What We’re Watching Monday

Air Pollution

• The New York Times reports eight northeastern state governments are petitioning the EPA to curb soot, smog from the Midwest and Appalachian states.

NSA – Surveillance

• Google, Facebook, Twitter, and others issued an open letter to President Obama, urging new limits on surveillance. Good morning, it’s Monday, December 9, 2013. Here’s the news we’re watching this morning:

Ukraine

• Riot police deploy at Kiev city to enforce a deadline for protesters to leave the government administration building they’ve occupied since early December.

• Pres. Yanukovych agrees to meet with 3 former leaders for talks on resolving crisis.

• Sunay’s protests were the largest since the Orange Revolution in 2004. Crowds pulled down a statue of Lenin.

Thailand

• Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra dissolved the lower house of parliament and called for early elections as 150,000 protesters converged on her office.

Mandela

• A week of mourning is under way after Sunday’s day of prayer. Foreign dignitaries begin arriving in South Africa. President Obama leaves for the event this morning.

Winter Storm

• Snow, sleet and freezing rain moves into New England while ice lingers in the mid-Atlantic and elsewhere.

• More than 1,000 flights have already been cancelled on Monday, following 3,200 cancellations on Sunday.

Central African Republic

• French forces begin disarming fighters in the Central African Republic.

• Fighting over the weekend in capital city Bangui saw nearly 400 killed.

Airline Merger

• The American Airlines/US Airways merger becomes official today, creating world’s largest airline.