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For their last holiday season in the White House, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden decked the halls with a theme of "A Season of Peace and Light." When guests first enter the White House for holiday tours, they're greeted by a massive, rotating starlight above the East Wing. The first tree on the tour is dedicated to Gold Star Families. It's made of six oversized and stacked stars representing the branches of the military. Names of fallen service members are written on gold star ornaments on the four accompanying Christmas trees around the room, according to the White House website . Brass-colored bells suspended from archways down the East Colonnade surround guests with the "peaceful sounds of the holiday season." The White House Library is a forest of vintage ceramic Christmas trees. RELATED STORY | Capitol Christmas tree arrives in Washington after 4,000-mile journey from Alaska The ceiling of the East Room is wrapped in a canopy of reflective medallions that mimic the feeling of a peaceful snowfall. This is where guests will find the Nativity scene that has been displayed during every White House holiday season since 1967. In the Blue Room, guests will find the official White House Christmas Tree, a Fraser fir from North Carolina, on display in the center of a whimsical carousel. Every year the room's chandelier is removed to accommodate the tall Christmas trees. Military families from the USS Delaware and the USS Gabrielle Giffords, Navy vessels that First Lady Biden sponsors, made dazzling paper garlands that wrap around the State Dining Room. One of the most anticipated features every year is the Gingerbread White House. The sugary replica features a large starburst and a cheerful scene of ice skaters this year. The White House said the gingerbread masterpiece took 25 sheets of gingerbread dough, 10 sheets of sugar cookie dough, five pounds of pastillage, 45 pounds of chocolate, 50 pounds of royal icing and 10 pounds of gum paste to come to life. In total, there are 83 Christmas trees throughout the White House adorned with approximately 9,810 feet of ribbon and over 28,125 ornaments. Over 165,075 lights decorate the trees, garlands, wreaths and displays. RELATED STORY | Experts share tips on how to have a bugfree Christmas "It has been the honor of our lives to serve as your President and First Lady. Our hope is for the Nation to be blessed with the peace and light of the holiday season. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays," the president and first lady wrote in the welcome letter for the commemorative White House Holiday Guide. It took over 300 dedicated volunteers from across the country a full week to decorate the inside and outside of the White House, who the first lady thanked during a special event to mark the holiday season. The first lady invited National Guard families to be the first to experience this year's magical decorations and had their children on stage at the special event.Christmas Gift Guide for gamers - Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation and retro gift ideaskijiji guelph 。

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PHOTOS: Ontario travel heavily disrupted by intense snow squall bandsNEW YORK — The man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione’s initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors say the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. Adams is himself scheduled to stand trial on federal corruption charges next year. He pleaded not guilty and vowed to remain in office as he fights the charges. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have no plans to pitch prized prospect Andrew Painter in spring training games as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old Painter hurt his elbow during spring training in 2023 and had surgery that July 25 with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. “He'll throw but not plan on pitching” in games, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. “We're going to push the innings back.” Dombrowski said Painter will build up at some point in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut at some point in the summer. Painter made six starts and allowed four runs in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out 18 batters in 15 2/3 innings after he sat out each of the last two seasons. Painter sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class A teams and Double-A Reading. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBA captivating collection of abstract expressionist paintings by a young female Japanese artist are showcased during "Autumn Night" at Maison JE Bangkok, until Dec 22. This is a Bangkok debut mini solo exhibition by Mifuu Oda from Wakayama Prefecture, who has created outstanding signature in her acrylic works. She presents her latest and much-awaited artwork inspired by serene and beautiful nights in Japan which just bade farewell to summer and welcomed the refreshing coolness of autumn. The air is filled with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus and the vibrant red leaves shine like dreams. Her artworks serve as a bridge connecting viewers to nature, captivating with vibrant colours that blend gentle emotions and tranquil atmospheres. Her paintings draw inspiration from emotions, including joy, happiness and sadness, the different shades of sky, the beauty of flowers and all the fragrances that are up in the air. Also influenced by cute female characters in Japanese anime and manga, Mifuu often expresses herself via the symbolic image of a girl created through shades of acrylic paint and the touch of a painting knife and colour mixing. The 27-year-old artist has already displayed her artistic talent at many exhibitions across the world, including Japan, South Korea, China, the US and France. Maison JE Bangkok is on Surawong Road and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm. There is no admission fee. Visit maisonje.com.