10 things you need to know today: January 28, 2015

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1. Storm blankets parts of New England with three feet of snow
2. Strong iPhone sales push Apple profits to a global record
3. Jordan says it is willing to trade prisoner for ISIS hostage
4. Obama scraps proposal to end 529 college savings plans
5. Sheldon Silver to resign as New York Assembly speaker as he fights corruption charges
6. Nine killed in terrorist attack on luxury hotel in Libya
7. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker joins a growing field of potential GOP candidates
8. Obama administration considers selling oil leases in the Atlantic
9. Indiana agrees to landmark Medicaid expansion deal
10. Bergdahl could be charged with desertion

published 28 January 2015

1. Storm blankets parts of New England with three feet of snow

New England residents on Wednesday began digging out from a blizzard that slammed the region with high winds and as much as three feet of snow. Boston got 23.3 inches, making the snowstorm the sixth biggest to hit the city since 1935. National Guard troops helped police rescue people trapped by coastal flooding, but power outages were minimal. Massachusetts lifted a travel ban at midnight. New York City was expecting its worst blizzard ever, but got just a glancing blow as the storm passed north and east of the city.

Apple on Tuesday reported the largest quarterly corporate profit in history. The company made $13.1 billion in profit on $57.6 billion in revenue in the last quarter, as sales of its new big-screen iPhone 6 and 6 plus smartphones smashed expectations. Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones in the quarter, while analysts had forecast sales of 62 million to 71.5 million. The company also got a big lift from China, where its sales rose by 70 percent.

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Jordan is prepared to release a convicted Islamist terrorist, Sajida al-Rishawi, in exchange for Jordanian military pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh, who is being held by Islamic State fighters, Jordanian state-run TV reported Wednesday. The report came after ISIS released a video threatening to kill the pilot and another hostage, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, unless the prisoner was released in 24 hours. ISIS has already beheaded one Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, owner of a security service.

The Obama administration is dropping its plan to do away with tax-free 529 college investment plans, a White House official said Tuesday. President Obama had proposed ending the program as part of a package of tax reforms that would raise taxes on the rich and increase benefits for the middle class. Opposition from Republicans and Democrats alike made the plan to scrap 529 plans "such a distraction" that the White House decided to drop it and focus on other reforms that have bipartisan support, the official said.

Embattled Democrat Sheldon Silver, 70, agreed Tuesday to resign as speaker of the New York State Assembly, less than a week after he was charged with using his office to collect millions in kickbacks. Democrats picked Joseph Morrelle, the majority leader, to serve as interim speaker until a Feb. 10 election to choose Silver's successor. Silver, who maintains his innocence, said he would not resign as speaker but keep his seat in the Assembly.

Two gunmen stormed the five-star Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli and killed at least nine people on Tuesday. The terrorists blew themselves up with a grenade after they were surrounded by security forces. The hotel is frequented by Libyan officials and international visitors. The attack was one of the worst targeting foreigners since the 2011 civil war that toppled the North African nation's longtime leader, Muammar Gadhafi. Militants claiming ties to the Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) filed papers to establish a committee that will be able to build a political and fundraising network, the first major step toward exploring a 2016 presidential bid. The committee, Our American Revival, announced its creation on Tuesday just days after Walker visited Iowa, which holds early caucuses that are the first prize of the primary season. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney have also signaled that they might run for the GOP nomination.

The Interior Department announced Tuesday that it was taking steps to sell oil leases in the Atlantic Ocean. The plan would cover areas off Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia, but not Florida. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the plan still could be abandoned, depending on changes in "our understanding of resource potential, as well as risks to the environment and other uses." If it goes through, the plan would require that wells be drilled at least 50 miles offshore.

In a groundbreaking deal, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) announced Tuesday that his state will accept the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid, after gaining some concessions from the Obama administration. Under the deal, all new Medicaid enrollees will have to pay for part of their monthly premium, from $1 to $26 for single adults, depending on income, and they'll lose coverage for six months if they fall behind. The deal could pave the way for a handful of on-the-fence GOP-led states to expand Medicaid coverage, too.

Former Afghan-war prisoner Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl could face desertion charges, senior Defense Department officials said. Bergdahl was captured by the Haqqani terrorist network and held for five years after leaving his remote outpost in 2009. The charges would accuse Bergdahl of leaving his post "in the middle of a combat zone, potentially putting the lives of his fellow soldiers at risk," the official said. Pentagon officials said no decision had been made on Bergdahl's case.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.