Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, February 16, 2021:

DEEP FREEZE

An historic coast-to-coast weather system is wreaking havoc across most of the country. Texas got the brunt of it so far, with temps as low as 7 in Dallas, snow on the beaches of Galveston, six inches in Austin, and rolling blackouts from ice that have left 3.9 million people across the state still without power this morning. Gas prices have jumped nationwide and will likely keep rising as the big Texas refineries have had to go offline due to the failure of the electrical grid. The system is tracking over the Midwest and Northeast through today and will bring widespread snow and damaging ice and with it. LIVE UPDATES

COVID-19: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The numbers are continuing to improve in the U.S. by just about every metric: cases, hospitalizations and deaths are all still showing significant decreases, and the vaccination rate is slowly inching up, with the seven-day average now 1.64 million shots administered -- though that number may take a hit this week due to the impacts of the storm. Some more promising news is coming from Israel, where new data shows a staggering 94 percent drop in symptomatic cases among the 600,000 or so people who have received both vaccine doses, regardless of age. CNN

BLUE GOVS ON DEFENSE

Two Democratic governors who got early praise for their handling of the pandemic are now mired in scandal and controversy for that same stewardship. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has admitted that his office should have been more transparent in how it counted coronavirus deaths in nursing homes, which were far more than the state originally acknowledged. Cuomo stopped short of a full apology and denied allegations that he covered up those deaths to keep the Trump administration from investigating. Meanwhile, opponents of California Gov. Gavin Newsom say they have the 1.5 million signatures needed to trigger a recall election over his missteps. Those signatures are now in the process of being verified. POLITICO

THIN ICE

Most of Europe is also in a deep freeze, and officials across the continent are pleading with people to stop ice skating on frozen lakes and canals in order to spare their already stretched-thin emergency services. Amsterdam’s famous canals froze over for the first time in years, leading to throngs of lockdown-weary Dutch skaters trying out their skills. One man, wearing just a swimsuit, learned the hard way that the ice was not as solid as it looked: WATCH

JAG GOES ELECTRIC

Jaguar Land Rover, the British luxury automaker that’s been notoriously slow to adopt electric vehicles, says it will follow the likes of GM and others and take major steps to electrify its fleet in the coming years. The Jaguar brand will ditch the internal combustion engine by 2025, and Land Rover will release its first EV in 2024. BLOOMBERG

PARLER'S BACK

The controversial social-media app Parler is back online after it was cut off by Amazon, Google and Apple in the wake of the Capitol riot. Parler’s new CEO says old accounts are being restored and new users will be able to join in the coming days. Pre-Jan. 6, the app had become a clearinghouse for far-right extremists and conspiracy theories due to its lax moderation policies. THE VERGE

SERENA V. NAOMI

Serena Williams beat Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3, in the Australian Open to set up a semifinal showdown with Naomi Osaka tomorrow. Williams is two wins away from tying the Grand Slam singles record. In women’s doubles, Coco Gauff and Caty McNally are out after falling to Nicole Melichar and Demi Schuurs. ESPN

OPRAH SNAGS ROYAL EXCLUSIVE

A day after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they’re expecting their second child, CBS says Oprah will interview the couple for a primetime special next month. The 90-minute sit down, which the network is promoting as “wide-ranging” and “intimate,” airs Sunday March 7. PEOPLE

SPOTTED...

… Shailene Woodley, arriving on the set of her new movie in Montreal after it was reported that she and Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers got engaged: SEE PIC

… Michael B. Jordan, renting out an entire aquarium for new girlfriend Lori Harvey on Valentine’s Day: SEE IT

LEFTOVERS: WALLEN IS TOPS

Two weeks after he had his recording contract suspended and songs taken off airplay for using a racial slur, country star Morgan Wallen is selling more music than ever. Wallen’s latest album is #1 in the U.S. for five weeks running now and his previous album has cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s album chart for the first time. BILLBOARD

Listen to the N2K Podcast! Looking for more context and analysis on the big stories of the day? Check out our podcast! Hosts Jill and Carlo break down the headlines, every weekday morning Listen on Apple or Spotify, or watch on YouTube, and send us your feedback!

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