| Friday, August 1, 2025 |
| MSU to launch AI initiative powered by Amazon Web Services | |
 | Mississippi State University has announced a groundbreaking campus-wide AI initiative, powered by Amazon Web Services, becoming the only university in Mississippi, and the first in the Southeastern Conference, to implement AWS's artificial intelligence services to enhance engagement with prospective students, alumni, and supporters. "As Mississippi's leading research university, we take pride in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics -- along with high-performance computing, data science, cybersecurity studies, agriculture and forestry, and business," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "From that standpoint, this exciting partnership with a world-class organization like AWS is a great fit for the MSU community." Using the Higher Education AI platform from Quintilian, Inc. powered by AWS, a leading education data and technology firm, MSU will leverage machine learning models that optimize MSU's data to streamline key focus areas, such as student recruitment and engagement, alumni relations, communications, and university operations. The initiative will operate seamlessly within MSU's existing systems. “This is a bold step forward in how we connect with present and future Bulldogs,” said MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter. |
| MSU's Sherwin selected for DoD SMART Scholarship, spends summer with hometown Vicksburg's ERDC | |
 | Mississippi State Press Release reveals that a mechanical engineering senior, Marin Sherwin of Vicksburg, is receiving the coveted SMART Scholarship from the U.S. Department of Defense. SMART is an acronym for Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation, and the prestigious award is part of a scholarship-for-service program that pays full tuition and gives a generous stipend, among other benefits, for selected undergraduate and graduate students. SMART scholars then receive civilian employment with the DoD upon degree completion. Sherwin is interning this summer in her hometown at the U.S. Army Engineering Research Development Center, or ERDC, and specifically working in its Geotechnical Structures Laboratory and Mobile Systems branch, where she's had the chance to work with autonomous military vehicle development and testing. "The Bagley College of Engineering has a long history of partnering with the DoD in research and education. We are very proud of Marin for continuing that tradition by earning the highly competitive SMART Scholarship and working with ERDC," said MSU Bagley College of Engineering Dean David Ford. |
| Drew St. John sworn in as Mississippi wildlife commissioner | |
 | Mississippi's newest wildlife, fisheries, and parks commissioner has officially been sworn in. Officials announced that Drew St. John, who fills the vacancy created by Scott Coopwood's retirement, took the oath of office as commissioner for District Two of the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks in late July. He began his five-year term at the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks' headquarters in Jackson. St. John is the founder and CEO of architectural product manufacturer and distributor Deep South Precast. He is also the founder of a project management company, New South Access & Environmental Solutions, where he continues to work as a consultant. A graduate of Mississippi State University, he established the St. John Family Endowed Professorship in Wildlife Management and serves on the university's Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Advisory Board. St. John was honored as the 2017 Alumni Fellow for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. |
| Restaurant coming to Jackson's Highland Village has a familiar face | |
 | A new dining option is coming to Jackson's Highland Village and it's coming from a familiar face in the area's restaurant scene. Popular chef and restaurateur Alex Eaton, the owner of the popular Jackson and Ridgeland favorite Aplós Simple Mediterranean, plans to open his second restaurant, La Presa Taqueria, in Highland Village. This one will have a unique Mexican flair. Eaton, who also co-owns The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen, graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2007. La Presa Taqueria will open just across the courtyard from Aplós, in what was formerly LaCour, which closed in the past few months. La Presa will bring what Eaton says will be an energetic, approachable experience rooted in authenticity, culture and creativity. Construction is currently underway on the new space in the Highland Village Courtyard, and Eaton said he expects to be able to open in six-to-eight weeks. |
| US employers added just 73,000 jobs last month as labor market weakens in face of Trump trade wars | |
 | U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month and Labor Department revisions showed that hiring was much weaker than previously reported in May and June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%. The deterioration in the job market is taking place with companies paralyzed by uncertainty over President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies. The Labor Department reported Friday that revisions shaved a stunning 258,000 jobs off May and June payrolls. The stock market tumbled on the news. There are subtle signs that the labor market has been weakening for months, however. New college graduates are struggling to break into the job market. The unemployment rate for college graduates 22 to 27 years old, reached 5.8% in March, the highest, excluding the pandemic, since 2012, and far above the nationwide unemployment rate. Many Americans are staying in their jobs, unwilling to start the job hunt, because they believe this is as good as it gets, and there is growing evidence that they're right: Few industries are actually hiring aggressively. The current situation is a sharp reversal from the hiring boom of just three years ago when desperate employers were handing out signing bonuses and introducing perks such as Fridays off, fertility benefits and even pet insurance to recruit and keep workers. |
| School choice takes front and center stage at Neshoba County Fair | |
| Mississippi House Speaker Jason White has made it clear he will aggressively pursue school choice legislation in 2026, and that message was further emphasized during his time at the podium during the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday. For those unfamiliar with the topic, school choice refers to the ability of parents to select the educational facility their child attends, rather than being limited to the public school in their zip code. School choice has been a hot topic in Mississippi for quite some time, but legislation seeking to increase options for parents has seldom made headway in the Senate. White, one of the state's strongest vocal supporters of school choice, made note while on the stump that his chamber is aligned with President Donald Trump on education freedom. One of the provisions of the commander-in-chief's self-proclaimed "One Big Beautiful Bill" enables states to opt in to a voucher program allowing taxpayers to be credited for money sent to nonprofits offering financial assistance for K-12 students. The House speaker promptly urged state lawmakers to opt Mississippi into the federal program. He also suggested that the measure would be supported by Gov. Tate Reeves. However, White has had doubts that the Senate would be as gung-ho over the effort. Pointing to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann's rebate proposal he told fairgoers about on Wednesday, White urged that same level of support to be shown for the president's school choice agenda. |
| At Neshoba County Fair, Mississippi Republicans preview 2026 plans | |
