Author: Fox News

There are many big weather stories unfolding across the country on Tuesday.  

HEAVY RAIN SLAMS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, LEADING TO WIDESPREAD ROAD CLOSURES AND EVACUATION ORDERS

Severe storm threats over the Gulf Coast, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys
(Credit: Fox News)

The risk for severe storms will continue from the Gulf Coast and up into the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.   

Rain forecast over the Gulf Coast, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys
(Credit: Fox News)

Heavy rain will also bring the threat of flash flooding.  

Meanwhile, a winter storm is bringing plowable snow and measurable ice across parts of the Plains and Midwest.  

Snow still to come for the Midwest, Plains
(Credit: Fox News)

Ahead of this system, record warmth will be the headline for the East, while the West is about to get slammed with inches of rain and feet of snow. 

Rain forecast across California, the West Coast
(Credit: Fox News)

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In California, flash flooding will be a big concern over the next few days.

Action sports legend Ken Block died in a snowmobile accident in Utah on Monday but left behind a catalog of amazing stunt driving videos that set the standard for the genre.

Block became one of the early automotive YouTube megastars with his “Gymkhana” series, which launched in 2008.

The first video was a promo for his DC Shoes brand called “Ken Block Gymkhana Practice.”

Gymkhana is a type of motorsport that involves performing a series of precision driving maneuvers, including 360 degree spins and reversing, through a course typically set up in an open lot.

KEN BLOCK’S HOONITRUCK IS THE WORLD’S WILDEST 1977 FORD F-150

Ken Block’s first “Gymkhana” video was one of the early YouTube automotive hits.
(DC Shoes)

“Ken wanted to take the concept further and on a larger scale,” according to the video, which was shot at the El Toro Airbase in California and featured Block driving a Subaru rally car at high speeds through hangars and performing donuts around one of his crew as they rode along on a Segway.

The four-minute video seems sedate compared to the nine that followed, each raising the bar for excitement.

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Here’s a look at Block’s most-viewed “Gymkhana” videos:

GYMKHANA SEVEN: WILD IN THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES: 57 MILLION

Block built an 845 hp all-wheel-drive 1965 Ford Mustang for his assault on the streets of Los Angeles, which included a trip down the paved banks of the Los Angeles River and driving under a lowrider car as hit hops up and down on its hydraulic suspension.

GYMKHANA THREE: ULTIMATE PLAYGROUND; L’AUTODROME, FRANCE: 69 MILLION

Ken Block drove on the 51-degree banking of the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France for “Gymkhana Three.”
(DC Shoes)

Gymkhana’s third installment took the series to the next level, as Block performed his signature moves in a Ford Fiesta rally car on the high 51-degree banking of the closed Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry high speed oval track in France.

GYMKHANA FIVE: ULTIMATE URBAN PLAYGROUND; SAN FRANCISCO: 113 MILLION

“Gymkhana Five” featured Ken Block stunting through the streets of San Francisco.
(DC Shoes)

The first Gymkhana shot on public roads remains far and away the most popular a decade after its release. It opens with a sprint across the Bay Bridge then shifts to the surface roads, where Block tangles with a pair of buses designed like the city’s cable cars, drifts up the crooked Vermont Street and makes several jumps on its iconic hilly streets.

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Block passed the Gymkhana torch to fellow rally and stunt driver Travis Pastrana in 2020, who has since released two videos set in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area.

Vanity Fair on Monday published a “comprehensive guide” detailing how a hypothetical Ron DeSantis presidency would be as “terrifying” as a Donald Trump one. 

The piece from the left-wing magazine began with a series of reasons DeSantis should not be the next U.S. president, including an endorsement from Twitter CEO Elon Musk, “bigoted policies,” and “authoritarian” behaviors. It was the latest in a string of reports and stories from outlets vehemently opposed to Trump who have declared DeSantis just as bad, if not worse.

