Winter storm snarls travel: More than 1,000 flights canceled on Tuesday

Southwest Airlines alone has canceled more than 500 Tuesday flights, including nearly 300 at Chicago's Midway International Airport.

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Howard Schultz Responds to Dem Backlash Against His Presidential Run: ‘I Must be Doing Something Right’

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz conceded Wednesday that he is surprised by the extreme Democratic backlash against his recently-floated independent presidential run, but suggested the outsized attention may ultimately help get his message out. “I must be doing something right to create so much interest and backlash from the Democratic Party. "I must be doing something right to create so much interest and backlash from the Democratic Party.

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US retailers prepare to ring in the Year of the Pig

Retailers across the US are raising their game to celebrate the Year of the Pig.

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China slowdown weighs on revenue growth at internet giant Alibaba

Internet giant Alibaba saw its revenue growth slow in the final three months of last year, in quarterly results likely to stir up concerns over the weaker China market, recently signalled to by US tech giants.  Alibaba saw net income jump 33pc to 30.96bn yuan (£3.5bn) in the three months to the end of December, and revenue rose 41pc to 117.28bn yuan. However, shares dipped in New York trading, down 1.3pc, as investors took the results as a sign growth was waning, given Alibaba's revenue had grown more than 50pc for the 10 consecutive quarters prior to the most recent results.  The 41pc growth announced on Wednesday was the weakest Alibaba had recorded in three years.  The results follow a warning from Alibaba president Michael Evans earlier this month that China had "slowed down". Speaking at an event in New York, Mr Evans had said it was a market that "required patience", adding that there were some "troubling headwinds".  Last week, China posted figures revealing its economic growth in 2018 had been the weakest in 28 years amid tensions with the US and poor consumer confidence. The country's GDP growth for the year was 6.6pc, down from 2017's 6.8pc. Some economists are predicting growth could slip below 6pc going forward. Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Holdings, said: “We still think the Chinese economy could bottom out in the middle of the year. “There was no surprise from the GDP data but the basic message is that the Chinese economy is still slowing down." However, David Dai, of Bernstein, said the environment should improve for Alibaba in the second half of 2019 "as the Chinese government introduces measures to stimulate the economy and US China trade war stabilises". Alibaba is the first of China's big tech companies to report its results for the final three months of 2018, but follows a series of warnings over the state of the China market by US giants Apple, Intel and Nvidia.  Apple last night said sales of its iPhones slipped by 15pc in the final three months of 2018, largely due to weaker demand in China.  Speaking about Alibaba's results on Wednesday, however, boss Daniel Zhang was upbeat, saying: "Our resilient operating and financial performance is a direct reflection of our persistent focus on better serving our growing base of nearly 700 million consumers across retail, digital entertainment and local consumer services."

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Canada’s Decision on Huawei and 5G ‘Some Ways Off,’ Goodale Says

“I’m not going to speculate about time but it’s certainly beyond weeks,” Goodale told reporters Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. Goodale said Canada will take the view of allies such as the U.S. into account when studying potential risks to national security, and will make its own decision in the end. China’s ambassador to Canada and Huawei officials have denied the company’s gear is used for spying.

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Trump calls his own intel chiefs 'extremely passive and naive'

President Trump on Wednesday criticized his own intelligence chiefs a day after they broke with him in their assessments of the threats posed by North Korea, Iran and Syria.

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Trump slams U.S. intelligence chiefs as 'passive and naive' on Iran

Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the nuclear threat from North Korea persisted and Iran was not taking steps toward making a nuclear bomb, conclusions that contrasted starkly with Trump's assessments of those countries. "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran.

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Life in #Chiberia: It's so cold in the Midwest, beer is exploding and we're setting fire to train tracks to keep them running

A polar vortex has sent temperatures plunging well below zero in the Midwest, and residents are going to social media to share just how cold it is.

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Pregnant Lyft driver in third trimester stabbed to death by passenger, police say

A Lyft rider in suburban Phoenix stabbed his pregnant driver, killing the woman and her unborn child before stealing her vehicle and driving nearly 150 miles before being arrested near the California line, authorities said Monday.

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Senate judiciary chair requests FBI briefing on arrest of Trump ally

The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate judiciary panel on Wednesday requested a briefing from the FBI on the arrest of Roger Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, in an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Senator Lindsey Graham said he was concerned about the number of agents involved, tactics employed and the timing of Stone's arrest on Friday in Florida. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating U.S. allegations that Russia meddled in the election and whether members of the campaign of then-Republican candidate Trump coordinated with Moscow officials.

