| Monday, August 4, 2025 |
| MSU doctoral student receives distinguished assistantship | |
 | Dalton Whitt, a doctoral student at Mississippi State University, has been named the recipient of the Dr. Will D. Carpenter Distinguished Field Scientist Graduate Assistantship. Bayer, a multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, funds the award in honor of Will D. Carpenter, a 1952 MSU agronomy graduate who spent three decades with Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018. Carpenter retired in the early 1990s as vice president and general manager of the company's new products division. The assistantship is awarded to a graduate student working in weed science-related research. A Greenville native, Whitt's interest in weed science began during summer jobs at agricultural research stations, including Corteva Agriscience in Stoneville. Working alongside Jason Bond, a research and extension professor in weed science in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences stationed at the Delta Research and Extension Center, Whitt's research is on Italian ryegrass, a primary winter annual weed in row crop systems across the Southeast. |
| AI can help MSU Extension provide better help to users | |
 | Artificial intelligence is the most recent tool in the toolbox for the Mississippi State University Extension Service in its ongoing efforts to provide the best research-backed information to the residents of the state. MSU's Agricultural Autonomy Institute, or AAI, hosted the National AI in Agriculture and Natural Resources Conference on March 31-April 2 in Starkville. ExtensionBot was the first item to be addressed at the conference. Angus Catchot, director of the MSU Extension Service, told those at the conference that AI can help Extension Services across the country continue to provide the information the public needs. "As you conduct the research and advance our capacity in AI, don't forget about Extension. We can be the messengers for you," Catchot said. "Extension can partner with you. As you go back to your own states, we can help carry that message for you." ExtensionBot is the AI engine designed to answer many of the questions presented online to Extension Service websites. Jamie Varner, head of the MSU Extension Center for Technology Outreach, said ExtensionBot has potential to be a useful tool for the MSU Extension website. |
| MSU Alumni Association of Lowndes County gives back | |
| The mission of the Mississippi State University alumni association of Lowndes County is to promote and foster education through community service. One way it is doing that is through its community sock drive. Locals came together to donate socks for local nursing homes, Aurora and Garden Hill nursing homes. These socks are important for elderly populations who are at risk of falling or are diabetic. Socks with grips can help with fall risks, and compression socks can help with diabetic circulation. Latoya Lockett, another member of the alumni association, said it's rewarding to give back. "Oh, it's wonderful to be able to help others and foster that sense of community." The Lowndes County MSU Alumni Association's next big project will be its peanut butter drive for Helping Hands in the Fall. The Alumni Association also invites Mississippi State alum's to get involved with their local chapters. |
| Drought is killing off giant oak trees, the 'King of the Great Plains' | |
| At the northern edge of Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in eastern Nebraska lies a graveyard of dead trees. Many of the remaining nearby oaks are bare with silver crusty patches wrapping like a grip around trunks and branches. The trees' quickly declining appearances were out of the norm for Nebraska's towering bur oaks. They're some of the most common native oaks in the state, and their centuries of resistance to extreme weather and pests have earned them the nickname "King of the Great Plains native hardwoods." But the once soaring and wide-canopied trees are dying en masse throughout eastern Nebraska's deciduous forest. Game and Parks horticulturists sent samples off to its diagnostic lab, hoping to uncover a solution that could help save their historic trees. The results identified a sneaky, tree-killing culprit that wasn't one known to fatally strike in Nebraska: hypoxylon canker. It's a disease that's becoming a larger threat in the Midwest and Great Plains as the region faces multi-year droughts. When the lab called Whemeyer back, they said he might find more answers down south. Clarissa Balbalian, a diagnostician and lab manager with Mississippi State University Extension, wasn't surprised last summer to receive an uptick in calls from neighbors wondering why their oak trees weren't looking too well. During the last half of 2023, Mississippi suffered from months of "exceptional drought" -- the worst classification of drought on the National Drought Mitigation Center's scale. |
| Driver crashes into apartment near Cotton District after fleeing drag race | |
| A 20-year-old man was arrested early Saturday morning after a suspected drag race ended in a crash near the Cotton District, according to a press release from the Starkville Police Department. At approximately 1:04 a.m. on Aug. 2, police officers observed two vehicles racing westbound on Highway 182. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but one of the vehicles fled, resulting in a pursuit. Police said the chase continued down Old West Point Road. However, while attempting to turn onto University Drive, the suspect's vehicle lost control and crashed into an exterior apartment complex wall next to Stromboli's Italian Eatery. The driver was identified as Jaheim Woodard, 20, of Weir. He was arrested and charged with felony fleeing, drag racing and two counts of contributing to the neglect of a minor. "This incident highlights the serious dangers associated with drag racing on public roadways," the press release stated. "Such reckless behavior puts everyone at risk, including passengers, innocent bystanders, and other drivers." |
| Aluminum Dynamics celebrates 'soft opening' with first shipment | |
