France’s Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE during anger at US immigration crackdown

PARIS (AP) — French company Capgemini announced Sunday it is selling off its subsidiary that provides technology services to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during global scrutiny of ICE agents' tactics in the Trump administration'simmigration crackdown.

France's government hadpressured the companyto be more transparent about its dealings with ICE, whose actions in Minneapolis in recent weeks have raised concern in France and other countries. The government's campaign against immigrants in Minnesota's capital has led to the fatal shootingsof two U.S. citizensat the hands of federal immigration officers.

Capgemini said in a statement Sunday that it will immediately start the process of selling off its subsidiary Capgemini Government Solutions. It said the rules for working with U.S. federal government agencies ″did now allow the group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of the operations of this subsidiary to ensure alignment with the group's objectives.″

It didn't give further explanation for the decision, but noted that the subsidiary represents only 0.4% of the company's estimated 2025 revenue.

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Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said he was only recently made aware of the subsidiary's contract with ICE. In a LinkedIn post, he said, "The nature and scope of this work has raised questions compared to what we typically do as a business and technology firm.''

The company selloff announcement came after French Finance Minister Roland Lescure, speaking to parliament last week, urged Capgemini ″to shed light, in an extremely transparent manner, on its activities ... and to question the nature of these activities.″ Lescure's office did not comment on the company's decision.

Non-governmental organization Multinationals Observatory reported that Capgemini Government Solutions provided ICE technical tools to locate targets for the immigration crackdown. CapgemiSni did not immediately respond to a query about the tools.

Capgemini is a consulting and technology company that employs more than 340,000 people in more than 50 countries.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

France’s Capgemini to sell subsidiary working with ICE during anger at US immigration crackdown

PARIS (AP) — French company Capgemini announced Sunday it is selling off its subsidiary that provides technology services...

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Top US, Israeli generals meet at Pentagon amid soaring Iran tensions

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The top U.S. and Israeli generals held talks at the ​Pentagon on Friday amid soaring tensions ‌with Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday, ‌speaking on condition of anonymity.

The officials did not offer details about the closed-door discussions between U.S. General Dan Caine, the chairman of ⁠the Joint Chiefs ‌of Staff, and Eyal Zamir, the Israeli armed forces chief of ‍staff. The meeting has not been previously reported.

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The United States has ramped up its naval presence ​and hiked its air defences in the ‌Middle East after President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran, trying to pressure it to the negotiating table. Iran's leadership warned on Sunday of a regional conflict if the ⁠U.S. were to attack it.

Israeli ​Defence Minister Israel Katz ​on Sunday met with Zamir after his talks in Washington, Katz's office ‍said, to ⁠review the situation in the region and the Israeli military's "operational readiness for any possible ⁠scenario."

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Maayan ‌Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Chizu ‌Nomiyama and Hugh Lawson)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Top US, Israeli generals meet at Pentagon amid soaring Iran tensions

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The top U.S. and Israeli generals held talks at the ​Pentagon on Friday amid soaring tensions ‌with Ira...

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Slovakia national security adviser resigns over Epstein files, denies wrongdoing

PRAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's national security adviser has ​resigned after new files related to ‌Jeffrey Epstein showed the pair had exchanged emails ‌talking about young women.

National security adviser Miroslav Lajcak issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and condemning Epstein's crimes. He described the exchange ⁠as informal and ‌light-hearted and without any real substance, but said he would offer ‍his resignation so the situation would not be used to attack the prime minister.

"Not because of ​having done anything criminal or unethical ‌in my actions, but I don't want him (Fico) to bear the political costs for something that's unrelated to his decisions," he said.

Fico announced in a video message on ⁠Facebook on Saturday he ​had accepted Lajcak's resignation, calling ​the adviser an incredible source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy.

The ‍U.S. Justice ⁠Department on Friday published millions of new files related to Epstein, including a ⁠text exchange from October 2018, when Lajcak was ‌Slovakia's foreign minister.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn, ‌Editing by Alexander Smith)

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Slovakia national security adviser resigns over Epstein files, denies wrongdoing

PRAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's national security adviser has ​resigned after new fi...

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The ranks of US rabbis grow more diverse, with rising numbers of women and LGBTQ people

Rabbi Laura Geller recalls how of the 30 people in her class at Hebrew Union College, she was the only woman.

