Two new comedies to watch with a twist on classic characters
Santa Claus and Wednesday Addams are loved by many, and this season there is a twist on these classic characters. Movie Reviewer Greg Russell joined Michelle Oliver on โLive in the Dโ for Reel Talk to discuss a new film and Netflix series.
Asia Today: Beijing tells residents to stay put for holidays
Visitors to a mall with a monster themed festival wears masks to protect from the coronavirus in Beijing Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. Beijing is conducting testing on a limited scale in the neighborhoods and workplaces where the cases were found. Japan had 3,823 new cases Friday for a national total of 213,547, with 3,155 deaths, the health ministry said. โ South Korea has reported another 1,132 coronavirus cases as the resurgence worsened over the Christmas week, putting pressure on the government to enforce stricter social distancing controls. On Saturday morning, 110 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing Thailandโs total to 6,020.
LIVE STREAM: Follow Santaโs journey across the globe with NORADโs Santa tracker
Nothing is going to stop Santa Claus from coming to town. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks everything in the skies of the United States and Canada -- and that includes Santaโs sleigh and his reindeer this Christmas Eve. You can follow his journey around the globe through one of the livestreams included in this article, or by clicking here. You can call 660-557-2682 to hear a message from Santa.
Where is Santa? Follow his journey this Christmas Eve with NORADโs Santa tracker
Nothing is going to stop Santa Claus from coming to town. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks everything in the skies of the United States and Canada -- and that includes Santaโs sleigh and his reindeer this Christmas Eve. You can follow his journey around the globe through one of the livestreams included in this article, or by clicking here. You can call 660-557-2682 to hear a message from Santa.
Christmas in Florida: Chilly forecast, falling iguanas
The National Weather Service earlier this week warned that South Florida could experience the coldest Christmas Day in 21 years. Morning lows on Saturday could drop into the low 30s and 40s degrees Fahrenheit, the weather service said. Much colder temps expected for Christmas," the National Weather Service in Miami tweeted earlier this week. A squall line with severe storms and fast-moving winds also was headed for north Florida on Christmas Eve. The pandemic also was impacting a Space Coast tradition โ Surfing Santa Day, which takes place the day before Christmas.
Falling rain and snow, then temps Christmas Eve
Snow showers return Thursday evening, to prep Santa and his sleigh for a good landing overnight. Christmas Day is a White Christmas in my book. Despite the lack of an inch of snow on the ground in many neighborhoods, snowflakes will be falling with scattered snow showers. The holidayโs first day, Umoja - Community, will be partly sunny with morning snow showers. Monday has another chance of rain and snow showers.
Whoโs cooler than Santa Claus?
Legendary singer Morris Day has released a new holiday song that is sure get you into the spirit. Itโs called โCooler than Santa Clausโ. Day said he wanted to pay homage to the parents who work so hard to make sure their children have a happy holiday, while giving a shout out to Santa Claus. โCooler than Santa Clausโ is available on multiple music streaming services. Watch the video above to hear just how cool โCooler than Santa Clausโ is.
Ann Arbor mom organizes socially distant Santaโs โsleigh rideโ in northside neighborhood
ANN ARBOR โ The Christmas spirit came alive on Saturday in the Glacier Highlands neighborhood on Ann Arborโs northside. The Ly family has been welcoming Joe Eadie -- also known as Kerrytown Santa -- into their home for the past nine years. The Ly family with Santa Joe Eadie on Dec. 19, 2020. Santa Joe Eadie surprises children during the pandemic on Dec. 19, 2020. (Carly Ly)Local mothers pose with Santa Joe Eadie on Dec. 19, 2020 in the Glacier Highlands neighborhood in Ann Arbor.
Man dressed as Santa rescued from power lines in California
In this photo provided by the California Highway Patrol, a man dressed as Santa Claus who was flying on a powered parachute on his way to deliver candy canes to children is seen stuck on power lines in Rio Linda, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. The incident happened shortly after the man took off near a school in Rio Linda and then hit and became suspended in power lines, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV. (California Highway Patrol via AP)RIO LINDA, Calif. โ Santa found himself a little more tied up than usual this time of year. A Northern California man impersonating Santa Claus and flying on a powered parachute was rescued Sunday after he became entangled in power lines, authorities said. He flew into a maze of power lines and wound up suspended in them, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV.
Rochester Hills restaurants turn to outdoor dining this holiday season
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. โ In midst of Michiganโs current COVID-19 restrictions, many Metro Detroit businesses are utilizing outdoor dining this holiday season. While there is a Christmas atmosphere at the Village of Rochester Hills, things are different such as visiting Santa Claus by appointment at a 6-foot distance. Meanwhile, outdoor dining popped up this week at many of the restaurants at the Village. โWeโve got all of the Christmas lights up. While it may be a different feel, people are still excited that itโs the holidays,โ said Zach Carlson with Kruse & Muer.
Pandemic does not stop Santa Claus from spreading joy in Metro Detroit
This snowy Wednesday, Santa Claus made a socially distanced appearance in Birmingham -- and things are looking different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Santa also went high tech this year, meeting with children and families virtually on Zoom to share Christmas wishes and spirit. What you may not know is that Santa spends his off season right here in Metro Detroit under the assumed name of Daniel Suttkus. โChildren donโt have to worry about Santa catching COVID and not being able to make his deliveries. But right now, before Christmas, we donโt want crowds to gather and we donโt want children to actually come visit face-to-face with Santa.
