1. NORTHEAST DIGS OUT AFTER BIG WINTER STORM
Utility workers braved temperatures in the teens on Saturday and Sunday to restore power to some 650,000 people in the Northeast who lost electricity during Winter Storm Nemo. Road crews continue to clear snow and ice from streets and sidewalks. More than three feet of snow fell in parts of Connecticut, and more than two feet accumulated on Long Island and in Massachusetts, where the storm caused coastal flooding that forced evacuations of some communities. Airlines were also trying to resume operation on Sunday after canceling some 5,000 flights since Friday. [New York Times]
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2. LAPD TO REOPEN CASE ON FIRING OF SUSPECTED COP-KILLER ON THE LAM
As the massive search for suspected cop-killer Christopher Dorner continues, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that it is reopening the investigation into why Dorner, a former LAPD officer, was fired from the force. His firing is apparently what sparked his alleged campaign of revenge that has left three people dead, including a Riverside police officer. Police Chief Charlie Beck said he was reopening the investigation "not to appease a murderer" but to assure the public that his department is fair and transparent. Dorner was stripped of his badge in 2009 after a police disciplinary board found him guilty of making false statements against his training officer, Teresa Evans, who Dorner said kicked a mentally ill man during an arrest in 2007. [Los Angeles Times]
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3. NEW U.S. COMMANDER TAKES OVER IN AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford has taken over command of coalition forces in Afghanistan, after Gen. John Allen handed over the baton on Sunday. Allen expressed optimism about the country's future adding that "the big benchmark for all of us is going to be the election." Elections are scheduled for next year, when American presence will be significantly reduced. The last elections, held in 2009, were marred by violence and allegations of corruption. [USA Today]
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4. GOOGLE CHAIRMAN TO SELL PART OF HIS STAKE
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is selling about 42 percent of his stake in the company, which could potentially net him $2.5 billion. The plan allows Schmidt to spread trades out over a period of one year to reduce the market impact. A Google spokeswoman would not comment on why Schmidt is selling the shares at this time. [Reuters]
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5. MICHELLE OBAMA ATTENDS FUNERAL OF SLAIN CHICAGO TEEN
First Lady Michelle Obama attended the Saturday funeral of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton in Chicago to mourn the teen who was shot and killed one week after performing with her majorette team at President Obama's second inauguration. The first lady, who met privately with Pendleton’s family and about 30 of her classmates, did not speak at the funeral, which lasted four hours, and remembered the young woman who aspired to attend Harvard and study pharmacology or journalism. [Washington Post]
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6. BOEING COMPLETES TEST FLIGHT
Boeing completed what it called an "uneventful" test flight of its 787 Dreamliner, the first flight since the planes were grounded more than three weeks ago after a series of battery-related problems. The purpose of the test was to gather detailed information on the plane's lithium-ion batteries. The grounding of the Dreamliners has cost airlines tens of millions of dollars. [Reuters]
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7. WORLD CELEBRATES LUNAR NEW YEAR
Revelers in Beijing marked the start of the Lunar New Year on Sunday with a more muted fireworks barrage than previous years because of government appeals to reduce the smoky celebrations after air pollution rose to near catastrophic levels over recent weeks. The holiday is also being celebrated in Vietnamese and Korean communities, as well as in North Korea's capital Pyongyang. Setting off fireworks to celebrate renewal and ward off evil spirits is a traditional part of the celebration that marks China's most important family holiday. [Associated Press]
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8. CURIOSITY TAKES HISTORIC DRILL SAMPLE
NASA's Curiosity rover has drilled deep enough into a Mars rock to obtain a powdered sample for analysis. The grey material from the test hole, which is 16 mm wide and 20 mm deep, will be inspected before making its way to the robot's onboard labs. Never before has the interior of a rock on another planet been probed in such a way. Drilling is crucial to the Mars mission as Curiosity is investigating whether past environments at this location could ever have supported life. [BBC]
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9. FLU SEASON NEARING END
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the flu season should be over in most of the country within two to three weeks, except in California, where the flu arrived later. Flu season hit the East in late December, almost a month earlier than usual, according to the CDC. The major flu strain circulating in the United States this season, H3N2, also appears to be causing more severe illness, especially in the elderly. [USA Today]
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10. BIG PERFORMANCES COMING AT GRAMMY AWARDS
Justin Timberlake, who will perform at Sunday evening's Grammys, is one the most highly anticipated acts at the awards ceremony. Timberlake, who's promoting an upcoming album, has not performed at the show in four years. The ceremony will open at 8 PM ET with a performance by Taylor Swift, and sprinkled throughout the night will be performances by Bruno Mars, Sting, and Rihanna, The Black Keys, Fun., Kelly Clarkson, and more. [Grammy.com]
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