- 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. $1.3 billion in construction projects underway at Ole Miss
The University of Mississippi has 170 construction projects underway, valued at approximately $1.3 billion, the school said Wednesday.
“Every single one of these projects is advancing our mission,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. “I am confident that what we will accomplish here in the next two to three years will carry this university forward for the next 40.”
The projects include Kincannon Site Student Housing, Tad Smith Coliseum Demolition, New Northwest Mechanical Plant and Parking Structure, New School of Accountancy, and more.
In addition to university construction, several projects are underway at fraternity and sorority houses.
2. JSU AD leaves for Texas Southern
Jackson State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson has accepted the position of vice president and director of athletics at Texas Southern University.
JSU congratulated Robinson on this move.
“Under Ashley’s leadership, Jackson State Athletics achieved competitive and academic success and gained national visibility,” said JSU President Denise Jones Gregory. “From multiple conference championships to the 2025–26 Dr. James Frank Commissioner’s Cup, the results speak for themselves. As Mississippi’s most decorated athletics director, he has built on tradition and blazed new trails. We are grateful for his service, his leadership and the opportunities he has helped create for our student-athletes. We wish Ashley and his family continued success in this next chapter.”
Gregory has selected Associate Vice President and Senior Woman Administrator Alyse Wells-Kilbert to serve as interim vice president and director of athletics, pending approval by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. National debt passes $40 trillion for first time
The New York Times reports that “America’s gross national debt topped $40 trillion for the first time on Wednesday, an ominous milestone for an economy that sits on a shaky fiscal foundation after decades of borrowing to pay for the rising costs of the military, social safety net programs and President Trump’s tax cuts.”
“This year alone, the United States is on track to borrow more than $2 trillion to help pay for its obligations, including spending on the war in Iran and the sweeping tax cuts that Republicans enacted in 2025. Soaring interest payments to investors who have purchased America’s debt now make up about half of that red ink, pushing the United States into a deeper financial hole,” NYT reported. “Whether the mounting debt load is a problem to be solved or a function of America’s economic strength remains a matter of debate. Deficits are also a point of political gamesmanship, with Republicans most passionate about eliminating them when they are out of power.”
NYT continued, “The inability of lawmakers to confront the debt comes with long-term risks. While the United States remains the world’s largest economy, its mounting debt load could lead investors to demand higher interest rates for U.S. bonds or raise questions about the nation’s creditworthiness, which could erode confidence in the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.”
2. Trump to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Politico reports that “President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year. Trump did not elaborate further about the trip. His remarks came as he was walking reporters around the White House grounds to highlight his new helipad.”
“He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” Trump said, referring to Kim Jong Un’s arsenal. “Should have never allowed it to happen, they should never have allowed it – if I were president, I never would have allowed it.”
Politico further reported, “Trump recently announced that he was scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea, possibly over trade tensions. The exercises have long angered the North Korean dictator, who views it as a preparation for war.”
“I get along with Kim Jong Un very well,” he said. “He’s going to be fine. As long as we have a smart president, he’s going to be fine.”
Sports
1. Lacy named to Doak Walker watchlist
The PwC SMU Athletic Forum announced their preseason candidates for the 2026 Doak Walker Award on Tuesday, presented to the nation’s most outstanding college running back, selecting Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss.
A finalist for the award at the end of last season, Lacy set a pair of program records with 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns en route to first team All-American honors in 2025.
The Dallas native has earned a laundry list of preseason accolades for 2026 including a spot on the preseason watch lists for the Walter Camp and Maxwell Award, first team All-America honors by Walter Camp, ESPN, On3, Athlon and Phil Steele, as well as first team all-conference honors from numerous outlets.
2. Evans makes Biletnikoff watchlist
Mississippi State wide receiver Anthony Evans III has been named to the 2026 Preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Wednesday.
The prestigious award is presented annually to the outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position. Inclusion on the preseason watch list is based on actual, not potential, performance, and candidates are frequently added as their season performances dictate.
Evans, a key playmaker for the Bulldogs, enters the 2026 season looking to build on his established career as an explosive threat in the Mississippi State offensive attack. A versatile receiver, he recorded team-best totals of 67 receptions for 831 yards and four touchdowns last season, all of which were career highs.
Markets & Business
1. Walmart, oil prices weigh down futures
CNBC reports that “stock futures fell slightly on Thursday as oil prices rose again as tensions between Iran and the U.S. increased once again.”
“Dow Jones Industrial Average futures shed 124 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures lost 0.1%, while Nasdaq-100 futures slid 0.2%,” CNBC reported. “U.S. crude futures rose 3% to above $88 per barrel after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would begin ‘most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country’ against Iran.”
CNBC added, “Also weighing on equities Thursday was a pullback in Walmart shares. The retail giant dropped more than 6% even after it reported better-than-expected quarterly results and hiked its full fiscal-year outlook.”
2. Joseph opens in Jackson’s Highland Village
Highland Village, one of Jackson’s premier retail, dining and entertainment destinations, announced this week the official opening of Joseph.
Shoppers who previously shopped Joseph’s selection of designer shoes and accessories at Maison Weiss can now shop an even larger selection in their new storefront located next to Buff City Soap.
“We are excited to open our doors and present our expanded collection of luxury shoes and accessories to Mississippi shoppers,” said Joseph owner Barrie Wexner Wurzburg. “Jackson’s southern charm and wonderful community makes it the perfect location for our third store as we continue bringing high-end products to women across the south.”
Joseph was founded in 1930 by the Wexner family and has become one of the most recognized high fashion specialty stores in the South, with locations in New Orleans, Louisiana and Memphis, Tennessee. The luxury boutique carries a variety of shoes and accessories from the most forward fashion designers, including YSL, Christian Louboutin, Valentino, Givenchy, Tom Ford and more. After its success at Maison Weiss, the luxury boutique chose Jackson to be home to its third location.
