‘Historic nor’easter’: At least 3 dead in New York; over 100K lost power at height of East Coast storm – USA TODAY
‘Historic nor’easter’: At least 3 dead in New York; over 100K lost power at height of East Coast storm – USA TODAY

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/01/30/boston-snow-ties-record-winter-storm/9275656002/

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Britain Toughens Stance on Russia, as Russia Presses NATO for Assurances – The New York Times
Britain Toughens Stance on Russia, as Russia Presses NATO for Assurances – The New York Times

Biden administration officials reiterated on Sunday that the United States believes a Russian invasion is “imminent,” even if Ukraine has been trying to play down the crisis.

“We have been nothing but clear and transparent about our concerns here at the Pentagon over the rapid buildup for the last few months around the border with Ukraine and in Belarus,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, John F. Kirby, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, made a joint appearance with the panel’s top Republican, Senator Jim Risch of Idaho. Mr. Menendez said there was “an incredibly strong bipartisan resolve to have severe consequences for Russia if it invades Ukraine, and in some cases for what it has already done.”

Mr. Menendez said that legislation under discussion was expected to include “massive sanctions against the most significant Russian banks: crippling to their economy, meaningful in terms of consequences to the average Russian and their accounts and pensions.”

Sanctions, though, were not Mr. Lavrov’s focus on Sunday — NATO was.

He said an official request was sent Sunday to both NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, an alliance that includes Russia. Mr. Lavrov described it as “an urgent demand to explain how they intend to fulfill their obligation not to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of others.”

“If they do not intend to, then they must explain why,” Mr. Lavrov said, adding that “this will be the key question in determining our further proposals, which we will report to Russia’s president.”

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/30/world/europe/britain-russia-ukraine-sanctions-nato.html

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Covid predictions? These experts are done with them – NBC News
Covid predictions? These experts are done with them – NBC News
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DNA leads to arrest in 17-year-old California killing – ABC News
DNA leads to arrest in 17-year-old California killing – ABC News

LOS ANGELES — A 56-year-old Southern California man has been arrested in connection with the 2005 killing of a woman near Los Angeles after DNA and fingerprint evidence was used to identify him, authorities said.

Pertina Epps, 21, was found strangled on April 26, 2005, under a carport in the city of Gardena, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The case went cold but was reopened in 2021 when investigators reexamined forensic evidence left at the crime scene using new technology, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Charles Wright was identified as a possible suspect and arrested Thursday in Hawthorne, sheriff’s officials said. It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney.

Wright was released after posting bond, the Times reported. He is scheduled for an arraignment on June 28.

Detectives do not believe Wright and Epps knew each other, sheriff’s officials said.

Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/dna-leads-arrest-17-year-california-killing-82569574

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Northern Ireland marks 50 years since the Bloody Sunday killings – NPR
Northern Ireland marks 50 years since the Bloody Sunday killings – NPR

Families of the victims and supporters walk past a mural featuring the 14 victims holding crosses as they mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday on Sunday in Londonderry, also known as Derry, Northern Ireland.

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images


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Families of the victims and supporters walk past a mural featuring the 14 victims holding crosses as they mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday on Sunday in Londonderry, also known as Derry, Northern Ireland.

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Locals in the city called either Londonderry or Derry, Northern Ireland, are marking 50 years since Bloody Sunday, in which British soldiers fired upon a crowd of protesters in what’s now considered one of the most pivotal events of The Troubles.

On Sunday, family members of those killed on Jan. 30, 1972, held roses as they participated in a walk of remembrance, according to the Derry Journal. Video showed hundreds of people walking through the streets, some holding images of those shot.

St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry also rang its bells 14 times — once for each victim — at the time the shooting began, the newspaper reported. Thirteen people were killed that day and one man later died of his injuries. Fifteen others were injured.

A republican bandsman beats his drum as he takes part in Bloody Sunday March to Free Derry Corner.

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A republican bandsman beats his drum as he takes part in Bloody Sunday March to Free Derry Corner.

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“Today we remember all those who died or were injured as a result of the atrocity on #BloodySunday50, one of the darkest days for this island,” Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said in a tweet. “We also pay tribute to the families of the victims, whose dignity and persistence in the search for truth and justice has never wavered.”

The violence took place during a march organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. A public investigation later concluded that British soldiers fired on the unarmed protesters even though none of those killed posed a threat to the soldiers.

People take part in a Bloody Sunday March to the Guildhall, as they mark the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

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People take part in a Bloody Sunday March to the Guildhall, as they mark the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

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The killings occurred during a period of increased tension between the Catholic nationalists who wanted Northern Ireland to become a part of a unified Ireland and the Protestant unionists loyal to the United Kingdom.

Bloody Sunday exacerbated hostilities and fueled support for the Irish Republican Army. Some 3,700 people died over the course of the four-decade conflict.

Prosecutors announced they were pursuing criminal charges against two British soldiers who took part in the Bloody Sunday shootings — known anonymously as Soldier F and Soldier B — but the cases were dropped last year.

“Walking shoulder to shoulder with the Bloody Sunday families. These families are courage and strength personified, they are an inspiration for those struggling for truth and justice in Ireland and across the world,” Michelle O’Neill, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, said in a statement.

“We will continue to support their campaign for truth and justice,” she added.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2022/01/30/1076839081/northern-ireland-50-years-bloody-sunday

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The worst of the nor’easter that slammed the Northeast with record snowfall has passed, but ‘dangerously cold’ wind chills remain in some places – CNN
The worst of the nor’easter that slammed the Northeast with record snowfall has passed, but ‘dangerously cold’ wind chills remain in some places – CNN

(CNN)The worst of the nor’easter that dumped record snowfall in parts of the East Coast has passed, but “dangerously cold” wind chills are gripping the region.

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          MUST WATCH

    CNN’s Haley Brink, John Keefe, Jason Hanna, Christina Maxouris, Brynn Gingras, Brian Todd, Artemis Moshtaghian, Liam Reilly, Tyler Mauldin and David Williams contributed to this report.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/30/weather/noreaster-bomb-cyclone-storm-sunday/index.html

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    Majority of Americans want Biden to consider ‘all possible nominees’ for Supreme Court vacancy: POLL – ABC News
    Majority of Americans want Biden to consider ‘all possible nominees’ for Supreme Court vacancy: POLL – ABC News

    A new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds that a plurality of Americans view the Supreme Court as motivated by partisanship, while President Joe Biden’s campaign trail vow to select a Black woman to fill a high-court vacancy without reviewing all potential candidates evokes a sharply negative reaction from voters.