In Greece, political spat over lockdown turns personal
A spat has erupted over competing claims that the prime minister and his main rival broke the spirit of pandemic restrictions that have renewed financial hardship for many voters. Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was photographed last weekend posing with his mountain bike, without a mask, alongside five motocross riders on a hillside trail outside Athens. Greece's lockdown rules exempt people who've gone outdoors for exercise, including cycling, from the obligation to wear a mask. Greeceโs pandemic death toll reached close to 3,100 on Monday, with most deaths occurring after Nov. 1. The current lockdown was launched on Nov. 7 and initially planned to last for three weeks.
Watch: Santa Claus visits Detroit for 2020 Americaโs Thanksgiving Parade with special message
Santa visited the city, as he always does on Thanksgiving, but this time was even more special. Watch the special moment above. More coverage: Americaโs Thanksgiving Parade special sectionView more Parade Floats here. โSanta is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody,โ said Fauci, the nationโs leading infectious disease expert. โ(He) is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity.โRead more here.
The Latest: Washington state sees record hospitalizations
(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)SEATTLE โ Health officials in Washington state said the number of people who were hospitalized to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high. The director of the state health department urged residents to cancel indoor Thanksgiving plans and those that involve large groups of family and friends. Authorities are strictly enforcing a lockdown and nightly curfew after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Health authorities announced 1,498 new coronavirus cases Sunday, along with 103 deaths, five less than the daily record set Saturday. Italy added 28,337 confirmed cases, raising to 1,408,868, the countryโs total in the pandemic.
Sorry, Grinch. Virus won't stop NORAD from tracking Santa
FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2019, file photo a playbook sits next to a telephone set up in the NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on December 24, just as it has done for 65 years. The global pandemic won't stop them from tracking Santa Claus' progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, just as it has done for 65 years. Besides the call center, the NORAD Tracks Santa website โ noradsanta.org โ as well as social media pages, Amazon Alexa, Onstar and a new mobile app will still be available with up-to-the-minute details on Santa's location.
Rudolph, Santa figures soar to sale of $368,000 at auction
A buyer shouted out with glee that they would pay $368,000 for the Rudolph and Santa Claus figures used in the perennially beloved Christmas special โRudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.โBidding for the figures soared past the projected sale price of between $150,000 and $200,000 on Friday at the Icons & Legends of Hollywood Auction held in Los Angeles by Profiles in History. The 6-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch-tall Santa were made in Tokyo of wood, wire, cloth and leather, and are still malleable. Other highlights from the two-day auction include Marilyn Monroe's tiger-striped gown from โThe Seven Year Itch,โ which sold for a whopping $593,750. Another Monroe gown that she wore when she met Queen Elizabeth II at a London film premiere went for $294,400. A Scarlett O'Hara dress that Vivien Leigh wore in โGone With the Windโ and Gene Kelly's rain suit from โSingin' in the Rainโ sold for $150,000 apiece.
Here comes Santa Claus - with face masks and plexiglass
Santa Claus is coming to the mall just don't try to sit on his lap. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK โ Santa Claus is coming to the mall โ just donโt try to sit on his lap. Kids will instead tell Santa what they want for Christmas from six feet away, and sometimes from behind a sheet of plexiglass. Santa and his visitors may need to wear a face mask, even while posing for photos. And Brookfield teamed up with virtual Santa company JingleRing, giving people a way to chat with Santa from home.
Santa Claus won't be coming to Macy's this year
FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself โThe Home of Santa Claus" for decades.
Dutch version of St. Nicholas has controversial sidekick
-FILE- In this Saturday Nov. 16, 2013, image The Dutch version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, and his blackface sidekicks "Zwarte Piet" or "Black Pete" arrive by steamboat in Hoorn, north-western Netherlands. Saint Nicholas is due to arrive in the Netherlands Saturday Nov. 16, 2019, in an annual children's party that has become the backdrop for increasingly acrimonious confrontations between supporters and opponents of his sidekick, Black Pete, a depictions which opponents say promotes racist stereotypes. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)THE HAGUE The Dutch version of St. Nicholas is due to arrive in the Netherlands in an annual childrens party that has become the backdrop for increasingly acrimonious confrontations between supporters and opponents of his sidekick, Black Pete. Opponents say such depictions promote racist stereotypes, while supporters defend the helper of Sinterklaas, the white-bearded, red-robed Dutch version of St. Nicholas, as a traditional children's character. On Saturday, the nationally televised arrival of Sinterklaas is happening, amid tight security, in the central city of Apeldoorn.
Detroit Thanksgiving Parade over the years
Tired of waiting patiently for America's Thanksgiving Parade? Watch the parade live Thursday -- click hereThe Michigan Thanksgiving Parade began marching down Woodward Avenue in 1924 and Santa has never missed one yet. Now known as Americaโs Thanksgiving Parade presented by Art Van, the parade was originally founded by J.L. It was the same year that Macyโs began its parade in New York City. Yes, betamax!