- 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. Moore pleads not guilty to 6 murders in Clay County
WTVA reports that “the man accused of shooting and killing six people in Clay County made his first court appearance on Monday afternoon.”
“Daricka Moore faces three counts of capital murder, three counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a child, attempted sexual battery, burglary of a dwelling and two counts of felony taking of a motor vehicle,” WTVA reported. “He pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges, and a judge denied him a bond and also ordered a mental evaluation.”
WTVA added, “The deadly rampage happened on Friday night at three separate locations.”
2. UMMC provides flu update
The University of Mississippi Medical Center reported Monday that some communities are seeing a more intense flu season marked by higher case counts, more severe symptoms and increased hospitalizations, particularly among older adults, young children and those with chronic conditions.
UMMC noted that according to the Mississippi State Department of Health weekly respiratory surveillance reports, influenza-like illness activity across the state has remained relatively stable in recent weeks, with an overall ILI rate around 4.9% of outpatient visits for the week ending January 3.
While Mississippi hasn’t reported major outbreaks or influenza-associated pediatric deaths this season yet, UMMC said health officials continue to monitor trends closely.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. SCOTUS to hear cases aimed at allowing boys in girls’ sports
As reported by the New York Times, “The Supreme Court is hearing back-to-back cases on Tuesday from a pair of transgender athletes that will test the constitutionality of state laws barring their participation on girls’ and women’s sports teams.”
“The outcome of the cases from West Virginia and Idaho will put the justices back at the center of a contentious political issue with implications for the 25 other states with similar laws and for athletes who compete in school and collegiate sports around the country,” NYT reported. “Becky Pepper-Jackson, a high school sophomore from West Virginia, and Lindsay Hecox, a college senior in Idaho, challenged the laws, which require that participation on sports teams for boys and girls be based on ‘biological sex,’ defined as a person’s sex assigned at birth.”
NYT continued, “The Trump administration and lawyers for the states said in court filings that the participation of transgender female athletes threatened to undermine five decades of progress since the passage of Title IX, which has led to major increases in opportunities and participation for women in sports.”
2. House GOP majority narrows
The Hill reports that “Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) already fragile GOP majority is hanging by a thread, as the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) and the departure of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) narrow the party’s razor-thin margin.”
“LaMalfa’s death and Greene’s exit leave Johnson with a 218-213 majority in the House, allowing him to lose no more than two votes on any given bill, assuming all members are present and Democrats are unified in opposition,” The Hill reported. “And Johnson is temporarily short a member as Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.) recovers from a car crash following his release from the hospital last week.”
The Hill noted, “Republicans have been growing more willing to break with Trump over certain issues, especially as reelection pressure mounts. More than a dozen GOP members broke ranks and joined Democrats to override two of Trump’s vetoes, though the effort ultimately fell short.”
Sports
Four on Ole Miss softball earn preseason honors
Ole Miss Athletics said four members of the Ole Miss softball program earned preseason honors, as Softball America released its top-100 players and Freshman Watch List on Monday.
The school said Persy Llamas was tabbed as the No. 59 player in the nation according to Softball America, while the freshmen trio of Payton Kennedy, Addi Linton and Kaidance Till all were named to the Freshman Watch List.
Linton and Till were recently named to D1Softball’s same list.
Markets & Business
1. December CPI report to be released Tuesday
FoxBusiness reports that the Labor Department “is set to release the December consumer price index (CPI) on Tuesday, which is expected to show inflation remaining elevated above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target as data collection disruptions from the government shutdown linger.”
“The consensus forecast compiled by FactSet estimates that headline inflation rose 0.3% on a monthly basis in December and 2.6% year-over-year, while core inflation, that excludes more volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.26% for the month and 2.6% from the prior year,” FoxBusiness reported. “Economists are warning that the 43-day government shutdown that ended in mid-November will impact not only the December CPI print, but the CPI inflation data for the next several months.”
“This is going to be an extremely muddy report because of the lingering questions around the October and November CPI report,” EY-Parthenon chief economist Greg Daco told FOX Business in an interview. “Most of the data was affected by the government shutdown.”
2. Court decision over Panama Canal operation expected soon
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The Supreme Court of Panama is winding up deliberations that will decide whether a Hong Kong company can run two ports at either end of the Panama Canal, a decision closely watched in Washington and Beijing.”
“The case carries the weight of geopolitical competition between the U.S. and China. President Trump has said he wanted to take back control of the canal, which the U.S. built in the early 20th century and handed over to Panama in late 1999. China, meanwhile, has thrown up obstacles to the sale of the canal ports and other assets operated by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison to a group led by BlackRock and Mediterranean Shipping Co,” WSJ reported. “A ruling is expected soon.”
WSJ went on to report, “For Panama’s Supreme Court justices, the political pressure is immense. Allowing Hutchison to continue running the ports risks infuriating the Trump administration and exposes the vulnerability of the tiny Central American nation that uses the U.S. dollar and owes its 1903 independence to American intervention against Colombia.”
