Mizzou Junior Lauren Larkin (CQ) (12) spikes a ball (copy)

Following a massive upset of then-No. 8 Florida on Homecoming, No. 14 Mizzou is riding high. But the Tigers face another challenge this week in Texas A&M. The Aggies were ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 but quickly tumbled out following losses to Kentucky and LSU. They have started to right the ship, defeating Arkansas 34-7 last week.

The Columbia Missourian spoke with Alex Miller, the digital content coordinator and do-it-all reporter for the Bryan College Station Eagle. He reviewed the Aggies season thus far and what to expect in Columbia on Saturday.

Q: What were the preseason expectations for Texas A&M?

Going into the season, (coach) Mike Elko's big thing was A&M had a chance to double down on last year's success. Now, what does that mean? I think a lot of people thought that meant getting back to the College Football Playoff. Last year, A&M made the CFP for the first time in school history, brought back some key pieces. They felt they did well in the transfer portal, and so getting back there was going to be the mark of a successful season.

Now, there were signs that A&M could very well take a step back. Two new coordinators, (Holmon Wiggins on offense and Lyle Hemphill on defense). There were questions about whether or not (quarterback) Marcel Reed could take a step further in his game. They're having to rebuild both the offensive line and the defensive line. They were losing their top offensive weapon in KC Concepcion (now with the Cleveland Browns). So, a lot of questions going into the season.

It felt like the Aggies had some adequate answers and solutions. Unfortunately for A&M, things haven't necessarily gone the way they planned. But certainly beating Arkansas soundly was a step in the right direction.

Q: What went wrong in the losses against Kentucky and LSU?

It felt like the team was lost. They didn't really have an identity. It seemed the offense was choppy and couldn't get in rhythm. The passing game never really clicked for several reasons against Kentucky. It was a lot on Marcel Reed. He just didn't make good throws. He was very inaccurate against LSU again. LSU was really aggressive on defense, he was really under pressure.

A&M was a little banged up at receiver, and that was a big thing at the start of the Kentucky game, too. On the opening kickoff, A&M loses one of its top offensive weapons in Terry Bussey to a lower-body injury on the kickoff return. He planted funny, made an awkward twist, and now he's out for the season, which was a huge blow for the Aggies. Mario Craver's been banged up the last couple of games. Ashton Bethel-Roman, he didn't play against Kentucky, so A&M really had to tap into its depth against the Wildcats. Reed didn’t have it with his arm that day, so it culminated in a recipe for disaster.

On the defensive side, too many explosive plays. Kentucky did a really great job moving guys around, opening up the tight end in some very unique ways. (I) really liked what (Kentucky coach) Will Stein did in the game plan there.

(For LSU), Sam Leavitt was running around on one leg, and it didn't really matter because A&M didn't get a great pass rush. Leavitt made some really great throws in some key moments that helped LSU take control.

Q: How did the team respond in the win against Arkansas?

A&M needed a positive result. After two really tough weeks, winning by 27 is a shot in the arm. A&M played well in all three phases. They approached the offense with a run-oriented attack, and executed the game plan as well as it could have gone. A&M was able to get Marcel Reed on the move, and they owned the line of scrimmage. The offensive line took some steps forward. They've shaken things up, added a couple of new pieces and moved guys around. It’s like they were a python. They're strangling their opponent out, not necessarily going for the kill shot.

On defense, they really just cleaned things up. They didn't allow many explosive plays. They were pretty good in coverage. They got decent pressure, forcing Arkansas' quarterback into making some errant throws.

On special teams, A&M figured out once again it has a good kicker in David Olano, who made a 57-yard field goal, tore the house down at the end of the first half. I think that was the craziest moment in the stadium (that day).

A&M and Arkansas have a weird series. A lot of these games, Arkansas is not very good, and no matter what, it still goes down to the wire. This was not the case (this year). I think a lot of people expected that to happen with how A&M was playing. Arkansas was coming off a solid performance in a win over Tulsa. A&M controlled the game start-to-finish in all three phases, and it's something to build on. We'll see what A&M has this week.

