It’s that time of the year when an abundance of Christmas romantic comedies have hit the various streaming platforms. But many of the movies this year have fallen flat, despite plots that sound fun and ridiculous (I’m looking at you, Netflix). Below are five of my favorite movies so far this holiday rom-com season that made me laugh, gave me cozy holiday feels, and yes, even made me tear up just a little bit.

“A Keller Christmas Vacation”

What’s better than one Christmas romance? How about three? This movie sees siblings Dylan (Jonathan Bennett), Cal (Brandon Routh) and Emory (Eden Sher) sorting out their love lives while reluctantly on a Christmas river cruise in Europe that their parents dragged them to. Dylan is struggling with a proposal gone wrong and his boyfriend William’s strange behavior in recent weeks, Cal is getting over his divorce and his longtime crush who got away, while Em is in search of someone who just makes her feel special. Hijinks ensue (of course, the boat leaves them behind at one point), but there’s also some heartwarming family bonding. You can tell that this family loves each other deeply, despite driving each other crazy. Available on Hallmark.

Autumn Reeser in “We Met in December.” (Hallmark Media)

“We Met in December”

Annie (Autumn Reeser) and Dave (Niall Matter) make the most out of a travel delay, spending a romantic evening together talking about their hopes and dreams, and sharing one perfect kiss. But after failing to exchange contact information and missing each other on the flight back to Chicago the next day, they try everything they can to find each other. From going to their favorite local spots to putting out a message on the radio, they’re determined to find their missed connection who just might be the one. Available on Hallmark.

Cadence Compton, Andrew W. Walker, Dax Belanger, Lacey Chabert and Steve Bacic in “She’s Making a List.” (Hallmark Media)

“She’s Making a List”

Isabel (Lacey Chabert) is an inspector for a company that puts together the Christmas naughty or nice list. She’s up for a promotion if she can just close out this holiday season. But things get complicated when she’s undercover evaluating 11-year-old Charlie’s case and runs into her subject’s dad, Jason (Andrew Walker). She ends up going on a date with Jason, and as they spend more time together, she sees how there’s more behind some of Charlie’s not-so-nice behavior — she’s struggling with the death of her mom. Isabel has to balance her growing attraction for Jason and her increasing care for Charlie with the strict rules of her job. Available on Hallmark.

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“A Grand Ole Opry Christmas”

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some time travel. Here, Christmas magic combines with the magic of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, sending Gentry (Nikki DeLoach) back in time to 1995. Her father, a country music star, is still alive. This trip to the past reignites Gentry’s dream of being a songwriter and gives her a chance to work with her dad on a song. Of course, Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha), who has long harbored feelings for her, is thrown back in time too. For those who want a little country flair in their Christmas movies. Plus, there are a handful of cameo appearances from real country stars, including Brad Paisley. Available on Hallmark.

Paul Campbell and Erin Cahill in “Christmas at the Catnip Café.” (Hallmark Media)

“Christmas at the Catnip Café”

Olivia (Erin Cahill) finds the condo of her dreams, but doesn’t quite have enough money to afford the down payment. So when she learns that her late great-aunt left her a cat cafe and that a developer is looking to purchase the building, she thinks it’s her Christmas dreams coming true. All she has to do is convince the cafe’s co-owner, veterinarian Ben (Paul Campbell), to sell the place. She ends up offering to help him plan all of the cafe’s Christmas events, and slowly starts to fall in love with the cute cats and the cute vet. Available on Hallmark.

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.

By MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels despite some signs that the labor market is weakening.

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U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 20 fell by 10,000 to 214,000 from the previous week’s 224,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. That’s below the 232,000 new applications forecast of analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.

The weekly report was released a day early due to the Christmas holiday.

Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Last week, the government reported that the U.S. gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration.

The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% last month, the highest since 2021.

The October job losses were caused by a 162,000 drop in federal workers, many of whom resigned at the end of fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 30 under pressure from billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of U.S. government payrolls.

Labor Department revisions also knocked 33,000 jobs off August and September payrolls.

