WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – The second major snowstorm in less than a week hit the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday, with predictions of 14 inches (36 cm) or more stretching from Washington, D.C., to New York City, forcing the United Nations to close and the U.S. Congress to curtail legislative action.

Government offices in Washington will be closed on Wednesday — the third straight day at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity per day — and the National Weather Service predicted the U.S. capital could get upward of 14 inches (36 cm) by Wednesday night.

The United Nations said its New York headquarters will be closed on Wednesday due to the storm. The U.S. National Weather Service predicted up to 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in New York and Washington, with Baltimore forecast to get up to 20 inches (51 cm) and Philadelphia up to 19 inches (48 cm).

Forecasters also were predicting strong winds that could cause additional power outages.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The second major snowstorm in less than a week hit the East Coast on Tuesday, with predictions of 12 inches or more stretching from Washington, D.C., to New York City, forcing schools to close and the U.S. Congress to sharply curtail legislative action.

Government offices in Washington will be closed on Wednesday — the third straight day at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity per day — and the National Weather Service predicted the U.S. capital could get upwards of 14 inches by Wednesday night.

The Office of Personnel Management said federal agencies in the Washington area would be closed on Wednesday. U.S. government emergency employees were expected to report for duty as scheduled but other workers were excused for the day.

Residents were still trying to dig out from record snowfall of 18 inches to 32 inches last weekend from Washington to southern New Jersey. Some tried to restock refrigerators and clear fallen trees before the new storm arrived.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Not again! Residents from northern Virginia to New York braced for a major snowstorm that could bring 12 inches or more of snow just days after a blizzard dumped as much as 3 feet in some areas.

U.S. government offices in Washington closed on Tuesday for a second straight day — at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity a day — and the National Weather Service predicted the U.S. capital could get upwards of 14 inches by Wednesday night.

Residents have spent the past few days trying to dig out from the snowfall that dropped 18 inches to 32 inches last weekend from Washington to southern New Jersey, as well as trying to clear fallen trees and re-stock their refrigerators.

The second storm has been dubbed “Snoverkill” and “Snomageddon 2.0″ and led some Washington-area schools to call off classes for the rest of the week. Even the battle-tested New York public school system said it would be closed on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Not again! Residents from northern Virginia to New York braced for a major snowstorm that could bring 12 inches (30.5 cm) or more of snow just days after a blizzard dumped as much as 3 feet (90 cm) in some areas.

U.S. government offices in Washington closed on Tuesday for a second straight day — at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity a day — and the National Weather Service predicted the U.S. capital could get upwards of 14 inches (36 cm) by Wednesday night.

Residents have spent the past few days trying to dig out from the snowfall that dropped 18 inches (46 cm) to 32 inches (81 cm) last weekend from Washington to southern New Jersey, as well as trying to clear fallen trees and re-stock their refrigerators.

The second storm has been dubbed “Snoverkill” and “Snomageddon 2.0″ and led some Washington-area schools to call off classes for the rest of the week. Even the battle-tested New York public school system said it would be closed on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Not again! Residents from Virginia to New York prepared for a major snowstorm that could bring 12 inches (30.5 cm) of snow just days after a blizzard dumped as much as 3 feet (90 cm) in some areas.

U.S. government offices in Washington closed on Tuesday for a second straight day — at a cost of roughly $100 million in lost productivity a day — and forecasters were predicting the U.S. capital could get upwards of 20 inches (51 cm) by Wednesday night.

Residents have spent the last few days trying to dig out from the snowfall that dropped 18 inches (46 cm) to 32 inches (81 cm) last weekend from Washington to southern New Jersey, as well as trying to clear fallen trees and re-stock their refrigerators.

There still are more than 15,000 customers without power in the Washington metropolitan area while subway and bus services were scaled back. The U.S. House of Representatives canceled votes for the rest of the week and many congressional hearings were called off.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Twenty-two people charged with violating U.S. bribery laws after allegedly trying to win arms deals from someone they thought was an African defense minister were part of a single conspiracy, a U.S. prosecutor said on Wednesday.

The 22 individuals, including Smith & Wesson Holding Co sales executive Amaro Goncalves, were caught in an FBI undercover operation. They were charged in 16 separate indictments, but they were not accused collectively in one indictment for conspiring with each other.

“We do believe it is one conspiracy,” U.S. prosecutor Hank Walther told a federal judge during the first of two arraignment hearings where lawyers for 19 of the defendants entered not-guilty pleas for their clients.

The remaining three defendants are in custody and are expected to be arraigned next week.

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Twenty-two people charged with violating U.S. bribery laws after allegedly trying to win arms deals from someone they thought was an African defense minister were part of a single conspiracy, a U.S. prosecutor said on Wednesday.

The 22 individuals, including Smith & Wesson Holding Co <SWHC.O> sales executive Amaro Goncalves, were caught in an FBI undercover operation. They were charged in 16 separate indictments, but they were not accused collectively in one indictment for conspiring with each other.

“We do believe it is one conspiracy,” U.S. prosecutor Hank Walther told a federal judge during the first of two arraignment hearings where lawyers for 19 of the defendants entered not-guilty pleas for their clients.

The remaining three defendants are in custody and are expected to be arraigned next week.

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Twenty-two people charged with violating U.S. bribery laws after allegedly trying to win arms deals from what they thought was an African defense minister were part of a single conspiracy, a U.S. prosecutor said on Wednesday.

The 22 people, who include Smith & Wesson Holding Co <SWHC.O> sales executive Amaro Goncalves, were caught in an FBI sting. They were charged in 16 separate indictments, but they were not accused collectively in one indictment for conspiring with each other.

“We do believe it is one conspiracy,” U.S. prosecutor Hank Walther told a federal judge during an arraignment hearing where lawyers for eight of the defendants entered not-guilty pleas for their clients.

The statement clearly surprised Judge Richard Leon and many of the defense lawyers, who raised questions about consolidating the cases and whether the defense attorneys must review the evidence against all those charged.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day has provided “useful, actionable” intelligence to U.S. authorities after the FBI flew his relatives to the United States to urge him to cooperate, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

And top U.S. intelligence officials, testifying on Capitol Hill about the attempted bombing and other security threats, said al Qaeda and its allies were “certain” to try to attack U.S. territory again within the next six months.

The bombing suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, started talking again after FBI agents brought family members from Nigeria to help convince him to provide information on how the botched Dec. 25 bomb plot was arranged and whether further attacks were in the works, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He is alleged to have mounted the attack with help from a Yemen-based al Qaeda branch.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day has provided “useful, actionable” intelligence to U.S. authorities after the FBI flew his relatives to the United States to urge him to cooperate, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, started talking again after FBI agents flew family members from Nigeria to help convince him to provide information on how the botched December 25 bomb plot was arranged and whether further attacks were in the works, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“I’m confident he’s going to continue to cooperate,” the official said, although he declined to say whether Abdulmutallab had been offered a plea deal or leniency in exchange for answering questions again.

The Obama administration has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats because Abdulmutallab was interviewed by FBI agents for about an hour before he stopped cooperating and he was then read his so-called Miranda rights, providing him full U.S. constitutional legal protections.