A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria (Shutterstock).

At least 4,000 people have died in Turkey and Syria, victims of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the area on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, the death toll is expected to continue to increase as rescue workers labor to find survivors in the rubble of thousands of buildings in those countries.

The quake and aftershocks have left tens of thousands of people homeless. The impacts were felt as far away as Egypt and Lebanon.

The White House announced it was sending search-and-rescue teams to Turkey to provide help.

Earlier Chinese balloons undetected

CHINESE BALLOON explodes after being struck by a missile fired from a U.S. F-22 fighter jet (Twitter).

Earlier overflights by Chinese spy balloons during the Trump administration went undetected, according to The New York Times.

The Times quoted Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, as saying, “We did not detect those threats, and that’s a domain awareness gap.”

Previous incursions were at first classified as “unidentified aerial phenomena,” the current term for what used to be called unidentified flying objects.

Also in the news … Movie-goers at AMC movie theaters will have to pay extra for better seats. United Press International is reporting that the nation’s largest cinema chain will price seats based on “sightlines.” 

Sports: Clippers close in on first

The Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 47-point performance by Cam Thomas Monday night and defeated the Brookyn Nets on the road 124-116.

Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard added 24 as the Clips improved their record to 31-26 and moved to within one game of the first place Sacramento Kings (30-23) in the NBA Pacific Division.

In ice hockey action on Monday, the Anaheim Ducks lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Dallas Stars on the road. The home team led 2-0 after two periods, but the visitors tied it up in the third with goals by Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique.

Tyler Seguin’s tally in the shootout settled the issue.

The loss got the Ducks a point. At 16-29-6, they remain in last place in the NHL Pacific.

Weather: The sun is upon us

The promised sunny skies should begin on Tuesday and continue through Thursday for the West Orange County area. The forecast for Tuesday is for a daytime high of 73 with an overnight low of 46. Wednesday will be a bit warmer with a high of 76 and a low of 47. The thermometer will peak on Thursday with a high of 79 (52). Partly cloudy conditions will roll in Friday with a high of 78 and a low of 50, followed by a dip to 67 (47) on Saturday.