Magnolia Mornings: June 18, 2025

• 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. Mississippi to receive $41 million in Purdue Pharma settlement

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Tuesday that she, along with 54 other Attorneys General, had reached a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and owners, the Sackler family, regarding the company’s manufacturing and distribution of opioids that they say fueled a nationwide addiction epidemic. 

According to the AG, the settlement is the nation’s largest settlement to date related to the opioid crisis.

The State and Mississippi’s local governments will receive $40,958,248.92 from this settlement over the next 15 years. The settlement also ends the Sacklers’ ownership of Purdue and their ability to sell opioids in the United States, the AG noted.

2. Morgan Stanley, Scion Group acquire Oxford student housing for $262 million

Morgan Stanley Investment Management and The Scion Group are acquiring a portfolio of student housing communities in Oxford, for a combined investment of $262 million.

The portfolio is located within two miles of the University of Mississippi campus and comprises 600 apartments, townhomes and cottages with more than 2,000 beds.

According to BusinessWire, the acquisition of College Town Oxford, a cottage-style community located on the west side of the campus, closed earlier this month. It has since been renamed Redpoint Oxford.

The remaining acquisitions of a garden-style community located south of the campus and four smaller downtown Oxford properties, are expected to close in the third quarter of 2025.

3. MSU Extension, MML launch Mississippi Municipal Solutions Network

Mississippi State University Extension has expanded its partnership with the Mississippi Municipal League to launch the Mississippi Municipal Solutions Network—a collaborative effort to provide hands-on technical assistance and trusted guidance to local leaders.

For more than 50 years, the university said the Extension’s Center for Government and Community Development has supported municipalities, and this new initiative reinforces that commitment as officials begin their new terms.

MML Executive Director Shari Veazey said the new network unites MML’s commitment to serving the state’s municipalities with the center’s expertise in municipal governance and its robust, research-driven approach to community development. The partnership is an expansion of the MML’s City Hall Center, which was established in 2008 to help municipalities prepare briefing papers, conduct surveys, archive ordinances and respond to requests for information.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Trump weighs joining Israel in Iran strikes

The Hill reports that President Donal Trump “is weighing perhaps one of the most consequential decisions yet of his presidency: direct U.S. involvement in a Middle East war.”

“The president on Tuesday signaled he is considering joining Israel in bombing Iran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program,” The Hill reported. “It marks a major shift for the president, who only days ago insisted the U.S. would not join Israel in its attacks on Tehran.”

The Hill went on to report, “Following a Situation Room meeting and conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump is considering strikes among a range of other options, hours after he publicly pressed Iran to accept his terms for a nuclear deal.”

2. Iran’s Supreme Leader says his country won’t surrender

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country won’t surrender and warned that any U.S. military intervention would bring irreparable consequences.”

“His comments come after President Trump, who administration officials said is considering a range of options—including a potential U.S. strike against Iran—said on social media that the U.S. knew the location of Iran’s leader but was choosing not to take any action, and then said, ‘UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!,'” WSJ reported.

WSJ added, “While the Pentagon says the military buildup is purely defensive, it puts the U.S. on a firmer footing to join Israeli attacks on Iran should Trump decide to do that. Alternatively, it could be a tactic to pressure Iran to capitulate or make concessions.”

Sports

1. Mud Monsters’ pitcher Zack Morris signs with MLB’s Rockies

Left-handed Mississippi Mud Monsters’ pitcher Zack Morris has signed with the Colorado Rockies, becoming the first player in the young team’s history to sign with a Major League Baseball organization.

“This is a milestone for our organization,” said Mud Monsters General Manager Andrew Seymour. “Zack’s signing shows that what we’re building here matters—not just to our fans, but to the baseball world. He believed in us from the beginning, and now he’s the first to take that next big step. We’re proud of him, and we’re proud that the Mud Monsters are officially on the map.”

Morris pitched in nine games for the Mud Monsters this season, posting a 3.85 ERA across 16.1 innings. He racked up 29 strikeouts against just 3 walks, keeping hitters off-balance with a mix of poise, grit, and pure left-handed nastiness. He struck out 10 batters in a single appearance on May 24 and wrapped up his Mud Monsters stint with three straight scoreless outings.

2. MSU’s Main, Symmonds among U.S. Soccer’s Women’s College Talent ID campers

Mississippi State Athletics announced that junior Zoe Main and freshman Adia Symmonds are among the 42 players called up to U.S. Soccer’s Women’s College Talent ID Camp set to begin on Wednesday.

MSU said the first-of-its-kind camp will be held June 18-22 in Atlanta, Georgia, and is part of the growing U.S. Youth National Teams’ scouting strategy with the objective of increasing programming opportunities for college-specific players with high potential.

Mississippi State is one of 11 colleges with multiple players represented, and only two schools had three.

Markets & Business

1. Fed’s latest rate decision expected Wednesday

CNBC reports that U.S. stock futures inched higher on Wednesday “as traders monitor the latest developments in the Middle East and brace for the Federal Reserve’s latest rate policy decision.”

“The Federal Reserve’s rate decision is due at 2 p.m. ET. The U.S. central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady, but investors will be keeping a close eye on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s post-meeting comments,” CNBC reported.

CNBC noted, “Traders are also watching for policymakers’ forecast on rate policy, as the Federal Open Market Committee will be sharing members’ ‘dot plot’ of rate expectations.”

2. C Spire names Evans Senior VP of Marketing

C Spire announced this week the appointment of Erick Evans as senior vice president of marketing.

The company said with his deep expertise in brand strategy and strategic growth, Evans will lead C Spire’s branding, customer engagement and marketing strategies to grow the C Spire brand across the southeast and drive demand for its consumer and business solutions.

Prior to joining C Spire, Evans spent 17 years with Ramey, a full-service marketing communications and business advisory firm in Jackson, Miss. During his tenure, he held various roles, including senior vice president/director of client services and, most recently, president of the firm. At Ramey, Evans spearheaded growth and strategic initiatives for global and national brands across many industries, including telecommunications, luxury home goods, direct-to-consumer brands and travel.