SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education has recognized 356 schools as the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools, including four from Mississippi: Mannsdale Upper Elementary, Magnolia Park Elementary, Ripley High School, and Stone Elementary. This prestigious award celebrates schools excelling in academic performance or effectively closing achievement gaps. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona praised these schools for their educational achievements and collaborative models. Schools are selected based on performance data, including assessment results and graduation rates, and can be awarded in two categories: Exemplary High Performing and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.

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SUMMARY: Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who repaid over $1 million in speaking fees tied to Mississippi welfare funds, is set to testify before a Republican-led congressional committee investigating state welfare programs. Despite repaying the money, Favre still owes nearly $730,000 in interest. His involvement is part of a larger scandal concerning welfare misspending, where funds designated for needy families were instead misappropriated. Favre’s testimony comes amid calls for reform of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, highlighting oversight failures. A judge has imposed a gag order, limiting what Favre can disclose during the hearing.

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SUMMARY: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at protecting dolphins along the Mississippi Gulf Coast after 2019 incidents where many dolphins were killed or sickened due to pollutants from the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway opening. U.S. District Court Judge Louis Guirola Jr. ruled that the plaintiffs, the Mississippi Sound Coalition, lacked legal standing, failing to demonstrate imminent harm from future spillway operations. The coalition had argued that the Army Corps of Engineers needed a permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but the court found future spillway openings too unpredictable to assert potential threats.

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