First lady Melania Trump will call into NORAD s Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve
It will be her last time doing the traditional call as first lady
Melania Trump is at Mar-a-Lago with President Donald Trump, where the first couple will be spending the holiday season with other family members
It s unclear if President Trump will participate in the call
His schedule for Thursday said he would be making many calls but didn t note if the Santa Tracker was on the call sheet
NORAD Santa Tracker has Santa arriving in the United States around 9 p.m. ET
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Volunteers answer phones during annual NORAD Tracks Santa event on Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. NTS will have more 1,500 volunteers answering 150,000 phone calls, 2,800 emails and 3,000 on-star requests from children around the world asking where Santa is at and when he will arrive at their house.
Contributed photo
As if Santa Claus job isn t challenging enough, this Christmas St. Nick has the added pressure of bringing joy to the world s children during a time in which joy is sorely lacking due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perhaps not since the year Rudolph went down in history as saving the day during a huge storm has Santa s mission been more crucial.
Coronavirus stimulus bill, Christmas Eve shopping: 5 things to know Thursday Editors, USA TODAY
Coronavirus relief package: Pelosi calls for vote on $2000 checks
The fate of a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package is in doubt Thursday as lawmakers on Capitol Hill scrambled to address President Donald Trump s sudden argument that the measure does not provide enough in direct payments. Earlier this week, Congress overwhelmingly approved a measure to offset the economic impact of COVID-19, but Trump called the bipartisan bill a disgrace, upending weeks of congressional negotiations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has now called for a Christmas Eve vote to raise the amount of direct stimulus included in the measure to $2,000 from the $600 already approved.
The history of Santa Claus: 7 interesting facts The Week Staff
Santa Claus s jolly, rotund appearance and his ability to slide implausibly down chimneys are relatively recent additions to his mythology. Blue Lantern Studio/Corbis
December 23, 2011
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As Christmas approaches, children around the world have Santa on the brain. They re anxiously wondering if they ve been overly naughty or sufficiently nice, and eagerly daydreaming about their potential gift hauls. But exactly how did the jolly, bearded North Pole resident evolve into the cultural icon we know today? Here, seven interesting facts about his evolution: