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The Royal Air Force will reportedly be on high alert in the coming days in order to intercept and track flights from the Arctic region. The move has been prompted by an incident around a year ago in which Typhoon aircraft escorted a Lapland registered aircraft (flying from the Arctic region) over the UK’s major cities, the pilot of the craft was said to be under the influence of alcohol and very “festive”, this is especially dangerous due to the sheer volume of cargo the aircraft was carrying. This is expected to happen again. An MoD spokesman had this to...

The Mall of America is celebrating diversity this holiday season. For the first time since it opened in the early 1990s, a black Santa will hear children's wishes at the Minnesota mall. "It's pretty historic," Landon Luther, co-owner of The Santa Experience, which runs a small photo studio in the mall, told NBC. "We want Santa to be for everyone." Luther said he wanted a diverse bunch to pose for photos with visitors this year, so he sent staff members to a Santa convention in Bronson, Missouri. There was a single black Santa at the convention, Texas resident Larry Jefferson....

For the first time ever, the Mall of America is hosting an African-American Santa. Santa's real name is Larry Jefferson, and he hails from Texas. (Don't let your kids read this.) "It's no big deal, I'm still Santa, I just happen to be a Santa of Color," Jefferson told CNN affiliate WCCO. Jefferson will spend four days taking pictures with families and listening to Christmas wishes, by appointment only. "We are looking to have a Santa for everyone," Santa Experience owner Landon Luther told WCCO. Luther met Jefferson at the Santa Convention in Missouri over the summer, and out of...

A school district in Oregon is joining many others around the country in a controversial decision to refrain from using religious-themed decorations during the holidays, including images like Santa Claus. KATU reports Santa Claus decorations are no longer welcome in Hillsboro Schools, outside Portland. The district sent this memo to staff: "You may still decorate your door or office if you like, but we ask that you be respectful and sensitive to the diverse perspectives and beliefs of our community and refrain from using religious-themed decorations or images like Santa Claus."

The Santa Experience inside the Mall of America is bringing a unique experience to Twin Cities families this year. For the first time since it opened, a black Santa Claus will help spread the Christmas cheer.

HILLSBORO, Ore. (WTVD) -- A school district in Oregon is joining many others around the country in a controversial decision to ban holiday symbols and decorations from the classroom. KATU reports Santa Claus is no longer welcome in Hillsboro Schools, outside Portland. The district told staff who wished to decorate offices or doors to refrain from religious-themed decorations or images, including Santa. The students are not allowed to wear anything Santa-themed, either. "It really went out as a notification to staff, not even parents, just to make sure they are being sensitive and thoughtful as they enter the holiday season,"...

SANFORD, Fla. - A Santa Claus at Seminole Towne Center in Sanford has been removed from his duties after an Oviedo woman claimed that he told her child Hillary Clinton was on his naughty list. The mother told Towne Center management the incident happened Tuesday night when she brought two of her children to see Santa. She said when her 10-year-old daughter told him what she wanted for Christmas, he told her she was on his nice list. She said he then asked her, "Do you know who is on my naughty list? Hillary Clinton." The girl said he then...

Turks celebrate New Year's Eve in a big way, but for Islamists it's a time to protest what they view as a Western, Christian, immoral event, and for one small far-right Islamist party that means a public skit involving Santa and a shari'a court judge. Turkish media outlets report that members of the Great Unity Party (BBP) in the city of Bolu -- roughly halfway between Ankara and Istanbul -- staged an "anti-New Year celebration" skit involving a man dressed as Santa. (In Turkey, Santa Claus, decorated trees and gifts are associated with New Year as much as with Christmas.)...

... In December, we never left Washington, D.C., until the day after Christmas. Never. Mr. Bush and his wife, Laura, would always depart the White House a few days before the holiday and hunker down at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. After a few years, I asked a low-level White House staffer why. I still remember what she said: "So all of us can be with our families on Christmas." ... By the way, some years, I got holiday duty, which meant I was off to Waco, Texas, the day after Christmas. But once again, the Bush White...

