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(WASHINGTON) — Peach and Blossom are the two lucky turkeys from Minnesota who will escape a fowl fate of ending up on someone’s Thanksgiving table this year when they are pardoned Monday by President Biden at the White House.

These birds were plucked for the presidential flock and went through rigorous training to ride the gravy train to the White House for the honor, according to John Zimmerman, chairman of the National Turkey Federation.

Zimmerman’s 9-year-old son Grant and other young trainers made sure their feathers wouldn’t be ruffled by the spotlight.

“Preparing these presidential birds has taken a lot of special care,” Zimmerman said Sunday during a press conference introducing the two turkeys.“We’ve been getting them used to lights, camera and even introducing them to a wide variety of music — everything from polka to classic rock.”

Peach and Blossom, weighing 41 and 40 pounds, respectively, were hatched back in July. They traveled to Washington this week and were treated to a suite at the Willard InterContinental hotel before their big day on Monday, as is tradition.

After their pardon, the two turkeys will head back to Waseca, Minn., to live out the remainder of the feathery lives as “agricultural ambassadors” at Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center.

Previous poultry pardoned under Biden include Liberty and Bell in 2023, Chocolate and Chip in 2022, and Peanut Butter and Jelly in 2021.

The turkey pardon at the White House is an annual tradition that is usually “cranned” full of a cornucopia of corny jokes. This year’s pardon will be the last of Biden’s presidency.

The history of the turkey pardon

The origin of the presidential turkey pardons is a bit fuzzy. Unofficially, reports point all the way back to Abraham Lincoln, who spared a bird from its demise at the urging of his son, Tad. However, that story might be more folklore than fact.

The true start of what has evolved into the current tradition has its roots in politics and dates back to the Harry Truman presidency in 1947.

Truman ruffled feathers by starting “poultry-less Thursdays” to try and conserve various foods in the aftermath of World War II, but Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day all fell on Thursdays.

After the White House was inundated with live birds sent as part of a “Hens for Harry” counter-initiative, the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board presented Truman with a bird as a peace offering — although the turkey was not saved from a holiday feast.

President John F. Kennedy began the trend of publicly sparing a turkey given to the White House in November 1963, just days before his assassination. In the years following, the event became a bit more sporadic, with even some first ladies such as Pat Nixon and Rosalynn Carter stepping in to accept the guests of honor on their husband’s behalf.

The tradition of the public sparing returned in earnest during the Reagan administration, but the official tradition of the poultry pardoning at the White House started in 1989, when then-President George H.W. Bush offered the first official presidential pardon. In the more than three decades since, at least one lucky bird has gotten some extra gobbles each year.

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(NEW YORK) — AAA forecasts 79.9 million people will travel by car, plane or another mode of transportation for Thanksgiving — up 1.7 million people compared to last year.

Here’s what you need to know before you head to the airport or hit the highway:

Air travel

Hopper expects this will be the busiest Thanksgiving holiday ever for U.S. airports, with 36.5 million seats booked between Saturday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Dec. 3 — a 4.8% increase from the same period last year.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving — Dec. 1 — will be the busiest day to fly, according to Hopper.

The cheapest days to leave for your trip are Thanksgiving Day or three days earlier, on Monday, Nov. 25, Expedia said. The cheapest days to fly home are Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 29) or Travel Tuesday (Tuesday, Dec. 3).

Expedia predicts the busiest and most expensive days to fly will be the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

The most popular U.S. destinations this year are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago, Hopper found.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport are poised to be the most crowded airports, Hopper said.

Road travel

A record 71.7 million people are expected to travel by car for Thanksgiving — up by 1.3 million people from last year, according to AAA.

The worst times to drive before Thanksgiving are the afternoons of Monday, Nov. 25, Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Wednesday, Nov. 27, according to analytics company INRIX. It’s best to wait until Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 28 — when the roads will be quieter.

If you’re heading home on Saturday, Nov. 30, or Sunday, Dec. 1, INRIX recommends hitting the road before 1 p.m.

Traffic could be more than double what it is on a typical day in cities including Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle, INRIX warned.

ABC News’ Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.

