Beard reelected to Ward 3, Nolan secures first term in Ward 5

TUPELO — Voters returned Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard to office in a low-turnout general election Tuesday night, along with electing freshman Republican Bentley Nolan to replace Ward 5 Councilman Buddy Palmer, to bring Tupelo's municipal election cycle to an end.
The final tallies for the All-American City's municipal elections resolved quickly with two decisive victories, closing an election cycle that began in January and ended with a single new face on the council.
Beard, a Republican who just secured his third full-term in office, defeated his Democrat opponent Shirley Hendrix, owner of R&B Specialty Printing, by garnering 192 votes (68%) to Hendrix's 139 votes (32%).
Nolan, who manages Nolan Brothers Motor Sales, defeated Democrat Candria Lewis. Nolan received 292 votes (88%) to Lewis' 39 votes (10%). He will replace Palmer, who is retiring, on July 1 when all candidates will be sworn in. There were four write-in votes.
Nolan previously defeated two candidates in the April 1 primary and April 23 runoff election to secure his seat as the Republican nominee.
Beard and Nolan join the other candidates who either won in the primary election or ran unopposed. They include Republican Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims, Republican Ward 2 Councilman Lynn Bryan, Democrat Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis, Republican Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston, Democrat Ward 7 Councilwoman Rosie Jones and Republican Mayor Todd Jordan.
Mims and Gaston ran unopposed, while Bryan, Davis, Jones and Jordan had no opponents from opposing parties, leading to victories during the April 1 primary election.

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10 minutes ago

• Associated Press

Crypto Fervor Is Growing, But Some Remain Cautious - Place Your Bets Either Way With LMBO Or REKT

