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What are the best Christmas movies? Here are our favorite 20 ranked – Pocono Record

Santa Claus is coming to town, but you still have a few days to seek out all sorts of holiday movie fare.
There are the classics, naturally, like Macaulay Culkin taking on dimwitted crooks in the beloved “Home Alone” or Bill Murray’s self-centered TV executive learning a thing or several about the meaning of Christmas in “Scrooged,” a take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Or maybe you want more modern options, like the Dwayne Johnson/Chris Evans action flick “Red One” or Netflix’s saucy new double feature, “Hot Frosty” and “The Merry Gentlemen.”
In honor of the holiday season, let’s rank the 20 best Christmas movies ever. 
Culkin is unfailingly precocious, and watching an 8-year-old foil a pair of clueless adult burglars in inventive fashion is fine and all. What’s often forgotten amid the kiddie shenanigans, however, is what the film has to say about the importance of family.
Set in Wichita, Kansas, on Christmas Eve, this twisty, cool and funny film noir casts John Cusack as a mob lawyer who steals $2 million from his boss (Randy Quaid) and has issues hightailing it out of town because of bad weather.
The inclusive and pleasantly clever romantic comedy stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as a lesbian couple whose relationship is tested at a family get-together by deep secrets, conservative parents and competitive siblings.
Is this a Halloween movie? Sure. And is it a yuletide flick, too? You bet! Tim Burton puts his insane spin on a holiday mashup where Jack Skellington, the big man in Halloween Town, decides to take over the various aspects of Christmas Town – and arrange the abduction of Santa – until he realizes it wasn’t the greatest idea.
By itself, it’s one of the best buddy-cop action pictures, forcing together Danny Glover’s aging Roger Murtaugh and Mel Gibson’s loose cannon Martin Riggs. The seasonal stuff just makes it all the better, including a shootout at a Christmas tree lot and Riggs, struggling with suicidal thoughts, ultimately finding a family with whom to share a holiday dinner.
This war drama snagged an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film and explores the victory of humanity over brutality as it chronicles the real-life story of the Christmas truce of 1914 when the World War I battlefield welcomed carols instead of carnage. 
Two Bing Crosby musicals utilized the song “White Christmas”: Let’s leave off 1942’s “Holiday Inn” (which has a cringe-inducing blackface sequence) and instead include Crosby teaming up with Danny Kaye as crooning World War II GIs who attempt to save their old commanding officer’s country inn with the help of a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen).
The holiday tale doubles as a good entry into horror for youngsters, with a small town beset by freaky gremlins because teenagers can’t follow simple instructions. Also: Baby Yoda can only try to be on the cuteness level of little Mogwai Gizmo in a Santa hat. 
The basis for the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedy “You’ve Got Mail” is this Hungarian holiday jam featuring Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan as bickering co-workers at a Budapest leather goods store who’ve unknowingly fallen in love with each other through anonymous letters.
Full disclosure: I despised this movie as a kid who wasn’t into BB guns or leg lamps. As an adult, though, the comedy resonates more as an ode to the exhaustive nature of being a parent around the holidays and how everybody’s just trying to get by at the holidays, even the tired mall Santa.
Among the various “traditional” versions of the Charles Dickens classic – from “The Muppet Christmas Carol” to the excellent George C. Scott TV movie – this one cuts right to the dark tones of the original text, with Scrooge (Alastair Sim) living through an insightful horror film to come out the other side as a better man.
The romantic dramedy stars Jack Lemmon as a nebbish office drone known for lending out his place for bosses to take their mistresses. He puts the focus back on himself when he starts to fall hard for an elevator girl (Shirley MacLaine), whom the big boss (Fred MacMurray) secretly takes to the love den on Christmas Eve. 
Alexander Payne’s 1970s-set throwback is a snarky yet warmhearted reminder of the holiday spirit. Paul Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher stuck at school for winter break who befriends and bonds with a rebellious student (newcomer Dominic Sessa) and a grieving head cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Oscar for the role).
Heck yeah, this is a Christmas movie, just in case there was any doubt. And sorry, Santa, no one squeezes through tight spaces in a building to get the job done – in the case of this classic action film, thwarting terrorists and saving his estranged wife – better than Bruce Willis’ iconic John McClane.
