A fierce winter storm

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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A ferocious winter storm threatens parts of the USA with brutal winds and heavy snow. A judge tossed out Donald Trump's special master lawsuit over Mar-a-Lago documents. And are expired foods a safe way to help keep your grocery bill down? 

👋 Hey there! Laura Davis here. It's time for Monday's news!

But first, spoiler alert! Did you catch the season finale of "The White Lotus"? 😳 Who died? Who cheated? Who stole? And what does it all mean? Check out our recap.

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Fierce winter storm blows across the US, threatening blizzard conditions

Bundle up and hunker down, y'all. ❄️ A brutal winter storm packing wind gusts of up to 80 mph was marching toward the nation's interior Monday, threatening to pound a swath of the nation with snow measured in feet. Almost 15 million people in more than a dozen states faced blizzard or winter storm warnings or watches. "This system will then stall across the central Plains into Thursday, producing several days of heavy snow and blowing snow, including blizzard conditions, and freezing rain extending into the Upper Midwest," the National Weather Service said. Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding will be possible in the South. See the full forecast here. Stay safe everyone!

Cars slowly make their way as heavy snow falls on the Mt. Rose Highway near Reno, Nevada.
Cars slowly make their way as heavy snow falls on the Mt. Rose Highway near Reno, Nevada.

Judge tosses out Trump's special master suit over Mar-a-Lago documents

A federal judge dismissed Former President Donald Trump's lawsuit Monday that sought a special master review of documents seized at Mar-a-Lago after an appeals court ruled the review was unnecessary. (Quick refresher: The FBI seized the documents as part of an investigation into allegations he took classified records from the White House, a potentially serious violation of the law.) 

Here's the latest:

  • What it means: The ruling ends the document review, which was ordered after the FBI seized the classified documents — including 100 classified records. 

  • How it started: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had ordered the special master review to potentially remove any of the 11,000 documents from the investigation that were personal or fell under executive or attorney-client privilege.

  • DOJ said review wasn't needed and court agreed: The Justice Department appealed, calling the review unwarranted. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Dec. 1 no review was needed because Trump had not shown callous disregard by the government for his constitutional rights during the search.

Previous coverage: Appeals panel questions whether Trump seeks special treatment for Mar-a-Lago documents.

Secret service agents stand at the gate of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 9 after the FBI issued warrants in Palm Beach, Fla.
Secret service agents stand at the gate of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 9 after the FBI issued warrants in Palm Beach, Fla.

What everyone's talking about

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🔎 The expensive, complicated problem of managing pain

America has a pain problem. At least 1 in 5  Americans live with chronic pain. Some experts put the figure at 100 million. And nearly 1 in 10 are disabled by it. To better understand it, USA TODAY spoke with 50 pain experts and people who experience chronic pain for a five-part series of stories. Chronic pain – pain that lasts longer than 3 months – is inseparable from the opioid crisis, as nothing else is as effective at treating excruciating pain. And efforts to keep opioids off the street have often gone overboard, experts say, depriving those in real need. Read the first installment of the series here.

Expired foods get new life from budget shoppers as inflation soars, but are they safe?

That grocery bill isn't cheap. And with the highest inflation in a generation, people are finding that switching to cheaper brands just isn't enough to lower the tab. Many shoppers are turning to something unconventional – expired food. Even if eating outdated or short-dated food sounds unappetizing, it's actually safe and a way to save money and cut food waste. Nearly 40%, or 108 billion pounds, of food is wasted in the United States each year, according to ReFED, a nonprofit dedicated to ending food loss and waste. So is it safe? Most of the time – though the food might not taste as good as if you had eaten it earlier. And experts say about 80% of Americans throw food away too early because of confusion over date labels. Here's everything you need to know.

Shoppers line up, waiting for Continental Sales to open, to buy expired or nearly expired foods, among other things. With inflation near the highest level in 40 years, people increasingly need to find a way to stretch their dollars.
Shoppers line up, waiting for Continental Sales to open, to buy expired or nearly expired foods, among other things. With inflation near the highest level in 40 years, people increasingly need to find a way to stretch their dollars.

Real quick

And the Golden Globe nominees are...

Questions still remain about who will attend and if the Golden Globes still matter, but Monday's nominations make it clear the show must go on. Hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael, the 80th Golden Globe Awards marks a return to prominence after a year of controversy fueled by representation struggles within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Leading the field with eight nominations, dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" is up for best comedy/musical alongside genre-smashing surprise hit "Everything Everywhere All at Once." For his role in "The Whale," Brendan Fraser earned a nomination for best actor in a drama. And the Tom Cruise blockbuster sequel "Top Gun: Maverick" scored a nomination in the best drama category. Check out the full list of nominees.

Colin Farrell was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the best actor in a motion picture - musical/comedy category for his role in "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Colin Farrell was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the best actor in a motion picture - musical/comedy category for his role in "The Banshees of Inisherin."

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm, Trump special master Mar-a-Lago suit, Golden Globes 2023 nominations: Monday's news.