- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Mississippi recognized for economic development successes
The state of Mississippi has been honored with a Gold Shovel Award by Area Development magazine. The national award honors Mississippi’s historic accomplishments in economic development throughout 2025. Additionally, Area Development named the $210 million Amazon project in Marshall County as one of its Non-Manufacturing Projects of the Year.
“This national recognition is further proof that the Mississippi Momentum is going strong,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The Gold Shovel Award represents billions of dollars in new private capital investment and thousands of new high-paying jobs created in communities throughout our state. Our conservative policies and world-class workforce continue to deliver results. It’s another great win for Mississippi and her people.”
Submissions are evaluated on “job creation, capital investment, industry diversity, and alignment with each state’s broader economic development strategy.” Based on the projects submitted by the Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi won a Gold Shovel Award in the “under 3 million population” category.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S., Iran continue negotiations in Switzerland
According to The Hill, “The deal to stop fighting between the United States and Iran was showing new signs of life Monday morning after a head-spinning weekend, with negotiators expressing optimism about a path toward reaching a permanent deal to end the conflict after their first day of talks in Switzerland.”
“Stubborn fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah in Lebanon that flared over the weekend remains perhaps the most serious threat. Conflicting signals over the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the blockage of which shot energy prices up around the world, also underscored the fragility of the talks,” The Hill reported. “Still, diplomats leaving the talks very early Monday morning in Switzerland put a decidedly positive spin on the negotiations, reporting progress.”
The Hill continued, “They specifically pointed to a new negotiating cell set up to deal with the sticky problem of Lebanon, where the fighting is between two parties that are aligned with Iran and the U.S. but are not actually parties to the initial peace deal.”
2. Starmer out as Britain’s Prime Minister
The New York Times reports that “Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain announced his resignation on Monday, bowing to a mutiny inside his party and the threat of a direct challenge to his leadership of the country.”
“Mr. Starmer said he would remain as prime minister until a new party leader is selected, by September, rather than fight to remain in the job he won almost two years ago. His decision clears the way for Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade, extending a period of political turmoil for the country since it voted to leave the European Union in 2016,” NYT reported.
NYT further reported, “The most likely replacement for Mr. Starmer is Andy Burnham, whose resounding victory last week in a special election energized his bid to oust the prime minister. Mr. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and one of Labour’s most popular politicians, received almost 55 percent of the vote in the Makerfield district.”
Sports
1. Shuckers clinch first half South Division title
The Biloxi Shuckers (30-29) locked up the first half South Division title in game one, 3-2, before sweeping a doubleheader with the Columbus Clingstones, 9-4 on Sunday night.
The Shuckers also became the first Brewers Double-A affiliate to reach the playoffs in at least three consecutive seasons since the El Paso Diablos, who reached the Texas League Playoffs in five consecutive seasons between 1990 and 1994.
The Shuckers are idle on Monday before they matchup against the Montgomery Biscuits for the second time this season on Tuesday at DABOS Park. First pitch for the first-of-six games is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Coverage begins at 6:15 p.m. with the On-Deck Show on the Biloxi Shuckers Radio Network and The Hype 100.9.
2. JSU’s Clark to be inducted into College Baseball Hall of Fame
Jackson State’s Dave Clark has been announced as an inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as one of 21 standouts selected for the Class of 2026.
JSU Athletics said Clark made the journey from a determined young athlete to a standout collegiate performer. His career began with humble beginnings but quickly evolved into one of distinction, particularly during his time at Jackson State University.
Arriving on campus in the fall of 1980, the school said Clark made the most of his opportunity by developing into one of the most dynamic players in program history. By his sophomore season in 1982, Clark had emerged as a national talent, batting .363 while earning The Sporting News All-America honors. That same season, he helped lead Jackson State to Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and a historic milestone as the first HBCU program to qualify for an NCAA Division I Regional.
Clark elevated his performance even further in 1983, delivering a dominant junior campaign in which he batted .378 with 13 home runs. His outstanding play earned him SWAC Most Valuable Player honors. During both his sophomore and junior seasons, Clark was named team MVP. His exceptional collegiate career led to selection in the first round of the 1983 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland organization, where he was chosen 11th overall.
Markets & Business
1. Investors assessing Iran negotiations
CNBC reports that “U.S. equity futures were little changed Monday as Wall Street assessed the latest developments in the Iran war negotiations and awaits the release of inflation data closely watched by the Federal Reserve.”
“Brent oil futures turned negative on Monday after mediators Qatar and Pakistan said that U.S. and Iranian officials had agreed on a roadmap to reach a final deal within 60 days,” CNBC reported. “International benchmark Brent crude futures for August gained in early Asian trading, then fell 1.6% to $79.30 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for July pared a 3% jump in earlier trading to be about 0.8% lower at $76.”
CNBC noted, “The three leading U.S. indexes staged a comeback Thursday after a sell-off on Wednesday, with the declines fueled by investor uncertainty about the trajectory of monetary policy. Thursday’s comeback – led by a rise in chip stocks – helped the indexes finish the trading week higher.”
2. California exodus 2.0?
FoxBusiness reports that a fresh wave of Silicon Valley wealth could soon flow into South Florida.
“With OpenAI quietly filing for a confidential IPO alongside market debuts from aerospace giant SpaceX and AI rival Anthropic, billions of dollars in overnight liquidity are about to be unlocked for executives and middle management alike. But instead of reinvesting in the Golden State, this incoming class of newly minted tech multimillionaires is already flooding Florida real estate brokers with calls — triggering what experts say could be a rapid-fire ‘Tech Exodus 2.0’ measured in months, not years,” FoxBusiness reported.
FoxBusiness added, “Yet as the talent begins to follow the capital, the ultimate ripple effects will likely extend far beyond luxury beachfront high-rises. The experts argue that a massive wave of public market wealth creates an entirely new class of consumer — and resident — that shifts the cultural fabric of local communities.”
