TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATOR & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Another cloudy morning, but still mild out there for January. I don't mind the mild weather in the winter; the way I see it, the more mild days we get, the less winter we have to go through 😆 Not much shakin' here in the Newsroom this morning, except for waiting for the brain fog to lift so I can continue with the news. Thank you for reading the TREE HOUSE NEWS. I pray you all have a better day than you did yesterday.

🙏~ PRAYER ~🙏

Let us begin the day with a prayer for all who are in need today, and for the healing and protection of the wounded and ill.

Please, Great Spirit, guide those who still have integrity, a brave heart, and raise a true leader to come forward with lance and shield in hand—the true warriors of compassion for We, the People.

And how about The Earth Angels? There are many Earth Angels among us who are not even aware of the part they are about to play.

And please, Great Spirit, give us, We, the People, the strength and wisdom to stand up to and defeat the beast that threatens our homes, the land, and also eventually will eat away at every one of us. This beautiful land will be forever destroyed and poisoned by this vile beast, now the president. Great Spirit, you allow us to borrow the land for a short time, to tend Mother Gaia for the next generation. TODAY'S LAND USE IS KILLING MOTHER GAIA! Help us all do our part in dealing with the BEAST, then help to restore and tend to Mother Gaia and her flock as we should. AMEN!

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

Ancient Scripts - Scriptures

I'm not a member of any religion, but I have read many texts from different faiths, attended a few churches, and talked to priests and ministers. Still, none of the religious stuff really interested me enough to stick to a religion. But I do have a Spiritual Faith, homegrown from the program of AA.

As for the Bible, Kabbalah, Torah, etc., the written texts hold many interesting prehistoric accounts that seem to go all the way back along the evolutionary path of Australopithecus africanus. As you read from a text, you perceive what the passages mean in an intellectual sense. What image or perception would you draw from considering the same scripture subconsciously, like where your imagination dwells? The Hippocampus in the neocortex in your conscious mind may give you a different picture from what's described in the text. That's the problem with interpretation: what did those who actually wrote the text of the Bible really ink on the page when they verbalized what they thought they saw?

- Google Search -

The Bible and the Kabbalah are foundational ancient texts within the Abrahamic traditions, particularly Judaism and Christianity, with the Kabbalah representing the mystical dimension of Jewish tradition.

The Bible:

The Bible is an anthology of texts, divided into the Old and New Testaments.

• Old Testament (Tanakh):

This collection is sacred to both Jews and Christians and was primarily written in Hebrew and some Aramaic between approximately 1400 BCE and 165 BCE. It is comprised of three parts:

• Torah (The Pentateuch):
• Ketuvim (Writings):
• New Testament:

Specific to Christianity, these 27 books were written in Koine Greek between 50 and 100 CE and center on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Qabalah - Kabbalah:

Kabbalah (Hebrew for "that which has been received" or "tradition") is the esoteric and mystical school of thought within Judaism that seeks to understand the hidden, inner meaning of the Hebrew Bible and traditional rabbinic literature.

• Core Texts:
• The Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation):

An earlier mystical work (dated between 200–600 CE) that explores cosmology through the mystical significance of the Hebrew alphabet and numbers.

The Bahir:

Sefirot:

A central concept in Kabbalah, the Sefirot are the ten divine powers or attributes through which God created and interacts with the world.

Other Related Ancient Texts

Numerous other ancient texts from the Near East and beyond share themes or historical context with the Bible and Kabbalah.

Read More - Google Search -

Question: Ancient texts like the Bible and the Kabbalah

BREAKING NEWS:

Venezuela releases first prisoners in ‘peace’ gesture: Here’s what to know

Venezuela has begun releasing a number of high-profile prisoners, including opposition politicians, in what its government has called a gesture “to seek peace” less than a week after the US operation to snatch its President Nicolás Maduro.

At least nine people had been released as of Friday afternoon, representing just over 1% of political prisoners in Venezuela, according to human rights organization Penal Forum. Tearful reunions unfolded Thursday night, with newly freed detainees seen embracing loved ones in video shared on social media and verified by CNN Español.

