Winter storm to bring heavy snow, ice, freezing temps to millions
ABC News
(NEW YORK) — As a deep winter chill begins to take over the northern half of the country, a new major winter storm will move across the U.S. this weekend into early next week.
The storm kicks off on Saturday as a mix of rain, snow and ice develops over the central Plains. The Kansas City, Missouri, area will likely see dangerously slick travel on Saturday evening as a wintry mix moves in.
The storm then follows Interstate 70 to St. Louis, where heavy snow and ice may strike from Saturday night through Sunday.
By Sunday, a number of cities from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic could be facing hazardous travel as the ice and snow moves east.
Meanwhile, in the South, thunderstorms with damaging winds and scattered tornadoes are possible from Houston to Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday afternoon.
By Sunday night, snow could move into Washington, D.C., causing a dangerous Monday morning commute across much of the mid-Atlantic.
Baltimore and Philadelphia have the potential to see 6 inches or more of snow.
After the storm moves offshore, bitter cold air will move in behind it.
A portion of the polar vortex will likely trigger temperatures 10 to 25 degrees below normal for the eastern half of the U.S. by the middle of next week.
The wind chill — what temperature it feels like — could plunge below zero from the Midwest to the Northeast, and sub-freezing temperatures are forecast as far south as Florida.
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — Two days after President Joe Biden issued a blanket pardon to his son Hunter Biden, the younger Biden’s federal gun case in Delaware was terminated Tuesday by the judge overseeing the case.
“In the absence of binding precedent” for a case that had yet to reach sentencing, “all proceedings in this case are hereby terminated,” U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote in a brief docket entry Tuesday.
In a court filing Monday, prosecutors had urged Noreika to terminate the case instead of dismissing the indictment, in order to allow the record of the case to continue to exist.
Prosecutors in special counsel David Weiss’ office, who brought both the gun case and separate tax-related charges against Hunter Biden, on Monday made a similar filing to the federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case in California.
President Biden on Sunday issued a blanket pardoned to his son, who earlier this year was convicted on federal gun charges and pleaded guilty to tax-related charges, and was scheduled to be sentenced in both cases later this month.
(NEW YORK) — Police are questioning 26-year-old Luigi Mangione in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as a person of interest in connection with the brazen Midtown Manhattan murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, according to authorities.
Mangione, from Maryland, has been arrested by Altoona police on unrelated gun charges, according to authorities.
He was on a Greyhound bus traveling through Altoona on Monday morning, sources said, when he got off and walked into a McDonald’s where a witness recognized him from the images of the suspect circulated by police.
Mangione was sitting and eating when a McDonald’s employee reported him, and “because of that, we believe we have a strong person of interest,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference Monday.
“He matches the description of the person we are looking for,” Adams said.
Mangione had a ghost gun capable of firing a 9 mm round and a suppressor, police said.
Mangione was in possession of a handwritten document “that speaks to his motivation and mindset,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
“It does seem that he had some ill will toward corporate America,” police said.
Authorities are going through his writings more thoroughly to understand his motive.
He was also in possession of a fake New Jersey driver’s license similar to the one the suspect used to check into a hostel in New York City before the shooting, she said.
Tisch praised the “good old fashioned detective work” of the NYPD and the “power of the public” that led to the arrest.
Police said it appears he acted alone.
Police said they’re working to trace his movements from New York City to Pennsylvania.
Police said they did not have his name before now.
Meanwhile, new video obtained by ABC News shows the killer waiting for Thompson moments before the shooting.
The video shows others pass by, and then, when the masked gunman sees Thompson, he runs across the street and opens fire. The video, which has not previously been seen publicly, appears to support the police narrative that the shooter targeted Thompson because he loitered while others wandered by.
On Wednesday morning, the masked gunman shot Thompson at point-blank range outside the New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson’s company was holding an investors conference. Tisch described the attack as “brazen” and “targeted.”
Right after the shooting, the suspect fled by bike through Central Park to the Upper West Side. He then took a taxi to the Port Authority bus facility at 178th Street and boarded a bus out of New York City, according to police.
On Sunday, members of the New York Police Department’s dive team searched underwater in Central Park near the Bethesda Fountain.
The suspect’s backpack — with a jacket and Monopoly money inside — was found nearby in Central Park.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson, Jon Haworth, Ivan Pereira and David Brennan contributed to this report.
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to finally book a dream vacation or put some points to good use and fly to a new destination, there are some travel requirements taking effect in 2025 that everyone should keep in mind.
REAL ID
Americans should make sure their identification is up to date sooner than later this winter, because starting May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enforce the use of REAL ID at airports and some federal facilities.
U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant in order to board domestic flights. Read more about the requirement here and see how to obtain your REAL ID on time.
Entering the UK with ETA
The expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) program will impact U.S. and European travelers headed to the United Kingdom.
Starting Jan. 8, 2025, ETA registration will be required by inbound travelers so that UK authorities can screen visitors before arrival, which was modeled after the U.S.’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) system in an effort to reduce potential security risks and make border entry more efficient.
The ETA, which costs approximately $13, is not a visa and does not replace any existing visa requirements.
Americans traveling to the U.K. on or after Jan. 8 can apply through the UK government’s official website here or use the ETA app.
The ETA is valid for multiple entries into the UK through a two-year period.
ETIAS entry and exit requirements
Though not yet operational, the European Union’s European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which has been postponed multiple times, is expected to take effect in May 2025.
U.S. passport holders who previously traveled to Europe without a visa will now need to apply for authorization through the ETIAS platform before visiting.
Once granted ETIAS travel authorization, travelers will be able to enter participating countries multiple times for short-term stays — usually up to 90 days — over a 180-day period. The ETIAS is valid for up to three years, but if your passport expires, a new ETIAS travel authorization will be required.
Read more about ETIAS requirements and how to apply here.
New protections for air travelers
Earlier this year, new federal regulations took effect that require airlines to make it easier for ticketed passengers to get their money back after flight cancellations or other significant changes.
Under the new Department of Transportation rules, travelers can easily receive automatic refunds if they opt not to take a rebooked flight, significant delays are clearly defined across all airlines, and travelers are eligible for refunds on bag fees if a bag is delayed for over 12 hours (or 15-30 hours for international flights), refunds on ancillary paid services that don’t work such as WiFi, and 24/7 live customer service support channels.
Click here to read more details on what’s new under the updated DOT airline rules.