“Shouldn’t we be happy about the fact that, at the very least, he doesn’t seem like the type of guy who would Sharpie over a hurricane map to cover his own a– or force people to think about what he gets up to in the bathroom? And the answer is no! We shouldn’t be!,” Bess Levin wrote.

2024 SHOWDOWNS: BIDEN TOPS TRUMP BUT TRAILS DESANTIS IN NATIONAL POLL’S POTENTIAL MATCH UPS

The political correspondent made sure to clarify that her condemnation of DeSantis was not an endorsement of Trump, asserting that the latter would benefit humanity if he were never “heard from or seen again.”

Levin then outlined 13 reasons DeSantis is a bad pick for the top job in Washington, claiming that the Florida governor thinks it is okay to treat humans like “chattel,” that he is “dangerously anti-science” for opposing COVID-19 lockdowns, and that he is “anti-free speech” for signing into law the “Stop WOKE act.”

The piece also suggested that DeSantis is “waging a war” on trans people, sees “no need” for the Respect for Marriage Act, has no interest in preventing gun violence, and is a “massive bully.”

Citing a former college teammate who previously spoke with The New Yorker, Levin added that DeSantis is also an “awful person” and has been for many years. 

RON DESANTIS RECEIVES MULTIPLE STANDING OVATIONS AT FIRST MAJOR GOP 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CATTLE CALL

“Ron is the most selfish person I have ever interacted with. He has always loved embarrassing and humiliating people. I’m speaking for others—he was the biggest dick we knew.” We’ll repeat that for emphasis: “He has always loved embarrassing and humiliating people,” the former college teammate allegedly said. 

A December national poll of Republican primary voters from The Wall Street Journal found that DeSantis would top Trump by double digits in a hypothetical 2024 GOP presidential nomination showdown between the two most popular politicians in the party.

Eighty-six percent of likely GOP primary voters said they held a favorable view of DeSantis, who in November overwhelmingly won re-election to a second term steering the nation’s third most populated state, compared to 74% who viewed Trump favorably.

In a hypothetical DeSantis-Trump face-off for the nomination, the poll suggests the Florida governor ahead of the former president 52%-38%.

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An MSNBC opinion piece last year said DeSantis was more “dangerous” than Trump, and former Florida Rep. David Jolly, now a reliably liberal analyst for MSNBC, also said DeSantis was “far more dangerous.”

China is dealing with an explosive outbreak of COVID-19 as health officials relax their draconian “zero-COVID” containment policy, prompting several countries around the world to mandate tests for Chinese travelers. 

The U.S. cited the surge in infections as well as a “lack of adequate and transparent epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data” from China’s government in announcing a testing requirement last week. 

Passengers prepare to board a flight at the airport in north-central China’s Jiangxi province.
(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Italy also mandated tests for Chinese travelers last week after more than half of all passengers on arriving flights at Milan’s Malpensa airport tested positive for COVID-19. 

COVID IN BEIJING ‘PEAKS’ AS HOSPITALS, FUNERAL HOMES FILL UP

The European Union will hold an Integrated Political Crisis Response meeting on Wednesday to decide if entry restrictions throughout the 27-nation bloc should be required. 

Travelers walk at a terminal hall of the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, on March 23, 2022.
(REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)

Australia announced on Monday that travelers from China, Hong Kong, and Macau will have to undergo pre-departure testing for COVID-19. 

“This decision has been made to safeguard Australia from the risk of potential new emerging variants, and in recognition of the rapidly evolving situation in China and uncertainty about emerging viral variants,” Australia’s Department of Health explained. 

Residents line up outside a pharmacy to buy antigen testing kits for coronavirus, in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China December 15, 2022. 
(China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo)

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Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, and other countries have implemented similar restrictions on arrivals from China. 

China’s zero-COVID strategy kept millions of people on lockdown for weeks at a time, but the government abruptly started loosening that policy last month following mass protests. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Mexican authorities on Monday raised the death toll in a prison attack intended to free a local gang leader across the southern border from El Paso, Texas to 17.

Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said 10 of the dead were prison guards who were attacked by gunmen who arrived early Sunday in armored vehicles and fired on the entrance and inside dormitories.

In total, 25 inmates escaped during the violence. They were members of the Mexicles gang, which Rodríguez associated with the Caborca Cartel. The leader of the Mexicles gang was among those who escaped, she said. 

TITLE 42’S END COULD MEAN BIG PAYDAY FOR MEXICAN CARTELS, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

Mexican National Guard stand guard outside a state prison in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Sunday. Mexican soldiers and state police regained control of a state prison in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas after violence broke out, according to state officials. 
(AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

The Caborca Cartel had been led by drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was recaptured by authorities in July.

When authorities went inside the prison, they found 10 “VIP” cells outfitted with televisions and other comforts. One even had a safe filled with cash. Also found in the prison was cocaine methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.

Two other gunmen killed after attacking local police a short time before the attack on the prison were likely a diversion, Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. They were not included in the 17 dead, which were made up of 10 guards and seven inmates.

The state prison was the scene of a riot in August that spread to the streets of Juarez, resulting in nearly a dozen people dead. 

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In that case, two inmates were killed inside the prison and then alleged gang members started shooting up the town, including killing four employees of a radio station who were doing a promotion at a restaurant.

Fox News’ Bradford Betz as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

When the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, Ohio State was having a much different night than the rest of the East Coast. 

The Buckeyes dominated the defending national champions for most of the Peach Bowl on Saturday night, entering the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead but Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett closed the gap to 41-35 with a minute left before taking the lead with a 76-yard drive and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell. 

Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after a field goal during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. 
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Ohio State had a chance to win the game back with a 50-yard field-goal try but as the East Coast welcomed in the New Year, the Buckeyes said goodbye to the College Football Playoff title game. 

GEORGIA’S KIRBY SMART ISSUES BLUNT CHALLENGE TO STETSON BENNETT AFTER THRILLING WIN: ‘HE MUST PLAY BETTER’

A video of the devastating moment synced up with the ball drop in Times Square showed the unfortunate timing of Noah Ruggles’ failed attempt. 

“I just try to leave it all on the line. I honestly — games like this leave me at a loss for words — it comes down to one play, but obviously it doesn’t come down to one play,” Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud said, refusing to place the blame on Ruggles. 

Noah Ruggles #95 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after missing a field goal in the final seconds of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. 
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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“So many things line up to those plays. That last drive, I saw how much time we had left and how many timeouts and I knew that we could do it and I tried my hardest to get us down there.”

Georgia will look to claim back-to-back tiles on Jan.9 when they take on No. 3 TCU at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates after the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game between Georgia and Ohio State, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Atlanta. 
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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“If we want any chance of winning a national championship, we have to play a lot better football than we played tonight, but we have to keep the resiliency and composure along with us,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

UFC president Dana White apologized Monday for an incident in Mexico involving his wife, Anne, while the two were ringing in the New Year over the weekend.

The fracas allegedly occurred at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas. White told TMZ Sports he and his wife had been drinking but it was no excuse for him allegedly slapping his wife after she had struck him. Anne was seen talking with her husband before slapping him first.

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UFC President Dana White interacts with Alex Morono after being defeated by Santiago Ponzinibbio of Argentina in a 180-pound catchweight fight during the UFC 282 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 10, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Video of the incident went viral across social media.

“There was definitely a lot of alcohol, but there’s no excuse,” White told TMZ Sports. “I’m literally making no excuses for this thing at all. It’s never happened before. It’s the first time that it’s ever happened, and people are going to say what they’re going to say.

