- 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. Congressman Kelly introduces FARM Act
On Friday, Congressman Trent Kelly (R-MS 1) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Farmer Assistance and Revenue Mitigation Act of 2024 (FARM Act), legislation he said is designed to provide much-needed support to America’s farmers.
The FARM Act provides assistance to farmers when their revenue falls below the cost of production due to circumstances beyond their control. Congressman Kelly emphasized that the bill will help keep farms in operation during this challenging time.
“Farmers have been hit with circumstances outside of their control, such as natural disasters, inflation pressures, and drought, which have crippled their ability to obtain financing from credit and banking institutions. The FARM Act will bridge the gap, providing relief so that our farmers can continue to do their best—feed the nation,” said Congressman Kelly.
2. Auditor White to unveil “largest audit of government waste in decades”
State Auditor Shad White will be hosting a press conference at the Trade Mart Atrium in Jackson on Monday, unveiling “Project Momentum,” what he says is the largest audit of government waste in decades.
“On Monday my team is going to release a study identifying more than $300 million of waste in state government. We identify everything from contracts for overpriced TV monitors, to unused state office space, to too many cars in agencies, and everything in between, down to the penny,” White posted on X.
White added that identifying fraud, waste, and abuse “is what I was hired to do by you, and on Monday, you’ll get a look at the largest finding of waste that we’ve made in my time in office.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Thousands of Democrat-hired lawyers prepping for election challenges
Democrats are readying thousands of post-election lawyers ahead of the General Election, which is one week away.
“Bracing for a flurry of postelection lawsuits to cap what has already been a fiercely litigated presidential contest, Kamala Harris’s campaign has expanded the Democratic legal team considerably, spending the better part of a year trying to anticipate any legal curveball that could arise in the crucial days before—and after—voters go to the polls,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal went on to report, “More than 400 lawyers have been writing thousands of pages of draft legal pleadings and memos that could be deployed quickly in fast-moving litigation. A larger network of about 10,000 lawyers is on tap to be on the ground and supporting voter protection at polling places across the U.S. Senior advisers have held weekly brainstorming sessions that in effect work like legal game theory, with top lawyers sketching out strategies for addressing a host of hypothetical scenarios that could arise in legal combat over the election results.”
2. China hopes for a new Kissinger
According to the Washington Post, Chinese experts say a “new Henry Kissinger” is needed.
“Influential voices in China are openly discussing who could match Kissinger’s gravitas as a statesman, his unwavering advocacy for engagement, and his ability to act as a back channel in times of crisis — regardless of who wins the presidency,” WP reported. “The Paper, a state-run media outlet, recently ran an eight-part series called ‘Looking for Kissinger,’ identifying American business leaders, academics and former officials who could help keep relations stable.”
WP also noted, “In Beijing’s foreign policy circles, the race for the White House is often cast as lose-lose, with former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both signaling they will take a tough line on China, despite differing on policy details.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Kiffin fastest Ole Miss coach to reach 40 wins
Ole Miss Athletics says Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin became the fastest to win 40 games in program history with the Rebels’ 26-14 victory on Saturday over Oklahoma.
It took Kiffin 57 games to reach 40 wins with his record standing at 40-17, three ahead of John Vaught’s 60 games (40-16-3).
Kiffin is also now only the fourth coach in Ole Miss history to reach the 40-win plateau, joining Vaught (190-61-12), Billy Brewer (67-56-3) and David Cutcliffe (44-29).
2. JSU heads to Southern Miss for basketball exhibition to benefit Extra Table
Jackson State and Southern Miss men’s basketball teams are set for an exhibition on Monday in Hattiesburg.
The game tips at 6 pm and all ticket sales will benefit Extra Table, a statewide non-profit food bank.
According to JSU Athletics, although this game will not count towards the all-time series, the two have 14 times in school history with Southern Miss leading 10-4. The last meeting came on Oct. 4, 2017, when Jackson State won 75-64, and the Tigers have won the last three meetings all by double figures.
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices drop after Israel strike on Iran spares energy facilities
CNBC reports that oil prices lost 6% on Monday after Iranian energy facilities were not damaged during an Israeli attack over the weekend.
“Futures for global crude benchmark Brent slid 6.13% to $71.39 per barrel at 10:10 a.m. London time, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures dropped 6.35% to $67.22 per barrel,” CNBC reported.
The outlet also noted, “The strike steered clear of oil, nuclear, and civilian infrastructure locations. Iranian oil news network Shana said that Iran’s oil industry operation is “underway normally” with no disruptions.”
2. More Americans living paycheck to paycheck than in 2019
FoxBusiness reports that the share of U.S. households living paycheck to paycheck has grown across all income brackets over the past five years, according to a new study from the Bank of America Institute.
“A new analysis released by the think tank on Tuesday found that more than a quarter of Americans, 26%, have necessary expenses that chew up more than 95% of their take-home pay, and nearly a third, 30%, of households spend upwards of 90% of their income on critical bills like groceries, housing, utilities, gas, insurance and child care,” Fox Business reported.
“The data showed a 10% increase in those living paycheck to paycheck in 2024 compared to 2019,” the outlet added.
