Orange Day

Orange Day

 Today (September 30th) is Orange Shirt Day in Canada.

Also known as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada.

It remembers the Indian-Forced Boarding Schools, those Children Abused (Verbally, Physically and Sexually) and those Children who died under Mysterious Circumstances and were buried in either Mass Graves or Unmarked Graves on the School Grounds.

There were 140 Federally and Religiously-Run (Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church) Indian Residential Schools in Canada between 1831 and 1998.

Schools operated in every Province and Territory with the exception of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

150,000 Indigenous Children were separated from their Families and forced to attend these Boarding Schools to “beat the Indian out of them.”

An estimated 30,000 Indigenous Children died under Mysterious Circumstances and were buried in Mass Graves or Unmarked Graves on the School Grounds.

From 2008-2015 the Canadian Government funded the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the crimes. The findings were that it was Cultural Genocide.

In 1994, the Presbyterian Church of Canada apologized for their Church’s role in the Residential Schools and the abuses committed there.

In 2004, the Canadian Royal Mounted Police apologized for their role in the Residential Schools and the abuses committed there.

In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the Canadian Government’s role in the Residential Schools and the abuses committed there.

In May 2022, Justin Wellby, the Bishop of Canterbury for the Anglican Church, apologized for their Church’s role in the Residential Schools and the abuses committed there.

In July 2022, while visiting Canada, Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in the Residential Schools and the abuses committed at them.

The British Monarch, the British Government and the Canadian Monarch have not apologized for their roles in the Residential Schools or the abuses committed there.

Since 2021, 59 Unmarked and Mass Graves have been discovered at these Residential Schools across Canada with more being discovered as more work is done at the sites.

Former Residential School Students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada. Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat.

Journée orange

Aujourd'hui (30 septembre) est la Journée du chandail orange au Canada.

Également connue sous le nom de Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation au Canada.

Il se souvient des pensionnats indiens forcés, de ces enfants maltraités (verbalement, physiquement et sexuellement) et de ces enfants qui sont morts dans des circonstances mystérieuses et ont été enterrés dans des fosses communes ou des tombes anonymes sur le terrain de l'école.

Entre 1831 et 1998, il y avait 140 pensionnats indiens fédéraux et religieux (églises protestantes et catholiques) au Canada.

Des écoles fonctionnaient dans chaque province et territoire à l'exception du Nouveau-Brunswick et de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard.

150 000 enfants autochtones ont été séparés de leurs familles et forcés de fréquenter ces internats pour « les chasser des Indiens ».

Environ 30 000 enfants autochtones sont morts dans des circonstances mystérieuses et ont été enterrés dans des fosses communes ou des tombes anonymes sur le terrain de l'école.

De 2008 à 2015, le gouvernement canadien a financé la Commission de vérité et réconciliation pour enquêter sur les crimes. Les conclusions étaient qu'il s'agissait d'un génocide culturel.

En 1994, l'Église presbytérienne du Canada a présenté ses excuses pour le rôle de son Église dans les pensionnats et les abus qui y avaient été commis.

En 2004, la Gendarmerie royale du Canada s'est excusée pour son rôle dans les pensionnats et les abus qui y ont été commis.

En 2008, le premier ministre Stephen Harper a présenté ses excuses pour le rôle du gouvernement canadien dans les pensionnats et les abus qui y ont été commis.

En mai 2022, Justin Wellby, l'évêque de Canterbury pour l'Église anglicane, s'est excusé pour le rôle de leur Église dans les pensionnats et les abus qui y ont été commis.

En juillet 2022, lors d'une visite au Canada, le pape François a présenté ses excuses pour le rôle de l'Église catholique dans les pensionnats et les abus qui y ont été commis.

Le monarque britannique, le gouvernement britannique et le monarque canadien ne se sont pas excusés pour leur rôle dans les pensionnats ni pour les abus qui y ont été commis.

Depuis 2021, 59 fosses communes et non marquées ont été découvertes dans ces pensionnats à travers le Canada et d'autres sont découvertes au fur et à mesure que des travaux sont effectués sur les sites.

Les anciens élèves des pensionnats indiens peuvent appeler le 1-866-925-4419 pour des services d'aiguillage en cas de crise émotionnelle et des informations sur d'autres soutiens de santé du gouvernement du Canada. Les peuples autochtones de partout au Canada peuvent également s'adresser à la ligne d'assistance de Hope for Wellness 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7 pour obtenir des conseils et une intervention en cas de crise. Appelez la ligne d'assistance sans frais au 1-855-242-3310 ou connectez-vous au chat en ligne.

 

NDRUSIRS

NDRUSIBS

 Today (September 30th) is National Day of Remembrance for US Indian Residential Schools.

There were 367 Indian Forced Boarding Schools inside the US (run by the US Federal Government, 29 US States and US Territories, different Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church) from 1819 to 1998 to “beat the Indian out of them.”

There were an unknown number of Indian Forced Assimilation Day Schools across the Country as well.

An estimated 250,000 Students were forced into these Indian Residential Schools inside the US.

There were an estimated 50,000 mysterious Children’s deaths at these Residential Schools with the Children simply being buried in Mass Graves or in Unmarked Graves on the School Property with no explanation or justice for their Parents.

There were unknown numbers of Verbal, Physical and Sexual Abuse at both the Residential and Day Schools well into the 1990s.

The US Government only started looking at these Abuse and Mysterious Deaths Claims in 2021 – called the “2021 Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative” - after several Unmarked and Mass Graves were found on Former Indian Boarding Sites in Canada and the United States.

The Federal Government, the State Governments, the Protestant Churches or the Catholic Church – which ran these Residential and Day Schools where these abuses were committed, have ever apologized for their role. 

Fall Twice

 

83: Babyn Yar

83: Babyn Yar

83 years ago today (September 29, 1941) the German Nazis and their Collaborators murdered 33,771 Men, Women and Children at Babyn Yar (Бабин Яр in Ukrainian) in Kyiv, Ukraine.

(Babi Yar, Ukraine - 1941)

The name Babyn Yar refers to an old woman (Baba) selling the ravine (Yar) to a Monastery in 1401.

A notice (in German, Ukrainian and Russian) was posted telling all Jews in Kyiv to meet at a certain time and place – with all their Documents and luggage -  so they could be resettled following a series of explosions throughout the city (caused by undercover Soviet NKVD Secret Police.) The notice also said that any Jews left in Kyiv afterwards would be shot on sight.

 The Germans expected around 6,000 people to show up, but instead over 33,700 came to the meeting point.

The Men, Women and Children were walked several miles to the Babyn Yar Ravine (then outside the city), made to undress and run naked through a column of Ukrainian Para-Military Collaborators to an open pit where the Germans shot them – children under 3 and babies were simply thrown in alive to be buried by the other bodies.

Only 29 people are known to have survived the massacre (by being shot and wounded then falling into the pit and hiding under the thousands of dead bodies until they could climb out in the darkness.)

Babyn Yar is the single largest Massacre of the Holocaust. 33,771 Men, Women and Children were murdered on September 29-30, 1941.

(Babyn Yar Memorial to the Children murdered by the Germans in Kyiv, Ukraine – I took in November 2007.)

A total of 150,000 People (Jews, Gypsies, Communists, Soviet Prisoners of War, Catholic Priests, Orthodox Priests and Partisans, etc.) murdered at the same spot until Kyiv was liberated in November 1943.

Paul Blobel (the German who organized and executed the Babyn Yar Massacre as well as other Massacres resulting in the deaths of 1 Million Men, Women and Children) was found guilty by a US Military Court in West Germany and hanged in 1951.

Day 984

Day 948 of Russia’s War in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United States starting on September 22^nd and met with President Biden, Vice-President Harris and Former President Trump to unveil his Victory Plan to them.

The Plan covers crucial aspects, including Long-Range Capabilities, Defense Packages, Sanctions against Russia, and the handling of Russian Assets. Zelenskyy emphasized that strong positions for Ukraine could lead to faster peace.

Ukraine still occupies part of Russia in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts (which is also part of their Victory Plan.)

Biden has been hesitant to allow Ukraine to use their weapons for long-range strikes inside Russia (despite many other Countries allowing Ukraine to use their weapons for the same purpose.)

Trump, who is an ally of Putin, favors forcing Ukraine to give its land to Russia in exchange for ending the War on Russia’s terms and giving Putin a victory for his War Crimes on innocent Men, Women and Children.

President Zelenskyy is now getting ready to go to the Ramstein Meeting in Germany on October 12^th to discuss his Victory Plan’s with other Allies.

The US should let Ukraine attack anywhere inside Russia and no one (including Trump) should side with Putin.

Great Job!

