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Brandon Presley builds solid blue campaign team in deep red Mississippi

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2 years ago

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The Democratic gubernatorial candidate has assembled a team of veteran national operatives who have worked to elect progressive candidates across America.

This week, Brandon Presley announced his new campaign staff, headed by Ron Owens. Owens, a Michigander who boasts helping to elect Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and flip the legislature from Republican to Democrat in his native-state last year, is joined by a series of other national operatives with experience on high-level Democratic campaigns.

Those campaigns include the failed efforts of Congressman Tim Ryan (D) to win a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio against populist author J.D. Vance (R), and Stacey Abram’s (D) unsuccessful attempt to unseat Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in Georgia. They also include successful efforts to elect Democratic governors in places like Louisiana and Kentucky, where Jon Bel Edwards and Andy Beshear were both successful in bucking the state’s partisan demographics.

In announcing the new hires, Presley said “with my record and these talented and battle-tested individuals, our campaign is in an even stronger position to shock the world this November so we can build a Mississippi that serves working families, not the special interests.”

The hires, though, serve to highlight the tightrope act that Presley will have to perform to become viable. As Northern Public Service Commissioner, he has always evaded his district’s shift toward the Republican Party by convincing people that he is not that different from them. His persona as a centrist “Yellow Dog” Democrat that is pro-life and pro-gun will be tested by who he surrounds himself with in this campaign and by his need to pull down national Democratic dollars that lean progressive.

RELATED: Presley’s Path to Governor’s Mansion is Narrow

How Do the Hires Reflect on the Candidate?

Henry Barbour, National Republican Committeeman for Mississippi, told Magnolia Tribune voters need to look no further than Presley’s hiring of Owens and his connection to Whitmer to see how the Democratic candidate would run Mississippi.

“COVID showed Americans that it certainly matters who serves as governor. Democrats such as Gretchen Whitmer advanced their elitist, government-knows-best agenda that restricted Americans’ liberty,” Barbour said. “And Brandon Presley hired her top political operative. Don’t believe him for a minute when he tries to persuade you he’s not of the same political persuasion.”

Whitmer’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic thrust her into the national spotlight with critics calling her actions draconian. Nonetheless, in a highly publicized campaign, Whitmer defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon last fall by a comfortable ten-point margin.

The aftermath of Michigan’s elections last year have been significant. Gov. Whitmer has already signed into law a bill that will repeal Michigan’s “right-to-work” law, which gives workers the freedom to work without being forced to join a union. Whitmer’s also proposed a series of tax increases on individuals and businesses, even as Michigan stood atop a $9 billion surplus. Michigan has repealed a law that restricted abortion and passed a constitutional amendment enshrining a right to abortion, including abortions post-viability.

Owens himself is pro-abortion. In a tweet following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mississippi’s Dobbs case, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Owens said “I am so sorry for all the women feeling devastated today. Although I don’t know exactly what you’re going through or how you’re feeling, just know that I stand with you and will do everything I can to protect a woman’s right to choose.”

Barbour believes that the Presley staff’s deep roots in high-profile progressive campaigns strips away the dividing line between the North Mississippi Democrat and the national Democratic Party.

“Presley is showing his cards with these hires. He could have hired a Mississippi team, but he hired campaign stars from the likes of Stacey Abrams and Gretchen Whitmer. This will help set the tone for Presley’s campaign. Their liberal leanings on policy will show up in statements, ads, and Presley’s agenda,” Barbour said.

Caution of Reading Too Much into Staff Hirings

Dr. Nathan Schrader, a former professor of political science at Millsaps and a longtime political commentator in Mississippi, sees things differently. In an interview with Magnolia Tribune, Dr. Shrader cautioned against reading too much into the hiring of campaign staff. He told Magnolia Tribune very few voters care who is running a campaign from a staff perspective and probably fewer know who those people are.

“I don’t know of anyone in the political arena, me included, who has ever run a campaign for a candidate with whom they agree on 100% of the issues in a race,” Dr. Shrader said.

Dr. Shrader said staff who are brought in to run a campaign are generally there to determine how to best sell the candidate, raise funds, and develop strategy.

