The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated just for Money and Markets readers: deep freeze in the Midwest, personal security and freedom, and marijuana legalization.
Killer chiller
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‘Life-Threatening’ Cold Bites U.S. Midwest
“The coldest temperatures in almost two decades will spread into the northern and central U.S.,” the National Weather Service said. “Combined with gusty winds, these temperatures will result in life-threatening wind chill values as low as 60 degrees below zero.”
Coldest Air in 20 Years to Aim at Nation’s Heartland
This brutal cold will bring danger to millions from the northern Plains to the Midwest and down into the Tennessee Valley. Overnight lows are forecast to dip well below the zero-degree mark in these areas, even dropping to 30 below zero in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Arctic Birds Seen in Florida
The Florida Times-Union reports that one of the Arctic birds has been spotted since last week in Little Talbot Island State Park. It’s only the third-ever sighting of a snowy owl confirmed in Florida.
Chicago Teachers Union Demands School Close
According to the National Weather Service, the wind chill factor is expected to hit a low of -45 degrees. Schools throughout the Chicago area have announced school closings for Monday, including Northwestern, DePaul and the University of Chicago.
Man Burns Down House Trying to Thaw Pipes With Blow Dryer
The fire started after he used a hair dryer and a propane or kerosene heater to thaw frozen pipes under the house. He said he apparently fell asleep on a couch and was awakened by popping sounds.
Personal security and freedom
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Rand Paul to Sue Obama Over NSA Spying
This lawsuit allows the American people to join together in a grassroots manner against President Obama’s NSA with a sitting U.S. senator at the helm. Two prior class-action lawsuits were filed in June. Classes have not yet been certified in those cases.
Secret Court Approves Three More Months of NSA Phone Snooping
The secret court that oversees the nation’s intelligence activities renewed its approval of the National Security Agency’s telephone-records program on Friday, granting the government a new three-month window to collect data on all Americans’ phone calls.
NSA Won’t Say Whether It Spies on Congress
The independent senator from Vermont sent a letter to the agency Friday, asking whether it has or is “spying” on members of Congress and other elected American officials. The NSA provided a response Saturday that said Congress has “the same privacy protections as all U.S. persons.”
We Are in Danger of Repeating the Mistakes That Started WWI, Historian Says
Professor MacMillan highlights a string of parallels between today and a century ago. Modern-day Islamist terrorists mirror the revolutionary communists and anarchists who carried out a string of assassinations in the name of a philosophy that sanctioned murder to achieve their vision of a better world.
Risk of ‘Globally Cataclysmic’ Volcano Eruption far Greater Than Previously Thought
Preventing a supervolcanic eruption is not possible, but scientists are currently trying to devise methods of monitoring the pressure of underground magma in order to predict whether one is imminent.
Marijuana legalization
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New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.
Colorado’s Pot Shops Say They’ll Be Sold Out Any Day Now
A few days into the experiment, the new world of legal-recreational-marijuana sales in Colorado appears to be a big success — so much so that pot shops are finding it impossible to keep up with demand.
Colorado Is Pot-Friendly but Denver Airport Is No-Pot Zone
Airport police at Denver International Airport will likely not arrest you the first time if you are caught carrying a small amount of pot. If you insist on getting on your flight, you must toss it in the trash. If you can’t part with your marijuana, you need to take it with you as you leave the airport.
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
