The day after Hurricane Katrina, I was handing out hot dogs to evacuees in Vicksburg. I stopped what I was doing when Gov. Haley Barbour’s office called and told me to get on a Blackhawk helicopter and head south. Soon, I was airborne with First Lady Marsha Barbour, Sen. Charlie Ross, and a few othe
One of life’s greatest irritants is the habit some have of telling only one side of the story.It happens over and over again in our culture today. In truth it is not anything new. It goes back to ancient time. I guess you might simply call it human nature. And in every application, it does damage. S
Social Security was established 90 years ago, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in August 1935.According to Roosevelt, the goal of the program was to “give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.”
As the college football season approaches, Mississippians pick back up on their water-cooler sports conversations, which inevitably die off each year between the College World Series and SEC Media Days. Just as many of my fellow Mississippians, whether we call ourselves Bulldogs (preferably), Rebels
While sold-out stadiums, television contracts, and game-day traffic jams often define Division I college football, they also bring something with them: sky-high ticket prices, swollen athletic budgets, and what can feel like a community less and less engaged in a cherished tradition and more and mor
SuperTalk Mississippi Media is a dynamic media force, connecting the state through a robust digital and broadcast footprint. The company’s talk and music stations, plus its news efforts, make for an over 70-dial reach and are also available on the SuperTalk Mississippi app and supertalk.fm. Add in a
For the third time in the history of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office had the opportunity to host the NASS summer conference in Biloxi last week. After being awarded the bid to host during the NASS 2023 summer conference, we were ex
On August 28 at 10:00 a.m., the Mississippi Legislature will hold a joint House and Senate hearing at the Capitol to explore the clinical potential of ibogaine, a promising therapy for addiction and PTSD. Exploration of a promising treatment is a critical step forward in our commitment to not just t
Since my last column urging the launching of a regional Coastal Mississippi Economic Development Alliance, I’ve heard from state leaders, legislators, and business leaders.Two Coastal Mississippi leaders sharpened our challenge. One said we need more Business Council board members who know, from exp
When I became publisher of the Sun Herald in 2001, we launched a strategic mission to unite Coastal Mississippi. We expanded distribution, opened a Pascagoula news bureau, and worked to help shape a shared regional identity. Historically, territorial silos had stifled our progress – a challenge our
Recently, I have seen statements in some media that insinuate the University of Mississippi Medical Center is leaving Jackson.It’strue that we are creating more opportunities for all Mississippians to access our care outside the state capital, but leaving Jackson? Nothing could be further from the t
NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, with its core stage built in New Orleans and its engines assembled and tested in Mississippi, is designed to launch astronauts to the Moon, ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of space exploration. However, the Administration’s recent bud
It’s an exciting time in the Magnolia State as our leadership champions energy dominance and artificial intelligence technology on a national scale. As Governor Tate Reeves recently noted in an interview on Fox Business News, Mississippi’s Power Play initiative is focused on available, affordable, a
Children need a way to fall in love with nature and they need places for this to happen. Current writing on child development explains and reinforces this need. The book “Last Child in the Woods” (2008) by Richard Louv is a good place to start. When children reach adulthood with a solid tie to the n
Since first entering public service in 2008, I have dedicated myself to ensuring the security and integrity of Mississippi’s elections. Yet, I’m just one person and no one person can do things alone.Considering Mississippi is a bottom-up state when it comes to elections, my goal as Secretary of Stat
Not long ago, I received a call that created a conversation I won’t soon forget. Tommy Duff, a fellow Southern Miss alumnus and one of Mississippi’s most remarkable sons, wanted to sit down and talk about Coastal Mississippi, its untapped potential, and its power to continue to propel our state forw
For years now, Mississippians across our great state have worked tirelessly laying the foundation for a new kind of economic and technological leadership, built on innovation and pro-business policies for the next-generation industries. With Governor Tate Reeves’s recent signing of SB 2426, which cr
PETROGNANO, TUSCANY— Since 2017, over 1,350 people have traveled with me on more than 55 trips to seven European countries and 40 European cities. What started as a single, one-off trip hosting a few people interested in the people and places I had discovered in Tuscany has turned into a second busi
Sniffles and sneezes are an inevitable part of growing up. But if your child has a lingering runny nose and cough – or both appear around the same time each year – it could be seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies typically happen in the spring, summer, and early fall.Symptoms of seasonal allergie
It’s no secret that at the foundation of Coastal Mississippi’s success is gaming, government contracts, and military bases.The casinos in Harrison and Hancock counties rake in around $1.6 billion annually, employing thousands with over 9,000 direct jobs and another 18,000 or so tied to the ripple ef
Since I retired as a media CEO and started digging into Coastal Mississippi’s future on my SuperTalk Mississippi show, I’ve had over 1,400 conversations that keep me fired up and more focused on the potential of our region.So many of those conversations have been really important – statewide leaders
In virtually every political poll of current times, it has become impossible to beat an incumbent who has been there for more than one term unless the opponent has solid name recognition.Several questions have been raised about new candidates who are attempting to run for city positions in the upcom
Attention to detail – a phrase used in classrooms, locker rooms, and workplaces across the world. The basis of the phrase is if you pay attention to the little things, the big things will come together and work out as intended.Detail was not paid attention to by someone, or multiple people for that
Agriculture is the backbone of Mississippi’s economy and the lifeblood of many of our small, rural communities. Our farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses produce a vast array of food and forestry products. They are not just providing food, fiber, shelter, and fuel for consumption in the U.S.; they a
