News Wrap: 19 missing and feared dead after blast at Tennessee explosives plant

Geoff Bennett:

We start the day's other headlines in Tennessee, where officials say at least 19 people are missing and feared dead after an explosion at a plant that handles military-grade explosives.

The blast happened earlier today at Accurate Energetic Systems about 60 miles southwest of Nashville. Aerial footage showed flames and smoke rising from the scene. Residents who live miles away said they felt their homes shake when the blast occurred.

When asked by reporters how to characterize the scene, the county sheriff was at a loss for words.

Chris Davis, Humphreys County Sheriff:

Can I describe the building? There's nothing to describe. It's gone. It's — again, it's the most devastating scene that I have seen in my career.

Geoff Bennett:

Authorities say there's no further danger to locals. And, as of this afternoon, the scene was under control. The cause of the blast is not yet known.

In Memphis, National Guard troops were seen patrolling the city for the first time today. A small group was spotted near a popular shopping destination escorted by police. It's not clear how many Guard members are on the ground and how many will be sent overall. Unlike in places like Chicago and Portland the deployment was welcomed by state officials like Republican Governor Bill Lee.

It's part of President Trump's broader push into cities that his administration says are overrun with crime. And while Memphis has dealt with high crime for years, the most recent data shows a decline in several categories, including murder.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is rejecting a White House proposal to adopt the government's priorities on education in exchange for funding benefits. In a letter, MIT's president said she cannot support the agreement, adding that: "The premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."

MIT is the first of nine colleges and universities to reject the proposal, which asked the schools to make commitments on issues like admissions caps, tuition freezes, and free speech on campus, among others.

Turning overseas, two back-to-back earthquakes shook the Philippines today, killing at least seven people. They struck just hours apart along the same fault line off the country's southeastern coast. The first 7.4-magnitude quake hit Friday morning local time. The second quake was just slightly weaker.

Tsunami warnings set off mass evacuations in coastal areas, though they have since been lifted. The Philippines is still recovering from last month's 6.9-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 70 people and displaced thousands more.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts at moving her country from dictatorship to democracy.

Man:

Are we talking to Maria Corina Machado?

Maria Corina Machado:

Yes, this is Maria Corina.

Man:

It shall be announced here at the Nobel Institute that you will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025.

Maria Corina Machado:

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Geoff Bennett:

Machado said she was humbled and grateful when she was reached by phone earlier today. She's been in hiding since last year after she was barred from running against President Nicolas Maduro for the presidency.

Machado spoke to the "News Hour"'s Nick Schifrin after last year's election and said Maduro would not and could not silence her.

Maria Corina Machado:

Well, I'm accused every single day of a new crime. I wouldn't have enough lives or years to address all the accusations they have put on me. I don't know what else they think they can do, but they certainly would not stop us from doing what we should. We will never, never surrender.

Geoff Bennett:

The U.S. has recognized Machado's ally Edmundo Gonzalez as Venezuela's rightful president-elect.

Today's prize comes as the Trump administration has stepped up military pressure on the Maduro regime, conducting targeted military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean.

Mr. Trump himself had made the case that he should win the Peace Prize in the run-up to today's announcement. Meantime, President Trump is threatening to raise tariffs on China. After the closing bell this afternoon, he posted on social media that starting, November 1, the U.S. will impose a tariff of 100 percent on China over and above any tariff that they are currently paying.

He said the tariffs are in response to new restrictions that China is placing on rare earth minerals. Earlier in the day, stocks tumbled on Wall Street after President Trump signaled the new tariffs were coming. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped nearly 900 points on the day. The Nasdaq plunged more than 800 points. The S&P 500 posted its worst day since April.

And Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt has died. She was known to basketball fans around the globe for her role as the chaplain and chief fan for the men's team at Loyola University Chicago. At the age of 98, Sister Jean became a viral sensation for her constant presence during the school's fairy tale run to the men's Final Four back in 2018.

She would lead the team in pregame prayers and provide players with support in victory and solace in defeat. Sister Jean held numerous roles at Loyola over her 60 years with the school and only stepped down back in August. She was 106 years old.

And John Lodge, bassist and singer-songwriter for The Moody Blues, has died. Lodge was behind some of the British rock bands' best-known works. Born in Birmingham, he joined the group in 1966. They performed together for more than five decades until 2018, the same year they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

All told, The Moody Blues released 15 studio albums, and Lodge released another five on his own. Lodge's family said he died suddenly and unexpectedly surrounded by his loved ones and the sounds of the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. John Lodge was 82 years old.