Among the first to be released were Enrique Márquez, a former presidential candidate, and Biagio Pilieri, a businessman and former Venezuelan lawmaker, who were being held at a detention facility in Caracas known as El Helicoide. “They were taken out in cars and dropped off far from El Helicoide,” a CNNE reporter told CNN...

• A history of stifling dissent:

Read More:

Updated Jan 9, 2026, 4:36 PM ET - 17 hr ago

- CNN -

A painted flag, a Russian bluff and an 18-day chase across the Atlantic

The Bella 1 had been tailed by a US Coast Guard cutter across the Atlantic Ocean for almost two weeks when the ship’s crew employed a novel tactic to evade the US military: painting a Russian flag on its hull.

The aging, rusted crude oil tanker got a new name too — The Marinera. Moscow soon sent a diplomatic request to Washington to stop pursuit of the vessel.

It was New Year’s Eve, and the tanker, sanctioned for being part of a shadow fleet used to move illicit oil around the world, was steaming north, potentially headed for Russian waters just east of Finland. Trump officials balked at the diplomatic warning, saying the newly painted flag was illegitimate and the vessel was “stateless,” effectively calling Russia’s bluff. A Coast Guard cutter, named the Munro, remained in pursuit.

As the tanker approached the North Atlantic between the United Kingdom and Iceland, US military aircraft began prepositioning at airbases in the UK. Special operations forces, including Navy SEALs and an Army helicopter unit known as the “night stalkers,” were readied for a potential mission. Finally on Wednesday, roughly 190 miles south of Iceland, US personnel rappelled down from helicopters and boarded the tanker, taking control of it...

• Cracking down on the shadow fleet:
• Tanker seizures began last month:
• ‘Well beyond US waters’:
• Navy SEALs and ‘Night stalkers’:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Jan 10, 2026, 5:00 AM ET - 5 hr ago

- CNN -

Farewell, forever wars, hello empire? The week that changed the world

In January 1899, the American gunboat USS Wilmington set out on an expedition to Venezuela, steaming up the Orinoco River toward the country’s interior. On board was an American diplomat, Francis Loomis, the US envoy to Venezuela. The mission was to show the flag, explore commercial opportunities – including routes to supply gold-mining operations – and display a little firepower.

An article in Naval History described how Loomis liked to demonstrate the ship’s Colt machine guns to local officials.

“This gun, firing some 500 shots a minute, produced a vivid impression here,” Loomis wrote in a report. “I made a point of having this gun fired anytime there were any army officials on board.”

“Gunboat diplomacy” has become a convenient shorthand for US President Donald Trump’s coercive foreign policy backed up by the threat of military force.

The events of the past week stirred memories of long-forgotten chapters of US imperialism – from gunboat diplomacy and banana wars to full-scale colonial rule – that have left Washington’s traditional allies wondering if the world is returning to an era of great powers and vassal states.

Read More:

Updated Jan 10, 2026, 9:20 AM ET - 1 hr 3 min ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

The U.S. wants Venezuelan oil. Does that undercut Canada's leverage in trade talks?

Experts, former officials say pursuing Venezuela's oil is risky but Canada should be alert

ust hours after the United States announced it had attacked oil-rich Venezuela and captured its president Nicolás Maduro, the wife of a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Canada on social media. "The U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada," wrote Katie Miller, whose husband Stephen Miller is Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser. "Free trade is over."

It's a familiar refrain from those within Trump's orbit, and from the president himself. But the argument has taken on new meaning now that the United States could have access to Venezuela's staggeringly large reserves of heavy crude oil — similar to what's produced in Western Canada.

LISTEN | What Trump's actions in Venezuela could mean for Canada oil.

• Can Venezuela displace Canadian oil?:

WATCH | Breaking down Trump's national security strategy:

Trump looks for leverage, says former official

WATCH | Carney on upcoming CUSMA talks:

WATCH | Tapping into Venezuelan oil holds many challenges:

• Will CUSMA survive?:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 10, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

- CBC -

Iran escalates threats against protesters as demonstrations continue

Death penalty threatened as protests spreading across the country near 2-week mark

Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark on Saturday, with the country’s government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 65 people, and more than 2,300 others have been detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signalled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats on Saturday, with Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death-penalty charge...

