- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians receives $6 million HUD grant
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is receiving $6 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) funding for eligible Native American Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The initiative aims to carry out affordable housing activities in Indian Country. Eligible activities include housing development, operation and modernization of existing housing, housing services to eligible families and individuals, crime prevention and safety, and model activities.
Nationally, HUD awarded $1.1 billion in IHBG funding.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer
The Wall Street Journal reports that former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer just months after he left office, his representatives said Sunday.
“Biden received the diagnosis of prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone after he was experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” WSJ reported, noting a statement from Biden’s personal office that read, “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
President Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
2. House committee advances the ‘big, beautiful bill’
The Hill reports that Republicans in the U.S. House advanced President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in unusual late-night vote.
“Republican deficit hawks allowed President Trump’s bill of legislative priorities to advance out of the House Budget Committee in an unusual late-night vote on Sunday, marking a key hurdle cleared for House GOP leaders and a sign of progress for warring Republican factions,” The Hill reported. “After gaveling in after 10 p.m. on Sunday, the committee voted 17-16 to advance the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act,’ which would extend Trump’s tax cuts and boost his border funding priorities while reforming Medicaid and food assistance programs.”
The Hill added, “The four Republican holdouts who had tanked the vote on Friday — Reps. Ralph Norman (S.C.), Chip Roy (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Ga.), and Josh Brecheen (Okla.) — voted present to allow the bill to go forward, with Roy revealing that there was progress on moving up the start date for new Medicaid work requirements and speeding up the phase-out of green energy incentives.”
Sports
1. Big 3 college baseball roundup
Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Mississippi State wrapped up the regular season over the weekend. Here’s a look at how the Big 3 in Mississippi finished ahead of postseason play:
- No. 19 Southern Miss swept Troy this weekend. The Golden Eagles are 41-13 this season and 24-6 in Sun Belt play.
- Ole Miss won 2 out of 3 at No. 6 Auburn. The Rebels are now 37-18 on the season and 16-14 in Southeastern Conference play.
- Mississippi State swept Missouri to end the regular season. The Bulldogs are 34-20 overall and 15-15 in SEC play.
The Sun Belt tournament begins Wednesday while the SEC tournament starts Tuesday.
2. Middleton named 2025 Golden Spikes Award semifinalist
Southern Miss Athletics announced Sunday that junior right-handed pitcher JB Middleton (Yazoo City, Miss.) is among the USA Baseball 25 semifinalists for the 2025 Golden Spikes Award that identifies the top amateur baseball player in the nation.
The 47th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 21 on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. ET prior to first pitch of Game 1 of the Men’s College World Series finals.
USM Athletics noted that Middleton finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and a 2.07 ERA with 104 strikeouts and only 23 walks and 53 hits in 91 1/3 innings, while opponents hit .169 against him. He led the Sun Belt in innings pitched and ranked second in both ERA and wins.
Markets & Business
1. Moody’s downgrade sends futures downward
CNBC reports that stock futures tumbled on Monday “as a downgrade of the U.S.′ credit rating by Moody’s caused Treasury yields to spike.”
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 292 points, or 0.7%. S&P 500 futures pulled back 1.1%, while Nasdaq-100 futures lost 1.5%,” CNBC reported.
CNBC went on to report, “Moody’s on Friday after the bell bumped the country’s rating down by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa, bringing the agency in line with its peers. The firm cited the financing challenges tied to the federal government’s growing budget deficit and the ramifications of rolling over existing U.S. debts in a period of high borrowing costs.”
2. Verizon ending DEI programs
FoxBusiness reports that Verizon Communications on Friday “said that it is ending its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs amid a probe by the Trump administration into those practices, as the telecom giant seeks federal approval for an acquisition.”
“Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr criticized Verizon in February for its promotion of DEI programs, saying it could factor into the review of Verizon’s planned acquisition of Frontier Communications for $20 billion, including debt,” FoxBusiness reported. “Verizon said in a letter to Carr that was reviewed by Reuters that it’s removing its ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ website and removing references to DEI in employee training programs — as well as making changes to its hiring, career development, supplier diversity and corporate sponsorship practices.”
“Verizon recognizes that some DEI policies and practices could be associated with discrimination,” Verizon Chief Legal Officer Vandana Venkatesh said in the letter, adding that the changes would immediately take effect, as reported by FoxBusiness.
Magnolia Tribune
