The tolling program, the first of its kind in the nation, will charge most drivers who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours a $9 fee.
Su Min has captured the curiosity and awe of millions of Chinese women with her video diaries
Sixty-year-old Chinese grandmother Su Min had no intention of becoming a feminist icon.
She was only trying to escape her abusive husband when she hit the road in 2020 in her white Volkswagen hatchback with a rooftop tent and her pension.
"I felt like I could finally catch my breath," she says, recalling the moment she drove away from her old life. "I felt like I could survive and find a way of life that I wanted."
Over the next four years and 180,000 miles, the video diaries she shared of her adventures, while detailing decades of pain, earned her millions of cheerleaders online. They called her the "road-tripping auntie" as she inadvertently turned into a hero for women who felt trapped in their own lives.
Her story is now a hit film that was released in September - Like a Rolling Stone – and she made it to the BBC's list of 100 inspiring and influential women of 2024.
It was a year of big moments, but if she had to describe what 2024 meant to her in a single word, she says that word would be "freedom".
Su Min
Su Min's newest SUV is her third car in the four years she has spent on the road
As soon as Su Min started driving, she felt freer, she told the BBC over the phone from Shenyang – just before she headed south for winter in her new SUV with a caravan.
But it wasn't until 2024, when she finally filed for divorce, that she experienced "another kind of freedom".
It took a while to get there: it's a complicated process in China and her husband refused to divorce her until she agreed to pay him. They settled on 160,000 yuan ($21,900; £17,400) but she is still waiting for the divorce certificate to come through.
But she is resolute that she doesn't want to look back: "I'm saying goodbye to him."
The road to freedom
In her new life on the road, Su Min's duty is to herself.
Her videos mostly feature only her. Although she drives alone, she never seems lonely. She chats with her followers as she films her journey, sharing what she has been cooking, how she spent the previous day and where she's going next.
Her audience travels with her to places they never knew they would long for – Xinjiang's snow-capped mountains, Yunnan's ancient river towns, sparkling blue lakes, vast grasslands, endless deserts.
They applaud her bravery and envy the freedom she has embraced. They had rarely heard such a raw first-hand account about the reality of life as a "Chinese auntie".
"You're so brave! You chose to break free," wrote one follower, while another urged her to "live the rest of your life well for yourself!". One woman sought advice because she too "dreams of driving alone" and an awe-struck follower said: "Mom, look at her! When I get older, I'll live a colourful life like hers if I don't get married!"
For some, the takeaways are more pragmatic yet inspiring: "After watching your videos, I've learned this: as women, we must own our own home, cultivate friendships far and wide, work hard to be financially independent, and invest in unemployment insurance!"
Through it all, Su Min processes her own past. A stray cat she encounters on the road reminds her of herself, both of them having "weathered the wind and rain for years but still managing to love this world that dusts our faces". A visit to the market, where she smells chili peppers, evokes "the smell of freedom" because throughout her marriage spicy food was forbidden by her husband who didn't like it.
Su Min
Su Min in a traditional outfit when she visited her home province, Henan, in January 2024
For years Su Min had been the dutiful daughter, wife and mother – even as her husband repeatedly struck her.
"I was a traditional woman and I wanted to stay in my marriage for life," she says. "But eventually I saw that I got nothing in return for all my energy and effort – only beatings, violence, emotional abuse and gaslighting."
Her husband, Du Zhoucheng, has admitted to hitting her. "It's my mistake that I beat you," he said in a video she recently shared on Douyin, TikTok's China platform.
A high school graduate, he had a government job in the water resources ministry for 40 years before retiring, according to local media reports. He told an outlet in 2022 that he beat his wife because she "talked back" and that it was "an ordinary thing": "In a family, how can there not be some bangs and crashes?"
When duty called
Su Min married Du Zhoucheng "really to avoid my father's control, and to avoid the whole family".
She was born and raised in Tibet until 1982, when her family moved to Henan, a bustling province in the valley along the Yellow River. She had just finished high school and found work in a fertiliser factory, where most of her female colleagues, including those younger than 20, already had husbands.
Her marriage was arranged by a matchmaker, which was common at the time. She had spent much of her life cooking for and looking after her father and three younger brothers. "I wanted to change my life," she says.
The couple met only twice before the wedding. She wasn't looking for love, but she hoped that love would grow once they married.
Su Min did not find love. But she did have a daughter, and that is one reason she convinced herself she needed to endure the abuse.
Su Min
Su Min learned to surf in the waters off the coast of Hainan in February 2021
"We are always so afraid of being ridiculed and blamed if we divorce, so we all choose to endure, but in fact, this kind of patience is not right," she says. "I later learned that, in fact, it can have a considerable impact on children. The child really doesn't want you to endure, they want you to stand up bravely and give them a harmonious home."
She thought of leaving her husband after her daughter got married, but soon she became a grandmother. Her daughter had twins – and once again duty called. She felt she needed to help care for them, although by now she had been diagnosed with depression.
"I felt that if I didn't leave, I would get sicker," she says. She promised her daughter she would care for the two boys until they went to kindergarten, and then she would leave.
The spark of inspiration for her escape came in 2019 while flicking through social media. She found a video about someone travelling while living in their van. This was it, she thought to herself. This was her way out.
Even the pandemic did not stop her. In September 2020, she drove away from her marital home in Zhengzhou and she barely looked back as she made her way through 20 Chinese provinces and more than 400 cities.
It's a decision that has certainly resonated with women in China. To her millions of followers, Su Min offers comfort and hope. "We women are not just someone's wife or mother… Let's live for ourselves!" wrote one follower.
Many of them are mothers who share their own struggles. They tell her that they too feel trapped in suffocating marriages – some say her stories have inspired them to walk out of abusive relationships.
"You are a hero to thousands of women and many now see the possibility of a better life because of you," reads one of the top comments on one of her most-watched videos.
"When I turn 60, I hope I can be as free as you," another comment says.
A third woman asks: "Auntie Su, can I travel with you? I'll cover all the expenses. I just want to take a trip with you. I feel so trapped and depressed in my current life."
'Love yourself'
"Can you have the life of your dreams?" Su Min pondered over the call. "I want to tell you that no matter how old you are, as long as you work hard, you will definitely find your answer. Just like me, even though I'm 60 now, I found what I was looking for."
She admits it wasn't easy and she had to live frugally on her pension. She thought the video blogs might help raise some money – she had no idea they would go viral.
Getty Images
Su Min's stories have touched millions of Chinese women who feel trapped in their own lives
She talks about what she's learned over the years and her latest challenge – finalising the divorce.
"I haven't got my divorce certificate yet, because the law has a cooling-off period and we are now in that period."
One of her followers wrote that the money she paid her husband was "worth every penny", adding: "Now it's your turn to see the world and live a vibrant, unrestrained life. Congratulations, Auntie - here's to a colourful and fulfilling future!"
She says it's hard to get a divorce because "many of our laws in China are to protect the family. Women often dare not divorce because of family disharmony".
At first, she thought that Du Zhoucheng's behaviour might improve with time and distance, but she said he still threw "pots and pans" at her on her return.
He has only called her twice in the last few years – once because her highway access card was tied to his credit card and he wanted her to return 81 yuan (£0.90). She says she hasn't used that card since then.
Undeterred by the delay in securing a divorce, Su Min keeps planning more trips and hopes to one day travel abroad.
She's worried about overcoming language barriers, but is confident her story will resonate around the world - as it has in China.
"Although women in every country are different, I would like to say that no matter what environment you are in, you must be good to yourself. Learn to love yourself, because only when you love yourself can the world be full of sunshine."
德国汽车工业联合会(VDA) 一位女发言人接受德国之声采访时表示，对于汽车工业面临的困境，德国政府也难辞其咎。她表示：“2023年12月，政府叫停了电动车补贴，充电桩设施的建设也迟迟跟不上需求，凡此种种，都对电动车的销量和汽车工业造成了冲击。”汽车工业研究所的杜登霍夫（ Ferdinand Dudenhöffer）接受德国之声访谈时也表达了类似的观点，他批评说，有些政治家一会说要大力发展电动车，一会又对燃油车赞不绝口，这只能让民众感到无所适从。
On Monday Vice-President Harris will certify Trump's election victory against her
Exactly two months after her election loss to Donald Trump, Vice-President Kamala Harris will preside over the certification of her own defeat.
