| Tuesday, November 18, 2025 |
| Project MFG SEC Machining Competition at Texas A&M University | |
 | Four Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools gathered at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station's (TEES) Facility for Advanced Manufacturing Nov. 13-14 to compete in the Project MFC SEC Machining Competition. This two-day event provided a platform for teams to showcase their expertise in a variety of areas, such as CNC programming and machining. The Project MFG SEC machining competition showcased collegiate engineering teams competing against each other for top marks and program bragging rights in the manufacturing field. Adele Ratcliff, former director of the Innovation Capability & Modernization office in the U.S. Department of Defense, welcomed the students and encouraged them to dig deep and embrace the competition ahead of them. "We are here to restore the presence of real manufacturing in the engineering sector," Ratcliff said. "When we started on this journey, the one thing we knew was that we still had our competitive spirit. We designed a competition that would challenge you, with an aim to introduce this as one of our core engineering programs." The winners of the competition were: First Place: Mississippi State University. Team members included: Collin Mullins, Caleb Pepper, Jacob Sheley, and Russell Stigall. Instructors: Trace Duncan, Jose Martinez-Castellon, and Ross "Dalton" Smith. |
| UM, MSU rivals on the field, united for Parkinson's | |
| Mississippi State and Ole Miss ROTC cadets will come together ahead of the annual Egg Bowl to raise awareness and funds for the Parkinson's Foundation. On Saturday, cadets from both universities will run the 100-mile route between campuses, carrying the official Egg Bowl game ball. The run is meant to highlight teamwork and the shared effort to support people affected by Parkinson's disease. Fans, alumni and community members from both schools are encouraged to support their team's fundraising efforts. This year's event will also include honorary runners who have been personally affected by Parkinson's through family members or loved ones. They will join the start of each team's run to recognize those living with the disease. Supporters can donate to their team's page at Parkinson.org/EggBowl. All contributions help fund research, care, and community programs. |
| Community Profile: Painting her way through college | |
 | When Clyde Hollis offered to pay Lucy Willcutt to do some decorative window painting at his rental storage business three years ago, she figured it would be sort of a one-time deal. It has instead turned into a means of helping finance her college education. "At first, the only windows I painted were for (Hollis) doing new paintings for every season," said Willcutt, 20-year-old sophomore nutrition/dietician student at Mississippi State. "Last year, I started getting more requests and it's really taken off this year. I think I've done 40 so far this year." That number will swell as Christmas approaches. Willcutt said she's booked solid through the end of the year. "I do some painting after classes during the week, but mainly it's weekend work – Saturdays and Sundays." she said. Willcutt charges anywhere from $50 to $200 per job, depending on the scale and amount of detail the customer wants. "I also do pet portraits, which I had been doing before I started on windows." Willcutt said she painted about 20 storefronts last year, but the demand really jumped this year. |
| Education Brief: Hayes among MSU Presidential Partnership Scholarship recipients | |
| Katherine Hayes, a chemical engineering major from Columbus, is among 13 Mississippi State University transfer students receiving Presidential Partnership Scholarships this fall, the university's most prestigious awards for those transferring from the state's community colleges. Hayes is a graduate of Meridian Community College. Presidential Partnership Scholars receive funding to cover their full, on-campus tuition costs for two years. They are enrolled in MSU's First-Year Experience: CC Presidential Scholars leadership class. The students must be enrolled full time and maintain a 3.0 GPA. The scholars are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college national honor society, and are nominated by their respective community college presidents and selected by the MSU Scholarship Committee. |
| Petition urges supes to invest $30.5M of hospital funds | |
| More than 150 residents have signed a petition urging the board of supervisors to place $30.5 million in net proceeds from the sale of OCH Regional Medical Center into a long-term reserve and trust fund, rather than spending it. Shelton Jones approached the board during its meeting Monday with about a dozen pages of signatures, calling on the board to emulate the Lowndes County Reserve and Trust Fund. "By adopting this approach, our community can benefit from advanced infrastructure without future overburdening local taxpayers," Jones told the board. "... Oktibbeha County can emulate these proven strategies by mirroring the Lowndes County Reserve and Trust fund, thereby ensuring that our recent hospital sale proceeds not only serve near future needs but also provide for future generations." Jones and co-author Buddy Staggers began circulating the petition to friends, neighbors and businesses throughout the city and county about a week ago. Staggers said everyone he's spoken to so far believes the decision to endow the funds is a "no-brainer." |
| Toyota investing $125M to add hybrid-electric Corolla at Blue Springs plant | |
 | As part of its plan to invest $10 billion over the next five years in the U.S., Toyota is committing $125 million to the Toyota Mississippi assembly plant. The investment will shift production of the hybrid-electric Corolla from Japan to the U.S. No new jobs will be added to the Blue Springs plant, which already employs 2,400. Since 2007, Toyota has invested $1.3 billion in the facility. The Toyota Mississippi news is included in Toyota's announcement of a $912 million investment and 252 new jobs over three years across five manufacturing plants to increase hybrid capacity. The company made the announcement Tuesday morning. "Customers are embracing Toyota's hybrid vehicles, and our U.S. manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand," said Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president, manufacturing operations. "Toyota's philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our U.S. footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy." |