“In other words, the candidate’s attributes like his biography, issue positions, and ideological commitments are what they are and not created by the campaign team,” Dr. Shrader told Magnolia Tribune. “However, the campaign team has the challenge of determining how to best market the candidate given these preexisting factors.”

He said Brandon Presley could hire Karl Rove or Roger Stone to run his gubernatorial campaign and it still would not prevent his opposition from accusing him of being on the far left or a progressive.

“This may allow the Reeves campaign or political action committees associated with it to run some ads accusing Presley of being a ‘progressive’ because of his hirings, but they were going to do that no matter who he hired to run the campaign operation,” Shrader said.

Could the Staffing Decisions Aid Fundraising

Given the Public Service Commissioner’s lack of name ID and inexperience in statewide politics, Presley’s hires could be more of a reflection of his need to tap into national Democratic donors than they are his policy positions.

Fundraising staffers bring their own rolodex of donors to a campaign. Democrats in Mississippi have had a tough time raising any significant campaign cash in-state since tort reform was passed in the state 20 years ago.

Barbour said it’s a bold move by Presley to align himself with national Democrats, even if it does help him raise money. “I am sure he hopes it will help him raise big money from California and New York liberals, and it probably will, because now they know they will be able to count on him if he can only snooker Mississippians into believing he’s not really a liberal,” Barbour said.

Dr. Shrader said that it is indeed possible for these Presley hires to play a role in much needed fundraising for the Democrat. But he emphasized that the Mississippi gubernatorial race is one of three such off-year elections, meaning it is already near the top of donor considerations regardless of staffing decisions.

“Brandon Presley is going to be the Democratic Party nominee in Mississippi in an election cycle with very few gubernatorial races happening around the country. This immediately helps to place his race on the radar of Democratic donors in other parts of the United States because there are simply fewer gubernatorial contests to invest in. We also must keep in mind that Governor Reeves is the favorite given the state’s electoral history and Reeves’ own impressive history of winning statewide races,” Dr. Shrader opined. “It is certainly possible that Presley’s campaign staff will be able to tap into contacts they bring with them from other races in other places, but this is the nature of politics and simply how the process works.”

Presley Campaign Focused on Attacking Opponent Reeves

Magnolia Tribune questioned the Presley campaign about whether the issue positions of its staff were emblematic of the positions of the candidate. Communications Director Michael Beyer pivoted from answering those questions. Instead, he offered what has become a common refrain, attempting to link Governor Reeves to the ongoing welfare investigation.

“Unlike Tate Reeves, no Brandon Presley staffer could face questions in a federal investigation for funneling millions of taxpayer dollars meant for working families to his personal trainer and celebrities and then trying to cover it up by helping fire the lead attorney investigating the scandal because it was getting too close to his buddies,” Beyer’s email response stated.

To date, there has been no evidence of any impropriety on the part of Reeves in connection with the welfare investigation, and no indication that Reeves is at all implicated in, or a target of, the investigation. This has not stopped Presley’s campaign from striking that chord as often as possible. Questions asked about a new economic ranking showing improvements in Mississippi, drew a similar response. Not on topic, but at a minimum, it evinces messaging discipline.

RELATED: Mississippi Moves Up 5 Spots in “Rich States, Poor States” Economic Rankings

“Presley hired the top Democrat operative in last year’s Ohio U.S. Senate race when it comes to attacking the Republican,” Barbour said, referring to Beyer. “This same staffer has worked for the [Democratic Governors Association] helping elect Democrats across the country.”

Beyer worked as a Senior Communications Advisor at the Ohio Democratic Party, where he worked on behalf of Democrat Tim Ryan in his unsuccessful bid against U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, a Republican.

