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When the snow is falling and hot chocolate is piping, few activities are more refreshing and relaxing than plopping down on the couch and turning on the television. Some will watch live Christmas events from Rockefeller Center, while others will tune into a bowl game. But if you’re of a certain age, you clearly remember the excitement when Nickelodeon began to roll out its litany of timeless Christmas specials. From Kenan & Kel in the 1990s to Danny Phantom in the late 2000s, Nickelodeon has entered the pantheon of networks that have consistently rolled out classic holiday specials. While Nickelodeon’s legacy is cemented, the ranking of its best holiday season episodes is and will always be hotly contested. Not to start a debate at the holiday dinner table, but here are the 10 best classic Nickelodeon holiday specials. Show: Keenan & Kel Air Date: December 14, 1996 Kel ( Kel Mitchell ) loves orange soda and Kenan ( Kenan Thompson ) loves Christmas. He spends the entire year saving money to buy a new bike and takes an extra job as Santa at the mall to help get the last few dollars he needs. However, his plans are derailed when he comes across a brother and sister who dream of a great Christmas filled with presents that their mother can’t afford. In a selfless mood, Kenan uses the money he makes as Santa to surprise the kids and their mom with presents. Kenan’s upset that he didn’t get the bike he wanted, but he knows he did the right thing and Santa rewards him with a bike of his own. As with many Nickelodeon holiday specials, Kenan’s act of giving underscores the importance of family, friends, community, and giving throughout the holiday season. Show: Invader Zim Air Date: December 10, 2002 Name two more idiotically entertaining rivals than Zim ( Richard Steven Horvitz ) and Dib (Andy Berman). I’ll wait. While I wait, also figure out why Dib’s dad, Professor Membrane ( Rodger Bumpass ), named him Dib. Anyway, Zim and Dib’s rivalry takes center stage when Zim learns about the lure of Santa, kidnaps a man dressed up in a Santa suit and drains his brain. Normal holiday festivities, right? Once Zim drains the man’s brain and learns more about the lure of Santa, he devises a plan to build a Santa suit and convince all of humankind that he’s worthy of following and giving their undying devotion too. For the most part, it works and Zim is close to bringing all of human kind to the Tallest in order to extend his rule. However, Dib intervenes and garners the support of his sister, Gaz (Melissa Fahn), and his father, Professor Membrane, and stops Zim before he’s able to fully takeover. Overall, it’s a pretty weird storyline for a kid’s show during the holiday season, but Invader Zim is at its best when it’s weird. Show: Rocko’s Modern Life Air Date: December 1, 1994 Rocko ( Carlos Alazraqui ) is a better person than most because his grace throughout this Christmas special is unmatched. For nearly the entire episode, Rocko works to put together beautiful holiday decorations and host a lovely holiday party. Instead, his friends treat him poorly, other characters bully him, and no one except a magic elf shows up to his party. The elf works his magic and creates a memorable snowfall around Rocko’s house and Rocko’s house only. When the blizzard leaves a perfect amount of snow and holiday cheer around his house, Rocko’s friends show up at his front door to apologize and make the most of the holiday party. Rocko, being the kind soul he is, lets them in and thanks them for coming. Show: iCarly Air Date: December 13, 2008 Timmy Turner ( Tara Strong ) isn’t the only character in the Nickelodeon multiverse to have their dreams come true during the holiday season. When Carly’s brother, Spencer ( Jerry Trainor ), builds an electromagnet Christmas tree that sets fire to holiday gifts, Carly ( Miranda Cosgrove ) wishes that her brother was a bit more normal. However, things aren’t as great as Carly hoped they’d be. Spencer becomes a “normal” lawyer dating Ms. Benson (Mary Scheer) while Freddie ( Nathan Kress ) no longer has a crush on Carly, and Sam ( Jennette McCurdy ) is in a juvenile detention center. Most shockingly, Carly, Spencer, and Freddie were never friends in this alternate universe and never launched a webcast. The weirdness of the episode pays off in the end because Carly realizes what we’ve always known: her life is pretty great as is. Show: As Told by Ginger Air Date: December 10, 2001 As Told by Ginger is one of the most underrated series in the Nickelodeon catalog for various reasons, including its humor and ability to reach both young and older audiences. Case in point, the show’s “Even Steven” holiday special is immaculate. In the tertiary plot, Ginger (Melissa Disney) discovers that her grandfather is Jewish and immediately