LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters are preparing for a return of dangerous winds that could again stoke the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people in the Los Angeles area. Crews made some progress battling the flames this weekend. The relative calm Sunday allowed some people to return to previously evacuated areas. 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Blue Origin has called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket because of technical trouble. The 320-foot rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a prototype satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Officials say Israel and Hamas appear to be inching closer to a phased ceasfire agreement. But a deal hasn’t been reached yet. And there are a number of obstacles that could scupper the talks in Qatar.

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports in December grew at a faster pace than expected, as factories rushed to fill orders to beat higher tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose once he takes office. Exports rose 10.7% from a year earlier.

TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has rattled southwestern Japan. 

After a freezing winter storm shut schools, cut power and cancelled or delayed flights, the South is slowly thawing. Warmer weather is melting snow and ice and letting crews restore power. Power is back in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina, where tens of thousands of customers lost electricity over the last few days. In Atlanta, about 1,000 flights were cancelled or delayed Saturday. Airport officials say all roadways and parking lots were cleared of snow by Sunday and all runways are operational. Power was back for 97% of the retail customers served by Georgia Power — the state largest utility — which serves all but four of the state’s 159 counties, it said.

In other news:

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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