- 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. Ole Miss, Miss. State partner on accelerated law degree
According to the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss and Mississippi State University have come together to provide a streamlined option for MSU students hoping to study law in Oxford.
Representatives of both universities met Thursday in Jackson to finalize the Pathway to Law School program, which will allow MSU undergraduate students to begin taking law school courses as early as their senior year, trimming a year off the time required.
MSU students must take the LSAT and register with Law School Admissions Council’s Credential Assembly Service, complete three-fourths of their undergraduate coursework, and meet all academic and application requirements for the School of Law before admission to the law program.
As part of the agreement, Ole Miss will waive application fees and other costs for MSU students applying to law school. The program will also kick-start a joint lecture series hosted by Mississippi State that features faculty and alumni from the law school.
2. Runoff judicial elections set for Tuesday
Central and South Mississippi voters will return to the polls on Tuesday for elect a state Supreme Court Justice and a new judge on the Court of Appeals, respectively.
State Sen. Jenifer Branning is seeking to unseat Justice Jim Kitchens in the Central Mississippi race while Amy St. Pe and Jennifer Schloegel are vying to win the open seat Court of Appeals race in South Mississippi.
Polls will be open on Tuesday from 7am to 7pm.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Traditional Democratic constituency has swung to right
The New York Times reports President-elect Donald Trump’s populist pitch bumped Democrats off their traditional place in American politics.
“After three Trump elections, almost every traditional Democratic constituency has swung to the right,” writes Nate Cohn in NYT. “In fact, Mr. Trump has made larger gains among Black, Hispanic, Asian American and young voters in his three campaigns since 2016 than he has among white voters without a college degree, according to New York Times estimates. In each case, Mr. Trump fared better than any Republican in decades.”
Cohn went on to write, “In each campaign, win or lose, Mr. Trump made major inroads among longtime Democratic voters. First, it was the Northern white working class. Then, it was Hispanic and Asian voters in 2020. Finally, it was young voters and, to a lesser extent, Black voters. In each case, Mr. Trump’s gains went far beyond what Democrats had ever imagined.”
2. What’s next for Kamala?
The Hill reports that while early polling suggests Democrats want to see Harris back in the running for the Oval Office in 2028, “some in the party speculate the vice president could seek another office — for starters, the governor’s mansion in California — or pursue avenues outside electoral politics to help bolster the resistance against a second Trump term.”
“Instead, there might be another opening for Harris in her home state of California, which is already seen as a bastion of blue-state resistance to the incoming Trump term,” The Hill reported. “Newsom is term limited and ineligible to seek reelection when his seat is up in 2026, leaving the governor’s mansion up for grabs.”
The Hill also noted that early lists of possible 2028 contenders “are already crowded with Democratic rising stars, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. MSU soccer’s historic season ends in Sweet 16
As Mississippi State Athletics notes, the most remarkable season in State’s soccer history came to a close on Sunday as the Bulldogs fell 2-0 to Notre Dame in the NCAA Sweet 16 at the MSU Soccer Field.
The Bulldogs rewrote the history books this season, achieving milestones that had once seemed unattainable. Mississippi State captured its first SEC Regular Season Championship with a flawless 10-0-0 conference record, becoming only the fourth program in SEC history to accomplish the feat. Finishing the regular season ranked in the top-five nationally, the Bulldogs’ 19-3-0 record marks the highest win total in school history.
Under the leadership of Head Coach James Armstrong, who became the program’s all-time winningest coach this year, the team established itself as a powerhouse on the national stage.
2. JSU goes undefeated in SWAC play
Jackson State capped off a perfect regular Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) season with a 48-10 victory over rival Alcorn State on Saturday.
As noted by JSU, Head Coach T.C. Taylor matched his predecessor with a perfect season in conference play in just his second season at the helm of the Tigers, while leading Jackson State to a 10-win regular season for just the fourth time since 1996.
Jackson State will be off next week in preparation for the SWAC Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Markets & Business
Investors respond favorably to Trump Treasury pick
CNBC reports that stock futures climbed Monday as Wall Street kicked off a shortened Thanksgiving trading week.
“Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 317 points, or 0.7%. Futures tied to the S&P 500 climbed 0.5%, as did Nasdaq-100 futures,” CNBC reported. “Wall Street is coming off a winning week as the postelection rally picked up again. The 30-stock Dow advanced around 2% last week and posted a record close on Friday. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each rose about 1.7%. The small-cap Russell 2000 jumped roughly 4.5% during the week.”
CNBC also noted, “President-elect Donald Trump signaled his intention to nominate Key Square Group founder Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary. Investors viewed the pick favorably and see the hedge fund manager as someone who will be supportive of the equity market and who may help mitigate some of Trump’s most extreme protectionist policies.”
Magnolia Tribune
