Book excerpt: "Eat Your Ice Cream" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.

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In his new book,"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules For a Long and Healthy Life"(to be published Tuesday by W.W. Norton & Co.), Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist and health policy expert, discusses longevity, and how to best differentiate valid and effective health and wellness advice from "the speculative, deceptive, and just plain stupid."

Read an excerpt below, and don't miss Norah O'Donnell's interview with Emanuel on "CBS Sunday Morning" January 4!

"Eat Your Ice Cream" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.

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Anyone looking for advice on wellness and longevity confronts a tsunami of books, newspaper articles, podcasts, newsletters, and videos from an enormous range of sources: scientific experts, medical practitioners, health systems, journalists, patients, influencers, gurus, quacks. Traditional media offer loads of good advice, often in responsibly edited and well-sourced sections dedicated to "wellness." But the sheer amount of it can be difficult to keep up with, and sometimes the guidance can be downright contradictory.

For anyone wading through the torrent of health and longevity advice online, it can be difficult to know who to trust. The so-called "must dos" online range from the medically unproven to the wildly impractical to suggestions so absurd they leave doctors like me baffled—testicle tanning, teen blood transfusions, vaginal steaming, "rucking" hikes with a backpack full of weights. Information is coming at us from a firehose, increasingly spewed by hucksters and self-proclaimed sages who have amassed millions of social media followers (and dollars) by promising supposed miracle treatments using medical-sounding language. It's no wonder so many people are confused and frustrated.

Shouting to be heard over it all are real physicians and health experts offering sound but sometimes conflicting advice. All of it together can swamp even those who are most assiduous about their health. Dozens of books on health and longevity have appeared in just the last few years, filled with well-intentioned and scientifically accurate information. But too often they fall into the trap of chasing novelty instead of efficacy and end up touting treatments and regimens that are unproven or with marginal returns at best.

Then there is the steady stream of profiles on tech billionaires joylessly devoting themselves to maximizing their lifespan. One of my business school students told me how her "wellness coach" recommended all sorts of questionable prescriptions, like eating 200 grams of meat a day. (Don't ask me why a perfectly healthy twentysomething student who isn't training for a marathon or Ironman needs a wellness coach.) And then there is the entrepreneur attempting to defy death with his daily regimen of 100 pills, cold plunges, infrared lights, and a daily serving of "nutty pudding"—a mix of chia seeds, macadamia nuts, and berries. Nutty is right.

With so much health and wellness advice out there, it can be nearly impossible to differentiate the valid, reliable, and effective from the speculative, deceptive, and just plain stupid. Even when the advice is scientifically sound, it's often extraneous, misrepresented, or misused. For example, one wellness book ventures into the basic biology of molecular pathways, like the mTOR pathway for cell survival, to explain why you should take rapamycin to improve longevity. Indeed, studies have shown rapamycin extends the lifespan of mice, worms, flies, and yeast. But you are not a mouse, worm, fly, or yeast. While some studies have suggested that rapamycin for humans may mitigate the impact of aging-related immune and cardiovascular diseases, there is no evidence that it impacts human lifespans.

This extrapolation of laboratory findings parallels the story of resveratrol, the "magic" compound in grapes and red wine that was supposed to explain the French paradox. Yes, resveratrol improved longevity in mice. But, do you have a tail and whiskers? Scientists have been experimenting on mice since the early 20th century, and while this work has led to many breakthroughs, findings in mice often fail to extend to humans. As an oncologist, I know that researchers have cured hundreds of thousands of mice with cancer using experimental chemotherapy agents, only to have the drugs fail when administered to people with cancer. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that resveratrol or rapamycin improves human lifespans. Ultimately, the biology lesson and the "health advice" is a waste of people's time.

What so many of these talking heads have in common—legitimate experts, well-meaning journalists, and kooks alike—is how costly their recommendations are. Financially, for sure, but also costs in mental energy and time that steal from activities which give life meaning. With the mountain of advice out there, it is practically a full-time job to determine whether the information on rapamycin isaccurate, not to mention if it isworth taking.