WATCH | Anti-government protests spread across Iran:

• Online video contradicts state TV report:

WATCH | Trump threatens Iranian regime:

• More weekend protests planned:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 10, 2026 9:11 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

- CBC -

🥪 💨~ TRUMPO THE TYPO AIR SANDWICH ~ 💨 🥪

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATOR & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Today it's raining, with an expected high of 55.4°F, which feels like a cool day in Florida. I went to see my dentist yesterday, and it was mostly nice and sunny and mild. I will have three more appointments and should be getting my dentures by mid-February. Good, then I can eat chips, hot dogs, and hamburgers, and you wanna bet the barbecue will definitely get fired up for a steak. We fried steaks, chicken, fish, and hamburgers all winter out there on the barbecue last winter. On a nice sunny day with no wind, it's nice to sit out there, like I did yesterday. Sitting in the sun, drinking hot tea, and scrolling through my phone. Yesterday was a beautiful porch day.

I'm feeling fine, and everything is going well here this morning with me and Bobbie McGee, my imaginary friend. Follow your dreams, they say, and I said, OK, and went back to bed 😁 Na I'm up for the day, except maybe for a wee nap this afternoon. I call that going back to my childhood. At grade school, I had recess; in retirement, I have naps and dream about recess 😂 I like it when I feel good; it helps crank up the funny-bone stuff. That will be about it from my morning report here at the Newsroom.

BREAKING NEWS:

NASA chief announces 1st-ever medical evacuation from space station, Crew-11 to come home early

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuN4tBooNkY

Viral?

Anyway, here goes with Today's Discussion:

- PROJECT 2025 -

Got a little curious about this Elusive Topic Project 2025, I was particularly looking for names. I took out my magnifying glass and trench coat and did some further research in the darkness of the wee hours of this morning. Then out came the corn cob pipe, chalk in hand, at the blackboard to draw out the forensic details of the crime scene. A complete map showing where all the crooks are 🤣

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

WHAT IS PROJECT 2025

Brief Outline Below:

Project 2025 (also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project is a political initiative published in April 2023 by the heritage Foundation with the goal of reshaping the U.S. federal government by consolidating executive power in favor of right wing policies, It constitutes a policy document that suggests specific changes to the federal government, a personnel database for recommending vetting loyal staff in the federal government, and a set of proposed executive orders for the U.S. president to implement those policies.

The project's policy document Mandate for Leadership^[7] calls for the replacement of federal civil service workers by people loyal to "the next conservative president" and for taking partisan control of the Department of justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Comerce (DOC), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Education (ED), would be dismantled.^[9] It calls for reducing environmental regulations and realigning the National Institute of Health (NIH) with conservative priorities. The blueprint seeks to reduce taxes on corporations, institute a flat income tax on individuals, cut Medicare and Medicade and reverse as many of President Joe Biden's Joe Biden policies as possible. It proposes banning pornography, removing legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs while having the DOJ prosecute anti white racism The project recommends mass deportation of illegal immigrants The plan also proposes enacting laws supported by the Christian rights such as criminalizing the sending and receiving of abortion and birth control medications and eliminating coverage of emergency contraception.

 

Background

 

Kevin Roberts president of the Heritage Foundation, established Project 2025 with the goal of "building a governing agenda, not just for next January but long into the future"

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank founded in 1973, has had significant influence in U.S. public policy making. In 2019, it ranked among the most influential public policy organizations in the United States. It coordinates with many conservative groups to build a network of allies.

 

The Heritage Foundation is closely aligned with Trump.^] The project's president, Kevin Roberts, sees the organization's current role as "institutionalizing Trumpism At a 2022 Heritage Foundation dinner, Trump endorsed the organization, saying it was "going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do ... when the American people give us a colossal mandate." Roberts said in April 2024 that he had talked to Trump about Project 2025; the Trump campaign denied this.

 

Vice President JD Vance wrote the foreword to Roberts's book Dawn's Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. Some have claimed that Vance is connected to Project 2025 through shared views on policy matters.

