- 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. MS National Guard shares in disaster response training with the Republic of Uzbekistan
The Mississippi National Guard said it continues to strengthen its enduring partnership with the Republic of Uzbekistan through the State Partnership Program, advancing shared capabilities in disaster preparedness, emergency response, and crisis management.
Recently, Mississippi National Guard Soldiers said it partnered with Uzbekistan Ministry of Emergency Situations personnel in Almalyk City to exchange best practices on incident management, civil-military coordination, public information operations, and large-scale disaster response planning. The engagement culminated in a collaborative earthquake response exercise designed to enhance decision-making, interoperability, and long-term recovery planning.
By sharing expertise gained through domestic emergency response operations, the Mississippi National Guard said it is helping build stronger, more resilient institutions while fostering lasting relationships that support regional stability and humanitarian readiness.
2. Business Alliance, AccelerateMS partner to strength MS talent pipeline
The Mississippi Business Alliance (MSBA) Foundation has entered into a formal partnership with AccelerateMS, the state’s Office of Workforce Development, to support the work of the newly established Mississippi Postsecondary Attainment Council (M-PAC) through MSBA’s WorkFuture Institute for Workforce and Educational Excellence.
Created through Senate Bill 2524, M-PAC brings together leaders from the private sector, economic development, workforce development, and education, to develop strategies that increase postsecondary attainment while strengthening alignment between education and workforce demand. The council is charged with helping ensure Mississippi develops the talent needed to support long-term economic growth and competitiveness.
The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed during the MSBA Manufacturers Summit on June 5, bringing together business, workforce, and education leaders committed to strengthening Mississippi’s talent pipeline and long-term economic competitiveness.
Under the agreement, AccelerateMS will serve as the principal staff and coordinating entity for the council, while the WorkFuture Institute will provide support in areas including strategy development, employer engagement, workforce analysis, career pathway development, and council operations.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Iran, Isreal strikes raise stakes in Middle East
According to the New York Times, “On Monday, Iranian ballistic missiles sent sirens wailing in central and southern Israel as booms from air defenses could be heard overhead. Israel’s air force bombarded sites in western and southern Iran, including the country’s largest petrochemical complex, the Israeli military said.”
“The fighting has propelled the Middle East back to the precipice of the full-scale war that began in February with the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran,” NYT reported. “The renewed fighting could tie up Mr. Trump’s efforts to extricate the United States from the war with Iran, which has proved politically costly and jacked up global oil and gas prices. He did not elaborate on what the United States might do to cool the escalating attacks between Israel and Iran, the first of their kind in two months.”
NYT continued, “Mr. Trump told the Axios news site on Sunday that he planned to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to tell him not to respond to the first barrage of Iranian missiles. The president also told the Financial Times that Mr. Netanyahu had no choice but to accept a deal with Iran. ‘I call all the shots,’ the newspaper quoted Mr. Trump as saying. ‘He doesn’t call the shots.’”
2. Lawsuit filed to stop White House UFC fight
Politico reports that “a federal lawsuit seeks to halt the upcoming UFC fight card on the White House South Lawn in a mixed martial arts show timed for President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and part of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.”
“The filing Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the June 14 event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction,” Politico reported.
Politico further reported, “The White House said in a statement that the legal challenge was ‘an obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory’ attempt to prevent Trump from hosting the fight and that the event was ‘no different than the various other White House-hosted events on the South Lawn and properly permitted events on the Ellipse and National Mall throughout the year.'”
Sports
1. Ole Miss back in College World Series
No. 18 Ole Miss baseball punched its ticket to the NCAA College World Series on Saturday with a 5-3 win over No. 5 Auburn. The Rebels swept through both the Regional and Super Regional rounds.
It will be Ole Miss’ seventh time ever and first time since 2022, when they won the National Championship, to appear in the College World Series.
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco has now guided the Rebels to three CWS in his tenure, which ties Tom Swayze for the most by a head coach in program history.
The Rebels will open CWS play this weekend, matching up with No. 4 North Carolina in the first best of three series.
2. Miss. State loses yet again to Georgia, ending season
No. 17 Mississippi State just could not keep pace with No. 3 Georgia, getting swept in the Super Regional in Athens. Sunday’s final game of the season was the sixth time this season that Georgia had bested Mississippi State.
State’s season ended at 43-19, one win shy of Omaha, after a wild 10-inning game that featured nine combined home runs, 25 hits and multiple momentum swings.
Mississippi State was ranked as high as the Top 5 this season at one point before their SEC play knocked them back in the rankings as losses piled up.
Markets & Business
1. Oil jump over 4% after Iran strikes, Israel responds
CNBC reports that oil prices rose Monday “amid heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran and Israel traded strikes, raising concerns over a fragile ceasefire and an extended conflict.”
“International benchmark Brent crude futures for July advanced 4.35% to $97.14 per barrel, easing slightly from earlier gains. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for August jumped 4.25% to $94.39 a barrel,” CNBC reported. “The Israeli Air Force hit military targets in western and central Iran, Monday local time, Israel Defense Forces said in post on X.”
CNBC added, “Meanwhile, OPEC+ agreed to increase targets by 188,000 bpd from July, according to an OPEC statement, making this the fourth oil output quota hike approval since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This increase is on par with June’s, which was lowered from monthly increases of 206,000 bpd in May and April due to the exit of the UAE from the organization.”
2. Gas-X pills recalled
FoxBusiness reports that “Gas-X capsules sold across the country are being recalled over potential chemical contamination because of a machine leakage during packaging, according to the Food and Drug Administration.”
“Haleon issued a voluntary recall last week after discovering that the medication may have been contaminated with a coolant when a machine leaked during packaging. The recall affects four lots of 125 mg Gas-X Extra Strength Softgels in pill bottles of 120 ct. and 72 ct,” FoxBusiness reported. “The company said 120 ct. bottles with lot numbers TL8K, YH9X and YH9Y and 72 ct. bottles with lot number X78N are impacted by the recall. These affected products all have an expiration date of Nov. 30, 2028.”
FoxBusiness noted, “The impacted capsules were distributed on or around April 13. The ingestion of the Softgels contaminated with the coolant could lead to adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the company warned.”
