HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL🎄💫✨

FROM THE TREE HOUSE NEWS TO YOU🏡📰

NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY

Well, here it is 1:55 AM, and I'm just not sleepy. I have been feeling more like I did before all hell broke loose on me. Everything went down for the count, healthwise, either getting Covid, then some virus, like some stomach flu bug, then getting teeth pulled, then GERD acting up, and that's not counting since before the flu bug and the teeth, I also had my appendix taken out last year in October 2024. The first time around, I had Covid in 2020, then the flu in '20, then Covid again in '22. I guess it was 2018, the last time I remember feeling somewhat normal, seven years ago, 8 years in 2026.

About one year after we moved here to the Niagara Peninsula, we hadn't heard about all those killer bugs yet. The climate here is sufficiently hospitable that I could walk the trails 9 months of the year. Now that I feel well enough, I am looking forward to walking the trails again. I wish I had teeth to have a snack with. I never thought I would like food again. 😋 🥪 That is finding my peace, for now, as I sit here in contemplation, looking at the Christmas Tree all lit up and thinking of how fortunate I am.

It came so close to me not being here to spend Christmas with Paula. I did not get only one reprieve from withering away in illness, but three times? To still be alive one more day is a precious gift, especially if one can appreciate life while in full possession of their faculties, without suffering or pain. It's challenging to navigate through life with suffering and pain constantly nipping at your heels. It fills me with gratitude that the Great Spirit turned me away three times. It wasn't I fighting it; I had no further strength to fight it. I had surrendered, but I was turned back three times! And here I am.

I wish you all, friends and family, a happy holiday, and thank you for the opportunity to allow me to celebrate this day here with you.

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

- Google Search -

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in life, recognizing blessings, kindness, or gifts from others, and affirming that life is worthwhile, which involves acknowledging goodness and its sources outside oneself, boosting well-being, strengthening relationships, and fostering resilience. It's both a momentary emotion and a lasting character trait, leading to more positive feelings and better health.

• Core Concepts:
• Types of Gratitude:
• Benefits of Gratitude:
• Mental Health:
• Physical Health:
• Well-being:

Raed More - Google Search:

My Prayer Of Gratitude for me this morning is being thankful for what I have learned. It is essential for the survival of body and spirit. What I have learned is that the light within, that part of me that makes who I am, can be taken away so quickly, leaving me lost in a void of darkness and despair, along with the pain and suffering so thick and dense that my consciousness only seeks to find escape, peace through the land of sleep, limbo, or nothing land. Over the last couple of days, my healing has progressed some, and so has my faith as I continue my way back up the path to the light.

Now I know it's not just an air sandwich; this one actually has baloney in it. 🥪

BREAKING NEWS:

'Nobody wants peace': The Ukrainian men risking death to avoid the front line

Maramures, Romania

—

Viktor Pinkhasov can't stop smiling. He has just managed to escape Ukraine after hiking alone for five days across the Carpathian Mountains. "I want to go and be free, to live," the 34-year-old told CNN in disbelief after arriving in neighboring Romania. He is one of dozens making the illegal crossing from western Ukraine every week. After nearly four years of pushing against Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine is facing a growing manpower crisis: Kyiv's forces are trying to hold a more than 600-mile front line against Russian troops who are pressing a relentless war of attrition.

CNN spoke to half a dozen draft evaders who didn't want to risk dying in a conflict with no end in sight – despite attempts by the Trump administration and foreign powers to negotiate one. Russia, meanwhile, can draw on a population more than three times larger than Ukraine's to fill its ranks, despite mounting casualties.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has opened nearly 290,000 criminal cases into soldiers' absence without leave and desertion up to September, according to the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet. Martial law bars all men aged 23 to 60 who are eligible for military service from leaving the country...

• A deadly crossing:
• 'Our job is full of empathy for humanity':
• Smugglers guide draft evaders out of Ukraine:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 23, 2025, 12:00 AM ET - Dec 23, 2025

- CNN -

Vivek Ramaswamy rebrands himself as a ‘conservative without being combative’

just about anyone. He declared America was in a “cold cultural civil war,” denied the existence of white supremacists, and referred to one of his rivals as “corrupt.”

