In March, the General Services Administration plans to release a solicitation for a services contract to build a 10-story HQ (CISA) in Washington, D.C. The proposed single-award contract will require the vendor to provide management, consultants, supervision, labor, supplies and equipment to plan, build and coordinate construction activities while meeting the requirements of GSA and the Department of Homeland Security, according to a pre-solicitation notice published Jan. 31. GSA said a pre-proposal meeting will be performed and that the solicitation will close 45 days after the release of the request for proposals (RFP) package. The Washington Business Journal reported that the U.S. government’s omnibus budget for FY 2023 appropriated in funds for “procurement, construction and improvements” related to CISA. The proposed building is to be completed by 2026, according to the report. (GovWire 02/06/23)
Monday, February 6, 2023
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Regional history of Feb. 5.
Port discloses Avondale appraisal
The Port of South Louisiana has disclosed the appraisal it used to come up with a price tag of $445M to buy the former Avondale shipyard site, a figure that raised eyebrows among regional port officials and politicians. (NOLA.com 02/05/23) Port of South Louisiana releases Avondale appraisal | Business News | nola.com
Prez reverses course on GoM wind
President Joe Biden’s administration is putting a halt to offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico to make way for a new effort to open more federal waters to oil and gas drilling. The move, which reverses Biden's goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions will delay the first-ever auction of wind energy lease areas in the Gulf by at least six months. (NOLA.com 02/05/23) New law forces wind energy behind oil drilling in the Gulf | Environment | nola.com
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Wicker: 'Spy' balloon disaster
BILOXI, Miss. - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a statement Feb. 3 in response to reports of a Chinese spy balloon being downed over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina. “Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House,” said Sen. Wicker. “It is clear that standard protocol for defense of U.S. airspace was ignored. ... The White House owes Congress, and the American people, answers about the failure, and I intend to get those answers without delay.” The balloon, which China said was a wandering airship used for meteorological research, made its way across the U.S. loitering over sensitive military sites before being shot down by an Air Force F-22 off the Carolina coast. A recovery mission is currently underway. (WLOX 02/04/23)
F-22 CALL SIGNS NOD TO WWI ACE:
The saga of that Chinese 'spy' came to an end after a pair of F-22 Raptors from Langley AFB, Va., sent it into the ocean. The call signs used by those jets (Frank & Luke) were a nod to an American fighter ace who made his name doing just that during WWI. Frank Luke Jr. received the Medal of Honor for shooting down 14 German balloons during WWI. (Task and Purpose 02/06/23) Frank Luke Jr: WWI ace behind F-22s that downed Chinese spy balloon (taskandpurpose.com)
Naval War College maritime strategist's opinion on 'spy' balloon
"I guess that the Chinese balloon sighted over Montana and Missouri this week ... was a trial balloon. It "may have gathered intelligence about military doings on the surface below, but that was a mere bonus. If I’m right, Beijing’s chief reason for floating a balloon over North America was to see whether it would elicit a response from the U.S. government and military, as well as from the American people. And so it did, judging from the subsequent uproar in the press and on social media." (19FortyFive opinion piece 02/04/23) That Downed Chinese Balloon Wasn’t Exactly For Spying. It Was a ‘Trial’ Balloon (msn.com)
Dr. James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and a Nonresident Fellow at the Brute Krulak Center for Innovation & Future Warfare, Marine Corps University. The views voiced here are his alone.
