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Arctic blast hits the U.S. with lowest temperatures in decades

Freezing temperatures hit lows not seen in decades across the U.S. Still by PBS NewsHour As the phrase "polar vortex" enters the public's vocabulary, mercury in thermometers continued to drop this week with forecasts across the U.S. calling…

Gold Coins for babies? Iran looks for new ways to increase nation's birth rate

Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images The Associated Press reported Monday that after a successful two decades of curbing birth rates in the country, Iran wants to reverse course and promote a baby boom in order to combat the…

What we're watching Tuesday

Good morning! Stay warm with us this a.m. as we follow these stories and more. Arctic Cold in U.S. Schools are shut down across the country as a deep freeze, likely to break records, blankets the U.S. with single-digit…

Federal judge calls Chicago's ban on gun sales unconstitutional

A federal judge declared Monday that Chicago's 2010 ordinance banning the sale of firearms within city limits was unconstitutional, the Chicago Tribune reports. The ordinance outlawed gun shops and prevented licensed dealers to sell guns, Chicago attorneys argued, in…

FAA says drone journalism 'not allowed'

When the Spokesman-Review released a video of the annual "Polar Bear Plunge" on Jan. 1, it wasn't the daredevils who plunged into frigid waters that got everyone's attention. All attention was gazed on the camera itself, which was filmed…

Sasheer Zamata joins Saturday Night Live starting Jan. 18

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News Wrap: Senate confirms Janet Yellen as Fed chief

By PBS News Hour

In our news wrap Monday, Janet Yellen won Senate confirmation to lead the Federal Reserve. Taking over for outgoing chair Ben Bernanke, the former vice chair becomes the first woman to lead the U.S.'s central bank. Also, peace talks to…

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Senate confirms Janet Yellen as first Fed chairwoman

Janet Yellen will be the first women to lead the Federal Reserve. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Senate voted Monday to confirm Janet Yellen as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, elevating an advocate…

High school astronomers on RECON mission to study the rocks in our solar system