| The sawdust was dry, the mic was hot and Mississippi politicians were back on the stump. At the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday, the state's conservative leaders revived old battle lines -- railing against Democrats in Washington, defending school choice and rallying behind President Donald J. Trump. But they also laid out new goals for 2026, from education reform to tax cuts. With two years left in most terms, Mississippi's top Republicans used the fair not just to reflect on what they've done, but also to signal what's coming. The message was clear: the 2026 legislative session -- and potentially more -- is already taking shape. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves closed the afternoon with a mix of economic stats and press jabs. Reeves touted billions in private investment in Mississippi during his time as governor and also the gains in reading and math scores for Mississippi's elementary students. But much of his speech was spent blasting national media outlets such as CNN and the New York Times for what he sees as their constant doubt in the state and their criticism of Mississippi values. "These Yankee reporters are the definition of artificial intelligence," Reeves said. "Mississippi is red hot." |
| Governor Reeves backs plan to expand education freedom in Mississippi | |
| Education reforms are the number one item on Republicans' agenda next session, with the state's party leader saying it will help all students in every district. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves told attendees at the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday that the goal is to redirect funding into the classroom by reducing administrative costs. "This is the beautiful thing about these conservative reforms, they're not just helping some of our kids in some of our districts. They're helping all of our kids in all of our districts," Reeves said. He gave an example of one minority group's success. Mississippi's Hispanic students now rank first in reading and second in math nationwide. The state's fourth graders are first nationwide in reading and fourth-grade math gains. More than a decade ago, in 2012, the state embarked on a package of education reforms, from rewriting standards to raising the bar for students and teachers while investing more tax dollars into educators and classrooms. Mississippi had to take "bold action" when it came to education reforms, Reeves said. The past 13 years have seen some major successes, with Mississippi rising from near the bottom of national education rankings to No. 16. |
| Speaker White says school choice the number one priority in House next session | |
| Legislation to expand school choice in the state of Mississippi is coming in the next legislative session. That was the promise made by Speaker of the House Jason White (R) during the Neshoba County Fair Thursday. White said education freedom would be the chamber's number on priority. "Let me remind you, education freedom is a pillar in our adopted Republican Party Platform and has been highlighted by President Trump in his Make America Great Again agenda entitled 'America First: A return to commonsense,'" White told fairgoers to applause. He also promised the House will get to the core of the state's issues "rather than passing surface-level policy." "The House will continue to focus our efforts on positioning for the next generation, not posturing for the next election," White said. With the Trump administration bringing about the passage of an education freedom package that centers on school choice, he wants the state of Mississippi to join that effort to return the choice of a child's education to those who pay the taxes -- parents. That means Mississippians can expect to see an education freedom bill introduced during the 2026 legislative session. The topic of school consolidation was also raised at Neshoba. White said his intention is to work with the Mississippi Department of Education to cut the state's current 130-plus school districts down to about 82, or one per county, over time. |
| GOP leaders make 'school choice' a focus at Neshoba County Fair | |
| Two of the state's political leaders said at the Neshoba County Fair on Thursday that they're pushing lawmakers to adopt school choice legislation next year, indicating the issue may be one of the most fiercely debated policies during the next legislative session. House Speaker Jason White, one of the most vocal school choice advocates in the state, said under the pavilion at Founder's Square that his caucus plans to craft legislation in response to the Republican-controlled federal government's efforts to incentivize "school choice" or "education freedom" -- policies that proponents say empower parents to have more control over their children's education. Opponents say such policies undermine public schools and exacerbate inequality. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves also told reporters at the fair that he agrees "wholeheartedly" with White's school choice push and is generally supportive of any policy that allows parents to become more involved with their children's education. The speeches from the two state leaders set the stage for school choice to be a central priority in the 2026 legislative session. |
| Fitch touts record as Attorney General at Neshoba County Fair | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) said Thursday that a two-week, statewide sting operation run by her office netted 72 arrests and the recovery of 29 human trafficking victims. Fitch stated at the Nashba County Fair that Operation Guardian Force included 400 law enforcement officers coordinating search warrants, arrests, and victim services. "I am proud of the dedicated investigators and prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office, as well as our partners in local, state, and federal law enforcement, for their work on this operation and every day to keep our communities safe," said Fitch, noting that approximately 400 law enforcement officers participated in the operation. Saving human trafficking victims and arresting traffickers was not the only result from Operation Guardian Force. An app and website, known as Simply Report, is being piloted by her office. The app and website allow Mississippians to quickly and easily report tips about human trafficking, she said. "We are the first State in the nation to use it. We are helping to turn it into a nationwide platform," Fitch said. The new format takes tips from citizens and feeds those tips to law enforcement. AI then helps to prioritize those tips so officers can better use their time and resources. |
| Attorney General Lynn Fitch says Mississippi filed the first opioid manufacturer lawsuit for the overdose epidemic. West Virginia filed one 14 years earlier | |
| For years, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has portrayed the state as a trailblazer in using the courts to address the opioid epidemic. But her claim -- that the attorney general's office was the first in the country to file a state lawsuit against opioid manufacturers for the crisis -- isn't true. A June 2001 West Virginia case filed against Purdue Pharma and Abbott Laboratories predated the lawsuit she's been referring to -- a December 2015 suit filed by the office of Fitch's Democratic predecessor, Jim Hood, against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and other companies that made opioid pills. Fitch has been making the claim about her office since at least 2021, touting the agency's role in addressing overdose deaths that followed drug companies misrepresenting the danger and addictiveness of opioid painkillers. When Mississippi Today reached out to Fitch's office about the miscategorization, spokesperson MaryAsa Lee said it was the case's unique approach that set it apart from previous lawsuits. "Mississippi's lawsuit -- the first to sue 16 opioid manufacturers -- was the first of its kind, and within 3 years, 32 other states followed our model, which ultimately brought the injunctive and monetary relief that is helping us recover from the opioid epidemic," Lee wrote in an email. |
| Justices seek funding for Youth, Intervention courts | |
| Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis said Thursday that the state needs to continue funding its youth court program, as it is a cheaper alternative to prison. Speaking at the Neshoba State Fair, Griffis said Youth Court has a big responsibility as it deals with juveniles who have been abused or neglected and who have committed delinquent or criminal acts. Those factors bring challenges for the Youth Court and its employees. Griffis said youth who have been abused and neglected need to find a safe space with adults who will nurture and care for them. Additionally, juveniles who have committed crimes cause a much more difficult problem. "Today's delinquent youth are often tomorrow's prison inmates. Yes, we have 12-year-olds carrying automatic weapons. And they know how to use them. Youth Court Judges and Referees must figure out what to do with them and how to rehabilitate them," said Griffis. Youth who have not reached the age of 18 may be eligible for Youth Court, although there are some exceptions. Some offenses, which would be treated as crimes if committed by adults, are known as delinquent acts when they involve juveniles, according to the State Supreme Court. |
| Lt. Gov. Hosemann Calls for Tax Rebates, Higher Teacher Pay; Considering Governor Run | |
| Mississippi taxpayers should get some extra cash in their pockets and the Legislature should make it happen, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said at the Neshoba County Fair on Wednesday, as he shared some of his proposals for 2026. Since the Magnolia State has an extra $1.4 billion in the bank this year, Hosemann said the State should dole out $316 million in tax rebates among Mississippians who paid taxes for the year 2023. Under his proposal, Mississippians could get back 15% of the state income tax money from their 2023 income tax returns. If a person paid $1,000 in state income taxes that year, they would receive a $150 check. Hosemann said Mississippi has paid off over $1 billion in state debt since 2020. Over the past five years, an influx of COVID-19 related federal funding has helped Mississippi grow its coffers, though much of that money has dried up. "Mississippi is in the best financial situation it's ever been in," Hosemann said to the crowd of fairgoers under the pavilion in Founders' Square on Wednesday. The lieutenant governor said he was watching Fox News on Tuesday night and saw that Congress proposed federal tax rebates. He speculated that Mississippians might benefit from both a state and federal tax rebate next year. |
| Watson continues work on election integrity in Mississippi | |
| The integrity of Mississippi's election system is at the top of Secretary of State Michael Watson's agenda. During the Neshoba County Fair this week, Watson, a two-term Republican, described how the partnership with Experian to review the state's voter rolls discovered 200,000 registered voters that need to be reassessed by local election officials. He also said 7,000 people were found to be double registered to vote in Mississippi and in another state. In his effort to ensure election integrity, Watson told fairgoers that his office is working to develop a new web portal for candidates to file their campaign forms, allowing the public to easily search those records. Currently, it is not mandatory for candidates to file electronically. However, they do have to file at his office at least via a paper form by the assigned dates. He is asking the Legislature to pass a law mandating online filing of that information for more transparency. "I think one of the important things that we have talked about again is just the accessibly for Mississippians to see these records, to understand who's getting what money, when are they getting it, how are they spending it," Watson said. Development of the new website is ongoing. |
| Stamps looking for 'Davids' while Simmons praises lawmakers for raising gas tax | |
| Attendees at the Neshoba County Fair had the opportunity to hear from the central district Transportation Commissioner and Public Service Commissioner on Thursday. Public Service Commissioner De'Keither Stamps (D) spoke about the need for more "Davids" in the public utility space, a reference to the Book of Samuel in the Bible. With so many current public works, utility and other trained personnel retiring, there is a need for a younger generation to learn those skills and continue the work. "The time to get our young people off the couch is now," Stamps said, telling the crowd under the Founders Square Pavilion, "I'm asking you to do a little couch kicking." Without enough workers to fill positions in those areas, cities and counties are forced to hire contractors. Stamps suggested internships as a way to entice more young people to give those fields a look. Willie Simmons (D), the Central District Transportation Commissioner, told attendees of the Fair that through the increase in the gas tax provided by the Legislature this session there is now a way to pay for its previous promise to ensure there is a highway within 50 miles of every Mississippian. Simmons estimates when the totality of the 9 cent per gallon increase goes into effect in three years, it will generate an additional $200 million in revenue for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. He said commissioners will use the funds to build and maintain the state's roads and bridges. |
| Businessman Tommy Duff says DeSoto County is everything Mississippi needs to be | |
 | Billionaire investor and Mississippi native Tommy Duff said DeSoto County, out of the 82 counties that make up Mississippi, is emblematic of what the state can reach in terms of economic and business potential. "Oh my goodness, I'm excited to be here," Duff said. "This is the fastest growing county in the state and is everything Mississippi needs to be. I couldn't have found a better place to be today." Duff delivered this statement in his keynote speech at the July 29 Olive Branch Chamber of Commerce Leadership Luncheon that was attended by business and political leaders from across the county. Duff's speech at the luncheon also comes when he will be considering a run for Mississippi Governor in 2027. Olive Branch Mayor Ken Adams said he and Duff spent an hour together before the luncheon and had a great talk about government and business in DeSoto County. "He recognizes the resources we have and what we contribute to the state," Adams said. "He sees the amount of resources we have in this county and he is spot on with that." Duff said in his speech that DeSoto County's image as the beacon of Mississippi's growth comes from both the county's focus on its education system -- considered one of the best in the state -- and its pro-business, fiscally-pragmatic governance. Duff himself is an advocate for higher education in Mississippi and incentivizing students to find work in Mississippi. |
| Hyde-Smith champions bill for more college major data | |
| U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) joined fellow lawmakers in introducing a bill Thursday that would require colleges and universities to provide students and families with "more reliable data" to make a better-informed decision on areas of study, according to an announcement from Capitol Hill. The College Transparency Act has bipartisan support and aims to modernize the way schools report data, providing prospective students with the most comprehensive information possible when choosing a major. It would require colleges and universities to provide information regarding graduation rates, job opportunities, and earning potential. This data would be available on a federally run website created for students, families, and policymakers to access before making decisions about higher education. The site would include an analytics tool, allowing users to customize and filter information and create aggregate reports. "College is a significant investment, and students deserve clear, reliable information to guide their choices," Hyde-Smith said. "The College Transparency Act would provide them with valuable data on how different options affect these future opportunities. I've long supported this sensible legislation that promotes transparency and accountability for the benefit of students, families, and employers." |
