A massive snowstorm is pummeling the northeast United States, forcing millions of people to stay home amid strong wind and blizzard warnings, transportation shutdowns, and school and business closures. The storm hit the metropolitan northeast as accumulations from an earlier snowfall had just melted away, except for gray mountainous piles in parking lots and along the side of roads. Officials have declared emergencies from Delaware to Massachusetts, and hundreds of thousands of people are grappling with power failure from downed electrical lines. Even as digging out began, the National Weather Service warned Monday that perilous conditions could persist.
Learn why Chicago remains a key warehousing hub in the Midwest: transportation hubs, infrastructure, and economic advantages.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
St. Patrick's Day is being marked in cities across the country with boisterous parades and celebrations. New York City hosts one of the largest and oldest parades in the U.S. The celebration stepped off Monday along Manhattan's famed Fifth Avenue with some 150,000 participants. Major celebrations are also took place in Savannah, Georgia and other American communities. Some major cities have already held their parades. Chicago's celebration was Saturday. Boston and Philadelphia marked the occasion Sunday. St. Patrick's Day parades are meant to commemorate Ireland's patron saint but have become a celebration of Irish heritage globally.
New York City is trying to deter dangerous "subway surfing" through education programs, but some transportation advocates and lawmakers say it's not enough. They say making trains harder to climb and train surfers more easy to detect might need to be part of the solution. One subway driver says locking the doors at the ends of train cars might help prevent people from climbing onto the roof. Six people died surfing New York City subway trains last year, which was one more than in 2023. The NYPD reported that arrests of alleged subway surfers rose to 229 last year, up from 135 the year before. The youngest was 9 years old.
The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on state charges. A prosecutor announced Sebastian Zapeta's indictment at a court hearing Friday. The development comes days after Zapeta's arrest and subsequent police questioning in which they say he identified himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit. The indictment will be under seal until Jan. 7. He remains jailed. Federal immigration officials say the 33-year-old Zapeta is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. Authorities are continuing to work to identify the victim.
Officials in Connecticut say two women died after being swept away by floodwaters brought by torrential rains that fell there, on New York's Long Island and in New Jersey. As much as 10 inches of rain fell Sunday and early Monday and trapped people in cars and a restaurant. A Long Island official says that hundreds of homes were affected by flooding there and that mudslides covered car roofs. One meteorology professor refers to the system as "training thunderstorms." William Syrett of Penn State University says "it's like each thunderstorm is a car on a train track, and so they just keep going over the same place."
Today's Highlight in History: On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