Q: What is the Aggies’ biggest strength?

I think they're really still trying to figure that out. Something that can become a strength is the run game. I think that A&M pivoted towards that in the offensive game plan last week indicates what they're thinking as well. I'm curious to see how that develops, especially against a Missouri team that had a really great game defending the run this last weekend against Florida and Jaden Baugh.

The last two years, A&M's had its way running the ball against Missouri. Whether it was Le'Veon Moss two years ago in College Station, or it was Reuben Owens II last year in Columbia. A&M's done well running the ball against Missouri, and the fact that A&M's starting to pivot towards that with Missouri on the horizon, I'm really curious to see what A&M has there and if it can actually emerge and become a strength for this team.

Special teams have been pretty good. A&M's got a kicker with a heavy leg. They've got a punter (Tyler White) who is top 10 in the nation in punt yardage right now. You can count on those guys to take care of business.

I feel like we're still trying to see where this A&M team is going.

Q: What has been their biggest weakness?

Defensively, it's the big plays. They have all new captains on this team. There have been breakdowns in communication on the field Their starting linebacker, Daymion Sanford, missed the first couple of games. You can see breakdowns in key moments in certain games, especially the losses to Kentucky and LSU.

On the offensive side, they have to get Marcel Reed going. A year ago, up until the last week of the regular season, was contending to go to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. This year, he's looked at times like a deer in the headlights. They have to figure out how to extrapolate the strengths of his game on the field in key moments, because it's there. It's just a matter of getting it to come out of him again.

They took some steps in the right direction last week against Arkansas. Now you're taking a step up in competition.

Q: How has Texas A&M been so successful against Mizzou under Mike Elko?

Going back to when Elko was the (defensive) coordinator when they played in 2021, A&M won 35-14. In all three games, A&M was able to establish the run and control the line of scrimmage. That’s a winning formula in the SEC.

It's a great coaching matchup, too. Elko is a defensive-minded coach, Drinkwitz is an offensive-minded coach. Last year was interesting with Missouri's quarterback situation, starting Matt Zollers. A&M took advantage of that. They pressured him hard, they didn't let him run. Missouri was held back, and A&M took advantage with a veteran defense and a really good pass rush.

I've also found it interesting that the last three matchups have all been day games. Two of them were morning games. A&M's benefited from not having to play at night on the road against Missouri. You think back to 2013 when Missouri won the SEC East, and they're playing A&M and Johnny Manziel in that last game of the regular season with a chance to clinch that East Division title, that place was rocking. Playing a night game in the SEC makes a big difference. A&M’s benefited from that intangible when playing on the road.

Q: What is your score prediction for Saturday’s game? Why?

It's really early in the week, but my initial inclination is Missouri will probably win the game. I really like what the Tigers are doing on offense. I really like what I've seen from Austin Simmons at quarterback. This is a game Missouri wants to win. A&M's had its number the last two years, and you can guarantee that the guys that have been around remember that. I think A&M will play better than they did against Kentucky and LSU. I think it'll be a closer game, the jury's still out on A&M.

I'll take Missouri, 31-27.

Mizzou cornerback Sione Laulea didn’t always want to be a football player. In fact, when his mother, Asinate Laulea, placed him on a Pop Warner roster when he was 5 five years old in Mountain View, California, he hated it.

Asinate’s aunt had told her about the sign-ups. Sione even received a scholarship that covered the costs of playing on the team, but his mother made sure that wasn't what kept him playing.

“He really tried to quit,” Asinate said. “He didn't. He was fine, and I said, 'Nope. You have to play. You had no choice. You had to play to the end of the season.' And I told him we paid for it, but we didn't.”

About 15 years later, the 6-foot-4 cornerback has been an impactful first-time starter for Mizzou this season. The Oregon transfer has recorded 22 total tackles, four pass deflections and an interception to start his MU career. 