Anybody who’s ever tried entirely too hard during the holidays can empathize with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his hilarious battles to decorate his house, deal with wacko relatives – we all have our own Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) – and have the merriest Christmas imaginable, with himself often acting as his greatest foe.
If you can withstand the gratuitous hokeyness, there’s an intriguing “Law & Order” episode to be had here when Kris Kringle himself (Edmund Gwenn) does a little too good of a job replacing a drunk Macy’s Parade Santa and gets put on trial for mental instability when he insists he’s the real deal.
Often imitated, never duplicated. Intertwining tales of love featuring Brits and others conjure all sorts of holiday emotions – some happy, other melancholy – and are entirely manipulative. But watching a little boy race through Heathrow to find his crush or seeing Andrew Lincoln’s silent ode to Keira Knightley, you’re too busy being bombarded by feels to care.
Will Ferrell has one of his best roles as a naive overgrown elf who finds out he’s actually human – with the late James Caan as his grumpy biological dad – and the high jinks that follow when he’s introduced to “civilization” are filled with heart, humor and childlike wonder.
The “Citizen Kane” of Christmas films, though in this case, everyone has seen Jimmy Stewart’s heavenly journey as George Bailey. Akin to the Scrooge model in its focus on the significance of second chances, with a man being shown how bad life would have been if he had not been born, this thing will straight up pull the Christmas spirit kicking and screaming out of you.
Born out of ’80s greed though timeless in its relevancy, “Scrooged” is a pitch-perfect blend of slapstick and black humor, love and loss, life and death that has no business being as astounding as it is. It’s superbly cast, from Bill Murray’s modern Scrooge-y Frank Cross to Carol Kane’s adorably sadistic fairy. And if you’re not welling up by the time “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” kicks in, you might be visited by three ghosts yourself.

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Georgia Lottery Cash 3, Cash 4 results for Dec. 22, 2024 – The Augusta Chronicle

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2024, results for each game:
Midday: 4-6-9
Evening: 9-0-2
Night: 1-9-4
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 7-7-1-3
Evening: 5-9-7-9
Night: 5-5-2-9
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
10-12-30-41-49, Cash Ball: 02
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Early Bird: 07
Matinee: 05
Drive Time: 02
Primetime: 02
Night Owl: 01
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 8-9-5-7-2
Evening: 8-6-2-7-6
Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.
09-10-17-29-41
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Georgia editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Rickey Henderson's lifelong friend Dave Stewart 'can't wrap my head around' death – USA TODAY

PHOENIX — Former Oakland Athletics great Dave Stewart was exhausted, his voice raspy and eyes watery, as his mind drifted over all of the memories.
This didn’t seem real.
Sure, Rickey Henderson, one of his best friends in life – not just baseball – wasn’t feeling the best. Henderson was asthmatic, endured ongoing sinus problems that required surgery last year, and often was fatigued.
Still, that was Rickey, always on the go, refusing to let his body slow him down.
“When I heard he was sick,” Stewart told USA TODAY Sports Saturday, “I wasn’t surprised. He doesn’t know how to slow it down. He doesn’t give himself a chance not to be 100%.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
“Him having asthma, him being sick, it never stopped him. He was always on the go. He had these rental properties in Oakland, and I’d get these calls saying they saw Rickey out cutting the grass. I’d say, ‘What do you mean?’ They told me he actually out there with a lawn mower doing work on his property.
“He was always go-go-go. He loves to fish. He just took up hunting. On his first hunt, he’s out there hunting wild boar. That’s not the animal you hunt on your first hunt.”
Stewart called Henderson on Friday afternoon to remind him they had a business call scheduled for Saturday. Henderson’s daughter, Alexis, answered the phone. They were in an Oakland hospital where Henderson was scheduled to undergo surgery.
Later, Stewart got a call from Alexis telling him that her father didn’t make it.
He was gone, at the age of 65, five days before his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Stewart said, “I still can’t. I can’t wrap my heard around it. We’ve known each other practically our entire lives.
“That was my dude.”
They first met as teenagers in Oakland, playing against one another in the Babe Ruth League. The circuit was full of future major league and minor league players. There was Rupert Jones. Glenn Burke. Gary Pettis. Lloyd Moseby. Tack Wilson. Cleo Smith. Stewart.
