South
Fox News' Harris Faulkner talks with students at Southern University
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Some select Southern University students are taking advice from an Emmy award-winning anchor of cable news.
Harris Faulkner of Fox News is on Southern’s campus. Faulkner, the first recipient of the school’s Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and Lifetime Achievement, met with some of the university’s ROTC cadets as well as student journalists and those majoring in mass communication.
She then answered questions from some students.
Faulkner grew up in a military family and her show, “The Faulkner Focus”, will broadcast live from Southern’s campus on Monday.
Governor Jeff Landry is expected to be a guest.
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South-Carolina
South Carolina women’s basketball adds French prospect vs. Texas
Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach praises Texas guard Jordan Lee
Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin speaks about Texas guard Jordan Lee after Texas beat Ole Miss, 67-64, on Jan. 4, 2026 at Moody Center.
Sports Seriously
The No. 2-ranked South Carolina women’s basketball team will have a new addition when it takes on No. 4 Texas on Thursday night.
Midseason add Alicia Tournebize will be available to play, coach Dawn Staley confirmed in a media availability on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-7 forward played professionally in France for a few years before announcing she would join the Gamecocks in December. Tournebize, 18, arrived in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 1 and has been practicing since Jan. 6, according to the Greenville News. She warmed up with South Carolina before they beat Georgia 65-43 on Sunday, but didn’t take the court.
“She looked good,” Staley told reporters Wednesday. “She’ll play, she’ll definitely play.”
Tournebize, who hails from Vichy, France, averaged 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in the 2025 U18 EuroBasket Tournament for her country. She has also garnered attention for effortlessly throwing down one-handed dunks.
Since joining South Carolina, she’s impressed her teammates with not only her skills, but basketball IQ.
“She’s smart like she catches on things fast,” Gamecocks sophomore Joyce Edwards told reporters. “Her defense is great. Offensively she can shoot, she can space the floor out. I feel like nobody has played her so it’s going to be hard to scout against her and I’m just excited to see her out there playing.”
Tournebize is part of a wave of international players with professional experience coming into women’s college basketball. Belgian forward Nastja Claessens — who was drafted by the WNBA’s Washington Mystics in 2024 but never signed a contract with them — joined Kansas State this season and is averaging 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Liza Astakhova played professionally in Russia before signing with North Carolina this season.
Tennessee
Cold patrols scheduled as dangerous cold moves into Middle Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville Office of Emergency Management will conduct cold patrols Wednesday evening as dangerously low temperatures and wind chills move into the area.
Patrols are set to begin around 6 p.m. and will continue through the night, focusing on areas known to be inhabited by people experiencing homelessness. Teams will offer transportation to warming shelters, distribute winter kits with essential cold-weather supplies, and connect individuals with additional resources.
OEM said the patrols are part of the city’s ongoing commitment to protect vulnerable residents during severe winter weather. Officials urged the public to remain alert and report anyone in need of assistance to 911.
Residents are also encouraged to take precautions as temperatures and wind chills drop to dangerous levels overnight.
The effort comes as the National Weather Service says morning rain is expected to change to snow showers this evening for parts of Middle Tennessee. Forecasters say parts of the Cumberland Plateau could see an inch or more of accumulation.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at newsroom@newschannel5.com.
Repaying your federal student loans may be different in 2026 and beyond
The news surrounding student loan repayment has been ever-changing over the last few years. When it comes to your money, confusion is never a good thing. Thankfully, Robb Coles helps us sort out the path forward. Check out his story for some practical tips and insight behind the latest changes.
– Carrie Sharp
Texas
Texas Tech softball coach rejects ‘rat poison’ preseason No. 1 ranking
NCAA softball’s future after a record-breaking WCWS
Following Texas’ Women’s College World Series title, The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson breaks down where NCAA softball goes from here.
Texas Tech softball coach Gerry Glasco doesn’t seem to care for the Red Raiders’ No.1 preseason ranking in the Softball America poll.
“It’s nice to get the attention and nice to get the respect, but it’s rat poison as [Nick] Saban says,” Glasco said. “I’ve never had a team ranked No. 1 in college, so it’s a new thing for me. But it really [means] absolute nothing to me. I just want to work every day, get our team ready.
“It does mean this time is precious. We’ve got a rare opportunity this year. We’ve got a very unique team with a lot of talent. So it does mean the team’s precious, and we want to really value every opportunity to get better.”
Texas Tech will seek to avenge its 2025 Women’s College World Series loss to the Texas Longhorns. During its first WCWS appearance, the Red Raiders fell 10-4 in Game 3 of the championship series. Their remarkable march to the title series included a 54-14 regular-season record, Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for Glasco and conference regular-season and tournament titles.
The program’s historic run was also led by National Pitcher of the Year NiJaree Canady. The Stanford transfer played in 61 games for the Red Raiders, starting 56 matchups. She finished her junior season with a 34-7 record, 319 strikeouts, and a 1.11 ERA. As a hitter, she had a .278 batting average, 34 RBI, 30 hits and 11 home runs.
Looking ahead to the Red Raiders’ 2026 schedule, Glasco seems excited for the opportunities his roster has to compete and potentially make a run back to the WCWS.
“The schedule gives up everything we need,” Galsco said. “We’ve got really challenging games with Texas A&M, Florida State, Nebraska ― and then our conference is going to be tough. It’s going to be a great year.”
The Red Raiders open the 2026 NCAA softball season on Feb. 6 against McNeese State.
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