    The ABC News/Ipsos poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, comes days after the most senior member of the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen G. Breyer, announced his retirement at the end of the current term. Breyer’s announcement provides Biden the opportunity to change the demographic makeup of the conservative-leaning bench.

    During the spring 2020 presidential primaries, days before his set of big wins on Super Tuesday, Biden pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, if elected. Now, with the chance to do so, just over three-quarters of Americans (76%) want Biden to consider “all possible nominees.” Just 23% want him to automatically follow through on his history-making commitment that the White House seems keen on seeing through. At a ceremony honoring the retiring justice, Biden told reporters he is able to honor his promise without compromising on quality.

    “The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court,” Biden said. “It’s long overdue in my view. I made that commitment during the campaign for president, and I will keep that commitment.”

    Although the poll’s sample size was not large enough to break out results for Black people, only a little more than 1 in 4 nonwhite Americans (28%) wish for Biden to consider only Black women for the vacancy. Democrats are more supportive of Biden’s vow (46%) than Americans as a whole, but still a majority of Democrats (54%) also prefer that Biden consider all possible nominees.

    Democrats hope that the nomination will re-engage Democrats, who are sorely in need of a boost in the run-up to what is shaping up to be a very challenging midterm election for the party.

    Also, when it comes to assessments of the Supreme Court, 43% of voters believe justices rule “on the basis of their partisan political views” rather than “on the basis of the law,” a position held by only 38% of respondents. Eighteen percent did not know enough to express a view one way or the other.

    And this new ABC/Ipsos poll shows high disapproval of Biden’s handling of a range of issues.

    A glaring weak spot for Biden is inflation, where 69% of Americans disapprove of his handling of this key issue. Speaking in Pittsburgh Friday, Biden acknowledged the crush of inflation, pitching his Build Back Better social spending plan as part of the remedy.

    “Inflation is a problem,” said Biden. “It’s real and a lot of people are being hurt by it.”

    Troublingly for the White House, only 1% of Americans view the state of the nation’s economy as “excellent,”and only 23% say it’s “good.” Three out of four Americans said the state of the economy was “not so good / poor.”

    Biden sees other troublesome disapproval numbers surrounding his handling of gun violence (69%), crime (64%), immigration (64%), the situation with Russia and Ukraine (56%) and the country’s economic recovery (56%.)

    The country is split on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 50% approving and 49% disapproving. And while support from Democrats trends higher than the population as a whole, Biden’s support within his own ranks is softening. In August, 91% of Democrats approved of Biden’s handling of the pandemic. Now, that figure has dropped to 82%. The drop in support among Democrats around Biden’s handling of the economic recovery is even clearer, from 89% in August to 73% now.

    As the U.S. weighs its options on the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Americans are less clear where they stand on the issue of sending ground troops to Eastern Europe to try to discourage a Russian invasion of Ukraine. One in three (32%) Americans “don’t know” enough to say while 38% oppose sending group troops and 29% support it.

    Biden said Friday that he plans on moving troops into NATO allied nations in the “near term.” Biden is to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the coming weeks and will discuss Russia’s building agitation, according to the White House.

    This ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted using Ipsos Public Affairs’ KnowledgePanel® January 28-29, 2022, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 510 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4.9 points, including the design effect. Partisan divisions are 27-26-37%, Democrats-Republicans-independents. See the poll’s topline results and details on the methodology here.

    ABC News’ Dan Merkle and Ken Goldstein contributed to this report.

    Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/US/majority-americans-biden-nominees-supreme-court-vacancy-poll/story?id=82553398

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    The worst of the nor’easter that slammed the Northeast with record snowfall has passed, but ‘dangerously cold’ wind chills remain in some areas – CNN
    The worst of the nor’easter that slammed the Northeast with record snowfall has passed, but ‘dangerously cold’ wind chills remain in some areas – CNN

    (CNN)The worst of the nor’easter that dumped record snowfall in parts of the East Coast has passed, but “dangerously cold” wind chills were set to stick around in some areas Sunday morning, forecasters said.

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            MUST WATCH

      CNN’s Jason Hanna, Christina Maxouris, Brynn Gingras, Brian Todd, Artemis Moshtaghian, Liam Reilly, Tyler Mauldin and David Williams contributed to this report.

      Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/30/weather/noreaster-bomb-cyclone-storm-sunday/index.html

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      Trump suggests he might pardon some Jan. 6 defendants – POLITICO – POLITICO
      Trump suggests he might pardon some Jan. 6 defendants – POLITICO – POLITICO

      Though the majority of those charged are facing misdemeanor charges with sentences that are likely to run their course before Trump could potentially reclaim the Oval Office, hundreds of those facing conspiracy, obstruction and assault charges could receive sentences that land them in prison for years.

      Trump’s hint that he may pardon people his supporters claim have been treated “unfairly” could become a calculus in their decisions to accept plea deals or enter into negotiations with prosecutors. Some of those facing the most serious charges grumbled about Trump’s inaction in his final days in office — thoughts captured in private messages obtained by the Justice Department — even as he pardoned dozens of other political allies.

      “We are now and always have been on our own. So glad he was able to pardon a bunch of degenerates as his last move and shit on us on the way out,” Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean said in one message prosecutors included in a May 2021 court filing. “Fuck you trump you left us on [t]he battle field bloody and alone.”

      Nordean has been held in jail for nearly a year and is scheduled to go to trial in May on conspiracy and obstruction charges, along with at least three other Proud Boys leaders.

      It’s unclear if Trump’s suggestion also included those who have been targeted by the Jan. 6 select committee and have since asserted their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination — including figures like attorney John Eastman, who helped Trump devise a plan to subvert the election and pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to carry it out. It could also include figures like Steve Bannon, who has been charged with criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the select panel, and former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who has been referred for prosecution by the House for refusing a deposition.

      But Trump’s remarks about fair treatment appear to align with supporters who have decried the prosecution of those who stormed and breached the Capitol on Jan. 6.

