- 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. Former USM President Thames dies
Dr. Shelby Freland Thames, the eighth president of The University of Southern Mississippi and an accomplished research scientist and respected academic leader, passed away Friday, April 17, 2026.
USM said Monday that Thames served as president of Southern Miss from May 1, 2002, to May 20, 2007, following nearly four decades of service to the University as a faculty member and administrator. Over the course of his career, he was recognized nationally as a pioneer in polymer science while also guiding Southern Miss through significant academic growth, capital expansion and disaster recovery.
Following the conclusion of his presidential service in 2007, Thames returned to the faculty, continuing his work as an esteemed polymer scientist until retiring in 2012 as a Distinguished University Research Professor Emeritus.
Visitation will be held Friday, April 24 from 5-8 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. The service will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m. in Bennett Auditorium, followed by burial in Highland Cemetery.
2. Ole Miss joins Mid-South AI consortium
According to Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi is joining forces with partner institutions to position the Mid-South as a national hub for applied artificial intelligence research.
School representatives from Ole Miss, the University of Arkansas, University of Memphis and University of Tennessee Health Science Center recently gathered in Memphis to formally announce the Mid-South AI Research Consortium.
“AI is rapidly reshaping the research landscape, and the time to be thoughtful and strategic is now,” UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. “At Ole Miss, we have dynamic faculty across a wide range of disciplines, and this collaborative effort will enhance our ability to pursue meaningful research, to innovate and to spur the economy of our region.
Ole Miss said the consortium was designed to facilitate partnerships between more than 300 researchers working in AI-related fields across the four institutions. Initial efforts will focus on five areas of need: national defense, health care, supply chains, energy, and agriculture.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S., Iran to hold second round of peace talks
As reported by the Washington Post, “A U.S. delegation is expected to depart Tuesday for a second round of face-to-face peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, as the fate of the two-week ceasefire remains unclear. Iran has yet to confirm its attendance, instead warning that it is prepared “to unveil new cards on the battlefield.” The ceasefire is set to expire Wednesday.”
“President Donald Trump told Bloomberg News on Monday that he’s not likely to extend the ceasefire with Iran if no deal is reached. ‘I’m not going to be rushed into making a bad deal. We’ve got all the time in the world,’ Trump told the outlet,” WP reported. “The United States said it was sending Vice President JD Vance, Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.”
WP continued, “Both sides have expressed support for a negotiated end to the war while also escalating a standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, a choke-point waterway that carries a fifth of the global oil supply and has emerged as a central sticking point in U.S. and Iranian disagreements. The U.S. over the weekend seized the Iranian-flagged ship Touska following reported Iranian attacks on two Indian-flagged ships. The strait is virtually closed to all traffic.”
2. SCOTUS declines to hear parental rights case
The Hill reports that the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday “declined to take up an appeal from Massachusetts parents who contended the Constitution requires school employees to get their consent to encourage their child’s pronoun and name change in the classroom.”
“The parents argued the district was violating their fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their child, protected by the 14th Amendment’s due process guarantee. It comes after the court turned away a similar case last December involving a Wisconsin school district,” The Hill reported. “Though the court stayed away again, several conservative justices have expressed interest in the issue. And it comes on the heels of the court’s emergency ruling last month that California was likely violating parents’ constitutional rights in another case implicating transgender students and their parents.”
The Hill noted, “Disputes in other states could soon bring the issue back to the justices.”
Sports
1. Big 3 get boost in latest College Baseball rankings
After a weekend of winning for Mississippi’s Big 3, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss rose in the D1 Baseball Top 25 rankings on Monday.
Mississippi State gained two spots to No. 15 while Ole Miss jumped Southern Miss for the first time this season, with the Rebels now sitting at No. 17, up from No. 25, and the Golden Eagles at No. 18, up from No. 22. Ole Miss topped USM last Tuesday.
The three teams are back on the diamond tonight for their home midweek matchups.
2. Miss. State, Ole Miss players earn SEC weekly honors
Mississippi State’s Duke Stone was selected as the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week following his career-best outing in a series-clinching shutout at South Carolina this past Saturday.
Stone set new career highs with a dozen strikeouts across six scoreless innings and finishing with 101 pitches. The sophomore from Uvalda, Georgia scattered five hits and walked three to improve to 6-1 on the season.
In addition, Ole Miss’ Tristan Bissetta and Cade Townsend have each been recognized by the Southeastern Conference for their on-field performance last week. Bissetta was named SEC Co-Player of the Week and Townsend was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after the two led the Rebels to wins over Southern Miss and Tennessee.
Townsend is the first Rebel to earn Pitcher of the Week honors since Gunnar Hoglund in May of 2021. Bissetta is the first to be named Player of the Week since Issac Humphrey won it in March of last year.
Markets & Business
1. Labor Secretary out as inspector general investigates complaints
FoxBusiness reports that “Labor Secretary Lori Chavez DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration and will be temporarily replaced by Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling.”
“Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector,” Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said on Monday afternoon, per FoxBusiness. “She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.”
FoxBusiness added, “The news of Chavez-DeRemer’s exit comes as an inspector general investigates a slew of complaints against her, such as that she created a hostile work environment, used work trips for personal leisure, engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security team, and that her husband was making unwanted advances toward Labor Department officials.”
2. Hancock Whitney names Burns VP of Private Wealth Management
Hancock Whitney Bank announces the addition of Julia C. Burns as Vice President of Private Wealth Management at its Ridgeland Financial Center.
Burns brings more than two decades of banking experience to Hancock Whitney, with a proven track record of driving deposit and loan growth, strengthening client relationships, and delivering tailored financial solutions.
“Julia’s deep understanding of the local market and her commitment to high-touch client service make her a valuable addition to our team,” said Jackson Market President Leigh Pace of Hancock Whitney Bank. “Her ability to build lasting relationships and deliver customized financial solutions aligns perfectly with Hancock Whitney’s mission to help clients achieve financial success.”
In her new role, she will serve private clients and business customers by providing lending and depository services as well as investment and trust programs. As part of Hancock’s Wealth Management, Burns will help clients understand their individual goals and develop comprehensive financial and estate planning strategies.
Burns joins Hancock Whitney Bank from Renasant Bank, where she served as a private client banker since 2010. In that role, she partnered with lending and financial professionals to deliver strategic financial guidance, developed customized solutions for high-net-worth individuals.
Magnolia Tribune
The Supreme Court hands a win to oil and gas companies fighting environmental lawsuits in Louisiana
