10 things you need to know today: February 13, 2014

(Image credit: (AP Photo/John Amis))

last updated 8 January 2015

1. Winter storm leaves hundreds of thousands without power

A rare, massive winter storm knocked out power to 550,000 homes and businesses on Wednesday and forced the cancellation of 3,000 airline flights. The harsh weather was blamed for 11 deaths. The storm paralyzed traffic across the South, from Atlanta to Raleigh, N.C. Streets and highways were essentially empty. The federal government ordered offices closed in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as the storm moved up the East Coast. [The Associated Press, Bloomberg]

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The Senate voted 67 to 31 to break the filibuster Wednesday night, then passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling with none of the conditions hardline conservatives wanted. A dozen Republicans joined Democrats in breaking the filibuster. The bill itself passed in a party-line, 55–43 vote. GOP leaders in the House and Senate decided to push the measure through to avoid another damaging debt ceiling fight that risked angering voters. [The New York Times]

The number of Americans who signed up for health-care coverage using government insurance marketplaces surpassed the Obama administration's expectations in January, the first month in which that has happened since the law took effect in October. Nearly 1.2 million people enrolled in the health plans last month, bringing the total to 3.3 million. January marked the first time the infamous computer glitches didn't hobble the system. [The Washington Post]

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said in a Facebook post that 2014 will be his final season. The 39-year-old captain was the remaining star from the team that won three straight World Series crowns from 1998 to 2000. The 13-time All-Star helped lead the Yankees to five World Series championships, but only played 17 games last season as he recovered after breaking his left ankle in the 2012 playoffs. [CBS News]

The Afghan government on Thursday released 65 alleged Islamist militants, some of whom were accused of killing U.S. soldiers. The U.S. had protested the move, saying the prisoners were dangerous and could return to the battlefield to fight coalition forces. President Hamid Karzai's decision to let the suspects go further strained already tense relations with Washington as nearly all foreign troops prepare to leave at the end of the year. [Fox News]

Scientists have for the first time produced nuclear fusion reactions that created more energy than was contained in the fuel they started with. The reactions, created with 192 lasers, lasted just a billionth of a second and created only enough power to light a 100-watt bulb for three minutes. The experiment, reported Wednesday in the journal Nature, still marked "an important milestone," said UCLA plasma scientist Warren Mori. [Los Angeles Times]

Comedian Sid Caesar, a comic icon from the "Golden Age of Television" in the 1950s, died Wednesday at age 91. Caesar's anarchic brand of comedy was behind the hits Your Show of Shows — the show that made him famous starting in 1950 — and Caesar's Hour, a blend of sketches and music. Caesar's TV success got a lift from some of the 20th century's greatest comic writers, including Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen. [CNN]

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.

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