Now, he says he wants to be “conservative without being combative.” Ramaswamy is rebranding himself both for the Ohio governor’s race, where he hopes to succeed the conservative but mild-mannered Gov. Mike DeWine, and to establish a clear lane for himself in the ongoing Republican Party debate over racial and political identity.

He took the stage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest this month to criticize Nick Fuentes and the so-called “groyper right.” He’s denounced what he called the “rising prevalence of the blood-and-soil view” within his party...

• He’s seeking to replace a different kind of conservative:
• Ramaswamy enters a fight well outside Ohio:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 27, 2025, 6:01 AM ET - 2 hr ago

- CNN -

A reform-minded mayor is taking over New York at a time of progress and stability for the NYPD:

A reform-minded mayor is taking charge of New York City at a time when the largest police department in the country is finding its stride in its stability, touting a drop in gun violence and homicides while its current leadership stays intact.

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch is staying at the helm under progressive Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, providing nearly 35,000 uniformed members sustained leadership after she became the fourth police commissioner to serve in the scandal-scarred Adams administration...

• Shootings, homicides decline:
• More officers join, but they leave, too:
• ‘We’re trying to exploit a situation’:
• A steadying hand as top cop:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 27, 2025, 7:01 AM ET - 1 hr 7 min ago

- CNN -

Hundreds of thousands of ‘Epstein files’ have been released — and there’s a lot more to come

The “Epstein files” saga will spill into 2026, despite a deadline last week to release all of the records. Congress passed a law last month — with near-unanimous support — requiring the Justice Department to release all of its files about Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who was accused of abusing dozens of underage girls. Epstein died by suicide in 2019.

The so-called “Epstein files” are made of over 300 gigabytes of data, papers, videos, photographs and audio files that live within the FBI’s main electronic case management system and largely originate from the FBI’s two major investigations into Epstein, in Florida and New York, spanning decades. Kennedy Center president rebukes performer who called off Christmas Eve show over addition of Trump’s name...

Read More:

• How many records have been released so far?:
• What has been released so far?:
• How much more is out there?:
• What still hasn’t been released?:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 27, 2025, 5:00 AM ET - 3 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

Zelenskyy to meet Carney in Halifax today before Ukraine president’s talks with Trump in Florida

Zelenskyy seeing Canadian PM ahead of talks with U.S. president aimed at ending Russia-Ukraine war

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Halifax today during a stopover before Ukraine’s president heads to the U.S. News of Zelenskyy's Canadian visit comes after he spoke with Carney by phone Friday. The Prime Minister’s Office released an advisory early Saturday confirming the meeting, scheduled to start around 1 p.m. AT.

The wartime leader said in a statement that he updated the prime minister "on the status of our diplomatic efforts with the United States" to bring the Russian war in Ukraine to an end...

WATCH | Consensus reached between U.S.-Ukraine on ending

• Security guarantees on agenda with Trump:

WATCH | The 20-point peace plan laid out by Zelenskyy:

Read More:

Posted: Dec 27, 2025 6:15 AM EST | Last Updated: 33 minutes ago

- CBC -

Navy ponders concept of Canadian-built amphibious landing ship for Arctic operations

Canada's defence establishment entering an era of bigger ambitions and budgets

The commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is floating the idea of an ice-capable amphibious landing ship to move troops and equipment around the country’s Arctic — and perhaps elsewhere. But Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee is quick not to get his hopes up — and has even, occasionally, taken pains to downplay it.

At various times, Topshee has described the notion as “a conceptual thing" and even told a podcaster last fall that it is “a thought exercise” — part of the imagining that’s going on as the navy and the defence establishment writ large wraps their heads around an era of bigger ambitions and bigger budgets...

• Canada's growing profile in Antarctic research may get a boost with expedition in 2026
• New funding will allow military to dream big:

WATCH | Canada's navy examining adding an amphibious landing ship in the Arctic:

• Countries tie amphibious ships to national security:
• NATO deterrence mission in Latvia drains the Canadian Army's fleet of vehicles

Read More:

Posted: Dec 27, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

- CBC -

1 Minute Ago: JUST IN Carney Shuts Down Trump, “Canada Stands Strong Without You” | George Conway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sd4M1Hu6k8

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

I pray you all have a safe and happy Christmas holiday. My prayers go out especially to those who are suffering and to anyone who is doing without on this Christmas Holiday. And I do pray that you have what you need, if not what you want. Many times your want turns out to be what you need. May everyone reading this be grateful that you are IN A SAFE AND PEACEFUL PLACE.

