At least 65 million tune in for Netflix NFL Christmas Day games. NBA holiday ratings also skyrocket

Like it or not, LeBron James and the NBA are going to have to make room for the NFL no matter what day of the week Christmas Day falls. Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history while the NBA had its best holiday numbers in five years according to Nielsen. ...

NYC taxi driver was having a medical episode when he jumped the curb and hit people, police say

NEW YORK (AP) — A taxi driver whose car hit six pedestrians when he jumped a curb in a Manhattan shopping district on Christmas Day was having a medical episode at the time, New York City police said Thursday. Two of those hurt are Australians, according to that country's foreign...

Church closing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, donates the last of its money in Christmas act of charity

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — A church whose congregation has roots going back to the 19th century is closing and donating hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of its building to charity in a Pennsylvania city named for the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Trinity United Church of...

Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices

Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season even as Americans wrestled with elevated prices for many groceries and other necessities, according to new data. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, outpacing the 3.1% increase from a...

PHOTO COLLECTION: Christmas in Bethlehem

Victor Wembanyama scores 42 in a memorable Christmas debut but Spurs fall short against the Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama nearly obliterated the Spurs' Christmas record book in his first time playing on the holiday. Nearly won the game, too. His 42 points and 18 rebounds could only get San Antonio close before falling short, with the New York Knicks...

Corrections officer dies after inmate assault in Ohio prison on Christmas Day, officials say

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (AP) — A corrections officer died after an assault by an inmate in an Ohio prison on Christmas morning, authorities said Wednesday. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said correction officer Andrew Lansing died “following an inmate assault”...

Pope calls for nations to overcome divisions in Christmas address as communities celebrate worldwide

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia. ...

King Charles III focuses Christmas message on healthcare workers in year marked by royal illnesses

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III used his annual Christmas message Wednesday to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after both were diagnosed with cancer. The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually”...

Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. From his...