      Of the defendants sentenced so far, only three received a jail term that would extend past Biden’s first term: Robert Palmer, who assaulted police officers in the Capitol’s lower west terrace tunnel; Scott Fairlamb, who hit an officer in the head outside the Capitol; and Jacob Chansley, who wielded a spear and egged on early waves of rioters as he charged into the Senate chamber and took the dais where Pence had sat just minutes earlier. Palmer was sentenced last month to 63 months in prison, while Fairlamb and Chansley each received a 41-month sentence in November.

      Dozens of others facing assault charges are still awaiting trial or plea agreements that could result in sentences far beyond the next inauguration. They include the 11 Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy for allegedly preparing a violent attempt to prevent the transfer of power from Trump to Biden. They also include members of the Proud Boys leadership, like Nordean.

      Authorities also continue to make new Jan. 6-related arrests on a a nearly daily basis, estimating that between 2,000 and 2,500 people breached the Capitol that day — meaning that nearly two-thirds of potential cases have not even begun. Prosecutors estimate that about 1,000 police assaults occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

      Trump’s comments Saturday appeared to align with complaints by allies who have claimed that Jan. 6 defendants in pretrial detention are being treated more harshly than others held in the D.C. jail. Though the broader D.C. facility was recently ripped by U.S. Marshals Service inspectors for squalid conditions, the assessment found that the wing housing Jan. 6 detainees had fared better in the review. In addition, Jan. 6 defendants have cited policies restricting access to various services for inmates unvaccinated against Covid as evidence of mistreatment — a charge jail officials reject and say is applied uniformly against all held in the facility.

      Many of the cases for those facing lengthier jail terms are set to go to trial in the spring but have seen the dates slip repeatedly amid ongoing Covid restrictions in federal courthouses as well as challenges prosecutors have faced building a system to share massive troves of evidence with defendants and their attorneys.

      Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/30/trump-pardon-jan6-defendants-00003450

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      North Korea tests longest-range missile since 2017 – Associated Press
      North Korea tests longest-range missile since 2017 – Associated Press

      SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday fired what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since President Joe Biden took office, as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and neighbors amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.

      The Japanese and South Korean militaries said the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, apparently to avoid the territorial spaces of neighbors, and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and traveled 800 kilometers (497 miles) before landing in the sea.

      The flight details suggest the North tested its longest-range ballistic missile since 2017, when it twice flew intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan and, separately, three intercontinental ballistic missiles that demonstrated the potential to reach deep into the American homeland.

      Sunday’s test was North Korea’s seventh round of launches this month. The unusually fast pace of tests indicates its intent to pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear negotiations as pandemic-related difficulties put further stress on an economy broken by decades of mismanagement and crippling U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.

      South Korean President Moon Jae-in called an emergency National Security Council meeting where he described the test as a possible “mid-range ballistic missile launch” that brought North Korea to the brink of breaking its 2018 self-imposed moratorium on the testing of nuclear devices and longer-range missiles.

      Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi also told reporters that the missile was the longest-range the North has tested since its Hwasong-15 ICBM in November 2017.

      North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chaired a ruling party meeting on Jan. 20, where senior party members made a veiled threat to lift the moratorium, citing what they perceived as U.S. hostility and threats.

      The latest launch suggests Kim’s moratorium is already broken, said Lee Choon Geun, a missile expert and honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute.

      In his strongest comments toward the North in years, Moon said the situation around the Korean Peninsula is beginning to resemble 2017, when North Korea’s provocative run in nuclear and long-range missile testing resulted in an exchange of war threats between Kim and Trump.

      Moon said the North’s latest moves violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and were a “challenge toward the international community’s efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, stabilize peace and find a diplomatic solution” to the nuclear standoff.

      The North “should stop its actions that create tensions and pressure and respond to the dialogue offers by the international community including South Korea and the United States,” Moon said, according to his office.

      Moon had ambitiously pushed for inter-Korean engagement and held three summits with Kim in 2018 while also lobbying to set up Kim’s first summit with Trump in 2018, where they issued vague aspirations for a nuclear-free peninsula.

      But the diplomacy derailed after the collapse of the second Kim-Trump meeting in 2019, when the Americans rejected North Korea’s demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.

      Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Sunday’s missile flew for around 30 minutes and landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. There were no immediate reports of damage to boats or aircraft.

      The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the United States condemned North Korea’s testing activity and called on Pyongyang to refrain from further destabilizing acts. It said the latest launch did not “pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or that of our allies.”

      Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, discussed the launch in separate phone calls with Sung Kim, Biden’s special envoy for North Korea, and Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea’s nuclear envoy. The officials shared an understanding that Sunday’s missile was of enhanced destructive power and reaffirmed trilateral cooperation in the face of the North Korean threat, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.

      Experts say the North could halt its testing spree after the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics next week out of respect for China, its major ally and economic lifeline. But there’s also expectation that it could significantly up the ante in weapons demonstrations once the Olympics end in February to grab the attention of the Biden administration, which has been focusing more on confronting China and Russia over its conflict with Ukraine.

      “North Korea is launching a frenzy of missiles before the start of the Beijing Olympics, mostly as military modernization efforts. Pyongyang also wants to boost national pride as it gears up to celebrate political anniversaries in the context of economic struggles,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

      “It wants to remind Washington and Seoul that trying to topple it would be too costly. By threatening stability in Asia while global resources are stretched thin elsewhere, Pyongyang is demanding the world compensate it to act like a ‘responsible nuclear power,’” Easley added.

      North Korea has justified its testing activity as an exercise of its rights to self-defense and threatened stronger action after the Biden administration imposed fresh sanctions following two tests of a purported hypersonic missile earlier this month.

      While desperate for outside relief, Kim has showed no willingness to surrender the nuclear weapons and missiles he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. Analysts say Kim’s pressure campaign is aimed at forcing Washington to accept the North as a nuclear power and convert their nuclear disarmament-for-aid diplomacy into negotiations for mutual arms-reduction.

      Kim last year announced a new five-year plan for developing weapons and issued an ambitious wish list that included hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched nuclear missiles.

      State media said Friday that Kim visited an unspecified munitions factory producing a “major weapons system,” and that the workers pledged loyalty to their leader who “smashes with his bold pluck the challenges of U.S. imperialists and their vassal forces.”

