East prepares for Blizzard

New York City could get 2-3 feet of snow Monday night into Tuesday morning. Snowstorm Juno is expected to be one of the biggest storms to hit the city. Mayor de Blasio and other officials advise residents to not travel and take precaution.

"This could be a storm the likes of which we have never seen before," de Blasio stated in a conference on Sunday. 

Delays at major airports are expected. Garbage and recycling pickup is suspended for Monday and Tuesday as the Department of Sanitation prepares over 2,000 plows, and salt equipment in lieu of the storm. NYC schools are open on Monday but might be closed on Tuesday.  

The storm is also expected to affect much of the east coast including Boston, New Jersey, Hartford and Pennsylvania. 

Deflate Gate

                 

An investigation for the AFC Championship conducted by the NFL revealed that 11 out of 12 footballs used by the New England Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts were under-inflated. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Coach Bill Belichick denied any wrongdoing and proclaimed the team's innocence. The incident comes as the Patriots are set to face off against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1st. While the investigation is still ongoing, the Patriots are still expected to play for the title. The alleged scandal sparked criticism against the Patriots from fans and former NFL players. Some believed the Patriots should be disqualified if the allegations are true. This is not the first time the team has been under fire. In 2007, the Patriots were also under investigation for videotaping the New York Jets defensive signals. Following the "Spygate" investigation, the Patriots were fined $250,000 and lost their first round pick for the '08 draft. Coach Belichick also received a fine of $500,000. 

While many are debating the ethical standards of football, others took the opportunity to poke fun of the situation.

https://twitter.com/krispykreme/status/557920121532870656

No Pork For Chipotle

Customers looking to grab some carnitas are out of luck. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill decided to pull pork from restaurants on January 13th after the company discovered the supplier violated "responsibly raised" standards. According to a statement made by spokesman Chris Arnold to the Associated Press, Chipotle standards include raising pigs in outdoor conditions and not in pens. 

Chipotle is known for campaigns for using conventionally raised ingredients without antibiotics or growth hormones. Animals that are raised by conventional means, represent approximately 5 percent of meats in the U.S according to the American Welfare Approved. 

"We would rather not serve pork at all, than serve pork from animals that are raised that way," said Arnold.  

Though pork counts for 6 to 7 percent of customer orders, the shortage could cause Chipotle to lose some profit in the future until the company finds an alternative solution.  

Oscar Nomination Surprises

The 2015 Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday with some surprises and snubs. 

Rounding out the lead for Academy Awards are The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman with nine nominations each including Best Picture of the Year. Also battling for the award in that category are Boyhood, American Sniper, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash and Selma. Films left out of a slot were Foxcatcher, Unbroken, Gone Girl, Nightcrawler, Into the Woods, Inherent Vice and A Most Violent Year.

Although Selma received nominations for Best Picture and Song, David Oyelowo didn't make the cut for his performance as Dr. Martin Luther King to earn a Best Actor nomination, nor did Ava DuVernay for Best Director.

Also Clint Eastwood for his work on American Sniper and Angelina Jolie for her work on Unbroken also got snubbed for Best Director.

For Best Actress, Julianne Moore is a favored to win for Still Alice. Yet Jennifer Aniston was left out for her performance in Cake, though she received Golden Globe and SAG nominations. 

The Lego Movie proved that "Everything is Awesome" as the film earned a slot for Best Original Song, but was surprisingly not a contender for Best Animated Feature. The film earned a Golden Globe nomination in the same category and earned nearly $257 million at the box office. Yet that wasn't enough. Films that are in the running include Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls, Song of the Sea and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.

While most of the nominations were expected, the announcement sparked debates on social media over the lack of diversity for women and people of color nominated. 

The 87th Academy Awards airs February 22 on ABC.

New Year, New Rules

The year 2015 brings hope and new resolutions but it also brings in new laws for people to follow. Here are a list of new regulations that go into effect in New York State.

1. The minimun wage raises to $8.75

2.  It is illegal to throw away electronics in the garbage starting January 1st due to the e-waste program. Instead residents will have to drop off their e-waste at centers such as Staples, Best Buy, Goodwill or The Salvation Army. Violators will also face a fine of $100.

3. It is illegal to take a selfie of a tiger, lion or other big cat in New York.

So, while trying to engage in actions that could lead to having a good year, do make sure to keep in  mind of the rules that follow.