Thursday 02.13.25

Severe winter weather is disrupting travel and commutes across the US, with data showing thousands of recent flight cancellations and delays. Millions of people on the West Coast are currently under alerts for flooding rainfall, while snow and ice continue to pound several central and eastern states. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

(Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

Federal firings

Scores of firings have begun at federal agencies, with terminations of probationary employees underway at the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration, sources told CNN. The moves mark the first from the Trump administration as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency aims to dramatically shrink the federal workforce and pull back on government spending. Until now, federal employees across all US agencies had only been placed on paid administrative leave. The full scope of the firings remains unclear, though it has impacted at least dozens of workers. 

Trump-Putin call

President Trump said negotiations to end the Ukraine war will start "immediately" after he held a "lengthy and highly productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The two leaders discussed the future of the conflict and "agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other's Nations," Trump said. His predecessor, President Joe Biden, hadn't spoken to his Russian counterpart in nearly three years, believing there was little to be gained in speaking to a leader he'd deemed a war criminal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also reaffirmed that the US will no longer prioritize European and Ukrainian security as the Trump administration focuses on securing US borders and deterring war with China.

Inflation

Despite promises from President Trump to bring prices down, many common goods and services in the US got more expensive last month. Inflation jumped to 3% — its highest rate since June of last year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase was driven by many factors, including the rising costs of energy and food. That's particularly true of eggs, which have seen prices soar and widespread shortages due to avian flu. Egg prices, which are up 53% year-over-year, shot up more than 15% from December to January.

Homelessness

City and state officials in parts of the US are uncertain how to respond to a surge in homelessness and encampments that have cropped up under bridges and in parks. Meanwhile, people who live in those encampments and advocacy groups say they are alarmed by efforts to criminalize the population rather than build shelters and affordable housing. This week, the city council in Fremont, California, voted to criminalize "aiding" and "abetting" homeless camps — an unusual move that advocates say could stifle help for people who need it. The new policy comes about seven months after the Supreme Court ruled that ticketing homeless people does not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment."

Taiwan explosion

A blast inside a shopping mall in Taiwan earlier today killed at least five people and injured several others, according to local officials. Dramatic videos of the explosion in the city of Taichung, on the island's west coast, showed debris and large panels of a building's exterior blown out as a loud bang is heard. Footage shot by bystanders of the aftermath showed the street below littered with debris as hundreds evacuated the area. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged authorities to investigate the cause of the accident.

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New Zealand is home to the 'world's clearest lake.'
Tourists are even being told to wipe their shoes before visiting it.

The latest on R. Kelly's charges
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld singer R. Kelly's convictions and 30-year prison term.

14,000

That's around how many undocumented immigrants have been arrested in the US since President Trump's inauguration, according to Trump's border czar Tom Homan. Border crossings are also down 92% during the same period, Homan said during a radio interview this week.

I just want to go to school like other kids and keep playing the game I love.

— Parker Tirell, a transgender high school student in New Hampshire, commenting on the Trump administration's recent executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls' sports. Attorneys for the 16-year-old have filed a suit challenging the order so she can continue playing for her school's soccer team.

See puppy reunite with owner after being lost in snow
A retired New York State police investigator has been using a thermal-imaging drone to help find missing dogs. He recently rescued a 10-month-old puppy after she went missing in the snow for 34 hours! Watch the video here.