The Full Announced Team

The full team announced by the Presley campaign, presented verbatim from the announcement:

  • Ron Owens, Campaign Manager: Ron is a veteran of targeted campaigns who knows what it takes to win tough races. Most recently, he served as Political Director for Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign and helped drive the governor to a historic 11-point victory and flipped the Michigan state legislature. Prior to Whitmer’s reelection campaign, Ron served in her executive office and on her 2018 campaign, in the Democratic Leader’s office in the State House of Representatives, and on several Michigan campaigns.
  • Jared Turner, Senior Advisor: Jared is a native of Tupelo, MS, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi who got his start working as a Political and Field Director and Fundraiser and since has worked on several municipal, federal, and judicial races. He opened a political consulting firm and worked across the state and country, fighting for working families. Jared lives in Jackson, MS, with his wife and two kids, where he is active through his church, social and civic engagement organizations, and family.
  • Greta Presley, Operations Director: Greta, Brandon’s sister, is a 30-year career professional in administrative management, most recently with an extensive career in the healthcare industry, where she oversaw and managed scheduling, event logistics, vendor relationships, and various communications. She is returning home to her and Brandon’s hometown of Nettleton to serve as Operations Director for the campaign.
  • Shalonda Spencer, Political Director: Shalonda has over a decade of experience in public service, having worked on several campaigns in Mississippi and in non-profits focusing on public and foreign policy issues as a government relations and national security professional. Shalonda is a two-time graduate student at Jackson State University and a native of Columbus, Mississippi.
  • Michael Beyer, Communications Director: Michael most recently worked as a Senior Communications Advisor at the Ohio Democratic Party, where he led GOP Senate primary response and served as the on-the-record spokesman for anti-Vance communications. He has worked on several gubernatorial races in New Hampshire and at the Democratic Governors Association, helping to re-elect Gov. John Bel Edwards and elect Gov. Andy Beshear.
  • Abby O’Keefe, Organizing Director: Abby most recently worked as a Deputy Organizing Director at the Michigan Democratic Party and previously held organizing positions in Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, and Oklahoma.
  • Isaac Lampner, Finance Director: Isaac has worked as a fundraiser in Ohio and an organizer in Michigan, most recently serving as the call time manager for Tim Ryan’s fundraising program, which raised a record-breaking $58M, the most of any U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio.
  • Jake Laves, Digital Director: Jake most recently worked as a Deputy Digital Fundraising Director on Stacey Abrams’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign, which raised a record-breaking $38 million online, more than any gubernatorial campaign in Georgia history. Before that, he held positions at New Blue Interactive, the DLCC, and the Texas Democratic Party.
  • Shawn Patterson, Research Director: Shawn worked at the West Virginia Democratic Party, where he helped to re-elect Senator Joe Manchin in an R+42 state. He most recently worked as a Regional Research Director at the DCCC, where he led research on congressional races in frontline races in Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Kansas, and Nebraska. Shawn previously held research positions at the DSCC, where he worked on races in Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire that were critical to flipping the Senate in 2020.

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Title: Brandon Presley builds solid blue campaign team in deep red Mississippi
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/04/16/presley-staff-hires/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=presley-staff-hires
Published Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2023 12:00:00 +0000

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Staring mortality in the face at Christmas

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1 year ago

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December 16, 2023

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My friend Jarrod is dying after an eight year battle with cancer. He’s lived a life worth celebrating, one that has drawn people to Christ.

I was going about my business this week when I received a text that stopped me in my tracks. A college friend was being moved to hospice care.

Jarrod Egley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in early 2017. In the fall of 2018, tests revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and Jarrod’s cancer was classified as Stage IV.

For almost eight years from the date of the original diagnosis, he’s fought. Through surgeries, radiation, endless rounds and cycles of chemotherapy, and experimental immunotherapies, he’s fought.

Last year, I flew out to California and spent some time with Jarrod and his wife, Emily. We sat outside one night. He acknowledged to me that it was not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the cancer would claim his life. I told him I was sorry, because what else is there to say?

We talked about our faith, about the trials of Job, about Jacob wrestling with God, about Paul’s affliction. But mostly we reflected on our time together in school, on the good things, and the mundane things, that happened since.

Jarrod and I met at Tulane University. One Sunday morning in the Spring of my freshman year, I rose from my dorm room bed, dressed, and began walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans with no particular agenda. I walked until I came across First Baptist Church and the thought flickered in the vacuous recesses of my brain to enter.

Some would say it was a lark. The Calvinist in me says providence. The walk that morning changed the trajectory of my time at Tulane and my life on the whole. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry became central to my life and put me in regular league with Jarrod. I met him first at the BCM and we ultimately ended up attending church together.