Women Rabbis

Ordained in 1976, she would go on to become one of the first women rabbis in the Jewish Reform Movement. Fifty years later, she's proud to have helped break that glass ceiling and pave the way for change.

Rabbis and rabbinical students in the United States are more diverse than ever today, with increasing numbers of women and LGBTQ+ people. Women from earlier generations who became rabbis marvel at the greater opportunities available for those pursuing clergy roles.

"Women have transformed Judaism," said Geller, rabbi emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, California. "All the different kinds of movements have really noticed that Judaism needs to change because women's voices were ignored in the past."

Orthodox branches of Judaism generally don'tallow women to be rabbis, with some exceptions. But Reform and Conservative, the largest movements in the U.S., permit it, as does the growing nondenominational branch.

Nationwide, the Jewish community has become more diverse, so it makes sense that the rabbinate would be as well, said Janet Krasner Aronson, interim director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University.

"A lot of people are entering the rabbinate and coming from very different backgrounds, and they really want to come in and shake things up a little bit," she said.

Rebecca Weintraub, associate rabbi of New York City's B'nai Jeshurun congregation, has witnessed this generational shift in liberal Jewish spaces. She is one of several women serving the congregation as rabbis.

"For a lot of the younger generation, when they think of a rabbi, many of them, in their mind, the picture is a woman," Weintraub said. "When I was growing up, when I would think of a rabbi, I'd think, man."

The changing face of the US rabbinate

An organization that supports and trains Jewish spiritual leaders — Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation — hasnew researchdocumenting the diversification of the U.S. rabbinate and its student pipeline. It recently surveyed stakeholders including rabbis, students, schools and other key Jewish institutions.

Atra's research affirms that men still make up the majority of the more than 4,000-strong non-Ultra Orthodox U.S. rabbinate, but women are now a sizable minority. There are also more LGBTQ+ people, Jews of color and members of interfaith households. That increased diversity also is present in non-Orthodox rabbinical schools, where women are in the majority.

"We see an opening that did not exist for populations that once were not able to become rabbis," said Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Atra's executive director. "We still don't have parity of rabbis in the field, but we do see that we have many more women in the seminary."

Among them isSarah Livschitz, who moved from New Zealand to Los Angeles to enroll in Hebrew Union College, where her student cohort is entirely female.

"It's normal to me that a woman would be a rabbi," said Livschitz, who will be ordained in May. "It's a different world that I live in than people sort of 30 years ago, even 10 years ago."

Signs of progress and ongoing challenges

Eleanor Steinman, senior rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Austin, Texas, views the increased diversity as a sign of thriving.

"The challenge to the rabbinate is that institutions, including synagogues, are not necessarily totally prepared for that diversity," said Steinman, who is gay and known for her social justice and LGBTQ+ rights advocacy in the Jewish community.

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Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum, director of congregational learning and programming at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts, recalled how nervous she was during her final year in rabbinical school. Berenbaum, who is Black and has done extensive anti-racism work in the Jewish community, was ordained in 2013.

"My Jewish experiences were pretty much all white," she said. "It was time to go into the job market, and that's when the voices really started to rise in my head: 'Who's going to hire a Black rabbi?' Not 'Who's going to hire a woman rabbi?'"

While serving in Wisconsin and New Jersey congregations, she encountered the rabbinate's patriarchal holdovers, including a lack of accommodations when she became a mother and her husband taking on the "rebbetzin" duties traditionally fulfilled by male rabbis' wives.

"Some of the earlier rabbis were really thrust into the deep patriarchy, where they were accepted but not really accepted, or accepted but forced to mold themselves to a masculine view of what is a rabbi," said Berenbaum, who is now one of three women rabbis in her congregation. "Whereas now women are able to just bring their full selves."

It's clear to some rabbinical students that following a career path paved by the female and LGBTQ+ rabbis that came before them has made their own pursuit easier. That's the case for Sarah Rockford, an LGBTQ+ student at the Conservative movement's Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

"My leadership is welcome, celebrated, and in some ways not treated as exceptional because of my gender or sexual orientation," she said. "We tend to forget how quickly things have changed."

Rockford credits strong female mentors for embodying how people from a variety of backgrounds can take on the role, such as Rabbi Rachel Isaacs of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine. In 2011, Isaacs became the first openly gay rabbi ordained by the Conservative seminary.

