News Wrap: Massive winter storm snarls post-holiday travel

Nick Schifrin:

The day's other headlines begin with a massive storm spinning east with a dangerous mix of winter weather that snarled post-holiday travel for millions of Americans.

Heavy snow and driving winds created whiteout conditions for drivers across much of the Midwest, causing accidents and one death in Iowa. More than 300,000 customers remain without power this evening, nearly a third of them in Michigan. Meantime, airlines are scrambling to get back on schedule after the storm canceled or delayed tens of thousands of flights in the last three days. Snow will continue around several of the Great Lakes through much of the week.

The man charged with placing two pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on the eve of the January 6 Capitol attack says he did so because he believed someone needed to -- quote -- "speak up." In a new court filing, prosecutors said Brian Cole Jr. told investigators he believed the 2020 election was stolen and he placed bombs at the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters to target both political parties since they were -- quote -- "in charge."

The explosives did not go off. Cole was arrested earlier this month after a nearly five-year investigation. He has a detention hearing set for tomorrow.

Returning to the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the U.S. offered Kyiv security guarantees for 15 years to deter Russia from returning to war after a cease-fire. But that's far less than what Zelenskyy wanted, up to 50 years of guarantees. In a briefing with reporters conducted via WhatsApp, Zelenskyy said President Trump would think about extending the time frame.

Zelenskyy added -- quote -- "Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end."

Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, at a permanent memorial, residents shared Zelenskyy's concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin could resume the war even if peace were reached.

Natalia Fomina, Kyiv Resident (through interpreter):

We see our enemy. We know that talks don't stop him. Only real strength can stop him. So it's unlikely that these talks will stop the war.

Nick Schifrin:

On the cease-fire talks, the fate of Ukraine's Eastern Donbass region and the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain unresolved after weekend talks between President Zelenskyy and Trump.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan, China staged a massive military exercise around the island today, possibly its largest live-fire drills ever. Beijing called them -- quote -- "a stern warning" against outside interference. The drills come as Beijing promised to -- quote -- "take forceful measures" after the Trump administration approved the largest single weapons package to Taiwan in U.S. history. Taiwan has placed its forces on high alert.

But President Trump tonight dismissed Taiwanese concerns, saying -- quote -- "Nothing worries me. They have been doing naval exercises," meaning Beijing, "in the area for 20 years."

Today, the U.S. announced its first major humanitarian agreement of the second Trump administration in the U.S. to distribute humanitarian aid with the United Nations. The U.S. pledged $2 billion, which the U.N.'s emergency chief called landmark, but it's a fraction of the money the U.S. has historically contributed to U.N. agencies every year.

The U.S. says the new funding mechanism is an attempt to reduce bloat by funneling money to a coordinating U.N. agency, rather than individual agencies like UNICEF. Today's U.S. pledge also came with a threat. Those U.N. agencies, the State Department said, must -- quote -- "adapt, shrink, or die."

President Trump today repeated a threat that he may sue Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for -- quote -- "gross incompetence." He also said he would announce the next Fed chair sometime in January.

Meantime, on Wall Street stocks slipped from their recent record highs. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than half-a-percent. So too did the Nasdaq. And the S&P 500 also closed slightly lower.