- 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. Construction continues on Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center
WLOX reports that the Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center “remains on schedule, according to the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance and the City of Gautier, with completion expected between late 2026 and early 2027.”
“The city broke ground on the project seven months ago. The concrete structure of two buildings is now visible at the site,” WLOX reported.
WLOX added, “Both the MSA and the City of Gautier are currently seeking state funding. The MSA has applied for money to support the museum and exhibit component, while the city has applied for infrastructure funding around the development.”
2. Miss Vickie’s chips recalled in Mississippi
WAPT reports that “Frito‑Lay has issued a recall for select eight‑ounce bags of Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle potato chips after some packages were found to contain jalapeño‑flavored chips that include milk, a dairy ingredient not declared on the affected product’s label.”
“The recalled bags carry a ‘Guaranteed Fresh’ date of April 21 and were distributed to retailers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Consumers who have a milk allergy or sensitivity are urged not to eat the product and to throw any affected bags away,” WAPT reported.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump says he won’t sign other bills until SAVE Act is passed
The Hill reports that “President Trump’s declared refusal to sign any legislation until Congress passes a key bill that would add new voting requirements is putting new pressure on GOP leaders ahead of the midterm elections.”
“It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else,” Trump said of the SAVE Act in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.
“Trump’s ultimatum is sure to be welcome news to House Republicans, whom he will be speaking to Monday at their three-day issues retreat in Miami. The party is set to map out its legislative agenda and sharpen its messaging for the midterms,” The Hill reported. “The president’s post follows weeks of debate over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which passed the House last month but is awaiting a vote in the Senate. The legislation would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a form of ID before casting a ballot.”
2. Iran’s new supreme leader is Khamenei’s son
According to the New York Times, “Iran projected defiance in the face of expanding U.S.-Israeli attacks on Monday by naming a son of its slain supreme leader as his successor, disregarding warnings from the Trump administration, while a surge in oil prices signaled growing alarm over the war’s effect on the global economy.”
“The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed by a committee of senior clerics days after President Trump declared that he was an ‘unacceptable choice’ and amid Israeli threats to kill Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s successor,” NYT reported. “Iran’s military and hard-line political forces trumpeted the selection and pledged allegiance to the new supreme leader. But in Tehran, opponents of the government could be heard chanting ‘Death to Mojtaba’ from their windows — reflecting widespread albeit muted dissent.”
NYT went on to report, “President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, one of Iran’s closest allies, congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on his selection to become Iran’s new supreme leader in the face of severe difficulties. ‘I would like to reaffirm our unwavering support for Tehran and solidarity with our Iranian friends,’ Putin said in a statement on Monday.”
Sports
1. Big 3 sweep again
Mississippi’s Big 3 college baseball programs swept their opponents over the weekend, with No. 4 Mississippi State, No. 12 Southern Miss and Ole Miss each picking up three wins.
- Mississippi State (14-2) got back in the win column after dropping their two previous games against No. 1 UCLA and No. 12 Southern Miss. The Bulldogs swept Lipscomb 8-3, 9-4, and 26-0. State heads to Biloxi to play Tulane on Tuesday.
- Southern Miss (14-2) bested No. 4 Mississippi State last week and then lost to Nichols. The Golden Eagles got back on track against North Alabama, winning 9-4, 6-1 and 9-2. Southern Miss will host Ole Miss on Tuesday in Hattiesburg.
- Ole Miss (15-2) had a good week, winning against Memphis and North Alabama during the week before sweeping Evansville 7-2, 14-2, and 8-3. The Rebels head down to Hattiesburg to play No. 12 Southern Miss on Tuesday.
2. Shuckers looking for National Anthem singers
The Biloxi Shuckers have announced that the team has opened its 2026 Virtual National Anthem Tryouts, which run through April 30.
Aspiring performers can submit audition tapes by clicking here.
Selected applicants will be contacted to sing the National Anthem before a Shuckers home game this season.
Markets & Business
1. Futures plunge as oil tops $100/barrel
CNBC reports that stock futures “plunged to start the week as U.S. oil topped $100 a barrel, raising concern about a stagflationary environment for the U.S. economy of rising inflation and slowing growth.”
“The Dow Jones Industrial Average is coming off its biggest weekly slide in nearly a year,” CNBC reported, adding, “West Texas Intermediate crude jumped nearly 13% to $102.45 per barrel, its first time above the $100 level since 2022 when investors were reacting to the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Oil prices rose above $119 at one point in overnight trading. International benchmark Brent crude added almost 13% to reach $104.63 a barrel. U.S. oil prices began the year below $60 a barrel.”
CNBC continued, “The $100 oil level was seen by many on Wall Street as a breaking point for the economy unless the war is resolved quickly and prices retreat. Trump posted Sunday evening that a gain in ‘short term oil prices’ was a ‘very small price to pay’ for destroying Iran’s nuclear threat.”
2. U.S. natural gas inventories cushion energy bills
The Wall Street Journal reports that “Americans aren’t likely to feel much pain from higher power bills as they did four years ago when energy markets were shocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, analysts say.”
“They can thank ample domestic inventories, record production and capacity to export LNG from the U.S. that is—for now, at least—pretty much maxed out,” WSJ reported. “Investors, on the other hand, are betting that U.S. energy stocks will have a repeat of 2022, when they were the bright spot in an otherwise down market. So far in 2026, shares of energy firms in the S&P 500 are collectively up 26%, compared with a 1.5% year-to-date decrease in the broader index.”
WSJ noted, “Insulation from the global natural-gas shock benefits not just household bill payers but also manufacturers of everything from steel and plastics to fertilizer and corrugated boxes. Stable gas prices have helped U.S. stocks outperform global indexes since the war began. While the S&P 500 shed 2% last week, Korea’s Kospi dropped almost 11% and both Japan’s Nikkei 225 and the Stoxx Europe 600 declined by more than 5%.”
