- 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. $1 million grant awarded for park planned in downtown Jackson
The Foundation for Mississippi History has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Community Foundation for Mississippi’s John and Lucy Shackelford Fund to support construction of Margaret Ann Crigler Park in downtown Jackson.
The announcement was made Tuesday at a news conference at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building.
Located adjacent to the Two Mississippi Museums, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History said the park will feature native Mississippi foliage, a large open green space, an outdoor stage, and a play area for children. The park will be a new anchor on the city’s Museum Trail.
2. Ocean Springs approved $52 million school bond
Ocean Springs residents approved of a $52 million bond for their school district’s planned improvements. According to WLOX, the Tuesday vote garnered 87 percent of the vote in favor of the bond.
The funds will go towards building a new middle school and reconfiguring the districts remaining schools, shifting to a K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 model. In addition, HVAC upgrades will be made at other schools.
“Our staff and students and parents and community work hard every day,” Ocean Springs School District Superintendent Michael Lindsey said, per WLOX. “That’s what gets you to number one and we just think our facilities should match the performance of our students and the efforts of our staff. This is a big step towards that.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump, Putin work through cease-fire negotiations in call
The Hill reports that after a nearly three hour call Tuesday between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, “Putin agreed to a pause in attacks on energy and infrastructure targets in Ukraine, as long as Kyiv agrees on the same.”
“The move would mark the first negotiated truce in fighting in the three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a further step toward Trump’s campaign promise of ending the war. But the Russian leader stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the Trump administration has sought,” The Hill reported.
“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House said in a readout. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”
“For the partial ceasefire to take effect, it needs the greenlight from Kyiv,” The Hill noted. “Just hours after Putin and Trump’s call, Russian troops conducted an airstrike on the energy infrastructure of Slovyansk, a city of 100,000 people in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Part of the city was left without power.”
2. Judge blocks ban on transgender troops
As reported by Politico, “The Pentagon cannot enforce President Donald Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying it is ‘soaked in animus’ and unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex.”
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that “the Trump administration had mischaracterized medical studies in its effort to justify the ban, which Trump enacted in an executive order on the first day of his second term. The administration, she wrote, had misquoted research on transgender people while ignoring data that supported military service by transgender individuals.”
Politico noted that “Reyes delayed the effect of her order until March 21 to give the Trump administration time to pursue an emergency appeal.”
Sports
1. Southern Miss downs Ole Miss in Pearl
No. 19 Southern Miss went up to Trustmark Park in Pearl Tuesday with a little revenge on their minds. The Golden Eagles got it, winning 6-2 over No. 18 Ole Miss.
Davis Gillespie broke open a deadlocked 2-2 game by belting a three-run home run to cap a four-run fifth inning to set up the win.
USM is now 15-6 and Ole Miss is 15-5 on the season.
2. Miss. State run-rules Jackson State
Mississippi State got back in the win column Tuesday after being swept last weekend.
The Bulldogs run-ruled Jackson State in Starkville, winning 16-3 in 7 innings.
Mississippi State scored seven runs in the first inning – their second-most runs in a single inning this season.
State is now 14-7 on the year while JSU dropped to 12-7.
Markets & Business
1. Fed to meet, discuss economic outlook
Stocks are regaining some poise ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
“The Fed is expected to keep interest rates on hold Wednesday, and pencil in one or two cuts for this year. Chairman Jerome Powell’s comments may give clues about the Fed’s approach to tariffs, which pose a challenge by threatening to slow growth and quicken inflation at the same time,” WSJ reported.
2. Mortgage rates rise, demand falls
Mortgage rates rose for the first time in 9 weeks while demand slowed.
“After a strong streak of gains, mortgage demand pulled back last week. An increase in mortgage rates, as well as increasing uncertainty about the economy, were the likely culprits,” CNBC reported. “Total mortgage application volume dropped 6.2% from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index.”
CNBC went on to add, “The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $806,500 or less, increased to 6.72% from 6.67%, with points increasing to 0.64 from 0.63, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That was the first increase in 9 weeks. Rates were 25 basis points higher the same week last year.”