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Good-bye polar vortex, hello spring? Weekend will be 75 degrees warmer

The bitter cold that froze parts of the central and eastern U.S. this week will be a distant memory by the weekend.

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Top airline is selling flights for $44

Winter weather and the general lull of the post-holiday season can leave just

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Here's why you should have faith in Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation

Is the Mueller probe fair? Is it being conducted ethically? Who should we believe when the president tells us we can’t trust law enforcement?

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Spy chief contradicts Trump's claims of progress with North Korea

The director of national intelligence's downbeat assessment, in testimony before a Senate committee, came just weeks ahead of a planned second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The annual Worldwide Threat Assessment from the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI), released by Coats, noted that North Korea had not conducted any nuclear or missile tests in over a year and had declared its support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang had also "reversibly dismantled" parts of its infrastructure for weapons of mass destruction, the report said.

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The Latest: Extreme cold stops mail delivery in some states

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Latest on a major snowstorm and frigid weather in the Midwest (all times local):

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Venezuelans Take to the Caracas Streets to Pressure Maduro

Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in a second nationwide protest called by National Assembly President Juan Guaido, who is appealing to world leaders and, crucially, the armed forces to recognize him as the rightful head of state. About 30 people draped in Venezuelan flags and blowing whistles blocked Romulo Gallegos avenue in eastern Caracas, chanting "Guaido! Guaido!" Near Altamira’s business district, men and women in office clothes walked out of their buildings and stood on the sidewalks. The demonstration seemed most popular in eastern Caracas, where dozens gathered every couple of blocks.

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Chicago Police Investigating Possible Hate Crime Attack Against Empire Actor

Jussie Smollett told police that the attackers wrapped a rope around his neck

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My special needs students needed their teachers in the classroom — not on the picket line

The Los Angeles Unified School District strike resulted in historic wins for teachers. But students with disabilities were forced to bear the cost.

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Abrams, former Georgia governor candidate, to give Democrats' State of the Union response

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost Georgia's recent gubernatorial election, will deliver the Democrats' response to Republican President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said on Tuesday. “I’m very excited she has agreed to be the responder,” Schumer told reporters, adding that he had asked her to give the response several weeks ago. The response is a rebuttal delivered by the opposing party. Trump will deliver the State of the Union address on Feb. 5. It was originally scheduled for Jan. ...

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US weather forecast: Northern states to be colder than Antarctica as temperatures drop to -40C

Parts of America are enduring temperatures colder than Antarctica this week as a blast of Arctic air from the polar vortex has caused the mercury to plunge as low as -40C (-40F). US officials are urging residents from northern states to stay inside as the deep freeze sets in across the country, bringing with it life-threatening conditions that have forced rail workers in Chicago to start track fires to keep them warm enough to function, and led to warnings not to breathe too deeply when outside. Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's weather prediction centre in Maryland, said: “The heart of this cold ... is hitting us now.

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Alibaba profit up 37% but revenue growth eases

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba said Wednesday that net profit increased 37 percent in the latest quarter as growth in cloud computing and other business lines helped offset a slowing expansion in core online retail. The company's net profit grew to 33.0 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) in the October-December third quarter, compared to 24.1 billion yuan over the same period in 2017. Alibaba dominates China's emerging consumer culture and its corporate results were widely anticipated for any signs of whether a worsening Chinese economic slowdown and the US-China trade tussle was curbing the country's appetite for shopping.

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Trump: Intel Chiefs ‘Passive and Naive When It Comes to the Dangers of Iran’

President Trump lashed out at top U.S. intelligence officials on Wednesday, a day after they contradicted his assessment of the Iranian nuclear threat in a joint appearance before Congress. The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. Since ending the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, they are MUCH different, but….

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Denmark is building a 'wall' on its German border. To stop pigs

Crews began working in Padborg, and the roughly 5-foot-tall fence is scheduled to be completed in the fall this year, the Danish government said.

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Graham asks FBI director for briefing on Roger Stone raid

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that he wants a briefing from the FBI on the tactics it used last week when agents arrested President Donald Trump's confidant Roger Stone as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

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Arctic air sends temperatures well below zero in midwest US

A brutal cold wave moved eastward Thursday after bringing temperatures in the US Midwest lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses and raising fears of hypothermia. Mail deliveries were suspended and people were encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation. The phenomenon stemming from a blast of Arctic air caused surreal scenes throughout the region, such as steam rising off the waters of Lake Michigan -- the result of extremely cold air passing over warmer water below.

