- 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. Delta Utilities buying CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas assets
WJTV reports that the Mississippi Public Service Commission has approved the sale of CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas utility assets that serve counties across the state to Delta Utilities, which is a natural gas company based in New Orleans.
CenterPoint Energy serves approximately 135,000 customers across Mississippi.
“The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025,” reported WJTV. “According to officials, the approval of the sale does not change gas service or billing for CenterPoint Energy gas customers, and no action is required of customers at this time.”
2. AG warns of holiday delivery scams
Attorney General Lynn Fitch warns Mississippians to be aware of unsolicited “missed delivery” notification scams as they increase this holiday season.
Delivery scams often start with a text message or an email about delivering a package to your address. These messages often include a “tracking link” that you are urged to click in order to update your delivery or payment preferences. You might also get a voicemail message with a call-back number, or a “missed delivery” tag on your door with a number to call.
How to spot and avoid fraudulent notifications:
- Unexpected requests for money in return for delivery of a package, often with a sense of urgency.
- Requests for personal and/or financial information.
- Links to misspelled or slightly altered website addresses, such as “fedx.com” or “fed-ex.com“.
- Spelling and grammatical errors or excessive use of capitalization and exclamation points.
- Certificate errors or lack of online security protocols for sensitive activities.
If you receive suspicious emails or texts, do not click on the link. Go to the delivery carrier’s website directly or use the retailer’s tracking tools to verify the sender’s identity and avoid these scams.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. House GOP majority at 5 seats, will narrow more with resignations
The Hill reports that House Republicans will have zero room for error in the 119th Congress — literally.
“Rep. John Duarte (R) conceded to Democrat Adam Gray in California’s 13th Congressional District Tuesday night — the final uncalled House race of the 2024 cycle — solidifying the GOP’s 220-215 majority in the lower chamber,” The Hill reported. “That slim edge is already one of the closest in history. And it is set to narrow even more — and quickly — putting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team in a bind as they chart lofty goals for the next two years, when the GOP will have control of all levers of power in Washington.”
With resignations from House Republicans coming as President-elect Trump fills out his administration, The Hill notes that “the GOP majority will shrink to 217-215 early next year.”
2. Loeffler to lead SBA
Politico reports that former Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler has been tapped by President-elect Trump to lead the Small Business Administration.
“Loeffler, 53, is the current co-chair of Trump’s second inaugural committee. She is also the former CEO of Bakkt, a commodity and cryptocurrency trading platform that Trump’s Truth Social media company has been in talks to purchase. And she is married to billionaire Jeffrey Sprecher, a Trump donor and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange,” Politico reported.
“Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. “She will focus on ensuring that SBA is accountable to Taxpayers by cracking down on waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach.”
Sports & Entertainment
Seymour named Mud Monsters GM
Andrew Seymour has joined the Mississippi Mud Monsters as General Manager, the team announced on Wednesday.
Seymour comes to the new Mississippi team from the 2024 Florida State League Champion Palm Beach Cardinals, where he served the past 6 seasons as General Manager.
He has served in various capacities across MiLB and MLB Partner League baseball, including stops in Vancouver B.C., Grand Prairie, TX, and Fort Myers, FL over a20 year baseball career.
Markets & Business
1. Boeing announces layoffs
Boeing is issuing layoff notices to more than 100 employees across Florida starting in January 2025, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter reported by FoxBusiness.
“Locations include Titusville and the Kennedy Space Center, where Boeing plays a key role in the aerospace industry. In 2023, the company spent over $1 billion with suppliers in Florida, underscoring its economic influence in the region,” FoxBusiness reported.
“We are adjusting our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities,” Boeing told FOX Business in October.
2. Food prices at an 18-month high
CNBC reports that global food prices recently rose to an 18-month high, with some food baskets expected to continue climbing, according to market watchers.
“In October, world food commodity prices were at their highest since April 2023, according to the most recent data compiled by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization,” CNBC reported. “The FAO Food Price Index, which monitors the prices of five food baskets: grains, meat, dairy, vegetable oils and sugar, rose by 2% in October, driven primarily by a surge in vegetable oil prices.”
CNBC notes, “The index measures raw commodity prices rather than retail costs, but the increase suggests that higher food prices may continue to affect consumers.”
