- 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. Hyde-Smith applauds Trump signing of Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act
On Wednesday, Mississippi U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith applauded President Donald Trump’s signing of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the measure.
The U.S. Senate approved the measure in late November by unanimous consent, followed by House approval in mid-December.
The bipartisan legislation allows schools to again serve whole and reduced-fat milk as part of the National School Lunch Program.
“For generations, children have benefited from the nutrients found in milk, which are essential for healthy growth and development. I am hopeful that we will succeed in enacting the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, restoring access to healthy milk choices for kids,” Hyde-Smith said last June when the bill passed her chamber.
2. AG, CPS joined by Trump administration officials in foster care service project
Earlier this week, Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (CPS) Commissioner Andrea Sanders hosted a service project packing 1,350 child-sized suitcases for foster care children in Mississippi.
The AG’s office said they were joined by the Delegated Commissioner for Children Youth and Families Cody Inman and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development Laurie Todd Smith, both from President Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, who came to observe and discuss Mississippi’s efforts to care for children in foster care.
Over 150 volunteers from State agencies participated by filling rolling suitcases with stuffed animals, age-appropriate Bibles, and handwritten notes of encouragement, the AG’s office noted.
CPS will distribute the packed suitcases to children in foster care. The suitcases and items packed inside were donated by Focus on the Family through their Wait No More Suitcase Bundle Program.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Congress on track to avoid shutdown but budget debates remain
According to The Hill, “Congress is cruising this month on efforts to fund the federal government and prevent a shutdown on Jan. 30, but the toughest fights are yet to come.”
“Heading into the week, the House had already passed six of the 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal 2026 (three are already law), and on Wednesday, the chamber added to that tally with easy passage of a two-tier minibus package to fund financial services agencies and certain national security programs,” The Hill reported. “Leaders in both parties have hailed those developments as evidence that Congress is on track to get the appropriations process back into the mode of regular order — a process that’s largely been abandoned in recent years in favor of massive omnibus packages that lump all the spending bills together.”
“The four bills that remain, however, promise to be the toughest lift,” The Hill reported, adding, “At the top of the list is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has come under fire by Democrats furious over last week’s fatal shooting of an unarmed woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer.”
2. Newsom refuses to extradite abortion pill doctor to Louisiana
The New York Times reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom of California “said on Wednesday that his state would refuse to extradite a doctor who has been charged in Louisiana with providing abortion pills to a resident of that state.”
“Louisiana’s request is denied,” Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement, per NYT. “We will not allow extremist politicians from other states to reach into California and try to punish doctors based on allegations that they provided reproductive health care services. Not today. Not ever.”
NYT continued, “On Tuesday, Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, a Republican, released an indictment accusing a California abortion provider, Dr. Rémy Coeytaux, of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a woman who had found the telemedicine abortion service the doctor worked for in October 2023, shortly after discovering she was pregnant. Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana, also a Republican, said hours later that he would sign an extradition order for the doctor. In a statement on Wednesday, Ms. Murrill called it ‘appalling’ that California officials were ‘openly admitting that they will protect an individual from being held accountable for illegal, medically unethical and dangerous conduct.’”
Sports
1. Ole Miss upsets No. 21 Georgia in overtime
Ole Miss men’s basketball took No. 21 Georgia to overtime Wednesday night and then took home the win.
Ole Miss Athletics said Patton Pinkins pulled in a rebound and tip in as the clock hit zero to put Ole Miss over No. 21 Georgia in a ruckus Stegeman Coliseum 97-95 on Wednesday night.
The Rebels are now 10-7 on the season and 2-2 in SEC play.
Ole Miss will travel to Starkville, Mississippi for a matchup against in-state rival Mississippi State on Saturday, January 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Humphrey Coliseum and broadcast on the SEC Network.
2. Troy slows down Southern Miss
Southern Miss men’s basketball (11-8, 5-2 Sun Belt) dropped its first of a four-game road trip Wednesday night, losing 91-65 to Troy.
Troy outscored Southern Miss 25-18 over the final eight minutes as Troy took over first place in the Sun Belt with a 28-point victory.
The Golden Eagles will now travel to Texas State for a 3:30 p.m. tip on Saturday, followed by road games at Georgia State and Coastal Carolina the following week.
Markets & Business
1. Oil prices fall as tensions ease with Iran
The Wall Street Journal reports that “oil prices skidded after an apparent easing of U.S.-Iran tensions, while investors welcomed upbeat earnings from TSMC, a key supplier in the artificial-intelligence boom.”
“Futures for Brent and WTI crude oil—the international and U.S. benchmarks—dropped over 3%, snapping five days of gains. The record-setting rally in metals prices also halted,” WSJ reported. “President Trump said authorities in Tehran had stopped killing anti-regime protestors, remarks that were seen as backing away from his earlier threat of military strikes.”
Early Thursday morning, Brent crude was down over 3.7%, or $2.50 to $64.
2. Saks files for bankruptcy
CNBC reports that Saks Fifth Avenue’s acquisition of Neiman Marcus “was supposed to create a luxury powerhouse, but instead it led to the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.”
“For more than a decade, the former executive chairman of Saks Global dreamed of adding Neiman Marcus to his collection of legacy department stores, believing the combined entities would create a luxury powerhouse strong enough to defy changes dragging down the industry,” CNBC reported. “Instead, Richard Baker’s $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus in 2024 ultimately plunged the company into bankruptcy just over a year after the transaction closed. From the very start, the company was struggling to pay its bills — which led to angry vendors and little room for error.”
CNBC went on to report, “In a Wednesday declaration filed in Houston’s bankruptcy court hours after Saks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, chief restructuring officer Mark Weinsten wrote that the deal led to ‘immediate liquidity challenges’ and created an ‘unsustainable’ capital structure.”