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Polar vortex stalks Midwest, 'El Chapo' trial, Roger Goodell talks state of NFL: 5 things to know Wednesday

Polar vortex expected to paralyze parts of U.S. with extreme cold, Roger Goodell talks state of the NFL and more things to start your Wednesday.

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'Don't deal in Venezuelan gold,' White House says, in anti-Maduro push

National security adviser John Bolton tweeted that traders should not deal in gold, oil or other commodities "being stolen" from the Venezuelan people, as opponents of Maduro's government worried that a Russian-operated plane had shipped gold out of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon. The White House said U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim president, Juan Guaido, by phone on Wednesday, reiterating support for his "fight to regain democracy." On one side of the tussle for control of Venezuela, an OPEC member that has the world's largest oil reserves but is in dire financial straits, Guaido and Western backers led by the United States are insisting on an immediate transition and fresh elections.

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PG&E files for bankruptcy amid California wildfire lawsuits, citing billions in claims

The utility filed bankruptcy documents despite investigators determining last week that its equipment was not to blame for a 2017 fire that killed 22.

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It’s So Cold Throughout Much of the Country, the Postal Service Will Not Deliver Mail in Many States

A "record arctic air mass" is bringing dangerously low temperatures

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Venezuela targets Guaido with probe, travel ban, asset freeze

The court also said prosecutors could investigate Guaido, in apparent retaliation for sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday. The sanctions mean the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years.

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Dutch Cabinet Gets Emergency Powers in Case of No-Deal Brexit

A majority of lawmakers in the parliament’s lower house in The Hague granted the cabinet a six month period -- rather than a year as the government had proposed -- to use special powers as the country of about 17 million prepares for the eventuality of the U.K. leaving the European Union without a divorce agreement. Under the new legislation, the government will have to submit emergency measures to parliament within ten weeks after implementing them. If the government fails to submit within the set time-frame, the measures will be scrapped.

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Trump calls his own intel chiefs 'extremely passive and naive'

President Trump on Wednesday criticized his own intelligence chiefs a day after they broke with him in their assessments of the threats posed by North Korea, Iran and Syria.

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China slowdown weighs on revenue growth at internet giant Alibaba

Internet giant Alibaba saw its revenue growth slow in the final three months of last year, in quarterly results likely to stir up concerns over the weaker China market, recently signalled to by US tech giants.  Alibaba saw net income jump 33pc to 30.96bn yuan (£3.5bn) in the three months to the end of December, and revenue rose 41pc to 117.28bn yuan. However, shares dipped in New York trading, down 1.3pc, as investors took the results as a sign growth was waning, given Alibaba's revenue had grown more than 50pc for the 10 consecutive quarters prior to the most recent results.  The 41pc growth announced on Wednesday was the weakest Alibaba had recorded in three years.  The results follow a warning from Alibaba president Michael Evans earlier this month that China had "slowed down". Speaking at an event in New York, Mr Evans had said it was a market that "required patience", adding that there were some "troubling headwinds".  Last week, China posted figures revealing its economic growth in 2018 had been the weakest in 28 years amid tensions with the US and poor consumer confidence. The country's GDP growth for the year was 6.6pc, down from 2017's 6.8pc. Some economists are predicting growth could slip below 6pc going forward. Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Holdings, said: “We still think the Chinese economy could bottom out in the middle of the year. “There was no surprise from the GDP data but the basic message is that the Chinese economy is still slowing down." However, David Dai, of Bernstein, said the environment should improve for Alibaba in the second half of 2019 "as the Chinese government introduces measures to stimulate the economy and US China trade war stabilises". Alibaba is the first of China's big tech companies to report its results for the final three months of 2018, but follows a series of warnings over the state of the China market by US giants Apple, Intel and Nvidia.  Apple last night said sales of its iPhones slipped by 15pc in the final three months of 2018, largely due to weaker demand in China.  Speaking about Alibaba's results on Wednesday, however, boss Daniel Zhang was upbeat, saying: "Our resilient operating and financial performance is a direct reflection of our persistent focus on better serving our growing base of nearly 700 million consumers across retail, digital entertainment and local consumer services."

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Polar vortex causes another lousy travel day for fliers, over 3,500 flights canceled

Brrr! The polar vortex caused hordes of flights to be canceled across the country on Wednesday.

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Trump orders ‘several thousand’ more troops to US-Mexico border, costing taxpayers over $600m

Donald Trump’s White House administration has ordered “several thousand” more troops to the US-Mexico border, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. Acting Defense Department Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the latest dispatch of troops to the southern border would occur “soon” following a new request from the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, reports indicate the president’s demands for an increased US military presence along the border are expected to cost American taxpayers over $600m (£458m).

