- 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. Mississippi National Guard hosting unmanned aircraft systems forum
On September 9-10, the Mississippi National Guard, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Mississippi State University, will host Magnolia Crucible 2026, a two-day unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (cUAS) forum and exercise at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.
Magnolia Crucible 2026 will bring together military, law enforcement, government, critical infrastructure, academia and industry partners to demonstrate, validate and integrate emerging UAS and cUAS capabilities while strengthening collaboration across participating organizations.
The event will include live-action demonstrations, technology showcases, static displays, panel discussions, specialized breakout sessions and tabletop exercises focused on current and emerging UAS challenges.
2. Former Laurel Public Works Director pleads guilty to embezzlement
State Auditor Shad White announced Wednesday that Luther Russell, former Laurel Public Works Director, has pleaded guilty to one count of Embezzlement.
Russell instructed City of Laurel employees to load the city’s track hoe on the city’s Low-Boy trailer and transport them to his property. Russell then used the equipment to conduct work on his own personal property.
Luther was sentenced by the Jones County Circuit Court to five years house arrest, three years’ probation, and ordered to pay back $21,057 in restitution, $1,000 to the Public Defender Fund, $500 in fines, and $427.50 in court costs.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Judge blocks Trump latest attempt to crack down on birth tourism
As reported by Politico, “A federal judge has blocked one of President Donald Trump’s latest attempts to limit birthright citizenship.”
“U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday barring enforcement of provisions in an executive order Trump signed last month seeking to deny citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to foreign parents who came in a ‘commercial transaction’ to gain citizenship or whose parents are ‘alien enemies,’” Politico reported. “Boardman said Trump’s new order defies the Supreme Court’s ruling in June striking down the key provisions of a more sweeping directive he issued on his first day in office that sought to end birthright citizenship for children born to foreigners not in the U.S. legally or in the country on limited-duration visas.”
“The Supreme Court has spoken,” wrote Boardman, a Maryland-based Biden appointee. The high court’s June decision, she said, “is the law of the land. The President must follow it.”
2. Democrats reject proposed constitutional amendment to keep SCOTUS at nine justices
The Hill reports that “a Republican proposal to amend the Constitution to prevent expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court failed on the House floor. “
“Like all constitutional amendments, the measure needed a two-thirds majority of the House to pass, which it did not get: The vote was along party lines at 212-206. Democrats have never supported such an amendment, so it will be easy fodder for Republicans to accuse Democrats of looking to ‘pack the court’ with favorable liberal justices,” The Hill reported. “Rep. Brad Knott (R-N.C.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said he wasn’t surprised the vote was along party lines, even though Democrats, in his view, knew there would be ‘political risk’ to voting no.”
“Democrats are very clear. They want to pack the court,” Knott said. “We want to maintain the normalcy and stick with the process that we’ve done for a long time.”
Sports
1. MSU Athletics rolls out gameday upgrades
Mississippi State Athletics is rolling out another wave of gameday upgrades at Davis Wade Stadium this season, building on the $9 million Mississippi State invested in stadium and gameday enhancements last year as part of a multi-year approach.
This year’s additions reach premium seating, retail, technology and in-stadium production, alongside a loaded fall calendar that includes Mississippi State’s pursuit of a new cowbell world record on September 26, when Missouri comes to town.
MSU Athletics reminds fans that HailState.com/Gameday remains the one-stop planning hub for everything fans need this fall: parking, wayfinding, concessions, retail and more, all in one place.
2. Ole Miss women’s golf finishes 2nd at Boilermaker Classic
The No. 19-ranked Ole Miss women’s golf team finished second at the Boilermaker Classic, carding a (859, -5) while placing five players inside the Top 25, including three in the top five.
The Rebels put together a strong performance on the final day, shooting 8-under in the third round.
Ole Miss was one of just two teams to finish the round under par, joining Miami, who carded a 10-under-par to finish atop of the leaderboard with a (854, -10) total.
Markets & Business
1. Future little changed as Treasury yields stabilize
CNBC reports that “equity futures were little changed Thursday, as traders monitored Treasury yields along with oil prices, while they awaited fresh U.S. employment data later in the week.”
“S&P 500 futures traded flat, while Nasdaq-100 futures slipped 0.2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose marginally,” CNBC reported. “Oil prices rose again, with WTI crude trading 2% higher and briefly topping $93 per barrel. Brent futures advanced more than 1% to above $97.”
CNBC added, “Rising crude has put upward pressure on Treasury yields recently, as investors worry elevated energy prices would drive inflation and force the Federal Reserve to increase rates. However, U.S. yields were about flat on the day as the Japanese yen rallied against the U.S. dollar.”
2. Codaray selected as construction manager for UMMC Cancer Center
Codaray Construction has been selected as construction manager for the new University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) Cancer Center and Research Institute, a 250,000-square-foot facility that will bring cancer care, research and education together under one roof for the first time in Mississippi.
The project is the cornerstone of UMMC’s “It’s About Time” capital campaign and a central piece of the health system’s plan to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation – a distinction held only by the nation’s leading cancer centers.
Mississippi currently has the highest rate of cancer deaths in the country, and the new center is designed to bring world-class, advanced cancer care to Mississippians at home.
As construction manager, Codaray will lead preconstruction and construction phase services for the project, including budgeting and cost estimating, scheduling, site logistics planning, subcontractor and trade partner procurement, quality control and safety oversight, and day-to-day coordination between the design team, UMMC and the project’s builders through substantial completion. The project team also includes Wier Boerner Allin Architecture and Cannon Design firm.
