- 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.USM’s Garretson crowned 2025 Mississippi Miss Hospitality
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is celebrating Taylor Garretson, a senior who was recently crowned the 2025 Mississippi Miss Hospitality.
The school said the Greene County native emerged at the top of a highly competitive field of 47 contestants from across the state, following a rigorous week of interviews, speeches and stage presentations.
Now serving as the 76th Mississippi Miss Hospitality, Garretson, a digital journalism major and dance minor, will spend the next year traveling the state as a goodwill ambassador for economic development and tourism.
2. PSC releases report on Holly Springs Utility District
On Tuesday, the Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that Silverpoint Consulting officially submitted the final report on their investigation of the Holly Springs Utility District (HSUD). The PSC hired Silverpoint to conduct a third-party investigation into HSUD and evaluated critical aspects of the utility’s performance, including system operations, maintenance practices, emergency preparedness, and metering and billing.
The PSC notes that the report outlines significant concerns, including what it describes as a “death spiral” in the utility’s metering infrastructure, brought on by chronic mismanagement, lack of maintenance, and poor planning. It further details an overstressed operations group, dangerous overgrowth around the distribution system, and long-neglected substations that continue to threaten system reliability, concluding that HSUD and the City of Holly Springs have demonstrated an inability and unwillingness to adequately serve their customers by citing longstanding failures to act on practical, previously issued recommendations.
The PSC stated that the Commission will have an announcement at the next Docket Meeting on August 5th as to what the next step is to act on the findings.
3. Upper Big Black Watershed flood risk public open house announced
The Mississippi/FEMA Risk MAP Team will host a Flood Risk Public Open House scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the North Central Planning and Development Building in Winona to provide the public with an opportunity to review the recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study and related maps.
The area under consideration includes following communities: Village of Callis, City of Kosciusko, Town of Vaiden, Town of French Camp, City of Durant, Town of Goodman, Town of Pickens, Town of West, Town of Kilmichael, City of Winona, Town of Maben, Town of Eupora, Town of Mathiston, Village of Walthall, and portions of the unincorporated areas of Attala County, Carroll County, Choctaw County, Holmes County, Leake County, Madison County, Montgomery County, Oktibbeha County, and Webster County.
Once the preliminary FIRMs become effective, these maps will be used by floodplain permit officials, builders and developers, lenders, realtors, insurance agents, and the general public to determine flood risk.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. EPA looks to repeal “climate endangerment” finding
As reported by The Hill, “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will propose Tuesday to repeal its landmark 2009 finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to the public.”
“EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the timing of the proposed repeal during an appearance on the conservative “Ruthless” podcast Tuesday morning,” The Hill reported. “He had previously said last week that he would axe the finding.”
The Hill continued, “The finding is not just symbolic: It also represents a legal justification for climate regulations, especially rules governing the auto industry that have significant environmental and economic ramifications. In 2007, the Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. EPA authorized the agency to regulate climate change if it makes a determination that global warming poses harm to the American people.”
2. Epstein’s imprisoned associate Maxwell wants immunity before testifying before Congress
According to a letter obtained by the Washington Post, the attorney for Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell said she “would be willing to testify to Congress if lawmakers offer her immunity and provide her with the questions in advance.”
“Our initial reaction was that Ms. Maxwell would invoke her Fifth Amendment rights and decline to testify at this time,” her attorney, David Oscar Markus, wrote in the letter to Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, as reported by the Washington Post. “However, after further reflection we would like to find a way to cooperate with Congress if a fair and safe path forward can be established.”
WP went on to report, “Comer, who has subpoenaed Maxwell to give a deposition to congressional investigators on Aug. 11, said through a committee spokesperson that he is preparing a formal response to Markus’s letter but that at least one of Maxwell’s conditions was off the table: The committee will not grant congressional immunity for her testimony.”
Sports
1. Mud Monsters’ Fowler signs with Brewers
The Mud Monsters announced Tuesday that former Southern Miss pitcher Michael Fowler has signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, becoming the second Mississippi Mud Monsters player this season to join a Major League Baseball organization.
Fowler is a 6-foot-3 right-hander from Trussville, Alabama who joined the Mud Monsters earlier this month. In seven appearances, he went 2-1 with a 1.92 ERA, striking out 15 batters over 9.1 innings while allowing just four hits. Opposing hitters batted just .133 against him.
The team said Fowler’s signing marks the 24th Frontier League player to join a Major League organization during the 2025 season—the most of any MLB Partner League.
2. Ole Miss’ Perkins named to Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist
Ole Miss Athletics says football junior linebacker Suntarine Perkins has been named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as announced by the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday.
The school said the Raleigh, Mississippi native is one of 60 defensive standouts and 21 linebackers nationally, as well as one of 18 players overall from the SEC to make the Nagurski preseason list.
Perkins is also a preseason All-American by both Walter Camp (second team) and Phil Steele (fourth team) and a second-team media All-SEC selection.
Markets & Business
1. Blockbuster weight-loss drug maker sees shares plunge
The Wall Street Journal reports that shares in Novo Nordisk “plunged after it cut its guidance, a result from the company losing its lead in the booming market for weight-loss drugs, opening the door to competitors such as makers of knockoff versions of Novo’s drugs and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.”
“Company shares plunged as much as 30%, at one point wiping out almost $93 billion of Novo Nordisk’s market capitalization, after the Danish drugmaker said headwinds for its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy would cut its sales growth for the year, the latest in a series of challenges facing the once-highflying company,” WSJ reported.
WSJ noted, “Aside from knockoffs, Novo also faces stiff competition from Lilly, whose weight-loss drug Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro have surpassed Novo’s drugs in U.S. prescription volume.”
2. Historic merger of rail companies announced
FoxBusiness reports that Union Pacific Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation announced “a landmark merger deal on Tuesday that will create America’s first transcontinental railroad, linking more than 50,000 route miles from coast to coast.”
“While the deal values Norfolk Southern at $85 billion, the combined companies will be worth more than $250 billion,” FoxBusiness reported. “If approved, this would mark one of the largest rail mergers in U.S. history. It’s also the first time a single company will control rail shipments from the East Coast to the West Coast.”
FoxBusiness added, “The companies touted that the merger would not only reshape the U.S. logistics landscape, but revitalize U.S. manufacturing at scale and drive economic growth and job creation while simultaneously preserving union jobs.”
Magnolia Tribune
