- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Jackson Mayor wants outsider as next Police Chief
WJTV reports that Jackson Mayor John Horhn “wants a national search to find a new police chief.”
“During the Wise Carter Capital City Forum on Wednesday, the mayor told those in attendance that he’s looking for a replacement for former Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade,” WJTV reported. “Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones is serving as the interim police chief for the Jackson Police Department (JPD).”
“My view is that we probably have to get someone from outside who doesn’t have any preconceived notions about the City of Jackson or about the police department, and who can help us reshape our police department,” Horhn said, per WJTV.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.K. PM fires British Ambassador over Epstein relationship
As reported by the Washington Post, “British Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired the U.K. ambassador to the United States on Thursday, after officials said ‘additional information’ came to light about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.”
“The British Embassy in Washington said that emails written by Peter Mandelson showed ‘that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment,'” WP reported.
WP went on to report, “The statement followed reports in the British press this week that Mandelson had expressed his support for the financier in an email correspondence from 2008, shortly before Epstein was jailed on charges of soliciting prostitution. Mandelson has since expressed his regret for any support.”
2. House GOP has tense meeting over Obamacare tax credit extension
According to Politico, “House Ways and Means Republicans discussed the dilemma of whether to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits during their lunch Wednesday, according to three people with direct knowledge of the meeting.”
“The conservation got rather ‘tense,’ according to one of the people, granted anonymity to speak candidly,” Politico reported. “It’s a politically divisive issue for Republicans, who need to hammer out a plan for dealing with the enhanced subsidies before the Dec. 31 expiration date or risk a major hike in insurance premiums. The Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over the matter.”
Politico continued, “Most fiscal hawks deeply oppose an extension. But even a few conservative members of the Ways and Means panel say privately that they could see a deal coming together later this year, acknowledging the political necessity to act.”
Sports
1. Big 3 all hosting games this Saturday
No. 17 Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss are back in action this Saturday. Here’s who the Big 3 will play and how to watch:
- Ole Miss hosts Arkansas in a second consecutive SEC matchup on ESPN. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
- Mississippi State hosts in-state HBCU Alcorn State. Kickoff is 5 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN+.
- Southern Miss opens Sun Belt play, hosting Appalachian State. The game will air on ESPN+ and kicks off at 6 p.m.
2. Ostrander signs new 4-year deal at Southern Miss
Southern Miss Athletics announced Thursday that its Head Baseball Coach Christian Ostrander has been signed to a new four-year deal.
In two seasons, Ostrander has garnered more wins than any of his predecessors over that time – 90 – and has led the program to two NCAA Regional finals.
The school said Ostrander, widely regarded as one of the nation’s top pitching coaches in the country, became the 14th head baseball coach at Southern Miss when he was elevated to the Golden Eagles’ top spot following the 2023 season. Ostrander became only the fifth coach to lead the program since 1959, following Pete Taylor (1959-83), Hill Denson (1984-1997), Corky Palmer (1998-2009), and Scott Berry (2010-2023).
Markets & Business
1. Investors betting on Fed rate cut
CNBC reports that stocks rose on Thursday “as traders anticipated that the latest reading of a key consumer inflation gauge won’t stand in the way of the Federal Reserve lowering its benchmark interest rate next week.”
“It was a confusing batch of numbers, with the consumer price index reading for August coming in hotter than expected on a monthly basis but in line with expectations on an annual basis,” CNBC reported. “The CPI reading showed an increase of 0.4% for the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, higher than the 0.3% that economists polled by Dow Jones were expecting.”
CNBC added, “However, the index recorded 2.9% on a 12-month basis, as expected. Additionally, the so-called core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy, increased 0.3% in August and 3.1% from a year ago. Both were in line with the Dow Jones forecasts.”
2. Unemployment claims rise
The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of Americans who filed for initial unemployment benefits jumped last week, “hitting the highest level since October 2021.”
“In the week through Sept. 6, jobless claims filings rose to 263,000, up from 236,000 a week earlier. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal were forecasting 235,000 claims,” WSJ reported. “Continuing claims, an indicator of the size of the total unemployed population, came in at 1.94 million in the week through Aug. 30, level from a week earlier. The continuing-claims data lag the initial-claims data by a week.”
WSJ noted, “The seasonally adjusted initial-claims number has mostly bounced between about 215,000 and 250,000 so far this year, and last week’s new recent high will likely reiterate economists’ concern that a slowdown in the labor market is accelerating.”
