- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Mississippi taking part in Great American State Fair initiative
On Friday, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced the 166th Mississippi State Fair, to be held October 2-13, 2025, will take part in the nationwide Great American State Fair initiative.
The Great American State Fair initiative, launched by President Donald Trump as part of America250, was announced in Iowa on July 3rd and will travel across state fairs throughout the country. The Great American State Fair will culminate with a nationwide festival in Washington D.C. on the National Mall in 2026 where President Trump will recognize the most patriotic state fair.
Commissioner Gipson was joined by Governor Tate Reeves; Major General Bobby Ginn, The Adjutant General for Mississippi; Nancy Carpenter, Development Director of the America250 Mississippi Commission; Kathy Henry, Daughters of the American Revolution America250 State Chair; Brother Rogers, Historian with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History; and other officials.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump to meet with Putin in Alaska
President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, “where they plan to hold talks about ending the war with Ukraine,” as reported by The Hill.
U.S. NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker told CNN, “In any situation with competing national interests, whether it’s the United States, Ukraine, Russia or any of our allies, you just can’t take people at their face value, you’re going to look at their actions,” The Hill reported.
The Hill went on to report, “Putin is set to meet with Trump in Alaska on Friday to negotiate ceasefire terms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not yet been invited, but the White House and Whitaker said it is a possibility.”
2. Trump to address D.C. crime crackdown
FoxNews reports that President Trump “is expected to hold a news conference at the White House on Monday to discuss crime in Washington. D.C., as federal agents deploy to the streets.”
“The press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET in the White House briefing room,” FoxNews reported. “Trump said on social media on Sunday that the news conference on crime and ‘beautification’ will ‘not only involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation’s Capital, but will also be about Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital.'”
“We are not going to allow people to spend $3.1 Billion Dollars on fixing up a building, like the Federal Reserve, which could have been done in a far more elegant and time sensitive manner for $50 to $100 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote on Truth Social per FoxNews. “The Renovation would have actually been better, and we would have saved $3 Billion Dollars, Traffic Jams, and never-ending Construction.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss TEs named to Mackey watchlist
Ole Miss Athletics announced that football tight ends Luke Hasz and Dae’Quan Wright have both been named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, as announced by the Nassau County Sports Commission on Friday.
The school said Hasz and Wright are among 44 FBS tight ends selected to the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award.
The Mackey Award has been handed out annually since 2000 to the best tight end in college football in honor of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, John Mackey.
2. MSU’s Perry makes United Soccer Coaches’ Midfielders to Watch List
Mississippi State’s Ally Perry has been named to the United Soccer Coaches’ Midfielders to Watch List.
According to the school, the lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month.
The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2024 who are scheduled to return for the 2025 season.
Markets & Business
1. Futures open week higher as inflation report looms
CNBC reports that stock futures inched higher early Monday, “with the market once again on the cusp of all-time highs ahead of a week of key inflation reports.”
“Gains were kept in check after a Financial Times report said Nvidia and AMD agreed to give part of their revenue from certain chips sold in China — in exchange for export licenses to that country. Nvidia shares dipped around 1% in the premarket, while AMD lost 2%,” CNBC reported.
CNBC also noted, “Inflation readings this week will prove a key hurdle for a broad market index near record highs. The consumer price index, which is set to be released Tuesday, and the producer price index, due out Thursday, will be critical in shaping the outlook for the direction of interest rates, especially for the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.”
2. Chinese automakers take shortcut to Europe despite dangers
The New York Times reports that “Chinese automakers are shipping cars to Europe through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, nearly two years after the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen started attacking vessels in the critical Middle East transit route. Other automakers are still shipping cars from Asia by way of a much longer, and expensive, trip around Africa.”
“The trips have continued even after the Houthis used drones, grenades and gunfire to sink two other cargo ships early last month. The militia group says the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians living through Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza,” NYT reported. “Most shipping analysts assume that the Chinese government has reached an understanding with Iran or the Houthis not to harm car-carrier ships from China.”
NYT continued, “Traveling through the Red Sea and Suez Canal saves 14 to 18 days on each round trip between Asia and Europe, compared with going around Africa. This reduces costs for fuel, crews and the ships themselves by a couple hundred dollars per car.”
Magnolia Tribune