      ___

      Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

      Source Article from https://apnews.com/article/united-states-seoul-south-korea-north-korea-joint-chiefs-of-staff-37f273d0602f91d392d32b6c0d4002ee

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      Parents say the child tax credit worked. Can Congress bring it back? – NBC News
      Parents say the child tax credit worked. Can Congress bring it back? – NBC News
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      Blizzard confirmed in parts of New Hampshire as nor’easter pulls away – WMUR Manchester
      Blizzard confirmed in parts of New Hampshire as nor’easter pulls away – WMUR Manchester
      MANCHESTER, N.H. —

      A strong nor’easter that impacted New Hampshire brought blizzard conditions to parts of the state.

      The National Weather Service confirmed blizzard conditions in Portsmouth and Rochester on Saturday.

      The criteria for blizzard conditions is specific: Three consecutive hours of sustained winds or frequent gusts at 35 mph or above and falling or blowing snow that reduces visibility to a quarter of a mile or worse for at least three straight hours.

      >> Weather alerts

      It’s likely that conditions in Portsmouth, Rochester and other coastal communities achieved blizzard status from the late morning to the late afternoon, at least, on Saturday.

      The snow moved in Saturday morning and moved northward throughout the day. Snow fell heavily at times, especially after sunset, when some bands brought snowfall of 1-2 inches per hour.

      >> Interactive Radar

      Any leftover snow will quickly shut down with clearing skies overnight.

      When it’s all said and done, many spots in southeastern New Hampshire will see 8-14 inches of snow, with the highest amounts in southeastern parts of the state. Elsewhere north and west of the capital city, about 2-8 inches accumulated as the storm, although extremely strong, could not bring heavy snow to far northwestern areas that are hundreds of miles from the storm’s center of circulation.

      Winds gusted at 35 mph or above across southeastern spots for several hours, with the strongest gusts — some above 45 mph — blowing at the immediate coastline. It will be windy overnight with some blowing and drifting snow at times.

      The concern for flooding at the coastline is low, though splash-over is possible, especially at the high tide times. At Hampton Beach, the tide to monitor is 9:08 a.m. on Sunday.

      SUNDAY AND BEYOND

      Looking forward to Sunday, lots of sunshine is expected but it will be windy and bitterly cold in the morning with just a BIT of improvement in the afternoon.

      There is a wind chill advisory in Coos, Grafton and Sullivan counties.

      On Monday, it’ll be cold but less windy, while it’ll be more mild with some sunshine on Tuesday.

      Stay tuned to the Storm Watch 9 team for the latest forecast.

      Be weather aware! Download the WMUR app for Apple or Android devices and turn on push notifications. You can choose to receive weather alerts for your geolocation and/or up to three ZIP codes. In addition, you can receive word when precipitation is coming to your area.

      Source Article from https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-weather-january-29-2022/38930248

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      Incredible video shows Nantucket UNDERWATER as winter storm barrels through New England – Daily Mail
      Incredible video shows Nantucket UNDERWATER as winter storm barrels through New England – Daily Mail

      Parts of the Massachusetts island of Nantucket are underwater following a winter storm that lashed the Northeast with deep snow and gusts of wind close to hurricane force.

      In a video posted to TikTok on Saturday, homes appear to be completely stranded as a street became submerged.

      The houses were surrounded by cold grey water coming in from the Atlantic as a howling wind continued to blow waves ashore. 

      Gusty winds and falling temperatures have plunged the East Coast into a deep freeze as people dig out after a powerful nor’easter dumped mounds of snow, flooded coastlines and knocked out power to tens of thousands.

      Dangerous wind chills were expected to fall below zero across the region on Sunday after the storm dumped snow from Virginia to Maine. Philadelphia and New York had plenty of snow, but Massachusetts bore the brunt of the storm, with the town of Sharon getting more than 30 inches  of snow before the storm moved out.

      Winds gusted as high as 83 mph on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It scoured the ground bare in some spots and piled the snow into huge drifts in other

      Parts of Nantucket were seen to be underwater on Saturday as a winter storm lashed the region

      The houses were surrounded by cold grey water coming in from the Atlantic as a howling wind continued to blow waves ashore.

      Nantucket High School students row a canoe along a road during heavy flooding, in Nantucket, Massachusetts

      Millions of Americans were under winter weather alerts Saturday as a nor’easter slams the Northeast

      Other video showed wind and waves battering North Weymouth, south of Boston, flooding streets with frigid water while another saw waves crashing against the windows of a building in Plymouth.

      Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Massachusetts, with the failures mounting. No other states reported widespread outages.

      At its peak, 120,000 customers were without power across the state. By 9pm on Saturday night 89,000 were still in the dark.  

      Winds gusted as high as 70mph on Nantucket and over 60mph elsewhere in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

      Forecasters had warned that conditions would get worse as the day goes on with more than 30 inches of snow in the forecast.   

      A snow plow can be seen piling up snow at the side of the road near Boston

      Boston, in the crosshairs of the ‘nor’easter’, could get as much as 2ft of snow

      Forecasters watched closely for new snowfall records, especially in Boston, where the heaviest snow was expected later on Saturday

      A record-breaking blizzard hit Boston on  Saturday with whiteout conditions

      People cross Congress Street  in Boston. Forecasters watched closely for new snowfall records, especially in Boston which tied its record for biggest single-day snowfall on Saturday, with 23.6 inches, the National Weather Service said

      By early Saturday afternoon more than a foot of snow had fallen on parts of New Jersey’s shore and eastern Long Island.

      Boston, in the crosshairs of the ‘nor’easter’ tied its record for biggest single-day snowfall on Saturday, with 23.6 inches, the National Weather Service said. The Boston area’s modern snowfall record is 27.6 inches, set in 2003.

      New York City and Philadelphia were far from setting all-time records but still saw significant snowfall, with at least 7.5 inches in New York’s Central Park and at the Philadelphia airport. 

      Boston resident Jesse Ledin owns a home-goods rental business startup. He was out walking his dog in the storm, wearing ski goggles Saturday as he navigated gingerly through huge snow drifts and painful wind gusts.

