- 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. Stough to headline Mississippi Makers Fest
MDAH announces Wednesday that country and rock singer and “American Idol” finalist Colin Stough will headline the 2025 Mississippi Makers Fest – a free music, food, and arts festival sponsored by Nissan.
The annual event will take place at the Two Mississippi Museums on the Entergy Plaza in downtown Jackson on Saturday, May 10.
Stough, whose sound is a distinctive mix of Southern rock distortion and pure-country style, will share the stage with American folk rock band HAPPY LANDING, blues artist Jamell Richardson, and bluegrass band The BTJ Trio. All four acts are Mississippi natives.
More than 50 vendors and food trucks will set up outside the Two Mississippi Museums during the festival dedicated to celebrating Mississippi’s creativity in its finest forms. Handcrafted pottery, paintings, handmade woodwork, jewelry, and more will be sold by local vendors. At Mini Makers, located inside the Two Mississippi Museums, children will create make-and-take crafts, among other activities.
2. MDWFP announces 2025 Youth Art Contest
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) is inviting students across Mississippi to get outdoors and participate in the 2025 Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery Youth Art Contest.
Each student must submit a portfolio including entry form and artwork to the Visitor Education Center (VEC) by May 10, 2025.
The contest is sponsored by the Foundation for Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Winners in four age categories will have their work published in the Mississippi Outdoors magazine and will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine displaying their work. Winners will also receive gift cards and have their work posted on MDWFP’s website.
For more information on entry forms and rules please visit Youth Art Contests | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. No survivors after plane crash near D.C.’s Reagan airport
As reported by USA Today, officials believe there are no survivors after a passenger plane with 64 people aboard crashed into an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport and fell into the frigid Potomac River on Wednesday night.
“John Donnelly, the chief of Washington’s fire department, said at a news conference Thursday morning that 28 bodies have been found and authorities were switching from a ‘search-and-rescue operation to a recovery operation,'” USA Today reported. “The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair with the Blackhawk helicopter, which was carrying three people. Donnelly said 27 people were recovered from the plane and one body was recovered from the helicopter.”
2. White House pulls back funding freeze memo
The Hill reports that the White House budget office “rescinded a memo ordering a broad freeze on federal grants and loans after Republican senators ‘hit the ceiling’ over the order, which caught them completely by surprise and created confusion in their home states.”
“Republican senators were careful not to criticize President Trump publicly after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a broadly worded memo Monday that appeared to freeze broad swaths of federal funding but privately they were livid, according to Senate sources,” The Hill reported.
Sports
1. Saints, MHSAA partner to bring first Girls High School Flag Football to Mississippi
The New Orleans Saints, in collaboration with the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), announced Wednesday the official sanctioning of Girls High School Flag Football in Mississippi.
This initiative is set to begin in the Spring of 2025, with the inaugural season slated to kick off in late March.
The pilot season will feature 12 high schools, with games taking place at Southwest Mississippi Community College and Picayune High School. The participating schools include:
- Brandon High School
- East Central High School
- George County High School
- McComb High School
- Meridian High School
- Oak Grove High School
- Perry Central High School
- Picayune High School
- Richland High School
- South Pike High School
- St. Martin High School
- Vancleave High School
The launch of girls’ flag football in Mississippi also represents a continuation of the Saints’ work in advancing the growth of the sport across the Gulf South. By partnering with the MHSAA and other stakeholders, the Saints are providing vital support to local schools and inspiring future generations of athletes.
2. Ole Miss hangs on to top Texas with Auburn headed to town
The No. 23 Ole Miss men’s basketball team (16-5, 5-3 SEC) defeated Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC) 72-69 Wednesday night in Oxford.
Ole Miss Athletics said it was a physical battle between both sides across the second half as the game came down to the final minute of action.
Ole Miss remains home and will welcome the No. 1 team in the land, Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC) Saturday, February 1. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Markets & Business
Futures up as investors pour over tech reports
CNBC reports that the S&P 500 futures rose Thursday “as Wall Street digested recent quarterly results from a slew of megacap tech companies.”
“Investors are coming off a losing session after the Federal Reserve held steady on rates,” CNBC reported. “Futures tied to the broad market index added 0.3%, while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.5%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were fractionally lower.”
CNBC went on to note that, “Shares of Meta Platforms and Tesla gained 1% and 2%, respectively, while Microsoft shares dipped more than 4% after the companies reported earnings. Meta beat on top and bottom lines, but Microsoft shares faltered after the company’s quarterly revenue forecast disappointed.”
Magnolia Tribune
