Luigi Mangione watched stoically in court Monday as prosecutors played surveillance videos showing the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk last year and Mangiones arrest five days later at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania.

The videos, including footage from the restaurant previously unseen by the press or the public, kicked off a hearing on Mangiones fight to bar evidence from his state murder trial, including the gun prosecutors say matches the one used in the Dec. 4, 2024, attack. Thompson was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for his companys annual investor conference.

Mangione, 27, pressed a finger to his lips and a thumb to his chin as he watched footage of two police officers approaching him as he ate breakfast at the McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of Manhattan.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | State terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione dropped in health care CEO murder case

He gripped a pen in his right hand, making a fist at times, as prosecutors played a 911 call from a McDonald's manager relaying concerns from customers that Mangione looked like the suspect in Thompsons killing. The manager said she searched online for photos of the suspect and that as Mangione sat in the restaurant, she could only see his eyebrows because he was wearing a beanie and a medical face mask.

Before he was flown to New York City to face murder charges, Mangione was held under constant watch in an otherwise empty special housing unit at a Pennsylvania state prison.

A correctional officer testified that the prison wanted to keep Mangione away from other inmates and staff who might leak information about him to the media. The officer testified that the facilitys superintendent told him that the prison "did not want an Epstein-style situation, referring to Jeffrey Epsteins suicide at a Manhattan federal jail in 2019.

WATCH | Luigi Mangione reportedly suffered from back pain. What was the condition, and how is it treated?

Among the evidence Mangione's defense team wants excluded are the 9 mm handgun and a notebook in which prosecutors say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive. Both were found in a backpack Mangione had with him when arrested.

Mangione, the Ivy League-educated scion of a wealthy Maryland family, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. The state charges carry the possibility of life in prison, while federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Neither trial has been scheduled. The next hearing in the federal case is scheduled for Jan. 9.

Defense wants to bar the gun and notebook from his trial

After getting state terrorism charges thrown out in September, Mangiones lawyers are zeroing in on what they say was unconstitutional police conduct that threatens his right to a fair trial.

They contend that the Manhattan district attorney's office should be prevented from showing the gun, notebook and other items to jurors because police didn't have a search warrant.

They also want to suppress some of Mangione's statements to police, such as when he allegedly said his name was Mark Rosario, because officers started asking questions before telling him he had a right to remain silent. Prosecutors say Mangione gave the same name while checking into a Manhattan hostel days before the killing.

The defense is also seeking to preclude statements Mangione made to law enforcement from the day of his arrest until he was moved to New York on Dec. 19. The correctional officer, Tomas Rivers, testified that Mangione talked to him about his travels to Asia, including witnessing a gang fight in Thailand, and discussed differences between private and nationalized health care.

At one point, Rivers said, Mangione asked him whether the news media was focused on him as a person or the crime that was committed. He also said Mangione told him he wanted to make a public statement.

Another correctional officer, Matthew Henry, said Mangione blurted out to him that at the time of his arrest, he had a backpack with foreign currency and a 3D-printed pistol. Mangione's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, was incredulous at Henry's testimony that Mangione might have shared that information, unprompted.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind.

Prosecutors say delay, deny and depose were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

WATCH | How Luigi Mangione went from Ivy League engineer to alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin

Eliminating the gun and notebook would be critical wins for Mangiones defense and major setbacks for prosecutors, depriving them a possible murder weapon and evidence they say points to motive. Prosecutors have quoted extensively from Mangiones writings in court filings, including his alleged praise for the late Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski.

Among other things, prosecutors say, Mangione mused about rebelling against the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel and wrote that killing an industry executive conveys a greedy bastard that had it coming.

An officer searching the backpack found with Mangione was heard in body camera footage saying she was checking to make sure there wasnt a bomb in the bag. His lawyers argue that was an excuse designed to cover up an illegal warrantless search of the backpack.

Laws concerning how police interact with potential suspects before reading them their rights or obtaining search warrants are complex and often disputed in criminal cases.

Federal prosecutors, fighting a similar defense effort in that case, have said in court filings that police were justified in searching the backpack to make sure there were no dangerous items, and that his statements to officers were voluntary and were made before he was under arrest.

Pivotal pretrial hearing could last more than a week

Court officials say the hearing could last more than a week, meaning it would extend through Thursdays anniversary of the killing. Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo told a judge in an unrelated matter last week that Manhattan prosecutors had indicated they could call more than two dozen witnesses.

Mangione was allowed to wear normal clothing to court instead of a jail uniform. He entered the courtroom Monday in a gray suit and a button-down shirt with a checkered or tattersall pattern. Court officers removed his handcuffs to allow him to take notes.

NYPD Sgt. Chris McLaughlin testified about efforts to disseminate surveillance images of the suspect to news outlets and on social media in the hours and days after the shooting.

To illustrate the breadth of news coverage during the five-day search for the shooter, prosecutors played a surveillance video of the shooting, footage of police divers searching a pond in Central Park and Fox News clips that included images of the suspected shooter distributed by police.

A few dozen Mangione supporters watched the hearing from the back of the courtroom. One wore a green T-shirt that said: Without a warrant, its not a search, its a violation. Another woman held a doll of the Luigi video game character and had a smaller figurine of him clipped to her purse.

The Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard members blocks from the White House had been unraveling for years, unable to hold a job and flipping between long, lightless stretches of isolation and taking sudden weekslong cross-country drives. Rahmanullah Lakanwal's behavior deteriorated so sharply that a community advocate reached out to a refugee organization for help, fearing he was becoming suicidal.

Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal mounting warnings about the asylum-seeker whose erratic conduct raised alarms long before the attack that jolted the nation's capital on Wednesday, the eve of Thanksgiving. The previously unreported concerns offer the clearest picture yet of how he was struggling in his new life in the United States.

Even so, when the community member who works with Afghan families in Washington state saw on the news that Lakanwal was named as the suspect in the attack, they said they were stunned, unable to square the violence with the memory of seeing Lakanwal play with his young sons. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to share undisclosed details while cooperating with the FBI in its investigation.

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West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in the shooting, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically wounded. Lakanwal, 29, has been charged with first-degree murder.

In Afghanistan, Lakanwal worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as a Zero Unit. The units were backed by the CIA. He entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the American withdrawal. Many had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats.

As investigators work to determine a motive, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press that officials believe he was radicalized since hes been here in this country. We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state and were going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members. She offered no additional information to support her statement.