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

WARS & RUMORS OF WARS

Because of ONE ORANGE BUTT HOLE DIAPER WEARING PIG making everyone's life miserable, and I genuinely believe that Orange Butthole gets his rocks off watching people squirm and come crying at his feet. Well, every pig 🐷 OINK OINK has its day in the spotlight, but then the lightbulb in the spotlight will burn out someday, and we won't have to look at that ugly ORANGE MUG anymore, except maybe on a poster where it belongs. Legend: Psychopathic. Pedophile, narcissistic, sadist, demented, and a convicted felon. Should be in jail for 6 billion years 🔐😶‍🌫️; even a woman could grow a beard in that much time. And that's 350 and a 1/2% for sure. Step on the bunion of that person standing next to you, and you'll get the other 1/2% when they raise their hands in the air, as their wig jumps up and does a spin dance on their head while they sing crescendo.

The shadow Russia casts over Europe has forced it to face the truth: the risk of war is once again real

When a group of defense insiders gathered in Whitehall, the home of the British government, last month to discuss how prepared the United Kingdom and its allies were for a war they believe could come in the next few years, their verdict was pretty grim: They are not.

The people gathered at the conference, hosted by the London-based think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), were not warmongers; they were people in the know. Current and former members of the armed forces, government and NATO officials, researchers, and defense industry professionals whose thinking is based on the widely accepted intelligence assessment that Russia is preparing for the possibility of a direct conflict with Europe.

The only way to prevent that, they say, is to ensure that, if a war were to break out, Europe would win. More investment in chronically underfunded European defense is key, but security experts are increasingly warning that a big shift in mindset is needed across the board as well...

• Baltic fears:
• Peace dividend:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 25, 2025, 12:01 AM ET - Dec 25, 2025

- CNN -

That's what happens when you poke in a hole full of rattlesnakes with a stick: you may find there is more than one snake in that hole, and they all have their own fangs and rattles.

Sure, America can be the big bully and go around and poke a lot of snakes with that stick, and the snakes meet a force they can't fight back, fire, so they go into retreat. Then, the first to return are the cockroaches 🪳 🪳 🪳; they come back out once the smoke clears. 🌫️ 💨 . Cockroaches fighting cockroaches, Cocrkoaches do as cockroaches do, don't you know? Putin is watching and likely thinking, "May as well let them do the job of clearing the trail for me during all this confusion."

You can not appease these war-crazed gods because any god with a small g is fallible; they are never satisfied and will want more, like blood suckers, they will gorge on We, the People just as effectively as being sucked dry of blood if we were thrown in a blood sucker infested swamp, which Trumpo The Typo's Dunce Cadets WILL OBLIGINGLY DO IF ORDERED. Their all just a bunch of school yard bullies and flunkies. IN MY OPINION.

BREAKING NEWS:

Tamiflu isn’t the only flu treatment available. These other options may fly under the radar – and provide relief

When the flu strikes, it can feel relentless: rising fever, hacking cough, stuffy nose and sore throat. For many people, relief can come in the form of Tamiflu, a prescription antiviral medication used to treat and even prevent the illness.

But some people may not realize that Tamiflu isn’t the only option. Other flu treatments are available in the United States. These alternatives sometimes fly under the radar, in part because some are targeted for specific populations. But Xofluza, a one-dose pill, is approved for people 5 years and older – and can be a strong alternative for some people who may otherwise be prescribed Tamiflu.

Antiviral medications tend to work best when started within two days after symptoms begin, so having easy access to treatment options is key for treating the flu most effectively...

• ‘Xofluza is rising in popularity’:

Read More:

Updated Dec 26, 2025, 10:37 AM ET - Updated 29 min ago

- CNN -

Trump says US military struck ISIS terrorists in Nigeria

President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d ordered a deadly strike on Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria, who he has accused of persecuting Christians in the country. In a post on social media, Trump said he’d directed a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” who he said had been killing innocent Christians.

US Africa Command said it conducted the strikes in Sokoto state, which borders Niger to the north, “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” AFRICOM’s initial assessment is that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps,” according to a news release. A US official told CNN the strikes included Tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy vessel that struck two ISIS camps...

