- 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. Lawsuit over Bonnet Carre Spillway impacts continues
On Monday, Harrison County and the Cities of Biloxi, D’Iberville, Pass Christian, the Mississippi Hotel and Lodging Association, and Mississippi Commercial Fisheries United filed an official response to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ motion to dismiss the Coalition’s Complaint against the Corps.
The lawsuit is for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to protect the Mississippi Sound and its dolphin population from further harm from polluted, low-salinity Mississippi River water entering the Sound via the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
According to the Coalition, the original complaint states that massive volumes of Mississippi River water released through the Bonnet Carré Spillway and into the Mississippi Sound in 2019 caused direct and indirect mortality of many resident bottlenose dolphins and that the Corps is required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to obtain a permit for these incidental “takes” of bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins’ long exposure to low salinity can result in skin lesions (and extraordinary pain), abnormal blood chemistry, secondary infections and death.
2. Ingalls hosting first Boy Scout Merit Badge Day
Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula will host its inaugural Boy Scout Merit Badge Day on Saturday, providing invited scouts to choose from eight areas of interest and earn two badges.
Over 100 scouts and scout leaders from the Pine Burr Area Council and the Mobile Area Council troops are registered to attend. Only registered participants are permitted to attend.
All scouts will be prepared to discuss, explain and demonstrate the requirements for each merit badge opportunity. Merit badge classes will be offered, including engineering, drafting, fire safety, painting, plumbing, communications, electricity, and electronics.
Ingalls says the event aims to support the next generation of shipbuilders while promoting values such as hard work, dedication, commitment, and community engagement, shared by both shipbuilding and scouting.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. SCOTUS to hear Trump’s immunity arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case brought by former President Donald Trump that claims the Constitution forbids prosecuting former presidents for crimes they allegedly committed while in office, as the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The Supreme Court has given Trump the time and space to make his best case. The court turned down requests from special counsel Jack Smith to hear the matter sooner. To accommodate Trump’s appeal, the court extended its calendar by a day, making this Thursday the final argument of the current term,” WSJ reported.
As WSJ notes, Trump’s counsel contends that “fear of being hauled into court would hamstring all presidents… deterring them from making bold decisions that a future Justice Department might consider criminal after the White House changes hands.”
2. Speaker Johnson doesn’t rule out use of National Guard at Columbia
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Columbia University on Wednesday, the site of continued pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protests. He called on the school’s president to resign if she couldn’t get the situation under control.
According to ABC News, Johnson told reporters that he planned to speak to President Joe Biden once he departed the campus to “share with him what we have seen with our own two eyes and demand that he take action.”
As ABC News noted, Johnson added, “If this is not contained quickly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped — there is an appropriate time for the National Guard. We have to bring order to these campuses. We cannot allow this to happen around the country. We are better than this. We are better than this. And I will ask the president to do that, and I will tell him the very same thing.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Manning, Dart appearing together for Grove Collective fundraiser
Ole Miss’ Grove Collective announced this week a fundraising event featuring Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart.
“Get ready for a legendary evening presented by RiverLand Roofing as football icon Eli Manning returns to his alma mater to chat with current QB1 Jaxson Dart. Experience an intimate dinner, meet and greet, and an interactive Q&A session with 2-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and Ole Miss Starting Quarterback Jaxson Dart,” the announcement states.
The May 6th event at the Manning Center in Oxford is a ticketed event and all proceeds support The Grove Collective and Ole Miss student-athletes.
2. Bush gets his Heisman back
Former USC running back Reggie Bush has his Heisman back.
Bush won the Heisman in 2005 but later gave it up in 2010 following an investigation into his receiving benefits from marketing agents which was not allowed by the NCAA at the time. USC was banned from the postseason for two years, lost 30 scholarships, and had 14 wins vacated as a result of the investigation and NCAA sanctions.
However, college football has changed over the years. The Heisman Trust said given those changes, it was time to move past the episode with Bush, “deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the Trophy for Reggie. We are so happy to welcome him back.”
Markets & Business
1. TikTok prepares to fight Congressional ban
After President Biden signed a law calling for its forced sale or ban in the United States, the Washington Post is reporting that TikTok owned by China-based tech giant ByteDance is preparing a legal challenge.
“Biden’s signing of the law on Wednesday started a 270-day clock, which could extend to a full year, during which the government has ordered TikTok to be sold to a non-Chinese buyer,” WP reported. “If ByteDance does not divest by then, the administration said it would work to block TikTok from Apple’s and Google’s app stores, effectively banning it nationwide as soon as January, a day before the presidential inauguration.”
2. Meta report pushes stock futures down on Thursday
CNBC reports that stock futures fell Thursday after tech juggernaut Meta Platforms reported quarterly results that disappointed investors.
“Meta plunged 12% in premarket trading after the social media giant issued light revenue guidance for the second quarter. That would be the stock’s biggest one-day decline since October 2022,” CNBC reported, adding that Meta’s report raises concern ahead of other big tech releases as Microsoft and Alphabet are slated to post earnings after the close Thursday.
