ABC suspends Whoopi Goldberg, millions brace for major winter storm and Biden to relaunch Cancer Moonshot program

To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today's Top Stories from NBC News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 Good morning, NBC News readers.     The Justice Department may pursue criminal charges related to the filing of sham Electoral College votes for Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended from "The View" for her controversial comments on the Holocaust. Plus, up to 90 million people from New Mexico to Vermont bracing for a major winter storm.   Here's what we're watching this Wednesday morning.     Conspiracy charges possible for filing bogus election slates, legal experts say The Justice Department could pursue criminal charges related to the filing of Electoral College votes for Donald Trump from states that actually voted for Joe Biden in 2020, according to several experts on election law.   Certificates purporting to be from Trump electors were sent to Washington by Republicans in seven political battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But because Biden won the popular vote in those winner-take-all states, only electoral votes for him could officially be submitted and counted.    The Justice Department is investigating at least two states that sent alternative slates.   Read our full story from NBC News' Justice correspondent Pete Williams here.  Wednesday's Top Stories ABC suspends 'The View' host Whoopi Goldberg for saying Holocaust 'not about race' Goldberg made the comments Monday during a discussion on "The View" about a Tennessee school board's banning of "Maus," a graphic novel about the Nazi death camps. The network said she is suspended for two weeks.  READ MORE Putin says West has ignored Russia's key demands in Ukraine standoff Making his first public comments since December on the Ukraine standoff, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow remains open to more talks and that he hopes for an eventual solution to the crisis.  READ MORE Exclusive: FBI Director Wray says scale of Chinese spying in the U.S. 'blew me away' Chinese spying in the U.S. has become so widespread that the FBI opens a new China-related counterintelligence investigation every 12 hours on average to counter the onslaught, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. READ MORE Biden to announce relaunch of Cancer Moonshot program started under Obama The president is expected to lay out a goal of reducing the cancer death rate by 50 percent over the next 25 years. The initiative is deeply personal for both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who both lost loved ones to cancer.  READ MORE Also in the News Flights canceled as states from New Mexico to Vermont brace for fierce winter storm Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores files racial discrimination lawsuit against NFL, New York Giants It might not be so easy to knock Trump impeachment Republicans out of Congress: Many outpaced GOP challengers in latest fundraising haul Two campus officers, known as the 'dynamic duo' because they were such close friends, killed in shooting at Virginia college; suspect in custody Lockdown planned after Covid enters Tonga along with disaster aid Pool heater blamed for 'life threatening' carbon monoxide incident at Ohio hotel  Airline says it will cease shipments of monkeys after some got loose in Pennsylvania crash Editor's Pick OPINION Why Tom Brady's most infamous chapter is based on a lie The "MAGA-hat-loving Brady" legend has been such a large part of his narrative for more than a half-decade that it has taken on a life of its own. Now that Brady officially announced he's retiring, sports writer Will Leitch unravels the myth in an opinion piece.   READ MORE Select From custom candles to coffee kits, these are some of our favorite Valentine's Day gifts for women. One Fun Thing  'Driving out that evil': What the Year of the Tiger could symbolize For those who celebrate Lunar New Year, which officially began yesterday, the occasion could mark a pivot toward refreshingly good change.    The holiday ushers in the Year of the Tiger, which is considered to be a positive sign, often associated with the defeat of evil, Jonathan H.X. Lee, a professor at San Francisco State University whose research focuses on Asian and Asian American religions and folklore, told NBC Asian America.   While the world has experienced several difficult years in the pandemic, Lee said Chinese mythology dictates that the Year of the Tiger could offer hope amid the challenges.    "Collectively we have been living in the shadows of a great evil, the pandemic," Lee said. "And I think 2022, the Year of the Tiger, will be a year when there will be movement towards driving out that evil."   Read our full story here.  Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill     FOLLOW US     Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? 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