And of course, the greatest of them all: Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson, who would become baseball’s all-time stolen base leader and runs leader.
“Growing up, he wasn’t that good of a baseball player,” Stewart said. “He had great ability. He could run and do things. But he would probably admit that of three major sports, he was best at football, then baseball, then basketball. He had a lot to learn because his first choice was to be a great running back.”
Henderson used to say that he could have been Bo Jackson before Bo, a two-sport All-Star and All-Pro, but the Athletics weren’t about to let him play in the NFL.
The two best friends, with Stewart drafted in 1975 by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Henderson drafted a year later by the Athletics, played against one another in the Mexican winter leagues. They faced each other in the minors with Stewart pitching for Albuquerque, N.M. and Henderson for Ogden, Utah.
“So, the night before I faced him, he tells the story that I had a lot of friends who took him out to the wee hours of the morning,” Stewart said. “So I strike him out the first two times up. He comes to bat the third time with a lighter bat.
“And he takes me deep.”
Henderson still laughed four decades later telling the story.
They finally got to play together with their hometown Oakland Athletics in 1989 when Henderson was traded from the Yankees and Stewart was in the midst of his third consecutive 20-win season.
“It was a thrill of a lifetime to sit back and watch with that kind of ability,” Stewart said. “That talented. That once-in-a-lifetime thing. There will never be another player like him.”
Together, they led the Athletics to the 1989 World Series championship over the San Francisco Giants, which will forever be remembered by the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake before Game 3, postponing the World Series for 10 days.
Henderson, who hit .400 and stole eight bases, was the MVP of the ALCS, with the A’s beating the Toronto Blue Jays to reach he World Series.
Henderson hit .474 in the World Series, but the MVP went to Stewart, who went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in the four-game sweep.
“When I won the MVP,” Stewart said, laughing, “Rickey kept saying the trophy really was his. He told me the only reason I won it is because of all the stuff I did during the earthquake. He told me, ‘If you didn’t all of that stuff, helping people, it was mine. You got sympathy votes.’
Stewart laughed for nearly 30 seconds telling the story.
That was Rickey.
Stewart was honored by the Athletics in 2022 when they retired his jersey in a ceremony, the first time the A’s retired a number since Henderson in 2009. Their numbers stayed together in the upper deck, and they were the two former A’s players chosen to throw out the ceremonial first pitch in the team’s final game at the Coliseum in September.
“I respected and loved Rollie [Fingers] and Reggie [Jackson] and Catfish [Hunter], but when my number was retired by the A’s, too, alongside Rickie,” Stewart said, “that was a big, big deal for me.
“I still remembered when I decided to retire in 1995, he didn’t talk to me for two, maybe three weeks. He kept telling me I should retire when he retired. He wanted me to keep playing as long as he did [2003].
“So, when my number was retired, what made it so special is that he and I were together, two kids from Oakland, and having our numbers retired together by the organization we loved.”
Now three months after the Athletics played their last game in Oakland, Rickey is gone too.
“When Rickey passed, things started circulating [Friday] night on social media,” Stewart said. “Word got out, but the family asked all of us not to say anything. We respected that until they were ready.
“I looked through some of the stuff on X, and what people were saying, wondering whether Rickey was really gone, and I thought one tweet said it best:
“If something happened to Rickey, Rickey would say, Rickey is gone,” Stewart said, reading from his phone. “That’s how great Rickey is.”
Stewart laughed: “Now, ain’t that the truth.”
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No winners of major lotto draws on Monday – GMA News Online

There were no winners of the major lotto jackpot prizes drawn by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes on Monday night, December 23, 2024.
The Megalotto 6/45 jackpot is now P41,069,178.40 after no bettor guessed the correct combination of 07-41-35-25-03-01.
There was also no winner in the other major lotto draw, Grand Lotto 6/55. A bettor would have won P29,700,000 with the numbers 24-14-22-41-10-52.
For more lotto results check here. —RF, GMA Integrated News

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The ‘Soft Power’ Of Public Health; Global Coalition Of Deans Etches A Way Forward – Health Policy Watch

In April 2022, amidst the continuing uproar of the COVID pandemic, four deans of schools of public health from the USA, China, Switzerland and Singapore, first got on a call with each other to see how they could ramp up cooperation – remotely.