"The Jewish community is far more diverse in every sense of the word than the Jewish community I was raised in," Isaacs said.

A demanding but meaningful calling

Many in the rabbinate are drawn to the deeply meaningful and fulfilling work. But it is also demanding.

"I love to teach, I love to pastor, I love to lead services. Even funerals — they're both sad but they're deeply meaningful. We're up front and center with the most important moments of people's lives," said Felicia Sol, the first woman to serve as senior rabbi in the almost 200-year history of New York's B'nai Jeshurun synagogue.

"Rabbis are being pulled in so many directions and pressured in so many ways that it's very frustrating and hard."

Some rabbis cite the challenge ofholding together congregationsduring times of heightened political divisions and growing tensions over theIsrael-Hamas war. Unsustainable expectations, emotional exhaustion and financial stress are commonplace, according to Atra's research.

"The biggest struggle is burnout," Isaacs said. "No matter how hard you try, the line or the boundary between the personal and the professional is extraordinarily fuzzy, which makes it very hard to unplug."

Steinman agrees. She felt called to become a rabbi as a teenager, wanting to teach and counsel a Jewish community. But she said it can be overwhelming: "When I tell people that I have one day off a week, they're shocked."

Rockford, who is preparing to become a rabbi in May, understands the challenges but remains optimistic.

"My hope for the rabbinate is that we continue to sort of ride this wave of diversifying the faces of people we look to as teachers, as rabbis and as spiritual leaders," she said. "The diversity of those voices makes our communities stronger and better prepared to thrive in the next 100 years."

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

The ranks of US rabbis grow more diverse, with rising numbers of women and LGBTQ people

Rabbi Laura Geller recalls how of the 30 people in her class at Hebrew Union College, she was the only woman. ...

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Further Russia-Ukraine talks scheduled for next week, says Zelenskyy

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The next round ofpeace talksbetween Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday.

Envoys from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. had been expected to meet Sunday in Abu Dhabi to continue negotiations aimed at endingMoscow's all-out invasionof its neighbor.

"We have just had a report from our negotiating team. The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set: Feb. 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine is ready for substantive talks, and we are interested in an outcome that will bring us closer to a real and dignified end to the war," Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Russian officials.

On Saturday afternoon, top Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said he had held a "constructive meeting with the U.S. peacemaking delegation" in Florida.

Officials have so far revealed few details of the talks in Abu Dhabi, which are part of a yearlongeffort by the Trump administrationto steer the sides toward a peace deal and end almost four years of all-out war.

While Ukrainian and Russian officials have agreed in principle with Washington's calls for a compromise, Moscow and Kyiv differ deeply overwhat an agreement should look like.

A central issue is whether Russia should keep or withdraw from areas of Ukraine its forces have occupied, especially Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland calledthe Donbas, and whether it should get land there that it hasn't yet captured.

Drones strike Ukrainian maternity hospital

Elsewhere, Russian attack drones struck a maternity hospital in southern Ukraine on Sunday morning, the Ukrainian emergency service reported.

In a Telegram post, it said the strike wounded three women in the hospital in the city of Zaporizhzhia, and also sparked a fire in the gynecology reception area that was later extinguished. Regional administration head Ivan Fedorov later said the number of injured had risen to six.

Days earlier,U.S. President Donald Trumpsaid Putin had agreed to temporarily halt the targeting of the Ukrainian capital and other cities, as the region suffers underfreezing temperaturesthat have brought widespread hardship to Ukrainians.

The Kremlin confirmed Friday it agreed to hold off striking Kyiv until Sunday, but refused to reveal any details, making it difficult for an independent assessment of whether the conciliatory step had indeed taken place.

In the past week, Russia has struck energy assets in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and in Kharkiv in the northeast. It also hit the Kyiv region on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring four.

Overnight into Sunday, Russia launched 90 attack drones, with 14 striking nine locations, Ukraine's air force said in a Telegram post. A woman and a man were killed in an overnight drone strike in Dnipro, a city in eastern Ukraine, according to local administration head Oleksandr Hanzha.

Russian shelling also hit central Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, soon after 7 a.m., seriously wounding a 59-year-old woman, according to a Facebook post by the municipal military administration.

Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday morning said its forces had used operational-tactical aviation, attack drones, missile forces and artillery to strike transport infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces.

In a separate post Sunday, it said that Russian air defences shot down 21 Ukrainian drones flying over southwestern and western Russia. It did not mention any casualties or damage.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Further Russia-Ukraine talks scheduled for next week, says Zelenskyy

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The next round ofpeace talksbetween Russian and Ukrainian delegations will take place on Wednesday a...

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Winter Storm Gianna Triggers Massive Pileup On North Carolina Interstate, Hundreds Of Flight Cancellations

Winter Storm Gianna has brought major travel issues to the South, including in North Carolina, where a massive pileup has left vehicles stranded on Interstate 85 while the National Guard responds to assist those trapped.

Local reports said the pileup involved as many as 100 vehicles and it wasn't immediately known how many injuries there were. The collision occurred in the northbound lanes of the interstate near Kannapolis, North Carolina, where at least 14.5 inches of snow have fallen Saturday during Winter Storm Gianna.

You can find all of Saturday's updates on the winter storm below:

(MORE:Winter Storm Gianna's Latest Forecast|Maps Tracker Page)

(03:05 p.m. EST) Updated Forecast For Winter Storm

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Winter Storm Gianna continues to impact the Carolinas, Virginia and eastern portions of Tennessee and Georgia.

The highest snowfall totals of around 9 inches have been reported in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.

Snowfall will continue across parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia through the overnight hours. Widespread snowfall storm totals of 6-12 inches are expected, with isolated totals across North Carolina potentially exceeding a foot.

Winter storm warnings will begin to expire early Sunday morning as the storm heads away from the area. The storm could still graze eastern Massachusetts with snowfall, but the main impact to the Northeast will be gusty winds and coastal flooding.

(02:55 p.m. EST) Flurries Found In Florida

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Although there are not expected to be significant impacts, flurries are falling as far south as northern Florida.

(02:47 p.m. EST) Over 2,000 Flight Cancellations Across The US Related To Gianna

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

According toFlightAware, more than 2,000 flights have been canceled in association with Winter Storm Gianna.

Over 800 flights have been canceled into and out of Charlotte, where parts of the city have seen over 4 inches of snow so far.

Atlanta has seen over 500 flights canceled into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as snowfall continues to fall in the city.

(02:39 p.m. EST) Gwinnett County DOT Warns Atlanta Drivers To Stay Off Roads

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Snow is sticking across some of the roads in eastern Atlanta as the storm continues to make the Southeast a winter wonderland.

The Gwinnett County Department of Transportation warns that multiple crashes have been reported in its jurisdiction. Conditions will continue to deteriorate across the metro Atlanta area with bands of snowfall shifting to the south and east through the day.

Winter storm warnings will last into very early Sunday as the center of the storm continues to move along the East Coast.

(02:29 p.m. EST) Beaver Stadium Does Hockey The Right Way

Penn State and Michigan State are facing off at historic Beaver Stadium for an outdoor hockey game, and the setup is absolutely perfect. This is what outdoor hockey is supposed to look like. You can't recreate this atmosphere indoors. A hockey purist's dream.

(02:15 p.m. EST) Interstate 85 Closed By Wreck In Spartanburg County, South Carolina

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Heavy snow continues to blanket parts of South Carolina, causing hazardous driving conditions and reduced visibility.

Unfortunately, these conditions have caused a major wreck.

Snowfall continues to fall at around 1 inch per hour in this area, so driving is not recommended.

(02:00 p.m. EST) Nascar Race Postponed

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

The Cook Out Clash has been postponed to Monday at 6 p.m. EST due to lingering winter weather in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, NASCAR announced. Snowfall hit the Piedmont region hard Saturday, creating difficult travel conditions throughout the weekend. Look at Bowman Gray Stadium — completely snowed in.

(01:40 p.m. EST) Atlanta Snow Day Done Right

From Content Writer Toby Adeyemi:

This is how you enjoy a snow day! Always have to keep a sled handy in case of a winter storm. Atlanta doesn't get snow often, but when it does, you make it count and this family nailed the assignment.

(01:20 p.m. EST) Good Snow Day Etiquette

From Content Writer Toby Adeyemi:

We all need to be a little more considerate during these cold times. Shoveling snow is hard work. Don't steal shoveled spaces or you might end up like this guy! Let's all practice good snow day etiquette.

