Daily Briefing: 'Tragically we keep saying the same things'

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke from the site of Saturday's mass shooting in Monterey Park, where she called for Congress to act on gun control. Also in the news: Sirens rang this morning across Ukraine as Russia launched a wave of counterattacks. We have the takeaways from opening arguments in Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial in South Carolina.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Did anyone win the $526 million Powerball jackpot? 

Now, here we go with Thursday's news.

Vice President Harris urges for tougher gun control laws

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived outside of the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California, Wednesday night, stopping to take a look at each of the victims' names and pictures from Saturday's deadly mass shooting before placing a bouquet in front of the memorial. 

Same words, no action: Harris told reporters the nation is mourning the loss of the 11 people killed and nine others injured, while also advocating for stricter gun control laws. "Tragically we keep saying the same things," Harris said. "Congress must act. Should they? Yes. Can they? Yes."

• Monterey Park is a predominantly Asian American community near Los Angeles. For Asian Americans, the shooting has added to a growing mental health crisis in the wake of the tragedy and several years of collective trauma.

• There's also the Half Moon Bay shooting: The suspect accused of fatally shooting seven people at two Northern California mushroom farms was denied bail after being charged Wednesday with seven counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and related charges.

• These are the victims of the Half Moon Bay shooting: The sheriff's office said the victims were five men and two women, who were mostly Asian American and Latino farmworkers, and suspected to be the shooter's coworkers.

• The president has pointed to new legislation to ban assault weapons, urging them to “send that to my desk as quickly as you can.” The bill faces a tough climb in the Senate and is not expected to pass in the Republican-led House.

Morning sirens sound across Ukraine

Air raid sirens wailed nationwide Thursday morning as Ukrainian officials say Russia has launched a wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks on the country. There were no immediate reports of the targets, but Kyiv’s mayor said a Russian missile strike killed one person, the first death from an attack in the capital since New Year’s Eve. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two other people were injured in the strike. The attacks came after Germany and the United States announced they would send advanced battle tanks to Ukraine. Read more

• Ukraine is about to get 45 top battle tanks from the US and Germany. How they will aid in war with Russia?

• Russia meets UEFA looking for path back into world sports.

More news to know now

• ✈ The WNBA doesn't allow charters. What are Brittney Griner's options?

• 🛑 A 6-year-old shot his teacher in Virginia. School administrators "could not be bothered" to heed warnings that day, lawyer says.

• 🚨 A Pennsylvania police chief was charged with helping distribute cocaine, methamphetamine.

• 💵 Applying for welfare benefits is too difficult, low-income Americans say.

• 🌠 A huge asteroid is going to fly by Earth. It's one of the closest approaches ever, NASA says.

• 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY Pentagon Correspondent Tom Vanden Brook explains what the U.S. decision to send tanks to Ukraine means for the war going forward. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

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

Another winter storm is on the way

As a winter storm that trekked across the country and brought snowflakes from New Mexico to Maine continues heading East, the United States on Thursday can expect weather conditions ranging from harsh winds to air stagnation – and yes, more snow. Los Angeles and Ventura counties are expecting Santa Ana winds – gusty, dry blasts unique in the region – on Thursday, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles confirmed. Meanwhile, a winter storm watch will impact some Idaho, Montana and Wyoming residents into the weekend. Snow accumulations of 12 to 24 inches are possible, with the winter storm watch remaining in effect through Saturday afternoon. Read more

• It's mid-January and the Great Lakes are virtually ice-free. That's a problem.

• Here's why a London-sized iceberg breaking off of Antarctica isn't concerning scientists.

COVID vaccines are holding up against highly contagious XBB variant

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters continue to hold up well against the latest viral variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. First seen in August, the omicron variant known as XBB and its subvariant XBB.1.5 have taken over in the U.S. this last month as the cause of more than half of COVID-19 infections. The booster is targeted at both the initial SARS-CoV-2 virus and the BA.4/BA.5 variants, but BA.5 and its subvariants account for just about 2% of cases right now and BA.4 and the original virus are essentially gone. The new study found that, despite the mismatch in variants, the booster remains protective against XBB. Read more

• Can the White House's ''Renters Bill of Rights'' ease crisis for tenants?

Just for subscribers:

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• 🎵 Why Justin Bieber, Genesis and other major musicians are choosing to sell their catalogs now.

• 🏈 What might the Green Bay Packers get if they decide to trade Aaron Rodgers?

• 🌽 What would a museum dedicated to Black farmers look like? This Mississippi woman knows.

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. 

Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial: 'You are going to see what he did to Maggie and Paul,' prosecutor says

Prosecutors in a double murder trial involving a prominent former South Carolina attorney delivered opening arguments Wednesday claiming that a barrage of evidence would persuade jurors that Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife and son. Lead prosecutor Creighton Waters alleged a "perfect storm" was brewing before Murdaugh, 54, killed his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son, Paul Murdaugh, in June 2021. "You are going to see what he did to Maggie and Paul, and it is going to be gruesome," Waters said. Dick Harpootlian, Murdaugh's defense attorney, stressed his client's innocence until proven guilty and disputed the reliability of the state's evidence as "theories. Read more

• Who is the real Alex Murdaugh, the man who wrecked a South Carolina legal dynasty?

📷 Photo of the day: 'Extremely dangerous' tornado slams Texas 📷

More than 129,000 homes and businesses were in the dark across Texas, Arkansas and Missouri on Wednesday and a tornado watch was in effect across much of Florida as a line of severe weather brought havoc to much of the South. Read more about the storm and click here to see more photos.

One more thing

• 💅 Those UV lamps nail salons use? Researchers say they can permanently change your DNA.

• 🗨 Netflix says it plans to halt free password sharing before April.

• 🙏 Sam Smith is done wallowing in a new chapter of self-acceptance on ''Gloria'' album.

• 🎬 New movies this week: Stream Eddie Murphy's ''You People,'' skip Jennifer Lopez's ''Shotgun Wedding.''

• 🤵 Doja Cat brought her gentlemanly best to Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week 2023.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California shootings, gun control, Ukraine, COVID-19, Alex Murdaugh: Daily Briefing