^ This is great news! ^

Hurricane Helene

From Reuters:

“Helene, one of largest storms to hit the US, brings chaos to Florida and Georgia”

Helene roared through Florida and Georgia under darkness on Friday as one of the most powerful storms to hit the U.S., killing at least four people, swamping neighborhoods and leaving more than 3 million homes and businesses without power. The Category 4 storm hit Florida's Big Bend region at 11:10 p.m. ET (0310 Friday GMT), leaving a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, stranded cars and flooded streets. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the death of a driver whose car was struck by debris and warned the death toll was likely to rise. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said on X that two people in Wheeler County had died after a tornado touched down during the storm, and an ABC News affiliate reported that a firefighter was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle in Blackshear, Georgia.

More than four million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and other U.S. Southeast states were without power, according to the tracking website Poweroutage.us. Police and firefighters carried out hundreds of water rescues throughout the states, including as far north as Atlanta, where an apartment complex had to be evacuated due to flooding.

Helene, which whipped Florida with 140 mph (225 kph) winds when it came ashore, weakened to a tropical storm as it moved into Georgia early on Friday. The still-powerful storm was packing sustained maximum winds of 70 mph (113 kph) as of 5 a.m. and was forecast to continue shuffling northward toward the Tennessee Valley. Life-threatening storm surges, winds and heavy rains continued, the NHC said. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for several counties in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina on Friday morning. "This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!" the service said. Flood levels higher than 9 feet are possible along Florida’s west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The extent of the damage in Florida was starting to emerge after daybreak. In coastal Steinhatchee, a storm surge - the wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds - of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters) moved mobile homes, the NWS said on X. The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues of residents and that many roads were impassable because of flood waters. The Pasco County sheriff's office rescued more than 65 people overnight.

The U.S. Coast Guard said one of its helicopter crews saved a man and his dog from the ocean on Thursday after his sailboat became disabled off Sanibel Island. Officials had pleaded with residents in Helene's path to heed evacuation orders, describing the the storm surge was "unsurvivable," as NHC director Michaen Brennan warned. In Taylor County, the Sheriff's Department wrote on social media that residents who decided not to evacuate should write their names and dates of birth on their arms in permanent ink "so that you can be identified and family notified." Some residents were staying stubbornly put. "We're under orders, but I'm going to stay right here at the house," state ferry boat operator Ken Wood, 58, told Reuters before the storm from coastal Dunedin in Florida, where he planned to ride out the storm with his 16-year-old cat Andy. Flood levels higher than 9 feet are possible along Florida’s west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Over the next five days, cumulative rainfall of up to 10 inches is possible in parts of the Southeastern United States.

Helene was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane, forecasters said, though a storm's size is not the same as its strength, which is based on maximum sustained wind speeds. A few hours before landfall, Helene's tropical-storm winds extended outward 310 miles, according to the National Hurricane Center. By comparison, Idalia, another major hurricane that struck Florida's Big Bend region last year, had tropical-storm winds extending 160 miles about eight hours before it made landfall.

Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee and St. Petersburg suspended operations on Thursday and remained closed early on Friday. Hundreds of flights into and out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta were delayed or cancelled, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com. National Hurricane Center advisory made on September 24 Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re said preliminary private insurance losses could reach $3 billion to $6 billion, with additional losses to federal insurance programs approaching a potential $1 billion.

^ I hope those affected get the help they need. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hurricane-helene-hits-florida-one-largest-storms-strike-us-2024-09-27/

Maggie Smith

From the BBC:

“Obituary: Dame Maggie Smith”

Dame Maggie Smith brought an incredible range of expression to her roles, winning high praise from directors and fellow actors alike. It was said of her that she never took a role lightly and would often be pacing around at rehearsals going over her lines while the rest of the cast was on a break. In a profession notorious for its uncertainties her career was notable for its longevity. She made her acting debut in 1952 and was still working six decades later having moved from aspiring star to national treasure.

Margaret Natalie Smith was born in Ilford, Essex on 28 Dec 1934 the daughter of a pathologist. With war looming the family moved to Oxford and the young Maggie, the name by which she was known from her early childhood, attended the Oxford School for Girls. She started out in the theatre as a prompt girl and understudy at the Oxford Repertory. She once claimed that she never got onto the stage there as not one of the company ever fell ill. Her company moved to a small theatre in London in 1955 where she attracted the attention of an American producer, Leonard Stillman, who cast her in New Faces, a revue that opened on Broadway in June 1956. She stood out among the cast of unknowns and, on her return to London, was offered a six month stint in the revue Share My Lettuce opposite Kenneth Williams. Her first film role was an uncredited part in the 1956 production Child in the House. Two years later she was nominated for a Bafta as best newcomer n the 1958 melodrama, Nowhere to Go, in which she played a girl who shelters an escaped convict. The Times, describing her role in the hit London production of Mary Mary in 1963, said that she was "the salvation of this fluffy Broadway comedy."

She nearly stole the show from Richard Burton in the film The VIPs when she appeared in a pivotal scene with the Welsh star. One critic noted that "when Maggie Smith is on the screen, the picture moves," and Burton afterwards teasingly described her upstaging of him as "grand larceny." Later in 1963, Laurence Olivier offered her the part of Desdemona opposite his Othello, at the National Theatre. The production, with the original cast, was made into a film two years later, with Smith being nominated for an Academy Award. The role which brought her international fame came in 1969 when she played the determinedly non-conformist teacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The part won her a best actress Oscar. She also married her co-star Robert Stephens. The actress continued with the National Theatre for another two years including a performance as Mrs Sullen in the Restoration comedy The Beaux' Stratagem in Los Angeles. She received another Oscar nomination for best actress after playing Aunt Augusta in the George Cukor film, Travels With My Aunt, in 1972. She and Stephens divorced in 1975, and a year later she was married to the playwright, Beverley Cross, and also moved to Canada and spent four years in a repertory company where she took on weightier roles in Macbeth and Richard III.

One critic, writing of her performance as Lady Macbeth, decided she had "merged her own vivid personality with that of her charismatic subject." Despite her success she was modest about her achievements, stating simply that "One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, and one's still acting." She continued to work in the cinema playing opposite Peter Ustinov in the 1978 film, Death on the Nile and, in the same year, the part of Diana Barrie in Neil Simon's California Suite. She won critical acclaim for her role as Betsey Trotwood in a BBC adaptation of David Copperfield

The 80s saw a number of memorable cinema performances, and more awards including Baftas for A Private Function and A Room With A View, the latter also garnering her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. There were more Baftas, first for her interpretation of the ageing alcoholic in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne and then in Bed Among The Lentils, one of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads series for the BBC. It was back to the stage in 1987 in Lettice and Lovage at the Globe Theatre in London before the production transferred to New York. But her run was interrupted after she suffered a bicycle accident and then learned she would need eye surgery. When she finally resumed work on Lettice and Lovage, after a 12 month break, her New York performance won her a Tony.

In 1990 she was created DBE and, a year later, appeared as the ageing Wendy in Hook, Stephen Spielberg's sequel to Peter Pan. Other films followed including Sister Act, alongside Whoopi Goldberg, and The Secret Garden for which she was nominated for a Bafta. The new century brought a Bafta and an Emmy nomination for role as Betsey Trotwood in the BBC production of David Copperfield.

A year later the average age of her fan base plummeted after she appeared as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a role she would reprise in all of the subsequent Potter movies. She was, reportedly, the only performer the author JK Rowling specifically asked for, bringing a small touch of Miss Jean Brodie to Hogwarts. In 2004 she appeared with her long time friend and fellow Dame Judi Dench, in the gentle drama Ladies in Lavender. The New York Times decided that Smith & Dench "sink into their roles as comfortably as house cats burrowing into a down quilt on a windswept, rainy night". Two years later she was the cash-strapped Countess of Trentham in Gosford Park, Robert Altman's take on the English country house murder. Her performance was a delight, with a veneer of snobbery from which would emerge the masterly put down, particularly in the case of Mr Novello's failed movie.

It was a role that she arguably reprised in all but name when she was cast in ITV drama, Downton Abbey. The name of her character may have changed to the Dowager Countess of Grantham but the performance was similar in essence. "It's true I don't tolerate fools, but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky," she once said. "Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies." She remained with the Downton Abbey cast until 2015 when the series finally came to an end, reprising the role for two films in 2019 and 2022.

In 2007, while filming Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was given the all-clear after two years of treatment. Despite being left feeling weak after her illness, she went on to star in the final Harry Potter film and received a Bafta nomination for her role in the 2012 film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In 2015 she gave a moving performance in the film, The Lady in the Van, based on the true tale of Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on the writer Alan Bennett's driveway in London for 15 years. She had previously appeared in the stage version of the story, for which she won an Olivier for Best Actress, and a 2009 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Bennett's play. Dame Maggie gave few interviews but she was once asked to define the appeal of acting. "I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it's there and then it's gone."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crggzy42v30o

1: Nagorno-Karabakh

Exactly 1 year ago (September 27, 2023) 100,617 Armenian Men, Women and Children (99% of the population) were forced to flee their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh overnight when the Azeris captured the region and took complete control.