• Militants have targeted Christian and Muslim communities:

Read More:

Updated Dec 26, 2025, 11:15 AM ET - Updated a min ago

- CNN -

Trump promised ‘aggressive’ housing reform next year. Here’s what to expect for home prices in 2026

Next year may mark a turning point for the US housing market.

After several years in a deep freeze, with high borrowing costs and soaring prices locking many Americans out of homeownership, economists say conditions may begin to shift in 2026. But next year, many economists are optimistic about the housing market. Many anticipate that rising incomes will start to outpace home prices, making homes feel more affordable for many Americans.

Redfin has dubbed 2026 “The Great Housing Reset,” while Compass has described it as the start of a “new era.” And after years of historically low sales volumes, even a small increase in activity would mark a turning point for the housing market...

• Will home prices fall?:
• What will happen to mortgage rates?:
• Tracking US mortgage rates Chart Included:
• What about rent prices?:
• What is the Trump administration proposing?:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 26, 2025, 7:00 AM ET - 4 hr ago

- CNN -

Hegseth says 'more to come' after U.S. launches airstrikes in Nigeria

Trump says Christmas Day strikes targeted ISIS militants

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU, BUTTHOLE!

They'll be back for a piece of your hiney. (‿ˠ‿)

CANADIAN NEWS:

Hallmark movies bring more to B.C. than just film work. They impact the broader economy, too

Jobs, tourism and other spending related to filming boosts communities, province says

Picture it: mid-October, 2025. You’re splayed out on the couch, casually enjoying a re-run of your favourite 80s sitcom on cable television when an ad appears promoting the Countdown to Christmas on the Hallmark Channel, or W Network here in Canada.

For some, it sparks excitement — the holidays are approaching, and the season is not complete without sipping hot cocoa while watching a selection of cozy Christmas movies. For others, that 24-hour rotation of Christmas cheer is a living nightmare. Love it or hate it though, Hallmark movies are big business in B.C., where the company films the about 40 per cent of its content — Christmas and year-round programming.

• Hallmark tourism brings viewers to B.C.:

Read More:

Posted: Dec 26, 2025 8:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

- CBC -

Inside a B.C. ‘dementia village' that researchers hope could reshape long-term care

The Village Langley caters to people with dementia and is designed to look and feel like a small community

Doreen Freeland used to be what's known as a “land girl” in Britain during the Second World War. She was one of thousands of women recruited to work in orchards and on farms to help keep food production going while men went off to fight. “It was fun sometimes, but it was a bit hard other times when everything's frosty, and you got to pick those sprouts,” she says.

Now 94, Freeland is rekindling some of that connection to the outdoors at The Village Langley, a care facility southeast of Vancouver that caters to people with dementia...

• ‘We all want to live out best lives’:
• Researchers testing the model:
• Cost and access remain big questions:
• Stigma still isolates people with dementia:

Read More:

Posted: Dec 26, 2025 7:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

- CBC -

~ FOLLOW THE TANGERINE JESUS ~

The Pied Piper of The White 💩 House.

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Merry Christmas, everyone. 🎅 🎄 Santa didn't forget me. I was up a good part of the night with nausea and the grand mal chills, like I never had before. Merry F'n Chritmas, Fairy Lady! Have a lovely nauseating Christmas Day 🥵 🫨 🤢 🤮 🥴 I guess the nicest thing I got today is the Christmas card Paula got me. Other than that, it's been a grey, dull, cloudy day, which goes quite well with the sore neck, queasy stomach, and the grey mood I'm in.

All I pray for on this Christmas day is for only one thing: for all this crap of getting sick, just take a hike and leave me alone, or allow me to leave this torture chamber of a life. THIS IS NOT LIFE, IT'S TORTURE! So do your thing, Great Spirit, get me out of this hellhole, or allow me to continue my mission without all this suffering. That's enough about me, I don't want to poop on anyone's Christmas Day.

I won't be here for long; I hardly have the energy to remain sitting up. I just simply don't know why my body is putting itself through all this torture??? I am about to have some chicken noodle soup. I hope that helps a little. I will be back after.

Here I am back again. I was out in my Green Space. It feels mild out, and the sun is peeking out now and again, making for not a bad day weatherwise for the Christmas Holiday, 33° F and partly sunny.

