- 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. Mississippi Civils Rights Museum among the best in the U.S.
The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (MCRM) has been nominated – for the second consecutive time – for the Best History Museum in the United States in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Voting began on Monday, Jan. 13, and ends on Monday, Feb. 10. The top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10Best readers, will be announced on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
“We are honored that the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum has been nominated again in the category of Best History Museum,” said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums, in a statement. “This recognition comes from the collective efforts of staff and visitors to elevate this museum among top institutions in the country.”
Readers can vote here.
2. Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo saddles up Jan. 24-25
The 39th annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo returns January 24-25 to the James Lynn Cartlidge Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center. The rodeo will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night, with doors opening at 6 p.m.
The event is presented by Campus Recreation at The University of Southern Mississippi and supported by multiple local sponsors.
According to USM, “The Greatest Show on Dirt” began in 1986 at the former Southern Miss Equestrian Center and has been held at Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center since 1999. It serves as a fundraiser for student scholarships and professional development at the university.
Special entertainment will be provided by Jerry Thornton and the Hurricane Katrina rescue and trick horse sensation, Mr. Bojangles.
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Hegseth first Trump nominee up for Senate confirmation hearing
Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth is the first of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees to get a Senate confirmation hearing. The Senate Armed Services Committee, now chaired by Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, will hear from Hegseth today beginning at 8:30 a.m.
As The Hill reported, “Democrats’ hopes of defeating any of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees appear to be fizzling as Senate committees prepare for the first week of hearings.”
“Senate Democrats have yet to reveal more evidence to back up the allegations against Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon, and a recently completed FBI background check isn’t moving the needle on that nominee,” The Hill reported. “Only Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, have been able to review the report thus far, which hasn’t yet caused any serious political reverberations.”
2. Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in the works with Trump envoy part of negotiations
The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel and Hamas are finalizing a ceasefire deal that could be announced as soon as Tuesday.
“Negotiators—including Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald Trump’s designated Middle East envoy, along with officials from the U.S., Israel and Arab countries—were meeting midday in Doha, Qatar, to finalize a draft of a deal, said the Arab officials, who are helping to mediate the talks. Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were at the same location but not in the same room, the Arab officials said, adding that messages were being exchanged via the mediators,” WSJ reported.
WSJ went on to report that, “An Israeli official said Tuesday that this was the most serious round of negotiations between the two sides since a hostage deal in November 2023,” and noted that, “Hamas on Tuesday also said that the deal was in its ‘final stages,’ the first time it has made such a statement. “
Sports & Entertainment
1. Pecci hired as Mud Monsters’ first Field Manager
The Mississippi Mud Monsters announced Jay Pecci as the team’s first-ever Field Manager on Monday. Pecci will lead the new Frontier League metro area team the Mud Monsters into their inaugural season, which begins May 8 at Trustmark Park against the Florence Y’alls.
The team said Pecci, a 2008 Northern League All-Star MVP and former player with seven seasons of Minor League Baseball (MiLB) experience and over a decade of MLB Partner League play, brings a wealth of knowledge to the role.
Pecci has the 4th highest batting average (.588) in College World Series history during his collegiate career at Stanford. As a manager, he has led teams to success, including guiding the Florida Complex League Mets to the best regular season record in 2023.
2. Jackson to celebrate JSU’s football championship
Jackson State and the City of Jackson will celebrate the football team’s 2024 National HBCU Football Champions with a downtown parade complete with a pep rally, food trucks, the Sonic Boom of the South and more on Friday, January 17.
The festivities will begin at 4:00 p.m. with a Celebration Kickoff at City Hall. Fans can enjoy music from DJ Unpredictable, explore a variety of vendors, indulge in cuisine from local food trucks, and snap photos with the Celebration Bowl Trophy.
At 5:00 p.m., the energy amps up with a Pep Rally, hosted by Chelle B, at the iconic “Welcome to Jackson” mural at State and Pearl Street. Performances by the JSU and JPS Cheerleaders, Sonny THEE Tiger, the Baby Tigers, and other special guests will keep spectators entertained.
The highlight of the evening, the Championship Parade begins at 6:00 p.m.
Markets & Business
1. China considers selling TikTok U.S. operations to Musk
CNBC reports that the Chinese government “is considering a plan that would have Elon Musk acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations to keep the app from being effectively banned, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.”
“Under the plan, Musk would oversee both X, which he currently owns, and TikTok’s U.S. business, Bloomberg said. However, Chinese government officials haven’t yet decided on whether it would proceed, the report said, noting that the plan is still preliminary,” CNBC reported.
As CNBC noted, “The contingency plan is one of several options China is exploring as the U.S. Supreme Court determines whether to uphold a law that calls for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. business by Jan. 19, the report said, citing anonymous sources.”
2. Millions of lost jobs, drop in GDP if Trump tax cuts expire
FoxBusiness reports that a study released by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) shows “nearly 6 million American jobs are at stake if President-elect Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire.”
“Fox News Digital first obtained a copy of the study conducted by Ernst & Young on behalf of the largest manufacturing association in the U.S. It found that if Congress does not act by the end of 2025 to preserve the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an estimated 5.9 million American jobs will be lost,” FoxBusiness reported, adding, “The study estimates that the U.S. economy will face $540 billion in lost wages and a $1.089 trillion GDP shortfall if the remaining Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions expire. Additionally, if Congress does not preserve the reforms, 1.137 million manufacturing jobs, $126 billion in manufacturing worker compensation and $284 billion manufacturing GDP are on the line, the study says.”
Magnolia Tribune