As president of the Senate, on Monday she will stand at the House Speaker's rostrum to lead the counting of Electoral College votes, officially cementing her rival's triumph two weeks before he returns to the White House.
The circumstances are painful and awkward for a candidate who decried her opponent as an urgent threat to American democracy, but Harris aides insist she will conduct her constitutional and legal duty with seriousness and grace.
It is not the first time a losing candidate will lead the joint session of Congress to count their opponent's presidential electors - Al Gore endured the indignity in 2001 and Richard Nixon in 1961.
But it's a fitting coda to an improbable election that saw Harris elevated from a back-up to the nation's oldest president to the Democratic standard bearer - whose fleeting campaign provided a jolt of hope to her party before a crushing loss exposed deep internal faultlines.
Harris and her team are now deliberating her second act, and weighing whether it includes another run for the White House in 2028 or pursuing a bid for the governor's mansion in her home state of California.
While recent Democratic candidates who lost elections - Al Gore, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton - have decided against seeking the presidency again, aides, allies and donors argue that the groundswell of support Harris captured in her unsuccessful bid and the unusual circumstances of her condensed campaign proves there's still scope for her to seek the Oval Office.
They even point to Donald Trump's own circuitous political path - the former and future president's bookend wins in 2016 and 2024, despite losing as the incumbent in 2020.
But while many Democrats do not blame Harris for Trump's win, some - stung by a bruising loss that has called the party's strategy into question - are deeply sceptical of giving her another shot at the White House. A host of Democratic governors who coalesced behind the vice-president in 2024 but have ambitions of their own are seen by some strategists as fresher candidates with a much better chance of winning.
Reuters
Trump and Harris in their TV debate in September
Harris herself is said to be in no rush to make any decisions, telling advisers and supporters she is open to all the possibilities that await her after Inauguration Day on 20 January.
She is assessing the last few months, which saw her launch an entirely new White House campaign, vet a running-mate, lead a party convention and barnstorm the country in just 107 days. And aides point out that she remains the US vice-president, at least for another two weeks.
"She has a decision to make and you can't make it when you're still on the treadmill. It may have slowed down – but she's on the treadmill until 20 January," said Donna Brazile, a close Harris ally who advised the campaign.
"You can't put anyone in a box. We didn't put Al Gore in a box and it was obvious the country was very divided after the 2000 election," said Brazile, who ran Gore's campaign against George W Bush and pointed to his second life as an environmental activist. "All options are on the table because there's an appetite for change and I do believe that she can represent that change in the future."
But the nagging question that shadows any potential 2028 run is whether the 60-year-old can separate herself from Joe Biden - something she failed to do in the election campaign.
Her allies in the party say that Biden's choice to seek re-election despite worries about his age, only then to ultimately drop out of the race with months to go, doomed her candidacy.
Though Trump swept all seven battleground states and is the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote, his margin of victory was relatively narrow while Harris still won 75 million votes, an outcome her supporters argue can't be ignored as a currently faceless Democratic party rebuilds over the next four years.
On the other side, those close to Biden remain convinced he could have defeated Trump again, despite surveys showing he had been bleeding support from key Democratic voting blocs.
They point out that Harris fell short where the president didn't in 2020, underperforming with core Democratic groups like black and Latino voters. Critics continue to bring up her 2019 campaign to become the Democratic presidential nominee, which sputtered out in less than a year.
"People forget that had there been a real primary [in 2024], she never would have been the nominee. Everyone knows that," said one former Biden adviser.
The adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, applauded Harris for reviving the Democratic base and helping key congressional races, but said Trump's campaign successfully undercut her on critical campaign issues including the economy and the border.
Reuters
Biden and Harris at the Democratic National Convention in August, a high point for her campaign
Members of Trump's team, however, including his chief pollster, have acknowledged that Harris performed stronger as a candidate than Biden on certain issues like the economy among voters.
Yet there's no escaping that any Democratic primary contest for 2028 would be a tough fight, with rising stars like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and California Governor Gavin Newsom already weighing presidential runs.
