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READER’S VIEW: The true cost of the CLCPA: Are New Yorkers paying the price?
The incident sent shockwaves through the town, as the news spread rapidly and people gathered to express their sympathy and support for the father's brother. The community mourned the loss of innocence and purity associated with the simple act of drinking milk, realizing the fragility of life and the interconnectedness of all beings.GOP Sen. Cassidy: We Need to Charge China for Not Enforcing Its Environmental Laws, We're Already Paying for ItAP News Summary at 11:51 a.m. ESTIn the B2B world, where deal sizes can soar into the millions, financial relationships are anything but straightforward. This makes B2B payments acceptance a complex terrain of both challenges and opportunities. By 2030 , the B2B payments market size is projected to hit north of $170 trillion. But unlike their consumer-facing counterparts, B2B payments lack a standardized payment method. While credit cards dominate retail, B2B payments are a fragmented web of checks, wire transfers, ACH payments, digital payments and even cold hard cash. The sheer diversity of payment options is both a blessing and a curse. Each comes with unique costs, settlement times and risks, creating a labyrinth for organizations to navigate as they seek to best serve their B2B partners of all sizes and geographies. Businesses need to align their payment acceptance policies with their corporate goals, which can be a complex process. Despite the availability of various payment methods, many businesses still rely on traditional, comparatively inefficient processes like paper checks and manual reconciliation. This leads to delays, errors, increased costs and a lack of transparency. While challenges such as legacy systems, data security and supplier resistance remain, after talking to dozens of senior payments industry executives for PYMNTS’ B2B Payments: Outlook 2030 event, it’s increasingly clear that the opportunities presented by automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and strategic partnerships offer a compelling case for change. Read more: B2B Payments Aren’t Boring Anymore Why B2B Payment Acceptance Still Feels Like a Rubik’s Cube In an era where every dollar counts, rethinking how businesses accept payments isn’t just a technical upgrade — it’s a strategic imperative. The B2B payments landscape is undergoing a transformation , driven by technological advancements, evolving business needs and the increasing consumerization of business processes. This shift presents opportunities for innovation and growth, redefining how businesses interact financially. 21st century businesses have access to a wide range of modern payment tools. Among the innovations shared by experts in “ Outlook 2030: How Platforms and Networks Will Power the Future of Business Payments ,” a PYMNTS eBook, include B2B platforms meant to replicate the efficiency of consumer marketplaces by facilitating end-to-end transactions online, virtual cards and tokenization, real-time payments, embedded finance, digital wallets and even blockchain-based solutions like stablecoins. Many of these tools, like B2B platforms and real-time payments, allow for the automation of financial processes, improving efficiency and reducing manual work. Tools like virtual cards , real-time payments and embedded finance can give businesses quicker access to funds and help them manage their working capital more effectively. At the same time, technologies like tokenization and stablecoins, coupled with robust security protocols, can help to reduce fraud risks and improve security in B2B transactions. Digital platforms also can provide real-time data and insights into transactions, enabling better forecasting and strategic decision-making. However, it’s crucial to note that, especially with innovations like stablecoins, the use of certain technology in corporate finance can commonly attract regulatory attention, requiring companies to maintain robust compliance practices. Read more : The Great Paper Escape: Transforming Accounts Payable for the Digital Age Unlocking B2B Payment Acceptance: Challenges and Opportunities Integrating modern payment solutions with existing legacy systems can be complex and pose a significant challenge for businesses. Adopting new payment methods can often meet resistance from suppliers, who harbor misconceptions about the associated costs, complexity and benefits. This lack of understanding frequently creates friction in payment cycles and slows the adoption of innovative solutions. “The B2B money movement space has not yet benefited from some of the real innovations,” Seamus Smith , executive vice president group president at FIS , told PYMNTS, noting that checks still account for “nearly 40%” of B2B payment volume in the U.S., even though they are prone to fraud and reconciliation errors. Automation offers a clear path to addressing inefficiencies in accounts receivable processes. From invoicing to payment reconciliation, automated systems reduce errors, speed up payment cycles and free up resources for strategic initiatives. By eliminating manual tasks, businesses can focus on growth and innovation. Collaborating with FinTech companies and payment providers can help open the door to innovative solutions and a broader ecosystem of payment networks. Such partnerships can provide expertise and resources that amplify a company’s capabilities and competitiveness, although compliance and third-party risk management remain crucial. Separately, AI-powered tools are transforming B2B payment processes by automating tasks, detecting fraud and providing predictive insights. These advancements empower CFOs to shift from reactive number-crunching to proactive strategic planning, positioning finance as a driver of innovation, as well as helping smooth out onboarding and acceptance professes. In today’s evolving ecosystem, companies that prioritize innovation and adaptability will not only be positioned to overcome hurdles but also to unlock new growth avenues. By reimagining payment acceptance as a strategic enabler rather than a back-office function, businesses can stay ahead in a competitive world.
The aftermath of the confrontation left a somber atmosphere in the metro car, with onlookers reflecting on the consequences of jumping to conclusions and the need for careful communication and understanding in such circumstances. The incident served as a reminder of the power of misunderstandings and the importance of addressing conflicts with patience and empathy.
Jaipur: The Adivasi Aarakshan Manch (AAM), a coalition of tribal groups from southern Rajasthan, on Friday announced a rally in Dungarpur on Jan 6 to demand a 6.5% sub-quota within the existing 12% reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the state. The group further proposed reserving constituencies with 25% or higher ST population exclusively for ST candidates in the delimitation process set to begin in 2025. The AAM emphasised its stand against allowing non-ST candidates to contest from tribal-dominated districts such as Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Banswara, and Udaipur, excluding Udaipur City. In reaction, the OBC Adhikar Manch countered the AAM demand by seeking urban assembly seats in TSP districts—Dungarpur, Banswara, Pratapgarh and Salumber—be reserved for OBC candidates. Kanakmal Katara, founder of the AAM, told TOI, "Successive govts failed to allocate the rightful share of reservation to tribal people living in TSP (Tribal Sub-Plan) areas. A significant portion of the 12% ST quota is taken by Meena communities in central and eastern Rajasthan. Tribal in TSP areas are now aware of their rights and will not remain silent until a 6.5% sub-quota is reserved for them." The rally is open to political functionaries from BJP, Congress and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP), with tribal people supporting the cause encouraged to join. "This is a community-driven program. We understand that achieving change requires political backing," Katara added. Sources confirmed that Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat (BTP) and BJP's Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, a former minister, are likely to attend the rally. These politicians, alongside the Congress members, supported a prior meeting in Banswara in Nov. A BTP functionary said, "We will raise this issue in the budget session of the state assembly starting late Jan." The AAM urged tribal people to resist any attempt to declare non-tribal seats in TSP areas. However, Naresh Patel, coordinator of OBC Adhikar Manch, said, "OBCs are the second-largest group in TSP areas but have lacked representation, causing them to face numerous challenges. Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma should uphold equality and ensure OBC representation from these regions." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .FBI sought to record calls of Chicago Democrat who earlier ran Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign
NoneDURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Kinkead Dent threw for 246 yards and ran for another 56 yards and a touchdown as UT Martin rolled to a 41-10 win over New Hampshire in an FCS first-round game on Saturday. The Skyhawks (9-4) advance to face unbeaten and top-seeded Montana State (12-0) in the second round. UT Martin's rushing game amassed 236 yards on 52 carries and five different backs reached the end zone. Meanwhile, the Skyhawks limited New Hampshire to 124 yards of total offense and held the Wildcats' run game to just 53 yards on 16 carries. Rashad Raymond scored from 4-yards out midway through the first quarter to put UT Martin on the board first and All-Big South/OVC first-team running back Patrick Smith added a 3-yard scoring run in the second to take a 17-7 lead. Dent capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive by nosing in from the 2 and Jaren Van Winkle kicked field goals from 30- and 36-yards to make it 24-7 at intermission. Trevonte Rucker scored from the 4 to start the fourth quarter and Glover Cook III punched in from the 1 to complete the scoring. Dent Completed 17 of 26 passes without an interception. Rucker caught nine passes for 98 yards and DeVonte Tanksley caught four for 81, including a 56-yard reception. Smith carried 15 times for 71 yards. Glover had 12 carries for 56. Seth Morgan was held to 14 of 35 passing with an interception for New Hampshire (8-5). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Receive the ultimate handheld gaming device for free, valued at CA$899, with the purchase of ASUS or ROG laptops or desktops over CA$1,499 in selected retailers until December 19, 2024 KEY POINTS Exclusive Offer, Limited Time: Receive a free ROG Ally gaming handheld, valued at $899 with eligible purchases over $1,499, from December 6 to 19, 2024 Available Across Canada: Participating retailers include the ASUS Store, Best Buy, Canada Computers, Costco, Memory Express, and selected retailers in Canada. Full HD AAA gaming in the palm of your hand: Next-gen hardware powers an unbeatable handheld experience Play All Your Games: Supports any Windows title from Steam, Epic, Xbox Game Pass, and more TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASUS today announced an exciting holiday promotion that combines premium performance with unmatched gaming portability, at an incredible value making it one of this year’s most exciting deal. From December 6 to December 19, 2024, customers purchasing any ASUS or ROG laptops or desktops 1 priced at CA$1,499 or more will receive a complimentary ROG Ally 2 . This promotion is valid only while supplies last and cannot be combined with other offers. Valued at CA$899, the ROG Ally is the perfect addition to any tech enthusiast's or gamer’s arsenal, offering unparalleled gaming on the go. This exclusive promotion is available on the ASUS Store , Best Buy , Canada Computers , Costco , Memory Express , and selected retailers. For Best Buy Canada , this promotion is available upon a list of predefined products only, available here . Full Gaming Performance in the Palm of Your Hands The ROG Ally is the ultimate handheld gaming device, powered by the Ryzen TM Z1 Extreme processor from AMD. Built on the "Zen 4" architecture combined with AMD RDNA 3 architecture-based graphics, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor rivals the prowess of game consoles, featuring 8 cores, 16 threads, and up to 8.6 teraflops of graphics processing power. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme supports AMD FidelityFX TM Super Resolution and AMD Radeon Super Resolution upscaling technologies for excellent performance and stunning visuals in demanding AAA and indie titles, whether you’re playing solo or with friends. The Ally also comes equipped with 16 GB of high speed LPDDR5 6400 MHz memory, 512 GB of PCIe ® Gen 4 storage, and a UHS-II microSD card slot to further expand its storage capacity and WiFi 6E. All this flagship gaming performance demands a display to match, and the Ally does not disappoint. Equipped with a 120 Hz FHD (1080p) touchscreen with AMD FreeSync TM Premium technology 3 , gamers will enjoy supreme motion clarity in fast-paced games, with no tearing or stuttering. Since it runs Windows 11, it can play any game from any platform and includes three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate right out of the box. This holiday season, elevate your productivity with a high-performance ASUS laptop or desktop, and take your gaming experience to new heights, all at no additional cost. How to Claim Your Complementary ROG Ally Purchase an ASUS or ROG laptop or desktop priced at CA$1,499 or more from December 6 to December 19, 2024, at participating retailers. Check each retailer's specific terms to understand how the promotion applies, as eligibility and requirements may vary. Offer valid while supplies last. Terms & Conditions Both the purchased product and the complimentary ROG Ally must be returned together in the event of a product return. This promotion is valid only while supplies last and cannot be combined with other offers. Don’t miss this chance to enhance your tech setup with the best of ASUS and ROG! AVAILABILITY & PRICING This promotion is available on the ASUS Store , Best Buy , Canada Computers , Costco , Memory Express , and selected retailers in Canada from December 6 to December 19, 2024, or while supplies last. For more details about this offer, visit ASUS Canada or contact your nearest participating retailer. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information. NOTES TO EDITORS ROG Ally Product Page: https://rog.asus.com/ca-en/gaming-handhelds/rog-ally/rog-ally-2023/ ASUS Store Promo Page: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/deals/rog-ally-bundle/ Best Buy: https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/collection/asus-rog-ally-offer/611701?mnp=1287423216_24-12-06_dsmdf_ch_asus_homepage_dailytakeover_grid4 Canada Computers: https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/listing/asus-bundles-20241205 Costco: https://www.costco.ca/asus-rog-ally-7-in.-touchscreen-handheld-gaming-computer%2c-amd-ryzen-z1-extreme---16-gb-ram%2c-512-ssd.product.4000321895.html Memory Express: https://www.memoryexpress.com/Brand/asus/ROGAllyHoliday.Offer.aspx ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/ ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus SPECIFICATIONS 4 ASUS ROG Ally About ROG Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software. Formed in 2006, ROG offers a complete line of innovative products known for performance and quality, including motherboards, graphics cards, system components, laptops, desktops, monitors, smartphones, audio equipment, routers, peripherals and accessories. ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events. ROG gear has been used to set hundreds of overclocking records and it continues to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world. To become one of those who dare, learn more about ROG at http://rog.asus.com . 1 Some online retailers may apply this promotion exclusively to a selected range of laptops and desktops. Please refer to the retailer’s promotional page for a complete list of eligible products. Check with the online retailer for more information. 2 Both the purchased product and the complimentary ROG Ally must be returned together in the event of a product return. This promotion is valid only while supplies last and cannot be combined with other offers. 3 AMD FreeSync/FreeSync Premium/FreeSync Premium Pro technology requires AMD Radeon graphics and a display certified by AMD. See www.amd.com/freesync for complete details. Confirm capability with your system or display manufacturer before purchase. GD-127 4 Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com 5 Bluetooth version may vary according to OS version 6 Terms and exclusions apply. Offer only available in eligible markets for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Eligible markets are determined at activation. Game catalog varies by region, device, and time A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3aa79808-37c2-40cb-b768-2796b9829d369. Marcelo Brozovic (Midfielder) - Inter Milan's midfield general, Brozovic, controlled the game with his passing, vision, and defensive work in Round 15. His ability to dictate the tempo of the match and break up opposition attacks were crucial in Inter's victory. Brozovic's standout performance secured his place in the Best XI lineup.The Pew Research poll from this summer found that 56% of Americans say the government is “almost always wasteful and inefficient.” Gallup’s recent polling data shows that 55% of Americans say the government is doing “too much” while only 41% say it should do more. Americans are more evenly split how big the government should be, but increasing government efficiency has more broad support. “Gallup polling earlier this year showed that 58% of Americans are dissatisfied with the size and power of the federal government,” Gallup said. “A slight majority of Americans say the government has too much power. Seven in 10 Americans in 2019 agreed that businesses can do things more efficiently than the federal government.” The survey comes after President-elect Donald Trump won the White House and issued broad, sweeping plans to decrease the scope of the federal government. To accomplish this task, Trump appointed businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and billionaire Elon Musk to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,’” Trump said in his announcement. Both Ramaswamy and Musk have publicly issued scathing remarks about the waste of federal resources currently occurring in Washington, D.C. Ramaswamy, for instance, has laid out a specific plan on how thousands of federal workers could be fired. The pair of businessmen have said publicly DOGE could cut $2 trillion in federal spending. Ramaswamy and Musk visited Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with lawmakers to discuss the potential cuts, which could even include ideas as drastic as eliminating the Department of Education and returning that responsibility to the states. Trump's allies have also discussed cutting spending on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which are seen by Trump's camp as taxpayer-funded investment in woke ideology. Whether such stark actions would be supported by Americans remains unclear, but for now the latest polling shows Americans want something to be done. On top of that, Americans’ desire for smaller government seems to be more than a momentary political phase. “Gallup has asked this question annually over the past 24 years. On average, 52% of Americans have said the government is doing too much, compared with 42% saying the government should do more...” Gallup said. “Only twice have more Americans chosen the ‘government should do more’ alternative over the ‘government doing too much’ alternative -- in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in 2020 after the outbreak of COVID-19.”
