Sixth Memphis officer relieved of duties

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Memphis police confirmed that a sixth officer was placed on leave in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols. Millions of Americans are under winter weather watches. And U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel.

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Sixth officer placed on leave over fatal traffic stop of Tyre Nichols 

A sixth Memphis Police Department officer, Preston Hemphill, has been placed on leave in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old driver who died after being beaten by MPD officers following a traffic stop. A spokesperson for the department confirmed Hemphill has been on leave since the beginning of the investigation. In its initial narrative, MPD said the officers involved had been relieved of duty but did not say how many officers that was. The police department again declined to give a total number of officers, when confirming Hemphill's leave Monday. Memphis police declined to specify the reasons for Hemphill being placed on leave. Hemphill has not been charged with a crime. Read more.

Protesters rally in Washington, D.C., on Friday after Memphis, Tenn., released police body camera footage of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
Protesters rally in Washington, D.C., on Friday after Memphis, Tenn., released police body camera footage of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.

50 million in US under winter weather warnings

Fifty million Americans were under winter weather watches and advisories Monday amid warnings of a "prolonged and potentially significant icing event" affecting at least 15 states. A swath of the nation from Texas to Ohio and Tennessee was bracing Monday for days of treacherous travel conditions as an arctic cold front swept down into the southern Plains and Mid-South, the National Weather Service said. Freezing rain totals could become significant across parts of central Texas, southwest Oklahoma and central Arkansas, he said. A three-day ice accumulation could also exceed a half inch over parts of central Texas and Arkansas. Parts of Tennessee could see more than a quarter inch of ice. Follow the latest severe weather updates.

Lubbock, Texas, got its first snowfall of the season on Jan. 24. An arctic cold front is bringing plunging temperatures and potentially treacherous ice to the southern Plains and Mid-South this week.
Lubbock, Texas, got its first snowfall of the season on Jan. 24. An arctic cold front is bringing plunging temperatures and potentially treacherous ice to the southern Plains and Mid-South this week.

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Trump's last-minute intervention delays contempt trial of former aide

Former President Donald Trump's last-minute assertion of executive privilege forced a postponement in the trial of former trade adviser Peter Navarro on two counts of contempt of Congress. Navarro defied a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by citing executive privilege. But government lawyers had argued Trump never formally claimed the privilege to keep his communications with Navarro confidential. A week before the trial was scheduled to begin Monday, Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran provided Navarro a letter claiming executive privilege. At a hearing Friday, a judge postponed the trial to allow lawyers for Navarro and the government to file written arguments about the claim. Read more about Navarro's case.

Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro arrives at the federal courthouse in Washington on Friday.
Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro arrives at the federal courthouse in Washington on Friday.

Blinken visits Israel amid burst of violence in region

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel and the West Bank on Monday and Tuesday, about a month into Israel's new ultra-right-wing government led by returning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The top U.S. diplomat's trip coincides with a flare-up in Israeli-Palestinian violence. However, the trip was long planned and follows a visit to Egypt. Blinken is in the region to take stock of threats new and old – new threats to checks and balances on Israel's democracy, often described as "the only democracy in the Middle East," and familiar threats from Iran. Read more on Blinken's visit.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after their meeting meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after their meeting meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023.

Real quick

How 'nepotism babies' have impacted Sundance, film industry

The term "nepotism babies" has been a hot topic in pop culture lately. And at the just-ended 2023 Sundance Film Festival, several of this year's buzziest movies were the work of Hollywood offspring, seemingly contradicting the event's long-held mission of introducing audiences to the work of independent filmmakers. Although it isn't the first time nepo babies have stood center stage at the festival, the conversation about nepotism in show business is at an all-time high, prompting a public evaluation of the advantages some artists have in nearly every corner of the industry – Sundance included. Read more on how "nepo babies" made their mark at Sundance.

From left, Dakota Johnson, Ben Platt and Eve Hewson appear at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
From left, Dakota Johnson, Ben Platt and Eve Hewson appear at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Memphis police, Antony Blinken, nepo babies: The Short List