Lakanwal resettled with his wife and their five sons, all under the age of 12, in Bellingham, Washington, but struggled, according to the community member, who shared emails that had been sent to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit group that provides services to refugees.

"Rahmanullah has not been functional as a person, father and provider since March of last year, 03/2023. He quit his job that month, and his behavior has changed greatly, the person wrote in a January 2024 email.

The emails described a man who was struggling to assimilate, unable to hold a steady job or commit to his English courses while he alternated between periods of dark isolation and reckless travel." Sometimes, he spent weeks in his darkened room, not speaking to anyone, not even his wife or older kids. At one point in 2023, the family faced eviction after months of not paying rent.

The community member, in an interview, spoke of becoming worried that Lakanwal was so depressed that he would end up harming himself. But the community member did not see any indication that Lakanwal would commit violence against another person.

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Lakanwals family members often resorted to sending his toddler sons into his room to bring him the phone or messages because he would not respond to anyone else, one email stated. A couple of times, when his wife left him with the kids for a week to travel to visit relatives, the children would not be bathed, their clothes would not be changed, and they would not eat well. Their school raised concerns about the situation.

But then, there were interim weeks where Lakanwal would try to make amends and do the right things, according to the email, reengaging with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services as was mandated by the terms of his entry into the U.S.

But that has quickly evolved into manic episodes for one or two weeks at a time, where he will take off in the family car, and drive nonstop," the email outlined. Once, he went to Chicago, and another time, to Arizona.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, said this past week that Lakanwal drove across the country from Bellingham, which is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Seattle, to the nation's capital.

In response to the two emails, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants or USCRI, visited Bellingham a few weeks later in March 2024 and attempted to make contact with Lakanwal and his family, according to the community member, who, after not receiving any updates, was left with the impression that Lakanwal refused their assistance.

A request for comment and clarification from USCRI was not immediately returned.

Melania Trump on Monday unveiled the White House holiday decorations and her theme is "Home Is Where the Heart Is," her first since she resumed the role of first lady.

Her decor also nods to next year's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the founding of the United States of America.

In a change this year because the East Wing was torn down, the official White House Christmas tree, which is always on display in the Blue Room, also honors Gold Star families, those who lost a member during active-duty military service.

That tree typically was in the East Wing and was the first one visitors saw after they entered through those doors, but the building and a covered walkway, or colonnade, connecting it to the White House, were demolished by President Donald Trump in October as part of his plan to erect a large ballroom.

The East Room is decorated in patriotic red, white and blue and national symbols, including golden eagle tree toppers, to highlight the coming America250 national celebration. Trees are also adorned with stars, roses and oak leaves.

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A statement issued by the White House said Christmas is a time to celebrate what makes the U.S. exceptional and that, while every home has its own traditions, shared values unite Americans.

"In every community, we are lifted by simple acts of kindness that reflect the enduring American spirit of generosity, patriotism, and gratitude," the statement said. "These moments remind us that the heart of America is strong and that Home Is Where The Heart Is."

The first lady selected every detail of the decor, the White House said. Planning for the holidays starts months in advance.

Public tours of the White House were suspended a few months ago because of the ballroom construction, but they are set to resume Tuesday with an updated route limited to the State Floor, the first lady's office announced in October. The State Floor includes the East Room; the Green, Blue and Red Rooms; the State Dining Room; the Cross Hall; and the Grand Foyer.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected for holiday tours, receptions and parties this month. Visitors will now enter the White House through the North Portico doors on Pennsylvania Avenue, using a new, semi-permanent walkway and entrance.

The Library and the Vermeil and China Rooms on the Ground Floor were cut from the updated tour route because of the construction.

A small army of volunteer decorators and others helped deck the halls of the Executive Mansion using 75 wreaths, 51 Christmas trees, more than 700 feet of garland, more than 2,000 strands of lights, over 25,000 feet of ribbon, over 2,800 gold stars, more than 10,000 butterflies and 120 pounds of gingerbread.

Most of the work was done after the Trumps decamped to their home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday. They returned to the White House on Sunday.

The official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room is decorated with gold stars honoring families that have endured the ultimate sacrifice due to military service. The official tree traditionally recognizes each state and territory and this year's tree is decorated with ornaments showcasing the official bird and flower of each.

RELATED STORY | Trump's White House ballroom renovation demolishes East Wing amid controversy

The Green Room celebrates family fun, featuring portraits of the first and the current presidents, George Washington and Donald Trump, respectively, each made using more than 6,000 Lego puzzle pieces.

Thousands of butterflies decorate the Red Room and its tree in a celebration of young people and tribute to Melania Trump's Fostering the Future initiative , which is part of her Be Best child-focused initiative, to support people who have been in foster care.

The gingerbread White House on display in the State Dining Room shows off the mansion's South Portico and provides a glimpse into the Yellow Oval Room in the private living quarters on the second floor as it is currently decorated.

The first lady's signature Christmas wreaths with red bows adorn the exterior windows of the White House.

During the first Trump administration, Melania Trump was secretly recorded in 2018 as she complained, among other things, about performing traditional first lady duties, such as preparing for Christmas. The tapes were made by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend and senior adviser to the first lady, who wrote a book about their relationship and shared the tapes with CNN, which broadcast them.

The WNBA and players union agreed to an extension of the current collective bargaining agreement to Jan. 9 just before their current deadline ran out Sunday night.

Just like the previous extension, both sides have the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours advanced notice.

The two sides had announced a 30-day extension to the original Oct. 31 deadline. That extension was set to expire Sunday night just before midnight. They met over the holiday weekend hoping to come an agreement.

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The union proposed the six-week extension after the league had proposed a shorter one.

We expect substantive movement from the league within this window, the union said in a statement.

With nothing urgent on the immediate horizon except for the expansion draft for Portland and Toronto, it would be unlikely that either side would exercise the option to terminate the extension.

Last seasons expansion draft for Golden State was held in December.

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Free agency would be the next big thing for both sides to deal. That usually is done in late January. This is an unprecedented offseason with all but two of the leagues veterans free agents. Players signed one-year deals last season knowing there would be huge salary bumps when a new CBA is agreed upon.

The two sides have been sending updated proposals back and forth and met frequently, including Sunday. Salaries and revenue sharing are the two biggest sticking points between the sides. Earlier this month, the league put forth a proposal that would include revenue sharing and have a maximum salary of $1.1 million available to more than one player per team growing each year.

Other things the players are pushing for include expanding retirement benefits, codifying the league's charter flight travel and having a minimum standard for team facilities.