| An Accelerate 2025 pitch competition sheds light on Mississippi's entrepreneur ecosystem | |
 | The Scale-up InnovateMS pitch competition allowed late-stage tech entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete for a $15,000 cash prize. It was a major part of the Accelerate 2025 conference, held November 11-12 in Flowood. The event brought fresh attention to Mississippi's entrepreneur ecosystem. Organizers said they hoped to give attendees access to the wider business community, including potential investors. "We work, of course, by Zoom, like everybody else, and we have a pretty big state spread out all over," said Tony Jeff, CEO of Innovate Mississippi. "In the innovation ecosystem, bringing everyone together, making connections that are otherwise harder to make, is real important." The statewide conference was presented by Innovate Mississippi and the Mississippi SBDC Network. Organizers held panels that featured discussions on common issues business owners face. On Tuesday, there was a competition among early-stage entrepreneurs. During Wednesday's competition, four tech entrepreneurs did their best to convince a panel of judges that they deserved the winnings. George Banzhaf is co-founder of digital forest management platform, TreeTracker. "Oh my gosh, this competition was so nerve wracking, but I'm so glad I did it," he said. "Innovate Mississippi has been a really great resource for us. We've been talking with them for two years to help us not only take our vision of a great product into science, but how do you turn that into a smart business and be able to get investors?" |
| Attorney General's office launches operation to target card skimmers | |
| It's the time of year when budgets get tight with a lot of holiday demand. That's why you need to be aware that card skimmers could leave you in the red. 'Tis the season for busy parking lots and swiping your card in stores to stock the pantry for Thanksgiving or check off your Christmas buying list. "Scams, scams, scams everywhere," said Sandra Laird. "Yep, I worry about it all the time." She admits she gets more anxious using her card at spots like drive-thrus. "Where they take your card and you can't quite see it all the time," added Laird. "I try to look up over it, you know, and see." She remembers previous warnings about card skimmers and will change her routine at the pump, if needed. "If there's anything a little funny in there, I'll go inside sometimes," she said of gas station pumps. Card skimmers aren't a new problem. The new piece is an initiative to try to be proactive in catching these criminals. "The criminals are smart," said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. "They're coming from all over and we've got to be prepared." Fitch's office is working with businesses to identify the card skimmers before your account gets hit. |
| Gov. Reeves asks Legislature to fund child care and energy initiatives | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves is asking lawmakers when they convene for the 2026 regular session to provide $1 million for expanding child care access for workers across the state. The program, according to his annual Executive Budget Recommendation, would be a public-private "tri-share model" in which employers, employees and the state government share the cost of child care. Reeves, a Republican, said in the report that the child care program could lead to a reduction in absenteeism, increased work performance and the attraction of a larger talent pool. "It is a vital workforce-development strategy that will strengthen our state's historic economic development efforts and help increase Mississippi's workforce participation rate," Reeves said. The governor also recommended that the Legislature expand "education freedom," or school choice in Mississippi, though he didn't recommend a specific policy or propose how much money lawmakers should spend. |
| State legislators discuss effects, likely outcomes of new federal intoxicating hemp ban | |
| Intoxicating substances derived from hemp will be illegal on the federal level next year, a move the Mississippi Legislature previously tried to put into motion but was unsuccessful in doing so. Each time related bills were brought before the Mississippi Legislature they failed to garner the necessary votes to reach the governor's desk. Yet, last week, as part of the resolution to end the federal governmental shutdown, provisions to outlaw those products were included in the measure. Affected hemp products are those meant for human consumption and have more than the regulated THC content of 0.3 percent. "These products are sold after certain groups and businesses found an unintended loophole in the 2018 Farm bill that allowed these sales," State Senator John Polk (R) explained. State Rep. Lee Yancey (R), has introduced bills in prior years that would have required testing of all hemp products sold in Mississippi to ensure their THC levels were within the legal limit in final form. "What's happened since 2018 with the intoxicating hemp environment, particularly in the last 4 or 5 years, and in the gas stations, is what happens when ... the federal government fails to provide a framework within which to operate," Yancey described. "And it just created a market for this intoxicating product." |
| As Struggling Farmers Take On Debt, a Bailout From D.C. May Come Too Late | |
 | For months farmers have pleaded for government aid to soften the blow of trade wars and another unprofitable harvest. But even with the Trump administration receptive to the idea and the government again open, most farmers and bankers have concluded that any aid will be too little and too late to rescue the next planting season. "I'm cash-flowing on what my anticipated yield is based on what I know today," said Anne Schwagerl, who farms 1,100 acres in Minnesota with her husband and son. "I am not banking on the U.S. government to do it." The federal government reopened Wednesday after 43 days, which Trump administration officials had said was necessary before they could finish any farmer aid plan. But even if they work on it expeditiously, it could still take months before farmers receive any checks. That would be well after the crucial winter period when farmers talk to their bankers and make decisions about the next year. A potential bailout is not the only federal program up in the air for farmers. It is also unclear if Congress will pass a new farm bill, which expired in 2023 and was extended a third time as part of the legislation to reopen the government, or if regulations on ethanol or sustainable aviation fuel will be changed and stimulate more demand for corn and soybeans. |