By Kyle Anthony, Benzinga DETROIT, MICHIGAN - June 23, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - For many crypto enthusiasts, Donald Trump's re-election as president of the United States is a watershed moment for the cryptocurrency industry, given his stated proposals. For them, the Trump administration represents a promise of regulator clarity; an element that they may argue was absent in the previous administration. Beginning with financial oversight, Trump has appointed former Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul S. Atkins to lead the agency once more. Atkins replaced the outgoing commissioner, Gary Gensler, a noted critic and perceived adversary of the cryptocurrency industry. From a policy standpoint, two critical bills, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) and the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act, look poised to transform the cryptocurrency landscape. FIT21 seeks to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital assets by classifying tokens as digital assets or commodities. The main feature of this bill is that it bifurcates regulatory oversight between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where the former must regulate a digital asset as a commodity if the blockchain, or digital ledger, on which it runs is functional and decentralized. Conversely, the latter will regulate a digital asset as a security if its associated blockchain is functional but not decentralized. Furthermore, as President Trump mentioned during his campaigning, the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act could potentially establish a national reserve for Bitcoin, boosting its legitimacy and global recognition. If passed, it could encourage other nations to adopt similar policies. Submitted to Congress on July 31, 2024, and currently under Senate Banking Committee review, Trump seems well-positioned to advance this bill. Several U.S. states have also proposed Bitcoin reserve legislation, signaling that Bitcoin as a strategic reserve may become a reality in 2025. With the Republican party having a majority in Congress, albeit small, it is anticipated by many that there will be little resistance to passing the above-mentioned bills or enacting any policy President Trump deems necessary to his agenda. Finally, under the new Trump administration, relaxed application of the Howey Test – a framework set by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether a transaction qualifies as an investment contract and therefore be considered a security – by the SEC could increase approvals for spot crypto ETFs and public listings of crypto companies. Voices Of Caution At the same time, it's always important to maintain caution, and respected publications have in the past warned about shifts from rags to riches back to rags often occurring within a matter of weeks. Thus far, the hope of potential changes in cryptocurrency regulation has led to a rally in prices for various cryptocurrencies but has also opened the door for opportunism. Preceding his inauguration, President Trump and his wife launched meme coins – cryptocurrencies often inspired by internet memes or trends – a move some industry onlookers view as a cash grab, which undermines the legitimacy of digital assets in the public sphere. The increasing sentiment towards cryptocurrencies following the November 2024 election has resulted in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rising based on the expectation of regulatory change; however, if said change does not materialize, a broad market sell-off is also possible. Of President Trump's flurry of executive orders and proclamations on inauguration day, none pertained to cryptocurrency regulation. With momentum building around cryptocurrency policy, if it does not materialize meaningfully, there is a growing possibility of a correction. Geoff Kendrick, global head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered Bank, noted the possibility of a 10-20% sell-off if no meaningful policy change is implemented. Gaining Comprehensive Exposure To The Crypto Industry With Direxion For investors looking to gain comprehensive exposure to the crypto industry, Direxion's Daily Crypto Industry Bull 2X and Bear 1X Shares – (ARCA: LMBO) and (ARCA: REKT), respectively – offer enhanced, pure-play exposure to U.S.-listed securities that have business operations in the field of distributed ledger or decentralized payment technology, which includes the following business fields: blockchain technology, non-fungible tokens, decentralized finance and digital asset mining hardware. These leveraged ETFs are designed to emulate the daily performance of the Solactive Distributed Ledger & Decentralized Payment Tech Index, enabling investors to gain exposure to the index's movements with returns of 300% on its rise or 100% of the inverse. It is important to note that these solutions are intended to take advantage of short-term trends and should not be held for more than a day. Whether bullish or bearish on the crypto industry, these ETFs can help traders easily engage with the industry's growth patterns. However, it's crucial to approach these leveraged products with a clear understanding of their risks. While the amplified exposure can translate to significant gains, it can also lead to substantial losses. These ETFs are best suited for those who can actively manage the inherent risks of leverage and are looking to capitalize on short-term trends occurring with the firm. Learn more about both ETFs on Direxion's website here. Featured photo by Traxer on Unsplash. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. This content was originally published on Benzinga. Read further disclosures here. An investor should carefully consider a Fund's investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-476-7523 or visit our website at A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing. Leveraged and Inverse ETFs pursue daily leveraged investment objectives which means they are riskier than alternatives which do not use leverage. They seek daily goals and should not be expected to track the underlying index over periods longer than one day. They are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk and who actively manage their investments. 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Crypto Industry Investing Risk — Companies in the crypto industry are subject to various risks, including the inability to develop digital asset applications or to capitalize on those applications, theft, loss, or destruction of cryptographic keys, the possibility that digital asset technologies may never be fully implemented, cybersecurity risk, conflicting intellectual property claims, and inconsistent and changing regulations. Information Technology Sector Risk — The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. Financials Sector Risk — Performance of companies in the financials sector may be materially impacted by many factors, including but not limited to, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates, and decreased liquidity in credit markets. Additional risks of each Fund include Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk, Market Risk, Counterparty Risk, Rebalancing Risk, Intra-Day Investment Risk, Other Investment Companies (including ETFs Risk), Cash Transaction Risk, Passive Investment and Index Performance Risk and for the Direxion Daily Crypto Industry Bear 1X Shares, Shorting or Inverse Risk. Please see the summary and full prospectuses for a more complete description of these and other risks of a Fund. ALPS Distributors, Inc. View the original release on

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Mary Trump Traces Donald Trump's Attack On Iran To The Pettiest Reason

Mary Trump suggested that her uncle, President Donald Trump, ordered a missile attack on Iran in part because he was still smarting from being called 'TACO' by critics. The acronym for 'Trump Always Chickens Out' had been applied by opponents over his brinkmanship on tariff threats. But the president's niece, a psychologist who's one of his fiercest critics, said he hasn't gotten over it. She wrote Sunday in her 'The Good in Us' newsletter that her uncle's attention-starved 'fragile ego' was devastated by the name-calling ― enough so to pull the trigger on a military operation that could plunge the United States into war. Accusing him of illegally ordering the assault on Iran's nuclear sites, Mary Trump wrote: It is long past time that we stop imputing some deeper or reasonable motives to Donald Trump. Despite being depraved and cruel, much like his cohort Benjamin Netanyahu, he is driven by the most primitive impulses that center almost solely around protecting his fragile ego from humiliation (about which he has a pathological terror) and himself from the reality that he is a complete fraud. Donald is still no doubt stinging from the acronym recently coined to mock his inability to follow through on anything—TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out. In the wake of Israeli strikes against Iran, Donald spent a few days saber-rattling only to back off (chicken out, if you will) in the wake of searing criticism by some of the most reliably sycophantic members of his cult—e.g. Rep. Marjorie Green (R-GA), Alex Jones, and Steve Bannon. He announced at a bizarre press conference that his decision to address the ostensibly urgent crisis regarding Iran would be put off for two weeks. Only two days later, he ordered the attack on Iran. His allies would have us believe that Donald, a brilliant strategist, was faking us out. Sure. An infinitely more plausible explanation is that, on the one hand, he hates being challenged or contradicted, especially from those who almost always fall in line; therefore, he felt the need to double-down on his threats by carrying them out. On the other hand, Donald is a desperate black hole of need—by changing the narrative, he could make sure the spotlight turned back on him. Israel Targets Iran's Government, Notorious Prison As Tehran Launches More Strikes Marjorie Taylor Greene Rages Against Trump Iran Strike With Chilling Warning Critics Point Out Glaring Contradiction In Trump's Iran 'Regime Change' Post