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(LOS ANGELES) — Erik and Lyle Menendez’s infamous case will be back in front of a judge on Monday for a hearing regarding the brothers’ habeas corpus petition, which was filed last year for a review of new evidence not presented at trial.

One piece of new evidence is allegations from a former member of the boy band Menudo, who revealed last year that he was raped by the brothers’ father, Jose Menendez.

The second piece of evidence is a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse from his father. The cousin testified about the alleged abuse at trial, but the letter — which would have corroborated the cousin’s testimony — wasn’t found until several years ago, according to the brothers’ attorney.

The Monday afternoon court appearance is scheduled as a status hearing. Lyle and Erik Menendez are expected to attend remotely.

No decisions are expected to be made Monday, but the brothers could speak and the hearing could shape how their multiple attempted avenues to release move forward.

The case began in 1989, when Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, fatally shot their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in the family’s Beverly Hills home. The defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, but prosecutors alleged they killed for money.

The first trial, which had separate juries for each brother, ended in mistrials. In 1996, after the second trial — during which the judge barred much of the sex abuse evidence — the brothers were convicted and both sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole.

As the habeas corpus petition moves through the courts, the brothers have two other potential paths to freedom.

One path is through resentencing. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced last month he was recommending the brothers’ sentence of life without the possibility of parole be removed, and they should instead be sentenced for murder, which would be a sentence of 50 years to life. Because both brothers were under 26 at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately with the new sentence.

The DA’s office said its resentencing recommendations take into account many factors, including rehabilitation in prison, and abuse or trauma that contributed to the crime. Gascón praised the work Lyle and Erik Menendez did behind bars to rehabilitate themselves and help other inmates.

Shortly after Gascón’s announcement, he lost his race for reelection to Nathan Hochman. The incoming DA, who is set to take office on Dec. 2, said he plans to read through the evidence — including confidential prison files and interviews with family, lawyers and law enforcement — before showing his support for resentencing.

The next hearing in the resentencing case is Dec. 11.

The other possible path to freedom is the brothers’ request for clemency, which they’ve submitted to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Last week, Newsom said he’ll defer to Hochman’s “review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions.”

ABC News’ Alex Stone contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Two people have been charged in the death of Dartmouth College student Won Jang, 20, who was found dead by the Connecticut River on the school’s New Hampshire campus in July, according to police.

The Hanover Police Department announced misdemeanor charges for providing alcohol to persons under 21 years of age at an event Jang attended before his death.

A sorority was also charged as a corporation for facilitating an underage alcohol party, which was organized by its members, according to the Hanover Police.

Jang was found dead off the shore of the Connecticut River on the school’s campus on July 7 after drinking at a fraternity party the night before, according to police.

At the time of his death he had a blood alcohol level of 0.167.

Dartmouth College previously suspended a sorority and fraternity on campus in relation to Jang’s death.

The college said its Greek organizations have a responsibility to ensure the school remains a safe, respectful, equitable and inclusive community.

“Following the tragic loss of Won Jang during the summer, Dartmouth immediately suspended both Alpha Phi and Beta Alpha Omega, and an internal investigation was initiated. These suspensions remain in effect pending the results of Dartmouth’s internal investigation and conduct process, which is still ongoing,” Dartmouth said in a statement to ABC News Friday.

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(NEW YORK) — Since being tapped as President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been criticized by medical and public health experts for his anti-vaccine history, his current vaccine skepticism, his take on the COVID-19 pandemic — and by some for his descriptions of fluorinated water. But some of the environmental attorney’s views are also receiving support from some unexpected sources.

On Wednesday, renowned food author Michael Pollan echoed those criticisms — but offered some praise for Kennedy’s criticism of the American food industry, which Kennedy has accused of propagating obesity and chronic disease.

“He’s voicing a critique of the food system that is important,” Pollan told ABC News, while making clear he was drawing a “strong distinction” between Kennedy’s food stances and his medical advice — and that he thinks Kennedy is a “horrible” choice for the job.

Pollan’s comments join a stance taken in recent days by some prominent Democrats who have praised Kennedy for his vows to “Make America Healthy Again,” in part by tackling the food industry — while condemning him for his years working against vaccine health policies.

