- 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. Absentee ballots up about 10,000 in a week
As of Monday – two weeks before Election Day – the Secretary of State’s office released that the Statewide Election Management System reported a total of 86,525 absentee ballots had been requested and 84,636 absentee ballots were sent.
Of that, 67,802 absentee ballots have been received in the state of Mississippi for the 2024 November General Election, up about 10,000 from last week.
Nearly 234,000 Mississippians had their votes accepted in the 2020 election by way of an absentee ballot. In 2016’s November General Election, just over 103,000 absentee ballots were accepted.
2. MSDH warns of dangers of lead poisoning
The Mississippi State Department of Health is spreading awareness about the dangers of the toxic metal and imploring parents to get their children and homes tested this week as part of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
MSDH says between 2017 and 2021, 845 Mississippi children tested positive for elevated blood lead levels. Medicaid recipients were more than twice as likely to test positive, reflecting the increased risk of living in older homes.
Children can be exposed to lead from several sources but are at higher risk ifs they live in older homes that contain lead in pipes and mini-blinds or have peeling paint. Other sources of lead include:
Batteries and metal jewelry
Soil and dust
Tap water
Electrical cords
Keys
Garden hoses and outside water faucets
Lead-based paint
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Biden-Harris want insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control
On Monday, the Biden-Harris Administration proposing a new rule that would require insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control at no cost to the patient.
The White House statement said it would significantly increase coverage of contraception without cost sharing for 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance. The New York Times reports that it would “include emergency contraception, a newly approved nonprescription birth control pill, spermicides and condoms.”
“At a time when contraception access is under attack, Vice President Harris and I are resolute in our commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable contraception,” President Joe Biden said in a White House statement.
In her official statement, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “While we fight to protect and expand health care, extremist so-called leaders are attacking reproductive freedom at every turn.”
2. More Republicans embracing early voting this cycle
The Wall Street Journal reports that Republicans are embracing the practice of casting their ballots before Election Day more than they have in past election cycles.
“More than 15 million Americans have voted early in-person or cast mail-in ballots, including 5.3 million in the seven swing states, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab,” WSJ reported. “In the states where voters register by party, about 47% of the early votes have been cast by Democrats, while 33% have been cast by Republicans. Battleground states such as Michigan and Georgia aren’t included in the breakdown by party registrations.”
WSJ also noted, “Trump campaign officials say they are pleased that the available data show Republicans have eaten into the Democratic advantage from the same time in 2020.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Jaxson Dart’s got milk
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart will help The Dairy Alliance connect with consumers across the Southeast about the nutritional and delicious benefits of dairy milk in sports nutrition.
The Dairy Alliance said on Monday that Dart is joining fellow quarterbacks from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to engage with consumers about the benefits of dairy milk. These football stars are competing on social media to demonstrate how dairy milk is a game-changer in sports nutrition, offering hydration, high-quality protein, and essential nutrients for muscle recovery.
The organization said The Dairy Alliance’s Milk’s Got Game is already dominating the NIL scene, featuring top college athletes from powerhouse SEC schools. Jaxson Dart joins an impressive roster of athletes, including Carson Beck of the University of Georgia Nico Iamaleava of the University of Tennessee, and Brock Vandagriff of the University of Kentucky.
2. Ole Miss hosting 2024-25 basketball season tip off party
Ole Miss Athletics announced that its men’s and women’s basketball will tip off the excitement for the upcoming 2024-25 season with a special “Party in the Pavilion” preseason event presented by Oxford Orthopaedics on Tuesday.
SJB Pavilion doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with the programming beginning at 8 p.m. on Craddock Court. Admission is free and open to all fans. In lieu of charging for tickets, fans are encouraged to donate $10 to the Grove Collective in support of Ole Miss student-athletes.
The evening will feature introductions of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, interactive fan activities, and special performances to fire up Rebel Nation ahead of the new season.
Markets & Business
1. Rates edge back up even after Fed cut
The market has been on a hot streak in October with the S&P 500 reaching a record and stretching its year-to-date gain to beyond 22%, reported CNBC. Yet, as the outlet notes, “A loss in Tuesday’s session would be the first back-to-back losing session for the benchmark since early September.”
“Uncertainty about the future of Federal Reserve rate cuts has weighed on markets so far this week with the 10-year Treasury yield topping 4.20% early Tuesday after surging 11 basis points in the prior session. The 2-year yield climbed to 4.04% early Tuesday. Rates have actually increased since the Fed cut by a half point a month ago,” CNBC reported. “Part of that move can be attributed to improving economic data, but some of that increase is due to pessimism the Fed won’t be as aggressive with rate cuts moving forward. Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari hinted Monday the central bank may take a more modest approach from here.”
2. Gorman to join Disney as chairman, new CEO to be named in 2026
FoxBusiness reported that the Walt Disney Company has named Morgan Stanley veteran James P. Gorman as chairman of the board, effective Jan. 2, 2025, and said he is already part of the team “working to identify and prepare the next chief executive officer,” with an announcement coming in “early 2026.”
“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as Disney’s Chairman at this important moment in the company’s history,” Gorman said in a statement, as reported by FoxBusiness. “A critical priority before us is to appoint a new CEO, which we now expect to announce in early 2026. This timing reflects the progress the Succession Planning Committee and the Board are making, and will allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger’s contract in December 2026.”
Current Disney CEO Bob Iger has seen his retirement date extended five times.
“He initially planned to stay for two years after coming out of retirement, but agreed to extend his tenure through 2026. His contract concludes in December 2026,” FoxBusiness reported.