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Fallout from President Trump's historic gamble to strike Iran's nuclear facilities reverberated across the Middle East Sunday, as Washington braced for an unpredictable response from a cornered but determined Islamic Republic. Although the Iranian government downplayed the impact of the U.S. attack, noting the depths of its nuclear know-how built over decades of study, U.S. military officials said the precision strikes against Iran's three main nuclear facilities caused "extremely severe damage and destruction." A senior Israeli official told The Times that Jerusalem was so satisfied with the operation that it was prepared to suspend hostilities if Iran ends its missile salvos against Israeli territory. "We are ready to be done," said the Israeli official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. As the dust settled, the sun rose and satellite imagery emerged of the wreckage, the main question among Trump administration officials became how Tehran would respond — both militarily, against U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf and around the world, as well as with the remnants of its nuclear program, with so much of it destroyed. Tehran's nuclear-armed allies, in Russia and North Korea, have been critical of the military campaign, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev raising the prospect of Moscow giving Iran a nuclear warhead in response to the attacks. The Israeli official dismissed that idea, alluding to direct talks with Moscow over the Iranian program. "We are not concerned," the official said. Trump's military action, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," was a contingency years in the making, prepared and and assiduously avoided by his predecessors over two decades as a desperate last resort to a nuclear Iran. Ever since Tehran resumed its fissile enrichment program in 2005, Republican and Democratic presidents alike have warned that the Islamic Republic could never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. But a constellation of diplomatic talks and complex agreements has failed to dissuade Tehran from a fundamental principle of a "right to enrich" uranium — near to weapons grade — on its own soil. Despite the dramatic nature of the air raid, few in Washington expressed an appetite for a prolonged U.S. war with Iran and echoed Israel's interest in a truce after deeming its initial operations a success. Vice President JD Vance denied that the United States was "at war" with Iran on Sunday, telling CBS that the nation is, instead, "at war with Iran's nuclear program." Read more: How Iran could retaliate after the U.S. strikes on its nuclear program But the prospect of another full-scale U.S. war in the Middle East, made palpable by the weekend strikes, shook Capitol Hill on Sunday, compelling Democrats who have long advocated a tough approach to Iran to push for a vote to restrict Trump under the War Powers Act. More than 60 members of Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, called on the Trump administration to seek congressional authorization for any further action. At least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, joined in the call. U.S. officials emphasized the precise nature of the strike Sunday, indicating the mission had been an isolated military operation with a narrow, if ambitious, goal. But Trump reinforced fears of a broader war on Sunday evening, writing on his social media platform that a change of government could become a policy goal of the administration. The Pentagon said that seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers deployed a total of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — 30,000-pound bombs known as "bunker busters," for their ability to destroy facilities buried deep underground — against Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. The U.S. operation followed an Israeli campaign that began last week with strikes against Iranian air defenses and nuclear facilities, scientists and research facilities, as well as against military generals, ballistic missile launch pads and storage depots. Although the U.S. and Israel believe that the American strikes were a strategic victory, some concern remains that Iran may have removed critical equipment and materiel from its site in Fordo — an enrichment facility built deep into the side of a mountain — to an undisclosed location before the U.S. operation began, the Israeli official said. "That remains a question mark," the official added, while expressing confidence that Israeli intelligence would be aware of any other significant nuclear facilities. Addressing the nation Saturday night about the attacks, Trump warned Iran that U.S. attacks could continue if it refuses to give up on its nuclear program. "There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump said, flanked by his vice president, national security advisor and Defense secretary. "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes." Across the region Sunday, the question paramount on observers' minds was what shape Iran's response would take. Iranian officials downplayed the strikes' impact, acknowledging damage to nuclear facilities but that the know-how remained intact. The U.S. and Israel "should know this industry has roots in our country, and the roots of this national industry cannot be destroyed,' said Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to a Sunday interview with the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency. "Of course, we have suffered some losses, but this is not the first time that the industry has suffered damage. … Naturally, this industry must continue and its growth will not stop.' Hassan Abedini, the deputy political director of state broadcaster IRIB, said that the three targeted nuclear sites already had been emptied some time before the attacks and that they 'didn't suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out." Other officials, including leaders in the targeted areas in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo, reassured residents that there was no nuclear contamination as a result of the strikes and that they could 'go on with their lives,' according to a statement Sunday from government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani. The U.S. attacks drew swift pleas for restraint from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which both issued statements calling on all parties to de-escalate. Iraq, meanwhile, said the U.S. escalation 'constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East,' according to an interview with its government spokesman on Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera. Oman, a key mediator in the negotiations between Tehran and Washington, was more scathing, expressing what it said was its 'denunciation and condemnation' of the U.S. attacks. In Europe, as well, governments urged caution and affirmed support for Israel. "We have consistently been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and can no longer pose a threat to regional security," France, Germany and Italy, known as the E3, said in a statement. "Our aim continues to be to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon." The last significant face-off between Iran and the United States happened during Trump's first term, when he ordered the assassination of top Iranian commander Gen. Qassem Suleimani in 2020. That attack spurred predictions of a furious retaliation, with fears of Tehran deploying its missile arsenal or activating its network of regional militias to attack U.S. forces and interests across Washington's footprint in the region. Instead, Tehran reacted with little more than an openly telegraphed ballistic missile barrage on a U.S. base in Iraq. Iran's options are even more limited this time. Much of that network — known as the "Axis of Resistance" and which included militias and pro-Tehran governments in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan and Yemen — in incapacitated after more than 20 months of Israeli attacks. Allies such as Russia and China, despite issuing condemnations of the U.S. attack, appear to have little appetite for involvement beyond statements and offers of mediation. And how much remains of Tehran's missile arsenal is unclear, with the Israeli official estimating roughly 1,000 ballistic missiles — half of their capacity before the most recent conflict started — remaining available to them. Nevertheless, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that the United States should expect 'regrettable responses.' 'Instead of learning from repeated failures, Washington effectively placed itself on the front lines of aggression by directly attacking peaceful installations,' Guard Corps said in a statement Sunday. It hinted that its targets would include U.S. military presence in the region. 'The number, dispersion, and size of U.S. military bases in the region are not a strength, but have doubled their vulnerability,' the statement said. Read more: What to know about U.S. 'bunker buster' bombs unleashed on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility The United States has more than 40,000 troops stationed in the region, according to Pentagon figures, and has bases in at least 10 countries there, not to mention a significant presence at sea. Yet experts say the likeliest scenario would involve disruptions to shipping lanes, with Iran leveraging its control of the Strait of Hormuz, an oil transit chokepoint handling a fifth of the world's energy flows, that is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point; or calling on Yemen's Houthis to intensify their harassment campaign of merchant vessels on the Red Sea. It is a situation in which Iran has experience: During its conflict with Iraq in the 1980s, Tehran engaged in the 'Tanker War,' attacking hundreds of Iraqi ships near Hormuz and entering into direct confrontations with the U.S. Navy. Shipping companies are already girding themselves for disruptions. But Danish shipping giant Maersk said it was continuing to use the Strait of Hormuz for the time being. 'We will continuously monitor the security risk to our specific vessels in the region and are ready to take operational actions as needed,' Maersk said in a statement. Wilner reported from Washington and Bulos from Beirut. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.