Briefing

THE WEEK

WE WEATHERED A POLAR VORTEX

‘In 10 minutes, you could be dead without the proper clothes.’

GREG BALLARD, Indianapolis mayor, warning citizens about the polar vortex that swept the Midwest, plunging temperatures to -50ºF (-46ºC) including windchill

$1 million

Estimated marijuana sales on Colorado’s first day of legalization

37

Pounds an Iowa man lost (17 kg) over a three-month span, even though he ate food only from McDonald’s. His secret: regular exercise

‘I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough.’

LINDSEY VONN, gold-medal-winning U.S. skier, announcing her withdrawal from the 2014 Winter Olympics; she aggravated a knee injury this winter

Heinz

Facing mega-exposure as its $4 million Super Bowl spot looms

GOOD WEEK

BAD WEEK

Kraft

Facing turmoil as a (temporary) Velveeta shortage looms

‘WE ARE NOT CONTEMPLATING PUTTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND.’

JOHN KERRY, U.S. Secretary of State, affirming that the U.S. would send only aid–not troops–to help the Iraqi government stop an al-Qaeda-backed insurgency

19,000

Expected daily visitors for Yuan Zai, the 6-month-old panda cub who recently made her debut at the Taipei Zoo

‘I’M SO EXCITED!!!’

SASHEER ZAMATA, via Twitter, after being hired as Saturday Night Live’s first black female cast member in six years

‘There are two paths open to China. One is to seek dialogue … The other is to play the role of Voldemort.’

KEIICHI HAYASHI, Japanese ambassador to the U.K., likening China to the villain in the Harry Potter series, in a Telegraph op-ed calling for better leadership

Sources: TIME.com; NBC; ABC; Twitter; Telegraph