 | Lowndes County's Aluminum Dynamics mill shipped its first products this summer after two years of construction at the facility. The mill, owned by the Indiana-based company Steel Dynamics, produced and shipped its first aluminum coils in June, according to a company press release. Golden Triangle LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said this first shipment is a positive sign for what's to come. "You really get the sense that it's fixing to be real," Higgins said. "They're making their first productions. ... They told us they thought they'd be up and running in late summer this year, and I think they've done what they told us they were going to do." Construction of the aluminum flat-rolled mill began in 2023 as part of a $2.5 billion project to construct two Steel Dynamics facilities -- the 2.3 million square-foot aluminum mill on Airport Road and a biocarbon production facility on Artesia Road. The two facilities were projected to create a combined 1,000 jobs with an average annual salary of $93,000. Construction at the biocarbon facility is nearing completion, Higgins said. Higgins called the aluminum mill's first production a "soft opening." |
| Daily Journal, Mississippi Live Weather to partner, share content | |
 | Sometime this month, readers of the Daily Journal and its sister publications will get their weather forecasts from local meteorologist Matt Laubhan and his team at Mississippi Live Weather. While the exact details are worked out, the two media entities have agreed to share content, a partnership formed between Daily Journal Publisher and CEO William Bronson and Laubhan, Mississippi Live Weather's chief meteorologist and founder. "Two community-based media entities are partnering to share content, cross-promote and also cross-sell each other," Bronson said. "Matt will be doing forecasts that will run every day in the Journal, as well as every week in the New Albany, Pontotoc, Ripley, Itawamba and Monroe County papers. He'll provide headlines from the Journal each day to his viewers, and we're looking at ways to partner on high school football. We're also looking at other opportunities to tell the stories of Northeast Mississippi." The go-to weather source in Northeast Mississippi since he stepped into the market in 2011, Laubhan maintains that status with Mississippi Live Weather. He has added Gabe Mahner to his staff as well. Mahner was with WTVA until this year as well. Also joining the team are Caleb Edelblute and Maggye McCallie. |
| International chemical company investing $5.52M in Clarke County | |
| International chemical manufacturer Mancuso Chemicals Limited will be setting up shop in Clarke County. The Canada-based, research-driven manufacturer of high-end industrial chemical products is establishing a logistics distribution center in Pachuta to which the company will import products from its facilities in Canada and Peru. Manusco serves the global metalworking, oil-based paint, automotive fluid, and phenolic resin industries. The company operates internationally in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. The Mississippi Development Authority is assisting through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive program. Clarke County and the village of Pachuta are also assisting with the project. Mancuso Chemicals plans to complete the project and fill the new jobs over the next five years. |
| Cherry elected Mississippi Power chairman, CEO | |
| Pedro Cherry has been elected chairman and CEO of Mississippi Power. The announcement came Monday after a vote by the company's board of directors. Following the retirement announcement of company chairman and CEO Anthony Wilson, Cherry was named president of Mississippi Power in March, becoming the company's 14th president in its 100-year history. "It's been an honor working alongside Anthony over the last few months during this leadership transition," said Cherry in a statement. "He has certainly made a lasting impact on our state, and I look forward to continuing Mississippi Power's legacy of safety, reliability and service to our communities." Wilson had more than 40 years of service to Mississippi Power and Southern Company. As for Cherry, the company said that he has worked in the energy industry for 30 years with nearly 25 years spent as a part of the Southern Company system. Cherry said the future is bright for Mississippi, and he is excited to be here during a period of unprecedented growth and development. |
| Mississippi's social media age verification law in effect for now but continues to face legal challenges | |
| Using social media applications like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook may take a few more steps soon after a 2024 Mississippi law that's faced ongoing litigation went into effect in July. The Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, which was named in honor of Walker Montgomery, a 16-year-old in Starkville who took his life in December 2022 after being a victim of a sexual extortion scheme carried out over social media, has been allowed to take effect. "It is an honor that our loss has at least created an atmosphere where we can have this conversation," Walker's father Brian Montgomery said. "But my bigger goal is that we protect kids... because I know that if something like this would have been in place, it's a very good chance that Walker would still be here." The decision came from a panel of three judges in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit which decided to stay a previous injunction on the law on July 17. The stay allows the law to be enforced by the state and to be in effect while a civil case against the legislation continues in federal court. The intention through this legislation was to provide some kind of starting point of legislation to protect children on the internet, said District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville. "We're trying to capture as much as we can, but not necessarily put handcuffs on (social media companies) and keep them from being able to do this in a viable way," he said. |
| Voters to decide District 41 House race Tuesday | |
