| Thursday, November 5, 2026 |
| Trump brags about his White House ballroom and seeks to deflect blame for GOP midterm drubbing |
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| President Donald Trump reacted Wednesday to Republicans' midterm election losses by showing off the White House ballroom he's building as he demonstrated the kind of detached behavior that voters around the country said was a key reason they opted to punish his party. In an extraordinary scene, Trump summoned reporters to the hulking construction site that he demolished the East Wing to make room for and the Republican president spoke for nearly 20 minutes about minute building details. He did not mention his party losing control of Congress after defeats in some of the country's deepest GOP strongholds, including Texas and South Carolina, or voter concerns about the high cost of living and federal corruption that helped cause the election losses. Presidents usually speak with reporters the day after the midterms. It's normal for those whose party endured big losses to shoulder publicly at least part of the responsibility. But not Trump. He began the day with a schedule that showed only private meetings, then suggested he had decided at the last minute to invite the press to watch as the final steel beam -- topped with a small evergreen tree symbolizing growth and luck -- was hoisted into place on the ballroom roof. Trump eventually took questions at the ballroom site and attempted to duck responsibility for the broad Republican losses. | |
| Community colleges rush to expand semiconductor training as labor shortage looms US chip industry |
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| For three years, Ethan Mock worked part-time at a gym to make ends meet while taking on more than $100,000 in debt to pursue a degree in business administration. Earlier this year -- his fifth and final at Northern Arizona University -- he began looking beyond his major for a stable career. So in July, when he learned over the radio about a tuition-free, three-month semiconductor crash course at Rio Salado College, he signed up immediately, despite having no background in the field. The draw: the community college's new program offered students a chance to interview with major chipmakers in Arizona. Two months later, clad in protective gear inside a lab, Mock was operating advanced machinery used to turn thin slices of silicon into semiconductor chips that power smartphones, robotics and data centers. "I do want to be in a booming industry," said Mock, 23. Learning alongside him were a 64-year-old middle school teacher, a software developer in his 50s who recently was laid off, gig workers without degrees, and younger students considering alternatives to a traditional college degree. The cohort is enrolled in a highly specialized chip-manufacturing course that's part of a growing network of short-term, hands-on programs at community colleges. Their goal is to fill entry-level positions, such as technicians who maintain and service production equipment, more quickly. | |
SPORTS
| Men's Hoops Faces Northwestern State On Thursday |
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| Mississippi State men's basketball continues its opening week homestand with a Thursday evening matchup with Northwestern State at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs (1-0) are coming off a 106-88 season opening victory over Tennessee Tech on Monday where State matched its most points scored under Coach Jans and went over the century mark in a season opener for the first time since 2015-16. The Maroon and White had a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures headed by Josh Hubbard (25 points, career-high 9 assists) and King Grace (career-high 23 points, career-best 8 rebounds, career-high 4 assists) who produced the top two scoring efforts on SEC opening night. State also received double-digit points courtesy of Tajuan Simpkins (15 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) Thomas Bassong (tied career-high 14 points, 6 rebounds) and RJ Johnson (12 points). | |
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