Snow storm blasts the Southeast
A winter storm was forecast to bring a miserable mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to parts of the Southeast on Friday and into early Saturday. The winter storm could ice over a large swath of eastern North Carolina and the northeastern corner of South Carolina, while dumping snow around Norfolk, Virginia. The heart of the storm's snow will focus on a region spanning from northeastern North Carolina to southeastern Virginia and the Atlantic beaches of Maryland, where 3 to 6 inches of snow was likely to fall. The storm should move into the Atlantic by Saturday, however, temperatures below freezing will mean untreated roads could remain slippery and hazardous.
Essential workers coming into the U.S. must show proof of vaccination
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that essential workers crossing U.S. land borders, such as truck drivers and nurses, will have to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination starting Saturday. The United States began allowing fully vaccinated foreign nationals to cross its land borders in November for nonessential purposes such as tourism or visiting friends and family for the first time since March 2020. The new announcement extends the vaccine requirement to essential workers who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Unlike those arriving by plane, people arriving by land travel will not have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test for entry.
A new landscape for abortion rights nearly 50 years since Roe v. Wade
Saturday marks the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which established the constitutional right to abortion care in the United States. Organizations have been spending more and revamping campaign strategies for voter turnout and candidate support for the midterm elections, assuming the U.S. Supreme Court will soon overturn the landmark. Advocates from both sides have cited comments from conservative justices during a December hearing on the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A majority of justices could overturn Roe entirely, or they could uphold the ban and forbid other states from banning abortions earlier than that. A ruling is expected by late June.
Four intriguing matchups highlight weekend of football
Welcome to what many consider the best weekend of the NFL season. The divisional playoffs have featured some of the most epic games in league history, and sports fans can only hope one of this weekend's games can one day be mentioned in the pantheon of football classics like the Minneapolis Miracle and the Cowboys' Hail Mary game. On Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals face the Tennessee Titans, and the San Francisco 49ers play the Green Bay Packers. On Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Buffalo Bills play the Kansas City Chiefs. Love talking football? Join our Facebook Group to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow fans and USA TODAY's NFL insiders.
Cosby docuseries screens at Sundance Film Festival
Four-part docuseries "We Need To Talk About Cosby," which premieres on Showtime Jan. 30, screens at the Sundance Film Festival Saturday. Directed by comedian and TV host W. Kamau Bell, "Cosby" serves up a compellingly nuanced look at the accused serial sex abuser, USA TODAY's Maria Puente writes. The best thing that could happen from the series, Bell says in an interview with USA TODAY, is that it could create a space for people to talk about and process their conflicted feelings. "The film is an invitation to consider conversations about how to create a safer world and do a better job of listening to people who have been sexually assaulted," Bell says.
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