 

Project 2025 was established in 2022 with Paul Dans as director to provide the 2024 Republican presidential nominee with a personnel database and ideological framework. According to the Johnson Amendment, 501(c) organizations like Heritage cannot explicitly promote a particular election candidate. The Heritage Foundation spent $22 million preparing staffing recommendations for a conservative government in 2025. This was much more than what the group typically does for its staffing recommendations because President Trump said he had terrible staff during his first term. Citing the Reagan-era maxim that "personnel is policy", some political commentators have argued that personnel is the most important aspect of Project 2025.

 

A Few More Names:

 

May 2024, Russel Vought was named policy director of the Republican National Committee Republican National Commitee platform committee. The Center for Renewing America (CRA)

Steven Miller In November 2024, he was appointed as an advisor to the White House for Trump's second term.

 John McEntee, a senior advisor for Project 2025 and former Trump aide.

Christopher Miller wrote the Mandate's chapter on the Department of Defense.

Peter Navarro, one of Mandate's authors, was appointed Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing.

 

Key leaders

Associate project director Spencer Chretien, associate director of presidential personnel during Trump's first term^] said it was "past time to lay the groundwork for a White House more friendly to the right"

 

On July 2, 2024, Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts created controversy by saying, "we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be." Shortly afterward, the Foundation released a statement adding, "Unfortunately, they have a well established record of instigating the opposite."

Project 2025 released a statement on July 5 saying the project "does not speak for any candidate or campaign" and that it is up to "the next conservative president" to decide which of its recommendations to implement. In July 2024, Trump reiterated his disavowal of Project 2025, but in the same month Project 2025 Director Paul Dans confirmed that his team had ongoing connections with Trump's campaign. During the week of July 29, Dans told Project staff that he would step down as director in August to focus on the election campaign. Kevin Roberts assumed leadership of the project

 

Philosophical outlook

The Mandate for Leadership outlines four main aims: restoring the family as the centerpiece of American life; dismantling the administrative state; defending the nation's sovereignty and borders; and securing God-given individual rights to live freely Roberts writes in the Mandate's foreword: "The long march of Cultural Marxism through our institutions has come to pass. The federal government is a behemoth, weaponized against American citizens and conservative values, with freedom and liberty under siege as never before."

 

^{READ MUCH MORE:}

 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

BREAKING NEWS:

Anti-government protests spread in Iran as authorities cut communications

Here's What we Know

• More anti-government protests broke out Friday in Iran, in the latest unrest to sweep the country. The unrest began nearly two weeks ago over crippling economic conditions, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 protesters, including eight children, Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO reports.

• Authorities cut internet access and telephone lines in Tehran and other cities after major protests on Thursday.

• Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if security forces kill protesters, but on Friday Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US president should “focus on the problems of his own country.”

• The latest demonstrations are the biggest since the large-scale protests that were sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the religious police in 2022.

Read More:

10 min ago

Iran’s supreme leader says protesters are trying to "please" Trump

More To Read:

Updated 10:36 AM EST, Fri January 9, 2026

- CNN -

French-U.K. Starlink rival pitches Canada on 'sovereign' satellite service for Arctic military operations

Joint project with Eutelsat promoted by French president during G7 summit

What’s behind the highly unusual move to block Minnesota officials from investigating ICE shooting

Mutual distrust between federal and state authorities derailed plans for a joint FBI and state criminal investigation into Wednesday’s shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer, leading to the highly unusual move by the Justice Department to block state investigators from participating in the probe.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Thursday that after an initial agreement for the FBI to work with the state agency, as well as prosecutors from the US Attorney’s office in Minneapolis and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, to investigate the shooting, federal authorities reversed course and the FBI blocked the BCA from participating in the investigation.

Behind the move to sever ties were concerns in the Trump administration that state officials couldn’t be trusted with information that emerges from the probe, and that ICE agents’ safety would be put at risk, including with potential doxxing of agents involved, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. The mistrust goes both ways, as state officials attacked the conduct of ICE agents and raised concerns that federal authorities can’t be trusted to fairly investigate...