Some Democrats say that Harris would nonetheless start ahead of the pack, with national name recognition, a much-coveted mailing list and a deep bench of volunteers.
"What state party would not want her to come help them set the table for the 2026 midterm elections?" Brazile said. "She's going to have plenty opportunities not only to rebuild, but to strengthen the coalition that came together to support her in 2024."
Others have suggested she could step out of the political arena entirely, running a foundation or establishing an institute of politics at her alma mater, Howard University, the Washington-based historically black college where she held her election night party.
The former top state prosecutor could also be a contender for secretary of state or attorney general in a future Democratic administration. And she'll need to decide if she wants to write another book.
For all of her options, Harris has told aides, she wants to remain visible and be seen as a leader in the party. One adviser suggested that she could exist outside the domestic political fray, taking on a more global role on an issue that matters to her, but that's a difficult perch without a platform as large as the vice-presidency.
Reuters
Harris helps with emergency aid packages after Hurricane Helene in North Carolina
In the waning days of the Biden-Harris administration, she plans to embark on an international trip to multiple regions, according to a source familiar with the plans, signalling her desire to maintain a role on the world stage and build a legacy beyond being Biden's number two.
For Harris and her team, the weeks since the election have been humbling, a mix of grief and resolve. Several aides described the three-month sprint that began when Biden dropped out as having begun with the campaign "digging out of a hole" and ending with their candidate more popular than when she began, even if she didn't win.
"There's a sense of peace knowing that given the hand we were dealt, we ran through the tape," said one senior aide.
Following the election, Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, spent a week in Hawaii with a small group of aides to relax and discuss her future.
During a staff holiday party at her official residence before Christmas, Harris recounted election night and how she delivered a pep talk to her family as the results became clear.
"We are not having a pity party!" she told the crowd of her reaction that night.
Advisers and allies say she is still processing what happened, and wants to wait and see how the new administration unfolds in January before staking out any position, let alone seeking to become the face of any so-called Trump "resistance".
Democrats have found the resistance movement that took off among liberals in the wake of his 2016 win no longer resonates in today's political climate, where the Republican has proven that his message and style appeals to a huge cross-section of Americans.
They have adopted a more conciliatory approach in confronting the incoming president's agenda. As several Democrats put it: "What resistance?"
Though she's kept a relatively low profile since her loss, Harris provided a glimpse of her mindset at an event for students at Prince George's Community College in Maryland in December.
"The movements for civil rights, women's rights, workers' rights, the United States of America itself, would never have come to be if people had given up their cause after a court case, or a battle, or an election did not go their way," she said.
"We must stay in the fight," she added, a refrain she has repeated since her 2016 Senate win. "Everyone of us."
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Former US President Barack Obama campaigned with Kamala Harris
What that means is less clear. For some donors and supporters, staying "in the fight" could translate to a run for California governor in 2026, when a term-limited Gavin Newsom will step down and potentially pursue his own White House ambitions. The job, leading the world's fifth-largest economy, would also put Harris in direct conflict with Trump, who has regularly assailed the state for its left-leaning policies.
But governing a major state is no small feat, and would derail any presidential run, as she would be sworn into office about the same time she would need to launch a national campaign.
Those who have spoken to Harris said she remains undecided about the governor's race, which some allies have described as a potential "capstone" to her career.
She has won statewide office three times as California's attorney general and later as a US senator. But a gubernatorial win would give her another historic honour - becoming the nation's first black female governor.
Still, some allies acknowledge it would be difficult to transition from being inside a 20-car motorcade and having a seat across the table from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the governor's mansion.
The private sector is another option.
"For women at other levels of office, when they lose an election, sometimes options are not as available to them compared to men, who get a soft landing at a law firm or insurance business, and it gives them a place to take a beat, make some money and then make decisions about what's next," said Debbie Walsh, director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
"I don't think that's going to be a problem for Kamala Harris. I think doors will open for her if she wants to open them."
But for Harris, who has been in elected office for two decades, and worked as a public prosecutor before that, an afterlife as governor may be the most fitting option.
"When you've had one client – the people – for the entirety of your career," said one former adviser, "where do you go from here?"
Heavy snow and freezing rain are set to bring considerable disruption across the UK, with an amber weather warning now in force.
