Big winter storm hits the Bay Area with rain and the Sierras with snow, and the Morning Show with Nikki Medoro talks about the issues that arise with wild weather. Also, ABC Washington Correspondent Elizabeth Schulze reports on the Biden Administration's efforts to make it easier for the American public to deal with government.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The series of killer tornadoes that piled on death and mayhem in four States in the US (given the moniker as a ‘Quad-State Tornado’) from Friday night into early Saturday morning is competing with a ‘Tri-State Tornado’ that hit three States way back in 1925 as the longest-sustaining ever.

The US National Weather Service is in the process of categorising the cataclysmic events after conducting its own post-event survey. But there are indications galore that the swarm of tornadoes was in the ‘stro

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Texas law to remain in effect while abortion clinics sue to block it. That decision incensed Newsom, a Democrat who supports abortion rights.

“If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people's lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm's way,” Newsom said in a statement released by his office at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Newsom said he has directed his staff to work with the state's Legislature and its Democratic attorney general to pass a law that would let private citizens sue to enforce California's ban on assault weapons. Newsom said people who sue could win up to $10,000 per violation plus other costs and attorneys fees against “anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon” in California.

“If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,” Newsom said.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faced with rising coronavirus cases and growing concerns about the Omicron variant, California is ordering a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces to go into effect on Wednesday.

The move comes as coronavirus case rates in California have risen by almost 50% in the last 2½ weeks, and COVID-19 hospitalizations are up by nearly 15%. County health officials across the state say they suspect they may be seeing the start of a winter jump in coronavirus cases.

“This is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and can work,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California health and human services secretary, on Monday. “We are proactively putting this tool of universal indoor masking in public settings in place to ensure we get through a time of joy and hope without a darker cloud of concern and despair.”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Fraknoi, an award-winning scientist and educator, known for his skill in interpreting astronomical discoveries and ideas in everyday language, joins Pat Thurston to answer all of your questions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ABC correspondent Alex Stone joins The Pat Thurston Show to share updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

One of every 100 seniors has died of Covid-19 in the country 

Delta variant continues to ravage U.S.

New Hampshire Calls in National Guard to Help Overwhelmed Hospitals

UK Reports World's 1st Known Omicron Death

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who do you believe: Dr. Oz or Dr. Fauci? Pat Thurston debates with listeners.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk is Time's 2021 person of the year. Pat Thurston talks to listeners about the decision. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

California will reimpose indoor mask mandates in public settings for all residents, regardless of vaccination status, starting Wednesday until Jan. 15, Health and Human Services Sec. Dr. Mark Ghaly announced Monday.

The news comes shortly after the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus arrived in the state, with 18 cases reported statewide as of Friday.

The state will also require people attending mega-events of 1,000 people or more that don’t require vaccination to show proof of a negative test taken within one day for an antigen test, and within two days for a PCR test. The previous window was 72 hours.

And it will recommend that travelers returning to California get tested three to five days after arrival.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Mark Thompson's full show featuring:

Kentucky's deadliest storm

ABC7's Spencer Christian on Atmospheric river soaking Bay Area

Law & Disorder

O'Bretuaries

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.