Overall, the wellness industrial complex promises us more time to enjoy in the future—but sure is demanding a lot of time right now. It takes atonof time and attention to pore through a 400-page book, much less a whole library of them. And what about the zillions of posts, videos, and articles about the latest new supplement, superfood, or exercise that supposedly can lengthen your life? Add that to the time spent trying to figure out what is real versus what is a fad. Or based on some microbes in a petri dish or a study of worms. Or worse yet, based on no evidence at all. Then budget more time to methodically organize your schedule to incorporate the latest exercise tweak or diet advice. . . . Congratulations: You have nowlostthat added time the gurus promised you. And you've lost it in the prime of your life.

Of course, if your whole focus is on quantity of years rather than quality, this work could be worth it. Some "longevity experts" seem to see things that way. As one popular author says, "Our only goal is to live longer and live better—to outlive." Ouronlygoal? Life is not a competition where the gold medal goes to the oldest! Our goal shouldnotbe to "outlive" as many people as possible. Instead, the goal should be to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is just a means to that end, not the end in itself.

From "Eat Your Ice Cream" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., published by W.W. Norton & Company. Copyright 2025 by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D. All rights reserved.

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"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life"by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D. (W.W. Norton & Co.), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available January 6Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D.

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Book excerpt: "Eat Your Ice Cream" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D.

We may receive an affiliate commission from anything you buy from this article. In his new book,"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules...

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“Malcolm in the Middle” Revival: Everything to Know (Including the Cast Member Who Isn't Returning)

The Macolm in the Middle revival, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair premieres in April 2026

NEED TO KNOW

• Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and other members of the cast are returning to reprise their roles from the original sitcom

• The upcoming limited series involves Malcolm's daughter, played by Keeley Karsten

Get ready for moreMalcolm in the Middle!

It's been nearly 20 years since the beloved sitcom left the air after seven seasons, but Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his dysfunctional family are back in the upcoming revival,Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair.

The family tree is growing, with the sequel series centering on Malcolm and his daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten), who becomes involved in the chaotic world of Malcom's parents and siblings.

It's been two decades sinceMalcolm in the Middleended, and returning to the character was an emotional experience for Muniz, who told PEOPLE in December 2025, "It was the first time inmy entire lifethat, when I was done filming the reboot, I was happy to call myself an actor."

"I've always been like, 'Oh yeah, I act but I also do these other things too,' " he continued. "It was just really fun and a really cool experience, so I'm hoping that everyone loves it for sure."

Here's everything to know aboutMalcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair.

What is theMalcolm in the Middlereboot about?

20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfairinvolves a new generation of the dysfunctional and dramatic TV family.

The plot of the reboot involves Leah is thrown into the chaotic orbit of her grandparents when when they ask Malcolm to help with their 40th wedding anniversary party.

In theteaser, which was released in December 2025, Malcolm reunites with his family after years.

"My life is fantastic now," he says. "All I had to do is stay away from my family."

Which original cast members are returning for theMalcolm in the Middlereboot?

Vince Bucci/Getty

Multiple members of the original cast are returning forMalcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair.

Muniz is reprising his role as Malcolm in the reboot, alongsideBryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Chris Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Emy Coligado.

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In December 2025, Muniz told PEOPLE that he "didn't know what it was gonna be like [to film the revival] — if it was going to be easy to be Malcolm."

"If it was gonna be awkward back with the cast," he continued. "And not to sound like cliché, but it was as if not a single day went by. All of us — every single person — like instantly fell back into their characters with, I'm talking the first table read."

One member of the original cast who isn't returning isErik Per Sullivan, who played Malcolm's younger brother, Dewey. Sullivan has retired from acting in the years since the originalMalcolm in the Middleended.

In April 2024, Kaczmarekgave an updateabout Sullivan, saying he's "very, very well. He didMalcolmfor seven years. He started at 7, he ended at 14. He wasn't interested in acting at all."

Who is joining the cast of theMalcolm in the Middlereboot?

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Karsten is joining the cast ofMalcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfairas Malcolm's daughter, Leah.

