- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Mississippi Lottery send $13.2 million to state in December
The Mississippi Lottery Corporation said it finished 2025 on a high note, announcing a December transfer of $13.2 million to the State of Mississippi.
The Lottery Corp. noted that sales for the record-breaking Powerball jackpot that surged past $1 billion supported the largest transfer of the fiscal year.
Total Fiscal Year 2026 funding for roads and bridges now at $66.6 million.
Since its inception six years ago, the Lottery has contributed more than $758 million to the state.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. DOJ looks to loosen gun regulations
The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department “is considering loosening a slate of gun regulations as it seeks to bolster support from ardent Second Amendment advocates, according to three people familiar with the changes who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been made public.”
“Some of the changes are expected to ease restrictions on the private sale of guns and loosening regulations around shipping firearms,” WP reported. “Other changes to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulations under consideration would change the types of firearms that can be imported and make licensing fees refundable. Officials are also expected to change the form required to purchase guns to have applicants list their biological sex at birth. The current form asks applicants to list their sex.”
“The Biden Administration waged war against the Second Amendment, but that era has come to an end under Attorney General Bondi, who has led the Justice Department’s effort to protect the Second Amendment through litigation, civil rights enforcement, regulatory reform, and by ending abusive enforcement practices,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement, per WP.
2. Trump to meet with NATO over Greenland
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Donald Trump “amped up his rhetoric on his plans for Greenland in a series of social-media posts, saying the U.S. was the only country that can ensure peace.”
“The posts follow days of escalating tensions over the territory, with Trump having launched a series of tariff threats in an effort to pressure Europe to drop their opposition to a U.S. takeover,” WSJ reported. “The subject is taking center stage at this week’s gathering of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland.”
WSJ continued, “Ahead of the president’s arrival at the Swiss resort town, he said he had agreed to a meeting there on the subject of Greenland after a ‘very good’ call with North Atlantic Treaty Organization chief Mark Rutte.”
Sports
1. Congress to curb NIL?
According to The Hill, “An effort to curb the big business of college sports is gaining steam on Capitol Hill, where a growing number of lawmakers in both parties are outraged at the NCAA and signaling intervention from Congress on athlete compensation and revenue sharing is inevitable.”
“Both Republicans and Democrats told The Hill ahead of the Monday night showdown between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers that the ballooning commercialization of college sports has run off the rails and needs to be curtailed,” The Hill reported. “The sharpest flash point facing the NCAA centers on NIL deals — lucrative agreements struck between recruits and top schools that allow athletes to profit directly from their name, image and likeness.”
“We have way too many gaps in the process. I’m all for the players making money, but there’s got to be some rules that play into it,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), per The Hill.
2. Big 3 ranked in Baseball America’s 2026 Preseason Top 25
Mississippi’s Big 3 earned a spot on Baseball America’s 2026 Preseason College Baseball Top 25 rankings.
Mississippi State was highest at No. 3, with Ole Miss ranked at No. 16 and Southern Miss at No. 23.
The college baseball season gets underway in about three weeks.
Markets & Business
1. Futures fall as Trump threatens tariffs over want of Greenland
CNBC reported that stock futures “pointed to big losses on Wall Street on Tuesday after President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric on Greenland, threatening to impose new tariffs on countries opposing the sale of the Danish territory to the United States.”
“Treasury yields spiked and the U.S. dollar declined as Trump’s threat caused a flight from U.S. assets,” CNBC reported.
CNBC added, “Futures data last pointed to a drop of 626 points, or 1.3%, for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 is poised to shed 1.4%, while the implied open for the Nasdaq was last pointing to a loss of 1.6%. The S&P 500′s projected loss would be the biggest drop for the benchmark in two months.”
2. McDonald’s announces updates
FoxBusiness reports that “McDonald’s has kicked off 2026 with an ambitious shake-up plan to bring in nostalgia, technology and boost customer loyalty while adapting to changing consumer habits.”
“According to Mashed, the key changes in the plan include new restaurant openings, menu updates, pricing reforms and expanded digital tools,” FoxBusiness reported. “Moving forward, the outlet reported McDonald’s plans to open more than 8,000 new restaurants globally by the end of 2026, which is part of a larger goal to reach at least 50,000 locations by 2027.”
FoxBusiness went on to report, “Growth will also focus on high-traffic and emerging markets, while existing locations continue to be upgraded to meet new operational standards. To improve efficiency, the chain will be revamping about 27,000 drive-thru locations, with more sites changing to multi-lane formats to cut wait times and speed up bigger order volumes. Starting in 2026, franchisees will also face more standardized pricing guidelines.”
