Up slightly: U.S. filings for jobless benefits rose in the last week of 2025 but remain historically low, despite signs that the labor market is weakening. The number of Americans filing for jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 3 rose to 208,000, up from 200,000 the previous week, the Labor Depa rtment reported Thursday. The figure was in line with what analysts surveyed by data firm FactSet were expecting. Read more from the Associated Press.  Big Oil’s role: ConocoPhillips and Exxon are exploring how to help revive Venezuela’s oil industry after President Nicolás Maduro was apprehended, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says. Chevron is expected to ramp up quickly, while companies seek security guarantees before committing major capital following years of nationalization, corruption and underinvestment. Read more from Bloomberg. A subscription may be required.  Finding balance: Real estate agents say the U.S. housing market is slowly finding balance as prices ease and more sellers cut asking prices. A CNBC survey shows fewer buyers exiting the market and growing optimism for early 2026, even as mortgage rates remain stuck above 6%. Read more from CNBC.    ...read more read less