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. IHL to hold Alcorn listening sessions as members consider next university president
As part of their efforts to hire a new president of the university, members of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning will hear from the Alcorn State University community in two campus listening sessions on Monday, February 5, on the Alcorn State campus, located at 1000 ASU Drive in Lorman.
The purpose of the listening sessions is to identify the qualities and qualifications stakeholders believe the next university president should possess. The listening sessions will be open to all and will be held in the auditorium of the Dr. Rudolph E. Waters Sr. Classroom Building.
The first session will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The second session will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
2. Former Marks City Clerk arrested for embezzlement
Pamela McNutt, the former City Clerk for the City of Marks, has been arrested. According to the State Auditor’s office, she is accused of embezzling payments made to the city’s water and sewage, court fines, and privileged license payments from November 2017 to April 2021.
McNutt was served with a $282,714.58 demand letter at the time of her arrest. She faces up to 20 years and $5,000 in fines if convicted.
The Auditor’s office said a $50,000 surety bond covers McNutt’s employment for the City of Marks, but McNutt will remain liable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Haley loses big donors
Reuters reported Thursday that two of Nikki Haley’s biggest donors would be ceasing to fund her presidential bid after her loss to former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire this week.
The two donors – metals magnate Andy Sabin and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman – reportedly will no long fund Haley’s campaign.
“Haley needs to drop out,” Sabin said in an interview as reported by Reuters. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, her money is going to dry up. Why would you fund someone who you know has no chance?”
2. Former Trump advisor sentenced to 4 months in jail over failing to cooperate with Jan. 6th Committee
Peter Navarro, a former White House advisor under President Donald Trump, has been sentenced to four months in jail for defying a congressional subpoena and failing to cooperate with the House select committee appointed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi tasked with investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Navarro was also ordered to pay $9,500 in fines.
Mississippi’s 2nd District Congressman Bennie Thompson chaired the committee. He said in a statement sent to Magnolia Tribune:
Peter Navarro abandoned his oath to the Constitution and abused the public trust while he worked as a trade adviser to former President Trump when, in the days leading up to January 6th, he worked to keep a defeated incumbent in the White House. He abused it again when he willfully defied a lawful subpoena from the January 6th Select Committee to answer questions about the lead-up to that deadly day. Last summer’s guilty verdict and today’s sentence are the consequence of Mr. Navarro’s stubborn insistence that his short stint in the Executive Branch somehow put him above the law. I applaud the US Attorneys for their hard work in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.
As noted by ABC News on Thursday, Navarro was convicted in September on one count of contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for a deposition in front of the House committee and on a second count for refusing to produce documents.
Sports & Entertainment
1. M Braves announce 2024 season staff
The Mississippi Braves, in conjunction with the Atlanta Braves, have announced their field staff for the 2024 season – the team’s last in Mississippi.
After spending one season as manager of the Braves High-A affiliate Rome Braves (Emperors), Angel Flores will take the reins for the first time at the Double-A level, succeeding Kanekoa Texeira. Texeira was promoted to manager of the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers after Matt Tuiasosopo was named to the Braves’ Major League coaching staff for 2024.
Joining Flores will be pitching coach Wes McGuire, who spent last season in the same role with Low-A Augusta, hitting coach Garrett Wilkinson, who joins from High-A Rome, and coaches Francisco Díaz and Luis Ugueto, who coached with Low-A Augusta and the FCL Braves last season, respectively. Jesús Aviles and Toni Lee will join the club as athletic trainers, Kyle Hegedus will be the strength coach, and Seth Childrey returns for his third season in Mississippi as head of home clubhouse operations.
The M-Braves will commemorate the 20th year and final season at Trustmark Park beginning on Opening Day, Tuesday, April 9, against the Biloxi Shuckers at 6:35 pm.
2. Rogers staying in Washington
Former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers, who transferred to Washington before their national title run, entered the transfer portal again after head coach Kalen DeBoer left to take the reins at Alabama.
However, Rogers has now removed his name from the transfer portal and will remain at Washington for the upcoming 2024 season.
Washington hired Jedd Fisch as their new head coach. Rogers expressed he has faith in Fisch.
Markets & Business
1. Telsa stocks fall
ABC News reports that shares of Tesla “plummeted more than 10% in afternoon trading on Thursday, less than 24 hours after the company reported earnings that fell short of expectations and cautioned of sluggish sales over the duration of this year.”
“Revenue and profits missed analyst expectations over the three months ending in December, according to the earnings report released on Wednesday,” ABC News noted.
Despite delivering over 1.8 million cars in 2023 – the most in any year – Tesla cut prices amid competition in the market impacting revenues. The company’s earnings report also warned of lower delivery growth in 2024.
2. Robitussin issues recall of cough syrups
Haleon, makers of the popular cough syrup brand Robitussin, announced a recall of several products due to microbial contamination.
Eight lots of Robitussin Honey CF Max Day Adult and Robitussin Honey CF Max Nighttime Adult are being recalled.
According to the FDA, in immunocompromised individuals, the use of the affected product could potentially result in severe or life-threatening adverse events such as fungemia or disseminated fungal infection. In non-immunocompromised consumers, the population most likely to use the product, life-threatening infections are not likely to occur. However, the occurrence of an infection that may necessitate medical intervention cannot be completely ruled out.
Magnolia Tribune