Other new members of the ensemble include Kiana Madeira as Malcolm's girlfriend Tristan and Vaughan Murrae as Malcolm's youngest sibling Kelly.

Taking over the role of Dewey is Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. Prior to theMalcolm in the Middlereboot, Ellsworth-Clark appeared in other series such asThe Expanse,The Handmaid's TaleandFargo.

When will theMalcolm in the Middlereboot premiere?

Deborah Feingold/FOX

The four-episode limited series premieres on April 10.

In a February 2025 interview withScreen Rant, Muniz revealed how the revival was originally pitched as a movie before being turned into a multi-part series.

"It's four 30-minute episodes, but it's really one storyline, if that makes sense," he explained. "You're gonna see everybody and figure out where they've been and what they're doing. And we leave it on a great note, you know, and then we'll see what happens after that."

Where can I watch theMalcolm in the Middlereboot?

20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfairwill be available to stream onHuluandHulu on Disney+for bundle subscribers.

All 151 episodes of the originalMalcolm in the Middleseries are also available onHuluandDisney+.

Read the original article onPeople

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“Malcolm in the Middle” Revival: Everything to Know (Including the Cast Member Who Isn't Returning)

The Macolm in the Middle revival, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair premieres in April 2026 NEED...

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Teen’s Sister Criticized Her for Impromptu Singing at Her Wedding, Despite Other Family Doing the Same: ‘Embarrassed’

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NEED TO KNOW

• A teenage girl said that her sister got angry with her after she sang an impromptu song at her wedding reception

• The teen did it after seeing some family members sing songs at the reception, not realizing that their songs were "pre-planned"

• "I just assumed this was something any guests could do," the teen wrote

A teenage girl is "embarrassed" after her sister told her off for singing a song spontaneously at her wedding.

InReddit's Am I the A–-----?' forum, the 17-year-old wrote that her older sister got annoyed with her after she randomly sang a song at her wedding reception, despite other family members singing songs at the party.

"During the reception, my aunt had requested a song from the DJ and went up to the microphone by the dance floor and started singing along to a Katy Perry song," the teen explained. Shortly after that, her other sister went up to the microphone and sang another song.

The teen assumed that her aunt and other sister sang the songs "spontaneously" and that "this was something any guests could do," so she went up to the DJ and requested "Yellow" by Coldplay to sing.

"My sister (the bride) was giving me a weird look with her hands on her hips the whole time," she recalled.

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The teen's sister came up to her at the end of the reception and asked why she got up to sing. "She called me embarrassing … I said that I didn't understand the problem and pointed out that our aunt and other sister also sang," she shared.

The teen said that her sister explained to her that the songs her aunt and other sister sang were both "pre-planned as a surprise and songs that she wanted them to sing" at the reception. Her sister then criticized her, saying that she "sings really badly" and she "should've checked with her" first.

"I was really taken aback because no one mentioned to me they were planned to sing, how was I supposed to know?" the teen wrote. "I felt really embarrassed and apologized (although I didn't really mean it I just wanted the conversation to be over) and she said that her wedding isn't about me."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Some readers said the teen should have asked her sister first if it was ok to sing.

"This wasn't a random karaoke party, even if you thought it was, you could have simply checked with either your sister first," one person wrote in the comment section. "Everyone knows a wedding reception isn't spontaneous karaoke ... read the room," a second said.

Another reader disagreed, blaming the woman's mistake on being "young."

"The person at fault here is the DJ," a third said. "At my wedding, the DJ did not take any requests that were not approved by my husband or me. The sister should be mad at the DJ and stop beating up on a 17-year-old. I doubt one song ruined her whole ceremony!"

Read the original article onPeople

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Teen’s Sister Criticized Her for Impromptu Singing at Her Wedding, Despite Other Family Doing the Same: ‘Embarrassed’

Wirestock/Getty NEED TO KNOW A teenage girl said that her sister got angry with her after she sang an impromptu song at her wedding recep...

