- 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. EF-1 tornado reported in Jasper, Clarke counties
WTOK reports that the “National Weather Service surveyed damage in Jasper & Clarke counties from the storms that moved through on the morning of January 10th. They determined the damage was caused by an EF-1 tornado that tore through the area, and it had max winds of 105 MPH.”
“According to the NWS survey reports, the tornado touched down near Hwy 11 and County Road 528 in Jasper County. Along its path, it produced damage to various trees, uprooted some trees, and damaged a mobile home along County Road 642,” WTOK reported.
WTOK added, “It crossed county lines and moved into Clarke County before strengthening. There, it damaged trees while crossing County Roads 250 & 280 before lifting around the Nancy community. It covered 9.1 miles and had a path width of roughly 300 yards. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries.”
2. Moore charged with killing 6 in Clay County rampage
FoxNews reports that “a 24-year-old Mississippi man accused of killing six people — including family members, a child and a church pastor — in a violent shooting rampage that unfolded across multiple rural locations Friday night may face the death penalty, prosecutors said.”
“Daricka M. Moore was being held without bail at the Clay County jail in West Point on murder charges in connection with the killings of his father, brother, uncle, 7-year-old cousin, a church pastor and the pastor’s brother,” FoxNews reported.
FoxNews continued, “Moore is expected to make an initial appearance in court before a judge on Monday. He would likely be appointed a public defender at that time, Clay County District Attorney Scott Colom told The Associated Press.”
National News & Foreign Policy
1. Death toll rises as Iranian protests continue
According to the New York Times, “A severe crackdown in Iran on protesters challenging the government has led to a sharp rise in the death toll in recent days, with rights groups reporting casualties in the hundreds and no sign that the authorities are relenting.”
“Despite a near-complete internet blackout and draconian limits on phone communications in the country of 80 million, reports have started to trickle out that include verified videos of protester deaths and corpses lined up in body bags outside hospitals,” NYT reported. “The worsening crisis in Iran, which started as a protest over economic grievances, represents what some experts are calling one of the gravest challenges to the authorities since the Islamic Revolution nearly five decades ago.”
NYT added, “The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group raised its toll to 192, while HRANA, a rights group based in Washington, said it had confirmed the deaths of nearly 500 protesters and almost 50 security personnel.”
2. ICE sending more officers to Minnesota
As reported by the Washington Post, “In an interview with Fox News’s ‘Sunday Morning Futures,’ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said the administration will send more officers to Minneapolis on Sunday and Monday.”
“There’ll be hundreds more, in order to allow our ICE and our Border Patrol individuals that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely,” Noem said.
WP reported that the Department of Homeland Security “said last week that the crackdown in Minnesota would involve 2,000 federal agents and officers, calling it the agency’s largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Protests have continued throughout the weekend.”
Sports
1. Southern Miss basketball atop Sun Belt
Southern Miss (11-7, 5-1 Sun Belt) has now rattled off four-straight wins after picking up a 70-60 win over ULM (3-15, 0-6 Sun Belt) on Saturday afternoon.
Southern Miss Athletics said the win puts Southern Miss at 5-1 in Sun Belt play, marking its best start in league play in over 10 seasons.
The school reported that four Golden Eagles reached double figures, while Djahi Binet picked up a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. Southern Miss also moved to 41-10 at The Greenhouse since the start of the 2022-23 season.
2. Belhaven lands 8 on Academic All-District teams
The College Sports Communicators has announced their 2025 Academic All-District Teams for Football and Belhaven saw eight student-athletes recognized in the release.
According to Belhaven Athletics, to be eligible for Academic All-District, student-athletes must be considered a sophomore or higher athletically and academically, maintained a 3.5 or high GPA while also participating in 90% of their respective teams’ contests during their season or starting 66% of their respective teams’ contests. Schools are allowed a maximum of eight honorees per sport.
The Blazers who were recognized include Wyatt Beck (Academic All-America finalist), Miles Hardy, Kyle Norris, Tyler Miller, Luke Handy, John Ross Craven, RJ Garrison and Avery Thomas.
Markets & Business
1. DOJ investigating Fed, Powell
The Wall Street Journal reports that “U.S. prosecutors are investigating Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over his testimony last summer about the central bank’s building-renovation project, according to government officials with knowledge of the matter.”
“The Fed received grand jury subpoenas from the Justice Department on Friday that threaten a criminal indictment, the Fed chair said in a statement,” WSJ reported. “In an extraordinary video statement Sunday night, Powell called the investigation a pretext as part of President Trump’s continuing campaign to pressure the Fed to lower interest rates, and end the independence of the central bank.”
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said in the video, per WSJ.
2. Dow futures dip over 300 points on Fed, DOJ news
CNBC reports that stock futures fell Monday “after the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, an apparent escalation by President Donald Trump in his attempt to pressure the central bank.”
“Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 347 points, or 0.7%. S&P 500 futures shed 0.6%, and Nasdaq-100 futures lost 0.8% as investors took off some risk on this new, more tense stage of the standoff between Trump and the Fed,” CNBC reported. “Trump’s call to cap credit card rates for one year at 10% was also causing some market indigestion to start the week. Critics fear Trump’s plan to aid affordability would backfire and restrict lending, hurting consumers — along with bank profitability.”
CNBC noted, “The fight over central bank independence is coming as the U.S. stock market trades at record highs. The S&P 500 and the 30-stock Dow both finished Friday’s session at new peaks, capping a winning week for the major benchmarks.”