ZION CLARK, MMA FIGHTER BORN WITHOUT LEGS, WINS FIRST PRO FIGHT

Dana White appears at the UFC 282 post-fight press conference on December 10, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
(Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“It is what it is. And whatever people do say, it’s deserved. I deserve it. It happened. I don’t know why it happened and my wife and I have apologized to each other, we’ve apologized to our kids, and this is one of those things that everyone is going to chime in. I could care less what people think about this. We’re more concerned about our kids and taking care of our family.”

White said he was embarrassed over the incident and he and his wife apologized to each other.

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“Dana and I have been married for almost 30 years. To say this is out of character for him is an understatement — nothing like this has ever happened before,” Anne White told TMZ Sports. “Unfortunately, we were both drinking too much on New Year’s Eve and things got out of control, on both sides. We’ve talked this through as a family and apologized to each other. I just hope people will respect our privacy for the sake of our kids.”

It may not have been a pretty season but the New England Patriots are on the brink of making the playoffs behind a rock-solid defense and second-year quarterback Mac Jones.

Jones’ play has been far from outstanding. 

He missed some games due to injury and has only managed to pass for 2,753 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games. He’s only thrown for more than 300 yards in a game twice this season.

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Quarterback Boomer Esiason #7 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks at head coach Sam Wyche during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on October 25, 1987 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

For former NFL star Boomer Esiason, Jones’ body language is an issue. The one-time NFL MVP appeared on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI radio Monday and ripped the former Alabama standout.

“Here’s the thing that I really dislike about Mac Jones if you want to get to the root of it,” Esiason said. “His body language, his facial expressions, his gyrations on the field p—s me off. There’s a d—–ness to them. I don’t know how to explain it.

Esiason then compared Jones to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback “could be d—chey too at times” but backs it all up with his performance on the field.

SAQUON BARKLEY HEAPS PRAISE ON DANIEL JONES AS GIANTS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH

Boomer Esiason as a member of the Jets next to Mac Jones.
(Getty Images)

“So, all I’m saying is that, I don’t necessarily know that he’s earned the right to act the way that he does at times, like frustrated, looking at the coaches and screaming and yelling, putting his hands to his head,” Esiason added. “Body language for a quarterback is so important. And I hate when quarterbacks sulk on the sideline; they have to be above all of that. They have to have the backbone. They have to have the leadership bone. They have to be able to look guys in the face and know what they’re doing. Don’t come off with your hands in the air.”

WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

Jones guided the Patriots to the playoffs last season after winning the starting quarterback role from Cam Newton in 2021.

In 30 games, Jones has 6,554 yards, 33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions with a 66.5 completion rate. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021 – no other running back, wide receiver or tight end made it nor did they make it in 2022.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. 
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Esiason was a four-time Pro Bowler and had weapons around him like Ickey Woods, Cris Collinsworth and Eddie Brown along with Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz blocking for him. Jones doesn’t have that around him on offense yet. 

Jeremy Renner suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries following a “weather related” snowplow accident on January 1, according to a new report.

People magazine reported that it received a statement from Renner’s representative, confirming the injuries that the Marvel star sustained on Sunday.

Jeremy Renner has “extensive” injuries following a “weather related” snow plow accident on January 1, according to a new report.
(Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

“We can confirm that Jeremy has suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries and has undergone surgery today, January 2nd 2023,” the statement read, according to People. “He has returned from surgery and remains in the intensive care unit in critical but stable condition.

“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve and the Carano and Murdock families,” the statement continued. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”

ACTOR JEREMY RENNER HOSPITALIZED IN ‘CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION’ FOLLOWING SNOWPLOWING ACCIDENT

A source told People magazine on Monday that Renner’s injuries were “extensive.” The “Mayor of Kingstown” and Marvel star’s rep shared that Renner is in “critical but stable condition” and is “receiving excellent care.”

Renner was injured in an area near Mt. Rose Highway, a road linking Lake Tahoe, which straddles the Nevada-California border, and south Reno. The Washoe County (Nevada) Sheriff’s Office said late Sunday that Renner had to be flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment.