      ‘It´s pretty intense with the winds getting up to 70 miles an hour. As for the depth, it´s pretty deep in spots with the wind and the snow drifts, but it´s pretty nasty out and I definitely wouldn´t want to be driving. So it´s nice to be able to walk through these huge snowdrifts and in pretty tough conditions,’ Ledin said.

      Climate change, particularly the warming ocean, probably influenced the strength of the storm, atmospheric researchers said.

      Much warmer ocean waters ‘are certainly playing a role in the strengthening of the storm system and increased moisture available for the storm,’ said University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Jason Furtado. ‘But it isn´t the only thing.’ 

      A man with a snow plow fills up his car with gas for the hours ahead 

      Streets were largely quiet save for several snow plows that were on the roads clearing the way

      Roads looked more like rinks as they were covered with thick layers of snow and ice

      If you need to get around in the northeast, you’d better have a plow on the front of your ride…

      Most flights into and out of the airports serving New York, Boston and Philadelphia were cancelled on Saturday, according to FlightAware.

      More than 4,500 flights were cancelled across the US, while Amtrak cancelled all of its high-speed Acela trains between Boston and Washington and cancelled or limited other services in the region.

      Across the region, residents hunkered down and avoided travel at the behest of government leaders, who warned of whiteout conditions. Business closed or opened late.

      In the seaside town of Newburyport, north of Boston near the New Hampshire border, officials strongly encouraged residents living along the shore to move to higher ground.   

      An abandoned shopping cart is seen sitting on a pile of the white stuff on Saturday morning

      Snow plows fill up with gas before heading back out onto the road to clear paths

      A truck is covered in snow during Winter Storm Kenan on Saturday

      A man is dressed in fluorescent clothing helping him stand out in the white-out conditions

      Across New York City, Coney Island reported 11 inches of snow throughout the day, so too did Howard Beach in Queens. 

      Almost 10 inches fell in parts of Staten Island, and 7.5 inches were reported in Central Park, according to the National Weather Service

      ‘Be careful, bundle up,’ city’s Mayor Eric Adams told residents. ‘It’s a good day to stay home if you don’t have to go out.’ 

      After the snow had moved out, temperatures were expected to fall to 14 degrees Fahrenheit  overnight with the wind chill plunging temperatures to minus 5 degrees. 

      The frigid temperatures are expected to last until Tuesday. Temperatures on Monday are forecast to be slightly warmer at 18 degrees. 

      Those in Long Island were hit harder with 16 inches having fallen in parts of Nassau County.

      Long Island MacArthur Airport in Suffolk County was under more than 22 inches, according to the weather service.  

      New York’s Governor Hochul said the storm was a ‘classic Nor’easter.’  

      ‘This is a very serious storm,’ Hochul said. ‘It could be life threatening. But we’ve prepared for this.’

      Pedestrians cross the street in Midtown during a Nor’easter storm on Saturday in New York City

      A couple cross an intersection in Midtown during a Nor’easter storm on Saturday

      Snow falls on the beachfront in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday

      A plough clears snow from a roadway during blizzard conditions in Atlantic City

      Snow falls on the casino area in Atlantic City, N.J. The first Nor’easter of 2022 blanketed New York and New Jersey with snow and high winds

      A powerful Nor’easter and winter storm affects daily life in New Jersey on Saturday

      An SUV slowly drives up a steep road covered in snow and slush in West New York, New Jersey. Parts of New Jersey have accumulated more than a foot of snow with wind gusts reaching above 40 mph

      The streets of New York City were treacherous with snow and ice blanketing the streets

      The streets of New York were eerily quiet with the storm keeping most people inside their homes

      A person carries a shopping bag during a snow storm on the Upper West Side on Saturday in New York City

      An aerial view of Central Park is seen with snow covered in New York City, United States as massive snow storm hit the east

      A woman pulls a child in a snow sled across Ninth Avenue in New York. The large storm hit a substantial portion of the East Coast of the United States

      Pedestrians cross the street in Midtown during a Nor’easter storm in New York City. The first Nor’easter of 2022 blanketed New York City with snow and high winds

      The storm had two saving graces: Dry snow less capable of snapping trees and tearing down power lines, and its timing on a weekend, when schools were closed and fewer people were commuting.

      Officials from Virginia to Maine warned people to stay off the roads.

      Rhode Island, all of which was under a blizzard warning, banned all nonemergency road travel starting at 8am. Fierce winds blew the snow sideways for hours in Providence.

      In West Hartford, Connecticut, a tractor-trailer jack-knifed on Interstate 84, closing several lanes. Massachusetts banned heavy trucks from interstate highways.

      On New York’s Long Island, East Hampton officials reported near-whiteout conditions, as much as 8 inches of snow by mid-morning and wind gusts of over 50mph.

      A couple walks through snow on Beacon Street past the Public Garden in Boston.

      Snow covers the entrance to a subway station. People from New York City to Maine awoke to deep snow and high winds as a powerful nor’easter kicked up blizzard conditions

      A man carefully walks down the snow covered subway stairs during a snow storm in Bushwick section of Brooklyn borough of New York 

      A stranded motorist, at right, gets help shoveling out their car from a passerby with a shovel in Providence, Rhode Island

      Signage outside of a motel is covered in snow in Ocean City, Maryland

      Water reaches flood level  in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston

      A worker clears the sidewalk at East Pier in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston

      Heavy snow is predicted for much of New England, Long Island and the New Jersey shore and coastline

      ‘There’s a lot of drifting of snow, so of course we’re urging people not to go out at all, allow the highway crews to do their job,’ town supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said.

      ‘It’s going to be challenging enough without people getting stuck in the roadway.’

      In Philadelphia, where 6in of snow was reported by early Saturday, few drivers ventured onto streets covered in knee-high drifts.

      Some parts of the Jersey Shore had more than 13in by midday, the National Weather Service reported.

      Delaware allowed only essential personnel to drive in two of its three counties.

      Many hardy New Englanders took the storm in stride.

      ‘This is nothing,’ said 34-year-old Nicky Brown, who has lived in Waltham nearly her whole life, except for a brief stint in northern Maine. ‘I’ve seen way worse up there.’

      Dave McGillivray, race director for the Boston Marathon, jokingly invited the public to his suburban Boston home on Saturday for a free snow-shoveling clinic.