When the previous CBA deal expired in 2019, both sides agreed upon a 60-day extension and a new one was eventually ratified in January 2020.

President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Alina Habba, whom the administration has maneuvered to keep in place as New Jersey top federal prosecutor, is disqualified from serving in the role, an appeal court said Monday.

A panel of judges from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sitting in Philadelphia sided with a lower court judge's ruling after hearing oral arguments at which Habba herself was present on Oct. 20.

"It is apparent that the current administration has been frustrated by some of the legal and political barriers to getting its appointees in place. Its efforts to elevate its preferred candidate for U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, to the role of Acting U.S. Attorney demonstrate the difficulties it has faced yet the citizens of New Jersey and the loyal employees in the U.S. Attorney's Office deserve some clarity and stability," the court wrote in a 32-page opinion.

It concluded: "We will affirm the District Court's disqualification order."

RELATED STORY | Judge says former Trump lawyer Alina Habba has been unlawfully serving as US attorney in New Jersey

The ruling comes amid the push by President Donald Trump's Republican administration to keep Habba as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law. It also comes after the judges questioned the government's moves to keep Habba in place after her interim appointment expired and without her getting Senate confirmation.

Habba said after that hearing in a statement posted to X that she was fighting on behalf of other candidates to be federal prosecutors who have been denied a chance for a Senate hearing.

Messages were left Monday seeking comment from the U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey, Habba's personal staffer and the Justice Department.

Habba is hardly the only Trump administration prosecutor whose appointment has been challenged by defense lawyers.

Last week, a federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James after concluding that the hastily installed prosecutor who filed the charges, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed to the position of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Justice Department has said it intends to appeal the rulings.

The judges on the panel were two appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, D. Brooks Smith and D. Michael Fisher, as well as one named by Democratic President Barack Obama, Luis Felipe Restrepo.

RELATED STORY | Trump picks his personal defense attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president

A lower court judge said in August Habba's appointment was done with a "novel series of legal and personnel moves" and that she was not lawfully serving as U.S attorney for New Jersey.

That order said her actions since July could be invalidated, but he stayed the order pending appeal.

The government argued Habba is validly serving in the role under a federal statute allowing the first assistant attorney, a post she was appointed to by the Trump administration.

A similar dynamic is playing out in Nevada, where a federal judge disqualified the Trump administration's pick to be U.S. attorney there.

The Habba case comes after several people charged with federal crimes in New Jersey challenged the legality of Habba's tenure. They sought to block the charges, arguing she didn't have the authority to prosecute their cases after her 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney expired.

Habba was Trump's attorney in criminal and civil proceedings before he was elected to a second term. She served as a White House adviser briefly before Trump named her as a federal prosecutor in March.

Shortly after her appointment, she said in an interview with a right-wing influence that she hoped to help "turn New Jersey red," a rare overt political expression from a prosecutor.

She then brought a trespassing charge, eventually dropped, against Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka stemming from his visit to a federal immigration detention center.

Habba later charged Democratic U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault stemming from the same incident, a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress other than for corruption. McIver denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. The case is pending.

Questions about whether Habba would continue in the job arose in July when her temporary appointment was ending and it became clear New Jersey's two Democratic U.S. senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, would not back her appointment.

Earlier this year as her appointment was expiring, federal judges in New Jersey exercised their power under the law to replace Habba with a career prosecutor who had served as her second-in-command.

Bondi then fired the prosecutor installed by the judges and renamed Habba as acting U.S. attorney. The Justice Department said the judges acted prematurely and said Trump had the authority to appoint his preferred candidate to enforce federal laws in the state.

Brann's ruling said the president's appointments are still subject to the time limits and power-sharing rules laid out in federal law.

Authorities in California urged witnesses of a deadly shooting at a child's birthday party to come forward as the search for a suspect stretched into another day.

Three children ages 8, 9 and 14 and a 21-year-old were killed Saturday when gunfire broke out at a banquet hall in Stockton where at least 100 people were gathered, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said. Detectives believe the gunfire continued outside and there may have been multiple shooters.

Eleven people were also wounded, with at least one in critical condition, he said. No one was in custody by Sunday evening, and the sheriff urged anyone with information to contact his office with tips, cellphone video or witness accounts.

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This is a time for our community to show that we will not put up with this type of behavior, when people will just walk in and kill children, Withrow said. And so if you know anything about this, you have to come forward and tell us what you know. If not, you just become complacent and think this is acceptable behavior.

Sheriff's spokesperson Heather Brent said earlier that investigators believe it was a targeted incident." Officials did not elaborate on why authorities believe it was intentional or who might have been targeted. She said investigators would welcome any information, even rumors.

Roscoe Brown said the party was in honor of his brother's granddaughter, who turned 2 and was uninjured. Brown, who works for the city of Stockton's Office of Violence Prevention, was in Arizona when he learned about the shooting and drove straight to the scene. He said a niece and nephew of his were shot, and he knows several other victims. He didn't have information about their conditions.

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Who would come and do that to some kids, you know? Brown told The Associated Press following a vigil organized by faith leaders to honor the dead and pray for the wounded. You cant shoot up a party. Thats senseless. A kid's party, at that.

Emmanuel Lopez told the Los Angeles Times his brother, 21-year-old Susano Archuleta, was shot in the neck and died at the scene. Lopez said his 9-year-old daughter was shot in the head but survived. He didn't share details about what led up to the shooting.

Stockton is a city of 320,000 residents about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of San Francisco. With 54 homicides in 2024, Stocktons homicide rate was significantly higher than the state average. As of October, there had been 34 this year, according to city data.

Hours after the shooting, the Stockton Police Department arrested five people, including a juvenile, on weapons and gang-related charges. There was no indication that the arrests were connected to the killings at the banquet hall, the sheriff said.

Mayor Christina Fugazi told reporters that the 8-year-old victim attended a local school and had a parent who worked for the Stockton Unified School District. The mayor said counselors would be available this week at city schools.

She expressed anguish over the loss of victims so young.

They should be writing their Christmas lists right now. Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. And to think that their lives are over. I cant even begin to imagine what these families are going through. Breaks my heart, Fugazi said on Sunday.

President Donald Trump said he'll release the results of his MRI test that he received in October.

If you want to have it released, Ill release it, the Republican president said Sunday during an exchange with reporters as he traveled back to Washington from Florida.

He said the results of the MRI were perfect.

RELATED STORY | Trump touts 'perfect' MRI but doesn't say why it was ordered

The White House has declined to detail why Trump had an MRI during his physical in October or on what part of his body.

