- 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. Gun used in murder of Till acquired by MDAH
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History announced Thursday that the gun used in the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till and the weapon’s holster have been acquired and are now on display at the Two Mississippi Museums – Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
MDAH said the Foundation for Mississippi History acquired the artifacts for donation to MDAH.
Both artifacts were owned by J.W. Milam, who along with his half-brother Roy Bryant, confessed to Till’s murder in a “Look” magazine article published in January 1956, some four months after an all-white jury in Tallahatchie County acquitted the men in the case.
The artifacts were acquired from a Mississippi family that is not connected to the case.
2. MSDH distributes over 20,000 naloxone kits to combat opioid overdoses
The Mississippi State Department of Health’s (MSDH) Opioid and Substance Use Program has reached a milestone. the agency said Thursday.
As of August 20, MSDH has distributed more than 20,000 free individual naloxone kits throughout the state. Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications.
MSDH said Mississippi drug overdose deaths reached an all-time high of 787 deaths in 2021 and are beginning to decline due to prevention and linkage to care efforts. They were 2.5 times higher in 2023 than in 2018.
Requesting a free kit is easy, MSDH said. You’ll only need to watch a short training video and complete a survey here.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. GOP, Democrats considering midterm conventions
Democrats and Republicans are considering hosting a midterm cycle convention next summer.
As The Hill reported, “President Trump on Thursday floated the idea of having the Republican Party hold a convention just ahead of the 2026 midterms, as Democrats say they’re considering a similar idea.”
“Lauding the GOP’s fundraising, and touting what he called ‘incredible’ results of his administration’s efforts to reverse the Biden administration’s actions, Trump added: ‘In that light, I am thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party, just prior to the Midterms. It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!!!’ The Hill reported. “A Democratic National Committee spokesperson said in a statement that it was considering holding a large gathering ahead of the 2026 midterms to tout rising stars and midterm candidates, confirming reporting by Axios on Wednesday that the party was mulling the idea.”
The Hill noted, “Axios noted the Democratic Party used to hold conventions during or right after midterm cycles decades ago but stopped doing so in the mid-1980s.”
2. Jong-un, Putin head to meet with China’s Xi Jinping along with Iran, Cuba leaders
The New York Times reports that Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia “will join China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, next week in Beijing for an extraordinary gathering of world leaders, several of whom oversee the United States’ most bitter adversaries.”
“The leaders will convene on Sept. 3 for a military parade to commemorate the end of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. But beyond the public celebration, the event will afford leaders from some of the world’s major authoritarian governments a chance to directly engage with each other,” NYT reported.
NYT continued, “In addition to Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim, Mr. Xi is assembling leaders from countries like Iran and Cuba that have long been defiant to a U.S.-led world order. The heads of about 20 other governments will also attend.”
Sports
Mississippi colleges set for 2025 season kickoff
Mississippi’s Division 1 college football programs are set to kick off their 2025 season this Saturday. Here is a rundown on kick off times:
- No. 21 Ole Miss hosts Georgia State: 6:45 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Mississippi State visits Southern Miss: 11 a.m. (ESPN)
- Jackson State hosts Hampton: 2 p.m. (HBCU Go)
- Southern comes to MS Valley State: 4 p.m. (SWAC TV)
Markets & Business
1. U.S. economy grew faster than expected in 2nd quarter
CNBC reports that the U.S. economy “grew at a pace that was faster than expected in the second quarter as consumers and businesses held up against tariff volatility.”
“Gross domestic product rose at a 3.3% annualized pace in the April-through-June period, the Commerce Department reported Thursday in its second estimate for the most encompassing measure of economic activity. The reading was better than an initial 3.0% estimate as well as the 3.1% Dow Jones consensus forecast,” CNBC reported. “Consumer spending, which rose by 1.6% compared with an initial 1.4% estimate, helped push the number higher.”
CNBC added, “Importantly, a measure called final sales to private domestic purchasers jumped 1.9%, up from the previous figure of 1.2%. Federal Reserve officials watch that metric closely as an indication of demand and sales that focuses on activity within U.S. borders, an especially important measure considering the uncertain impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.”
2. Three MS locations of Claire’s closing
Claire’s, a fashion and jewelry store chain for tweens and teens, has announced that they will close 235 stores as it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
This is impact three locations in Mississippi – Meridian, McComb and D’Iberville.
A timeline for the closures was not announced.
Last week, Claires Holding sold its North American business to Ames Watson, a private equity firm, for $104 million.