Parts of northern England, the Midlands and Wales are forecast to be among the worst hit as adverse weather pushes northwards throughout the night, possibly bringing 20-40cm (7.8-15.7in) of snow in some places.
The Met Office has warned of hazardous travel conditions and told motorists it is "safer not to drive". Power cuts are possible and some rural communities could get cut off.
Less severe yellow weather warnings are also in force covering other areas, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and southern parts of England.
A warning for snow and freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, until noon on Sunday
A separate warning for snow covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District from 21:00 GMT on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.
Amber warnings are more serious than yellow warnings and indicate a possible risk to life due to severe weather, as well as more significant travel disruption.
Much of England and Wales is covered by a separate yellow warning for snow and freezing rain into Sunday, though there is uncertainty over how disruptive the adverse weather could be, with milder temperatures forecast.
Most of Northern Ireland, as well as an swathe of northern Scotland, are also covered by yellow warnings for snow and ice.
Prof Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that freezing rain occurs when droplets fall onto surfaces at temperatures below zero degrees and instantly freeze, causing a "glazed ice" on the ground.
Snowfall began in western parts of England on Saturday evening, and a zone of wet weather will continue to move northwards across England and Wales overnight, turning readily to snow as it interacts with the cold air that is sitting across the UK.
The heaviest snow is expected in higher parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England with up to 30-40cm possible over the mountains of north Wales, the Peak District and the Pennines.
At lower levels some disruptive snow is likely but in places this will mix with rain - falling on cold surfaces, leading to the threat of ice.
Cumbria Police said on Saturday afternoon that it had received numerous calls about a multiple-vehicle collision on Wrynose Pass in the Lake District.
Road users in England's north have been warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill.
Reuters
A stag lies amongst frosty foliage in Richmond Park on Saturday
Eastern parts of Northern Ireland could also see a little snow overnight with up to 10cm possible over the hills.
Snow and ice will also affect parts of southern and eastern Scotland through the early hours, with wintry showers in northern Scotland also giving the chance of slippery conditions.
Across southern counties of England and southern Wales any snow is likely to turn back to rain as milder air pushes in - temperatures in parts of south west England could be as high as 12C by the end of the night.
On Sunday further snow is expected to accumulate across parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, where it will remain cold.
Heavy rain will be more of an issue across Wales, central and southern England where milder conditions will develop.
Fresh yellow weather warnings will also come into force in some areas on Sunday.
Heavy rain and thawing snow could lead to flooding in some parts of north-west England and Wales, while localised snow and ice warnings cover parts of Scotland where it will remain cold.
Temperatures are forecast to dip again from Monday, and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amber cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place.
Nigel Farage has defended Elon Musk after the billionaire attacked the UK government's response to grooming gangs on X, the social media platform he owns.
In a series of posts over several days, Musk suggested Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute gangs and said Home Office minister Jess Phillips "deserves to be in prison".
It came as the Home Office defended its decision to reject a request for it to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham. The Conservatives and Reform UK have called for a wider national inquiry.
Asked about Musk's comments on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Farage said he had used "very tough terms" but that "free speech was back" on X under his ownership.
Farage was also pressed on his wider relationship with Musk, who is said to be considering donating money to his Reform party.
Musk's latest intervention on UK politics came after Phillips, a safeguarding minister within the Home Office, instructed Oldham Council to launch its own local inquiry into historic child sexual abuse in the town, similar to inquiries set up in Rochdale and Telford. The local authority had called for a government-led inquiry.
The tech tycoon seized on the decision, which was taken in October, and began heavily criticising the British government online.
He suggested Sir Keir had failed to properly prosecute rape gangs while director of public prosecutions (DPP), and has repeatedly shared posts from Reform and Conservative MPs calling for a national inquiry.
Musk, who is a key advisor to incoming US President Donald Trump, called the prime minister "two-tier Keir" and accused Phillips of being a "rape genocide apologist".
Asked about the comments, Farage said "tough things get said... by both sides of the debate".
He continued: "This man happens to be the richest man in the world, but equally, the fact that he's bought Twitter now actually gives us a place where we can have a proper open debate about many things... We may find it offensive, but it's a good thing, not a bad thing."
