Two little piggies will not become Christmas Eve roast pork thanks to a holiday pardon they received from a Florida mayor.

Moravian missionaries named the Pennsylvania city of Bethlehem after the biblical birthplace of Jesus on Christmas Eve in 1741.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve, saying “This Christmas sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”.

A Dense fog advisory is in effect for Livingston, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Wayne, Lenawee and Monroe counties until 11 a.m. Monday. Visibility in these areas could drop to a quarter mile or less. It will be particularly important to slow down as it will be harder to see people, animals and cars.

The typically bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus looks like a ghost town on Christmas Eve, with celebrations in Bethlehem called off due to the Israel-Hamas war.

After rain showers moved to end the week, we will keep the rain showers in the forecast to start the holiday weekend before the active forecast continues for the better portion of the next seven days.

What’s the weather looking like for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Southeast Michigan?

What’s the weather looking like for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Southeast Michigan?

This hotel has lots to offer

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was given the Presidential Citizens Award by President Joe Biden on Friday.

After nearly a week, the elevators in a Westland independent senior living building are back up and running.

The below-freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve caused pipes to burst inside the new Shelby Township Library.

Officials wrote on social media that one person was transported away from the scene by Huron Valley Ambulance.

Local organizers in Washington say three buses of recent migrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in record-setting cold on Christmas Eve.

As we all gear up for our holiday celebrations and look forward to spending time with family, it’s important to remember there are children inside of this hospital and other hospitals across the state that won’t get to see their families and loved ones on Christmas.

A major winter storm is heading toward Metro Detroit this weekend, with rain expected to turn into snow that lasts through Friday and into Christmas Eve.

Stores would have been crazy busy this week anyway, but when you add in what looks like a nasty winter storm, the rush was on.

After a two-year hiatus, hundreds of people came looking to spread holiday cheer to those who may need it most. It’s back, with wide smiles, a lot of heart, and more flashlights looking to spread holiday cheer.

Some families seem to have it all together, and others ... well, not so much.

A new bakery in Mount Clemens is celebrating more than just new beginnings.

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with murder in the fatal Christmas Eve shooting of a man at a cabin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Like it or not, the Christmas weather scenario played out pretty much as expected.

Scottish singer Tom Walker has praised the piano skills of the Duchess of Cambridge after the pair recorded a Christmas tune that was shown during a carol concert.

Here are this morning's top stories.

The staff is tired, the omicron variant is bearing down and the intensive care unit beds are filling fast at a hospital in the French city of Marseille.

This Christmas Eve, Jolly Old St. Nicholas is once again delivering gifts to children around the world in record time. Here's how to track his whereabouts.

An annual NBC tradition is airing “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve -- but there’s something you might not know.

Amid the surge of coronavirus cases across the U.S., numerous churches have canceled in-person Christmas services.

This Christmas Eve, Jolly Old St. Nicholas is once again delivering gifts to children around the world in record time. Here's how to track his whereabouts.

From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, the surging coronavirus dampened Christmas Eve festivities for a second year.

It appears we still may have some scattered showers around Christmas morning, but then dry out in the afternoon.

As expected, it was a breezy, chilly day Wednesday, and even with a few flurries for some festive holiday effect.

An assembly line of holiday films to make the heart sing is the Hallmark Channel's blueprint, and it works every year like mistletoe or eggnog.

The European Union and Britain are back to quarreling less than a year after finalizing Brexit.

The Pentagon has announced it will keep a Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East to provide protection for the more than 10,000 American and coalition troops withdrawing from Afghanistan in coming weeks.

Eight days have passed since Dion Emery was killed in a hit-and-run on Christmas Eve near the intersection of Schoolcraft and Greenfield roads. “He died by himself, He died by himself,” cried Dion’s mother, Patricia Rutland. His mother, and other family members, are all questioning why someone would hit Dion and keep on driving, on Christmas Eve of all days. If it wasn’t for a post made to a group on social media, the family would have never found out. More: Detroit crime news

UK chief trade negotiator David Frost looks on as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at 10 Downing Street, London Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – Britain’s Parliament voted resoundingly on Wednesday to approve a trade deal with the European Union, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the U.K.’s long and divisive Brexit journey. With just a day to spare, lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 521-73 in favor of the agreement sealed between the U.K. government and the EU last week. She noted that the deal protected trade in goods but did not cover services, which account for 80% of Britain's economy. “We have a deal in trade, which benefits the EU, but not a deal in services, which would have benefitted the U.K.," May said.