Barred by lockdowns from the usual academic meetings and conferences, the urge to link up was stronger than ever.
Co-founders of the high-powered group were Michelle Williams, then dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health, and former WHO Director General  Margaret Chan, now dean of Beijing’s brand-new Vanke School of Public Health.
“At the height of the pandemic, my good friend here, Margaret and several others amongst us, decided that we needed to come together with deans of schools of public health, to promote solidarity, and to continue to be assertive about what global health diplomacy means for all of us,” said Williams at the first face-to-face Coalition meeting in May 2024.
“We were surprised at the lack of dialogue, the lack of cooperation and collaboration worldwide,” said Chan, of that difficult pandemic period. So, she was delighted when Williams reached out about a conferring virtually. “We felt that change is necessary, and we can make a contribution as universities – which represent the creation and translation of knowledge, through science, to policymaking.”
Other founding members included Antoine Flahault, director of the Zurich-based Swiss School of Public Health and long-time actor in Geneva, the world’s “global health hub”. And the deans of public health schools at the University of Cape Town; Mahidol University, Thailand. Heads of public health institutes in Huazhong, China, Mexico, Sydney, Chile and Singapore.
 That first encounter, organized online by Chan at the Vanke School, was naturally focused on health issues related to the COVID crisis – but with an eye beyond the immediate issues of vaccines, travel restrictions and lockdowns to the long-term challenges that everyone knew lay ahead.
Challenges like the need for countries to come together on the all-important task of building more resilient health systems, better prepared for the next pandemic.
“Working with Dr. Margaret Chan to co-create the Coalition was one of the few bright spots during the early part of the pandemic,” Williams, who recently stepped down as dean, told Health Policy Watch by email from California, where she is currently on sabbatical.
“I was delighted that Margaret, and I joined forces and then had other deans join us. I felt it was important that we academic leaders needed to redouble our efforts to break down real and perceived barriers to global health collaboration, cooperation and diplomacy.
“All around us, in political and public health practice spaces, I observed decision makers looking inward and sometimes missing the important imperatives and values of global public health,” Williams said.
“Vaccine nationalism, unthoughtful border closings and some other policies ran counter to public health, global health diplomacy and practice.  This was disheartening especially as pandemic threats, threats from climate change and other threats like antimicrobial resistance are global threats that require global cooperation.”
Indeed, while there are other established coalitions of Public Health Schools, mostly US-based, such as the American Association of Schools of Public Health, the World Federation of Schools of Public Health, and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, one unique aspect of the GHF-based Coalition of Deans has been the way it links public health leaders, and not only the institutions, says Flahault.
“Our aim is not to duplicate, but to be complementary to all of these groups, with which we coordinate,” he said.
The loosely-knit group now includes about a dozen institutions, as well as the leading European and American associations or federations of Public Health universities and schools.
“Our vision is that this Global Coalition will allow us to learn more from each other, sharing our experiences, facilitating exchanges of students and faculty among schools and fostering joint research programs,” Flahault observed.
Adds Michel Kazatchkine, a physician, academic and former French diplomat, who also spoke at the group’s last meeting on the margins of the World Health Assembly:
“We’re now seeing an increasing interest in health diplomacy. But in this context, academia is particularly important because science is essential in evaluating the impact of policies and providing feedback analysis to politicians so that they can correct trajectories if needed.
“And academia provides the freedom to do research on any topic, even the most sensitive – to collect, analyze and speak about the findings of your data. So, we should not underestimate the role of academia as a fundamental pillar of knowledge-based, democratic societies.”
This year, after two years of remote meetings organized by the Vanke School and Harvard in succession, members of the coalition convened face-to-face, for the first time in Geneva, on the margins of the World Health Assembly, hosted by the Geneva Health Forum and the University of Geneva.
The group focused on planetary health as their principal topic.
“We shared experiences from Australia, China, and the USA about academic programmes dedicated to this issue – and asked the question: how do schools of public health integrate planetary health into their curriculum?” Flahault said. Doctoral and masters’ students from selected schools were also invited to speak along with faculty about lessons learned, he noted.
The discussions continued a thread from the 2023 remote meeting, which examined climate-driven food insecurity in the global health context – another cutting- edge issue that rarely gets much attention in classic public health school textbooks or classrooms.
