Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, a floating holiday celebrating the great man's birthday on January 15th. Truly one of the most inspiring human beings ever to walk the earth, and a true humanitarian.

Ice Cold Polar Vortex Takes Over America

On the heels of a winter storm named "Hercules" that brought blizzard conditions to the Midwest and New England and caused 16 deaths, we now have a phenomenon called the "Winter Vortex" that could be even more dangerous. Over the next 24 hours the Arctic blast is going to make temperatures plummet to below double digits below zero over the northern states and into the south. Also blizzards are happening again, and several states are under states of emergency just due to ice and cold. Is this extreme weather connected to global warming? Probably, yes. Is there anything we can do about it except bundle up and shake a fist at the sky? No.

US will soon learn meaning of “polar vortex” as record cold descends on Midwest Monday. http://t.co/nHR2UuUopE pic.twitter.com/o1jwgp0uGC

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) January 4, 2014

From Time Magazine:

Meteorologists attribute the “polar vortex” to freezing air from the North Pole being pushed down to as far as the Gulf Coast of the U.S., the Associated Press reports. In Atlanta, temperatures will be in the mid-20s by Tuesday while a wintry mix of rain and snow are expected in parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, northern Arkansas, southern Ohio and southwestern Pennsylvania late into Sunday. The cold front will likely freeze large bodies of water, like the Great Lakes, meaning freezing temperatures could last through winter.

While still digging out from current snowfall, another winter storm will drop more snow and ice onto the the central Plains to the Great Lakes states this weekend. The biggest hit areas will include St. Louis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo.

Great graphic! MT @NWSTallahassee: Wind Chill Watch, Warning, or Advisory in effect for estimated 115 million ppl. pic.twitter.com/jGZmf7Vl8p

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) January 5, 2014

Chicago expected to approach all-time low-temperature mark of minus 11; wind chill may hit minus 45 - @chicagotribune http://t.co/wBDTcpbEfy

— Breaking News Storm (@breakingstorm) January 6, 2014

Democratic Mayor Bill De Blasio Takes Office in New York City

New York has an historic new mayor sworn in by President Bill Clinton.

Bill de Blasio formally becomes the 109th mayor of NYC http://t.co/eWjUtwnVLv

— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) January 1, 2014

Bill De Blasio Sworn In As New York Mayor, Promises To Take 'Dead Aim' At Inequality http://t.co/LGc2IU8Uki via @HuffPostNY #uniteblue

— Doc Hamrick (@mch7576) January 2, 2014

Mt @NewsBreaker: Former Pres. Bill Clinton swears in Bill de Blasio as NYC mayor pic.twitter.com/vtnhqf50Av” Out w the OLD; in w the NEW

— Rainie Cole (@rainiecole) January 1, 2014

First Family of NYC after swearing in. Bill Clinton called them the real modern family #InaugNYC @NYDNBenChapman pic.twitter.com/3IYaw5XMTi

— zakiyah ansari (@zansari8) January 1, 2014

Democrat Mayor Bill De Blasio challenges New York's millionaires to help the NYC's grindingly poor #p2 #tpot http://t.co/mp1OsgdZKf

— The Baxter Bean (@TheBaxterBean) January 5, 2014