- 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. UMMC reopens clinics after cyberattack
The University of Mississippi Medical Center says their clinics will resume normal operations and appointment schedules on Monday as it continues recovery efforts following a cyberattack on February 19.
UMMC will also begin rescheduling patient appointments that were cancelled. Clinics will operate extended hours and days to quickly accommodate as many impacted patient appointments as possible.
With phone lines and internet working, UMMC will resume regular patient call center operations. The UMMC Triage Line will remain open for a few days this week but will transfer to the staffed call center.
2. Couple sentenced for installing faulty fire suppression systems
The State Fire Marshall’s Office on Friday said Daniel and Sherri Finnegan, owners of Finnegan Fire Safety Equipment, entered guilty pleas in Rankin County last week. The plea agreements encompass charges filed in both Rankin and Madison Counties. Across the two counties, twelve (12) charges were filed against Daniel Finnegan and twelve (12) against Sherri Finnegan, stemming from six separate cases.
Daniel Finnegan was sentenced to twenty (20) years, with seven (7) years to serve. Sherri Finnegan was sentenced to five (5) years, with four (4) years suspended and one (1) year to serve.
The State Fire Marshall’s Office said the Finnegan’s were arrested on August 21, 2024, for allegedly selling and installing faulty and used fire suppression systems in commercial kitchens throughout the state. The systems did not work and were not tested before being placed into service, putting people at risk in the event of fire. Finnegan sold many systems to daycares and other businesses. The couple appears to have targeted minority-owned businesses and owners who have a language barrier.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Iranian response to U.S. strikes hit allies in Gulf region
According to the Washington Post, “Iran intensified its retaliatory strikes against American allies in the Persian Gulf and Israel on Sunday, attacking sites in at least nine countries since the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack.”
“Within 36 hours, the regime had hit every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a group of Arab states close to the U.S., including at multiple international airports and at least three active ports, crippling international travel and disrupting oil shipments. The strikes also tore through residential towers, luxury hotels and roads,” WP reported. “Although Iran has insisted its retaliatory strikes are aimed at U.S. military facilities in the region, the attacks appear to have targeted civilian and economic infrastructure in the gulf, alongside military installations, according to videos verified by The Washington Post and state and local media reports.”
WP continued, “Flights across the region came to a standstill Sunday after Iranian munitions struck at least four airports, including one of the world’s busiest, in Dubai. Bahrain International Airport sustained minimal damage from a drone attack Sunday. Airports in both Kuwait and the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Irbil, were also hit.”
2. War powers debate expected in U.S. Senate
The Hill reports that lawmakers in both parties “are bracing for a showdown in Congress this week over President Trump’s authorities as commander-in-chief after weekend U.S. strikes on Iran that killed that country’s supreme leader and threaten to embroil the nation in war.”
“The Senate this week will debate and vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that would bring a halt to U.S. military action against Iran though it has no chance of becoming law as Trump would be certain to veto it,” The Hill reported. “The debate in Congress this week will give Democrats a platform to argue that Trump’s order to strike Iran over the weekend was illegal and to demand the administration explain how it plans to end the conflict, which has resulted in Iran conducting retaliatory strikes against Israel and eight other Arab countries.”
The Hill went on to report, “Several high-ranking Republicans have argued that regime change should be the ultimate goal of any effort with Iran.”
“Regime change should be our goal. Their theme has been ‘Death to America’ for half of a century and there’s no realistic hope of a genuine negotiation,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), per The Hill.
Sports
1. Mixed bag for Big 3 on the diamond over the weekend
The weekend college baseball games for No. 4 Mississippi State, No. 12 Southern Miss and No. 25 Ole Miss were a mixed bag for the state’s Big 3.
Miss. State defeated Arizona State and Virginia Tech in Arlington, Texas, but lost a heartbreaker to No. 1 UCLA on Sunday. The Bulldogs are now 11-1 on the season.
Southern Miss swept future Sun Belt rival Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana, giving Head Coach Christian Ostrander his 100th win leading the Golden Eagles, the fastest skipper to achieve that feat in school history. Southern Miss is now 10-1 on the season.
