A bomb cyclone and deep freeze hit the Eastern seaboard, bringing blizzard-like conditions across the Carolinas and parts of the mid-Atlantic. Heavy snow and high winds knocked out visibility, snarled travel and closed roads. More than 2,200 flights were canceled; an 18-wheeler collided with a train outside Charlotte; a freight truck cab was crushed at a crossing. Temperatures plunged, producing dangerous wind chills as low as 20 below in places and prompting cold-weather alerts for more than 200 million people. Virginia Beach and Norfolk saw fast-falling snow and strong gusts; the Carnival cruise in Norfolk cut a trip short. Florida — including Tallahassee and Tampa — experienced unusually cold conditions. Crews in the Northeast worked to clear snow and ice; the DC National Guard joined efforts to remove hazardous buildup from schools. National Guard units stood ready in multiple states to assist local communities.
In Minneapolis, immigration enforcement actions and new ICE policies have provoked protests and fears among migrant communities. Demonstrations targeted Target stores and other locations; activists demanded limits on ICE activity on private property. The nine-week immigration crackdown has driven many undocumented people into hiding; nonprofits report mounting eviction notices and difficulty paying rent for migrants who can’t work. A federal judge ordered the release of a five-year-old boy and his father from ICE detention after their case drew international attention.
The federal government faced a partial shutdown after Congress failed to fund some agencies before a Friday night deadline. The Senate passed measures to keep most agencies running, but separate Homeland Security funding remained unresolved, driven by disputes over ICE reform and border enforcement. Democrats pressed for reforms including tighter warrant requirements for home entries, body cameras and limits on roving ICE patrols; some Republicans linked DHS funding to other immigration priorities. The lack of final House action left parts of the government partially unfunded until lawmakers return.
Internationally, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 30 people in one of the deadliest days in months, according to Gaza health officials; Israel said it struck Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets for violating a ceasefire. Tensions also rose in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. military positioned forces in the region; Iran announced live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz while Tehran continues to confront large-scale domestic protests and a harsh government crackdown. U.S. leaders warned of consequences if Iranian forces acted against American interests or if the regime failed to negotiate over nuclear concerns.
The U.S. Coast Guard recovered debris and called off the search for the fishing vessel Lilly Jean off Massachusetts after a distress call; a body was found. The boat’s captain and crew had been featured on the History Channel’s Nor’easter Men.
In space news, Blue Origin paused New Shepard flights for at least two years to concentrate on NASA’s Artemis lunar plans. NASA’s Artemis II moon mission — a crewed circumlunar test flight — was delayed by extreme cold. Artemis II’s crew will fly around the moon without landing: Commander Reid Wiseman; Christina Koch, who would be the first woman to see the moon closely; Victor Glover, set to become the first Black astronaut on a moon mission; and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to join a moon-bound flight. The 10-day mission, launching from Kennedy Space Center, mirrors Apollo 8’s test flight in 1968 and is designed to pave the way for a lunar landing by NASA in the coming years.
A long-forgotten live recording from 1967 by Sly and the Family Stone — from the Winchester Cathedral club in Daly City — has been restored and released. Archivist Alec Palao worked on restoring the tapes; the resulting album, The First Family — Live at the Winchester Cathedral, 1967, earned Palao a Grammy nomination for Best Album Notes. The rediscovered performance showcases the band’s early energy and has been called “sheer magic” by those who helped bring the recording to light.
Entertainment and other headlines: actor Demond Wilson, known for playing Lamont on the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, died at 79 from complications of prostate cancer. At the Australian Open in Melbourne, Elena Rybakina upset world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the title. In Big Bear, California, eagle-watchers were heartbroken when ravens invaded the nest of beloved eagles Jackie and Shadow and pecked at two newly laid eggs; the couple, watched by millions online, had previously raised chicks in 2019 and 2022.
CBS Weekend News continued coverage of these stories and more, reporting the wide-ranging impacts of the historic winter storm, the political fallout over immigration enforcement, rising tensions abroad, and developments in space exploration.