| Voters will decide the special election for District 41 state representative on Tuesday. Incumbent Kabir Karriem faces Pierre Beard for the seat. Both are running as Democrats. Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at 12 voting precincts across the district, which includes much of Columbus and part of Lowndes County north of the city. No Republican is running in District 41, so the primary winner will not face a general election opponent in November. Karriem, a former Ward 5 Columbus councilman, was first elected to the house seat in 2015. Beard served six years as Ward 4 councilman before losing his latest reelection bid in June. So far, the Lowndes County circuit clerk's office has received 153 absentee votes in the race, with another 28 mail-in absentee requests that have yet to be returned, Deputy Clerk Ann Marie Higgins said. The special election comes after a panel of federal judges ordered the Mississippi Election Commission to redraw select legislative districts after ruling the 2022 maps diluted Black voting power in DeSoto and Chickasaw counties. As a result, other counties saw a change in district lines as well, including House Districts 39 and 41 in the Golden Triangle. In District 39, incumbent Republican Dana McLean is running unopposed. |
| How young people engage with Neshoba County Fair politics | |
 | The Neshoba County Fair is known for politics aimed at potential voters; however, younger Mississippians are also engaged in the political process. Though statewide and congressional races are not occurring this year, local and state politicians are rallying fairgoers and Mississippians for their support in future elections. These potential voters are the target audience. However, some children who attended the fair not only supported leaders, but also questioned them. McKenzie Cummings and Thierry Freeman will be old enough to vote in the 2027 state elections. The 17-year-olds are student journalists and rising seniors from St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison. When they arrived at the fairgrounds on Wednesday, it was their first time at the fair. They decided the best thing to do while there was to cover it as a news event. They were not intimidated about being the youngest reporters at the Neshoba County Fair. "At the end of the day, we're all trying to accomplish the same thing: we all want to put the news out there," Thierry said to WJTV 12 News. Higher education and living costs were the main focus of their questions to state and local leaders. Their concerns as soon-to-be adults were the main reason why. "Prices are going up, even on stuff that you wouldn't even expect," McKenzie said. "Scholarships are being taken away, financial aid is being taken away." |
| At a Mississippi county fair, this 'giant house party' brings generations together | |
 | Each summer, hundreds of brightly colored cabins come to life with the sound of children playing and smells of Southern comfort food in what's known as Mississippi's "giant house party," the Neshoba County Fair. The fair touts itself as the largest campground fair in the country, where attendees cram into more than 500 two-and-three story wood cabins for eight days every year. The larger cabins can sleep upwards of 30 people, sometimes in the same room. Sid Salter, whose family has been going to the fair since it first opened in 1889, said it's a place where children are safe to roam freely. Often, parents write their kid's name and cabin number on their arms. If they get lost, a friendly fair-goer will help them find their way back. The communal atmosphere extends to mealtime. Although only about 20 people stay in their cabin, Salter's family often feeds 50 or 60 people a day. "It's not an inexpensive hobby," he joked, "but it's a great time with people you only see, you know, during the fair." At 66 years old, Salter has only missed three Neshoba County Fairs, once for an adventure camp when he was 13, again to cover the 2000 Republican National Convention as a reporter and in 2017 when he was battling cancer. He said he often eats the same meals, does the same activities and sees the same people year after year. "In a sea of change in every facet of our lives, the fair is constant," he said. |
| Hyde-Smith Votes to Advance 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill | |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Thursday supported committee passage of the FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill that supports President Trump's goal of systematically rebuilding the nation's ability to achieve peace through strength, a goal that will involve national security activities conducted in Mississippi. Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee that voted 26-3 to move the defense spending measure to the Senate floor. The bill increases funding for U.S. Department of Defense activities, supports service members and their families, and builds up the defense industrial base. "Our national defense is our primary responsibility and this legislation represents a refocusing of our national security on new threats and military tactics that could put us and our interests in peril. Adjusting to these new realities will require a sustained, years-long investment," Hyde-Smith said. Among the highlights in the Senate's FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill: Mississippi is at the forefront of innovation and national security, with its universities and companies playing a pivotal role in research and development for the Department of Defense. From the shipyards of the Gulf Coast to advanced research facilities in North Mississippi, the Magnolia State is at the forefront of cutting-edge defense innovation. The bill includes funding to support research and development activities conducted at the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Jackson State University. |
| Telle confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works | |
| Adam Telle, a former member of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran's staff, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Saturday to be the new Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Telle, who was nominate for the post by President Donald Trump (R) earlier this year, will play a key role in carrying out the administration's priorities as it relates to the ports, waterways, and flood control infrastructure maintained by the Corps across our nation. Specifically, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works establishes policy direction and provides supervision of the Department of the Army functions relating to all aspects of the Civil Works program of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Telle was confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of the Army by a Senate vote of 72 to 22. As previously reported, Telle is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and the top national security staffer for Senator Cochran for 10 years. He moved to the Mississippi Senator's office after beginning his service on Capitol Hill in Alabama Senator Richard Shelby's office. Telle then went on to lead the Senate team at the White House's Office of Legislative Affairs during the first Trump Administration. There, he managed all national security and appropriations matters. |