Christmas Story Karavan 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvB1YhKOmgA

Merry Christmas

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

It's a beautiful, mild, sunny morning 🌅 with an expected high of 35°F here at the Tree House and partly cloudy skies. It will be overcast with temperatures of 37°F on Christmas Day. Who needs to go to Florida? Save your money, break out the cocktails, put on a light jacket, and sit out on your balcony at a patio table in the sun, under a fake coconut tree for emphasis, and voila! Why waste all that money to go to Florida? 🌴 Look at all the money you save on airfare and motel rooms.

Or how about visiting the Okanogan Valley 🛤️, which also offers temperate winter temperatures and plenty of sightseeing. And if you are a winter enthusiast, 🌨️ ❄️ 💨, there are just as many grand places to visit in the BC or Alberta mountains as you would elsewhere in any other European or other mountain range in the world, with grand skiing lodges. Skiing and snowmobiling are probably the most popular winter activities in Canada ⛷️ 🏂 🏒 🛷 🏍️ Even winter camping has become popular, especially with the advent of tents designed and built for cold weather. An example is shown below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLN8UbKqQM

It's like having all the comforts of home somewhere in the middle of the wilderness, if that's your bag. If I were ten years younger, I would be out and about looking for one of those tents, then throw the tent and the provisions in the back of the Jeep, and wave bye-bye for a couple of weeks, or more ⛺️

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

Well, folks, the sun is still up and bright, and when I was out a little while ago, it felt more like early April than nearly the end of December. Sighhhhhh!

Interprovincial tariff change in Canada:

Canada has recently implemented significant changes to reduce interprovincial trade barriers, which act as de facto "tariffs" by increasing business costs and complexity. These efforts, spurred by the Federal Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), aim to create a more integrated national economy.

• Key Changes and Initiatives:
• Impact and Future Outlook:

Read More: - Google Search -

Changing Federal Laws and Regulations

Canada frequently updates its laws and regulations through a democratic legislative process to reflect evolving societal needs and government priorities. Significant recent and upcoming changes in 2025 and 2026 include new citizenship rules, a push to reduce "red tape" for businesses, and updated provincial regulations on matters such as driving and taxation.

• How Old Rules and Regulations are Changed:
• Key Recent and Upcoming Changes (2025-2026):

Read More: - Google Search -

I see our turtle... 🐢 er, federal government, has just squeaked past one rusty cog in the gear. So much for the cockroach that just got caught in the notch, I hope it was orange and was wearing a blue suit and red tie. Even without the orange cockroach, the previous system needed a good update in the Laws and Regulations Department; it needed a good shaking out, which, in my opinion, was around the same time we discovered that some weasels in some provinces in this country were actually putting tariffs on each other! I believe Carney put the kybosh to that one.

We had our quota of thieves in government and bloodsuckers on the outside taking up all of the feds' titties, and thank you, Carney, for putting some of those thieves out of commission, I hope with a Do Not Get Out Of Jail ticket. BIG PERIOD, that's it.

Most Americans don’t think Trump or Democratic leaders are listening. Here’s what they wish they could tell Washington

Most Americans don’t have faith that their political leaders care what they have to say.

But if they had the chance to tell Washington something, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, they’d say plenty, much of it about the economy. That was the most common response when Americans were asked to share in their own words what they’d tell President Donald Trump to make life in the US better.

*Many Americans want political leaders to hear about their economic concerns*

The responses below were the most frequently mentioned answers to the following question: If you could tell _________ one thing that would make life better in America, what would you tell them?

Most Americans doubt political leaders care about what they have to say

Q: How much, if at all, do you think that _____________ cares about what people like you have to say?

Read More:

Updated Dec 24, 2025, 9:47 AM ET - 1 hr 45 min ago

- CNN -

‘It’s perpetuated this news cycle’: Frustration mounts in Trump’s orbit about messaging on latest Epstein documents

When the Justice Department released a first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday that included photographs of former President Bill Clinton, White House officials raced to amplify the importance of the new documents. But days later, amid a second trove that contains several references to President Donald Trump, the White House is pushing a different view: Don’t believe everything you see.

Trump officials on Tuesday downplayed the latest disclosure of more than 30,000 files related to Epstein, dismissing the significance of the materials and suggesting that some that mentioned Trump were unverified or even outright fabricated. Even as the rest of Washington pored over records showing Trump repeatedly flew on Epstein’s plane, White House aides sought to highlight other matters the president is more eager to talk about.

