- 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. Miranda Lambert coming Gautier
The new Sound Amphitheater in Gautier announced on Monday that country sensation Miranda Lambert was coming to the venue on Friday, September 27th.
The amphitheater officially opens this Friday, April 12th with KC and the Sunshine Band performing at their Grand Opening Ceremony.
2. Former Simpson County court clerk arrested for embezzlement
Effie Ramsey, former Simpson County Justice Court Deputy Clerk, has been arrested for embezzlement and alteration of records. The State Auditor’s office announced the arrest on Monday.
Ramsey is accused of embezzling funds collected from fines and pocketing the money for herself. She was served with a $1,348.05 demand letter at the time of her arrest.
The Auditor’s office says Ramsey faces up to 20 years and $5,000 in fines if convicted.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Biden announces new effort at student loan forgiveness
President Joe Biden announced a large-scale effort to help pay off federal student loans for tens of millions of American borrowers, as reported by the New York Times. NYT said Biden was “seeking an election-year boost by returning to a 2020 campaign promise that was blocked by the Supreme Court last year.”
“Mr. Biden’s new plan would reduce the amount that 25 million borrowers still owe on their undergraduate and graduate loans. It would wipe away the entire amount for more than four million Americans. Altogether, White House officials said, 10 million borrowers would see debt relief of $5,000 or more,” NYT reported.
The NYT report also notes that the expected “legal challenges will likely take months to resolve, and that could leave the debt relief plan in limbo as voters go to the polls in November.”
2. U.S. CIA presents Israel, Hamas ceasefire proposal
According to the Wall Street Journal, CIA Director William Burns presented a new proposal Sunday night in Cairo, Egypt to advance a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the six-month war in Gaza and release remaining hostages.
“Under the plan, Hamas would release 40 of the more than 100 captives still held in Gaza in return for the release from Israeli prisons of 900 Palestinian prisoners—including 100 convicted of terrorism charges—over the course of a six-week cease-fire in Gaza, Arab mediators said,” reported the WSJ. “The U.S. also proposed to allow up to 150,000 Palestinians to return to northern Gaza from the south, where they have been displaced since the conflict began in October.”
Hamas has not reacted to the proposal while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his demands to release the hostages and vanquish Hamas.
Sports & Entertainment
1. SEC Baseball standings through Week 4
Mississippi State is currently in third in the SEC West, sitting at 6-6, while Ole Miss is tied for fifth at 3-9.
The two state rivals will meet this weekend for a three-game series. Ole Miss needs to get hot and take a key series win over the Bulldogs. State, on the other hand, could see their conference stock continue to rise by taking down the Rebels.
2. Southern Miss tied at No. 2 in SunBelt
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are currently tied for second place in the SunBelt Conference baseball standings.
USM improved to 8-4 on the season in conference play over the weekend, taking 2 of 3 from South Alabama.
Southern Miss will play Georgia State, tied for 3rd in the conference, this weekend.
Markets & Business
1. Ford delays production of electric SUV
Last week, Ford announced that it was delaying production of a new all-electric large SUV and pickup truck, as it shifts to offer hybrid options across its entire North American lineup by 2030, reported CNBC.
“The shift in EV plans is the latest for Ford and the entire automotive industry as adoption has been slower than many expected and production costs remain high,” CNBC reported. “Ford last year said it would delay or cancel $12 billion in planned spending on new EVs due to the shifting market conditions as well as challenges to profitably building and selling the vehicles.”
2. Eclipse big business for local economies
BusinessInsider reports that the solar eclipse on Monday stands to lift local economies.
“Up to 3.7 million people are set to travel to the path of the eclipse, joining the 31 million people already living along the stretch, according to predictions by the eclipse-tracking website Great American Eclipse,” BusinessInsider reported. “Visitors are expected to spend big: They’ll shell out up to $1.6 billion on lodging, activities, food, and gas, the Texas economic consultancy Perryman Group estimated.”
Magnolia Tribune
