Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion
In Mississippi
Ole Miss names Grantham Farrington Entrepreneur of the Year
The University of Mississippi has named alumnus Steve Grantham as the recipient of the Farrington Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his leadership, community service and engagement with the School of Business Administration.
The school said Grantham, of Jackson, is president of J&R Restaurant Group, the Outback Steakhouse franchisee for Mississippi and west Tennessee. The company operates eight restaurants across the region. He was honored April 10 at the Gillespie Business Model Competition awards ceremony. The annual award, presented by the School of Business Administration, honors entrepreneurs whose work reflects innovation, impact and service. The award is named for alumni Jan and Lawrence Farrington, of Ridgeland, the inaugural recipients in 2010.
Grantham serves on the advisory board of the UM Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and supports student and alumni entrepreneurs.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Senate GOP eyeing an October SCOTUS surprise
According to The Hill, “Senate Republicans who fear their three-seat majority could be in danger in this year’s midterm election would welcome the retirement of conservative Justice Samuel Alito as an ‘October surprise’ that could change their political fortunes by rallying GOP-leaning voters to the polls.”
“GOP senators are being careful not to prod Alito, a leading conservative voice on the high court, out the door, but privately hope that a retirement announcement in the fall could shift several races in their direction. They think this would help their party in this year’s Senate elections just as the battle over Justice Brett Kavanaugh did in the 2018 midterms,” The Hill reported. “Some Republican lawmakers would love to tackle the fight to confirm Alito’s replacement this year when they have a comfortable 53-seat majority, which political handicappers project is likely to shrink after the November election.”
The Hill continued, “GOP senators now acknowledge that control of the Senate may flip to Democrats in 2027, even though Democrats would need to win a race in GOP-leaning states such as Ohio, Alaska, Texas or Iowa.”
2. $166 billion in tariff refunds gets underway
The New York Times reports that the Trump administration on Monday “is set to take its first steps toward returning more than $166 billion collected from tariffs that were struck down in February. Just over a year after imposing many of the duties, the government is expected to begin accepting requests for refunds, surrendering its prized source of revenue — plus interest.”
“For some U.S. businesses, the highly anticipated refunds could be substantial, offering critical if belated financial relief,” NYT reported. “Tariffs are taxes on imports, so the president’s trade policies have served as a great burden for companies that rely on foreign goods. Many have had to choose whether to absorb the duties, cut other costs or pass on the expenses to consumers.”
NYT went on to report, “By Monday morning, those companies can begin to submit documentation to the government to recover what they paid in illegal tariffs. In a sign of the demand, more than 3,000 businesses, including FedEx and Costco, have already sued the Trump administration in a bid to secure their refunds, with some cases filed even before the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
Sports
Big 3 get back on track
No. 17 Mississippi State, No. 22 Southern Miss, and No. 25 Ole Miss all won their conference series this weekend, getting back on track after an up and down few weeks.
- Mississippi State completed a historic weekend Sunday, edging South Carolina 4-3 in 11 innings at Founders Park to finish the program’s first-ever three-game sweep of the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs won the first two games 5-3 and 9-0. State now hosts Memphis on Tuesday.
- Southern Miss went to extra innings on Sunday to complete the sweep over Texas State, winning 5-4. The Golden Eagles claimed games one and two, winning 8-2 and 6-3. USM hosts Tulane on Tuesday.
- Ole Miss could not complete its sweep of Tennessee Sunday afternoon, dropping the finale 13-5. But the Rebels won games one and two by the scores of 7-4 and 8-1. Ole Miss now hosts Murray State on Tuesday.
Markets & Business
1. Futures fall, oil surges on latest Iran news
CNBC reports that stock futures fell on Monday as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated over the weekend with the seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship.
“President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. had fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. This comes after Iran declined to join another round of peace talks in Pakistan planned by the U.S,” CNBC reported. “The Iranian ship ‘is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board,’ Trump said in Truth Social post.”
CNBC noted, “Crude prices surged following the developments. West Texas Intermediate futures popped 6% to above $88 per barrel. International Brent advanced 6% to above $95 per barrel.”
2. Genuine MS Farmers Market opening in Brandon
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced the opening of the Genuine MS® Farmers Market at the Rankin County Co-op in Brandon next month.
The seasonal farmers market is expected to open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. beginning Saturday, May 16, 2026, and run through October 2026.
“This unique farmers market will include local vendors selling Genuine Mississippi products that have been grown, raised and processed in our great state, as well as a popup location of our Genuine MS® Retail Store,” said Commissioner Gipson. “We are excited to work with Mayor Butch Lee and the city of Brandon on this short-term, seasonal market as we continue to plan next steps for the Genuine MS® Market Complex site development.”
The Genuine MS® Farmers Market at the Rankin County Co-op will be set up adjacent to the parking lot of the Rankin County Co-op, located at 2861 US-80 in Brandon.
-- Article credit to the staff for the Magnolia Tribune --
