Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
Infrastructure for bus service in Jackson receives $2 million from Feds
The Jackson Redevelopment Authority (JRA), Congressman Bennie Thompson, and Greyhound Lines Inc. announced a five-year agreement for bus services to return to Jackson’s Union Station on Monday, outlining plans for structural and safety improvements at Union Station.
JRA and Greyhound resumed intercity service routes at Jackson’s Union Station in December 2023. Over the past month, a statement on the agreement said travelers from Jackson and surrounding communities have had daily access to eastbound and westbound routes, connecting them to Greyhound’s network of more than 1,700 destinations nationwide.
A federal investment of $2 million that will enable JRA to expand the city’s transit infrastructure beyond its existing footprint, Congressman Thompson stated. The expansion includes providing recommendations for station accessibility, redevelopment, and equity planning guidance for active transportation.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Contempt resolution against Hunter Biden released
On Monday, U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer released a resolution and accompanying report recommending the House of Representatives find Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, in contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee.
The Oversight Committee will consider the resolution and report at a markup on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
The report states, in part:
On December 13, 2023, Robert Hunter Biden failed to comply with deposition subpoenas issued by the Committees on Oversight and Accountability and the Judiciary for testimony relevant to the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry and the Committees’ oversight investigations. Instead, Mr. Biden opted to read a short, prepared statement in front of the Capitol. Accordingly, Mr. Biden has violated federal law, and must be held in contempt of Congress. Mr. Biden’s testimony is a critical component of the impeachment inquiry into, among other things, whether Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as Vice President and/or President: (1) took any official action or effected any change in government policy because of money or other things of value provided to himself or his family; (2) abused his office of public trust by providing foreign interests with access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him; or (3) abused his office of public trust by knowingly participating in a scheme to enrich himself or his family by giving foreign interests the impression that they would receive access to him and his office in exchange for payments to his family or him.
Read more on the contempt resolution here.
2. Tax breaks being negotiated in Congress ahead of Tax Day
A bill making its way through Congress could provide added tax relief before Tax Day – April 15th – this year.
According to reports, lawmakers are negotiating provisions of a $100 billion bill that would give tax breaks for parents and businesses as part of a bipartisan effort. Those close to the discussions say some of the Trump-era tax cuts up for extension could considered while also expanding the child tax credit, as reported by The Washington Post.
“Discussions are ongoing and we’re continuing to make progress,” Wyden’s spokesperson, Ryan Carey, wrote in an email to The Washington Post. “There’s optimism on all sides, and the goal remains to get this done in time for changes in the child tax credit to take effect in this upcoming filing season.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ole Miss falls out of AP Top 25
Following a big loss to No. 5 Tennessee over the weekend, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team has dropped out of the AP Top 25 after rising to No. 22 with a 13-0 start to the season prior to the SEC opening loss.
The Rebels came in at No. 27 in the latest poll released on Monday.
However, Ole Miss did stay in the USA Today Top 25 at No. 23.
Mississippi State’s men’s team had received votes in the Top 25 poll in recent weeks but their loss to South Carolina Saturday hurt their chances for consideration.
2. Michigan wins the 2023 College Football National Championship
The 2023 College Football season officially came to an end on Monday night as the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies squared off in the National Championship game aired on ESPN.
The Wolverines, who scored on their opening drive and never trailed, took the 34-13 win, capping off a perfect 15-0 season behind a strong ground game and stout defensive secondary.
3. Judkins to Ohio State
Now former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins announced Monday evening that he was transferring to Ohio State.
Markets & Business
U.S. employment reports overstated in 2023
A FoxBusiness review of the 2023 U.S. jobs reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that “the government quietly erased 439,000 jobs through November 2023.”
“That means its initial jobs results were inflated by 439,000 positions, and the job market is not as healthy as the government suggests,” Fox’s Elizabeth MacDonald wrote. “Since the government wiped out 439,000 jobs after the fact, the total percentage of jobs created by the government last year is even higher. Increased government hiring has been driving the jobs numbers higher.”
The report says more workers are holding down multiple jobs to pay for a higher cost of living due to a cumulative 17.4% inflation rate under this White House.
Read more here.
