At least 29 people have died and 900,000 places are without power after a powerful storm system ripped through southern and midwestern portions of the U.S. this past weekend. 8 states were affected, but Tennessee was hit the hardest with 9 confirmed casualties. Mississippi was struck again while still reeling from the tornadoes that killed 26 last week.

What’s causing all the storms?
The U.S.’ geography makes it especially prone to wild weather. Meteorology professor Victor Gensini explains that it boils down to two things — the Gulf of Mexico and the elevated terrain in the west. Cool, dry air rushes down from the Rockies and crashes into warm, wet air pushed up from the Gulf of Mexico. This reaction sends violent, stormy weather along the jet stream air current that runs from west to east across the U.S. As a result, the West coast gets smacked with flooding, mudslides, and blizzards from atmospheric rivers. Conversely, the East coast gets blitzed by hurricanes in the summer and Nor’easter floods and blizzards in the winter.

The south gets the short straw.
According to Marshall Shepard, former president of the American Meteorological Society, people living in the southern United States are most likely to experience the effects of natural disasters. It is the only region in the country that can fall victim to every type of natural disaster - flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and blizzards. Loss of life and property run higher in the region because many homes are made with cheaper prefabricated materials. Population centers are also concentrated closer to water, making those areas prime targets for flooding and hurricanes.

Saudi Arabia and OPEC+ plan on slashing oil production by an additional 1.16 million barrels per day. The surprise cuts will result in fast increases in oil prices and analysts expect a $10 spike per barrel.

First off…what the heck is OPEC+?
OPEC stands for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It was originally formed in order to unify the petroleum policies of its member nations and to help stabilize oil markets. Now its members possess 80% of the world’s known oil reserves and pretty much use the oil market as their own little play thing — bending it to their will whenever they want.

Why it matters:
Gas prices are going to go up and Russia will likely receive a nice influx of cash. Russia is an OPEC+ member and will profit from the increase in petroleum prices. The U.S. fears that the new bank roll will help fuel Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.

Health

The CDC is having to remind folks to stop eating raw flour while it tries to get to the bottom of a recent Salmonella outbreak. Flour is a raw product…duh and can carry germs that lead to foodborne illnesses unless it has been fully cooked. The Salmonella sufferers all reported eating cookie dough or batter before they got sick. Bake your cookies before you eat them, ya savages!

Sports

The San Diego State Aztecs will be making their first ever NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship appearance after beating Florida Atlantic University 72-71 in the semi-final. San Diego State guard Lamount Butler came within millimeters of stepping out of bounds before he sank the buzzer beater that sent FAU home (Watch the shot here). The Aztecs will face the UConn Huskies in the final on Monday night.

World

A Russian pro-war blogger was killed during a bombing in a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday. This was the second assassination of a person closely linked with the war on Russian soil. Officials are placing the blame on Ukrainian terrorists.

A 12-year-old couldn’t find shoes to fit his size 23 feet so Shaq jumped in and hooked him up.

Elon pulls The New York Times verified check mark on Twitter after the company refused to pay the new $1,000 a month fee.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is running for President.

A 5-year-old runs up $3,000 in charges for toys on her mother’s Amazon account.