A group of civil rights organizations wrote a letter to Secretary of State Michael Watson’s office Tuesday asking for an explanation for why the agency declared that Wednesday would be the final day that elections workers could process mail-in absentee ballots. 

Representatives from Disability Rights Mississippi, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the state conference of the NAACP said that Watson’s office, which oversees state elections, unilaterally counted Friday, November 29, as a business day, even though the state government considered that day a holiday. 

The questions from the three organizations come at a time when incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens and Republican state Sen. Jenifer Branning remain locked in a tight race for a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court as absentee ballots are being counted. 

The reason for the questions surrounding what the agency considers a business day is that current state law allows local election workers to process mail-in absentee ballots for five business days after Election Day, as long as the absentee ballots were postmarked by the date of the election. 

Though the United States Postal Service conducted business on Friday November 29, Gov. Tate Reeves declared November 28 and November 29 state holidays because of Thanksgiving. 

“The decision to count Friday, November 29, 2024, as a ‘business day’ disregards Mississippi law, which will lead to voter confusion and undermine the ability of Mississippi voters to participate in the electoral process,” the letter said. 

The decision to count November 29 as a business day, means that December 4 is the deadline for local officials to process the mail-in ballots — not December 5 as originally planned.

Watson’s office declined to comment. 

The secretary of state’s office also published a 2024 elections calendar this year that stated December 5 – not December 4 – would be the deadline for local election workers to process absentee ballots, though the calendar is for planning purposes only. 

Neither candidate in the Supreme Court runoff has conceded the race yet, and county officials have until Friday December 6 to certify the results and transmit them to Watson’s office. 

A federal appeals court ruled last month that Mississippi’s process of accepting mail-in ballots after Election Day violated federal law, though the ruling did not apply to this year’s election.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Toyota Mississippi is investing $5.8 million over five years in two North Mississippi school districts to enhance and promote science, technology, engineering and math learning. Driving Possibilities is Toyota’s national approach to workforce readiness and community engagement.

Toyota, which first announced the investment on Sept. 18, is collaborating with the CREATE Foundation and the University of Mississippi to provide funds for the districts to integrate STEM education, address base-level needs, support mobility, and provide professional development for the Lee County and Pontotoc City school districts. 

The automotive company identified that Lee County has a significant need due to its high percentage of low-income and socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are primarily non-white.

“The program is designed to remove barriers to education and create access to opportunities for all students and all educators,” Toyota Mississippi Corporate Communications Manager Tiffannie L. Hedin told the Mississippi Free Press on Sept 25. “So for Mississippi, specifically, our investment of $5.8 million is to help support Lee County Schools and Pontotoc City Schools with … unique programs.”

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The unique ecosystem of Pontotoc, with its large population of English language learners, led the company to choose the city’s district. Toyota Mississippi is the ninth site to launch the Driving Possibilities initiative. 

Toyota Motor Company spent a year working alongside educators, school administrators and community officials to determine the specific needs of the Lee County and Pontotoc City School Districts. The information collected drove the districts’ decision-making on how to spend the grant funds. Photo courtesy Tiffannie L. Hedin ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-47592″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/RAC_2223_courtesy-Tiffannie-L.-Hedin-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>Toyota Motor Company spent a year working alongside educators, school administrators and community officials to determine the specific needs of the Lee County and Pontotoc City School Districts. The information collected drove the districts’ decision-making on how to spend the grant funds. Photo courtesy

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The U.S. Navy is transforming a costly flub into a potent weapon with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon, which is being retrofitted aboard the first of its three stealthy destroyers.

The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship.

“It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of them by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute.

The U.S. has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the U.S. military to hasten their production.

Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added maneuverability making them harder to shoot down.

Last year, The Washington Post reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defense department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the weapon’s development, it had not recognized its testing.

One of the U.S. programs in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the “Conventional Prompt Strike.” It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship.

In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a $7.5 billion warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations.

The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an Advanced Gun System with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155 mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was canceled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost between $800,000 and $1 million.

Despite the stain on its reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warship in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimize radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors.

