promoearn: Tragedy en route to playoff game

Sunday, December 29

Hasidic Jewish men stand outside the home of a rabbi on Forshay Rd. in Monsey, N.Y. Sunday night after a man entered the house and stabbed multiple people who were there for a Hanukkah gathering.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Five people were stabbed at a Hanukkah party in New York. A plane crash in Louisiana left five dead. Here's the weekend's biggest news.

5 people stabbed at Hanukkah party in New York; suspect arrested

A knife-wielding attacker stabbed five people during a Hanukkah party Saturday night at a rabbi's home in New York, the latest in a string of assaults apparently targeting Jews in the region. One person remained in critical condition Sunday. The suspected attacker, Grafton E. Thomas, pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and one count of burglary. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the stabbing "an act of domestic terrorism" and directed the state police hate crimes task force to investigate. He said the attack was at least the 13th incident of anti-Semitism in the state in the past few weeks.

Gunman opens fire at Texas church, gets fatally shot by parishioners

A gunman walked in to a North Texas church and opened fire Sunday morning, killing one person before being fatally shot by parishioners, authorities said. The "heroic actions" abruptly ended the shootout at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, about 10 miles west of Fort Worth, Police Chief J.P. Bevering said. He provided no information on the motive for the attack. A witness told CBS11 News the gunman walked up to a server during Communion with a shotgun and began firing until another church member shot the suspect. "You feel like your life is flashing before you. I was so worried about my little one," Isabel Arreola told the TV station.

A person stands near the scene of a church shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 in White Settlement, Texas.

Juan Figueroa, The Dallas Morning News via AP

Plane crashes en route to Atlanta for College Football Playoff; 5 dead

A small passenger plane en route to Atlanta for a College Football Playoff game crashed Saturday in an open field in Lafayette, Louisiana, killing five people. One person in the plane survived and has been hospitalized. Among the victims was Carley McCord, a sports broadcaster and the daughter-in-law of LSU's offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger. The plane, coming in low, clipped a post office building and a nearby tree, then hit a car before skidding through an open field, leaving a black, burning scar in the grass. The plane's pilot, 51-year-old Ian Biggs; 59-year-old Robert Vaughn Crisp II; 51-year-old Gretchen Vincent; and 15-year-old Michael Walker Vincent also died in the crash, the Lafayette Fire Department confirmed.

•	LSU assistant after learning of his daughter-in-law's death: 'We're going to get through this'

A small eight-passenger plane crashed Saturday, December 28 in south Lafayette shortly after takeoff, killing five people and injuring others.

Scott Clause, The Advertiser

Joe Burrow-led LSU blows out Oklahoma; Clemson wins thriller over Ohio State

In a day of drama in college football, ranging from tragedy to history , LSU and Clemson emerged victorious and will square off in the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 13 in New Orleans. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was other-worldly in his first appearance since winning the Heisman Trophy. He tallied eight total touchdowns, including seven in the first half, and 493 passing yards in the Tigers' 63-28 win over Oklahoma. The Fiesta Bowl, featuring No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson, was nothing short of a thriller. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence orchestrated a go-ahead touchdown drive to give Clemson a 29-23 lead with under two minutes to play. On the following drive, a miscommunication between Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver Chris Olave led to a game-sealing interception, giving Clemson its fourth championship game appearance in five years.

•	'Is this fun or what?' How Clemson pulled off its thrilling finish against Ohio State
•	National title game showdown between Clemson and LSU has place in history at stake

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Buckeyes in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

Real quick

•	'This seems to be the age of mass shootings': U.S. mass killings hit a record high in 2019
•	Taliban council agrees to temporary cease-fire in Afghanistan
•	Blumenthal: Some GOP 'have very severe misgivings' about McConnell impeachment strategy
•	More winter weather woes are affecting regions across the country
•	Barack Obama released his favorite books and top movies and TV shows of 2019
•	Climate change: If you worry about global warming, the next car you buy should be electric
•	'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' still slays at box office: No. 1 and $725M worldwide

Rep. John Lewis diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, according to a press release from his office. Lewis, who represents the 5th Congressional District of Georgia, says in the statement that he plans to continue serving during treatment. He said the cancer was discovered during tests following a routine medical visit. "I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life," he said. "I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now." Lewis, 79, asked for prayers in his statement and said he has a "fighting chance".

'I would obey any subpoena,' Joe Biden now says

The shadow of impeachment clouded Joe Biden's trip through eastern Iowa Saturday after the former vice president initially said he would defy a Senate subpoena if he didn't believe there was a legal rationale behind it. He began the day Saturday clarifying those remarks on Twitter, saying he has always "cooperated with legitimate congressional oversight requests." But the Democratic presidential candidate said he will not "pretend that there is any legal basis for Republican subpoenas." By Saturday evening at a town hall in Fairfield, Iowa, Biden seemed to reverse himself. He told a crowd there he would comply with a subpoena. "Well, first of all, I would obey any subpoena that was sent to me," he said after an audience member asked him about the issue.

•	Sen. Mitch McConnell on possible impeachment trial: 'I'm not impartial about this at all'

Hawaii helicopter crash kills all 7 people on board

Authorities in Hawaii have confirmed there were no survivors of a helicopter crash Thursday. The Kauai Police Department had identified the pilot of the tour helicopter, which crashed as it was set to tour the island's Na Pali Coast, as well as two of the helicopter's passengers. Pilot Paul Matero, 69, and passengers Amy Gannon, 47, and Jocelyn Gannon, 13, of Madison, Wisconsin, were identified Saturday. Police later confirmed the deaths of the remaining passengers, believed to be a family from Switzerland.

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, a coast guard vessel searches along the Na Pali Coast on the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Friday, Dec. 27, 2019, the day after a tour helicopter disappeared with seven people aboard. Authorities say wreckage of the helicopter has been found in a mountainous area on the island. (Lt. j.g. Daniel Winter/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

Lt. j.g. Daniel Winter, AP

P.S. — Like this round up of stories? We send it to inboxes every afternoon. Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network.

Start your day with the 5 Things podcast: Five news stories. Less than five minutes. Free to subscribe.