“The Coalition of Deans have already been instrumental insofar as bringing attention to the importance of creating multi-national and interdisciplinary collaboration to bring multiple perspectives into designing curriculum,” reflected Williams.
“We’ve also provided a platform (as seen in the meeting hosted by Prof Flahault last spring) for showcasing junior faculty members and graduate students working in the fields of global planetary health and environmental justice,” Williams pointed out.
The effort is all the more topical insofar as Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health just launched a concentration in climate and planetary health in 2024.
In China, the Vanke School is also planning to pilot a planetary health course in 2025. That course will bring together students of public health with those in students from economics, urban design, environmental health sciences and engineering to examine multi-sectoral challenges and design solutions, said Chan, speaking with Health Policy Watch.
“Everyone knows about how John Snow stopped the cholera epidemic [by breaking the pump on a contaminated water cistern], but what about the sanitary engineer who helps to renovate and overhaul the London sewage system,” Chan said.
Tsinghua University, where the Vanke School is located, is world famous for its engineering school, she observes.  “So. this will train future decision-makers to bridge between disciplines such as engineering and health.”
Along with partners in the WHO, the GHF and European Universities, Coalition members have also supported the development of a series of events on other interdisciplinary health topics over the past year.
These included a conference on Indoor Air Pollution, in September 2023 in Berne, as well as a recent Conference in Paris on Wastewater-based Epidemiology. See related story:
Post Pandemic: Wastewater-based Surveillance of Diseases Comes of Age 

 
“Of course we have moved on from the pandemic to other topics,” noted Chan, speaking with Health Policy Watch recently in a phone interview. “The change in the conversation is a reflection of the changes in the current trends in Public Health. And it’s going to be more diverse as we move along.
One topic she’d like to see the Coalition tackle at some point would be the challenges of harnessing AI for good in the broad context of public health research and policymaking.
“There is a lot of talk about AI in clinical work, but what about AI in public health?” she asks. “Patient confidentiality is important. But we also need policies in place to enable the use of AI in research and outreach, but also to protect people’s privacy.”
Whatever the theme may be, the approach is the same, says Williams, who was instrumental in establishing a student exchange programme between Harvard and the Vanke School in 2021.
“Sharing of teaching materials and experiences related to launching new courses and concentrations are ways we can facilitate the spread of ideas across other universities.
“Developing and supporting annual workshops, and supporting student and faculty exchanges, are another. It is hoped that the Deans can secure resources to help operationalize these collaborative initiatives.”
Looking forward, Flahault says the group aims to maintain its informal modus operandi, to facilitate exchange across borders – and keep the focus on meaningful meetings and liaisons.
“We are a lean organization without any budget and staff and not competing with any other organizations,” Flahault said.
At the same time, he envisions the Coalition playing an advisory role in a soon-to-be-formed Think Tank that aims to continue dialogue and problem-solving around the themes of the Geneva Health Forum throughout the year. “One major fruit or byproduct of this will be the GHF Think Tank, which we are launching this spring, and will tap the academic network the Global Coalition assembles,” he said.
That, in addition to their annual meetings, on the margins of the Geneva Health Forum’s annual conference during the World Health Assembly – with the next event organized by Teo Yik-Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.
Now that face-to-face meetings are once more feasible, working from the Geneva axis offers a unique vantage point that can transcend some of the sharp geopolitical divides that academic leaders face in dialogues at other venues, Flahault also points out.
Says Chan, who served as WHO Director General from 2006-2017, “I’m very biased – to me, Geneva is the capital of public health. And all countries come to the World Health Assembly. So, it’s natural that all of us in the Coalition would meet here, to make our voices heard.”
Along with emerging global health issues around climate and planetary health – Flahault sees a future role for the group in reviving interest around some of the world’s longstanding, and unsolved public health challenges – such as elimination of polio, cholera and other preventable infectious diseases.
“Personally, I would love to see a WHA resolution against the three major diseases, polio malaria and cholera – with the same sense of determination we displaced against smallpox in the 1950s and 60s, with the same sharp formulation, we want to eradicate these diseases as soon as possible,” he said in a recent interview.
 “All of the major actors would push and row together to make this successful. For polio it’s already done but we have to say we have to end the job.
