TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡
NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY
May Great Spirit bless 🙏
Good morning, today's weather here will be mainly cloudy with intermittent flurries, with a high of 27° F. Well, I can only hope they keep making the same mistake as the last couple of days, which turned out to be cool, but sunny. As for my health status? I'm doing a lot better than I did last week. I'm still a little weak in the legs, but the stomach is doing fine.
I had forgotten what it feels like to feel nothing, like this morning—feeling nothing except for the pleasure of the taste of coffee and the sensation of its warmth going down my throat to my stomach without feeling nauseous, or eating something without feeling queasy. It was the nausea that killed me. I couldn't put anything in my stomach without feeling sick. So I guess I'll live to write another saga in my Tree House News, that's what kept me going when I was ill, curled up under a blanket on the recliner couch with my laptop.
Today I am back in my comfy office chair in the computer room, a spare bedroom we use for the computer room, with one long table against one wall for the two 27-inch displays, our laptops, and other electronics paraphernalia, a student's desk, a freezer and a rack that goes all the way up to the ceiling with stored canned and dry goods. Welcome to The News Room. Kept orderly, there's enough room for everything, and still a lot of elbow room for Paula and my Workshop, Image below:
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TODAY'S DISCUSSION:
What Is Laid Back?
- Google Search -
"Laid-back" describes a relaxed, easygoing, and carefree attitude or style, showing little worry, with musical genres like reggae, chillout, and lo-fi embodying this vibe.
Does anyone remember what those two words mean? This is what I remember from personal experience: I lived for a while with people in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, around the Morristown area, and I also recall our Canadian Newfoundlanders. My recollection is from the Seventies, but I believe their traits and personalities remain the same:
- Google Search -
The idea that Newfoundlanders are laid-back is a common perception and a prominent part of the province's reputation and tourism campaigns. This stereotype is generally seen as having a lot of truth, with people often described as friendly, warm, and relaxed compared to those in more populated parts of Canada.*_
- Google Search -
Tennessee is widely regarded as embodying the friendly, laid-back mentality of the South, particularly in its smaller towns and rural areas. While the general atmosphere is known for its hospitality, the specific "vibe" can vary across its three main regions...
- Google Search -
Morristown, Tennessee, is generally characterized as a community with a laid-back atmosphere and a slower pace of life. The broader East Tennessee region is described as culturally laid back, with residents who enjoy outdoor activities and a comfortable lifestyle.
I Can Personally Attest To That But back then, that truck and camper were pretty well welcomed in any state I traveled through. I used to have a name for the truck and camper that I preferred: Its second name, the Gypsy wagon, Me Hippy & Flower Child. I always kept my Gypsy Wagon clean and orderly; it was my home for a time when I lived in the Morristown region of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
🌺 🌸 ☮️ ~ PEACE MAN! ~ ☮️ 🌸 🌺
BREAKING NEWS:
Venezuela president Maduro captured and flown out of country after ‘large scale’ US strike, says Trump
What We're Covering
• Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of Venezuela after the US carried out a large-scale strike on the capital city of Caracas, US President Donald Trump announced in a post on social media. Trump said there will be a news conference today at 11 a.m. ET.
• US Attorney General Pam Bondi says Maduro has been indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a GOP senator Maduro will stand trial in the US and that he anticipates no further action.
• Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government is unaware of the whereabouts of Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, adding the US attack has cost the lives of officials, military personnel and civilians across the country...
*Read More:*
15 min ago
China tells its citizens not to travel to Venezuela in the near future, state media reports
More To Raed:
Updated 8:36 AM EST, Sat January 3, 2026
- CNN -
Aspirin, CT scans and sleep: Five questions raised by Trump’s new disclosures on his health
President Donald Trump wants to tamp down on public debates about his health.
The oldest president to assume office has been dogged by questions about recent doctors’ visits, bruises on his hands and whether he’s fallen asleep during public events. Trump dismissed these concerns in an apparently impromptu interview with the Wall Street Journal this week, in which he blamed the visible bruises on a high daily dose of aspirin — more than his doctors recommend — and said he has plenty of energy...
