Today is Friday, December 13. What to know about the largest single-day act of clemency in modern

American history and why President Biden's allies say it's not enough. Also, millions of Americans

are getting below freezing temperatures even as far south as Texas and Florida. Plus, new research

shows some cancers may be overtreated. Recent action could pave the way for a reality star

union and get ready for the brightest meteor shower of the year. Those stories and even more

news to know coming up. Welcome, welcome to The Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes.

Fast, fair, fun, and on the go. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being

here. You ready? Let's do this. President Biden has just 38 more days to use his presidential

influence before he leaves office. So he's starting to make some big moves, like the largest

single-day act of clemency in

modern history. Yesterday, the president announced he pardoned nearly 40 Americans and commuted nearly

1,500 sentences. President Biden says they've all been rehabilitated and are committed to making

their communities better. They include military veterans, teachers, health care workers, and so on.

All were convicted of nonviolent crimes. Still, criminal justice advocates and some Democratic lawmakers

say it's not enough, mostly because this action doesn't get anybody out of prison. All of them had

already been released more than a year ago, under a pandemic-era law meant to limit overcrowding,

so they've been in home confinement. Still, his action helps clear a lot of criminal records.

Remember, a pardon gets rid of the penalty completely, so when people are granted a pardon,

they no longer have any limits and can do things like vote or serve on a jury.

The commutation reduces the sentence, either completely or somewhat,

but the person is not totally exonerated, so there are still some restrictions. Now there is a big

push for Biden to do more. And as advocates push for consideration, many are bringing up how

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