5 things you need to know this weekend
Shovels? Sleds? Check. There’s no escaping wicked East Coast storm
Air and road travel is expected to grind to a halt throughout much of the weekend as a monster storm slogs its way up the East Coast. Up to 75 million people could be affected by the storm, with power companies warning of the possibility for widespread outages. The storm could rival the biggest snowstorms on record in Washington, potentially topping the city's all-time biggest snowfall of 28 inches from 1922. Philadelphia is forecast to get up to 20 inches, while New York could see 6-12. Sunday's forecast involves clearing skies and temperatures slightly above freezing.
Ronda 'Rowdy' Rousey is hosting ‘SNL'
The Olympic medalist and former UFC champ will be live from New York on Saturday, as she heads to 30 Rockefeller Center to flex her acting chops on Saturday Night Live. It will be one of Rousey's first public appearances since her title loss to Holly Holm in November. The Expendables 3 and Furious 7 actress, the first from the MMA world to host SNL, will emcee alongside musical guest Selena Gomez. You can expect lots of jabs from Rousey's debut: In a few promos for the show, she appears to body slam cast member Beck Bennett.
NFL playoffs determine which teams are headed to the Super Bowl
Four teams are vying for two coveted spots in Super Bowl 50. The New England Patriots will face Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game in Denver (3:05 p.m. ET, CBS). Manning has struggled all season: He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in his last nine quarters. Also Sunday, the NFC Championship Game: It will be a rematch of last year's wild-card meeting in Charlotte, which the Panthers won 27-16 over the Cardinals. Charlotte, however, is likely to see ice and snow from the winter storm bearing down on the eastern U.S. – so all eyes are on the weather and field conditions. (It was to remain under tarps until precipitation stops.) Kickoff is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET on Fox.
'X-Files' returns: Do you still believe?
The truth is out there, and Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are going to find it.The X-Files returns to TV on Sunday (after the NFC championship game, at approximately 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), and creator Chris Carter said the sci-fi conspiracy thriller would offer its customary broad sampling, including mythology episodes, monsters-of-the-week and comedy. Stars Gillian Anderson (Scully) and David Duchovny (Mulder) have more than chemistry now, Carter said — they have history, and the new season is meant to appeal to fans and newcomers alike. (But be wary: Paste BN's TV critic, Robert Bianco, says it misses the mark and gives it two out of four stars.) Here's a glimpse at the first minute.
'Des Moines Register' releases its presidential endorsements
The Des Moines Register, part of the Paste BN Network, will announce its endorsements for the Republican and Democratic presidential nominations on Saturday. Over the past six weeks, the Iowa news organization's editorial board has interviewed all the major candidates, except Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Although both Republican candidates declined the invitation for an interview, they will still be considered for the endorsement. The announcement, which is part of a nearly 30-year tradition for The Register, comes as the race tightens just a few days ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.
The weekend essentials:
Giving those eyes of yours a weekend break? Listen to the top stories:
Wondering which movies to watch this weekend? These are Oscar contenders.
Rather watch the small screen?
Ready for some football? Paste BN Sports staffers make some bold predictions for the NFL playoff championship games.
Need a break? Try playing some of our games.
Contributing: The Associated Press