A dramatic storm is pummeling Southern California with downpours and flooding. A gunman opened fire in Prague, killing at least 14 people in the Czech Republic's worst-ever mass shooting. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the most coveted free agent arm this winter, is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, USA TODAY Sports reports. |
👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. How did these cherished Christmas traditions begin? Happy holidays to all who celebrate! | |  |
Now, here's Friday's news |
Historic downpours, evacuations in SoCal |
A slow-moving Pacific storm prompted evacuations Thursday in cities and beach towns along California's southern coast as streets were submerged beneath floodwaters. |
| • | The cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme — both in Ventura County, west of Los Angeles — issued evacuation orders for some coastal areas and at least one shelter was opened for residents fleeing their homes. | | • | Authorities asked residents to stay off the roads due to widespread flooding. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford told the LA Times that "the frequency of this kind of event is on the order of once in every thousand years." | |
| • | Christmas is almost here, and millions of Americans will be traveling by vehicle or plane over the next few days. But how will the weather impact your holiday plans? | | • | Folks in the central and western U.S. are expected to see some travel delays because of weather in the days leading up to Christmas, forecasters say. This includes a potential snowstorm in the Rockies and Plains over the weekend. | | Cecily Willis checks in on her two cats, Roz and Daphne, while holding her dog, Truman, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. They evacuated their Port Hueneme home around 5 a.m. after waking up to 5 inches of water in their bedroom. BRIAN J. VARELA/THE STAR |
Gunman kills 14 people in Czech Republic's worst mass shooting |
A student opened fire in a university building Thursday in downtown Prague, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic's worst-ever mass shooting, authorities said. The shooting occurred in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. The gunman also died, authorities said. His name has not been released. Police said they had no information to indicate the shooter was connected to a terrorist organization. Authorities have warned the death toll could rise. Read more | Mourners stand outside the headquarters of Charles University on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, after a mass shooting in Prague, Czech Republic. Denes Erdos, AP |
Plagiarism claims against Harvard president boost GOP's anti-higher ed efforts |
Conservatives are escalating their attacks on colleges and universities, which they have long painted as environments that stoke far-left ideology. A disastrous congressional hearing this month centered on how several elite colleges are handling antisemitism on campus. Many academics say the attacks are the latest battle in a larger conservative-led war on higher education – especially against Ivy League schools. The latest target is Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard, who now faces allegations that she plagiarized others' work over the course of her yearslong academic career. Read more | Harvard President Claudine Gay, left, speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington. Mark Schiefelbein/AP |
Half of US has very high or high flu activity ahead of holidays |
Flu is ramping up across the country just as millions hit the road for holiday celebrations. While influenza activity across the U.S. isn't currently at abnormal levels, travelers may want to take some precautions. More than half of the states – especially in the South – have reported high or very high flu activity as of the week ending Dec. 9, according to the CDC. In the western part of the U.S. flu "really peaks off the 25th of December, and then (goes) up in the new year," said Dr. Francesca Torriani of the University of California San Diego Health. Read more |
Dodgers agree to monster deal with Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the most coveted free agent arm this winter, is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to two high-ranking officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The officials spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet official. Yamamoto will be signing a 12-year, $325 million deal with L.A. that includes a $50 million signing bonus. It's the second monster signing the Dodgers have made this offseason, following Shohei Ohtani's historic $700 million deal. Read more | Yoshinobu Yamamoto is signing a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yukihito Taguchi, USA TODAY Sports |
Photo of the day: Millions of holiday travelers take to freeways, crowd airports |
Millions of Americans are hitting the road and skies this holiday season − around 115 million people are expected to travel over the holiday period, showing that staying home for the holidays may be a travel trend of Christmas past. | DULLES, VIRGINIA - DECEMBER 21: A man dressed as Santa Claus greets a young passenger at Dulles International Airport on December 21, 2023 in Dulles, Virginia. AAA predicted that this travel season will be the second-busiest holiday travel season since 2000. Alex Wong, Getty Images |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | All of the headlines, none of the chaos. | Learn daily with The Excerpt,
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