- 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. Congress of Country Music breaks ground in Philadelphia
Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday to celebrate the creation of the world-class museum and cultural center in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
Organizers said the event marked a pivotal moment for the Congress, dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of country music and its profound impact on American culture.
Country music legend, Marty Stuart, led the ceremony as construction officially commenced on the remainder of the Congress of Country Music campus.
“This is more than just a museum project,” said Stuart. “It’s about the preservation and furtherance of our musical history and culture. With the support of incredible partners, we’re creating a space that will inspire, educate and connect generations through the stories of country music.”
2. Sanderson Farms Championship donates $1 million to Children’s
It was announced on Tuesday that Century Club Charities, host of the Sanderson Farms Championship, achieved a milestone by donating $1 million from tournament proceeds to support Children’s of Mississippi.
This marks the 11th consecutive year that the golf tournament has contributed $1 million or more to Friends of Children’s Hospital, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for the state’s only children’s hospital.
The announcement was made at a news conference at the BankPlus Community Room of the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children’s of Mississippi.
The $1 million gift, coupled with over $750,000 to other Mississippi charities, brings Century Club Charities’ total charitable impact statewide to over $1.75 million in 2024. Since Sanderson Farms, now Wayne-Sanderson Farms, became the title sponsor in 2013, the tournament and Century Club Charities have contributed over $18.95 million to Friends of Children’s Hospital and other Mississippi charities. Since 1994, Century Club Charities has raised more than $26.25 million for Mississippi charities.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Not everyone’s happy with government funding deal
The Wall Street Journal reports, “Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal Tuesday to keep the government funded through mid-March and provide more than $100 billion in relief to disaster victims and farmers, but the sprawling nature of the package angered some House Republicans.”
“While keeping federal operations running for several months, the bipartisan proposal also includes a slew of other measures, ranging from funding the rebuilding of Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, to expanding the sale of ethanol, to limiting some investments in China,” WSJ reported. “The proposal would extend current government funding until March 14, punting until the next Congress decisions on how much money to allocate to each federal agency for the remainder of the fiscal year, which runs until Sept. 30.”
WSJ also reported that the final 1,547-page package “ignited a firestorm among some Republicans, who complained about its ‘Christmas tree’ nature and the short time to review it.”
2. House GOP report seeks criminal investigation of former Congresswoman Cheney
As reported by The Hill, House Republicans released a report Tuesday reviewing the “failures and politicization” of the Jan. 6 committee, “capping their investigation by recommending a criminal investigation into former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).”
The report calls the Jan. 6 committee appointed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) “a political weapon with a singular focus to deceive the public into blaming President Trump for the violence on January 6 and to tarnish the legacy of his first Presidency.”
The Hill notes, “The report’s conclusion also calls for an FBI investigation into Cheney, accusing her of witness tampering by being in touch with star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide.” Cheney said the report’s “allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. North-South All-Stars report today, game set for Saturday
Players from Mississippi high schools report to Gulfport today to begin practices ahead of the annual Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star game.
The annual event features high school seniors chosen to be among the top football players in the state representing either the North or South areas. Some the big names playing in this year’s matchup are Louisiana signee RB Darrell Smith (Picayune), Southern Miss signee QB Silas Corder (Pascagoula), Tulane signee QB Jay Beamon (Cleveland Central), and South Alabama signee DB Kohl Bradley (George County).
The 2024 Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star Football Game, the last sanctioned MHSAA gridiron event for the season, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 21 at Milner Stadium in Gulfport.
2. Mud Monsters season passes now available
The new Mud Monsters baseball team at Trustmark Park in Pearl announced Tuesday that season passes were now available for purchase.
The Individual Season Pass is a membership for one (1) general admission ticket to all Mud Monsters home games for the 2025 season for $175. The Family Season Pass is a membership for up to (5) general admission tickets to all Mud Monsters home games for the 2025 Season for only $275.
Throughout the season, the team said games will feature fireworks shows, giveaway nights, and much more fun for the whole family.
Click here to purchase your tickets.
Markets & Business
1. Honda and Nissan merging?
FoxBusiness reports that Honda Motors and Nissan Motor are reportedly in the process of merging their companies and are set to start negotiations soon, according to Japanese media.
“The news, which was first reported by the Nikkei newspaper on Tuesday, comes as both auto giants struggle to compete with the largest global electric vehicle (EV) makers, including Tesla and Chinese automaker BYD,” FoxBusiness reported. “The merger plans have not been confirmed by either company. On Tuesday, both companies released identical statements tossing water on the reports.”
FoxBusiness went on to add, “Honda and Nissan are the second and third-largest auto manufacturers in Japan, respectively, with Toyota leading them both. The respective market capitalizations of Honda and Nissan are roughly 5.95 trillion yen ($38.8 billion) and 1.17 trillion yen ($7.6 billion).”
2. Will Fed cut rates today?
All eyes are on the Fed today when the Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank’s rate-setting entity, announces its policy decision, reports CNBC.
“Inflation is stubbornly above target, the economy is growing at about a 3% pace and the labor market is holding strong. Put it all together and it sounds like a perfect recipe for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates or at least to stay put,” CNBC reported, adding that market watchers are expecting the group to “lower its benchmark overnight borrowing rate by a quarter percentage point, or 25 basis points. That would take it down to a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%.”
CNBC added, “If the Fed follows through on the cut, it will mark a full percentage point lopped off the federal funds rate since September.”
