- 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. Middle school student stop bus after driver has medical emergency
WLOX reports that during Hancock County Middle School dismissal on Wednesday, “a bus driver on Hancock County School District (HCSD) Bus 22 experienced a medical emergency.”
“Students on the bus reportedly acted swiftly to help stop the bus and then contacted emergency services,” WLOX reported. “HCSD officials said all students are safe and were transported home.”
“We are proud of our students for staying calm and acting responsibly,” HCSD said in a Facebook post.
2. Roland family submits Gulfport councilman’s resignation
WXXV reports that the family of Gulfport Ward 2 city councilman Ron Roland has submitted his resignation from the council.
“In a letter submitted to Gulfport Mayor Hugh Keating by Roland’s son and conservator Justin Roland, the family says the reason for the move is so that Roland can focus on his continued recovery and health, and so that the responsibilities of the office of councilmember can be carried out by with the attention they require,” WXXV reported. “Roland was hospitalized in July 2025 after suffering a serious fall, and has been recovering since that time.”
WXXV noted, “The resignation letter will be placed on the council agenda for a special called meeting set for Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. for discussion and official acceptance to vacate his seat. At that meeting, the City Council will set the date for a special election for Ward 2.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Pentagon unveils $1.5 trillion spending request
The Washington Post reports that the “Pentagon unveiled Tuesday how it plans to spend $1.5 trillion requested in next year’s defense budget, even as some lawmakers cautioned the massive bill is unlikely to pass a sharply divided Congress.”
“The nearly 50 percent jump in spending would fund many of President Donald Trump’s new military projects, including tens of billions for the Navy’s future ‘Golden Fleet’ battleship and F-47 Air Force fighter jet, as well as $18 billion for the ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense — a multilayered protection against ballistic missiles that includes space sensors, ground-launched interceptors and radars,” WP reported. “But the request will face opposition. Some Republicans have voiced concern that the jaw-dropping size of the Pentagon budget will be hard to sell at home to voters without cuts to offset the spending. Democrats, meanwhile, have taken issue with many of the big-ticket items like Golden Dome and the battleship, saying they are vanity projects instead of critical defense priorities.”
WP went on to report, “At present, about $350 billion of the total being requested by the Trump administration is being pursued through a legislative process called reconciliation, which allows that spending to be passed by the Senate with a simple 51-vote majority. Last year, the same mechanism was used to boost the Pentagon’s requested $890 billion budget to more than $1 trillion.”
2. Senate GOP pushes Johnson to pass DHS funding in House
According to The Hill, “Republicans in the upper chamber are ramping up the pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to swiftly approve a Senate-passed bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing that tens of thousands of federal workers could miss paychecks next month if the House delays much longer.”
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says Senate passage of a budget resolution early Thursday morning shows he has the votes to pass a budget reconciliation package next month to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol,” The Hill reported. “He believes that should give the House the green light to approve the Senate-passed bill to fund the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”
The Hill continued, “Johnson, under pressure from Republicans in the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and beyond, has said he won’t move the bipartisan DHS bill until after passage of the reconciliation package.”
Sports
1. Big 3 matchups set for weekend
Mississippi’s Big 3 are back in action Friday through Sunday on the college baseball diamond. Here is the roundup for their weekend series:
- No. 15 Mississippi State hosts LSU in Starkville for a three-game SEC series during Super Bulldog Weekend. The games opens Friday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network+, continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. on SEC Network+.
- No. 17 Ole Miss hosts No. 5 Georgia in Oxford. The three-game SEC series will be played Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Games will be aired on SEC Network+.
- No. 18 Southern Miss hits the road for a Sun Belt series in Mobile to take on South Alabama. The Golden Eagles open play Friday at 6:30 p.m. and then play Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games can be seen on ESPN+.
2. Sacking the “Rooney Rule” in the NFL?
Politico reports that while the NFL draft may dominate sports headlines this week, “another matter has the league ready to play defense: Florida’s move to pressure the league’s minority hiring practices in an attempt to get its ‘Rooney Rule’ sacked.”
“State Attorney General James Uthmeier gave NFL officials until May 1 to repeal policies meant to bolster opportunities for minority coaches and top executives in the league, threatening a civil rights lawsuit if they don’t,” Politico reported. “With time ticking down, it doesn’t appear the NFL has officially responded yet to Florida’s warning, meaning the Rooney Rule will likely remain enforced beyond the deadline.”
Politico added, “A civil rights lawsuit, as Uthmeier is threatening, would mount an unprecedented challenge for the NFL, enmeshing the nation’s most popular sports league in a new legal battle that advances Florida’s fight against ‘woke’ policies. The efforts by Uthmeier, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, align with a White House effort to boost scrutiny of programs they classify as diversity, equity and inclusion, making now a prime time to pursue changes to the Rooney Rule.”
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices fall on Israel, Lebanon ceasefire news
CNBC reports that oil prices fell Friday “after Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend their ceasefire agreement by three weeks.”
“International benchmark Brent crude futures fell 0.78% to $104.25 per barrel by 7:27 a.m. ET, while West Texas Intermediate futures lost 1.49% to $94.42 per barrel,” CNBC reported. “Israel and Lebanon agreed to prolong their truce following a meeting at the White House with senior U.S. officials, President Donald Trump said Thursday.”
“The Meeting went very well!” Trump posted on Truth Social, announcing the extension, CNBC reported.
2. Federal government to bailout or “just buy” Spirit Airlines?
FoxBusiness reports that “President Donald Trump has doubled down on the idea of a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines rather than a traditional bailout, an approach critics previously described as highly problematic. Trump reaffirmed his interest in offering the airline a financial lifeline during a meeting at the Oval Office on Thursday, adding that the plan would involve reselling the carrier once oil prices decline.”
“We’re thinking about doing it, helping them out and meaning bailing them out or buying it. I think we just buy it,” he said. “We’d be getting it virtually debt free. They have some good aircraft, some good assets, and when the price of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit.”
FoxBusiness further reported, “The remarks came amid talks of a potential financial bailout involving a reported $500 million loan aimed at preserving thousands of American jobs and maintaining a budget-friendly competitor in the airfare industry.”
Magnolia Tribune