| Biofuels standards put farm, oil state members on opposite sides | |
 | The perennial battle over EPA's biofuels mandates is coming to a head soon as the agency works on finalizing updates to the Renewable Fuel Standard's blending obligations. So far, the EPA's proposal for the 2026 and 2027 RFS mandates has drawn the support of farm-state lawmakers -- who often find themselves at odds with the Trump administration over issues such as trade policy -- and put some of the president's oil industry allies on the defensive. The proposed updates, released in June, would increase the program's renewable volume obligations, which dictate how much biofuel -- such as corn-based ethanol and biodiesel made from feedstocks like soybean oil and animal fats -- is mixed into the nation's transportation fuel supply. The agency is now sifting through public comments, submitted during a period that ended Oct. 31, before sending a draft final rule to the White House Budget office for review. Members representing farm states -- including Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. among others -- have been outspoken in their support for the RFS update as proposed in June. |
| 7 signs Trump is losing his groove | |
 | President Donald Trump's iron-fisted grip on his party appears to be slipping in ways unseen since the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Back then, he quickly reasserted himself as the singular, dominant force within the Republican Party, and he may do so again. But the extraordinary rebukes and headwinds the president is now facing -- much of it from within his own party -- are revealing a GOP beginning to reckon with a post-Trump future. That dynamic crystallized after voters surged to the polls to support Democratic candidates for statewide races in New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia and Pennsylvania, shattering expectations of close contests and signaling that even Trump can't defy political gravity forever. Trump has spent the days since recycling old grievances, berating members of his own party and choosing sides in a burgeoning intra-MAGA debate about antisemitism and bigotry within the GOP coalition. |
| Acting FEMA chief David Richardson resigns from Trump administration | |
 | David Richardson, who headed up the Federal Emergency Management Agency as acting chief for almost seven months, resigned on Nov. 17. The agency has repeatedly drawn concern from members of Congress and others this year about its ability to respond to disasters after more than a third of its staff was removed by the Trump administration amid its efforts to slash the size of the federal government. The agency had been under fire from President Donald Trump even before the election last fall. Richardson was the second person to step into the post this year. The first, acting chief Cameron Hamilton, was ousted by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after saying in a congressional hearing that he did not support the administration's proposal to eliminate the agency. Karen Evans, FEMA's chief of staff, will move into the acting chief role on Dec. 1, the DHS confirmed. Criticism is not new for the agency. As the lead organization responsible for coordinating federal disaster assistance, it has often drawn the ire of disaster victims and politicians. But a USA TODAY/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year found that FEMA still receives broad support from the public. |
| Saudi crown prince to meet Trump in White House, shedding pariah status | |
 | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, a remarkable turnaround for the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia who had been branded a pariah in 2018 after the CIA concluded that he had approved the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump's planned welcome for Mohammed is extensive and elaborate -- with pomp that will likely match or exceed the celebrations prepared for other foreign guests this year. The leaders are expected to sign deals ranging from weapons sales to agreements around artificial intelligence and critical minerals, according to White House officials. And while it's unlikely that progress toward normalization with Israel will be announced, Trump is expected to continue to press the issue. Ahead of the visit, streetlights on Washington's Lafayette Square were festooned with the green Saudi Arabian flag alongside the American one -- a courtesy not usually extended to foreign guests. Saudi Arabia is eager to deepen defense cooperation with the United States, a critical prerequisite for the kingdom’s ambitious plans to diversify its economy. |
| Medicaid Insurers Promise Lots of Doctors. Good Luck Seeing One. | |
 | Private Medicaid insurers dominate the government healthcare program that covers more than 70 million low-income and disabled Americans. But when Medicaid-plan enrollees need care, they often can't get appointments with the doctors listed in those insurers' networks. A Wall Street Journal analysis of state and federal data showed that the networks of doctors that insurers listed for their Medicaid members are less robust than they appear. Some doctors are erroneously shown in states or cities where they don't actually work. Others won't book appointments for Medicaid patients, who typically are far less lucrative than those with employer coverage. Some medical practices limit slots allotted for Medicaid visits, or simply won't take new Medicaid patients. Medicaid-plan enrollees interviewed by the Journal described being unable to see listed doctors, leaving some facing long waits and others skipping care they can't otherwise afford. "It's a fake system," said Elisha Yaghmai, a Kansas doctor who runs a company that provides physicians to rural hospitals. "It doesn't actually get them care." Many Americans who try to book medical appointments, no matter their insurer, are frustrated by long waits and confusing provider networks. Patients and doctors say those problems are worse for people in Medicaid plans. |
