- 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. Horhn to run for Jackson Mayor
State Senator John Horhn (D) is running for Mayor of Jackson in the 2025 municipal election.
Horhn, who has served in the Legislature since 1993, will make the official announcement Thursday morning.
Current Mayor Chokwe Lumumba is seeking reelection. A growing list of other possible candidates could also seek the Mayor seat in the capital city, including longtime City Councilman Kenneth Stokes.
2. Gautier approves $7 million in bonds for infrastructure
As reported by WLOX, Gautier city leaders are taking on more than $7 million in bonds to address infrastructure issues.
“During a council meeting Tuesday evening, the city council approved $7.3 million in bonds for water, sewage, drainage, and roadwork projects,” WLOX reported. “The first bond is worth $2 million and is a general fund bond. This money will be used to make improvements to the town center and town commons, remove older structures and better lighting will also be installed along Highway 90. The second bond is a $5.3 million revenue bond. This money will be used to renovate lift stations, rebuild dilapidated drainage structures, and improve water treatment.”
Mayor Vaughan insists no tax increase is being discussed to cover these bonds, WLOX noted.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. How will Biden handle port strike?
The Washington Post reports that President Joe Biden says he won’t intervene in a disruptive strike at America’s ports, “but he may soon face pressure as analysts warn of its economic impact barely a month before Election Day.”
“Tens of thousands of dockworkers went on strike Tuesday on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, demanding higher pay and protections against the automation of port work. The effects on domestic supply chains and the broader economy are expected to increase with every additional day the strike lasts, but negotiators remain at loggerheads,” WP reported. “Biden told reporters Tuesday that he would not use a federal labor law to force the longshoremen back to work, and the White House has thus far focused public attention on big profits of the international shipping lines that comprise the maritime alliance negotiating with the workers.”
However, as WP notes, “Disruptions to the economy could upset voters, but Democrats are also counting on union turnout this fall.”
2. Special counsel election interference case against Trump unsealed
The Hill reports that Special counsel Jack Smith laid out his election interference case against former President Trump in the wake of the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, “describing the former president’s bid to thwart the transfer of power as a ‘private criminal effort.'”
“The massive, 165-page filing, unsealed Wednesday, comes after the Supreme Court determined that former presidents retain immunity when exercising core constitutional powers and are presumptively immune for all other official acts,” The Hill reported, adding, “The monster filing offers a window into the case Smith has assembled against Trump, providing more details about the bulk of evidence assembled by prosecutors than was revealed in their 45-page indictment last year.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Northeast vs. MS Delta on tap tonight
The only Mississippi JUCO football game slated for Thursday night is Northeast Mississippi at Mississippi Delta.
Both teams come into the game with a 1-3 record.
The remaining Mississippi JUCOs have a BYE week, returning to action next Thursday night.
2. MS-AL, North-South high school all-star football teams announced
The Mississippi Association of Coaches announced the Mississippi-Alabama and Bernard Blackwell North-South High School All-Start football teams on Tuesday. Click on the images above to see rosters in full view.
Leading the way for the MS-AL team are quarterbacks Kamario Taylor of Noxubee County and Deuce Knight of George County. Taylor is a Mississippi State commit while Knight has now committed to Auburn. Tony Vance, Head Coach of Hattiesburg, will be the MS-AL Head Coach. The game is to be played December 14 at the University of South Alabama in Mobile.
For the North-South game, quarterbacks Silas Corder and Jay Beamon headline the South and North teams, respectively. Corder, a Southern Miss commit, is from Pascagoula while Beamon, a Tulane commit, is from Cleveland Central. Cory Reynolds of West Jones will serve a the South team Head Coach and Perry Lyles of Ripley will be the North team Head Coach. The North-South game will be played December 21 at Milner Stadium in Gulfport.
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices up, stock futures fall
The Wall Street Journal reports that oil prices rose and stock futures faltered as investors weighed the risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East against signs that the U.S. economy remains strong.
“Markets have been volatile in recent days as tensions ratchet up between Israel and Iran, raising the specter of a wider war in the region. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has risen more than 4% this week, as traders assess how events could impact supply,” WSJ reported. “Meantime, upbeat data has helped ease worries about the U.S. labor market ahead of Friday’s jobs report. On Wednesday, ADP data showed private-sector hiring picked up in September for the first time in six months.”
WSJ notes that Thursday will bring weekly jobless claims and data on the services sector.
2. Nissan Canton employee named a Stars of Automotive Manufacturing winner
Amanda Green, Nissan Canton Paint Versatility Supervisor, was recently named a Stars of Automotive Manufacturing winner at the 2024 Southern Automotive Conference.
Green and two Nissan Tennessee employees received their awards this week in Chattanooga.
The Southern Automotive Conference is a collaborative effort, made possible by the automotive manufacturer associations of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.