| Hyde-Smith, Committee Advance Bill with Funding for Health, Education and Job Training Projects in Mississippi | |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) Thursday voted to approve the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Bill, which recommends funding to advance maternal health, education, and job training in Mississippi. Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee that developed the FY2026 funding measure, which was approved Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The measure, approved 26-3, is now available for consideration by the full Senate. "Mississippi is making remarkable progress in improving health outcomes, educational achievements, and job growth, but there is always room to do more. I've worked to direct federal resources to projects in this bill that can help our state do better on all those fronts," Hyde-Smith said. "Committee approval is an important step toward getting this bill and these projects over the finish line." Among the items of interest to Mississippi in the FY2026 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill are $5.3 million for Advancements in Manufacturing Upskilling Program, Mississippi State University and $500,000 for Workforce Training Field School, Mississippi Department of Archives and History. |
| 'Half-baked' USDA relocation irritates members of both parties on Senate Ag panel | |
| Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee chastised a U.S. Department of Agriculture official Wednesday for not consulting Congress before proposing to shift thousands of jobs out of the Washington, D.C., area. USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden defended the sweeping proposal, which Secretary Brooke Rollins announced with a five-page memo last week, saying it would help bring the department closer to the people the government oversees and lower the cost of living for federal workers, while pledging to work with members of the committee over the next month of planning. Even Republicans who said they generally agreed with the aims of the proposal indicated they did not appreciate the lack of notice before it was announced. "I support finding cost savings where you can, I support the idea of moving people out of the D.C. area and out into the field and closer to the farmer," North Dakota Republican John Hoeven said. "We support the goals, but we want it to be a process where you work with Congress, with the Senate, both the authorizing committee and the Appropriations Committee on it, and we achieve those results together. And I think that'll help garner a lot more support for the effort." |
| Republicans, appropriators dominate House earmarks | |
 | House Republicans have sprinkled their fiscal 2026 appropriations bills with more home-district projects than they did last year though with slightly fewer funds allocated to earmarks overall, at just shy of $8 billion. A CQ Roll Call analysis found that across the seven House spending bills with "community project funding," Republicans claimed about 62 percent of the total funding, or $4.9 billion. That's despite Democrats securing 62 percent of the more than 5,000 individual projects; far more Democrats request earmarks, though they are increasing in popularity with Republicans. Just 49 House Republicans this year refrained from asking for projects, down from 67 a year earlier. The list of top earmarkers is dominated by senior Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee -- no surprise there -- led by Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann. The Tennessee Republican is again atop the House earmark rankings. As in the past, Fleischmann’s total is padded by one mega earmark: another $213 million in his subcommittee’s bill for the Army Corps of Engineers’ long-running Chickamauga Lock replacement project, after he secured $236.8 million for it in fiscal 2024. |
| Trump trains his fire on GOP allies, and worries Republicans | |
 | President Trump is increasingly directing his frustrations at specific Senate Republicans, and turning his fire in recent days on key allies. The president this week publicly excoriated Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) over upholding the "blue slip" tradition and pushing a congressional stock trading ban, respectively. While Trump has long had a tendency of airing his grievances out in public -- especially toward those he views as disloyal -- the latest barbs about staunch backers are raising eyebrows and drawing questions about whether the strategy will continue to be effective in advancing his agenda. "I don't think it's helpful for the president ... to get in a tit for tat with other Republican members," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership. "He needs every single one of us, and we need him." Trump, however, has also shown restraint at times. He has notably not publicly attacked Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) despite her vote against the "big, beautiful bill" and the bill clawing back public media and foreign aid funding, along with a couple of his high-priority nominees. Others believe it's yet another sign that it's time for the chamber to recess for the August break as members become increasingly cranky. |
| Trump, Term-Limited, Amasses $200 Million War Chest for Political Ambitions | |
 | President Trump's super PAC is sitting on about $200 million that it can spend against his rivals, giving a term-limited president a never-before-seen amount of power in his party's finances and future. In the first half of 2025, Mr. Trump's group, MAGA Inc., collected about $177 million from the likes of Elon Musk, Mr. Trump's erstwhile ally, the TikTok investor Jeffrey Yass and the Silicon Valley executives Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, according to a filing on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. There is no precedent for politicians so aggressively raising money for their own entities when they do not have a campaign to use it for. In the first half of 2013, a similar political group supporting a term-limited Barack Obama, Priorities USA, raised just $356,000. As of that June, it held $3.4 million, less than 2 percent of the cash on hand of Mr. Trump's super PAC. The money raised by MAGA Inc. during the first six months of the year is almost twice the amount collected by the Republican National Committee, which is subject to contribution limits. With a $200 million war chest, MAGA Inc. figures to be a big part of Republican primaries, making Mr. Trump's endorsements in those races all the more important. The money is sure to be spent on advertising to back Mr. Trump's endorsed candidates. The sum raised by Mr. Trump's group has scrambled the Republican fund-raising landscape and worried some conservatives. Mr. Trump's group, not those of the Republican leadership in the House and Senate, will most likely be the biggest spender in the 2026 midterm elections, weakening the power of allies like Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator John Thune, the majority leader. |
| Trump readies sweeping new tariffs, starting with Canada | |
 | President Donald Trump's sweeping new taxes on imports are set to take effect in a week, as the White House aims to use a historic increase in tariffs to overhaul global trading alliances. Stock markets opened down Friday, with all three major U.S. indexes sliding by more than 1 percent in early trading. Markets fell in most of Asia and Europe, as well. The White House announced Thursday night that modified versions of the tariffs Trump initially unveiled in April would kick in on Aug. 7, giving U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials time to prepare to collect the taxes. The president has rolled out frameworks for deals with 11 of the United States' top 15 trading partners, and he said temporary trade truces with China and Mexico would remain in effect as negotiators continue talks. But Trump raised tariffs on some imports from Canada -- the United States' second-largest trading partner -- to 35 percent Thursday, indicating little progress toward a deal with Ottawa. That took effect Friday. Importers are now paying a 10 percent levy on goods from all countries, but most products from nations that run a trade surplus with the U.S. -- meaning Americans buy more goods from those countries than U.S. companies export there -- will see 15 percent tariffs. For some countries, the tariffs are higher, ranging to 41 percent; in others, where negotiations have set different rates, they're lower on specific goods. So far, the economy has shrugged off much of the impact -- and uncertainty -- as Trump has imposed the duties, then paused them, on certain countries. |
| We Asked Young Men Who Voted for Trump to Grade Him. Here's What They Said. | |
