- 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. AccelerateMS launches new workforce initiatives
AccelerateMS announced two new programs on Wednesday – Mississippi Apprenticeship Accelerator (MAA) and Mississippi Reconnect – aimed at closing skills gaps, providing career pathways, and driving economic growth across the state to strengthen the state’s workforce.
AccelerateMS said the Mississippi Apprenticeship Accelerator (MAA) program is designed to empower businesses of all sizes by helping them create and expand Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs. With an initial $2 million investment, the MAA program will support approximately 600 new apprentices, offering them customized on-the-job training and classroom instruction in high-demand, high-wage occupations.
Mississippi Reconnect seeks to reengage unemployed and underemployed residents. This initiative provides access to short-term training programs, typically lasting up to eight weeks, designed to equip participants with the skills needed for priority occupations in sectors such as agribusiness, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, construction, forestry, and energy. The first award under the Mississippi Reconnect program has been granted to the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (CMPDD). The $4.4 million funding will be utilized to provide training for over 900 individuals.
2. Hinds CC, Visit Jackson hosting Hospitality Culinary Expo
Hinds Community College and Visit Jackson announced that they are teaming up for a Hospitality Culinary Expo on the Jackson Campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, October 25, in room 155, Bivins Hall, 3925 Sunset Drive, Jackson.
Hinds chefs and students along with local hotels, restaurants and other businesses will highlight the Hospitality and Tourism Management industry. There will be cooking demonstrations and sampling.
Guest speakers at the event include Jeff Good, owner of Mangia Bene Inc. Restaurant
Management Group; Pat Fontaine, Executive Director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association; and Mississippi chef and philanthropist, Nick Wallace.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump opens narrow lead over Harris, per WSJ poll
A new Wall Street Journal poll finds Donald Trump has opened a narrow lead in the presidential race, as voters have adopted a more positive view of his agenda and past performance and a more negative view of Kamala Harris.
“The national survey finds that Trump is leading Harris by 2 percentage points, 47% to 45%, compared with a Harris lead of 2 points in the Journal’s August survey on a ballot that includes third-party and independent candidates. Both leads are within the polls’ margins of error, meaning that either candidate could actually be ahead,” WSJ reported.
WSJ adds, “Views of Harris have turned more negative since August, when equal shares of voters viewed her favorably and unfavorably. Now, the unfavorable views are dominant by 8 percentage points, 53% to 45%. Moreover, voters give Harris her worst job rating as vice president in the three times the Journal has asked about it since July, with 42% approving and 54% disapproving of her performance.”
2. California voters getting tougher on crime?
Politico reports that nearly three-quarters of the California electorate plans to vote for a ballot measure that would increase penalties for some theft- and drug-related crimes, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
“Crime has become a major campaign issue heading into November, in part because of Prop 36’s presence on the ballot. The measure’s support has been fueled by lingering voter concerns since a surge in certain crimes during the pandemic, but faced resistance from leading Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom, who warn against a harsh pivot back to tough-on-crime policies,” Politico reported.
According to the California Secretary of State Voter Guide, Prop 36 “allows felony charges for possessing certain drugs and for thefts under $950, if defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions.”
Proponents say Prop 36 toughens penalties for fentanyl and drug traffickers and “smash-and-grabs” while holding repeat offenders accountable, targeting serial thieves. Opponents claim the measure will reignite the failed war on drugs, makes simple drug possession a felony, and wastes billions on prisons.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Full slate of JUCO football action this week
Mississippi JUCO football is coming at you with a full slate of games this week. At the top of the action in the Magnolia State is Holmes Community College. Holmes remains undefeated on the season and is now ranked No. 6 in Division I NJCAA standings.
All games will be played on Thursday night, except one.
- Co-Lin at No. 14 East Central
- Itawamba at Northeast
- Southwest at Jones
- MS Delta at East Mississippi
- No. 6 Holmes at No. 8 Northwest
- Pearl River at Hinds
- Coahoma at No. 7 MGCCC (Saturday)
2. Ole Miss men’s golf ranked No. 1 for first time in program history
For the first time in program history, the Ole Miss men’s golf program reached the No. 1 ranking in the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd National Collegiate Golf Rankings, per Ole Miss Athletics.
The Rebels wrapped their fall slate with two victories and four finishes inside the top two. Across the four tournaments, Ole Miss had nine top 10 finishes, one individual win, and five golfers finish inside the top five at least once.
The Rebels will return to play in the spring beginning at the Thomas Sharkey Invitational Feb. 1 in Statesboro, Georgia.
Markets & Business
1. Boeing union workers reject contract, extend strike
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Boeing remain on strike after rejecting a tentative labor contract on Wednesday by a wide margin, reports the New York Times.
“The contract, the second that workers have voted down, was opposed by 64 percent of those voting, according to the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The union represents about 33,000 workers, but it did not disclose how many voted on Wednesday,” NYT reported.
NYT went on to note, “The strike began on Sept. 13 after 95 percent of workers voting rejected an earlier contract offer that had been backed by union leaders and Boeing. Later that month, the company made what it described as its ‘best and final’ offer. The company gave workers just days to approve or reject it, but leaders of the union never put it to a vote. Boeing eventually rescinded the offer, with talks breaking down this month.”
2. Stock futures rebound after losing session
CNBC reports that stock futures linked to the S&P 500 rose Thursday as the benchmark looks to rebound following three straight losing sessions. “Strong earnings from Tesla and others led the gains,” the outlet noted.
“S&P 500 futures added 0.4%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.7%. Dow futures slid 24 points, or 0.1%,” CNBC reported, adding, “Tesla surged 10% in the premarket after the electric vehicle manufacturer posted third-quarter results that beat analyst expectations. Whirlpool and Lam Research were also higher on the back of better-than-expected earnings by 3.5% and 5.9%, respectively.”
CNBC also reported, “Stocks are coming off a losing session, with the Dow suffering its biggest one-day loss since early December, losing more than 400 points on Wednesday. The S&P 500 shed nearly 1%, and the Nasdaq lost 1.6%.”