Asinate had an idea that football was her son's calling. It had started when she was pregnant with Sione. She dreamed that he was meant to play football.

Sione’s grandmother, Tangikina Laulea, also had a dream that Sione would find success on the football field. She said an angel visited her, delivering a message. She added that she trusts in the Lord to make the dream come true.

When he first joined a team, the game was too hard for Sione Laulea. It was his grandfather, Alauna Laulea, after seeing Sione reach the end zone for the first time, who nudged him further toward the sport.

“I was like four or five in Pop Warner, didn't really like it. It was too physical. ... I started to like it here and there at about like 6 or 7 years old,” Sione said. “My grandpa had come to one game, scored my first touchdown, and from there he was like, ‘Oh, I'm taking you to every game. I'm gonna make sure you get to every game.’ ”

Alauna Laulea helped ensure Sione made it to practices and games, even if they were on the Christian Sabbath.

“Sundays were the days when mostly the games for Pop Warner (were), and that was something that was kind of hard for him to accept for us to miss church to play football,” Asinate said. “But he made sure Sione would at least attend sacrament before going to his games.”

His grandfather helped him find his passion for football and then to hit his stride as a talented young player. Alauna was a father figure who helped raise Sione. Sione could always hear his booming voice from the stands while he played the game he had come to love. It is a voice he struggles to live without now that he can’t hear it any more.

The grandfather lays the path for a family

Alauna Laulea immigrated to California when he was 19 years old and would do what he could to maintain stability for his family amid the change. He was able to establish himself as a leader in the Tongan community in the state. Of the roughly 75,000 Tongan immigrants in the U.S., about 26,000 live in California.

Sione has always admired Tongan culture. It started with his grandfather.

“The culture and the community are so beautiful, based on loyalty and respect and love,” Sione said. “If you ever fly to the island itself, it's called the, 'Friendly Island.' There are little to no wars going on, not involved, and just the people. It's a beautiful culture, and more than ever since the loss of my grandpa, I feel more in tune with it.”

Alauna ensured Sione embraced his Tongan roots. It all started with the church. Alauna combined three pillars that were at the top of his priorities: his faith, his family and his culture.

“I remember he'd take me to church and force me to only speak Tongan, not English, just to like give off the impression that I'm his child and he loved it,” Sione said. “I remember when my great-grandmother passed, he and I sang a song in Tongan, and everyone was so surprised because, based on my image, you couldn't tell I'm Tongan, in my opinion, and so when I sang in Tongan, then everybody was so confused and they loved it.”

Sione actively passes the love of the culture down to his siblings, cousins and others in the community. When Sione played for College of San Mateo, coach Tim Tulloch saw that in the young cornerback from Mountain View in the Bay Area's Silicon Valley.

“He's a great representation for the younger kids in the community,” Tulloch said. “What was neat was, anytime he went on a visit, he would bring his little cousins or his little siblings and try to help and you know show the way for the younger kids in the Tongan community of what's possible.”

A beacon for a people

Sione grew up in a “strictly Polynesian” household with his mom, Asinate, and three siblings: His older sister, Ola Mae, his brother, Frankie, and his youngest sister, Philomena. Sione learned to speak Tongan and English at the same time. English is now his primary language.

Alauna didn’t like tattoos. He thought the body was a temple. That stemmed from his religious beliefs as a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. He was a mission leader of the Peninsula Third Ward in Redwood City, California. In fact, he was instrumental in the ward’s establishment.

“He would baptize so many people and bring so many people into the church. He became a person that people look up to and always ask for help and guidance, or even just prayer,” Asinate Laulea said.

The ward served as a safe space for the Tongan community to congregate and interact. There, Alauna would bring people in and guide them in their faith and offer advice for their personal lives. According to Herman Laulea, Sione’s uncle and Asinate’s brother, Alauna acted as a beacon in the community.