      David Bowling, right, of Salisbury, Maryland walks with his children Liam Bowling, 9, center, and Kaylee Bowling, 17, as they check out the snow near amusement rides along the Ocean City Boardwalk on Saturday

      Xavier Martinez scrapes snow off his windshield during a storm in Providence, Rhode Isalnd

      A dog is followed by a couple as the stroll on the snow-covered boardwalk

      A pedestrian walks past a news ticker announcing a historic storm in Boston during a snow storm in New York’s Times Square. A powerful nor’easter swept up the East Coast on Saturday

      ‘I will provide the driveway and multiple walkways to ensure your training is conducted in the most lifelike situation,’ he said.

      Parts of 10 states were under blizzard warnings: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, along with much of the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

      Areas closest to the coast bore bear the brunt of the storm.

      Virginia, where a blizzard this month stranded hundreds of motorists for hours on Interstate 95, did not hesitate to get resources at the ready.

      In Maryland, the governor mobilized the National Guard. Washington and Baltimore were spared the worst of the storm.

      The worst of the storm was expected to blow over by Sunday morning into Canada, where several provinces are now under warnings.

      Visitors make their way through New York’s Times Square during a snow storm

      People make their way over the Williamsburg bridge during a snow storm

      A maintenance person spreads salt in front of a high rise building with snow stuck to it’s windows during a snow storm

      Visitors to New York’s Times Square take in the sights during a snow storm

      A person cross country skis through New York’s Times Square during a snow storm

      People walk in the snow outside Faneuil Hall, Saturday in Boston. Forecasters watched closely for new snowfall records, especially in Boston, where the heaviest snow was expected late Saturday

      Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10456177/Incredible-video-shows-Nantucket-UNDERWATER-winter-storm-barrels-New-England.html

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      Trump teases a presidential run and dangles pardons for January 6 rioters at Texas rally – CNN
      Trump teases a presidential run and dangles pardons for January 6 rioters at Texas rally – CNN

      By Eric Bradner, CNN

      Updated 12:48 AM ET, Sun January 30, 2022

      Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/30/politics/trump-rally-texas/index.html

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      9 killed in multiple car crash in North Las Vegas, police say – KLAS – 8 News Now
      9 killed in multiple car crash in North Las Vegas, police say – KLAS – 8 News Now

      LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– Police are investigating a six-car crash with nine people dead in North Las Vegas Saturday afternoon.

      Police were called to a crash shortly after 3:00 p.m near Cheyenne Avenue and Commerce Avenue.

      “There have been a total of confirmed nine deceased ages ranging from young juvenile to middle-aged adults,” police spokesman Alex Cuevas said.

      The driver of the Dodge Challenger died in the crash

      Speed was a factor as the driver who caused the crash ran a red light, police said.

      Fifteen people were involved in the crash.

      The coroner’s office will release the identities of the dead.

      The intersection is closed as police investigate.

      This is a developing story. Please check back later.

      Source Article from https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/several-killed-in-multiple-car-crash-in-north-las-vegas-police-say/

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      Blizzard confirmed in parts of New Hampshire as nor’easter pulls away – WMUR Manchester
      Blizzard confirmed in parts of New Hampshire as nor’easter pulls away – WMUR Manchester
      MANCHESTER, N.H. —

      A strong nor’easter that impacted New Hampshire brought blizzard conditions to parts of the state.

      The National Weather Service confirmed blizzard conditions in Portsmouth and Rochester on Saturday.

      The criteria for blizzard conditions is specific: Three consecutive hours of sustained winds or frequent gusts at 35 mph or above and falling or blowing snow that reduces visibility to a quarter of a mile or worse for at least three straight hours.

      >> Weather alerts

      It’s likely that conditions in Portsmouth, Rochester and other coastal communities achieved blizzard status from the late morning to the late afternoon, at least, on Saturday.

      The snow moved in Saturday morning and moved northward throughout the day. Snow fell heavily at times, especially after sunset, when some bands brought snowfall of 1-2 inches per hour.

      >> Interactive Radar

      Any leftover snow will quickly shut down with clearing skies overnight.

      When it’s all said and done, many spots in southeastern New Hampshire will see 8-14 inches of snow, with the highest amounts in southeastern parts of the state. Elsewhere north and west of the capital city, about 2-8 inches accumulated as the storm, although extremely strong, could not bring heavy snow to far northwestern areas that are hundreds of miles from the storm’s center of circulation.

      Winds gusted at 35 mph or above across southeastern spots for several hours, with the strongest gusts — some above 45 mph — blowing at the immediate coastline. It will be windy overnight with some blowing and drifting snow at times.

      The concern for flooding at the coastline is low, though splash-over is possible, especially at the high tide times. At Hampton Beach, the tide to monitor is 9:08 a.m. on Sunday.

      SUNDAY AND BEYOND

      Looking forward to Sunday, lots of sunshine is expected but it will be windy and bitterly cold in the morning with just a BIT of improvement in the afternoon.

      There is a wind chill advisory in Coos, Grafton and Sullivan counties.

      On Monday, it’ll be cold but less windy, while it’ll be more mild with some sunshine on Tuesday.

      Stay tuned to the Storm Watch 9 team for the latest forecast.

      Be weather aware! Download the WMUR app for Apple or Android devices and turn on push notifications. You can choose to receive weather alerts for your geolocation and/or up to three ZIP codes. In addition, you can receive word when precipitation is coming to your area.

      Source Article from https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-weather-january-29-2022/38930248

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      High winds, punishing waves batter coast throughout long-duration nor’easter – WCVB Boston
      High winds, punishing waves batter coast throughout long-duration nor’easter – WCVB Boston

      Coastal communities faced a powerful bomb cyclone a punishing mix of strong winds, heavy snow, power outages and some flooding.

      From Cape Ann to Cape Cod, waves crashed over seawalls and swelled harbors, creating some street flooding. On Cape Cod, the high winds blew a biting mix of ice, sand and wet snow.

      “‘Do not go out’ I guess is my message to everybody. Visibility is awful and the driving is bad. It’s getting to the point where we are going to bring our crews in for a little bit because it’s hard to see where they’re plowing. Don’t come out. Stay in your house,” said Scituate Town Administrator Jim Boudreau. “Do not put yourself in harm’s way by trying to see what is going on with the snow.”