Wang Chuqin's rise to the top of the rankings is a testament to his exceptional skills, dedication, and hard work. Known for his swift footwork, powerful forehand loops, and tactical prowess, Wang has consistently showcased his talent on the global stage. From winning major titles to representing his country with pride, Wang has continuously raised the bar for excellence in table tennis.The Liverpool captain also highlighted the importance of learning from every match, regardless of the outcome. "Even in a draw, there are lessons to be learned," Henderson explained. "We will analyze our performance, identify areas for improvement, and come back stronger in the next game. That's the mentality we have as a team – always striving to be better."
Title: Telegraph: Manchester United Willing to Sell Pogba for Disciplinary Reasons, Departure Paves Way for Varane AcquisitionAs the launch date for "Black Myth: Wukong" draws near, fans are eagerly anticipating more details and updates about the game, as well as future collaborations with artists and brands. The partnership with G.E.M and Coca-Cola has set a precedent for creative marketing initiatives within the gaming industry and has effectively raised the profile of the game among a broader audience.Denver’s Democrat Mayor is promising to use the city’s police and to organize private citizen demonstrators to block the enforcement of federal immigration laws in his city. “More than us having [Denver police] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Mayor Mike Johnston said. Democrats Look to Flood Country with Migrants Ahead of Trump Inauguration; Guest John Binder “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment,” he exclaimed, comparing Trump’s enforcement promise to China’s government’s 1989 massacre of Chinese democracy advocates. Apparently fashioning himself as some sort of modern-day John C. Calhoun, Johnston says that he will press the city police department and “community volunteers” into his own little confederate army to take up the fight against ICE officials. Johnston insisted that he is not going to give up his sanctuary city policies and won’t be “bullied” by the incoming Trump administration. “We’re not going to sell out those values to anyone,” Johnston told the Denverite, according to Fox News. “We’re not going to be bullied into changing them.” Then he issued a stern warning. “More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there. It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun,” he reportedly said. “You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. You don’t want to mess with them.” This is the same mayor who defunded his police department to pay for more freebies for illegal aliens. So far, the Denver Police Department has not commented on Johnston’s plans to turn its officers into his new nullification shocktroops. The mayor is not the only radical, left-wing official to openly call for resistance to federal law. The city council of far-left Los Angeles also jumped in to defend “sanctuary city” status this week with a unanimous vote to fully implement the policy in the crime-plagued city. The vote was called as an effort to signal to the Trump administration that officials there would resist federal authority on immigration issues. A number of left-wing governors from deep blue states have also made their fealty to illegal immigrants obvious by similarly announcing plans to resist ICE and any efforts to repatriate millions of illegal migrants. The list includes Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson, and others. Boston’s radically woke Mayor Michelle Wu also vowed to resist Trump’s policies. Her proclamations spurred Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, to warn all these mouthy Democrats that resistance of the sort they are advocating is against the law. Homan warned these Democrats that “It is a felony to harbor or conceal an illegal alien from ICE. Read the statute. Don’t cross that line.” Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHustonThe designation of Nezha Motors as a judgment debtor has significant implications for the company's operations and reputation. As a prominent player in the automotive industry, Nezha Motors now faces heightened scrutiny from stakeholders, including investors, creditors, and consumers.
When Manmohan Singh Told His Agriculture Secretary: 'As PM, I Cannot Let Any Indian Go Without Food'This story was originally published on December 6, 2018. Much like Santa with his Naughty and Nice list, every holiday season we revisit the ranking to reconsider which films make the cut. The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to put away our differences in the interest of peace on earth, goodwill toward others, etc., etc., and kick back with a great Christmas movie , a filmmaking tradition that dates back to the 1898 film Santa Claus . In that one, Santa slides down a chimney, stuffs some stockings, and promptly disappears into the ether; the whole film runs just over one minute long. No one would argue that that early effort was anything but a Christmas movie, but these days, the question comes up frequently: What exactly is a Christmas movie? Is merely being set at Christmas enough? Or is there some elusive other element that makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? It’s the old, now tired, “Does Die Hard count?” debate. Well, does it? Opting for a big-tent definition of what constitutes a Christmas movie, this list of the greatest Christmas movies ever made argues, yes, it does, very much so. And not just because it takes place at Christmas. The story of a man trying to repair his life, earn redemption, and keep his family together, Die Hard engages with some key Christmas-movie themes. More than twinkling lights and gift-making elves, we looked to these elements when putting the list together. Also, the movies on this list have to be good. There’s a cynical reason to make a Christmas movie: The demand is high, even for the bad ones, every holiday season, when cable plays them ad nauseam to satisfy Christmas-crazed subscribers. So, sorry, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — just because you’re unavoidable doesn’t earn you a spot on the list. Another qualifier: We stayed away from the world of made-for-TV movies, though some direct-to-streaming titles did make the cut. That means Hallmark Channel Christmas movies about young people who don’t like each other but then end up liking each other a lot weren’t considered. The list is mostly feature films but with a few shorts thrown in as well. We also opted to include a wide variety of Christmas movies, ranging from established classics to cult horror movies . Not every title will be for everyone, but there should be something for everyone here, whether you want Jimmy Stewart welcoming the season or Santa’s demonic counterpart threatening a dysfunctional family. In the spirit of the season, we erred on the side of generosity. 50. The streaming era has produced many forgettable movies that disappear from memory almost as quickly as they appear under the “Top Picks” header. But some have stuck around, like this goofy, endearing Netflix movie starring Kurt Russell as a gruff but good-hearted ( and hunky ) Santa who spends one busy Christmas Eve helping out a family of troubled kids escape a series of mishaps. Think Adventures in Babysitting , but with St. Nicholas and a musical cameo from Steven van Zandt and his band. A sequel followed in 2020 that, while not quite as good, does expand on Goldie Hawn’s last-minute appearance as Mrs. Claus at the end of the original. 49. A true Christmas oddity, this is the only holiday movie featuring Jimmy Durante as a down-on-his-luck vaudevillian forced to part ways with his trained squirrel as Christmas approaches. That’s the heartbreaking premise of The Great Rupert , but it’s all a set-up to a happy ending in which Durante is reunited with his four-legged friend, the poor get rich, and the rich learn a lesson (a story element that pops up a lot in the flood of Christmas movies released in the years immediately following World War II). The plot lags at times, but Durante’s always fun, and so is Rupert, the delightful creation of producer George Pal, the stop-motion wizard behind Puppetoons . 