- 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. Auditor White wants lawmakers to ban DEI spending, cut fat in state government
State Auditor Shad White announced his legislative priorities for the 2025 session on Monday.
His legislative proposals include:
- A proposal to send less money to K-12 administration and more money to teachers and classrooms.
- A ban on spending taxpayer money on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs.
- A bill to cut fat from state agencies.
“All of these proposals are common sense reforms the state needs,” said Auditor White. “Cutting government waste, banning wasteful spending on DEI, and ensuring more money goes to teachers are all proposals I believe everyone can get behind.”
White is traversing the state advocating for the measures ahead of the start of the 2025 session.
2. Fitch, other state AGs back Bondi for U.S. Attorney General
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has joined a coalition of 30 current and future state attorneys general in urging the United States Senate to swiftly confirm Pam Bondi as the 87th United States Attorney General. Bondi is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the post.
“I commend President-elect Trump for his appointment of Pam Bondi to serve as the United States Attorney General and I look forward to the Senate confirming her nomination,” said Attorney General Fitch. “Pam is an exceptional leader and I know she will serve our country exceedingly well.”
In addition to AG Fitch, attorneys general and attorneys general-elect from 27 other states including Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming joined the letter.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump mulls dropping Hegseth for DeSantis?
The Wall Street Journal reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions.
“Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military,” WSJ reported. “Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth might not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate.”
WSJ added, “The discussions are in their early stages, one of the people said, adding that Trump has floated DeSantis’s name in casual conversations with guests at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club.”
2. South Korea President facing impeachment vote after briefly declaring martial law
Unrest in South Korea is growing as members of South Korea’s political opposition moved on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his brief declaration of martial law plunged the country into crisis, reports the New York Times.
“Mr. Yoon’s surprise move late Tuesday incited chaos within one of America’s closest allies and evoked memories of post-World War II dictatorial regimes in South Korea that stifled peaceful dissent and created a police state,” reported NYT. “It was an audacious response to the gridlock in government that has hobbled Mr. Yoon’s tenure but it appeared to backfire over the course of a tense night, and before the sun rose in Seoul on Wednesday, he had backed down.”
NYT went on to add, “The defense minister and several top aides to the president, including his chief of staff, tendered their resignations, South Korean news media reported.”
An impeachment vote could come as early as Friday.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ole Miss at No. 13 in latest CFB Playoff rankings
Despite Head Coach Lane Kiffin publicly making the case for his team to be among the Top 12 in the latest CFB Playoff Rankings, Ole Miss was the second team out of the mix, landing at No. 13 when the new lineup was announced Tuesday evening.
Leading the pack was Oregon, followed by Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Georgia – a team Ole Miss beat with relative ease. The Rebels did remain ahead of a surging South Carolina team, a squad Ole Miss also beat, but came in behind Alabama, another 9-3 SEC team.
2. Mississippi universities, JUCOs await results of National Signing Day
Wednesday, December 4 is the early National Signing Day period for high school athletes seeking to take their talents to the next level.
According to 247 Sports’ 2025 team rankings on Tuesday, Ole Miss’ signing class comes in at No. 15 in the nation. However, the Rebels are expected to once again use the transfer portal to fill major gaps left by NFL declarations and graduating players.
Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Jackson State and the other Magnolia State universities, as well as JUCOs, are all awaiting their commitments to become signees ahead of January’s spring reporting.
Markets & Business
1. Cargill to layoff upwards of 8,000 globally
FoxBusiness reports that Cargill, the largest private company in the U.S., is trimming its global workforce as it faces pressure related to lower commodity prices.
“The Minnesota-based company, which is also one of the world’s largest globally active agricultural commodity traders, told FOX Business that approximately 5% of its workforce are being laid off. That equates to about 8,000 jobs,” the outlet reported. “Cargill said the layoffs are part of a ‘long-term strategy’ that the 160-year-old company laid out earlier this year.”
FoxBusiness noted, “It comes at a time when prices for commodity crops like wheat and soybeans have softened, threatening profit margins for the industry. According to the World Bank, commodity prices fell 4% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with the prior quarter.”