• A history of state and federal cooperation:
• Investigating the driver:

Read More:

Updated Jan 9, 2026, 8:21 AM ET - 2 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

French-U.K. Starlink rival pitches Canada on 'sovereign' satellite service for Arctic military operations

Joint project with Eutelsat promoted by French president during G7 summit

A company largely owned by the French and U.K. governments is pitching Canada on a roughly $250-million plan to provide the military with secure satellite broadband coverage in the Arctic, CBC News has learned. Eutelsat, a rival to tech billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink, already provides some services to the Canadian military, but wants to deepen the partnership as Canada looks to diversify defence contracts away from suppliers in the United States.

A proposal for Canada's Department of National Defence to join a French Ministry of Defence initiative involving Eutelsat was apparently raised by French President Emmanuel Macron with Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of last year's G7 summit in Alberta...

• 'Sovereign capacity':
• Souring on Starlink?:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 09, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

- CBC -

Fireguards to protect residents also a boon to Alberta wildlife

Bow Valley elk, grizzly bears, birds enjoy new food and open spaces

Fireguards are designed to protect people and communities by clearing land to slow the spread of wildfires. From Lake Louise through Banff and Canmore into Kananaskis Country, hundreds of hectares of forest have been removed in the last five years, with more to come.

But residents and visitors aren’t the only ones benefitting. Wildlife such as elk, grizzly bears and birds are also taking advantage of the work...

WATCH | 83 hectares of trees being felled around Canmore Nordic Centre to reduce wildfire risk:

• Short-term disruption, long-term gain:
• Avoiding wildlife impact:
• Wildlife use open spaces to move:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 09, 2026 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

- CBC -

French-U.K. Starlink rival pitches Canada on 'sovereign' satellite service for Arctic military operations

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATOR & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Another gloomy, cloudy day, and 45°F. We used to call this the January Thaw in early January. But here, we usually don't get any snow that lasts long enough to thaw. After that, it's anybody's guess what comes out of the sky until we get to February, where it's frosty cold, but a lot of bright sun. I pray I can make it to February. Without the bright sunlight, I feel like a mole hiding underground. I can't stand a dark place; it feels like a funeral home.

That is why I keep the living room and kitchen well-lit with LED lights and lamps, so it looks like a sunny day in our daily living area. I can imagine the mad scientist plugging in her invention, and a beam of light shines out the front window like a searchlight in the fog, ya know, like in the old black and white movies. 🪟🌟 😂

Healthwise, I'm doing fine as long as I take my medicine. Until they come up with a cure for all ailments, I'll take the Band-Aids we have. At least, even if the Band-Aid doesn't cure or heal the cut, it stops the life-giving blood from leaking out.

DUH! TAKE THE VACCINATIONS, DUNCE! Believe me, I dearly pray that I NEVER go through what I just went through in the past five years with COVID and the flu piled on my other health challenges, or I would honestly consider medically assisted termination.

That will be about it from me here in the NEWSROOM this morning. Have a better day than yesterday.

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

BEWARE OF NEW PANDEMIC

TRUMP-RETARDATION

- Google Search -

The term "Trump-retardation" isn't a clinical diagnosis but rather a derogatory phrase used by critics, alongside "Trump Derangement Syndrome," to describe perceived cognitive issues or extreme reactions to Donald Trump, referencing his rambling speech, complex syntax changes noted by some experts, and controversial statements, though mental health professionals emphasize these behaviors aren't definitive proof of clinical decline.

Misuse of psychiatric terms is discouraged.

If we could only contain the Orange Pus Bag in a test tube and manipulate its DNA into a virus form, BINGO! Yas gots Trump-retardation Syndrome.

So please do tell us who truly is or are the brains behind all this 2025 stuff and turning the whole nation of America into*_ NAZI LAND! DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE TRUMPO THE TYPO could plan all this stuff out with his peanut-sized brain? Someone in a permanent fog who can't remember even the basics of terms and meanings for his own perception of the world around him? Out of touch with reality? I can't believe that We, the People, a once proud nation, can stand by this pile of 💩 💩 💩 💩 and just do nothing. Have a Happy Root Out The Weeds Every Day New Year.

