News Wrap: Winter storms wallop huge swaths of the U.S.

Geoff Bennett:

Both the East and West coasts have been hit hard by new storms today. They're part of an increasingly deadly winter that's claimed at least 50 lives in two weeks.

This latest round walloped a huge swathe of states today, bringing bitter cold temperatures, treacherous ice and more snow. In New Jersey, mist from waterfalls turned a park in Paterson into a frozen landscape blanketed in a thick coat of ice. In the West, Oregon declared an emergency with power out to more than 100,000 customers.

A rift emerged today in Israel's war cabinet over calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Former Army Chief Gadi Eisenkot told an Israeli TV program that — quote — "The hostages will only return alive if there is a deal linked to a significant pause in fighting."

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting. He also rejects talk of Palestinian statehood, as President Biden wants. Aides say they spoke by phone today.

John Kirby, NSC Coordinator For Strategic Communications:

It's not going to change the president's view that the best long-term solution for regional security, particularly the security of the Israeli people, is a free and independent Palestinian state that can live in peace and security with — and this is an important caveat — with Israel's security also guaranteed.

Geoff Bennett:

Later President Biden said there are a number of two-state solutions and that Netanyahu is not opposed to all of them. He offered no other details.

U.S. Navy planes have hit more Houthi missile launchers in Yemen. That came hours after the Iran-backed rebels fired at an American-owned tanker in the Red Sea. The vessel was undamaged. Later, pro-Houthi demonstrators packed the streets of Sanaa in Yemen. They blasted the U.S. for redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group.

Sultan Al-Sadh, Pro-Houthi Protester (through interpreter):

The most eloquent message we are sending today with these millions of people is that the entire Yemeni population is supporting Palestine, not just the Houthis. The U.S. listing of the Houthis as a terrorist group will not change what is happening in the Red Sea.

Geoff Bennett:

In Washington, the White House insisted again that strikes on the Houthis will continue until they stop firing at ships.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Western Russia ignited a huge fire today at an oil storage depot. The site was in Klintsy, a small city in the Bryansk region around 40 miles from the border with Ukraine. Reservoirs holding more than 1.6 million gallons of oil were set on fire. The Russians said there were no reports of casualties.

North Korea says it has tested an underwater drone that can carry a nuclear weapon. The North's state media reports the weapon can carry out attacks on ships and ports. The announcement comes as Kim Jong-un has stepped up weapons testing and threats of nuclear conflict.

Japan today became the fifth nation ever to land a spacecraft on the moon, but the celebrations were short-lived. Mission controllers were glued to monitors as the robotic lander touched down, as seen in this animation. But the solar panels failed to generate power, leaving officials hoping for a solar rescue.

Hitoshi Kuninaka, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (through interpreter):

It takes 30 days for the solar angle to change on the moon. So, when the light shines from a different direction, it could end up hitting the solar cell from a direction other than what we have in the current situation.

Geoff Bennett:

Controllers still hope to confirm the lander made a pinpoint touchdown. That would be a first for lunar flights.

Here at home, thousands of anti-abortion activists rallied in Washington for the annual March for Life. They stood in snow and freezing cold to hear House Speaker Mike Johnson and others. Abortion policy figures to be a major issue in this year's elections. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal protection for abortion in 2022.

A grand jury in New Mexico reindicted actor Alec Baldwin today for involuntary manslaughter. It stems from a fatal movie set shooting in 2021. Baldwin has said the gun went off accidentally. Special prosecutors dismissed an earlier charge, saying the gun might have been modified. They brought this new case after analyzing the weapon again.

In economic news, major new layoffs are in the works. The online furniture seller Wayfair announced today it's cutting more than 1,600 jobs. That's 13 percent of its global work force. And Macy's is eliminating 2,300 positions. That's 3.5 percent of its work force.

And on Wall Street, a rally in tech stocks pushed the broader market higher. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 395 points to close at 37863. The Nasdaq rose 255 points. The S&P 500 added 59 points, nearly 59 points, to finish at a new high.