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. Reeves among Governors in Texas for briefing at the border
A group of Republican Governors joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Eagle Pass, Texas over the weekend to receive a briefing on and participate in a press conference regarding the state of the southern border crisis. Among the group was Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves.
Also in the group of Governors were Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas; Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia; Governor Brad Little, Idaho; Governor Eric Holcomb, Indiana; Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa; Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana; Governor Mike Parson, Missouri; Governor Greg Gianforte, Montana; Governor Jim Pillen, Nebraska; Governor Chris Sununu, New Hampshire; Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee; and Governor Spencer Cox, Utah.
According to Reeves’ office, the briefing revealed over 7 million illegal aliens have been apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and over 1.7 million more have been confirmed as “gotaways” in the United States.
2. Episcopal Diocese elects new Bishop
On Saturday, the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi elected Rev. Dorothy Sanders Wells as its new Bishop. Wells will be the first African American and woman elected in Mississippi’s diocese to serve in the role.
According to WJTV, after four rounds of voting, Wells received a majority of votes from lay delegates and over two-thirds of the vote from the church’s clergy.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Senate considering $188B border, foreign aid package
On Sunday, U.S. Senate negotiators released a 370-page bill aimed at reaching bipartisan agreement on addressing the southern border while also providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.
The $188 billion package faces many hurdles, especially in the House, as lawmakers are split on multiple issues in the bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation was “even worse than expected” and believed it would be “dead on arrival” in the House should it pass the Senate.
According to USA Today, the “proposal would expand detention capacity and make it harder for people to qualify for asylum but would allow migrants who can claim credible fear to stay in the country and work.”
It would also end the “catch and release” program which has allowed migrants to enter the U.S. USA Today reports that “instead, they would be detained while their claims are evaluated. It would also create a new, voluntary program for migrants to fly back to their home countries on commercial airlines paid for by the U.S. government.”
2. Trump trial postponed in D.C.
On Friday, Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington postponed the scheduled March 4th trial of former President Donald Trump related to charges to his involvement in the push to overturn the 2020 election results. The judge did not immediately set a new date.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The delay positions a separate case brought by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, to make history as the first to put criminal charges against a former president before a jury. Bragg has alleged that Trump falsified business records in paying hush money to suppress potentially damaging allegations of past sexual encounters.”
Sports & Entertainment
1. Ole Miss, Miss. State lose ground on Saturday
After leading at the half, the Ole Miss men’s basketball team fell to No. 16 Auburn on Saturday by a score of 91-77. The Rebels are now 18-4 and 5-4 in SEC play. Next up for Ole Miss is South Carolina (19-3) on Tuesday.
Mississippi State also lost over the weekend, falling to No. 24 Alabama 99-67. The Bulldogs are 14-8 overall and 3-6 in SEC play. Mississippi State hosts Georgia (14-8) on Wednesday night.
2. Mississippians win GRAMMYs
Mississippians took home GRAMMYs on Sunday.
In the Best Traditional Blues Album category, All My Love For You by Bobby Rush was the winner.
Also winning were Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard for the Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Your Power.”
Markets & Business
Fed Chair talks rate cuts
As reported by Business Insider, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a “60 Minutes” interview that nothing has “dramatically” changed since December when the Fed forecasted three interest rate cuts in 2024.
“I will say, though, nothing has happened in the meantime that would lead me to think that people would dramatically change their forecasts,” Powell said when asked if the cuts to 4.6% are still likely, per Business Insider.
“Powell did not explicitly provide a timeline, but Pelley noted during the broadcast that the first cut could come in the ‘middle of the year, few months before the election’ in November,” the outlet noted.
“We want to see more evidence that inflation is moving sustainably down to 2%,” Powell added. “Our confidence is rising. We just want some more confidence before we take that very important step of beginning to cut interest rates.”