Reform party treasurer Nick Candy, Farage and Musk met at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago property last month
In an interview to be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday morning, Farage said the public is "absolutely right to be" angry about grooming gangs.
He went on: "I just think people ask themselves, what has happened to our country? How could this possibly have happened? Why did everybody want to cover it up? Why has there been no full public inquiry?"
On Saturday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended Phillips as "fearless and formidable" and someone who has campaigned "tirelessly for justice for those badly let down by endemic institutional failure" for many years.
In a separate letter seen by the BBC, Phillips and Cooper wrote to the Conservatives setting out why they had asked Oldham Council to set up its own inquiry, rather than grant its request for a government-led one. The previous Conservative government turned down a similar request in 2022.
The letter pointed out the local authority had already started setting up its own inquiry, and added that victims have said "loud and clear" they want action.
"In Oldham the crimes committed by grooming gangs were horrific," they wrote.
"Young girls were abused in the most cruel and sadistic way. Victims and the community need to know that all steps are taken to deliver justice and protect children properly in the future."
They said they supported an independent review commissioned by Mayor Andy Burnham, which covered historic abuse in Oldham and led to a new police investigation, as well as other child protection work across Greater Manchester.
The letter highlighted the work of the Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry, which published its final findings in 2022. It made clear that "abuse must be pursued and challenged everywhere with no fear or favour" - whether in care homes, churches, homes or by grooming gangs.
Professor Alexis Jay, who led that inquiry, said in November she felt "frustrated" that none of its 20 recommendations to tackle abuse had been implemented more than two years later.
On Friday, Health Secretary West Streeting said the government was getting "on with the job" of implementing the recommendations "in full" since taking office in July.
There have been several investigations into grooming gangs in various parts of England, including Rotherham, Bristol, Cornwall and Derbyshire.
An inquiry into abuse in Rotherham found 1,400 children had been sexually abused over a 16-year period, predominantly by British Pakistani men.
An investigation in Telford found that up to 1,000 girls had been abused over 40 years - and that some cases had not been investigated because of "nervousness about race".
Police figures from 2023 reveal that group-based child sexual abuse accounted for 3.7% of all sexual offences against children reported to police.
According to the data, 26% of group-based child sexual abuse happened within families, compared with 17% involving groups including grooming gangs.
Watch Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One at 9am
Tens of millions of Americans are bracing for a huge winter storm that could bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade.
The storm, which started in the middle of the US, will move east in the next couple of days, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
Parts of the US not accustomed to severe cold, including Mississippi and Florida, have been warned to expect treacherous conditions.
Forecasters say the extreme weather is being caused by the polar vortex, an area of cold air that circulates around the Arctic.
"For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
AccuWeather forecaster Dan DePodwin said: "This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011."
He added that "temperatures that are well below historical average" could linger for a week.
Those low temperatures will be on the east coast as well, where the storm is expected to reach by Sunday evening.
In the central US, there will be "considerable disruptions to daily life" and "dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures" into Sunday, according to the NWS.
Some areas of Kansas and Indiana could see at least 8in (20.3cm) of snow.
In parts of the Midwest, blizzards are possible.
"Whiteout conditions will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded," the NWS warned.
Sleet and freezing rain is forecast for Missouri, Illinois, and swathes of Kentucky and West Virginia.
As the storm moves east, millions more Americans will see record low temperatures, forecasters said.
Cities including Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia are preparing for snowy and icy conditions from Sunday into Monday. Snowfall of between 5-12in could be recorded in parts of Virginia.
Also on Sunday, portions of the southern US including Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi may see severe thunderstorms.
Private meteorologist Ryan Maue said: "It's going to be a mess, a potential disaster. This is something we haven't seen in quite a while."
American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines are waiving change fees for passengers because of the potential flight disruptions.
Tens of millions of Americans are bracing for a huge winter storm that could bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade.
The storm, which started in the middle of the US, will move east in the next couple of days, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
Parts of the US not accustomed to severe cold, including Mississippi and Florida, have been warned to expect treacherous conditions.
Forecasters say the extreme weather is being caused by the polar vortex, an area of cold air that circulates around the Arctic.