48. There’s no shortage of Christmas horror movies, some of them quite good (as other entries on this list suggest). But none are quite like Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale , an unwaveringly deadpan Christmas thriller from Finnish director Jalmari Helander ( Sisu ). Onni Tommila plays Pietari, a boy living in a remote corner of Lapland, who comes to fear that a nearby mining operation has unearthed Santa Claus. But not, in his words, the “Coca-Cola Santa,” the real, demonic Santa dedicated to punishing the naughty. As Christmas approaches, and strange occurrences like the mass slaughter of reindeer start to transpire, Pietari and those around him discover the boy is only half-right and the real trouble is even deeper and stranger. Helander and his cast commit to the absurd premise wholeheartedly, allowing Rare Exports to work as a fun yuletide black comedy and a pretty solid supernatural action film at the same time. Fair warning: You’ll never think of Santa’s elves in the same way ever again after watching it. 47. Between this movie and another one a little higher on the list, Billy Bob Thornton has carved himself a nice space in the seamy-underbelly-of-Christmas subgenre. Holiday cheer provides an ironic backdrop for this overlooked-but-quite-good Harold Ramis thriller, starring Thornton and John Cusack as a pair of seedy characters looking to get the hell out of Wichita after ripping off their boss. Unfortunately, they haven’t factored in the possibility that bad weather (to say nothing of double crosses and other unforeseen bits of adversity) will get in their way. Thornton and Cusack make for a great pair, but it’s Oliver Platt who steals his every scene as a drunken lawyer in a film that provides the perfect antidote to the season’s excessive amounts of good cheer and faith in one’s fellow man. 46. Tim Burton isn’t exactly underrepresented on this list, but his second Batman movie is too filled with twinkles and tinsel not to include, even if its mood is ultimately more frightful than festive. The sequel pits Batman (Michael Keaton) against the dreadful Penguin (Danny DeVito) and the alluring Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) against the backdrop of a Gotham City all decked out for the holidays. (One key scene takes place at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony that goes awry.) Whether it truly celebrates the season or not is open for debate, but watching the film’s superheroics play out in a snowy, light-strewn, postcard-perfect city makes it feel of a piece with Burton’s other Christmas films. 45. There’s been no shortage of scary Santas in movies — see above and below for examples — but few as terrifying as Christopher Plummer in this sometimes brutal thriller. Plummer plays Arthur Reikle, a psychopathic criminal who poses as a mall Santa while scheming to rob a Toronto bank. When a clever clerk (Elliott Gould) gets wise and schemes to rob the robber, a battle of wits ensues. The action plays out across several months, but it’s the early scenes that will make you look askance at any stranger in a Santa costume, no matter how jolly-seeming. 44. Or, if The Ice Harvest isn’t a strong enough antidote, check out this truly twisted slasher about a toy-factory employee who goes on a Yuletide killing spree. Christmas Evil has a premise similar to the much better known Silent Night, Deadly Night , which sparked protests in the streets when it was released four years later. But Silent Night, Deadly Night is just a standard slasher movie in Christmas drag. Christmas Evil plays like a demented piece of outsider art that takes the idea of a killer Santa to some pretty extreme places — including an ending that has to be seen to be believed. John Waters is a fan, which pretty much tells you all you need to know. 43. Before The Nightmare Before Christmas , before Rankin-Bass specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , before even The Great Rupert there was The Insects’ Christmas , from Russian animator Ladislas Starevich. Starevich made a series of films using dead insects as his stars. His Christmas movie expands the cast to include Father Christmas and an animated doll. But insects remain, as the title suggests, front and center in an inventive, enchanting, if a little unsettling, look at how a bunch of bugs (and one frog) celebrate Christmas that climaxes with Santa, a grasshopper, and assorted other bugs skating on a frozen lake. счастливого Рождества to all! 42. What’s Stanley Kubrick’s final film about, really? Is it about one man’s harrowing descent into the erotic underbelly of New York as he wanders around one night? It is. But isn’t it also about a family nearly falling apart then getting back together in time for Christmas? Its final scene, set in a toy-and-Christmas-light-filled FAO Schwarz, suggests that’s the case. The film’s final lines are not directly related to the holidays or, technically speaking, family-friendly. But they, in their own way, encapsulate the season’s spirit of togetherness. 41. As Christmas approaches, all is not well for Henry Brougham (David Niven), a Protestant bishop trying to raise funds for the glorious new cathedral of his dreams — a project that’s led him to neglect his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), and daughter and cause him to lose sight of his roots as a minister to the needy. Enter Dudley (Cary Grant), an angel determined to set Henry on the right path. The only trouble: He finds himself increasingly wanting to spend time with Julia instead. The film’s a bit pokily directed at times, but Young and Grant’s chemistry smooths over some rough patches — particularly when Grant gets a wistful look in his eyes suggesting that he might call heaven his home but he knows he could find even greater happiness on earth with Young’s character by his side. ( The Preacher’s Wife , the 1996 remake starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, is also worth a look.) 40. Everyone knows that Christmas is about three things: spiritual reflection, spending time with family, and debutante balls. Or at least that’s what the season means for the self-described Urbane Haute Bourgeoisie of Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan , upper-class (and upper-class-adjacent) Manhattanites who spend their evenings attending deb events and their after-hours discussing life, politics, literature, and whatever else comes to mind. Edward Clements stars as Tom, a not-that-privileged college student who falls in with a more upper-crust crowd where he’s befriended by the acidic Nick (Chris Eigeman) and Audrey (Carolyn Farina), with whom he becomes infatuated. Audrey’s fondness for Jane Austen provides the strongest clue as to what Stillman’s up to with this fond but unsparing comedy of manners set among a group of not-quite-adults just before they have to decide what they do with the rest of their lives. It’s a spiritual reflection of a different sort, the kind loaded with endearing characters, witty lines, and unexpectedly touching moments. 39. What is Scrooged trying to say, anyway? You can watch the film over and over — easy to do if you have a cable subscription in December, when it plays all the time — and never quite figure it out. Is it a pitch-black comedy about the commercialization of Christmas? Is it a cynical send-up of our once-a-year celebration of kindness and selflessness? Is it a sincere depiction of a man being transformed by the holidays? It’s a tough film to pin down, probably because the darkly comic sensibilities of star Bill Murray and writers Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue often seem at odds with that of blockbuster director Richard Donner. But what makes this Reagan-era update on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol — in which Murray plays a cold-hearted TV network president visited by Christmas spirits — flawed also makes it fascinating, and Carol Kane is especially fun as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Worth noting: Dickens’s classic looms large over the Christmas-movie genre, making this just one of many A Christmas Carol adaptations to make the list. Others include ... 38. For a more tuneful version of the Dickens tale, there’s this 1970 musical starring Albert Finney as the eponymous miser. Finney holds nothing back as Scrooge, truly living up to the moniker “the Meanest Man in the Whole Wide World” given to him in “Father Christmas,” one of many earworm-y songs written by Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory songwriter Leslie Bricusse. Highlights include Alec Guinness as a spooky Jacob Marley and a truly scary Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. It’s a big, occasionally tacky, but quite fun take on the familiar story. 35. All three of these movies raise a question: How much Christmas does a movie need to be a Christmas movie ? All are great films that set key scenes at Christmastime, but is it fair to call them Christmas movies? In the generous spirit of the season, let’s include them (but let’s also rank them a little lower than some others because so much of their narratives don’t take place during the holidays). All also have moments so Christmassy it would be a shame not to include them. Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 Little Women adaptation gets the nod for the moving way it stages the moment when Beth (Claire Danes) receives a piano for Christmas (and Danes’s heartrending expression of overwhelming joy). Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version has to be included for the moment when Bob Odenkirk’s Mr. March returns home for Christmas and embraces his family while calling them “my little women.” Vincente Minnelli’s classic 1944 musical spans a year in the life of St. Louis’s Smith family, but it’s a year in which a Christmas ball plays a pivotal role and features Judy Garland debuting “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” now a Christmas standard (albeit one no one has performed more heartbreakingly than Garland). 