| What does 'agentic' AI mean? Tech's newest buzzword is a mix of marketing fluff and real promise | |
 | For technology adopters looking for the next big thing, "agentic AI" is the future. At least, that's what the marketing pitches and tech industry T-shirts say. What makes an artificial intelligence product "agentic" depends on who's selling it. But the promise is usually that it's a step beyond today's generative AI chatbots. Chatbots, however useful, are all talk and no action. They can answer questions, retrieve and summarize information, write papers and generate images, music, video and lines of code. AI agents, by contrast, are supposed to be able to take actions on a person's behalf. But if you're confused, you're not alone. Google searches for "agentic" have skyrocketed from near obscurity a year ago to a peak earlier this fall. A new report Tuesday by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Boston Consulting Group, who surveyed more than 2,000 business executives around the world, describes agentic AI as a "new class of systems" that "can plan, act, and learn on their own." "They are not just tools to be operated or assistants waiting for instructions," says the MIT Sloan Management Review report. "Increasingly, they behave like autonomous teammates, capable of executing multistep processes and adapting as they go." |
| Young People Are Tripping on Benadryl -- and It's Always a Bad Time | |
 | There's a figure who may greet you during an intense Benadryl trip. Faceless, shrouded in black with red eyes and a top hat, it ominously lurks in the corner. The Benadryl Hat Man is a shared and recurring hallucination that people report witnessing when taking dozens of the antihistamine at a time. The figure, depicted in Halloween costumes, POV-Benadryl trip memes, and Walmart graphic tees, has become the symbol for a new drug trend that sees young people deliberately taking large doses of the drug, not to ward off allergies, but to get high. John, a 21-year-old college student who used to trip on Benadryl, never saw the Hat Man. Yet, he says, "I could see how that could happen. It's [Benadryl] digging in the depths of your brain to find whatever's making you scared. So, if you're scared of the Hat Man, I'm sure you're going to see the Hat Man." This searching for the unpleasant to reveal itself, while sounding horrible, is, in fact, the purpose of recreational Benadryl use. (John does not want his real name used due to fear of friends finding out.) When used in high doses, diphenhydramine, an ingredient in Benadryl, functions as a deliriant, a hallucinogenic class of drugs, which appear to be becoming increasingly popular among young people for nonmedical purposes. Unlike psychedelics or other hallucinogens, there's no real potential for a good trip on a deliriant -- every trip is bad, every trip is brutal, and that's the point. |
| Egg Bowl Food Fight: Grove Grocery Competes With MSU To Raise Donations For Food Pantries | |
 | The University of Mississippi's Grove Grocery is competing with Mississippi State University to raise donations for their respective food pantries throughout the month of November for the second annual Egg Bowl Food Fight. The competition kicked off on Nov. 1 and will continue until Nov. 21, during which time Grove Grocery is requesting donations of canned goods, personal hygiene products, meal swipes and monetary gifts from students, faculty, alumni and community members. Grove Grocery is accepting donations at drop-off sites in Grove Grocery, the IFC Office and the Student Alumni Center, as well as through a GoFundMe. According to a press release from Grove Grocery, data from a 2023 Campus Health Survey by the EAT Research Lab indicates that nearly 31% of UM students meet the USDA criteria for being food insecure. Senior psychology major and 2025 Homecoming Queen Adya Praveen, the internal director for Grove Grocery, cited this statistic as one that needs to change and a primary reason for the competition. |
| MGCCC soccer player from D'Iberville killed in car-scooter crash, authorities say | |
 | A young soccer player at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College died Sunday after a car hit his scooter on a two-lane road in Perkinston, authorities said. Landon Perry, an 18-year-old from D'Iberville, died of his injuries in an emergency room, Stone County Coroner Wayne Flurry said. Coaches and college staff mourning Perry's death called him a hard-working athlete and strong role model. Authorities responded to the crash at about 5:20 p.m. Sunday on Perkinston-Silver Run Road, just west of the college campus. The coroner said Perry and a friend were returning to campus on electric scooters when the car hit them from behind. Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart said the two men were both hospitalized, and that the second victim was treated and released. A third man was jogging beside them but was not injured. Authorities said Monday afternoon that no charges had been filed in connection to the crash. Stewart said the driver did not see Perry and the other two men in the dusk light. The Mississippi Highway Patrol helped investigate the crash but does not plan to file charges, according to Landon Orozco, a spokesperson. The Stone County Sheriff's Department is still investigating. "It's just a terrible accident," the sheriff said. |
| Auburn Campus Dining adapts to students' wants | |
| When it comes to the college student experience, it is safe to say that food is a huge part of it. Auburn University has a variety of options, from dining halls like The Edge to on-campus chain restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express. However, despite the positives, students and staff alike feel like Auburn's dining options have room for improvement. As of right now, Auburn University has 34 on-campus dining locations. Many of these places have been established to further the culinary wants and needs of Auburn students. Glenn Loughridge, the director of campus dining and concessions, has personally helped with several changes to the student dining experience throughout his 13 years at Auburn "When I got here, [Auburn] did not have dining halls," Loughridge said. "I wanted us to have a place that kind of promoted community, where the students can sit down, have a lot of different options in one place." |