| Alabama man confirmed for high-level US Army leadership post | |
 | Northport native Adam Telle was confirmed this weekend as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. In this role, Telle will carry out the Trump administration's priorities relating to ports, waterways, and flood control infrastructure, according to the Army website. Specifically, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works establishes policy direction and provides supervision of the Department of the Army functions relating to all aspects of the Civil Works program of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the site says. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Telle has served as Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty's Chief of Staff since 2021 and previously worked for former Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby. "I have seen Adam bring people together to solve problems, mentor and grow staff, and provide thoughtful and effective strategic direction on some of the toughest problems facing our nation," Hagerty wrote in a recent release. U.S Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala. and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. congratulated Telle in posts to X on Saturday. |
| Senators begin recess after giving up on nominations deal | |
 | President Donald Trump gave Senate Republicans permission to begin their August recess Saturday night, shortly before Democratic and Republican leaders agreed to quickly vote on seven final civilian nominees but none of the more than 100 still pending on the calendar. The agreement allowed for votes to begin on cloture and confirmation of the nominees without debate. Among those confirmed under the deal was Jeanine Pirro, who was nominated by Trump to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The directive from Trump took pressure off of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to clear the executive calendar and confirm all of Trump's pending nominees before the recess. Trump had repeatedly called on Senate Republicans to stay in session through August to vote on his nominees. "Republicans, for the health and safety of the USA, DO YOUR JOB, and confirm All Nominees. They should NOT BE FORCED TO WAIT," Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. But after an exhausting stretch on Capitol Hill, including multiple "vote-a-ramas," there was little appetite on either side to stick around. |
| Senate confirms anti-DEI stalwart Andrea Lucas to second term at top workplace civil rights agency | |
| The Senate confirmed Andrea Lucas to another term as commissioner of the country's workplace civil rights agency, demonstrating firm Republican support for her efforts to root out diversity programs, roll back protections for transgender workers and prioritize religious rights in the workplace. Democratic lawmakers and prominent civil rights groups fiercely opposed Lucas' confirmation, saying she has subjected the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to the whims of the president, who elevated her to acting chair in January and, in an unprecedented act, fired two of the agency's Democratic commissioners before their terms expired. Lucas, who was first appointed to the EEOC in 2020, secured another five-year term with a 52-45 party-line Senate vote on Thursday night, but it will be up to President Donald Trump if she continues as chair. Lucas has firmly aligned the EEOC with Trump's civil rights agenda, declaring during her confirmation hearing last month that she doesn't consider the agency to be independent, a position she acknowledged was a shift from her previously stated views. In compliance with Trump's executive order declaring two unchangeable sexes, the EEOC dropped lawsuits on behalf of transgender workers and stalled progress on others. Lucas has also leveraged the EEOC's enforcement powers to help the Trump administration target private institutions over their DEI programs or allegations of antisemitism. |
| Trump Seeks Bigger Overhaul at Labor Statistics Bureau, Adviser Says | |
 | A chief White House economic adviser said Sunday that President Trump wants his allies placed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics after the agency published a surprisingly dismal jobs report Friday and the president later fired its commissioner. Kevin Hassett, Trump's National Economic Council director, said on NBC that the firing of BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer is part of Trump's plan to make further changes to the agency. "The president wants his own people there, so that when we see the jobs numbers, they are more transparent and more reliable," Hassett said. Trump said Sunday night that in the coming days he would be naming a new statistician to lead BLS. The latest jobs report showed the U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, well below expectations. BLS on Friday also revised May and June data, reporting a sharp drop in the number of jobs created -- 258,000 fewer than initially reported. That left May as having added just 19,000 jobs and June just 14,000. It isn't unusual for job-market data to be revised. There have been large downward revisions in the past, including for periods when Joe Biden was president. The latest revision came as a surprise in large part because it gave a picture of a labor market slowing more than previously thought as Trump has moved quickly to change tariff, immigration and tax policies. |
| Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose | |
 | The Trump administration has asked NASA employees to draw up plans to end at least two major satellite missions, according to current and former NASA staffers. If the plans are carried out, one of the missions would be permanently terminated, because the satellite would burn up in the atmosphere. The data the two missions collect is widely used, including by scientists, oil and gas companies and farmers who need detailed information about carbon dioxide and crop health. They are the only two federal satellite missions that were designed and built specifically to monitor planet-warming greenhouse gases. It is unclear why the Trump administration seeks to end the missions. The equipment in space is state of the art and is expected to function for many more years, according to scientists who worked on the missions. An official review by NASA in 2023 found that "the data are of exceptionally high quality" and recommended continuing the mission for at least three years. NASA's recent call for universities and companies to potentially take over the cost of maintaining the OCO instrument attached to the International Space Station suggests the agency is also considering privatizing NASA science missions. |
