- 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. Bids received for purchase of OCH Regional in Starkville
WTVA reports that Oktibbeha County supervisors received the first round of bids for the purchase of OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville.
“Board attorney John Healy wouldn’t disclose how many companies submitted bids for the hospital,” WTVA reported. “WTVA previously reported that Tupelo-based North Mississippi Health Services and Memphis, Tennessee-based Baptist Memorial Health Care expressed interest in purchasing the hospital. However, it’s unclear if these two hospital systems formally submitted bids.”
The buyer isn’t likely to be determined until May or June.
2. Hood, Johnson named Legislators of the Year by MS Realtors
Mississippi REALTORS® has named State Rep. Joey Hood of Ackerman, and Senator Chris Johnson of Hattiesburg the 2024 Legislators of the Year.
Hood and Johnson received the recognition from 2025 President Gena Nolan during MAR’s annual REALTOR® Day at the Capitol. Nolan recognized Hood and Johnson as state lawmakers who have advocated for and supported REALTORS® across Mississippi through the legislative process.
“MAR thanks Representative Hood and Senator Johnson for their commitment to Mississippi and its citizens, and we congratulate them both on winning this year’s award,” Nolan stated. “Hood’s knowledge of the state’s legislative process has made him an asset to countless residents throughout Mississippi. Johnson has played a vital role in improving Mississippi’s real estate industry during his time in the legislature.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Johnson, Trump back House CR aimed at averting shutdown
The Hill reports that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking to lock down the votes to pass his stopgap funding bill and avert a government shutdown by Friday’s deadline.
“Johnson unveiled a continuing resolution on Saturday that would keep the government funded until Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. The stopgap would boost defense funding and cut non-defense programs,” The Hill reported. “President Trump endorsed the measure shortly after its release, urging Republicans to ‘vote (Please!) YES’ when it hits the floor. House Democratic leaders, meanwhile, slammed the measure as a ‘partisan’ bill that ‘recklessly’ cuts a number of benefits, announcing that they will vote against the bill.”
The Hill went on to add that “Johnson is looking to clear his continuing resolution on Tuesday and send the measure to the Senate for consideration ahead of the Friday-at-midnight shutdown deadline.”
2. Carney to be new Prime Minister of Canada
Mark Carney will replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, “Carney won the leadership of Canada’s Liberal Party on Sunday, putting him in line to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and call an election that suddenly seems winnable for the country’s center left.”
“Now prime-minister designate, Carney, 59 years old, will officially become Canada’s new leader in the coming days and immediately take over his country’s response to President Trump’s trade war,” WSJ reported. “The former central bank chief of both Canada and the U.K. is expected to quickly call a general election to take advantage of polling momentum against the Conservative Party of Canada, which just weeks ago seemed on the cusp of a landslide.”
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” Carney said on Sunday, speaking to Liberal Party members in Ottawa after this win. “So Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”
Sports
1. Big 3 keep winning
Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Mississippi State all had good showings on the diamond over the weekend ahead of the start of conference play.
- No. 17 Ole Miss swept their series against Jacksonville State, moving to 14-1 on the season. The Rebels next play at South Alabama on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
- No. 20 Southern Miss took 2 out of 3 from UNCW to move to 11-5 on the year. The Golden Eagles play UTRGV on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
- Mississippi State swept Queens, pushing their season record to 11-4. The Bulldogs have Old Dominion on tap for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
2. JSU, Alcorn set to play in SWAC basketball tournament this week
Jackson State claimed the No. 2 seed (14-4 SWAC) in the 2025 Starry SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament while Alcorn State (11-7 SWAC) is the No. 6 seed.
The tournament is scheduled to be played on March 11-15 at Gateway Center Arena located in Atlanta, Georgia.
No. 2 Jackson State will play the Winner of Game Two on Wednesday while No. 6 Alcorn will play No. 3 Bethune-Cookman on Thursday.
All games can be viewed on ESPN+.
Markets & Business
1. Stock futures down as investors brace for economic data
CNBC reports that stock futures dropped Monday “as the selling pressures that dragged Wall Street last week persisted, while investors braced for a slew of economic data reports this week.”
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 427 points, or 1%. S&P 500 futures fell 1.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 1.3%,” CNBC reported. “Last week, the S&P 500 lost 3.1% for its worst weekly mark since September. The Dow fell 2.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 3.5%.”
CNBC added, “The struggles came as the market was whipsawed by developments out of Washington, D.C., with negotiations on tariffs between the U.S., Mexico and Canada playing out throughout the week.”
2. NYT reports on “pockets of support” for Trump’s tariffs in business world
The New York Times reports that “there are deep pockets of support for [Trump’s] trade policies in the business world, particularly among executives who say their industries have been harmed by unfair trade.”
“In particular, the leaders of American steel and aluminum companies have long contended that foreign rivals undercut them because those rivals benefit from subsidies and other government support. And they say that tariffs, when imposed without loopholes, have been effective at spurring more investment in the United States,” NYT reported.
NYT went on to report that Jesse Gary, chief executive of Century Aluminum, an American aluminum producer, “supported the aluminum tariffs during Mr. Trump’s first term, but said the exemptions had made them less effective, and was glad to see them being reimposed.”
“The new tariffs will close those loopholes back up and enable us to begin investing again, and bring on more production here in the U.S.,” he said.
Magnolia Tribune
