In the Nation

TEXAS

Freezing rain forces flight cancellations

Freezing rain that coated parts of Texas and Oklahoma for the second consecutive day left highways slick and forced the cancellation of another 1,000 flights Saturday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the nation's biggest airline hubs.

The Saturday chaos was on top of about 600 flights cut Friday, forcing about 5,000 travelers to spend the night at the airport, spokesman David Magana said. The airport provided cots, blankets, and toiletries to the passengers, an kept concession stands open overnight, Magana said.

Transportation officials and the National Weather Service warned travelers to stay off the roads Saturday until temperatures rise and the ice melts. The weather service issued a winter weather advisory for the Dallas-Fort Worth area until Saturday night. - AP
ILLINOIS

Chicago rating falls

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Chicago's credit rating to two levels above junk status, citing the city's $20 billion mountain of unfunded pension liabilities. The agency said it lowered the rating on $8.3 billion in general obligation debt from Baa1 to Baa2. It also maintained its negative outlook for Chicago, indicating another downgrade could occur even if efforts to address pension problems survive legal challenges. - AP

MASSACHUSETTS

Rink's roof falls

A youth hockey team escaped without injury when part of a snow-weighted roof collapsed at a skating rink Saturday morning. Police in Canton said the rear of the roof at the Metropolis Skating Rink began to fail as a Norwood youth team was inside. Coach Chris Sharkey told WBZ-AM that "we heard a snap and knew something was wrong. We started . . . screaming for all the kids, and the second snap came." Everyone was safe and accounted for. - AP