pivots from celebrating Christmas to celebrating Hanukkah. Her shift from Christmas to Hanukkah happens so quickly that it causes a rift between her and Dodie (Aspen Miller) because Ginger refuses to go to Dodie’s Christmas party and hosts her own instead. Splitting the room down the middle, half of Ginger’s party is devoted to celebrating Hanukkah, and the other half is adorned with Christmas decorations. Meanwhile, Hoodsie ( Tress MacNeille) is writing letters to Santa, asking him to give him rhythm for Christmas. Yes, you read that correctly. He genuinely asked Santa for rhythm, the ability to dance on beat. When Ginger’s brother, Carl (Jeannie Elias), finds Hoodsie begging Santa for rhythm, he not only makes fun of him, but also declares that Santa isn’t real. As a result, Carl spends the remainder of the episode attempting to prove that Santa is real. Through this effort, he learns that Carl is not a fan of the holiday season because he routinely asked Santa to bring his father home for Christmas as a kid, and his dad rarely stopped by on the holidays. With this information, Hoodsie runs up to a man dressed as Santa on the street and asks him to bring Hoodsie’s Dad home for Christmas. Little does Hoodsie know, the man dressed up as Santa is Carl’s dad. In the end, Carl’s dad visits him for Christmas, and while they’re talking in the driveway, a fire starts inside as Ginger is hosting her holiday party. Carl’s dad runs in, puts out the fire, and saves the day, making Ginger realize that the most important part of the holidays is being surrounded by family and friends. And no, Carl does not get rhythm. Show: The Fairly OddParents Air Date: December 12, 2001 Clichés may be annoying, but they’ve stood the test of time for a reason. However, when an elder said, “Be careful what you wish for,” Timmy Turner clearly wasn’t listening. Instead, he had to learn the hard way when he told Wanda (Susanne Blakeslee) and Cosmo ( Daran Norris ) that he’d like it to be Christmas every day. In his head, there’d never be school, and he’d get presents every time he woke up. Conversely, Wanda and Cosmo are magically depleted, his parents can’t work, and the other holidays become envious of Santa Claus. As a result, Timmy must make a trip up to the North Pole all alone. Tough luck for a kid who can literally wish for whatever he wants every other day of the year already. Show: Drake & Josh Air Date: December 5, 2008 Give a little girl named Mary Alice the best Christmas ever, or go back to jail. That’s essentially the plot of “Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh.” Drake ( Drake Bell ) desperately wants to host a party on the rooftop of Josh’s workplace, Premier Theater. To the surprise of just about everyone, Josh’s boss agrees to let Drake host the party as long as he volunteers to dress up as Santa for kids in the mall. Drake agrees, but things go haywire when a woman tries to kiss him, and he runs away. While hiding, he runs into a little girl named Mary Alice ( Bailee Madison ) and promises to give her the best Christmas ever. Drake finishes his shift as Santa and gets to host the party after all, but it’s cut short when a few uninvited guests show up, and Josh ( Josh Peck ) calls the police. However, there’s a mixup when the police arrive and Josh gets arrested. Being the good stepbrother he is, Drake tries to break Josh out of jail. Unfortunately, Drake gets arrested, too. When Drake and Josh get to speak to a judge, they explain that they need to get out to fulfill Drake’s promises to Mary Alice. The judge releases them, but warns that they will be brought back if they do not give Mary Alice the best Christmas ever. No pressure, right? Show: Rugrats Air Date: December 6, 1992 It may not seem like it, but there is not much of a difference between The Boondocks ‘ Huey Freeman ( Regina King ) and the children of Rugrats . Huey chases Santa around the mall with a BB gun, screaming, “You gon’ pay what you owe.” Meanwhile, Tommy ( Elizabeth Daily ), Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh), and the crew are setting dangerous traps for Santa , so they can question him about his character. “The Santa Experience” kicks off at the mall where Angelica (Cheryl Chase) bum rushes the line to see Santa and tells Mr. Claus how much she needs a dream dollhouse for Cynthia. While Mr. Claus pushed her away, mall staff gave her a box of free toys to apologize for Santa rightfully pushing her away. Even with the free presents, Angelica is ungrateful and doesn’t want them. Meanwhile, Tommy and Chuckie are debating whether or not Santa is a good person. You know, typical baby stuff, right? Tommy is convinced Santa is a great guy, while Chuckie is, of course, scared of Saint Nick and thinks he’s a bad guy. In the kitchen, the parents are having a relatable conversation about their