Magnolia Mornings: July 25, 2024

• 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. Twenty-two firefighters to graduate from NFPA course

Twenty-two Mississippi firefighters will graduate from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Firefighter I-II course held at the Mississippi State Fire Academy in Jackson on Thursday.

This intense seven-week course includes online, classroom, and hands-on instruction in the areas of fire behavior, fire suppression, rescue, incident command, hazardous materials, and other fire related topics. This course meets and exceeds the National Fire Protection Association for Firefighter Qualifications and the uniform minimum training standards stated in the Mississippi Code section 45-11-7.

The Mississippi State Fire Academy is a division of the Mississippi Insurance Department. State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney and Academy Executive Director Kelly Elliott believe these firefighters will be an asset to the fire departments they represent.

“We are confident the immediate impact and positive difference these firefighters will make, not only within their departments but also in their communities, will truly be substantial.” said Director Elliott.

2. MSDH launches Transportation to Health program

The Mississippi State Department of Health has announced the launch of Transportation to Health for those needing a ride to a county health department or participating pharmacy. The agency says the federal-grant funded program provides transportation to and from county health department clinics and offices for health services or a WIC appointment.

Rides can also be scheduled to pick up prescriptions received at health department appointments.  

“Transportation to Health can eliminate delayed or missed appointments by the most vulnerable people in Mississippi,” said Dr. Victor Sutton, MSDH Chief of Community Health and Clinical Services.  “Transportation is a social determinant of health that affects communities in several ways, such as access to care, social services and educational opportunities.”

Drivers are still needed in the following counties: Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Copiah, Grenada, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Leflore, Lincoln, Monroe, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Pearl River, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Simpson, Tallahatchie, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha and Yazoo.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Biden says it’s time for fresh, younger voices

Three days after announcing via a letter posted on social media that he was ending his bid for re-election, President Joe Biden (D) delivered only his fourth Oval Office address on Wednesday night. He said it has been the privilege of his life to serve the nation for over 50 years but there is “a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices — yes, younger voices.”

Biden said the best way forward to unify his party and “persevere democracy” was “to pass the torch to a new generation,” going on to praise Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee.

He went on to say that over the next five plus months he would be focused on doing his job as President. Biden listed a variety of policy measures he would remain engaged in, including a call to revamp the U.S. Supreme Court through term limits and ethics reforms, both of which would need congressional approval.

2. As pro-Palestinian protestors run through D.C., Israel’s Netanyahu calls them “Iran’s useful idiots”

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors flooded the streets of Washington D.C.

The group converged on Union Station where they took down the U.S. flag, burned it, and raised a Palestinian flag. They held up an effigy of Netanyahu and held signs of him saying “Wanted.” They also defaced public property with spray paint with messages saying “Free Gaza,” “All zionists are bastards,” “Free Palestine,” and “Hamas is coming.” 

Netanyahu was defiant in his speech to Congress, saying if Israel loses, “America is next.” He pushed back on the protestors and called them “Iran’s useful idiots.”

“For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building—not that many, but they’re there—and throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the Tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said. “It’s amazing, absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming ‘Gays for Gaza.’ They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.'”

Sports & Entertainment

1. Hall speaks at Sun Belt Media Days

Southern Miss head football coach Will Hall took the Main Stage on Wednesday afternoon at the 2024 Sun Belt Football Media Days. Hall was joined by linebacker Jalil Clemons and wide receiver Tiaquelin “Ti” Mims. 

Hall ran through his team’s 2024 depth chart while talking about expectations for the coming season. He took questions from the media and spoke to USM’s efforts of raising funds through their Collective to assist in player recruitment and retention.

2. Oldham signs with Twins

USM baseball took a big hit on Wednesday, losing star right-handed pitcher Billy Oldham as he signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Minnesota Twins.

Oldham, from Brookfield, Conn., recently completed his second season with the Golden Eagles after winning a national championship with Division III Eastern Connecticut State earlier in his collegiate career.

This past spring, USM notes that Oldham posted a 7-3 record with a 4.48 earned run average and fanned a team-high 97 with only 28 walks in 94 1/3 innings. He appeared in 17 games during the season with 16 starts, including one complete game and one combined shutout. For his efforts, Oldham earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors and was a member of the league’s all-tournament team.

Markets & Business

Stock futures fall following disappointing quarterly reports

CNBC reported that stock futures were mixed Thursday as investors looked ahead to the release of key data and tried to recover after a tough session for Wall Street.

“S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.15%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 18 points,” CNBC reported. “Wednesday’s trading session saw intense declines for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite, driven by disappointing quarterly reports from Alphabet and Tesla. This led other heavyweight tech stocks and artificial intelligence darlings like Nvidia and Microsoft to fall in sympathy. Both the broad-market index and the tech-heavy benchmark posted their worst session since 2022, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed roughly 504 points to end the day.”

CNBC notes that, “Investors have been viewing the recent declines as a sign of an overdue correction in an overbought market…”