      “Actually, it hasn’t been too bad with the wind. As long as you have visibility around your truck and you can see where you are, I feel I’m fine,” said Sandwich plow driver Dan Smith, estimating there was probably 100 to 150 yards of visibility.

      How much? Latest snowfall totals

      Info: Check Closings, Delays | Futurecast

      Stay updated with the WCVB App: Apple App Store | Google Play Store

      Several roads, including Quincy Shore Drive and several roads in Sandwich, were closed because of flooding.

      “Anytime there is a major storm, I come out. We have been talking about the storm for weeks. I had to get out here and experience it for myself,” said one man who was walking along Quincy Shore Drive. “The drifts are insane. I’ve been walking along the beach because the drifts were too much for me.”

      Officials on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket also reported street flooding.

      In Scituate, massive waves were crashing over the seawall on Rebecca Road an hour before high tide, and some street flooding was reported. The waves tossed rocks into the roadway.

      “Right around high tide, we were taking spray over the top of the house. It is starting to freeze up a little bit right now, but the wind is not as bad as expected so far. I think we recorded gusts at right around 50, but they are averaging 35, 40. We made it through the tide. We are just waiting for the next one,” said Scituate resident Dan Sullivan.

      Plymouth Fire Chief Ed Bradley said conditions in that town deteriorated quickly Saturday morning, especially along the water, and winds had picked up.

      “The wind picked up really quickly right after 6:00. Have had multiple transformer fires and wires down and power outages now right along the coastline in downtown Plymouth,” Bradley said.

      On the North Shore, Rockport Harbor saw white caps and the town blocked off part of the waterfront that’s likely to flood.

      A Rockport police officer told StormTeam 5’s AJ Burnett he was not aware of any reports of widespread power outages or flooding in town.

      Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said road crews have been out since about 3 a.m.

      “So far, they have kept up with the heavy snow, but I would say within the last 90 or so minutes, we’ve seen the winds definitely increase and we’ve probably had some whiteout conditions,” Fitzgerald said.

      Fitzgerald said they haven’t had many emergency calls, but stressed they were not out of the woods yet.

      “I think we are concerned about the power outages, but also, there is a potential for coastal flooding later on tonight,” he said.

      Duxbury Fire Chief Rob Reardon thanked people for staying home and off the roads, which allows emergency responders to do their jobs.

      “It is very important. It allows us to get around without problems. It is too dangerous out there right now. We are responding to fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms plus medicals. We have had a couple of accidents. For the most part, people are staying off the roads, which is great,” he said.

      By early afternoon, more than 100,000 customers were without power across Massachusetts, with most of the outages focused along the South Coast and Cape Cod.

      Scituate residents are asked to stay away from downed power lines and call the Fire Department at 911. Power issues should be reported to National Grid at 800-465-1212 or Eversource in Humarock at 800-286-2000.

      Source Article from https://www.wcvb.com/article/coastal-waking-to-damaging-noreaster/38930361

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      Trump diehards turn out in force for first Texas MAGA rally since he lost White House – Houston Chronicle
      Trump diehards turn out in force for first Texas MAGA rally since he lost White House – Houston Chronicle

      “He’s brought us all together,” Frazier said, adorned in Trump gear, gesturing to the hundreds of RVs, campers and tents spread out in the grassy lots around the fairgrounds, much like the scene at a music festival with top performers. “It’s like a family here.”

      Frazier, a 65-year-old retiree who worked at a Goodyear tire factory in Ohio for nearly four decades, laughs at the idea of being compared to the Dead Heads of old who would travel the nation following the Grateful Dead. He’s closing in on his 50th Trump rally.

      But Frazier allows there is one similarity: that sense of being around hundreds of like-minded people who aren’t judging you for who you are, even if just for a day or two.

      “It’s like a family here,” he said.

      While Trump has been out of the White House for just over a year, he continues to crisscross the nation, holding both festival-like rallies and exclusive fundraisers that hint he will run for president again in 2024. Before speaking to thousands in Conroe at his 8th MAGA rally since he left office, he is hitting high-dollar fundraisers in Houston and near Lake Conroe where his wealthiest supporters are paying as much as $100,000 per couple to be near him.

      It’s no surprise Trump would pick Montgomery County for just his 2nd free rally in 2022.

      The county is the only one in Texas with at least 100,000 voters in which Trump won 70 percent or more of the vote in 2020 over President Joe Biden. That makes it the reddest of red counties in a red state that Trump carried by 6 percentage points.

      CROWD GATHERS: As gates open at Trump rally in Conroe, line of waiting cars stretches for a mile

      Brian Farley, of Ohio, talks with his brother, Clyde, over lunch before two families went through security for the Save America Rally where former President Donald Trump will speak, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe.


      Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

      Rally goers cheer before the Save America Rally where former President Donald Trump will speak, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe.


      Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

      Rally goers head toward their seats after going through security for the Save America Rally where former President Donald Trump will speak, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe.


      Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

      A girl dressed as the Statue of Liberty is seen before the Save America Rally where former President Donald Trump will speak, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe.


      Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

      For Conroe resident Lee Wilhite, the hours before Trump’s speech were about tailgating outside his RV like before a football game with dozens of fellow fans.

      Wilhite, a first timer to a Trump rally, said there’s a laid back, blue-collar vibe to the gathering. He said coming to the rally with his wife felt like taking a stand.

      “We’re trying to do our part to do something for our country,” Wilhite said.

      He said he’s not sure if Trump is running again, but in the meantime wants the former president to see the movement he’s created.

      The rally comes at a critical time in the Texas Republican Primary season, too. Trump is supporting Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Trump has endorsed all three in the March 1 primary, but they all have serious GOP challengers.

      MORE ON THAT: Trump wades deeper into Texas politics with 20 endorsements in GOP primaries

      Crowds enter the Save America Rally where former President Donald Trump will speak, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in Conroe.

      Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

      As he did in Arizona for local candidates, Trump gave Abbott, Paxton and Miller all a chance to speak the crowd to help them build momentum, with early voting just two weeks away.