The press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has said that the president received advanced imaging at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as part of his routine physical examination and that the results showed Trump remains in exceptional physical health.

RELATED STORY | Trump's physical exam reveals president is in 'excellent health'

Trump added Sunday that he has no idea on what part of his body he got the MRI.

It was just an MRI, he said. What part of the body? It wasnt the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.

Joan Branson, the wife of British billionaire Richard Branson, has died at age 80.

Richard Branson announced her death Tuesday on Instagram and LinkedIn. No other details were disclosed.

Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away, he said. She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.

Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group, which includes businesses like Virgin Atlantic airline, space tourism company Virgin Galactic and satellite launcher Virgin Orbit.

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In a 2020 blog post, Branson said he met Joan in 1976 at The Manor, a recording studio in Oxfordshire, England.

Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realised she wouldnt be impressed by my usual antics, Branson wrote.

He said she worked at an antique shop that sold old signs and advertisements.

I hovered uncertainly outside the shop, then built up the courage to walk in. ... Over the next few weeks, my visits to Joan amassed me an impressive collection of old hand painted tin signs, which advertised anything from Hovis bread to Woodbine cigarettes, Branson wrote.

The couple had three children, Holly, Sam and Clare Sarah. Clare Sarah died shortly after birth in 1979.

A judge on Wednesday dismissed the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor who recently took over the case said he would not pursue the charges.

Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, took over the case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was removed over an "appearance of impropriety" created by a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she chose to lead the case.

The abandonment of the Georgia case is the latest reflection of how Trump has emerged largely unscathed from a spate of prosecutions that once threatened to imperil his political career and personal liberty.

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, dropped both cases after Trump won the White House last year. Smith cited longstanding Justice Department policy against the indictment of a sitting president.

And though Trump was convicted of felony charges in New York in connection with hush money payments during the 2016 election, he was sentenced in January to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact but sparing him any punishment.

It was unlikely that legal action against Trump could have moved forward while he is president. Fourteen other defendants still faced charges, including former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

RELATED STORY | Rudy Giuliani reaches settlement with Georgia election workers

Steve Sadow, Trump's lead attorney in Georgia, applauded the case's dismissal: "The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare."

The Associated Press has reached out to a spokesperson for Willis seeking comment on the dismissal.

"The strongest and most prosecutable case against those seeking to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results and prevent the certification of those votes was the one investigated and indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith," Skandalakis wrote in his court filing Wednesday.

He added that the criminal conduct alleged in the Georgia indictment "was conceived in Washington, D.C., not the State of Georgia. The federal government is the appropriate venue for this prosecution, not the State of Georgia."

After the Georgia Supreme Court in September declined to hear Willis' appeal of her disqualification, it fell to the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council to find a new prosecutor. Skandalakis said last month that he reached out to several prosecutors, but they all declined to take the case. McAfee set a Nov. 14 deadline for the appointment of a new prosecutor, so Skandalakis chose to appoint himself rather than let the case be dismissed right away.

He said Willis' office only recently delivered the case file 101 boxes and an eight-terabyte hard drive and he hadn't had a chance to review everything yet. Citing the public's "legitimate interest in the outcome of this case," he said he wanted to assess the evidence and decide on appropriate next steps.

Skandalakis, who has led the small, nonpartisan council since 2018, said in a court filing last month that he will get no extra pay for the case but that Fulton County will reimburse expenses. He previously spent about 25 years as the elected Republican district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, southwest of Atlanta.

Willis announced the sprawling indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023, using the state's anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy to illegally overturn Trump's narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia.

Defense attorneys sought Willis' removal after one revealed in January 2024 that Willis had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired to lead the case. The defense attorneys alleged a conflict of interest and said Willis profited from the case when Wade used his earnings to pay for vacations the pair took.

During an extraordinary hearing the following month, Willis and Wade testified about the intimate details of their relationship. They said the romance didn't begin until after Wade was hired and that they split the costs for vacations and other outings.

The judge rebuked Willis for a "tremendous lapse in judgment" but found no disqualifying conflict of interest, ruling she could stay on the case if Wade resigned, which he did hours later.

Defense attorneys appealed, and the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the case in December 2024, citing an "appearance of impropriety." The state Supreme Court declined to hear Willis' appeal.

"Gus" the turkey has been spending Thanksgiving week much differently than millions of other unlucky gobblers across the U.S.

As he trots in a sprawling animal sanctuary on the Colorado plains, he is stopped every few steps by staff who pet him, hug him or even give him a peck on his red face. Gus has been there since 2023 after being pardoned by the governor.

"What do you think? Do you want to do snuggles today?" Lanette Cook, education and engagement manager at the Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary in Erie, says to Gus.

Gus is among a growing number of turkeys that are being "adopted" instead of being covered in gravy and eaten at Thanksgiving dinner tables.

An increasing number of farm animal sanctuaries across the country have started promoting this alternative version of Thanksgiving in which families "adopt" turkeys and donate money to their lifelong care. In return, they receive photos, certificates and sometimes even one-on-one visits with the birds.

The goal: Spare a few of the tens of millions of turkeys slaughtered this time of year, many of which are raised in what animal rights advocates say are inhumane conditions in factory farms.

At Luvin Arms, a $25 donation comes with a certificate, photo and either a virtual or in-person visit, explained Kelly Nix, its executive director. Since launching the program in 2022, the sanctuary, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Denver, has seen the number of sponsorships double every year. And this year they're on track to reach their goal of $18,000, she said.

Luvin Arms' website features Gus and a gaggle of turkeys along with their personality traits (Gus is very talkative!) as part of its sponsor-a-turkey program. It encourages the public to donate for the birds for Thanksgiving and maybe even rethink their holiday traditions.

The funds have helped pay for extending the turkeys' outdoor pasture area, along with feeding and rescuing more turkeys. They've helped with veterinary bills, which can sometimes cost thousands of dollars because of the medical complications that arise for turkeys that come from factory farms, which breed them to grow very big in a short period of time, said Nix. In the wild, turkeys tend to live an average of three or four years, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

But the sanctuary says the program is about more than just the turkeys or money. There's also an important educational factor, including the conditions in factory farms and that turkeys are more than just centerpieces.

"Even if it makes you stop and double think what it is you're about to do," said Nix. "Or that you're like, 'wow this is a life of a sentient being,' for us that's a conversation starter."

Farm Sanctuary, which is located in New York and California, is believed to be the first to launch this type of turkey adoption program, starting in 1986. Gene Baur, its president and co-founder, said initially the public was confused about the program and the concept of rescuing farm animals altogether.