The messaging shift — the latest in a largely unsuccessful effort by the administration to seize control of the story — has spawned frustration in Trump’s orbit and parts of the White House, where some saw the scrambled response over the last few days as just the latest stumble in a year of Epstein-related blunders and baffling communications mishaps...

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 24, 2025, 4:00 AM ET - 7 hr ago

- CNN -

Most Americans don’t think Trump or Democratic leaders are listening. Here’s what they wish they could tell Washington

Most Americans don’t have faith that their political leaders care what they have to say.

But if they had the chance to tell Washington something, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, they’d say plenty, much of it about the economy. That was the most common response when Americans were asked to share in their own words what they’d tell President Donald Trump to make life in the US better.

Many Americans want political leaders to hear about their economic concerns

The responses below were the most frequently mentioned answers to the following question: If you could tell _________ one thing that would make life better in America, what would you tell them?

What would Americans tell leadership if they could?

Q: If you could talk with _______ and tell them one thing that would make life better in America, what would you tell them?

Most Americans doubt political leaders care about what they have to say

Q: How much, if at all, do you think that _____________ cares about what people like you have to say?

Read More:

Updated Dec 24, 2025, 9:47 AM ET - 2 hr ago

- CNN -

Ukraine’s Zelensky offers peace concessions – and puts the ball in Putin’s court

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled new willingness to make concessions on several key negotiating points that have threatened to stall a nascent peace process with Moscow, effectively putting the ball in Russia’s court.

In an unusually candid and wide-ranging meeting with reporters Tuesday, Zelensky gave new details about a 20-point plan that he described as “a foundational document on ending the war, a political document between us, America, Europe, and the Russians.” The Ukrainian president also discussed specifics of security guarantees between Ukraine, the United States and European countries that would form a crucial part of any peace deal with Russia.

Zelensky said he expected to receive a response from Moscow Wednesday after the US side engages with the Kremlin. The draft 20-point agreement represents a slimmed-down version of an original 28-point plan the US previously discussed with the Russian side. In his remarks, Zelensky outlined what the Ukrainian side says would be an acceptable compromise for withdrawing its troops from portions of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine that are currently not held by Russian forces...

• Key points of draft plan:

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Dmitriev gave Putin “a detailed briefing on the results of his trip to Miami

Read More:

Updated Dec 24, 2025, 9:41 AM ET - 2 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

Be prepared in case of power outage in extreme cold, say Yukon officials

Territory's energy minister says power grid under 'significant strain' as prolonged cold snap continues

As Yukon continues to deal with a prolonged spell of extreme cold, emergency officials are advising people to be prepared in case of a power outage. Temperatures in Whitehorse have been hovering around -40 C and have dropped below -50 C in some communities. The mercury is expected to rise into the -20s in Whitehorse over the weekend.

On Tuesday, the territory's energy minister issued a statement saying the territory's power grid was under "significant strain," and suggested the potential for rolling blackouts in Whitehorse if the system were to buckle under that strain...

Whitehorse resident Barrett Horne's outdoor thermometer seemed to bottom out well below -50 C on Tuesday morning.

• ‘Safety is a shared responsibility’:

Posted: Dec 23, 2025 10:12 PM EST | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

- CBC -

Can the answer to future flooding be found in resurrecting an ancient lake?

Before the 1920s, the Sumas prairies were covered by a lake

Following the recent floods in Abbotsford and on the territory of the Semá:th (Sumas) First Nation in British Columbia, some researchers are renewing their calls to bring part of the ancient Sumas Lake back to life. The idea could mitigate the growing risk of flooding in the region. However, the restoration of floodplains raises significant economic, political, and social implications.

Under heavy rain, Kwilosintun (Murray Ned), a member of the Semá:th First Nation, whose ancestral territory is located in the Abbotsford region of British Columbia, walks along the last vestige of an ancient lake...

• Recurring floods:
• An ancient lake:
• Rethinking climate change adaptation:
• Funding request refused:

Raed More:

Posted: Dec 24, 2025 10:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

- CBC -

Canada needs to stand firm as trade talks approach, says Unifor president

Payne says she doesn't want to see Canada rushing into a deal

As Canada approaches a review of its key free trade deal with the United States next year, Unifor national president Lana Payne says it’s important to stand firm for a good deal.