- First, who is Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella?:
- What are the risks of taking high-dose aspirin daily?:
- What is the ‘advanced imaging’ Trump received, and did it reveal anything new?:
- Trump said he aced another cognitive test. What is that, and why does it matter?:
- What about Trump’s sleep patterns and diet?:
Read More:
PUBLISHED Jan 3, 2026, 6:00 AM ET - 2 hr ago
- CNN -
Minnesota families and child care providers scramble as federal funds hang in balance
In the days since the Trump administration announced it would freeze federal child care payments to Minnesota amid an alleged fraud investigation, fear and confusion have spread almost as fast as the viral video that launched the scandal.
Minnesota receives about $185 million annually in federal child care funding, supporting care for 19,000 children, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. The state says the money helps cover the cost of routine child care for thousands of low-income families each month, allowing parents to work or attend school.
But HHS announced Tuesday it would freeze that funding – and it’s not clear if there are any alternate plans for families affected by the freeze. “Funds will be released only when states prove they are being spent legitimately,” Deputy Secretary of HHS Jim O’Neill said Tuesday...
- Child care workers ‘did what they should have’:
- Cutting a ‘crucial piece of survival’:
- A DOGE-era policy returns:
- Somali American community pleads for change:
Read More:
PUBLISHED Jan 3, 2026, 6:00 AM ET - 3 hr ago
- CNN -
CANADIAN NEWS:
Despite pause, U.S. tariffs leave furniture, cabinet makers 'in dire straits': industry association
Sector hit with 25% tariffs in October, but Trump paused promised increases set for Jan. 1
The Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association says while it welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump's postponement of tariff increases on furniture, cabinets and vanities, the industry is still being devastated by the duties. Trump hit the sector with 25 per cent tariffs in October but paused a promised increase to a total of 30 per cent for upholstered furniture and to 50 per cent for cabinets and vanities that was set to take effect Jan. 1.
"Yes, 50 per cent is a relief. But our industry is still reeling from the 25 per cent," said Luke Elias, the association's vice-president. "You just can't mitigate that in the manufacturing environment overnight."...
- Don't ignore industry in CUSMA review: association:
U.S. Supreme Court decision on Trump's tariffs could bring more trade uncertainty to Canada
U.S. businesses claim Canada is a back door for products from China
Read More:
Jan 02, 2026 4:39 PM EST | Last Updated: January 2
- CBC -
Thousands of public, private sector workers will be working from the office again in 2026
Provincial government employees in Alberta, Ontario are headed back full time
The new year will bring some big changes to the rules on in-office work for many employees across the country — including tens of thousands of provincial government staff in Ontario and Alberta, who will soon be required back in the office full time. As of Jan. 5, Ontario provincial government employees will be expected to work in the office five days per week.
Alberta's public service is also returning to full-time, in-office work in February to "strengthen collaboration, accountability and service delivery for Albertans," a spokesperson for the Alberta government said...
- Plan to come in 'sharper view':
- A return to the cubicle:
WATCH | Is remote work gone for good?:
A new Ontario law means your job search might look a little different in 2026
Early retirement info coming soon for federal public servants, government says
Nearly 2,000 public servants using new job matchmaking service, union says
Quebec to cut thousands of full-time civil service positions by March 2027
Read More:
Posted: Jan 02, 2026 9:13 AM EST | Last Updated: January 2
- CBC -
- Google Search -
What is Canada planning for the future of lumber and metal?
Canada is planning for the future of its lumber and metal industries through a combination of trade protectionism, financial support, and long-term modernization strategies focused on domestic demand and sustainability.
For the Lumber Industry
Canada's strategy for lumber aims to stabilize the industry against trade disruptions (primarily U.S. tariffs) and pivot towards long-term growth and diversification.
Canada is planning for the future of its lumber and metal industries through a combination of trade protectionism, financial support, and long-term modernization strategies focused on domestic demand and sustainability.
For the Lumber Industry
Canada's strategy for lumber aims to stabilize the industry against trade disruptions (primarily U.S. tariffs) and pivot towards long-term growth and diversification...
Read More: - Google Search -
Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CECtICmreQ4



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