✊ ☮️ VIVE LA RESISTANCE ☮️ ✊

BREAKING NEWS:

Protesters clash with authorities this morning after ICE agent's killing of woman in Minneapolis

What You Need to Know

• Protesters and law enforcement are clashing in Minneapolis after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman yesterday.

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the agent, saying the woman — identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good — had tried to run over the officer. State and local officials disputed claims that the shooting was done in self-defense. Multiple videos of the shooting reviewed by CNN show nuance, and exactly what took place before the shooting remains unclear.

• People across Minneapolis gathered at the shooting site last night to commemorate Good's life in a vigil that filled an entire block. City schools will also be closed for the remainder of the week "due to safety concerns."

• President Donald Trump called the fatal shooting "a vicious situation," also saying Good appeared to run over the ICE agent. "I think it's horrible to watch. No, I hate to see it," he said after viewing video of the incident.

6 min ago

Around 50 federal law enforcement officers in fatigues move protesters away from federal property

More To Read:

Updated 9:59 AM EST, Thu January 8, 2026

- CNN -

Senate expected to vote on Trump’s war powers in Venezuela as officials begin outlining plan to take over oil sales

Where Things Stand

• US oversight in Venezuela: President Donald Trump told the New York Times that “only time will tell” when it comes to how long the US aims to control Venezuela. He did not give a precise time range for how long the US would intervene, but when asked if it would be months, a year or longer, the president replied: “I would say much longer.” Sigue nuestra cobertura en español.

• Venezuela’s oil: The country’s state-owned oil company said yesterday it is in negotiations with the United States “for the sale of oil volumes,” shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US was “about to close a deal to acquire and sell Venezuelan oil.”

• Limiting Trump’s war powers: The Senate is expected to vote today on a measure to limit President Trump’s war powers in Venezuela. House Democrats have also been working behind scenes to get a privileged war powers resolution on Venezuela on the floor this week...

24 min ago

A look at Venezuela's oil infrastructure

More To Read:

Updated 10:03 AM EST, Thu January 8, 2026

- CNN -

Expect the unexpected in the last jobs report of 2025

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the final jobs report for 2025 — and economists’ estimates vary wildly over what we should expect. The consensus estimates are for 55,000 jobs to have been added in December, a figure that’s in line with year-to-date job growth but slightly lower than November’s preliminary gains of 64,000 jobs.

But some economists say seasonal factors such as the holiday hiring peak could put December’s monthly total somewhere north of 105,000. Either way, the unemployment rate is expected to tick down to 4.5% after hitting a four-year high of 4.6% in November...

_“Total job gains for 2025 are on track to be a meager 710,000,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said in a statement. “That’s the worst hiring outside of a recession since 2003. Even 2010, on the heels of the Great Recession, was a better year for hiring than 2025.”_

• Lopsided job gains:
• The worst of the slowdown ‘could be behind us’:

Read More:

PUBLISHED Jan 8, 2026, 7:30 AM ET - 3 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

Trump's tariff fight at the Supreme Court could make for a messy refund battle for businesses

The Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings Friday, but has not said which cases might be ruled on

Company executives, customs brokers and trade lawyers are bracing for a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs — and a potential fight over obtaining a possible $150 billion US in refunds from the U.S. government for duties already paid by importers if he loses.

Anticipation that the court will strike down the tariffs Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 rose following November arguments in the case when conservative and liberal justices alike voiced skepticism about whether that law gave him the authority to levy the duties. The court is expected to issue rulings on Friday but, as is customary, has not said what case or cases will be acted upon...

• Close to $150 billion US collected:
• Companies eager for refunds, but not optimistic:

Tracking the trade war between the U.S and Canada

CHART | Included:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 08, 2026 10:03 AM EST | Last Updated: 43 minutes ago

- CBC -

With Trump's Venezuela move and Greenland threats, are Canadians vulnerable?

New U.S. national security strategy to enforce 'American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere'

U.S. President Donald Trump's increasingly bellicose stance on taking over Greenland and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are combining to trigger questions and theories about what the White House may have in mind for Canada. The Trump administration's moves come on the heels of its vow to "reassert and enforce" American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere, spelled out officially in a new national security strategy.