(01:00 p.m. EST) Snow Piling Up Fast in Charlotte Metro

From Content Writer Toby Adeyemi:

Parts of the Charlotte metro have seen 4 inches of snow so far and road conditions will deteriorate through the day with much more snow on the way.

(12:45 p.m. EST) Parts Of Atlanta Stuck Out Of Snowfall

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

While Atlanta is beginning to see snowfall, it's not great for everyone in the city — including me.

I am one of the millions who are residing in a slot of dry, stable air that is delaying the snowfall. It is frustrating, but those of us across the eastern parts of the city should see snowfall in the coming hours.

(12:30 p.m. EST) Visibility Dropping Across Southeast

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

As snow falls and winds blow, visibility has dropped substantially across parts of the Southeast.

Charlotte's visibility has dropped to just a quarter of a mile. Other notable visibilities are listed below:

Greenville, South Carolina: 0.5 miles

Knoxville, Tennessee: 0.5 miles

Morristown, Tennessee: 1.0 miles

Columbia, South Carolina: 2.5 miles

Traveling on roads is not recommended as visibility drops can lead to dangerous pileups. Low visibility will likely further lead to more flight delays and cancellations.

(12:15 p.m. EST) Snow Has Landed Across Atlanta

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

Snowfall has officially started in Atlanta. Residents across the metro are reporting flurries, and some areas are seeing a bit more than that. The cold temperatures aren't going anywhere through the weekend, so here's the play: Stay warm and stay home unless you absolutely have to leave.

(11:48 a.m. EST) Heavy Snowfall Expected For Carolina Piedmont Vicinity

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

The conditions across parts of the Carolinas could see a spike in heavy snowfall as conditions are becoming more favorable for intense snow bands.

The Weather Prediction Center warns that heavy snowfall rates over 1 inch per hour are expected in the Piedmont Vicinity between 1-4 p.m. EST.

(11:31 a.m. EST) Peep This Nearly Frozen River

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

One of the best things about when the temperatures drop are the sights it creates. Take a look at the Genesee River in New York — something straight out of a movie.

(11:10 a.m. EST) Don't Try This At Home

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

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Yes, the frigid temperatures do allow for liquids to freeze, but it might not be the smartest experiment to try out. A new trend on social media shows people tossing boiling water outside in hopes of creating a mist effect for a picture. Unfortunately, like this person had to learn, not everywhere is cold enough for this experiment and you can risk serious burns.

(10:44 a.m. EST) Updated Snowfall Totals

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

As snowfall continues to pile up across the Southeast, snowfall totals continue to increase. Below are the latest:

Balsam, North Carolina: 9.0 inches

Maggie Valley, North Carolina: 9.0 inches

Cosby, Tennessee: 8.0 inches

Jonesborough, Tennessee: 8.0 inches

Galax City, Virginia: 6.0 inches

(10:30 a.m. EST) Braves Fest Has Been Canceled

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

The first major Atlanta event to be a casualty of this winter storm is Braves Fest, which is officially canceled. Over 75,000 people had tickets to meet players, get autographs and basically live out their baseball fan dreams this weekend. But the Braves weren't interested in getting news alerts about fans sliding across Interstate 285 trying to get a picture with Ronald Acuna Jr. Smart call — fan safety over everything.

(10:05 a.m. EST) In Tennessee, Snow Is Adding Up Again

This is just one area that's facing a major winter storm for two weekends in a row.

Do you have a photo of the winter storm today to share with other readers?Send me an emailand we may include it on the live blog today.

(09:45 a.m. EST) Travel Conditions Deteriorating Near Columbia, South Carolina

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Travel conditions are being impacted along I-77 north, I-26 west and I-20 east traveling out of Columbia.

The city is under a winter storm warning until Sunday morning, where 5-9 inches of snowfall is possible.

Snowfall is accumulating on bridges and overpasses due to bridges freezing first in cold conditions.

(09:25 a.m. EST) How To Shovel Snow Safely

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

A lot of people getting snowfall this week probably aren't used to having to shovel snow. We have you covered with a few safety tips.

• Get it done early. Freshly fallen snow is light and fluffy — way easier to move than that half-melted, refrozen snow that shows up later.

