- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Roberts advances to Top 8 in “American Idol”
Meridian-native Jamal Roberts was voted into the Top 8 on “American Idol” Sunday night.
Roberts, a father of two and a PE teacher, sang judge Carrie Underwood’s song “Undo It” to much acclaim.
Judge Lionel Richie told Robert, “You are mesmerizing.”
The competition continues on Monday for the “Judge’s Song Contest.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Israel to expand military operations in Gaza
The Washington Post reports that the Israeli government “has approved a plan to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip, which would include the occupation of the territory, an Israeli official said Monday morning.”
“Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved the new Gaza war plan at a meeting Sunday night, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions,” WP reported, adding, “The Israel Defense Forces’ chief of staff, who presented the plan to the security cabinet, said it would allow for stronger strikes against Hamas and help bring home the hostages who remain in the territory, the official said.”
WP went on to report, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’emphasized that the plan differs from previous ones by shifting from raid-based operations to the occupation of territory and sustaining it,’ the official said.”
2. Medicaid ‘per capita caps’ being considered in Congress
The Hill reports that House Republicans are “seeking to thread the needle in Medicaid spending cuts” and are “eyeing ‘per capita caps,’ which would throttle federal funding without technically changing benefits.”
“The key Republicans who support the proposal argue it is not technically a ‘cut,’ seeking to avoid the politically charged label,” The Hill reported. “But the controversial plan would change the nature of the Medicaid program by putting a cap on federal Medicaid payments to states that expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act.”
The Hill continued, “However, GOP leaders say nothing is certain as they debate the best way to offset President Trump’s massive tax cuts.”
Sports
1. Big 3 weekend college baseball roundup
Here is a look at how Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Mississippi State’s baseball teams fared in their conference series over the weekend:
- No. 22 Southern Miss (35-13, 18-6 Sun Belt) swept Arkansas State in Hattiesburg, winning all three weekend games. The Golden Eagles have no midweek game this week but will host Louisiana for their final regular-season home series starting Friday.
- No. 23 Ole Miss (33-15, 13-11 SEC) avoided being swept by No. 21 Oklahoma, winning Sunday’s game 7-3 after losing Friday and Saturday. With no midweek game slated this week, the Rebels prep to face their rival Mississippi State starting Friday in Starkville.
- Mississippi State (29-19, 10-14 SEC) swept Kentucky in Starkville, taking all three games over the Wildcats. The Bulldogs also have no midweek game this week but will host rival Ole Miss starting on Friday.
2. Williams named Asst. Women’s Basketball Coach at USM
Southern Miss women’s basketball head coach Missy Bilderback has announced the addition of assistant head coach Jonathan Williams to her staff.
Williams, a Mississippi native, joins the Lady Eagles after a season at Charlotte under former Lady Eagle and Southern Miss assistant Tomekia Reed.
Williams has spent the last four seasons at the Division I level at Jackson State and Charlotte. The Wiggins native possesses a wealth of championship expertise as he helped Jackson State to three Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season titles, two tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Before getting his start in Jackson, Williams spent time at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston) as associate head coach and at Stone High School (Wiggins) as an assistant coach.
Markets & Business
1. Abel to succeed Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway CEO steps down
The Wall Street Journal reports that Greg Abel will succeed Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway as the company’s CEO.
“Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire’s annual meeting that he plans to step down as CEO at the end of the year and hand the reins to Abel,” WSJ reported. “In his 60 years of delivering stunning investment returns and folksy wisdom, the 94-year-old has been the glue that binds together Berkshire’s collection of businesses—from Dairy Queen and Duracell to railways and insurers—at a time when big conglomerates are out of style.”
WSJ added, “Abel will inherit the challenge of overseeing that wide-ranging empire, while living up to Buffett’s seemingly impossible-to-replicate record in stock picking—something even Buffett has struggled to do in recent years.”
2. Futures down Monday after winning week
CNBC reports that U.S. stock futures dropped Monday “as Wall Street comes off a winning week, with the S&P 500 logging its longest positive streak in two decades.”
“Futures tied to the S&P 500 fell around 0.8%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures shed 242 points, or 0.6%, and Nasdaq-100 futures lost 0.9%,” CNBC reported. “The broad market index advanced nearly 1.5% on Friday, its ninth straight day of gains — its longest winning run since November 2004 — and managed to recover all losses incurred since April 2, when President Donald Trump announced retaliatory tariffs on goods from many countries. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.5% Friday, while the Dow industrials rose nearly 1.4%.”
CNBC noted that “Increasing hopes for a U.S. trade deal with major trading partners have buoyed sentiment and stocks in recent days.”