34. With her follow-up to Something’s Gotta Give , Nancy Myers seemingly set out to ask the question, If I cast four actors who really have no business appearing in a soft-edged romantic comedy in my next movie, could I make it work anyway? The answer: kind of? Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play, respectively, a tightly wound editor of movie trailers and a British newspaper reporter who decide to swap houses shortly before Christmas. This leads Winslet’s character, now in L.A., to befriend an aging screenwriter played by Eli Wallach and (eventually) fall for a kindhearted composer played by Jack Black. Meanwhile, Diaz’s character, installed in Surrey, unwittingly hooks up with the brother of Winslet’s character, played by Jude Law. It’s a somewhat shapeless movie that goes on too long, but it also has an undeniable, nap-friendly, tryptophan-like charm as four beautiful people overcome the ridiculously small hurdles keeping them from getting together in two photogenic environments. (Also, Wallach’s a lot of fun.) 33. Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself. Hope’s not the most obvious fit for a Damon Runyon adaptation, much less a Christmas-themed Runyon adaptation with a deep sentimental streak, but their sensibilities end up meshing pretty well anyway in this 1951 comedy. Hope plays the eponymous character, a con artist who has to flee Florida for New York in order to pay off a debt to a gangster. The ensuing scam involves criminals dressed as Santa and a fake retirement home for “Old Dolls.” The inspired slapstick bits reportedly come from the brilliant animator-turned-director Frank Tashlin, but it’s Hope and co-star Marilyn Maxwell’s performance of the then-new “Silver Bells” that’s ensured the film its spot in the Christmas-movie canon. 32. Nostalgia and holidays both have a way of warping emotions. Combined, they’re hard to resist, especially when it comes to movies that won us over when we were younger. That’s why it’s impossible not to include Home Alone — the John Hughes–scripted, Chris Columbus–directed hit in which Macaulay Culkin finds himself unexpectedly left behind when his family mistakenly flies to Paris without him. But it would be unfair to rank it any higher. Have you watched it? Lately? As a grown-up? Like, watched it all the way through from the shrill opening filled with obnoxious kids to the leadenly staged slapstick climax? It’s a much rougher ride than you might remember. Still, Culkin’s charming, and the sentimental ending works every time. Just ask George Costanza . 31. Few movies have been embraced and rejected, rejected and embraced with the ferocity of Richard Curtis’s 2003 holiday smorgasbord of new love, old love, dying love, Prime Minister love, and porn-movie love. It’s unabashedly corny and sometimes annoyingly smug and simplistic in its take on love, but there’s just so much going on in the movie that it’s hard to reject it wholesale. Don’t like the silly story line in which some luckless Brits fly to America to test the theory that their accents will make them a hit with women? Just stay tuned for a wrenching tale of infidelity starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson. Plus, it features the quintessential Bill Nighy performance as a washed-up rock star made miserable by his success, a true present any time of year. 30. Janet Leigh plays Connie, a war widow who unexpectedly becomes the center of a love triangle when her longtime suitor Carl (Wendell Corey) meets an unexpected rival in the form of Steve (Robert Mitchum), a veteran trying to figure out his place in the postwar world. Steve finds himself infatuated with Connie after they meet-cute in a department store — he’s a clerk, she’s a Christmastime undercover shopper — then starts a hard sell, asking him to dump Carl and take a chance on him. Mitchum’s tough-guy demeanor serves him well here, giving an odd energy to the love story. His character is sometimes written as too pushy, but the scene in which he declares his intentions over Christmas dinner, a moment where there’s no room for lies, is downright electric — and the final scene is a stunner. 29. Shane Black often sets his films against a Christmas backdrop, but where Lethal Weapon , Iron Man 3 , and others feel like films that happen to take place at Christmas, Black’s directorial debut feels like it could only take place at Christmas thanks to its themes of redemption, forgiveness, and rebirth. Here it’s New York thief Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) in need of a new start, which he gets when he’s mistakenly asked to audition for a role in a Hollywood movie. Once there, he falls into a mystery tied to his own past when he reconnects with a childhood friend (Michelle Monaghan) and reluctantly partners with a private eye (Val Kilmer). The twists, rapid-fire banter, and love of seedy crime fiction are familiar Black trademarks, but the concern for Harry’s happiness and connections with others — brought to life by the performance that cemented Downey’s comeback — make this Black’s most heartfelt script. 28. Sometimes the right actor in the right role is pretty much all you need. This pleasant, goofy film stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human who’s grown up at the North Pole living under the mistaken impression that he’s an elf, despite developing into a lumbering adult with little skill for elfish endeavors such as toy-making. Eventually, he has to find his way in the human world when he travels to New York in search of his birth father (James Caan). As a cynical department-store employee, Zooey Deschanel provides a fun contrast to Ferrell’s wild-eyed enthusiasm. The film’s more winning the less it relies on wild antics, but Ferrell and others make sure it stays heartfelt throughout. 27. Aardman Animations, the studio behind the Wallace and Gromit shorts and Chicken Run , brings its own particular whimsical sensibility to a holiday tale with this playful look inside the inner workings of the North Pole, where the latest in a long line of Santas (Jim Broadbent) seems reluctant to give up his post to one of his sons. Steven Claus (Hugh Laurie), who’s been running the operation for his dad with military precision, seems the obvious successor, but it’s the bumbling Arthur (James McAvoy) who best embodies the Christmas spirit, as evidenced by his mad rush to make sure the one kid who mistakenly got the wrong present doesn’t wake up disappointed on Christmas morning. The film mixes clever ideas — dig that high-tech North Pole! — with real warmth, making it feel like nothing less than the future of Christmas itself rests on Arthur’s shoulders. 26. The first big-screen Muppet project after the 1990 death of Jim Henson, A Muppet Christmas Carol features some terrific Paul Williams songs, and smartly slots the always charming Muppets in the familiar Dickens roles. (Kermit and Piggy play the Cratchits, naturally, yet it’s details like the Swedish Chef as a party cook that make it a particular delight for longtime fans.) In the end, though, what makes the movies is Michael Caine’s performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. Caine plays it straight, as if he doesn’t even realize he’s surrounded by puppets, ensuring that the movie works as a moving Dickens adaptation first, and a Muppet movie second. 25. A true cult classic, this low-budget noir directed by Allen Baron unfolds against the backdrop of a New York decked out for the holidays. Yet it’s anything but a merry Christmas for Frank Bono (also Baron), a Cleveland hit man who’s in town to do a job. Mixing gritty location shooting with lyrical narration, it mixes pulpy themes with a feeling of existential loneliness. The movie would work if it weren’t set at Christmas, but the holiday cheer ratchets up the sense of alienation and despair. Not everyone is destined to have happy holidays. Some might not even make it out alive. 24. Arthur Christmas too heartwarming for you? Then try Bob Clark’s classic horror film, in which a mysterious killer starts picking off members of a sorority house one by one during the lead-up to Christmas. Shot on and near the University of Toronto campus, it’s secretly one of the most influential horror films of all time, inspiring Halloween and all the slasher films that followed. Beyond its odd cast (Margot Kidder! SCTV ’s Andrea Martin! Romeo and Juliet star Olivia Hussey! 2001: A Space Odyssey ’s Keir Dullea!), it’s notable for using Christmas trappings to unnerving effect, including a truly memorable final scene. (Clark, who’d later go on to direct Porky’s , would return to Christmas with a much different movie less than a decade later.) 23. Is this a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? Why choose one when it’s obviously both? The Nightmare Before Christmas has become such a Halloween marketing bonanza — with images of protagonists Jack Skellington and Sally becoming unavoidable every October — that it’s easy to forget it’s at heart the story of a kindhearted ghoulish spirit learning the true meaning of Christmas. (That its most famous song repeats the words “This is Halloween!” over and over again probably doesn’t help.) Directed by stop-motion wizard Henry Selick from a story and designs by Tim Burton, it plays like a sweet-creepy take on a Rankin-Bass Christmas special, building an elaborate mythology out of the holidays and populating it with endearing characters with lessons to learn and adversity to overcome. 