- 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. McNair wins Miss Mississippi’s Teen
WLBT reports that Avery McNair, a senior at Simpson Academy, has been crowned the new Miss Mississippi’s Teen in Vicksburg.
WLBT reported that McNair said, “You never think its gonna be you, and then I finally got my opportunity and I wanted to embrace every single thing and I’m just so blessed to be here.”
The New Miss Mississippi’s Teen is now preparing to represent this state on the national stage, WLBT noted.
2. Mississippi State Hospital unveils new Forensic Mental Health Services Facility
According to the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Mississippi State Hospital has officially dedicated its newly designed and renovated maximum-security building, marking a major milestone in the advancement of forensic mental health care in the state.
The modern facility provides comprehensive services to all 82 counties in Mississippi, expanding the state hospital’s ability to provide services for people who are involved with the criminal justice system.
MDMH says the facility was designed with safety, economy and dignity in mind. The cutting-edge building meets stringent health and safety requirements with enhanced video monitoring, centralized controls, artificial intelligence capabilities and advanced flooding control measures.
“This facility represents more than just walls and medical equipment and an incredible staff to fill it up,” expressed Wendy Bailey, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. “It symbolizes a bridge between mental health care and the legal system, ensuring that Mississippians receive the treatment they need while also maintaining public safety.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S. House begins markup on budget resolution, tax cuts bill
With Congress back in session, The Hill reports that at least five House committees are scheduled to convene to craft portions of the budget resolution and Trump tax cuts bill “as the conference kicks off the early stage of the consideration process. The panels will then hold a vote on whether to advance their parts of the Trump agenda bill.”
“The meetings come as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking to clear the bill by the end of May, setting the stage for a high-stakes four-week sprint on Capitol Hill,” The Hill reported, adding, “While the panels meeting this week have purview over less-controversial parts of the Trump agenda bill, the markups are the first time the public is learning about the specifics in the legislation — a significant step in the process.”
In addition, The Hill notes, “The House this week will push to overturn a number of Biden-era rules, as the GOP-led chamber looks to roll back the previous administration’s policies.”
2. Elite universities team up against Trump
As the Wall Street Journal reports, “Leaders of some of the nation’s most prestigious universities have assembled a private collective to counter the Trump administration’s attacks on research funding and academic independence across higher education, according to people familiar with the effort.”
“The informal group currently includes about 10 schools, including Ivies and leading private research universities, mostly in blue states,” WSJ reported, noting, “The group comprises figures at the highest levels, including individual trustees and presidents. Maintaining close contact, they have discussed red lines they won’t cross in negotiations and have gamed out how to respond to different demands presented by the Trump administration, which has frozen or canceled billions in research funding at schools it says haven’t effectively combated antisemitism on their campuses.”
WSJ continued, “The universities want to make sure other schools don’t go so far as to strike deals that create a worrisome precedent that others would be under pressure to follow, say the people familiar with the effort.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss marks historic NFL Draft class
Ole Miss football saw 8 players reach the next level when the dust settled at the 2025 NFL Draft. The selections mark the most of any Rebel draft class since the beginning of the seven-round format in 1994 and the second-most in the modern history of the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967.
Day One and Day Two saw defensive tackle Walter Nolen go to the Arizona Cardinals at 16th overall and quarterback Jaxson Dart to the New York Giants at 25th overall in the first round while wide receiver Tre Harris went to the Los Angeles Chargers at 55th overall and cornerback Trey Amos went to the Washington Commanders at 61st overall in the second round. Defensive end Princely Umanmielen was drafted by the Carolina Panthers at 77th overall in the third round.
On Saturday, three more Rebels heard their names called: wide receiver Jordan Watkins to the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (138th overall), linebacker Chris Paul Jr. to the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (172nd overall), and defensive tackle JJ Pegues to the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round (180th overall).
2. Big 3 college baseball roundup
Here’s how Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Mississippi State baseball fared in their weekend conference matchups:
- No. 22 Southern Miss swept Appalachian State. The Golden Eagles are now 31-13 overall and 15-6 in the Sun Belt. They play New Orleans on Tuesday.
- No. 23 Ole Miss took 2 out of 3 from No. 9 Vanderbilt, sending their record to 31-13 overall and 12-9 in SEC play. The Rebels return to action this Tuesday with a midweek matchup against Austin Peay on Tuesday.
- Mississippi State dropped 2 out of 3 to No. Auburn. The Bulldogs, now 25-19 overall and 7-14 in SEC play, will face off with Memphis on Tuesday.
Markets & Business
1. Investors await big week for Q1 earnings reports
CNBC reports that investors are looking ahead “to the busiest period of the first-quarter earnings season, which will see more than 180 S&P 500 companies report results.”
“Four of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ companies— Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms and Microsoft — will release their quarterly reports. Heavyweights such as Visa, Coca-Cola, and Eli Lilly,” CNBC reported. “Earnings results have been somewhat strong for the prior quarter, with 73% of companies reporting beating analysts’ estimates so far — slightly below the 5-year average of 77%, according to FactSet data. Still, Wall Street is lowering expectations for the second quarter and the full year as companies come out with uncertain guidance because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.”
Stock futures moved lower Monday morning, CNBC noted, ahead of the packed week for earnings and economic data.
2. California now the world’s 4th largest economy?
FoxBusiness reports that California has overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy in the world, according to international and domestic trackers.
“Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the finding in a statement on Wednesday, saying new data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) found that California’s GDP now exceeds Japan’s,” FoxBusiness reported. “The IMF and BEA have California’s nominal GDP at $4.1 trillion in their newly released data, compared to Japan’s $4.01 trillion.”
FoxBusiness added, “The data also shows that, were California its own country, its growth rate would exceed the U.S. and any other nation in the world. The state’s nominal GDP grew at a rate of 6% in 2024, outpacing the U.S.’ 5.3% rate, China’s 2.6% rate and Germany’s 2.9% rate.”
