News Wrap: At least 42 deaths connected to massive winter storm

Amna Nawaz:

In the day's other headlines: At least 42 people are now reported to have died as a result of last weekend's winter storm. That includes three young brothers in Texas who fell into an icy pond.

And forecasters are warning the temperatures will remain well below normal for the Eastern U.S. in the coming days. Crews in Nashville are working around the clock to clear fallen trees. More than half-a-million customers were without power today, mostly across the South. Many Americans are facing dangerously cold temperatures even inside their homes.

Nathan Hoffner, Nashville Resident:

I'm layered up in my bed, two pairs of pants, socks, hoodie, a cardigan. So it's probably at least 40 -- at least 30 to 40 degrees in my house right now, yes.

Amna Nawaz:

As millions across the country are still scraping away and digging out from the ice and snow, weather officials are warning of another winter storm that could hit the Southern and Eastern states this weekend.

TikTok has reached a settlement in a landmark case related to allegations of social media addiction. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it means TikTok will not be part of a trial getting under way today in California, where plaintiffs will argue that social media companies intentionally tried to hook young users.

They're seeking monetary damages and want companies to change the way they design their platforms. That trial will continue against Facebook owner Meta and YouTube. Snapchat was part of that case, but reached its own settlement last week.

Federal investigators say that last year's crash between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., was -- quote -- "100 percent preventable."

Michael Graham, National Transportation Safety Board:

Any individual shortcomings were set up for failure by the systems around them.

Amna Nawaz:

At a day long hearing today, NTSB officials said air traffic controllers were routinely overwhelmed and had grown accustomed to close calls. They also said the jet's pilot was not alerted about the helicopter and that the airspace over the nation's capital was crowded that night.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy expressed frustration that years of warnings to reroute helicopter traffic were ignored.

Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board:

Yet, we know, over time, concerns were raised repeatedly, went unheard, squashed, however you want to put it, stuck in red tape and bureaucracy of a very large organization.

Amna Nawaz:

Just last week, the FAA placed further limitations on planes and helicopters sharing airspace near Reagan National Airport. All 67 people on board both aircraft died in last year's crash.

Activists now say that more than 6,000 people were killed in Iran's recent crackdown on nationwide protests, and they warn that number could rise. The latest figures come from a U.S.-based human rights group, are nearly double the official death toll.

The protests began late last month amid widespread anger over a weakening currency and rising prices. Just today, Iran's real rial fell to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar. And, this week, a U.S. aircraft carrier group arrived in the Middle East to lead any American military response to Iran's bloody suppression of the protests.

Back in this country, the nation's population is growing at a slower rate because of President Trump's immigration crackdown. That's according to estimates out today from the Census Bureau. The U.S. population grew by just 1.8 million people in the year that ended last July to around 342 million people.

That amounts to just 0.5 percent growth, which is the slowest pace since the early days of the COVID pandemic. The bureau cites a historic decline in net international migration as the driving factor behind the decline.

UPS is planning to cut up to 30,000 jobs this year and shut two dozen facilities as part of a broader restructuring effort. The package delivery company says it will also continue its pivot away from Amazon deliveries and focus on more profitable areas of the business. UPS shares ended slightly higher following that news.

Elsewhere on Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed ahead of tomorrow's rate decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 400 points on the day. The Nasdaq managed to gain more than 200 points. The S&P 500 also ended higher.

And a Shakespearian family tragedy has made BAFTA history. Chloe Zhao's "Hamnet" is now the most nominated film by a female director in the history of the British Academy film awards. It's up for 11 nominations, including best director for Zhao herself.

Meantime, the political thriller "One Battle After Another" starring Leonardo DiCaprio leads the pack with 14 nominations. Ryan Coogler'S vampire epic "Sinners" is close behind with 13 nods. All three are nominated for best film alongside "Marty Supreme" and "Sentimental Value." The winners will be announced as ceremony in London next month.

And the world has been marking international Holocaust Remembrance Day, a chance to honor the millions killed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The U.N. established the day more than two decades ago to coincide with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Today, survivors paid tributes at the Nazi death camp 81 years since it was freed by Soviet troops. More than one million people died there, mostly Jews. While, in Germany, Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate was lit up with the words "We remember," as flowers and wreaths were laid at the city's Holocaust memorial.