 | Young men moved dramatically toward President Trump in November. Ask them how he's doing now and they say it's complicated. Trump did better with nearly every demographic group this election than cycles past, but young men were a key voting bloc. In 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden won young men 56% to 41%. In 2024, they supported Trump 57% to then-vice president Kamala Harris's 42%, according to election surveys from AP VoteCast. Now that Trump has been in office for over six months, a group of six young men sat down with Wall Street Journal politics reporter Eliza Collins to analyze his job performance so far. The group, all in their 20s, come from across the country and are at different points in their careers. Half said they were Republicans, half identified themselves as independents or third-party voters. The one thing they all had in common: They voted for Trump in November. The economy was a top issue for Trump voters. Despite uncertainty around the cost of goods under the president's tariff policies and a seemingly impenetrable housing market, these voters were mostly optimistic about their economic futures. While interest rates remain high -- the Federal Reserve continues to hold rates steady despite pressure from Trump -- the group felt his influence would ultimately get the country's finances under control. Despite frustration over the president's handling of many policies, the whole group said they didn't regret their vote. |
| Trump's dream of building a ballroom at the White House is becoming a reality | |
 | The renderings are complete, the architects and contractors have been hired. After at least 15 years of talking about it, President Trump is building a ballroom at the White House. According to the White House, the work will begin this September, with a price tag of $200 million. The largest event space at the White House now is the East Room, which seats about 200 for dinner. So, for decades, when the White House needed more capacity for a state dinner or other large event, they would take it outdoors, usually putting up large fancy tents, complete with flooring and chandeliers. "The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space," according to a statement read by press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She said the cost would be footed by Trump himself as well as "other patriot donors." Leavitt said construction would finish "long before" the end of Trump's term. For Trump, this marks the culmination of a long quest to solve the problem of state dinners being held in tents he considers unsightly and overpriced. Back in 2010, he called David Axelrod, an adviser to then-President Barack Obama, to offer his services building a ballroom. |
| Federal judges decry political attacks from the White House | |
 | A group of federal judges decried a series of politically charged attacks from the White House Thursday, saying the broadsides are emboldening bad actors and leading to death threats and political intimidation. "Now, it's at a level that I have to honestly say is different. We're seeing things coming out from the top down, from White House spokespeople, calling us crazy, leftist, unconstitutional judges," Esther Salas, a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey, said at a judicial forum hosted by the group Speak Up for Justice. While judges have faced vitriol from both ends of the political spectrum, Salas -- an Obama appointee -- at the forum urged the White House in particular to tone down its rhetoric. Her 20-year-old son, Daniel, was killed while celebrating his birthday in a July 2020 shooting by a gunman who posed as a delivery driver. The attack was aimed at his mother from a disgruntled attorney. Threats against federal judges skyrocketed in the weeks after Trump reentered office. The administration's barbs have continued, now over six months into the president's second term. On Monday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced her office had filed a misconduct complaint against Boasberg, the chief judge on the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. "The fix is so easy in some ways," said Salas. "What we need is our political leaders from the top down to stop fanning these flames. To stop using irresponsible rhetoric. To stop referring to judges as corrupt and biased and monsters that hate America." |
| Fewer Americans see discrimination as anti-DEI push gains traction, AP-NORC poll shows | |
| Slightly less than half of U.S. adults believe that Black people face "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of discrimination in the United States, according to a poll. That's a decline from the solid majority, 60%, who thought Black Americans faced high levels of discrimination in the spring of 2021, months after racial reckoning protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd. Significant numbers of Americans also think diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, also known as DEI, are backfiring against the groups they're intended to help, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, including many people who belong to those groups. The findings suggest Americans' views on racial discrimination have shifted substantially since four years ago, when many companies launched efforts to promote diversity within their workforces and the products they sold. Since then, many of those companies have reversed themselves and retreated from their diversity practices, a trend that's accelerated this year under pressure from President Donald Trump, a Republican who has sought to withhold federal money from schools and companies that promote DEI. Now, it's clear that views are changing as well as company policies. |
| U.S. 49 construction project near USM close to completion | |
 | Construction has shut down one lane of traffic on U.S. 49 for months. "It's always cluttered," said Hattiesburg resident Lele Parker. "It's not enough space. It's very irritating when you're trying to get somewhere." Crews with the Mississippi Department of Transportation are working on the final phase of a project to install six, "directionalized" medians along the highway. "The one that they're working on right now is actually the final one in this project," said MDOT Public Information Officer Anna Ehrgott, "and it is right next to (University of Southern Mississippi) in between Fourth Street and Hardy Street." The goal: Reduce crashes by controlling how drivers move through the intersection. MDOT leaders said they expected the $2.1 million project to wrap up by mid-August, just in time for Southern Miss students to return to campus. "That way traffic impacts could be minimized while USM was not in session," Ehrgott said. |
| JSU's Sonic Boom of the South to perform at Las Vegas HBCU Classic | |
| Jackson State University's world-renowned marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South, seems set to be performing at the Las Vegas HBCU Classic. On January 30, it was announced that the reigning SWAC and HBCU National Champions, Jackson State football, will be traveling to Las Vegas to take on Grambling State at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, on October 25. During a Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board meeting on July 31, JSU's request to enter into a contractual services agreement with Principal Jets, LLC, was approved. This will provide passenger charter air transportation for 370 members of the JSU Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band and approved JSU staff. The contract agreement would last from October 24 to October 26, and the total estimated cost of this agreement is $447,240.00, with additional fuel costs of $50,000 also granted. The agreement will be funded with Education and General Program Funds. |
| 39 Alabama colleges launch direct admissions program this fall | |
