- 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. Cars prices going up in Mississippi?
WJTV reports that although cars already on lots for sale won’t be affected by the new tariffs, Marty Milstead, the president of the Mississippi Automobile Dealership Association, said “the impacts will be noticeable as inventory decreases and imports increase.”
“Soon as that inventory’s gone that’s on the on the ground. You have other vehicles that would be coming in that would be subject to those tariffs, as well as the parts,” he said, according to WJTV.
“Timothy Adams, the general sales manager of Toyota in Jackson, said the tariffs have caused a sense of uncertainty leading to customers making rushed purchases,” WJTV reported, adding, “He said the prices of used cars could also see a spike in pricing due to the possible lack of availability of new cars, but there are negotiations across North America being held in regard to solving some of the pricing concerns.”
2. Damage assessments continue from April 2-6 storms in Mississippi
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reported Tuesday on the impact of the April 2-6 severe weather in Mississippi.
“MEMA teams continue to assist counties with ongoing damage assessments. To date, the agency has recorded damage to 332 homes, 15 businesses, and 15 farms across 22 counties. Of the homes affected, 50 were destroyed, while 57 sustained major damage. These figures are subject to change as further evaluations are conducted,” MEMA reported.
MEMA encourages residents who’ve sustained damage from this severe weather event to do the following: File an insurance claim, take photos of the damage to the home, and report damage to their county/MEMA via the self-report tool.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Chinese fighting with Russian army in Ukraine?
NBC News reports that the Ukrainian military has captured two Chinese citizens who fought with the Russian army.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, as reported by NBC News, “the Chinese nationals were captured in the eastern Donetsk region and were being held by Ukraine’s security service.”
“While the Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment, China’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that it is verifying the reports of its nationals being captured in Ukraine, according to Reuters,” NBC News reported, adding, “Zelenskyy said he had instructed the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry to immediately contact Beijing and find out ‘how China is going to react to this.'”
2. Judge orders White House to allow AP access
The Hill reports that U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of President Trump, “directed the White House to resume allowing the AP into the Oval Office, Air Force One and other limited spaces when they’re made available to other press pool members.”
McFadden wrote “the Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints… The Constitution requires no less.”
The Hill noted, “The AP sued three top White House officials earlier this year after its journalists were banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One because the outlet refused to change its stylebook guidelines to use ‘Gulf of America’ after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico.”
Sports
1. Big 3 Tuesday baseball roundup
Here’s a recap of Mississippi’s Big 3 college baseball action from Tuesday and a look ahead to what’s next for Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Mississippi State.
- No. 6 Ole Miss shut out Memphis 10-0 in 7 innings. The Rebels host Alcorn State Wednesday at 4 p.m. before their weekend series with No. 5 Tennessee. The Rebs and Vols are set to play in Oxford on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
- No. 23 Southern Miss jumped out early but No. 12 Alabama roared back for the 10-6 win Tuesday. The Golden Eagles return to action this weekend at Texas State, with games set for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m., and Sunday at 11 a.m.
- Mississippi State picked up an 8-3 victory at UAB on Tuesday. State travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 12 Alabama this weekend. Games start Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
2. Southern Miss hosting Spring Game this Saturday
Fans can get a peek into the new Charles Huff era at Southern Miss this Saturday at The Rock when the Golden Eagles host their Spring Game.
Gates will open at 1 p.m. and the festivities start at 2 p.m.
Markets & Business
1. Trump tariffs kick in; China retaliates and EU considering options as well
The New York Times reports that President Trump’s latest tariffs took effect just after midnight on Wednesday, “hitting nearly all U.S. allies with punishing new levies and raising import taxes on Chinese goods to more than 100 percent.”
“After President Trump imposed a 104 percent tariff on Chinese goods, Beijing announced a levy on U.S. goods of 84 percent. Stocks and bonds slumped as Europe also prepared to retaliate against the United States,” NYT reported.
NYT went on to add, “China also announced that it was putting export controls on 12 more American companies and had added six more American companies to its list of ‘unreliable entities’ that are mostly barred from doing business in China or with Chinese companies.”
2. What about your 401(k)?
FoxBusiness reports that with investors watching their 401(k), IRA or other brokerage accounts fluctuate wildly, “experts suggest that they shouldn’t panic and sell stocks or deviate from a long-term investing plan, and instead should continue with that plan because if the plan is well-diversified, the volatility will be beneficial over the long-run.”
“If investors have a good plan in place, then they should stick to the plan,” David Bahnsen, founder and managing partner of the Bahnsen Group, told FoxBusiness in an interview. “For example, if they have a stock market in their 401(k) or their retirement accounts, then that weighting in the stock market is supposed to take into account the fact that markets sometimes go down a lot.”
Bahnsen explained to FoxBusiness “that by reacting to turmoil in the market and making decisions based on volatility-induced panic, they risk reducing their long-term gains.”
Magnolia Tribune