The Zumwalt arrived at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in August 2023 and was removed from the water for the complex work of integrating the new weapon system. It is due to be undocked this week in preparation for the next round of tests and its return to the fleet, shipyard spokeswoman Kimberly Aguillard said.

A U.S. hypersonic weapon was successfully tested over the summer and development of the missiles is continuing. The Navy wants to begin testing the system aboard the Zumwalt in 2027 or 2028, according to the Navy.

The U.S. weapon system will come at a steep price. It would cost nearly $18 billion to buy 300 of the weapons and maintain them over 20 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Critics say there is too little bang for the buck.

“This particular missile costs more than a dozen tanks. All it gets you is a precise non-nuclear explosion, some place far far away. Is it really worth the money? The answer is most of the time the missile costs much more than any target you can destroy with it,” said Loren Thompson, a longtime military analyst in Washington, D.C.

But they provide the capability for Navy vessels to strike an enemy from a distance of thousands of kilometers — outside the range of most enemy weapons — and there is no effective defense against them, said retired Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer, CEO of the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent forum focusing on national security issues, and former commander of an aircraft carrier strike force.

Conventional missiles that cost less aren’t much of a bargain if they are unable to reach their targets, Spicer said, adding the U.S. military really has no choice but to pursue them.

“The adversary has them. We never want to be outdone,” he said.

The U.S. is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to U.S. national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities,” said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies.

“Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defense department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Outdoor columnist Ben Smith reminds hunters that you owe it to that animal to give it all you’ve got to recover it because it died to feed your family.

It’s a bad feeling. You shoot a deer, feel like you hit it, but can’t find it. Sometimes it’s because you actually missed it. Sometimes it’s because you made a bad shot. Other times it could be because you did a poor job of tracking it after the shot. Let’s go through some tips to make sure you recover every deer you shoot this winter.

The first, and most obvious, thing to make sure of before you pull the trigger is making a good and ethical shot. It needs to be a shot you feel very comfortable taking, preferably one that you’ve practiced before. This alone would solve most deer hunters’ problems when it comes to tracking a shot deer. However, not every deer that is shot, even with great shot placement, drops in its tracks. 

I’ll never forget taking a friend hunting for the first time several years back. We hunted separate stands that evening and about 30 minutes before dark I heard him shoot. Ten seconds later I heard another shot. And about 30 seconds after that, another shot. I was laughing in my stand thinking he was missing deer left and right. I climbed down and went to check on things and almost died when he described what happened. 

He told me that he shot a doe, but it ran off. Thinking that he’d missed the first one, he shot at another one in the plot. It too, like the first one, ran back into the high sage grass surrounding the plot. Amazingly enough, there was one more deer that hadn’t left the county yet, so again, thinking he’d missed the second deer, he fired off another round at the third one. Thank goodness she dropped in her tracks, or he still might be out there shooting.

At first, I too thought he may have missed the first two deer, but wanted to go look for blood anyway. We arrived at the spot of the first shot and immediately found a blood trail into the sagebrush. Not twenty yards into it, there was the first doe that he’d shot at, deader than a hammer. I probably should have been excited for him, but now I was mortified at the thought of having to clean two and potentially three deer that evening. Given the results of the first and last shots, I knew we’d better look for the second deer, too. 

And what do ya know? A giant pool of blood at the second shot location and another dead deer about 30-40 yards outside of the food plot. My fears had become reality. I was going to have to clean three deer that evening. My friend, that will remain unnamed, had no idea that sometimes when you shoot a deer that they will run a little ways before dying. Shortly after this incident, he left for Iraq so I’ll chalk this up to good practice that the bad guy may not always be un-alived with one shot.

Now that everyone knows that deer don’t always die immediately after being shot, we can discuss some ways to ensure you recover your animal. The first thing you need to do before taking the shot is take careful notes on where the deer is when you pull the trigger. I’ve shot several deer over the years that I had trouble recovering because I just could not pinpoint where the deer was when I shot. I try to use a landmark of some sort before I ever pull the trigger. A tree, a clump of grass, a dead limb, something that you can visibly see to have a good starting point if the deer runs after the shot.

