- 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. Jury selection in Dibiase trial begins Tuesday
Former wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr. will stand trial in Mississippi for his alleged role in the state’s largest public embezzlement scheme using TANF funds.
On Tuesday, jury selection will begin for DiBiase’s trial where he faces charges for conspiracy, wire fraud, and more.
DiBiase’s is the first case to go to trial in the scheme, which was unveiled nearly six years ago. Other figures charged in the scheme have pleaded guilty, including former MDHS director John Davis, Nancy and Zach New, Ted’s brother Brett DiBiase, and Christi Webb.
2. Target opening new location in Tupelo
Target has announced a new store opening in Tupelo.
Located at northwest corner of North Gloster Street & Commonwealth Boulevard, the company said its new Target store will feature approximately 148,700 sq. ft. of retail space.
No timeline or opening date was announced.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Maduro to be arraigned in NY federal court
As the New York Times reports, “Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan president, and his wife are expected to appear on Monday at a federal court in Manhattan to face charges of drug-trafficking and other crimes, two days after they were captured during a U.S. military raid in Caracas.”
“Mr. Maduro is charged with narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, among other charges, according to an unsealed indictment. His wife, Cilia Flores, is also charged in the cocaine conspiracy,” NYT reported. “Their capture followed a monthslong campaign by the Trump administration to drive out the autocratic leader.”
NYT continued, “Initial hearings, such as Monday’s arraignment, are often brief. Mr. Maduro, who is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, and his wife are expected to enter pleas of not guilty, and the judge will almost certainly order them detained. It could be well over a year before a jury is seated to weigh the evidence against them.”
2. Liberal activist groups are pressing Congressional Democrats to shut down the government again
According to The Hill, “Congress is less than a month away from another potential government shutdown, and pressure is mounting on Democratic leaders to have another showdown with President Trump over health care costs and his aggressive use of executive authority.”
“Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), however, is showing little appetite for another shutdown fight even as liberal colleagues in the Senate and House and grassroots activists spoil for a new battle with the president,” The Hill reported, adding, “Liberal activist groups are pressing Democrats in Congress to use the Jan. 30 funding deadline as leverage to resume the battle with Trump over rising health care premiums.”
“Our position, which has been consistent, has been that we are in a crisis which necessitates Democrats using every lever available to them to stop what the Trump administration is doing,” said Andrew O’Neill, the national advocacy director at Indivisible, per The Hill.
Sports
No siesta for Ole Miss: Rebels head to Arizona to face Miami
Ole Miss looks to secure a spot in the national championship this Thursday, January 8 as the Rebels will take on Miami in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff, at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona.
Miami is coming off of a 24-14 victory over the No. 2 seed Ohio State last Wednesday.
Ole Miss Athletics said Thursday’s matchup will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between the two storied programs with the last coming in 1951, a 20-7 victory for the Hurricanes. Miami leads the all time series over the Rebels with a record of 2-1-0.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Markets & Business
1. Energy stocks up after Venezuela action
CNBC reports that stock futures were higher on Monday “even after the U.S.′ attack on Venezuela and capture of leader Nicolas Maduro as crude oil prices showed little reaction and investors bet the action would not lead to bigger geopolitical conflicts that upset markets.”
“Energy stocks led the early gains on the notion the companies would benefit from rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure. Gold and bitcoin prices gained,” CNBC reported.
CNBC noted, “Chevron surged 7% higher and was seen as the biggest beneficiary because of its presence already in Venezuela, which has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Exxon Mobil advanced 4.2%. Shares of oilfield services companies that could aid the Venezuela energy rebuild like Halliburton and SLB gained 9% each. The State Street Energy Select Sector ETF (XLE) popped 4.7% in the premarket.”
2. Has pizza peaked?
The restaurant industry is trying to figure out whether America has hit peak pizza, reports the Wall Street Journal.
“Once the second-most common U.S. restaurant type, pizzerias are now outnumbered by coffee shops and Mexican food eateries, according to industry data. Sales growth at pizza restaurants has lagged behind the broader fast-food market for years, and the outlook ahead isn’t much brighter,” WSJ reported, adding, “Americans still eat a lot of pizza. Pizza chains generated around $31 billion in sales from their restaurants in 2024, the market-research firm Technomic said. On any given day, around one in 10 Americans will partake of a slice, according to the Agriculture Department. Young people drive much of the consumption.”
WSJ went on to report, “Pizza’s dominance in American restaurant fare is declining, however. Among different cuisines, it ranked sixth in terms of U.S. sales in 2024 among restaurant chains, down from second place during the 1990s, Technomic said. The number of pizza restaurants in the U.S. hit a record high in 2019 and has declined since then, figures from the market-research firm Datassential show.”
Magnolia Tribune