Payne says she’s troubled by the views of some in the business community who have pushed to reach trade deals quickly. She says rushing into a deal at any cost is "absolutely the most terrible approach to negotiations," and Canada has to remember it has leverage in these talks...

WATCH | Lana Payne says she's concerned about Canada's approach to talks:

Trump trade rep targets Canada's beer and dairy rules in new CUSMA review conditions

Posted: Dec 24, 2025 9:53 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

- CBC -

WHY DOESN'T TRUMP KEEP HIS FAT, UGLY, ORANGE, CREEPY FACE OUT OF THIS?

IT'S STUCK TO YOUR ANKLE!

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATION & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Happy Tuesday, the 23rd of December, everyone. It was raining out, but it's not doing anything right now. The forecast is a high of 41°F today, with rain on and off throughout the day. 35°F and 36°F for the next two days, definitely a green Christmas. Again, we have been lucky; here in the peninsula, it snowed all around us except here.

Health-wise? I appear to be back pretty well to normal again, as normal as to be expected after all those battles I've been through, and I'm not getting younger; I'm pretty aware that I may not survive another serious illness. Just too many too fast, it took a toll on me. I am only here by the grace of the Great Spirit. But go quietly into the night, I will not do. I will beat the drum of peace to the end, and that's all I can ask to do, at least I'm doing something better than sitting on my hands doing nothing like too many are doing.

One good thing came out of all this illness: it gave me the opportunity through my daily updates here on the news on just how ill one can get from these superbugs without the proper precautions, especially without the vaccine, I would be dead. I had measles, mumps, whooping cough, regular bad colds, and the flu in past years when I was younger, but none were as severe as these superbugs. It's a torture chamber, even if you don't believe in the vaccine. What about your children? If they die from these superbugs, it's your fault! And it's your conscience you have to deal with.

- Google Search -

Quick Oxford Reference

A Failure To Act

A failure to act. It is not usually a crime to fail to act; for example, it is not usually a crime to stand by and watch a child who has fallen into a river drown. Sometimes, however, there is a duty on a person to act, either because of the terms of a contractual duty, or because he is a parent or guardian of a minor, or because he has voluntarily assumed a duty (e.g., looking after a disabled relative), or through a statutory imposition of such a duty. In such cases, omission may constitute a crime. Usually, this will be a crime of negligence (e.g., manslaughter, if the victim dies because of the defendant's omission); if it is a deliberate omission with a particular intention (e.g., the intention of starving someone to death), it will amount to murder. See also neglect.

Similarly, there is no general liability in tort law for failing to act, but there are situations in which the law imposes a duty to act to prevent harm to others. Thus, occupiers of premises are under a duty to see that their visitors are reasonably safe (see occupier's liability).

Cowardly Chicken Livers, that's what I call them, you can find a lot of them old cowardly chicken livers in the House, the Senate, and the White 💩 House, hateful bunch of old squawking Republican pigs and old chickens. "SQUAWK SQUAWK OINK OINK!" I've nothing more to say, except squawk squawk, oink, oink back at you! 🐷 🐔 and Dunce Cadets

🔺 🤡 🚶 🚶‍♂️ 🚶‍➡️ 🚶‍♂️‍➡️🏃 🏃‍♂️ 🧎‍➡️ 🧍‍♀️ 🧑‍🌾 👨‍🌾 👩‍🎤 👨‍🎤 👨‍🦼‍➡️ 👩‍🦯‍➡️ 👫 👭 Yell "Booooo!" and they would all hide under the chair. 🪑

BREAKING NEWS:

Justice Department releases new batch of documents in Epstein investigation

CNN reporters are reviewing the latest trove that relate to the investigation into the convicted sex offender.

*What We're Covering*

• The Justice Department dropped more files overnight related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. We are going through the documents now and will share information as we learn more.

• President Donald Trump’s name has appeared in the latest file drop — including in references to flight records related to Epstein’s private plane. Authorities have not accused Trump of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein and the DOJ said some of the materials include “untrue and sensationalist” claims about the president.

• Also among the documents is a series of emails showing correspondence between Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and convicted accomplice, and a person with the alias “A” that appears to be connected to the British royal family.

