- 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. Governor Reeves celebrates latest Mississippi employment data
Governor Tate Reeves is celebrating multiple new records as the May employment numbers come in for the Magnolia State.
Total non-farm employment reached a record high with 1,191,300 jobs in Mississippi. In addition, at only 34,605 Mississippians, the state reached a record low for the number of unemployed individuals.
The state maintained its record low unemployment rate of 2.8%.
“Our economy is firing on all cylinders, which is why we continue to make history,” said Governor Reeves. “There are more jobs in Mississippi than ever before, which is truly a victory worth celebrating. We’ll continue fighting for good-paying, high-quality jobs that attract more residents to our great state.”
2. JSU President announces executive cabinet appointments
Jackson State President Dr. Marcus L. Thompson announced his latest strategic executive cabinet appointments on Tuesday.
Thompson has named Dr. Monica Lewis as the Interim Vice President for the Division of Institutional Advancement & External Affairs and Interim Executive Director for the JSU Development Foundation, Inc., along with the permanent appointments of Dr. Vance Siggers, Executive Director of Campus Operations, and Mickie Parker, Executive Director of Human Resources to his executive cabinet appointments.
“Dr. Lewis, Mrs. Parker, and Dr. Siggers each bring a unique set of skills and a deep commitment to excellence that will drive our institution forward. Their combined experience in fundraising, human resources, and campus operations will enhance our strategic initiatives and strengthen our university’s foundation. I am confident that their leadership will continue to significantly contribute to the advancement of Jackson State University’s mission and goals,” Thompson said in a statement.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Federal judges halt Biden student loan cancellation
The Wall Street Journal reports that federal judges in Kansas and Missouri on June 24 “ruled to temporarily halt implementation of the Saving on a Valuable Education plan, or SAVE plan, which is aimed at making debt repayment more affordable for low- and middle-income borrowers.”
“Millions of borrowers will no longer have their undergraduate loan payments cut in half starting July 1 as planned. Others will lose eligibility for debt cancellation, which was set to come in waves for people with different income levels,” WSJ reported. “The program will remain on hold until courts make a decision on legal challenges. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Justice Department plans to appeal both decisions.”
2. Record billions in pandemic aid to schools “doesn’t pass the cost-benefit test”
The New York Times reports that the federal government invested $190 billion in pandemic aid for schools; the largest chunk, $122 billion, came in 2021 to help students recover.
“Altogether, it was the largest one-time federal investment in American education, but it came with a major question: Would it work?” NYT asks, adding, “Two separate studies, released on Wednesday, suggest that the money helped, but not as much as it could have.”
NYT went on to report that, “The studies — one from researchers at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth, and the other from the University of Washington — reached similar conclusions based on test results from the 2022-23 school year for third- through eighth-grade students in about 30 states. For every $1,000 in federal aid spent, districts saw a small improvement in math and reading scores.”
Based on test scores alone, Douglas N. Harris, an economist at Tulane University, said, “it doesn’t pass the cost-benefit test.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. William Carey’s Halford named NAIA Regional Coach of Year
William Carey Head Baseball Coach Bobby Halford has been named a 2024 ABCA/ATEC NAIA Regional Coach of the Year.
In 1976-77, Halford joined the Carey coaching staff as an assistant coach and was promoted to Head Coach in 1986.
During the 2024 season, the Crusaders made it to day two of the NAIA World Series before their season coming to an end with a 37-16 record.
2. Miss. State Tennis promotes Jacoby
Jake Jacoby has been promoted to associate head coach for the Mississippi State men’s tennis team.
Jacoby joined Matt Roberts’ staff in 2020 and has helped guide the Bulldogs to the postseason each full year, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and back-to-back NCAA Regional hosts.
Markets & Business
1. YouTube: media friend or foe?
According to CNBC, media companies such as Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery aren’t sure whether YouTube is friend or foe.
“YouTube made up 9.7% of all viewership on connected and traditional TVs in the U.S. in May — the largest share of TV for a streaming platform ever reported by Nielsen’s monthly “The Gauge” report. Netflix ranked second, claiming 7.6% of viewership. Among streamers only, YouTube’s total viewership was close to 25% market share,” CNBC reported.
As CNBC notes, some media executives see YouTube as a companion platform while others view YouTube as an existential threat to the entertainment industry.
2. Roberson named MHA President and CEO
The Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Governors recently announced that Richard Roberson, J.D., will become the association’s new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He becomes only the fourth CEO to lead the MHA in its 100-year history.
MHA partnered with WittKeiffer and key stakeholders to conduct the search to fill the position.
Roberson received his B.A. from Baylor University and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi. Prior to entering private practice, he spent over 15 years in Mississippi state government, several of which were spent with the Office of the Attorney General and over nine of which were spent at the Mississippi Division of Medicaid where he served as legal counsel and as Chief of Staff/Deputy Administrator.
Before joining MHA in 2015, Richard’s healthcare practice primarily focused on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, certificate of need, and other regulatory and audit issues for a variety of healthcare clients including hospitals, physicians, dentists, pharmacies, physical therapists, hospice, and nursing homes. At MHA, Roberson served as Vice President of Policy and State Advocacy until February of 2023. In 2023, Richard transitioned from MHA to become the first President and CEO of TrueCare.
Magnolia Tribune
