JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1009

United States. Multiple college and professional basketball teams play weekend matchups across venues, with games scheduled Saturday and Sunday this week. St. Thomas visits South Dakota after a 74-69 win; North Dakota travels to Denver following Zach Kraft's 22-point performance; Denver also faces Oral Roberts in a separate Summit League contest. Cleveland plays at Orlando, Boston visits Chicago, Denver visits Memphis, and San Antonio hosts New Orleans. Previews list team records, home and road streaks, scoring averages, and top performers including Isaac Bruns, Donovan Mitchell, Paolo Banchero, and Victor Wembanyama. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Washington — U.S. and Chinese officials finalized an agreement to create a majority American-owned TikTok joint venture that will operate the app’s U.S. business. ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake while a consortium led by Oracle and Silver Lake will own roughly 80% and manage operations. The new TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will serve over 200 million U.S. users and 7.5 million businesses, secure U.S. data, and license the recommendation algorithm for retraining on American data, company filings and statements show. White House sources and multiple outlets confirmed approvals on Thursday. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

St. Louis, Danville and Topeka city officials mobilized crews ahead of a forecast winter storm. Public works and streets departments pretreated roads with brine, staged plows and coordinated contractors to prioritize arterial and emergency routes. St. Louis declared a state of emergency and readied 90 snowplow operators; trash collection was postponed for Jan. 26. Danville and Topeka warned residents of hazardous travel, advised caution, and requested removal of obstacles on streets. School districts inspected and warmed buses for morning routes. Officials said residential plowing may be delayed while main thoroughfares receive priority. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

MINNEAPOLIS, Vice President J.D. Vance visited the city Thursday to meet federal immigration officers, local law enforcement and leaders after the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good during an ICE operation. He urged officials to cooperate with federal authorities to reduce clashes, defended ICE agents’ conduct, and said the administration seeks to lower tensions while enforcing immigration laws. His remarks occurred amid sustained protests, Justice Department inquiries of state leaders, and online backlash. Local leaders criticized federal tactics. Federal and local officials continue to assess law enforcement actions and safety measures. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Minneapolis Federal authorities arrested three protesters this week who disrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other officials said. The arrests include civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and two other individuals, and officials said charges include conspiracy against rights under 18 U.S.C. §241. The Justice Department opened a civil rights probe after protesters chanted "ICE out" and invoked the fatal shooting of Renee Good. Officials announced arrests via social media posts and agency statements as Vice President J.D. Vance visited Minnesota. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research widely reported.

Raleigh, N.C. — State officials in North and South Carolina activated emergency response preparations as a major ice storm approached this weekend. Governors Josh Stein and Henry McMaster declared states of emergency this week and mobilized transportation and emergency management assets. Departments of transportation pre-treated roads with brine, restocked salt, and staged equipment; South Carolina moved to OPCON 2 and authorized National Guard readiness. Forecasters warned freezing rain, sleet and ice could cause hazardous driving and widespread power outages beginning Saturday. Officials urged residents to stay home, gather supplies and prepare for outages. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Charleston, W.Va. — Governors and state agencies mobilized ahead of a major winter storm expected this weekend, issuing preparedness and emergency declarations and coordinating utilities and transportation crews. The National Weather Service posted watches and warnings; forecasts show 9–12 inches of snow and up to 0.2 inches of ice in some areas for Jan. 24–26. West Virginia activated its Emergency Management Division and positioned staff statewide; Virginia pre-treated roadways, readied 3,300 pieces of equipment and mixed brine from a 30,000‑ton salt dome. Officials and emergency managers urged limited travel and monitoring of forecasts. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Minneapolis — Federal agents detained a five-year-old boy and his father outside their Columbia Heights home on January 20 during an ICE operation, prompting local officials and activists to allege the child was used to draw others out while DHS says the father fled and abandoned the child. School leaders reported at least four students detained in the enforcement surge after a January 7 shooting that heightened tensions, and protests and business shutdowns followed this week as organizers called for ICE to leave. Family legal counsel and DHS provide conflicting accounts; investigations and records are pending. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Little Rock, Arkansas — Lottery officials confirmed multiple major drawings this week, with winners claiming prizes across several states. Arkansas announced the anonymous claimant of the Dec. 24 $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot took a one-time cash payout of $834.9 million before tax; the ticket was sold in Cabot. Powerball reported a North Carolina ticket won an estimated $209 million in the Jan. 21 drawing. Minnesota and Mississippi reported mid-tier prizes, including $50,000 Powerball tickets and two Match 5 wins totaling about $146,000. Officials released detailed winning numbers, prize-claim rules, and retailer commissions. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

PORTLAND, Maine. Federal immigration agents conducted a sweeping enforcement operation this week in Maine, arresting about 50 people on the first day and identifying roughly 1,400 operational targets, officials said. State and local leaders, including Gov. Janet Mills and city mayors, demanded warrants and transparency while sheriffs reported the detention of a Cumberland County corrections recruit. DHS and ICE released limited information and several mugshots, and officials provided differing accounts to reporters. Gubernatorial candidates publicly outlined their responses. Legal advocates criticized the operation's secrecy. Local residents expressed mixed reactions as enforcement continued. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.