- 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. Seafood labeling law to go into effect July 1
As WLOX reports, beginning on July 1, “a new seafood labeling law will go into effect, requiring all vendors to label whether their products are domestic or imported. The goal is to better inform customers and promote domestic products.”
“Well, when you come to South Mississippi, you just look at it and think you’re getting fresh seafood,” described Department of Marine Resources Director Joe Spraggins to WLOX. “Well, if you’re getting seafood, where’s it from? We want you to know that. Is it domestic or is it imported? Everybody deserves that right.”
WLOX added, “Spraggins says new rules will apply to all seafood sellers, from wholesale suppliers to restaurants, grocers, seafood markets, and even food trucks.”
2. MSU, Keesler partner on Weather and Environment degree program
Mississippi State University has signed an Educational Partnership Agreement with Keesler Air Force Base. The school said the partnership paves the way for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Weather and Environment––an MSU Department of Geosciences program that will provide Keesler Air Force members a streamlined pathway to complete a four-year degree.
The school said the BAS degree program will enable airmen to transfer technical training in weather-related fields directly for college credit, accelerating their progress toward a bachelor’s degree. The program is designed to build on the military’s rigorous meteorological instruction by integrating applied science coursework and real-world environmental applications.
“This partnership reflects MSU’s longstanding commitment to supporting our nation’s military and enhancing educational access for service members,” said John Rodgers, geosciences professor and department head. “By aligning the strengths of Keesler’s training programs with MSU’s academic resources, we are creating a meaningful opportunity for airmen to advance both their military and civilian careers.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump pushes Senate GOP to support ‘big, beautiful bill’
As The Hill reports, “President Trump on Thursday amped up pressure on senators to pass his signature domestic policy bill by July 4, calling it ‘the ultimate codification of our agenda.‘”
“The ‘big, beautiful bill’ is on life support in the Senate, with Republicans scrambling to save the megabill following a major setback delivered by the chamber’s rules enforcer this week,” The Hill reported.
“We don’t need grandstanders,” The Hill reported Trump said of the Senate GOP holdouts during an event at the White House, telling members of the public to call their senators and representatives. “We have to get this vote.”
2. Senators receive briefing on Iran strike
The Washington Post reports that Senators left a classified briefing about the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities “split along party lines, with Republicans saying it reinforced their belief that the strikes were effective and some Democrats complaining that it did not fully answer their questions.”
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed senators after days of complaints from Democrats that the administration had not filled them in on how badly strikes last weekend damaged Iran’s nuclear program,” WP reported.
WP went on to report, “Several Republican senators emerged from the Thursday briefing saying it backed up Ratcliffe’s public assessment Wednesday that the program had been severely damaged. But Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) said the briefing raised more questions than it answered and that he would push for more details.”
Sports
City of Mobile honors former JSU star Brazile
The city of Mobile honored some of its greatest sports legends on Tuesday at an official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hall of Fame Walk. Among those honored was former Jackson State star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Robert Brazile.
The Hall of Fame Walk, located in front of the Mobile Convention Center on the riverwalk, is a permanent installation honoring former Major League Baseball stars and Hall of Fame members Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Billy Williams, Ozzie Smith, and Willie McCovey along with Brazile.
A total of six 9-foot-tall statues of each honoree will line the front of the Convention Center.
Markets & Business
1. Markets looks to rise Friday
The Wall Street Journal reports that markets “look poised to test all-time highs, helped along by the latest twists in the U.S.-China trade saga, and budget negotiations in Congress.”
“President Trump said late Thursday a deal had been signed with China, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. was nearing agreements with 10 other trading partners. Beijing pledged to approve export applications for rare earths, a major sticking point in trade negotiations,” WSJ reported.
WSJ added, “In another boost, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the ‘revenge tax’ should be removed from Trump’s fiscal megabill, after G-7 countries agreed to exempt U.S. companies from an international minimum tax pact. The potential tax had roiled markets and frustrated foreign-owned companies, who argued it would depress U.S. investment.”
2. U.S.-China reaches trade deal
CNBC reports that the U.S. and China “have confirmed details of a trade framework that seeks to allow rare earth exports and easing of tech restrictions, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce Friday afternoon.”
“China will review and approve export applications for items subject to export control rules, while the U.S. will cancel a range of existing restrictive measures imposed against Beijing, a spokesperson for the ministry said in the statement, without elaborating,” CNBC reported.
CNBC noted, “The statement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday at an event in the White House that ‘we just signed with China yesterday.’ A White House official later clarified that the administration and China had agreed to ‘an additional understanding of a framework to implement the Geneva agreement.'”
Magnolia Tribune
