As people settle in to watch holiday movies this week, a question arises: What makes a Christmas movie? Not every film with Christmas in it qualifies, says Adam Paul, an assistant professor of film at UNLV. True Christmas movies share essential elements: hope, family, nostalgia, magic, redemption and often romance.

If your grocery bill feels unpredictable lately, it may not be just inflation at work. A new investigation suggests that some shoppers are paying more than others for the exact same groceries — even when buying from the same store at the same time.

Panic erupts in the McCallister household as soon as the day begins. The parents' alarm clock never rings, bags and coats spill across the floor, and the family barrels out the door to catch a flight to Florida.

Santa Claus has long called the North Pole home. But let’s be honest — 24 hours of darkness and subfreezing winter temperatures aren’t the most conducive to making toys. His workforce, including the reindeer, are aging, and in an era of fast-moving technology and rapid shipping, the North Pole isn’t necessarily a transportation hub.

Have a live Christmas tree and wondering what to do with it after the holidays? Residents are encouraged to recycle their live trees instead of throwing them away, and a local partnership helps the Southern Nevada community do just that.For three decades, the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee has coordinated a free Christmas tree recycling program for local residents. The committee is a partnership between UNLV, community agencies, and local businesses.

Need to figure out what to do with the Christmas tree after the holidays? UNLV and community partners say they will start recycling Christmas trees for mulch. Organizers say there will be more than 30 drop-off locations across the Las Vegas Valley. The program starts Dec. 26 and will run through Jan. 15. Organizers say last year, 10,000 trees were recycled and it created 86 tons of nutrient-rich mulch.

A UNLV professor who helps establish medical clinics by day spends his free time trapping stray cats in his neighborhood to get them spayed and neutered.

Las Vegas is facing a housing reality many families here are feeling firsthand. A new report from UNLV's Lied Center for Real Estate that shows investors have bought up nearly 100,000 single-family homes across the valley — about one in every five homes sold over the past 15 years.