Jarrod was a faithful servant on and off campus. He helped organize a group of us that would weekly make our way down to the Esplanade seawall on the backside of the French Quarter to feed the homeless. On Friday nights, he could be found at chapel with a small cadre of students foregoing Bourbon Street for early 2000s worship music.

Jarrod was a loyal friend in those years. Never rude or biting. Not prone to an insult for an easy laugh. Persistently encouraging. An engineering student, his mind worked linearly and was oriented to problem solving. There were never a lot of wasted words — always a lot of deliberative questions when he disagreed or did not understand a point. He exhibited intelligence, empathy, and the kind of moral conviction that sets someone apart.

He also had a wry and dry sense of humor and a penchant for beating people at Madden football. He was fair-to-midland on the ultimate frisbee pitch. Along the way, there were crawfish boils, Mardi Gras outtings, poorly attended Tulane football games, and more than a decent amount of wing eating.

After college, I lost touch with Jarrod. He moved back to his home state of California. He got married to his college sweetheart, who could not have anticipated her husband’s journey, but has been a steady and constant helpmate throughout. Jarrod became a very successful engineer and a bourbon connoisseur. One of his bucket list trips took him to Kentucky, where he got to meet and became friends with bourbon “Hall of Famer” Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace acclaim.

Jarrod at Buffalo Trace Distillery (Spring 2022).

Sitting in his backyard nearly 20 years after graduating from Tulane, I saw many of the same qualities I had grown to admire when we were students together. I saw a husband who doted on and supported Emily’s passions. But I also saw someone whose body had been beaten to hell and back, who was tired, and who, like Jacob, had been wrestling with God. We quickly fell back into friendship, which perhaps is the mark of good friendship.

We all have aspirations in our youth — for the kind of spouse or parent we might be, for what we might accomplish, for what we might experience. Along the way, dreams are satisfied, modified, or they die on the vine. The clock inevitably works against all of us. That night in Oceanside, California, Jarrod, a numbers guy, saw that time was not on his side. He believed, as we all would, that he still had more to give, more impact to be made, and more things to see and experience.

After that trip, Jarrod and I stayed in touch, most frequently triggered by news of his cancer. It has been mostly the bad variety in recent months. Now spread throughout his body, down to his bones, he has lived in constant pain for months. Not even a steady diet of morphine and an implanted pain pump solve for it. Jarrod’s been hospitalized twelve times just in 2023.

But his matter of fact sense of humor and way of seeing the world remains in tact. So too does his faith that despite these trials, he has always been safe in the hands of Christ.

There are people in the world who believe that life is random, disordered, and without reason. I am not among them. I think my friend is staring mortality in the face at Christmas for a reason.

For thousands of years before Christ came, there was darkness and despair. Sin and shame gripped the hearts of men. Until one holy night, God, in His infinite love, mercy and wisdom, sent His son to save. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of man. He has won victory over death and Jarrod’s will not be the exception. Jesus came for Jarrod, and for you.

For thousands of years since Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His disciples have been used as divine instruments to point the way to God. Jarrod is among them. If life expectancies were the measure, Jarrod would be at the midway point for most people. He’s made a lifetime of impact for the Kingdom and on other people.

So, to my friend Jarrod, you were placed here with a purpose. You have run your race. You are loved. And when this chapter closes, you will hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is no greater evidence of a life well lived.

While Jarrod and Emily have been fortunate to have health insurance, their portion of the medical bills so far in 2023 have eclipsed $30,000, and Emily is facing additional uncovered expenses during Jarrod’s hospice care, including a night nurse that costs over $400 a night. If you would like to help defray the cost, a contribution can be made at their Go Fund Me page.

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Title: Staring mortality in the face at Christmas
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Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000

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Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023

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1 year ago

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December 15, 2023

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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. Laurin St. Pe’ named CEO of Singing River Health System

Laurin St. Pe

The Board of Trustees of Singing River Health System announced the immediate appointment of Laurin St. Pe’ as the Chief Executive Officer on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to announce Laurin St. Pe as the new CEO of Singing River,” said Steve Ates, Board President in a statement. “His wealth of healthcare experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to steer our health system toward its next phase of growth and success.”

