- 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. Miss. Insurance Dept. receives $600,000 grant aimed at improving women’s health coverage
The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) announced Tuesday that it has received more than $600,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). MID said HHS, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has launched an innovative grant program to provide almost $9 million to 14 states to improve women’s health coverage and access to critical health benefits.
These funds may be used to develop activities and launch educational campaigns to address disparities in access to reproductive health care and maternal health outcomes.
MID plans to conduct “market conduct examinations,” to confirm insurers are delivering the required preventive health services and following applicable regulations and will use additional funds to develop educational materials, seminars, and workshops related to women’s health.
2. Guest introduces Early Migration Alert Program to notify state, local agencies
Congressman Michael Guest, Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, has introduced the Early Migration Alert Program (EMAP) Act to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to notify state and local law enforcement agencies and government authorities of an impending release of migrants into their jurisdictions.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has been releasing migrants into local communities without warning. The lack of communication can overwhelm law enforcement agents and public servants. As we continue to deal with a crisis on our border, an alert system like the one EMAP would establish is imperative,” said Congressman Guest in a statement.
Guest said the EMAP Act would fill the communication gap by requiring ICE and CBP to develop an alert system where State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government authorities can receive information regarding the impending release of migrants. EMAP is designed to protect the identities of such persons and to alleviate privacy concerns from state and local government officials. Early notification to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial municipalities would assist local communities in preparing for the arrival of migrants.
The legislation would require ICE and CBP to give municipalities at least a 24-hour notice before releasing an alien into the United States.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Senate releases report on first Trump assassination attempt
No one was in charge of planning and security decisions for the July 13 campaign rally where former President Donald J. Trump was shot, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by a Senate committee as reported by the New York Times.
“Diffuse and blurred leadership roles for the event in Butler, Pa., led to communications breakdowns and security lapses, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee found. There was confusion over who was supposed to secure the building from which the gunman opened fire. There were multiple plans in place, none of them definitive. There were urgent warnings that were picked up but then dropped,” NYT reported. “The report painted a portrait of hapless on-site leadership unaware of potential threats to Mr. Trump’s safety and a culture within the agency of individuals unwilling to take responsibility for those failures. Even after many hours of testimony, the committee said that no one involved in the rally’s security plans could say who made the call to exclude from the security perimeter a set of nearby warehouses, one of which the gunman eventually climbed onto and used as a perch to shoot at Mr. Trump.”
2. Stopgap funding resolution moves through Congress
According to The Hill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) received unanimous consent for the Senate to immediately proceed to the three-month government funding bill once it passes the House, which is expected to happen mid-afternoon Wednesday.
“Congress needs to pass a continuing resolution by Sept. 30 to avoid a lapse in government funding,” The Hill reported, adding that the Continuing Resolution will fund the federal government until December 20.
The Hill notes that the Senate “will not consider any amendments, such as a proposal to toughen voter registration requirements, that could have delayed the bill for days.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Southern Miss holds first basketball practice of season
Head Coach Jay Ladner is entering his 6th season at the helm of the Southern Miss men’s basketball program. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles went through their first official practice of the 2024-25 season.
According to USM Athletics, Southern Miss returns Cobie Montgomery, Andre Curbelo, Trey Alfonso, Jeffery Armstrong, Tegra Izay, Jose Benitez, Lieb Yat and Neftali Alvarez. The Golden Eagles also welcome back Denijay Harris after the Columbus High School product spent the 2023-24 season at Arkansas.
The Golden Eagles brought in the following transfer student-athletes: Alfred Worrell Jr. (John A. Logan), DeAntoni Gordon (Little Rock), Christian Watson (Miami), John Wade III (Stanislaus State) and Harris (Arkansas). They also signed a freshmen class that consists of Brewer Carruth (Parklane Academy), Christian Reid (Miami Prep) and Jett Montgomery (Independence HS).
Southern Miss will open its season on Nov. 4 against Bowling Green.
2. Valley off to 0-4 start
Mississippi Valley State football is off to a rough start to its 2024 season, going 0-4 so far.
On Saturday, the Delta Devils lost 66-0 to Nicholls in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It was 45-0 at halftime.
Valley opens SWAC play versus Alcorn on Saturday in Itta Bena. Alcorn lost last week as well, moving their record to 1-3.
Markets & Business
1. Oil demand to climb over next two decades, OPEC says
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said global demand for oil is set to climb over the next two decades, reports the Wall Street Journal.
“In its annual report on long-term energy trends, the cartel said oil demand is forecast to reach 120.1 million barrels a day in 2050 from 102.2 million barrels a day last year. Demand from non-OECD countries is projected to rise by 28 million barrels a day in the period, while OECD nations are expected to witness a 10% growth decline,” WSJ reported.
WSJ went on to add, “According to OPEC’s forecast, oil demand is estimated to reach 112.3 million barrels a day in 2029, a 10.1 million barrels a day increase compared with last year. Non-OECD oil demand is projected to rise by 9.6 million barrels a day between 2023 and 2029, reaching more than 66 million barrels a day, while OECD demand is expected to fall by 500,000 barrels a day.”
2. Dow, S&P reach new record highs
CNBC reports that the S&P 500 and Dow closed at record highs on Tuesday after gaining 0.25% and 0.20%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.56% and is less than 4% from its record high.
“All three averages are on track for a positive September, though fears of a slowing economy still linger after last week’s rate cut from the Federal Reserve,” CNBC reported. “Now that the central bank has begun to lower interest rates, the economy is becoming a bigger focus for investors.”