| Faculty Senate passes resolution for university statement supporting free speech, summarizes enrollment, discusses VolCore | |
| The Faculty Senate at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville passed a resolution at its Monday afternoon meeting aiming to restore confidence in UT governance following controversy over the termination of Tamar Shirinian. The resolution, proposed by Eva Cowell and David Butler, co-chairs of the Faculty Affairs Committee, outlines the University's commitment to "due process, free speech, and shared governance" and resolves that UT administration provide a written statement to the university community reaffirming its commitment to those values. The resolution references UT's Faculty Handbook, UT Board of Trustees Policy, Tennessee State Law and the Constitution of the United States. It also mentions a recent comment by UT President Randy Boyd from October's Board of Trustees meeting. "We are committed to following all university policies, all state and federal laws and to the protection guaranteed by the first amendment," Boyd said. The document claims university administration "violated these principles," "failed to provide due process" and "violated shared governance" in its termination proceedings. |
| Faculty presses U. of Tennessee to publicly affirm professors' private speech rights | |
 | University of Tennessee at Knoxville faculty are asking administrators to go on record saying the university will not retaliate against professors' private speech after Chancellor Donde Plowman initiated the firing of an associate professor over a Facebook comment she made about Charlie Kirk's assassination. The UT Faculty Senate passed a resolution Nov. 17 requesting the university "publicly reaffirm its commitment to free speech" by providing a written statement to the school community. The resolution passed 59-11-9 and faculty senate members will reach out to administrators to determine the next steps. The resolution calls for the statement to include "specific directives" for academic leaders and to affirm private speech by professors is "unequivocally protected by University policy and existing law." Plowman told the Faculty Senate at its Sept. 22 meeting she made her decision "in consultation with quite a number of people." "Ultimately, I'm responsible, and people can judge my actions and give me feedback on them," she said. |
| What could be coming to Columbia's South Main? It's in U. of South Carolina's master plan | |
 | The University of South Carolina has ambitious plans in store for South Main Street, which lies a mere block west from the school's campus. It's all in the master plan. After more than two of construction, Columbia's South Main Street was revitalized with a $25 million investment by the state, county and the city, with help from USC. It converted the "ugly" corridor to a more people-friendly stretch, with two lanes of traffic, instead of five, and wider walkways, bicycle lanes and green space. That work concluded over the summer. What's next? USC architect Derek Gruner said the university wants to turn the "blighted" area -- one with swathes of concrete, parking lots and "nondescript" one-story buildings -- into a vibrant, multi-use district that reflects the energy of North Main Street. USC Next, the campus master plan with wish list of projects through 2034, proposes "further activation" of the downtown corridor. Plans include redeveloping several blocks, including overhauling existing academic buildings, constructing new student housing and potential for a hotel. And there are hopes for retail and restaurants. "Who's going to do it besides USC?" Gruner said. "We have to be the catalyst." |
| UT-Austin silent on Trump compact as deadline approaches | |
| The University of Texas at Austin hasn't said whether it will sign an agreement with the Trump administration that would tie preferential access to federal funding to a series of campus policy changes, even as other universities have rejected the administration's offer. The proposal, known as the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," would require UT-Austin to define sex as male or female based on reproductive function, cap international enrollment at 15%, freeze tuition for five years and ensure that academic departments include a mix of ideological perspectives among their faculty and programs. UT System Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife, who initially expressed enthusiasm about the proposal, told The Texas Tribune last week that "nothing has changed. It's a work in progress." The university is also staring down a deadline: The Trump administration has said it wants initial signatories by Nov. 21. UT-Austin and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. |
| Voelkel steps down as Texas A&M Foundation president | |
| The Texas A&M Foundation will be in search of a new president after current president Tyson Voelkel announced his resignation Friday. Voekel has served as the A&M Foundation's president since 2016. His final day will be Dec. 1. The resignation was announced in a release from the Texas A&M Marketing and Strategic Communications Department. "After nearly a decade of serving as President and CEO of the Foundation, Tyson Voelkel announced his resignation on Friday at an all-team lunch," the statement said. John Huser, the foundation vice president and chief financial officer, will take over as interim president and the foundation board of trustees will conduct a search to find the next president and CEO. During his decade leading the Foundation, Voelkel was in charge of the $4 billion "Lead by Example" campaign. During his tenure the foundation provided over $1.5 billion in cash and assets to the university, added more than $1.5 billion to its endowment and increased assets under management by over $2 billion. |
| Texas public universities face more state oversight under new law | |
