Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of the United Healthcare CEO, made his first court appearance in Pennsylvania, where he was denied bail. Manhattan prosecutors have obtained an arrest warrant for Mangione, who is fighting extradition to New York.

The Franklin Fire in Malibu, Southern California, has burned more than 2,700 acres and is 1 percent contained. The rapidly spreading fire has prompted mandatory evacuation orders and destroyed several homes.

The New York attorney general and Manhattan district attorney both stated that they will not drop their cases against President-elect Donald Trump just because he is returning to the White House. However, the Manhattan DA has proposed alternatives, such as delaying sentencing until after Trump leaves office or sentencing him to no prison time.

The Biden administration announced it will recognize and support a new Syrian government, provided it renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stockpiles, and protects the rights of minorities and women. Meanwhile, Israel launched airstrikes on Syria and deployed troops into a buffer zone along its border.