Jax tax infrastructure earmark
A change to Jackson, Mississippi's sales tax rules would require a portion of those monies to be spent on water and sewer projects, if a bill that passed the House on Feb. 2 becomes law. A 1% increase to Jackson's sales tax was approved by the legislature, and city residents, in 2014 with the resulting revenue earmarked for infrastructure projects - roads bridges and water. House Bill 1168 would change that, instructing the 2014 commission to use those funds, which equaled $120M between 2014-22, on water and sewer exclusively. Ways and Means committee chair Rep. Trey Lamar (R-Senatobia) brought the bill to the House floor saying it was intended to quickly put revenue in the hands of the city's water administrator Ted Henifin. (Clarion Ledger 02/02/23) Rep. Lamar also proposed a bill (HB 1020) that would create a new court system within Jackson's Capitol Complex Improvement District, taking authority over cases in that part of the city away from local elected officials. Post: Edit (blogger.com)
NuStar to move 600K b/d crude
Texas-based NuStar Energy is targeting to move 600,000 barrels per day (b/d) of land-locked crude from its Permian basin in 2024 to refineries and export facilities in southern Texas and along the Gulf Coast, CEO Brad Barron said Feb. 1. The company’s Permian Crude System delivered 584,000 b/d of WTI barrels in the 4Q of 2022, 13% higher compared to 4Q of 2021, Barron said. The Permian Crude System is a series of interconnecting short-haul pipelines in the Midland and Colorado City areas of the basin that use pipelines owned by other midstream players to ship volumes to refineries in southern Texas and the Gulf Coast, NuStar’s executive president for business development and engineering, Danny Oliver, said separately in a call Feb. 1. The company does not own a long-haul pipeline to move WTI from the Permian basin to markets, Oliver said. Despite 2022's “historic inflation and volatility” made it a bumpy ride for midstream players in the U.S., NuStar’s total crude throughput was 1.41M b/d last year compared with 1.40M b/d in 2021. A slowdown in the rate of crude production growth in the Permian Basin could potentially be a headwind for midstream players in 2023. “Last year we forecast growth ... but the rate was lower,” Oliver said. “(P)roducers are active and we expect to see some growth there.” Mixed signals have emerged on the Permian Basin growth pattern. ExxonMobil said it was on track to reach production of 1M b/d of oil equivalent in 2027 compared with 560,000 b/d in Q4 2022. Chevron producers said production growth in 2023 will be “a bit lower” than the 16% increase achieved during the previous year. S&P Global Commodity Insights expects Permian crude and condensate production to climb to 5.7 million b/d by end-2023 and 6.3 million b/d by end-2024, up from 5.5 million b/d in January. “We can load Suezmax vessels with a crude loading rate of 30,000 barrels/hour,” Oliver said. A Suezmax tanker can ship 800,000-1 million barrels of crude. (Hellenic Shipping 02/03/23) NuStar targets to move 600,000 b/d of Permian crude to US Gulf Coast in 2024 | Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Background: NuStar Energy L.P., a publicly traded master limited partnership based in San Antonio, is one of the largest independent liquids terminal and pipeline operators in the nation. NuStar currently has about 10,000 miles of pipeline and 63 terminal and storage facilities that store and distribute crude oil, refined products, renewable fuels, ammonia and specialty liquids. The partnership’s combined system has approximately 49M barrels of storage capacity at its facilities, and operations in the United States and Mexico.
Paralyzed vet demos Re-walk @ VA
Gulf Coast paralyzed veteran Patrick Peterson - who has been paralyzed for 21 years - was the first to demonstrate Re-Walk equipment for staff at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Biloxi, Miss. The veteran has been going to the VA's Pensacola rehab clinic for months, and now, cane take the device home to use anytime. Re-Walk is a wearable robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with spinal cord injury to stand and walk. "To finally be able to stand up and to actually take steps, it’s just life changing. I feel whole again," Peterson told WXXV. The Biloxi VA staff was educated on the equipment so they can recommend it to regional veterans. Veterans who think they could qualify for the equipment are strongly encouraged to talk to their doctors at the VA. (WXXV 02/01/23)
Background: ReWalk Robotics Ltd., an Israeli company, announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued a revision to its national policy in 2018 on exoskeleton medical device training and procurement for qualifying veterans with spinal cord injury. SCI centers work closely with other designated medical facilities that do not have SCI/D Centers (called Spokes) to provide care close to home as possible. SCI/D Spokes teams are located around the country. At SCI/D Spokes, health care providers work closely with the centers to ensure that comprehensive primary and specialized care needs are addressed. It is important to get primary care from providers that have SCI/D training so that they can check for the development of problems unique to SCI/D. Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders Centers. There are 25 Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders Centers (SCI/D Centers) located around the country. (VA 07/18) VA's Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care - Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders System of Care
Friday, February 3, 2023
Feds: App store model harmful