Azerbaijan and Armenia do not have Diplomatic Ties, share a 600 mile border and have fight several Wars with each other since the 1980s: The first Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1988-1994, the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 and the 2023 Campaign.

There were also Anti-Armenian Pogroms in Azerbaijan (in Sumgait in 1988, in Shusha in 1988, in Kirovabad in 1988, in Baku in 1990, etc.) which forced Armenians, who had lived there for thousands of years, out of Azerbaijan and either moved to Armenia or to Nagorno-Karabakh.

From 2022 until September 2023 Azerbaijan had a complete blockade over Nagorno-Karabakh. No food, medicine or people could enter or leave.

In September 2023 the Azeris easily took over Nagorno-Karabakh (with its population starving.)

(An Armenian Family fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023)

The Capitol of Stepanakert (Armenian: Ստեփանակերտ) was renamed Xankəndi in Azeri and Azerbaijan quickly worked to erase Centuries of Armenian and Christian Culture with Azeri and Muslim Culture.

The Azeris stopped every single Armenian Man, Woman and Child fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin Corridor into Armenia. They harassed them, took people away, stole their things, etc.

The 1,920 Russian Peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh did nothing as the Azeris carried out their Repression (similar to what Russia is currently doing in Ukraine.)

Until September 2023, there was an Armenian Christian presence in Nagorno-Karabakh since the 7^th Century and there are many Ancient Christian Churches and Monasteries there – most of which have been or are being destroyed or ruined by the Azeris.

This was Ethnic Genocide in its purest form and yet hardly anyone called it out back then (I did.)

Hobo Rights

I got a message over a quote about a Hobo I posted. Apparently, the correct PC term isn't Hobo, but "Transient-American."

 Look, I am not anti-Hobo. 

In fact some of my best friends are Hobos. 

Hobos are people too. 

I believe in Hobo equal rights.

I think Hobos should be allowed to marry. 

I don't believe that Hobos should make less money than everyone else simply because they are Hobos. 

I celebrate all the Hobo holidays. I wear the Hobo colors for Hobo Awareness Day.

I remember everything I learned from AFN about Hobo Appreciation Month. 

I have even participated in a Hobo Pride Parade. 

The best thing about all of this is how often I used the word "Hobo" and know that that PC obsessed-freak won't like it.

New Aid

From Reuters:

“Biden announces $8 billion in military aid for Ukraine”

U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday to help Kyiv repel Russian invaders, using a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to make a major commitment. The aid includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 81 miles (130 km). The medium-range missile gives Ukraine a major upgrade to the weapons it is using to strike Russian forces, allowing the Ukrainians to do it at safer distances. The bomb, capable of striking targets with high accuracy, is to be dropped from fighter jets. Biden will not announce that Washington would let Ukraine use U.S. missiles to hit targets deeper in Russia, a U.S. official said. "We’re making clear that we stand with Ukraine now and in the future," Biden told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office. He said the U.S. would continue to help Ukraine strengthen its position on the battlefield, and that he had directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security funding by the end of his term in January.

Zelenskiy thanked Biden for his support and said it was important to secure Ukraine's future in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Zelenskiy has long sought NATO membership, but the allies have stopped short of taking that step. The bulk of the new aid, $5.5 billion, is to be allocated before Monday's end of the U.S. fiscal year, when the funding authority is set to expire. Another $2.4 billion is under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the administration to buy weapons for Ukraine from companies rather than pull them from U.S. stocks. This will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, unmanned aerial systems and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine's defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements, Biden said. Under his plan, the president said, the Defense Department will refurbish and provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and more Patriot missiles. Biden ordered the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, including by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year.

Zelenskiy thanked Biden and the U.S. Congress for the new military aid package, saying Ukraine would use it "in the most efficient and transparent manner". "I am grateful to the United States for providing the items that are most critical to protecting our people," Zelenskiy said on X, mentioning the Patriot battery, drones and long-range missiles.

REPUBLICAN CRITICISM OF ZELENSKIY To combat Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering, the U.S. will act to disrupt what Biden called "a global cryptocurrency network, in coordination with international partners. Biden said he will convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany next month to coordinate efforts of more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine. Before meeting Biden, Zelenskiy sat down with Democratic and Republican lawmakers at the Capitol. He talked with about two dozen senators from both parties for more than an hour, before a separate bipartisan session in the House of Representatives with about a dozen lawmakers. "It was bipartisan, it was positive," Republican Representative Joe Wilson, a leader of the House Ukraine caucus, told reporters.

Congress has approved nearly $175 billion of aid and military assistance for Ukraine and allied nations in the 2-1/2 years since Russia began its full-scale invasion, and many lawmakers say they expect Washington will need to approve more money to help Kyiv within the next several months. The visit was much lower-profile than previous trips to Congress. The Senate and House left Washington on Wednesday night until after the Nov. 5 presidential election. Senator Dick Durbin said Zelenskiy had presented his plan for victory. "It's pretty basic, and that is to make sure that the Ukrainians have the momentum going forward, and that requires not only personnel, but equipment and supplies to finish the job," Durbin told reporters.

Ukraine's defense has largely received bipartisan support in the U.S., but his government has faced rising criticism from some Republican leaders, including Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate. Trump has criticized the Ukrainian president as he campaigns for the Nov. 5 election and, at least for now, turned down a request from Zelenskiy for a meeting. The former president was critical of Zelenskiy on Wednesday, telling a campaign rally in North Carolina, "We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelenskiy." Trump also blamed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic presidential opponent, for allowing Russia's invasion. Many congressional Republicans have been furious about Zelenskiy's visit on Sunday to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Biden grew up. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee opened an investigation into Zelenskiy's trip. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who did not meet Zelenskiy on Thursday, demanded that he fire his ambassador to Washington for planning the Scranton trip, although he told reporters this demand was not a threat to oppose military aid.

^ I’m glad this was approved and hope even more Aid is approved. Trump wants Putin and Russia to win and we can’t allow that to happen. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-announces-8-billion-military-aid-ukraine-2024-09-26/

New Deadline

From Yahoo/NBC News:

“Congress funds the government but faces another shutdown threat before Christmas”

Lawmakers averted a government shutdown 40 days before the election, but they’ll face another funding crunch right before the holidays and a new Congress and president take office. Bipartisan negotiators have been trying to make progress on the 12 bills needed to fund federal agencies for the 2025 fiscal year. Yet there's little time to pass those bills during the lame-duck session; House members and senators are scheduled to be in Washington for only five weeks between Election Day and the end of the year, and the two chambers haven’t reached agreement on any of the dozen measures, known as appropriations bills. A more likely scenario is that Democrats and Republicans would strike an end-of-year deal on a massive, catchall omnibus spending package or punt the issue once again with another continuing resolution, or CR, that would extend funding into the new year on a short-term basis. They’ll need a new funding agreement before federal funding runs out on Dec. 20. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., insisted this week that the days of the just-before-Christmas omnibus — loaded up with legislative priorities from both parties — are over. “We are not going to return to the Christmas omnibus spending tradition, and that’s the commitment I’ve made to everyone,” Johnson told reporters after the House passed a stopgap funding measure Wednesday. Pressed about whether he would promise not to put an omnibus on the floor in December, Johnson wouldn’t answer directly: “We’ve worked very hard to break that tradition ... and we’ll see what happens in December.”

Senior appropriators said Congress are likely to end up where they have before when they’ve faced a lame-duck, year-end funding deadline: with a sweeping omnibus spending package. “I expect that we’ll negotiate an omnibus,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a member of the Appropriations Committee, noting that Johnson had said there would be no more CRs, then a new CR passed Wednesday. “The speaker, respectfully, doesn’t have the ability to draw lines in the sand when he can’t even control his own caucus. They continually need Democrats to actually get anything done, and we are governing from the minority,” she continued. “And so I’m pretty confident that at the end of the day, we’re going to make sure that we pass omnibus funding.” Far more House Democrats than Republicans voted for Wednesday's CR that will prevent a shutdown from starting next week, continuing a pattern of the minority’s carrying must-pass legislation through the lower chamber this Congress. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., predicted that the two parties could come to a deal and avoid a shutdown in December. But he said the results of the election will dictate what eventually happens. Continued divided government could lead to tense negotiation, while, for example, if Republicans sweep the House, the Senate and the White House, they may push for another short-term funding patch into 2025, after they take the reins of power. “I always worry about [a shutdown] until we don’t have to worry about it. But no, I don’t think so. I think we’ll get there,” Cole said of the possibility of a shutdown in December. “A lot will depend on who wins the election and what the president-elect, whether it’s Donald Trump or current Vice President Harris, want to do.”

