- 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. Hyde-Smith promotes “Great American Cotton Plan”
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the Great American Cotton Plan, a comprehensive USDA initiative to strengthen the cotton farm economy, restore domestic textile manufacturing, expand cotton trade opportunities, and increase demand for products made with American-grown cotton.
Mississippi U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith marked the announcement, saying American-grown cotton represents only 4 million of 20 million bales consumed in the U.S. each year.
“The Trump Administration and Secretary Rollins are doing right by our farmers and consumers by promoting American-grown cotton with the Great American Cotton Plan,” the former Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner said. “It puts our farmers first, supports long-term sustainability for the industry, and provides the American people with safe, affordable, and natural fibers that we should be using. Congress should immediately pass the Buying American Cotton Act to support U.S. farmers, rural communities, and American manufacturing.”
The announcement comes as cotton producers face a fifth consecutive year of negative returns driven by rising input costs, trade distortions, and increasing competition from synthetic materials. As part of the plan, USDA will elevate the “Plant Not Plastic” initiative to encourage consumers to purchase products made with healthy natural American cotton fibers rather than synthetic plastic-based alternatives.
2. State Rep. Taylor accepted to U.S. Army War College
Mississippi Democratic Party chairman and State Rep. Cheikh Taylor has been accepted to attend the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, one of the nation’s premier institutions for strategic leadership and national security studies.
The U.S. Army War College has educated military leaders, government officials, and strategic thinkers for more than a century. Admission to the program is highly selective and reserved for individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to public service.
“This opportunity represents far more than personal achievement,” said Taylor. “It is an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge in strategic planning, crisis management, organizational leadership, national security, and public policy. The lessons learned at the Army War College will strengthen my ability to serve the people of Mississippi and help prepare our communities for the challenges and opportunities of the future.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Senate GOP split on Iran peace deal
According to The Hill, “President Trump’s serious consideration of a peace deal with Iran that would open the Strait of Hormuz but also ease sanctions on Iran, a longtime U.S. adversary, is pitting Republican against Republican in a messy debate that will take over the Senate this week.”
“Defense hawks led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have panned the emerging deal with Iran, which Trump has yet to sign off on,” The Hill reported. “At the same time, several Republican senators who are deeply skeptical about the Trump administration’s handling of the conflict and who have complained about the lack of a clear endgame are eager to end hostilities and restore the flow of oil, fertilizer and other goods through the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible.”
The Hill continued, “GOP senators and Republican-aligned defense experts outside of Congress have urged the president not to agree to any deal that would allow Iran to continue its nuclear enrichment program or ease sanctions while it continues to support Hezbollah and Hamas.”
2. Approaching Medicaid work requirements straining State budgets?
Politico reports that “the Trump administration is counting on Medicaid work requirements to save the government billions of dollars. But well before the rules formally go into effect Jan. 1, they’re costing already-strapped states millions or tens of millions to implement.”
“State health departments are having to funnel resources into hiring more staff, paying for overtime, and upgrading their aging technology systems so they can determine which low-income residents are working, volunteering, caregiving, or studying enough hours to keep their Medicaid coverage. They are also building new systems to determine who is sick enough to qualify for an exemption,” Politico reported. “Democratic state officials, most of whom oppose the policy, say it’s an unfair burden at a time when many states can least afford it – amid drops in tax revenue and federal funding as a result of other policies in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The work requirements in that party-line law apply only to states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and only to people enrolled in that expansion, who typically make more money than those covered by traditional Medicaid.”
Politico further reported, “Even state Republicans who back the work requirements and have positioned the new policy as a way to fight fraud — a centerpiece of the GOP midterm campaign strategy — acknowledge it is stressing their budgets and prompting painful cuts in other areas, including health care and education.”
Sports
1. Miss. State, Ole Miss head to Super Regional; Southern Miss out
Mississippi State and Ole Miss swept through their NCAA Regionals this weekend, while Southern Miss, the highest ranked of them all, saw their season end by losing two in a row.
Southern Miss was ranked No. 7 in the nation and received a No. 9 national seed. They took game on the chin against eventual Hattiesburg regional winner Little Rock and then lost game two to Virginia, ending the Golden Eagles’ season.
Mississippi State and Ole Miss, ranked No. 17 and No. 18, respectively, swept their regionals, winning three straight to move on to a Super Regional this next weekend.
The Bulldogs, who played host this weekend, will now travel to No. 3 Georgia, while Ole Miss, who played in Lincoln, Nebraska, awaits their fate as the Auburn Regional concludes on Monday. The Rebels could host the Super Regional if No. 5 Auburn loses to Milwaukee in Monday’s deciding game 7.
2. PRCC wins NJCAA World Series
Pearl River Community College won the NJCAA Division II World Series this weekend, storming through the series undefeated.
PRCC outlasted No. 8 South Mountain 4-3 in an 11-inning thriller Saturday night to claim the program’s second National Championship and second title in five years. The victory also pushed Pearl River past the 50-win mark for the season.
Markets & Business
1. Wall Street looks to start June on strong note
CNBC reports that stock futures advanced on Monday “as Wall Street looked to kick off June on a strong note, and Nvidia led tech higher following the launch of a new chip for PCs.”
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 257 points, or 0.5%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures rose 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively,” CNBC reported. “Nvidia shares climbed more than 2% in the premarket after the company unveiled a new processor for personal computers. Dell Technologies and HP Inc followed Nvidia higher, rising more than 1% and about 4%, respectively. Intel, which for years dominated the PC chip market, fell more than 6%.”
CNBC noted, “Stocks wrapped up a strong May, with all three major indexes posting solid gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the advance, up more than 8% for the month. The S&P 500 gained about 5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added nearly 3%. The major averages closed at fresh highs Friday after the U.S. and Iran reached a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire.”
2. GM supplier set to strike
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “Nearly 1,000 workers at a Michigan automotive supplier are set to strike, stalling the production of key parts for General Motors’ midsize and full-size pickup trucks.”
“Workers at the American Axle plant in Three Rivers, Mich. are at an impasse with the company over a new labor contract,” WSJ reported. “Workers say their pay hasn’t recovered from 2008, when they agreed to slash wages in half to keep the plant running during dire economic times, despite high profit at American Axle in recent years on the strength of GM’s truck sales.”
WSJ added, “American Axle didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A GM spokesman said the company is monitoring the situation at its supplier.”
