Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Ex-Marine found guilty in ‘American Sniper’ murder
A Texas jury decided late Tuesday that Eddie Ray Routh wasn't insane when he murdered celebrated Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Kyle's friend Chad Littlefield at a gun range two years ago. Routh, 27, showed no reaction when he was sentenced to life in prison without parole — the default punishment since prosecutors didn't seek the death penalty. The verdict has capped an emotional trial that attracted national interest after Kyle's story was also portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film, "American Sniper." Routh's defense team said they will appeal the verdict, The Associated Press reported. Read more in NEWS.
2. Deadly snowstorm to snarl travel from Texas to Virginia
A strip of the South from Texas to southern Virginia are contending with a messy storm that is bringing snow, sleet and rain just in time for Wednesday's morning commute. School closures were ordered and states of emergency were declared in Georgia and Alabama — the latest impact of an Arctic chill that has set records across much of the nation. Meanwhile, temperatures remain below freezing across most of the Northeast — although many areas are no longer below zero. Records fell from Ohio to Vermont on Tuesday, while Boston has now had its second-heaviest seasonal snowfall thanks to more snow. Read more in NEWS.
3. Obama vetoes Keystone XL pipeline bill
President Barack Obama waved his veto pen on Tuesday for only the third time in his presidency. This time, he rejected Republican-led efforts to approve the controversial interstate Keystone XL oil pipeline project. Both the House and the Senate passed their respective bills in recent weeks. The White House has said that the president opposes the bill because it would cut short an ongoing review process of the project by the State Department. Obama has also expressed some skepticism about how many jobs the pipeline would create. Read more in POLITICS.
4. Ukraine’s PM to Russia: ‘Get out of our land.’
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk wants Russia to stop meddling in its affairs and withdraw its heavy weapons from the pro-Moscow east. In a forceful response to the latest cease-fire agreement, Yatsenyuk told CNBC on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "threat to the entire Western civilization." The fiery rhetoric comes as the U.S. and its allies are considering imposing more sanctions against Russia for allegedly undermining the peace deal in eastern Ukraine. Read more in NEWS.
5. Truck driver arrested in Metrolink train crash
A commuter train derailment in Ventura County, California, on Tuesday morning left nearly 30 people injured, four critically. The 54-year-old driver of the truck accused of causing the derailment was taken into custody, NBC Los Angeles reported. He has a valid commercial drivers license and was driving a 2005 F-450 truck towing a trailer possibly filled with welding equipment, police said. Meanwhile, the accident is only the latest in a number of train derailments, including a deadly one in suburban New York on Feb. 3, that has raised questions about track safety. Read more in NEWS.
6. Feds say Southwest can fly jets after missed inspections
Federal officials announced that Southwest can keeping flying its planes if they get them checked within the next five days — after news that the airlines failed to inspect one-fifth of its fleet. "Once identified, Southwest immediately and voluntarily removed the affected aircraft from service, initiated maintenance checks, disclosed the matter to the FAA, and developed an action plan to complete all overdue checks," Southwest Airlines spokesperson Brandy King said in a statement. Around 80 flights were canceled Tuesday as a result of the missed checks on the Boeing 737s, Southwest said, and the airline expected a "very minimal impact" Wednesday. Read more in BUSINESS.
And now this …
Getting a bird's-eye view has never been this real before. A new virtual reality rig lets you see the world as a bird does. Just don't forget to keep flapping.