A new report from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) indicates the current mobile app store model is harmful to consumers and developers and recommends policy changes to fix it. Mobile apps have become an essential to daily life. Apple and Google are the main gatekeepers over these apps, NTIA found in its “Competition in the Mobile Application Ecosystem” report. The companies’ policies have the potential to harm consumers by inflating prices and reducing innovation. NTIA’s recommendations are part of the Biden Administration’s push to promote innovation and competition to level the economic playing field. NTIA is the president’s principal advisor on telecommunications and Internet policy. Among the recommendations for changes include giving consumers more control over their devices. App store operators should not be able to “self-preference” their apps in an anticompetitive manner. Operators should lift restrictions on alternative ways for consumers to download and install apps. Addressing limits on in-app purchasing options by banning requirements that developers use the app store operators’ in-app payment system. New legislation and additional antitrust enforcement actions are likely necessary to boost competition in the app ecosystem, the report cites. If enacted, the recommendations would put more fair rules in place in the mobile app ecosystem to the benefit of consumers and competition. (Department of Commerce 02/03/23) #ICYMI - NTIA calls for Changes to Boost Competition in Mobile App Markets (govdelivery.com)
Car thefts turn off insurance firms
DES PLAINES, Ill. - Thefts of 2011-22 models of Kia and Hyundai automobiles have increased dramatically across America in 2022. Insurance industry associations say misuse of social media platforms, by criminals, are contributing to this spike. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, and International Association of Special Investigation Units sent a joint letter to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki requesting the platform remove its “how-to” videos that provide detailed instructions for stealing these automobiles. In Louisiana, State Farm Insurance confirmed it has stopped accepting new policies for these models. According to NOPD, more than 1,000 of the 4,000 cars stolen last year were Kia or Hyundais. Authorities nationwide warned these cars were being stolen by the use of a USB cord. “Insurance fraud is the crime we all pay for," said Matthew Smith, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Posting of these videos harms consumers by increasing thefts and driving up higher premiums. (WDSU 02/02/23) State Farm Louisiana Hyundai Kia car insurance (wdsu.com) National Insurance Crime Bureau 01/19/23) With Kia and Hyundai Thefts Spiking, Insurance Industry Associations Encourage YouTube To Remove 'How To' Videos | National Insurance Crime Bureau (nicb.org)
In Memphis, auto thefts increased more than 100% during 2022. There were more than 9,600 auto thefts, primarily Hyundai, Kia and Infinity cars. Two insurance companies - State Farm and Progressive - will no longer write new policies for certain older models of Hyundai and Kias.(Commercial Appeal 12/22/23)
NOLA Jazz Fest daily lineup
NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Jazz Fest has released its daily music lineup for the April 28 to May 7 event at the Fairgrounds. It includes headliners Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers, and New Orleans native Jon Batiste. Weekend passes and VIP packages are on sale now. Click here for more information. View the daily musical lineup here. (WDSU 02/03/23)
Day the Music Died in '59
Groundhog Day duels
On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his western Pennsylvania burrow to provide his legendary prediction. Unfortunately, Phil saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter. But, in Alabama, Sand Mountain Sam the opossum disagrees with Phil, it may be a regional thing. Sam predicted an early spring is on the way. (One of them is likely correct! WAFF 0202/23) Sand Mountain Sam predicts early spring on Groundhog Day (waff.com)
Job market not cooperating w/ Fed
WASHINGTON - Since last March, the Federal Reserve has been on a mission to cool the job market to help curb the nation’s worst inflation bout in 40 years. The market isn't cooperating. The U.S. Labor Department reported Feb. 3 that the job market had added 517,000 jobs in December pushing down the unemployment rate to 3.4%, the lowest since 1969. The gains left economists asking why the Fed’s interest rate hikes - eight times since March - haven’t slowed hiring in the face on a looming recession. The market is good for workers, but accelerated wage growth has contributed to high inflation. January’s hiring crossed a broad base of industries: Restaurants added 99,000 workers; business services jobs 82,000; governments 74,000; health care 58,000; retailers 30,000; construction 25,000; and manufacturing 19,000. Economists had estimated the economy would only add 185,000 in January. “This is a labor market on heat,” said Seema Shah of Principal Asset Management. It would be difficult, she suggested, “to see the Fed stop raising rates and entertain ideas of rate cuts when there is such explosive economic news coming in." (The AP 02/03/23) A surprising burst of US hiring in January: 517,000 jobs | AP News
Thursday, February 2, 2023
MS public universities good RoI
Mississippi Public Universities provided $6.527B in economic impacts across the Magnolia State in 2020, a study conducted by the University Research Center found. The study examined the contribution of the state’s public universities to the Mississippi economy and the significant role its graduates play in its economy.
