- 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. Ribbon cut on Alyce G. Clarke Center for Medically Fragile Children
UMMC cut the ribbon Tuesday on the Alyce G. Clarke Center for Medically Fragile Children in Jackson.
The Children’s of Mississippi facility, located about two and a half miles from the main University of Mississippi Medical Center Campus at 3853 Eastwood Drive in Jackson, will provide around-the-clock skilled nursing care to children with medically complex conditions.
Children’s of Mississippi is the pediatric arm of UMMC that includes the state’s only children’s hospital and primary and specialty clinics across the state. The $15.9 million facility has two wings, each with a shared area that serves as a living room space. In 2019, the legislature issued $12.5 million in bonds to the center, and an additional $2 million in bonds were issued in 2020. Ground was broken on the project in December 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the project, but construction began in spring 2024.
The Mississippi Legislature named the facility for Clarke, a former state representative and the first African American woman to serve in the state legislature, to honor her decades of service.
2. 3 monkeys remain on the loose in Jasper County
A truck hauling monkeys overturned in Jasper County on Tuesday, as reported by WDAM.
“As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jasper County Sheriff’s office says the latest count shows 3 monkeys are still loose following the crash. 5 monkeys are dead. 13 are in custody,” WDAM reported. “According to Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, the truck was hauling Rhesus monkeys from Tulane University to a testing facility when it overturned around the 117-mile marker just north of Heidelberg on I-59.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump, Xi to meet Thursday for tariff truce
As reported by the Washington Post, “The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies will meet Thursday, just days after the Trump administration declared it had brokered a tentative tariff truce, in an encounter that could soothe fears — at least temporarily — about the consequential U.S.-China relationship veering painfully off course.”
“Xi and President Donald Trump are set to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea on Thursday — their first in-person meeting in Trump’s second term — following months of trade brinkmanship,” WP reported. “It reached a zenith this month when Beijing announced sweeping export restrictions on crucial raw materials needed to make smartphones, fighter jets and more.”
WP went on to report, “The rare-earth controls, as announced, would extend Beijing’s reach beyond its borders by requiring approval for foreign entities shipping goods containing trace amounts of Chinese raw materials, mirroring U.S. semiconductor policies that include similar extraterritorial measures. These sweeping restrictions would affect almost every country, and took governments and analysts alike by surprise because of their potentially enormous impact on the global economy.”
2. Senate Democrats vote for 13th time to keep government shut down
The New York Times reports that Senate Democrats refused on Tuesday to budge “after the largest federal workers’ union pleaded with lawmakers to reopen the government and Republicans moved to take advantage of the split.”
“The day after the American Federation of Government Employees said it was ‘long past time’ to end the government closure, which is entering its fifth week, all but three Democratic-aligned senators voted against taking up a Republican temporary spending bill,” NYT reported. “Republicans pounced on the statement from Everett Kelley, the president of the union, imploring senators to end a shutdown that has forced 730,000 federal employees to work without pay and left another 670,000 furloughed without pay.”
NYT continued, “On Tuesday, Democrats expressed sympathy for the plight of furloughed government employees but said swallowing a so-called ‘clean’ funding extension — one with no policy additions, including relief for health care costs — was a nonstarter.”
It was the 13th vote on the resolution to reopen the government.
Sports
1. JUCOs to play in final week of regular season
Mississippi JUCOs enter their final week of the regular season, with games set for Thursday evening across the state.
Here is a look at the matchups with game times:
- No. 6 Copiah-Lincoln at Northeast – 6:30 p.m.
- No. 8 Gulf Coast at No. 12 Hinds – 6:30 p.m.
- Mississippi Delta at Coahoma – 6:30 p.m.
- Southwest at East Central – 6:30 p.m.
- Holmes at No. 15 East Mississippi – 7 p.m.
- Itawamba at No. 4 Northwest – 7 p.m.
- Pearl River at Jones College – 7 p.m.
2. Belhaven QB earns conference Offensive Player of the Week again
Belhaven quarterback Brock Morris has been named the USA South Football Offensive Player of the Week following a standout performance in the Blazers’ 28-7 victory on Saturday afternoon at Belhaven Bowl Stadium.
The school said Morris was exceptional under center, completing 20-of-34 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns to lead Belhaven to its fifth win of the season and keep the Blazers undefeated in USA South play at 4-0.
It is the second time Morris has earned USA South Offensive Player of the Week honors, having earned it two weeks ago when he led the team to victory at NC Wesleyan.
Markets & Business
1. Mortgage rates drops for fourth week
CNBC reports that mortgage interest rates dropped for the fourth straight week last week, “spurring both current homeowners and potential homebuyers to call their lenders.”
“Total mortgage application volume increased 7.1% compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index,” CNBC reported. “The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $806,500 or less, decreased to 6.30% from 6.37%, with points falling to 0.58 from 0.59, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That is the lowest level since September 2024.”
CNBC added, “Refinance demand, which is most sensitive to interest rate changes, jumped 9% for the week and was 111% higher than the same week one year ago. Last year at this time, the average rate on the 30-year fixed was 43 basis points higher.”
2. Fed rate cut coming today?
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Federal Reserve “is widely expected to cut interest rates again on Wednesday by 0.25 percentage point.”
“Less certain is whether the Fed will stop shrinking its $6.6 trillion asset portfolio and what it will do at its next meeting, in December,” WSJ reported, adding, “President Trump, who has repeatedly called for the Fed to cut rates faster, reiterated his criticism of Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, saying the administration would be ‘very happy’ when Powell’s term ends. Trump spoke from South Korea, where he is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping tomorrow.”
WSJ continued, “Trump said falling prices for fuel and groceries, as well as rising wages, justified a cut. Annual inflation rose slightly in September, but not as much as economists had expected, data last week showed.”
