Polar vortex, Roger Stone appears in court, Smithsonian museums reopen: 5 things to know Tuesday
Polar vortex will put millions into deep freeze
Record-smashing cold is expected across a wide swath of the USA beginning Tuesday as the polar vortex sweeps Arctic air across the Great Lakes. Low temperatures Tuesday night will dip to 30 below zero across much of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, AccuWeather warned. Temperatures in Chicago could drop to 25 below zero for the first time since the mid-1980s. The National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, warned that "this is the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced" and that folks outside should "avoid taking deep breaths, and minimize talking." Some schools, zoos and businesses will be closed due to the weather, which has already forced airlines to cancel more than 900 Tuesday flights. To make matters worse, a snowstorm will also wreak havoc across the Deep South. If you're planning to brave the elements, make sure to stay warm by choosing a weather-appropriate outfit and knowing the signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
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Former Trump advisor Roger Stone to appear in court
After spending the weekend asserting his innocence and criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, Roger Stone will appear before a federal judge in Washington D.C., on Tuesday. Stone, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump, was arrested by the FBI last week and charged with lying about his role in the Trump campaign's attempts to communicate with WikiLeaks about Hillary Clinton campaign emails stolen by Russian agents. During an interview on ABC's "This Week," Stone, 66, denied doing anything wrong, calling the indictment against him "thin as piss on a rock." He faces seven felony charges, including witness tampering, obstruction and lying.
Smithsonian museums reopen
In one of the more visible signs of a fully operational government since the Jan. 25 end of the partial shutdown, Smithsonian museums in Washington and elsewhere reopen Tuesday. Beside the Air and Space and other major museums along the Mall as well as such institutions as Hazy Center at Dulles Airport and New York City's American Indian Museum, the openings also include another Smithsonian D.C. favorite, the National Zoo. One institution, the Renwick Gallery, won't open till Saturday. In lamenting the shutdown last week, Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton reminded USA TODAY readers of the cultural importance of the world’s largest museum, research and education complex.
PG&E files for bankruptcy amid California wildfire suits
Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., America's largest utility, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, as it faces billions in potential damages from wildfires in California. It came after company officials said the utility company cannot afford an estimated $30 billion in costs related to the state's deadly 2017 and 2018 wildfires. California law makes utilities entirely liable for damage from wildfires sparked by their equipment, regardless of whether they are found to be negligent. On Monday, officials said that insurance claims from the November 2018 wildfires topped $11.4 billion, making the series of fires some of the most expensive in state history. More than $8 billion losses stem from the fire that leveled the town of Paradise, killing 86 people and destroying roughly 15,000 homes — the other $3 billion are from two Southern California wildfires that ignited the same week in November. The PG&E bankruptcy would consolidate victims’ lawsuits and could potentially leave thousands of wildfire victims without compensation.
New book by Christie takes Trump team to task
A new memoir by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will contain "startling insights" about President Donald Trump and his administration, according to publisher Hachette Books. "Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics," is scheduled to hit bookstores Tuesday. In a New York Times report based on an advance copy of the book, Christie says Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner believed firing former national security adviser Michael Flynn would resolve the "Russia thing." While Christie described Flynn as "a train wreck from beginning to end," according to the Times, he says he was sure Trump was wrong about the Russia probe. "'Sir,' I said, 'This Russia thing is far from over,'" Christie wrote.
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Polar vortex, Roger Stone appears in court, Smithsonian museums reopen: 5 things to know Tuesday
