Every state east of the Mississippi is likely to get winter storm effects Wednesday, including Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Washington.

A winter storm swept across much of the U.S. Midwest and East Coast on Wednesday, hampering air travel and prompting officials to close federal offices in Washington and several large public school systems. The National Weather Service warned the storm could make travel very difficult, with snow, sleet and freezing rain potentially causing downed branches and power outages. The storm reached from northern Minnesota down through Missouri and east into the Mid-Atlantic region and could bring as much as 6 inches (15 cm) of snow along with sleet and freezing rain, the National Weather Service said in an advisory.

For some, this tax season so far has come with a costly surprise – a tiny tax refund or a big tax bill. The shock is hitting their finances.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Former President Barack Obama and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told a roomful of minority boys on Tuesday that they matter and urged them to make the world a better place.

The political stalemate that ended last month will reduce first-quarter revenue by $60 million as the aftereffects linger, Southwest said in a regulatory filing Wednesday. “The company has continued to experience softness in passenger demand and bookings as a result of the government shutdown,” Southwest said. Southwest dropped 4.5 percent to $55.10 at 9:39 a.m. in New York after sliding as much as 6.1 percent for the biggest intraday decline in three months.