While it’s impossible to predict who will come out on top on Nov. 5, Johnson is fighting to grow the House Republican majority, and he said Wednesday he'd like to remain speaker in the next Congress if the GOP manages to hold the House. So he’ll have to tread carefully as he negotiates a new funding deal in December, hoping not to alienate rank-and-file Republicans whose votes he may need to keep the speaker’s gavel. Asked about an omnibus, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the Freedom Caucus who at times has clashed with Johnson, said Republicans will “fight it, take our case to the American people about how a Christmas omnibus will not be good for the American people, will rack up debt.” And even though he voted no on the CR on Wednesday, Roy praised Johnson’s strategy on funding, assigning blame to the 14 Republicans who scuttled Johnson’s original plan to link a six-month funding bill to a Trump-backed bill, the SAVE Act, that would require proof of citizenship to vote. After that plan was defeated, Johnson struck a deal with Democrats on the clean, nearly three-month CR that will carry the government through December. “I thought that what Speaker Johnson and all of us fought to put together on the floor was a noble effort to get it out of December, Goal 1, and Goal 2, to get the SAVE Act out there and fight for it and see what happens,” said Roy, the author of the SAVE Act. Some Republicans, he said, “decided to kill it, so they got to answer to now we’ve got a CR into December. Congratulations, congressmen.”

The full House has already passed five of the 12 appropriations bills for the new fiscal year. The Senate Appropriations Committee sent 11 out of 12 spending bills to the floor, where none of them have had votes. Identical versions of all 12 bills need to pass both chambers of Congress every year to fund the government, which rarely happens, with recent Congresses relying heavily on CRs and omnibuses to keep the lights on. "What Leader Schumer should have done is brought the appropriations bills to the floor. That way, some of them would have already been signed into law or would have been headed to the president's desk," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the top GOP appropriator in the upper chamber, referring to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Conservative Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he has deep concerns Congress will give up on trying to pass individual appropriations bills and lump everything together in one giant omnibus. “Of course I do. Everybody does, because it’s the same thing that this town constantly repeats. We do some massive spending bill right before Christmas that nobody ever really sees because the deal’s been cut by the Four Corners,” Donald said, referring to the top congressional leaders: Johnson; Schumer; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “They cut some deal with the White House and everybody goes home,” he said, “and the problems persist in our nation’s capital.”

^ We will be back at this again on December 20^th. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-funds-government-faces-another-130000801.html

Zelenskyy Meets Biden

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska met with U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden today.

Rain

 

Zelenskyy In US

From the BBC:

“Zelensky to present 'victory plan' to Biden, Harris and Trump”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to present a "plan for victory" in the country's war with Russia to President Joe Biden during this week's visit to the US.

(Before meeting Biden, the Ukrainian President visited a Munitions Factory in Pennsylvania.)

Zelensky also intends to present the plan to Congress and the two candidates in the US presidential election: Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. He is expected to ramp up efforts to persuade the US and its allies to allow Ukraine to fire the missiles they supplied deep into Russian territory for the first time in the war. Zelensky's visit to the US coincides with efforts from the White House to prepare a new $375m (£283m) military aid package for Ukraine. This autumn would "determine the future of this war," Zelensky wrote in a post on X. In a statement ahead of the visit, the Ukrainian leader previewed three elements to his plan: further weapons donations, diplomatic efforts to force Russia to agree to peace, and holding Moscow accountable for its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukraine has been pleading for months for the US, UK and other Western allies to ease restrictions on the use of long-range missiles so it can strike targets in Russia which Kyiv says are used to launch attacks. Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries that he would consider long-range missile strikes to be "direct participation" by the Nato military alliance in the war. When asked by reporters on Sunday whether he had made a decision on allowing Ukraine to use US-made long-range weapons, Biden answered: "No."

Trump has previously criticised US support for Ukraine and spoken highly of Putin, but said he would "probably" meet Zelensky. The ex-president previously flagged his own plan to end the war "within 24 hours" if re-elected in November, but has not given details. According to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he met in March, Trump has vowed to "not give a penny in the Ukraine-Russia war. That is why the war will end". Zelensky's statement also voiced gratitude for the support from Ukraine's allies to date, singling out the US in particular as its "leading supporter".

The US has been the largest foreign donor to Ukraine, and to date has provided $56bn for its defence.

After arriving in the US on Sunday, Zelensky stopped in Biden's birth town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to visit a munitions factory involved in supplying the Ukrainian war effort. After Washington, Zelensky is expected to head to New York and the United Nations for a planned meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday and a speech at the General Assembly on Wednesday.

^ The United States (regardless if a Republican or a Democrat is President) needs to continue to support Ukraine with Money and Weapons until Russia ends its War. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y30244467o

Ok

 

Christmas TV: 2

From TV Line:

“Christmas Time Is Here! Your Guide to Every New Holiday TV-Movie in 2024”

It’s never too early to get in the holiday spirit. Netflix, Hallmark Channel, Great American Family and Lifetime have already announced several original Christmas movies on tap for 2024 — including a handful of films premiering as early as this summer. Beginning Saturday, June 29 and extending through Wednesday, Dec. 25, all of your favorite basic cable networks and streaming services are serving up yuletide cheer, and TVLine is compiling a comprehensive list to help you keep track of every festive flick.

HALLMARK CHANNEL

Falling Like Snowflakes Premiere Date: Saturday, June 29 at 8/7c Cast: Rebecca Dalton, Marcus Rosner  Premise: A photographer (Dalton), determined to complete her exhibit by capturing a rare photo of a 12-sided snowflake, enlists the help of a childhood friend (Rosner) and they go on a mission they’ll never forget.

Rescuing Christmas (Previously on Hallmark Movies Now) Premiere Date: Saturday, July 13 at 8/7c Cast: Rachael Leigh Cook, Sam Page  Premise: Erin (Cook) is granted three Christmas wishes – with her final wish being that Christmas would just disappear. And to her bewilderment, it does!  Can potential suitor Sam (Page) help her bring back Christmas?

A Very Vermont Christmas Premiere Date: Saturday, July 20 at 8/7c Cast: Katie Leclerc, Ryan McPartlin  Premise: A local champion skier (Leclerc) and Vermont brew master (McPartlin) teams up with an unlikely match to create a seasonal microbrew, in order to save her family’s business by Christmas.

‘Twas the Date Before Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 18 at 8/7c Cast: Robert Buckley, Amy Groening Premise: To prevent her family from canceling the “Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics,” Jessie (Groening) lies and says she’s inviting a date to the long-standing holiday tradition. She meets Bryan (Buckley) on a dating app, and he agrees to spend the holiday with her and her family. As Jessie and Bryan engage in eccentric activities like the search for the Christmas tree star, gift wrapping contest and snowball fight, they start to develop real feelings for each other. Soon her family begins to catch on to their secret and Bryan suspects she may be hiding the real reason for her unusual Christmas date request. As the celebrations continue, Jessie must work to keep all her stories straight and save her date with Bryan.

Holiday Crashers  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 8/7c Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Daniella Monet, Chris McNally, Jag Bal Premise: Best friends Toni (Fonseca) and Bri (Monet) have worked at the same card shop for more years than they should as both struggle to find their true life’s path. This holiday season, Toni and Bri decide to shake up their humdrum world by creating new identities to crash the amazing Christmas parties from the shop’s confidential invitations. All harmless fun! Until Toni gets mistaken for a lawyer, which isn’t too far off the mark since she did finish law school… just never completed the bar exam. Toni and Bri are then whisked away to a fancy corporate Christmas retreat in the snowy Vermont mountains by handsome business mogul, Justin (McNally), whose crush on Toni is real even if her legal career isn’t. And Bri is along for the ride as she has eyes for Vinny (Bal), a valet who may have a secret of his own. Can a distraction help Bri find what path in life she’s supposed to follow? Will Toni end up with the guy of her dreams or in a blizzard of trouble? This fun Christmas crashing romp will either end in disaster or two happily-ever-afters!

