Hardy New Englanders Ride Out, Make Most Of Brutal Nor’easter

ACROSS AMERICA — Good morning! It’s Sunday, Jan. 30. As the weekend draws to a close and millions of Americans dig their way from beneath piles of snow, here’s a look at the stories we’re following today:

Winter Storm Slams East Coast

A nor'easter with hurricane-force wind gusts battered much of the East Coast on Saturday, flinging heavy snow that made travel treacherous or impossible, flooding coastlines, and threatening to leave bitter cold in its wake.

The storm thrashed parts of 10 states, with blizzard warnings that stretched from Virginia to Maine.

Hardy New Englanders took the storm in stride.

Dave McGillivray, race director for the Boston Marathon, jokingly invited the public to his suburban Boston home on Saturday for a free snow-shoveling clinic. Nicky Brown, 34, stood at the doors of Gordon's liquor store in Waltham, waiting for it to open.

"My boyfriend is out driving a plow, and I had a bunch of cleaning to do at home, and I want a drink while I'm doing it," she said, as she called the store to find out if it planned to open at all. "It's a good day to stay inside and clean." »Winter Storm Slams U.S. East Coast With Deep Snow, High Winds, via Across America Patch

• RELATED: Photos: Nor'easter Pummels East Coast With Snow, Winds, Flooding, via Across America Patch

Tom Brady To Retire

Tom Brady is retiring from football, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington Saturday afternoon. Brady, 44, is leaving as the most decorated winner in the history of the NFL. He won a record 7 Super Bowls over his 22-year-career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s also the all-time leader in nearly every major passing category, winning three NFL MVPs and five Super Bowl MVPs. »Tom Brady To Retire: ESPN, via Foxborough, Massachusetts, Patch

An Unlikely Organ Donor

A Georgia man may soon have a new kidney thanks to the selfless act of a former classmate who has agreed to give him one of hers. Rob Latzsch has battled kidney failure for years after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria from the ocean in 2015. When hope seemed lost, Latzsch’s unlikely donor answered the call. »Johns Creek Man To Receive Kidney From Long-Lost Classmate, via Johns Creek, Georgia, Patch

Welcome, Willow Biden

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have added Willow, a green-eyed tabby from Pennsylvania, to the White House family. Willow is the first feline tenant since President George W. Bush's controversially named cat India. With Presidents James K. Polk and Donald Trump among the no-pets exceptions, animals have a long history in the White House. »Willow Biden Joins Long Line Of Presidential Pets, via Across America Patch

More national headlines on Patch, other news websites:

• Trump Facing Legal, Political Headwinds As He Eyes Comeback
• 9 Good News Stories: 'Just Enjoy Living'; Story Behind Tiny Doors
• TV Season 2022: Renewed and Canceled TV Shows
• White House Confirms SC Judge Under Consideration For Supreme Court, via The Washington Post
• Biden Says He'll Send Troops To Eastern Europe In 'Near Term', via The Hill
• Joni Mitchell Joins Neil Young In Protest Against Spotify, via NPR

Around ‘The Patch’

• It's Battle For The Los Angeles Library Ahead Of NFC Championship, via Los Angeles Patch
• $421 Million Mega Millions Ticket Sold In San Fernando Valley, via Studio City, California, Patch
• Freeze Warning Issued For Several Florida Counties, via St. Pete, Florida, Patch
• Man Fatally Stabbed At Jersey City Light Rail Station, via Jersey City, New Jersey, Patch
• Family Found Frozen To Death Near MN-Canada Border Identified, via Southwest Minneapolis Patch
• California Scientists Reach Key Nuclear Fusion Milestone, via Livermore, California, Patch
• Oregon Bakery That Refused Gay Couple Loses Again On Appeal, via Portland Patch
• Bring Marley Home: GA Family Offers Corvette, Cash For Dog Who Went Missing, via Marietta, Georgia, Patch

House Hunting

This $1.7 million Tucson estate is a feat of stunning architecture. At just over 5,000 square feet, the home features six bedrooms, marble flooring, and Mediterranean Roman styling throughout.

This Day In History

In 1847, San Francisco was given its current name. Previously the city was known as Yerba Buena — the name of a plant, meaning “good herb.”

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