- 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. Coast teen missing, last seen on Horn Island on July 4th
Multiple law enforcement and volunteer groups continue to search the Gulf around Horn Island after 18-year-old Nolan Wells went missing Saturday.
Wells is a graduate of Ocean Springs High School and is currently attending Southwest Community College where he plays football.
Wells is a 6-foot-1 young man weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen around 3 p.m. Saturday wearing blue swim trunks on Horn Island.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, DMR, Coast Guard, the United Cajun Navy and more have been searching the island and waters around it since early Sunday morning.
Anyone with any information on Wells’ whereabouts or related information should contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 228-769-3063.
2. Miss. Supreme Court issues temporary order in CPS records case
WLBT/WTVA reports that the Mississippi Supreme Court “has stepped in with a temporary fix to a new law that took effect this week, impacting the state’s child protection system.”
“The law keeps state agencies from disclosing records involving children without exceptions. It created concern that the change would impact the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) and the courts that oversee cases of abused or neglected youth,” the outlets reported. “MDCPS filed an emergency motion with the Mississippi Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 1, and on Thursday, July 2, the court issued a temporary order.”
WLBT/WTVA noted that that the high court’s order “provides a temporary fix by suspending penalties for violating confidentiality. The order will remain in place until July 24.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. House to put SAVE Act in budget reconciliation bill
The Hill reports that “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Sunday said the House will attempt to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act ‘one more time’ through a budget reconciliation bill.”
“The president has that as a top priority, and so do I,” Johnson told Fox News’s Shannon Bream in an interview on Sunday, per The Hill. “We passed it three times in the House. We’re going to try one more time on a budget reconciliation bill, and I think that will be the way to get it through the Senate, and finally, to the president’s desk.”
The Hill continued, “He said that although a prohibition on mail-in voting with exceptions and other requests made by Trump could be included, the ‘bigger reach’ is to hone the bill to focus on providing proof of citizenship when registering to vote and the presentation of photo ID before casting a ballot — the core components of the bill.”
2. House Ethics responds to release of information
According to Politico, “The House adopted a resolution Tuesday requiring the House Ethics Committee to release information on taxpayer funds used to pay out sexual misconduct settlements with lawmakers — but the committee now says it has no information it can share.”
“In a statement Thursday, the committee reiterated it does not manage sexual harassment lawsuits or their settlements; taxpayers have not footed the bill for those payments since 2018,” Politico reported. “Since that time, according to the statement, ‘the Committee has not been notified of any awards or settlements relating to allegations of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or other sexual misconduct by a Member.’”
Politico added, “Instead, the bipartisan Ethics Committee said it was up to the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to publicly release a list of each member who has received settlements for sexual misconduct allegations, as mandated by the resolution championed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).”
Mississippi Congressman Michael Guest (R) chairs the House Ethics Committee.
Sports
Big 3 pitchers to compete on 2026 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
USA Baseball finalized the 28-man roster for the 2026 Collegiate National Team on Sunday, selecting Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss players
Ole Miss sophomore pitcher Walker Hooks was named to the team. Ole Miss Athletics said Hooks will be the 16th Rebel to ever compete for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, and the first since Hunter Elliott and Jacob Gonzalez in 2022.
Mississippi State pitchers Ryan McPherson and Tomas Valincius were also selected to compete to the team. It is McPherson’s third time to represent his country having also pitched on the Collegiate National Team last summer in Japan and also the 15U team in 2021. Valincius was also a participant in the 2025 USA Baseball training camp.
In addition, Southern Miss pitcher Grayden Harris is joining the team. Harris becomes the fourth Southern Miss player to earn a spot on a USA Baseball Team, including Tony Phillips (1991), Matt Wallner (2018) and Tanner Hall (2022).
The players will compete with the 2026 Collegiate National Team in the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championship at Taichung City Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung City, Taiwan, from July 11-15. The roster was named after 11 days of workouts, practices, and intrasquad scrimmages across North Carolina and Virginia.
Markets & Business
1. Wall Street nears record highs
CNBC reports that “S&P 500 futures maintained their positive momentum on Monday following a strong week on Wall Street that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average reach record highs.”
“Futures tied to the broad market index gained 0.4%, while Nasdaq-100 futures advanced 1.1%, as markets prepare to reopen for a new trading week following Friday’s U.S. Independence Day holiday. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded just below the flatline,” CNBC reported. “The Dow climbed nearly 2% last week, putting it within striking distance of 53,000, a level it has never reached. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also posted sharp gains last week, advancing 1.8% and 2.1%, respectively.”
CNBC noted, “Traders this week will turn their eyes to the Federal Reserve, with the minutes of the June meeting — the first led by new Chairman Kevin Warsh — due Wednesday.”
2. Oil prices down, refilling oil storage could take months
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “Oil prices have fallen to prewar levels. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is recovering fast. Gulf producers are already restarting idled wells.”
“But one thing will take much, much longer—refilling the world’s oil coffers,” WSJ reported. “Speed matters. The amount of oil in storage around the world is playing a central role in the U.S.-Iran power dynamics. The faster countries restock their buffers of crude, the weaker Iran’s ability to threaten the world economy by holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”
WSJ went on to report, “Refilling global stocks is likely to take months if not years, longer than the 60 days stipulated in the MOU to settle thorny issues such as Iran’s nuclear program. Two factors that will help rebuild stocks faster: falling prices and a surprising glut of oil.”
Magnolia Tribune
