It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas … traffic. Yesterday marked the beginning of the holiday travel season, which AAA has forecast at a near-record 115 million people driving, flying or taking alternative transit at least 50 miles in a 12-day period. The busiest days for driving will be tomorrow and Thursday the 28th, while the busiest days for flights were expected to be yesterday, today and New Year's Day.
We have not factored in Santa's sleigh mileage for this report.
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Cheryl Grunwarld waits for her baggage at the Charlotte, N.C., airport. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) |
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Many New Englanders who would love to be focusing on last-minute Christmas errands are instead trying to get power restored and drying out their homes after Monday's heavy late-season storm. Utilities and officials in Maine have said some residents won't get power back until Christmas Day. The storm's floods and high winds, which downed trees, killed at least seven people. |
This is a parking lot next to the Kennebec River in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) |
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Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy yesterday, just one day after a federal judge ordered him to begin paying nearly $150 million to two former Georgia election workers who received death threats after Giuliani falsely accused them of fraud in the 2020 election count. Bankruptcy protection is unlikely to get Giuliani out of paying the women because federal law doesn't let someone undo debts they owe from maliciously harming someone. |
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Worried a last-minute Christmas package might get stolen while you're not home? UPS and FedEx allow you to delay the delivery or to route it to a pickup location, although you may have to pay for the service. Amazon lockers, including at Whole Foods, are another option. If you suspect the package has already been stolen, our story lays out some options. |
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Why sign only one Japanese baseball superstar when you can sign two? That's what the Los Angeles Dodgers did by adding prized free-agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a roster that also boasts Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani, who joined the team last week. Yamamoto chose the Dodgers' $325 million, 12-year contract over similar bids by several other teams, including the Yankees and Mets. |
Yoshinobu Yamamoto also starred in this year's World Baseball Classic. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) |
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Executives for Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount have reportedly been discussing a possible merger. Why should we care? The combined company would immediately become the single-largest owner of streaming subscriptions in the U.S. — with more power to commission shows or cut them — and with the potential for bundling content to save customers money. 🎵 Have yourself a merge-y little Christmas… |
EASY, FRESH HOLIDAY SALAD: We're not including this recommendation to be healthy — it's because this cranberry, pear and quinoa salad tastes really good. Also, on a holiday with a lot of heavy food, people are going to be thanking you for bringing something a little lighter and fresher. EGGNOG MARTINIS: We can see some of you arching your eyebrows at this, but you'll understand once you see sommelier and mixologist Sarah Tracey make one of these surprisingly light, elegant cocktails. (Who would have thought eggnog could look pretty?) Once you do, you'll want to stick around to see her mezcal hot chocolate recipe. |
(Lauri Patterson/Getty Images) |
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8. PERFECTLY WRAPPED GIFTS |
A gift-wrapping expert from Michael's shows us how sharp creases, tautly pulled paper and taping between folds makes for beautiful presents with no need for scissors. We've bookmarked the video so we can rewatch it on demand for the next 2½ days of wrapping. We need all the help we can get. |
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Give yourself a richer experience with Timothée Chalamet's Wonka by watching the original first. If you're a '90s kid, are you as curious as we are how well The Santa Clause has aged? We also revisit a favorite of 2023: Rose Byrne's Physical. And we polled Cheddar staff members on their favorite Christmas movie … only to be confronted with an election scandal. (Before peeking, what is your favorite?) |
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One thing we love: When we wrap a present correctly the first time. One thing we hate: The thing we'll forget to pack on our holiday flights. One thing we ate: All Season Spice Cookies, a recipe sent in by Need2Know reader Sheila Alexander. We made a vegan version for the Cheddar cookie bake-off and they were amazing! |
Thank you to Sheila and to everyone who sent in recipes for our cookie bake-off! Our Cheddar News colleagues gave first prize to a delightful snickerdoodle. (Dina Ross/Cheddar News) |
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