- 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. MDOT receives federal funding to replace 3 Tallahatchie County bridges
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith announced Tuesday a $34.6 million federal grant to the Mississippi Department of Transportation to replace three state-owned bridges on Mississippi State Route 32 in Tallahatchie County.
Hyde-Smith’s office said the Federal Highway Administration Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant will allow MDOT to proceed with its North Mississippi Bridge Replacement Bundle initiative, which involves replacing the Tallahatchie River Bridge, the Tallahatchie Relief Opening, and the Locopolis Bayou River Bridge on MS 32. The grant totals $34,674,688 in FY2024 funding.
MDOT, which has already purchased right-of-way and utility relocation for the project, indicates that using modern structural technologies will provide a more reliable transportation network on MS 32, which is now faced with weight limitations and other restrictions on the three aging bridges.
2. Nonprofit philanthropy conference coming to Jackson Thursday
The Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy will host its 2026 Nonprofit and Philanthropy Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting at the Jackson Convention Complex on April 9.
Under the theme, “United for Impact,” the event will bring together nonprofit leaders, funders, philanthropy professionals, and community stakeholders from across Mississippi. The conference is designed to cultivate collaborative relationships and build capacity to grow impact.
The day will feature addresses from sector leaders, as well as hands-on workshops on finance, governance, and marketing. The conference’s Philanthropy Roundtable will feature a facilitated panel discussion between philanthropic leaders from Mississippi and the Southeastern region.
For more information, contact (601) 371-8003.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S., Iran announce cease-fire
As reported by the New York Times, “The United States and Iran announced a two-week cease-fire and plans to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday evening, hours before President Trump had threatened that Iran would see its ‘whole civilization’ destroyed if it did not allow free transit through the vital waterway.”
“The agreement that was brokered by Pakistan was hailed as a victory by both countries. Mr. Trump said a 10-point plan from Iran was a ‘workable basis on which to negotiate’ a lasting end to the war after demanding Tehran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ for weeks,” NYT reported. “Iranian officials were triumphant, with Mohammad Reza Aref, the country’s first vice president, saying on social media that ‘the era of Iran’ had begun after Trump failed to destroy the Islamic republic’s government. Iran also said it would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and natural gas shipments, while negotiations take place to secure a permanent deal.”
NYT continued, “In Lebanon, the Israeli military said that the cease-fire did not cover its offensive against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon. It was also unclear whether word of the nascent deal had reached Iranian local commanders, as fresh Iranian attacks were reported in some Persian Gulf countries early Wednesday morning.”
2. Bill Gates to testify before Congress on ties to Epstein
The Washington Post reports that “Bill Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, will appear before a House committee June 10 to discuss his connection to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to two people familiar with the committee’s scheduling.”
“The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is looking into the Justice Department’s investigation of the deceased financier,” WP reported. “In March, the committee wrote to Gates, requesting that he testify about his connection to Epstein. The businessman was among seven people called to testify before the panel.”
WP went on to report, “Gates, a former associate of Epstein’s, is pictured in photographs and named in files related to the late financier. The tech mogul has said that he regrets meeting with Epstein, calling his relationship with the sex offender — which began after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes — ‘a huge mistake.’”
Sports
1. Big 3 pick up midweek wins
No. 9 Mississippi State, No. 10 Southern Miss and No. 25 Ole Miss all picked up midweek wins on Tuesday. Here’s a recap and look ahead for each team:
- Mississippi State defeated UAB 5-3 in Starkville. The Bulldogs are back in action this weekend hosting Tennessee for a three-game SEC series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
- Southern Miss topped UNO 3-2 in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles travel to Lafayette to face Sun Belt foe Louisiana in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
- Ole Miss run-ruled Alcorn 11-1 in Oxford. The Rebels now host No. 24 LSU for a key SEC series that starts Friday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+.
2. MSU’s Valincius named D1 Baseball Midseason All-American
D1Baseball has named Mississippi State’s Tomas Valincius a Midseason All-American, joining Perfect Game who selected the sophomore pitcher for the same honor on Wednesday.
Valincius was also tabbed to the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award as well this week.
In seven starts this season, MSU Athletics said Valincius is 6-0 with a 0.91 earned run average with 56 strikeouts and 11 walks through 39 2/3 innings with opponents hitting .173. In SEC action, the southpaw is a perfect 3-0 with a flawless ERA, 30 strikeouts and just five walks across 19 innings and has held hitters to a measly .109 batting average.
Markets & Business
1. Dow futures jump 1,000 points, oil falls under $95/barrel on Iran cease-fire news
CNBC reports that “U.S. stock futures jumped Wednesday after President Donald Trump said he was suspending Iran attacks for two weeks just ahead of his 8 p.m. ET deadline, pausing a five-week conflict that closed a crucial waterway for global energy supply and sent equity prices reeling.”
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 1,229 points, or 2.6%, by 6:47 a.m. E.T. S&P 500 futures added 2.7%, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 3.5%,” CNBC reported. “West Texas Intermediate crude futures tumbled more than 16% to $94.41 a barrel following Trump’s declaration. International benchmark Brent for June delivery lost more than 14% to $93.67 per barrel.”
CNBC noted, “Crude oil prices are up more than 70% this year because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, pushing the average U.S. national gasoline price tracked by AAA above $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022.”
2. Ford asks Trump administration for tariff relief
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The Trump administration has so far rebuffed requests from Ford Motor and other U.S. automakers for relief from aluminum tariffs after fires at a major American factory created supply bottlenecks for vehicles including the F-150 pickup, according to people familiar with the talks.”
“Last fall, two fires at the Novelis aluminum rolling plant in Oswego, N.Y., took the facility offline at least until this June. The fires occurred in the part of the plant where aluminum is rolled into thin sheets that are later stamped into automotive body parts. The plant is the largest domestic supplier of aluminum sheet for the U.S. automotive industry, serving about a dozen companies including Ford, Stellantis, General Motors and foreign automakers with U.S. production facilities,” WSJ reported. “Atlanta-based Novelis, a unit of India’s Hindalco Industries, has been making up for the lost production at Oswego with aluminum from its plants in Europe and South Korea. But the company’s imported metal is subject to a 50% duty under President Trump’s tariff regime. That cost is passed along to automakers when they purchase the aluminum.”
WSJ added, “The disruption has most affected Ford, which relied on the plant for the aluminum exterior of its F-150 truck, the longtime best selling automobile in the country.”
