- 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. 20 rural Mississippi hospitals receiving federal funding
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith announced Tuesday that 20 rural hospitals and health providers in Mississippi will receive federal grant funding through a program created to help them sustain their workforces and continue to provide care.
The funds being awarded in Mississippi was appropriated in FY2026 for the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program. This grant program is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which recently approved grants to 132 hospitals nationally, including the 20 in Mississippi.
The Mississippi facilities receiving $3.75 million in total or just over $187,500 per facility are:
- Anderson Regional Medical Center-South Campus, Meridian
- Baptist Memorial Hospital, Booneville
- Clay County Medical Corporation, West Point
- George County Hospital, Lucedale
- Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Greenwood
- Highland Community Hospital, Picayune
- Highland Hills Medical Center, Senatobia
- Jasper General Hospital, Bay Springs
- Kings Daughters Medical Center, Brookhaven
- Magee General Hospital, Magee
- Marion General Hospital, Columbia
- Neshoba County General Hospital, Philadelphia
- Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, Clarksdale
- South Sunflower County Hospital, Indianola
- Tishomingo Health Services, Iuka
- University of Mississippi Medical Center-Grenada, Grenada
- Wayne General Hospital, Waynesboro
- Webster Health Services, Eupora
- Winston Medical Services, Louisville
- Yalobusha General Hospital, Water Valley
2. Cook Charitable Foundation takes over STAR program
The Mississippi Business Alliance Foundation and the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. jointly announced Tuesday that the Cook Foundation has assumed responsibility for the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program, ensuring that one of Mississippi’s longest-standing traditions honoring academic excellence will continue.
Established by the Mississippi Economic Council in 1965, the STAR Program has recognized Mississippi’s highest-achieving high school seniors and the teachers who contributed most to their academic success for 61 years.
Each year, STAR recognizes hundreds of students from public, private, and independent schools across Mississippi. Students qualify based on ACT performance and sustained academic achievement. Following the creation of the Mississippi Business Alliance, the program most recently operated through the MSBA Foundation.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Common Cents Act passes U.S. House
The Hill reports that “a new penny, bound for circulation, hasn’t been minted in nearly a year. Yet the U.S. is still working to get rid of it, once and for all.”
“A step in that process happened Monday in the House of Representatives, where the latest version of the Common Cents Act passed by voice vote. An identical version of the bill passed in the Senate with unanimous consent last month,” The Hill reported. “The formal end of the penny may be the chief aspect of the bill, but the Common Cents Act could also impact how you pay with cash and potentially pave the way for the U.S. to get a new nickel.”
The Hill noted, “Businesses would be allowed the option to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel. That would make a $1.82 purchase a $1.80, while $1.83 would become $1.85, for example. As simple as it sounds, some states and localities have laws prohibiting the practice. Advocates believe the Common Cents Act could iron out that confusion.”
2. Impeachment of Trump on Democrats’ minds
As reported by Politico, “A large majority of House Democrats declined to follow their leaders in voting to reject an impeachment resolution targeting President Donald Trump over his immigration enforcement policies.”
“The 232-147 vote to kill the measure introduced by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was much narrower than a June 2025 vote on a different impeachment measure brought by Green, where 128 Democrats joined with 216 Republicans to set it aside,” Politico reported. “This time, only 18 Democrats joined the 213 Republicans voting to table, with another 46 Democrats voting present — among them, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the No. 2 and No. 3 party leaders, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California.”
Politico continued, “The vote signals a limited appetite among Democrats to look past the president’s controversies even after the leaders suggested impeachment represented a distraction ahead of the November midterms.”
Sports
1. JUCO Week 4 games set for Thursday, Saturday
Week 4 of the 2026 JUCO football season is here, with games this week taking place on Thursday and Saturday.
Thursday’s matchups are:
- No. 5 East MS at East Central
- Coahoma at Holmes
- MS Delta at No. 14 Northwest
- Northeast at Itawamba
- Pearl River at Jones
- Hinds at Southwest
Then on Saturday, No. 10 Co-Lin travels at No. 3 MGCCC.
2. Miss. State’s Taylor, Evans picks up national recognition
Mississippi State standouts Kamario Taylor and Anthony Evans III earned major national weekly honors following exceptional performances in Saturday’s victory at Minnesota.
In addition to being named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list on Monday, Quarterback Kamario Taylor was named the Maxwell Award Player of the Week after completing 16-of-22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, while adding 86 rushing yards on 13 carries. Taylor ranks fourth nationally in total yards per game (363) and points responsible for (48). He also became the first Bulldog since Dak Prescott in 2014 to open a season with at least seven passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown through his team’s first two games.
Wide receiver Anthony Evans III secured a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll and earned Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention recognition. Evans hauled in seven receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown at Minnesota, alongside one rush for six yards. He currently ranks ninth nationally with 119.5 receiving yards per game and leads all SEC pass catchers with 14 receptions on the season.
Markets & Business
1. American incomes hit record in 2025
According to the Wall Street Journal, “A broad measure of American incomes reached a record high last year as upper-income households fared well and women’s pay gained ground compared with men, according to the Census Bureau.”
“The annual Census report on households’ financial well-being sheds light on how Americans fared during President Trump’s first year back in office, but also before the war in Iran led to soaring prices at gas pumps, higher inflation and more pressure on Americans’ wallets,” WSJ reported. “Median household income topped the peak hit just before the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching $87,460 in 2025, up 2.6% from 2024 after adjusting for inflation, the new data show. Upper-income households posted gains while lower-income households didn’t, reflecting a growing divide where high earners are doing most of the spending.”
“This is a signal that the economy may be finally finding its groove coming out of the pandemic,” said Wells Fargo economist Shannon Grein.
2. Future up as Fed looks to raise interest rate
CNBC reports that “U.S. equity futures edged higher Wednesday ahead of a pivotal interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve that could mark the beginning of a new hiking cycle over the next few months.”
“Futures markets were pricing in a quarter-point hike for Wednesday with 92.7% odds, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Odds of an additional quarter-point hike were 45% for the Fed’s October meeting and 30% for the Fed’s December meeting. The current target rate range is 3.5% to 3.75%,” CNBC reported. “The 12-month rate on the consumer price index came in at 3.4% in August, marking a cooling from the recent high of 4.2% in May. On a month-over-month basis, CPI rose 0.4% last month, in line with expectations, though core inflation, which removes the more volatile categories of food and energy, rose 0.3%, which was more than expected.”
CNBC added, “Brent Wilsey, chief investment officer of San Diego-based Wilsey Asset Management, said in an emailed note on Wednesday that the Fed holding rates steady could have damaging ramifications.”
Magnolia Tribune