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How a mammogram may help identify heart disease

Nancy Preston didn't have a heart attack. Nor did she have chest discomfort, shortness of breath or heart palpitations — all symptoms of heart disease. Instead, a routine mammogram led to Preston having quintuple bypass surgery last summer.

"It was just something horrible waiting to happen," said the 67-year-old from New York City. "I did not have symptoms, except for feeling a little more fatigued than usual, which I attributed to age."

Preston does have a family history of heart disease. Her mother had a heart attack and a double bypass, and an older sister had a heart attack and has a pacemaker.

Even so,heart diseasewasn't top of mind for Preston, a yoga enthusiast whoexercised dailyand followed a healthy diet. Herhigh blood pressureandType 2 diabetes— two conditions that can increase a person's odds of developing heart disease — had been under control before her health scare, she said.

In October 2024, Preston got her annual mammogram at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Doctors detected breast arterial calcifications, or BAC, on Preston's mammogram.

What are breast arterial calcifications?

Breast arterial calcifications are calcium buildups within the breast arteries that may be associated with heart disease. Mount Sinai isconducting a behavioral studyto understand how women react to being notified about the arterial calcifications with their mammogram results.

After Preston, who is participating in the study, was notified of her breast arterial calcification, she underwent a cardiac stress test, which monitors the heart during physical exertion.

"In [Preston's] case, her heart function was very strong at rest, but during the stress portion, part of her heart muscle was not squeezing appropriately," said Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital. "Her results indicated multivessel coronary artery disease."

McLaughlin and Preston believe the BAC findings saved her life.

"The only reason that Nancy went ahead with a stress test was because she was a participant in the study," McLaughlin said. "If she had come to me with what she had, which was well-controlled risk factors and no symptoms, I likely would not have referred her for the stress test."

Preston continues to recover from the major surgery she had in July. "Thank God this BAC was shared with me," she said.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women ages 40 through 74 get a mammogram every other year to screen for breast cancer. While federal law mandates that certain information, such asbreast density, be included in mammography reports, providers don't have to mention breast arterial calcifications.

Dr. Laurie Margolies, chief of breast imaging at the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai and a leader of the study, hopes to change that.

"In over 10% of mammograms, you will see calcified arteries, and people are always surprised," said Margolies, who has been studying the relationship betweenbreast arterial calcification and heart diseasefor about a decade. "When the arteries are calcified in a woman's breast, it only makes logical sense that vessels might be calcified elsewhere."

Breast arterial calcifications, which are specific to breast arteries, are different from the calcifications common to other areas of the breast. Macrocalcifications, which appear as white dots on a mammogram, are typically benign, according to the National Cancer Institute. Microcalcifications appear as white specks and may indicate cancer in some cases. About half of women develop benign breast calcifications.

The Mount Sinai study, which began recruiting patients 40 and older in 2021, aims to analyze BAC rates in a diverse sample of 14,875 women. Margolies estimates 12.5% of women in the health system have breast arterial calcifications, including those with known heart conditions.

The second part of the study randomly splits 1,888 patients with breast arterial calcifications into two groups. Women in the first group are notified of their results, educated about heart disease risk and encouraged to consult a preventive cardiologist. Women in the second group receive a standard mammography letter, then are notified of their BAC readings six months later.

Results are expected in early 2027.

How breast screening helps detect heart disease

A 2018 review published in theJournal of Cardiovascular Imagingadvocated for mammography as a screening tool for heart disease. A 2022 study published in the journalCirculation: Cardiovascular Imagingfound an association between breast arterial calcification and heart disease inpostmenopausal womenages 60 to 79, while 2024 research published in the journalJACC: Advancesnoted that BAC was "especially predictive" of heart disease in younger women ages 40 to 59.

Dr. Naomi Ko, section chief of breast medical oncology at NYU Langone Health, said the Mount Sinai study adds to a growing body of evidence that cardiovascular disease clues lie in the breasts.

In some cases, women may be able to improve their heart health through behavioral and medication changes to stave off more serious medical intervention.

"Give me an opportunity to counsel my patients toward better lifestyle choices, and I'll take it," said Ko, who isn't involved in the research. "If it triggers and influences improved health behaviors and engagement positively in your health care, awesome."