The next thing to do after the shot is watch and listen. Watch where the deer goes after the shot and listen to hear it potentially crash. Listening may be harder than watching if your ears are ringing from shooting a gun, so be sure to wear ear protection for the shot and take it off afterward. Once again, pick a landmark for where the deer goes out of sight. This will help you tremendously in the event there’s not much blood from the shot.

So, what do you do after you find blood? The first thing that I like to do when I find the first drops of blood is give it an inspection. This will tell me more about the shot that I made. Bright red blood often indicates heart, or lungs. If there are bubbles in it, it’s usually a lung shot and a short recovery. Dark red blood can mean liver, or artery, also usually resulting in a shorter recovery. You can also look at where the blood is located. If it’s sprayed all over tall weeds and trees you’ve likely hit an artery and should be finding your deer soon. Blood that is mixed with green or brown is not a good sign. This is usually a gut shot deer and you should probably back out and give it plenty of time to expire.

The best thing to do once you find blood is mark the blood trail, especially the beginning of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been trailing a deer only to lose the blood and have to go back and start over at the beginning. A lot of people do it differently, but I like to use some orange flagging tape when I’m trailing a deer. It’s easy to see and easy to pick up when you’re done. During trailing, just rip off a strip and drop it next to the blood trail.

Possibly the most important thing after the shot is don’t give up easily. Sometimes deer just don’t bleed much depending on the shot and the ammunition you are using. I’ve recovered deer that bled like someone took a five-gallon bucket of red paint and threw it out all over the woods. I’ve also recovered deer where I found two drops of blood. Be patient, be meticulous, and keep grinding. You owe it to that animal to give it all you’ve got to recover it because it died to feed your family. If all else fails, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. There are plenty of people with tracking dogs that love to help. As always, be safe and happy hunting!

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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• State Sen. Scott DeLano says Mississippi is ensuring that there is a pipeline of talent equipped to address the evolving challenges in this modern era.

It’s difficult to overstate artificial intelligence’s (AI) importance in cybersecurity in today’s increasingly dangerous online world, where nations like China, North Korea, and Iran are always looking for an edge. Thus, due to the increasing frequency and complexity of cyber threats, threats often backed by other nations and terrorist groups, new tools are being utilized to keep America and Mississippi secure. A critical component of these new tools is AI, with cybersecurity professionals using AI daily to safeguard our digital infrastructure and sensitive data. And as these use cases have developed, Mississippi is proudly leading the charge into the future of AI.

The Magnolia State has proactively invested in AI research and development as it relates to cybersecurity. Mississippi State University has long been a leader in cybersecurity research and innovation, resulting in one of the few universities with all 3 NSA cyber designation.  This summer, the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative leveraged new connections to help Mississippi defend against and protect from cyberattacks by bringing together key stakeholders in defense, government, academia and industry by partnering with both public and private sectors and is now offering cyber-security courses to Mississippi leaders, teachers, and students.

Other colleges and universities are also at the forefront of AI and cybersecurity innovation. The Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN) is the nation’s first and only statewide AI network.  MAIN, led by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), was formed through strategic partnerships with various organizations. These include AccelerateMS, the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges (MACC), the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB), the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA), and global tech leaders Intel and Dell Technologies. This extensive network includes all 15 Mississippi community colleges, major universities, private institutions, K-12 education, and the business sector. As a result, Mississippi is positioned as a national leader in AI education, training, and awareness.

Mississippi’s leadership in AI and cybersecurity is also evident in our state’s commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce.  We have recognized the importance of equipping Mississippians with the necessary expertise to harness the power of AI for cybersecurity purposes. By investing in education and training programs focused on AI and cybersecurity, like MAIN and Mississippi Cyber Initiative, Mississippi is ensuring that we have a pipeline of talent equipped to address the evolving challenges of our modern era.

