95.1 The Bee

A sprawling and unusually powerful winter storm has battered vast portions of the United States, coating roads in dangerous ice, burying cities under heavy snow, and plunging temperatures to life-threatening lows. The system has knocked out electricity for more than one million customers across the mid-Atlantic, South, and Midwest, while disrupting travel nationwide and forcing widespread closures.

The storm has also proven deadly, with at least seven people dead nationwide in connection with the extreme cold, including two men in Louisiana whose deaths were attributed to hypothermia. Officials fear the toll could rise as freezing temperatures persist and many residents remain without heat or shelter.

Utility tracking site PowerOutage.us reported that more than 1,018,000 customers were without power Sunday afternoon, with Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana among the hardest-hit states. Tennessee alone saw roughly 306,700 outages, followed by Mississippi with about 175,300 and Louisiana with around 145,100. Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama, and Virginia also reported tens of thousands of customers in the dark. Officials warned that restoration efforts could take days in some areas, especially where thick ice has brought down trees and power lines.

In Nashville, nearly 200,000 customers lost electricity, and the local utility cautioned that repairs could extend well into the week. In Shelby County, Texas, heavy ice snapped tree branches and toppled power lines, leaving about one-third of the county without electricity. In Louisville, Kentucky, authorities responded to more than 850 calls related to crashes, stranded drivers, and cold exposure. Virginia State Police reported handling at least 177 accidents, including 14 that caused injuries.

Across the Midwest, wind chills plunged as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, creating conditions where frostbite can develop within minutes. Rhinelander, Wisconsin, recorded a reading of minus 36 degrees early Saturday — its coldest temperature in nearly three decades. Meteorologists warned that the frigid air mass trailing the storm would prolong hazardous conditions and slow recovery efforts. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts,” said Allison Santorelli of the National Weather Service.

Air travel was also thrown into chaos as airports struggled to keep runways clear. More than 17,000 flights were canceled over the weekend, including over 10,000 on Sunday alone, with an additional 2,000 already called off for Monday. Schools in major cities from Texas to the Northeast closed or shifted to remote learning, while universities in states such as North Carolina and Mississippi canceled classes.

As the storm advanced northeast, heavy snow blanketed the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor. Boston braced for up to 23 inches, a total that could place the city among its top 10 two-day snowfalls on record, approaching the historic benchmark of 27.6 inches. In addition, officials across New Jersey and New York urged residents to avoid travel.   Forecasters described the massive storm as affecting a stretch of nearly 2,000 miles from the southern Rockies to New England.

Nearly 185 million people across 23 states remain under winter weather alerts or states of emergency, and authorities caution that the danger is far from over. While conditions are expected to gradually improve next week, bitter cold and lingering snow and ice are likely to keep travel hazardous and recovery slow in the days ahead.

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Minnesota officials are pressing for full transparency and accountability following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti by a federal agent in south Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests, lawsuits, and intense scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.

The shooting marked the second fatal incident involving a federal agent and a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis this month, further escalating public anger and sparking demonstrations in Minnesota and neighboring states. As legal challenges proceed and investigations continue, state and city leaders say restoring trust will require a full, transparent accounting of what happened.

Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital and a licensed gun owner with no criminal record, was shot and killed Saturday morning during a confrontation involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Authorities alleged that Pretti approached officers with a firearm, a claim sharply disputed by state officials and contradicted by witness video. Federal officials initially claimed the agent fired in self-defense after trying to disarm Pretti.

The confrontation unfolded amid heightened immigration enforcement activity across Minneapolis, which has already drawn criticism and public demonstrations. Border Patrol officials said agents were pursuing a man suspected of being in the country illegally and wanted for domestic assault when protesters attempted to interfere.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino asserted that Pretti posed a serious threat, with Noem labeling the incident “domestic terrorism.” However, state and city leaders quickly challenged that account, citing multiple videos that appear to show Pretti holding only a cellphone at the time he was shot. Local leaders accused federal officials of rushing to shape the narrative without evidence. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office will seek court intervention to halt the ongoing federal operation, while the City of Minneapolis is pursuing its own legal action.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, after reviewing footage from several angles, rejected the federal explanation, calling it “nonsense.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the videos showed “more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents, shooting him to death.”

Videos verified by CBS News depict Pretti standing in the street, recording events with his phone in his right hand while his left hand appears empty. During a scuffle, an officer in a gray jacket is seen reaching into the struggle without a weapon and then stepping away holding a gun, turning his body just as the first shot is fired. Additional gunfire follows, though the footage does not conclusively show who fired first.

Eyewitness accounts submitted in sworn court statements further challenge the federal version of events. One witness said Pretti was merely recording the scene and attempting to help another protester when agents used pepper spray and forced him to the ground. “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them — he wasn’t even turned toward them,” the witness wrote. “They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) filed a lawsuit alleging that federal officials blocked state investigators from accessing the scene, despite a judge-signed search warrant. A U.S. District Court judge later issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security from altering or destroying evidence connected to the case. State officials say the incident raises serious concerns about federal overreach and interference with lawful investigations.