In the nearly four decades since, the sanctuary has rescued thousands of turkeys. And the public has not only caught on to the concept but in some years has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, Baur said.

"We grow up with certain traditions. But just because something is a tradition doesn't mean that it needs to remain as a tradition," said Baur.

Lizzie Parra's family has been adopting a turkey from the organization since 2021, ever since they visited a sanctuary in Pittsburgh and a turkey followed them around, seemingly desperate to be a part of their tour group.

She, her husband and 11-year-old son are vegan and so always leave turkey off their Thanksgiving table. But Parra said the adoption program gives them a chance to help save turkeys while raising awareness.

"This is just an opportunity for us to tell people that they can, at least for one meal, kind of make the same compassionate choice," she said.

Barn Sanctuary has had a similar program since 2023 in Chelsea, Michigan. Chase DeBack, its advocacy, education and engagement coordinator, said it's about shining a more positive light on the birds and their distinct personalities.

He rattles off some of the organization's residents like they're close friends: Lewis isn't much of a people person. Sabrina and Hilda are always interested in what people are bringing into the coop.

"We really wanted to shine a light on the unique personalities that turkeys have and how loving and caring they are for humans and for each other," said DeBack.

Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, overnight, with at least seven people killed in strikes that hit city buildings and energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian attack on southern Russia killed three people and damaged homes, authorities said.

The attacks came during a renewed U.S. push to end the war that has raged for nearly four years and talks about a U.S. peace plan. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials for several hours in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

Driscoll, who became part of the U.S. negotiating team less than two weeks ago, is heading up the latest phase of talks involving the terms of a possible peace settlement with Russia.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, declined to give details on how long the negotiations would last or what topics were being discussed, but noted that the Ukrainians were aware of the meeting and all sides have indicated they wanted to reach a deal to halt the fighting as quickly as possible.

Road to peace will be long

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday that the list of necessary steps to end the war can become workable after progress was made in Sunday's talks between U.S. and Ukrainian delegates in Geneva. He said he planned to discuss sensitive outstanding issues with President Donald Trump.

Rustem Umerov, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, wrote on social platform X on Tuesday that the Ukrainian leader hoped to finalize a deal with Trump at the earliest suitable date in November.

Russian officials have been reserved in their comments on the peace plan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow is in touch with American officials about peace efforts.

"We expect them to provide us with a version they consider an interim one in terms of completing the phase of coordinating this text with the Europeans and the Ukrainians, Lavrov said.

European leaders have cautioned that the road to peace will be long.

'Glass rained down'

Russia fired 22 missiles of various types and over 460 drones at Ukraine overnight, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. The strikes knocked out water, electricity and heat in parts of Kyiv. Video footage posted to Telegram showed a large fire spreading in a nine-story residential building in Kyivs eastern Dniprovskyi district.

Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said 20 people were injured in Kyiv. The Russian Defense Ministry said it targeted military-industrial facilities and energy assets. The strikes were a response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian objects in Russia, it added.

Liubov Petrivna, a 90-year-old resident of a damaged building in the Dniprovskyi district, told the AP that absolutely everything in her apartment was shattered by the strike and glass rained down on her.

Petrivna said she didn't believe in the peace plan now under discussion: "No one will ever do anything about it. Putin wont stop until he finishes us off.

In a subsequent attack wave, four people were killed and three were injured in a strike on a nonresidential building in Kyivs western Sviatoshynyi district, according to the head of Kyiv city administration, Tymur Tkachenko.

Neighboring Romania and Moldova reported that a handful of drones violated their airspace.

Strikes hit energy infrastructure

Ukraines energy ministry said energy infrastructure had been hit, without giving details. Ukraines emergency services said six people, including two children, were injured in a Russian attack on energy and port infrastructure in the Odesa region.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russias southern Rostov region overnight killed three people and injured eight others in the city of Taganrog not far from the border in Ukraine, Gov. Yuri Slyusar said in an online statement.

The attack damaged private houses and multistory residential blocks, unspecified social facilities, a warehouse and a paint shop, Slyusar said.

Russian air defenses destroyed 249 Ukrainian drones overnight above various Russian regions and the occupied Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday, noting that 116 of the drones were shot down over the Black Sea.

It was the fourth-largest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia, according to an AP tally.

'No capitulation'

The latest attacks followed peace-plan talks in Switzerland between U.S. and Ukraine representatives.

Oleksandr Bevz, a delegate from the Ukrainian side, told the AP that the talks had been very constructive and the two sides were able to discuss most points.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow has not received the updated U.S. peace plan that emerged from that meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the U.S. plan for Ukraine goes in the right direction but also cautioned it must not be a capitulation that enables Russia to later renew hostilities.

Any peace deal must include robust security guarantees for Ukraine and, more widely, for Europe, Macron said in an interview with broadcaster RTL, adding that the size of Ukraines armed forces shouldnt be restricted so it can defend the country in peacetime.

Macron was speaking ahead of a video conference meeting on Tuesday of countries, led by France and the U.K., that could help police any ceasefire with Russia.

We want peace, but we dont want a peace is that is, in fact, a capitulation. That is to say, it puts Ukraine in an impossible position that in the end gives Russia the freedom to keep going, to go further, Macron said.

No one can replace the Ukrainians in saying which territorial concessions they are prepared to make, he added. Theres only one person who doesnt want peace: its Russia.

The White House is circulating a proposal that would extend subsidies to help consumers pay for coverage under the Affordable Care Act for two more years, as millions of Americans face spiking health care costs when the current tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year.

The draft plan suggests that President Donald Trump is open to extending a provision of Obamacare as his administration and congressional Republicans search for a broader policy solution to a fight that has long flummoxed the party. The White House stresses that no plan is final until Trump announces it.

The subsidies were at the heart of the Democrats demands in the government shutdown fight that ended earlier this month. Most Democratic lawmakers had insisted on a straight extension of the tax credits, which expire at the end of the year as a condition of keeping the government open.

Eligibility for the Obamacare subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people afford health care coverage, would be capped at 700% of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss a White House proposal that is in draft form.

The baseline tax credits that were originally part of the Affordable Care Act were capped at 400% of the federal poverty level, but that cut-off was suspended because of the temporary COVID-era credits that allowed middle- and higher-income people to benefit from subsidies too.