22. Much like Nightmare Before Christmas , Joe Dante’s enduring horror favorite Gremlins plays like someone wanted to see how badly a bunch of little monsters could screw up the setting of another Christmas classic. The answer: pretty badly! Set in an idyllic American town straight out of It’s a Wonderful Life — its name, Kingston Falls, even hearkens back to that movie’s Bedford Falls — Gremlins features a cuddly little creature whose evil offspring run amok all over a sweet burg as it gets ready to celebrate the Christmas season. As usual, Dante mixes mockery with celebration, and the film evolves from a horror movie into a freewheeling send-up of both the holidays and the Hollywood movies that celebrate them. 21. Neither Disney animation nor its biggest star, Mickey Mouse, were riding high in the early ’80s. Disney had suffered a string of disappointments and setbacks, and though he remained an inescapable icon, Mickey hadn’t been seen in movie theaters since the ’50s. But this adaptation of the Dickens story suggested there might be life in both yet. Running just 26 minutes — and originally serving as the opener for a rerelease of The Rescuers — Mickey’s Christmas Carol offers a brisk, moving take on the familiar story. Scrooge McDuck (who else?) assumes the Scrooge role, but it’s Mickey and Minnie’s turns as the Cratchits that give the lovingly animated film its heart. After years of cutting corners and coasting on past triumphs, it provided an early sign that Disney was trying again — almost as if the studio has been visited by spirits reminding it what really mattered or something. 20. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck famously co-starred in Billy Wilder’s 1944 noir Double Indemnity , but that’s just one of four films to pair them together. They first teamed up for this 1940 Christmas romance in which Fred MacMurray plays John Sargent, a hard-charging DA who, through a misunderstanding, comes to spend the days before Christmas with Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck), a small-time jewel thief he’s prosecuting. They start to fall in love during a road trip to Indiana, a sojourn that almost allows them to forget that John still has to try to send Lee to jail when they get back. Directed by Mitchell Leisen from a Preston Sturges script, Remember the Night begins as a broad, brisk comedy but shifts moods as John learns about Lee’s difficult past. In a classic holiday-spirit turn, he comes to realize the advantages his loving family have bestowed upon him once he sees how appreciative Lee is after sharing the first warm Christmas morning of her life with his family. 19. A movie about holiday togetherness that focuses on three characters that would rather be anywhere else (at least at first), Alexander Payne’s 1970-set comedy stars Paul Giamatti as Paul, a boarding-school teacher unexpectedly saddled with caring for a handful of boys with nowhere else to go at Christmastime. When that bunch gets reduced to just one bright, sad, rebellious kid named Angus (Dominic Sessa), Paul finds himself forced to open up for the first time in years, both to Angus and Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the head of the school’s cafeteria services who’s remained behind to provide meals. Mary’s still mourning the loss of her son in Vietnam, and Angus has family problems that remain veiled until late in the film. They seemingly have nothing in common, but Payne’s film evolves from a comedy of awkward interactions to a bittersweet celebration of togetherness that unfolds on the edge of despair. 18. French cinematic pioneer Georges Méliès’s contribution to the Christmas-film canon offers little in the way of narrative, just an abundance of turn-of-the-century Christmas imagery as a pair of sleeping children imagine a winter wonderland filled with frolicking musicians, holiday revelers, and, of course, Père Noël himself. It’s a lovely, whimsical short film that captures the inventive director in a festive mood, and immortalizes on film ways of celebrating Christmas that otherwise might have faded from memory. 17. A song of yearning for holiday togetherness the singer suspects he’ll never find again, Bing Crosby’s recording of the Irving Berlin song “White Christmas” became a runaway hit in 1942 as America adjusted to the loss and separation of World War II. Its success was spurred on by the August release of Holiday Inn , a musical conceived by Berlin that starred Crosby and Fred Astaire as collaborators who break up and reunite over the course of a year, all against the backdrop of a country inn only open on holidays. (All the better to showcase Berlin’s knack for crafting holiday-themed hits.) With Danny Kaye subbing in for Astaire, Berlin and Crosby teamed up 12 years later for White Christmas , another holiday musical set at an idyllic getaway. Both films have become Christmas staples, and both have much to recommend them. Featuring top-drawer Berlin songs and one memorable scene after another — Astaire tap dances while smoking and setting off fireworks in one — and elegant direction by Mark Sandrich, Holiday Inn is the better film by a good measure, but watching it means grappling with an ugly blackface number mid-film. (To make matters worse, skipping the scene altogether would result in missing an important plot point.) White Christmas , on the other hand, features fewer songs and a sleepy, low-stakes plot as Crosby and Kaye romance (sort of) a sister act played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. Still, its aggressive, Technicolor pleasantness has its own charms. 15. Tim Burton clearly has a fondness for Christmas that extends beyond A Nightmare Before Christmas . Batman Returns , for one, uses the holiday to memorable effect. But Burton’s Edward Scissorhands goes even further, treating a sensitive, lab-created man with scissors for hands (Johnny Depp) as a Christ-like, too-pure-for-this-world figure who descends on an American suburb where he’s celebrated, then persecuted. The first collaboration between Burton and Depp, a team-up that would become less welcome as the years piled up, is a lovely celebration of outsiders that captures the Burton sensibility in its purest form, elevating his sympathy for monsters and a disdain for the “normal” world into a moral drama filled with arresting images. 14. Not unlike Scissorhands , John Ford’s 3 Godfathers similarly uses echoes of the story of Christ to tremendous effect. A rare Christmas Western, the film stars John Wayne as one of a trio of bank robbers who agree to care for a newborn child while fleeing the law in Death Valley. Ford’s biblical echoes aren’t subtle, nor are they intended to be, but Wayne keeps the film, and its themes of redemption and rebirth, grounded with one of his most sensitive performances. 13. A great Christmas movie that not enough people talk about, It Happened on Fifth Avenue opens with the homeless sage Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor More) moving, as he does every Christmas season, into the luxurious Manhattan home of vacationing tycoon Michael J. O’Connor (Charles Ruggles). From there the film keeps piling on the complications as it breaks down the divide between the haves and the have-nots. McKeever is soon joined by a displaced World War II vet (Don DeFore) and O’Connor’s daughter Mary (Ann Harding), who doesn’t let on that she’s loaded and knows the house even better than those squatting there. The house grows more crowded, new loves get kindled, old loves get renewed, and O’Connor is forced to do a Scrooge-like about-face when he gets reacquainted with those less fortunate than him. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, who took on the project after Frank Capra decided to make It’s a Wonderful Life instead, It Happened on Fifth Avenue earns its warmth honestly, tethering a tale of fresh starts and changed hearts to the real difficulties faced by those reaching for the American dream in a postwar era that was supposed to bring prosperity for all. 12. In a film as sexy as it is funny, Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine columnist who risks being exposed as a phony if she can’t create the perfect Christmas at the Connecticut home she’s writing about as part of a PR stunt to reward recuperating GI Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan), who’s been dreaming of tasting her recipes while serving in World War II. The only problem: There is no Connecticut home, and she can’t cook. The farcical complications pile up from there, and Stanwyck deftly balances Elizabeth’s mounting sense of panic with wry humor as she reckons with her unexpected desire for Jones — a desire that has popped up just after she’s decided to give up on love in return for a marriage of convenience. Director Peter Godfrey keeps the action fast and light while trusting Stanwyck to excellently bring her character’s dilemma to life, even if it involves changing a diaper as if she’s never seen a baby before in her life. 11. Produced as the planet descended into another World War, this 1939 short , like many animated films, depicts a world populated by wide-eyed cartoon animals. The difference: They’ve inherited the Earth from humanity, whose habit of making war has led to its destruction. Directed for MGM by the influential animation pioneer Hugh Harman — who, with his partner Rudy Ising, had already logged stints working for Walt Disney and Warner Bros. — it’s a masterfully downbeat vision of the future; the cute protagonists, with their enthusiasm for keeping Christmas traditions alive, do little to offset the short film’s depictions of the horrors of war and the ways we fail to live up to our noblest principles. When Fred Quimby, William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera remade it 16 years later as the also-great Good Will to Men , they had to change little beyond the addition of nuclear war and other up-to-date threats. 