Editor's note: For the latest on the severe winter weather, click here.
An "intense" winter storm threatens to disrupt travel ahead of the New Year's holiday period, as forecasters warn of frigid Arctic air surging into the eastern two-thirds of the country — including Florida.
The big picture: The latest extreme weather to snarl U.S. holiday season travel after heavy snow and powerful winds pummeled the Midwest and Northeastern U.S. this week saw a bomb cyclone and trailing Arctic airmass trigger more heavy lake-effect snow and subfreezing temperatures in the Eastern U.S.
President Trump casually told a radio show last week that the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility," seemingly in Venezuela, as part of the militarized pressure campaign against alleged narco-terrorists.
The big picture: If the U.S. struck Venezuela as the president suggested, it would be a major escalation in Trump's mission targeting the Caribbean nation. Yet three days after the remarks, no government agency has provided details, confirmation or evidence of any such attack.
Editor's note: For the latest on the winter storm, click here.
Arctic air blasted the Plains Sunday, as forecasters warned an "intense cyclone" system would threaten parts of the Midwest and Northeastern U.S. with heavy snow and blizzard conditions this week, while New England faces freezing rain.
The big picture: The National Weather Service said other potential hazards for these areas over the next 48 hours include "widespread blustery winds to locally damaging winds," as a "potent winter storm" producing frigid temperatures sweeps across from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes Sunday into Monday.