Scouting for Christmas  Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8/7c Cast: Tamera Mowry-Housley, Carlo Marks, Marci T. House Premise: Angela (Mowry-Housley) has been a busy realtor since her amicable divorce a couple of years ago to Dakota (James Paladino, Lucky Hank), a paleontologist whose adventures kept him anywhere but home. Now, she is a devoted if often harried, single mom to a smart and loving 10-year-old girl, Brooklyn (Audrey Wise Alvarez, The Good Doctor). Angela’s busy schedule makes it hard for her to find time for much of anything — or anyone — else. As it is, she can barely get Brooklyn to her scout meetings on time, much to the disapproval of the other mothers. When Brooklyn gets the idea to have William (Marks), the owner of her favorite bakery, cater her scout troop’s posh annual holiday event, she asks Angela to work with him on pitching the idea to the moms in charge. Despite sensing that her daughter might be trying to play cupid, she agrees to help and finds herself enjoying time with him, but is reluctant to open her heart and life to someone new. When Dakota returns, missing her, Angela must decide what is best for her daughter and best for her heart.

Operation Nutcracker (Previously on Hallmark Movies Now) Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 25 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Newbrough, Christopher Russell Premise: When an antique nutcracker set to be auctioned at the Warby family Christmas charity goes missing, a demanding event planner (Newbrough) and the heir to the Warby dynasty (Russell) try to track it down.

The Christmas Charade  Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Skarsten, Corey Sevier Premise: Whitney (Skarsten), a cautious librarian raised by home security experts, finds herself in a real-life adventure when a blind date mix-up leads her into an undercover FBI operation. Forced to pose as the girlfriend of Special Agent Josh (Sevier), she helps him track down an art thief targeting the Saint Nicholas Ruby at a Christmas Eve charity ball. As the stakes rise, Whitney must embrace her inner action hero to save the day—and her family—just in time for Christmas.

The 5-Year Christmas Party  Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8/7c Cast: Katie Findlay, Jordan Fisher Premise: Over five years, Alice (Findlay) and her old theater school rival, Max (Fisher), reunite each holiday season to work at a Chicago catering company’s Christmas parties. While their undeniable chemistry grows, the timing is never right for romance – until the company’s final season pushes them to confront their true feelings. As they say goodbye to the job that brought them together, they might finally find love in the most unexpected way.

A Carol for Two  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Ginna Claire Mason, Jordan Litz, Charlotte D’amboise Premise: After moving to New York to make it on Broadway, Violette Wagner (Mason) gets a job at Fiore’s, a legendary theater district diner, famous for its singing wait staff, who bide their time there, while awaiting that big break. Luck seems to be on her side when she gets a coveted slot, singing during Fiore’s annual Christmas Eve concert, which is attended by a who’s who of the theatre world. But her big opportunity turns out to be a duet with Alex (Litz), who has been less than welcoming, and believes she was only given the job because the owner of Fiore’s is a family friend. They’re stuck with each other, though, since people have been plucked out of that show and put right on Broadway. As they rehearse together, Alex’s cousin, Brad, takes an interest in Violette, and they begin dating but, unbeknownst to her, Alex has been feeding Brad information about her, Cyrano-style, to win her over. However, when Alex begins developing feelings for her as well, a love triangle ensues, and things come to a head when their deception is uncovered, which, in turn, threatens Violette and Alex’s big opportunity.

Our Holiday Story  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 8/7c Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Warren Christie Premise: As Dave (Christie) and Nell (DeLoach) recount their love story to their daughter’s boyfriend Chris, we follow them through one special Christmas where fate routinely brought them together – and kept them apart. But as Dave and Nell tried to find one another, they were oblivious to the fact that they were work nemeses paired together to throw a Christmas festival for their town. Meanwhile in the present, Chris struggles with relationship issues of his own as he attempts to say “I love you” for the first time to his girlfriend Jo. As our two couples and storylines intersect, lessons are taught and learned about communication, honesty and the capacity for change — in ourselves and in others.

Holiday Mismatch  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 3 at 8/7c Cast: Caroline Rhea, Beth Broderick Premise: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch reunion! When free-spirited Kath (Rhea) and uptight Barbara (Broderick) clash at a Christmas committee meeting, they’re shocked to discover they’ve accidentally set up their adult children via a dating app. Determined to stop the romance, the two mothers team up, only to realize they have more in common than they thought. As their kids’ love blossoms, so does an unexpected friendship between their meddling moms, bringing both families together for a festive Christmas.

Trivia at St. Nick’s  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Tammin Sursok, Brant Daugherty Premise: Pretty Little Liars reunion! When students all flee an elite university in Vermont for winter break, the locals and faculty hunker down for their favorite time of year – the annual Christmas Bar Trivia Tournament! For Celeste (Sursok), a Type-A astronomy professor, this event combines the magic of Christmas with her greatest comfort in life: knowing the right answer. But when her colleague drops out of the tournament to do a month-long lecture tour in Asia, Celeste’s team must adopt Max (Daugherty), the football team’s new offensive coordinator. To Celeste, Max seems like nothing more than a grown-up class clown – though he brings an undeniable knowledge of sports trivia (a category their team has always fallen short in). Initial clashes between the two eventually turn into mutual appreciation as the team enjoys scavenger hunts on campus, decorating the international house with Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies, and advancing toward the championship trivia game. Celeste can’t help but delight in Max’s infectious enthusiasm, love for all things Christmas and perhaps most importantly, his comfort with the unknown. And after a romantic wintery night at the campus observatory with Max, Celeste starts to wonder if being open to life’s surprises is more important than knowing the answer to everything.

Santa Tell Me  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8/7c Cast: Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing, Benjamin Ayres, Christopher Russell, Kurt Szarka Premise: When Calls the Heart reunion! When Olivia (Krakow), a successful interior designer, finds an old letter from Santa promising she’ll meet the love of her life by Christmas Eve—and that his name will be Nick—she’s stunned to meet not one, but three guys named Nick (Ayres, Russell, Szarka). As she navigates these holiday romances, Olivia also finds herself drawn to her charming co-worker, Chris (Lissing), throwing her magical Christmas quest into question. With the clock ticking toward Christmas Eve, Olivia embarks on a heartwarming and humorous journey to uncover her true soulmate.

 ‘Tis the Season to Be Irish  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8/7c Cast: Fiona Gubelmann, Eoin Macken Premise: Rose (Gubelmann), a nomadic house flipper, heads to Ireland to renovate and sell a cottage, but her plans are upended when she meets Sean (Macken), a local realtor determined to preserve his town’s heritage. As she works on the cottage and embraces Irish Christmas traditions, Rose finds herself falling for Sean and questioning her fear of settling down. Together, they must confront their pasts and discover if love is worth taking root.

Christmas With the Singhs  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Anuja Joshi, Ben Hollingsworth Premise: For Asha Singh (Joshi), Christmas is the most important time of the year. But when she’s stuck working at the hospital during the holidays, she wishes for some much-needed Christmas magic. Enter Jake (Hollingsworth), her former high school classmate, who unexpectedly reappears in her life. After a magical year together, Jake proposes. But their first Christmas as an engaged couple isn’t exactly the fairytale they imagined. When they head home for the holidays, they quickly discover their picture-perfect romance is about to get a serious reality check: their families couldn’t be more different! Juggling various holiday traditions, big personalities, cultural differences and complicated family dynamics proves to be a challenge as Asha and Jake have to learn if they can bridge their two families and survive a Christmas with the Singhs.

Jingle Bell Run  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Williams, Andrew Walker Premise: Avery (Williams) is an unadventurous schoolteacher whose sister secretly signs her up for The Great Holiday Dash, a Christmas-themed reality competition show where she’s paired with former hockey player Wes (Walker). Despite clashing at first, Avery’s puzzle-solving skills and Wes’ physical prowess help them excel as they travel from city to city and compete in festive feats that have a local flavor. It’s not long before a real connection between these opposites begins to blossom. But when Avery overhears a conversation between Wes and a show producer it threatens to derail their budding romance. Keeping their eyes on the prize, the duo continues to dash to the finish line but there may be a more personal adventure for them still in store.

Confessions of a Christmas Letter  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 8/7c Cast: Angela Kinsey, Alec Santos Premise: Settie Rose (Kinsey), a quirky family matriarch, enters her town’s annual holiday letter-writing contest but needs help, so she hires struggling novelist Juan (Santos) to craft the perfect letter. When a mix- up leads to the rumor that Juan is engaged to Settie’s daughter Lily (Lillian Doucet- Roche, The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death is Listening), the whole family scrambles to keep up the charade. As Juan bonds with the Roses and overcomes his writer’s block, Settie learns that embracing her imperfect family is what truly makes her story special. Features a cameo appearance by Brian Baumgartner (The Office).

Christmas on Call  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 22 at 8/7c Cast: Sara Canning, Ser’Darius Blain Premise: In the lead-up to Christmas, emergency room doctor Hannah Michaels (Canning) juggles her demanding job and a budding romance with EMT Wes Sullivan (Blain) in Philadelphia. They spend time together as Wes helps her become more acquainted with the sights, sounds and tastes of Philadelphia, it’s clear that they’re starting to fall for each other. As the local First Responders balance duty with holiday celebrations, they come together to face challenges, support each other and find moments of joy. Features a cameo appearance by Donna Kelce.

