A potent Pacific storm is hammering the West Coast on Christmas Day, snarling one of the year’s busiest travel periods. Airlines and roadways across the region faced major disruptions as heavy rain and powerful winds swept into key hubs from Seattle to Southern California [2].
NOAA has issued a rare “high risk” designation for flash flooding in parts of Southern California, a level seldom used for the region. Forecasters warn of dangerous rainfall rates capable of triggering flash floods and mudslides, especially in burn scar areas and on steep terrain [3]. Travelers should monitor airline alerts and local advisories as conditions evolve.
Separately in Washington, the Justice Department said federal prosecutors and the FBI have uncovered more than a million new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, signaling a substantial expansion of the evidentiary record. The new trove could inform ongoing reviews of Epstein’s network and any related cases, though officials have not detailed next steps [4].
Internationally, Saudi Arabia has proposed sweeping penalties for manufacturing or importing banned pesticides, including prison terms of up to five years and fines up to 10 million Saudi riyals. The move underscores a broader regional push to tighten environmental and public health safeguards around agricultural chemicals [1].
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