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. $3 million lottery winner in Mississippi – the second largest in state history
A ticket purchased in Alcorn County for the Friday, Feb. 2, Mega Millions drawing matched enough numbers to win $1 million, and because the player paid a dollar extra for the multiplier, the prize amount jumped to $3 million.
The ticket, from BlueSky #708 in Corinth, matched all five white ball winning numbers, but not the Mega Ball, making the ticket worth $1 million, However, the player purchased the Megaplier game feature that multiplies winnings from 2 to 5 times, depending on the number drawn. The Megaplier number for Friday was 3.
The $3 million prize is the second largest in Mississippi Lottery history. The largest winning amount was $4 million from a winning Mega Millions ticket last January.
2. Former Hinds Co. Supervisor appeals election loss to state Supreme Court
Former Hinds County Supervisor David Archie has filed an appeal over being denied an appeal to his election challenges because he was a late filing the challenge.
The case is heading to the Mississippi Supreme Court for consideration.
Archie lost the Democratic Primary in 2023 to Anthony Smith. He has said that he was unable to challenge the election results in a timely manner due to the Circuit Clerk’s Office being closed from a cyber-attack.
Archie sought action to overturn the results from the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee but they denied his request.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Nevada GOP Primary up for grabs for Haley – or is it?
Republicans in Nevada have a complicated week ahead as competing ballots are happening this week in the state’s presidential primary election process.
A 2021 state law now mandates that a state-run primary be held, which it will be on Tuesday with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the only major candidate on the ticket. While voters could choose a “none of the above” option, Haley will likely win. However, her win will be short lived.
On Thursday, the Nevada Republican Party will hold their own nominating caucus where former President Donald Trump is the only name up for consideration, meaning Trump will secure the state’s 26 delegates for the Republican National Convention in July.
2. King Charles diagnosed with cancer
During a recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, King Charles III of the United Kingdom was diagnosed with cancer, the royal family announced on Monday. The specific type nor the severity was included in the statement from the palace.
“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties,” a palace statement said. “Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”
The statement went on to say that the 75-year-old King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure.
“He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible,” the statement concluded.
Sports & Entertainment
1. Southern Miss falls to Texas State
Texas State ruined a late Southern Miss comeback as the Bobcats bested the Golden Eagles 60-55 in a Sun Belt Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles (12-11 overall, 6-5 Sun Belt) have been on the road for four games and lost the final three contests of the trip.
Southern Miss now returns to Reed Green for the first of six-straight home contests, starting Wednesday against Old Dominion. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
2. Shuckers hosting Junior Journalism Program
The Biloxi Shuckers have announced a Junior Journalism Program for the 2024 season to spotlight and support student-led sports journalism on the Mississippi Coast.
The Junior Journalism Program will highlight the best student journalists on the Coast throughout the season. Select student organizations at the high school and college level will be invited to media day as credentialed media members and have the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on interview experience with professional players.
Student organizations interested in being part of the program are encouraged to email jblake@biloxishuckers.com with a brief description of their organization and why they would like to be part of the program for the 2024 season.
Markets & Business
1. Dartmouth players can unionize, are considered employees, says federal official
As reported by the New York Times, the National Labor Relations Board’s regional director in Boston, Laura Sacks, has now said that because Dartmouth had “the right to control the work” of their men’s basketball team and because the team did that work “in exchange for compensation” like equipment and game tickets, the players were employees under the National Labor Relations Act.
NYT’s report says the announcement clears a path for the team to take a vote that could make it the first unionized college sports program in the country.
In September, all 15 players on the team’s varsity roster signed and filed a petition to the labor board to unionize with the Service Employees International Union. On Oct. 5, Dartmouth’s lawyers responded by arguing that the players did not have the right to collectively bargain because, as members of the Ivy League, they received no athletic scholarships and because the program lost money each year.
The N.C.A.A. and its member schools have long resisted unionization attempts by college athletes, defending the student-athlete model that has come under fire by labor activists, judges and elected officials over the years.
2. JPMorgan Chase opening new branches
The Wall Street Journal reports that JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s biggest bank, is making old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar locations part of their secret sauce even as the banking industry has increasingly moved to online options.
“The bank Tuesday is expected to announce plans to double down, continuing a yearslong strategy,” WSJ reports. “JPMorgan plans to build 500 new branches in the next three years, filling out cities it has recently entered such as Boston, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C. For context: Only 17 banks have more than 500 branches today. JPMorgan has close to 5,000.”
WSJ notes that JPMorgan Chase it has opened more than 650 new branches and entered 25 new states over the past six years.
Magnolia Tribune