10. The end of the year can be a confusing time of reflection for those who feel they don’t have anything to celebrate. That feeling is captured beautifully in Scottish director Bill Forsyth’s tale of a Glasgow DJ (Bill Paterson), who finds himself unexpectedly alone when he’s dumped by his girlfriend shortly before Christmas. Adrift, he finds himself drawn into a turf war between two rival ice-cream vendors, a conflict that might offer him a chance to start over, or might drive him to the brink of madness. Paterson beautifully depicts a man who’s quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, experiencing a nervous breakdown as the world around him grows stranger and more absurd. That it all somehow builds toward a hilarious moment of reconciliation involving an unexpected new ice-cream product is just one of many little miracles in a Christmas movie that takes a roundabout way to celebrating the season’s possibilities of renewal and rebirth, but still gets there all the same. 9. It takes time for a film to emerge as a Christmas classic, and while this one may not end up being shown in constant rotation alongside A Christmas Story and Home Alone , let’s stake an early claim for Sean Baker’s Tangerine , a film that follows the Christmas spirit into some unexpected corners . Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor co-star as, respectively, Sin-Dee and Alexandra, a pair of transgender sex workers living on the fringes of Los Angeles. Released from jail on Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee is driven to frustration when she learns that her pimp/lover Chester (James Ransone) is cheating on her as Alexandra prepares for a musical performance. Chaos mounts as day turns into night in the hours before Christmas. Baker’s film, co-written by Chris Bergoch, alternates laughs and shocks, but it keeps circling back to how this particular Christmas has become a crossroads for its central characters, and how much they need each other if they’re going to make it through another year. It all ends with an image that, in its own way, is as warm and generous as Charlie Brown’s friends reviving a seemingly hopeless tree. You might have noticed that this list — some notable exceptions aside — is dominated by stories of prosperous white families. Among its other virtues, Tangerine serves as a corrective to that tradition, serving as a reminder that Christmas isn’t limited to the land of picket fences and neatly trimmed trees. It’s a film as vital, alive, and in touch with the holiday as more traditional entries — an invitation to other filmmakers to redefine what a Christmas movie can be, and as much a story about the importance of human kindness as the one that tops this list. 8. Like Comfort and Joy , Todd Haynes’s Carol depicts the holidays as a time of possibility and peril as an intense, forbidden romance plays out against the backdrop of the 1952 Christmas season. The film stars Cate Blanchett as the eponymous unhappy housewife, a woman who unexpectedly falls for Therese (Rooney Mara), a store clerk. But their relationship seems doomed before it really begins once it threatens Carol’s ability to see her child, leaving her with an impossible choice. Inspired by Brief Encounter and adapted from a 1952 novel by Patricia Highsmith, otherwise best known for pitiless crime fiction like The Talented Mr. Ripley , Carol uses its holiday setting as more than a backdrop: Haynes bathes the films in Christmas lights, sure, but he also captures the spirit of a season through Carol and Therese’s relationship. The passing of one year gives way to a potential new beginning of the next — for those who can make it to the other side. 7. Odd as it may sound, many of the same qualities in Carol also make Die Hard a great Christmas movie, no matter what star Bruce Willis says . Yes, the John McTiernan–directed movie is one of the best action movies ever made; yes, it’s endlessly quotable; and, yes, it transformed Willis from that guy on Moonlighting who occasionally put out music under a different persona into a full-fledged movie star. But it’s also a story of loss and renewal in which Willis’s New York cop John McClane has to navigate the strange world of L.A. and take down a bunch of Eurotrash pseudo-terrorists in order to repair his marriage. And that’s no small part of the movie. Reconciling with his wife in time for the holidays is McClane’s mission. The rest is just a sidetrack, though neither goal will be easy. Still, he guns down the bad guys and emerges from the confrontation bloody and with a sense of forgiveness. Merry Christmas to all! 6. A proudly mean-spirited black comedy seemingly at war with the Christmas spirit, Bad Santa somehow loops all the way back around to being a heartwarming Christmas movie about one man’s redemption. It’s a weird trick, pulled off in large part thanks to star Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as a hard-drinking con artist who uses his work as a mall Santa as a setup for grand larceny. Actually, “hard-drinking” doesn’t begin to describe Thornton’s Willie Soke, who spends much of the film in a near-stuporous state yet still manages to form an unlikely makeshift family with a misfit kid (Brett Kelly) and a bartender (Lauren Graham) with a thing for Santas. With able support from Bernie Mac and John Ritter, director Terry Zwigoff keeps the humor dark without losing sight of his characters’ humanity — however deep they might sink into a drunken haze. 5. Making his second appearance on this list with a much different Christmas movie, director Bob Clark’s venerable 1983 film adapts storyteller and radio personality Jean Shepherd’s tales of growing up in Hammond, Indiana, while cutting nostalgia and sentiment with just the right amounts of broad, occasionally dark, comedy. (And, it has to be noted, some pretty unfortunate racial stereotypes toward the end.) The episodic film follows Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in the days before Christmas, when he wants nothing more than a Red Ryder air rifle — and seems destined not to get one. Narrated by Shepherd himself, it mixes big comic moments, like a kid getting his tongue stuck to a stop sign, with affection for family life and days gone by. Clark renders the memories of growing up in a particular time and place so well that Shepherd’s Hammond — its name changed to “Hohman” — becomes an idealized stand-in for any time and every place. 4. There are many great romantic movies set at Christmas, but somehow The Shop Around the Corner still stands above them all. Maybe it’s the irresistible premise: A pair of feuding co-workers don’t realize they’re falling in love with one another via anonymous letters. (If that sounds familiar, it’s because Nora Ephron drew on the same source material — the Miklós László play Parfumerie — for You’ve Got Mail .) Maybe it’s a cast headed by Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan and filled out with colorful character actors. Maybe it’s because few directors have balanced lightness and romance like Ernst Lubitsch. Whatever the case, it’s both a peerless romantic comedy and one of the great Christmas movies, weaving themes of forgiveness and second chances into a love story that reflects the season in which it takes place. 3. What makes an adaptation of A Christmas Carol great? Above all, it’s the actor playing Ebenezer Scrooge. There have been many memorable movie Scrooges (take a look at the multiple entries above), but few as memorable as Alastair Sim. He’s not just terrifyingly convincing as a pitiless miser in the film’s early scenes but also heartbreakingly affecting as a changed man in its closing moments. Not that Sim doesn’t get help from director Brian Desmond Hurst, who whisks the action along while surrounding his lead with lushly realized Victorian trappings and an able supporting cast. But the film rests on Sim’s shoulders, and it’s not hard to see why he’s yet to be supplanted as the definitive Scrooge. 