 | Many Alabama students and their families can say goodbye to college essays and application fees. The state hopes to rearrange the traditional college application process, where a student keeps track of dates, requirements and forms for multiple colleges. Instead, starting this fall, high school students who fill out one online profile on Match may get direct admissions offers from community colleges and four-year colleges around Alabama -- no actual application required. "Instead of applying to college, colleges are basically courting them," said Chandra Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible, a nonprofit that coordinated the initiative. Gov. Kay Ivey announced the "Alabama Goes to College: Direct Admissions" initiative Thursday. Alabama's process will work like a matchmaking service. High school seniors fill out online profiles on Match and upload transcripts. Their profiles are reviewed by 39 Alabama colleges and universities who will make admissions offers. Statewide, 39 two-year and four-year colleges are participating. The University of Alabama system campuses and Auburn University aren't participating. |
| Gulf of America 'dead zone' below average, scientists find | |
| NOAA-supported scientists announced today that this year's Gulf of America "dead zone" -- an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and marine life -- is approximately 4,402 square miles, 21% smaller than estimates from early June and the 15th smallest measurement on record. This equates to roughly 2.8 million acres of habitat potentially unavailable to fish and bottom-dwelling species, a reduction of 30% from the previous year. Scientists at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) led the annual dead zone survey July 20-25 aboard LUMCON research vessel Pelican. This annual measurement is a key metric that informs the collective efforts of the Mississippi River/Gulf of America Hypoxia Task Force, which has set a long-term goal of reducing the five-year average extent of the dead zone to fewer than 1,900 square miles by 2035. n addition to its annual hypoxia forecast and survey, NOAA's Coastal Hypoxia Research, Ocean Technology Transition, Uncrewed Systems and Hypoxia Watch programs support efforts to improve monitoring technologies and study the impacts of hypoxia. NOAA also partners with states to develop new tools to predict nutrient runoff into U.S. waterways and supports the Northern Gulf Institute in delivering technical assistance, observation and monitoring capabilities. |
| Gulf 'dead zone' nearly size of Connecticut this summer. Some money to help address it may be cut | |
 | The Gulf "dead zone" off Louisiana's coast was nearly the size of Connecticut this summer, researchers reported Thursday, while the Trump administration proposes cuts to some federal funding intended to help address the pollution that contributes to it. Despite the gargantuan size of the low-oxygen zone, covering an area across nearly the entire Louisiana coast west of the Mississippi River, it was smaller than predicted and slightly below the long-term average. It remained, however, far larger than a 2035 goal to reduce it. Federal officials said states have made progress on reducing certain types of nutrient pollution flowing down the Mississippi, which leads to what has become known as the "dead zone" each summer. But they acknowledged that President Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 defunds two types of federal grants that assist states in addressing and monitoring pollution. Researchers are watching closely to see if other cuts could be on the way as the Trump administration pursues what it describes as policies to make government more efficient. The president's budget proposal is not the final word, since Congress can move to add or subtract money throughout the budget process. Measuring the dead zone was pioneered by scientists based at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and LSU, and those institutions still play a lead role in the research. |
| Thompson Center pushes back on Kennedy's claims about autism | |
 | The new, expanded facility for the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri is getting ready to open next spring, doubling its capacity for treatment as the demand for services increases. Meanwhile, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been trumpeting his controversial claims about autism: that it hits fully functional children, destroys families and could be caused by vaccines or environmental toxins. Concerns in the United States have been growing about the rising rates of autism since the 2000s. In the latest CDC study, 1 in 31 8-year-olds are considered to be on the autism spectrum. But autism experts, including those at the Thompson Center, are pushing back on Kennedy's claims as he undertakes a "massive testing and research effort" to determine a "root cause" of the disorder. The causes of autism have been well studied, and the tools to diagnose the disorder are used widely, said Connie Brooks, executive director of the Thompson Center. In addition, awareness has increased, which has prompted more families to consider autism as an explanation for what they're experiencing with a child, she said. "Autism is a diagnosis with genetic causes," Brooks said. "There are also some potential environmental factors that trigger the genetic impact, but these are less understood and rare." |
| Millions of Student-Loan Borrowers Prepare for Higher Payments | |
| Millions of student-loan borrowers are bracing for significantly higher monthly payments after the Trump administration moved to wind down one of the federal government's most affordable repayment options. Interest was set to start accruing again Friday for the nearly eight million people enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, or SAVE. The Education Department said it is making the change to comply with a federal court injunction that blocked the plan, which was introduced under the Biden administration. The loans remain in forbearance while courts decide SAVE's future, meaning borrowers still aren't required to make monthly payments. But the change, coupled with the Trump administration's plan to eventually phase out the program as part of a retreat from federal student loans, has some borrowers casting about for different options. Jessica Ochoa, a 31-year-old speech language pathologist in Murrieta, Calif., said her $140,000 in graduate-school loans carried monthly payments of just $592 under SAVE -- low enough to make life's milestones feel achievable. "I realized, 'Oh, wow, my loans are much more manageable and affordable. I can have a kid, I can buy a house,' " Ochoa said. "So then I did those things." Now, other repayment options quote her monthly payments of $1,500. |
| 150K fewer international students this fall? That's what one analysis predicts | |
| International enrollment at U.S. colleges could drop by as much as 150,000 students this fall unless the federal government ramps up its issuing of visas this summer, according to recent projections from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The financial consequences could be severe. A 30% to 40% decline in new foreign students would lead to a 15% overall drop in international enrollment and, with it, a potential loss of $7 billion in revenue for colleges and 60,000 higher education jobs, NAFSA estimated. The organization attributed the projected decline to various Trump administration actions, including travel bans and an earlier suspension of visa interviews. NAFSA called on Congress to direct the State Department to expedite processing for student visas. Preliminary data from early this year suggested "flat to modest growth" in international student enrollment, but NASFA pointed to policy changes that could alter the landscape ahead. Since President Donald Trump retook office this year, many in the higher education world have worried international enrollment would decline in response to his policies and the perceptions abroad about America and how welcoming it will be to foreign students. |
| Higher Ed Lobbying Spending Rises | |