| Not just Big Bird: Things to know about the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its funding cuts | |
| The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for PBS, NPR, 1,500 local radio and television stations as well as programs like "Sesame Street" and "Finding Your Roots," said Friday that it would close after the U.S. government withdrew funding. The organization told employees that most staff positions will end with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. A small transition team will stay until January to finish any remaining work. The private, nonprofit corporation was founded in 1968 shortly after Congress authorized its formation. It now ends nearly six decades of fueling the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and emergency alerts about natural disasters. Roughly 70% of the corporation's money went directly to 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it's likely some won't survive. NPR's president estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may close in the next year. Mississippi Public Broadcasting has already decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children's programming like "Caillou" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" 24 hours a day. |
| Northsiders named to UMMC Hall of Fame | |
| Several Northsiders were recognized at the annual University of Mississippi Medical Center Medical Alumni Awards Dinner. The night featured the presentation of alumni awards including the Hall of Fame. Named to the Hall of Fame were Sharon Douglas, Timothy Folse, Anthony Petro, Charles O'Mara, James Gentry, Rodney Meeks and Stanley Hartness. Dr. Petro is a 1969 graduate of medical school at UMMC, where he was taught by some of the brightest lights to grace the medical center before achieving prominence as a surgeon in his own right. "I don't remember a time when I did not want to be a physician," Petro said. "My first merit badge was First Aid ... . I am so grateful to this medical school. Three generations of my family have come through this medical school." A Leland native who attended Mississippi State University on a football scholarship, he trained as a medical student under world-famous physiologist Dr. Arthur Guyton and as a general surgical resident under organ transplant legends Dr. James Hardy and Dr. Seshadri Raju, as well as renowned faculty members and medical center leaders Dr. Gus Neely, Dr. William Barnett and Dr. Norman Nelson. Petro authored a chapter in Hardy's textbook, Critical Surgical Illness. |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College unveils new ambulance for paramedic program | |
| Prospective first responders at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville now have a new tool at their disposal. Through a partnership with Baptist Ambulance and Priority OnDemand, students in the school's paramedic program now have access to a fully-equipped ambulance. The vehicle will serve as a mobile classroom, offering pupils an opportunity to gain experience in real-world emergencies. The vehicle's donation to the community college marks a full-circle moment for Priority OnDemand CEO Bryan Gibson, who began his EMS career as a paramedic in Prentiss County. Gibson credits his early experiences in northeast Mississippi as foundational to his career in emergency medical services and healthcare leadership. |
| Auburn University alum Samuel Ginn donates $30 million to college, largest scholarship donation in school's history | |
| Auburn University recently received the largest single commitment to scholarships in the school's history. Samuel Ginn, the namesake of Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and the Ginn Family Foundation have committed $30 million to create a new engineering scholarship program at Auburn University. "My hope is that this program will lessen the financial burden of a higher education and help families in our state," Ginn said in a news release. "There are so many students with strong family value systems, and they deserve an opportunity to focus on their studies instead of focusing on their financial situation." The Ginn Scholarship Program, which will provide up to 40 scholarships each year covering tuition, fees, room and board for up to five years, is designed to provide financial and transitional assistance to incoming freshmen, along with the student support services needed to navigate the demanding curriculum. An Anniston native, Ginn graduated from Auburn with a degree in industrial engineering in 1959. He helped build what became the largest cellular company in the world -- AirTouch -- before it was sold for $65 billion in 1999. |
| U. of Alabama System names John Daniel as general counsel, senior vice chancellor | |
| John Daniel has been named general counsel and senior vice chancellor of the University of Alabama System, effective Aug. 1, 2025. Daniel brings to the position more than two decades of distinguished legal experience within the UA System, including 20 years in the UAB Office of Counsel, where he served as chief university counsel. Since April 2024, he also served as the UA System's interim general counsel. "John Daniel's decades of legal experience in higher education and health care and his unparalleled understanding of the UA System make him uniquely qualified for this role," said UA System Chancellor Sid J. Trant. As general counsel, Daniel will serve as the chief legal officer for the UA System, providing legal guidance to the Board of Trustees, chancellor, and senior leadership across all UA System institutions and affiliates. Daniel earned his Bachelor of Arts from The University of Alabama in 1991 and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the UA School of Law. He later received his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. |
| U. of Tennessee's marketing mind left to 'build something great' | |