Ole Miss dropped two out of three in Houston, Texas, losing to Baylor and No. 9 Coastal Carolina and winning a shutout over Ohio State. The Rebels are now 10-2 on the season.
Looking ahead: Mississippi State travels to Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss on Tuesday while Ole Miss hosts Memphis Tuesday and North Alabama on Wednesday.
2. Mud Monsters recognized by Pearl Chamber of Commerce
The Mississippi Mud Monsters were honored last week as Large Business of the Year at the annual banquet hosted by the Pearl Chamber of Commerce.
“When professional baseball faced an uncertain future in Pearl, the Mud Monsters stepped forward with a bold vision for what Trustmark Park could become,” the announcement read. “In less than a year, the organization built a franchise from the ground up, launching a new brand, assembling a full front office, hiring seasonal staff, and delivering a winning inaugural season with a 49-47 record.”
The Mud Monsters says they have implemented fan-first changes designed to remove barriers and create accessibility, including the elimination of paid parking. The organization also expanded the use of Trustmark Park beyond baseball season, introducing The Southern Lights holiday experience and helping establish the venue as a true year-round destination for families, events, and community gatherings.
3. Holloways donate $5 million to Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss announced Friday that Diane and J.L. Holloway of Nashville, Tennessee, recently made a $5 million gift to the Vaught Society, the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation’s fundraising level that provides assistance to University of Mississippi student-athletes through scholarships, academic guidance and wellness support.
“Diane and I felt the desire to make this gift at this time in support of all the special athletes who contribute to Ole Miss’ success,” J.L. Holloway said. “We were inspired by Coach (Chris) Beard and Coach (Pete) Golding’s passion to encourage the players to be their best on and off the court and the field.
Ole Miss said the Holloways’ support of Ole Miss athletics is the latest of a lineage of major gifts the couple has made to the university.
“In 2017, their gift of $1 million to OMAF’s Forward Together campaign helped strengthen UM sports programs, facilities and equipment. The university recognized the gift by naming the south entrance of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in their honor,” Ole Miss stated. “In 2024, they gave $200,000 to renovate the Green Room at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Other Holloway gifts to various campus entities, including the Ole Miss Alumni Association, Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy and University Libraries bring their total giving to more than $8.4 million.”
Markets & Business
1. Oil, gold, U.S. dollar up to open week
As the Wall Street Journal reports, “Oil prices surged and global stock markets slumped after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran showed signs of sparking a widening conflict across the Middle East.”
“Futures for Brent crude oil, the global energy benchmark, rose over 7%, fueled by fears of a protracted closure of the key Strait of Hormuz corridor and attacks on Mideast energy infrastructure. The gains were more muted than some expected. European natural-gas futures surged,” WSJ reported. “Stock futures pointed to declines of 1% or more for the Dow industrials, S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100. European and Asian stocks largely sold off, with airlines posting particularly sharp losses. However, shares in oil, shipping and defense companies rallied, with Lockheed Martin and RTX both gaining over 7% ahead of the U.S. open.”
WSJ noted, “Gold futures rose 3% to about $5,400 a troy ounce, on track to settle at a new record high. The U.S. dollar and Swiss franc both strengthened amid a broad investor flight to safety.”
2. State Farm sending dividend to auto insurance customers
FoxBusiness reports that “State Farm announced Thursday that it will pay the largest dividend in company history to auto loan customers, who are in line to receive $5 billion in cash back.”
“State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, also known as State Farm Mutual, said it will make a one-time distribution this summer to customers across over 49 million vehicles covered by State Farm Mutual auto policies,” FoxBusiness reported. “The company’s dividend payments are expected to average $100 by vehicle and will vary based on the policyholder’s state of residence as well as the premiums they paid.”
FoxBusiness added, “State Farm’s announcement also noted that a downward trend in auto repair costs as well as the frequency of collisions in 2025 allowed the company to lower auto rates in 40 states.”
