- 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. Hurricane Francine to make landfall Wednesday evening
The National Hurricane Center reports Wednesday morning that Hurricane Francine has reached maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is on track to make landfall along the central Louisiana Gulf Coast tonight.
Mississippi’s Gulf Coast remains under a Tropical Storm warning, with many local businesses and schools closed Wednesday in anticipation of deteriorating weather conditions.
Storm surge could reach 3-6 feet along the Mississippi Coast with winds gusting to over 60 mph. Rainfall totals could reach over 5 inches in places.
Power outages are possible as Francine makes its way through Mississippi over the next 48 hours. The entire state will likely be impacted by Francine.
2. Career coaches expanding in Mississippi schools
AccelerateMS announced Tuesday that the number of career coaches in Mississippi schools will rise to 203 for the 2024-2025 academic year, meaning the professionals will be deployed in 95% of the state’s public school districts.
This year, an additional $15 million in state general funds has been allocated to the initiative.
AccelerateMS coordinated grants to six local regional development organizations this year to recruit, hire, and place coaches in school districts within their areas. The recipients are shown in the graph above.
By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, the career coaches facilitated 2,366 job shadow opportunities, 4,371 college applications, 2,109 job applications, and hosted 2,682 guest speakers. They also engaged in 38,621 one-on-one conversations with students about their postsecondary plans.
3. Fitch, other AGs want Surgeon General warning on social media
Attorney General Lynn Fitch and 41 other attorneys general sent a letter to Congress calling on lawmakers to require a U.S. Surgeon General warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. The AG’s office said in a statement that the letter comes amidst growing scrutiny of social media companies for their role in generational harm to young people’s mental health.
According to Fitch’s office, the attorneys general cited growing bodies of research that link young people’s use of these platforms to psychological harm, including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts in kids and teens. The AGs also note how platforms feature irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications designed to keep kids relentlessly engaged on the platforms, even at the expense of taking breaks, engaging in other activities, or sleeping.
Click here to read the full letter.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Over 150 ballot measures in 41 states to be decided this November
Politico reports that voters in 41 states will decide more than 150 ballot measures in November, “dealing with everything from how elections are run and who gets paid sick leave to banning trophy hunting and cracking down on retail theft.”
“While abortion referendums have garnered the most attention, voters will be weighing in on dozens of other issues in November,” Politico reports, noting ballot measures such as ranked choice voting, noncitizen voting, minimum wage, and more.
2. Swift endorses Harris, says she’s impressed by Walz
Pop icon Taylor Swift posted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris soon after the debate with former President Donald Trump was over on Tuesday night. It was shared on Instagram with her 272 million supporters.
In her social media post endorsing Harris, Swift said she was “heartened and impressed” by Harris running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, saying he has been “standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift wrote, signing it as “Childless Cat Lady.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. JSU’s McCoy earns SWAC co-Newcomer of the Week
Jackson State sophomore quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) co-Newcomer of the Week for his performance against Lane, the conference office announced on Monday.
According to JSU, it was McCoy’s first start at Jackson State. He accounted for four touchdowns in the 58-7 victory, two passing and two rushing. He ran for a career-high 107 yards on just six carries and earned W.C. Gorden Classic Offensive MVP honors. McCoy also went 5-of-9 passing for 100 yards.
2. Ole Miss offering memory making experiences for purchase at SEC home games
Ole Miss Athletics is offering fans special experiences to be purchased for the Rebels’ four SEC home games this fall.
Experiences can be purchased online at OleMissMemories.com or through the official Ole Miss Rebels mobile app.
Here’s what you can buy for your special Ole Miss fan:
- Videoboard birthday recognition
- Videoboard message
- Pregame photoshoot
- Paint the field
- Walk of Champions pass
- Greet the team
- Rebel tunnel walk
- The Pride of the South band show pass
- Night game show sideline pass
- Gameday proposal
Markets & Business
1. Investors await August inflation report
CNBC reports that stock futures slipped Wednesday as investors looked toward the August consumer inflation report.
“Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 140 points, or 0.4%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures both dipped 0.2% each,” CNBC reported. “Economists polled by Dow Jones expect the headline CPI to have risen 0.2% from the previous month and 2.6% from a year earlier.”
As CNBC notes, “The CPI report and Thursday’s producer price index could help determine the size of a widely expected rate cut at the end of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting on Sept. 18.”
2. Musk concerned with U.S. national debt
As FoxBusiness reported, Elon Musk warned Monday that the United States is on the fast track to defaulting on its debt, which continues to accelerate after topping a record $35 trillion just weeks ago.
“If Trump wins – and obviously, I suspect there are people with mixed feelings about whether that should happen – we do have an opportunity to do kind of a once-in-a-lifetime deregulation and reduction in the size of government,” Musk said at All-In Podcast’s All-In Summit, as reported by FoxBusiness. “Because the other thing besides the regulations, America is also going bankrupt extremely quickly, and… everyone seems to be sort of whistling past the graveyard on this one.”
FoxBusiness added, “Musk pointed out that interest payments on the national debt just surpassed the Defense Department budget, and topped $1 trillion this year.”
Magnolia Tribune