Read More:

6 min ago

What we've learned so far from the latest batch of files from the Epstein investigation

More To Read:

Updated 10:53 AM EST, Tue December 23, 2025

- CNN -

The US economy was much stronger than expected in the third quarter

An initial reading of third-quarter gross domestic product showed the US economy expanded at an inflation-adjusted annualized rate of 4.3%, a far faster pace than the 3.8% recorded in the second quarter, according to Commerce Department data released Tuesday. That’s the fastest growth rate in two years.

An acceleration in consumer spending, up 3.5% from 2.5% in the second quarter, and exports, up 8.8% from -1.8% in the second quarter, were the main contributors to the third-quarter GDP reading.

CHART | Included:

• A mixed economic picture:

Read More:

Updated Dec 23, 2025, 10:18 AM ET - 48 min ago

- CNN -

Trump’s long, tortured relationship with the unemployment rate just got worse

When jobs or inflation data counter President Donald Trump’s preferred economic narrative, he typically offers alternative statistics to shine a more positive light on the economy. But Trump’s latest effort asks Americans to buy into some puzzling logic.

After America’s unemployment rate hit a four-year high of 4.6% in November, Trump made the argument that the job market is far better than it appears. His reasoning: He could quickly put millions of Americans to back to work – but won’t. “Now, if I want to make some good numbers, I’ll add 300,000 jobs. I can do it with one phone call,” Trump said at a campaign-style rally in North Carolina Friday.

He said, if he wanted to, he could force government agencies to add jobs that they lost this year through a combination of resignations, attrition and staffing reductions led by the Department of Government Efficiency...

• The job market math:
• The job market reality:
• Trump’s history of unemployment untruths:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Dec 23, 2025, 5:00 AM ET - 6 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

Peguis First Nation sues former chief, alleging 'kickbacks,' diversion of funds and other ‘corrupt practices’

Suit claims Glenn Hudson led band to award $20M in contracts to company he co-founded, gave members cash gifts

Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.

In a 29-page statement of claim filed Friday with Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench, the First Nation alleges Hudson “engaged in corrupt practices,” made unauthorized transfers of funds, awarded contracts to companies he benefitted from, treated the First Nation’s assets “as if they were his own” and engaged in “risky financing and real estate transactions” during his 14 years as the chief as well as a shareholder and director of several Peguis corporations. The allegations have not been proven in court. No statement of defence has been filed...

• Band alleges it was invoiced for furniture, vehicles:
• Lawsuit part of 'negative campaign,' Hudson says:

Read More:

Posted: Dec 23, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

- CBC -

For decades, Canada's military had no combat uniforms designed for women. That's about to change

'This isn't a woke issue. This is a war-fighting issue', said Lt.-Col. Melanie Lake

More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies. For decades, female soldiers have been wearing uniforms designed primarily for men and some say it has made their jobs harder, contributed to injuries and hurt morale.

• Retired major Sandra Perron says she wore an extra-small men's uniform and made it work when she was young.
• DND's human factors support cell lead Emma Moon says when the fit of uniforms isn't optimized, it demands more from military members mentally and physically
• A body armour carriage system in the works designed for women that has shorter armoured plates. The final design will be in camouflage. ...

Read More:

Posted: Dec 23, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

- CBBC -

Canadian economy shrank by 0.3% in October, the biggest slump in almost 3 years

Analysts had predicted that growth would dip by 0.2 per cent ahead of the release

The Canadian economy shrank by a greater-than-expected 0.3 per cent in October, the largest drop in almost three years, on weakness in both the goods and services sectors, official data showed on Tuesday.

Analysts had forecast that growth would dip by 0.2 per cent from September as the economy continues to adjust to U.S. trade measures. Last month, Statistics Canada reported 0.2 per cent GDP growth for September, and Canada avoided a technical recession largely due to a surge in defence spending.

The month-on-month fall was the largest since the 0.3 per cent decline seen in December 2022. The goods sector fell 0.7 per cent in October, while services contracted by 0.2 per cent...

GDP| Chart Included

Posted: Dec 23, 2025 9:24 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

- CBC -

LOOKING FORWARD TO RETIREMENT? TRUMPO THE TYPO HAS A NICE CARBOARD BOX FOR YOU ON A BACK STREET IN JANUARY IN SASKATOON.