- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
1. Secretary of State reports lowest voter turnout since 2004
According to Secretary of State Michael Watson, less than 60 percent of Mississippians cast a ballot in last Tuesday’s General Election. It was the lowest turnout since 2004.
“While we were hopeful to see our voters rise to the occasion, it has become apparent we continue to face voter apathy and fatigue. I encourage each of you to continue to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to engage in the elections process and fulfill civic duty and responsibility,” Watson said in a statement. “Mississippi needs an engaged electorate now more than ever.”
The Secretary of State expressed gratitude for the hard work done by Mississippi’s election team consisting of our circuit clerks, election commissioners, poll workers, and his team at the Secretary of State’s Office.
2. Exhibit honors former State Rep. Alyce Clarke
WJTV reports that an exhibit at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center in Jackson will honor former State Rep. Alyce Griffin Clarke.
“The exhibit is called ‘Faces of Alyce Griffin Clarke.’ A bust of Clarke will be unveiled at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, November 22. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be open to the public,” WJTV reported. “Clarke was the first African American woman elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. She served District 69 for 40 years, from 1984-2024. In 2024, she became the first African American and the first woman to have a portrait permanently on display in the Mississippi State Capitol since joining the Union in 1817.”
It is on display through March 31, 2025.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. GOP cements control of U.S. House
The New York Times reports that “Republicans cemented their control of the House on Wednesday after holding onto a handful of critical seats in Arizona and California and defeating incumbent Democrats in key battleground districts…”
“It was not yet clear what the margin of the Republican majority in the House would be, and preliminary counts pointed to the likelihood that they would again hold only a slight edge over Democrats,” NYT reported. “Votes were still being counted in some critical contests in the West, and a few other races were still too close to call.”
Even with potential GOP resignations to join President-elect Donald Trump’s Administration, NYT reported that “Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, had already conceded that his party had fallen short.”
2. Johnson clinches Speaker nomination
Speaker Mike Johnson will be the Republican nominee for the gavel come January.
“House Republicans voted unanimously Wednesday to make Johnson their speaker nominee, according to three people in the room,” Politico reported. “The Louisiana Republican has been shoring up support for months, crisscrossing the country to campaign for his colleagues, and the party is expected to hold onto House control by a slim margin.”
Politico also reported, “Members of the Main Street Caucus and House Freedom Caucus members brokered a deal ahead of the vote: Pulling the proposed punitive GOP conference amendments that would punish members for things like voting down a rule, in exchange for a nine-member motion to vacate threshold, according to two Republicans with knowledge of the matter. The deal brokered cleared the way for a voice vote.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Shuckers’ Clubhouse Manager, Groundskeeper honored by MiLB
The Biloxi Shuckers are celebrating their staff this week as Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday that Shuckers’ staff members, Craig Thomas and Trey Bowman, have been honored as the Southern League Home Clubhouse Manager of the Year and Head Groundskeeper of the Year.
The pair becomes the first Shuckers clubhouse manager and groundskeeper to earn honors.
Winners were selected using the results of surveys of league managers, players and executives throughout the 2024 season.
2. Southern Miss baseball signs 10
Southern Miss Athletics announced that second-year baseball coach Christian Ostrander has signed 10 players for the 2026 season including four right-handed pitchers, two left-handed pitchers, two infielders, an outfielder and a catcher.
The group includes right-handed pitchers Dylan Causey (Ellisville, Miss./South Jones HS), Caleb Dyess (Carriere, Miss./Pearl River Central HS/Pearl River CC), Kevin Landry Farr (Proctor, Ark./Northpoint Christian HS) and Camden Rodgers (Tyrone, Ga./Trinity Christian HS), along with left-handed pitchers Bruce Littleton (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Vestavia Hills HS) and Cooper Waddle (Golden, Miss./Itawamba AHS), infielders Gray Eubanks (Huntingdon, Tenn./Huntingdon HS) and Braden Maranto (Amory, Miss./Amory HS), catcher Cade Adams (Pearland, Texas/Pearland HS) and outfielder William Tonsmeire (Vestavia Hills, Ala./Vestavia Hills HS).
Markets & Business
1. Stock futures slightly higher on Thursday
CNBC reports stock futures rose slightly Thursday, as investors tried to recapture the postelection momentum that brought the major averages to record highs.
“Dow Jones Industrial Average futures gained 83 points, or 0.1%. S&P 500 futures climbed 0.1%, while Nasdaq 100 futures traded just above the flatline,” CNBC reported.
CNBC also noted the October consumer price index came in as expected, with inflation slightly higher, “but nevertheless signaled the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation is yet to be won. Core CPI rose by 0.3% for a third straight month, with the 12-month rate at 3.3%.”
2. Keesler Federal Credit Union merging with Jefferson in Louisiana
Keesler Federal Credit Union and Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union Boards of Directors on Wednesday announced plans for the largest credit union merger in Louisiana and Mississippi history. The two say the move will result in enhanced services for members of both credit unions and a more robust footprint stretching across the Gulf Coast.
Once Jefferson Financial Federal is merged into Keesler Federal Credit Union, the organization will have combined assets of just under $5 billion, with 55 branch locations across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the United Kingdom, and more than 900 employees.
Once the merger with Jefferson Financial Federal is complete, Keesler Federal will have 21 Louisiana locations stretching from New Orleans and the river parishes to Baton Rouge.
Established in 1947, Keesler Federal is the largest credit union headquartered in Mississippi.