Three Wiser Men and a Boy  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8/7c Cast: Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker, Margaret Colin Premise: The story begins five years later with the Brenner brothers preparing for another memorable Christmas. In a crazy turn of events, possibly brought on accidently by the brothers themselves, the director of Luke’s (Walker) son Thomas’ (Miles Marthaller, Round and Round) school holiday musical steps down. Luke is desperate to make his son’s stage dreams come true, so he enlists the help of his brothers Taylor (Hynes) and Stephan (Campbell). Meanwhile, the trio navigates meeting their mom Barbara’s (Colin) new boyfriend and the brothers grapple with their own feelings about this relationship. In true Brenner brother fashion, they are all in for a Christmas they will never forget.

To Have and To Holiday  Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 8/7c Cast: Madeleine Arthur, Robert Bazzocchi, Eric Close Premise: When Celeste (Arthur) gets engaged to Jason (Bazzocchi) after just a few months of dating, her father and the couple’s would be officiant, Pastor Mark (Close), insists on putting them through a pre- wedding “bootcamp” filled with Christmas-themed challenges. As the couple grows stronger through the festive activities, Celeste considers following her dreams in the fashion industry. Meanwhile, Pastor Mark learns to trust his daughter’s choices, leading to a heartwarming holiday season for the whole family.

Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 28 at 8/7c Cast: Rachel Boston, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tanner Novlan, Matthew James Dowden, Max Lloyd-Jones Premise: Three adult siblings (Lamothe-Kipnes, Dowden, Lloyd-Jones) return to their childhood home at Christmas to honor their late grandmother’s wishes and try to agree on new leadership for the family’s company. Enter Annie Merkel (Boston) – also known as Mrs. Miracle – who poses as an estate planner and uses her special brand of Christmas magic to help the family find common ground and rekindle their bonds. As the siblings try to sort things out, Charlotte (Lamothe-Kipnes) also finds herself reconnecting with Austin (Novlan), the manor’s caretaker and her first love.

A ’90s Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 6/5c Cast: Eva Bourne, Chandler Massey, Katherine Barrell Premise: Workaholic lawyer Lucy Miller (Bourne) is celebrating her promotion alone on Christmas Eve when a mysterious rideshare experience transports her back to 1999. Reliving the holiday with her mom, sister and best friend – not to mention her high school crush – Lucy gets a second chance to understand where her relationships went wrong. Will this magical journey help her rewrite her future or leave her destined to be alone?

Deck the Walls  Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 29 at 8/7c Cast: Ashley Greene, Wes Brown, Danny Pellegrino Premise: Rose (Greene) is a Chicago-based interior designer, whose brother Sal (Pellegrino) is responsible for a Christmas Charity House Flip back in their suburban Ohio hometown. When a budget crisis puts this important project in danger, Rose reluctantly returns during the holidays to try to save the day. Not ready to face the ghosts of her past, Rose’s plan is to get in, get it done, and get out ASAP. But before she knows it, she is face-to-face with Brysen (Brown), her brother’s best friend, contractor and who just so happens to be the bane of Rose’s youth. With the help of friends and family, and buoyed by the season of giving, the trio figures out a way to work together for this worthy cause. As Rose works, she discovers unexpected love and deeper purpose along the way.

Believe in Christmas  Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6/5c Cast: Meghan Ory, John Reardon Premise: When Beatrice (Ory) reluctantly joins her best friend on a trip to the enchanting Christmasland, she’s skeptical of the holiday magic surrounding them. But as she experiences festive traditions and meets a charming stranger named Ethan (Reardon), she begins to question what’s real and what’s part of the experience. In the end, Christmasland helps Beatrice rediscover hope, love, and the magic of new beginnings.

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 30 at 8/7c Cast: Hunter King, Tyler Hynes, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Riehle, Diedrich Bader, Christine Ebersole, Megyn Price Premise: Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick – unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary. Features cameos by Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid, Chiefs Players Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman Jr., Clyde Edwards-Helaire and George Karlaftis, Donna Kelce, and Jenna Bush Hager.

The Finnish Line Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 6/5c Cast: Kim Matula, Beau Mirchoff, Nichole Sakura Premise: Inspired by her father’s acclaimed legacy in dog sled racing, Anya (Matula) decides to follow in his footsteps. After his passing, she heads to Finland to participate in the 40th annual Joulurauha race, her father’s final race where he fell short of the victory. Following an injury to her lead dog during the qualifying race, Anya finds herself partnered with a new canine companion owned by journalist and former racer Cole, (Mirchoff) who aims to pen a story about her journey. Struggling to build trust with her new dog and facing her father’s rival, Monty, (Páll Sigþór Pálsson, Mr. Murphy) Anya must navigate many challenges as she strives to win the race.

The Christmas Quest  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8/7c Cast: Lacey Chabert, Kristoffer Polaha Premise: An archeologist (Chabert) and her ex-husband (Polaha), an expert in ancient Norse languages, are sent to Iceland at Christmastime to search for the legendary treasure of the Yule Lads. When others join in the hunt, the pair find themselves swept into a thrilling adventure as they race to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

Private Princess Christmas  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 6 at 8/7c Cast: Ali Skovbye, Derek Klena, Erica Durance Premise: Vi (Skovbye), better known as Princess Violet of Wingravia, adores the privileges of being a royal, if none of the responsibilities. After being disappointed by Vi one time too many, the Queen (Durance) decides to test her daughter’s mettle once and for all and issues an ultimatum: Vi must pass a vigorous leadership boot camp in Colorado or lose the throne to her uncle. At boot camp, Vi and her fellow cadets are put through a rigorous grind under the uncompromising supervision of Captain Ryan Douglas (Klena).

Sugarplummed  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8/7c Cast: Maggie Lawson, Janel Parrish Premise: Emily (Lawson) has always dreamed of creating the perfect Christmas, meticulously planning every detail year after year, only to feel like she’s falling short. Hoping to bring her family closer together, she makes a wish for a holiday as picture-perfect as the ones she sees in a made-for-TV holiday movie. To her shock, Sugarplum (Parrish), the film’s relentlessly optimistic main character, magically steps off the screen to make Emily’s wish come true — whether she’s ready for it or not. As Sugarplum applies her movie-world rules to real life, Emily gets caught up in the possibility of finally achieving the flawless family Christmas. But when Sugarplum’s magical fixes start to backfire one by one, Emily begins to question what an ideal holiday really is. With time running out, Emily and Sugarplum find themselves on a heartwarming adventure – one that might just amount to an entirely different kind of Christmastime perfection.

Leah’s Perfect Gift  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8/7c Cast: Emily Arlook, Evan Roderick, Barbara Niven Premise: Leah Meyer (Arlook) is a bonafide lover of Christmas – the trees, the ornaments, the eggnog! But she has always admired the holiday from afar because she’s Jewish. Though her family celebrates Hanukkah, Leah has longed to experience a traditional Christmas. When her boyfriend Graham (Roderick) invites her to spend the holidays with his classic Connecticut family, she eagerly accepts. Excited to dive into the quintessential Christmas she’s always dreamed of, Leah quickly discovers that fitting in with Graham’s uptight family and his not-so-welcoming mom (Niven) is easier said than done. As holiday traditions clash and awkward moments pile up, it is not quite the cozy Christmas that she expected.

Hanukkah on the Rocks  Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 13 at 8/7c Cast: Stacey Farber, Daren Kagasoff, Marc Summers Premise: One week before Hanukkah, corporate lawyer Tory (Farber) finds herself unexpectedly unemployed and questioning the career she’s dedicated years to. As she helps her Bubby prepare for the holiday, she embarks on a quest across Chicago to find the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles. Her search leads her to Rocky’s, an Old Town bar, where she encounters Jay (Kagasoff), a charming doctor from Florida, his grandfather Sam (Summers) and a cast of quirky regulars who make her rethink everything. Torn between keeping her job loss a secret and embracing a newfound sense of belonging, Tory ends up bartending at Rocky’s, transforming it into the vibrant “Hanukkah on the Rocks” celebration. Through festive food, drinks, and games, she revitalizes the bar, bonds with Jay, and finds the courage to pursue her true calling. As Tory navigates the holiday, she learns that sometimes a detour can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be, lighting the way to a future filled with joy, romance, and self-discovery.

The Santa Class  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8/7c Cast: Kimberley Sustad, Benjamin Ayres Premise: Kate North (Sustad) finds herself reluctantly taking over her father’s once acclaimed and now struggling Santa School. In the weeks leading up to Christmas and the school’s next session, Kate and her new co-worker Dan (Ayres) discover who they believe to be the real Santa Claus, lost and without his memories after his sled steered off course and crashed near the school. They decide to help him remember who he is by inviting him to participate in the intense Santa training program. There’s a lot at stake this year with Kate’s school needs to best the rival St. Nicholas School or be forced to close their doors, and Nick (Santa Claus) needs to remember who he is, or the fate of Christmas might be at stake.

