Heavy Weather: At least a third of the country is under blizzard and winter storm warnings this morning as winter makes its late arrival. A winter storm is expected all the way from Central Oklahoma through Northern Michigan, bringing ice and snow. A weather advisory is in effect from Pennsylvania through Maine.

A total of 24 people are dead after a week of violent storms across the country that has spun deadly tornadoes in Texas, flooding in the Midwest and a blizzard in New Mexico.

Small Comfort: Japan and South Korea have reached an $8.3 million reparations deal for the so-called “comfort women” Japan used as sex slaves for its soldiers during World War II. Ministers for both countries described the agreement as the “final and irrevocable resolution” of the issue, but surviving women immediately denounced the deal as insufficient.

Thousands of Koreans, as well as women from other countries, were used by the Japanese army.

Japan’s foreign minister issued a barely apologetic statement saying, “The Japanese government bears a heartfelt responsibility for the comfort women issue, which severely injured the honor and dignity of many women, with the involvement of its military.”

The Obit Page: Haskell Wexler, the Oscar winning cinematographer and documentarian who broke the movie mold with his 1969 “Medium Cool” shot in cinéma vérité, has died at age 93.

Wexler started in small documentaries, but he went on to win an Oscar for cinematography shooting “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in black and white, and for the 1976 “Bound for Glory,” about the folk singer Woody Guthrie

He also shot “In the Heat of the Night,” “The Conversation,” “American Graffiti” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

>Ellsworth Kelly, the postwar artist who shaped American art mixing colorful abstraction with simple line drawings of everyday objects like fruit and leaves, has died at age 92. He once said, “I have worked to free shape from its ground.”

> Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, a psychiatrist who was instrumental in removing homosexuality from the Manual of Mental Disorders, has died at age 83. Spitzer led an effort to re-categorize mental disorders. In a distinguished career he had one regret. In 2001 he published a study claiming that therapy could change the sexual orientation of gay people. “The only regret I have,” he said. “The only professional one.”

>Meadowlark Lemon, the ball-handling wizard and clown prince of the Harlem Globetrotters for 25 years, has died where he lived in Scottsdale, Ariz. at age 83. He could make a half court hook shot.

Sacked: The New England Patriots lost to the NY Jets 26-20 in overtime yesterday after the Patriots’ Matthew Slater said his team would kick off rather than receive at the beginning of extra play. Slater, who clearly said, “We want to kick off,” appeared mystified when the ref turned to the Jets captain and asked “Which way do you want to receive?”

It appeared to be a mistake, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick later took responsibility saying testily, “I thought that was the best thing to do.” Asked whether there had been confusion Belichick said,  “There wasn’t any confusion. I just answered that question.”

The Listicle: It’s a desperate week in the news business, when as many reporters as possible go on vacation and the ones that remain are dodging calls from the national desk. The President is golfing in Hawaii. It’s only Monday and we’re already vamping. This is the week of lists and recaps. You know, “Best” books, movies, photographs, and more. The year in dog grooming. A sampling:

-The Best Food Things That Happened in 2015

– Top 10 Year-End Tax Planning and Other Financial To-Do’s

– 16 things travelers should know before planning their 2016 adventures

-The Best Sex Scenes of 2015

-Nine Things You Can Stop Doing in 2016

-75 Amazing Sports Moments

-Left Shark! Pizza rat! 15 top memes of 2015

-Donald Trump’s Most Shocking Insults of 2015

Well, we’ve done this. Tomorrow might be even more desperate.

-30-