--- title: "While you were sleeping: 22 January 2016" description: "Massive snowstorm hits the USA's east coast, Will Smith joins Oscar boycotts, and Hewitt out of the Australian Open." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "South Africa" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-while-you-were-sleeping-22-january-2016/" published: "2016-01-22T05:58:38" updated: "2016-01-22T06:03:02" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 547 --- # While you were sleeping: 22 January 2016 > Massive snowstorm hits the USA's east coast, Will Smith joins Oscar boycotts, and Hewitt out of the Australian Open. By John Stupart · Published 22 January 2016, 07:58 SAST · Updated 22 January 2016, 08:03 SAST ## Content **“Earth's crammed with heaven...** **But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.”** **–****Elizabeth Barrett Browning** | WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING | | --- | **Snowfall of up to 76cm is anticipated on the East Coast of the United States.**[Washington DC, New York and other major cities](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-powerful-snowstorm-threatens-u.s.-east-coast-flights-canceled) along the coastline are bracing for the mother of all storms. While grocery stores are being emptied of supplies and flights cancelled, local school kids will be happy to know that Friday is officially a snow day, with all public schooling cancelled. **Japanese tech company, Sharp, is likely to receive a massive government-backed bailout.**Estimated at about $5.5 billion,[the loan will be the third such rescue bid](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-sharp-5.5-bln-bailout-plan-likely-to-be-decided-by-next-weekend-sources) in as many years. Sharp has shown little sign of recovery, but appears to be the darling child of Japanese officials hoping to keep the display manufacturer in Japanese hands. In other words, welcome to the Japanese equivalent of SAA.**Will Smith has joined his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and Spike Lee in boycotting the 2016 Oscars.**Mark Ruffalo, [a current nominee](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-56a199059019f), has voiced his support for their boycott, but will still be attending the awards show. Chris Rock, the appointed host, has meanwhile remained very silent on the issue, despite many calls for him to join the stayaway.**Lleyton Hewitt has bowed out of his 20th and final Australian Open.**[Hewitt lost to David Ferrer](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-tennis-hewitt-proud-to-have-taken-game-forward-by-staying-back) 6-2 6-4 6-4. The baseline specialist and former Wimbledon champion is leaving a tennis world now dominated by sheer physical power and ridiculously fast serves. Nonetheless, Hewitt will focus his efforts on coaching the new generation of Australian tennis stars. Hopefully they will be trained in some aspects of physical power and fast serves as well. | IN NUMBERS | | --- | **1,400,000** The number of metric tons of greenhouse gases generated by the production of the Yellow Pages. This is for the United States alone. | FACTS OF THE DAY | | --- | **Today in 1970 saw the first commercial flight of the Boeing 747 jet.**It began flying for Pan American Airways. **Fact of the day: Michael Jackson's autopsy revealed that he was in fact bald.** | WEATHER | | --- | Bloemfontein: min: 19° max: 27°, rainy Cape Town: min: 21° max: 32°, cloudy Durban: min: 22° max: 32°, cloudy East London: min: 21° max: 31°, rainy Johannesburg: min: 18° max: 25°, rainy Kimberley: min: 20° max: 24°, rainy Nelspruit: min: 16° max: 29°, cloudy Pietermaritzburg: min: 15° max: 30°, rainy Polokwane: min: 16° max: 29°, cloudy Port Elizabeth: min: 20° max: 26°, cloudy Pretoria: min: 19° max: 28°, cloudy | FINANCIAL DATA | | --- | Oil=$29.49 Gold=$1,096.55 Platinum=$818.58 R/$=16.55 R/€=17.94 R/£=23.51 $/€=1.08 JSE All Share=46,282.02 DJIA=15,947.57 FTSE 100=5,773.79: [Source](https://www.google.com/finance) | The Daily Maverick Audio Show (now on iTunes) | | --- | ![Image](//cdn.thedailymaverick-mail.com/users/assets/35/images/podcast.jpg) | NOW ON DAILY MAVERICK | | --- | | \| **[Presidential Gamble: Searching for a statesman to lead SA](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-presidential-gamble-searching-for-a-statesman-to-lead-sa/)** \| \| --- \| | | --- | | \| **[South African peacekeepers accused of failing to prevent DRC massacre](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-21-south-african-peacekeepers-accused-of-failing-to-prevent-drc-massacre/)** \| \| --- \| | | \| **[The assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the ghosts of history and the policing of remembrance](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-the-assassination-of-patrice-lumumba-the-ghosts-of-history-and-the-policing-of-remembrance/)** \| \| --- \| | | \| **[Op-Ed: An Open Letter to Sky News](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-op-ed-an-open-letter-to-sky-news/)** \| \| --- \| | | \| **[Re-imagining Africa: What if big states did better?](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-22-re-imagining-africa-what-if-big-states-did-better/)** \| \| --- \| | | \| **[The law review panel: Acknowledging despondency, avoiding accountability](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-01-21-the-law-review-panel-acknowledging-despondency-avoiding-accountability/)** \| \| --- \| | | \| **[A new head for the IMF. 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