White Christmas Arrives After Christmas: A massive blizzard pummeled the East Coast Sunday night, setting off a host of transportation delays. The New York Times reports that airports were closed in New York and New Jersey but expected to open by this afternoon. Philadelphia and Boston airports were open. Despite missing the brunt of the storm, Washington saw a number of flights cancelled.
Suspicious Packages Sent to Three Embassies in Rome: Italian police were called to the Greek, Venezuelan and Danish embassies in Rome on Monday after suspicious packages were found there, CNN reports. The parcel found at the Greek Embassy contained an explosive, and officials were in the process of investigating whether the other packages also contained explosives.
High Flying Trouble? As the Obama administration works to harden domestic defenses against terrorism, some experts are pointing to a potential vulnerability from thousands of high-altitide flights that pass over the United States each week. The Washington Post reports that the cargo aboard them is not screened to federal standards and passenger lists are not matched to names on the terrorist watch list maintained by the Transportation Security Administration.
Tight City Budgets Prompt Tax Increases for Nonprofits: Facing budget gaps, many states and local governments are slapping residents with an array of new fees—and some are applying them to nonprofits. The Wall Street Journal reports that those moves mark a sharp departure from long-standing tax exemptions mandated by state law or adopted on the theory that churches, schools and charitable organizations work alongside governments to provide services to the community.
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