“We need to be modest and realistic,” Flahault admitted. “Surely, eradicating cholera from the planet, which has already been the subject of one WHA resolution, needs a huge political commitment. This is not in the portfolio of the Global Coalition or schools of public health.
“But we could still play a role. With players in the media ..we could try to mobilize political leadership which is lacking today. We don’t have many political leaders embracing global health issues, as happened during the pandemic, but today global health issues remain a source of power for promoting multilateral commitments.
“And in the coalition, we have a great opportunity for liaison between China, the USA and Europe and all of the other constituencies that are in the room, which give us an opportunity to push public health as a form of ‘soft power’ to move forward agendas.
After all, we succeeded in the 20th century to eliminate smallpox at the height of the cold war between the USSR and the USA.  It was not easy, but we succeeded thanks to a shared commitment to health.”
Image Credits: Vanke School of Public Health , Aaron Jenkins, Sydney School of Public Health, Geneva Health Forum, Paul Palmer/ WHO.
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'Good Boy' dog influencers raise over $16k for animal shelter facing flood damage ahead of holidays – Good Good Good

Christmastime is especially magical for Alex Morgan, creator of Good Boy Ollie, a social media account dedicated to the shenanigans of her two labrador retrievers.
On Christmas in 2022, Morgan’s chocolate lab (and TikTok icon) Ollie gained a little brother, a yellow lab named Tato (short for Potato, of course). In 2023, with the help of their audience of millions, the trio donated 2,000 gifts to shelter animals at the National Animal Welfare Trust Berkshire
And this year, they’ve outdone themselves once again. 
With the generosity of their 2.4 million Instagram followers and 7 million TikTok followers, Ollie and Tato once again hosted a holiday toy and supply drive, but they also raised more than £13,000 — or over $16,288 USD — for NAWT Berkshire.
“Not only have you helped deliver thousands of toys, beds, important supplies, and food to NAWT Berkshire, but you have also raised almost £14,000 with Gift Aid for NAWT Berkshire for Tato’s Christmas run,” Morgan wrote on the dogs’ Instagram page.
While Ollie played the role of “Santa Paws” in this do-good endeavor, Tato and Morgan will be taking part in a race dressed as an elf, all with the motivation of raising funds for the shelter.
“Tato (with his mum!) will be taking part in a winter canicross race dressed as Santa’s elf,” a fundraising page explained. “Any donations will be greatly appreciated. We have witnessed firsthand what wonderful care everybody at NAWT takes of their animals. They truly deserve the best Christmas ever!”
It has also been an especially difficult year for the shelter, which experienced flooding and has been repairing its facilities over the past few months, in addition to supporting the needs of countless animals.
“This year especially has been incredibly tough financially for the charity,” Morgan shared on Instagram. “With rising bills, so many animals needing complex medical care, and never ending flood damage, this money will help them more than we could have possibly imagined.”
NAWT Berkshire’s recent fundraising efforts have been devoted to “keeping the lights on,” to ensure all its facilities have their energy and heating needs met, as bills rise and more floods are predicted in the coming year.
The support from Ollie and Tato’s loyal followers has certainly made a difference. 
“We cannot begin to express how grateful we are,” NAWT Berkshire commented on the dogs’ Instagram page. “Ending a rather tough year on an incredible high thanks to everyone’s support.”
A post shared by Good Boy Ollie 🐶 (@good.boy.ollie)
With the influx of supply donations, too, all the animals — including donkeys, sheep, and of course, dogs and cats — will have access to the essentials (and some fun toys) through the holidays.
“I keep forgetting the toys aren’t for me,” a playful voiceover acts as Ollie’s inner monologue in a video posted from the account. “But I know the rescue doggies need them so much more.”
In the same video, Morgan and the dogs highlighted some animals in need of loving homes, as well, encouraging followers to adopt and “help them find their forever homes soon.”
With wagging tails and festive crocheted hats, the dogs had one final message for everyone watching at home.
“We can’t thank you all enough for helping us deliver the best Christmas ever,” the Ollie-specific voiceover said in the video.
And in the caption, Morgan added: “The kindness of this community never fails to amaze us.”

