- 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. Ingalls-built LPD 30 christened in Pascagoula
Ingalls Shipbuilding christened San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Harrisburg (LPD 30) on Saturday in Pascagoula.
“Today is more than just a christening; it is a celebration of craftsmanship, commitment and the enduring purpose of the work we do every day at Ingalls,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette said. “Like its namesake, Harrisburg — with its rich history of strength, resilience and leadership — shares the same qualities reflected in our shipbuilders, whose dedication ensures the Navy and Marine Corps have the advanced ships they need to protect and defend our nation.”
LPD 30 is named after Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s capital city, and commemorates the city’s rich history and longstanding support of the United States military. From its origins as a trading outpost to the present, the city of Harrisburg has played a key role in the development of the nation’s industrial history. It also played a critical role during the nation’s Westward Migration, the American Civil War and the Industrial Revolution.
LPD 30 will be the U.S. Navy’s 14th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship and the first Flight II in the class.
2. Stone Co. Economic Development recognized for work on Anduril expansion
The Stone County Economic Development Partnership (SCEDP) has been selected as the first-ever recipient of Cooperative Energy’s SPARK Award for their extraordinary work on the ‘Mississippi Miracle’: Anduril’s Road to Mississippi and the establishment of the Mississippi Solid Rocket Complex in Stone County.
Anduril Industries has announced a $75 million expansion of the Mississippi Solid Rocket Complex, which will increase the facility’s annual production capacity from 600 to over 6,000 tactical-scale solid rocket motors. This investment is expected to create more highly skilled jobs in Stone County – employing more than 100 on location in McHenry by 2025 – which will contribute significantly to the region’s economic growth and technological advancement.
The expansion includes the renovation of nearly 100,000 square feet of factory space and the integration of advanced robotics and modular manufacturing systems. Both the U.S. Department of Defense (2025) and the State of Mississippi (2024) is supporting Anduril’s expansion with significant funding allocations.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Trump cabinet nominees begin Senate confirmation hearings this week
Some of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees will begin their confirmation hearings this week.
“Headlining the list of nominees this week is Pete Hegseth, Trump’s selection to serve as defense secretary,” The Hill reports, noting that “nearly a dozen other Cabinet positions will answer questions this week, as Congress prepares for the president-elect to take office in exactly one week.”
Hegseth will appear at the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday. “Also on Tuesday, former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), nominee to be secretary of Veterans Affairs, will appear before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Doug Burgum, nominee to be secretary of the Interior, will appear before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee,” The Hill reported.
2. Trump expected to issue “a blizzard of executive orders” after inaugurated
President-elect Donald Trump will issue “a blizzard of executive orders” as soon as he inaugurated Jan. 20, Sen. John Barrasso predicted Sunday, as reported by Politico.
“Speaking on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ the Wyoming Republican said: ‘When President Trump takes office next Monday, there is going to be shock and awe with executive orders. A blizzard of executive orders on the economy, as well as on the border,'” Politico reported.
Barrasso said the first goal is getting Trump’s cabinet in place and went on to add that “it doesn’t matter to Trump how many pieces of legislation are required to enact his agenda as long as legislation is passed.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Miss. State falls to Kentucky
No. 14 Mississippi State men’s basketball fell to No. 6 Kentucky by a final score of 95-90 on Saturday night in Starkville.
MSU Athletics said the contest featured seven ties and 13 lead changes, but in the end, it was the Wildcats coming out on top.
Mississippi State now goes on the road to Auburn to battle the Tigers on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Tip time at Neville Arena is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be televised by SEC Network.
2. Southern Miss survives in OT
Southern Miss survived its first overtime win since January 2021 in a thriller against Texas State on Saturday in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles took the win by a score of 92-88 at Reed Green Coliseum.
Southern Miss is now 34-4 at Reed Green Coliseum since the start of the ’22-23 season, the Athletics Department noted.
USM now heads to South Alabama for a Wednesday night game in Mobile. Tip is 7 p.m.
Markets & Business
1. China reaches record trade surplus
The New York Times reports that China has announced that its trade surplus reached almost $1 trillion last year “as its exports swamped the globe, while the country’s own businesses and households spent cautiously on imports.”
“When adjusted for inflation, China’s trade surplus last year far exceeded any in the world in the past century, even those of export powerhouses like Germany, Japan or the United States. Chinese factories are dominating global manufacturing on a scale not experienced by any country since the United States after World War II,” NYT reported, adding, “While China ran a deficit in oil and other natural resources, its trade surplus in manufactured goods represented 10 percent of China’s economy. By comparison, U.S. reliance on trade surpluses in manufactured goods peaked at 6 percent of American output early in World War I, when factories in Europe had mostly stopped exporting and shifted to wartime production.”
NYT also noted, “China’s exports are booming as its domestic economy is suffering. The trade surplus has offset some of the harm from a housing market crash that has scarred businesses and consumers. “
2. Stock futures slip to open week
CNBC reports that stock futures slipped Monday as key tech shares that have led the bull market continued to be dumped by investors.
“S&P 500 futures dropped 0.9% while Nasdaq 100 futures shed 1.3%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 131 points, or 0.3%. All three benchmarks are down for the last two weeks with tech shares causing most of the damage,” CNBC reported.
CNBC went on to note, “A better-than expected jobs report on Friday spiked yields and sent stocks reeling by casting doubt on further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The Dow lost 697 points on Friday. The 30-stock Dow and S&P 500 both ended the week 1.9% lower, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 2.3%. All three are now in the red for the young year.”
Magnolia Tribune