The Magnolia State has also fostered collaboration between public and private sectors to bolster cybersecurity defenses through AI, like the 2024 Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Private-Public Partners Summit. Through investing in partnerships with industry leaders and utilizing the expertise of cybersecurity professionals, our state has been able to implement AI-driven solutions that enhance our overall cyber resilience. This has positioned Mississippi as a role model for strong public-private collaboration in cybersecurity.

Recently, Entergy announced a $2 million grant to Jackson State University to create the Critical Power Grid Security Lab Project, a program aimed at supporting the cybersecurity workforce. 

As Mississippi continues to lead the way in integrating AI and cybersecurity, we are setting a strong example for other states and even nations to follow. By embracing innovation, investing in talent development, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing ethical considerations, Mississippi is demonstrating how AI can enhance cybersecurity defenses to protect America and every American from bad faith actors across the world.

With our forward-thinking approach and commitment to innovation, Mississippi has set an important precedent for other states. We have embraced AI as a tool to address today’s cybersecurity challenges, confront the hackers and cyber threats emanating from around the world, and I look forward to seeing what we come up with tomorrow. 

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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• The city council also voted to require their security contractor to wand entrants. Mayor Hewes vetoed that resolution, calling it “inefficient, costly and perhaps even invasive.”

The Gulfport City Council recently voted 4-3 in favor of an open carry firearm ban inside of the council chambers at City Hall. Members supporting the new ordinance cited Mississippi Code § 45-9-53(1)(f)(i) which allows a municipality to regulate the carrying of a firearm at a public meeting.

Councilman R. Lee Flowers, a Republican, asked for the ordinance to be placed on the agenda for consideration. It was supported by Councilmembers Ron Roland (R), Richard Kosloski (R) and Ella Holmes Hines (D).

“There’s been several councilmembers that have had some concerns about weapons during our city hall meetings and this is in alignment and allotment with what state statute would prohibit and allow in our meetings,” Flowers told the council on November 19th.

The ordinance states that the city council recognizes the escalating trend towards violence involving weapons in public meetings throughout the country, where such places have become sites of wanton violence where disgruntled people have vented their anger through killing or wounding those who attend public meetings, either as public officials or citizens or visitors.

It goes on to state that the ordinance “endeavors to take reasonable and legal measures to reduce the likelihood of such an event occurring” in the Gulfport City Council Chambers. It does not restrict the possession of a firearm by a law enforcement officer or a person with an enhanced concealed carry license.

A majority of the Gulfport City Council also voted to add a provision to their security contract with Swetman Security to require those attending a city council meeting to be wanded and patted down as they enter the chambers.

Councilman Rusty Walker, also a Republican and President of the Council, opposed the measure, comparing it to intrusive TSA-style searches at public meetings. He said in a statement that the ordinance caused “unnecessary barriers between citizens and their government.”

“Gulfport’s citizens have demonstrated responsible gun ownership for generations,” Walker said in a statement sent to Magnolia Tribune. “Creating artificial barriers and treating law-abiding citizens like potential threats isn’t just wrong—it’s unconstitutional. Our community deserves better than security theater that undermines both our Second and Fourth Amendment rights.”

Councilmembers Kenneth Casey (D) and Myles Sharp (R) voted against the ordinance with Walker.

The ordinance drew attention from The National Rifle Association. In a message to its members in Gulfport, the NRA said, “These actions unfairly target responsible firearms owners and criminals will simply ignore another so-called ‘gun-free zone.’” 

Late last week, Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes (R) vetoed the resolution related to the security contract language related to the new ordinance, stating that “‘wanding’ every individual who comes through the door is inefficient, costly and perhaps even invasive.”

Hewes said appropriate security measures are already in place at City Hall and advised the council to instead consider a passive scanning device, such as a magnetometer, be installed at the council chamber entrance.

Acknowledgement of Hewes’ veto was on the Gulfport Council’s agenda Tuesday.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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• 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. Auditor White wants lawmakers to ban DEI spending, cut fat in state government

State Auditor Shad White announced his legislative priorities for the 2025 session on Monday.

His legislative proposals include:

• A proposal to send less money to K-12 administration and more money to teachers and classrooms.
• A ban on spending taxpayer money on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs.
• A bill to cut fat from state agencies.

