- 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. MacKenzie Scott donates $42 million to Alcorn State
Alcorn State University announced this week that the school had received a $42 million unrestricted donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single gift in the 154-year history of the nation’s oldest public historically Black land-grant university.
The school said this is Scott’s second major gift to the university. Scott previously donated $25 million in 2020, bringing her total contributions to $67 million.
Alcorn State University leadership will work with the ASU Foundation to invest and allocate resources across strategic campus priorities.
2. MDAC to open applications Nov. 1 for Wild Hog Control Program
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced Wednesday that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) will begin accepting a new round of applications for its Wild Hog Control Program (WHCP) starting this Saturday, November 1.
The application period will remain open until Saturday, November 15. All Mississippi counties are eligible for the application period.
MDAC said that through the WHCP, the agency provides “smart” traps to landowners and managers for the control of wild hogs on private agricultural and forestry lands in Mississippi. MDAC provides the training necessary to use the “smart” traps and technical guidance regarding the most effective methods to trap and control wild hogs on private lands.
Applications must be completed and submitted online at here.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Democrats search for political silver lining as shutdown continues
As The Hill reports, “Shutdown fatigue on Capitol Hill is growing as the government stoppage approaches the one-month mark, and the pain is increasing.”
“My assessment is that we’ve won anything that we can possibly win and the costs of continuing the shutdown are going to be felt by people who are going to food banks and federal employees,” said one Democratic senator, who requested anonymity to argue that any political benefit of extending the shutdown is about to be outweighed by the harms inflicted on ordinary Americans, per The Hill.
The Hill went on to report, “A huge factor in this thinking is that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are due to expire on Saturday, putting 42 million Americans at risk of not having enough to eat… Some Democratic senators are privately speculating that if their party does well in the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia scheduled for Tuesday, they can declare a political victory and begin to finalize the endgame for reopening government.”
2. Trump, Xi agree to yearlong trade truce
According to the New York Times, “After a series of failed attempts to de-escalate an acrimonious trade war, President Trump and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, agreed to a yearlong truce that rolls back many of the contentious tariffs and retaliatory measures that deepened the feud between the world’s two biggest economies.”
The meeting between the two leaders was held in South Korea.
“Earlier this month, Mr. Trump threatened to levy an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods after China imposed its most stringent restrictions ever on important rare earth metals,” NYT reported. “But cooler heads prevailed. The two leaders, after meeting for about 90 minutes, settled on a series of agreements that broke little new ground but unwound thorny issues that had been plaguing negotiations for a lasting trade deal.”
NYT continued, “Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi agreed to meet again next year. Mr. Trump said he was planning to visit China in April, followed by a visit from Mr. Xi to the United States in Florida or Washington.”
3. Trump orders increased nuclear weapons testing
President Trump said that he has ordered the Pentagon to “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China, per the Wall Street Journal.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump wrote on social media. “That process will begin immediately.”
“Trump’s post came shortly before a meeting in South Korea with Chinese leader Xi Jinping,” WSJ reported. “Later, in comments to reporters during his return flight to the U.S., Trump said the administration plans to issue an announcement with more detail on the tests. He declined to explain the reason for his move but said it didn’t relate to China.”
Sports
1. Saints bench Rattler after 1-7 start, plan to start rookie Shough
The 1-7 New Orleans Saints have made a QB change midway through the 2025 season, benching Spencer Rattler in favor of rookie second-round draft pick Tyler Shough.
Saints coach Kellen Moore said Wednesday the decision was definitive, adding that “the goal is to let Tyler play and get going.”
Shough is the Saints’ highest-drafted quarterback since Archie Manning in 1971.
“It was a good feeling but in the same breath, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Shough said of being named the starter. “That’s my mindset.”
2. USM implements “Competitive Excellence Fee” on baseball season tickets
Southern Miss Athletics announced Wednesday the introduction of a Competitive Excellence Fee as part of the 2026 baseball season ticket renewal process.
The school said the Competitive Excellence Fee is designed to provide direct support for Southern Miss Baseball and its student-athletes, helping the program remain competitive at the highest levels of collegiate athletics amid the evolving landscape of the NCAA.
“As the landscape of college athletics continues to change, it’s important that we continue finding innovative ways to provide the resources necessary for sustained success,” said Jeremy McClain, Southern Miss Director of Athletics. “The Competitive Excellence Fee represents an investment in the future of Southern Miss Baseball and our student-athletes, ensuring we remain among the nation’s elite programs.”
Under the new structure, USM said 100 percent of the Competitive Excellence Fee for baseball will stay within the baseball program and directly benefit student-athlete initiatives. Funds will be allocated toward scholarships, and revenue sharing opportunities.
Markets & Business
1. White House announces billions in deals between U.S. and South Korea
On Thursday, the White House announced that President Trump completed the final stop of his Indo-Pacific trip, “securing billions in landmark deals while visiting the Republic of Korea (ROK), including initiatives to support American jobs, further America’s energy dominance, promote American leadership in the technology revolution, and build our maritime partnership.”
Among the initiatives announced were:
- Korean Air will purchase 103 new Boeing aircraft valued at $36.2 billion, supporting up to 135,000 jobs across the United States. To power these new aircraft, Korean Air will also purchase state-of-the-art GE Aerospace engines in a separate deal valued at $13.7 billion.
- The Korea Gas Corporation signed agreements to purchase about 3.3 million tons/year of U.S. LNG via long-term agreements with sellers, including Trafigura and TotalEnergy, through their portfolios and offtake agreements with U.S. LNG producers like Cheniere.
- LS Group pledged to invest $3 billion by 2030 in U.S. power-grid infrastructure, including undersea cables, power equipment, and winding wires. LS Cable’s U.S. subsidiary, LS Greenlink, is building a $681 million manufacturing facility in Virginia.
- NASA’s Artemis II mission will take astronauts around the Moon for the first time since Apollo, and deploy a Korean satellite to measure space radiation.
- HD Hyundai and Cerberus Capital Management will partner on a $5 billion investment program for modernizing American shipyards, strengthening supply chains, and applying new technologies like autonomous navigation, digitalization, and automation.
For a full listing from the White House, click here.
2. Zepbound comes to Walmart in November
CNBC reports that Eli Lilly and Walmart on Wednesday “said they have teamed up to expand access to the drugmaker’s weight loss drug Zepbound, allowing U.S. patients to get vials of the blockbuster injection at direct-to-consumer prices through retail locations for the first time.”
“Starting in mid-November, cash-paying patients with a prescription can purchase single-dose vials of Zepbound at discounts of 50% or more off their list price through the retailer’s locations or via home delivery,” CNBC reported. “Walmart, which operates nearly 4,600 pharmacies across the U.S., will serve as the first in-store pickup pharmacy option for Zepbound vials through Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer cash-pay platform, LillyDirect.”
CNBC noted, “Single-dose vials of Zepbound will cost $349 per month for the starting dose, and $499 per month for all other doses. That price point is consistent across LillyDirect’s home delivery or Walmart pickup options.”
