- 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. Labor grant to aid Mississippi workforce development
Governor Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that Mississippi is deploying more than $8.5 million through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program to expand short-term workforce training and strengthen the state’s implementation of Workforce Pell Grants.
The Mississippi Workforce Pell Systems and Pathways Initiative will bring together all 15 of Mississippi’s public community colleges to strengthen training pathways in advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding, construction and information infrastructure, and healthcare. Northwest Mississippi Community College serves as the lead for this project, with AccelerateMS partnering to assist in coordinating implementation statewide.
The initiative is expected to serve more than 1,500 participants and support at least 19 short-term training programs seeking Workforce Pell eligibility. Programs will focus on employer-validated, in-demand career pathways and credentials that are portable, stackable and connected to opportunities for continued education.
2. Mississippians urged to beware of counterfeit drugs
The Mississippi State Department of Health is urging Mississippians to be aware of the serious and potentially unpredictable risks associated with counterfeit pills, illicitly manufactured drugs and other psychoactive products obtained from unregulated or unverifiable sources.
The warning comes as the drug environment continues to change, with counterfeit pills, emerging substances and products sold in a variety of forms and through a growing number of channels. A product’s appearance, packaging, labeling or place of purchase may not reliably indicate what it contains.
Counterfeit pills can be manufactured to closely resemble legitimate prescription medications. Other unregulated psychoactive products may be sold as tablets, gummies, liquids, shots or other commercially packaged products. In either case, consumers may be unable to determine a product’s actual ingredients, concentration, purity or potential effects simply by looking at it.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Xi Jinping arrives in D.C. for two-day summit
As reported by Fox News, “Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington Wednesday evening for a summit with President Donald Trump, four months after the two leaders reached a sweeping agreement that included Chinese commitments on rare earths, agricultural purchases, trade and investment.”
“Four months later, implementation has been uneven. Reuters reported that China is making progress toward finalizing its commitment to purchase 200 Boeing jets, while agricultural imports are projected to fall short of the agreed level and the new trade and investment boards are still being put into operation,” Fox News reported. “AI is expected to be a major focus of the two-day summit, along with possible tariff reductions on non-strategic goods and discussions over China’s rare-earth exports, according to a senior administration official. The May agreement, when Trump and Xi last met, also chartered new U.S.-China boards on trade and investment, though it did not resolve the broader economic and national security tensions between the two countries.”
Fox News continued, “Trump touted the U.S. lead over China in artificial intelligence during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York Tuesday, while declaring that U.S. government documents would begin referring to the technology as ‘superintelligence.'”
2. Federal judge blocks White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico
The New York Times reports that “a federal judge on Thursday said that President Trump’s order barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access to the three news outlets.”
“Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington granted a 14-day restraining order and told the White House to ‘immediately return, reinstate, and restore’ the press credentials held by employees of the three outlets,” NYT reported. “The news organizations were likely to succeed in their claim that the White House had violated their constitutional due process rights by revoking their press credentials without advance notice or an opportunity to respond, Judge Kelly wrote in the order issued in the early hours of Thursday.”
NYT added, “He also rejected, for now, the administration’s argument that revoking the outlets’ press credentials was necessary to protect national security.”
Sports
1. DSU’s McKnight named FGSC Special Teams Player of the Week
Delta State University Football’s Jordan McKnight has earned Gulf South Conference weekly honors as announced by the conference office.
McKnight has earned the Gulf South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
The Shelby native scooped up a blocked punt and took it 12-yards for a touchdown to spark the Statesmen football team to their 21-6 win against Mississippi Valley State Saturday evening in Itta Bena.
2. Southern Miss Athletics, Forrest renew partnership
Southern Miss Athletics and Forrest, the regional health system formerly known as Forrest Health, have announced an extended partnership through Learfield’s Southern Miss Sports Properties, expanding a relationship that has connected two of South Mississippi’s most recognizable institutions for more than 25 years.
As part of the renewed relationship, Forrest became the first-ever jersey patch partner of Southern Miss Football when the Golden Eagles debuted the for life patch on their uniforms during the 2026 season opener against Alcorn State at Renasant Stadium.
The patch represents Forrest’s new brand identity and its commitment to caring for the people of South Mississippi through every stage of life. The partnership gives Forrest a prominent presence on the field while continuing a longstanding relationship with Southern Miss Athletics.
Markets & Business
1. AI build-out biggest economic bet in U.S. history?
The Wall Street Journal reports that “the AI build-out is on track to become the biggest economic bet in U.S. history, dwarfing the investments made to fund other huge U.S. infrastructure projects such as the railroads, the highway system and the plumbing for the internet.”
“Total investment in data centers and related artificial-intelligence infrastructure is projected to total $10.3 trillion from 2025 to 2032, according to new estimates by economist Stijn van Nieuwerburgh published by the Brookings Institution. That is a staggering 3.6% of gross domestic product a year, on average. Never before has the U.S. economy been so dependent on the build-out of a single industry,” WSJ reported. “The investment is transforming every corner of the economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and minting new billionaires.”
WSJ further reported, “It is also creating significant risk, as much of it is built on debt. An abrupt slowdown could ignite shock waves throughout the U.S. economy… The railroad boom of the late 19th century marked the last time the build-out of one new industry accounted for a larger share of the economy.”
2. UMMC ranks No. 2 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals
The University of Mississippi Medical Center has earned the No. 2 ranking on Forbes’ 2026 list of America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals, placing Mississippi’s only academic medical center among the nation’s most highly regarded health care workplaces.
UMMC finished second only to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and ahead of hundreds of health care organizations considered for the annual ranking.
Leaders say the recognition highlights the importance of creating an environment in which health professionals are supported as they care for others. UMMC employees have access to a range of benefits and professional opportunities, including health benefits, a state-sponsored retirement program, scholarships and leadership development.
