Meadows in Jan. 6 spotlight, Pfizer's Covid pill and how ‘Goldilocks’ conditions fueled Kentucky’s deadly tornado

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     This morning we take a closer look at how climate change is loading the dice for severe storms like the deadly December tornado outbreak. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is coming under closer scrutiny — along with texts he received from three Fox News hosts as the chaos unfolded that day. And Pfizer just released positive news about the efficacy of its Covid pill.    Here's what we're watching this Tuesday morning.     How 'Goldilocks' conditions fueled Kentucky's devastating tornado The tornadoes that ripped through parts of the South and the Midwest over the weekend had all the trappings of devastating storms that typically strike at the height of tornado season in the spring. Only this time, disaster came just weeks before Christmas.   The rare December tornadoes that tore through Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas were shocking in their intensity and their timing, experts said.   And they were the kinds of violent storms that raise worrisome questions about what extreme weather events may look like in a warming world.   "It was certainly 'Goldilocks' conditions that all came together," said Victor Gensini, an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University.   Of course, the people working away in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory didn't know the weather stage was set for catastrophe.   Employees at the factory — which would later be destroyed — heard tornado warning sirens and pleaded with managers to leave the building.   But at least five workers said supervisors warned employees that they would be fired if they left their shifts early. Eight people died when the facility was leveled by one of the tornadoes.    After tornadoes killed six workers at an Amazon distribution center in Edwardsville, Illinois, some Amazon workers have raised similar concerns about how the company handles emergency responses and about cellphone policies.   More on the tornadoes:  74 dead, more than 100 still unaccounted for in Kentucky tornado tragedy Before and after photos show scale of destruction in Kentucky, Illinois and Arkansas Victims of deadly tornadoes remembered; one of the youngest was 2 months old Tuesday's Top Stories Pfizer's Covid pill is 89 percent effective at keeping people out of the hospital or dying, company says Experts say an antiviral pill would have a major impact on the pandemic, by making treatment available at home. Current treatments are available only by injection or IV. READ MORE Fox News hosts texted Meadows on Jan. 6 saying Trump needed to call off rioters, House panel reveals The panel's vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, revealed texts from Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham, Brian Kilmeade and Sean Hannity to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows during the Jan. 6 riot on Monday. The House is expected to vote today on Meadows' criminal contempt referral.   READ MORE Omicron appears more resistant to Covid vaccines but causing less severe illness in South Africa, major real-world study finds The first major real-world study of the omicron Covid-19 variant found that it appeared to cause less severe illness in South Africa, where it was first discovered last month, but that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine offer reduced protection against it. READ MORE Sexual assault, harassment, bullying: Trans students say they're targeted at school One student said the harassment he has experienced, combined with hostile rhetoric coming from a school board member, has created an "unhealthy" environment. READ MORE Also in the News Air Force discharges 27 over Covid vaccine requirement Boy Scouts secure $800 million from Chubb insurer for sex abuse settlements   Derek Chauvin to change not guilty plea on charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights USA Gymnastics, hundreds of sex abuse survivors reach $380M deal in Nassar case Map from executed murderer leads to likely remains of sister-in-law The Golden Globe nominations are out. Does anybody in Hollywood care? Editor's Pick OPINION The U.S.-Iran relationship is haunted by my grandfather's death to this day His murder scarred my family and shocked the world. It also exacerbated the deep political break between Washington and Tehran, NBC News' senior photo editor Shahrzad Elghanayan writes in an opinion piece.  READ MORE Select Readers gravitated toward grilling accessories and new cookware as in-person home social gatherings came back in full force this year. One Fun Thing How a TikToker traded her way from a bobby pin to her dream house It began with a bobby pin.   In May 2020, Demi Skipper offered up a lone hair accessory for trade on Craigslist. Eventually, the trades got bigger, from a small diamond necklace to a car. It was all part of Skipper's "Trade Me Project" on TikTok, which ultimately led to her trading her way into a new home.   At the end of November, she made her 28th and final exchange: a solar-powered trailer for a house near Nashville, Tennessee.   Read her full story here.  Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? 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