- 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. Governor requests major disaster declaration from President
Governor Tate Reeves announced Tuesday that he has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Trump for five counties impacted by severe storms, strong tornadoes, straight-line winds, hail, and flash flooding on May 6–7, 2026.
During the storms, the state was struck by seven tornadoes, 26 people were injured and 425 homes were damaged.
The state is requesting Individual Assistance for the following five counties: Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln, and Wilkinson. FEMA-validated numbers show that in those five counties, 88 homes were destroyed, 112 homes received major damage, 140 had minor damage, and 85 homes were affected.
2. DPS seizes nearly 400 lbs. of meth, 82 lbs. of marijuana in I-22 stop
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said Tuesday that its Interdiction Unit conducted a routine commercial vehicle inspection on Interstate 22 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi on Sunday, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 376 pounds of methamphetamine, 82 pounds of marijuana, and 2 kilograms of powder cocaine.
The driver, 32-year-old Ramar A. Lloyd of McDonough, Georgia, was arrested and transported to the Pontotoc County Detention Center.
Lloyd has been charged with two counts of Aggravated Trafficking of a Controlled Substance and one count of Trafficking of a Controlled Substance.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump-backed candidates power through GOP primaries
As reported by The Hill, “Tuesday’s flurry of primary elections underlined the strength of President Trump’s endorsement among Republicans, with his chosen candidates winning key races across the South. It also set the stage for general election races that will determine whether Democrats can take advantage of Trump’s record-low approval numbers to score some upsets in typically hostile territory.”
Here is a look at some of the higher profile races, per The Hill:
- In Alabama, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville clinched the Republican nomination for governor. He’ll face Democrat and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones in the General Election. Also in Alabama, Trump-backed Rep. Barry Moore (R) defeated Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and Attorney General Steve Marshall by double digits in the race to succeed Tuberville.
- In Kentucky, Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein bested Congressman Thomas Massie in the most expensive House primary in history. The GOP primary saw spending upwards of $35 million. Also in Kentucky, Trump-backed Rep. Andy Barr won the GOP battle to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.
- In Georgia, voters sent Trump-supported Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire Rick Jackson to a runoff in the Republican primary for governor. Notably, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffersperger (R), who defied Trump after the 2020 election, was knocked out. Also in Georgia, Trump did not endorse in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate.
2. Xi meets with Putin days after holding talks with Trump
The New York Times reports that less than a week after holding talks with President Trump, “China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Beijing on Wednesday, casting the two countries’ relationship as a stabilizing force in a world thrown into tumult by the United States.”
“The tide of unilateral hegemony is running rampant,” Mr. Xi said to Mr. Putin, according to Chinese state media, in an oblique reference to the United States, which this year launched a war in Iran and violently seized the leader of Venezuela, NYT reported.
“Speaking to Mr. Putin inside the Great Hall of the People, Mr. Xi called for a ‘complete cessation of hostilities’ in the Middle East, warning that it would be ‘unacceptable’ if fighting renewed. The Trump administration has been considering relaunching strikes, which have been paused since a cease-fire was announced last month, to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” NYT reported. “Mr. Xi acknowledged the pain the crisis is inflicting on China, which relies on the strategic waterway for about 40 percent of its oil imports. There is also growing concern that Iran’s ongoing shutdown of the strait could devastate global trade, the chief engine of China’s economy.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss one and one in SEC tournament, await regional fate
No. 17 Ole Miss Baseball (36-21) fell to Missouri in the first round of the SEC Tournament Tuesday morning by a score of 10-8.
The two teams became the first in all of college baseball to use the Automatic Ball-Strike System in a game, with Ole Miss becoming the first team to ever make a challenge and Missouri becoming the first team to ever win a challenge.
The Rebels now await their fate in the NCAA Tournament. They will find out their destination on Selection Monday.
2. Southern Miss, Miss. State set to open tournament play Wednesday
No. 8 Southern Miss and No. 16 Mississippi State will play in their conference baseball tournaments on Wednesday.
Southern Miss (40-14) will play Georgia State on the second day of the Sun Belt tournament, fresh off winning its first Sun Belt Conference regular season title in its four-year history. Game time at DABOS Park in Montgomery is 4 p.m.
Mississippi State (39-16) will face Missouri after the Tigers upset Ole Miss in the opening SEC tournament game. The two will meet on day two at 9:30 a.m. at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Markets & Business
1. Futures up as oil prices decline
CNBC reports that stock futures moved higher Wednesday, “thanks in part to a decline in oil prices.”
“Futures linked to the S&P 500 were 0.4% higher, while Nasdaq-100 futures added 0.8%. Futures tied to both indexes had earlier been trading in negative territory. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 75 points, or 0.2%,” CNBC reported. “West Texas Intermediate futures shed 1.9% to trade at $102.14 per barrel. Brent crude pulled back 2% to $109.03.”
CNBC noted that traders are expecting the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s April meeting, which are due on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
2. Banks could soon be checking immigration status
The Wall Street Journal reports that a new executive order from President Trump “would push banks to collect more information about their customers’ immigration status, part of an administration effort to crack down on undocumented immigrants’ access to the U.S. banking system.”
“Trump on Tuesday ordered regulators to rethink so-called ‘know your customer’ rules meant to guard against money laundering and terrorist financing. The executive order would make a person’s immigration status an explicit part of a bank’s assessment of whether a customer poses a money-laundering risk,” WSJ reported. “The executive order doesn’t go as far as an earlier proposal first reported by The Wall Street Journal in February, which would have required banks to collect a new category of documents—such as passports—from both new and existing customers.”
WSJ continued, “The changes should ensure financial institutions have the ‘authority, where warranted,” to obtain additional information from their customers, including “information relevant to whether account holders possess lawful immigration status and employment authorization.'”
Magnolia Tribune