 | After nearly 22 years of climbing the ranks within the University of Tennessee System, Tiffany Carpenter has moved into a new office and a new role on Gay Street, where Nashville advertising agency MP&F Strategic Communications is now open in the Arcade Building and ready for Knoxville's business. Carpenter, who began in the UT Athletics Department and rose to vice president of communications and marketing for the UT System, is serving as principal of MP&F's new Knoxville office. Mary Elizabeth Davis -- one of four partners at the agency, along with Jennifer Brantley, Kate Chinn and Knight Stivender -- said the Knoxville expansion felt "like a natural evolution" for the woman-owned company. "Tennessee is home to us," Davis told Knox News. "We service clients all over the country, and so that's never been limiting, but I think expanding our footprint across Tennessee feels very natural to us." As we sat down with the four partners and Carpenter to discuss her time at UT and the new role, she told Knox News she feels "very prepared." She worked through the UT System with MP&F, which works with companies across the state, from McKee Foods Corporation (the Little Debbie folks) to the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. |
| U. of Virginia Appoints Interim President After Ouster | |
 | Paul G. Mahoney, a former dean of the law school at the University of Virginia, was named the institution's interim president on Monday, after his predecessor as president resigned under intense pressure from the Trump Administration. The university's governing board met on Monday to approve Mr. Mahoney's appointment. He is taking over the helm of a university that was operating in a leadership vacuum as it attempted to negotiate a tricky legal predicament posed by several Department of Justice investigations. The former president, James E. Ryan, left in July following a campaign waged against him by the Department of Justice and a conservative Virginia alumni group, the Jefferson Council, that led a multiyear crusade attacking the school's diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The university's longtime provost and second-highest executive, Ian Baucom, left earlier in the year to become president of Middlebury College. Members of the university's board, who are appointees of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, said at the meeting Monday that they hoped to select a new permanent president within four to six months. Mr. Mahoney holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale Law School. |
| Bleak Job Landscape for Today's Degree Holders | |
 | For the first time, unemployment rates for young recent graduates are rising faster than for those without a college degree. At the same time, recent graduates are facing extremely high rates of underemployment, according to a new report from the Burning Glass Institute, a workforce think tank. The report, titled "No Country for Young Grads," paints a bleak picture of the employment landscape for young bachelor's degree holders in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the rise of artificial intelligence. More than half of the Class of 2023 -- 52 percent -- worked in a job that did not require a bachelor's degree one year out from college. Meanwhile, unemployment rates for young degree holders -- those ages 20 to 24 -- rose a percentage point from the late 2010s to now. Over the same period, unemployment held about steady for high school graduates who never attended college and associate degree holders in academic degree programs, while it decreased for those with occupational associate degrees. Layoffs, too, are hitting young workers harder than ever; the layoff rate for young degree holders has nearly doubled from pre-pandemic levels. These changes don't correlate with a larger economic downturn as similar unemployment trends among young people often did in the past, said Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute and one of the report's authors. |
| It's a Tough Job Market for New College Grads. Is an Advanced Degree Worth It? | |
| The current job market is making a good case for recent college graduates to consider going to graduate school. But is it really worth it? Uncertainty around the potential impact of higher U.S. tariffs is tamping down hiring. And even before tariff stress hit the job market, new college grads faced headwinds. The unemployment rate for recent graduates (those ages 22 to 27) was 4.8% in May, the latest data available for that age group, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That's up from 4.3% in May 2023. The overall unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose to 4% from 3.5% during the same period. (The overall employment rate stands at 4.2% for July.) Add to that the growing debate over whether artificial intelligence might eat a chunk of entry-level, white-collar jobs, and tacking on an advanced degree seems like a sound competitive strategy. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects that the number of jobs requiring graduate degrees will be 14% higher in 2031 than it was in 2021. The question is: Will the potential for improved employment prospects and higher long-term earnings outweigh the cost of obtaining a graduate degree, especially if you have to take on debt to pay for it? |
| College isn't in the plans for many rural students despite stepped-up recruiting efforts | |
| As a student in western New York's rural Wyoming County, Briar Townes honed an artistic streak that he hopes to make a living from one day. In high school, he clicked with a college-level drawing and painting class. But despite the college credits he earned, college isn't part of his plan. Since graduating from high school in June, he has been overseeing an art camp at the county's Arts Council. If that doesn't turn into a permanent job, there is work at Creative Food Ingredients, known as the "cookie factory" for the way it makes the town smell like baking cookies, or at local factories like American Classic Outfitters, which designs and sews athletic uniforms. "My stress is picking an option, not finding an option," he said. Even though rural students graduate from high school at higher rates than their peers in cities and suburbs, fewer of them go on to college. Many rural school districts, including the one in Perry that Townes attends, have begun offering college-level courses and working to remove academic and financial obstacles to higher education, with some success. But college doesn't hold the same appeal for students in rural areas where they often would need to travel farther for school, parents have less college experience themselves, and some of the loudest political voices are skeptical of the need for higher education. |
