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In Mississippi
Wicker, Hyde-Smith support Trump ‘big, beautiful bill’
Mississippi U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith both voted to pass the Trump agenda megabill on Tuesday. The two Republicans released the following statements:
Wicker:
“The Senate-passed reconciliation bill is an investment in the future of the United States. Through this legislation, the Senate secured a down payment on a generational upgrade for our nation’s defense capabilities. Many of the key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be cemented and expanded. This will stimulate the economy and benefit job creators across the country. Additionally, this legislation will help secure the southern border and unleash American energy production. I encourage my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass this bill and deliver on the promises we made to the American people in November.”
Hyde-Smith:
“Senate Republicans have been clear that failure was not an option when it came to passing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. From the start, I’ve understood that the people of Mississippi and our nation needed a permanent extension of the President’s 2017 tax cuts, which generated economic growth, stability, and opportunities for families, small businesses, and hardworking Americans. This legislation is not perfect, but it is a bold step toward forcing greater efficiency, savings, and accountability from our federal government. It is certainly better than forcing a more than $4.0 trillion tax hike on everyone. I trust the House of Representatives will now do the right thing and get this to the President for his one, big beautiful signature.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. House Republican leaders trying to unite members around Senate revisions
The Hill reports that GOP leaders “are scrambling to unite their conference behind the massive Senate bill that would enact President Trump’s domestic agenda and get it to the president’s desk before the holiday weekend.”
“Not only are moderate Republicans balking at cuts to Medicaid, which were made larger by the Senate, but conservatives are also up in arms over the massive increase in deficit spending, also increased by the upper chamber,” The Hill reported. “The combination is raising questions about whether GOP leaders can rally enough support to pass the bill, given a slim House majority that allows for only a small handful of defections.”
The Hill went on to report, “Some of those House GOP critics — moderates and conservatives alike — had warned in no uncertain terms that they were ready to oppose the bill if it were made ‘worse’ by the Senate. Now they face the dilemma of either abandoning that position, to give Trump a win, or standing by it to vote ‘no’ — even if it means sinking the bill.”
2. Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over Harris interview for $16 million
The Wall Street Journal reports that Paramount Global said “it has agreed in principle to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit with President Trump over a ’60 Minutes’ interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, the company said Tuesday.”
“The settlement, which doesn’t include an apology, comprises payments made to the president’s future presidential library and legal fees,” WSJ reported. “Paramount also agreed that ’60 Minutes’ will release transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates in the future after they have aired, according to the company.”
WSJ added, “Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News alleged the network deceitfully edited a ’60 Minutes’ interview with the Democratic presidential candidate to make her sound better… CBS has said the broadcast was ‘not doctored or deceitful.'”
Sports
1. Mud Monsters’ Williams named Pitcher of the Week
Mississippi Mud Monsters right-hander Brian Williams has been named the Frontier League Pitcher of the Week — the first-ever weekly award winner in franchise history.
Williams earned the honor after throwing seven scoreless innings in a crucial start against the Down East Bird Dawgs, helping the Mud Monsters even the series in front of the home crowd at Trustmark Park. He allowed just two hits, walked none, and struck out seven, turning in one of the best performances by any Mississippi pitcher this season.
2. See where Mississippi’s Big 3 ranked in final Learfield Director’s Cup standings
The final standings for 2024-2025 Learfield Director’s Cup have been announced. The annual ranking lists college programs on their athletic department’s overall success during the athletic calendar year.
Ole Miss finished just outside of the Top 25 at No. 27. Mississippi State came in at No. 46 while Southern Miss was No. 216.
The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.
Markets & Business
1. Mortgage rates fall, refinance demand surges
As reported by CNBC, “Mortgage rates fell last week to the lowest level since April, leading current homeowners to seek savings.”
“Applications to refinance a home loan rose 7% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Demand was 40% higher than the same week one year ago,” CNBC reported. “The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $806,500 or less, decreased to 6.79% from 6.88%, with points decreasing to 0.62 from 0.63, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That rate is 24 basis points lower than the same week one year ago.”
CNBC noted, “Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home increased just 0.1% for the week and were 16% higher than the same week one year ago.”
2. Powell says tariffs delayed rate cuts
FoxBusiness reports that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday said “that the central bank has held off on cutting interest rates due to concerns about tariff-induced price hikes on consumers, adding that the Fed likely would’ve cut rates this year if not for those tariff worries.”
At the European Central Bank Forum in Portugal, FoxBusiness reported that “Powell was asked whether the Fed would have cut interest rates more by now if it weren’t for the tariffs spurring inflation concerns.”
“I think that’s right,” Powell said. “In effect, we went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs and where essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs.”
FoxBusiness continued, “Earlier in the conversation, Powell noted that the U.S. economy is in a ‘pretty good position’ with inflation having trended closer to the Fed’s 2% goal in recent years, while the unemployment rate at 4.2% is a sign of a healthy labor market.”
Magnolia Tribune