Pretti’s family described him as “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.” They condemned what they called “sickening lies told about our son by the administration.”

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Former special counsel Jack Smith appeared publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday for the first time, forcefully defending his investigations into Donald Trump and warning that the rule of law in the United States must not be taken for granted.

Smith oversaw two federal probes that led to more than 40 criminal charges against Trump — one focused on efforts to overturn the 2020 election and another centered on the alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. Both cases were dropped after Trump’s reelection in 2024, citing Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, calling the investigations politically motivated “witch hunts.”

During his testimony, Smith rejected claims that politics influenced his decisions and said the evidence justified bringing charges. He told lawmakers his team uncovered “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump engaged in a “criminal scheme” to overturn the election and knowingly violated federal law.

Smith testified: “Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump is the person who caused Jan. 6, that it was foreseeable to him and that he sought to exploit the violence. We followed the facts and we followed the law — where that led us was to an indictment of an unprecedented criminal scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power.”

Smith said Trump was not seeking honest answers about election fraud, but instead was “looking for ways to stay in power,” adding that when officials contradicted his claims, Trump ignored or dismissed them. He also detailed findings from the classified documents case, saying Trump illegally retained highly sensitive national security materials at his Mar-a-Lago property and attempted to obstruct justice by concealing them. Smith emphasized that the charges stemmed solely from the evidence and legal standards, not political pressure.

Throughout the hearing, Smith warned about growing threats to judicial independence and said he would not be intimidated by public attacks from the president. “The statements are meant to intimidate me. I will not be intimidated,” he said, adding that such rhetoric is also intended to deter others from standing up for the law.

During the hearing Trump continued criticizing Smith, posting on Truth Social and calling him “a deranged animal,” while urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate his conduct. Smith said he expects further attempts to target him, stating, “I believe they will do everything in their power to do that because they’ve been ordered to by the president.”

Smith also condemned Trump’s sweeping pardons of roughly 1,500 people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, calling the decision deeply troubling. “I do not understand why you would mass pardon people who assaulted police officers. I don’t get it. I never will,” he said. He reminded lawmakers that 140 officers were injured during the attack and warned that some pardoned rioters pose an ongoing danger.

The hearing exposed sharp partisan divisions. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan criticized Smith’s work as politically driven, arguing voters rejected the investigations by reelecting Trump. In contrast, ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin praised Smith’s conduct, telling him, “You pursued the facts, you followed the law, you stuck with extreme caution, to every rule of professional responsibility. You had the audacity to do your job.”

Smith also defended investigative steps that drew GOP scrutiny, including subpoenaing phone records and relying on testimony from Republican officials and Trump allies. He said those witnesses were often the most credible because they were willing to tell uncomfortable truths despite personal and political costs.

Reflecting on the broader stakes, Smith urged Americans not to become complacent. “The rule of law is not self-executing,” he said. “It depends on our collective commitment to apply it.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States will hold their first-ever trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates this week, marking a potentially significant step in efforts to end the nearly four-year war.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy said the meetings are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and will take place at a technical level, typically involving lower-ranking officials. Neither the White House nor Moscow has formally confirmed the talks, though U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Russian officials in Moscow before traveling to Abu Dhabi for follow-up discussions.

Zelenskyy said: “I think it will be the first trilateral meeting in Emirates. It will be two days’ meetings in Emirates. I hope that Emirates know about it.”  Zelenskyy emphasized that any lasting agreement must include strong security guarantees for Ukraine backed by U.S. support, even as Britain and France signal readiness to deploy forces on the ground. “The U.K. and France are ready to actually commit their forces,” he said, “but the backstop of President Trump is needed. And again, no security guarantees work without the U.S.”

The Ukrainian leader met for more than an hour with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the forum, calling the conversation positive but acknowledging the difficulty of final negotiations. “This is the last mile, which is difficult,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Russia “has to be ready for compromises” as well.  Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, said progress has been made, though one unresolved issue remains. “I think we’ve got it down to one issue,” he said. “If both sides want to solve this, we’re going to get it solved.”

Zelenskyy also warned that Europe remains heavily dependent on U.S. military support and urged the continent to strengthen its own defense capabilities. He suggested that Ukraine could help counter Russian naval activity in strategic areas if integrated into NATO, underscoring Kyiv’s continued push for deeper Western security ties. While the talks offer cautious optimism, Zelenskyy noted that fighting continues. “It’s better than not having any dialogue,” he said, “but Ukraine is still under attack, and we are responding.”

The diplomatic developments unfolded as President Trump unveiled a new “Board of Peace” initiative in Davos, tied to broader global ambitions, including conflict resolution in the Middle East.

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