Header images courtesy of Good Boy Ollie/TikTok
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Top Altcoins for Next Crypto Bull Run: Are These Coins Ready for Explosive Gains? – Blockchain News

With the cryptocurrency market gearing up for the upcoming bull run, numerous altcoins are capturing interest because of their creative applications and robust community backing. The market sentiment is attracting more investors due to its positive growth and diversity in cryptocurrency. This article will discuss the top altcoins for the next crypto bull run to help you choose the best investing platform.
First, Aureal One (DLUME) is at the top of the list, providing exceptional massive gains. DexBoss (DEBO), yPredict (YPRED), Solana (SOL), Bittensor (TAO), Maker (MKR), and Pendle (PENDLE) are other top altcoins for the next crypto bull run for investors interested in digital currency.
The cryptos mentioned in the list of the top altcoins for the next crypto bull run have the potential to attain a high position in the market. Understanding the crypto you want to invest in is crucial to calculate and analyse the massive gains it might offer. 
Aureal One (DLUME) is seen as a formidable player in the top altcoins for next crypto bull run, thanks to its emphasis on gaming and metaverse technologies. Its blockchain platform provides minimal gas fees and rapid transaction speeds, making it ideal for decentralized gaming settings and engaging digital realms. The creation of the DarkLume Metaverse and the Clash of Tiles game underscores Aureal One’s dedication to demonstrating practical applications for its technology.
Click here to know more about Aureal One

DLUME’s presale presents early investment chances, with present prices much lower than expected listing prices. This presents an opportunity for early adopters to achieve significant profits if the project gains momentum. Aureal One aims to address deficiencies in current blockchain ecosystems such as Ethereum by concentrating on gaming and the metaverse, highlighting scalability and cost-effectiveness.
The presale phase of DLUME offers an attractive chance for initial investors, promising massive gains. The token is valued less than anticipated listing prices, suggesting that initial investors might experience considerable gains if the project gains broad acceptance. The presale generates momentum, potentially signalling increasing confidence in the project, making it the best altcoin for the next bull run.
DexBoss (DEBO) is quickly becoming a formidable competitor among the top altcoins for the next bull run. DexBoss, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, seeks to connect traditional and decentralized finance by improving liquidity and providing users with sophisticated tools such as cross-chain integration, staking, liquidity farming, and high-leverage trading options. The DEBO token is the best altcoin for the next bull run and fuels the platform, offering users staking rewards, governance privileges, and early access to upcoming features.
Its presale cost started at $0.01, with intentions to rise to $0.15, presenting considerable upside potential for initial investors. With the rising popularity of DeFi and the extensive functionalities of the project, DexBoss might emerge as one of the leading altcoins to surge in the upcoming market cycle.
yPredict (YPRED) is becoming one of the top altcoins for the next bull run, where this platform provides a distinct value proposition. This is possible by linking financial data scientists to traders, enabling the monetization of predictive models through a subscription-driven marketplace. Traders gain advantages from AI-powered analysis and forecasts, aiding them in making better-informed trading choices that make it the best altcoins for the next bull run.
YPRED, the native token of yPredict, fuels the platform, allowing users to enter its range of sophisticated tools. This ecosystem integrates AI and machine learning to improve trading strategies, positioning it as an attractive initiative for investors aiming to leverage the increasing need for data-informed decision-making in the cryptocurrency market. Consequently, yPredict is attracting interest for its creative method of connecting quants and traders, establishing it as one of the top altcoins to monitor for the impending bull run.
Solana (SOL) is demonstrating significant promise as the top altcoin for the next bull run, propelled by its remarkable expansion in 2024. It has surpassed its former all-time peak by experiencing a notable 117% rise in price year, which leads as the best altcoins for the next bull run. Experts hold optimistic views on Solana, with several predicting its price may soar to $300 soon. The network’s speed and scalability remain key factors that make it popular for decentralized applications (dApps), enhancing its overall attractiveness as a leading altcoin.
Even with recent market sentiment changes, numerous analysts remain hopeful about Solana’s prospects. For example, technical formations such as a bull flag on the daily chart indicate possible upward movement. Additionally, its increasing social influence and ongoing conversations about SOL indicate it may remain a significant entity in the cryptocurrency market.
Bittensor (TAO) focuses on combining blockchain technology with decentralized artificial intelligence (AI), making it a strong competitor among the top altcoins for the next bull run. As users are interested in AI and decentralized technologies, it has increased its value by 500% since its listing in March 2023. 
