- 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. Volunteer service award winners announced
The Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (Volunteer Mississippi) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Awards.
The winners are:
- First Lady’s Youth Rising Star: Amelia Rose Cook, Madison and Joy Kitchens,
Collinsville - Marsha Meeks Kelly Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteer Service: Leola
Washington, Hattiesburg - Volunteer of the Year: Cassie McDuffey, Jackson
- Volunteer Family of the Year: The Wetzel Family, St. Martin
- Veteran “Hero in Service”: Jung Tai, Meridian
- Innovation in Volunteerism: Extra Table Feeds, Hattiesburg
- Corporate Volunteer Champion: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula
- Excellence in Disaster Volunteerism: Mennonite Disaster Service, MS/LA Unit
The GIVE Awards will be held at the Craig H. Nielsen Auditorium at Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson on April 24, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
2. AG investigating Lumumba’s election night social media speech
WAPT reports that “Incumbent Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba could be at the center of another investigation after his primary election night campaign speech was posted on the city of Jackson’s official Facebook page.”
“That speech found its way onto the city’s Facebook page,” WAPT reported. “The post was removed Wednesday, but not before the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office took notice. A spokesperson with the office confirmed it has asked the attorney general to investigate a possible violation of campaign laws.”
“Directing, requesting, or permitting an employee to render any aid to a candidate while the employee receives salary or is being paid is a violation of 23-15-871(3),” a spokesperson with the office told 16 WAPT. “Because this video was distributed via the city’s official Facebook page, we have sent this to the Attorney General’s office as a potential violation.”
The city’s communications director has said it was her fault. But as WAPT continued, “Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office confirmed it has opened an investigation into the post, but didn’t comment any further.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump doubles down on reciprocal tariffs
President Donald Trump declared Wednesday “Liberation Day” as “he pressed forward with sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every country in the world,” reported The Hill.
“But in fulfilling a key campaign promise, he also ignored warnings that targeting key trading partners – from the likes of China, Japan and the European Union – will raise prices at home and risk the eruption of a global trade war,” The Hill reported. “The tariffs also stand to inject a fresh round of uncertainty in the stock market and a slew of industries, from auto parts to steel and groceries, leaving Americans bracing for higher prices and some economists concerned about the risk of a recession.”
The Hill continued, “Other financial analysts also suggested Wednesday that Trump’s three major goals in imposing the tariffs – bringing more manufacturing to the U.S., increasing U.S. revenue, and negotiating lower tariffs with foreign countries – could all potentially work against each other.”
2. States banning various special interest flags at government buildings
The Washington Post reports, “More than a dozen state legislatures are considering bills that would ban the display of most flags in government buildings, including Pride flags — a push that civil rights groups say unfairly targets LGBTQ+ people’s expression.”
“Utah last week became the first state to bar the display of all but approved flags at schools and government buildings, and Idaho legislators sent a similar bill to the governor this week,” WP reported. “Meanwhile, a raft of bills governing the display of flags has wound through statehouses across the nation, including Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin and Illinois, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Movement Advancement Project, a research group that supports LGBTQ rights.”
WP also noted, “The bills generally prohibit government buildings, and the employees within them, from displaying flags that aren’t specifically exempted. Some apply to all government settings, others apply only to schools. Under the statutes, including Utah’s and Idaho’s, political flags supporting a candidate, party or movement, such as President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again,’ won’t be allowed either.”
Sports
1. Beard staying with Ole Miss hoops
According to Chase Parham at Rivals, Ole Miss head basketball coach Chris Beard has turned down a lucrative offer from Texas A&M and will remain at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss AD Keith Carter posted on X, “Why stop now?”
Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello with ESPN later reported that Beard “engaged in significant discussions with Texas A&M, but he ultimately decided to stay at Ole Miss. He’s set to receive a raise, more resources for staff and a strong NIL package.”
Swirling reports said Beard was offered upwards of $27 million to go to the Aggies.
Beard is coming off his second season at Ole Miss, with the team earning a spot in the Sweet 16.
2. Applewhite named Senior Associate AD at Southern Miss
Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain announced Wednesday the promotion of Lee Applewhite to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development.
“We are excited to share the news of Lee’s promotion to Senior Associate AD,” said McClain. “He has been a huge part of our success over the past decade, and he is a key part of our future. Anyone who spends time with Lee knows how much he cares about Southern Miss and how hard he works to make everyone around him better.”
Applewhite joined the Southern Miss Athletics staff in October of 2015 as Director of Development and rose through the ranks, becoming Assistant AD in 2019, before being elevated to Associate AD for Development in 2023.
Markets & Business
1. Markets react with fear over tariffs
With President Trump’s new tariffs now signed, the Wall Street Journal reports that “U.S. stock futures slumped and the dollar weakened to its lowest level of the year, reflecting fears the tariffs will dent growth.”
“Popular stocks such as Apple, Amazon and Nike were among the largest retreaters in offhours trading. Global equities also fell sharply and oil prices slid,” WSJ reported.
WSJ added, “President Trump’s tariff plan jolted global markets, sent stock futures sharply lower and prompted investors to flee the U.S. dollar on fears that America’s transition to a more isolated economic model will cause repercussions at home and abroad.”
2. CenterPoint completes sale of its Louisiana, Mississippi gas utilities
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. announced this week that it had successfully completed the sale of its natural gas distribution utilities in Louisiana and Mississippi to affiliates of Bernhard Capital Partners.
The assets include approximately 12,000 miles of main pipeline in Louisiana and Mississippi serving approximately 380,000 metered customers.
The company that will serve those customers going forward will be Delta Utilities, which is based in New Orleans.
The transaction received all federal and state regulatory approvals necessary to complete the sale, including Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust clearance and from the Louisiana Public Service Commission and the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Delta Utilities will immediately assume responsibility for serving CenterPoint Energy’s former customers in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Magnolia Tribune
