Daily Briefing: A stunning storm

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."

In other weather news:

• 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.

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

More news to know now

• Rudy Giuliani files for bankruptcy after jury orders him to pay $148 million in defamation case.

• Nikki Haley is cutting into Donald Trump's lead in a crucial early voting state. Will it be enough?

• U.S. backs United Nations Security Council resolution on Gaza; Israel destroys "vast tunnel network."

• Vin Diesel accused of sexual battery by former assistant in new lawsuit.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, 14 people are dead after a mass shooting at a Prague university. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

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

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

• COVID variant JN.1 is on the rise this holiday season: Current symptoms to look out for.

Keep scrolling

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• "The Color Purple" movie review: A fantastic Fantasia Barrino brings new depth to 2023 film.

• She handed a gift to her stepdad of 23 years. Inside were adoption papers.

• "Anyone But You": Glen Powell calls Sydney Sweeney the "Miss Congeniality of Australia."

• From Reviewed: Plan the perfect Christmas brunch − easy ideas to try this year.

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

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.

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Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SoCal storm, Prague shooting, flu, Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Daily Briefing