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A man uses an umbrella as he walks in the rain on the Calhoun Street Bridge over an ice-clogged Delaware River on Jan. 18 in Trenton, N.J.(Photo: Mel Evans, AP)
Death toll rises as 'flash freeze' paralyzes Northeast
A deadly "flash freeze" swept through much of the Northeast on Sunday, causing crashes that killed at least four people and forcing flight delays and closure of all bridges linking Philadelphia and New Jersey. Parts of the Northwest suffered a similar fate: Twelve people were injured in a massive wreck involving more than a dozen tractor-trailers on icy Interstate 84 near Baker City, Ore. But the most pervasive problems were in the East. In Connecticut, Hartford's Bradley International Airport closed temporarily due to ice on the runways. Morning flight delays averaged almost an hour at Philadelphia International Airport; Kennedy International delays were almost 40 minutes.
A crash involving more than a dozen semi-trucks closed a portion of Interstate 84 in Oregon on Saturday. One witness describes the "awful sounds" the crashing trucks made. VPC
Obama to unveil tax package at State of the Union
President Obama plans to use his State of the Union speech to target tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy, while offering new tax breaks for middle-class items like child care, White House officials said Saturday. In the prime-time address Tuesday, the president plans to call for ending certain loopholes on trust funds, increasing the top tax rates on dividends and capital gains, and imposing new fees on big financial firms that borrow heavily. Obama also plans to propose new tax breaks for families that have a second working member, child care and the costs of college education, according to a White House proposal.
President Obama(Photo: Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images)
Record 6M brave rain for pope's final Mass in Asia
A record 6 million people braved steady rain Sunday to see Pope Francis on the final day of his nearly week-long tour of Asia, a trip marked by his message of hope and warnings over poverty and corruption. Francis dedicated the final homily of his tour to the young, urging protection for children so they aren't tempted by sin or the devil or distracted by "promises of ephemeral pleasures, superficial pastimes." The Mass took place on the third and final day of the pope's visit to the Philippines, whose roughly 80 million Catholics comprise about 7% of the world's total. He started his Asian pilgrimage in Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The pope is scheduled to return to the Vatican on Monday.
Shots fired outside Biden's Delaware home
Gunshots were fired near the Delaware home of Vice President Biden Saturday night while the Bidens were out for the evening, the Secret Service reported. The shots were fired from a vehicle traveling on a public road outside the secure perimeter at about 8:25 p.m. ET, according to a Secret Service statement. The statement did not ascribe a motive for the shooting, and said the Secret Service is "working closely with the New Castle County Police on investigating this incident."
Gunshots were fired near the Delaware home of Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday night, according to the Secret Service. Neither the Vice President or his wife were home at the time of the incident. VPC
New 'Charlie Hebdo' cover continues to roil Muslim world
The deadly attack on controversial Paris weekly Charlie Hebdo Jan. 7 has served to heighten not just terrorism-related security issues but also the cavernous divide between some Muslims and the West. That the newspaper's remaining staff chose to defiantly return to publication last week featuring a cover cartoon of the prophet Mohammed has led not only to violent protests but also injuries and deaths. In Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday, encounters between police and protesters gathered in front of the French Embassy saw four people shot, including two journalists. In the West African nation of Niger, President Mahamadou Issoufou said at least 10 people have been killed after violent protests broke out against the latest cartoon. On Saturday, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani condemned the publication, calling the newest cover image of Mohammed a blasphemous and irresponsible act.
Ten people have been killed in Niger in two days of violent protests against a French publication's cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad. On Saturday, churches were set on fire in the capital, Niamey. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. AP
Kentucky 'Bonnie and Clyde' teens captured in Florida
Teen runaways Cheyenne Phillips and Dalton Hayes, accused of going on a multistate crime spree that has captured the attention of the nation, are now in police custody. Around midnight Sunday, U.S. marshals in Panama City Beach, Fla., discovered 18-year-old Hayes and 13-year-old Phillips sleeping in the 2001 Toyota Tundra that was reported stolen in Henry County, Ga. The process has begun to extradite the teens back to Kentucky, where they will face several felony charges. Hayes and Phillips began their run from the law and their families earlier this month when they vanished from their small hometown in western Kentucky. The two then allegedly went on a crime spree of stolen vehicles and pilfered checks across the South.
Two teen runaways, wanted in connection with a multi-state crime spree, were captured in Panama City Beach, Florida. Cheyenne Phillips and Dalton Hayes were taken into custody without incident and will be extradited back to Kentucky to face charges. VPC
Bravo star Greg Plitt killed by train
Reality TV fans and members of the fitness community are mourning the loss of Greg Plitt, who died Saturday. The fitness model and actor was pronounced dead on the scene after being struck by a Metrolink train in Burbank, Calif. He was 37. Plitt is best known for appearing on Bravo's reality series Work Out. His episode on Bravo's new series Friends to Lovers is a few weeks away. Plitt "was as nice as he was beautiful," tweeted Andy Cohen. "We couldn't take our eyes off Greg Plitt after we cast him on "Work Out"... (he) seemed invincible, like Superman," wrote the Bravo host.
Greg Plitt in a promotional photo for Bravo's 'Friends to Lovers.'(Photo: Paul Drinkwater, Bravo)
CBS analyst suspended after arrest for soliciting prostitute
Basketball analyst and former NBA player Greg Anthony was suspended indefinitely by CBS on Saturday after he was arrested on a charge of soliciting a prostitute in a Washington, D.C. hotel room. "Greg Anthony will not be working again for CBS this season," a CBS spokeswoman said Saturday. Turner Sports also suspended the TV commentator and said it "will have no further comment." Anthony, 47, was arrested on a charge of soliciting a prostitute inside a room at a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Washington just before 6 p.m. Friday, according to a police report obtained by the Associated Press.
Greg Anthony called his first Final Four for CBS and Turner last year.(Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports)
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