Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion
In Mississippi
1. Mississippi lawmakers attending Future Summit 2026
Five members of the Mississippi Future Caucus are in Washington this week to join nearly 100 Gen Z and millennial state lawmakers from 34 states for Future Summit 2026, Future Caucus’ annual bipartisan convening focused on building bridges across political and ideological divides in order to more effectively serve constituents from all walks of life.
The delegation includes Mississippi Future Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Rod Hickman (D) and Rep. Justis Gibbs (D), Sen. Bradford Blackmon (D), Rep. Fabian Nelson (D), and Sen. Lane Taylor (R).
Hickman, Gibbs and Nelson will serve as featured speakers during the four-day summit.
Held July 8–11 as the nation marks its 250th anniversary, this year’s summit, themed Next 250 — The Courage to Build, brings together the next generation of elected leaders from across the political spectrum to explore how bipartisan leadership can strengthen democracy, modernize governing institutions, and advance practical solutions to shared challenges.
2. USM’s cybersecurity program recognized by Forbes
The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering has earned national recognition from Forbes Advisor.
Forbes named USM’s online Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity program one of the nation’s top online bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity.
In its 2026 rankings, Forbes Advisor selected Southern Miss as its “Best Military Students” editorial pick. The publication highlighted the university’s scholarships, tuition assistance, military education credit options and campus resources for military-affiliated students. It also noted Southern Miss’ affordable online tuition, equal tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students and flexible tuition model for full-time online learners.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump says U.S. will buy Ukrainian drones, allow Ukraine to co-produce Patriots interceptors
The Hill reports that “President Trump on Wednesday kindled a significant thaw in relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the two met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, as Ukraine seizes the initiative in its more than four-year war against Russia.”
“Trump announced the U.S. would buy Ukrainian drones and, even more importantly, gave a green light for Ukraine to co-produce Patriot interceptors, a move that could significantly improve its air defenses in the years ahead,” The Hill. “The Trump-Zelensky bonhomie signaled the latest shift in a historically fraught relationship. Trump has railed against U.S. funds provided to Ukraine throughout the Biden administration and has put pressure on Zelensky in private and public to cede territory to Russia as part of a deal to end the war.”
The Hill continued, “Trump, during the meeting with Zelensky, gave his tacit approval to Ukraine’s pressure strategy against Russian President Vladimir Putin by bringing the war across the border. ‘It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that could help lead to an end,’ Trump said.”
2. Platner out in Maine Senate race, Democrats will run replacement candidate
As reported by the Washington Post, “Graham Platner, the populist political newcomer who Democrats had hoped could flip a critical U.S. Senate seat in Maine, ended his campaign Wednesday night with a bitter and defiant statement after a woman he previously dated publicly accused him of sexual assault.”
“Even as he withdrew from the race, Platner remained insistent that the accusations against him, as well as other controversies dating back to October, were false and part of a larger campaign ‘by the establishment to put structural pressure on us,'” WP reported. “Democratic Party leaders have until July 27 to decide on a new standard-bearer in one of the marquee races of the midterm elections, as Collins tries to hold on for a sixth term representing a state that Democrat Kamala Harris won by 7 percentage points in 2024.”
WP added, “Charlie Dingman, the chair of the Maine Democratic Party, and other party leaders, met with more than 100 state committee members on Wednesday. They said the group voted to ‘hold a nominating convention to choose a new nominee if there is a vacancy to fill.'”
Sports
Lee-McNelis inducted into C-USA Hall of Fame
Former Southern Miss women’s basketball head coach Joye Lee-McNelis has been posthumously inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame as one of five members of the 2026 class.
Southern Miss Athletics said in her 27 years as a head coach in Conference USA at Memphis and Southern Miss, McNelis accumulated 231 all-time conference wins, a mark that still stands as the most in league history by any men’s or women’s basketball coach.
The C-USA Hall of Fame is the latest in a long line of hall of fame honors for the late McNelis, who passed on June 24, 2025, following her eight-year battle against stage four lung cancer. She was inducted into the Southern Miss M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame in 2025. She was twice named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2017 and collected six total championships under the C-USA banner.
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices lower after latest U.S., Iran strikes
CNBC reports that oil prices turned lower on Thursday “having spiked after the U.S. carried out fresh strikes on Iran, renewing concerns about supply disruptions in the Middle East.”
“International benchmark Brent crude futures with September delivery traded 0.3% lower at $77.73 per barrel during early European hours, erasing earlier gains. The contract settled up 5.4% in the previous session, notching its biggest daily gain since May 4,” CNBC reported. “U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with August delivery, meanwhile, traded down 0.2% at $73.40. WTI advanced 4.4% on Wednesday, registering its biggest daily gain since June 1.”
“The market is again being forced to price the risk that renewed attacks on shipping, or a broader breakdown in US-Iran relations, could slow the normalisation of flows through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to Saxo, per CNBC.
2. Delta moves toward a la carte pricing
The Wall Street Journal reports that “Delta Air Lines is betting that even travelers who want luxuries like lie-flat seats and chef-curated meals are willing to make some trade-offs for a cheaper ticket.”
“Enter Delta’s new tier of premium tickets that include fewer checked bags, charge a fee for changes or cancellations, and provide fewer frequent-flier miles,” WSJ reported. “Starting in January, those who opt for ‘Basic Business’—the lowest level of the airline’s Delta One international business class, won’t be able to use its special dedicated check-in lanes or visit the swanky Delta One lounges unless they have access through a credit card or a separate membership. There will be similar options for its long-haul premium economy cabin and its primarily domestic first class.”
WSJ further reported, “Airlines have been fine-tuning a la carte pricing strategies to take advantage of demand for premium perks. Now they are bringing some of the restrictions of their cheapest, bare-bones basic economy tickets to their high-end cabins, where seats can run thousands of dollars. Delta has already rolled out such tiered pricing to its higher-end economy Comfort tickets. United Airlines earlier this year launched its own basic fares for long-haul business class and premium economy.”
-- Article credit to the staff for the Magnolia Tribune --