• Layer up smart. Multiple layers, but skip cotton as your base since it soaks up sweat and leaves you cold and damp.

• Hydrate like it's July. You might not feel thirsty in the cold, but your body's still working — drink water or a sports drink.

• Watch for ice. When temps drop back down, that melted snow refreezes into black ice you may not see, so step carefully.

• Bottom line: Work smart, stay warm, stay safe.

• Use a leafblower. Yes, they aren't just for leaves in this instance! Your back will definitely thank you.

(08:55 a.m. EST) Talk Of A Dry Slot, Two Bull's-eyes?

From senior digital meteorologistJonathan Belles:

If you're trying to look for who will get the most snow, Gianna brings an extra challenge. They may actually be two distinct areas with heavy snow: one near the coast in eastern North Carolina and another one between upstate South Carolina and the southern Appalachians. Of course, mountains being in play always amps the totals there, but there is some meteorology in play, too.

See, winter storms like this one aren't two-dimensional. They're more like ogres with layers.

On the Outer Banks, we'll be watching Gianna's low-pressure system crank by Sunday morning, with heavy snow and strong winds. But before that, we'll be watching another low-pressure system some 20,000-30,000 feet up, creating its own snow today, closer to the Smoky Mountains.

In between the two, there is expected to be a band of drier air that will limit snowfall, likely in the area of the North Carolina Triangle. You can see it in yellow in the satellite image below.

(08:30 a.m. EST) Snow Has Made It To Charlotte

From content writer Toby Adeyemi:

Charlotte, North Carolina, is looking like a winter wonderland with their snowfall. It started around 6 a.m. and it's not going anywhere fast! Charlotte can expect up to 8 inches of snow today.

(08:12 a.m. EST) When Will Artemis II Launch?

From managing editorSean Breslin:

With temperatures plunging in Florida this weekend, that has put the launch of NASA's Artemis II rocket in question.

"NASA is targeting Monday, Feb. 2, as the tanking day for the upcoming Artemis II wet dress rehearsal at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida,as a result of weather," according to a release. "With this change, the first potential opportunity to launch is no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 8."

The timeline was changed due to the arctic cold outbreak that could affect hardware capabilities as engineers make final preparations for the launch. Temperatures at Cape Canaveral, Florida, are expected to dip to freezing or colderin each of the next two nights.

When Artemis II launches, it will be the first crewed mission to the moon in more than a half-century.

(07:46 a.m. EST) A Live Camera To Keep An Eye On

From producerCarmen Molina:

Do you want to see Winter Storm Gianna moving through the Carolinas? You can watch it live through the lens of a high-definition live streaming camera in Brevard, North Carolina. The camera can be found atExploreBrevard.com.

(07:31 a.m. EST) See The Snow In North Georgia

From writer Toby Adeyemi:

Blairsville, Georgia, has seen noticeable snowfall since the early morning hours and it's quite the sight. It's also starting to stick to the roads, so if you are leaving your home, please be careful. Snow is expected to continue throughout the day and push southward in the state, including into metro Atlanta.

(07:11 a.m. EST) Snowfall Spreading To North Georgia

From digital meteorologist Rob Shackelford:

Snowfall has begun to move into north Georgia and will continue to spread south into metro Atlanta through the day.

Winter storm warnings are expected to remain until early Sunday for the majority of Georgia. The heaviest snowfall is expected across northeastern Georgia, where widespread totals of 3-6 inches are expected. Isolated totals could even exceed 6 inches.

Gusty winds could make travel very dangerous, so travel is not recommended.

(06:52 a.m. EST) 'Travel Is Not Advised' In Pigeon Forge

There's nothing that screams "Pigeon Forge" more than a Dollywood sign. But this morning, roads in the East Tennessee town were covered in snow, and that's bound to cause problems today.

"Travel is not advised at this time so crewscan safely treat area roads," said the Pigeon Forge Police Department in a Facebook post. "Many roads are slick and unsafe."

The department urged everyone to stay home today if possible. Nearby Gatlinburg has already reported 2.5 inches of snow.

(06:31 a.m. EST) Here's Who Has The Most Snow So Far

According to snow observations from the National Weather Service, several locations in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina saw more than 5 inches of snow yesterday into this morning.

