- 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. Last monkey on the loose recovered
WTVA/AP reports that the “last monkey on the loose among several that escaped after a Mississippi highway crash has been found and captured, authorities said Thursday.”
“A resident who lives near the crash site called authorities to report the animal’s location and it was then ‘successfully recovered,’ the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said in a statement to The Associated Press,” WTVA/AP reported. “It was the last monkey on the loose from the Oct. 28 crash when the truck overturned on Interstate 59. Five monkeys were killed as law officers hunted for them in the immediate aftermath of the crash.”
As the outlets noted, “Two other monkeys that eluded officers at the crash site were later shot and killed by civilians, who said they were protecting their families and neighborhoods.”
2. Rare Warhol originals come to USM
The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi announced Thursday its receipt of a bequest from Diana Klemin, longtime art director at Doubleday and friend of the de Grummond. Included in this bequest are three unpublished picture book manuscripts illustrated by Andy Warhol, as well as dozens of originals and prints Warhol gifted to Klemin.
Klemin passed away at the age of 100 on July 24, 2023. She was one of the first people the collection’s founder, Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond, reached out to in her letter-writing campaign asking for original materials. That initial contact formed a decades-long bond between the art director and curators of Southern Miss’s growing children’s literature collection. After donating a variety of materials in her lifetime, Klemin bequeathed to de Grummond the entirety of her collection of books and art, including original pieces by one of the best-known artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol.
The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation helped facilitate the bequest, honoring Klemin’s intent to see her collection preserved and shared through the de Grummond.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Senate to hold 15th vote to reopen government
According to The Hill, “Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is set to hold a vote Friday with an eye toward ending the government shutdown.”
“The GOP leader told lawmakers over a conference lunch that he will hold another vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that has failed to advance 14 times so far,” The Hill reported. “This time, however, Thune is putting it on the floor with an eye toward amending it to attach a three-bill spending package — known as a minibus — that has been part of negotiations with Democrats, one Senate GOP aide said.”
The Hill went on to report, “The bill would also include a new end date of sometime in January, rather than Nov. 21 included in the House-passed measure.”
2. Pelosi to seeking re-election
Nancy Pelosi will not seek re-election in the 2026 midterms.
As reported by the Washington Post, “Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) announced Thursday that she will not run for reelection next year, ending a nearly four-decade congressional career that saw her become the first woman speaker of the House and wield more power on Capitol Hill than almost any man has before or — so far — after her.”
Sports
1. Ole Miss, Miss. State at home; Southern Miss on the road
Mississippi’s Big 3 are back on the gridiron this Saturday as the regular season wraps up in three weeks. Here is a look at how to watch the tops teams in Mississippi:
- No. 6 Ole Miss is hosting The Citadel for a noon kickoff on SEC/ESPN+.
- Mississippi State is hosting No. 5 Georgia. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
- Southern Miss travels to Arkansas State. The game will air on ESPNU at 11 a.m.
Markets & Business
1. Retail groups eye increased holiday spending
The holidays are coming, which means consumer spending ramps up.
The New York Times reports that despite “inflation, import-tariff pressures and the longest government shutdown in history,” the National Retail Federation “issued a surprisingly rosy forecast for the season.”
“The group, which lobbies on behalf of retailers, said on Thursday it expected holiday sales to rise between 3.7 percent and 4.2 percent over last year. The federation also predicted spending would reach as much as $1.02 trillion, compared with $976.1 billion last year,” NYT reported. “The group defines the holiday season as the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 and excludes spending at auto dealers, gas stations and restaurants.”
NYT noted, “Deloitte also said it expected holiday retail sales to top $1 trillion. The company reported in its annual holiday forecast in September that it projected holiday sales would total about $1.6 trillion during the November to January time frame.”
2. FAA throttles down flights due to shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reports that airlines and travelers “scrambled to review flight plans after U.S. transportation officials said they would throttle commercial air traffic starting Friday, a move that has heightened pressure on lawmakers and the president to end the government shutdown.”
“The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department emergency order, which takes effect Friday, outlines a gradual increase in flight cuts,” WSJ reported. “A 4% reduction in traffic will take effect Friday. The reductions will reach 6% by Tuesday, Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13, and 10% by Nov. 14. The order also limits commercial space launches to nonpeak hours and prohibits some parachute operations.”
WSJ added, “Air-traffic controllers and airport security agents aren’t being paid during the shutdown, which federal officials said has led to stretched staffing, flight delays and long security lines.”
