Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
1. Ole Miss alumna chosen for prestigious Marshall Scholarship
The British government has named University of Mississippi alumna Jilkiah Bryant as a winner of a prestigious Marshall Scholarship, making her the third Marshall Scholar in the university’s history.
Bryant is a 2023 graduate of Ole Miss who holds a degree in public health and health sciences. She plans to spend the next two years studying community health at Sheffield University in England.
According to the university, the Marshall Scholarship was created by the British Parliament in 1953 and funds two years of American students’ study toward master’s degrees of their choosing in the United Kingdom. Through the scholarship, Bryant will pursue two master’s degrees: a Master of Public Health in international development and a Master of Science in health economics and decision modeling.
2. Thompson announces $35 million award to MDOT
On Monday, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS 2) announced an award of $35,000,000 to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for road improvements to U.S. 49 from Bentonia to Yazoo City.
The Congressman’s office said the project will consist of approximately 10-miles of roadway improvements to include: asphalt overlay, removal, and replacement of failed areas in concrete pavement, reconstructed concrete island, curb, and gutter, wider paved shoulders, slope repairs, repair of damaged drainage, structures, and replacement of striping, RPMs, and rumble strips.
“I want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration for making these funds available for states to compete and the Mississippi Department of Transportation for submitting a winning application,” said Congressman Thompson.
Central District MDOT Commissioner Willie Simmons shared Thompson’s enthusiasm for the award.
“We are grateful to Congressman Thompson for his 100% voting record on legislation to improve our highways. US 49 is the main corridor from Jackson, Mississippi, to the Mississippi Delta and lies at the heart of commercial, public, and school transportation,” said Willie Simmons, Central Commissioner for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
3. Special Elections set for Two Judicial Seats
On Monday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves set two special elections for November 5, 2024, in order to fill the respective vacancies in the Office of Chancery Judge for the Twelfth Chancery District and the Office of County Court Judge for Hinds County, Subdistrict 2. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast in a special election, a runoff election shall be held three weeks after the special election.
The qualifying deadline for the Office of Chancery Judge for the Twelfth Chancery District and the Office of County Court Judge for Hinds County, Subdistrict 2 will be February 1, 2024.
Governor Reeves previously appointed Amanda Trawick Rainey to serve in the Office of Chancery Judge for the Twelfth Chancery District and Pieter Teeuwissen to serve in the Office of County Court Judge for Hinds County, Subdistrict 2 until such vacancies are filled by special election.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump, Biden rematch appears to favor Trump, polls says
According to RacetotheWH’s interactive map, former President Donald Trump (R) will get 45% of the total national vote in 2024’s presidential election while current President Joe Biden (D) will garner 43.6%.
The aggregating polling data from RacetotheWH also suggests that Democrats will win 235 electoral ballots and Republicans will take 301.
“Trump leads by 5 percent or more in states with 250 electoral votes, while Biden is ahead by 5 percent or more in states with 202 electoral votes,” writes Kate Plummer of Newsweek in analyzing the data. “The former president leads by less than 5 percent in states with 51 electoral votes, while Biden leads by the same measure in states with 33 electoral votes. A presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.”
RacetotheWH notes that in 2022, they led all forecasters in calling the highest number of Senate and Governor races correctly.
2. WSJ gauges support for Israeli war against Hamas down American political lines
A poll from the Wall Street Journal finds that a majority of Americans back Israel, with Republicans and Independents more sympathetic to Israelis than Palestinians. Democrats, however, are split over the war with Hamas. The WSJ reports:
Fifty-five percent of those polled said they believe Israel is taking the military action needed to defend itself and prevent another attack by Hamas, compared with 25% of respondents who said Israel’s military action is disproportionate and going too far.
In terms of attitudes toward the conflict, some 42% of voters said they sympathized more with the Israeli people, compared with 12% who said the same of the Palestinian people. U.S. attitudes on the conflict reflect partisan and generational divides, as fighting enters its third month.
The WSJ report goes on to say that Democrats under the age of 50 said they have more sympathy with the Palestinians by a margin of 35% to 13%, while Democrats over 50 sympathized more with Israelis by a margin of 22% to 12%.
However, WSJ says more than two-thirds of Republicans said they were more sympathetic to Israelis, compared with 2% who sympathized more with the Palestinians and 17% who said they sympathized with both groups.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Seven states sue NCAA for antitrust violation related to transfer rule
A group of states have filed a federal lawsuit against the NCAA claiming that the organization’s transfer rule violates antitrust law.
West Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio and Tennessee are seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent the NCAA from enforcing the rule alleging that it violates the Sherman Act.
The lawsuit was filed in West Virginia’s Northern District. The states claim that the rule “unjustifiably restrains the ability of these college athletes to engage in the market for their labor as NCAA Division I college athletes.”
According to the AP, “NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out a year. But an additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver allowing the athlete to compete immediately. Without it, the athlete would have to sit out for a year at the new school. The NCAA has implemented stricter guidelines for granting those waivers on a case-by-case basis.”
2. Former MSU standout Magnum acquired by Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired former Mississippi State switch-hitting outfielder Jake Mangum. The deal was announced on December 8th and was part of the November trade between the Rays and the Florida Marlins.
According to the Rays organization, the team’s trade with the Marlins sent super-utility man Vidal Bruján and reliever Calvin Faucher to the Marlins for prospects Erick Lara, Andrew Lindsey and Mangum.
“Excited for the opportunity with the Rays organization,” Mangum said on X (formerly Twitter). “I’ll give it all I got.”
Mangum, 27, spent last season in Triple-A for Miami. Coincidentally, according to the Rays, Mangum – a career .289/.346/.418 hitter over four seasons in the Minors – was the player to be named later in a trade between the Mets and Marlins almost exactly a year ago.
Markets & Business
1. Mississippi Business Among the Most Likely to Succeed in Nation
A recent study conducted by research firm Hubscore.co analyzed business longevity across the United States, with Mississippi coming in with one of the highest five-year business survival rates across the nation.
The Magnolia State enjoyed an impressive rate of 55.2%, ranking 3rd in the nation.
The Top 10 States with the Highest Business Survival Rates are:
- Oregon – 58.4%
- South Dakota – 55.7%
- Mississippi – 55.2%
- California – 55.2%
- West Virginia – 55.0%
- Massachusetts – 55.0%
- Montana – 54.3%
- Pennsylvania – 54.2%
- Illinois – 54.2%
- North Carolina – 53.9%
2. Fed looks to leave interest rates unchanged
According to reports, the Federal Reserve is likely to keep its key short-term interest rate unchanged when it convenes this week, as the nation’s inflation rate continues to decline, nearing the target of 2%. Some analysts are evening hoping for the central bank to begin easing rates in the new year if all goes well.
If rates do remain as they are when the Fed adjourns this week, it will be the third consecutive time rates have remained unchanged.
Magnolia Tribune
