From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 24, 1971:

“Snow Won’t Make Scene” was the rather hip headline on the front page this morning. High temperatures for today were expected to reach into the 50s in most of the state, with little chance of precipitation of any kind. According to the forecast, “partly cloudy skies may make it more difficult to see flying sleighs.”

The Interstate Commerce Commission had officially authorized Santa Claus to “engage in the business of transportation by a two-runnered sleigh powered by eight tiny reindeer in interstate and foreign Commerce.” The authorization was conditioned on the promise that “the service herein authorized shall result in peace on earth, good will to men.”

As the U.S. Command announced that American warplanes had attacked an enemy air defense radar site inside North Vietnam, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces halted operations in South Vietnam today for a 24-hour Christmas ceasefire. Today’s airstrike had raised to 106 the number of strikes inside North Vietnam in 1971. Planeloads of U.S. servicemen were able to join their families for the holidays, while military chefs prepared turkey dinners with all the trimmings for the 162,500 GIs still in the country. Elsewhere in the world, 100 children were flown from strife-torn Belfast to London for a safe Christmas.