| Why it just got harder to become a doctor or lawyer | |
 | Dalea Tran has dreamed of law school for years, but she's never known how she might pay for it. Unlike many aspiring lawyers, she wouldn't be following in her parents' footsteps. An accountant and a hair stylist, they arrived in San Diego with their families as child refugees from Vietnam. Tran, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at the University of California, San Diego, knew if she decided to go to law school, she'd have to work her way through a maze of student loans and financial aid packages. For people like her, navigating that maze just became far more challenging. Major changes are coming to higher education in the United States after President Donald Trump signed his major domestic policy bill into law. Among them is an end to Grad PLUS loans, a program that helps people pay for medical school and law school. Since Congress created the loans, direct from the federal government, in 2006, they have covered the full cost of attending graduate and professional school for nearly 2 million students. Beginning July 1, 2026, that won't be an option anymore. Trump's tax and spending law will eliminate the Grad PLUS program for new borrowers (students who take out loans before that date will be grandfathered in for up to three years). The measure imposes new borrowing caps – $50,000 annually and $200,000 overall – on the amount of federal direct loans students can take out for degrees in law and medicine. And it limits their repayment options after they graduate. |
| Senate confirms Trump's pick to oversee higher ed, a man tied to for-profit colleges | |
| The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's pick to oversee higher education policy, a man with deep ties to the for-profit college industry, by a 50-to-45 vote on August 1. Senate Majority John Thune filed cloture on Nicholas Kent's nomination earlier in the week. And the education committee had already advanced Kent on a 12-11 vote without a hearing in late May. The undersecretary at the Department of Education oversees billions in federal financial aid and is charged with ensuring America's colleges provide a quality education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had previously told USA TODAY that Kent is a "natural leader" whose experience and concern for students "make him the ideal selection for under secretary of education." He had won the support of several prominent university trade groups who are opposed to Trump's attacks on universities, but said they supported Kent's nomination. His confirmation comes as the Trump administration seeks to reshape higher education and has launched numerous investigations into high profile universities. |
| Tommy Duff might attempt what few have done: win a governor's race in first campaign | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: If ultra successful businessman Tommy Duff does run for governor of Mississippi in 2027, history will not be on his side. Duff of Hattiesburg, who along with his brother James are listed as the state's only billionaires, according to Forbes Magazine, has made no secret of the fact he is considering a run for governor. If he does, it will mark the first time for Duff's name to be placed on ballot for public office. The 68-year-old would be starting his political career vying for the highest office in Mississippi. Combustible Vicksburg contractor Kirk Fordice, a unique politician in Mississippi on many levels, is the only person in the modern era to win the Mississippi governorship in his first venture as a candidate. All other successful candidates for governor in the modern era have held other elected offices before capturing the seat. |
| Dimon and Duff tout small democracy and good government | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: "I'm not sure if big democracy is that effective anymore," said Jamie Dimon, "but small (local) democracy works." Dimon, the highly successful CEO of the world's largest bank, JP Morgan Chase, was addressing over 400 attendees at Mississippi Today's "All in on Mississippi" forum. "Mayors and governors always learn the same thing if they come out of the political realm and they never ran anything," Dimon continued. "Running stuff is hard. If you don't get it quickly, the place erodes. The good ones quickly learn that it's about schools, crime, hospitals, roads, potholes, all these things that serve people. It's not about the ideology." Another thing effective leaders learn, Dimon said, is competence. "You better damn well be good at it because if you're not, you know, the politics takes over and you have an erosion of quality. And so good government, it works." "I want good government, that's all I care about," said Tommy Duff a little later in the program. Duff, who knows how to run things as the highly successful operator of Southern Tire Mart, is a potential candidate for governor and was answering a question about the type of leaders he wants to support in government. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi hunters warned of CWD spreading in deer | |
| Hunters have been warned to look out for a rapidly spreading disease among deer populations in Mississippi. Cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Mississippi continue rise. According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), 128 deer tested positive for CWD from July 2024 to June 2025. This number is up from the 110 deer that tested positive during the same period the previous year. Eighteen counties have reported positive cases, with Union County being the latest county to report a case. Most cases have been reported in northern counties in the state, with cases in the Delta region also reporting multiple counties with deer that have this disease. "The highest prevalence area is in Benton and Marshall counties along the Tennessee line," said Jacob Dykes, wildlife specialist with the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service. "This is part of a larger regional outbreak covering multiple states." One challenge of detecting the disease is until deer enter the last stages of CWD, they often appear completely healthy. "The disease spreads through saliva, feces, urine or a contaminated environment," Dykes said. "If left unmanaged, chronic wasting disease can devastate the deer population as it is 100% fatal to any deer that contracts the disease." |