Following Yonder Star  Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8/7c Cast: Brooke D’Orsay, John Brotherton Premise: Abby Marshall (D’Orsay), once celebrated for her role as an inspirational mother on TV, is finding her real life in shambles after dealing with a scandal. She retreats to a luxury Vermont resort for Christmas only to find herself without a room due to a booking mishap. All the local hotels are booked up due to a rare astronomical event – a beautiful star said to mirror the Star of Bethlehem will appear on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Abby finds a room at a quaint B&B, owned by Tom Maguire (Brotherton), who is also a high school astronomy teacher. Since his wife’s passing, Tom has taken on a lot of extra responsibilities, including running the inn and directing the local church’s Christmas pageant. Empathizing with Tom, Abby offers to help with the pageant and various activities around the inn and finds herself enjoying both the projects and Tom’s company. Through newfound community, family and love, Abby discovers that hope sometimes comes in the most unexpected ways.

Happy Howlidays  Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8/7c Cast: Jessica Lowndes (Major Crimes), opposite the to-be-announced winner of Finding Mr. Christmas Premise: Mia (Lowndes), a meticulous webpage editor for the Seattle Tourism Board, finds herself unexpectedly navigating the holidays alone. As the only one working, she’s drawn into an unusual encounter when she encounters a stray dog. Unsure how to handle the situation, she crosses paths with Max (Winner of Finding Mr. Christmas), a dog shelter owner. Mia agrees to let Max’s ailing dog find solace with her newfound companion, in exchange for Max showing her the hidden gems of Seattle. Through their journey together, they both step out of their comfort zones, discovering new perspectives and forming a meaningful connection.

 

HALLMARK MYSTERY

This Time Each Year Premiere Date: Thursday, Oct. 24 at 8/7c Cast: Alison Sweeney, Niall Matter Premise: Lauren (Sweeney) and Kevin (Matter) were once happily married and thriving as a family but the couple has spent almost the past year in a trial separation and are working hard to co-parent their young son Charlie (Ezra Wilson). Kevin is determined to make their family whole again and it’s clear he and Lauren still care for each other deeply. When Lauren’s mother (Laura Soltis) suddenly comes into town, she asks Kevin to pretend they’re still together as she hasn’t yet broken the news to her. As they try to keep up this ruse, they begin to remember what life was like and Lauren sees the strides Kevin has made to get back on the right path and just maybe, this holiday will be a season of healing and bring happiness back into their lives.

My Sweet Austrian Holiday  Premiere Date: Thursday, Oct. 31 at 8/7c Cast: Brittany Bristow, Will Kemp Premise: Charlotte (Bristow) is an American, who has lived in Viena since inheriting a chocolate shop from her grandparents two years ago. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to grow the business into a successful enterprise. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year and Charlotte has been selected as one of the finalists for Vienna’s chocolatier of the year. Taking home the prize could provide some much-needed money to fend off a large developer from taking over her grandparents’ shop. Charlotte soon meets and befriends Henry (Kemp), and they bond over their shared affinity for quality chocolate. But a surprising twist of fate just might end their newfound relationship on a bittersweet note.

Five Gold Rings  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 7 at 8/7c Cast: Holland Roden, Nolan Gerard Funk Premise: When New York City painter Audrey Moss (Roden) returns to her small Minnesota hometown for the holidays, she’s met with an unexpected quest from her beloved late grandmother: find the owners of five mysterious gold rings and return them to their rightful homes before Christmas morning, only nine days away. In her bequeathment, Grandma also urges Audrey to team up with local private investigator and childhood friend, Finn O’Sullivan (Funk). From gingerbread house building to the annual Giving Gala, these two begin to bond over more than just their quest. As Audrey and Finn unravel the mystery of the missing rings’ owners, they discover there is more to their relationship than they ever expected to find.

A Reason for the Season  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 14 at 8/7c Cast: Taylor Cole, Kevin McGarry Premise: In order to earn her trust fund, Evie (Cole) is tasked with granting Christmas wishes to the people who saved her life on the night of her birth. To aid in her cause, she employs Kyle (McGarry), a handsome local attorney, to track down those who helped and attempts to secretly learn what they might want while maintaining her anonymity. With Christmas fast approaching, the heiress and the attorney can’t resist falling for each other’s charms as they ramp up their gift giving efforts. But as time ticks down, will she be able to accomplish the mission and grant all of the wishes by Christmas Eve?

A Novel Noel  Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 21 at 8/7c Cast: Julie Gonzalo, Brendan Penny Premise: A successful New York City book editor (Gonzalo), who is losing touch with her passion after a few setbacks this year learns she was chosen to run a bookstore in the small town of Saint Ives for the month of December. While realizing a childhood dream, but butting heads with the handsome son (Penny) of the bookstore owners, she comes to realize that her love for bringing out the creativity of others is still her true calling, and untapped talent (and love) can be found anywhere… even in the writings of a cranky business-minded man, especially at Christmas.

Christmas Under the Lights  Premiere Date: Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 8/7c Cast: Heather Hemmens, Marco Grazzini Premise: Emily (Hemmens) is always reluctant to return home to her family’s animal rescue ranch — but when her mother passes away, her brother Nick requests her help organizing the annual Christmas Carnival. When she arrives, she discovers Nick’s friend, Luke (Grazzini), staying at the ranch — and that Luke was once a successful artist who works with light. Though initially reluctant to collaborate, Emily and Luke work hard to pull off the best, most light-filled carnival the town has ever seen, a healing celebration of Emily’s mother’s legacy and the magic of Christmas — and along the way feel sparks of romance as radiant as the lights themselves.

A Dance in the Snow  Premiere Date: Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8/7c Cast: Erica Cerra, Mark Ghanimé, Vanessa Burghardt, Dorian Giordano Premise: Melanie’s (Cerra) 17-year-old autistic daughter Jenny (Burghardt) is a senior in high school and looking forward to college. After a bad experience her junior year, Jenny is not interested in attending her final Christmas dance before graduating. Melanie decides to surprise Jenny by getting involved in the school’s planning committee to create a welcoming dance for all students. Meanwhile, Jenny and her friends secretly plan their own party, in part to honor Melanie. Melanie works with Jenny’s literature teacher (Ghanimé) on the dance and starts to fall for him while Jenny develops something special with a new classmate (Giordano) at school. When their secrets snowball, however, their plans begin to drive a wedge between the usually tightknit mother and daughter at the holidays.

All I Need for Christmas  Premiere Date: Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8/7c Cast: Mallory Jansen, Dan Jeannotte Premise: Maggie (Jansen) has been trying for years to break in as a singer/songwriter. Now faced with challenges of new apps and social media, Maggie fears she’s outdated and unable to compete in a tech-savvy world. While helping her parents on their farm at Christmastime, she meets Archer (Jeannotte), an entrepreneur who has come back to town to spend the holidays alone. Archer is developing large-scale apps and is a tech enthusiast. At first, Maggie blames him for all of her songwriting woes. To her surprise, he encourages her to get back in touch with music that really matters and write from the heart; tech can be used in a supportive role to help her achieve her dreams without replacing the art of songwriting. Archer is dealing with loss of family, and through her tight family bonds, Maggie helps Archer find ways of moving beyond years of family feuding. In this holiday romance, Maggie and Archer both discover there is merit in preserving the tried and true while making room for new ideas and methods to bring people together and help make dreams come true.

Trading Up Christmas  Premiere Date: Thursday, Dec. 19 at 8/7c Cast: Italia Ricci, Michael Xavier Premise: Michelle (Ricci) is the dreamer of her family, always brimming with imaginative ideas to make the world a better place. This Christmas, her sister Keri desperately needs a new home, and Michelle hatches a creative plan to help. Starting with just a Christmas stocking, she sets out to trade her way up to something far greater—a house for Keri. While Keri dismisses it as a far-fetched idea, local reporter Dan (Xavier) is intrigued. Assigned to cover Michelle’s story, Dan follows her closely, and as her plan gains attention, he starts to see the world through her hopeful eyes. As Michelle and Dan grow closer, so do their feelings for each other. But when it seems her plan has failed and she fears ruined her relationship with Keri, Michelle is ready to give up. It’s Dan’s love and belief in her that reignites hope just when she needs it most.