The White House would also require those on Obamacare, regardless of the type of coverage, to pay some sort of premium for their Obamacare plans. That would effectively end zero-premium plans for those with lower incomes, addressing a concern from Republicans that the program has enabled fraud. One option is a requirement that everyone pay 2% of their income, or at least $5 per month, for lower-tier plans.

Even as the White Houses proposal remains in flux, the notion of extending any part of President Barack Obamas signature legislative achievement is likely to rankle conservatives who have sought to repeal and replace the law for well over a decade.

Until President Trump makes an announcement himself, any reporting about the administrations health care positions is mere speculation, White House spokesman Kush Desai said Monday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday afternoon that Trump is very much involved in these talks and that he is focused on unveiling a health care proposal that will fix the system and will bring down costs for consumers.

RELATED STORY | Health care affordability fight takes shape on Capitol Hill

But there are signs that parts of the nascent White House plan could get buy-in from Democrats. New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, one of eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus who voted to reopen the government earlier this month, said it represents a starting point for serious negotiations.

The fact that President Trump is putting forward any offer at all to extend the Affordable Care Acts tax credits shows that there is a broad understanding that inaction in this regard will cause serious harm to the American people, Hassan said.

Fellow New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who led bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown, added that I'm glad the president is reportedly considering a serious proposal.

Ive had constructive conversations with many of my Republican colleagues who I believe want to get this done, Shaheen said. They understand that the vast majority of people who benefit from these tax credits live in states the President won, and that the Presidents own pollsters have underscored the enormous political urgency of Republicans acting.

In 2017, Trump fell short in a push to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, an embarrassing defeat for Republicans who had just seized control of all levers of power in Washington. The GOP has failed to coalesce around a unified health care proposal since, and the expiration of the pandemic-era subsidies gives Trump and his party an opportunity to put their own stamp on the issue.

As the White House worked quietly on its plan, led by the Domestic Policy Council, key lawmakers on Capitol Hill have drafted their own proposals. For instance, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and others have proposed various ideas for redirecting the programs spending on federal subsidies into health savings accounts that enrollees could use to shop for plans or defray out-of-pocket costs. Scott's plan has been discussed with the White House multiple times since it was released Thursday, according to a person familiar not authorized to discuss the private conversations.

The draft of the White House plan would allow those in lower-tier plans, such as the bronze-level or catastrophic plans, to put money into health savings accounts.

It would also codify the program integrity rule to further help root out fraud, waste and abuse.

Americans shopping for Obamacare coverage have already faced the sticker shock of price hikes, because the window for selecting next years coverage began Nov. 1. Without congressional action, the average subsidized enrollee will face more than double their current cost in premiums next year, according to an analysis by the health care research nonprofit KFF.

Recent national polls have shown Americans are concerned about health care costs, along with broader affordability issues. Those concerns played out in elections earlier this month, which swept to power Democrats whose political messaging focused on the rising cost of living.

Viola Ford Fletcher, who as one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma spent her later years seeking justice for the deadly attack by a white mob on the thriving Black community where she lived as a child, has died. She was 111.

Her grandson Ike Howard said Monday that she died surrounded by family at a Tulsa hospital. Sustained by a strong faith, she raised three children, worked as a welder in a shipyard during World War II and spent decades caring for families as a housekeeper.

Tulsa was mourning her loss, said Mayor Monroe Nichols, the first Black leader of Oklahomas second-largest city. Mother Fletcher endured more than anyone should, yet she spent her life lighting a path forward with purpose.

She was 7 years old when the two-day attack began on Tulsas Greenwood district on May 31, 1921, after a local newspaper published a sensationalized report about a Black man accused of assaulting a white woman. As a white mob grew outside the courthouse, Black Tulsans with guns who hoped to prevent the mans lynching began showing up. White residents responded with overwhelming force. Hundreds of people were killed and homes were burned and looted, leaving over 30 city blocks decimated in the prosperous community known as Black Wall Street.

I could never forget the charred remains of our once-thriving community, the smoke billowing in the air, and the terror-stricken faces of my neighbors, she wrote in her 2023 memoir, Dont Let Them Bury My Story.

As her family left in a horse-drawn buggy, her eyes burned from the smoke and ash, she wrote. She described seeing piles of bodies in the streets and watching as a white man shot a Black man in the head, then fired toward her family.

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She told The Associated Press in an interview the year her memoir was published that fear of reprisals influenced her years of near-silence about the massacre. She wrote the book with Howard, her grandson, who said he had to persuade her to tell her story.

We dont want history to repeat itself so we do need to educate people about what happened and try to get people to understand why you need to be made whole, why you need to be repaired, Howard told the AP in 2024. The generational wealth that was lost, the home, all the belongings, everything was lost in one night.

The attack went largely unremembered for decades. In Oklahoma, wider discussions began when the state formed a commission in 1997 to investigate the violence.

Fletcher, who in 2021 testified before Congress about what she went through, joined her younger brother, Hughes Van Ellis, and another massacre survivor, Lessie Benningfield Randle, in a lawsuit seeking reparations. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed it in June 2024, saying their grievances did not fall within the scope of the states public nuisance statute.

For as long as we remain in this lifetime, we will continue to shine a light on one of the darkest days in American history, Fletcher and Randle said in a statement at the time. Van Ellis had died a year earlier, at the age of 102.

A Justice Department review, launched under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act and released in January 2024, outlined the massacre's scope and impact. It concluded that federal prosecution may have been possible a century ago, but there was no longer an avenue to bring a criminal case.

The city has been looking for ways to help descendants of the massacre's victims without giving direct cash payments. Some of the last living survivors, including Fletcher, received donations from groups but have not received any payments from the city or state.

Fletcher, born in Oklahoma on May 10, 1914, spent most of her early years in Greenwood. It was an oasis for Black people during segregation, she wrote in her memoir. Her family had a nice home, she said, and the community had everything from doctors to grocery stores to restaurants and banks.

Forced to flee during the massacre, her family became nomadic, living out of a tent as they worked in the fields as sharecroppers. She didn't finish school beyond the fourth grade.

At the age of 16, she returned to Tulsa, where she got a job cleaning and creating window displays in a department store, she wrote in her memoir. She then met Robert Fletcher, and they married and moved to California. During World War II, she worked in a Los Angeles shipyard as a welder, she wrote.

She eventually left her husband, who was physically abusive, and gave birth to their son, Robert Ford Fletcher, she wrote. Longing to be closer to her family, she returned to Oklahoma and settled north of Tulsa in Bartlesville.

Fletcher wrote that her faith and the close-knit Black community gave her the support she needed to raise her children. She had another son, James Edward Ford, and a daughter, Debra Stein Ford, from other relationships.

