- 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. UMMC receives federal award to aid in medical scientist training
The National Institutes of General Medical Sciences has awarded UMMC the prestigious Medical Scientist Training Program, or MSTP, designation.
The national MSTP award by NIGMS, part of the National Institutes of Health, strengthens UMMC’s longstanding investment in its MD-PhD students. Currently, the Medical Center provides stipend support and tuition scholarships covering four years of medical school and up to three years of graduate research.
Beyond the financial investment, the designation recognizes the strength of UMMC’s research, educational and clinical environments and its ability to prepare students for careers that combine medicine with scientific discovery.
2. Horhn names Chanay Chief of Staff
Jackson Mayor John Horhn announced Monday that Dr. Marcus A. Chanay has been named Chief of Staff for the Office of the Mayor.
Horhn said Dr. Chanay brings more than 30 years of executive leadership to City Hall, with a career spanning higher education administration, workforce development and organizational management. He serves as President and CEO of The Chanay Group, a strategic development firm working in workforce development, fundraising, community development and operational improvement, and as President of The College of Health Services and Careers, an allied health institution offering certificate programs in high-demand fields.
His higher education career includes senior posts at three universities: Vice President for Student Affairs, Enrollment Management and Executive Assistant to the President for Campus Operations at Lincoln University of Missouri; Vice President for Student Services at Jarvis Christian University; and Vice President for Student Life at Jackson State University.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. GOP Senators throw cold water on Trump’s $5,000 checks
The Hill reports that “President Trump’s call to give all American adults $5,000 payments if Republicans win the midterm election is getting panned by Republican lawmakers, who warn they will not support giving away money to people who don’t work or pay taxes.”
“Fiscal hawks in the GOP warn the extravagant proposal raises questions about the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, which are projected to hit shortfalls in 2032 and 2033, respectively,” The Hill reported. “Trump’s proposed payments would add more than $1 trillion to the national debt and require Congress to raise the debt limit by more than initially expected to cover the reminder of his second term.”
The Hill continued, “GOP senators say they didn’t receive any heads-up from the president and don’t expect action on his proposal anytime soon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Monday declined to endorse Trump’s proposal, noting the president hasn’t put out a specific plan.”
2. NYT Poll shows Democrats with midterm edge
As reported by the New York Times, “With fewer than 50 days until the midterms, Democrats have developed a clear advantage over Republicans as the president has lost the public’s trust on the economy, according to a new national poll from The New York Times and Siena University.”
“President Trump’s lingering unpopularity and intense frustration over his management of cost-of-living issues, in particular, have deepened Republican vulnerabilities as Democrats push to win control of both the House and Senate,” NYT reported. “Likely voters favored Democratic candidates over Republicans by close to 9 percentage points in their congressional district — a metric that is closely watched by both parties as a leading indicator of political momentum.”
NYT noted that “voters said they trusted Democrats more than Republicans on not just health care and foreign wars but also on the two issues that powered Mr. Trump’s 2024 victory: immigration and the economy.”
Sports
1. MSU’s Boone named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week
Mississippi State center Canon Boone has been named Southeastern Conference Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.
MSU Athletics said Boone anchored the Bulldog offensive front during a hard-fought 75-snap performance at center, helping guide Mississippi State to a road victory against Minnesota.
The offensive line’s play in the trenches was crucial in snapping Minnesota’s eight-game home winning streak, the school said.
2. ESPN picks up JSU, Southern game
The Southwestern Athletic Conference and ESPN have announced that the matchup between Jackson State and Southern set in Veterans Memorial Stadium on September 26 has been picked up by the network.
Kickoff time is set for 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Jackson State is sitting at 2-0, with a game against Tuskegee on tap for this weekend at JSU.
Markets & Business
1. Mortgage rates spooking home buyers?
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Mortgage rates are closing in on 7% for the first time since the beginning of last year, promising more pain for prospective home buyers already wincing at record-high home prices and an uncertain economy.”
“Last week, 30-year fixed rates averaged 6.76% according to Freddie Mac. But daily rates have jumped since then and already surpassed 7%, according to Mortgage News Daily, which uses a different methodology,” WSJ reported. “The milestone of 7%, while not itself significant in terms of affordability, will likely spook buyers even further, economists say, and add a disappointing punctuation mark to a year once expected to launch the housing market’s recovery.”
“A jump in rates like this will certainly cause [prospective home buyers] to pause,” said Michael Fratantoni, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association. “They may not go ahead and put in that contract or apply for the loan.”
2. Treasury yield nears 19-year high
CNBC reports that “stock futures fell Tuesday as traders looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s policy decision due later this week — which could send ripples through the economy — and Treasury yields surged to multiyear highs.”
“S&P 500 futures were down 0.3%, along with Nasdaq-100 futures. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 229 points, or 0.4%,” CNBC reported. “Tuesday morning saw the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rise to its highest since 2007, reaching 5.041%. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.”
CNBC added, “As Treasury yields and oil continue to rise, the Fed’s policy rate decision expected Wednesday is also weighing on traders’ minds. Fed funds futures trading suggests a roughly 92% likelihood that the central bank will lift rates by a quarter point from the current target rate range of 3.5% to 3.75%. That decision could reverberate through the global economy.”
