- 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. Mississippi sending law enforcement assets to NC to assist with Helene search and rescue
Governor Tate Reeves said Monday that he has approved the deployment of additional assets to help support the state of North Carolina as they continue response and recovery missions following Hurricane Helene.
According to the Governor’s office, law enforcement from the Mississippi Highway Patrol (22 members) and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (25 members) will deploy to North Carolina this week to assist with search and rescue missions and traffic control.
Fourteen missions have been deployed to five states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, seven of which have demobilized and returned home.
“Mississippi will continue assisting our fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” said Governor Reeves in a statement. “These 47 law enforcement officers will be another valuable asset in recovery efforts, and I thank them for stepping up to serve.”
2. Dirt Cheap files for bankruptcy
Dirt Cheap, which was founded in Hattiesburg and grew to over 60 locations in the Southeast, has filed for bankruptcy.
“The store’s parent company filed documents with the District of Delaware last week,” WJTV reported. “The documents indicate stores will be holding “store closing” sales to be completed by the end of the year.”
WJTV noted, “Dirt Cheap joins a growing list of retailers — more recently, Big Lots and True Value — that have filed for bankruptcy this year.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Israeli strike against Iran to target military facilities
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Biden administration he is willing to strike military rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, according to two officials familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reports.
“When Biden and Netanyahu spoke Wednesday — their first call in more than seven weeks after months of rising tensions between the two men — the prime minister said he was planning to target military infrastructure in Iran, according to a U.S. official and an official familiar with the matter,” WP reported, adding, “The White House had no immediate comment. The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that ‘we listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest.'”
The Washington Post also reported that, “On Sunday, the Pentagon announced that it was deploying its anti-ballistic THAAD battery system to Israel, along with about 100 U.S. military personnel.”
2. Speaker Johnson raises record-breaking amount in 3rd quarter
The Washington Examiner reports that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) had “a record-breaking fundraising haul for the third quarter of the year, giving a boost to House Republicans as they look to hold on to their slim majority next year.”
“Johnson raised $27.5 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, including more than $19.4 million for his committees and another $8.1 million for individual members and candidates. That’s the most money a Republican speaker has ever raised in the third quarter of a presidential election year, according to the speaker’s office,” the Washington Examiner reported.
The Washington Examiner added, “Johnson’s war chest builds on another record-breaking haul for the Congressional Leadership Fund, which raised $81.4 million in the third quarter.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ole Miss falls to No. 18 in AP Top 25
Ole Miss dropped from No. 9 to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 college football poll on Monday after the Rebels were upset by LSU on Saturday in overtime.
The win vaulted LSU from No. 13 to No. 8 in the Top 25.
Ole Miss has a Bye week this week, giving the Rebels two weeks to rest, recover and prepare to host Oklahoma on October 26 in Oxford.
2. Ole Miss men’s basketball ranked No. 24 in preseason AP Top 25
The 2024-25 preseason AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll was released on Monday. Ole Miss came in at No. 24 ahead of Head Coach Chris Beard’s second season at the helm of the Rebels’ team.
It marks just the second time in program history Ole Miss earned a preseason ranking from the AP, with the other coming at the start of the 1997-98 season when the Rebels peaked at No. 10 in the nation and earned a birth to the NCAA Tournament.
Of note, Mississippi State’s men’s basketball team also received 6 votes in the poll, putting them 18 spots below the Rebels.
Markets & Business
1. Dow closes above 43,000 for first time
On Monday, the Dow closed above 43,000 for the first time, but on Tuesday, CNBC reported that stock futures were little changed.
“Notably, the Dow added more than 200 points to finish above the 43,000 mark for the first time,” CNBC reported.
As noted in the CNBC report, “Investors will keep an eye on economic data around manufacturing and consumer expectations. San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic and Fed Governor Adriana Kugler are expected to deliver remarks throughout the day.”
2. Betting markets now favor a Trump win
Betting markets now have former President Donald Trump as the favorite to win the presidential election.
“After favoring Harris for two straight months, traders on PredictIt have now flipped for Trump, joining the host of betting markets that show the former president is the odds-on favorite to win the election,” reported FoxBusiness. “As of Monday afternoon, Trump was favored over Harris, 54% to 49% on PredictIt, and the shift that occurred last week is also the first time Harris has dipped below 50% on the platform since late July.”
FoxBusiness also noted, “As of Monday, PolyMarket bettors gave Trump a 55% chance of winning, and only a 45% chance for Harris.”