The White House said this week that using military force to obtain Greenland remains an option despite the fact it's a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally, while Trump has also floated intervention against Colombia's president and Mexican drug cartels...

• 'We need to be prepared for that':

LISTEN | A top 10 list of global political risks puts the U.S. at number 1:

WATCH | After ousting Venezuela's leader, Trump mulls targeting Colombia's president:

• Deterring Russian, Chinese aggression:

Read More:

Posted: Jan 08, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

- CBC -

~😵‍💫TRUMP-RETARDATION😵‍💫~

 

TREE HOUSE NEWS 🏡

NEWS AGGREGATOR & COMMENTARY

May Great Spirit bless 🙏

Another cloudy but milder morning, 37 F with on and off rain and snow, no accumulation. Another good day to stay indoors, but I have a dentist's appointment at 3:30. NO MORE APPOINTMENTS UNTIL MID APRIL PLEASE! I think that was where I got that damned flu that nearly done me in. I had a shot, but it was outdated and didn't do a damned thing to protect me from the flu. I don't need to bring home another flippin' virus, and there are lots of them on the loose right now.

DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR SHOTS!

Although I should be safe, I had my shots for all those childhood diseases that are going around right now, and there isn't any reason why so many people should be in the hospital with mumps, chicken pox, and measles when they have vaccines for them. I got all those shots when I was in public school. As I said before, if the non-vaccinated don't believe in science, then leave the dum-dum non-vaxxers to slowly die alone away from the general public, to squirm and go into the fetal position with pain and suffering, which I certainly know all about. No vaccination with the latest bug on the menu; they chose to do so, THEN SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!

I say I don't feel sorry for those dumb arses—just for the innocent children who get caught up in their parents' ignorance. The more quickly we get rid of these Nazi dumbbell-loser MAGAts Dunce Cadets, the better off we'll be. Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll all be eradicated by both the bug-type virus and the people-type viruses, Trumpo The Typo and his Dunce Cadets, turning on each other at the same time the bug does, chaos and disarray.

🙏PRAYER FOR THE DAY🙏

G-D BLESS UM AND LET THEM GO WHERE EVER CREATOR HAS CHOSEN FOR THEM, AND MAY THE NAZI DUNCE CADETS NEVER BE HEARD OF AGAIN.

May We, the People, be restored to liberty, freedom, and justice in the dust of the cruelty, chaos, and disregard for our Constitution that once ruled, now in a country that once again has law and order, with compassion and caring for one another—the Peace Keeper.

Thanks to the Orange Pus Bag, our Canadian peacekeepers will be bristling with weapons of war in the next era. A newly arising Leader On The World Stage? Possibly. I am quite certain that, however things turn out, our nice Kink Orange Pus Bag got lost in the shuffle with Prime Minister Carney being three to four steps ahead of him.

Today's Discussion:

- Google Search -

Importing EVs from China to Canada?

Importing Chinese EVs to Canada in 2026 faces significant hurdles due to Canada's existing 100% retaliatory tariffs, launched in response to unfair Chinese trade practices, with discussions ongoing about their removal amid calls for broader EV market access for affordability, while balancing domestic auto industry support and CUSMA alignment. While Chinese EVs offer affordability, Canada is focused on building its own EV supply chain, leading to a complex policy landscape where tariffs protect local jobs but limit consumer choice, with potential shifts expected around the 2026 CUSMA review...

Factors Influencing 2026

CUSMA Review: The 2026 Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review will likely see pressure from the U.S. for stricter rules, influencing Canada's approach to Chinese imports.

• Domestic Industry Growth:
• Consumer Demand:

Future Outlook (2026 & Beyond)

Policy Debate:

Expect continued tension between protecting Canadian jobs and offering cheaper EVs, with potential for tariff adjustments, but likely no immediate removal.

• Strategic Partnerships:

Canada may seek strategic partnerships with China for components rather than wholesale vehicle imports, diversifying supply chains.

• Uncertainty:

The policy direction will depend on global trade dynamics, U.S. pressure, and domestic industry competitiveness, with significant changes possible around the CUSMA review.

Tree House News will publish updates as they develop.

