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Bitter cold sweeps across U.S.
(CNN) - How cold is minus 20 degrees really? Cold enough to freeze an egg sunny-side up.
Funda Ray was making breakfast in Hibbing, Minnesota, when she got an idea to demonstrate just how dramatically the temperature had dropped outside.
"I sprayed the cookie pan with Pam and broke an egg on it, and in half an hour, I had a frozen egg," she said. Her husband held up the egg, which she photographed and posted to CNN's iReport.
The coldest weather so far this winter is creeping over the northern United States this week, the National Weather Service said, sending the temperature plunging below zero in Chicago for the first time in 711 days.
Bitterly cold temperatures stretched from the Dakotas to New England, sweeping down into the Ohio Valley. Wind was a major issue in some places, with wind chill warnings and advisories in effect from North Dakota to West Virginia and on into parts of New England.
This morning on "Early Start," meteorologist Jennifer Delgado reports on the latest temperatures and wind chills across the U.S., and what you can do to stay warm.
READ MORE: This may be the coldest week of the winter for northern United States
Women, docs top Sundance Film Festival – Zoraida Sambolin reports
Zoraida Sambolin reports from Park City, UT with a look at the hot movies at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
All eyes on inauguration fashion as First Lady wows in red Jason Wu dress – Alina Cho reports
As expected, style and fashion at the inaugural ceremonies did not disappoint. The First Lady’s wardrobe was the talk of the town. All eyes were on Michelle Obama’s fashion forward choices and she may have outdone herself yet again. CNN’s resident fashionista Alina Cho has the details in the fabric.
Thom Browne was elected for the coat and dress the First Lady wore on inauguration morning, turning heads for choosing a designer known more widely for his menswear. Another surprise came at the grand inaugural ball. It shocked viewers and designer Jason Wu himself that the First Lady should choose a gown by him again. She went with Wu for the first inaugural ball four years ago. But Alina Cho sums it up rather simply. “At the end of the day, she’s a woman who wanted to feel and look great,” she says.
Great white shark "Mary Lee" enters NC's outer banks – OCEARCH Founder Chris Fischer on the shark's travels
“Early Start” first told you the story of great white shark when she got dangerously close to Florida’s Jacksonville Beach just a few weeks ago. In September, a group called OCEARCH pulled her out of the water near Cape Cod. They tagged her with a tracker and let her go, nicknaming her "Mary Lee."
"Mary Lee" has since traveled hundreds of miles north and now the massive shark is right off the coast of North Carolina’s outer banks, near Cape Hatteras. You can follow her travels anytime you want on OCEARCH's website. Chris Fischer, founder of OCEARCH who has been alerting authorities when Mary Lee gets too close for comfort, joins us on "Starting Point" this morning with more.
Fischer says OCEARCH’s primary purpose is conducting research regarding where sharks are breeding and where they are giving birth in order to protect those areas, but his duty also extends to sounding the alarm to the authorities when necessary.
“When you have the kind of data, when a 16-foot mature white shark that's over 3,500 pounds comes close to a populated area, I feel an obligation to call,” he says. “Yesterday she was very close to Ocracoke, North Carolina, either right on the beach right in front of it or actually inside the sound, nearby. A few hours later, she popped out off shore. She was very near there.” Fischer contacted authorities right away who then continued handling their own business there. “They were very excited about it”.
As for Mary Lee, she has been very busy in the past two weeks. “She’s been exploring the coast and going in and out and very near a lot of estuaries and river mouths,” Fischer says.
CNN Trends: Sasha's yawn goes viral
Trending on the web this morning are memorable moments from the president's second inauguration ceremony. One tender moment was of young Sasha Obama yawning during her father's speech.
Best Advice: Angie Harmon
Actress and UNICEF Ambassador fighting against human trafficking Angie Harmon shares some of her best advice.
President Obama inaugural speech's place in history – Nick Ragone weighs in
Presidential historian Nick Ragone on how President Obama's second inauguration speech will be viewed by history.
Washington celebrates President Obama with parties galore – Brianna Keilar reports
Brianna Keilar reports on the numerous parties celebrating President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
World Economic Forum kicks off in Davos, with the theme 'Resilient Dynamism' – Ali Velshi reports
The euro survived. Washington is expected to muddle through its fiscal crises. China is heading for a soft landing, and markets and corporate earnings are recovering.
Nearly five years after the banking meltdown, the world economy is back on track, right?
As policymakers and senior executives fly off for a week of brainstorming and partying in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, they may be tempted to pat themselves on the back.
Yet many are more pessimistic about the future than they were 12 months ago, according to a survey by the World Economic Forum, host of the annual Davos shindig from January 23 to 27. Clouds over Davos include anemic growth, rising social tensions and increased volatility in emerging markets.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Ali Velshi reports live from Davos on the World Economic Forum.
READ MORE: Davos: Too soon to celebrate
Rep. Clyburn: Many lawmakers 'bothered' by controversial photo of Obama's cabinet
President Obama will take the oath of office in Washington today with his hand on two bibles– the bible that Abraham Lincoln used during his first inauguration and a bible that belonged to Dr. Martin Luther King.
In a video previewing today's events, Obama placed his presidency in the context of these two historic figures, saying that their actions and the movements they represent are the reason it's possible for him to be inaugurated.
South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn is a veteran of the civil rights movement and he joins Starting Point this morning to discuss Obama's agenda and King's legacy, explaining that "so much of what President Obama confronted was forecast by Martin Luther King Jr."
Rep. Clyburn also weighs in on the goals of the president's second term and the challenges faced by African Americans in the country, saying that recent Supreme Court decisions are going to force the government to find "creative ways to make the economy work for all citizens."
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