The McKnight Foundation announced Monday it is distributing $1 million in grants to help Minnesota families this holiday season.

With proposed cuts by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address homelessness and the recent lapse in federal SNAP benefits, which 440,000 Minnesotans rely on to supplement their grocery purchases, the foundation said it aims to provide support to families who are struggling to afford food, rent and energy.

The money will be distributed through 14 organizations statewide. Six Minnesota Initiative Foundations will receive $100,000 each for grocery and gas gift cards, vehicle maintenance and heating assistance.

Eight organizations in the Twin Cities will receive $50,000 each for emergency housing, food and holiday assistance. These organizations include CLUES, Sabathani Community Center, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, People Serving People, Pillsbury United Communities, Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants, Merrick Community Services and the Little Earth Residents Association.

“In times like these, the strength of our community is measured by how we show up for one another,” said Scott Redd, president and CEO of Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis. “Every act of giving — whether it’s a warm meal, a donated coat, a financial contribution or simply checking in on a neighbor — helps someone feel seen, supported and valued.”

The McKnight Foundation’s mission is to advance climate solutions in the Midwest, build a more equitable Minnesota and support the arts, neuroscience and crop research in Minnesota.

For more information, go to mcknight.org/grants

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By ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that the prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.

The rulings from U.S. District Cameron McGowan Currie amount to a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to target Trump’s political opponents as well as its legal maneuvering to hastily install a loyalist prosecutor willing to file the cases.

The orders make Lindsey Halligan the latest Trump administration prosecutor to be disqualified because of the manner in which they were appointed.

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The Washington County Department of Public Works.already has snow plows named Plowabunga, Taylor Drift, Sir Plows a lot and Land of 10,000 Flakes out working every winter.

But with 26 snow plows in its fleet, department officials have decided to hold another “Name a Snowplow” contest this winter. This marks the third year the county has held a naming contest; more than 2,400 people voted in last year’s contest.

Residents are again invited to help name two snowplows; name suggestions can be submitted until Dec. 19.

County staff will review the submissions and bring forward the top ideas for voting from the public in January 2026, when two winners will be selected. Any submissions that include profanity or other inappropriate language will not be considered, Washington County officials said.

Submissions will be gathered through Survey Monkey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WCNameAPlow.

Entries also can be submitted in person at the Washington County Public Works North Shop, 11660 Myeron Road N., Stillwater, MN 55082, as well as at branches of the Washington County Library system.

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By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Traditional Christmas markets are opening across Germany on Monday, drawing revelers to their wooden stands with mulled wine, grilled sausages, potato pancakes or caramelized apples.

Security has been stepped up, with memories of two deadly attacks on Christmas markets still fresh for many Germans.

In Berlin, the famous market at the city’s Gedächtniskirche church opened with a public service on Monday morning. Other openings included the Christmas markets at the Rotes Rathaus city hall, Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace.

Vendors sell not only snacks and drinks but also handmade candles, wool hats, gloves and shiny Christmas stars in all colors and shapes. Children enjoy rides on chain carousels, Ferris wheels and skating on ice rinks.

Christmas markets are an annual tradition that Germans have cherished since the Middle Ages — and successfully exported to much of the Western world.

Security is an issue at all markets across the county.

Last year, five women and a boy died, and many were injured in a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg on Dec. 20 that lasted just over a minute. The attacker is currently on trial in Magdeburg.

On Dec. 19, 2016, an attacker plowed through a crowd of Christmas market-goers at Gedächtniskirche church in Berlin with a truck, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more in the German capital. The Muslim militant was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.

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In the western city of Cologne, the Christmas market in front of the city’s famous double-domed cathedral was packed with big crowds on Saturday.

“We sense a very good atmosphere here, so we feel that in these difficult times we are currently experiencing, we can give visitors a little moment of respite here,” said Birgit Grothues, the spokeswoman for the market. “We see many smiling faces under our illuminated tent.”

Nonetheless, she said that after last year’s attack in Magdeburg, the city created a special security concept for its markets in close cooperation with police. It includes an additional anti-terrorism barrier and private security, she said.

Associated Press writer Daniel Niemann in Cologne, Germany, contributed to this report.