“He helped establish a ward where Tongan people were able to come worship and gather, and he brought a lot of people in through faith and helped a lot of people, not just strangers, but also his family members, whom he brought himself here from Tonga,” Herman said.

Sione’s grandmother said Aulana's goal was simply to help with Tongans' transitions to a new country.

“The Tongan community, we need to help because most of the people here, our culture, only we know what they need," she said.

Tangikina was a driving force, alongside Alauna, in the desire for Sione to complete a mission trip. In 2021, when Sione and his family were on a visit to College of San Mateo, the hope for Sione to go on a mission trip and his desire to keep playing football came to a crossroads.

“I told him that I want Sione to learn, when you go for your missionary work, physically and spiritually, and that's why I want Sione to serve his mission,” Tangikina Laulea said. “Then the coach told me, we can teach spiritually and physically here too.”

Tangikina Laulea walked away conflicted from that conversation, which led to her talking to her bishop at the Peninsula Third Ward upon her arrival back in Mountain View. Her bishop told her that since he was 18, he could make the decision to play football.

Losing a pillar of the community

Football was what Sione wanted to pursue, so he ended up at College of San Mateo to start his college football career. He had Alauna by his side through four of those seasons. Alauna wasn’t able to see Sione play in a Mizzou uniform. He died June 29, 2026, from a battle with soft-tissue sarcoma that develops on the wall of the digestive tract known as a GIST tumor. The tumor first appeared in 2022 and was removed in November of 2025, but reappeared in May of 2026.

“Losing him was a lot. It was very hard for me. It kind of made this the hardest part of my life, realistically,” Sione said. “Our coaches, my teammates, they all surrounded me with love and support.”

He was such a crucial part of Sione’s life in a variety of ways. Alauna was with him when he first started in Pop Warner. Just like Alauna was with Sione at the very beginning, Sione was with Alauna at his end. Sione sat in the room, just himself and Alauna, as his inspiration died.

Sione attended Junipero Serra High School, also located in San Mateo.

He was coached by Patrick Walsh at Junipero Serra. The coach, who has been there since 2001, saw Sione’s development in high school. It took some time for Sione to get going as a football player, having multitasked that and track and field, but once he came into his own, Walsh knew what he had.

“He was kind of a late bloomer for us, but a fantastic athlete, nonetheless, kind of looked like more of a track runner,” Walsh said. “He still looks like a track runner right now, but by the time his senior year came around, we knew we had someone really, really special as a football player.”

Out of high school, Sione was a three-star recruit ranked No. 2,202 in the country in the class of 2022. Laulea played 20 games at College of San Mateo, recording 15 total tackles and an interception in his first year and 27 total tackles, a sack and an interception in his second year.

After two seasons at San Mateo under Tulloch, he committed to Oregon as the second-best JUCO prospect in the class of 2024. He had offers from highly touted programs outside of Oregon, like Utah, Penn State, Miami, USC, Arizona, BYU and others.

His only offer out of high school was from Sacramento State, according to 247Sports.

Traveling the Oregon Trail in reverse

Sione had two choppy seasons with the Ducks, facing an uphill battle against a talented cornerback room and injuries. He dealt with a shoulder injury during his 2025 season. Once that season was over, he hit the transfer portal.

Looking for his third college, Laulea committed to Mizzou on Jan. 14. After only playing six games for the Ducks in 2025, a change of scenery was needed so he could see the field more. That’s where the Tigers came into play.

“I was thinking strictly about ball and not about relationships or anything like that,” Sione said. “I was just thinking (about) where could I go play some football at the highest level and get to the next level.”

Sione didn’t know how sick his grandfather was until late into the diagnosis. He endured multiple trips to the hospital, ones in which he’d leave days later. Asinate alerted Sione over the phone when things had taken a turn, allowing him to drop what he was doing in Columbia and head back to California.

Asinate didn’t tell Sione that his grandpa was sick until November 2025.

It was the summer and Sione was able to drop what he was doing and leave Columbia, where he’d arrived in January of 2026, to go see his grandfather and be with his mother, among others.

