Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion
In Mississippi
The former Mississippi Department of Public Safety administration tower off Woodrow Wilson Avenue in Jackson is scheduled for demolition on Sunday, October 4.
Several nearby roads and portions of Interstate 55 will close beginning at 7:45 a.m. The closures are expected to last approximately 30 minutes.
The following locations will be affected, per the governor’s office:
- I-55 Southbound at Lakeland Drive will be temporarily closed
- I-55 Northbound at Fortification Street will be temporarily closed
- Woodrow Wilson Avenue at Murrah Drive will be closed
- VA Center Drive just past the main entrance to the VA hospital will be closed
- Museum Boulevard between Riverside Drive and Lakeland Drive will be closed
- University Drive just past VA Connections Drive will have restricted access
Local traffic may detour onto Lakeland Drive or Fortification Street. Thru traffic will remain on the interstate. Drivers should allow extra time that morning.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump hits campaign trail ahead of midterms
According to the Washington Post, “President Donald Trump is hitting the road for the next month, he says, in hopes of boosting Republican turnout in the midterm elections.”
“We need the votes, and I’m here for that,” Trump said Thursday at a truck manufacturing plant in Denton, Texas, his first of two stops of the evening. “Every place I’ve gone, we win.”
“Trump spoke to an audience made up largely of employees of the Peterbilt factory, as the company’s executives took the stage to praise Trump’s tariffs, which they credited for an increase in sales. Workers in branded blue shirts and hats looked on as Trump declared ‘the only thing we’re doing badly at is public relations,’ echoing a phrase he has repeated lately to describe White House messaging,” WP reported. “The president is launching his October blitz of campaign travel with a stop in a curious location: Oklahoma, one of the country’s reddest states, and one that’s lacking the kind of fiercely competitive races that are posing difficulty for Republicans elsewhere.”
Trump then headed north following the initial stop Thursday in Texas. He will be in Mobile, Alabama on Friday.
2. Rubio orders Iranian delegation to leave U.S.
The Hill reports that “Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the Iranian delegation to leave the U.S. immediately Monday after the United Nations General Assembly as negotiations between both countries have stalled.”
“The Hill’s broadcast partner NewsNation on Thursday confirmed this with the State Department, which previously approved visas for the ‘core’ Iranian delegation to the U.N. last month,” The Hill reported. “Rubio lost patience with the Iranian officials Monday and said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation should immediately leave, The Associated Press reported, citing two officials familiar with the order.”
The Hil noted, “One official told the outlet that Rubio determined that the delegates ‘overstayed their welcome’ and should depart given high-level meetings have concluded.”
Sports
Five of the seven Mississippi JUCO football games were played on Thursday, with the other two set for Saturday this week.
Here’s a rundown of the Week 6 Thursday JUCO scores:
Thursday
- No. 13 Co-Lin 28 – Southwest 13
- Coahoma 7 – No. 11 Northwest 45
- Holmes 15 – No. 12 Itawamba 31
- Pearl River 24 – East Central 28
- Hinds 48 – MS Delta 21
On Saturday, Northeast will play at No. 5 East MS while No. 3 MGCCC will visit No. 15 Jones. Both games start at 2:00 p.m.
2. Miss. State hopes to snap losing streak to Alabama
No. 16 Mississippi State looks to remain undefeated on Saturday as they host No. 7 Alabama.
Alabama has won 16 consecutive games over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs last win over the Tide was in 2007 in Starkville.
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. and the matchup is being televised on ABC.
Head Coach Jeff Lebby said this week that he is looking for his team to keep getting better.
“I think we’re concerned with being as good as we could possibly be on Saturday and just be us,” Lebby said. “I’m going to continue to talk about how really good football teams get better every week. So, that’s our goal. That’s our focus. If we’ll do that and take great care of the ball, we’ll be right where we need to be.”
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices fall on new of potential crude, diesel reserve release
CNBC reports that “oil prices were sharply lower on Friday morning, extending losses from earlier in the session, following reports of a potential move to release diesel and crude stocks to ease a global supply shortage.”
“International benchmark Brent crude futures with December expiry traded 3.1% lower at $99.13 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with November expiry fell 4% to $89.18,” CNBC reported. “It comes shortly after Reuters reported that European Union member states were discussing a French proposal to release additional diesel reserves following pressure from the Trump administration.”
CNBC added, “The report, which cited a single unnamed source familiar with details of the discussion, said France had proposed that EU nations release 50 million barrels of diesel and International Energy Agency members release 50 million barrels of crude oil.”
2. Nike to restructure, cut jobs
FoxBusiness reports that “Nike plans to cut jobs as part of a sweeping overhaul designed to make the athletic apparel giant ‘more agile, efficient and athlete-focused,’ CEO Elliott Hill said Thursday.”
“In a memo to employees, Hill said the restructuring ‘will result in fewer roles across Nike’ as the company reorganizes its business, though he did not say how many positions would be eliminated,” FoxBusiness reported. “Hill said decisions about affected roles will begin in 2027.”
“I want to acknowledge that news like this creates uncertainty. I don’t take that lightly,” Hill said. “Throughout this process, we will communicate directly, act with transparency and treat people with respect.”
He added, “We have shared some financial information, but these numbers are estimates and could materially change. Anything you may see in media reports around impacts is speculative because we do not yet know the number of roles or specific locations of positions.”
-- Article credit to the staff for the Magnolia Tribune --