The budding link between breast arterial calcification, also called vascular calcification, and heart disease is just that.

"It's not a slam dunk," Ko said. More research is needed, and women shouldn't panic if they learn they have BAC.

"We know these calcifications are associated with cardiovascular challenges, but we're not 100% certain about what that could mean for every single individual patient," Ko said. "This is one data point about your body."

Mammogram findings should prompt discussions about both a patient's heart and breast health, said Dr. Melanie Chellman, a Cleveland Clinic breast radiologist who isn't involved in the study.

"The great thing about mammograms is that we're already doing them on the particular women who are at the highest risk for heart disease: ages 40 and older," Chellman said. "We can use those same pictures to look for calcifications that are vascular."

Dr. Steven Isakoff, co-clinical director of breast oncology at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, said educating health care providers is as big a hurdle as informing patients.

"Most of my colleagues, I would bet, are not aware of the association between breast arterial calcifications [and heart disease]," said Isakoff, who wasn't involved in the study. "Without more specific guidance in the report about what steps to take, I would think it might not get acted upon."

More research is needed to define how much arterial calcification in the breast may be cause for concern, he said. Meanwhile, he praised Mount Sinai's efforts to fill in gaps in the data.

"There's a lot of information buried in mammograms," Isakoff said.

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How a mammogram may help identify heart disease

Nancy Preston didn't have a heart attack. Nor did she have chest discomfort, shortness of breath or heart palpitation...

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California ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, court rules

A US appeals court ruled on Friday that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional.

A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appealssided, opens new tab2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state's prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people violated the US Constitution's Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

About 95% of the population in California, which has had some of the nation's strictest gun-control laws, live in counties of that size.

US Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke, who was appointed by Republican President Donald Trump, said the Democratic-led state's law could not stand under the US Supreme Court's 2022landmark gun rights ruling.

That decision, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen, was issued by the court's 6-3 conservative super majority and established a new legal test for firearms restrictions. The test said they must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."

VanDyke, whose opinion on Friday was joined by another Trump appointee, said the latest case "unquestionably involves a historical practice — open carry — that predates ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791."

He noted that more than 30 states generally allow open carry. California itself allowed citizens to carry handguns openly and holstered for self-defense without penalty until 2012, he said.

"The historical record makes unmistakably plain that open carry is part of this Nation's history and tradition," VanDyke said.

The ruling partially reversed a 2023 decision by a lower-court judge who had rejected a 2019 challenge to the law by gun owner Mark Baird.

While the appeals court largely sided with Baird, it rejected his related challenge to California's licensing requirements in counties with fewer than 200,000 residents, which may issue open-carry permits.

Senior US Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith, who was appointed by Republican former President George W. Bush, dissented, saying his colleagues "got this case half right" as all of California's restrictions complied with the Supreme Court's ruling.

A spokesperson for California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat who defended the state's ban, in a statement said his office is considering its options. "We are committed to defending California's common sense gun laws," the spokesperson said.

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling has prompted court cases nationwide challenging modern firearm restrictions, including in California.

A 9th Circuit panel in September 2024 upheld a California law that prohibits people with concealed-carry permits from carrying firearms at several categories of "sensitive places" like bars, parks, zoos, stadiums and museums.

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California ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, court rules

A US appeals court ruled on Friday that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional. ...

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Trial to begin for police officer charged in delayed response to Uvalde school shooting

Families who lost loved ones in the 2022 attack onan elementary schoolin Uvalde, Texas, have sought for nearly four yearsto hold accountablethe police who waited more than an hour to confront the shooter while children and teachers lay dead or wounded in classrooms.

Now one of the first officers on the scene is about tostand trialon multiple charges of child abandonment and endangerment. Former Uvalde schools police officer Adrian Gonzales is accused of ignoring his training in a crisis with deadly consequences. His attorney insists he was focused on helping children escape from the building.

The trial that starts Monday offers potentially one of the last chances to see police answer for the long delay. The families have pinned their hopes on the jury after their gun-control efforts were rejected by lawmakers, and their lawsuits remain unresolved. A few parents ran for political office to seek change, with mixed results.