      Source Article from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/trump-rally-conroe-maga-roadshow-16816134.php

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      Thousands in Canada protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers – Business Insider
      Thousands in Canada protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers – Business Insider
      • After nearly a week of driving, Canadian truckers arrived at the nation’s capital this weekend.
      • What began as a protest against vaccine mandates evolved to include opposition to other measures.
      • Trudeau was moved as a precaution, but as of Saturday evening the protest remained peaceful.

      Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family were moved from their home in Ottawa to a secret location as thousands of people descended on Canada’s capital Saturday to protest vaccine mandates for truckers and other public health restrictions.

      Trudeau was relocated over security concerns earlier in the day, CBC reported, though the protests had remained peaceful as of Saturday evening, with no charges brought against any demonstrators, Ottawa police said.

       

      Truckers began arriving on Friday after nearly a week of driving across Canada. The “Freedom Convoy” began as a protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truckers who travel over the US-Canada border.

      Canada’s mandate, imposed on January 15, requires truckers to present proof of vaccination in order to cross the border. Truckers without a vaccine are required to quarantine and take a COVID-19 test when they return from the US.

      A similar mandate for truckers in the US was imposed on January 22.

      Insider’s Grace Kay previously reported that the mandates could worsen supply shortages and price increases in both countries. Trudeau said at a press conference Monday that the vast majority of Canadian truckers were already vaccinated.

      Supporters arrive at Parliament Hill for the Freedom Truck Convoy to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Ottawa, Canada, on January 29, 2022.

      Lars Hagberg/AFP/Getty Images


      “Almost 90% of truckers in Canada are already vaccinated, and the best way to continue to prevent supply chain disruptions is to ensure that everyone gets vaccinated,” he said.

      Since the convoy began, the protest has evolved to include other groups and people who are not truckers who oppose a variety of public health measures and government overreach in the pandemic. On Saturday, big rigs and people on foot filled the streets around Canada’s parliament as police monitored the crowds.

      “I’m not able to work no more because I can’t cross the border,” Csava Vizi, a trucker who said he was the primary provider for his family, told Reuters from inside his truck outside parliament. “I refuse the vaccine.”

       

      One Ottawa resident present and carrying a sign that said “Justin Trudeau makes me ashamed to be a Canadian” told the outlet: “Myself and a lot of other people are here because we’re just sick of the vaccine mandates and the lockdowns.”

      Despite security concerns in the days before the protest, Reuter reported the scene was peaceful and mostly “felt like a very cold street party, punctuated by blaring truck horns.”

      Source Article from https://www.businessinsider.com/thousands-canada-protest-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-truckers-justin-trudeau-2022-1

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      Inside the campaign to pressure Justice Stephen Breyer to retire – The Washington Post
      Inside the campaign to pressure Justice Stephen Breyer to retire – The Washington Post

      Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who last April became the first member of Congress to call on Breyer to retire, said, “I don’t like talking about it because it’s a sensitive subject. People adore Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But the fact is, due to decisions or non-decisions around retirement, made by her, we got Amy Coney Barrett.”

      Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/29/inside-campaign-pressure-justice-stephen-breyer-retire/

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      Russia moves naval exercise that rattled EU member Ireland – ABC News
      Russia moves naval exercise that rattled EU member Ireland – ABC News

      MOSCOW — Russia says it will relocate naval exercises off the coast of Ireland after Dublin raised concerns about them amid a tense dispute with the West over expansion of the NATO alliance and fears that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine.

      The Feb. 3-8 exercises were to be held 240 kilometers (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland — in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone. Ireland is a member of the 27-nation European Union but not a member of NATO.

      Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney this week objected to the war games, saying “This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine. The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”

      Russia’s embassy in Ireland on Saturday posted a letter on Facebook from Ambassador Yuriy Filatov saying the exercises would be relocated outside of the Irish economic zone ”with the aim not to hinder fishing activities.”

      The decision was a rare concession amid the escalating tensions surrounding Russia’s massing of an estimated 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and its demands that NATO promise never to allow Ukraine to join the alliance, stop the deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.

      The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war.

      Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no public remarks about the Western response. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it leaves little chance for reaching agreement, though he also says Russia does not want war.

      U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday that Putin could use any portion of his force to seize Ukrainian cities and “significant territories” or to carry out “coercive acts or provocative political acts” like the recognition of breakaway territories inside Ukraine.

      Two territories in eastern Ukraine have been under the control of Russia-backed rebels since 2014, after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.

      A Russian lawmaker is encouraging residents of those areas of Ukraine to join the Russian army, a sign that Moscow is continuing to try to integrate those territories as much as possible. Viktor Vodolatsky said Saturday that residents in rebels-held areas in eastern Ukraine fear assaults by Ukrainian forces and that those who hold Russian passports would be welcomed in the Russian military.

      “If Russian citizens residing in the (territories) want to join the Russian Armed Forces, the Rostov regional military commissariat will register and draft them,” Vodolatsky, deputy chairman of parliament committee on relations with neighbors, told the state news agency Tass.

      Russia has granted passports to more than 500,000 people in the rebel-held territories. Vodolatsky said the recruits would serve in Russia — but that leaves open the option that they could join any future invasion force.

      A senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration said the U.S. welcomed Lavrov’s comments that Russia does not want war, “but this needs to be backed up with action. We need to see Russia pulling some of the troops that they have deployed away from the Ukrainian border and taking other de-escalatory steps.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly.

      Lavrov has said the U.S. suggested the two sides could talk about limits on the deployment of intermediate-range missiles, restrictions on military drills and rules to prevent accidents between warships and aircraft. He said the Russians proposed discussing those issues years ago, but Washington and its allies never took them up on it.

      He also said those issues are secondary to Russia’s main concerns about NATO. He said international agreements say the security of one nation must not come at the expense of others, and said he would send letters to his Western counterparts asking them to explain their failure to respect that pledge.

      Washington has warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine, including penalties targeting top Russian officials and key economic sectors. Lavrov said Moscow had warned Washington that sanctions would amount to a complete severing of ties.

      NATO, meanwhile, said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region.

      Russia has launched military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, and dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic. Russian troops are also in Belarus for joint drills, raising Western fears that Moscow could stage an attack on Ukraine from the north from Belarus. The Ukrainian capital is only 75 kilometers (46 miles) from the border with Belarus.

      Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukrainian-rebel-region-residents-join-russian-military-82551436

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