2. Here’s a question: What was going on that led to so many great Christmas movies being released in 1947? That year saw the release of The Bishop’s Wife , It Happened on Fifth Avenue (see above), and offered most viewers their first chance to see the greatest Christmas movie of all time (see below). It also produced this lovely story of a girl (Natalie Wood) whose mother (Maureen O’Hara) unwittingly hires someone who may be the actual Kris Kringle as a department-store Santa at Macy’s. What follows is part fantasy, part romance (as O’Hara’s character starts to fall for a charming neighbor), part indictment of commercialism, part defense of letting children be children as long as they can, and part legal thriller (well, sort of). Mostly, the film, written and directed by George Seaton, is an irresistible bit of Christmas whimsy made unforgettable by Edmund Gwenn’s turn as the man who might be Santa. 1. What else? Really, what other film could top a list of the greatest Christmas movies of all time? Frank Capra’s enduring classic stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, the unwitting savior of Bedford Falls, a man whose goodness and generosity has touched more people than he realizes. In fact, as one bleak Christmas looms, he doesn’t realize it at all and is ready to commit suicide — until an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) arrives to show him the error of his ways. Though it’s become synonymous with holiday cheer, Capra’s film works because of its willingness to go to some dark places, and because of Stewart’s ability to play a gregarious goof one moment and a man whose world comes crashing down the next. Curiously, the film didn’t go into wide release until after Christmas in January of 1947, which might have contributed to its underwhelming box-office performance. But it received a second life thanks to relentless airings on local television in the ’70s and ’80s, where its depiction of one man’s dark night of the soul (and a nightmarish vision of what unrestrained greed looks like without those interested in fairness and justice to stand in the way of the Mr. Potters of the world) connected with a new generation. It’s not hard to see why. It’s grounded in details of the times that inspired it — the Depression, World War II — but its vision of holiday kindness, and of the sort of country most of us would want to live in and the values of kindness and generosity most of us share, remains timeless.
In the years to come, we look forward to witnessing the continued brilliance and creativity of Li Chunlai, Xu Hujie, and other pioneering scientists who are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and shaping the future of science. Through their exemplary work and unwavering commitment to scientific excellence, they inspire us all to dream big, explore new horizons, and push the frontiers of human understanding.As the debate around online abuse in football continues to grow, it is clear that more needs to be done to protect players from harmful and damaging comments. The case of Davinson Sanchez serves as a stark reminder of the impact that online abuse can have on individuals, both personally and professionally.
Furthermore, research suggests that fat cells themselves have a memory of their own, with the ability to expand and contract in size based on past weight fluctuations. This cellular memory may make it easier for the body to regain lost fat stores, even after significant weight loss has been achieved. In essence, once an individual has been overweight or obese, their body may be predisposed to regain weight more easily compared to someone who has never experienced obesity.Algert Global LLC reduced its stake in shares of Assured Guaranty Ltd. ( NYSE:AGO – Free Report ) by 50.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,943 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 10,970 shares during the quarter. Algert Global LLC’s holdings in Assured Guaranty were worth $870,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. River Road Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Assured Guaranty in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $53,026,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Assured Guaranty by 82.6% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 662,354 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,101,000 after purchasing an additional 299,658 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Assured Guaranty by 37.4% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 678,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $52,322,000 after purchasing an additional 184,621 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP increased its position in shares of Assured Guaranty by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 981,131 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $78,020,000 after purchasing an additional 114,308 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of Assured Guaranty by 293.6% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 126,673 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,773,000 after purchasing an additional 94,486 shares during the last quarter. 92.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on shares of Assured Guaranty from $92.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Assured Guaranty from $87.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Assured Guaranty from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Insider Buying and Selling at Assured Guaranty In other news, Director Yukiko Omura sold 3,599 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.73, for a total value of $286,948.27. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 19,285 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,537,593.05. This represents a 15.73 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Also, CEO Dominic Frederico sold 31,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.01, for a total transaction of $2,480,310.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,380,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $110,423,321.19. This represents a 2.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 5.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Assured Guaranty Trading Down 0.1 % NYSE AGO opened at $93.28 on Friday. Assured Guaranty Ltd. has a one year low of $67.25 and a one year high of $96.60. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a PE ratio of 7.25 and a beta of 1.10. Assured Guaranty ( NYSE:AGO – Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 11th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $1.00. The firm had revenue of $269.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $202.57 million. Assured Guaranty had a net margin of 70.37% and a return on equity of 11.58%. Assured Guaranty’s revenue was down 33.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.42 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Assured Guaranty Ltd. will post 7.3 earnings per share for the current year. Assured Guaranty Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 22nd. Assured Guaranty’s payout ratio is 9.63%. About Assured Guaranty ( Free Report ) Assured Guaranty Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides credit protection products to public finance, infrastructure, and structured finance markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Insurance and Asset Management. The company offers financial guaranty insurance that protects holders of debt instruments and other monetary obligations from defaults in scheduled payments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Assured Guaranty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Assured Guaranty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .A child was hospitalized after a raccoon attack inside the family's home, state officials said Friday. The incident happened on Monday in Cassia County after the child's mom had just returned home with the infant still in the carrier, the Idaho Fish and Game Department said in a statement. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The mother then heard a loud noise in the home and ran to the infant to find a raccoon attacking him, officials said. “The mother found a raccoon attacking her infant. She was able to grab the animal to stop the attack,” the department said in a statement. The child was taken to the Cassia Regional Hospital and then transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City for further treatment, officials said. After the hospital drop-off, the child's father along with a Cassia County Sheriff's deputy returned to the home, found the raccoon still inside and killed it, wildlife officials said. The raccoon tested negative for rabies. Officials do not know how it got into the home. U.S. & World Toddler saved by mom before nearly falling off cliff overlooking Hawaii's Kilauea volcano Winning $1.22 billion Mega Millions ticket, fifth-largest jackpot ever, sold in California Raccoon attacks against humans are "extremely rare," but they can become aggressive if they feel threatened, officials said in a statement.
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