Collins Ad Attacks Jackson on Education Using Questionable U.S. News Ranking for Maine

A Republican ad attacking Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson in Maine says under his “failed leadership” the state’s high schools “dropped to dead last” in the country, according to annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. But that’s not the whole story.  

A major reason Maine fell to last in those state rankings is because it stopped giving U.S. News access to Advanced Placement performance data for Maine high schools — a key part of the methodology the media organization uses to rate the schools. 

It’s unclear why the Maine Department of Education declined to grant access to the statistics, and a spokesperson has not responded to our request for comment. But, like Maine, other states that have not authorized U.S. News to use their high schools’ AP enrollment and exam data have fallen to the bottom of the rankings.

Update, Sept 1: After our story was published, the Maine Department of Education said in a statement: “Since 2020, at the recommendation of the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the Maine Department of Education has not authorized the College Board to share student data out of concern that it could be made available for commercial use. In fact, the College Board has paid fines in New York – one of four states that is not currently providing data to the College Board – for the illegal and improper sale of student data. The Maine Department of Education takes student privacy seriously. Assessment results have no bearing on this decision.”

The ad blaming Maine’s descent on Jackson, a former state Senate president and majority leader, is from Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ campaign, and it has aired on broadcast and digital platforms since Aug. 17, according to AdImpact. Jackson is challenging Collins for her U.S. Senate seat in the toss-up race.

Luther Richesson’s Long Road Leads to Red Tails Classic MVP Award in West Alabama Victory

The well-traveled quarterback accounted for 308 total yards and set three event records as the Tigers defeated Tuskegee 27-17 in their 2026 season opener.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | After a college football journey that carried him through multiple programs and several seasons of uncertainty, Luther Richesson may have finally found a place to call home.

The West Alabama quarterback delivered a record-setting performance Sunday night, leading the Tigers to a 27-17 victory over Tuskegee in the 2026 Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl.

Richesson completed 16 of 25 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns, earning the game’s Most Valuable Player award. His 64% completion rate and three touchdown passes established Red Tails Classic records.

He also rushed for 93 yards on seven carries, the most by a quarterback in the history of the event. Richesson finished with 308 yards of total offense while helping West Alabama accumulate 411 yards.

For a quarterback who has spent much of his college career searching for the right opportunity, the performance represented more than an impressive season opener. It offered another chance to establish himself as a leader and consistent playmaker.

“Maybe Luther Richesson has finally found a home” is no longer merely a hopeful thought. After Sunday’s performance, it may be the defining storyline of West Alabama’s young season.

Ad Attacking Cooper Makes False Connection to Murder

An ad from a super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley features a heart-wrenching testimonial from the father of a woman who was murdered in 2025. The ad falsely implies the accused murderer was one of the prisoners released during the COVID-19 pandemic when Whatley’s Democratic opponent, Roy Cooper, was governor of North Carolina.

The problem: Cooper had nothing to do with the accused murderer’s release. The suspect was released from a prison in South Carolina, not North Carolina.

Here’s how the ad from the Senate Leadership Fund, or SLF PAC, tiptoes the line, implying, but not directly stating, that Cooper was indirectly responsible for the woman’s death.

“Logan was the most caring, loving person,” Stephen Federico, the father of a 22-year-old murdered in 2025, says in the ad while choking back tears. “It was a home invasion. Went to the house where Logan was sleeping and he pulled her out of bed and forced her on her knees and stuck a shotgun in her, left side of her chest, and pulled the trigger for no reason. Logan was a casualty of an agenda. Roy Cooper let 3,500 criminals out on the street; 18 of them were murders. Forty years of Roy Cooper is enough.”

The claim about Cooper releasing “3,500 criminals out on the street” refers to a court settlement reached during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there’s some important context missing from that narrative. As governor, Cooper resisted calls to release prisoners to ease safety concerns. He was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union and other activists. After a judge issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the ACLU and called on the state to come up with a plan to reduce the prison population, Cooper reached a settlement to allow the release of 3,500 prisoners. But again, none of them was the man accused of killing Logan Federico.