The proceedings will provide a rare example of an officer being criminally charged with not doing more to stop a crime and protect lives.

Jesse Rizo's niece was one of 19 children and two teachers killed by the teenage gunman in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Nine-year-old Jackie Cazares still had a pulse when rescuers finally reached her, Rizo said.

"It really bothers us a lot that maybe she could have lived," he said.

Only two of the 376 officersfrom local, state and federal agencies on the scene have been charged — a fact that haunts Velma Lisa Duran, whose sister, Irma Garcia, was one of the teachers gunned down.

"What about the other 374?" Duran asked through tears. "They all waited and allowed children and teachers to die."

The charges reflect the dead and wounded children, but not her sister's death or that of the other teacher who was killed.

"Where is the justice in that?" Duran asked. "Did she not exist?"

Prosecutors will likely face a high bar to win a conviction. Juries are often reluctant to convict law enforcement officers for inaction, as seen after theParkland, Florida, school massacre in 2018.

Sheriff's deputy Scot Peterson was charged with failing to confront the shooter in that attack. It was the first such prosecution in the U.S. for an on-campus shooting, and Peterson wasacquittedby a jury in 2023.

The attack, the delay and the indictments

Police and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott initially said swift law enforcement action killed Uvalde gunman Salvador Ramos and saved lives. But that version quickly unraveled as families describedbegging police to go into the buildingand 911 calls emerged from students pleading for help.

The reality was that 77 minutes passed from the time officers first arrived until a tactical team breached the classroom and killed Ramos.

Multiple reportsfrom state and federal officials cataloged cascading problems in law enforcement training, communication, leadership and technology, and they questioned whether officers prioritized their own lives over those of the children and teachers.

Gonzales was charged two years later in an indictment that alleged he placed children in "imminent danger" of injury or death by failing to engage, distract or delay the gunman and by not following his active shooter training.

The indictment said he did not advance toward the gunfire despite hearing shots and being told where the shooter was.

The only other officer to be charged is formerUvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo. His trial on similar charges has not yet been set.

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell did not respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment on the indictments or whether a grand jury considered charging other officers.

According to a report by state lawmakers, Gonzales was among the first officers in the building. They heard gunfire and retreated without firing a shot after Ramos shot at them.

Gonzales told investigators he later helped break windows to remove students from other classrooms.

"He was focused on getting children out of that building," said Gonzales' attorney, Nico LaHood, a former district attorney and prosecutor in San Antonio. "He knows where his heart was and what he tried to do for those children."

The trial was moved from Uvalde to Corpus Christi, 200 miles away, after defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed a change of venue would be the best way to find an impartial jury.

A divided community

In Uvalde, a city of about 15,000 people, the Robb Elementary building is still standing, but it's empty. A memorial of 21 white crosses and flowers sits in front of the school sign. Another memorial is displayed at a downtown water fountain plaza. Murals of the victims cover walls on buildings around town.

Craig Garnett, owner and publisher of theUvalde Leader-Newsnewspaper, said people who were not directly affected by the attack "have found it pretty easy to move forward."

Garnett also believes getting the trial out of Uvalde was a good move for the city.

"The community was terribly divided in the aftermath," he said. If the trial were held there, "you would have so many opportunities to inflame things."

Some victims' parents sought political office but with little success.

Javier Cazares, Jackie's father, ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for the Uvalde County Commission as a write-in candidate on a platform that called for more rigorous police training. Kimberly Mata-Rubio, whose daughter Lexi was killed, made a bid for mayor in her memory in 2023 but lost.

Rizo, who won a seat on the school board in 2024, agreed that many Uvalde residents have moved on from May 24, 2022. He finds that maddening.

"I hear, 'They tried the best they could' and 'Do you blame them? Would you have taken a bullet?'" Rizo said. "It angers me and frustrates me."

Uvalde has a strong tradition of supporting law enforcement. Two of the people killed came from law enforcement families.

