- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
NASA funds Ole Miss professor’s “cloaking” work
According to Ole Miss, NASA has awarded Elliott Hutchcraft, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University, $750,000 in funding for a project aimed at reducing interference in wireless communications systems.
The grant is part of NASA’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research program.
Hutchcraft is working to find ways to reduce interference caused when antennas for different communication systems are placed too close together. Hutchcraft described the research idea as “Star Trek’s cloaking.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Negotiations continues ahead of government funding deadline
As The Hill reports, “Congressional leaders are trying to de-escalate a standoff over the Sept. 30 government funding deadline, with both Republicans and Democrats signaling they’d be open to a 45-day or possibly longer ‘clean’ continuing resolution that would not include substantial funding cuts.”
“Democrats are trying to keep the path open to a partisan deal to avoid a government shutdown by saying privately they are not going to draw a red line against President Trump’s $5 billion pocket rescission in the spending talks, preferring instead to let the courts handle Trump’s attempt to sidestep Congress by rescinding funding unilaterally,” The Hill reported.
The Hill continued, “In contrast to six months ago, when some Senate Democrats including Schumer reluctantly voted for a House-GOP-drafted funding bill to avoid a shutdown, Democrats are now warning loudly that they will vote against any partisan continuing resolution (CR) the House sends them shortly before the Sept. 30 deadline.”
2. Japan PM resigns
The New York Times reports that “Japan entered a period of renewed uncertainty on Sunday, when its embattled leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, announced his intent to resign after less than a year in office.”
“Now Japan, one of the world’s most stable democracies, faces a political reckoning as it grapples with a host of pressing challenges, including a strained relationship with its chief ally, the United States; an increasingly assertive China; and stubborn economic woes that have alienated a generation of young people,” NYT reported.
NYT went on to report, “Mr. Ishiba’s resignation has set off a ‘profound leadership crisis’ in Japan, said Mireya Solís, director of the Center for Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington.”
Sports
1. Delta State’s Cooley picks up record win
Delta State University football’s 41-9 victory over North Greenville on Saturday gave their head coach the record of the winningest coach in school history with 77 career victories.
With the win, Delta State improves to 2-0 and continues to build early-season momentum. The Statesmen return to action next week, hitting the road to take on UNC Pembroke on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Pembroke, N. C. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.
2. Valley falls to Tarleton
Mississippi Valley State lost to Tarleton on Saturday 59-3, dropping to 0-2 on the season under new head coach Terrell Buckley.
The Delta Devils head to Hammond this week for a matchup with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Markets & Business
1. Investors watching for latest inflation reports this week
CNBC reports that stock futures “ticked higher on Monday as investors gear up for a data-heavy week that includes two closely watched readings on inflation.”
“Investors are awaiting two critical inflation reports this week for more insight into the health of the economy, after weaker-than-expected hiring data on Friday. The producer price index report for August is due out Wednesday morning, followed by the consumer price index on Thursday,” CNBC reported.
CNBC added, “The data follows the lackluster August jobs report that helped fuel investor hope that the Federal Reserve is all but assured to lower benchmark interest rates at its policy meeting later this month. The jobs figures also raised the prospect of a half-point rate cut, per trading data from the FedWatch tool.”
2. Oil betting on Trump
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The Trump administration is opening swaths of wilderness land and federal waters to drilling, approving new terminals to export natural gas and proposing to ax environmental regulations, including an Obama-era rule used to curb emissions from power plants, tailpipes and oil-and-gas production. His One Big Beautiful Bill is expected to hobble renewable-energy projects and stunt the adoption of electric vehicles.”
“Oil executives now enjoy extraordinary access to the White House. Trump has taken to phoning oil bosses whose TV appearances he enjoys, such as Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, according to White House and industry officials,” WSJ reported.
WSJ noted, “So far, however, the industry’s policy wins haven’t flowed through to the companies’ bottom lines. Trump’s shifting positions on trade, coupled with an increase in crude supplies globally, have depressed oil prices, cost energy firms billions of dollars in stock-market value and contributed to layoffs across the industry. And new tariffs on steel and aluminum are making drilling more expensive.”