“Everything just paused. I couldn't think, I couldn't talk,” Sione said. “I just dropped a couple tears, and I told my coaches and my people around me, 'Hey, I'm going home. I'll be back. I gotta go home. I gotta go see him.' So I flew home and I went to go see him.”

The fear of not being able to see Alauna one more time was a challenging one to wrestle with while flying back to California. Sione managed to stay multiple days at the hospital with his gramps before his passing and was able to speak with him, though Alauna couldn’t talk back.

Alauna instilled plenty of wisdom and faith into his close circle and was a man of faith, love and kindness. His direct relation to the LDS church acted as a driving force in his life. He helped pass it down to his descendants.

The passing of Alauna is a test for the family’s faith. The distance between Sione and his family certainly hasn’t made that test any easier, but it is bringing them closer.

“I'm just so grateful for his faith, and always trying to help us get through it,” Asinate said. “We're trying to be strong for him, but he's actually trying to be strong for us during this whole process.”

The loss of Alauna has left a hole in the hearts of his family and those around him. It’s also created an opening in their everyday lives. A group chat was even formed with the homes of coming closer together, including Sione, his four uncles and his two sisters.

“We started up a group chat. Never had a group chat with our family, and from there we were talking about all the things we need to do,” Sione said. “Obviously, I'm out here, but they're saying how much they need to see each other, be around each other, just because with the loss of him, they have to fill it with something else.”

Rolling with the changes 

Sione’s life has changed plenty since he started his college path. He’s on his third school since 2022 and has moved from California to Oregon to Missouri. He left Oregon to earn more playing time and San Mateo to further advance his football career. Those paths have led him to Columbia.

The death of Sione’s grandpa has been hard for him for a variety of reasons.

“Sione was so attached to him because that was the only father figure that he had,” Herman said. “He didn't have anyone else that could play that role and be that person for him. I know that it is taking a toll on him, and that he is still grieving because we are all still grieving this loss, and it affects all of us very deeply.”

As the family grieves, time is helping Sione as he moves not only through his football journey, but the processing of the loss.

“I'm nowhere near healed, but (I’m) kind of at peace with knowing that he's in a better place and that he feels better,” Sione said. “So I think that kind of eases my mind in a way.”

Sione got his first tattoo when he was 13 years old and Alauna did not approve of it, though he understood Sione could make his own decisions. When Sione showed him his most recent addition, his reaction was different.

Sione had a photo of Alauna in the stands while attending a game of his at College of San Mateo etched into his skin on the left side of his chest, right where his heart lies. When Sione lifted his shirt at their family home to show his grandpa back in April, his reaction was acceptance.

Sione uses that as a reminder of what he lost and what he will always have with him.

“It means a lot to me just because every day I wake up, I see what means the most to me and why I keep going,” he said.

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(The Center Square) – During a news conference announcing the federal government's cessation of granting work visas to several companies and universities accused of abusing the program, Vice President JD Vance vowed to go after companies that subsidize cheap labor at the cost of American taxpayers.

The Center Square asked the vice president Thursday whether the federal government would try to recoup costs from companies underpaying their workers, with families that, in turn, relied on government welfare programs to survive.

“We’re going to continue to look at a number of these things. Again, we’ve already done some of this work, but we’re going to continue to look at ways of recouping American taxpayer money that has effectively gone to subsidize cheap labor all over the United States of America,” Vance told The Center Square.

The vice president underscored that any individual immigrating to the U.S. shouldn’t be reliant on the federal government for benefits.

“We have already tried to ensure that if you’re coming to the United States of America and benefiting from our very generous welfare system, that you should stop doing that,” said Vance.

The vice president said immigrants should be coming to the U.S. to improve the country, not siphon off the system.