BREAKING NEWS:

US seizes Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Atlantic

What You Need to Know

• Tankers seized:

The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after tracking it across the Atlantic, the US European Command has said. The US said it also seized another vessel in the Caribbean early this morning. Sigue nuestra cobertura en español.

• Venezuela’s oil to US:

President Donald Trump said Venezuela will turn over 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the US, to be sold at market value.

• Briefings for Congress:

House and Senate lawmakers will receive classified briefings today on the Venezuela attack from top officials.

• Spotlight on Greenland:

Elsewhere, emboldened by his claimed control of Venezuela, Trump is “discussing a range of options” to acquire Greenland...

Read More:

Updated 9:43 AM EST, Wed January 7, 2026

- CNN -

As Venezuela buckles under Trump, Iran sees an uncomfortable parallel

Pockets of protests erupting across Iran over the past week have intensified pressure on a dysfunctional government struggling to manage a spiraling economic crisis.

But a dramatic US military operation more than 7,000 miles away looms even larger over the Islamic Republic. Iran woke up over the weekend to dramatic scenes of US forces landing in the Venezuelan capital Caracas to capture Tehran’s ally President Nicolas Maduro and move him to the US in a brazen nighttime operation that saw the president and his wife get dragged out of their bedroom. On Monday, Trump issued his second threat to Iran in less than a week, warning again that if authorities kill protesters, the US would respond...

IMAGE 1: Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, on December 29.

IMAGE 2: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 24, 2024.

Similar but different:

Read More:

Updated Jan 7, 2026, 3:55 AM ET - 6 hr ago

- CNN -

Image 2: A great example of two turds 💩 💩 sitting on a stool 🪑🪑

Trump administration freezes billions in social services funding to five Democratic states

The Trump administration is freezing $10 billion in funds for social services and child care in five Democratic-led states, according to a Department of Health and Human Services official, who suggested, without evidence, that the funds have been used fraudulently. The freeze, first reported by the New York Post, will impact California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York, according to HHS.

HHS will cut off $7.4 billion in funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance to households, along with nearly $2.4 billion for the Child Care and Development Fund. The department will also hold around $870 million from the Social Services Block Grant.

The agency’s Administration for Children and Families sent letters to the states’ governors on Tuesday informing them that their access to these funds is now restricted pending further review...

Read More:

• States await notification:
• Medicaid audit in Minnesota:

Read More:

Updated Jan 6, 2026, 11:55 PM ET - 10 hr ago

- CNN -

CANADIAN NEWS:

Carney to visit China next week to talk trade, security

Carney and China's President Xi Jinping to discuss trade, energy, agriculture and international security

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to China next week, marking the first visit to the country by a Canadian prime minister since 2017. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the trip from Jan. 13 to 17 will see Carney meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss trade, energy, agriculture and international security.

The PMO said it "could not confirm other possible stops" Carney might make "at this point." Carney met Xi on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, in October, where he accepted Xi's invitation for a visit...

• *Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs created '2-front trade war' hurting Prairie canola, pork producers: Kinew
• *Chinese-made EVs are now subject to a 100% tariff. What does this mean for Canadians?

Read More:

Posted: Jan 07, 2026 9:28 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

- CBC -

Canadian tourists voice concerns over Caribbean travel after U.S. strike on Venezuela

Some are cancelling trips to island destinations like Curaçao, travel agent says

People call them the ABC islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. All three are located in the southern Caribbean's leeward Antilles, off the coast of Venezuela. All three are popular tourist destinations, known for their sandy beaches and rich cultures.

But now — days after the U.S. hit Venezuela with what it described as a "large-scale strike" and captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores — the ABC islands have something else in common: trepidation among some travellers...

• 'Anything is possible now':
• Canadians cancelling trips:

WATCH | Trump threatens more countries:

• Some travellers remain unsure:

Posted: Jan 07, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 42 minutes ago

- CBC -

CHIEF ORANGE PUS BAG appendage hanging low along with his peanut-sized penis and brain, ya know? Like the dinosaurs. But a very high IQ, he says? HOW MUCH IQ CAN YOU STUFF IN A 4-INCH BAG?