News Wrap: Massive winter storm brings record-breaking snow to Gulf Coast

Geoff Bennett:

We start the day's other headlines with snow, and plenty of it.

A massive winter storm has left record-breaking amounts across much of the Gulf Coast and the Carolinas.

Man:

Melt the rest of it off.

Geoff Bennett:

In North Carolina, they were digging out today as the storm finally moved offshore. At least three people have died across Georgia and Texas.

The coastal city of Galveston saw a significant amount of snow for the first time in nearly two decades. New Orleans saw a record 10 inches of snow, smashing the previous record set back in 1963. The NBA even had to postpone a game there. More than 2,000 flights have been canceled in and out of the U.S. today as airports begin to resume normal operations.

In its wake, the snowstorm left frigid temperatures across large parts of the country. More than 60 million Americans today were under some form of cold weather alert. But forecasters say a slow return to more normal temperatures will begin — will bring some relief by the end of this week.

Meantime, Southern California is facing dangerous weather conditions as it battles new fires. The Hughes Fire erupted this morning, prompting evacuation orders in parts of Northern Los Angeles County. It's exploded in size, burning through more than 5,000 acres in just hours. The next threat is rain, and that's expected to move in on Saturday. County officials say heavy showers could wash debris, including toxic ash, into local waterways.

Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County, California, Board of Supervisors: Rains are in the forecast, and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real. We have to be prepared. This includes clearing drains and roadways, preparing our debris basins and taking other critical flood protection measures.

Geoff Bennett:

Officials also say they have ordered an investigation into L.A. County's emergency alert system. That's after residents of one area of Altadena where 17 people died say they did not get an evacuation warning until hours after the fire started there.

In Tennessee, police say a female student was killed and another student injured during a shooting at a Nashville high school today. Authorities say the 17-year-old male shooter was a fellow student at Antioch High School. He's said to have opened fire in the school's cafeteria before shooting and killing himself. The injured student was grazed by a bullet and is being treated.

Today's shooting comes nearly two years after a gunman killed six people at a Nashville elementary school, including three children.

The Trump administration is halting some communications from federal health agencies to the public. In a memo, the acting secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services ordered a — quote — "immediate pause on all regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, and social media posts."

That's until the content is reviewed and approved by a political appointee. The measure affects agencies such as the CDC and the FDA. The memo says the pause is an effect until February 1.

Britain's Prince Harry claimed a monumental victory today after Rupert Murdoch's tabloids issued a rare apology for — quote — "serious intrusion" into his life. It's the first time that newspapers acknowledged hacking Harry's phone, spying on him, and misusing his private information between the years of 1996 and 2011. The media giant also agreed to pay the duke of Sussex a sizable undisclosed settlement.

And it acknowledged the intrusion the life of Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana. Harry has blamed the media for the car crash that killed her in 1997.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended higher amid a surge in big technology stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average added about 130 points on the day. The Nasdaq jumped 250 points to close above the 20000-point level. The S&P 500 hit an all-time high during the day and closed with a gain of 37 points.

And the Songwriters Hall of Fame has a new class of inductees. They represent the best of rock, R&B, country, and funk.

(Music)

Geoff Bennett:

George Clinton is finally getting a spot after a career of hits with Parliament-Funkadelic, plus solo work and his collaborations with artists across hip-hop and R&B.

The Doobie Brothers also made it in, with members Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and Patrick Simmons inducted. Mike Love of The Beach Boys joins his bandmate Brian Wilson in the Hall of Fame. And so does country music writer Ashley Gorley. He's got 80 number one radio singles under his belt. The induction ceremony takes place this June in New York City.