It was December and a co-worker happened to have a Santa suit in his car, so my dad said yes, and as they say, the rest was history. Courtesy of Melissa MelnickWhen the doctors told my dad that he had pancreatic cancer, he listened quietly. AdvertisementAnd then he said, “Ho, ho, ho,” in the same booming voice I’d heard my entire life. Courtesy of Melissa MelnickAdvertisementLast Saturday didn’t just mark my dad’s 50th season as Santa. I will never forget the soft tremble of his “Ho, Ho, Ho” — fragile and strong at the same time.

Most people think they know about Santa, but my sister and I were lucky enough to grow up with him. It was December and a co-worker happened to have a Santa suit in his car, so my dad said yes, and as they say, the rest was history. Courtesy of Melissa MelnickWhen the doctors told my dad that he had pancreatic cancer, he listened quietly. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementIn the days after the get-together, I realized something important: My dad isn’t Santa because he wears the suit, he wears the suit because he is Santa. The author (left) with mom (right), sister and dad at the celebration of his 50th year playing Santa.

“Past Lives” is a quiet film that shows how immigrants mourn the ghost lives that could have been had we stayed in our homeland. Advertisement“Past Lives,” which was nominated for Best Picture and Original Screenplay at the 2023 Academy Awards, resonates deeply with those of us who have left our homelands behind. I suspect many immigrants think about their could-have-been lives, even if they left under difficult circumstances. John Magaro and Greta Lee in "Past Lives." The beauty of “Past Lives” lies in its ability to capture the universal essence of the immigrant experience.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe Supreme Court has steadily loosened campaign finance rules in a series of decisions ever since Chief Justice John Roberts was confirmed in 2005. It has also issued decision after decision gutting federal and state campaign finance laws. The Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts has repeatedly loosened campaign finance restrictions — with many unintended consequences. Advertisement“This will have commercial impacts outside of the campaign finance world,” Elias said. And then there are the unintended consequences that may flow within the campaign finance world.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Saturday temporarily barred prosecutors from using evidence seized from a key figure in the dismissed criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, as the Department of Justice weighs new charges, court documents showed. The original case was dismissed on November 24 after another judge determined that the lead prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed. AdvertisementThe lawsuit by Richman adds to the legal obstacles prosecutors face in potentially reviving the case. Neither Comey nor Richman was charged in relation to that probe. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein and Bhargav Acharya; Additional Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Sergio Non and Thomas Derpinghaus)

President Donald Trump’s dramatic changes to the design of the White House have sparked widespread attention and plenty of outrage. Trump is drawing from that and essentially bringing his kind of corporate-branding strategy to the White House. Home: Interior Designers Weigh In On 'Confusing' White House Holiday Decor“There’s a lot of performativeness,” he said. There’s also the resurgence of the ‘old-money aesthetic,’ which this version of the Oval Office doesn’t quite reach. It feels quintessentially ‘new money.’”The “Presidential Walk of Fame” and Oval Office sign are particularly bizarre additions as well.

Grace Cary via Getty ImagesOur passport photos are rarely the most flattering pictures we have of ourselves. Tech: Why You Can (And Should) Opt Out Of TSA Facial Recognition Right NowBut why exactly aren’t people allowed to smile in their passport photos the way we do in other pictures? “Passport photos weren’t always as strict as they are today,” said Madison Blancaflor, a senior editor at The Points Guy. “When passport photos first started to be used, there were very limited ― if any ― regulations to what the photos included. “Even the best of smiles can get turned down for not meeting requirements set forth on the state department website.

The National Security Strategy, released overnight, described Trump’s vision as one of “flexible realism” and argued that the U.S. should revive the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere to be Washington’s zone of influence. Since taking office in January, critics have said Trump’s rhetoric evokes modern-day imperialism in the Western Hemisphere. AdvertisementThe United States has sent more than 10,000 troops to the Caribbean, along with an aircraft carrier, warships and fighter jets. It comes as Trump has used increasingly racist rhetoric against immigrants of color in the United States. : Western Hemisphere and maybe the Pacific.