HALLMARK+

Unwrapping Christmas: Tina’s Miracle Stars  Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 7 Cast: Natalie Hall, Alec Santos Premise: Tina Mitchell (Hall), a successful business owner, meets a charming guy, Michael (Santos), just as her holiday season heats up with the town’s Christmas Gala and her busy store, All Wrapped Up. When the gala is threatened by a scrooge-like estate owner planning to sell the venue, rumors begin to threaten Tina and Michael’s newfound connection. As Tina works to keep venue’s doors open for the gala, she just might unwrap a new chapter in her life, filled with love and holiday cheer.

Unwrapping Christmas: Mia’s Prince  Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 14 Cast: Kathryn Davis, Nathan Witte Premise: Mia (Davis), an accountant at All Wrapped Up, is stunned when local celebrity Beau Cavannagh (Witte), who looks just like her favorite romance novel hero, enters her life. Despite her doubts, Beau, an heir to a wealthy family, proves his feelings for her are real, even as his family disapproves. Mia soon finds herself swept up in a fairytale romance that’s straight out of her dreams.

Unwrapping Christmas: Lily’s Destiny  Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 21 Cast: Ashley Newbrough, Torrance Coombs Premise: Lily (Newbrough), the marketing guru of All Wrapped Up, believes the universe guides us to our destiny and it appears that it’s guiding her toward a celebrity realtor. However, when she feels an unexpected spark with journalist Sean Whitlock (Coombs) during an interview, her heart starts to question everything. As her chemistry with Sean grows, Lily begins to wonder if he’s the true match she’s been waiting for all along.

Unwrapping Christmas: Olivia’s Reunion  Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 28 Cast: Cindy Busby, Jake Epstein  Premise: Olivia (Busby), the gift-wrapping expert at All Wrapped Up, makes a delivery to a remote cabin only to find her ex-boyfriend Benjamin (Epstein) on the other side of the door. After the pair have a minor spat, an unexpected storm traps them together. Neither of them is happy to be forced to spend time together. However as talk turns to shared memories, old feelings and warmth begins to resurface and they are left wondering if it’s possible to get it right a second time.

Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane  Release Date: Thursday, Dec. 5 Cast: Jonathan Bennett, Annabelle Bourke, Corey Cott, Sarah Dugdale, Shannon Kook, Vincent Rodriguez III Premise: In 1951, a doctor (Cott) wants to make the holiday special for his worried wife (Bourke) before he is shipped out to serve in Korea, but when she suffers a minor fracture to her arm his carefully planned out Christmas Eve plans are upended. In 2003, a newly married couple (Dugdale, Kook) who are always in agreement about everything hosts two sets of in-laws for Christmas Eve for the first time and find that they may not have had as much in common as they thought they did. And in 2024, a couple (Bennett, Rodriguez III) tries to arrange special Christmas surprises for each other but keeping them a secret may be harder than they thought.

Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane  Release Date: Thursday, Dec. 12 Cast: Benjamin Ayres, Catherine Bell, James Denton, Erica Durance, Julie Gonzalo, Ryan Rottman Premise: Good Witch reunion! In 1960, Eli (Ayres) and Penny (Durance) take in Eli’s curmudgeonly father, Walter (Serge Houde, Chesapeake Shores), and are forced to navigate some tricky family waters to get through the holidays while also working on a Christmas themed time capsule for son Alex’s school project. In 1998, we see Regina (Bell) and Nelson’s (Denton) first meeting: stuck together when a blizzard strands Nelson in Regina’s home on Christmas Eve. In 2015, Jessie (Gonzalo) faces a big challenge while planning her sister’s last-minute Christmas Eve wedding – the officiant is Tim (Rottman), her high school sweetheart, whom she hasn’t seen in almost 20 years.

Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane  Release Date: Thursday, Dec. 19 Cast: John Brotherton, Erin Cahill, Brooke D’Orsay, Chelsea Hobbs, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Sam Page, Matt Dusk Premise: In 1966, single guy David’s (Hollingsworth) plans for a simple Christmas are dashed when his neighbor Stephanie (Hobbs) arrives with news that she won a contest to have Tommy Saunders’ (Dusk) Christmas Eve TV special broadcast live from her house – but used his address. In 1981, John (Brotherton) and Lizzie (Cahill) learn that this will be their last Christmas on Cherry Lane after John receives a job offer in Michigan and Lizzie finds out she’s pregnant. In 2000, best friends Matt (Page) and Rebecca (D’Orsay) find unexpected feelings developing as they try to find out who is behind a series of Christmas-themed random acts of kindness.

LIFETIME

Christmas In the Spotlight Premiere Date: TBA Cast: Jessica Lord, Laith Wallschleger, Jeannie Mai, Haley Kalil Premise: It follows Bowyn (Lord), a popular musician and celebrity, who despite always singing about love and relationships, hasn’t found Mr. Right yet. Her fame and busy recording schedule make it nearly impossible to date, but when she meets Drew (Wallschleger), a pro football player, backstage at her show with his niece, there’s an undeniable spark between the two of them.  When Drew publicly declares he has a crush on Bowyn, they decide to give dating a shot, much to the excitement of her manager Mira (Mai). With each passing day they spend together, their feelings grow stronger… but can it last in the limelight, especially when they both have such hectic schedules? With people questioning if their feelings for each other are real or just for show, the pressure mounts from the press, paparazzi, their fans and even their family, including Drew’s sister-in-law, Nicole (Kalil). The pair has until the end of the holiday season to decide if they want to stay together, or let it go down in flames.

The Holiday Junkie Premiere Date: TBA Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Brian Hallisay Premise: It follows the decorating and planning service company run by Andie (Hewitt) and her mother Mimi. After Mimi passes away, Andie is forced to face her first Christmas without her mother and carry The Holiday Junkie torch on her own. Despite the challenges, Andie may also find some love at Christmas along the way!

NETFLIX

Hot Frosty Release Date: TBA Cast: Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Craig Robinson, Joe Lo Truglio, Katy Mixon, Lauren Holly, Chrishell Stause Premise: Two years after losing her husband, Cathy magically brings a handsome snowman to life! Through his naïveté, the snowman helps Cathy to laugh, feel and love again, as the two fall for each other just in time for the holidays… and before he melts.

Meet Me Next Christmas Release Date: TBA Cast: Christina Millian, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola Matt Sallee, Kofi Siriboe, Kalen Allen Premise: The film follows the yuletide journey of Layla, a woman whose pursuit of a fairy-tale romance with the man of her dreams leads her on a race against time to secure tickets to New York City’s hottest gig: the sold out Pentatonix Christmas Eve Concert.

Our Little Secret Release Date: TBA Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Chenoweth, Ian Harding, Jon Rudnitsky, Chris Parnell, Tim Meadows, Dan Bucatinsky, Henry Czerny, Katie Baker, Ash Santos, Jake Brennan, Brian Unger Premise: Two resentful exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings.

UPtv

Festival of Trees Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7/6c Cast: Kate Miner, Greg Perrow, Josie Davis Premise: Jacquie Miller is an interior designer desperate to catch a break. The city’s annual Festival of Trees decorating competition, known for putting local artists on the map, may be just the answer! But competing with the city’s top designers is not for the faint of heart. With the help of her quirky assistant, a charming stranger and an inspirational young girl, Jacquie embarks on a humor-filled and heart-warming journey to create a tree that will knock the stockings off Santa himself.

A Bluegrass Christmas Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7/6c Cast: Amanda Jordan, David Pinard, Shaun Johnston Premise: Katie’s family’s horse sanctuary is on the brink of closure, but in a last-ditch effort to raise the money, Katie must coax her reclusive grandfather, Bluegrass legend Ben Pendleton, back onto the stage for a Christmas benefit concert.

A Novel Christmas Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7/6c Cast: Brigitte Kingsley, Landy Cannon, Alys Crocker Premise: When a successful children’s book author Chloe Anderson heads to the cozy town of Noelville to spend time with her sister’s family and help care for her recently widowed father, she didn’t expect the instant-connection with the local bookstore owner and single dad, Ethan; or find her number one fan in his daughter, Alex. Will the small town’s charms be enough to rekindle a grieving family’s Christmas spirit along Chloe’s dreams of writing her first novel – let alone a chance at love? 

North by North Pole: A Dial S Mystery Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 22 at 7/6c Cast: Abby Ross, Joey Scarpellino, Andrea Reindel Premise: Santa is back to help a new couple solve a mystery and find romance.  Zoey has one Christmas wish…to produce the perfect Christmas Festival for her hometown of Willow Creek. That wish becomes more difficult when Dalton, the sponsor’s handsome but aggravating son, becomes her partner and his modern ideas clash with Zoey’s more traditional vision. However, when suspicious things start happening, they realize someone is trying to stop the festival. They must team up to save it and soon find that they have a lot more in common than they thought.

https://tvline.com/lists/christmas-tv-movies-2024-schedule-netflix-hallmark-channel/bet-plus-christmas-movies-2024/