Morning news brief: California battles more rain and snow, experts worry about US Covid surge, and more

Weather woes don't seem to end for California as the residents battled their ninth successive storm in a three-week period that has brought destructive flooding, and heavy snowfalls and killed at least 19. In other news,a man on Sunday was arrested over the discovery of uranium at London's Heathrow airport. Finally, the holiday season and the evolution of new sub-variants of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 have once again led to a surge in cases in the US.

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US President Joe Biden on Saturday declared a major disaster in the state where flooding and landslides have turned the residents' world upside down. The federal government has expedited aid to the region, including help with temporary housing and repairs.

The man, in his 60s, was been arrested under Section 09 of the Terrorism Act 2006, which covers the making and possession of radioactive devices and material. According to BBC, the man was released on bail until April.

While the new sub-variants have increased transmissibility and the ability to evade some antibodies, proper masking, ventilation, boosters and other precautions have also helped curtail the spread of the disease, experts say. However, people aren't as open to antivirals and masking is not a mandate anymore, causing vaccination and testing to make a return amidst the winter surge.

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