Lights atop a police cruiser flash at the scene of a crime in this undated file image. ADRIAN, Mich. – Police are looking for the man responsible for a stabbing on Christmas Eve in Adrian. Police said the victim was transported to a hospital in Toledo but the other man left on foot before police could arrive. Adrian Police were assisted at the scene by the Adrian Fire Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Adrian Police Department at 517-264-4808 or via email at APDTips@adrianmi.gov.

BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, Mich. – While serving a search warrant Saturday, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office located the body of a man wanted in connection with a Christmas Eve road rage shooting. ORIGINAL STORY: Washtenaw County deputies search for suspect in road rage shootingAccording to authorities, the road rage incident happened neat the intersection of Alber and Textile roads in Lodi Township at about 9:45 a.m. Deputies said the suspect fired gunshots, hitting the victim’s vehicle multiple times. The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said they were able to identify a potential suspect through tips provided to authorities. Police said the deputies spent several hours attempting to make contact to serve a search warrant Saturday before discovering the 51-year-old man’s body inside the home. Anyone with information is asked to contact Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office at 734-973-7711.

DETROIT – Detroit police are asking for help locating a missing 37-year-old woman. Tiffani Knall was reported missing on Christmas Eve from the 19000 block of Hickory Street. Her mother last spoke to her on Dec. 20 at 11:20 a.m. and has not heard or seen her since then. Anyone with information should contact the Detroit Police Department’s 9th Precinct Investigative Unit at 313-596-5940 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.

DETROIT – Police are investigating a homicide that happened around 8:20 p.m. on Christmas Eve in the 15800 block of Wildemere Street in Detroit. According to police, the victim is a man in his 30s. His body was found inside an upper flat in the area with multiple gunshot wounds. The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 313-596-2260.

I will spend Christmas at home alone because I don't have anyone to spend them with. “I don’t feel like celebrating anything,” Otero said as she sat down to eat a plate of salmon with potatoes. “We have missed one another these Christmas holidays,” Cano said. I am one of the last ones left. I will spend Christmas at home alone because I don’t have anyone to spend it with.”AP writer Joseph Wilson contributed to this report.

DETROIT – As you probably know, an annual NBC tradition is airing “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve -- and this year, more than any other year, we need that movie. There is a way cool science angle to the movie that nobody knows about: Near the beginning, remember the scene where the angels in heaven choose an angel named Clarence to head to Earth to save George Bailey? Well, there’s an ultra-cool science angle to that scene. Check out my explanation in the short video above -- it’ll make your Christmas even more special! RELATED: Best Christmas movie?

We had a record high of 64 degrees (17.5 degrees Celsius), and there was even a sailboat seen on Lake St. Clair! Tonight’s sunset is at 5:06 p.m.Christmas DayMostly cloudy skies will start our Christmas Day, and then snow showers should increase during the afternoon…particularly later in the day into Christmas night. Mostly cloudy Friday night, with lows again in the upper teens (-7 degrees Celsius). Weekend UpdateMostly cloudy on Saturday, with highs in the low 30s (0 degrees Celsius). Becoming partly cloudy Saturday night, with lows in the low 20s (-6 to -5 degrees Celsius).

Nothing is going to stop Santa Claus from coming to town. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks everything in the skies of the United States and Canada -- and that includes Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer this Christmas Eve. You can follow his journey around the globe through one of the livestreams included in this article, or by clicking here. You can call 660-557-2682 to hear a message from Santa.

Nothing is going to stop Santa Claus from coming to town. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks everything in the skies of the United States and Canada -- and that includes Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer this Christmas Eve. You can follow his journey around the globe through one of the livestreams included in this article, or by clicking here. You can call 660-557-2682 to hear a message from Santa.

