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In Mississippi
1. Magee General Hospital completes renovation project
Magee General Hospital will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house celebrating the completion of the hospital’s year-long renovation project on Friday.
The $4 million hospital project, which was completed in phases, included the renovation of three state-of-the-art surgical suites; new pre-operative and post-operative areas; a new surgical nurses’ station; a more centralized registration area; the addition of a large conference room; updated wayfinding and new furniture and finishes throughout the hospital’s entryway.
CEO of MGH Gregg Gibbes said at the outset of the project that he believes in continuously investing in facilities to create a patient-friendly environment.
“Our small, rural hospital provides care to tens of thousands of patients each year,” Gibbes said in October 2023. “We have a Board of Trustees that is committed to creating a sustainable pathway forward for healthcare in our community, and this $4 million construction project is the next step in our journey.”
2. S&P Global donating 500 laptops to JSU students through partnership
Jackson State University announced a partnership with S&P Global in November which has led to the company’s Culture & Engagement team providing underclassmen studying business with enhanced enrichment opportunities aimed at developing essential skills and improving internship readiness.
In addition, through S&P Global’s Laptop Donation Program, JSU will receive nearly 500 laptops for students, the first of which was received recently. The program repurposes old laptops in good condition, diverting them from e-waste and placing them into the hands of young scholars.
JSU alum Guyna Johnson is the managing director at S&P Global. She said part of her responsibility is to be a sponsor and advocate for JSU and HBCUs. According to Johnson, the company currently employs six Jackson State graduates in various roles.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Bessent searching for Fed chair successor that meets Trump’s expectations
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is preparing to find a successor for Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, whose term as chair expires next year, the New York Times reports.
“The stakes for the next Fed chair will be high. Mr. Trump has made no secret that he expects his pick to swiftly cut rates,” NYT reported. “But the selection is also putting Mr. Bessent in an unusually uncomfortable spot, with Mr. Trump making clear that his Treasury secretary’s fortunes are tightly tied to what the Fed does next.”
NYT continued, “Mr. Trump is expected to announce his pick to be the next Fed chair soon. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he said it could come ‘early next year.'”
2. GOP holds hotly contested Tennessee congressional seat
Republicans held on to a Tennessee congressional seat on Tuesday in a special election that was hotly contested.
As The Hill reports, “Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn fell short in her effort to win the seat against Republican Matt Van Epps by about 9 percentage points, about 54 percent to 45 percent, as of the latest vote count. But that’s roughly a 13-point improvement compared to how former Vice President Kamala Harris fared in the district last year.”
The Hill added, “Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District voted for President Trump in last year’s election by more than 20 points, and it hasn’t elected a Democratic House member in more than 40 years.”
Republicans hold a 219-213 edge in the U.S. House.
Sports
1. JSU’s Ivory named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year
Jackson State edge rusher Quincy Ivory was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. This comes after he was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week three times and SWAC Newcomer of the Week three other times.
JSU Athletics said Ivory, a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and HBCU Player of the Year finalist, was also named First Team All-SWAC on Monday afternoon after he finished the regular season with a team-high 64 tackles including 31 solo, while also recording 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.
The school said Ivory also recorded an interception [against Alabama State], recorded five quarterback hurries, forced one fumble, and recovered two others. Ivory recorded eight or more tackles four times including eight against Hampton [8.30], 10 against Southern Miss [9.6], 10 against Alabama A&M [10.4], and a career-high 12 against Alabama State [10.11].
2. Could Huff leave Southern Miss after only a year?
USA Today reports that first year Southern Miss head football coach Charles Huff is among a list of names being considered as replacements for the top job at Memphis after Ryan Silverfield left to become the HC at Arkansas.
“Memphis is positioned as one of the top programs in the Group of Five, but it did not reach an American Conference title game during Silverfield’s six seasons,” USA Today reported.
Of Huff, USA Today writes, “Huff, 42, took over at Southern Miss ahead of the 2025 season and turned a 1-11 team into one that went 7-5 and nearly made the Sun Belt title game. He has been a running backs coach in the SEC and Big Ten and was an assistant in 2012 with the Buffalo Bills.”
If not Memphis, Huff could also explore other openings as the coaching carousel continues.
Other candidates mentioned for the Memphis job include Western Kentucky’s Tyson Helton, Delaware State’s Desean Jackson, Sacramento State’s Brennan Marion, and Kennesaw State’s Jerry Mack, among others.
Markets & Business
1. Traders optimistic about earnings results, Fed rate cut
CNBC reports that stock futures “climbed Wednesday as traders looked to build on the slight gains from the previous session.”
“The major indexes rose on Tuesday as tech stocks such as Nvidia rose and bitcoin gained, one day after the flagship cryptocurrency logged its worst day since March. The flagship digital currency kept rising on Wednesday, trading back above $92,000,” CNBC reported. “Investors are gauging the possibility of year-end rally, as December trading historically bodes well for U.S. stocks and because November was such a downbeat month as profit-taking trimmed valuations for some high-flying names.”
CNBC noted, “Traders are optimistic about corporate earnings results and are looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Dec. 10.”
2. U.S. manufacturing activity contracts for 9th consecutive month
According to the Wall Street Journal, “U.S. manufacturing activity contracted for the ninth consecutive month in November, a decline manufacturers attribute largely to President Trump’s tariffs.”
“The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI for manufacturing came in at 48.2, a decrease from 48.7 in October. The level was below the 50 score that divides contraction from expansion,” WSJ reported, adding, “Uncertainty concerning tariff levels has also weighed on manufacturers, as duty levels have fluctuated for much of the year. Further clouding the outlook: a pending Supreme Court decision that could nullify many of the duties.”
WSJ went on to report, “Many companies have held back on hiring as they try to manage higher input costs and weakening orders. In ISM’s survey, 67% of respondents said they were managing head count as opposed to hiring.”
Magnolia Tribune
