5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Arctic Blast Brings Historic Cold Across US

Much of the country faces a deep freeze this morning, with historic cold expected for the eastern United States and Midwest.

The arctic blast is expected to affect 24 states, bringing some of the coldest weather in decades from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. In Chicago, the temperature dipped below zero overnight, with a wind chill between -20 and -30.

Sections of the south are also facing cold temperatures, with an overnight wind chill in the single digits for Atlanta. In Kentucky, overnight temperatures dipped below zero, with wind chills of -20 and -15 reported.

2. Chicago Doggy Day Care Van Stolen at Gunpoint

Chicago police are searching for two men who stole a doggy day care van at gunpoint and drove off with at least six dogs inside.

Tad Tomita, the owner of Mochi, said his wife texted him about what happened.

"I couldn't comprehend what that meant. I called her back immediately and she told me what happened and I was just in shock," he told ABC station WLS. "I'm really worried she may not survive the night if we can't find her."

3. Former Federal Judge Regrets 55-Year Marijuana Sentence

Weldon Angelos was just 24 years old when he was sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for three marijuana sales. He is one of the hundreds of thousands of federal prisoners serving decades-long sentences for non-violent crimes, thanks to mandatory minimum sentencing laws created in the 1980s during America’s war on drugs.

As a result, Angelos may not live long enough to experience freedom again. His case has haunted the federal judge that put him there.

"I do think about Angelos,” said Paul Cassell, a now-retired federal judge in the Utah circuit. “I sometimes drive near the prison where he’s held, and I think, ‘Gosh he shouldn’t be there. Certainly not as long as I had to send him there. ... That wasn’t the right thing to do. The system forced me to do it.”

4. Vanilla Ice Charged With Burglary in Florida, Police Say

Vanilla Ice has bailed out of jail after being arrested in connection with a home burglary, authorities said.

The former rapper, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail, and charged with burglary residence and grand theft, according to a Chief Sean Scheller at the Lantana Police Department. He was released from jail Wednesday night.

Van Winkle spoke to West Palm Beach, Florida, ABC affiliate WPBF. "It's just out of proportion I wish you guys would focus on the good things I've done," he told the station. Asked if the incident is part of his reality show, he laughed and said, "I wish it was--there's nothing fun about this. I wish everyone the best and maybe the good news will travel this fast."

5. Oscars 2015: Who Will Win the Big Awards

In honor of “Boyhood,” they started filming this year’s Oscars twelve years ago. In a sense, I wish they had because that would take away the predictability of this year’s contest, which, like the majority of the Oscars in this modern era, have been painfully predictable.

It’s just simple science; we’ve had Golden Globes, Broadcast Film Critics, Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Producer Guild and the BAFTAS. While the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and the Broadcast Film Critics Association do not share voters with the Academy, they have matched up many times with the Oscars. All of the Guilds and the BAFTAS share plenty of members with the Academy and are considered stronger bellwethers when it comes to predicting Oscar glory and therein lies the problem; all of these awards have been handed out making Oscar forecasting easy.