St. Pe’, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2023, said he is honored to assume the role of CEO at Singing River. He has worked at Singing River as Administrator of Singing River Health System’s Pascagoula Hospital and Gulfport Hospital, in addition to overseeing program service lines throughout the entire system to his subsequent appointment as Chief Operating Officer of Singing River.

The health system says St. Pe played a crucial role in the financial revitalization of Singing River Health System while steering the organization toward financial stability.

2. Gulfport-Biloxi airport, Stennis evacuated after threats

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was evacuated on Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” airport officials said, after receiving an emailed threat to certain transportation entities across the state.

The airport was thoroughly security swept, cleared and reopened in just over two hours. Gulfport-Biloxi is now operating regularly.

The threat was also sent to Stennis International Airport. Their staff and personnel were also evacuated until the facilities could be swept and cleared.

Any passenger whose travel was affected by the evacuation is encouraged to contact their respective air carrier.

3. Cassidy arrested in Iowa for beheading Satanic Temple statue

Former Mississippi congressional and legislative candidate Michael Cassidy was arrested this week in Iowa for beheading a statue at the state’s Capitol erected by The Satanic Temple.

Cassidy reportedly decapitated the statue and turned himself to police on Thursday. He was charged with fourth degree criminal mischief. He then started an online legal defense fund where he’s raised upwards of $20,000 as of Thursday night, according to his X account.

4. “Serial fraudster” ordered to cease offering investments into companies

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, on October 26, 2023, Secretary Michael Watson and the Securities Division issued an order against Stephone N. Patton. The SOS says Patton is a serial fraudster with multiple criminal convictions in Mississippi and Florida.

Through business filings with the SEC and Mississippi, Patton has held himself to be the CEO of various companies, including Star Oil and Gas Company, Inc., North Gulf Energy Corporation, Inc., Patton Oilfield Services, Inc., and Patton Farms, LLC.

The SOS says using these business filings and company websites, Patton claimed to have raised hundreds of billions of dollars through investment opportunities. Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the SEC, the SOS discovered none of Patton’s companies are operational, have any assets, or generate any revenues. Account records show Patton spent investors’ funds almost as soon as he received them on personal expenses. The total amount of known investments made to Patton’s fraudulent companies is over $80,000. Further, none of Patton’s investment offerings have been registered or notice filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.

The SOS order requires Patton to cease and desist from offering investments with his companies, requiring Patton to permanently deactivate his companies’ websites to prevent any further dissemination of his false or misleading information. Patton is also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $25,000 to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office for these violations, in addition to restitution owed to all his Mississippi investors.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Congressional retirements mounting as 2024 election cycle nears

Retirement and departure announcements are piling up ahead of the start to the 2024 election cycle. The New York Times has developed a Retirement Tracker that currently shows 22 Democrats and 11 Republicans who are in Congress now will not be seeking re-election next year.

“Dozens of members of Congress have announced plans to leave their seats in the House of Representatives, setting a rapid pace for congressional departures, with more expected as the 2024 election draws closer,” the NY Times reports. “Given Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, the wave of exits has the potential to lead to a significant shake-up next year.”

You can find the tracker here.

2. Texas, Daily Wire, The Federalist sue U.S. State Department over media censorship

The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has come under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with The Daily Wire and The Federalist have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department funded technology that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.” They claim that the department has helped social media – Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – to censor free speech while funding technologies used to censor right-leaning news outlets such as theirs.

New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing The Daily Wire and The Federalist. Paxton and the outlets claim the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank, received a $100,000 grant from the State Department in 2021, and NewsGuard, which rates the “misinformation” levels of news outlets, received $25,000 from the State Department in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

According to the State Department’s website, the Global Engagement Center’s mission is to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate U.S. Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit cited a GDI-produced list from December 2022 that ranked The Daily Wire and The Federalist as among the 10 “riskiest sites” for news while the least-risky included The New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. Reuters notes that the lawsuit alleges such “blacklists” are reducing revenues to The Daily Wire and The Federalist along with their visibility on social media and ranking results from browser searches.

