Dan Ronan

The bodies of two members of the Iowa National Guard who were killed in a December 13th attack in Syria have been returned to their families, this during a Christmas Eve ceremony in Des Moines.

The American flag-grey coffins carrying the service members Edgar Brian Torres Tovar and William Nathaniel Howard arrived after processing through a solemn transfer ritual at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

The guardsman, along with a U.S.

civilian interpreter who were killed in the attack, he was also buried over the weekend.

This is NPR News.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dan Ronan.

A state of emergency has been declared in six Southern California counties because of relentless rains and high winds that are pounding the region.

The declaration will free up resources for first responders and other emergency teams.

Across much of the region, it is being devastated by the impact of the downpours fueled by atmospheric rivers.

Alameda resident Michael Burdick says he's trying to prepare for that flooding.

The high water has made portions of Interstate 5 and the Ventura Freeway in the Los Angeles area impossible.

Markets will be closed on Thursday for the Christmas holiday.

Trading resumes Friday morning at 9.30 Eastern Time.

On Wednesday, the holiday trading was shortened because on Wall Street, the indexes, though, closed up.

The Dow, the S&P, and the Nasdaq finished fractionally higher.

The markets will be closed Thursday for Christmas.

The Dow gained six-tenths of a point.

The Nasdaq edged two-tenths of a point.

The S&P added three-tenths of a point as well.

Millions of Americans will be flying this holiday season.