“I mean our message to newcomers to the United States of America, whatever program they’re coming on, is that you should come to the United States to enrich this country, to make this country better, to participate, of course, in the institutions of American democracy,” said the vice president. “If your purpose in coming to the United States of America is to cash a check, meaning a check not for working, but from our generous welfare program, then you’re not going to enrich the United States of America, and we would prefer that you not come here.”

The response came following an announcement by Vance and other administration officials about a crackdown on several companies, including Microsoft and several universities, that the administration has accused of abusing H-1B and J-1 visas.

The vice president noted Microsoft laid off approximately 6,000 American workers, while importing more than 6,000 foreign workers to do their jobs at a major pay cut. Administration officials claim that several companies and universities import foreign workers and pay them significantly less than American workers.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform noted in 2023 that the net cost of illegal immigration to the U.S., from the federal government down to the local level was estimated at $150.7 billion.

While the study focused on illegal immigration, it demonstrates the strain of immigration on low-wage employees and the taxpayers.

The pressure of the postseason is approaching quickly for Mizzou cross country, which will compete in its last regular season meet Friday in the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin.

Although it may not be the postseason yet, this meet will be a massive test for the Tigers' ability.

The women's 6-kilometer race starts at 10:30 a.m. Friday and the men's 8-kilometer will start at 11:10 a.m.

Many top schools on both the men’s and the women’s side will be putting cleats to grass on the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.

According to the NCAA website, the men’s 8-kilometer will have 21 ranked squads participating, highlighted by No. 1 New Mexico, No. 2 Iowa State, No. 6 Colorado, No. 7 BYU, No. 8 Wake Forest and No. 10 Florida.

The women’s 6K features No. 3 Northern Arizona, No. 4 New Mexico, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 9 West Virginia.

Missouri will be getting a huge boost with extra legs on both teams. Evyn Humphrey, a transfer from Tulsa, will be making her Mizzou debut. Likewise, freshman Jean Kipchumba will finally be able to suit up for the Tigers after running unattached and nabbing 12th. 

After Gans Creek served as Missouri’s first true test of the season, Nuttycombe amplifies that even further.

(The Center Square) - Candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia debated over healthcare policy, gas prices and tariffs on Thursday night in a hotly contested race with national attention.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga. and Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., sharply disagreed over how to address rising healthcare costs, gas prices and the Trump administration's tariff policies during the debate, which was hosted by Gray Media and Atlanta News First. 

Collins said high gas prices are a result of economic and environmental policies under Joe Biden’s administration. He called for the United States to build up its strategic oil reserves and increase energy independence.

“We have got to continue to get back to energy independence,” Collins said. “The first thing that the Biden administration and my opponent and the Democrats did was kill the Keystone pipeline. That alone would have helped keep these energy costs down.”

Ossoff refuted claims about the Biden administration’s contributions to current energy prices. He blamed the Trump administration’s tariff policies and the U.S. military conflict in Iran for high gas prices.

“We’re going to repeal the tariffs and we’re going to end this disastrous war in Iran,” Ossoff said. “Our economy has been strangled by Donald Trump and Mike Collins’ economic record.”

In Georgia, gas prices have dropped by 33 cents per gallon since Gov. Brian Kemp pushed forward a fuel tax suspension last week. Average gas prices in Georgia are $3.84 and diesel prices are $5.78 per gallon, according to AAA.

With the fuel tax suspension, Georgians are paying less for gas than any other state in the region.

Ossoff also blamed tariffs for rising costs across the board. He criticized Collins for failing to vote against the president’s tariff authority as a member of the U.S. House.

The incumbent Democrat also pointed to his campaign’s support for Georgia farmers who were negatively impacted by the tariff policies. Ossoff said he would work to negotiate with foreign countries that impose unequal duties on products from the United States to increase fairness in the international marketplace.

“When Georgia pecan growers came to me, they told me that India had a 100% tariff on Georgia pecans,” Ossoff said, referencing a policy dispute from 2023. “I got to work and got the Indians to cut that tariff by 70%.”

Collins said the administration’s tariffs are an attempt to give the United States a more favorable position in the global economy.

