SUMMARY: Mississippi’s legislative leaders are proposing tax cuts and Medicaid expansion as key issues for the 2025 session. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann advocates reducing the income and grocery taxes, while House Speaker Jason White wants to eliminate the income tax entirely. Both plans include making municipalities whole from the grocery tax reduction. Medicaid expansion discussions may be delayed until federal decisions on work requirements are made. Other proposed legislation includes improving public school attendance, making the Public Employees Retirement System sustainable, reforming medical laws, expanding education savings accounts, and legalizing mobile sports betting. Governor Tate Reeves will have the final say on these measures.

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SUMMARY: Wildfires in the Los Angeles area have claimed ten lives and destroyed over 10,000 structures since Tuesday, prompting widespread devastation in neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and Malibu. Despite firefighting efforts aided by diminished winds, containment of the fires remains challenging. The Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire are particularly destructive, with reports of families searching through ruins for cherished possessions. Approximately 180,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and schools have been closed due to smoke. The ongoing crisis highlights California’s prolonged wildfire seasons exacerbated by climate change. Celebrities have also been affected, losing homes in the affected areas.

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SUMMARY: A New York judge sentenced Donald Trump to an “unconditional discharge” in his hush money case, making him a convicted felon under state law but imposing no further penalties. Trump, speaking from Florida, maintained his innocence, claiming the case aimed to damage his reputation before his upcoming inauguration as president. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass acknowledged Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts but recommended the lenient sentence due to his imminent swearing-in. Trump’s attorneys planned to appeal, arguing the case was politically motivated. The sentencing marked history as Trump becomes the first president to be convicted of a crime while in office.

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