Vortex:“Neither snow nor rain,” but nobody said anything about a polar vortex. For the second day the US Postal Service has stopped delivering mail in six midwestern states because it’s so freakin’ cold. Offices and schools have closed. In Chicago …

Skyfall: Look out for blustery weather reports and television reporters wading through snow drifts. A Polar Vortex has swept down into the Northern states and across upper New England. It’s zero in Great Falls, MT; 3 in Duluth; 27 in …

Permawar: Three explosions rocked Kabul, Afghanistan today, including a suicide bombing carried out inside the heavily fortified police headquarters. Only one person was reported killed but the attacks are evidence of the Taliban’s reach and power to strike. >US air …

Derailed: A Moscow Metro subway train derailed and crashed today, killing at least 20 people and injuring 150. The cause was not immediately evident. The crash happened 275 feet below the streets, making rescue and recovery more difficult. Authorities say …

Ukraine: Western countries, including the US, are digging to produce billions of dollars worth of aid to prop up the failed Ukrainian state. The bailout had originally been promised by Russia, which led to political turmoil among Ukrainians who wanted …

Son of Polar Vortex: Cold and snow are moving back into the East. It’s 25 in Pittsburg, 25 in NYC and 32 down in Birmingham, Ala. But for NY and New England, it’s going to be single digits later in …

It’s that time of year when news reporters run to the hardware store to interview the manager about the number of snow shovels he’s sold. Snow shovels are a measurement of severe weather and when the hardware store is sold …