- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Ole Miss writer-in-residence recognized for work
According to Ole Miss, Ralph Eubanks, faculty fellow and writer-in-residence at the UM Center for the Study of Southern Culture, has been named president of the Authors Guild, America’s oldest and largest professional organization for writers. He also earned a Gold Award for coverage of diverse communities in the Lowell Thomas Journalism Awards competition.
The university said the Mount Olive native first joined the Authors Guild more than a decade ago to get help developing his first website, which is a member benefit, as well as for assistance in sorting out freelance writing contracts. He soon became active in protecting the rights of writers everywhere.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. No CR yet as Friday’s funding deadline nears
Congress is scrambling to roll out a government funding bill to avert a shutdown by Friday’s deadline, reports The Hill.
“Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was expected to unveil the text of a stopgap on Sunday, but that plan did not come to fruition as negotiators work through last-minute funding hangups. At the top of that list appears to be dollars for farmers, and key lawmakers in both parties are now debating who deserves blame for the delay,” The Hill reported. “The clock, meanwhile, is ticking: Congress has until Dec. 20 to pass a funding bill or allow the government to shut down in the waning days of the Biden administration.”
The Hill adds that lawmakers look “to vote on the legislation swiftly so they can avert a shutdown by Friday’s funding deadline and depart Washington for the holiday recess.”
2. Kennedy to meet with Senators this week
Politico reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead HHS, will meet with several Republican members of key Senate committees this week.
“Kennedy will meet with 25 senators, including incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Kennedy spokesperson told POLITICO Sunday night,” the outlet reported, noting, “Several Republicans are expected to ask Kennedy about his views on vaccines. Kennedy’s debunked views questioning the safety of a number of vaccines have alarmed public health experts who fear his rhetoric could lead to deaths from preventable diseases.”
Politico added that, “Kennedy would need to be confirmed by the Senate Finance Committee. He’d also likely have a courtesy confirmation hearing with the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee without a formal vote.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Nolen, Umanmielen earn 2nd team All-American honors
Ole Miss Athletics reports that defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen have both been named to the 2024 AFCA Coaches All-America second team, as announced by the American Football Coaches Association on Friday morning.
This is already the fifth All-America honor for Nolen, who has also landed on All-America squads by The Athletic (first team), Walter Camp (second team), CBS Sports/247Sports (second team) and the College Football Network (honorable mention). This is Umanmielen’s first All-America nod. Both were named to the Coaches All-SEC first team earlier this week.
2. Alabama wins MS-AL All-Star game for 4th year in a row
The Mississippi-Alabama high school All-Star game was held on the campus of South Alabama in Mobile on Saturday.
Alabama’s team won the 38th All-Star Classic football battle 35-29 for the fourth in a row. Alabama now leads the series 27-11 which dates back to 1988.
3. Jackson State wins Celebration Bowl, HBCU National Championship
Jackson State came away from Atlanta with a 28-7 victory in the Cricket Celebration Bowl over South Carolina State to capture the 2024 HBCU National Championship with its tenth consecutive victory.
The Tigers finish the 2024 season at 12-2. According to JSU Athletics, the national championship is the fourth in school history and the first since 1996 and the first for second-year head coach, and Jackson State alum, T.C. Taylor.
Markets & Business
1. Stock futures up ahead of Fed meeting this week
CNBC reports that stock futures rose slightly on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average riding a seven-day losing streak into a week highlighted by a key central bank meeting.
“Futures tied to the Dow ticked up 52 points, or about 0.1%. S&P 500 futures were also up 0.2%. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.3%,” CNBC reported.
The main draw of this week, according to CNBC, “is the Federal Open Market Committee’s meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, when Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to lower the benchmark interest rate again.”
2. Trump meets with ILA exec
According to FoxBusiness, President-elect Donald Trump met last week with Dennis A. Daggett, executive vice president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), which represents the 45,000 dockworkers that went on strike in October.
“Throughout my career, I’ve never seen a politician—let alone the President of the United States—truly understand the importance of the work our members do every single day,” Daggett said in Facebook post. “But yesterday, President-elect Trump not only demonstrated that understanding but also showed the utmost respect for the hard work, sacrifices, and dedication of our membership.”
FoxBusiness noted, “Daggett said Trump was attentive to the group’s concerns, receptive and engaged in a discussion about the ‘existential threat’ automation poses to the Longshore sector, American communities and ‘the very fabric of this great nation.'”
Magnolia Tribune
