The Weather Channel

Frigid air is expected to plunge into the East and Midwest for the final full month of winter, and those cold temperatures may linger into March as well, according to the latest outlook from The Weather Company, an IBM Business.

Below-average temperatures are forecast from the South to the Midwest and mid-Atlantic during the three-month period spanning February through April. Near-average or slightly colder conditions may be found from the Southwest to the central Plains, upper Midwest and Northeast when averaged over the next three months.   Continue reading “Late-Winter to Early-Spring Temperature Outlook: Frigid February in East, Midwest as the West Stays Mild”

NBC News

The winter storm set to bear down on the region this weekend is expected to make travel hazardous through the weekend into Monday. Precipitation will be heavy at times, making travel difficult; a potential flash freeze could completely ice roads over and intense wind gusts could fell tree limbs, creating potential blockades throughout the area.   Continue reading “Road Bans, Restrictions in NY, NJ Ahead of Winter Storm”

Chicago Tribune

In a staunch and unequivocal defense of how Chicago police handled Laquan McDonald’s murder, a Cook County judge acquitted three officers Thursday of charges alleging they conspired to justify the shooting by falsifying reports and claiming the teen was the aggressor.

At every point in her hourlong ruling, Associate Judge Domenica Stephenson endorsed the actions of the police on the night McDonald was shot by Officer Jason Van Dyke, calling the 17-year-old an erratic, armed assailant who ignored commands to drop a small knife. She also said it would be wrong to second-guess the actions of the police — including Van Dyke, who is scheduled to be sentenced Friday for his historic conviction for second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.   Continue reading “Judge acquits 3 Chicago cops of covering up Laquan McDonald’s killing, backing police on each disputed point”

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump canceled the U.S. delegation’s trip to the global economic summit in Davos hours after he denied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a plane to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

“Out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed, President Trump has canceled his Delegation’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday in a statement.   Continue reading “Trump Pulls U.S. Delegation Out of Davos Forum, Citing Shutdown”

AOL

President Donald Trump fired back Thursday at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) request that he delay the State of the Union address until the government shutdown is resolved.

Instead of responding directly to her request that the event be delayed because of security funding concerns, Trump wrote in an apparent retaliation that he had canceled her upcoming delegation trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan (though Pelosi’s team later said there was no scheduled stop in Egypt).   Continue reading “Trump cancels Pelosi’s trip overseas amid State of the Union fight”

AOL

A jury has awarded a Miami hotel dishwasher $21.5 million, finding that her employer violated her religious rights by repeatedly scheduling her to work on Sundays — and ultimately firing her.

But a cap on punitive damages in the state of Florida prevents her from receiving anywhere close to that amount.   Continue reading “Hotel dishwasher awarded $21 million after boss made her work on Sundays”

The Weather Channel

Winter Storm Harper is already pummeling parts of the West with heavy snow and will spread its mess of snow, ice and wind into the Plains, Midwest and Northeast into this weekend.

Harper’s heaviest snow, so far, is in the Sierra Nevada of California. Early Thursday morning, Lone Pine, California, reported 5 inches of snow had fallen in just 2 hours.

Continue reading “Winter Storm Harper, Now Hammering the West; Will Be a Major Snowstorm Friday Into the Weekend From the Midwest to the Northeast”

CBS News

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced she is forming an exploratory committee to run for president, throwing her hat in the ring for the Democratic nomination in an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that aired Tuesday night.

“Yes. I’m filing an exploratory committee for president of the United States — tonight,” she said.   Continue reading “Kirsten Gillibrand formally enters 2020 race with announcement on Colbert’s “Late Show””

The Mercury News

SAN JOSE — Looking to make some extra cash, David Callisch found the perfect tenants for the $1,500-a-month studio apartment behind his Willow Glen home — a pair of cats.

“Basically I’ve got two renters that don’t have opposable thumbs,” Callisch said. “It’s actually great. They’re very quiet, obviously. The only problem is they stink up the place.”  Continue reading “Landlord rents $1,500 studio to two cats, hits ‘peak Silicon Valley’”

The Hill – by Lydia Wheeler

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census was unlawful.

In his ruling, Judge Jesse Furman, of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s decision to add the question to the census was “arbitrary and capricious” and enjoined the administration from including it on the questionnaire.   Continue reading “Federal judge rules against Trump administration’s plan to add 2020 census citizenship question”

Huffington Post

Actress and singer Carol Channing died early Tuesday at the age of 97 at her home in Rancho Mirage, California. Her longtime publicist B. Harlan Boll confirmed the entertainer’s death from natural causes.