| Governor-appointed regents now have unprecedented oversight of Texas' public universities under a new law that is transforming the face of higher education in Texas. A cornerstone of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's promise to lead the nation in eradicating liberal ideology from campuses, the law strips professors of the influence they traditionally held to shape university life and advance teaching. University system regents, who are appointed by Abbott and typically oversee high-level operations, now have final say over day-to-day decisions on what is taught and who is hired. The law has spurred a debate over the mission of public universities --- and whether lawmakers or academics should steer it. College professors say the law is an attack on academic freedom. Republican lawmakers say it's needed to address ideological biases on campuses and will grant students "degrees of value" faster and at a lower cost. Colleges across the state are poised to see more transformation when most of the law takes effect in the next year. |
| U. of Oklahoma communications professor resigns during class | |
| A University of Oklahoma communications professor resigned earlier this month, alleging months of harassment and discrimination from the communications department chair. OU Daily obtained an email Yaguang Zhu sent to his students after announcing his resignation during class Nov. 6 in which he wrote that he had resigned due to "an unresolvable disagreement" between himself and the communication department chair. The Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences website lists Timothy Levine as a professor and chair of the communications department, but he is not explicitly named in the email. Levine denies claims he was harassing Zhu. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Michael Markham wrote in an email to the Daily Nov. 13 the Department of Communications has full confidence in Levine's leadership. "I can confirm that the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences has closely monitored and thoroughly reviewed all personnel matters regarding Dr. Zhu," Markham wrote. "Based on the information we have reviewed, we have full confidence in Dr. Tim Levine's leadership as chair of the Department of Communications." |
| U. of Missouri and Korean institute establish research opportunities for Mizzou students | Higher Education | columbiamissourian.com | |
 | The University of Missouri is expanding research opportunities to its students through a partnership with the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute. This agreement between both institutions will establish research opportunities for colleges and schools across Mizzou: the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and the School of Medicine. The agreement was signed on Oct. 27 at the Harry S. Truman Conference in South Korea. Mizzou spokesperson Christopher Ave said the conference considered potential research avenues for students such as "nuclear energy, digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence, sustainable aviation fuels, neutron beam sciences and nuclear medicine." This follows an April agreement of a collaboration between Korean energy businesses and Mizzou, establishing the development and licensing of the NextGen MU Research Reactor Center. |
| U.Va. School of Data Science hosts annual Datapalooza event | |
| The School of Data Science at the University of Virginia hosted its annual Datapalooza Friday, bringing together industry professionals and professors to share insights about the field. Started in 2017, the yearly event focuses on highlighting research and industry developments in the field of data science across Grounds and aims to foster a collaborative environment across the field of data science. The event included keynote speakers and breakout panel sessions that covered a wide range of topics, including national security, health and culture. Philip Bourne, Dean of the Data Science School and professor of biomedical engineering, gave opening remarks. He said that he sees data science and Datapalooza as solving real-world problems. Over 700 people signed up to attend in-person and virtually. "I see a paradox. AI can do good. It can do evil, but given the complexity of the problem we are trying to solve today, we cannot solve it without AI," Bourne said. Brie Gertler, interim executive vice president and provost, closed the event by sharing how AI affects nearly every discipline, including research, teaching, learning, public service and clinical care. She said that she is launching a standing committee to look into the AI skills students will need, and she is also looking at how AI is shaping cognition and the role of AI in curriculum. |
| The Plot Against Jim Ryan: Was his ouster a federal coup -- or an opportunistic inside job? | |
 | James E. Ryan had four hours. Having led the University of Virginia for nearly seven years as its president, it all came down to this: walk away from the job, acceding to political pressure, or risk inviting hellfire on the university he loved. For the then-58-year-old administrator the choice was excruciating. And time was running out. Earlier that morning, on June 26, The New York Times had reported that, amid a slew of federal investigations accusing UVa of violating civil-rights laws through various diversity initiatives, Department of Justice lawyers were pressuring Ryan to resign. Ryan had no idea who had leaked the story, but it underscored the indisputable gravity of the moment. If Ryan tried to stay on the job, he'd been told, the university risked losing millions of dollars in federal research funding. If he resigned, he'd been made to understand, the problem would essentially go away. But there were other stakes to consider. To fold now would be to submit to a federal pressure campaign that threatened the autonomy of a storied public university -- one that had been founded more than 200 years earlier by Thomas Jefferson. The story of the four critical hours that led to Ryan's resignation, and the intense days and weeks that preceded them, are laid out in a 12-page letter that Ryan released on Friday to the university's Faculty Senate. His account -- first reported in The Chronicle -- sheds new light on a high-stakes showdown that has been unfolding for months. |
| A Campus Backlash Is Brewing Over Wall Street's Ivy League Recruitment Drive | |
