The Storytellers Project: Holiday Stories

By WILL WEISSERT and DARLENE SUPERVILLE WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he is commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, an outspoken proponent of expanding capital punishment, takes office. The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities. It means just three federal inmates are still facing execution.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there a polite way to deal with those relatives who constantly tease you, make fun of you and remind you of the stupid, mean things you did when you were young? Related Articles Advice | Miss Manners: The phone does work both ways, but maybe I shouldn’t have told my friend that Advice | Miss Manners: It’s inappropriate for my boyfriend’s stepmother to kiss him on the lips Advice | Miss Manners: I’m grateful that an adult once taught me how to eat a tomato Advice | Miss Manners: My sister cut off contact, then I received a wedding invitation Advice | Miss Manners: They wrongly imply my brother and I are a couple Naturally enough, I avoid these relatives whenever possible.

Today is Monday, Dec. 23, the 358th day of 2024. There are eight days left in the year. Today in history: On Dec. 23, 2003, a jury in Chesapeake, Virginia, sentenced teen sniper Lee Boyd Malvo to life in prison, sparing him the death penalty. Also on this date: In 1823, the poem “Account of a Visit from St.

A popular brand of nitrous oxide sold in smoke shops and at retailers across South Florida is dangerous and addictive and should be pulled off shelves before more people get hurt, a Broward County man is claiming in a new lawsuit. Dominic DiSalvo, 30, of Dania Beach, has been misusing Galaxy Gas recreationally for a cheap and potent high, according to the lawsuit filed in Broward court on Dec.

Back surgeries are some of the most common operations in Florida, but also the most risky and often unnecessary. New research proves why anyone suffering from back pain should approach surgery cautiously and choose a surgeon selectively. Classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any operation (36%), and in a newly released analysis of Medicare data, Florida ranks the highest in the country for the number of low-value and unnecessary back and spine surgeries performed on seniors. Spine surgeons say too many Florida doctors are operating without expertise and outcomes are predictably poor, leaving patients in as much pain or more.

Elon Musk is a very wealthy man, yet he’s always looking for a bargain. For just millions of dollars, mere pocket change for him, he bought himself the co-presidency of the United States. There he is on X, railing against the continuing resolution to fund the government and threatening congressmen who would dare to disagree. Musk is everywhere, often glued to the elbow of the man who actually was elected president.