- Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.
In Mississippi
PSC launches investigation into Holly Springs Utility District
The Mississippi Public Service Commission announced Thursday that the three-man commission had initiated an investigation and scheduled a public show-cause hearing concerning the utility services provided by the Holly Springs Utility District. They say the decision follows months of numerous different types of complaints from their customers.
According to the PSC, the City of Holly Springs recently denied the Commission’s jurisdiction granted by the Mississippi Legislature, refusing to provide access to Holly Springs Utility District facilities and personnel, prompting the Commission to file a complaint against the City alleging that the Holly Springs Utility District is not delivering reasonably adequate electric service for several reasons. These allegations include lack of utility management and system maintenance; lack of technical and engineering expertise; inadequate capital spending; inadequate storm response; and lack of adequate vegetation management plans.
The City of Holly Springs has been summoned to appear before the PSC on Monday, January 7, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing room located on the first floor of the Woolfolk State Office Building in Jackson. The Commission issued its first set of data requests aimed to gather comprehensive testimony and evidence to guide its investigation. The City has 45 days to provide responses to the Commission’s requests.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Wiles named Trump Chief of Staff
President-elect Donald Trump has selected his campaign manager Susie Wiles as his incoming White House Chief of Staff, per the New York Times.
“It is the first job announcement Mr. Trump has made since winning the election on Tuesday, and one his advisers were eager for so he could begin rolling out his choices to populate the top ranks of government,” NYT reported. “In Ms. Wiles, Mr. Trump turned to an aide he knows well and who has worked closely with him, understands how he operates, is close with his family and to whom most of his current team is loyal. She will be the first woman ever to hold the job.”
“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected,” Trump said in a statement announcing the decision per NYT. He added, “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”
2. Where control of the House stands
The Hill reports that control of the U.S. House has yet to be determined as a number of critical races remain too-close-to-call.
“Republicans had secured 214 seats in the lower chamber as of Thursday evening, with Democrats trailing at 200 seats, according to Decision Desk HQ. A total of 21 races have not yet been called: Democrats are leading in 13of the contests while GOP candidates are ahead in the other eight,” The Hill reported.
Multiple races in California as well as other states will be key to who wins the House majority.
Sports & Entertainment
Ole Miss facing do or die Saturday, and other MS Big 3 games
The No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels are hosting No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in a must win game to keep their playoff hopes alive this Saturday.
Here’s who is playing in Mississippi’s Big 3 and how to watch:
- Ole Miss vs. Georgia – 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
- Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee – 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN
- Marshall at Southern Miss – 2 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+
Markets & Business
1. Entergy breaks ground on new Greenville power station
Entergy Mississippi broke ground Thursday on the company’s newly announced Delta Blues Advanced Power Station in Greenville, Mississippi. it will replace the 50-year-old Gerald Andrus Steam Electric Station, which will be retired when the new plant comes online in 2028.
Entergy said by replacing end-of-life gas generation with more clean and efficient generation, they are ensuring customers continue to have modern, reliable energy well into the future.
Delta Blues Advanced Power Station, a $1.2 billion investment, will be a 754-megawatt facility capable of powering 385,000 homes across Entergy Mississippi’s 45-county service area. The project will account for some 300 construction jobs, with Entergy then employing about 21 full-time personnel to operate the plant when it comes online.
The new facility will be equipped with a combined-cycle combustion turbine and dual-fuel technology. While natural gas is the primary resource, it will be designed to support blended hydrogen to produce reliable energy while significantly reducing carbon emissions.
2. Fed to cut rates again in December?
CNBC reports that expectations for a December interest rate cut remained strong after the Federal Reserve trimmed rates by a quarter percentage point on Thursday.
“On Thursday afternoon, the U.S. central bank lowered the federal funds rate, which determines what banks charge each other for overnight lending, to a target range of 4.5% to 4.75%,” CNBC reported. “Before the Fed released this decision at 2 p.m. ET, market pricing pointed toward a 67% chance of another quarter-point cut in December and a 33% chance of a pause that month, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.”
CNBC also noted, “The probability of a quarter-point December rate cut rose to more than 70% following the meeting, while the chances of a pause slipped to nearly 29%. Future rate probabilities found in the CME FedWatch Tool are derived from trading in 30-day fed funds futures contracts.”