Sydney Watts’ Brace Fuels No. 3 Vanderbilt’s 2-1 Comeback Win at Houston

Commodores erase an early deficit behind two second-half goals from Watts, improving to 5-0 while continuing their unbeaten start to the 2026 season

HOUSTON | No. 3 Vanderbilt faced its first deficit of the season Sunday, but Sydney Watts ensured it did not result in the Commodores’ first loss.

Watts scored twice in the second half, completing her sixth career brace and powering Vanderbilt to a 2-1 comeback victory over Houston. The road win improved the Commodores to 5-0 and reinforced their standing among the nation’s top college soccer teams.

Houston (2-1-2) delivered the opening blow in the ninth minute, becoming the first opponent to lead Vanderbilt during the 2026 season. The Cougars protected that advantage throughout the remainder of the first half, despite sustained pressure from the Commodores.

Vanderbilt needed less than two minutes after halftime to change the match.

Watts scored the equalizer in the 47th minute, rewarding a Commodores attack that continued to push numbers forward. Approximately 20 minutes later, she struck again, converting the rebound from a Lena Tusche shot to give Vanderbilt its first lead of the afternoon.

The two-goal performance marked Watts’ first brace since Vanderbilt’s 2025 SEC Tournament semifinal against Georgia. The senior now has 31 career goals, placing her fourth on the program’s all-time scoring list.

Watts’ impact extended beyond the scoresheet. She and Reagan Pentz recorded five shots apiece as Vanderbilt finished with an 18-6 advantage in total attempts. The Commodores were especially dominant after halftime, outshooting Houston 7-1 and putting consistent pressure on the Cougars’ defense.

Seven of Vanderbilt’s shots were on goal.

Goalkeeper Alexa Gianoplus also played a decisive role in the comeback. She made four saves, including a crucial one-on-one stop during the first half that prevented Houston from doubling its lead. That save kept the Commodores within striking distance before Watts took control after the break.

The victory demonstrated Vanderbilt’s ability to respond under adversity. After cruising through the opening portion of its schedule without trailing, the Commodores showed patience and composure when forced to chase the game on the road.

Vanderbilt returns home Thursday to face Tennessee Tech at 6 p.m. CT. The Commodores will look to extend their perfect start as Watts continues her climb through the program’s record book.

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-- By Sarah Darden

© Copyright 2026 JWT Communications. All rights reserved. This article cannot be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten, or distributed in any form without written permission.

West Alabama Makes Red Tails Classic History as Records, Rare Plays Highlight Montgomery Showdown

UWA strikes on its opening possession, Elijah Guyton enters the record book, and Tuskegee answers with a rare defensive conversion in a history-filled Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The 2026 Red Tails Classic delivered more than another chapter in the football rivalry spotlight at Cramton Bowl.

It delivered history.

From West Alabama's rare opening-possession touchdown and a school scoring record to Tuskegee's unusual blocked extra-point return and a record-setting performance by former Montgomery standout Bryson McGrew, Sunday's matchup produced a collection of milestones in a game honoring the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The afternoon also featured deep Alabama football connections on the West Alabama sideline and a U.S. Army enlistment ceremony that reinforced the larger purpose behind one of Montgomery's signature college football events.

West Alabama strikes immediately with rare opening-possession touchdown

West Alabama wasted little time establishing itself offensively.

The Tigers marched 80 yards on 13 plays on their first possession, with Bray Jenkins finishing the drive on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter.

The score marked just the third time in Red Tails Classic history that a team scored on its opening possession — and all three have been touchdowns.

Fort Valley State produced the previous two. Kelvin Durham scored on a 10-yard run in 2022, and Fort Valley State struck again in 2023 with an 18-yard touchdown run that completed a 62-yard drive.

West Alabama's methodical 80-yard march added another entry to that short list.

Troy Sweeps Alabama State Volleyball as Hornets Leave Trojan Invitational Still Searching for First Win

Alabama State struggles to slow Troy’s attack in a 3-0 loss, but Alexis Williams, Mikalah Davis and Mirra Riddle provide bright spots as the Hornets turn their attention to the Spartan Classic.