"For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
AccuWeather forecaster Dan DePodwin said: "This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011."
He added that "temperatures that are well below historical average" could linger for a week.
Those low temperatures will be on the east coast as well, where the storm is expected to reach by Sunday evening.
In the central US, there will be "considerable disruptions to daily life" and "dangerous or impossible driving conditions and widespread closures" into Sunday, according to the NWS.
Some areas of Kansas and Indiana could see at least 8in (20.3cm) of snow.
In parts of the Midwest, blizzards are possible.
"Whiteout conditions will make travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists becoming stranded," the NWS warned.
Sleet and freezing rain is forecast for Missouri, Illinois, and swathes of Kentucky and West Virginia.
As the storm moves east, millions more Americans will see record low temperatures, forecasters said.
Cities including Washington DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia are preparing for snowy and icy conditions from Sunday into Monday. Snowfall of between 5-12in could be recorded in parts of Virginia.
Also on Sunday, portions of the southern US including Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi may see severe thunderstorms.
Private meteorologist Ryan Maue said: "It's going to be a mess, a potential disaster. This is something we haven't seen in quite a while."
American, Delta, Southwest and United airlines are waiving change fees for passengers because of the potential flight disruptions.
Russia and other hostile states have become increasingly brazen in adopting “gray zone” attacks against Europe and the United States, leaving defense officials with a dilemma: How to respond?
Ramstein Air Base in Germany, one of the biggest U.S. posts in Europe, where mysterious drones appeared in what analysts suspected may have been a state-sponsored surveillance mission.
Joe Fong driving a taxi with five cellphones affixed on his dashboard. He sees no value in antagonizing customers. “You need a ride and I need your money.”
Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer says he will resign in the coming days, both as chancellor and party leader, after talks about forming a coalition government collapsed.
The chancellor said his party - the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) - and the Social Democrats had failed to agree on key issues.
The liberal Neos, another party involved in the talks, also pulled out on Friday.
The collapse of the talks could lead to the conservatives negotiating with the far-right, or to a new election taking place, analysts have said.
The Russia-friendly FPÖ has been in a ruling coalition before. It would likely welcome a new election as opinion polls suggest its popularity has grown further since September.
The FPÖ has said in a statement on X that three months have been lost by the coalition talks and adds that "instead of stability, we have chaos".
The party has called for Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler to also resign and said President Alexander Van der Bellen bears "a significant share of responsibility for the chaos that has arisen and the lost time".
The FPÖ won almost 29% of the vote in September's election, the People's Party came second with 26.3% and the Social Democrats third, with 21%.
There was a high turnout of 77.3% as Austrian voters took part in an election dominated by the twin issues of migration and asylum, as well as a flagging economy and the war in Ukraine.
The FPÖ's Kickl promised to build "Fortress Austria", to restore Austrians' security and prosperity.
The party wants firm rules on legal immigration and it has promoted the idea of remigration, which involves sending asylum seekers to their original countries.
The FPÖ was founded by former Nazis in the 1950s.
Two days before last year's general election vote some of its candidates were caught on video at a funeral where an SS song was sung.
The party later denied the song, dating back to 1814, had any link to "National Socialist sentiments".
Guatemalan security forces hold their country's flag as they arrive in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince
A contingent of 150 Guatemalan soldiers has arrived in Haiti, tasked with helping to restore order amid the chaos wrought by armed gangs.
A first group of 75 soldiers arrived on Friday and another 75 on Saturday, all drafted from the military police, according to Guatemala's government.
A state of emergency has been in place across the Caribbean nation for months as the government battles violent gangs that have taken control of much of Port-au-Prince.
The forces are in Haiti to boost a United Nations-backed security mission led by Kenya that has so far failed to prevent violence from escalating.
Kenya sent nearly 400 police officers in June and July last year to help combat the gangs.
This was the first tranche of a UN-approved international force that will be made up of 2,500 officers from various countries.
A small number of forces from Jamaica, Belize and El Salvador are also in Haiti as part of the mission and the US is the operation's largest funder.
The Ouest Department - a region including the capital Port-au-Prince - was originally put under a state of emergency on 3 March, after escalating violence gripped the capital.
Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural disasters in recent decades have left Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas.
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