What winter weather events are impacting the U.S. right now?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Millions of people across the U.S. are bracing for a major winter storm. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings from New Mexico to New England. Heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain are expected as an Arctic blast moves south from Canada. NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports a polar vortex will linger after the snow stops falling.
Usually, freezing cold air is trapped up in the polar regions. The jet stream keeps the cold air trapped up there. But when the jet stream gets weaker, cold air can escape south, deep into the continental U.S. That's what's expected to happen next week. Scientists are actively trying to understand whether climate change makes such events more likely.
Some studies suggest the jet stream is getting weaker as the Earth warms, while others find no such relationship. What is clear is that polar vortex conditions can be deadly, especially in parts of the country that aren't accustomed to very cold weather. Rebecca Herscher, NPR News.
Activists in Minnesota are calling for a statewide walkout today. NPR's Meg Anderson reports from Minneapolis they're protesting the federal government's overwhelming immigration operation in the state.
There's a general strike. Organizers are encouraging community members to stay home from work, to not shop or dine out. Many local businesses will be closed. And there are going to be several demonstrations, including a march and a rally in downtown Minneapolis this afternoon. It's also extremely cold here. Afternoon temperatures will be around negative 10 degrees.
But given the strong community response we've seen here so far, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people still show up.
NPR's Meg Anderson reporting. Stocks opened mixed this morning as natural gas prices backtracked from a winter spike. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped about 230 points in early trading.
Natural gas prices soared earlier this week as forecasters predicted snow, ice, and arctic temperatures across much of the country. But prices have since fallen back a bit. Natural gas is used to heat nearly half the homes in the country, and it's a major fuel for electricity generation as well. Stock in Intel fell after the chipmaker issued a cautious sales forecast.
Intel's enjoying strong demand for its computer chips thanks to the artificial intelligence boom. but the company says supply constraints are making it hard to keep up. Japan's central bank held interest rates steady and raised its forecast for both inflation and economic growth. Stocks in Tokyo and elsewhere in Asia were higher overnight. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
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