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'El Chapo' defense rests after calling one witness

After that, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, who is presiding over the trial in Brooklyn federal court, will instruct the jury so it can begin deliberating Guzman's fate. The brief defense case was in sharp contrast to the 10-week presentation put on by prosecutors, who called over 50 witnesses to testify. Guzman said on Monday that he would not testify in his own defense.

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Venezuela crisis: Maduro accuses Trump of hiring Colombian mafia to assassinate him

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused President Donald Trump of hiring the local mafia to assassinate him in an interview with a Russia state-run news agency. “Donald Trump has without doubt given an order to kill me and has told the government of Colombia and the Colombian mafia to kill me,” Mr Maduro told RIA news agency on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Critics argue that the 56-year-old’s claim is a red-herring tactic to rally up support in Venezuela amid mass protests against his socialist government, and the debilitating inflation and food and medicine shortages in the Latin American country.

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Vale's Management Team Is on Thin Ice After Deadly Dam Break

It is the second deadly mining disaster involving Vale in only about three years and the company has come under intense scrutiny since images of death and destruction began flooding the airwaves on Friday. While Vale has taken steps in recent years to shield itself from state intervention, the government is still indirectly the company’s largest shareholder through a Banco do Brasil pension fund, known as Previ.

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US Midwest braces for dangerous arctic chill

Millions of Americans braced Tuesday for a dangerous polar vortex which began to settle over a broad swath of the United States, threatening to set new records for cold as schools and businesses closed and authorities warned of frostbite. Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching over 1,200 miles from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast temperatures between -10 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 to -40 Celsius) by Wednesday, with wind chill making it seem as cold as -65 degrees Fahrenheit in one area of Minnesota.

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Trump slams U.S. intelligence chiefs as 'passive and naive' on Iran

Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the nuclear threat from North Korea persisted and Iran was not taking steps toward making a nuclear bomb, conclusions that contrasted starkly with Trump's assessments of those countries. "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran.

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Kids (not just infants!) can now fly for free on Frontier Airlines, but there's a catch

Frontier Airlines is letting kids fly for free as part of their Discount Den program, which costs about $60 a year. Here's what you need to know.

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Dangerous arctic chill sweeps over US Midwest

Tens of millions of people in the United States are bracing for a potentially life-threatening deep arctic chill forecast to hit swaths of the country on Wednesday. The US Postal Service -- known for its commitment to bringing the mail whatever the weather -- has even reportedly suspended deliveries in Iowa due to the severe cold. Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record.

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'Naive': President Trump disputes his own intelligence chiefs on Iran, North Korea

President Trump takes to Twitter to defend his foreign policy on Iran, North Korea, and other issues.

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'Serious consequences,' U.S. warns, after Venezuela moves on Guaido

The sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday, means the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years. The measures triggered higher global oil prices, angry responses from China and Russia and the first serious moves against Guaido since he challenged Maduro's claim on the presidency last week.

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'El Chapo' must not 'escape' again, U.S. prosecutor tells jury

Accused Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's repeated escapes from the law prove that he "knows he's guilty," a U.S. prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments at his trial on Wednesday, urging them not to let him escape again. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg's description of Guzman's history of dramatic prison escapes capped off a day-long summation in federal court in Brooklyn in which she also attacked the defense argument that Guzman was a scapegoat.

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No mail will be delivered to parts of seven states as polar vortex chills postal delivery

So much for "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night." The U.S. mail won't be delivered tomorrow in four states due to the crippling cold of the polar vortex.

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World stocks mixed amid fears for trade talks, Brexit hopes

SINGAPORE (AP) — World markets were mixed Tuesday amid concerns that U.S. criminal charges against China's Huawei could complicate trade talks, though European indexes were up on optimism over Brexit.

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The impact of the frigid cold, snowstorm, by the numbers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A look at how this week's snowstorm and bitter cold have affected the United States, by the numbers:

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Venezuela crisis: Chief prosecutor asks court to ban opposition leader from leaving country and freeze his accounts

Venezuela’s chief prosecutor has asked the country’s top court to impose a travel ban on opposition leader Juan Guaido and freeze his accounts. The United States, along with several other countries, has recognized Mr Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state and denounced leftist president Nicolas Maduro as a usurper. Mr Maduro, who was sworn in earlier this month for a second term after disputed elections last year, accuses Mr Guaido of staging a US-directed coup.

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Post-shutdown, some Republicans see door ‘slightly ajar’ to challenging Trump

It’s still a long shot, but a few Republicans are beginning to muse about a possible primary challenge to President Trump.

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