- 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. Trent Lott International Airport breaks ground on $8.7 million expansion
The Jackson County Airport Authority (JCAA) was joined by regional and federal partners Wednesday to break ground on the Trent Lott International Airport North Apron Expansion and Taxiway Connector Project.
JCAA said the $8.7 million investment will boost the airport’s capacity to support further industrial and commercial development in the county and along the Gulf Coast. The expansion project consists of construction of a new concrete aircraft parking apron and connector taxiway and taxiway lighting rehabilitation. Upon completion, the project will provide approximately 15,000 square yards of apron space for parking of aircraft and would provide frontage for the development of new aircraft hangars.
Funding is provided by local and federal sources, including local airport funds, the Federal Aviation Administration, Mississippi Department of Transportation, and Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and the Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States (RESTORE) Act.
2. MSU hosting Mississippi Water and Energy Conference in October
Mississippi State’s Water Resources Research Institute in partnership with the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development is presenting the Mississippi Water and Energy Conference on October 28-30. The event at The Mill at MSU Conference Center will examine the growing importance of addressing water as a critical resource tied to national security, economic development and environmental sustainability.
The conference will explore the strategic role of water in national security, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability, with sessions addressing energy infrastructure and water reliability, agricultural and industrial water use, climate resilience and watershed management, and policy and governance.
Speakers include leading innovators and representatives from the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Mississippi Power, Southern Power, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, national labs and private industry.
Conference registration is open and will remain available through the first day of the event.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. “Anti-ICE” casings found near shooter of Dallas ICE facility
The Hill reports that a Wednesday morning shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas left one person killed and two others in critical condition “after a lone gunman, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot, opened fire on the facility.”
“The gunman was later identified by authorities as Joshua Jahn, 29, of Collin County, Texas. No ICE agents were killed or wounded in the attack, officials said, but one detainee was killed and two others were hurt. The detainee killed was reportedly a citizen of Mexico,” The Hill reported.
The Hill continued, “FBI officials… said rounds of ammunition that were found near the suspected shooter had ‘ANTI-ICE’ written on them — with FBI Director Kash Patel posting a photo on social media of the unspent shell casings with the message.”
2. White House tells agencies to prepare for firings during shutdown
As Politico reports, “The White House budget office is instructing federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force plans for mass firings during a possible government shutdown, specifically targeting employees who work for programs that are not legally required to continue.”
“The Office of Management and Budget move to permanently reduce the government workforce if there is a shutdown, outlined in a memo shared with POLITICO ahead of release to agencies tonight, escalates the stakes of a potential shutdown next week,” Politico reported.
Politico went on to report, “In the memo, OMB told agencies to identify programs, projects and activities where discretionary funding will lapse on Oct. 1 and no alternative funding source is available. For those areas, OMB directed agencies to begin drafting RIF plans that would go beyond standard furloughs, permanently eliminating jobs in programs not consistent with President Donald Trump’s priorities in the event of a shutdown.”
Sports
1. “The Many Lives of Lane Kiffin” airs on ESPN
ESPN aired its “E60: The Many Lives of Lane Kiffin” documentary this week ahead of the Top 15 matchup between Ole Miss and LSU.
“From infamous firings to social media trolling, Lane Kiffin has become one of the most polarizing figures in sports. E60 explores Kiffin’s life as he begins to reflect on his legacy,” ESPN says of the documentary.
You can watch the nearly hourlong broadcast event on ESPN streaming or through Disney/HULU’s apps.
2. USM’s Dixie Darlings to perform at Saints halftime show
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Dixie Darlings have been invited to perform as part of the DJ Jubilee and Light Balance halftime show on Sunday, October 5, at noon in the New Orleans Superdome.
The entire team, under the direction of Whitney Hudson, will experience an NFL gameday with the Saints and Cheer Krewe.
Recognizing the significance of the opportunity, the leadership of The Pride of Mississippi is rallying behind the Dixie Darlings to help make the trip possible despite the unexpected cost.
“The opportunity was just too great to pass up so everyone is working hard to make this happen,” said Dr. Travis Higa, director of The Pride of Mississippi. “One way or another we are going to do our best to support our students in any way we can.”
Markets & Business
1. Investors await latest jobs reports
CNBC reports that stock futures were little changed Thursday “as investors awaited upcoming unemployment data.”
“The three major U.S. indexes fell for the second session in a row on Wednesday as key leaders of the artificial intelligence trade such as Nvidia, Oracle and Micron Technology lost steam,” CNBC reported. “The market action appears to be reflecting concerns about record-high valuations and potentially risky circular relationships in the AI industry after some recent deals.”
CNBC noted, “Thursday’s release of weekly jobless claims data will provide a key economic data point that could influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy moves amid increasing concerns about a weakening labor market and rising layoffs. Initial unemployment claims last week eased after a brief spike the week prior.”
2. Disney told shuttering ABC less costly then continuing to own or sell it
FoxNews reports that Needham, an investment firm, wrote in a client note to Disney “on Tuesday that shuttering ABC and its broadcast network would be less costly and volatile than continuing to own them or sell them.”
“The firm said that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr’s pressure on ABC and its affiliates to take Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show off the air temporarily following controversial comments made by the comedian about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk makes the broadcast network not worthwhile to operate,” FoxNews reported, adding, “Needham said that it would expect Disney’s revenue growth rate to increase by 40- to 60-basis-points annually over the next decade, adding about $20 billion of incremental value for shareholders while also reducing federal regulatory burdens permanently.”
FoxNews continued, “Further, the firm estimated that shuttering the ABC broadcast network would cause a one-time hit of between $10 billion and $11 billion, which would represent about 5% of its more than $200 billion market cap. It added that the market could add back the written-off value of the discontinued operations.”
