- 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. Former Biloxi Councilman Deming sentenced to federal prison
Former Biloxi City Councilman Robert Deming III has been sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge, according to WLOX.
“Back in May, Deming pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. He announced his resignation from the Biloxi City Council following his guilty plea,” WLOX reported. “As part of the resolution in this case, Deming forfeited a yellow Ford F-350 Monster Truck and over $1.9 million dollars.”
WLOX added that officials said Deming will self-surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons when they send notice. He will be bound to three years of post-release supervision.
2. Ellisville, Soso join Mississippi Main Street
The City of Ellisville and the Town of Soso are new associate members of the Mississippi Main Street Association, reports WDAM.
WDAM reported that in Ellisville, “The group is teaming up with Jones College and the City of Ellisville to promote economic development,” while in Soso, Mayor Mike Moore said “collaborations with other towns” can help with the many businesses popping up in the area.
“Both municipalities will have access to resources and training, as well as connections with other Mississippi cities,” WDAM notes.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Walz agrees to debate Vance
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate, has agreed to a debate with U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate.
CBS News proposed dates, sharing them on X, to which Walz reposted and wrote, “See you on Oct. 1, JD.”
The Trump-Vance campaign has not officially agreed to the date or a format, but Vance told FoxNews‘ Laura Ingraham, “we’re certainly going to debate Tim Walz.”
“We just heard about this three hours ago. So, we’re going to talk to them and figure out when we can debate,” Vance said.
2. Kennedy shopping around for a Cabinet position?
The Washington Post reports that Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sought a meeting last week with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris to discuss the possibility of serving in her administration, perhaps as a Cabinet secretary, if he throws his support behind her campaign and she wins, according to Kennedy campaign officials.
“The Kennedy outreach, made through intermediaries, follows a meeting in Milwaukee last month between Kennedy and Republican nominee Donald Trump to discuss a similar policy role and endorsement that resulted in no agreement,” WP reported. “In those discussions, Kennedy spoke about advising Trump in a second term on health and medical issues.”
WP adds that people familiar with the conversations with the Harris campaign say the Vice President and her advisers “have not responded with an offer to meet or shown interest in the proposal.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Dart named to Johnny Unitas watch list
Ole Miss football senior quarterback Jaxson Dart has been added to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award preseason watch list, as announced by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation on Wednesday.
Ole Miss Athletics says Dart is one of 63 signal-callers nationally and one of 11 in the SEC added to the watch list for the Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is awarded annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class.
Dart – already a member of the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists – led Ole Miss to its first 11-win season in program history in 2023. He concluded the season 233-of-358 (65.1 percent) for 3,364 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions (tied for the fewest in single-season Ole Miss history with at least 200 attempts).
2. Miss. State celebrating 125 years of Bulldog football
Mississippi State Athletics is celebrating the school’s 125th year of college football.
“Over the course of the upcoming year, MSU will recognize the players, teams and moments that have charted the course for Bulldog football history,” MSU Athletics senior writer Joel Coleman said. “State supporters will have the chance to actively participate in the celebration in multiple ways. Fans are encouraged to submit personal photographs depicting their own exciting experiences involving MSU football. From game-winning celebrations to tailgating memories, all submissions are welcome and could be featured in content during the 2024 season.”
Bulldogs fans will also get to help determine the top State football moment of all time. A bracket featuring some of the top wins and legendary happenings will get narrowed down to one as fans nominate, vote for and ultimately choose the biggest moment since the program’s inception. Click here to submit your favorite moment for consideration.
Markets & Business
1. Mortgage rates down but homeownership still out of reach for many
The Wall Street Journal reports that mortgage rates are at the lowest level in more than a year, and yet, for millions of Americans, it will take a lot more than that to make homeownership affordable.
“Despite the recent drop, mortgage rates are unlikely to return to anywhere near the levels they were at before the Fed started to raise interest rates in early 2022. They might not move enough to make a huge difference soon, leaving home buyers to contend with record housing prices, limited inventory and renewed fears of a recession,” WSJ reported.
As WSJ notes, “The average rate on the standard 30-year fixed mortgage dropped below 6.5% last week in the sharpest decline of the year. That was more than a percentage point lower than its peak last year of nearly 8%.”
2. Biden Admin. announces negotiated drug price cuts
The Biden Administration released prices for the first 10 prescription drugs that were subject to landmark negotiations between drugmakers and Medicare, reports CNBC.
“The government estimates that the new negotiated prices for the medications will lead to around $6 billion in net savings for the Medicare program in 2026 alone, when they officially go into effect. That is based on the estimated savings the prices would have produced if they were in effect in 2023, senior administration officials told reporters on Wednesday,” CNBC reported. “The Biden administration also expects the new prices to save Medicare enrollees $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone.”
CNBC shared the following list of pricing information:
- Eliquis, made by Bristol Myers Squibb – $231.00 negotiated price, $521 list price
- Jardiance, made by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly – $197.00 negotiated price, $573.00 list price
- Xarelto, made by Johnson & Johnson – $197.00 negotiated price, $517.00 list price
- Januvia, made by Merck – $113.00 negotiated price, $527.00 list price
- Farxiga, made by AstraZeneca – $178.50 negotiated price, $556.00 list price
- Entresto, made by Novartis – $295.00 negotiated price, $628.00 list price
- Enbrel, made by Amgen – $2,355.00 negotiated price, $7,106.00 list price
- Imbruvica, made by AbbVie and J&J – $9,319.00 negotiated price, $14,934.00 list price
- Stelara, made by Janssen – $4,695.00 negotiated price, $13,836.00 list price
- Fiasp and NovoLog, made by Novo Nordisk – $119.00 negotiated price, $495.00 list price
Magnolia Tribune