(Public universities in Mississippi: Alcorn State; Delta State; Jackson State; Mississippi State, including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State; University of Mississippi, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.)
“Mississippi’s public university system provides an outstanding return on investment to ... taxpayers,” said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education, through their missions of education, research and service. The study projects an increased impact on the economy to $8.052B by 2030. The number of jobs supported by the university system was estimated to be 80,280 jobs in 2020. By 2030, URC estimates 98,801 jobs. In 2020, the universities contributed an estimated $289M to the State General Fund Revenue. (MSU 02/02/23) Mississippi Public Universities have $6.5 billion impact on Mississippi’s economy | Mississippi State University (msstate.edu)
LINK exec earns 'Under 40' award
Meryl Fisackerly, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Golden Triangle Development LINK in Columbus, Miss., is the recipient of the 2023 Economic Development '40 Under 40 Award', the biennial award recognizing rising stars under age 40 in the economic development industry. The awards program was Jan. 30 in Tucson, Ariz. As COO, Fisackerly has oversight of LINK's daily operations and recruitment. She also serves as administrator of the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority. (GTR LINK 01/31/23) 40-Under-40-Press-Release-Fisackerly.pdf (wcbi.com)
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
LA OKs $2B+ Mid-Barataria project
On Feb. 1, the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group approved $2.26B in funding for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project. The Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA) will use the funding to construct a large-scale sediment diversion to reconnect the Mississippi River to Louisiana's Barataria Basin estuary. The project is one of the largest and most innovative coastal habitat restoration efforts ever undertaken. It is intended to re-establish historic delta land-building processes by allowing for the controlled release of freshwater, sediment and nutrients from the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin estuary. The project will support ecosystem-scale restoration of the estuary and its wetlands. The funding decision is the final step in the Louisiana Trustees’ evaluation of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion under the Oil Pollution Act. This is the culmination of six years of work focused on the Barataria Basin that began in May of 2017. Learn more about the project and access documents at the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group's latest Gulf Spill Restoration news update >>
Mil.females to lead UM diversity talk
OXFORD, Miss. – Three female leaders of the Army, Air Force and Navy will be present at the Feb. 9 second collaborative speakers' series at the University of Mississippi and to lead discussion on diversity and inclusion in the armed services. Lt. Gen. Maria R. Gervais, deputy commanding general and chief of staff for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command; Brig. Gen. Stacy Jo Huser, principal assistant deputy administrator for military application in national nuclear security administration for the Department of Energy; and Rear Adm. Nancy Lacore, commander of the Naval District Washington will be on campus in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at 2:30 p.m. The trio will talk about their experiences and challenges with being female leaders. The series is hosted by UM's Army ROTC unit and the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. The panel discussion regards “Diversity and Inclusion in Today’s Dynamic Leadership Environment.” (UM 01/31/23) Speaker Series to Spotlight Diversity, Inclusion in Leadership - Ole Miss News
D23 runoff separated by 2 votes
TUPELO, Miss. - Unofficial results from the open House District 23 runoff election Jan. 31 show Perry Van Bailey leading Andy Stepp by two votes. Bailey has 1,189 votes (50.04%) to Stepp's 1,187 votes (49.96%) from the district that covers Calhoun County and parts of Grenada, Lafayette and Webster counties. There are some affidavit ballots that could play a role in the final count. Whoever wins will replace Jim Beckett, who resigned last year to become executive director of the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff. (WTVA 01/31/23)
$60M for I-10 corridor in MS
JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi's Department of Transportation received a $60M Mega Grant to make improvements to the Interstate 10 freight corridor in Diamondhead, President Joe Biden's administration announced Jan. 31. The award was part of nearly $1.2B funding made from the National Infrastructure Project Assistance discretionary (Mega Grant) program. The I-10 freight corridor improvements project was one of nine selected for this first year of the program. I-10 will be widened from four to six lanes from west of Diamondhead to just east of County Farm Road. The goal is to improve access to locations across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and major cities, including New Orleans, Houston and Mobile, Ala., the administration said. The project facilitates access to Hancock County Port Bienville and the State Port of Gulfport, which is a strategic port for military operations, the administration said. About 50,000 people travel through this area of I-10 daily, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation. (The AP 01/31/23)