“We have bowed down to the rest of this world and took it from companies or countries charging us tariffs over and over again,” Collins said. “We shouldn't be doing that. We should set it up to where we have the advantage.”

The candidates also sparred over healthcare policy and lowering costs for Georgia residents. Ossoff blamed Medicaid restrictions brought by the “One Big Beautiful Bill” for cutting Medicaid benefits across the country and shutting down a labor and delivery unit in St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia.

The hospital shut down its unit in October 2025, partially citing Medicaid cuts. However, the hospital also cited staffing shortages and changing demographics prior to the bill’s passage that informed the decision.

“The Congressional Budget Office warned us that if they pass this bill, health insurance premiums would skyrocket, that if they pass this bill, rural hospitals would have to close down services,” Ossoff said.

Collins touted his vote in favor of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and its inclusion of a $50 billion rural hospital fund. The Republican congressman blamed the Affordable Care Act for rising healthcare premiums and burdensome hospital mandates that drove prices up.

“Our premiums have gone through the roof and the coverage has gone through the floor,” Collins said.

Ossoff called for Medicaid expansion in Georgia and praised Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. He blamed rising ACA costs on Republicans in Congress allowing subsidies to expire in the program.

“He still refuses tonight to explain why he voted to double your health insurance premiums and I think that's disqualifying for a candidate for U.S. Senate,” Ossoff said.

Collins touted price transparency in drug manufacturing and praised TrumpRx, a federal government database for prescription drugs. He said price transparency, rather than federal subsidies, would lower healthcare costs.

“The only people that get subsidized are our insurance companies and they make more money off of you and me while our insurance coverage goes down,” Collins said.

Ossoff and Collins also engaged in personal disputes throughout the debate. The incumbent Democrat called Collins a “bigot,” citing his son-in-law’s connections to the group Patriot Front and antisemitic comments.

“Imagine running for the U.S. Senate while neo-Nazi propaganda is disseminated to an audience of millions from your home,” Ossoff said. “Mike Collins is a bigot and it's disqualifying for a candidate for the U.S. Senate.”

Collins defended his family against claims from Ossoff but did not deny his son-in-law's associations. He attacked Ossoff for his support of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and endorsement from online streamer Hasan Piker, “who has faced criticism for comments suggesting America deserved the Sept. 11 attacks."

“He doesn't denounce anybody or anything or condemn them because he's part of them,” Collins said.

Early voting in Georgia begins on Oct. 13. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s office at georgia.gov. For results on Election Day, visit thecentersquare.com/georgia.

HELENA, Mont. – The midterm election is quickly approaching, with more than half a million in-state absentee ballots slated to go out to Montana voters this Friday. For the past year, Montanans have had to sign their birth year along with their signature, but a recent state district court ruling has changed that.

Last week, Judge Mike Menehan ruled that Montana’s law requiring voters to verify their birth year on the ballot was unconstitutional and violated protected voting rights.

The 2025 Montana Legislature passed House Bill 719, and  Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law on May 5 of that year. The law requires voters to verify their birthdate on any absentee ballot they cast, that is, any vote not cast at a polling location. 

Disability Rights Montana and Big Sky 55+, groups that advocate for Montanans with disabilities and older adults, challenged the law and cited an increase in ballot rejections since it took effect. 

“A lot of people that use the absentee ballot process are people that need to actually use it for mobility reasons. They can't go into a polling place,” said Trent Bolger, Big Sky 55+ executive director. “We're happy that the court agreed with us and that we shouldn't be throwing ballots out and people's votes out for arbitrary reasons.”

County officials across Montana have rejected thousands of ballots since the law took effect, though it is unclear how many of those voters were able to recast their vote by visiting their local elections office.

In his ruling, Menehan said that while the plaintiffs did not present compelling evidence that the law prevented someone from voting, the state also did not sufficiently show how adding the birth year strengthened election security.

The ruling means that, for now, ballots without a signed birthdate will still be accepted.