Hiring has clearly lost momentum, hobbled by uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of the high interest rates the Fed engineered in 2022 and 2023 to rein in an outburst of pandemic-induced inflation. Since March, job creation has fallen to an average 35,000 a month, compared to 71,000 in the year ended in March.

Earlier this month, the Federal Reserve trimmed its benchmark lending rate by a quarter-point, its third straight cut.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the committee reduced borrowing costs out of concern that the job market is even weaker than it appears. Powell said that recent job figures could be revised lower by as much as 60,000, which would mean employers have actually been shedding an average of about 25,000 jobs a month since the spring.

Companies that have recently announced job cuts include UPS, General Motors, Amazon and Verizon, but those workforce reductions can take months to show up in the government’s data.

The Labor Department’s report Wednesday also showed that the four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 750 to 216,750.

The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Dec. 13 rose by 38,000 to 1.92 million, the government said.

Minnesota United went looking for its replacement to Dayne St. Clair in a pool of veteran MLS goalkeepers last week.

On Tuesday, the Loons came away with a pending trade to acquire Drake Callender from Charlotte FC, a source told the Pioneer Press.

The Athletic, which first reported the news, also said Tuesday evening that vet free agent Sean Johnson had agreed to terms with D.C. United.

Callender, 28, played four seasons for Inter Miami, coincidentally the team St. Clair signed with as a free agent despite a more than $1.1 million-per-year offer from MNUFC.

Callender played only 185 minutes in three matches in 2025, but logged more than 2,800 in at least 32 games in both 2023 and 2024. His goals against per 90 minutes were high those two seasons: 1.4 in 2024 and 1.3 in ’23. He also played 2,160 minutes in 24 starts, with a 1.5 GA/90 in 2022.

Terms of the Minnesota-Charlotte trade are not official, but for reference, Miami received $750,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) for Callender in August.

Callender netted $455,913 in guaranteed compensation in 2025; St. Clair was on $631,875, according to the MLS Players’ Association.

The November inflation numbers are in, and they’re a disappointment for Democrats. The Labor Department reported last week that consumer prices rose 2.7% in November compared with a year earlier. That’s an improvement from the September rate of 3%.

Many economists had predicted a steeper rise. But even core inflation, “which strips out volatile food and energy prices,” The Wall Street Journal reported, came in below expectations at 2.6%. Deeper data showed progress in both housing and food costs, important markers to many voters. Food prices rose at a much slower pace in November (2.6%) than in September (3.1%). The same was true for housing costs, which were up 3.6% in September but only 3% in November.

The markets responded positively to the news.

Democrats have been banging away at the Trump administration of late on the “affordability” issue, sensing a political advantage. This is ironic from numerous perspectives.

Inflation was an afterthought for years until it again flourished under President Joe Biden. Abetted by a Democratic spending spree as the nation emerged from the pandemic, Biden presided over the worst inflation in four decades, with prices rising consistently from the start of his presidency until inflation reached 9% in June 2022. The Biden White House for months pretended the problem didn’t exist. And even as inflation began to slowly recede in 2023, it remained above 3% for much of his last year in office.

In addition, Democrats offer little in the way of policy prescriptions that will actually make anything more “affordable.” Instead, their go-to solutions typically involve additional government interventions in the marketplace — rent control, price controls, subsidies for energy usage — that disguise higher prices rather than create the economic conditions for growth and increased competition that will down prices and ensure more widespread prosperity.

It is true that, thanks to the Democrat government shutdown during October and into November, the latest data is not as comprehensive as usual. We’ll learn more next month when December numbers are released. But that doesn’t mean the November numbers are irrelevant.

Rising prices contributed to Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump last year. Voter malaise over the economy remains a threat to Trump and the GOP as the midterms approach. The November report is good news for the administration, but Trump and Republicans can best combat the Democratic “affordability” onslaught by emphasizing a tax and regulatory agenda that encourages economic growth and middle-class job creation.

— The Las Vegas Review-Journal

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