She worked for decades as a housekeeper, doing everything in those homes from cooking to cleaning to caring for children, Howard said. She worked until she was 85.

She eventually returned to Tulsa to live. Howard said his grandmother hoped the move would help in her fight for justice.

Howard said the reaction his grandmother got when she started speaking out was therapeutic for her.

This whole process has been helpful, Howard said.

President Donald Trump said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for a state visit to the U.S. later next year.

Trump made the announcement a few hours after he spoke with Xi on the phone on Monday morning, in which he said the two men discussed issues including Ukraine, fentanyl, and soybeans. The phone call came nearly one month after the two men met in person in the South Korean city of Busan.

Our relationship with China is extremely strong! Trump said.

Beijing, which announced the phone call first, said nothing about the state visits but said that the two leaders discussed trade, Taiwan and Ukraine.

Xi told Trump in the phone call Monday that Taiwans return to mainland China is an integral part of the post-war international order, and he expressed hope for a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement over Ukraine, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

The conversation came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently said Japans military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule. Japan is an important ally of the U.S. in the region. The phone call also coincided with the latest push by the Trump administration to end the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese, who in the past always pointed out that their leader picked up the call upon request, didnt say such for Mondays call. That means China called Trump, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center

My best guest is China is worried about the escalation (in tensions) with Japan. The reference to Taiwan and the post-WWII order directly points to the spat with Japan over Taiwan, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center. They also talked about Ukraine. That is an issue China is interested in due to the new peace negotiation.

China's relations with Japan sour

China-Japan relations have plunged to a new low following Takaichi's remarks, with Beijing denouncing her words. Over the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Japan crossed a red line that should not have been touched.

Xi in the phone call said China and the U.S., which fought together during the war against fascism and militarism, should jointly safeguard the victory of World War II. The U.S. has taken no side on the sovereignty of the self-governed island but is opposed to the use of force to seize Taiwan. It is obligated by a domestic law to provide sufficient hardware to the island to deter any armed attack.

Trump has maintained strategic ambiguity about whether he would send U.S. troops in case of a war in the Taiwan Strait. His administration has urged Taiwan to increase its defense budget.

Earlier this month, Taiwan's foreign ministry said it received official notification that the Trump administration approved a US$330 million arms sales to Taiwan, including fighter jet parts. Beijing immediately protested the arms sale, saying it grossly violated the one-China principle, by which Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of Chinese territory. China deplores and opposes that, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said then.

The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese side said, with Xi saying the crisis should be resolved at its root. The Chinese leader stressed Beijing's support for all efforts that are conducive to peace, according to the statement. However, western governments have accused Beijing of enabling the war through its industrial support for Moscow.

Trump and Xi discussed trade

Trump said he spoke with Xi about Fentanyl, Soybeans and other Farm Products, etc.

We have done a good, and very important, deal for our Great Farmers and it will only get better, Trump wrote.

Since he met Xi in Busan, there has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate, Trump said.

In the call, Xi said the bilateral relationship has generally maintained a steady and positive trajectory following the Busan summit, and he said the two sides should strive to make more positive progress, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. It didn't reveal any concrete agreements on matters such as purchases of American soybeans.

A University of Alabama at Birmingham football player stabbed two teammates Saturday morning hours before the team's game against the University of South Florida, the university said in a statement.

The two wounded players were in stable condition, interim head coach Alex Mortensen said at the postgame news conference. He said the team decided to play to honor graduating seniors in the last home game of the season, though several players opted to sit it out due to the incident.

The teammate suspected in the stabbing was in custody, the university said. The school did not release the names of the players involved.

Daniel Mincey, an offensive lineman who transferred to UAB in May, was arrested and booked on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder in the afternoon, according to Jefferson County Jail records. He was in custody in Birmingham and appeared to be the only UAB player who was arrested Saturday.

It was not immediately clear if Mincey had legal representation. Attempts to reach family members for comment were not immediately successful.

ICYMI | Gunman who killed Florida deputy dies from injuries after eviction notice shooting

UAB officials would not confirm that Mincey was involved in the stabbing.

The team's online roster lists Mincey as a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman from Pompano Beach, Florida, who was previously at the University of Kentucky.

Mortensen said that once the team decided to play, it focused on its normal game-day routines. He also said counseling was being made available for players who want it.

The coach declined to share further details about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation.

The stabbing occurred on campus at the Football Operations Building.

The Blazers lost 48-18 to South Florida to fall to 3-8 on the season and 1-6 in the American Conference. Their last game is Nov. 29 at Tulsa.

A major highlight of Thanksgiving is the menu, but the big meal can come with a lot of wasted food. Experts say a pinch of extra planning can ensure more gets eaten.

Roughly 320 million pounds (145 million kilograms) of food will be wasted at Thanksgiving this year, according to ReFED, a nonprofit that tracks food waste. ReFED says that's largely because people prepare more food than is needed for the meal and then don't finish the leftovers.

That is essentially like five meals each for all of the food insecure people in the U.S., said Yvette Cabrera, food waste director at Natural Resources Defense Council.

It's also a problem because most of that waste ends up in landfills, where it releases the potent planet-warming gas methane, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But a lot of those emissions are avoidable.

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Here are some tips for a climate-smarter Thanksgiving meal without ditching tradition.

Curbing waste starts at the store

Chef and cookbook author Joel Gamoran, who focuses on cooking with food scraps, says the key to cutting Thanksgiving waste starts before you even turn on the oven.

He recommends a quarter pound of cooked turkey per person and about a fistful or half a cup of each side dish per person. Cabrera said the most wasted foods are typically turkey and dairy products such as milk or cream bought for recipes.

When you're buying a whole bird, you should factor in the weight of the bones and giblets. The Natural Resources Defense council's food estimation tool recommends 0.75 pounds (0.34 kilograms) per person.

Cabrera also recommends buying food in the grocery store thats close to its expiration date, or produce that's misshapen or unattractive, because those are more likely to go unsold and be discarded.

Cooking with common food scraps

Lots of food gets wasted because home cooks don't think to use it.

Its OK to make the whole bird, Gamoran said. But have a plan for how youre going to take advantage of that later on. What are you going to do with the carcass, all that extra meat?

He likes to make turkey stock with the carcass by covering it in a pot with cold water, bringing it to a boil and then simmering it for two hours. You can fold that stock into mashed potatoes, use it to thicken soup, or freeze it for months.

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Gamorans favorite trick for the rest of the scraps is to use them like ingredients, not trash.