 | Facing a proposal by congressional Republicans to significantly raise the endowment tax and other major changes for the sector, colleges spent millions of dollars on lobbying efforts in the second quarter of 2025. An Inside Higher Ed analysis of federal lobbying spending by members of the Association of American Universities and other select institutions showed a slight uptick in spending over the first quarter of 2025. AAU members alone spent about $9 million in the first quarter of 2025, which dramatically outpaced the same time frame in 2024. That number rose even more in the second quarter: Federal data shows AAU members spent more than $9.7 million on lobbying---and that's without the multiple institutions that failed to report their numbers by a July 21 deadline, making the total likely higher. Emory University spent the most among AAU members, totaling $500,000. Among non-AAU members, the University of Phoenix spent the most, at $480,000. Some institutions maintained spending levels similar to the first quarter, while others significantly increased lobbying expenditures. Emory, for example, spent $170,000 in the first quarter of 2025. But in the second quarter it increased that spending by $330,000 as lobbyists pressed Congress on cuts to federal research and public health funding, Senate disclosure reports show. Compared to data from prior years, this is the most Emory has spent on lobbying in one quarter. |
| New Trump Administration Memo Tells Colleges Which DEI Efforts It Might Consider Illegal | |
 | Colleges have for months been trying to discern what kinds of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts could be seen as discriminatory by the Trump administration. One university even hired an outside firm to try to read the tea leaves. More clues emerged on Wednesday, when the Department of Justice spelled out a "non-exhaustive list of unlawful practices that could result in revocation of grant funding," including certain kinds of preferential treatment, "unlawful segregation," and training programs. Though the memo, as is stated several times throughout the nine-page document, is nonbinding, it warns organizations receiving federal money -- including institutions of higher education -- that abiding by best practices can "mitigate the legal, financial, and reputational risks associated with unlawful DEI practices." Some legal experts said they believed the new guidance was designed to force colleges into preemptive compliance. "It really is transparently designed to intimidate schools and others into abandoning lawful practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion," said Shaheena Simons, senior adviser for strategy and programs for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, an advocacy group. The new memo builds on guidance documents released by the Department of Education in February, telling universities that having any race-conscious policies could lead to the loss of federal funding. But unlike those notices -- which were temporarily halted by federal judges in April -- the DOJ's guidance is more specific. |
| Senate Appropriators Reject Trump's Deep Education Cuts | |
| Senate Republicans are planning to protect the Pell Grant program, keeping the maximum grant award at $7,395 for the coming academic year, despite the Trump administration's proposal to lower it to $5,710. The rejection of Pell Grant cuts at a key committee markup Thursday is just the latest rebuke from congressional appropriators as lawmakers in both chambers have appeared wary of President Trump's plans to shutter offices, gut programs and generally reshape the federal government. In addition to protecting $22.5 billion for Pell, the GOP also spared TRIO, campus childcare subsidies and numerous other programs that Trump had proposed zeroing out. It also set new staffing standards for the recently gutted Department of Education, increased funding for medical research by $400 million and rejected the National Institutes of Health's attempt to cap indirect research cost reimbursements at 15 percent. The legislation also restricts other efforts at NIH to change how grants are awarded, though Democrats say "more needs to be done to protect NIH research programs." Committee chair Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said she was proud of the legislation that advanced Thursday, calling it a bipartisan effort to fund the health and education of American families. She noted that "the appropriations process is the key way that Congress carries out its constitutional responsibility for the power of the purse." |
| An Outspoken Accreditation Leader Is Stepping Down, but She's Not Backing Down to Critics | |
| In her three decades in higher-education leadership, Belle S. Wheelan has never been afraid to speak her mind. That hasn't changed even as the personal attacks -- casting her work as representative of everything that's wrong with college accreditation -- have escalated. This week, Wheelan is retiring after 20 years as president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which oversees more than 750 colleges across 11 states. Her career includes having served as the president of Central Virginia Community College and the Northern Virginia Community College system, and as education secretary under Mark Warner, a Democrat, during his term as Virginia's governor. The association, referred to informally as SACS, has in recent years been the focus of increasing criticism from conservatives -- who claim that the accreditor overstepped its authority by making inquiries into governance disputes in Florida and North Carolina. Wheelan is unapologetic for the letters SACS sent to colleges in Florida and North Carolina, explaining that the commission was asking basic questions relating to academic freedom that any other accreditor would ask. As for DEI, SACS has never had a standard that applies to its member colleges, Wheelan noted. During her next-to-last day in the office, Wheelan spoke with The Chronicle about her time leading the commission, how she has responded to conservative pushback, and what role, if any, she thinks accreditors should play in resisting partisan political interference -- something that accreditation standards aim to root out. |
SPORTS
| And So It Begins: Bulldogs start training camp with promising first practice | |
| Call it fall camp. Call it preseason practice. Call it whatever you'd like. No matter what you call it, Thursday was the day it all began again for Mississippi State. For a Bulldog team looking to take strides forward in year two under head coach Jeff Lebby, it was a promising first workout that built upon the progress State made back a few short months ago. "I thought the guys that practiced with us in the spring and had good springs, it showed up [on Thursday]," Lebby said. "They spent time [working] in the summer and were so much further [along]. I'm excited about that. We have a ton of work to do, but I think our leadership is in a great place, which helps that as much as anything." Retention from the spring is but one small sign this year's Dawgs are already headed in the right direction. Yet that wasn't the only good thing that was seen on day one. In fact, the word "seen" is incredibly appropriate, as any eyeballs looking at the fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex could observe obvious differences in this year's Bulldog group. |
| 'Long way to go': Bulldogs open fall camp despite challenging conditions | |
 | Football is back at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs hit the field at the Leo Seal practice facility for the start of fall camp on Thursday, and there was a feeling of positive change. For one, the depth on the offensive and defensive line is already paying off, as is the returning leadership and the continuity that comes with it, and it didn't go unnoticed by the head coach . "I thought the guys that practiced with us in the spring, that had good springs, showed up," head coach Jeff Lebby said. "They spent time in the summer, and we're so much further ahead than we have been on day one. We've got a ton of work to do, I think our leadership is in a much better place, and that, to me, is what helps as much as anything." Above all, it was hot. Dealing with the sun and the heat is part of the job playing football in Mississippi, and it's what the team will have to look forward to over the next month of practice. The season opener at The Rock in Hattiesburg promises to be sweltering as well. "I did think guys strained when it got really hard," head coach Jeff Lebby said after practice. "We're gonna have to continue to do that. It's going to be hot on August 30th, I think we're all aware of that as we go and kick it off. We've got a great vision for that day and where we're going." |
| What stood out on first day of MSU preseason camp | |