Whether you knew her as Dolly, Lorelei, Muzzy or just Carol, Channing was a one-of-a-kind talent who captivated any audience. Her razor-sharp wit, gravelly voice and big, bright smile became the trademarks of a performer who originated some of Broadway’s most iconic roles throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Channing continued to share her gifts on stage into her late 90s, enshrining her in a class of Broadway luminaries all her own.

Continue reading “Broadway Legend Carol Channing Dead At 97”

The Weather Channel

Residents in parts of Southern California have been ordered to evacuate as the first of a parade of storm systems has started soaking areas scorched by last year’s Holy Fire.

Officials in Riverside County issued a “MUST GO” order effective 7 a.m. local time for neighborhoods in the burn areas of August’s Holy Fire, stating the risk of debris flows at a moment’s notice. A voluntary evacuation warning was issued for areas of Orange County in the burn area.   Continue reading “‘Go Now’: Mandatory Evacuations Ordered in California; I-5 Shut Down in Both Directions”

CNN

Don Lutes Jr. kept the 1943 copper penny he stumbled upon in his high school cafeteria seven decades ago in a safe behind a wall in his Massachusetts home.

All US pennies were supposed to be made of zinc-coated steel that year to conserve the copper needed for wartime essentials like shell casings and telephone wire, according to Heritage Auctions, a Dallas-based auction house. But a small number of copper pennies were created by mistake. Only a few of them exist today, making them special to coin collectors.  Continue reading “Rare 1943 copper coin fetches a pretty penny in auction: $204,000”

AP News

HIDALGO, Texas (AP) — As President Donald Trump travels to the border in Texas to make the case for his $5.7 billion wall , landowner Eloisa Cavazos says she knows firsthand how the project will play out if the White House gets its way.

The federal government has started surveying land along the border in Texas and announced plans to start construction next month. Rather than surrender their land, some property owners are digging in, vowing to reject buyout offers and preparing to fight the administration in court.   Continue reading “As Trump visits border, Texas landowners prepare wall fight”

Wide Open Eats – by Maria Christina LaLonde

Humans have been eating roadkill since the first ox cart flattened a critter in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years ago. Today, you can find “roadkill cuisine” simmering on stovetops in kitchens across the U.S. Animal rights activists and foodies alike hail roadkill as one of the most ethical and environmentally friendly meats. Advocates point out that these animals were not raised or killed for food, and argue eating roadkill makes use of a valuable free-range protein source that would otherwise go to waste.   Continue reading “You Can Harvest Roadkill for Food if You Live in One of These 27 States”

Journal & Courier – by Lindsay Moore

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Lafayette police officer was shot accidentally after fleeing an aggressive dog during an investigation at a North Ninth Street apartment.

Officer Lane Butler entered the apartment with two other officers while investigating a criminal mischief complaint at an apartment at 813 N. Ninth St., between Salem and Union streets, at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday.   Continue reading “Lafayette police officer shot in back by another officer fleeing from aggressive dog”

AOL

Polyana Viana weighs 115 pounds.

She’s also a UFC fighter with a 10-2 MMA record, with many of her wins coming via painful submissions.

A would-be mugger in Rio de Janeiro clearly wasn’t aware of the latter when he thought a woman of Viana’s stature made a proper target for robbery.   Continue reading “Mugger targets UFC’s Polyana Viana, immediately regrets decision”

LA Times – by James Queally

For the better part of two years, Anthony Rauda could be found sleeping in or around Malibu Creek State Park, one of any number of people who chose to spend their nights dozing near the popular hiking trails.

But while the campers used the beach-adjacent recreation area as a quick getaway, Rauda stayed. Prosecutors say he was using the park and the surrounding area for a different purpose: as a hunting ground.

Continue reading “Sleeping outdoors with a rifle, murder suspect stalked Malibu for years, officials say”

RT

Israel will demand $250 billion in compensation from seven Arab countries and Iran for assets left by Jews forced to flee after the creation of the State of Israel, in an effort to correct the “historic injustice” of the pogroms.

The specific demands are being finalized for the first two of the eight countries, according to Hadashot TV news, which reported that Israel would seek $35 billion from Tunisia and $15 billion from Libya. Compensation will also be sought from Morocco, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Yemen and Iran.   Continue reading “Israel to seek $250bn from Arab countries that expelled Jews to ‘restore their rightful property’”