News Information and Media Site: Nightly Rundown: January 6th defendants free after Trump pardons; Deadly winter storm slams the South; Arrests in break-in at NFL star’s home

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By Dan Donahue

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Good Tuesday afternoon. Two far-right leaders are among those freed by President Trump's sweeping pardons for the January 6th attack, a rare and deadly storm is slamming the South, and arrests have been made in the break-in at an NFL superstar's home.

Here is what's in our Nightly Rundown.

Proud Boys, Oath Keepers leaders released after Trump's January 6th pardons

Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, have been released from prison after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping order granting pardons and clemency to roughly 1,500 January 6th defendants.

Tarrio was serving a 22-year sentence, and Rhodes was serving an 18-year sentence, after they were separately convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.

More than 140 officers were injured during the Capitol riot, and more than 600 defendants were charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.

The pardons have sparked outrage among Democrats. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump's executive order "shameful." Sen. John Thune, the Senate Republican leader, said Biden "opened the door" with his own pardons before leaving office.

More on Trump's first 100 days:

Senators have received an affidavit from the former sister-in-law of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, in which she says his behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety. Hegseth's second wife declined to comment to NBC News, later adding "there was no physical abuse in my marriage." A lawyer for Hegseth denied the allegations.

A coalition of Democratic state attorneys generals have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Trump's attempt to revoke birthright citizenship, one of a slew of executive orders he signed on immigration Monday.

Coast Guard commandant Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military, is the first known military officer to be fired under the new Trump administration, according to a workforce-wide message from Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman.

Deadly winter storms slams the South, first-ever blizzard warning along parts of Gulf Coast

A once-in-a-generation winter storm slamming the South has turned deadly, with 46 million people under alerts from Texas through the Carolinas, and prompting the first-ever blizzard warning for parts of the Gulf Coast.

Parts of the coast could see historic snowfall, with Houston and New Orleans potentially setting records with up to 6 inches. The dangerous deep freeze has more than 170 million people across the country under Cold Alerts today.

In South Texas, an accident on slippery roads led to multiple fatalities in Zavala County, while in Georgia, the freezing temperatures left at least one person dead, authorities said.

The Arctic blast is causing major travel troubles, with more than 2,000 flights canceled nationwide.

New wildfires in Southern California prompt mandatory evacuations

Mandatory evacuations have expanded in Southern California, where two wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds are burning in the San Diego area this afternoon.

The Lilac Fire near Bonsall has grown to 80 acres with 30% containment, while the Pala Fire has burned 17 acres and is 100% contained, according to Cal Fire.

Due to the evacuations, the Bonsall Unified School District announced all schools will be closed today.

Dangerous fire weather conditions will continue through at least midweek for the region, with very strong offshore flow and low humidity, the National Weather Service said.

Chilean nationals charged in connection with Joe Burrow home burglary, documents suggest

Four Chilean nationals were arrested in connection with a string of burglaries targeting multimillion-dollar homes, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.

Those charges appear to be linked to a break-in at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow last month, according to a criminal complaint obtained by our affiliate WLWT.

While the document does not specifically name Burrow, it states that during a search of the suspects' SUV, authorities found an "old LSU shirt and Bengals hat believed to be stolen from the December 9, 2024 burglary in Hamilton County," where his home is located.

The FBI has warned that South American crime rings may be targeting the homes of professional athletes, after a series of burglaries that also involved the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

What else we're watching:

A fire ripped through a ski resort in Turkey and left at least 66 people dead, according the country's Health Ministry.

The Taliban said it has freed two Americans in a prisoner swap, and the family of Ryan Corbett, who was arrested in Afghanistan in August 2022, has confirmed he is one of them.

Jury selection began today in the trial of former Georgia prosecutor Jackie Johnson, who is accused of meddling in the investigation into the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Johnson has denied any wrongdoing.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent and another person were killed Monday in a shooting incident in Vermont, just south of the Canadian border, officials said.

Watch us this evening at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT on NBC, or check your local NBC station listing. After the broadcast, access Nightly News video on NBCNightlyNews.com or the NBC News app.