📌Winter Storm, Killer Quake, More

Snow and freezing rain fell across the eastern US on Monday, disrupting travel for millions and causing five deaths.

Over 175,000 people were without power from Missouri to Virginia as of Monday afternoon, while more than 2,400 flights were canceled and thousands more delayed, according to tracking websites Poweroutage.us and FlightAware.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has reported two fatalities, both of whom were killed after being struck separately by sliding vehicles they had exited.

In neighboring Kansas, two people were killed after the vehicle they were traveling in spun out on a highway, while another person was killed after colliding with an out-of-control tractor-trailer, the state's highway patrol reported.

The National Weather Service warned thunderstorms could impact southeastern states, bringing hail and tornadoes, and that accumulations of thick ice — as well as widespread tree damage from powerful wind gusts — could lead to prolonged power outages.

A White House spokesman said President Joe Biden was closely monitoring the severe weather and was ready to support affected states.

An earthquake killed at least 95 people in Tibet today and left many trapped in high-altitude western China and Nepal.

State media reported that about 1,000 houses were damaged and 130 people were injured in addition to the deaths. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 6 miles. China recorded the magnitude as 6.8.

The epicenter was about 50 miles northeast of Mount Everest, which straddles the China-Nepal border. The area is seismically active and is where the India and Eurasia plates clash and cause uplifts in the Himalayan mountains strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks.

About 50 aftershocks were recorded in the three hours after the earthquake, and the Mount Everest scenic area on the Chinese side was closed after the quake.

About 1,500 fire and rescue workers were deployed to search for people, said China's Ministry of Emergency Management. Two hundred soldiers joined the search, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Rudy Giuliani was held in civil contempt of court for failing to respond adequately to requests for documents and information.

Two Georgia women who won a $148 million defamation verdict against him in 2023 say Giuliani has been recalcitrant in responding to mandatory requests about his property.

US District Judge Lewis Liman had the power to jail Giuliani for his defiance of court orders but instead declared he could no longer present the central legal defense that could have allowed the former New York City mayor to avoid handing over his Palm Beach condo to the two women, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

Giuliani has refused to respond to their requests for certain information related to his whereabouts and lifestyle that might help determine whether he truly made the Palm Beach condo his primary residence, as he has claimed.

Freeman and Moss won the defamation judgment when a jury found that Giuliani falsely accused them of election fraud after the 2020 election. The two women, who are mother and daughter, were tormented by harassment and death threats after Giuliani spread lies about them.

The former New York City mayor testified during the contempt hearing, appearing in person in federal court and continuing his testimony virtually. Though he attempted to offer explanations for his failure to produce the information or documents, Liman said he found the responses insufficient — even “preposterous.”

The first person has died of bird flu in the US, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed on Monday.

The patient, who was exposed to non-commercial backyard flocks and wild birds, was over age 65 and had underlying medical conditions, officials said.

The CDC said the first bird flu death in the US was “not unexpected” given the “known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death.” As of Jan. 3, there have been 66 human cases of bird flu reported in the US, according to CDC data.

Signs and symptoms of infection in humans often include sore throat, cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle or body aches, fatigue, and shortness of breath, the CDC said. Less common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.

Almost all confirmed cases have had direct contact with infected cattle or infected livestock. Aside from the case confirmed in the Louisiana patient, cases have been mild, and patients have all recovered after receiving antiviral medication, the CDC and state health officials said.

The Louisiana Department of Health and the CDC said there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission and the risk to the general public is low. However, those who work with birds, poultry, or cows — or have recreational exposure to them — are at higher risk.

Apple has said it will update, rather than pause, a new AI feature that has generated inaccurate news alerts on its latest iPhones.

The company said it was working on a software change to "further clarify" when the notifications are summaries that have been generated by the Apple Intelligence system. The tech giant is facing calls to pull the technology after its flawed performance.

The BBC complained last month after an AI-generated summary of its headline falsely told some readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

On Friday, Apple's AI inaccurately summarised BBC app notifications to claim that Luke Littler had won the PDC World Darts Championship hours before it began — and that the Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal had come out as gay.

In November, a ProPublica journalist highlighted erroneous Apple AI summaries of alerts from the New York Times app suggesting it had reported that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested.

Justin Trudeau has announced he will step down as Canadian Prime Minister and the leader of Canada's Liberal Party.

Trudeau said he would continue with both his roles until the party chooses a new leader to take it into the next election, which must be held by late October this year. "It's time for a reset," he told reporters outside his residence in Ottawa, adding that he had suspended Parliament until March 24.

In the face of miserable pre-election polling numbers under Trudeau's leadership, the Liberal Party will likely announce a shortened contest designed to ensure a replacement is in office as soon as possible.

Candidates include Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, Transport Minister Anita Anand, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England may also participate in the race.

Carney, who is Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, would need to secure a seat in Parliament to take office if he won the party leadership.

A retired police dog Bear was named a hero after saving a man’s life and presented with an award.

Bear was walking in the English countryside with his owners, Julia and Ian — both retired police officers — when he led them to a missing, vulnerable man who had fallen over in some dense undergrowth. He was cold, wet, and confused. Julia helped him to his feet and Bear led them to safety.

It was Bear’s first walk for weeks following his recovery from major surgery to remove two tumors. The surgery, which helped Bear back to full mobility and rehabilitation afterward, was partly funded by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity that supports working and retired police dogs.

The German Shepherd and Julia were presented with the Thin Blue Paw Foundation’s Lifesaver Award at a ceremony at Sussex Police HQ, in Lewes, England.

Julia said: “Bear found several people during his working life who probably wouldn’t have survived without him, but he and his handler never got any recognition at the time because they were simply doing their job.”