- 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. Lee County, Tupelo join growing list of local governments banning kratom
WCBI reports that the Lee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban kratom, often sold at gas stations, convenience stores, and vape shops.
“While some use it to relieve pain, authorities say they are seeing more cases of overdoses involving kratom,” WCBI reported. “Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson says the county’s decision follows a ban on kratom by the city of Tupelo a couple of weeks ago.”
Nearly 40 local governments, whether counties or cities, have restricted or banned kratom.
2. Ole Miss to host symposium on use of drones in disaster response
First responders, policymakers, industry professionals and the public from across the country will gather at the University of Mississippi on March 2 to discuss how drones can help save lives and provide critical information during disasters and emergencies.
The university’s Center for Air and Space Law will host its second Unmanned Aircraft System Symposium focused on “Unleashing UAS for Crisis Response and Disaster Relief.”
Ole Miss said in a release announcing the symposium that the event is organized in partnership with the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence and partially funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. It will involve panels, presentations and facilitated discussions, allowing participants to learn from industry experts.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S. military moves into place as Trump weighs Iran strike
According to the New York Times, “The rapid buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East has progressed to the point that President Trump has the option to take military action against Iran as soon as this weekend, administration and Pentagon officials said, leaving the White House with high-stakes choices about pursuing diplomacy or war.”
“Mr. Trump has given no indication that he has made a decision about how to proceed. But the drive to assemble a military force capable of striking Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missiles and accompanying launch sites has continued this week despite indirect talks between the two nations on Tuesday, with Iran seeking two weeks to come back with fleshed out proposals for a diplomatic resolution,” NYT reported. “Mr. Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran give up its nuclear program, including agreeing not to enrich any more uranium. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, whose country would potentially take part in an attack, has been pushing for action to weaken Iran’s ability to launch missiles at Israel.”
NYT continued, “Israeli forces, which have been on heightened alert for weeks, have been making more preparations for a possible war, and a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet was moved to Sunday from Thursday, according to two Israeli defense officials.”
2. Homeland Security shutdown talks stalled
As The Hill reports, “Discussions between the White House and Democratic leaders on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have hit a wall as administration officials publicly slammed the minority party for refusing to make concessions.”
“Ever since Democrats sent the White House legislative text of their demands to reform how the administration carries out immigration enforcement on Feb. 7, negotiators have largely kept mum the details of the proposals and counterproposals that followed in the hopes of reaching an agreement,” The Hill reported. “That began to change Tuesday when the White House slammed Democrats in a series of public comments, accusing them of not being willing to make concessions as the funding impasse nears a full week.”
“They’re saying right now, OK, we’re going to close DHS until you basically stop enforcing immigration law in this country. We’re not going to do that,” White House deputy chief of staff James Blair said in a TV appearance Tuesday, per The Hill.
Sports
1. Former Florida QB, now at Miss. State, settles lawsuit over NIL
The Associated Press reports that “Quarterback Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against former Florida coach Billy Napier and three other defendants regarding a failed name, image and likeness deal worth nearly $14 million has been settled.”
“Rashada sued Napier, Florida booster Hugh Hathcock, Hathcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive, and Marcus Castro-Walker, the program’s former director of player engagement, in federal court in Pensacola in 2024,” the AP reported. “He accused Napier, Hathcock, Velocity and Castro-Walker of fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentations, tortious interference with a business relationship or contract, aiding and abetting tortious interference and vicarious liability. The complaint requested a jury trial and damages of at least $10 million.”
The AP noted that Rashada spent 2023 at Arizona State, transferred to Georgia in 2024, transferred to Sacramento State in 2025 and is now at Mississippi State.
2. Mud Monsters announce 2026 season coaching staff
After finishing their 2025 expansion season with a 49-47 record and a .510 winning percentage, the Mississippi Mud Monsters said Wednesday that the team is turning the page to Year Two with a coaching staff built to push the momentum forward.
The team announced that Manager Jay Pecci and Hitting and Outfield Coach Jamie McOwen will return to Trustmark Park, while Kurt Takahashi joins as Pitching Coach and Lucas Duffy steps in as Director of Analytics.
The organization said that 2026 staff reflects the Mud Monsters philosophy of compete relentlessly, develop players intentionally, and blend experience with innovation.
The 2026 season at Trustmark Park begins May 7 at Trustmark Park against the Gateway Grizzlies. Season tickets, flex plans, and group outings are available now here.
Markets & Business
1. CBO projects U.S. deficit to surge
The Wall Street Journal reports that “debt held by the public will balloon to more than $56 trillion by 2036 as annual deficits continue to mount, according to the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office. By later this year, the federal debt held by the public is expected to surpass the size of the entire U.S. economy.”
“The main drivers: increased spending on entitlement programs as the nation’s population ages as well as rising costs related to paying interest on the debt itself. Republicans have taken issue with the projections, saying the CBO’s assumptions on economic growth are too low,” WSJ reported.
WP points out that the CBO showed that “Social Security and Medicare costs will drive mandatory spending to 15% of GDP by fiscal year 2036. Mounting debt will increase spending on net interest to nearly 5% of GDP.”
2. Inflation concerns have some at Fed considering rate hikes
FoxBusiness reports that the Federal Reserve policymakers “were mostly in agreement on the decision to leave interest rates unchanged despite two calling for cuts, though several signaled that rate hikes could be on deck if inflation remains elevated.”
“The minutes for the January meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed’s monetary policy-setting panel, were released Wednesday and showed that some policymakers were in favor of including language signaling the possibility of future rate hikes to tame stubborn inflation in the announcement,” FoxBusiness reported. “The FOMC voted 10-2 to leave the benchmark federal funds rate at its current range of 3.5% to 3.75%, with Fed governors Christopher Waller and Stephen Miran dissenting over concerns about the labor market.”
FoxBusiness noted, “Inflation has remained elevated above the Fed’s 2% target, which has given others pause about further rate cuts.”
Magnolia Tribune