Christmas Day remains snowy. Snow showers return Thursday evening, to prep Santa and his sleigh for a good landing overnight. Christmas Day is a White Christmas in my book. Despite the lack of an inch of snow on the ground in many neighborhoods, snowflakes will be falling with scattered snow showers. · Track the live Michigan Weather Radar here· Track severe weather alerts here· Submit storm photos here· Find more weather forecast articles at Weather Center

In this photo provided by Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris soprani singer Julie Fuchs and the Notre Dame Cathedral choir recording a Christmas concert on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The concert will be broadcasted on French television on Christmas. (MSNDP/Musique Sacree Notre-Dame de Paris via AP)PARIS – Wearing hard hats and protective suits, members of the choir of Notre Dame Cathedral sang inside the medieval Paris landmark for the first time since last year’s devastating fire for a special Christmas Eve concert. The public was not allowed and isn’t expected to see the insides of Notre Dame until at least 2024. The Notre Dame choir used to give 60 concerts a year inside the cathedral but has been itinerant ever since, moving among other Paris churches.

Few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened Christmas Eve celebrations. The Philippines prohibited mass gatherings and barred extended families from holding traditional Christmas Eve dinners. On Christmas Eve in Italy, church bells rang earlier than usual. In Athens, Christmas Eve was eerily silent. The schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas day included Masses in English and Spanish, and a bilingual jazz vespers service.

Snow showers return Thursday evening, to prep Santa and his sleigh for a good landing overnight. Christmas Day is a White Christmas in my book. Despite the lack of an inch of snow on the ground in many neighborhoods, snowflakes will be falling with scattered snow showers. The holiday’s first day, Umoja - Community, will be partly sunny with morning snow showers. Monday has another chance of rain and snow showers.

(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)BEIJING — Authorities in China’s northeastern port city of Dalian are testing millions of residents after seven new coronavirus cases were reported there in the last 24 hours. It has a deal to secure up to 100 million doses of the potential vaccine produced by AstraZeneca. Koca said the first shipment of three million doses of CoronaVac would be shipped to Turkey on Sunday and arrive Monday. He said Turkey could get 4.5 million doses until the end of March and would have the option buy up to 30 million doses. Indonesia has reported nearly 700,000 COVID-19 cases, the largest caseload in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s 10.1 million confirmed cases.

It took more than three years of wrangling before Britain left the bloc’s political structures last January. If Britain were to quit the EU with no agreement governing trade, the two sides would reinstate tariffs on each other's goods. Even with a trade deal, goods and people will no longer be able to move freely between the U.K. and its continental neighbors without border restrictions. ”“And the difference that a trade deal makes is not going to be obvious to most people from that,” he said. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

Stocks are ticking higher on Wall Street Wednesday, Dec. 23, following a mixed set of reports on the economy. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)Stocks closed slightly higher on Christmas Eve, as investors went into the holiday weekend not bothered by President Donald Trump’s threat not to sign a major economic stimulus package approved by Congress this week. Relatively safe investments like utilities and real estate were among the biggest gainers, while energy stocks fell. Trump has asked for higher individual payments to Americans, something Democrats support but which is unlikely to get a vote in the Republican-held Senate. Consumers pulled back on their spending by more last month than economists expected, mainly because of a drop in income.

Airports also recorded around 1 million travelers on each of the five days between last Friday and Tuesday. Fauci, who turned 80 on Thursday, said he and his wife would be celebrating his birthday and the holidays with their children on Zoom. It took 292 days to reach 1 million cases on Nov. 11. Nurses are exhausted, terrified of what’s next and angry at those who ignore pleas to stay home and stay safe. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, and Shelley Adler in Fairfax, Virginia, contributed to this story.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials will not release the number of daily COVID-19 cases or deaths on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the state announced. On Wednesday (Dec. 23), Michigan announced 3,443 new COVID-19 cases and 70 additional deaths, bringing the state totals to 469,928 cases and 11,775 deaths. The next update won’t come until Saturday (Dec. 26), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced. “We wanted to give MDHHS staff some time off during the holidays,” MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said. The same will be true after New Year’s Day, with new numbers being posted Jan. 2 and Jan. 4.

After resolving a few remaining fair-competition issues, negotiators tussled over EU fishing rights in U.K. waters as they worked right into Christmas Eve to secure a provisional deal for a post-Brexit relationship after nine months of talks. A trade deal would avert the imposition of tariffs and duties that could cost both sides billions in trade and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Johnson has always insisted the U.K. will “prosper mightily” even if no deal is reached and the U.K. has to trade with the EU on World Trade Organization terms from Jan. 1. Rumors of a pre-Christmas trade deal surfaced in recent days based on progress on the main outstanding issues, other than fishing. On Wednesday, brokering on quotas and transition times for EU vessels to continue fishing in U.K. waters was in full swing, with progress reported from several sides.

