Pope Benedict XVI lies in state, more winter storms, and a new Covid-19 strain. Here is everything you Need2Know for Tuesday, January 3, 2022.

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Need2Know: January 3, 2023

alright in Rome. More than 65,000 Mourners paid their respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict the 16th as his body lay in state at ST Peter's basilica on monday. The Mourners included italian prime Minister Georgia meloni and Benedict died on New Year's Eve at 95 years old and he shocked the world when he retired In 2013. He was the first pope to do so in 600 years. Public viewing will continue today and Wednesday before Thursday morning's funeral, which will be led by Pope Francis. Let's move to the weather, another winter storm moving across the central plains in the upper Midwest this week and it's expected to bring heavy snow sleet and freezing rain to parts of the United States. That storm is expected to bring snowfall, the central high Plains as it tracks northeast and the Great Lakes likely producing moderate to heavy snow sleet and even freezing freezing rain. Today, the National Weather service is saying that the system also could spawn tornadoes in the south. Meanwhile, a coastal storm is dumping flooding rains on California over the weekend that included five inches in san Francisco. That is the second wettest day. Not a good story there we'll get this a new covid variant is rapidly becoming dominant in the U. S. Because it is highly immune evasive and appears to be more effective at binding to sales that this is the name X. B. B. 1.5 that is the variant. Now it represents 41% of the new covid cases nationwide in the United States, nearly doubling over the past week according to the CDC scientists and public health officials have been closely monitoring the X. B. B. Sub variant family for months because it strains have made many mutations and could make covid 19 vaccine, including the omicron boosters less effective and cause even more breakthrough infections while the holiday season might be over. But Southwest Airlines problems those are continuing into the new year. According to flight aware, Southwest has so far canceled 41 flights and delayed 100 and 77 more this morning on monday after resuming what they called a normal schedule, Southwest canceled 100 and 60 flights with over 400 more delayed. The majority of the affected flights were in Denver, which is experiencing heavy snow right now. And that's a serious improvement from the last two weeks. Southwest canceled over 15,000 flights from december 22nd through january 1st.