The comments from Pollan to ABC News came after he shared a seemingly positive article on social media about Kennedy titled, “They’re lying about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” — a move that prompted Kennedy himself to reply and suggest they work together.

“Thanks @michaelpollan!” Kennedy wrote Thursday on X. “I’d love to work with you to restore our public health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science and Make America Healthy Again.”

Asked if he would take Kennedy up on the offer, Pollan was clear: “No.”

“I’ve got my role to play, and that’s not the role,” he told ABC News.

Kennedy has faced fierce criticism over his claims that vaccines are behind an “epidemic” of diseases in America, and that cavity-fighting mineral fluoride, added in small amounts to some drinking water, is “industrial waste.” Pollan said Kennedy’s stances on vaccines and fluoride “seem nutty” and that he was overall a “horrible” pick to lead HHS.

But Pollan — who has authored multiple books, including several on the effects of food on the human body — offered some praise for Kennedy for his views on ultra-processed food and the overuse of corn and soy.

“He’s injected these issues into the national conversation, and I think that’s a big deal,” Pollan said.

He also praised Kennedy for linking the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease to agricultural policies — a move he said is “really important.”

“I’m looking for glimmers in an otherwise bleak landscape,” Pollan said.

Pollan’s approval of Kennedy’s food stances follows similar praise from some Democrat officials.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was “excited by the news” that Kennedy had been appointed to lead HHS, writing on X that he was “most optimistic” about Kennedy “taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health.”

He wrote in a subsequent post that “Science must remain THE cornerstone of our nation’s health policy” and said “the science-backed decision to get vaccinated improves public health and safety,” but noted that he is “for a major shake-up in institutions like the FDA that have been barriers to lowering drug costs and promoting healthy food choices.”

Earlier this week, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey posted a video on social media about how he has been “raising the alarm of the dangers of our current food system.”

“Food in America is making us sick,” Booker said in the video. Though he did not mention Kennedy by name, Kennedy reposted the video, thanking Booker for his “long history of leadership on this issue.”

Asked by ABC News, Booker said he had not yet made up his mind on Kennedy’s nomination, saying that Kennedy would need to go through the confirmation process and that Kennedy’s stances on vaccines were “very troubling.” He added he was “super skeptical of the Trump administration’s efforts in any way to say that they are going to be doing things to make us more healthy.”

Still, Booker added he was “happy to hear” Kennedy on some of the issues around health, saying, “There’s a growing coalition in America from both sides of the aisle really demanding change. I hope, if the Trump administration is willing to do something right and positive on these issues, I’ll be right there.”

“When it comes to RFK, we’re going to look at the totality of his record, we’re going to evaluate and make a decision, but my focus is trying to block Trump from doing more damage to Americans health, like he did last time,” Booker said.

Pollan, for his part, questioned just how much Trump would let Kennedy make true reforms to the food industry, should Kennedy be confirmed.

“I have my doubts about whether Trump is going to give him authority to do what he wants to do around food,” Pollan said of Kennedy, who over the weekend was in a viral photo eating McDonald’s with Trump and others on Trump’s plane. “Whether he’ll get anywhere, I have my doubts — but I am pleased to see these issues getting talked about.”

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(NEW YORK) — The defense in the Daniel Penny manslaughter and negligent homicide case rested without their client taking the stand.

Penny is charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide in the May 2023 New York City subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a homeless man. Neely was acting erratically in a subway car when Penny put him in the deadly chokehold.

Penny, a former Marine, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge will hold a charging conference with the attorneys Monday to discuss his instructions to the jury.

The jury is off until after Thanksgiving, when the trial will resume with closing arguments, the judge’s instructions and deliberations.

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(NEW YORK) — Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared again in a New York City courtroom on Friday as he continues to fight for his release on bail in his racketeering and sex trafficking case.

Combs’ lawyers argued he should be released on bail and placed on home confinement in a three-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side under 24/7 monitoring by three full-time security professionals, while prosecutors said the hip-hop impresario “cannot be trusted” to follow the rules of pretrial release.

