Although state leaders often emphasize financial achievements, a deeper concern persists as Mississippi continues to lose many of its most highly educated residents, placing the long-term stability and competitiveness of the state's economy in serious jeopardy. The 2020 Census initially reported that Mississippi lost more than 6,000 residents, making it one of only three states to show population decline. But follow-up analysis by the U.S. Census Bureau estimated a major undercount, about 4.11%.
Our Labor Day special offers an in-depth examination of the value of an American higher education for international students and the challenges they now face in studying in the US, amid new visa restrictions. We also hear about American faculty and researchers faced with funding cuts and a potential brain drain. In this edition, we travel to India, Europe and Africa.