“All of these proposals are common sense reforms the state needs,” said Auditor White. “Cutting government waste, banning wasteful spending on DEI, and ensuring more money goes to teachers are all proposals I believe everyone can get behind.”

White is traversing the state advocating for the measures ahead of the start of the 2025 session.

2. Fitch, other state AGs back Bondi for U.S. Attorney General

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has joined a coalition of 30 current and future state attorneys general in urging the United States Senate to swiftly confirm Pam Bondi as the 87th United States Attorney General. Bondi is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the post.

“I commend President-elect Trump for his appointment of Pam Bondi to serve as the United States Attorney General and I look forward to the Senate confirming her nomination,” said Attorney General Fitch. “Pam is an exceptional leader and I know she will serve our country exceedingly well.”

In addition to AG Fitch, attorneys general and attorneys general-elect from 27 other states including Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming joined the letter.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Trump mulls dropping Hegseth for DeSantis?

The Wall Street Journal reports that President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions.

“Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military,” WSJ reported. “Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth might not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate.”

WSJ added, “The discussions are in their early stages, one of the people said, adding that Trump has floated DeSantis’s name in casual conversations with guests at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club.”

2. South Korea President facing impeachment vote after briefly declaring martial law

Unrest in South Korea is growing as members of South Korea’s political opposition moved on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his brief declaration of martial law plunged the country into crisis, reports the New York Times.

“Mr. Yoon’s surprise move late Tuesday incited chaos within one of America’s closest allies and evoked memories of post-World War II dictatorial regimes in South Korea that stifled peaceful dissent and created a police state,” reported NYT. “It was an audacious response to the gridlock in government that has hobbled Mr. Yoon’s tenure but it appeared to backfire over the course of a tense night, and before the sun rose in Seoul on Wednesday, he had backed down.”

NYT went on to add, “The defense minister and several top aides to the president, including his chief of staff, tendered their resignations, South Korean news media reported.”

An impeachment vote could come as early as Friday.

Sports & Entertainment

1. Ole Miss at No. 13 in latest CFB Playoff rankings

Despite Head Coach Lane Kiffin publicly making the case for his team to be among the Top 12 in the latest CFB Playoff Rankings, Ole Miss was the second team out of the mix, landing at No. 13 when the new lineup was announced Tuesday evening.

Leading the pack was Oregon, followed by Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Georgia – a team Ole Miss beat with relative ease. The Rebels did remain ahead of a surging South Carolina team, a squad Ole Miss also beat, but came in behind Alabama, another 9-3 SEC team.

2. Mississippi universities, JUCOs await results of National Signing Day

Wednesday, December 4 is the early National Signing Day period for high school athletes seeking to take their talents to the next level.

According to 247 Sports’ 2025 team rankings on Tuesday, Ole Miss’ signing class comes in at No. 15 in the nation. However, the Rebels are expected to once again use the transfer portal to fill major gaps left by NFL declarations and graduating players.

Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Jackson State and the other Magnolia State universities, as well as JUCOs, are all awaiting their commitments to become signees ahead of January’s spring reporting.

Markets & Business

1. Cargill to layoff upwards of 8,000 globally

FoxBusiness reports that Cargill, the largest private company in the U.S., is trimming its global workforce as it faces pressure related to lower commodity prices. 

“The Minnesota-based company, which is also one of the world’s largest globally active agricultural commodity traders, told FOX Business that approximately 5% of its workforce are being laid off. That equates to about 8,000 jobs,” the outlet reported. “Cargill said the layoffs are part of a ‘long-term strategy’ that the 160-year-old company laid out earlier this year.”

FoxBusiness noted, “It comes at a time when prices for commodity crops like wheat and soybeans have softened, threatening profit margins for the industry. According to the World Bank, commodity prices fell 4% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with the prior quarter.”

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• Columnist Sid Salter writes that the potential deportees would account for almost 5% of the U.S. workforce.

One of the capstone issues that the majority of American voters embraced in electing former President Donald Trump to a second term in the White House was his hardline stance on immigration and his pledge of mass deportations of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.