All most people wanted for Christmas after this year of pandemic was some cheer and togetherness. Instead many are heading into a season of isolation, grieving lost loved ones, worried about their jobs or confronting the fear of a new potentially more contagious virus variant. Peruvians won't be allowed to drive their cars over Christmas and New Year to discourage visits even with nearby family and friends. South Africans won’t be able to go to the beach on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. The four nations of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have all ditched their original Christmas relaxation plans.

SEOUL – South Korea will prohibit private social gatherings of five or more people and shut down ski resorts and major tourist spots nationwide starting from Christmas Eve as it contends with surging coronavirus infections. The capital area has been at the center of a viral resurgence in past weeks that has overwhelmed hospitals and increased death tolls and raised questions to how the government is handling the outbreak. Forty-eight COVID-19 patients have died in the past 48 hours, the deadliest two days since the emergence of the pandemic. The viral resurgence has put pressure on the government to raise social distancing restrictions to maximum levels, something policymakers have resisted for weeks out of economic concerns. The mass outbreak in Samut Sakhon was revealed over the weekend when authorities reported more than 500 new cases, the country’s biggest single-day increase by far.

A quick shot of rain and snow remains in the forecast for the first official day of winter on Monday. More rain of snow are possible Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Afternoon highs will be near 40°F on Tuesday and near 45°F on Wednesday. Christmas Eve Thursday becomes cloudy again with rain and snow showers. Enough cold air wraps around an area of low pressure to give us snow flurries and light snow showers as Santa arrives early Christmas morning, and when families wake up on Christmas Day.

The Christmas holiday will be no different with many family gatherings either not happening or kept very small. If you’re looking for something a bit more lowkey and a lot less fussy, let these Ann Arbor eateries cook up Christmas Dinner so you don’t have to. LALA’SLaLa’s is offering a Christmas menu ranging from creamed corn to roasted vegetables and French Silk Pie. Place Christmas orders by 4:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve for pickup no later than 5 p.m. Here’s the menu. Plan ahead for Christmas Eve and Christmas meals!

Tomorrow will be cloudy, chilly but dry. After a bit of sunshine the middle of next week, slippery weather, including snow, returns for Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day. Monday afternoon will be mostly cloudy and chilly with light snow and rain returning. Wednesday will be the “mildest” day of Christmas week under mostly cloudy skies. · Track the live Michigan Weather Radar here· Track severe weather alerts here· Submit storm photos here· Find more weather forecast articles at Weather Center

Saturday evening will have chilly rain and snow showers in Detroit and other areas south of Eight Mile Road. A cold front brings rain and snow showers Wednesday night. Christmas Eve, Thursday, will have a chance of rain and snow showers. This will end with scattered snow showers as Santa Claus arrives Friday, Christmas Day. Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app -- it’s easily one of the best in the nation.

Saturday afternoon will have snow showers mix with rain showers as temperatures climb. Sunset is at 5:04 p.m.Saturday evening will have chilly rain in Detroit and other areas south of 8 Mile. A cold front brings rain and snow showers Wednesday night. This will end with scattered snow showers as Santa Claus arrives, Friday, Christmas Day. · Track the live Michigan Weather Radar here· Track severe weather alerts here· Submit storm photos here· Find more weather forecast articles at Weather Center

Sunrise is at 7:58 a.m.Saturday afternoon will have snow showers mix with rain showers as temperatures climb. Saturday evening will have chilly rain in Detroit and other areas south of 8 Mile. A cold front brings rain and snow showers, Wednesday night. With a west-northwesterly wind, lake effect snow flurries or snow showers are possible Christmas Day, Thursday. · Track the live Michigan Weather Radar here· Track severe weather alerts here· Submit storm photos here· Find more weather forecast articles at Weather Center

ANN ARBOR – University of Michigan student and music volunteer at Arbor Hospice, Sherwin Navaz, will be performing a virtual piano concert on Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. “As an Arbor Hospice music volunteer, Navaz brings comfort and peace to patients with serious and terminal illnesses,” read a news release. “Often, the sounds of his piano stir emotions and memories that otherwise feel like a lifetime away.”U-M student Sherwin Navaz will be putting on a free virtual concert on Christmas Eve. Viewers on Christmas Eve can expect to hear a diverse selection of music, from Beethoven to Chopin and The Sound of Music to The Beatles. To learn more about Arbor Hospice, visit www.arborhospice.org.

