- 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. Navy awards Ingalls $283 million lead yard support contract
The U.S. Navy has awarded Ingalls Shipbuilding a $283 million contract to perform FF(X) class frigate lead yard support activities. The contract allows Ingalls Shipbuilding to procure long lead time material, execute design work and begin pre-construction activities for the first ship.
Under this contract, Ingalls Shipbuilding will begin cutting and shaping raw material to support future phases of work on the main structure foundation and the overall construction sequencing plan of the first frigate. This new approach will enable a smooth transition from design to production at Ingalls Shipbuilding and eventually across the industrial base.
In December 2025, the U.S. Navy selected Ingalls Shipbuilding to design and build the future FF(X), leveraging the stable and proven design of the Legend‑class national security cutter (NSC). Ingalls previously delivered 10 NSCs to the U.S. Coast Guard and will use the same proven build sequence for the FF(X) program. The new frigates will be constructed alongside production lines that currently support DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, LHA assault ships, LPD Flight II amphibious transport docks, and modernization activities for the Zumwalt‑class guided missile destroyers.
2. FAA awards $10.2 million in airport grants
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker announced Monday that the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Mississippi with a total of $10,177,785 in 12 grants.
The funds will support critical improvements such as runway construction, lighting, signage, and terminal upgrades to ensure the continued efficiency and safety of the national airspace system. Receiving the funds are:
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International – $5,528,256
- Tupelo Regional – $1,445,325
- Roscoe Turner, Corinth – $524,107
- Segars Field, Iuka – $500,000
- C A Moore, Lexington – $428,938
- Tishomingo County – $406,240
- Yazoo County – $385,000
- Panola County – $274,000
- Stennis International – $246,585
- Belzoni Municipal – $158,334
- Tunica Municipal – $144,000
- Holly Springs-Marshall County – $137,000
3. Human trafficking operation leads to 4 arrests, 3 recovered victims in MS
Attorney General Lynn Fitch said Monday that her Human Trafficking Task Force led Mississippi’s participation in a national human trafficking operation that spanned 30 states and included over 250 law enforcement agencies.
In Mississippi, the operation in Biloxi led to four arrests and the recovery of three victims. The following agencies participated: Mississippi Gaming Commission, Biloxi Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI).
Nationally, this operation resulted in 59 arrests and the recovery of 166 victims, including 12 minors.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. SCOTUS to weigh curtailing of deportation protection program
The Hill reports that the U.S. Supreme Court “will weigh the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail temporary legal protections for hundreds of thousands of noncitizens on Wednesday.”
“The oral arguments put the justices at the center of another key plank of President Trump’s immigration crackdown: scaling back the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. Created in 1990, TPS temporarily protects foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home countries because of armed conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions. It prevents deportation and provides recipients with a pathway to work authorization,” The Hill reported. “Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) looked to terminate TPS for 13 of the 17 designated countries when the president retook office, arguing the countries no longer meet the criteria. The others are set to expire soon.”
The Hill continued, “Solicitor General D. John Sauer, representing the administration, will tell the justices that lower judges had no power to intervene when they blocked many of the terminations.”
2. Comey indicted over social media post
As reported by the Washington Post, “Former FBI director James B. Comey has been indicted on allegations that a photo he posted on social media in 2025 constituted a dangerous threat to the president.”
“The indictment by a federal grand jury in North Carolina marks the second time the Justice Department has pursued a criminal prosecution against Comey and is the law enforcement agency’s latest attempt to criminally charge one of President Donald Trump’s longtime political foes,” WP reported.
WP went on to report, “The two charges stem from a photo that Comey posted online showing seashells on a beach that were arranged to write out ’86 47.’ Trump is the 47th president; ’86’ can mean banning or removing someone, but it can also be slang for killing a person. Comey quickly removed the post after receiving criticism that the phrase could be used to communicate the threat of violence.”
Sports
1. Miss. State tops Ole Miss for Governor’s Cup
No. 10 Mississippi State struck early and never let No. 17 Ole Miss recover Tuesday night, rolling past the Rebels 7-3 in the sold-out Governor’s Cup at Trustmark Park.
Mississippi State improved to 35-10, while Ole Miss fell to 31-15.
The Bulldogs hit the road to No. 4 Texas this weekend for a three-game series starting on Friday. The Rebels will head to Fayetteville this weekend for a three-game series against the No. 22 Razorbacks.
2. Tulane rallies late to upset Southern Miss
Tulane used some homefield magic to rally late and claim a 7-6 victory over No. 12 Southern Miss Tuesday night.
The Golden Eagles (31-14) lost for the second-straight time and had an eight-game winning streak over the Green Wave (23-23).
Southern Miss returns to action Friday when they entertain ULM for a 6 p.m., game at Pete Taylor Park/Denson Field in the first of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series.
Markets & Business
1. Oil rises on UAE OPEC departure news
CNBC reports that “Oil prices advanced again on Wednesday as traders balanced the United Arab Emirates’ shock departure from OPEC with indications that a near-term conclusion to the Iran war is unlikely.”
“International benchmark Brent crude futures with June delivery traded 2.8% higher at $114.37 per barrel at 7:18 a.m. ET, extending gains after notching its seventh consecutive positive session on Tuesday,” CNBC reported. “U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with June delivery rose 3.3% to $103.18 per barrel. The WTI contract, which settled up 3.7% in the previous session, has racked up gains of more than 49% since the U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran started on Feb. 28.”
CNBC added, “The latest move higher comes amid reports that the U.S. will look to extend its blockade of Iranian ports, deepening fears of prolonged disruption through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.”
2. Tech companies leading in layoffs
According to the Wall Street Journal, “There is a lot of concern about how artificial intelligence is affecting work as each new month brings a wave of job-cut announcements from large employers, including Nike, Morgan Stanley and Amazon.com.”
“First-quarter layoffs totaled 217,362, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a level 56% lower than the January-to-March period last year. That is because the start of 2025 was dominated by enormous federal-worker job cuts. In the first quarter, private-sector layoffs were down 1%,” WSJ reported.
WSJ noted, “Now AI is upending workplaces in ways both real and whitewashed. Tech has been hardest-hit this year, with 40% more layoffs in the first quarter—and fresh announcements of about 10,000 more positions lost in April, including at Meta Platforms and Snap.”
Magnolia Tribune
