Tag Archives: Xmas

Axios reports: The Christmas business is typically pretty cheerful, but not this year: Companies that import and sell Christmas trees, twinkling lights and other holiday decorations say they’ve been hammered by tariffs. You’ll likely pay more for holiday supplies, and have fewer products to choose from — industry leaders are even warning about possible shortages. Christmas executives (yes, that’s a …

The New York Times reports: President Trump’s China tariffs are threatening Christmas. Toy makers, children’s shops and specialty retailers are pausing orders for the winter holidays as the import taxes cascade through supply chains. Factories in China produce nearly 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in America. The production of toys, Christmas trees and …

This story makes its 21st annual appearance on JMG… Grand Central Terminal functions as the mechanical heart of midtown New York City, pumping out several thousand workers and tourists on one beat, then sucking in several thousand more on the next. The rhythms of the terminal are fascinating. Beat. Four thousand, inbound from New Haven. Beat. Three thousand, outbound to …

The Independent reports: Every Christmas Eve, Norad – the North American Aerospace Defense Command – provides real-time tracking of Santa’s sleigh as it navigates the skies. The cherished tradition dates back to 1955 when a misprint in a department store advert led a young child to call a Colorado military command center asking to speak to Santa Claus. Air Force …

The Daily Mail reports: A car drove into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving at least one person dead and between 60 and 80 people injured. The driver of the car, reported to be a dark BMW, was arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm today, …

CNN reports: As Christmas approaches and an expected record number of people across the country set off on their journeys, they may encounter travel trouble: winter weather combined with a possible government shutdown that could leave TSA agents and air traffic controllers working without a paycheck. More than 119 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from …

The Christian Post reports: Retail chain Debenhams has removed a controversial “Gay in a Manger” Christmas sweater following backlash from Christian groups in the United Kingdom. The retailer pulled the item, produced by alternative clothing brand Grindstore, after religious leaders and advocacy groups denounced it as disrespectful and called for a boycott. The purple sweater, adorned with an LGBT rainbow, …

New York City’s NBC affiliate reports: This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrived at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on Saturday and was hoisted into its place for the holiday season ahead of next month’s tree lighting. The tree is an 11-ton Norway Spruce. It’s 74-feet tall and 43-feet wide, according to Rockefeller Center. The tree, from Massachusetts, arrived …

From an earlier report at Friendly Atheist: The 2024 Cookeville-Putnam County Christmas Parade in Tennessee is going to be a huge event. Huge enough that the local PBS affiliate will carry the parade live on December 14 because, as one of its leaders previously explained, it’s “one of the community’s most beloved traditions.” If there are local groups interested in …

Hemant Mehta reports at the Friendly Atheist: The 2024 Cookeville-Putnam County Christmas Parade in Tennessee is going to be a huge event. Huge enough that the local PBS affiliate will carry the parade live on December 14 because, as one of its leaders previously explained, it’s “one of the community’s most beloved traditions.” If there are local groups interested in …

Axios reports: Americans send and receive more text messages on Christmas than any other day of the year, according to wireless carrier data shared with Axios. AT&T’s busiest day last year was Christmas. Group messages and photo or video messages were especially popular. It’s also the busiest day for T-Mobile, whose network saw 3 billion messages last year. Read the …

This story makes its 20th annual appearance on JMG… Grand Central Terminal functions as the mechanical heart of midtown New York City, pumping out several thousand workers and tourists on one beat, then sucking in several thousand more on the next. The rhythms of the terminal are fascinating. Beat. Four thousand, inbound from New Haven. Beat. Three thousand, outbound to …

Axios reports: Forget the chance of a white Christmas in the Midwest and much of the East this year. Instead, record warmth is on tap. Temperatures from Dallas to Minneapolis, and north into Canada, are likely to range from 20°F to 35°F above average during Christmas week. Temperature records, particularly overnight lows, could be smashed by 5°F to 10°F or …

Axios reports: Much of the U.S. is likely to see temperatures of 10 to 20°F above average for the time of year during the last two weeks of December — including Christmas. “Temperatures will be above average across the West and the northern tier of the nation through at least this weekend,” per a National Weather Service forecast discussion Thursday …

The Washington Post reports: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied Carey’s applications to trademark “Queen of Christmas.” Earlier this month, the agency also rejected the singer’s applications for “Princess Christmas” and “QOC.” Last year, the pop star had signaled she wanted to splash such phrases onto a wide range of items, from skin care products to dog leashes …

The Hill reports: The White House holiday decorations are making their digital debut, getting a reveal on Google Maps Street View. Jill Biden announced Friday that this year’s Christmastime decor — which she unveiled earlier this week — could now be toured by virtual visitors. The theme for this year’s White House decorations is “Gifts from the Heart.” The Google …

Washington DC’s ABC News affiliate reports: “Gifts from the Heart” is the theme of President Joe Biden’s first White House Christmas. First lady Jill Biden was scheduled on Monday to unveil decorations matching the theme, said to be inspired by people the couple met as they traveled the country this year. “The things we hold sacred unite us and transcend …

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports: A treasured rite of the holiday season turned into a scene of bloody, deadly mayhem late Sunday afternoon as a vehicle plowed into the Waukesha Christmas Parade, killing five people and injuring more than 40 others, authorities said. Shortly before midnight, the City of Waukesha posted to its Twitter and Facebook accounts revised casualty totals. “At …

Kampanje reports: This year, as in the previous two years, the Norway Postal Service is presenting a new magnificent Christmas film. Marketing director Monica Solberg says, “After the success of the last two years with Norway Post’s Christmas films, we now notice that people are asking, ‘When is this year’s Christmas film coming and what is the theme this time?’ …

Gothamist reports: Approximately 90 years after it first sprouted to life on a quiet piece of land in Elkton, Maryland, a 79-foot Norway Spruce arrived in Midtown Manhattan this morning to assume its role as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The tree, which weighs about 12 tons and made the 140-mile journey from Maryland on a 115-foot flatbed trailer, comes …