- 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. MUW announces nursing partnership with Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle
The Mississippi University for Women announced a new partnership Wednesday that will offer registered nursing students the opportunity to work directly with seasoned professional nurses at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.
Through the Mississippi Earn Program, associate nursing students at The W will have the opportunity to become student nurse residents at Baptist Golden Triangle. Each student selected for the program will gain clinical credit and income while working with a Baptist-designated clinical coach.
The clinical coach will serve as a role model and mentor and will provide guidance, support and direct supervision for W students during their training.
By the time students graduate, they will have completed more than 970 hours of hospital clinical practice. After graduation, nursing students will join Baptist Golden Triangle as a full-time employee for the remaining 1,000 hours of the program, under the guidance of a hospital mentor.
2. Jackson State named Fullbright HBCU Institutional Leader
Jackson State University has been named a Fulbright Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Institutional Leader for 2024.
According to JSU, Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders demonstrate noteworthy support for Fulbright exchange participants and promote Fulbright program opportunities on campus. The initiative encourages administrators, faculty and students at HBCUs to engage with Fulbright. It also highlights the strength of HBCUs as a destination for international students and scholars and showcases their deep intellectual traditions and proud history to audiences abroad. Jackson State was also named a Fulbright leader in 2023, 2020 and 2019.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized as a 2024 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader. This distinction reflects the academic prowess of our faculty, staff, and students, who advance our international outreach. As we continue to expand our footprint, it further reaffirms our commitment to generate intercultural awareness and prepare our scholars to make a meaningful impact on the world. We thank the U.S. Department of State for this acknowledgment,” said Jackson State President Marcus L. Thompson, Ph.D. in a statement.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Johnson’s government funding-election security bill fails in U.S. House
Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to avoid a government shutdown while better securing elections failed Wednesday in the U.S. House.
“Fourteen Republicans joined virtually every Democrat in voting against the spending plan — which paired a six-month stopgap bill with a measure that would require proof of citizenship to vote — bringing the final tally to 202-220, with two voting present. Three Democrats crossed the aisle to back the measure,” The Hill reported, adding, “Johnson, to be sure, was going to need a plan B avert a shutdown even if the bill passed the House, since it has no chance of progressing in the Senate, where Democrats voiced opposition to the six-month timeline and the inclusion of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which Trump is demanding be included.”
The Sept. 30 shutdown deadline is inching closer.
2. Walz, Vance to debate October 1
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, and Ohio U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, are set to debate on October 1.
“Strategists for both parties say vice-presidential debates rarely affect the presidential race in a significant way. But with Harris and former president Donald Trump having held their one and likely only debate instead of three, and the undercard coming five weeks before Election Day, it may carry higher stakes,” the Washington Post reported.
WP went on to add, “In contrast to Walz, who has participated in only a handful of interviews, Vance often appears on cable TV and has regularly taken questions from journalists, which allies view as effective practice for the debate.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. William Carey’s Halford named to NAIA Hall of Fame
William Carey Coach Bobby Halford has been named to the NAIA Hall of Fame, the first for a Crusader.
After graduating from William Carey University in 1976, Halford returned as an assistant baseball coach and the first head coach of the women’s basketball team. Nearly 48 years later, Coach Halford remains a dedicated member of the William Carey coaching staff. Halford has held numerous roles, including athletic director, head coach, and assistant coach.
Coach Halford has led William Carey’s baseball team for the past 38 years. With more than 1,337 game wins, Halford has guided the Crusaders through 17 regional tournaments, nine opening rounds, and three NAIA World Series appearances. Additionally, more than 40 of Coach Halford’s former baseball players (and three former women’s basketball players) went on to play professionally.
Halford was named the NAIA’s Baseball Coach of the Year in 2017 and was inducted into William Carey’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
2. JUCOs back in action Thursday night
Mississippi JUCOs are back on the gridiron Thursday night with key matchups set across the Magnolia State. Here’s a look at who’s playing tonight:
- No. 14 Northwest at Coahoma
- Hinds at Mississippi Delta
- Holmes at Northeast
- Pearl River at East Central
- No. 4 MGCCC at Southwest
- Itawamba at East Mississippi
- No. 9 Co-Lin at Jones
Markets & Business
1. Stock future up after Fed rate cut
CNBC reports that stock futures jumped Thursday as traders digested the Federal Reserve’s Wednesday decision to lower interest rates by a half percentage point.
“Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 478 points, or 1.1%. The Dow closed Wednesday lower in the immediate aftermath of the Fed’s announcement. Futures tied to the S&P 500 climbed 1.6%, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 2.1%,” CNBC reported.
CNBC added, “After seesawing for most of Wednesday afternoon, stocks ultimately closed the session lower. Both the S&P 500 and 30-stock Dow initially rallied to new record highs right after the Fed announced its interest rate cut decision.”
2. Tech jobs drying up
The Wall Street Journal reports that tech jobs have dried up and aren’t coming back soon.
“Once heavily wooed and fought over by companies, tech talent is now wrestling for scarcer positions. The stark reversal of fortunes for a group long in the driver’s seat signals more than temporary discomfort. It’s a reset in an industry that is fundamentally readjusting its labor needs and pushing some workers out,” WSJ reported. “Postings for software development jobs are down more than 30% since February 2020, according to Indeed.com. Industry layoffs have continued this year with tech companies shedding around 137,000 jobs since January, according to Layoffs.fyi. Many tech workers, too young to have endured the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, now face for the first time what it’s like to hustle to find work.”
WSJ reports that tech firms have become laser focused on revenue-generating products and services.
