In an important step toward justice, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced a pardon for Maurice Taylor, who was serving an illegally extended prison sentence. The case attracted attention since Taylor’s brother, Marcus, also received a pardon earlier, both having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III drug.

In 2015, the Taylor brothers accepted plea deals for selling hydrocodone and acetaminophen, a painkiller intended to treat serious illnesses. Although the maximum sentence for such an offense is five years, Maurice and Marcus received sentences of 20 and 15 years respectively.

Governor Reeves stressed the importance of correcting such miscarriages of justice, noting that Mauritius’ legal team recently submitted documents to his office. Following judicial intervention, the order mandates the release of Maurice Taylor within five days, ensuring that justice will prevail.

(With input from agencies.)

New Year’s Eve revelers are expecting gloomy weather across the United States as iconic celebrations are disrupted by cold and rain.

Marching bands, floats and crowds of spectators prepare for a rare dose of rain and even thunder on New Year’s Day during the prestigious Rose Parade in Southern California.

Across the country in New York, hats and gloves were as necessary as noisemakers Wednesday for what could be the coldest ball drop in many years.

Rain forecasts for the 137th Rose Parade, which has been dry for 20 years, have been increasing all week.

“It looks like wet weather,” AccuWeather meteorologist John Feerick said. “It might not rain all the time. There could be some really good showers. A rumble or two of thunder isn’t out of the question.”

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People were allowed to show up Wednesday to reserve spots along the nearly 6-mile route in Pasadena, but forecasts of overnight rain could make the wait miserable.

The two-hour parade begins at 8 a.m. Thursday and typically draws hundreds of thousands of people, in addition to millions more who watch on national television.

Organizers are making only small changes, said Candy Carlson, communications director for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that puts on the parade before the Rose Bowl college football game.

The summits will be installed on convertibles carrying Grand Marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs, she said.

In New York, forecasters are predicting temperatures around 30 degrees Fahrenheit (about zero degrees Celsius) amid snow squalls when hundreds of thousands of people watch the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

New York’s midnight temperature could be “the coldest since 2017 and 2018,” AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said.

Elsewhere, rain is possible in Las Vegas, where several casinos will shoot off fireworks from rooftops. At the Nashville Big Bash, a New Year’s Eve event in a park, temperatures will hover around 30° when a bright musical note falls at midnight in the Tennessee city.

New Orleans will be in the mid-40s Fahrenheit (about 7 degrees Celsius) for a free concert and fireworks along the Mississippi River.