The phrase “there is more to the story” is an understatement when it comes to what is currently unfolding in Michigan.

The University of Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore Wednesday, citing an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. That itself is huge news for one of the nation’s premier football programs, but buckle up. There’s more.

In just a few short hours, Moore was terminated from his head coaching position and is now in the custody of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, according to booking records, though no charges have been filed at this time.

It appears that Moore was initially taken into custody by the Pittsfield Township Police Department. Pittsfield police said it took an unnamed suspect into custody Wednesday evening as part of an assault investigation. According to the department, a man was taken into custody in the 3000 block of Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Pittsfield Township — this is just a few miles south of the University of Michigan. The suspect was then booked into the Washtenaw County Jail, where he awaits his first court appearance on Friday.

Officials with the department said the incident doesn’t appear to be random in nature, and there is no ongoing threat to the community. The Daily Wire reached out to Pittsfield Police Thursday morning in reference to Moore’s case and was told no further details on this case are being shared at this time. The police department directed The Daily Wire to a press release involving an assault investigation.

The university said that it fired the 39-year-old coach following an investigation into Moore’s improper relationship with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel Manuel said on Wednesday. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.”

An author who has covered Michigan Football for decades said in an interview Thursday morning with Fox 2 Detroit that Moore and his staffer were investigated this summer and both denied any relationship. Bacon said Wednesday that story changed when the staffer reported the relationship to the university.

“She went on the ‘hill’ (where administration offices are) with the receipts, the text messages, the emails, the documents and so on laying out the details of the relationship,” Bacon said on Fox 2.

Bacon then opened up about what allegedly led to Moore being taken into custody.

“He broke into the employee’s home in Pittsfield Township…grabbed a knife apparently and threatened to harm her and harm himself,” Bacon said.

Bacon also said that Moore is being monitored by mental health professionals while in custody.

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ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday after the firing that Michigan investigated Moore this fall after receiving a tip about the situation with the staffer, but the university didn’t find credible evidence. On Wednesday, however, university officials presented “overwhelming” evidence against Moore, and he was quickly dismissed.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on Thursday morning, “What we haven’t heard yet is Sherrone Moore’s side of this, and he gets his say in this particular situation as well. I do know that he felt like people had it in for him for an awful long time there while he was at Michigan. He felt like there were people who are out to get him. So all these things can all be true.”

The firing comes days after National Signing Day, when Moore landed a No. 12-ranked recruiting class.

Before the drama unfolded on Wednesday, Moore was part of another controversy. Earlier this season, he served a two-game suspension for the illegal advanced scouting scheme involving former Michigan Football staffer, Connor Stallions.

Moore leaves Michigan with a 17-8 overall record. His final loss was against rival Ohio State.

Biff Poggi will serve as Michigan’s interim head coach in the Citrus Bowl against Texas on December 31.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ionic Mineral Technologies (Ionic MT) has recently uncovered what may be one of the most significant critical-mineral reserves in the United States while mining clay at Utah’s Silicon Ridge.

Originally leasing the land to produce nanosilicon for lithium-ion batteries, the company unexpectedly identified high-grade concentrations of 16 critical minerals, including lithium, alumina, germanium, rubidium, cesium, vanadium, niobium, and scandium. Independent testing confirmed the deposit is a halloysite-hosted ion-adsorption clay, similar to geological formations in China that supply a major share of global rare-earth output.

Because the deposit is shallow, accessible, and located on pre-permitted land with extensive infrastructure, Ionic MT says extraction could begin quickly. CEO Andre Zeitoun argues the find has far-reaching implications for national security, as these minerals are indispensable for advanced semiconductors, electric vehicles, fighter jets, and artificial-intelligence hardware.

The discovery comes amid heavy geopolitical tension over China’s control of critical mineral markets. China produces roughly 70% of the world’s rare earths and processes about 90%, giving it enormous leverage over global supply chains. Recent Chinese export restrictions have alarmed American industry and policymakers, though a temporary one-year delay won through recent trade negotiations offers a short window for the United States and allies to expand production and processing capacity.

It is this strategic vulnerability that has galvanized Marco Rubio’s leadership on the issue. In July 2024, in another move to counter Communist China, Rubio introduced the Critical Mineral Supply Chain Realignment Act of 2024. imposing aggressive, escalating tariffs on Chinese-controlled electromagnets, permanent magnets, batteries, solar components, and other key technologies. Tariffs would reach 800% on Chinese goods, while non-allied nations would face 25% duties, all designed to push supply chains toward American and allied producers.

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Rubio argued that the United States must break China’s “critical mineral industrial monopoly,” warning that Beijing’s near-total control of end-to-end supply chains — mining, refining, and magnet production — posed economic and national-security dangers.

Rubio has also spearheaded bipartisan pressure — partnering with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and others — urging the White House and the Export-Import Bank to prioritize financing for domestic and allied processing, refining, and metallurgical capacity. Their joint letters emphasized that demand for critical minerals was soaring while the United States remained dangerously dependent on China, which often controls “nearly 100%” of the entire supply chains. They argued that only rapid investment, coordinated with allies such as Australia, could counter China’s dominance.

Utah’s newly revealed deposit — supported by the state’s already diverse critical-mineral portfolio — represents not just an industrial opportunity but a strategic asset. State leaders echo Rubio’s warnings: securing reliable domestic sources of these minerals is essential for U.S. energy independence, defense needs, and long-term technological competitiveness.