Magnolia Mornings: October 25, 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. Former legislator Blackmon speaks at JSU, Ole Miss lecture series

Jackson State University in collaboration with the University of Mississippi School of Law welcomed the former state lawmaker Barbara Blackmon for its Pathway to Law School Lecture Series under the recently announced 3+3 Accelerated Law Program.

As the universities note, the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program was announced earlier this summer, making history for JSU and its students by allowing them to complete their undergraduate and law degrees in just six years. Administrators from both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on June 27, 2024. The program is one of four initiatives that First Lady Thompson is dedicated to implementing at Jackson State to help students who want to be in the legal profession. 

Through the partnership with the University of Mississippi, students can experience a preview day and participate in a lecture series. The preview day is an annual immersion event that allows students to experience firsthand a day in the life of a law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law. The lecture series exposes students to industry professionals once a semester at Jackson State University. 

2. Tickets on sale now for 60th Dixie National Rodeo

Tickets for the 60th Annual Dixie National Rodeo officially went on sale to the general public, Thursday. The 2025 Dixie National Rodeo takes place Friday, February 7, through Sunday, February 9, and Wednesday, February 12, through Saturday, February 15, in the Mississippi Coliseum.

Award-winning and nationally recognized artists scheduled to perform at the 2025 Dixie National Rodeo include:

• Friday, February 7, at 7:00 p.m. – Sam Barber
• Saturday, February 8, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – George Birge
• Sunday, February 9, at 2:00 p.m. – Lorrie Morgan
• Wednesday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m. – Clay Walker
• Thursday, February 13, at 7:00 p.m. – Zach Top
• Friday, February 14, at 7:00 p.m.  – Ella Langley
• Saturday, February 15, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – Gretchen Wilson

The Zach Top on sales have been rescheduled. Tickets for the February 13 performance of Zach Top will be placed on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 29, at 10:00 a.m. The Fan Club Pre-Sale for the Zach Top performance begins Friday, October 25, at 10:00 a.m. and ends Monday, October 28, at 10:00 p.m. Fans can sign up at www.dixienational.org to become a member of the Dixie National Fan Club.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Harris remains in Biden’s shadow

The Wall Street Journal reports that three months after she replaced President Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris has struggled to explain how she would differ from him and their unpopular administration—and voters have noticed.

“A new Wall Street Journal poll finds that a majority of voters, 54%, say she would largely continue Biden’s approach and policies, while 41% said she would bring her own fresh ideas and new leadership to the White House” WSJ reported. “The image of Harris as staying on Biden’s course was even more prevalent among the small portion of voters considered persuadable and still available to either campaign. By about 3 to 1, more in that group saw Harris as akin to Biden than as charting a new path.”

WSJ also noted, “Asked which candidate would bring about needed change, the national survey found 49% naming Trump and 40% picking Harris. When asked which one had a vision for the future, 45% of respondents said Trump, while 43% said Harris.”

2. Unusual activity spotted at former Russian bioweapons site

The Washington Post reports that satellite imagery captured unusual activity at a restricted military research facility nestled among the birch forest northeast of Moscow.

“The Russian site, called Sergiev Posad-6, had been quiet for decades, but it had a notorious Cold War past: It had once been a major research center for biological weapons, with a history of experiments with the viruses that cause smallpox, Ebola and hemorrhagic fevers,” WP reported. “Satellite imagery over the next two years — collected by Google Earth and commercial imaging firms MAXAR and Planet Labs — showsconstruction vehicles renovating the old Soviet-era laboratory and breaking ground on 10 new buildings, totaling more than 250,000 square feet, with several of them bearing hallmarks of biological labs designed to handle extremely dangerous pathogens.”

WP continued, “The images showed multiple signatures that, when combined, indicate a high-containment biological facility: dozens of rooftop air handling units, layouts consistent with partitioned labs, underground infrastructure, heightened security features and what appears to be a power plant.”

Sports & Entertainment

1. Mississippi’s Big 3 set for Saturday matchups

No. 18 Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss are all back in action Saturday against conference opponents. Here’s how to watch:

• Mississippi State hosts Arkansas in Starkville as the 1-6 Bulldogs look for an SEC win. Kick off is 11:45am on SEC Network,

• Ole Miss at 5-2 needs to win out to make the playoffs. The Rebels are hosting Oklahoma for an 11am kick off in Oxford on ESPN.

• Southern Miss will take the field at James Madison with an interim head coach. The 1-6 Golden Eagles want a win to get over the hump. Kick off is 2:30pm on ESPN+.

2. Northwest tops Holmes and more JUCO scores

No. 8 Northwest defended their home turf, eeking out a 2-point win over No. 6 Holmes on Thursday. Here’s a rundown of all of the JUCO scores:

• Co-Lin struggled at No. 14 East Central, losing 31-14
• Itawamba went to Northeast and won 17-0
• Southwest leaves Jones with a 37-21 loss
• MS Delta was blanked at East Mississippi 49-0
• No. 6 Holmes falls at No. 8 Northwest 37-35
• Pearl River lost in OT at Hinds 34-27

The last JUCO game of the week – Coahoma at No. 7 MGCCC – will be played on Saturday.

Markets & Business

1. Wall Street headed to weekly decline

CNBC reports that stock futures rose Friday after the S&P 500 ended a three-day negative streak, while investors look to end a volatile week on a high note.

“Futures tied to the S&P 500 gained 0.2%, as did Nasdaq 100 futures. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 75 points, or nearly 0.2%,” CNBC reported, adding, “The major indexes are tracking to finish the week with losses, which would snap six-week win streaks for all three. The Dow has fared the worst with a drop of more than 2% as of Thursday’s close, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have shed 0.9% and 0.4%, respectively.”

2. Inflation has negatively impacted retirement plans

FoxBusiness reported on a new report led by economist E.J. Antoni that says the Biden-Harris administration’s economic policies have had a detrimental impact on senior citizens’ retirement plans.

“The report, shared first with FOX Business, found that the average 401(k) plan grew by $11,000 from 2021 to 2024, but when adjusted for inflation, it represents a $12,000 (9.2%) loss,” FoxBusiness reported. “Researchers found that retirement plan balances also increased by nearly $30 trillion by the third quarter of 2024. But after adjusting for inflation, the retirement plans are worth roughly $27 trillion, a $2.5 trillion real loss.”

“Probably the biggest takeaway is the fact that people get caught up looking at the stock market and thinking that that’s an accurate representation of every kind of investment, including people’s retirement, and unfortunately, that’s just not the case,” Antoni told Fox Business in an interview.