| t is the most awkward question on campus: Should someone be stopping all these Yale grads from becoming management consultants? To no surprise, the nation's top investment-banking and consulting firms descend on elite schools to find the brightest minds -- a pilgrimage that explains why Wall Street is packed with Ivy League alumni. But the avid competition for these students is starting earlier and earlier, sometimes as soon as freshman year. Like prized athletes, the students describe being courted or stalked, depending upon whom you ask. They note that sophomores might be asked to apply to internships that start a year later. Joyce Kim, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, remembers coming to campus as an undergrad and wincing at the flurry of finance and consulting clubs. "I was like, what's going on?" she said. "Why are we thinking about this so quickly?" Now, a coalition of students, academics and alumni are highlighting a growing buzzword: "career funneling" -- and debating its merits. The questioning comes as Gen Z is feeling less confident about specializing and pledging their future to one sector, especially as developments like artificial intelligence threaten to eliminate many jobs. Recent layoffs have reinforced beliefs among many young people that loyalty to a company won't be returned. |
| Sale of student loan portfolio could be next target of Trump Education Department | |
 | The Trump administration is reportedly talking about selling off the federal student loan portfolio in a move decried by Democrats and faced with skepticism by others. The portfolio, worth $1.77 trillion, is currently held by the government and contracted to loan servicers. The reported discussions between the Education Department and the Treasury Department could be the first steps in selling the portfolio to private companies. Advocates argue the consequences to borrowers would be great and the benefits to the federal government minimal, while it is unclear if this a move the administration could get past Congress. The Education Department gave few details when The Hill reached out about discussions regarding the sale of the portfolio, plans that were first reported by Politico. Another obstacle for the Trump administration could be the unwillingness of private investors to buy the portfolio in the first place. |
| Are the Deals to Save Research Funding Good for Research? | |
| In March, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in funding to Columbia University for allegedly failing to combat antisemitism. One of those terminated grants was for the New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center, which until then had been the oldest federally funded center of obesity research in the country. Sprung with a $1.2-million deficit, the center scrambled to backfill some salaries, stopped paying some altogether, and cut back on equipment repairs and operations, said its co-director, Anthony W. Ferrante Jr. Then in July, Columbia agreed to fork over $221 million and make a raft of controversial changes. The center has since gone back to functioning more or less as normal. So was it a good deal? The Columbia professor of medicine said he had no straightforward answer. "On the one hand, I want to be able to do the research, treat the patients, continue with the clinical trials that we're running," Ferrante said. "On the other hand, we should be able to do that with minimal government interference, so I'm hoping we'll be able to do that. We'll see." |
| NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says | |
| Over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments have been affected by the National Institutes of Health's funding cuts, according to a new report. Between the end of February and mid-August, funding ceased for 383 studies that were testing treatments for conditions including cancer, heart disease and brain disease. The cuts disproportionately impacted efforts to tackle infectious diseases like the flu, pneumonia and COVID-19, researchers found. The funding cuts likely disrupted patients' lives in different ways. Some may have signed up for trials that never began or got delayed as institutions scrambled for alternate funding. Others could have lost access to medication or been left with an unmonitored device implant. More still could have participated in trials only for the results to never get published. "The disruption to the research enterprise was profound and substantial," said Heather Pierce, who has followed NIH grant cuts for the Association of American Medical Colleges. |
| As New Federal Research Funding Resumes, China May Already Be Outspending U.S. | |
 | China may have already overtaken the U.S. in research and development spending, ending a half century of American hegemony in financing scientific innovation, according to an American Association for the Advancement of Science researcher. "We're entering into uncharted territory," said Alessandra Zimmermann, the association's R&D budget and policy program project director, during last week's Association of Public and Land-grant Universities annual conference. In a follow-up interview with Inside Higher Ed this week, Zimmermann said, "No one knows what it looks like when the U.S. is not the dominant spender because there is no analogue." Even Germany before World War II is not a comparable example, "because that dominance was field-specific" in areas such as physics, while other countries dominated elsewhere, she said. There's never been a country "as overwhelming in the ecosystem as the U.S. has been in R&D." |
| Keep opportunity in Mississippi: Put AI to work | |
| State Rep. Jill Ford writes: The future of artificial intelligence (AI) is what we make it. Like electricity or the internet, AI is a tool, and its value depends on how we use it. Mississippi's goal should be simple: put AI to work in ways that expand opportunity, strengthen communities, and help our people succeed. If we treat AI as a practical tool to solve real problems, we can align innovation with Mississippi values, protecting our people, growing good jobs at home, and helping America stay ahead of China. Across the country, AI is already saving lives and improving public safety. Nurses are using it to streamline patient care, and firefighters are using it to predict how wildfires spread. Here in Mississippi, AI can be just as transformative, and, in many ways, it already is. Our state has quietly become one of the most active in the country when it comes to responsible, practical AI deployment. Through the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), we've established the nation's first statewide AI education and workforce initiative, connecting community colleges, universities, and industry partners to offer free, self-paced AI courses for students, workers, and educators. MAIN is equipping Mississippians with real-world skills in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and information technology. |
