- 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. Reed appointed judge in 12th Circuit
Governor Tate Reeves today Thursday the appointment of Thomas Michael Reed of Hattiesburg to the Office of Circuit Judge for the 12th Circuit Court District, which serves Forrest and Perry counties.
Reeves’ office said the appointment fills a vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Robert B. Helfrich. Reed’s term will begin on July 1, 2025, and will fill the remainder of the four-year term.
Reed has been a practicing attorney since 1998. He currently serves as a Municipal Court Judge for both Petal and Richton. He previously served as a city prosecutor for both Richton and Petal, prosecuting thousands of misdemeanor cases such as DUIs, drug offenses, and assaults. Reed has tried, to conclusion, dozens of felony criminal cases, including cases of murder, rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and drug possession, in both state and federal court.
2. DMR’s Spraggins receives recognition from USM
The University of Southern Mississippi recently presented General Joe Spraggins, the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, with the 2025 Friendship Oak Award at its annual awards day ceremony held on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.
The school said the recognition was in honor of his ongoing dedication and support of critical projects to advance marine research and sustainability.
“The University of Southern Mississippi is proud to recognize General Joe Spraggins for his support, partnership and leadership. His dedication to advancing science, fostering collaboration and protecting our coastal resources has made an impact beyond the University and into the communities we serve and support. His leadership and support continue to strengthen our shared mission of sustainable growth and innovation,” said Dr. Kelly Lucas, Southern Miss vice president for research.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Musk, Trump feud boils over on social media
The ties between the world’s most powerful man and the world’s richest man are broken.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who just last week received a gold-plated key to the White House in recognition of his service in President Trump’s DOGE effort, came out swinging hard against the “big, beautiful bill,” which quickly devolved into a social media war with the President.
Musk wrote on X, which he owns, that Trump would not have gotten elected last fall without him and went on to post, “Time to drop the really big bomb… [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” as reported by The Hill.
The Hill noted, “Musk for months, before and after the campaign, spoke glowingly of Trump’s character, the source emphasized, noting at one point the billionaire posted on social media saying he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man.'”
2. Federal debt at highest level since WWII
As the New York Times reports, “The federal government’s publicly held debt is already at its highest level since World War II, measuring at about 100 percent of the size of the economy. It is set to grow at a rate that most economists believe would be unsustainable.”
“The question of whether the nation can afford to remain on its current path is complicating the White House’s efforts to nail down support for Mr. Trump’s domestic policy bill, which includes the tax cuts. The proposal is expected to add $2.4 trillion to the debt over the next decade, according to an estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office,” NYT reported.
NYT also reported, “Worried about the Treasury’s ability to pay its creditors, investors have recently demanded more favorable terms — measured in higher yields — to buy up government debt. Those same concerns led Moody’s Ratings last month to downgrade the country’s credit rating.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss’ Malloy named Golfweek’s 2024-25 Men’s College Golf Coach of the Year
Ole Miss men’s golf coach Chris Malloy was named Golfweek’s 2024-25 Men’s College Golf Coach of the Year Thursday. He is the first men’s coach at Ole Miss to receive the award and the sixth coach from the Southeastern Conference to be recognized since voting began back in 1999.
Ole Miss Athletics said Malloy guided arguably the best and most decorated Ole Miss team in program history during his 11th season. The team earned its first No. 1 ranking in program history on October 23, 2024. The team also received its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
The Rebels finished third at the 2025 NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, in Carlsbad, California. The 3rd place finish marked the best by an Ole Miss team in program history.
2. New Miss. State head baseball coach becomes the 2nd highest paid in SEC
Mississippi State baseball fans welcomed their new head baseball coach on Thursday in an event at Dudy Noble Field.
After 22 years with the Virginia Cavaliers, Brian O’Connor takes the reins of a Bulldog program as one of the game’s premier coaches. He is already a hall of fame coach with his 900-plus wins, seven College World Series trips and a national title.
That resume helped O’Connor land a huge payday at Mississippi State, making him the second highest paid SEC baseball coach. His four-year contract is worth $2.9 million annually, an increase of $1.5 million from the contract extension he signed at Virginia last year.
Markets & Business
1. Investors await latest jobs report
CNBC reports that stock futures rose Friday “ahead of a key jobs report that is expected to shed light on the health of the U.S. economy.”
“S&P 500 futures added 0.3%. Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 92 points, or 0.2%. Nasdaq-100 futures advanced 0.4%,” CNBC reported.
CNBC added, “The May nonfarm payrolls report is due out before the opening bell on Friday. Economists expect growth of 125,000 jobs, according to Dow Jones, which would represent a decline from the prior month but likely not enough of one to cause a surge in recession fears.”
2. Tombigbee co-op seeks public’s help to deter copper theft
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative is asking for the public’s help in deterring the theft of copper wires from power lines and warning of the potentially deadly consequences the act can pose to thieves.
According to the co-op, thieves stripped copper wires from Tombigbee Electric power lines at least twice in recent weeks, causing thousands of dollars in damages and compromising service reliability for families and businesses.
The member-owned utility serves about 10,000 homes and businesses in Marion and Lamar counties.
Tombigbee Electric noted that they are working with the sheriff’s offices in Marion and Lamar counties to identify the thieves. Anyone with information about the thefts is urged to contact their sheriff’s office.
