- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Mississippi adds crypto, PayPal, Venmo options for college savings contributions
For the first time, Mississippians can now use PayPal and Venmo when gifting money to a Mississippi Affordable College (MACS) account, and crypto when contributing directly to the plan.
That’s the word from Mississippi State Treasurer David McRae.
McRae office said with this move, Mississippi becomes one of the first states in the nation to give savers this kind of freedom. The office said it matters because “the next generation of parents, grandparents, and graduates won’t necessarily manage money the same way their parents did.”
According to McRae’s office, nearly 97 million Americans use Venmo, and about 1 in seven own crypto.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Progressive candidate recruitment group targets Mississippi, other red states
According to Politico, “Run For Something, a progressive candidate recruitment organization, is pitching major donors on a $50 million, five-year effort to expand Democrats’ footprint in battleground and red states outside the Blue Wall — an ambitious plan for a party that’s lost ground with voters across the country.”
“In a donor memo shared first with POLITICO, the organization paints a dire picture for Democrats if they don’t invest in red-leaning states, and details plans to support independent candidates for the first time next year,” Politico reported, adding that Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something, “is urging Democrats to double down on recruiting and training candidates in battleground states, including Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio and Georgia, while reinvesting in long-abandoned states, like Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho, Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.”
Politico notes, “Litman’s group will also endorse ‘values-aligned’ independent candidates for the first time in 2026, a recognition that in some states and districts, the ‘Democratic brand isn’t just bruised, but toxic,’ the memo reads.”
2. Democrats fear base if they vote to end shutdown without concessions
As The Hill reports, “Some Democrats skeptical about their leadership’s hard-line stance against reopening the federal government privately acknowledge that they fear getting ‘hammered’ by their liberal base if they vote for a Republican funding bill.”
“Grassroots Democrats frustrated with the Trump administration have been demanding a fight, and on Saturday millions showed up at ‘No Kings’ demonstrations across the country to protest the president’s government,” The Hill reported. “In that context, Democrats know they will get hit hard by a number of voices on the left if they do not get something for opening the government.”
The Hill continued, “Democratic strategists say the main driver of the political fear within the Democratic caucus is online fundraising, which is largely driven by social media. Sources familiar with the political motivations driving the Senate Democrats’ shutdown stance point to Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.), who is the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection in 2026, as an example of the dilemma facing Democrats.”
Sports
1. Buckley gets his first win as Valley Head Coach
The Mississippi Valley State University football program under first year head coach Terrell Buckley picked up their first win Saturday, defeating Lincoln 49-0 for homecoming.
Valley Athletics said the Delta Devil defense shut out the opposition for the first time since 2008 and held Lincoln to negative 35 rushing yards, while the offense put up its most points in eight years. The last time MVSU won by a larger margin of victory was in 2009.
Also of note, kicker Nina Schiks became the first female in team history to score. She went a perfect 4-for-4 on PAT attempts.
The 1-5 Valley heads to face Alcorn this week in a SWAC matchup.
2. Ole Miss falls to No. 8, Vandy reaches Top for first time since 1947
Ole Miss’ lackluster 4th quarter allowed Georgia to take the key SEC win, handing the Rebels their first loss of the season and dropping them from No. 4 in the AP Top 25 to No. 8.
Ohio State remained No. 1 while Indiana moved to No. 2 after a loss by Miami.
Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia, in that order, round out the Top 5.
Of note, Vanderbilt moved into the Top 10 at No. 10 for the first time since 1947.
Markets & Business
1. Wall Street getting defensive?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Wall Street “is starting to get a little defensive.”
“In the midst of the market’s most unsettling stretch since August, investors have turned to utilities, healthcare stocks and consumer staples—industries that reliably churn out profits no matter the economic conditions. Electricity, drugs and groceries are always in demand, even when consumers buy fewer cars, phones and streaming services. Those three defensive sectors are on track to lead the S&P 500 index this month for the first time since June 2022,” WSJ reported.
WSJ added, “Below the surface, though, investors are pulling back from holdings more sensitive to a slowing economy. Regional bank, retailer, home-builder and airline stocks have all tumbled over the past month. These industries tend to flourish during periods of economic growth.”
2. Futures higher to open week
CNBC reports that stock futures “moved higher on Monday as investors turn their attention towards a slew of big-name earnings reports and inflation data expected in the coming days.”
“Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 76 points, or about 0.2%. S&P futures gained 0.3%, along with Nasdaq-100 futures,” CNBC reported.
CNBC continued, “Helping sentiment to start the week was a report from The Wall Street Journal that said President Donald Trump in recent weeks has exempted dozens of products from reciprocal tariffs. The report added the administration was considering exempting hundreds more goods, reflecting an increasingly shared sentiment among administration officials that the U.S. should lower duties from some goods that are not domestically produced.”
Magnolia Tribune
