- 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. Mississippi expects $6.3 million from nationwide opioid settlement
On Thursday, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced a $720 million nationwide settlement with eight drug makers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis.
She said Mississippi could receive up $6,351,265 million in total from the settlement. Mississippi was the first state in the country to file suit against opioid manufacturers for their part in the epidemic.
The AG listed the eight defendants and the total amount they will pay in funds as part of the deal:
- Mylan (now part of Viatris): $284,447,916 paid over nine years
- Hikma: $95,818,293 paid over one to four years
- Amneal: $71,751,010 paid over 10 years
- Apotex: $63,682,369 paid in a single year
- Indivior: $38,022,450 paid over four years
- Sun: $30,992,087 paid over one to four years
- Alvogen: $18,680,162 paid in a single year
- Zydus: $14,859,220 paid in a single year
Additionally, the AG said seven of the companies (not including Indivior) are prohibited from promoting or marketing opioids and opioid products, making or selling any product that contains more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill, and are required to put in place a monitoring and reporting system for suspicious orders. Indivior has agreed to not manufacture or sell opioid products for the next 10 years, but it will be able to continue marketing and selling medications to treat opioid use disorder.
2. FutureReady States Initiative launching in Mississippi
AccelerateMS is partnering with Lumina Foundation to launch the FutureReady States Initiative aimed at evaluating and enhancing workforce training investments and aligning them with employer needs and labor market outcomes with support from Lumina.
AccelerateMS said in a statement Thursday that FutureReady States is being launched to help states identify, strengthen, and scale training programs that lead to short-term credentials—such as certificates and industry certifications—with proven value in the labor market. It will support 12 participating states, including Mississippi, through strategic planning, technical assistance, and funding.
States with strong action plans may be eligible for additional implementation funding in a future phase of the initiative. Lumina has committed $2.2 million to support this initial phase.
The other states participating are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. New poll shows Democrats’ credibility has plummeted further
The Hill reports that the Democratic Party’s credibility with voters “has plummeted even further since the 2024 election, raising alarm bells as the party looks to rebuild ahead of the midterms and the next presidential election, according to a new poll obtained by The Hill.”
“The poll, which was conducted between May and June by Unite the Country, a Democratic super PAC, showed voters perceived the Democratic Party as ‘out of touch,’ ‘woke’ and ‘weak,'” The Hill reported. “The party has seen its support erode with white men, Hispanic men and working-class voters across the board, with approval ratings sitting below 35 percent across those demographics. And enthusiasm within the party continues to wane in the wake of 2024, the poll revealed.”
The Hill went on to note, “Voters also say they are, first and foremost, concerned about common sense in a political party, something Democrats evidently see as an afterthought, the poll revealed. The party needs to align its messaging with the commonsense rhetoric and policies voters are looking for, political observers say.”
2. President, First Lady to visit Texas flood devastation
The New York Times reports that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump “were set to travel on Friday to an area of Texas devastated by last weekend’s extreme flash flooding, which left more than 120 people dead.”
“The president and the first lady were expected to spend a few hours in the state to meet with emergency workers and survivors, and to see some of the disaster sites along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, near Kerrville, which has become a hub for search and recovery work,” NYT reported. “Mr. Trump announced his intention to visit earlier in the week, but said he wanted to wait until enough time had passed because ‘we don’t want to get in anyone’s way.'”
NYT noted, “Officials said more than 170 people were unaccounted for after the flooding. Twenty-seven campers and staff members were reported dead, and several were still missing at Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River.”
Sports
1. Carter contract as Ole Miss AD extended through 2029
Ole Miss is extending the contract of its Athletics Director, Keith Carter, vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, through 2029.
“As a key member of the university leadership team for more than six years, Keith has elevated Ole Miss Athletics to new heights, strengthening our competitive excellence and delivering an unmatched student-athlete experience,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce said in a statement. “Ole Miss continues to build extraordinary momentum across every aspect of the university, and we’re excited to see how our strong foundation and shared vision will drive continued success.”
The university said Carter’s five-plus years as athletics director have marked one of the most successful periods in the university’s history, producing two NCAA team championships, record postseason results, four teams ranked No. 1 nationally and its best finishes ever in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which honors college athletics excellence across all sports.
2. Southern Miss’ Sandlin named to C-USA Hall of Fame
Conference USA announced this week that former Southern Miss standout Nick Sandlin is among the five inductees in their 2025 Hall of Fame class.
While pitching for Southern Miss, Sandlin won the 2018 Ferriss Trophy and was named Conference USA’s Baseball Pitcher of the Year and received the National Pitcher of the Year Award from Perfect Game/Rawlings.
The right-hander held a career 1.70 ERA for USM with head coach Scott Berry stating “he’s probably the best I’ve ever had” during a press conference when Sandlin signed with Cleveland. Called up to the majors in 2021, Sandlin is currently with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Markets & Business
1. Trump’s latest tariff threats send stock futures down
CNBC reports that stock futures dropped Friday, “a day after the S&P 500 posted a new record high, after President Donald Trump announced a 35% tariff on Canada and threatened higher tariffs across the board.”
“Trump cited fentanyl as a reason for higher Canada duties, adding that they would go higher if the country retaliates,” CNBC reported.
“If Canada works with me to stop the flow of Fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter,” Trump said in a letter posted on Truth Social.
Trump then told NBC News “he was planning blanket tariffs of 15% to 20% on remaining countries, higher than the current 10% standard that investors had grown comfortable with.”
2. Ford breaks annual record for safety recalls in 6 months
The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford “has recorded more safety recalls in the first six months of 2025 than any car company ever has in an entire calendar year.”
“Through the end of June, Ford issued 88 safety recalls, according to federal data. The next closest manufacturer this year, at 21, is recreational-vehicle company Forest River, which has been plagued by manufacturing errors. Since 2020, Ford has either reported the first or second most recalls in the industry,” WSJ reported.
WSJ continued, “On Thursday, Ford said it would recall an additional 850,000 pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles because of a potential fuel-pump failure. A bad fuel pump could result in the engine stalling while a driver is operating the vehicle, according to the recall.”
