Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call
Major League Baseball has become the latest organization to ask Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Republican candidate in Mississippi's special Senate election runoff on Tuesday, to return a $5,000 campaign donation due to her recent controversial comments, ESPN reports.
The backstory: Hyde-Smith sparked backlash after she said that, if invited, she would attend a public hanging "on the front row" at a campaign event earlier this month. The remark triggered outrage due to Mississippi’s history of racially motivated lynchings.
- Hyde-Smith claimed the public hanging comment was an an "exaggerated expression of regard." But it's also been uncovered that she posted a photo in a Confederate military hat on her Facebook page in 2014 and, in high school, attended a "segregation academy," a type of private school created in Mississippi in the 1970s to avoid forced integration.
An MLB spokesperson said that the contribution was made "in connection with an event that MLB lobbyists were asked to attend," according to ESPN. The official added that the league "has requested that the contribution be returned."
- The MLB contribution to Hyde-Smith was first reported Saturday by the political newsletter Popular Information.
Go deeper: The fight for Mississippi's special Senate election