| Why Mississippi State football, Jeff Lebby are so confident at wide receiver despite lost production | |
 | Even with starting quarterback Blake Shapen suffering an early season-ending shoulder injury, Mississippi State football's wide receivers still had a productive 2024. Kevin Coleman Jr. dominated the target share. Mario Craver was second in yards per game as a breakout freshman. Kelly Akharaiyi was third in receiving yards per game. All of them have departed. Jordan Mosley (23 receptions, 405 yards and three touchdowns) is the only returning wide receiver with more than three catches last season. It leaves the Bulldogs with a fairly new and unproven position. Yet with the season kicking off Aug. 30 at Southern Miss, Shapen, second-year coach Jeff Lebby and third-year wide receiver coach Chad Bumphis all have confidence the position won't see a dropoff. "This is definitely the most talented room that I've been a part of and I can honestly say that," Shapen said Aug. 1. "Last year, obviously we were pretty talented, but I think it's kind of crazy that you can grow from last year and have an even better room. I think we do. "Me and Coach Bump (Chad Bumphis) were actually talking about it the other day and talking about just how good it is to be around those guys -- the personality of them and they're very talented." |
| MSU Football: Player takeaways after return to practice | |
| Mississippi State football got back to work this week with a month to go before the start of the 2025 season. Head coach Jeff Lebby and his staff all had their turn to speak to the media, and the players took their turn on Friday. Lebby arrived in Starkville with hopes of reviving a stuttering offense from 2023. The results in year one were mixed for a multitude of reasons. Injuries, lack of cohesion, and constantly playing from behind was not a winning formula, but there is already confidence in finding an identity out of the gate this season. The biggest reason why? Continuity. "Obviously, when you know somebody a little bit longer, you kind of grow that relationship, and I feel like we've been able to do that on and off the field," quarterback Blake Shapen said of working with Lebby. "I feel like communication, like, you know, he's a quarterback coach, and OC, so you get to kind of be hand in hand with him every day and talk to him about, just what we're going through that day. So being on the same page has been critical, and I think our relationship obviously grows when I get to know them longer. |
| Men's Basketball: New Dawgs Fitting Right In | |
| The reasons are many for why head coach Chris Jans has been able to lead Mississippi State men's basketball to three straight NCAA Tournaments since his arrival in Starkville back in 2022. He's a grinder. He's a motivator. He's relentless. Put simply, he's a winner. But a trait of Jans that perhaps isn't discussed enough is that he's an architect. No stranger to building teams year to year at his prior stops, both at the junior college and Division I levels, Jans has shown a unique ability to find just the right pieces to better the Bulldogs each season -- whether that's bringing in guys with on-court talent, locker room leadership qualities or some combination of it all. Three or four months remain before MSU hits the hardwood again. However, as summer workouts wind down for the Dawgs, it certainly seems as if Jans has worked his magic once more. "This is probably like the best team I've ever been on where everybody is just jelling together this quickly," forward Brandon Walker said. "It's crazy. We've got a lot of new guys, but we've just come in together and bonded already." |
| Adidas Drops College Collection of its Most Popular Running Shoe | |
| When it comes to performance technology and athlete empowerment, adidas is dusting the competition. Earlier this year, adidas launched the critically acclaimed Adizero Evo SL running shoe. Adidas is expanding its award-winning Adizero Evo SL range with a new Evo SL College Collection inspired by 13 of its university partners in the NCAA. Adidas teamed up with its university and student-athlete partners, including NIL partners Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola, Kansas Jayhawks point guard Darryn Peterson, and the Washington Huskies track sister duo Amanda and Hana Moll, to bring the "Best Running Shoe of 2025" to campuses and alumni. Athlete partners featured in the collection also include Mississippi State University's Chandler Prater (Basketball) and Isaac Smith (Football). The Adizero Evo SL is the lightest training shoe in the entire adidas running line, weighing approximately 188g for women and 224g for men. It is equipped with a full-length, high-stack Lightstrike Pro midsole without stiffening elements, providing a smooth and dynamic feel. |
| These Colleges Won't Be Sharing Revenue With Athletes. At Least, Not Yet. | |
 | Division I colleges entered a brave new world this summer when they began making payments directly to their athletes. That ability comes as a result of the House v. NCAA settlement, an agreement that went into effect July 1, and that rewrites the rules of college athletics. But several dozen institutions decided not to participate, at least for now. Those colleges -- 54 in total, by Sportico's count -- opted out of the settlement, forgoing the chance to share revenue with athletes, as well as the agreement's other provisions, such as caps on the size of team rosters and unlimited scholarships. The reasons vary. But athletic directors reached by The Chronicle described wanting more time to implement procedures that would allow them to pay their athletes. Some also cited a still-uncertain but mandatory cost each college will pay to fund the new enforcement organization, the College Sports Commission. Others said they wanted to see how certain legal questions related to the settlement played out before they jumped in. The hesitancy on the part of some campuses reflects just how much stands to change in a post-House world, as well as anxiety over institutional finances in a time of tight budgets. |
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