- 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. Picayune native starring in new movie “IF”
A Picayune native will be starring in a major motion picture alongside Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, reports WAPT.
Cailey Fleming will play Bea in the film “If,” alongside Reynolds.
“Fleming said she is excited about her role in the film and said she has learned so much from her counterpart on set, Reynolds,” WAPT reported.
Fleming has also starred in The Walking Dead, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Loki, and more.
2. USM’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program recognized by Dept. of Labor
The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Registered Teacher Apprenticeship (RTA) program is the first in the state to be recognized by the Mississippi Office of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
“A registered apprenticeship will help us better support students in achieving their goal of becoming teachers,” said Andrea Krell, instructor and director of teacher residency at USM, said in a statement from the university. “We are excited to work with the Department of Labor to help Mississippians earn a living while learning to become exceptional teachers.”
Krell went on to add that apprenticeships offer on-the-job training along with related instruction that culminate in both a degree and a teaching license.
“We believe this new partnership will help meet the teacher workforce needs for the state by providing well-supported pathways to teacher licensure that lead to longevity in the profession,” she said.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. House Republicans seek release of audio from Biden special counsel interview
According to the New York Times, House Republicans are threatening to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel investigating his handling of government documents.
House Judiciary and Oversight committees will hold hearings this week on the matter.
“If they succeed in getting Mr. Garland to release the recording, which is highly unlikely, it could provide damaging evidence of Mr. Hur’s characterization of the president as an ‘elderly man with a poor memory’ and provide valuable fodder for Mr. Trump’s campaign,” NYT reports. “Their fallback — a contempt vote — is intended to embarrass Mr. Garland by landing a glancing blow against the man Mr. Trump blames for a ‘witch hunt.'”
2. Tensions escalate at UC-Irvine campus
ABC News reports that tensions at the University of California, Irvine campus escalated Wednesday as a group of several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters entered a lecture hall and surrounded the building.
“The Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department were called to the scene after the university called for mutual aid from local law enforcement agencies, UC Irvine said in an emergency update,” according to ABC News. “Authorities were seen putting protesters in zip-ties and escorting them away from the main protest area.”
ABC News noted that the University of California president said the institutions would not boycott or divest from Israel.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ewing named to Women’s Golf Coaches Association Coach of the Year watch list
Mississippi State announced that their Women’s Golf Coach Charlie Ewing has been named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association watch list for the Coach of the Year award on Wednesday.
In his fourth season in Starkville, Ewing has taken the program to heights never seen before. The Bulldogs secured their first SEC Championship on April 16, as well as the program’s third individual champion in Julia Lopez Ramirez, who is the fourth golfer in history to win back-to-back SEC Individual Championships.
The Bulldogs begin play at the NCAA Championship on May 17.
2. USM women’s basketball adds assistant head coach
Southern Miss women’s basketball announced that they have added Brooks Donald Williams, former Southern Miss assistant and member of the Joye Lee-McNelis coaching tree, as assistant head coach. Williams brings over 24 years of experience at the Division I to Southern Miss’ coaching staff.
“I am so excited to have Brooks Donald Williams as our associate head coach,” said 21st-year head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. “Brooks has been a longtime friend who was on my staff at Memphis and joined me here at Southern Miss. At Memphis, she proved to be one of the best recruiters in the country. We won 21 games and signed one of the top recruiting classes in Conference USA.”
Williams, who previously worked as the Lady Eagles recruiting coordinator, has 12 years of Division I head coaching experience with an overall record of 171-201. In her 24 seasons, Williams has coached at Little Rock (2000-03), Memphis (2003-04), Southern Miss (2004-07), McNeese (2007-16), Alabama (2016-19) and ULM (2019-23).
Markets & Business
S&P moves above 5,300 for first time
CNBC reports that stock futures rose marginally Thursday after a lighter-than-expected inflation reading propelled the major averages to record highs.
“The three major averages closed at records on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 breaking above 5,300 for the first time,” CNBC reported. “That performance was helped by the April reading of the consumer price index, a broad measure of how much goods and services cost at the cash register, which increased 0.3% from the prior month. That was slightly below the Dow Jones estimate of 0.4%. Consumer prices still grew 3.4% from a year ago.”
Magnolia Tribune