Mata-Rubio's husband was a sheriff's deputy who went to the school after the attack started. The other teacher killed, Eva Mireles, was married to one of the first officers to enter the building.

Families pursued multiple paths for justice

The families have sought justice through multiple legal paths.Federaland state lawsuits have been filedagainst law enforcement, a gun manufacturer, avideo gamecompany and theMeta social media companyover the shooting. Those cases are still pending.

The families reached a $2 million settlement with the city that promised higher standards and better training for police.

Relatives also lobbied state and federal lawmakers for stricter gun control laws that never advanced. But earlier this year, Texas lawmakers passed the Uvalde Strong Act, which sets new requirements for active shooter training and shooting response plans for police and schools.

Duran wants accountability not just for her sister but also for a beloved brother-in-law who died two days after the shooting.

Irma's husband, Joe, was watching a television report on the shooting when he heard that authorities missed their chance to end the attack quickly. He immediately fell to the floorwith an apparent heart attack, Duran said.

The conviction of a single officer out of almost 400 would bring little in the way of justice, Duran said.

"The only justice is going to be when they take their final breath," she said. "And then God will judge them."

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Trial to begin for police officer charged in delayed response to Uvalde school shooting

Families who lost loved ones in the 2022 attack onan elementary schoolin Uvalde, Texas, have sought for nearly four years...

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James Vanderbilt Says Making “Zodiac” with David Fincher 20 Years Ago Was 'a Dream Come True' (Exclusive)

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NEED TO KNOW

• James Vanderbilt looked back on making Zodiac with David Fincher while promoting his new movie 'Nuremberg'

• "It was really a dream for a young screenwriter to have someone of that level to direct your film," the filmmaker told PEOPLE

• Nuremberg stars Rami Malek, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon and more

James Vanderbilt has nothing but good things to say about makingZodiacnearly 20 years ago.

The 2007 movie, directed byDavid Fincher, was based on two nonfiction books about the real-life Zodiac serial killer by Robert Graysmith. It featured an all-star cast, includingRobert Downey Jr.,Jake Gyllenhaal,Mark Ruffaloand Anthony Edwards.

Vanderbilt, 50, wrote the script for the high-profile project after having worked on a string of movies in 2003. While promoting his new filmNuremberg, which he wrote and directed, he looked back on working with Fincher on the mystery thriller.

"It was really a dream for a young screenwriter to have someone of that level to direct your film," Vanderbilt told PEOPLE at a New York City screening of the movie earlier this month. "And it was also the first film I stayed on all the way through."

Paramount/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock

"I remember Fincher one day saying, 'Look, it's you and me. We're the creative nucleus of this, and you're going to see it all the way through.' Getting to sit next to a guy like that and watch him do his thing so well, it just was a dream come true," Vanderbilt continued.

He also mentioned that he saw Downey and Gyllenhaal this year, and praised Ruffalo and Edwards as great actors.

Prior toZodiac, Fincher directed several hit films, including 1995'sSeven, 1999'sFight Cluband 2002'sPanic Room.

Vanderbilt hopes that his new movie will leave the audience with questions — a lesson that he learned from working with the acclaimed director.

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"I always go back to when I worked with David Fincher, and he said something that always stuck with me, which is, 'Good movies make you ask questions, bad movies give you all the answers.' So I hope we've made a good movie and I hope it makes people ask questions," the filmmaker said.

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Nuremberg, based on the nonfiction bookThe Nazi and the Psychiatristby Jack El-Hai, follows U.S. Army psychiatrist Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) as he analyzes the mental state of Adolf Hitler's right-hand man, Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), and other Nazi officials.

The movie also starsMichael Shannon,Leo Woodall,Richard E. Grant,Colin Hanks, Mark O'Brien andJohn Slattery.

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January 03, 2026

James Vanderbilt Says Making “Zodiac” with David Fincher 20 Years Ago Was 'a Dream Come True' (Exclusive)

David Benthal/BFA.com;Jon Kopaloff/Getty NEED TO KNOW James Vanderbilt looked back on making Zodiac with David Fincher while promoting h...

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