Sports & Entertainment

1. SEC releases 2024 schedules

Wednesday evening, the Southeastern Conference released the 2024 football schedules for its member schools, including of interest in the Magnolia State the schedules for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

It is the first schedule that includes new conference members University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, bringing the conference to 16 schools. Each SEC team will play eight conference football games plus at least one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 or major independent, each team will have two open dates.

The 2024 season will be the first year the SEC will play a schedule without divisional competition since 1991. The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7.

2. White, Jesiolowski, Jones honored by MAIS

John White

The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) in Mississippi, comprised of non-public schools, announced this week that Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s senior quarterback John White was named the 6A Player of the Year while Hartfield’s Reed Jesiolowski and Hartfield Chris Jones were named the MAIS 6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

All three have committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.

White is Mississippi’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 15,259 yards, a record he broke during the 2023 season.

MAIS, like the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) for public schools, is broken down into classifications, from 1A to 6A. However, MHSAA added a 7A this season.

Markets & Business

1. Consumer retail sales up as energy, gas prices move down

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in November after being unchanged in October. Retail sales rose 0.3% in November after rising 0.2% in October, meaning consumers continue to spend at the start of the holiday season.

The CPI or inflation rate is 3.1%, higher than the Federal Reserve target of 2% but below the 9% peak in 2022 which reached a 40-year high.

As for the energy index, BLS reported that it fell 2.3% in November after decreasing 2.5% in October. The gasoline index decreased 6% in November, following a 5% decrease in the previous month.

The index for fuel oil fell in November, decreasing 2.7%. However, the natural gas index rose 2.8% over the month after rising 1.2% the previous month. The index for electricity also rose 1.4% in November, after increasing 0.3% in October.

The energy index fell 5.4% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index decreased 8.9%, the natural gas index declined 10.4%, and the fuel oil index fell 24.8% over this 12-month span.

2. Week’s market rally continues into Friday

At close of trading on Thursday, the U.S. markets continued the week’s rally, pushing the Dow up 158 points to 37,248 while the Nasdaq and S&P also made gains, 27 points and 12 points, respectively, to close at 14,761 and 4,719.

The record high for the Dow on Thursday moved futures up 102 points.

According to CNBC, the major averages are headed for their seventh straight positive week. As of Thursday, the Dow is higher on the week by 2.8%. The S&P 500 is up by 2.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5% this week.

Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged this week while members look towards cuts in the new year and beyond.

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Title: Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023
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Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

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New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off

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1 year ago

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December 15, 2023

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Interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin said this week that only about 59% of the City of Jackson’s water customers are paying their bills.

JXN Water has announced new rates and fees coming in 2024. Those who are not paying will be at risk of shut offs.

The company, which was established by federal appointed interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin, has been overseeing the city’s water system for the better part of a year.

Officials estimated that the average cost for water in the city was $76 per month for residents. Henifin clarified that JXN water will not attempt to recoup any charges prior to November 29, 2022, and will work with those who have failed to pay since that time.

He said only about 59 percent of the city’s water customers are paying their bills.

“You can’t forgive bills, so we have to be creative in how we part that,” said Henifin in reference to Mississippi’s laws that prevent giving away water.

According to a release by JXN Water announcing the rate changes, residents in single family households with small meters that use up to 748 gallons daily would see a bill increase of roughly .30 cents per day. Research indicates that the average U.S. family uses 300 gallons per day.

SNAP customers will have a new rate tier that could lower their bill by up to .69 cents per day, on average.

“Those who need to save the most benefit from saving money by drinking tap water. This new rate structure makes water affordability possible for 12,500 JXN Water customers who receive SNAP benefits,” said Henifin in the release.

Read more about the anticipated rate changes here.

New fees will also be implemented, including a new service fee of $50, service deposit of $100, returned check fee of $25, service restoration fee of $100, and meter tampering charge of $500. 

JXN Water has continued to encourage residents to use the water, with Henifin going on the record in a federal status hearing saying that the water “was safe to drink.”

More conversation regarding the billing process is expected to come at next week’s Jackson City Council meeting.

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By: Sarah Ulmer
Title: New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/15/new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off
Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

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