[U.S.] Storm slows Midwest commute, buries Plains in snow

Storm slows Midwest commute, buries Plains in snow
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/22/172680402/storm-buries-kansas-missouri-as-it-heads-east
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A snowstorm that blanketed parts of the Plains and Midwest in snow and ice and forced truckers to take a night off made commuting a grind Friday morning as it slowly moved to the north and east.

Medical copter crash in Oklahoma kills 2, hurts 1
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57570693/deadly-medical-helicopter-crash-in-oklahoma-city/
OKLAHOMA CITY - Authorities say a medical helicopter has crashed in Oklahoma City, killing two people and injuring a third. The Oklahoma City Fire Department tells The Oklahoman newspaper that the crash happened Friday morning.

Ten Things to Know for Today
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/22/4636686/10-things-to-know-for-today.html
The magistrate will rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he has to remain in custody over the shooting death of his girlfriend.

Texas executes man convicted of killing ex-girlfriend in 1994 fire
http://www.wina.com/Texas-executes-man-convicted-of-killing-ex-girlfri/11458736?newsId=194930
Feb 21 (Reuters) - The state of Texas on Thursday executed a man convicted of killing his former girlfriend in 1994 by. dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire.

Cancellations top 1900, KC airport reopens
http://www.kmbz.com/KCI-Airport-to-reopen-at-7-a-m-/15607236
Last update: Friday at 8:47 a.m. ET. Next update: Friday, by 9:30 a.m. ET. Flight cancellations are piling up in the Great Lakes this morning (Feb. 22) as a strong winter storm moves east out of the Great Plains.

U.S. Drought Monitor Report for the Week Ending Feb. 19 (Text)
http://www.bradenton.com/2013/02/21/4403475/scientists-expect-nations-drought.html
Following is the text of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor as released by the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska: Over the last 7 days, the most active area for precipitation was in the southeast United States where areas of southern Georgia ...

Same-Sex Issues Swirl A Month Before Supreme Court Ruling
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Same-Sex-Issues-Swirl-A-Month-Before-Supreme-Court-Ruling-192342801.html
With a month to go before the U.S. Supreme Court issues rulings on same-sex marriage, several related announcements grabbed headlines this week over the heated national controversy.

Listening to Du Bois and Lincoln: The Supreme Court and the Voting Rights Act
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/22/supreme-court-could-gut-key-protection-for-minority-voters/
The Voting Rights Act was a monumental achievement of the modern struggle for racial equality in the United States. Now, in what might become an historic turning point, the constitutionality of Section 5, the Act's main enforcement mechanism, is before the ...

Republicans submit nearly 400 questions to Lew
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323949404578314412568158962.html
The Republicans have loaded down Treasury Secretary nominee Jack Lew with a lot of homework. Senators who are considering Lew's nomination have given him 444 written questions to answer -- more than the six previous Treasury nominees combined.