Polar (Vortex) Express in Illinois, Senate Mulls Unemployment Extension, Obama Wants End to Iraq Military Authorization: P.M. Links

Hundreds of passengers were

stranded overnight on three Amtrak trains in Illinois due to
snow drifts. They were
rescued today and sent to Chicago, which may well be just
another form of frozen torture.
The Senate advanced another
extension of unemployment benefits, but even if it passes it
has a much tougher challenge in the House, as Republicans want cuts
elsewhere to offset the costs and other concessions.
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to force
wood stoves to reduce their emissions by 80 percent by 2019.
The rules won’t affect existing wood stoves.
President Barack Obama endorses the
repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force that
permitted the war in Iraq, a White House official said today. After
all, he clearly doesn’t believe drones count anyway.
The former NBA players who have
joined Dennis Rodman in North Korea are now expressing a little
doubt about their decisions, as Rodman’s diplomatic skills with the
media are a touch lacking.
Iran has declined to participate in
upcoming Syrian peace talks in Switzerland.