Whiteout: As much as five or six feet of snow is reported in parts of Western New York today as the Buffalo area digs out from an extreme storm. In an area known for its “lake effect” snowstorms, some residents say they never saw snow come so fast, early, and furious. Residents are snowed into their homes, motorists stranded on roads and highways, and rail service shut down. The Niagara University women’s basketball team was trapped in its bus for 24 hours.

Yesterday was the coldest November morning on record since 1976. Every state, including Hawaii, had areas where the temperature was at least 32 or less.

The Cosby Show: Amid a flurry of accusations that comedian Bill Cosby is a serial rapist, Netflix has delayed the release of a Cosby standup special scheduled for next week. The latest accusation comes from Janice Dickenson, sometimes described as the original “supermodel.” In what has become a familiar scenario described by other women, Dickenson told Entertainment Tonight that back in 1982 she remembers Cosby giving her “wine and a pill” after dinner. She said, “And I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man.”

The lovable Mr. Huxtable’s career and lifelong reputation are on the line. Cosby already has been pulled as a guest on The Letterman Show. NBC, which has a Cosby sitcom in the works, isn’t saying whether it will live or die.

Nation: Senate supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline failed yesterday in a 59-41 vote, one short of a required majority to approve building the pipeline from Canada to the Gulf. It was a defeat for Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, who was hoping to ride the pipeline to re-election in her Dec. 6^th runoff against Republican Bill Cassidy. Trailing in the polls, Landrieu had been trying to collect Democratic votes in favor of the pipeline to impress voters in her oil-rich state.

Congress can easily approve the pipeline when Republicans take the majority next year, but they face a possible presidential veto.

Collision: The federal government is calling for the auto industry to recall millions more cars that have dangerous airbags made by the Japanese company Takata. The airbags have been found to explode, spraying the passenger compartment with shrapnel. Eight million cars with Takata airbags have already been recalled in the US, but safety experts want more after a death in California and an injury in North Carolina attributed to the airbags.

Comet News: The Philae lander has discovered organic molecules on its host comet, a finding that could help explain how comets hitting the earth fed organic diversity early in the planet’s development. The comet is mostly ice with a surface layer of dust. The lander has gone to sleep for lack of sun hitting its solar re-chargers, but the European Space Agency hopes it may come around when it gets more light in a few months.

World: An Israeli police officer has died of injuries suffered fighting Palestinian assailants at a Jerusalem synagogue yesterday. That brings the death toll to seven, including the two attackers who were killed by the police.

Bringing back a collective-punishment policy suspended 10 years ago. Israel says it plans to demolish the family homes of the two attackers. This morning Israeli forces knocked down the home of a Palestinian man who intentionally drove into pedestrians, killing a young woman and a baby.

Morning Television: The NY Post reports that Matt Lauer led the scrum of anchors at NBC’s Today Show to get their boss fired. The anchors found out that their new VP Jamie Horowtiz was planning to switch some seats. In particular, the Post reports, Horowitz was planning to replace relative newcomer Savannah Guthrie with Hoda Kotb, currently the sidekick to Kathie Lee Gifford. Lauer put a stop to it and Horowitz got the boot. You don’t need to care about this, but when morning television stars say they are like family, believe it, they are … the Borgias.

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