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. FBI Special Agent in charge for Jackson to retire
The current FBI special agent in charge in Jackson, Mississippi, Jermicha Fomby, has announced that he is retiring at the end of December.
FBI Director Christopher Wray named Fomby as the special agent in charge of the Jackson Field Office in September 2021 after serving as a section chief in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington.
Fomby joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003 and was assigned to the Akron Resident Agency of the Cleveland Field Office, where he investigated criminal matters.
2. Smithsonian unveils painting of Oprah
Mississippi-native Oprah Winfrey now has a portrait hanging among some of the nation’s most notable political and social leaders in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.
The painting by Shawn Michael Warren of Chicago depicts Winfrey in a purple dress on a backdrop of her Monticeto, California home. She told the crowd at the unveiling that the color purple “has been seminal” in her life, having starred in the 1985 movie “The Color Purple” and now producing a remake of the film.
“I am living in this dream that God had for me. Cause I don’t know how I got from Mississippi to Montecito,” Winfrey shared.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. U.S. Supreme Court to hear abortion pill case
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case brought by the Biden Administration that aims to preserve access to the abortion pill. Justices will also hear an appeal filed by the drug’s manufacturer, Danco Laboratories.
The White House has said the Biden Administration is seeking to challenge “extreme and dangerous abortion bans” while defending “reproductive rights” in the wake of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs case brought by Mississippi.
A ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals barred telemedicine prescriptions and delivery by mail of the abortion drug mifepristone. That decision is on hold pending the U.S. Supreme Court hearing. Justices will now schedule hearings to listen to arguments, and could render an opinion by the end of June 2024.
2. U.S. Senate passes National Defense Authorization Act budget 87-13
The U.S. Senate last night passed the National Defense Authorization Act on bipartisan lines 87-13. The bill will provide funding of $886 billion, a $28 billion increase, for national defense.
The NDAA was ultimately stripped of certain provisions some Republican lawmakers had been pushing for that would limit transgender care and the funding of out-of-state abortions by the Pentagon. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) had held up negotiations for the last ten months in protest of the abortion policy, but ultimately acquiesced.
The NDAA now heads to the House, where a razor-thin Republican majority, which includes a block of votes that have vocally supported addressing the Pentagon’s approach to these hot button social issues, could slow approval as lawmakers prepare to return home for the holidays. According to USA Today, the package includes:
- Authorize $844.3 billion for the Department of Defense and $32.4 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy
- Support Defense department activities among Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States
- Extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027 and authorize the full budget request of $300 million in fiscal year 2024
- Provide a 5.2 percent pay raise for military servicemembers and the Defense department civilian workforce
- Support requested funding for naval vessels, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, weapon systems and munitions
A separate $106 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan remains unresolved as Republicans have sought additional accountability measures for how the foreign aid is spent, as well as concessions for heightened border security.
3. Immigration and border security becoming a bigger issue heading into 2024 election
According to a new poll from the Wall Street Journal, “twice as many respondents named immigration as the biggest issue in next year’s election as inflation.” The poll shows that President Joe Biden’s disapproval on the border exceeded approval by 37 percentage points, compared with 36 points for inflation.
But Biden isn’t alone. Similar polling results can be found when looking at the U.K., Australia and other countries.
Greg Ip with the WSJ spoke with Ruy Teixeira, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who he says was once close to Democrats and is now critical of the party, in particular on immigration.
“In the U.S., opposition to immigration has tended to be concentrated among older, conservative, white voters,” writes Ip. “But Teixeira pointed out that many Hispanic voters are appalled at the surge in illegal migrants; it is one reason so many back former President Donald Trump despite his often harsh rhetoric and policies toward migrants.”
Read more about this latest WSJ poll here.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Dart non-committal on return to Ole Miss
While Ole Miss Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin has seen many of his star-studded 2023 team announce that they were returning next season, such as Quinshon Judkins, Jordan Watkins, Caden Prieskorn, and Tre Harris, one piece to the puzzle remains uncertain – Quarterback Jaxson Dart.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Dart, the Rebels’ two-year starter and one of the highest quarterbacks in the nation, avoided the question when asked about his future.
“As of right now, I’m just really focused on the bowl game. We’re going to take that decision as a family decision, and there’s a time and place for that,” Dart said. “But right now, I’m fully just focused on the bowl game and winning this game.”
Ole Miss (10-2) is set to face Penn State in the Peach Bowl on December 30th in Atlanta, Georgia.
2. Mississippi/Alabama All Star high school football game to be played Saturday
The 2023 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Game will kickoff at noon on Saturday, December 16 at Southern Miss. The game will be livestreamed through FNUTL and also available through the Mississippi Association of Coaches Network, Roku, Apple TV and Firestick.
Tickets are limited and can be purchased on GoFan.
Clinton High head coach Judd Boswell is serving as the head coach for the Mississippi team. The 2023 All Stars include standouts from across the state such as Picayune running back Chris Davis, Oak Grove quarterback Anthony Maddox, West Jones linebacker Rase Jones, and Starkville quarterback Trey Petty. For a full Mississippi roster, click here.
Markets & Business
1. Fed leaves rates unchanged, markets soar
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced that it was leaving its key interest rate unchanged for the third consecutive time while setting the stage for reductions in the rate in 2024.
The Fed outlined the possibility for at least three rate cuts in the new year in what is likely to be quarter percentage point increments.
Inflation has slowed across the nation after reaching a 40-year high after the federal government pumped trillions of dollars into the economy through relief bills related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Reserve was left to find a way to help combat the inflationary period while seeking to prevent a recession. That was done through 11 rate hikes that drove the fed funds rate up to a 22 year high. Interest rate increases are designed purposefully to make access to capital harder, thus slowing an overheated economy.
The Fed also indicated that assuming all goes as planned, another round of rate cuts in 2025 and 2026, the goal being to move the benchmark rate to a range of 2-2.25% from its current range of 5.25-5.5%.
Markets soared in response to the clearest indication yet that rate hikes are likely over and cuts are on the horizon. The Dow Jones climbed over 500 points to set a new record high over 37,000.
2. Wal-Mart removing self-checkouts in two more states
One of the nation’s leading grocery and household retailers is rolling back its use of self-checkout machines. Wal-Mart announced that stores in Maine and Massachusetts will be removing the self-checkouts as concerns over revenue continue to grow.
Wal-Mart removed self-checkouts from New Mexico stores earlier this year.
Self-checkouts became the rage during the COVID-19 pandemic amid companies’ struggling to find employees and the push for increases in minimum wages across the country. Yet, Wal-Mart is among the companies that is stepping back from the self-checkout trend and returing to cashier-run machines as customers find ways to avoid paying for goods despite increased surveillance.
