Good morning, and happy Monday. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Another Monday morning storm hits Northeast
For the third time in as many weeks, millions in the Northeast were waking up to snow, ice and wind, making for yet another rough commute. The Weather Channel warned that ice and sleet would cause dangerous conditions for commuters in New York City and southern New England, while upstate New York and the rest of New England could see more than a foot of snow accumulate by the time the slow-moving storm is done on Tuesday morning. Boston, which could see up to 2 feet of snowfall, won't have school Monday or Tuesday, and the city's mayor advised people to stay off the roads and work from home. Read more in WEATHER.
2. ISIS hostage’s parents in 'fragile state'
The parents of Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old American aid worker whom ISIS claimed Friday was killed in an airstrike, are in a "fragile state," a family friend told The Associated Press. "The strain of not knowing where their daughter is at and whether or not she is alive or not is something that is starting to wear on them," said Todd Geiler, adding that the family was nonetheless "hopeful." ISIS has yet to provide any proof of her death. Read more in NEWS.
3. Jordan says ISIS leader is frightened
The head of the Jordan's air force, Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Jabour, said ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is running scared because of the intensified air strikes carried out by Jordan in retaliation for the ISIS murder of a Jordanian pilot. "We decided to get revenge for all the Jordanians," al-Jabour said, prompting al-Baghdadi to reveal himself. "(ISIS leadership) always hide and they are always on the move but we have assets always in the air for an opportunity to target al-Baghdadi and his gang," al-Jabour said. Read more in NEWS.
4. Alabama's top judge says same-sex marriage still illegal
A federal judge in Alabama struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage last week, clearing the way for gay couples to get married as soon as Monday. But on Sunday night, Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, issued an order to judges across the state saying: "A marriage contracted between individuals of the same sex is invalid in this state." It was unclear how many judges would comply. Read more in NEWS.
5. Sam Smith sweeps Grammys
Sam Smith took home Record of the Year — and three other statues — at the 57th Grammy Awards. Other winners included Pharrell Williams, Jack White and Beck, whose speech was momentarily interrupted by Kanye West. Beck laughed along with what appeared to be a joke, even inviting Kanye to stay on stage with him to help him out with his speech. But later West said at the E! party that he wasn't kidding around. "Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyonce," West said. Yeezy assured he's just trying to "fight for creativity." "You can't please everybody," Beck told People in response to West's remarks. "I still love him and think he's genius." Read more in ENTERTAINMENT.
6. EXCLUSIVE: Meet the “Grey Berets”
Over the past year, NBC News got unprecedented access to one of the newest, most elite elements of U.S. special operations: clandestine weathermen. They deploy with Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces, gathering mission-impossible environmental data from some of the most hostile places on earth. Ahead of major missions, they go in first to gather a go/no-go forecast. The career field was quietly created in 2008 — and now, no position in the Air Force is a higher recruiting priority. Read more on NBCNews.com.
And now this ...
A drought in Brazil is devastating, but one bright side is that a town that was submerges underwater for more than 50 years has been re-discovered. Still, residents are worried about a severe lack of water.