- 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. Mississippi poultry flock tests positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza
The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) said Monday that it has been notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory that poultry from a commercial broiler breeder chicken flock in Noxubee County tested positive for H7N9 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
This is the first HPAI H7 case in commercial poultry in the United States since 2017.
This H7N9 virus is a fully North American (AM) virus of wild bird-origin and is unrelated to the Eurasian H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus currently circulating in the United States. Some AM H7 LPAI viruses detected as part of APHIS’ wild bird surveillance are closely related to this HPAI virus, indicating a recent spillover of wild bird-origin LPAI virus.
The flock was experiencing high mortality, and samples tested at the Mississippi Veterinary Research & Diagnostic Laboratory, a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, were presumptive positive for HPAI then confirmed as H7N9 at the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL).
The state veterinarian quarantined the premises, and the MBAH coordinated a joint incident response with federal animal health officials in Mississippi. The birds on the property were depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds did not enter the food system. The MBAH is actively working with federal partners and the poultry industry to increase monitoring of flocks statewide.
2. Ocean Springs voters to decide fate of $52 million school bond
WLOX reports that residents of Ocean Springs will vote on a $52 million bond to build a new middle school, improve the three elementary schools, and renovate the current middle school.
“The majority of the proposal is to build a brand new state-of-the-art middle school where our upper campus stands now — which used to be the old high school campus,” Superintendent Mike Lindsey told WLOX News.
In conjunction with the changes, the district says it will move to a K-4 concept while fifth and sixth graders will be moved together in the current middle school, which will become the new upper elementary. Seventh and eighth graders would then move into the newly constructed middle school, WLOX reported.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Schumer under fire from his own party
The Hill reports that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) “is facing the toughest fight of his Senate leadership career amid sharp attacks from his party’s base over his vote to advance a House Republican-drafted funding bill.”
“Senate Democratic colleagues say that Schumer, who is 74 years old, isn’t going anywhere as party leader, but they’re questioning his decision-making in a way they haven’t during his previous eight years as leader,” The Hill reported, adding, “Many Democrats were outraged by Schumer’s vote to advance the Republican spending bill, which Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a leading progressive, called a betrayal.”
The Hill also reported, “The backlash was so intense that Schumer postponed a publicity tour scheduled for this week to promote his new book, ‘Antisemitism in America: A Warning,’ due to what his publicity team called ‘security concerns.'”
2. After Hamas fails to return hostages, Israel responds
After talks to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas stalled, Israel “launched a series of attacks against Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more than 400 people, according to Palestinian authorities,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the attacks after Hamas failed to release the hostages or accept U.S. proposals for extending a fragile cease-fire that had held for two months, his office said,” WSJ reported. “Gaza health authorities said 404 people were killed in the attacks, without specifying how many were combatants, making it one of the largest single-day death tolls since the war began in October 2023. The strikes continued later into the morning but at a lesser intensity than in the early hours.”
WSJ added, “The strikes were aimed at what Israel said were dozens of targets among Hamas’s leadership, midrank military commanders and infrastructure. Israel said the effort would continue and would expand beyond airstrikes.”
Sports
1. Southern Miss football opens spring practice, announces season ticket sale
Southern Miss opened its first spring practices under new head coach Charles Huff on Monday. On the same day, the USM Athletic Department announced that new season tickets were now officially on sale.
“We need all our fans to buy season tickets,” said Southern Miss first-year head coach Charles Huff. “Everyone at the University has done their part to put this program back on top. We know we have a huge challenge ahead of us in the football building, but we need you in the stadium.”
The Golden Eagles will have 7 home games this season, featuring matchups with Mississippi State and Jackson State.
To purchase season tickets, visit SouthernMissTickets.com.
2. No. 18 Ole Miss to battle No. 19 Southern Miss tonight
No. 18 Ole Miss heads south to Trustmark Park for an early rematch against No. 19 Southern Miss in Pearl on Tuesday.
Ole Miss is coming off a series loss against Arkansas, losing 2 out of 3 games, while Southern Miss won their series over Old Dominion, taking 2 out of 3 games.
The Rebels got the best of the Golden Eagles in late February, winning in Oxford 15-8.
Markets & Business
1. Pepsi buys Poppi
As reported by FoxBusiness, PepsiCo announced Monday that it will acquire prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion “as the food and beverage giant seeks to tap into the heightened consumer demand for healthy products.”
“The deal includes $300 million of anticipated cash tax benefits, making the net purchase price $1.65 billion and is part of Pepsi’s strategy to expand its ‘better-for-you’ offerings,” FoxBusiness reported, adding, “Poppi, founded by a family in Austin, Texas, is described as a low-calorie soda that combines prebiotics and fruit juice. The company said there is no more than 5 grams of sugar per serving.”
2. Risk of recession rising?
CNBC reports that respondents to their March Fed Survey “have raised the risk of recession to the highest level in six months, cut their growth forecast for 2025 and raised their inflation outlook.”
“Much of the change appears to stem from concern over fiscal policies from the Trump administration, especially tariffs, which are now seen by them as the top threat to the US economy, replacing inflation. The outlook for the S&P 500 declined for the first time since September,” CNBC reported.
CNBC went on to report, “The 32 survey respondents, who include fund managers, strategists and analysts, raised the probability of recession to 36% from 23% in January. The January number had dropped to a three-year low and looked to have reflected initial optimism following the election of President Trump. But like many consumer and business surveys, the recession probability now shows considerable concern about the outlook.”