challenges and struggles, trying to ensure each of their children has a good holiday season. Later, the kids and parents head north to celebrate Christmas in a cabin. There, Chuckie and Tommy set up a booby trap to catch Santa. Much to their disappointment, the trap only manages to catch Stu ( Jack Riley ). Ultimately, everything turns out for the best as Santa just rings the front doorbell and delivers the presents face-to-face. Angelica gets her doll house, Chuckie determines Santa is a good person after all, and the Rugrats get the perfect Christmas. Show: SpongeBob SquarePants Air Date: December 6, 2000 If you ask most fans of SpongeBob SquarePants about Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), most would say he’s closer to being the Grinch than Santa Claus. However, “Christmas Who?” proves otherwise. Spongebob ( Tom Kenny ) visits Sandy ( Carolyn Lawrence ) and finds the proud Texan setting up Christmas decorations around her house. Instead of helping her, Spongebob freaks out because he thinks the lights and decorations have started a fire. It would be nearly impossible to start a fire that far underwater, but I digress. Anyway, Sandy stops him and explains to Spongebob who Santa Claus is and what happens on Christmas. Excited and enchanted, Spongebob shares the story of Christmas and Santa Claus with nearly everyone in Bikini Bottom. As a result, everyone but Squidward sends letters to Santa and spends all night caroling. When Santa doesn’t show up, everyone calls Spongebob a fraud and mocks him, including Squidward. However, Spongebob turns Squidward’s heart from coal to gold when he gives him a handcrafted clarinet for Christmas so that he won’t go without a gift. In return, Squidward dresses up as Santa and surprises Spongebob, who is delighted, and wishes him a merry Christmas. Squidward didn’t account for all of the other citizens of Bikini Bottom spotting him and asking for gifts. Instead of ruining the charade, Squidward ends up giving away nearly everything in his home away as a gift. Thankfully, Squidward is rewarded when the real Santa Claus sends a letter thanking Squidward for helping keep the spirit of Christmas alive. Show: Hey Arnold! Air Date: December 11, 1996 “Arnold’s Christmas” is not only the best Nickelodeon late-year holiday special, but it’s arguably one of the best episodes of the entire series. The series revolves around Arnold (Toran Caudell) attempting to pull off a Christmas miracle for his neighbor, Mr. Hyunh (Baoan Coleman). Through this endeavor, much of Mr. Hyunh’s backstory is revealed, including the heartbreaking story of how he and his daughter, Mai (Hiep Thi Le), have been separated for more than 20 years. While Arnold and his best friend, Gerald (Jamil Walker Smith), fall short in their quest to find Mai and reconnect her with Mr. Hyunh, Helga (Francesca Marie Smith) unexpectedly saves the day and gets Mai in touch with her father. Helga never gets the credit for creating this touching reunion, but she will always be remembered for being the driving force behind one of the most touching moments in Nickelodeon history. More Headlines:
President-elect Donald Trump has announced key cabinet nominations ahead of his January 20 inauguration. In November, he nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with a mission to implement a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes plans to eliminate chemical additives from the U.S. food supply. Recent social media posts have sparked rumors that Kennedy intends to ban Hershey’s chocolate. “BREAKING: Effective January 20th, Hershey’s Chocolate will be BANNED in the United States. Make America Healthy Again,” reads a post on X, featuring a screenshot purportedly from Kennedy’s account. This post claims the ban is part of Kennedy’s “war on bioengineered food.” Commenters questioned whether these claims are true. THE QUESTION Has Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to ban Hershey’s chocolate? THE SOURCES Parody account that made the original Diet Coke ban post Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s real X , Instagram and Facebook accounts Review of Hershey’s website and social media accounts THE ANSWER No, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans to ban Hershey's chocolate. WHAT WE FOUND Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not announced plans for a ban on Hershey’s chocolate. The claim originated from a parody account with the display name “ Robert F. Kennedy Jr - Health Secretary Parody .” The account has since been suspended on X, but it previously spread a similar false claim about Kennedy wanting to ban Diet Coke. Social media posts sharing screenshots from the parody account cropped out the word “parody,” making it appear as if the posts were from Kennedy’s official account. Kennedy’s real X account , with the display name “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” has 5 million followers and doesn’t include the dash mark and ellipsis seen in the screenshots about a Hershey’s ban. Kennedy has not posted anything about a possible Hershey’s chocolate ban on his real account, nor on his Instagram or Facebook pages. VERIFY found no credible news articles supporting claims of a Hershey’s chocolate ban. Additionally, Hershey’s websites and social media accounts do not indicate any plans to halt chocolate sales in the U.S. after Inauguration Day. We reached out to Kennedy and Hershey’s for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication. Related Articles Yes, it’s illegal for a candidate to promise a political appointment in exchange for an endorsement No, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has not announced plans to ban Diet Coke No, the original Congressional stopgap bill didn’t allocate $3B for an NFL stadium The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808
Broncos waive Greg DulcichAfter Trump’s win, Black women are rethinking their role as America’s reliable political organizersCalin Georgescu, the far-right figure who shocked Romania by taking the lead in the first round of the country’s presidential election, is a pro-Russian, anti-vaxxer radical with a gift for social media. Barely known outside Romania, Georgescu’s popularity surged ahead of Sunday’s vote with viral TikTok campaigns calling for an end to aid for Ukraine and sounding a sceptical note on NATO. Georgescu, who ran as an independent, has attracted a sizeable following on platforms such as YouTube for years, away from the mainstream media. In one anti-vaccination video, the 62-year-old can be seen stripping down to jump into a snow-covered lake high in the mountains, while praising his “faith in God” and the strength of his “immune system”. Several of his TikTok videos have been viewed between two and three million times, with messages like “for Romania, for peace” especially resonating with voters worried about the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Few reporters were present when Georgescu cast his ballot on Sunday. Pre-election polls did not see him in the runoff, and even less predicted that he would get 23 percent of the vote to top the candidates. “The Internet is the only place where there is freedom of expression,” he said in a recent video. – ‘Saviour’ – Georgescu’s success can partially be attributed to him flying “under the radar”, sociologist Gelu Duminica told AFP. Unlike his opponents, Georgescu did not participate in debates with other candidates and thus was “not attacked by anyone” or his record “dismantled”, he added. Many undecided voters, who felt disappointed by the established parties, saw him as a “saviour” as there are so few leaders capable of “uniting them”, the expert said. Maria Chis, 70, said Georgescu appeared to be “a man of integrity, serious and patriotic.” A graduate of the University of Bucharest, the agricultural engineer began his career in 1992 in the environment ministry before joining the foreign ministry. In the 2010s, Georgescu had been suggested as a possible prime minister. During the Covid pandemic, he became a vocal vaccine-critic, frequently spreading his conspiracy-laden narratives. Once linked to Romania’s far-right AUR party — which tapped George Simion as their candidate in the presidential ballot — Georgescu distanced himself from it after taking a number of controversial positions. – Admirer of Putin – Georgescu has defended a notorious anti-Semite, Corneliu Codreanu, the leader of the Iron Guard between the wars, and fascist Marshal Ion Antonescu. On several occasions, he has denounced NATO as a “weak” organisation, even though Romania has emerged as a key player on the alliance’s eastern flank. He attacked the alliance’s anti-missile system based in Deveselu — which Russia has slammed as a threat — and opposed aid to Ukraine, refusing to be “dragged into a conflict that is not ours”. Romania has a long border with Ukraine. Although the Kremlin said on Monday that it was not “very familiar” with Georgescu, several years ago he expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin, saying he is “one of the rare leaders” worthy of the name, and known for “Russian wisdom”. For political scientist Remus Stefureac, spectacular rise of Georgescu is “unprecedented” in Romania’s democratic history.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China's hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals." Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number" were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are "primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking. Eric Tucker, The Associated PressThe US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.