TROY, Ala. | Alabama State volleyball entered Sunday looking for a breakthrough. Instead, host Troy made sure the Hornets left the Trojan Invitational still searching for their first victory of the 2026 season.

The Trojans swept Alabama State in convincing fashion, 25-15, 25-15, 25-11, Sunday afternoon inside Trojan Arena, handing the Hornets their third consecutive loss to open the regular season.

Alabama State fell to 0-3, while Troy improved to 2-1.

The final numbers told the story.

Troy finished with 42 kills compared with Alabama State's 15 and outhit the Hornets .353 to .014. The Trojans also dominated from the service line with 12 aces compared with three for ASU.

Alabama State did hold an advantage at the net defensively, finishing with four team blocks compared with two for Troy.

Alabama State Storms Past Southern 30-17 With Dominant Second Half in Birmingham Football Classic

Andrew Body delivers in his return as the Hornets erase a halftime deficit, score 17 unanswered second-half points, and shut out Marshall Faulk’s Southern Jaguars after intermission to open the 2026 season with a statement victory.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State entered the inaugural Birmingham Football Classic looking for an early indication of what the 2026 season might hold.

By the end of Saturday afternoon at Legion Field, the Hornets had provided one.

Alabama State overcame a four-point halftime deficit and completely shut down Southern in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points after intermission to secure a 30-17 season-opening victory before 31,287 fans.

For head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., the neutral-site win gave Alabama State a 1-0 start and an early boost for a program with championship aspirations.

For quarterback Andrew Body, it marked an impressive return to competition.

And for Alabama State's defense, the final 30 minutes offered an emphatic answer after Southern controlled portions of the first half.

The Jaguars entered halftime leading 17-13.

They never scored again.

Trump Plans 2027 Federal Civilian Pay Freeze While Troops Could Receive Raises Up to 7%

White House alternative pay plan would hold most civilian federal salaries at 2026 levels while directing larger increases toward junior enlisted troops, military personnel and federal law enforcement as the administration prioritizes readiness and recruitment.

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump is moving to freeze base and locality pay for most civilian federal employees in 2027 while directing substantially larger raises toward military personnel and federal law-enforcement officers, creating one of the sharpest pay divides between segments of the federal workforce in recent years.

Under an alternative pay plan transmitted to Congress, most civilian federal employees covered by the General Schedule and certain other pay systems would receive no increase in either base or locality pay in 2027.

Military personnel, meanwhile, would receive raises ranging from 5% to 7% depending on rank, with the largest percentage increases going to junior enlisted service members.

Federal law-enforcement personnel would receive a targeted 3.8% compensation increase under a separate process administered by the Office of Personnel Management.

The White House says the differentiated approach reflects competing priorities: limiting federal spending while directing additional compensation toward military readiness and hard-to-fill law-enforcement positions.

The plan is scheduled to take effect in January 2027, although Congress retains the ability to intervene, and final federal civilian salary tables are traditionally formalized by presidential executive order near the end of the year.

Tennessee National Guard Shooting Under Scrutiny After Autopsy Shows Armed 20-Year-Old Was Shot in Back

Autopsy findings in the death of Tyrin Johnson conflict with initial accounts that he turned toward Tennessee National Guard troops with a handgun, intensifying scrutiny of the Memphis Safe Task Force and the military’s expanding role in domestic anti-crime operations.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. | An autopsy showing that Tennessee National Guard members fatally shot an armed 20-year-old man in the back is raising new questions about the circumstances of a deadly encounter involving troops assigned to a federal anti-crime operation in Memphis.

Tyrin Johnson, 20, was killed in the early morning hours of July 5 after authorities said he fled from law enforcement while armed following reports of gunfire near downtown Memphis.

Initial accounts indicated that Johnson turned toward Tennessee National Guard personnel with a handgun before two Guard members opened fire.

But an autopsy prepared by the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center Office of the Medical Examiner found that the single bullet that killed Johnson entered the right side of his back and exited through his upper right chest.