- 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’s CAO steps down
Chief Administrative Officer Pieter Teeuwissen has stepped down.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn (D) thank Teeuwissen for his dedication and service to the City of Jackson and to his administration.
“Over the past year, Pieter has been an essential part of our team. He stepped into the role of Chief Administrative Officer and immediately made his presence felt, serving as a steady voice for this administration at city council meetings and representing Jackson’s interests on the 1% Infrastructure Sales Tax Commission. As we’ve faced budget shortfalls, Pieter has been at the table, working through the hard conversations and helping chart a responsible path forward,” Horhn said. “The loss of his law partner earlier this year was a profound one, and I have the deepest respect for Pieter’s honesty in recognizing that his circumstances have changed. His recent appointment as a trustee to the National Conference of Bar Examiners speaks to the caliber of professional he is, and I know he will carry that same level of dedication into that new chapter.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Maine Democrat Senate candidate facing new sexual assault allegations
According to the Washington Post, “Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, said Monday he was ‘taking the time to reflect on the best path forward’ as he faced a sexual assault allegation from a woman he previously dated.”
“Platner, who has withstood a long list of previous controversies, has seen his support from key Democrats collapse amid mounting pressure to withdraw before a July 13 deadline. His challenge to Sen. Susan Collins (R) is critical to control of the U.S. Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage,” WP reported. “Platner can drop out any time before the November election. But Democrats, under state law, would only be able to put a replacement candidate on the ballot if he does so in the next week.”
WP noted that Platner “has faced an escalating series of scandals since launching his challenge to Collins last summer, including old social media posts dismissive of sexual assault, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up, sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women after he married in 2023, and allegations of physical violence by ex-girlfriends.”
2. DOGE no more
The Hill reports that the “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which spearheaded job and funding cuts throughout the federal government, shut down operations on July 4.”
“In a Saturday social media post, the department quoted former President Teddy Roosevelt, writing, ‘Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing,'” The Hill reported. “‘While the formal mission of DOGE has come to an end, the mission to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse will continue,’ DOGE added. ‘Good stewardship of taxpayer dollars and accountable government are not temporary initiatives. We hope those principles endure long into America’s next 250 years.’”
The Hill continued, “Under an executive order President Trump signed on his first day back in office, DOGE was set to expire on America’s semiquincentennial. Trump’s order renamed the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service and directed the heads of every federal agency to ‘ensure’ officials from the new department had ‘full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.’”
Sports
1. U.S. World Cup run ends, loses to Belgium
The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 4-1 Monday in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2026, losing to ninth-ranked Belgium that is now unbeaten in its last 18 matches.
U.S. Soccer said with the result, the USMNT’s run at FIFA World Cup 2026 on home soil comes to an end. The U.S. bow out of the competition having made program history – finishing atop Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia, recording the first knockout stage victory since 2002 with the Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and scoring the most goals in a single World Cup (11).
U.S. Soccer added that Head coach Mauricio Pochettino and the 26 players on his roster will go down in U.S. Soccer history for the incredible support they generated in the first FIFA World Cup on home soil in 34 years.
2. Ole Miss’ McPhee-McCuin to lead Bahamas National Team
Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has returned to serve as the Senior Women’s head coach for The Bahamas National Team.
“I am honored to be the Head Coach of the Bahamian National Team,” said McPhee-McCuin. “I’m excited about the competition at Centrobasket and I believe our team will be ready! We will have training camp and I am positive that the group picked will represent The Bahamas to the fullest!”
McPhee-McCuin will lead the Bahamian team in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup Centrobasket Qualifier, taking place from July 12-18, 2026, at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello in Managua, Nicaragua.
Markets & Business
1. Oil rises after Iran attacks ship in Strait of Hormuz
CNBC reports that oil prices rose on Tuesday morning “following a report of an Iranian attack on commercial ships in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.”
“The reported attacks in the waterway, which typically handles around 20% of the world’s oil traffic, reaffirm the fragility of the U.S. and Iran’s interim peace agreement, as they negotiate a permanent end to their war,” CNBC reported.
As for the oil prices, CNBC reported that “International benchmark Brent crude futures with September delivery were last seen trading 1.2% higher at $72.85 per barrel, paring earlier gains. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with August delivery advanced 1% to $69.26, after closing at its lowest level since Feb. 27 in the previous session.”
2. Big Tech looking for ways to rationalize AI spending
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “Big tech reining in its AI spending may be a tantalizing prospect for some. It would also be a costly one.”
“That doesn’t seem in the cards yet. Second-quarter reports coming later this month will likely show another period of blowout AI investments. Wall Street analysts estimate that combined capital spending by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta Platforms surged 74% year over year to hit $168 billion in the June-ending quarter, according to consensus estimates from Visible Alpha,” WSJ reported. “This spending is crimping both the free cash flow and stock prices of those four companies; only Google-parent Alphabet has managed to outperform the S&P 500 this year.”
But, as WSJ reported, “there are also some signs that AI’s big spenders are looking for more ways to at least rationalize their investments.”
