Business Santa Claus is coming to town and he's busier than ever Santa Claus performers are working from dawn to late in the evening as they try to meet the pent-up demand for appearances, while dealing with retirements and deaths among their ranks. Jeff Dean
National If you want your holiday package to arrive on time, here are the deadlines to know To all those holiday present procrastinators out there (you know who you are): Be sure to ship that holiday gift sooner rather than later to get those presents to their destination before December 25. Jonathan Franklin
Arts & Life The Nutcracker is back this holiday season, and it's ditching racist caricatures Covid precautions have led to a new way of performing the Nutcracker ballet. But there's another big change that has nothing to do with Covid: the character of the Chinese Tea dancer, which plays on racist stereotypes about Asian people, won’t be in this year’s production. Clare McGrane Patricia Murphy
Politics The Bidens unveil their first White House Christmas decorations With some holiday spirit and over 100 volunteers, the White House has been decorated in the theme of "gifts from the heart." The theme honors front-line workers, first responders and the military. Tien Le
National Through Thick And Thin, Best Friends Make Room For Laughter And Tears Jamie Olivieri and Yennie Neal-Achigbu have been inseparable since eighth grade. From annual Christmas gatherings to a husband's death, the friends have helped each other through the good and the bad. Kamilah Kashanie Lauren Smith
Arts & Life Millions Of Christmas Gifts May Arrive Late Due To Overload At The Postal Service "We're really busy. It's been unbearable," sighs Manny Huenchunir, a Postal Service truck driver who was unloading and reloading crates of mail at a post office outside Boston on Tuesday night. Tovia Smith
World In Christmas Day Message, Pope Francis Shines Light On Migrant Suffering "It is injustice that turns them away from places where they might have hope for a dignified life, but instead find themselves before walls of indifference," the pontiff said in his holiday address. Laurel Wamsley
Environment A Christmas Tree Thrives On Farms, Struggles In The Wild The Fraser fir is found in a lot of homes around Christmas. But its wild cousins have been in decline for almost a century because of a small invasive pest. Irina Zhorov
Health Why Certain Poor Shepherds In Nativity Scenes Have Huge, Misshapen Throats In some historical Nativity scenes, the shepherds have grossly enlarged thyroid glands — also known today as goiter. It's an apparent symbol of their poverty and iodine-deficient diet. Nell Greenfieldboyce
World Ho Ho, Oh No! Germany Has A Santa Shortage Across Europe and North America, throngs of Santa impersonators have been busy preparing children for Christmas. But in Germany, there's a lack of interest among people to play the jolly character. Rob Schmitz
