The Christmas tree industry is struggling to make ends meet. The nation's tree farmers and vendors have only just recovered from supply difficulties that began with the 2008 financial crisis. Christmas tree farms are facing a new set of threats, such as weather disasters brought on by climate change and a changing labor market, just as they are beginning to gain more stability. Forests are not the source of Christmas trees. Rather, farms are where they are cultivated and harvested. The National Christmas Tree Association estimates that there are about 350 million Christmas trees grown on about 15,000 farms spread across the 50 states.According to the most recent data available, around 15 million Christmas trees were cut down by American tree farms in 2022. The three states with the most ac...

London A tumultuous 2024 came to an end as the British royal family gathered for Christmas dinner. The royal family has had a difficult year, particularly after King Charles III and Kate, the Princess of Wales, were both diagnosed with cancer. To acknowledge this fact, Charles broke with tradition by giving his yearly King's Speech from a former hospital chapel. This was the first time in over ten years that the Christmas address was not given from a royal home or estate. In his speech, Charles extended a special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who he said had "supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed." In addition, he expressed his feelings ...

Twenty large cats were killed by bird flu that ravaged a Washington state wildlife refuge, the center stated in a Facebook post, describing the fatalities as a "significant loss." Mark Mathews, director of the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, told NBC affiliate KING of Seattle that the first cat became ill around Thanksgiving. The state has verified that its cats had avian flu at the beginning of December. The refuge revealed the fatalities in a Facebook post on Friday. They consist of two Canada lynx, five African servals, four bobcats, four cougars, and one of each of the following: African caracal, Bengal cat, Amur/Bengal tiger, Geoffroy's cat, and Eurasian lynx. The sanctuary added, "This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible a...

As political violence connected to October's disputed election continues, Mozambique's police general commander, Bernardino Rafael, announced Wednesday that a jail riot in the capital city of Maputo had left 33 people dead and 15 injured. Mozambique's top court ruled on Monday that the long-ruling Frelimo party won the election, sparking new statewide protests by opposition parties and supporters who claim the vote was stolen. The incident was sparked inside the prison and had nothing to do with protesters outside, Justice Minister Helena Kida told local private channel Miramar TV, while Rafael blamed the riot on protests outside the prison. Rafael told a media briefing that the subsequent clashes in the area of the jail led to 33 fatalities and 15 injuries. It was unknown who was murdered...

Kingston, New York. The noises of children running about the family's three-bedroom apartment used to greet Melissa Krajewski when she returned from her work as a home health care. On the weekends, she would watch her husband and son play football and bake with her two daughters. She describes her everyday, middle-class life as if it were a faraway recollection. After their rent increased and they were unable to find another apartment they could afford, Krajewski and her two girls have been staying in a cheap motel room in Kingston, New York, a small town surrounded by the Hudson Valley's undulating mountains, for almost a year. These days, they use a microwave or tiny toaster oven to prepare their meals, keep their food in a compact refrigerator without a functional freezer, and use the...

In his customary Christmas address on Wednesday, Pope Francis called on everyone—from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia—to find the bravery to put an end to the sounds of weapons during this Holy Year. Urbi et Orbi, the pope The world's problems this year are summed up in the To the City and the World address. Francis appealed for widespread reconciliation, including (with) our enemies, as Christmas fell on the first day of the 2025 Holy Year celebration, which he devoted to hope. The pope addressed crowds of people below from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, saying, "I invite every individual, and all people of all nations... to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sounds of arms, and to overcome divisions." The Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, which he opened on Chri...

The West Bank's Bethlehem This year, Christmas is only a whisper in Bethlehem, a little village. Without their customary drums, horns, and bagpipes, Palestinian scouts marched through the streets.In the main square, there was no joyous countdown to the Christmas tree's lighting. Actually, there isn't even a Christmas tree. Faith leaders and locals are struggling with how to celebrate the joyous occasion when fellow Palestinians are still being slain in Bethlehem, which is experiencing its second gloomy Christmas since the start of the war in Gaza. The capital of Christmas is Bethlehem. This time of year is said to be the greatest. The pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Rev. Munther Isaac, told NBC News that none of that is taking place because we are in gri...

The NFL doubleheader on Netflix on Wednesday was infused with the spirit of the holidays by the Queen of Christmas. The streaming behemoth's Christmas game day broadcasts began with Mariah Carey performing a taped version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." The artist is seen on a rooftop decorated with Christmas trees and fake snow, wearing a red festive dress that is encrusted with glitter. Some VIPs from the North Pole, including Santa Claus and a few elves, join her while she sings and dance around her. The section featured groups of individuals watching Netflix from home and a montage of video from previous games. The performance was also published by the streaming behemoth on X, where it said, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A MARIAH CAREY KICKOFF." At the age of 22, Carey wrote the s...

Despite reports of progress in recent days, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas exchanged blame on Wednesday over their inability to reach a ceasefire accord. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of reverting to previously agreed-upon terms, while Hamas claimed that Israel had set new demands. According to Hamas, the occupation has imposed additional demands on detainees, departure, ceasefire, and the repatriation of displaced people, delaying the completion of the existing deal. It further stated that the negotiations, which were mediated by Egypt and Qatar, were serious and that it was demonstrating flexibility. Netanyahu retaliated with a statement, saying that the terrorist group Hamas is still lying, breaking agreements that have already been made, and i...

Following a cat's death from avian flu, which Oregon officials linked to the cat's tainted food, a voluntary recall was ordered for a line of raw and frozen pet food. Northwest Naturals notified customers on Tuesday that if the sell-by date of their Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food falls between May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026, they should discard it. The batch, which was distributed throughout the United States, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also referred to as bird flu, according to the company's website. Customers can get information about a refund by calling 866-637-1872. Following testing conducted by its lab and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Oregon State University, the Oregon Agriculture Department also released a notice regarding the ...