More than 575,000 Montanans vote absentee, and hundreds of overseas ballots, including those from military voters, have already been returned. The bulk of the absentee ballots are slated to be sent out on Friday, Oct. 9, as required by Montana Law.

The Secretary of State’s Office expressed frustration with the ruling so close to when in-state absentee ballots are shipped.

“We’ve already heard from election officials confused by the order and frustrated by its timing. Not to mention, what would happen if this ruling were appealed and overturned?” noted Richie Melby with the Montana Secretary of State’s Office. “It’s unfortunate that a former partisan legislator dictated changes to the election from the bench after votes have already been cast.”

Nonstop Local spoke with election officials from several counties, who said voters will likely receive information with their ballots stating that birth-year verification is required. 

“It’s too late to swap them out for envelopes without a birth year, so we are at a time crunch; we don’t have a choice; our deadline is Friday, by state statute,” noted Lewis and Clark County Treasurer, Clerk and Recorder Amy Reeves.

Election officials are also encouraging voters to still complete the birth-year verification, in case the Montana Supreme Court issues a ruling before election day.

Chase Scheuer, a spokesperson with the Montana Department of Justice, said they plan to appeal the ruling, adding: “We're disappointed in the court's ruling as this duly enacted law bolsters election integrity and provides necessary safeguards to absentee voting in Montana. Further, writing your birthday on an envelope is not an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote.”

The Montana Supreme Court justices have historically been mindful of how their rulings could impact or harm individuals.

For example, in the last couple of weeks, they initially ruled that Silver Bow County had to include a local data center ballot initiative on the November Ballot. But when the court was notified that ballots had already been printed and overseas voters were already casting their votes, the Supreme Court invalidated their opinion due to costs to the county and impacts to those voters.

If you’re wondering about your voter registration status or where you’ll be voting, you can find that information here. 

Transfer guard CJ Gunn, who is seeking the ability to play for Missouri men’s basketball this season, has sued the NCAA in Boone County in an attempt to receive a fifth year of eligibility.

An attorney representing Gunn, who played four total seasons of collegiate basketball at Indiana then DePaul, filed his lawsuit Tuesday. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, at which point a judge is expected to consider whether to award Gunn a temporary restraining order that would make him eligible to play.

He has been part of an eligibility case in Texas but now has filed an individual lawsuit closer to where he wants to play this season. Star power forward Mark Mitchell, who is in a similar situation after his eligibility-granting restraining order was overturned by a Kentucky court, could do so soon as well.

It is not a guarantee that Gunn — or Mitchell, if he does file a lawsuit in Missouri — will be successful in securing a fifth season of eligibility. The Tigers’ first game of the season is Nov. 3, with closed preseason scrimmages beginning Friday and public exhibitions set for later this month.

Gunn, if eligible, would be a valuable perimeter presence for Mizzou and likely be part of the rotation. He shot 32.7% from 3-point range for DePaul last season on more than five 3-point attempts per game, averaging 13.1 points. At 6-foot-6, Gunn also has the size to contribute as a rebounder and defender.

He has enrolled at MU, the school’s student directory confirmed, and Gunn’s lawsuit says he “is an active member of the (men’s basketball roster), practicing and otherwise prepared to compete.”

Eligibility lawsuits like Gunn’s have become common in state courts across the country in the wake of the NCAA’s eligibility rule change that gives current athletes — but not those who just concluded their careers — five years of eligibility as opposed to the previous four.

Gunn’s request for a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction includes an interesting concession not seen in other athletes’ filings: an offer to repay the $524 he earned for playing three professional games in Canada after the conclusion of his collegiate career. Gunn also offered to sit out three “competitive events,” which would seemingly include closed scrimmages and exhibitions.

The Mizzou football team has benefited from defensive tackle Sterling Webb winning a fifth year of eligibility in a lawsuit earlier this year. Last month, two MU women's golfers secured temporary restraining orders to be able to rejoin that team as well.