- 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. Jackson lottery player turns $1 add-on into $50,000
The Mississippi Lottery said Thursday that a Powerball player in Jackson turned a $1 add-on into a $50,000 win in Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing. The winning ticket, purchased at Fast Lane State Street in Jackson, matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball in the Double Play drawing, proving that sometimes an extra dollar can make all the difference.
The Lottery noted that the win is the latest in a string of big Powerball prizes won across Mississippi this summer. Since July 1, Mississippi Lottery players have scored significant wins with $50,000 prizes — in McComb, Gulfport, Flowood and now Jackson — as well as a $100,000 prize in Purvis and a $1 million prize in Tupelo.
The $50,000 Gulfport prize and the new $50,000 Jackson prize have not been claimed, meaning two Mississippi players may still have a $50,000 surprise waiting to be discovered.
2. Little sentenced in child exploitation case
Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Thursday the sentencing of Zachary “Zack” Alan Little, 36, of Corinth, Mississippi, for one count of transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from the Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District. It originated as a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
On August 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, sentenced Little to 10 years to serve followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Little must also register as a sex offender.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Lake Ontario to Lake America?
Politico reports that “President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ amid an intensifying trade war with Canada.”
“Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly, even the military,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We defend Canada for nothing.”
“The text of the executive order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to ensure all federal agencies and the Geographic Names Information System, which records official names of U.S. geographic features, refer to the lake using its new name,” Politico reported. “The announcement came two days after the president threatened to change the name of the 13th-largest lake in the world, which borders New York and the Canadian province of Ontario.”
Politico continued, “Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X that Canadians will never stop calling the body of water Lake Ontario, whose name predates the United States and Canada and originates from the Wendat word ‘Ontari’io,’ meaning beautiful, big lake.”
2. NASA reauthorization stalls
According to The Hill, “Negotiations between Senate and House Republicans over a bill to reauthorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have stalled as President Trump is scheduled to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston Friday.”
“The split between the two chambers is a problem for the president, as it could put in jeopardy his priority of establishing a permanent moon base. Trump issued an executive order in December calling for NASA to establish the initial elements of a moon base by 2030 under the Artemis program,” The Hill reported. “The president is expected to discuss the importance of the Artemis program and his goal of beginning the construction of a moon base before the end of the decade during his visit to Houston, according to an administration official familiar with the event.”
The Hill further reported, “But progress on Trump’s lunar ambitions is being threatened by a spat between the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology committee, which are both chaired by Texas Republicans — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas).”
Sports
1. Close games, upsets on JUCO opening night
Mississippi’s community colleges took the field for the first time in the 2026 season on Thursday, with closer than expected games and upsets that are sure to shake up the early rankings.
Here is a roundup of the scores from Thursday:
- MS Delta over No. 8 Co-Lin 25-24
- East Central over Northeast 27-26
- Itawamba over Hinds 28-27
- Pearl River over Holmes 56-33
- No. 11 East MS over Southwest 14-6
- No. 5 MGCCC over Coahoma 27-21
- No. 3 Northwest over Jones 38-35
2. Ole Miss announces M-Club Hall of Fame class
Ole Miss Athletics will honor its 2026 inductees into the M-Club Hall of Fame this fall, with five Rebels across four different sports being enshrined.
The 2026 M-Club Hall of Fame class includes: Will Allen (baseball), Sebastien DeChaunac (men’s tennis), Jeff Noblin (football), Madison Osias (softball) and Jim Stuart (football). Additionally, Bill Jordan will receive the George T. Lotterhos Service Award.
“The 2026 M-Club Hall of Fame class represents a group of outstanding former student-athletes who have made a lasting impact on our university,” said Jessica Lynch, M-Club Director. “They reflect the excellence, competitiveness and pride that define the traditions of Ole Miss.
Markets & Business
1. After a better Thursday, future slightly lower to open Friday
CNBC reports that “S&P 500 futures were slightly lower early Friday as investors monitored earnings reports and awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s latest address.”
“Futures tied to the broad market index fell marginally, while Nasdaq 100 futures lost 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures bucked the trend, adding 49 points, or 0.1%,” CNBC reported. “Gap shares jumped 15% despite a mixed quarterly report as the retail announced a new chief executive for the struggling Old Navy brand. Marvell Technology slid about 6% after issuing current-quarter guidance for non-GAAP gross margin that disappointed the Street.”
CNBC added, “Stocks advanced on Thursday, led higher by Nvidia’s post-earnings rally of nearly 9%. The technology sector, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all recorded their best day since Aug. 4.”
2. The South hit with pulp, paper-mill closures
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “The South, and Georgia in particular, have borne the brunt of a historic run of pulp and paper-mill closures as recycled boxes, cheap imported pulp and more thrifty packing by e-commerce giants, including Amazon.com, have hit demand. Last year, the U.S. shed roughly 10% of its capacity to produce containerboard, the thick paper used to make shipping and moving boxes.”
“Demand for pulpwood—trees unfit for making lumber but fine for cardboard and paper—plummeted. So did demand for wood chips, sawdust and other byproducts…,” WSJ reported. “Prices across the South are at the lowest level in nearly 40 years before factoring in inflation. In some parts, there’s essentially no market. Some growers are, for the first time, having to pay to have their pulpwood removed.”
WSJ went on to report, “A search is on to create new sources of demand. Weyerhaeuser, the South’s largest timberland owner with about 6.6 million acres in 11 states, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build facilities in Arkansas and Mississippi to turn pulpwood surpluses into engineered lumber and an alternative to metallurgical coal, respectively. Lobbyists are pushing for laws to encourage burning wood pellets to generate electricity. Cellulose-based jet fuel, battery materials and fabrics are all being touted. There is hope that a resurgent housing market will boost demand for engineered wood panels used for roofs and floors.”
