Fraud Crackdown: Mississippi wrapped up Operation Stronghold, checking 421 businesses and nearly 2,150 card terminals and recovering three skimmers—part of a 2025-26 total of 56 devices tied to an estimated $1M each in potential losses. Coastal Tech & Research: Near Space Labs partnered with USM’s Gulf Blue to map Gulf Coast shorelines and wetlands from about 45,000 feet, aiming to help planners track storm and erosion changes. Housing Pressure: Laurel Housing Authority says its affordable-housing wait list topped 500 families and is now closed while it seeks funding to restart the South Park Village redevelopment. Economic Development (Regional): Louisiana finalized a $10M FastSites investment to extend a key parkway in St. Charles Parish, unlocking access to 1,000+ acres for future commercial and industrial development. Energy & Data Centers: Entergy Arkansas is fighting to suppress leaked details of its Google West Memphis data center deal, while Entergy Mississippi says data-center revenue is helping keep rates steady. Local Business Growth: Jackson’s planning commission approved an initial site plan for Southern Tire Mart’s new 18,100-square-foot facility off I-40. Public Finance & Cost of Living: New federal data shows Alabama and nearby states—including Mississippi—have 10%+ student-loan default rates, with the repayment pause ending in June 2025.