- 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. Jackson State, Ole Miss School of Law announce partnership
On Thursday, Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law will be signing an MOU to launch their partnership in the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program.
JSU says this innovative collaboration is set to transform legal education in Mississippi by providing their students with a unique opportunity to expedite their path to a law career.
For the first time, JSU students will be able to complete both their undergraduate and law degrees in just six years. The streamlined program offers an enriching academic experience while also significantly reducing the financial burden associated with extended education.
JSU President Dr. Marcus Thompson and University of Mississippi Chancellor Dr. Glenn Boyce are expected to sign the MOU.
2. DPS announces agency leadership changes
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell announced changes and additions to his senior leadership staff on Wednesday. The changes will take effect July 1st, 2024.
Deputy Commissioner Keith Davis has been named Colonel of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Law Enforcement Division (LED). This division will include the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, Capitol Police, Crime Stoppers, and Public Safety Planning.
Allen McDaniel has been appointed Chief of Staff for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. In this role, he will develop and coordinate statewide initiatives in line with Commissioner Tindell’s vision to ensure a unified effort.
Major Phillip Pope will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Chief of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Pope has been serving as Interim in this role since February 2024.
Josh Bromen has been named the Executive Director of the Board of Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. NY House primary most expensive race ever
Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary loss in New York was a victory for pro-Israel groups whose spending helped make the race the most expensive House primary ever, the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The defeat of Bowman, a two-term member of the progressive ‘Squad, also showed the power of deep-pocketed special interest groups, who can drop millions of dollars into races nationwide to help push weakened incumbents out of office with a barrage of advertising,” WSJ reported. “The money spent by pro-Israel groups, including the super PAC tied to the American Israel Political Action Committee, made Bowman’s positions on Israel central to his fate. Bowman has pressed for a cease-fire in Gaza, heavily criticized the Israeli government and accused it of engaging in genocide, a charge the White House and Israel reject.”
Bowmans was defeated by Westchester’s county executive George Latimer, as “the United Democracy Project, spent $14.6 million in the race.”
2. Lawsuits filed to dismantle corporate, government programs that consider race for jobs, perks
The Washington Post reports that “right-leaning public interest groups have filed a barrage of federal lawsuits intended to dismantle long-standing corporate and government programs that consider race in awarding jobs and other perks.”
“One year after the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at Harvard and other schools, court rulings have forced the removal of racial preferences from two major covid relief programs, a federal contracting program that doles out $20 billion a year, and even the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, a 55-year-old agency that was ordered in March to open its doors to all races. Meanwhile, private companies are acting preemptively, seeking to avoid litigation by terminating fellowships and executive bonus programs aimed at employing minorities,” the Post reported.
“The goal is complete race neutrality. That is the end goal of all this litigation,” said Daniel Lennington, a lawyer for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), as reported by the Post. “It’s a view of radical equality that we think is in line with the Declaration of Independence.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ole Miss gets two safeties ranked in Top 10
Pro Football Focus recently published its top 10 returning safeties in the SEC based on grades from last season. Ole Miss players John Saunders ranked No. 6 at 79.1, just ahead of Trey Washington at No. 7 with a 77.7 grade.
Ole Miss is the only team with two of the top seven safeties.
2. Miss. State basketball announces staff additions
Doug Wagemester and Jordan Sperber will join the Mississippi State men’s basketball staff announced Wednesday by head coach Chris Jans.
Wagemester will serve as State’s Senior Associate Athletics Director of Men’s Basketball, while Sperber comes in as State’s Senior Director of Basketball Strategy.
Markets & Business
1. Entergy placing EV fast charging station in Brandon
Entergy Mississippi will unveil the next location of its direct current electric vehicle fast chargers on Tuesday, July 2. It is the second company-owned electric vehicle charging station of its kind in Entergy Corporation’s four-state service area.
According to the company, the fast-charging station will be located in downtown Brandon near I-20 and will serve both residents and EV drivers passing through on I-20 and nearby I-55.
Entergy believes the new location, along with the company’s first set of fast chargers located in the Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, will allow the company to expand research on the impact of EVs to the power grid and prepare for improvements that may be needed as power use from electric vehicle drivers increases in the future.
2. Ingalls offering STEM grants to teachers
Ingalls Shipbuilding has announced the opening of the application period for its annual science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) grant awards for the 2024 -2025 academic school year. The applications will remain open until Friday, October 18.
Up to $100,000 in grants will be awarded and recipients will be announced during a ceremony at Ingalls in Pascagoula in January 2025. These grants will support STEM-related initiatives at schools and educational organizations across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
The competitive grant program provides teachers the opportunity to apply for funding up to $5,000 for a specific project and must fall under one of the STEM categories – science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Educators and nonprofit organizations who are located in either Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi are encouraged to request an application by emailing communityrelations@hii-ingalls.com.
Magnolia Tribune
