- 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. Ole Miss launches Sports Pharmacy Conference to be held in Utah
As more patients ask questions about dietary supplements, fitness, recovery and lifestyle, the University of Mississippi is launching a new sports pharmacy conference and certificate program to help pharmacists respond with evidence-based guidance.
Hosted by the School of Pharmacy, the first Sports Pharmacy Conference is set for Aug. 14 at the Westgate Park City Resort and Spa in Park City, Utah.
The one-day conference will address the growing role of dietary supplements, physical activity, injuries, recovery, performance and lifestyle medications in pharmacy practice. It will also offer eight ACPE-accredited continuing education hours for practicing pharmacists.
Presenters will include an expert lineup featuring Ole Miss faculty who have helped define the sports pharmacy field. The immersive educational programming focuses on the intersection of pharmacy practice and sports medicine.
2. FEMA sending Mississippi $4.7 million in disaster relief
FEMA has approved more than $4.7 million in funding to support 11 recovery projects in Mississippi communities affected by the January 2026 severe winter storm and March 2025 severe storms.
Projects FEMA will fund include:
- $1.3 million to New Albany Light, Gas and Water for emergency protective measures and debris removal efforts.
- $1 million to Pearl River Valley Electrical Power Association to repair utilities.
- $631,000 to the University of Mississippi for debris removal efforts.
- $541,000 to Benton County for debris removal efforts and emergency protective measures.
- $366,000 to Corinth Gas and Water Department for emergency protective measures.
- $343,000 to Holly Springs Utility Department for emergency protective measures.
- $232,500 to Itawamba County to repair damaged roads and bridges.
- $106,000 to the village of Glendora for debris removal efforts.
- $105,700 to Winona for emergency protective measures.
FEMA is reimbursing these recovery costs at no less than a 75% federal cost share through its Public Assistance program, which provides funds for state and local governments’ response and recovery work.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Congress considers how to tackle Social Security
The Hill reports that Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank Bisignano spoke at a joint subcommittee congressional hearing this week to answer questions about the state of the Social Security program.
“The board of trustees of Social Security and Medicare reported on Tuesday that the former program’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of its total scheduled benefits until only the fourth quarter of 2032 — a quarter earlier than they projected last year. At that point, the OASI fund will be able to cover 78 percent of total scheduled benefits, an increase of 1 percent relative to last year’s report,” The Hill reported. “The trustees report stated that the worse financial outlook for Social Security relative to last year is due to three reasons: declining fertility rates, lower net migration and less federal tax revenue due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed into law last July.”
The Hill continued, “Last month, officials from the AARP noted on a press call that the impending deadline for the OASI fund does not mean that Social Security will go bankrupt.”
2. Conflict between U.S., Iran intensifies
As reported by the Washington Post, “Iran launched two waves of attacks against U.S. bases in three countries across the Middle East early Thursday in response to the latest round of U.S. strikes, with the escalating exchange raising fears of a return to all-out war in the region.”
“Iran’s armed forces launched strikes against U.S. military bases for the second day in a row, targeting five sites in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, according to Iranian state media,” WP reported. “The return to fighting was sparked by the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter that was patrolling off the coast of Oman on Monday, which President Donald Trump said necessitated a U.S. response. It followed direct attacks between Israel and Iran for the first time since the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran began in April and continued Israeli assaults on Iranian-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”
WP further reported, “The impact of Iran’s strikes on U.S. military targets Thursday remained unclear. A U.S. official said Iran’s assault a day earlier caused no significant damage or harm to U.S. personnel. Nearly all missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach their intended targets, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to press.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss’ Utermark named All-American
The NCBWA announced their 2026 College Baseball All-Americans Wednesday afternoon, naming Ole Miss senior Judd Utermark to the Third Team. Utermark is the first Rebel position player to earn All-America honors since Kemp Alderman in 2023.
Ole Miss Athletics said Utermark leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs scored, hits, and total bases. Going into Omaha, he is hitting .312 with 22 home runs, 53 RBI, 72 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. His 72 runs scored are the fifth-most in the SEC and his runs per game of 1.16 is the seventh-highest clip in the conference.
Utermark became the new Ole Miss home run king this season, having hit 51 career home runs so far, the most by a Rebel in program history. He also became the first Rebel in program history to post back-to-back 20+ home run seasons in their career.
2. Blue Delta supporting Ole Miss in Omaha
Blue Delta, the Mississippi-based custom apparel company known for crafting premium custom jeans and pants, is bringing a little Southern hospitality to Omaha this week.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning, members of the Blue Delta team will be first in line at Rocco’s Pizza & Cantina to purchase Jell-O shots for the first 1,000 Ole Miss fans participating in the College World Series Jell-O Shot Challenge.
As a company proudly founded and headquartered in Mississippi, Blue Delta is excited to support the Rebels and help showcase the passion of Ole Miss fans on one of college baseball’s biggest stages.
The Rocco’s Jell-O Shot Challenge has become one of the most talked-about traditions of the College World Series, with fan bases competing to support their teams while raising money for local charities.
Markets & Business
1. Futures up, oil down despite overnight fighting in Iran
CNBC reports that “stock futures gained on Thursday as chip stocks rebounded from recent pressure and oil prices eased despite new U.S. strikes against Iran overnight.”
“Stocks fell during Wednesday’s regular trading session, thanks to another rout in the chip sector and a ramp-up in tensions with Iran. The Dow tumbled 953.33 points, or 1.87%, while the S&P 500 fell 1.62%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 1.98%,” CNBC reported. “The chip rebound came as enthusiasm builds ahead of SpaceX’s debut on Friday, which could highlight the expected growth in the AI buildout ahead.”
CNBC added, “West Texas Intermediate crude futures came off their overnight highs and shed 1% to trade around $89 a barrel. U.S. Central Command forces launched more ‘self-defense strikes’ against Iran late Wednesday, according to Centcom’s post on social media platform X.”
2. C Spire named Arctic Wolf’s 2026 Southeast Partner of the Year
C Spire has been named Arctic Wolf’s 2026 Southeast Partner of the Year. The Arctic Wolf Partner of the Year Awards recognize top-performing partners that demonstrate excellence in security expertise, customer outcomes, and strategic alignment.
The award recognizes the company’s leadership in helping organizations strengthen security operations and defend against modern, AI‑driven threats by delivering trusted security outcomes through Arctic Wolf solutions.
C Spire’s Business Technology unit has been recognized by industry leaders for excellence in cybersecurity, customer experience, and technology innovation. Its certified IT experts serve customers in 49 states, delivering solutions ranging from business internet and fiber to cloud connectivity, voice systems, managed Wi-Fi, and data protection — giving organizations the infrastructure and expertise they need to grow with confidence.
