Magnolia Mornings: October 11, 2024

• 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. Ole Miss professor co-authors college sports law book

William Berry, Ole Miss associate dean for research and Montague Professor of Law, has partnered with sports attorney and law professor Daniel Lust to write “College Sports Law in a Nutshell.”

“There’s a lot going on in college sports right now,” Berry said in a statement from Ole Miss. “These books are traditionally used as study aids for law students; they take complicated legal cases and describe them in a clear, straightforward way. But this book is also going to be helpful for athletic administrators, athletes and anybody who wants to have an understanding of what’s going on in college sports.”

With the everchanging NCAA college sports landscape, Berry and Lust hope to demystify the madness.

2. Jordan granted time to file for rehearing

Richard Gerald Jordan, 78, has been on death row in Mississippi since 1976 having been convicted of murder.

According to WLOX, despite being denied an appeal on October 1, Jordan is being granted additional time to file for a rehearing.

“Following the ruling on October 1, the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel asked for an extension of time for Jordan to file a petition for rehearing until November 14,” WLOX reported. “On Wednesday, Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph issued an order giving Jordan until October 31.”

WLOX notes that Jordan “has been granted a retrial four times since 1976. All four times, he was convicted and received the death sentence.”

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Obama campaigns for Harris, calls out black men for not supporting her

Former President Barack Obama put identity politics front and center in the waning days of the 2024 presidential campaign on Thursday. At a campaign appearance in Pennsylvania in support of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, Obama called out black men for “what he said was flagging enthusiasm for Ms. Harris compared with the support he received when he was running for the presidency in 2008,” the New York Times reported.

“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses,” Mr. Obama said, as NYT reported. “I’ve got a problem with that.”

“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that,” Obama continued, as NYT noted, adding that the “women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time.”

2. Trump, Harris tied in swing states, per latest WSJ poll

A new Wall Street Journal poll finds voters in the seven battleground states see Donald Trump as better equipped than Kamala Harris to handle the issues they care about most—the economy and border security—yet are divided about evenly over which candidate should lead the nation.

“The survey of the most contested states finds Harris with slim leads in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia on ballots that include independent and third-party candidates where they will be offered as options,” WSJ reported. “Trump has a narrow edge in Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. But no lead is greater than 2 percentage points, except for Trump’s 5-point advantage in Nevada, which like the others is within the poll’s margin of error.”

WSJ added, “Across the full set of 4,200 swing-state voters, Trump gets 46% support and Harris draws 45%.”

Sports & Entertainment

1. Mississippi Mud Monsters unveil new team logo

The new Frontier League baseball team coming to Trustmark Park in Pearl unveiled its logo on Thursday.

As part of the unveiling, the team said its new logo design was inspired by local folklore and meant to reflect the strength and grit of the Mississippi community.

In the press conference Thursday, team leadership emphasized their commitment to building a strong connection with the community through various public-facing events and initiatives, including the ‘On Deck 2025’ campaign, which invited fans to participate in the naming process for the new team.

The team also shared upcoming plans, including the announcement of the General Manager and other key executives, a mascot announcement, and other fan activities, which will roll out in the coming months as the team prepares for the 2025 season.

2. No. 3 MGCCC, No. 12 Jones upset in JUCO action Thursday

Two of the Top 15 JUCO teams fell Thursday night in close games. East Central outlasted No. 3 MGCCC 24-20 while Hinds found a way to upset No. 12 Jones 17-16.

Here’s a rundown of Thursday’s JUCO scores:

• No. 7 Northwest slipped by Southwest 23-20
• Hinds defeated No. 12 Jones 17-16
• MS Delta fell to No. 8 Holmes 52-21
• East Central took down No. 3 MGCCC 24-20
• Itawamba topped Coahoma 37-14
• Pearl River ran out of gas at Co-Lin losing 24-17
• East MS ran it up on Northeast 49-21

3. Big 3 face key matchups on the road this Saturday

No. 9 Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss are all in action Saturday, and each face conference opponents that could determine how their 2024 seasons play out.

• No. 9 Ole Miss heads into Death Valley to face No. 12 LSU in a much-anticipated rivalry matchup. Game time is set for 6:30pm and is airing on ABC.

• Mississippi State travels to No. 5 Georgia looking for a spark. Kickoff is 3:15pm on SEC Network.

• Southern Miss needs a win to remain in the Sun Belt hunt. The Golden Eagles kickoff at ULM at 4pm on ESPN+.

Markets & Business

Data shows inflation not cooling off quickly enough

According to CNBC, data issued on Thursday raised investors’ fears that inflation wasn’t cooling off quickly enough.

“September’s consumer price index rose 0.2% on a monthly basis and 2.4% from a year earlier. Those results topped the 0.1% monthly advance and 2.3% year-over-year gain economists polled by Dow Jones anticipated,” CNBC reported. “Fed funds futures trading suggests a roughly 87% likelihood that the Federal Reserve will dial back interest rates by a quarter point in November, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. However, central bank policymakers will keep a close eye on additional data, which will shape their course on rates.”

As CNBC notes, “another catalyst awaits on Friday morning: the producer price index, a measure of wholesale prices.”