- 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. With qualifying a week away, two candidates enter Jackson Ward 2 Council special election race
Two candidates have announced their candidacy for the Ward 2 Jackson City Council seat as the deadline nears to qualify for the special election. They are Celestial Gordon-Griffin and Tina Clay.
The special election is being held October 1 to fill the vacant seat left by former Councilwoman Angelique Lee who resigned before pleading guilty to federal charges to commit bribery.
Candidates wishing to seek the Ward 2 seat have until September 11 to submit 50 signatures from registered voters in the Ward.
2. Mississippi Aquarium welcomes one millionth guest
WXXV reports that the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport has welcomed its one millionth guest since opening its doors.
“Sophia Neves and the Powers family found out about their fame during what they thought would be a regular visit to the aquarium,” WXXV reported. “It’s been a week of milestones at the Mississippi Aquarium as they celebrate their millionth guest during their four-year anniversary.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Congress to consider CR ahead of Sept. 30 deadline
As reported by The Hill, “Congress is staring down a deadline this month to prevent a government shutdown, as members on both sides of the aisle have made clear a stopgap of some kind will be needed to keep the lights on. Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to pass legislation to prevent a funding lapse.”
“There is bipartisan backing behind a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government funded at current levels beyond the November elections, when either side could gain significant leverage in funding talks depending on the outcome,” The Hill reported. “But some Republicans in the House and Senate, bullish on former President Trump’s chances of reclaiming the Oval Office, have been pressing for a stopgap bill that would kick the next funding deadline into next year.”
Democrats are pushing back on the idea.
2. Chinese trolls target U.S. voters with divisive narratives
Chinese government-backed trolls are targeting U.S. voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election, reports the Wall Street Journal. They are “assuming fake identities of politically engaged voters on social media to promote divisive narratives around issues including gun control, racial inequality and the Israel-Hamas war.”
“One of the world’s largest covert online influence operations, an operation run by Chinese state-linked actors, has become more aggressive in its efforts to infiltrate and sway U.S. political conversations ahead of the election,” said Jack Stubbs, chief intelligence officer at the research firm Graphika, which published the report Tuesday on Spamouflage’s alleged activities, as reported by WSJ.
“A spokesman for China’s Embassy in Washington said China has ‘no intention and will not interfere in’ the U.S. election,” WSJ reported, adding a statement from spokesman, Liu Pengyu, who said, “The so-called report has no factual basis and is full of prejudice and malicious speculation against China.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. MC to open season at Shorter
The Mississippi College Choctaws will kick off the 2024 season on Wednesday, taking the field against the Shorter Hawks at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia.
MC is marking the beginning of a new era for the Choctaws under first-year head coach Mike Kershaw, who brings a fast-tempo offense that has generated significant buzz during the preseason.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT, and fans can catch the action live on multiple platforms. The game will be streamed live on Shorter University’s YouTube channel here, and live radio coverage will be available through the Choctaw Sports Network here. Live stats will also be provided via the Shorter athletics website here.
2. Alcorn loses to UAB, heads to Vanderbilt next
The Alcorn State University Braves dropped their season opener to AAC opponent University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) by a score of 40-3 on Thursday evening at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Braves travel to Nashville, Tennessee for a match-up against SEC team Vanderbilt University at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.
Markets & Business
1. Stock futures down to start September
CNBC reports that stock futures declined Tuesday as traders braced for a potentially tough month ahead after a strong but volatile August.
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 197 points, or 0.5%. S&P 500 futures lost 0.5%, and Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.6%. U.S. markets were closed Monday due to the Labor Day holiday,” CNBC reported.
CNBC added, “Investors will get their first major economic report of the month on Friday, when the U.S. government releases the August jobs report. Wall Street will also have to contend with seasonal headwinds, as September has been the worst month on average for the S&P 500 over the last 10 years.”
2. Brazil upholds ban on X
The Brazilian Supreme Court upheld a ban on X on Monday.
FoxBusiness reports that the move came over the weekend after X owner Elon Musk “didn’t name a legal representative before a deadline in a case going back months in which the country demanded some accounts be suspended that had been implicated in probes of so-called digital militias accused of spreading misinformation and hate. “
Musk has spoken out against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes “multiple times from his X account, saying that ‘he should be impeached for violating his oath of office’ and it’s ‘only a matter of time before this criminal is behind bars,’ and calling him a ‘dictator,'” FoxBusiness reported.
Magnolia Tribune