FAIS ISLAND, Micronesia - "Santa One-One" was late, and the chief of this tiny island in the western Pacific was concerned: Would there be no Christmas this year? No toys or school supplies? "They are coming today? You are sure?" Louis Mangtau asked. But soon, the afternoon stillness was broken by an Air Force C-130 cargo plane flying low over the palm trees. In its wake was a crate decorated in red-and-white Christmas wrapping, floating gently to earth on a military-green parachute. Strong, young men wrestled the bundle from the open field where it landed to the nearby village center....

I know a guy who wanted to catch Santa on camera for his daughter last year. So this guy called his crazy friend (Freepers?) to help set up a camera to catch not only Santa but also Rudolph on camera. Yes, Santa really did come out of the dirty fireplace and yes he really did bring a large reindeer into the house! Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOHFfScTD_8

The first time I shared this editorial with all my FRiends here was in 2004, when I was icebound in West Virginia heading back from leave to report for mobilization to Iraq. This year on Christmas Eve, as I have since then, I offer this simple story, a very favorite of mine, for all my FRiends again. Take the time to read it - REALLY read it - and understand that Santa will visit your troops, and he still leaves the greatest gift of them all. An Old Soldier's Merry Christmas to you all!

It's that time of year for us to realize how far societies tend to veer from the true essence of things. We live in a desperately superficial culture that is too often satisfied with veneers. If it's shiny, new and untouched by real life, it strangely gives us the false assurance that it will last forever. Anyone can package up junk, put a nice shimmery bow on it and pass it off as the got-to-have-it-or-you'll-die item of the season. Even when what's inside is genuine and something we truly need, too many are content with the outer misleading packaging. We've...

Every year around the world, hundreds of millions of children wait anxiously for Santa Claus to arrive and bring presents and good cheer. But what if Santa never came? What if this year the reindeer all fall ill, perhaps due to Crazy Reindeer disease (the analog to Mad Cow) and Santa is forced to cancel Christmas? The result would be devastating. Fortunately, for any children reading, official word from the North Pole is that Santa’s sleigh has some new upgrades this year that allow it to run on good old fashioned jet fuel if the reindeer fail. And with the...

Sanity — and Santa — have been restored at a Brooklyn public elementary school where St. Nick was banned, the Pledge of Allegiance was dropped and Thanksgiving was replaced with a “harvest festival.” The good news arrived at PS 169 in Sunset Park on Monday morning, a day after The Post exposed the bizarre PC extremism of Principal Eujin Jaela Kim.

Who's naughty? Who's nice? 1.This elf who's clearly had too much to drink.2.This elf who won't hesitate to murder some Barbie dolls.3.This elf who watched Silence of the Lambs one too many times.4.This elf who quit gift-making to become a ladies' man.5.This elf who's feeling a bit devious. 6.This elf who didn't think twice before he put his you know what in a box.7.This narcissistic elf.8.This elf who wants to make angels.9.This elf who has taken the game of tag too far.10.This elf who has an addiction problem.11.This elf who's enjoying his white privilege.12.This elf who likes a good office...

SIERRA VISTA — The excited chatter of hundreds of children turned to gasps and cheers of delight outside Ace Hardware Saturday as Santa Claus descended from the sky to greet them during the annual Santa Fly-In, hosted by the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce. Instead of a magical red sleigh, however, on this morning Santa and Mrs. Claus made their entrance riding inside a bright yellow Airbus AS350-B3, piloted by local Air Evac crew members. With a wave of his white-gloved hand, St. Nick was greeted with cheers and applause as he stepped out of the helicopter. A line quickly...

The Night They Gunned Down Santa Claus by Chet Lynn There's strange things done 'neath the Vietnamese sun but the thing that locked my jaws was the night 'neath the moon, the third platoon gunned down Santa Claus. It started off right just another night, you had to spend in the dirt, security was out, .360 about with fifty percent alert. We had 81s and naval guns our tanks were track to track, an ontos or so an arty FO with barrages back to back. I froze where I stood 'cause out of the wood eight horses came charging along,...

In 2012 a poll found a plurality of people thought Santa would be a Democrat.Let's go down the ways this poll was right, and the (more) ways it was wrong. You can link to this and tell people that one "study" showed Santa is almost twice as conservative as he is liberal. ;-)

The firehouse near us has a sign out promoting "Lunch With Santa". What are the serving, ho-ho-hoagies?