The forthcoming advancements, including the launch of BIT001, are anticipated to enhance its usefulness and market attractiveness even more. Thanks to its robust technical framework, featuring a proof-of-stake model that benefits both token holders and developers, Bittensor is poised for future expansion. It leads as one of the best altcoins for the next bull run, as the latest market performance demonstrates robust bullish momentum, and it might possibly recover its all-time high of $767.
Maker (MKR) is one of the top altcoins for the next bull run, becoming a formidable coin in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector. The DAI stablecoin uses the Marker protocol, which is also used for stablecoins in cryptocurrency. Maker’s ability to maintain DAI’s stability through a decentralized governance structure, which gives MKR token holders the power to vote on important protocol decisions like collateral and stability fees, is the main factor driving this acceptance.
Moreover, MKR‘s standing in the DeFi ecosystem is expanding, as MakerDAO’s creative methods for managing collateral and issuing stablecoins offer the protocol a strong base for enduring success. The rising implementation of DAI in multiple DeFi protocols and the broadening applications of Maker’s governance token further bolster MKR’s prospects for considerable growth as the best altcoins for next bull run.
Pendle (PENDLE) has attracted interest as the top altcoin for the next bull run. Pendle’s distinct offering centres on tokenizing anticipated yield streams, especially from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. The platform divides yield-generating tokens into ownership tokens (OT) and future yield tokens (YT). This creative method enables users to exchange prospective returns while keeping their connection to the underlying assets, providing a fresh means to participate in DeFi opportunities. This smooth process set the Pendle project apart from others as the best altcoins for the next bull run.
The DeFi sector is still witnessing considerable expansion, and Pendle’s unique yield-trading model within this area positions it as an appealing choice for investors. Moreover, Pendle’s growing market acceptance and community involvement indicate it may experience sustained momentum as the market evolves.
These coins have promising characteristics, where Aureal One is the leading and top altcoin for the next bull run with massive gains. From the list of the best altcoins for the next bull run, the DLUME token is the best choice as it lets you purchase digital assets and enjoy the amazing benefits. Aureal One, with its gaming blockchain technology and metaverse, inventors are investing and gaining confidence in the world of cryptocurrency. However, with essential information and in-depth research, one must have deep knowledge regarding the crypto they want to invest in.




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OpenSea Teases $OCEAN Token Amid Speculation Over Airdrop – NFT Plazas

Popular NFT marketplace OpenSea is at the center of a growing speculation surrounding a potential token launch.
After years of anticipation, a newly formed OpenSea Foundation and cryptic online posts have fueled expectations for a token dubbed $OCEAN.
Competitors like Blur and Magic Eden have already introduced tokens, adding pressure on OpenSea to follow suit. Whilst no formal announcement has been made, these hints have kept the NFT community remain speculative.
The establishment of the OpenSea Foundation has become a focal point for speculation about the $OCEAN token. This post on X from @waleswoosh revealed that the foundation is registered in the Cayman Islands. Whilst the foundation’s purpose remains undisclosed, similar entities have been used by competitors to manage token launches.
An X account linked to the foundation recently posted “ocean enters the chat,” which was acknowledged by OpenSea and its CEO, Devin Finzer. This interaction has been widely interpreted as a subtle nod to an impending token.
Adding to the intrigue, OpenSea’s social media engagement has also fueled airdrop rumors wherein the platform recently asked its followers, “How long have you been using OpenSea?”—a question many see as related to measuring user loyalty, a common metric for airdrop eligibility.
Meanwhile, crypto enthusiasts are placing their bets on the likelihood of a token launch through prediction platform Polymarket where the odds of an OpenSea token announcement before 2024 rose sharply to nearly 60% following the OpenSea Foundation’s cryptic post. A separate market also predicts an 82% likelihood of an airdrop before April 2025.
However, traders remain divided over the token’s long-term success. A Polymarket prediction on whether $OCEAN would achieve a $1 billion fully diluted valuation one week post-launch currently places the odds at 56%, reflecting cautious optimism.
Whilst details remain scarce, OpenSea’s recent activities suggest that a token launch could be on the horizon, leaving traders and NFT enthusiasts eagerly awaiting further updates.
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