position sparingly for the Packers. He said Monday that he told the Packers last season that he eventually wanted to play center full-time in the NFL to essentially help the team field its best starting five up front. |
| Colorado's Deion Sanders says he battled, beat bladder cancer | |
| University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced Monday that he underwent surgery to remove his bladder after doctors discovered a tumor there. Sanders said that since the surgery there have been no traces of cancer, and that he will continue to coach this season. In a packed Touchdown Club at the Dal Ward Athletic Center, Sanders was both serious in tone as well as celebratory and full of humor about what he had been through as he appeared with Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center. Kukreja declared Sanders "cured of cancer,'' adding that she doesn't "use that word lightly." "This was not an easy task. ... It was dynamic. It was tough. It wasn't a cakewalk. It wasn't easy," said Sanders, who added that he lost about 25 pounds. "That was a fight, but we made it." Sanders, Kukreja and Colorado team trainer Lauren Askevold spent just over 40 minutes answering questions that have swirled around Sanders in the offseason. He said that he hopes his public disclosure will spur people to get examined for all types of cancer and that his humor about bladder cancer will help those who go through the same surgery and recovery avoid being embarrassed. |
| He Helped Build Up Barry Sanders. Now He's College Football's First $1 Million Strength Coach | |
| Rob Glass, Oklahoma State football's strength and conditioning coach, found out he was getting a million-dollar salary in a text. "It's got to be a joke," he thought. That kind of money was for coordinators and people actually calling plays -- not the guy who helps players bulk up. But OSU's Mike Gundy wasn't kidding. He was deadly serious about making Glass college football's first $1 million strength coach. During the crucial offseason months, when any on-field coaching is forbidden, strength coaches are the ones doing the essential work of preparing players physically and mentally for the rigors of the fall. And in college football's spiraling arms race, the hunt for an edge is no longer limited to the people involved in drawing up plays. Gundy considers Glass so critical to his success that he has said he would retire whenever Glass did. But that might only rank as the second biggest endorsement of Glass's career. No. 1 comes from a kid from Kansas that Glass helped back in the 1980s. His name was Barry Sanders. "Meeting someone who really understood this stuff, who wasn't that much older than me, I valued that in him," Sanders said. Glass, who grew up in tiny Newkirk, Okla., and graduated from OSU, was a graduate assistant coach in 1986 when Sanders walked through the door. Two years later, a beefed-up Sanders ran for a mind-boggling 2,628 yards -- still the NCAA record. |
| How the Big Ten rallied around a CFP plan the rest of college football isn't sold on | |
| Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has tried to sell the public and his colleagues on a College Football Playoff proposal that includes four guaranteed bids for both his conference and the SEC, two each for the Big 12 and ACC and one for the top non-power conference champion. Among all external constituents, the plan lacks momentum. Within his conference, however, it's the opposite. Petitti's plan, which would restructure the CFP from a 12-team tournament to a 16-team field beginning in 2026, has drawn rave reviews from his football coaches. At Big Ten media days, 16 of the league's 18 football coaches praised the commissioner in their opening statement. Along with the league's athletic directors, those two groups appear to be in lockstep with Petitti's vision for an access-based CFP field rather than one dependent upon votes from a selection committee. "They're in sync with the plan because they helped create it," Petitti told The Athletic on Thursday at Big Ten media days. "They were involved in the very first conversations." Petitti recognizes his CFP plan has not garnered enough support, with both the ACC and Big 12 commissioners publicly advocating for the 5+11 model. The Big Ten and SEC have final say over the next CFP format, which must be agreed upon by Dec. 1 to take effect in 2026. Publicly, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey remains lukewarm on Petitti's model. But with a mandate from Big Ten coaches and athletic directors, Petitti remains committed. |
| Shooter was targeting NFL headquarters, NYC mayor says | |
| New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that a gunman who killed four people at a Manhattan office building was trying to target the headquarters of the NFL but took the wrong elevator. Investigators believe Shane Tamura was trying to get to the NFL offices after shooting several people in the building's lobby but accidentally entered the wrong set of elevator banks, Adams said in interviews Tuesday. Four people, including an off-duty New York City police officer, were killed. Police said Tamura had a history of mental illness, and a rambling note found on his body suggested he had a grievance against the NFL over an unsubstantiated claim that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He had played football in high school in California nearly two decades ago. "He seemed to have blamed the NFL," Adams said. "The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank." The note claimed he had been suffering from CTE -- the degenerative brain disease that has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports like football -- and said his brain should be studied after he died, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. It also specifically referenced the NFL, the person told the AP. |
| Trump caps his Scottish visit by opening a new golf course | |
| U.S. President Donald Trump opened a new golf course bearing his name in Scotland on Tuesday, capping a five-day foreign trip designed to promote his family's luxury properties and play golf. "Let's go. 1-2-3," Trump said before he used a golden pair of scissors to cut a red ribbon and fireworks popped to mark the ceremonial opening of the new Trump course in the village of Balmedie on Scotland's northern coast. "This has been an unbelievable development," Trump said beforehand. He thanked his son Eric for his work on the project, saying it was "truly a labor of love for him." Son Don Jr. also was present. Eric Trump said the course was a "passion project" for his father. Immediately after the opening, Trump, Eric Trump and two professional golfers teed off on the first hole. Trump rarely allows the news media to watch his golf game, though video journalists and photographers often find him along the course wherever he plays. Trump planned to play 18 holes before he arrives back in Washington on Tuesday night. The day combined two things close to Trump's heart: golf and Scotland. His mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis and eventually went to New York. She died in 2000 at age 88. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