The judge did not immediately rule but said he would have a decision next week.

The defense said it was proposing conditions “far more restrictive” than Combs faces in jail, including limiting phone calls to lawyers, restricting visitors other than lawyers and specific family members, keeping a visitor log and avoiding contact with witnesses or potential witnesses.

“If what the government is afraid of is that Mr. Combs is going to be violent toward someone, there’s just zero chance of that happening,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said.

Combs blew kisses to his family and tapped his heart as he entered federal court Friday in a beige jail smock over a white long-sleeve T-shirt. He hugged his attorneys and, once seated, turned in his chair to smile at his mother and children, who were seated in the second row.

Prosecutors reminded the judge “this is a case about violence” and argued the conditions proposed in the defense bail package fell short.

“At bottom, in order for conditions to be sufficient there has to be some level of trust that the defendant will follow them,” prosecutor Christy Slavik said. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted.”

She also questioned the efficacy of a team of private security guards paid for by Combs.

“There is really just no separation for the defendant. You work for him. There’s just no way to trust that any private security firm could do what the court requires and ensure compliance,” Slavik said.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and prostitution charges.

His attorneys conceded hotel security camera video obtained by CNN depicted “physical conduct” between Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie but argued the video should not be used to keep Combs behind bars.

The defense argued in a filing on Thursday that prosecutors “invented” the narrative using a “manipulated version” of the video. The defense insisted the video did not depict a “freak off,” the name for the sex-fueled parties allegedly held by Combs, but rather showed a domestic dispute in which Combs ran down the hall of the hotel to recover his clothes and cellphone.

“It’s our defense to these charges that this was a toxic end of a loving relationship,” Agnifilo said Friday.

Federal prosecutors said “it was a bit puzzling” the defense brought up the video because Combs does not dispute what it shows.

“The defendant admitted it and apologized for it in a public Instagram post. Shoving, kicking and dragging a female victim,” Slavik said.

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(NEW YORK) — Judge Juan Merchan has delayed President-elect Donald Trump’s Nov. 26 sentencing date in his criminal hush money case, according to a brief order issued Friday.

The judge is allowing the defense to file a motion to dismiss the case and he laid out a briefing schedule. The defense motion is due Dec. 2.

Trump was scheduled to be sentenced next week after he was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

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(NEW YORK) — Actor Jonathan Majors and his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari have agreed to resolve her civil claims that followed his misdemeanor assault conviction in New York, according to a court filing.

Majors and Jabbari stipulated to a dismissal of her lawsuit for defamation and assault that she brought against him in March, the filing said. A reason was not given.

Jabbari sued Majors about the same time he was sentenced to domestic violence intervention classes in April. She alleged he physically abused her and then defamed her by denying the assault in an interview with ABC News.

Majors was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment, but acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict.

Since the verdict, Majors has been dropped from his management and PR firms. In addition, he was cut from future Marvel films and his role as Kang in “Avengers: Kang Dynasty.”

As part of his sentencing, Majors was ordered to complete 52-week in-person batterers intervention program in Los Angeles, continue mental health counseling and stay away from Jabbari.

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(NEW YORK) — Authorities investigating the rash of recent burglaries at the homes of professional athletes have recovered a watch belonging to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in Providence, Rhode Island, sources familiar with the case told ABC News.

Kelce’s Leawood, Kansas, home was burglarized as the Chiefs were about to kick off Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints hours apart from a burglary at the home of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Police had not previously disclosed a watch was taken from Kelce but did confirm that $20,000 cash was stolen.

Police believe the athletes are being targeted based on their game schedules and are working to determine whether a crime ring is targeting them along with other luxury homeowners.

So far all of these thefts have occurred while nobody is home. There is a concern about what happens if the athlete or his/her family members are present, a security source told ABC News.

The burglars conduct extensive surveillance, sometimes posing as delivery men, maintenance workers or joggers to learn about residences, neighborhoods and security systems, according to an NFL memo obtained by ABC News.

One security source told ABC News the burglars appear to know what they’re looking for, where it is in the home and are in and out within 15 minutes.

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