| Mississippi's tourism industry is booming | |
| U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., writes: Mississippians have been working hard to improve our tourism industry and draw visitors to the state. According to the latest numbers from the tourism board, those efforts are leading to resounding success. In 2024, Mississippi welcomed 44 million tourists -- a record number of visitors drawn to the Magnolia State's parks, festivals, restaurants, and more. ... It would be impossible to list every attraction in Mississippi. But it is worth highlighting a few ways we have leveled up our tourism industry this year. ... Our sports tourism shows no signs of slowing down. College games continue attracting fans. Hattiesburg welcomed 40,000 visitors over Labor Day weekend for a college football game and a soccer tournament. In Clay County, the highly rated Mossy Oak Golf Course at Old Waverly Club reopened after renovation under nationally regarded ownership. ... If we continue investing in our state's attractions, the sky is the limit for our tourism industry. |
SPORTS
| Cowboys honor Kneeland, then get 4 TD passes from Prescott in 33-16 win over Raiders | |
| The Cowboys spent 11 days mourning defensive end Marshawn Kneeland before taking the field Monday night. Dallas then paid tribute to Kneeland by dominating the spiraling Raiders for 60 minutes. Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-16 victory over Las Vegas, the Cowboys' first game since Kneeland's death. The 24-year-old Kneeland was found dead on Nov. 6 of an apparent suicide. Coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Kneeland, and they bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the game. The Cowboys (4-5-1) played one of their best games of the season to keep alive their slim playoff hopes. Dallas had lost three of four and has games coming up against Philadelphia, Kansas City and Detroit. Prescott was precise -- minus a miss of a wide-open CeeDee Lamb for an easy touchdown -- completing 25 of 44 passes to snap his four-game winless streak (0-3-1) in prime-time games. The Cowboys host the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles in an NFC East matchup on Sunday. |
| Paul Finebaum says he faces 'ridiculously unfair attack' on his religion in Alabama Senate race | |
 | Paul Finebaum said he is still considering a run for the U.S. Senate in Alabama and he plans to make a decision when the college football season ends. Finebaum was interviewed Monday morning on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show. The SEC Network and ESPN host said he believes he would defeat the candidates who are now in the race. Finebaum said he could appeal to Alabama voters in the same way Tommy Tuberville did when he was elected to the Senate in his first run for office in 2020. "The people leading in the so-called polling are your career politicians," Finebaum said. "I'm not going to waste time attacking career politicians. But the state of Alabama spoke six years ago with Coach Tuberville." He said voters were drawn to Tuberville because he was plain-spoken. He said former Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl would have had the same appeal if he had decided to run. Finebaum told the radio hosts that he has been told that being Jewish would hurt his chances in an election, but said he "strongly disagrees." |
| On the road again: AP joins ACC commissioner Jim Phillips as he racks up miles hitting league events | |
| Jim Phillips stood near the ACC Network's pregame set outside Acrisure Stadium, his dark suit standing out amid droves of Pittsburgh fans decked out in gameday gear ahead of the Panthers' spotlight-grabbing visit from Notre Dame. One recognized the Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner as she walked by. "It's great to see you here," she said. "No question," Phillips replied, reflecting his belief that it is important for him to be everywhere he can. As he closes in on five years leading the ACC, the Chicago native and former Northwestern athletic director has made a habit out of bouncing throughout the league's new coast-to-coast footprint. He is constantly on the road for sporting events ranging from football with its unquestioned role as the financial driver in college athletics to the nonrevenue programs away from the spotlight. The Associated Press shadowed him on one such trip over the weekend. That meant a daybreak flight from North Carolina to Pittsburgh, a return flight afterward, then driving two-plus hours the following day to attend the league's men's soccer championship match. "It's not a job, it's never been a job," Phillips told the AP after Sunday's soccer finale. "It's a lifestyle. It's a commitment to a passion that I've always had. This is about helping young people in a really important time in their life. ... The job will take every minute that you can give it." |
| The Standoff That Brought the Big Ten's $2.4 Billion Deal to a Screeching Halt | |
| Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti had spent recent days frantically pushing schools to accept an unprecedented $2.4 billion private investment that would have given the country's richest athletic conference unrivaled financial clout. Under the terms of the deal, each of the conference's 18 members would have collected at least $100 million for a stake of future earnings on their media rights. That windfall would help defray the soaring expenses of college sports, which now include up to $20.5 million a year for athletes along with the sky-high salaries schools already pay coaches. But as most of the conference schools appeared close to approving the deal, pushback by the University of Michigan instead brought it to a screeching halt. Regents at the school said that Petitti had failed to make the case for it or fully inform Big Ten boards about the details. The commissioner had gone as far, they said, as threatening to plow ahead with the deal -- whether Michigan agreed or not. The proposed deal was to be made with UC Investments, an arm of the California pension system, which would have taken 10% of the conference's future media-rights earnings. On Monday afternoon, UC Investments issued a statement announcing that the deal had been paused. |
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