 | Hope springs eternal with the start of fall camp. The Mississippi State Bulldogs began theirs on Thursday morning at the Leo W. Seal Football Complex. It brings us closer to the second season under head coach Jeff Lebby, whose first year left a lot to be desired. As the maroon and white took the field for the first time in 2025, here are some things that stood out on Day 1. This season gives Mississippi State more of an opportunity to get used to Lebby's system, specifically its offense. From when he first became an FBS offensive coordinator in 2019 to when he took the MSU job before 2024, Lebby's offenses routinely finished top five in the country in total yards per game and points per game. He feels that the return of quarterback Blake Shapen, whose 2024 was cut short by injury, will help the team get more used to the system. "His leadership, his understanding of what's being asked of him every single snap, every single day, again, that's leaps and bounds ahead of where he's been and excited about that," Lebby said. "That gives us a chance to take the step we need to take offensively and get us where we need to be. |
| Jeff Lebby breaks down day one of Training Camp at Mississippi State | |
| Training camp is underway for Mississippi State as year two of the Jeff Lebby era has officially begun. The coach had his team on the practice fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Complex on campus and they practiced around two hours under the hot, muggy, Mississippi sun. It was a productive day of work for a Bulldog team that is looking for major improvements coming off of a 2-10 season, but more work is to be done according to Lebby. After practice, the coach took time to talk to the media to discuss the first day of camp and all that he took away from it. "I thought the guys that practiced with us in the spring and had good springs, it showed up. They spent time in the summer and were so much further today then we have been day one. Excited about that. We have a ton of work to do, but I think our leadership is in a much better place which helps that as much as anything." |
| Diamond Dawgs set for fall Florida State exhibition in Pensacola | |
| Mississippi State baseball will return to the Sunshine State in October to pick up where they left off at the end of the 2025 season. The Bulldogs will face Florida State at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate team will host the postseason rematch in the first action of the Brian O'Connor era. "I'm excited about the group of young men that will wear the M over S logo this year and can't wait for them all to come together and get to work this fall," said the new head coach. O'Connor was named the 19th head baseball coach at Mississippi State on the evening of June 1, just over an hour after the conclusion of the Bulldogs' season after a loss to the Seminoles at the Tallahassee regional. His arrival carried the program into the offseason with noticeable momentum, bringing in a highly-rated transfer class and retaining several top players from the year before, including All-SEC third baseman Ace Reese and two-way star Noah Sullivan. The exhibition will take place on the same day as Mississippi State football takes on Florida on the road in Gainesville, a game set for the 2:30-3:30 p.m. afternoon window. |
| Deal on 'valid business purpose' avoids threat of college NIL settlement heading back to court | |
| The new agency vetting name, image and likeness deals in college sports reached an agreement Thursday that relaxes standards on player agreements with third-party collectives and avoids taking the issue back to court after years of legal wrangling. The College Sports Commission said it will now consider a third-party company that seeks to pay a player to have a "valid business purpose" if the deal "is related to the promotion or endorsement of goods or services provided to the general public for profit." It did away with the concept that collectives established simply to pay players did not have a valid business purpose even if they sold products for profit. That guidance, issued earlier in July, threatened to fundamentally change the concept of third-party collectives, which were established in 2021 as the main source of NIL deals for players. With schools now allowed to pay players directly under terms of the industry-changing House settlement, the role of collectives was thrown into limbo. The CSC, in charge of vetting third-party deals worth $600 or more, was trying to make it more difficult for schools to use collectives as a workaround to the $20.5 million cap that the schools are allowed to pay players. |
| College Sports Commission clears way for collectives to continue NIL deal-making | |
| The College Sports Commission issued revised guidance Thursday that restores the ability for collectives to make name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with athletes, after its original directive drew the ire of lawyers and those who run the booster-fueled businesses. The CSC, a recently launched enforcement agency run by the power conferences, oversees the revenue-sharing system being implemented in college sports as part of a $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement. The plaintiffs' attorneys in House v. NCAA took issue with the CSC's July 10 guidance related to financial agreements between collectives and athletes and whether they could meet the "valid business purposes" standard needed to be cleared. Attorneys claimed the original guidance violated terms of the settlement agreement by unfairly restricting NIL compensation to athletes and threatened to go back to the court with their complaints. Last week, lawyers on both sides reached an agreement to revise the language in a way that would allow collectives to be treated like any other business, though details still needed to be worked out. The new guidance allows collective deals as long as the athlete is promoting "for profit" goods or services to the public. The first guidance essentially invalidated the collective business model and allowed for any deal from a collective to be denied. Collective operators railed against possibly being shut down by the CSC and the stage seemed set for a legal challenge. Now, the deals will be scrutinized individually. |
| College Sports Commission loosens prohibition on NIL payments | |
| The College Sports Commission has loosened its blanket prohibition on athletes receiving payments from NIL collectives, according to a memo the new enforcement agency sent to athletic directors Thursday morning. The collectives, an evolving industry built to funnel money to athletes at a particular school, will still face significantly more scrutiny when trying to sign deals with players than they had in past years. Thursday's memo from the CSC, which revises guidance it issued three weeks ago, ends the first notable scuffle under the industry's new enforcement structure without needing to return to a courtroom. However, it provides more of a punt than a definitive answer to an essential question for the future of how major college sports will function: Will wealthy teams and their boosters be able to game the system designed to create competitive balance? Some collectives have been consulting with high-profile college sports attorney Tom Mars to evaluate potential legal action. Mars told ESPN on Thursday that the new guidance doesn't necessarily rule out the potential for a lawsuit coming from the collectives but that it does "definitely change the situation for the better for collectives." "It should be concerning that it took the commissioners more than a week to agree on the language of the new CSC guidance," Mars said. |
| Trump revives the Presidential Fitness Test, a rite of passage for schoolchildren for decades | |
| President Donald Trump on Thursday reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. "This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back," Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau; and others who've attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender. It's the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. He played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches. |
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