North Mississippi at risk for tornadoes on Tuesday! - National & International News - MON 19May2025 -

North Mississippi at risk for tornadoes tomorrow; storms killed 28 in Midwest, South this weekend.

Trump warns Walmart against tariff-induced price hikes.

Israel launches major new Gaza offensive; UK, Canada, France threaten sanctions.

North Mississippi at risk for tornadoes tomorrow; storms killed 28 in Midwest, South this weekend

Tomorrow, Tuesday May 20, meteorologists are predicting severe weather, potentially including tornadoes as well as high winds and hail. The area of most concern tomorrow includes North Mississippi, North Alabama, much of Tennessee, and parts of Kentucky. The time of most danger in our area is currently predicted to be from the mid to late afternoon on Tuesday.

Please pay attention to local weather reports and ensure that you have your devices charged up and necessary supplies on hand. Also be aware of where your nearest storm shelter is.

Deadly weekend

Tornadoes touched down in at least 10 states this weekend as a severe weather system moved across parts of the West, Midwest and Appalachia. Missouri and Kentucky were the hardest hit. Both states suffered severe and widespread damage. In total, 28 people were killed: 19 in Kentucky, 7 in Missouri, and 2 in Virginia.

Some of the states hit this weekend are expecting more severe weather today, particularly from Central Texas to Iowa. Meteorologists predict that the cities at greatest tornado risk today include Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, and Kansas City, Missouri.

Trump warns Walmart against tariff-induced price hikes

Last week, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and CFO John David Rainey warned that the retail giant’s customers could see increased prices on a range of products as soon as the end of this month. McMillon and Rainey said these hikes would be necessary due to Trump’s program of tariffs. The administration has imposed a 10% duty on imported goods from most countries, and, most significantly for Walmart and other major retailers, a 30% duty on goods coming from China.

President Trump responded over the weekend on TruthSocial: “Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS,” and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

After speaking to McMillon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN that Walmart “will be absorbing some of the tariffs,” but conceded that “some [of the higher costs] may get passed on to consumers”. This is pretty much in line with what McMillon told investors on a recent quarterly conference call.

Other major retail chains will be reporting their quarterly earnings soon. They will have to weigh the cost of the tariffs on their bottom line, their impact on customers, as well as the possibility of incurring Trump’s wrath should they increase prices.

Israel launches major new Gaza offensive; UK, Canada, France threaten sanctions

Israel’s War Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has authorized a major new ground offensive into Gaza, which has been under intense Israeli military assault for much of the past 19 months. The new operation, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots”, has the aim of conquering all of Gaza and flattening it, while squeezing the enclave’s 2 million inhabitants into a tiny area.

According to the UN, 92% of homes in Gaza have already been destroyed or damaged in the past 19 months. Israel’s relentless bombing and repeated ground raids have killed well over 50,000 Palestinians. According to some assessments, this could be a huge undercount.

On top of this, Israel has blocked aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, from entering the strip since the beginning of March. The entire strip is facing high levels of food insecurity, and could soon be in full-blown famine. Around 60 deaths in Gaza, most of them children, have been attributed to starvation in the past 2 months.

Israel facing increased pressure for ceasefire

Even as this new offensive gets underway, Israel’s government is under increasing pressure (both domestically and internationally) to agree to a sustainable ceasefire with Hamas leadership in Gaza, and to allow life-saving aid into the enclave.

Both Israel and Hamas delegates are currently meeting in Qatar. Yesterday, Netanyahu’s office announced that they were potentially negotiating for an end to the war. This is a significant departure from Netanyahu’s previous rhetoric. Throughout all negotiations, Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected any demand to declare a permanent end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Bowing to pressure, Netanyahu agreed yesterday to allow some aid into Gaza. However, fewer than a dozen trucks have entered, which is negligible compared to the need.

Throughout the past 19 months, the international pressure has largely been on Hamas to surrender. However, Hamas has been more than willing to agree to deals calling for a permanent end to the war, even indicating willingness to step down from governance in Gaza. Netanyahu and his extreme right-wing coalition have always been the main obstacle to a peace agreement. In March, Israel unilaterally broke the ceasefire, which it had signed in January at President Trump’s urging.

The US and international community have now, at last, recognized that pressure must be applied to Netanyahu and Israel in order to achieve a sustainable peace. The US and Qatar continue to pressure Israel at the negotiating table.

Adding to the pressure, the UK, France, and Canada announced today that they would take “concrete action” against the Israeli government if they proceeded with Gideon’s Chariots and did not lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement, the leaders of the three nations said that they may even impose “targeted sanctions” on Israel, which is almost unheard of.