Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion
In Mississippi
1. Columbus teen could be first juvenile to face adult charges under new law
WTVA reports that a 16-year-old “is believed to be one of the first juveniles in the area — and possibly the state — to face adult charges under Mississippi’s new juvenile crime law following a drive-by shooting in Lowndes County.”
“Ethan Hines is charged with drive-by shooting in connection with a Tuesday afternoon incident at the Greentree Apartments on Greentree Drive. The charge carries a potential 30-year prison sentence,” WTVA reported. “Jacorey Smart, 18, is accused of firing at least 12 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle at someone at the apartment complex just after noon on Tuesday. Miraculously, no one was injured.”
WTVA further reported that Hines “now faces adult charges under Senate Bill 2710, Mississippi’s new juvenile crime law. It became law on July 1 and created harsher penalties for any child responsible for gun crimes.”
2. Keesler tops Forbes best-in-state Mississippi credit unions
To help consumers with this choice and to offer credit unions a look at what their peers are doing to up satisfaction levels, Forbes has produced the 2026 ranking of America’s Best-In-State Credit Unions.
Three Mississippi credit unions were listed, with Keesler Federal Credit Union taking the top spot on the state rankings for the eighth time. Keesler is headquartered in Biloxi.
Navigator Credit Union, headquartered in Moss Point, came in second while 1st Mississippi Federal Credit Union out of Meridian came in third.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. GOP to host first-ever Midterm Convention
FoxNews reports that the Republican Party will host its very first “Midterm Convention” this fall in Texas.
“The two-day event, scheduled to take center stage on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 in Dallas, aims to celebrate the ‘great American comeback’ and highlight the ongoing achievements of the administration’s America First Agenda, the president said,” FoxNews reported, adding, “The president said the ‘rally like none other,’ will feature “lots of great entertainment” and spotlight the nation’s first responders, innovators, entrepreneurs, manufacturers and job creators.”
“It will be in Dallas, Texas — One of my favorite places in the World,” Trump wrote in the announcement. “It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event.”
Tickets are on sale, with funds said to be going to support midterm candidates and party campaign efforts.
2. White House to seek rehearing at SCOTUS of birthright citizenship case
The Hill reports that “President Trump said Wednesday he will ask the Supreme Court to rehear a case on the legality of his executive order restricting birthright citizenship, after the high court struck down the policy last week.”
“I will be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY. This miscarriage of justice will destroy America if they don’t change their absolutely insane decision,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the ruling, per The Hill.
The Hill continued, “On the final day of its term last week, the Supreme Court struck down the president’s executive order — which required a baby born on U.S. soil to have at least one parent with citizenship or permanent legal status to receive automatic citizenship.”
Sports
Jackson State, last season’s Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division champion, was picked third in the inaugural Preseason Black College Football Poll released on Thursday afternoon.
JSU Athletics said the Black College Football Poll is formally endorsed and sanctioned by the four NCAA conferences that sponsor HBCU football: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
Beginning with the preseason rankings, the Black College Football Poll will be released each week throughout the regular season. Voters submit a Top 10 ballot using a 10-point scoring system, with first place receiving 10 points, second place 9 points, and so on down to 1 point for 10th place.
2. Cheesebrough joins USM baseball staff
Kyle Cheesebrough has been hired as the Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator for head coach Christian Ostrander at Southern Miss baseball.
Cheesebrough comes to Southern Miss after spending a season at Houston. A member of the 2021 College World Series Champion coaching staff at Mississippi State and a four-time College World Series coach, Cheesebrough will also assist with hitters and defense.
In his 17-year career as a college assistant coach, Cheesebrough has used his experience to fill a unique role on each staff. Cheesebrough helped Mississippi State to the College World Series in 2019 and the 2021 national title after spending four years at Indiana (2015-18), three at the Louisville (2012-14) two of which culminated in College World Series appearances, and one year with the Pittsburgh (2011). He also spent one season as an undergraduate assistant at Louisville in 2010 while finishing his degree.
Markets & Business
1. Global oil demand declined for first time since 2020
CNBC reports that “global oil demand is set to decline for the first time since 2020 as the Iran war wreaked havoc with production and exports in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday.”
“World oil demand is set to decline by 1 million b/d year-on-year in 2026, which would mark its first annual decrease since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the IEA said in its latest oil market report,” CNBC reported. “This year’s contraction is ‘highly skewed in both product and regional terms,’ as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the vital shipping route for oil and gas — disrupted exports through the Persian gulf, the agency noted.”
CNBC noted, “A recovery is underway, the researchers added, though they warned renewed escalation in the conflict could complicate matters and further cloud the outlook.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Home sales declined in June, ending the housing market’s key spring season on a sour note as buyers grappled with high mortgage rates and record home prices.”
“Sales of existing homes slid 2.4% in June over the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. The number fell well short of expectations: Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast an increase of 0.7%. The June decline marked a turnaround from an unexpectedly strong increase in May,” WSJ reported. “Economists have dimmed their expectations for the housing market in 2026, largely due to the war in Iran, which has boosted inflation and mortgage rates. Realtor.com now expects existing home sales to reach 4.10 million for the year, down from the 4.13 million projected last December, but still up 1% over 2025.”
WSJ added, “The national median existing-home price in June rose to $440,600, a 1.8% increase from a year earlier, NAR said.”
-- Article credit to the staff of the Magnolia Tribune --
