Magnolia Mornings: May 6, 2025

Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion

In Mississippi

1. Miss. Insurance Dept. urges residents to be prepared this hurricane season

As Hurricane Preparedness Week kicks off, the Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) urges Mississippians will create a home inventory and pack a "Go Bag" so they are prepared in the event of a disaster.

MID says the "Go Bag" should include:

* Important documents like insurance cards and Social Security cards. Keep copies of these documents in a waterproof container or digital image saved online.

* A printed or digital copy of your home inventory.

* Cash

* Medications

* A battery-powered radio

* A gallon of drinking water for every family member and pet

Also, creating a home inventory makes it easier to file a claim in the event of a disaster. A free tool is the NAIC Home Inventory App. It can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

"Don't forget to review your insurance coverage and make sure you are familiar with your policies. Flood insurance takes 30 days to go into effect after it's bought," said Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. "Some insurance policies have a special deductible for losses caused by named storms. The insurer applies this deductible only when a named storm causes damage. This deductible is separate and different from the normal deductible in a homeowners policy."

2. Ole Miss School of Education honors Luckey

The University of Mississippi School of Education has posthumously inducted Jeanne Carter Luckey, a champion for accessible education and community service across the state, into its Hall of Fame, the university announced.

The school also awarded Luckey its 2025 Outstanding Educational Service Award during a ceremony Friday on campus.

Luckey, who died in 2024, earned a degree in special education at the university. She began her career teaching teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ocean Springs Public Schools. Her dedication to education and public service defined her career and community involvement for decades.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. SecDef directs cuts to senior military ranks

The Washington Post reports, "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed significant cuts to the U.S. military's senior-most ranks, saying the elimination of positions held by about 100 generals and admirals is necessary to slash "redundant force structure" and streamline the Pentagon's sprawling bureaucracy."

"The plan was announced with scant detail in a one-page memo signed by the defense secretary. It calls for a 'minimum' 20 percent cut to the number of four-star generals and admirals — the military's top rank — on active duty and a corresponding number of generals in the National Guard," WP reported. "There also will be another 10 percent reduction, at least, to the total number of generals and admirals across the force."

2. Congress targets state Medicaid provider taxes

The New York Times reports that congressional Republicans are now considering curtailing or ending Medicaid providers taxes "as one way to achieve the steep federal spending reductions proposed in the House budget."

"What started as creative budgeting in New England has, over four decades, snowballed into a mainstay of financing Medicaid, the insurance program for the poor that covers 72 million Americans," NYT reported. "Every state but Alaska has at least one such tax. In some states, provider taxes and related payments bring in more than a third of overall federal funding for the program."

As NYT reported, if Congress does rein the tax in, "it would save the federal government about $600 billion over the next decade, a large chunk of the $880 billion in cuts that the House committee that oversees Medicaid has been charged with finding."

Sports

1. Pedulla invited to NBA G League Elite Camp

Ole Miss Athletics says Rebel guard Sean Pedulla has been offered a spot to display his talents in front of numerous NBA personnel, accepting an invitation to the 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp, which takes place May 9-11 in Chicago.

Pedulla was the leading scorer for Ole Miss this past season, helping guide the Rebels to 24 wins, and a historic run in the NCAA Tournament where they reached the Sweet 16.

The Oklahoma native earned Third Team All-SEC honors and was selected to the NABC All-District First Team.

2. NFL Draft coming to D.C. in 2027

At a press conference in the Oval Office on Monday, the NFL announced that the 2027 NFL Draft will be held in Washington D.C.

Hosted in partnership with the Washington Commanders and the local organizing committee, Events DC, the 2027 NFL Draft will take place across the District's most iconic landmarks, including the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue, placing the capital at the center of America's most celebrated sport.

President Donald Trump made the announcement alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Markets & Business

1. Skechers being sold for $9.4 billion

Skechers founder Robert Greenberg has agreed to sell the maker of sneakers in a deal worth about $9.4 billion to 3G Capital, a private-equity firm, reports the Wall Street Journal.

"Greenberg, 85, stands to collect a more than $1 billion payout from the stake he controls in the company through trusts. The CEO and other executives, including his son Michael Greenberg, have agreed to stay on to run the business. They will also take a stake in the privately held company," WSJ reported.

WSJ added, "The deal offers shareholders $63 in cash for each share they hold, sending Skechers shares surging 25% in Monday morning trading."

2. UMMC opens new Burn Center

The University of Mississippi Medical Center announced Monday that it has officially opened a dedicated burn unit inside Batson Tower.

UMMC said the opening marks a major expansion of the Mississippi Burn Center, which was designated as a state burn center by the Mississippi State Department of Health in 2023.

The new unit consolidates acute treatment and rehabilitation services into a single, specialized space. Spanning 9,000 square feet, the area includes eight patient rooms, a hydrotherapy room for wound debridement and a rehabilitation gym to support physical and occupational therapy.

-- Article credit to the staff of the Magnolia Tribune