- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Governor provides latest storm damage, flooding update
On Wednesday, Governor Tate Reeves provided an update on the severe storms and major flooding that has impacted Mississippi. According to the governor, 248 homes, 12 businesses, one farm, 65 public roads, and two public bridges have been damaged. Of the homes affected, 15 were destroyed and 79 sustained major damage.
The governor said the following counties have submitted official damage reports to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Damage categories range from affected to destroyed. These numbers will change through the assessment process.
- Covington County – 5 homes, 1 business, 10 roads
- Franklin County – 1 fatality
- George County – 1 home, 7 roads, 1 bridge
- Hancock County – 21 homes, 1 farm, 5 roads, 1 bridge
- Harrison County – 183 homes, 9 businesses, 8 roads
- Pearl River County – 35 homes, 1 business, 6 roads
- Rankin County – 2 homes
- Stone County – 1 business, 28 roads
- Wilkinson County – 1 home, 1 road
Additional assessments remain underway in Forrest, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, and Walthall counties.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Speaker Johnson to push SAVE Act through reconciliation
The Hill reports that “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said he is aiming to push the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act through a third budget reconciliation bill.”
“Johnson’s remarks came shortly after President Trump canceled a signing ceremony for a sweeping bipartisan housing package, saying he won’t sign the legislation until the Senate passes the voter ID bill. The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and the presentation of an ID to cast a ballot,” The Hill reported. “The bill passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to oppose it, leaving it short of the votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has repeatedly dismissed Trump’s calls to eliminate or reform the filibuster in order to pass the bill.”
The Hill continued, “Johnson said in a Wednesday press briefing that he spoke to Trump about how reconciliation, a special process in which Republicans can bypass the filibuster in the Senate, would be the only way to get the SAVE America Act passed.”
2. Socialists prevail in New York
As reported by the New York Times, “Democrats find themselves squeezed by competing forces. The party’s leaders in Washington are pushing for moderate candidates who they hope will be competitive in states and areas that have been inhospitable to Democrats in recent years. But primary voters in New York and other recent contests are moving in the opposite direction, increasingly turning to progressives and even socialists who excite the base.”
“The results — which included the defeat of the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — revealed anew the limited capacity for party power brokers to choose their nominees during a moment of intense voter anger at the political establishment,” NYT reported. “Many Democrats believe that persistent high prices and President Trump’s sagging popularity have given them a strong and clear message of affordability this year. But two years after Republicans won the presidency, the House and the Senate in part by branding Democrats as extreme, out-of-touch leftists, Mr. Trump and his allies are eager to once again use the views of the most progressive voices to define the Democratic brand.”
“America the Beautiful will NEVER be a Communist Country!!!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media early Wednesday calling the three Democrats who prevailed in New York — two of whom identify as democratic socialists — “3 solid Communists,” per NYT.
Sports
1. Bianco, Ole Miss finalizing new four-year contract
Yahoo Sports reports that per Chase Parham of 247Sports, “Ole Miss and Bianco are finalizing a new four-year contract. He just finished up his 26th season in Oxford and will be the lead man through at least 2030.”
“Ole Miss baseball wrapped up its best season since capturing the program’s first national championship in 2022. They made their seventh appearance in the College World Series, but they were ultimately eliminated in two games,” Yahoo Sports reported, noting that Bianco has “taken Ole Miss to the postseason 20 out of 26 total chances.”
Bianco has nine Super Regional berths and three trips to the College World Series since 2014.
2. Southern Miss selected to play in Frisco Classic in March 2027
Southern Miss Athletics announced that its baseball team will be part of the 11th annual Frisco College Baseball Classic, set for Riders Field on March 5-7, 2027.
Peak Events, LLC, is playing host to Southern Miss in the tournament that will also include 2026 NCAA National Champion Oklahoma, Kansas, and UC Irvine.
The weekend tournament will have two games per day in a round-robin format. The full schedule, including matchups and game times, will be finalized soon.
Markets & Business
1. AI, data center boom added to inflation?
According to the Wall Street Journal, “President Trump’s trade wars have waned. The price of gas is finally falling. But inflation has a new catalyst: America’s massive artificial-intelligence build-out is beginning to push up prices on everything from smartphones to electricity.”
“The question now is how widely that build-out might ripple through the economy, and how long it could keep inflation elevated. The answers will have big consequences for the economy,” WSJ reported. “The money pouring into the AI arms race is unprecedented. Analysts peg capital spending at five of the so-called hyperscalers—Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Oracle—at $741 billion this year, according to FactSet, up nearly 75% from last year.”
WSJ further reported, “With so much demand, prices are rising for many of the things that go into the AI build-out. And because those things are used for more than just AI, those price increases are spilling over into the broader economy.”
2. Oil prices drop to near pre-Iran conflict levels
CNBC reports that “oil prices erased wartime gains on Thursday as investors bet global crude supplies would improve after tankers that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf for months began leaving the Strait of Hormuz.”
“U.S. crude for August delivery dropped 1.66% to around $69 a barrel and Brent declined 1.79% to under $73 a barrel, hovering at levels seen before the Middle East war broke out in late February,” CNBC reported. “More than 20 oil tankers carrying about 35 million barrels of crude have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Iran reached an agreement to reopen the key shipping route, according to trade-tracking firm Kpler.”
CNBC added, “Citi said the worst may be over for commodities curve-carry strategies, which had been hit during the U.S.-Iran war as oil’s front-end price spike punished trades that short near-term contracts and buy further-dated ones.”