Richard Curtis and Dame Emma Thompson on the set of Love Actually Peter Mountain/Universal/Dna/Working Title/Kobal/ShutterstockLet’s face it, Christmas isn’t Christmas without Brussels sprouts, family arguments and Love Actually on the telly. Richard Curtis wrote to Laura Linney to ask her to starLaura Linney and Colin Firth on the set of Love Actually in 2002. Emma Thompson actually wore a ‘fat suit’ for the duration of the movieRichard Curtis and Emma Thompson on the set of Love Actually in 2002. Bill Nighy’s favourite line in Love Actually is one of his ownBill plays rocker Billy Mack, who at one point utters this piece of advice: “Hi kids! That definitely isn’t the real 10 Downing Street in Love Actually, by the wayHugh Grant (left) and Richard Curtis on the Love Actually set in 2002.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that he backs a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. “I fully support that strike,” Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 6: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gives a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum on December 6, 2025, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Hegseth spoke about creating "peace through strength," and emphasized the need to have a prepared military that would deter aggression from adversaries. Accounts of the September 2 strikes have prompted concerns that U.S. forces carried out a war crime.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGFormer CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon unloaded on President Donald Trump’s recent xenophobic tirade against Somali immigrants while also offering up some criticism of mainstream media’s coverage of it all. “It’s racist, it’s vulgar, it’s beneath the dignity of the White House, it is sexist,” Lemond said on Friday’s episode of his Substack show. “I think the journalists are in a really tough position right now,” Lemon said. I think it would be called out even more if people weren’t afraid to criticize this president,” he said. It’s just people walking around killing each other,” Trump said during Wednesday’s Oval Office press conference.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended strikes on alleged drug cartel boats during remarks Saturday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, saying President Donald Trump has the power to take military action “as he sees fit” to defend the nation. Saying the strikes are justified to protect Americans, Hegseth likened the fight to the war on terror following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Let there be no doubt about it,” Hegseth said during his keynote address at the Reagan National Defense Forum. “President Trump can and will take decisive military action as he sees fit to defend our nation’s interests. Hegseth used the visit to argue that Trump is Reagan’s “true and rightful heir” when it comes to muscular foreign policy.

Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon unloaded on President Donald Trump’s recent xenophobic tirade against Somali immigrants while also offering up some criticism of mainstream media’s coverage of it all. “It’s racist, it’s vulgar, it’s beneath the dignity of the White House, it is sexist,” Lemond said on Friday’s episode of his Substack show. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement Advertisement“I think the journalists are in a really tough position right now,” Lemon said. I think it would be called out even more if people weren’t afraid to criticize this president,” he said. It’s just people walking around killing each other,” Trump said during Wednesday’s Oval Office press conference.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe Trump administration removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from next year’s schedule of free entrance days for national parks, then added President Donald Trump’s birthday, which happens to fall on Flag Day, on June 14. AdvertisementAs the announcement notes, the fee-free days will apply only to U.S. citizens and residents. Nonresidents will have to pay, with some parks charging an additional $100 for each person over the age of 16. The National Parks free entrance days have removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, but added Flag Day/ President Donald Trump's birthday. AdvertisementAccording to a report published by USA Today on Saturday, citing an internal memo from the Department of the Interior, national parks were also ordered to remove gift shop items that support DEI initiatives.

You say it’s time to leave, but your toddler ignores you and continues playing. Your toddler ignores you, perhaps looking up from time to time to see if you’re still there. Usually, at this point, the toddler will scream “No!” and come running after you, allowing you to finally leave together. Instead of expecting a toddler to calm down and be reasonable, we need to stay calm and be reasonable for them. “Say, ‘It’s time to go,’ and carry them to the car or put them in their stroller, if need be ...