- Near Faust, North Carolina: 6.8 inches

- Bristol, Tennessee: 5.3 inches

- Near Surgoinsville, Tennessee: 5.3 inches

- Liberty, Tennessee: 5 inches

(06:06 a.m. EST) Cold Alerts Map Lit Up Like A Christmas Tree Again ...

... and this doesn't even include the winter storm advisories and warnings. Luckily, meteorologistCaitlin Kaisercompiled everything in a way that makes sense — head over to ourmaps tracker pageto see everything related to this winter storm and cold outbreak.

(05:52 a.m. EST) Gianna Brings A Mess To A Region Already In Bad Shape

This weekend's winter storm will track across some of the same areas hit hard by last weekend's Winter Storm Fern. But luckily, in most of the states hit hardest by Fern — Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana specifically — additional impacts aren't expected from Gianna. That trio of states still has more than 150,000 homes and businesses without power this morning, according toPowerOutage.us.

It has been a very cold, frustrating week for those customers, and a long week for crews who have worked around the clock to restore power and clear tree damage caused by last weekend's ice storm.

(05:30 a.m. EST) Cancellations Mounting At Southern Airports

As we start the morning's coverage, there are already hundreds of flight cancellations at two major hubs in the South. According to the flight-tracking websiteFlightAware, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International and Charlotte Douglas International are No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation with more than 500 flights canceled into and out of each airport today.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport is a distant third with 120 flights canceled so far. Earlier this week, Hartsfieldled the country in cancellationsdue in part to the ice brought by Winter Storm Fern.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

Winter Storm Gianna Triggers Massive Pileup On North Carolina Interstate, Hundreds Of Flight Cancellations

Winter Storm Gianna has brought major travel issues to the South, including in North Carolina, where a massive pileup has...

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New ICE memo gives deportation officers more leeway to conduct warrantless arrests

A new government memo disclosed in federal court granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers more leeway to carry out warrantless arrests of those suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

The directive expands the grounds ICE agents and officers can cite to conclude that getting an administrative immigration arrest warrant for someone they encounter during an operation would give that person an opportunity to flee while a warrant is sought.

The memo suggests the rules are designed to give ICE greater flexibility to quickly arrest unauthorized immigrants who are not the original targets of an operation but are nonetheless encountered and found to have violated U.S. immigration law. Those detentions are known as "collateral arrests," and typically involve immigrants accused of civil immigration violations but who lack serious criminal histories or any at all.

The memo was issued by acting ICE director Todd Lyons on Wednesday and submitted to a federal court in Minnesota on Friday. Its contents were first reported by The New York Times.

Under U.S. immigration law, immigration officers typically need an administrative warrant before making an arrest. Those warrants are signed by employees of ICE, typically agency supervisors, and not judges, unlike judicial warrants.

But the law allows immigration agents to conduct warrantless arrests if they suspect someone is in the U.S. illegally and determine that person is likely to escape before a warrant can be issued.

Through his memo, Lyons broadened the interpretation of "likely to escape," dismissing a previous definition ICE relied on that he said was "unreasoned" and "incorrect." That prior interpretation of "likely to escape" was based on a determination that someone was a "flight risk," or unlikely to comply with immigration proceedings, like attending court hearings.

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But Lyons said someone is "likely to escape" if they are unlikely to remain at the location where they were encountered.

"An alien is 'likely to escape' if an immigration officer determines he or she is unlikely to be located at the scene of the encounter or another clearly identifiable location once an administrative warrant is obtained," he wrote.

To make such determinations, Lyons said ICE agents should weigh different factors, including whether the subjects have refused commands or tried to evade officers; if they're in a car; if they possess documents that could be fraudulent; and if they could be prosecuted for illegally entering or re-entering the country.

Backlash over ICE activity has intensified in recent weeks amid an unprecedented deployment of federal agents in the Minneapolis region, where local leaders and residents have denounced the agency's actions and operations as heavy-handed. Tensions there have been further inflamed by the fatal shootings ofRenee GoodandAlex Pretti, two U.S. citizens and Minneapolis residents, at the hands of federal agents.

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byCristiano Ronaldo

in Celebrities, Lifestyle, Politics, ShowBiz, Sports

February 01, 2026

New ICE memo gives deportation officers more leeway to conduct warrantless arrests

A new government memo disclosed in federal court granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers more leeway to c...

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