Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion
In Mississippi
Three win $50,000 in MS Lottery
A Mississippi Lottery player has added to an unprecedented streak of Powerball wins, becoming the third $50,000 winner in as many drawings with a ticket purchased at Keith’s Super Store #80 in Lucedale.
This latest win follows two other $50,000 prizes claimed in back-to-back drawings, marking a milestone of three consecutive $50,000 wins across three drawings. The other winners came from Circle K #270515 in Southaven and Sprint Mart #9 in Fulton
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump tells Iran to open Strait of Hormuz of “you’ll be living in Hell”
As reported by the Washington Post, “President Donald Trump escalated his threats to target Iran’s infrastructure if it does not open up the Strait of Hormuz, warning the country will be ‘living in Hell’ in an expletive-filled message on social media Sunday. He later suggested that the United States could target ‘every power plant’ in the country — an attack that experts warned could amount to war crimes.”
“Gas prices have risen sharply as Iran limits the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, ramping up the political pressure on Trump to end the conflict he started — and Sunday’s threat heightens earlier warnings that he plans to inflict severe damage if there is no movement,” WP reported. “About 20 percent of global oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz each year, and the International Energy Agency in Paris has called Iran’s clampdown the largest energy shock in history. In the U.S., the price of gas surpassed $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 and is about 25 percent higher than it was a month ago, according to data from AAA.”
WP continued, “Trump on Sunday told the Wall Street Journal that if Iran does not reopen the strait by Tuesday evening, ‘they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country.’”
2. New guidance for Title X focuses on strengthening families, healthy pregnancies
Politico reports that “The Trump administration on Friday took the first step toward reviving and expanding the conservative overhaul of the Title X family planning program that happened the first time Trump was president — changes that previously led to an exodus of reproductive health providers and a steep drop in the number of patients served.”
“Hours after the White House released a budget that proposed the wholesale elimination of the program, the Department of Health and Human Services quietly posted new guidance for clinics around the country that provide birth control and other sexual health services to millions of low-income people. Several changes could take effect when the clinics reapply for funding in January 2027,” Politico reported. “The nearly 70-page document included no mention of contraception other than an assertion that it is overprescribed, has negative side effects, and is part of a broader ‘overreliance on pharmaceutical and surgical treatments.’”
According to Politico, “The guidance instead promotes ‘natural family planning methods,’ such as period tracking apps and other forms of fertility awareness that have higher failure rates than hormonal birth control. It also asserts that a key goal of the program is to ‘strengthen family formation and assist clients in achieving healthy pregnancies.’”
Sports
1. Southern Miss, Ole Miss gets series wins; Miss. State swept by Georgia
No. 8 Southern Miss and Ole Miss picked up conference series wins over the Easter weekend while No. 4 Mississippi State was swept by No. 5 Georgia.
- Mississippi State lost all three SEC games versus Georgia in Starkville, falling 10-9, 3-1, and 8-5 in the series. The Bulldogs (25-7, 7-5) look to bounce back on Tuesday with a home game against UAB.
- Southern Miss won two out of three over Sun Belt opponent Old Dominion in Virginia. The Golden Eagles (23-9, 7-5) won Thursday 10-4 and Saturday 8-7, but lost Friday 10-8. USM returns home to play UNO on Tuesday.
- Ole Miss visited No. 21 Florida and walked away winning two out of three in the SEC series. The Rebels (22-11, 5-7) won Thursday 6-4 and rallied in the 9th to win Saturday 5-2, but lost Friday 2-0. Ole Miss is back at home Tuesday to play Alcorn State.
2. Live sports broadcasting rules under review
The Hill reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “is opening the door to a rewrite of its rules for local blackout restrictions on live sports, a move that could be the first step in a potential shakeup of the broadcasting landscape for pro leagues and their media partners.”
“The FCC announced in February it is seeking public comment on “consumer experience” with live sports viewing, noting the rising cost of subscription services and pointing out what it called a ‘fragmented’ modern media landscape,” The Hill reported. “The department’s move comes as polls and social media feedback consistently show fans are increasingly annoyed with the cost and hassle of paywalled subscription services required to view games.”
The Hill went on to report, “Lawmakers on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, are suggesting Congress do more to curb the leverage top leagues have long held over when making deals on media rights… Fox Corporation, in a filing with the FCC reviewed by The Hill, warned, ‘there could be a dramatic impact on both consumers and local journalism if [streaming] became the default means by which Americans watch live sports.’”
Markets & Business
1. Futures up as Wall Street comes off a better week
Futures are up to start the post-Easter week.
“S&P 500 futures ticked higher on Monday following a winning week as oil prices fell slightly and traders continued to monitor the latest developments in the U.S.-Iran war,” CNBC reported. “Futures tied to the broad market index ticked up 0.1%, while Nasdaq-100 futures gained 0.3%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures lost 64 points, or 0.1%.”
CNBC noted, “Wall Street is coming off a strong performance last week, with the S&P 500 soaring nearly 6%. That gain snapped a five-week losing streak and marked the benchmark’s best weekly performance since late November. The Dow and Nasdaq also ended their respective five-week slides. The former advanced 3% for the week, while the latter popped 4.4%.
2. Iran conflict could push inflation, interest rates up
The Wall Street Journal reports that “JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon warned that the war in Iran could push up inflation and drag down financial markets even further if interest rates start to rise.”
“In his annual letter to shareholders, Dimon said there is a risk of more oil and commodity price shocks in the months ahead, which could lead to prolonged inflation and ultimately higher interest rates,” WSJ reported. “The 70-year-old CEO also noted how rapid increases in oil prices helped cause large recessions in the 1970s and 1980s, though the U.S. is less vulnerable to those types of shocks today.”
WSJ added, “Dimon also said the outcome of conflicts between the w41orld’s great powers, including the wars in Ukraine and Iran, is more important than the financial or economic impacts they might bring.”
-- Article credit to the staff for the Magnolia Tribune --