The best Christmas gift my wife ever gave me is so far and above anything else it’s a no-brainer. I’d always wanted one because, like any dude, I think I take photos worthy of Esquire or Sports Illustrated. So Christmas morning comes and we’re at my in-laws house. My mother-in-law is maybe trying to distract me with offers of leftover sausage and peppers from Christmas Eve. But, I know his reaction to my reaction was a perplexed, “it’s a chair.”Anyway.

ANN ARBOR – The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority announced it will not operate its services on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2021 in observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Fixed-route bus service will end early on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). The shared-ride FlexRide Holiday Service is $5 per person on holidays and operates within designated areas of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Reservations can be made Monday through Friday and stop at 5:15 a.m. or 5 a.m. for trips outside of Ann Arbor. On Saturday and Sunday, reservations can be made until 6:15 a.m. or 6 a.m. for trips outside of Ann Arbor.

NEW YORK – Christmas is still a few weeks away, but Mariah Carey is already orchestrating her dinner menu. 1 hits really going to sweat over a hot stove? “Magical Christmas Special” is another example of diverse, family-friendly holiday programming that hasn’t always been allotted by Hollywood. “As a kid, if I had to select one holiday, of course I’m going with Christmas. And while the pandemic has halted a number of projects, 2020 has been busy for Carey: In September she released her candid memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” which debuted at No.

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)BRUSSELS – Please leave a chair empty at this year's family Christmas dinner as a precaution, or face the possibility of having that chair empty forever. That's the stark dilemma Belgium's prime minister has set to urge smaller festive family gatherings, as Europeans battle with containing the surging COVID-19 pandemic over the holiday season. Britain, with the continent's highest death rate at 57,031 yet a Christmas tradition unlike few others, could not resist the temptation of relaxation. Like Belgium, Italy, where the pandemic initially struck hard in Europe, is taking a hard line at Christmas. In Oberndorf, home of the world's most famous Christmas carol, they hope its lyrics will not be taken too literally.

The Heisman Trophy will be presented Jan. 5, but without the usual ceremony held in New York City, and the finalists will be revealed on Christmas Eve. The deadline for Heisman voters to submit their ballots is now Dec. 21, two days after the conference championship games are scheduled to be played. Before college football schedules were revised because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Heisman was set to be handed out Dec. 12. Now it will be awarded during the 10 days between the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 1 and the championship game on Jan. 11. ___More AP college football coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

DETROIT – With the Holiday Season approaching and a new stimulus deal still in the distance, many people are taking a hard look at their finances to budget for lean times. RELATED: How to get help while battle for second round of stimulus checks stalls in WashingtonHaving some type of a budget is essential -- especially as we head toward the Holiday Season, when spending is up for many. Look at your billsTake a look at all your bills and expenses to prioritize and determine what are the “must-pay” bills. Create a budgetAs for holiday spending, set a plan and create a spending budget for each person on your list. Talk to peopleIf you are having financial problems now, contact your landlord, your mortgage company and credit card companies.

FRASER, Mich. – Macomb County Public Works commissioner Candice Miller will announce a settlement in the Fraser sinkhole case on Tuesday involving three contractors. A sinkhole developed on Christmas Eve in 2016. Nearly two dozen homes were evacuated and three houses later were condemned. At the time, the collapse threatened to dump raw sewage into thousands of basements in the county through the broken pipe. However, the companies argued that that wasn’t the case and they shouldn’t be held responsible.

WINDSOR, Ontario – Officials seized more than $25 million worth of methamphetamine from a truck entering Canada on the Ambassador Bridge on Christmas Eve, according to authorities. Police said a commercial truck entered Canada through the Ambassador Bridge on Dec. 24 in Windsor, Ontario. The truck was referred for a secondary examination, and officers found nine containers of suspected meth, officials said. The Canada Border Services Agency and Royal Canadian Mounted Police seized about 200 kilograms of suspected meth from the truck, officials said. Anyone with information about suspicious activity at the border is asked to call the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.