Actually, at various junctures in the 2024 campaign, Trump and his surrogates offered estimates of the undocumented immigrant population of the U.S. as high as 20 million. Did the threat of mass deportation of Hispanic migrant workers who did not enter the country following legal avenues bring political consequences for the Trump campaign?

In a word, no. Latino voters in the so-called Democratic “blue wall” states moved to the Trump camp – in part supporting his pledge to secure the Southern border and enact stricter immigration laws. Pollsters found that many Latino voters resented the fact that they obeyed immigration laws to enter the U.S. legally while the undocumented ignored them.

Pollsters also found Latino voters who perceived a stronger, better economy under Trump after struggling through inflation and other economic challenges under President Joe Biden – voting economic concerns over partisan loyalties.

While Kamala Harris took 53% of the Latino majority nationwide, Trump improved his support among that demographic by 13% to take 45% ­– earning the record support for a Republican by Latinos set by former President George W. Bush.

But fresh from a successful return to the White House – and leading his party to power in the Senate and holding the House – Trump faces the challenges of making good on his immigration promises.

The sheer logistics of the mass deportation of 12 million undocumented immigrants is stunning. Trump has talked about using the military, in many cases the National Guard, to staff the effort. Even with those resources the task is daunting.

Deporting impoverished immigrants who in most cases are desperate people living in often dangerous foreign countries who came to the U.S. to seek a better life, will generate legal, political, social, financial, and yes, logistical issues.

In many cases, these undocumented workers risked their lives to come to the U.S. Once here, they are willing to accept low-wage, low-skill jobs that many Americans refuse to do just to get a start here that affords them a chance to have a better life.

As Mississippians have witnessed, labor brokers entice immigrant laborers to come here to provide labor for jobs that native Americans are slow to accept. There is an undeniable and ready market for immigrant labor (legal or otherwise) in this state and nation.

In Mississippi, immigrants are willing to gut our chickens, plant our trees, process our catfish, harvest our sweet potatoes, perform the hardest construction labor, cook our food and wash our dishes in restaurants, and clean our rooms in our hotels. The companies extending jobs to those immigrants profit from their labor.

The Council on Foreign Relations reports that more than 2 million refugees from Central America’s turbulent “Northern Triangle” (El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala) have fled the region. That reality has made the region unstable and forced residents with families and children to flee and brave the treacherous trek north to the U.S. seeking a better, safer life away from the extortions of gangs and organized crime in their home countries.

For the second Trump administration, the potential deportees would account for almost 5% of the U.S. workforce, including large shares of the labor for food and fiber agriculture, construction, hospitality and the vacation industry.

In addition to the impact on the U.S. labor market, Trump critics point to the potential cost of the mass deportations, estimated at $88 billion annually and as much as $968 billion over the next decade. Economic experts worry about the impacts on U.S. economic growth and inflationary forces from the policies.

Economist Peter Simon at Northeastern University in Boston said he fears specific holes in the labor force after deportations begin: “People who build houses, people who are in lawn care, people who do daycare, people who put on roofs — all of these kinds of services are just going to go. You’re not going to be able to find a plumber, an electrician or anybody who can do this kind of work.”

Voters gave President-elect Trump a mandate to grow the economy and secure the borders. Accomplishing the latter may generate obstacles for the former.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.

• It’s the healing properties of nature, something Raney is drawn to, that most informs her work.

For artist Raney Watters, art provides a means for expression and human relations – a bridge of connectivity between all living things.

“Connecting with one another is important to me. My paintings come from within. It is my hope they will evoke deep connection, a safe place to explore the depths of your being.”  

As a professional artist, Raney Watters says she is still learning.

“There is a balance of creativity and logic/reason to starting this business, whereas I like my art to be slightly off-kilter.”

While she is focused on making art her business, Raney’s career as a speech-language pathologist is still important to her.

“I will definitely keep my license active and go into the hospital weekly.”

And while she enjoys her work, art has become a passion for Raney.