A source told People magazine on Monday that Renner’s injuries are “extensive.” The “Mayor of Kingstown” and Marvel star remains in “critical but stable condition,” his rep told the outlet. 
(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Renner owns a home in Washoe County, which includes Reno, and told the Reno Gazette Journal in 2019 that he chose the area because Reno was the right-sized city for him, it has majestic scenery and it allowed him and his family to ski frequently.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Renner’s rep for comment. 

Renner was the only person involved in Sunday’s accident, and the sheriff’s office said in a news release that it is investigating.

“At approximately 9:00am on January 1, 2023, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a traumatic injury in the area of Mt. Rose Highway in Reno, Nevada,” the release read.

“Upon arrival, Deputies coordinated with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and REMSA Health to arrange for medical transport of Mr. Jeremy Renner via care flight to a local area hospital,” it continued. “Mr. Renner was the only involved party in the incident.”

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Following the news, stars sent their well-wishes to Renner, 51. Actor Josh Gad tweeted, “My God. Praying for @JeremyRenner and his family.”

“Guardians of the Galaxy” director and new co-chairman of DC Studios, James Gunn, wrote: “My heart is with @JeremyRenner.”

Renner plays Hawkeye, a sharp-shooting member of the superhero Avengers squad in Marvel’s sprawling movie and television universe.

He is a two-time acting Oscar nominee, scoring back-to-back nods for “The Hurt Locker” and “The Town.” Renner’s portrayal of a bomb disposal specialist in Iraq in 2009’s “The Hurt Locker” helped turn him into a household name.

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“The Avengers” in 2012 cemented him as part of Marvel’s grand storytelling ambitions, with his character appearing in several sequels and getting its own Disney+ series, “Hawkeye.”

 The Associated Press contributed to this report

Bryan Kohberger was on the tail end of his first semester as a PhD student in Washington State University’s criminal justice program when he allegedly broke into a house in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbed four college students to death on Nov. 13. 

The brutal slayings reportedly didn’t stop Kohberger from attending class at WSU’s Pullman campus, where he worked as a TA and was described as a tough grader whose disposition and teaching style changed in recent weeks. 

This photo provided by Monroe County (Pa.) Correctional Facility shows Bryan Kohberger, who was being held for extradition in a criminal homicide investigation in the killings of four University of Idaho students.
(Monroe County Correctional Facility via AP)

“Definitely around then, he started grading everybody just 100s. Pretty much if you turned something in, you were getting high marks. He stopped leaving notes. He seemed preoccupied,” Hayden Stinchfield, a student in one of Kohberger’s classes, told CNN. 

“The couple times that he did come after, or around that time period, he had a little more facial hair, stubble, less well-kept. He was a little quieter.” 

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SLAUGHTER OF FOUR STUDENTS

Another criminology student in one of Kohberger’s classes, Joey Famularo, told the Spokesman-Review that Kohberger “always seemed a little bit on edge.”

“We just assumed he was kind of shy,” Famularo told the local newspaper. 

Investigators search Bryan Christopher Kohberger’s home in Pullman, WA after dark on December 30, 2022.
(Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Kohberger received a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2022 from DeSales University, which is located in eastern Pennsylvania. 

The FBI and local police arrested him around 1:30 a.m. on Friday at his parents’ home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He had driven home with his dad in mid-December and was pulled over twice along the way, according to his public defender. 

A split photo showing the crime scene and the victims, including University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. 
(Derek Shook for Fox News Digital/ Instagram/ @xanakernodle/ @kayleegoncalves))

Front view of the house where four Idaho students were killed in November 2022.
(Adam Sabes/Fox News Digital)

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Kohberger’s office and home are on WSU’s campus in Pullman, which is about eight miles away from the home in Moscow, Idaho, where Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, were stabbed to death between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Authorities in Idaho charged him with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary. He is expected to waive extradition during a court hearing on Tuesday afternoon. 

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.