Carrot tops are like an herb, he said. You can treat it like basil or parsley and make a really beautiful pesto out of it, and then put them in ice cube trays to freeze them. Those go really nice in stir fries and salads and soups.

Hell also roast butternut squash shells, cover them with vinegar and strain them out after a day for a rich umami vinegar that can be used in cooking.

Potato skins can be tossed in oil and paprika, air fried and turned into potato chips or croutons.

Onion peels can be dried in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Celsius) for 20 minutes, then ground in the food processor for homemade onion powder. This method also works with garlic skins.

Getting creative with leftovers

For many, leftovers are one of the perks of hosting Thanksgiving. They can also be given a second life.

Gamoran says mashed potatoes can be transformed into breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes, or you can make potato bread by adding flour and yeast.

If you get sick of sliced turkey, Gamoran recommends using the leftover meat for meatballs or patties by chopping it in a food processor, adding an egg and then baking it.

If you want to get really creative, pumpkin pie can be made into a savory curry by adding sauteed onions and spices. And cranberry sauce can be added to smoothies, or even ketchup and mustard for a tangy twist.

If it sounds overwhelming to launch into new recipes just after the holiday, Cabrera recommends freezing leftovers. She said it's important to create space in the freezer before Thanksgiving starts.

Home-cooked food doesn't come with easy expiration dates. Cabrera said that's what your senses are for.

Smell it, look at it, inspect it, maybe taste a little bit to make sure its good to eat, she said.

There are some scraps, such as eggshells, that just don't have much culinary value. And if, despite all your best efforts, the green bean casserole in the back of the fridge goes bad, there's still one final move to keep it out of the landfill: composting.

"Having a plan for what youre going to do with anything thats not able to be eaten is going to be really critical to reducing those kind of end-of-life emissions on food that you couldnt eat," she said.

A gunman who killed a Florida deputy earlier this week died on Saturday from injuries received in the confrontation, authorities say.

Michael Halberstam, 37, shot two Indian River County deputies and a locksmith on Friday when they were serving an eviction notice at a home near Vero Beach where Halberstam's mother was trying to evict him, officials said. Officers returned fire, striking Halberstam multiple times and he succumbed to his injuries Saturday afternoon, the county's sheriff's department said in a post online.

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One of the deputies, Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, was killed and another is recovering from a shoulder injury. The locksmith was in critical condition after the shooting and underwent surgery, Alexander Hagan, a spokesman for HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, said Friday. The locksmith wasn't identified.

Over the past month, the sheriffs office had received seven calls from the home, almost all of which were from the mother calling about her son, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said Friday at a news conference. Still, he said, deputies werent expecting any trouble when they arrived to carry out the eviction.

This was a standard call for service, the sheriff said, adding there was nothing in Halberstam's record that would have precluded him from having a weapon.

Sweeting-Mashkow was a 25-year-veteran of the sheriffs office, Flowers said, growing emotional as he praised the deputy and described working alongside him his entire career.

I can tell you that our team will feel this forever, Flowers said.

Sweeting-Mashkow was posthumously promoted to sergeant in the sheriff's office on Saturday.

Universal Pictures two-part Wicked gamble continues to defy gravity at the box office. Just a year after part one brought droves of audiences to movie theaters around the country, even more people bought opening weekend tickets to see the epic conclusion, Wicked: For Good. According to studio estimates on Sunday, Wicked: For Good earned $150 million from North American theaters in its first days in theaters and $226 million globally.

Not only is it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, unseating the record set by the first films $112 million launch, its also the second biggest debut of the year behind A Minecraft Movies $162 million.

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Universal began rolling out Wicked: For Good in theaters earlier this week, with previews on Monday ($6.1 million from 1,050 theaters) and Wednesday ($6.5 million from 2,300 theaters). By Friday it was playing in 4,115 North American locations and had raked in $68.6 million. IMAX showings accounted for $15.5 million, or 11%, of its domestic haul a November record for the company.

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said in a statement that the strong market share shows, our momentum carries into demos and genres beyond our traditional core, including families.

As with the first film, women powered opening weekend, making up around 71% of ticket buyers according to PostTrak exit polls. Critics were somewhat mixed on the final chapter, but audiences werent: An overwhelming 83% of audiences said it was one they would definitely recommend to friends.

Jon M. Chu directed both Wicked films, starring Cynthia Ervio and Ariana Grande. The first film made over $758.7 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations (winning two, for costume and production design. The question is how high Wicked: For Good can soar. Combined, the two films cost around $300 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion costs.

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Two other films also opened in wide release this weekend, but further down on the charts behind a buffet of holdovers. Searchlight Pictures opened its Brendan Fraser film Rental Family in 1,925 theaters. The Finnish action film Sisu: Road to Revenge," a Sony release, also played in 2,222 theaters.

Although this weekend the box office was more of a winner takes all scenario, Wicked: For Goods success is vitally important for the exhibition industry as a whole as it enters the final weeks of the year. After the slow fall season, the Thanksgiving blockbusters could not arrive soon enough. Early next week, Zootopia 2 enters the mix and is also expected to drive big crowds to the cineplex over the holiday break.

Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in north-central Nigerias Niger state have escaped captivity and are now with their families, the school authority said Sunday, bringing relief to some distraught families after one of the largest school abductions in Nigeria's history.

The schoolchildren, aged between 10 and 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday, according to the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the proprietor of the school. A total of 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still held by the kidnappers, he said in a statement.

We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents, Yohanna said.

The pupils and students were seized together with their teachers by gunmen who attacked the St. Marys School, a Catholic institution in Niger states remote Papiri community, on Friday. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions and authorities have said tactical squads have been deployed alongside local hunters to rescue the children.

It was not immediately clear where the Niger state children were being held or how they managed to return home. Nigerias military and police did not immediately respond to an Associated Press inquiry.

As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims, the Yohanna said.

The Niger state attack happened four days after 25 schoolchildren were seized in similar circumstances in neighboring Kebbi states Maga town, which is 106 miles away.

Both states are in a northern region of Nigeria where dozens of armed gangs have used kidnapping for ransom as one way of dominating remote communities with little government and security presence.

Satellite image shows that the Niger state school compound is attached to an adjoining primary school, with more than 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. Its located near a major road linking the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa.

School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africas most populous nation, and armed gangs often see schools as strategic targets to draw more attention.

Niger state hurriedly closed down all schools after Fridays attack, while some federal colleges in conflict hotspots across the region were also closed by the Nigerian government.