“With the arts, whether it’s visual arts, music, or writing, we get to experience each other on a more human level. I love finding that common ground. We are all on this Earth together, and it’s important for us to connect with one another, finding a voice of love and understanding. I feel that’s something we need to all lean into.”

That connectivity is what inspires Raney, whose art blends elements of nature, music, and emotion onto each canvas she creates. It’s the healing properties of nature, something Raney is drawn to, that most informs her work.

“I grew up in Grenada and Greenwood, and my mom would recommend/suggest I go play outside or get creative if I was restless. Throughout my childhood, I used my imagination to make me happy. I used my creative side through art or dancing around. I was encouraged early on to be creative during downtimes. Often that time was spent drawing outdoors.”

Her art journey began with time spent at summer camp when she was very young. She attended art classes at a neighbor’s home – a key event that contributed to Raney’s love of art.

“There was an art teacher in our neighborhood in Grenada who held little summer art camps at her home. I could walk to her house. She taught us all kinds of things, from sculpture and wire forms to tie dye, and working with pastels and oil paints. She taught us everything, and I soaked it all in. My mom saw how happy it made me, and she continued to nurture that.”

In more recent years, Raney has returned to her art. She found the therapeutic benefits she gained from it during her childhood hold true now.

“I have had many challenges in my life, and art has been a safe escape. It has always felt very healing to me.”

She described it as “opening the floodgates,” where she is sometimes filled with a rush of ideas she feels compelled to get on a canvas.

“I will often wake up at 4:00 in the morning with an idea, so I’ll rush to my studio and end up painting until 9:00 at night. My husband can’t believe I can paint that long, but he has noticed that I am happier than I have ever been. It’s not unusual for me to cry or laugh while painting. There are just so many emotions I am processing while I paint.”

Raney’s studio is a space off the garage of her Madison home that was originally intended to be a sunroom.

“When we built the house, I intended it to be a place to relax and meditate. But it makes a perfect art studio. I have French doors on the south side, and windows and doors on the opposite side, so I have incredible light all day. Even though it is off the main part of the house, I try to keep it tidy, but sometimes it can get a bit chaotic. I do feel like this space was divinely meant to be for this purpose.”

Amid the chaos, Raney finds peace. Her normally busy mind gets quiet as she paints, and she goes into somewhat of a meditative state.

“I feel like I am a vessel of all that is going on with me, or with the person I am painting for, and I pour that all onto the canvas. Honestly, I get less stuck when I get out of my own way.”

Raney says she tends to be very intuitive when she paints.

“It may be an abstract painting or a landscape. It’s whatever inspiration I feel at the moment.”

Raney works with several mediums, perhaps harkening back to the lessons from her art teacher in Grenada. She uses watercolor, oil, pastels, and even aerosol paint – whatever moves her at the time.

“My work is textured, with layers and depth and feeling. I strive to be imaginative and introspective, and I want people to reach out and touch it when they see one of my paintings. Each time they look at one of my paintings, I want them to notice something they had not noticed before. I want people to feel something when they see my work.”

For a time. her art was all about healing, but Raney says it has evolved from there.

“I’m meeting people and getting to know them on a whole other level. Right now, I am doing a commission piece for a hospital co-worker, and because of that, I am connecting with her on a deeper level.”

Making the transition from a painting hobby to having a true painting business has been a challenge for Raney, but one she welcomes.

“I believe in what I’m doing and I want to make every effort to make it successful.”

Her work was on display at the Cotton House in Cleveland the fourth quarter of last year.

“I felt so very lucky to have been chosen to display my work for them. When I got the call, I had about nine or ten months to prepare, so I got busy painting! It all felt very divine.”

Through that show, she was contacted to donate a piece for a children’s fundraiser in Bolivar County.

“The Cotton House show helped to get my name out into the world. Now more people know about my work.”

Raney’s goal is to be able to travel and connect with people all over the world through her artistic endeavors.

“I also hope to have my artwork featured in galleries and perhaps art fairs, in hopes of facilitating more connections while following my passions.”

Raney is married to Dr. Carter Watters, a hospitalist in the Jackson area. The couple resides in Madison with their two beagles.

This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Read original article by clicking here.