1. The new year is absolutely frigid across much of North America.

A jet stream is shuttling arctic air from northwestern Canada to the eastern U.S., sending temperatures plummeting to record lows and creating dangerous conditions. Above, Niagara Falls.

Forecasters say it will continue at least into the weekend. So bundle up, or stay in if you can. A couple of links that might come in handy: Cooking’s guide to making soup, and our list of the 100 best movies on Netflix.