** The death toll from last week’s winter storm and the blizzard that hit the eastern part of the US over the weekend stood at least 60. The confirmed deaths CBS News cited were linked to a familiar list of winter hazards: hypothermia, vehicle crashes, snowplow incidents, sledding accidents, and sudden cardiac emergencies associated with shoveling snow.
** At least 70 poultry houses collapsed under the weight of snow and sleet in western Arkansas because of the winter storm. The damage was mostly in Yell County near Fort Smith.
** A Permian Basin landowner files a Texas lawsuit against eight oil companies alleging they failed to properly operate and plug water injection wells, leading to soil and groundwater pollution on his property.
** Maine is accepting bids to build large onshore wind farms in the northernmost part of the state, but residents of the area won’t get any of the power produced, as their electric system is not connected to the New England grid.
** Texas regulators issue an air pollution permit to Pacifico Energy’s self-described “largest power project in the United States,” a planned 7.65 GW complex of gas-fired power plants and data centers.
** Pilot Company has partnered with Tesla to build a series of electric semi-truck charging stations, according to a Tuesday announcement. The Tesla Semi Chargers will be installed at select Pilot locations along interstates 5 and 10 as well as other corridors that see high demand for heavy-duty charging, according to the announcement.
World
** Ukraine will halt long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities if Russia does the same, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks released Friday, after Donald Trump raised hopes for a pause in attacks during freezing temperatures.
** Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed a sweeping agreement with the government of Alberta, home to the country’s vast tar sands oil reserves, laying the groundwork for a new oil pipeline to transport oil to British Columbia’s northern coast for export.
** Venezuelan lawmakers have approved a law change that will make it easier for foreign companies to take part in the country’s oil industry, in a move by Caracas to meet the demands of US President Donald Trump.
** India plans to soon offer incentives for companies to set up lithium and nickel processing plants to help boost output and meet rising demand for critical minerals, according to two sources and a government presentation reviewed by Reuters.