“The United States has seized another tanker in its campaign to control the flow of oil to and from Venezuela. The Olina was seized overnight in the Caribbean Sea, an operation conducted by the Coast Guard and Joint Task Force Southern Spear, two U.S. officials told NBC News. … It’s the fifth tanker seized by the U.S. in recent weeks, and comes days after American forces in the North Atlantic took control of the Bella 1, a Russian-flagged tanker that fled the American blockade and led a weekslong chase.” (01/09/26)
“Iranians staged their biggest protests yet of an almost two week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, chanting slogans including ‘death to the dictator’ and setting fire to official buildings, videos showed Friday. Internet monitor Netblocks said authorities had imposed a total connectivity blackout late Thursday …. AFP verified videos of crowds of people, as well as vehicles honking in support, filling a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard late on Thursday. The crowd could be heard chanting ‘death to the dictator’ in reference to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei …. Several videos said protesters had set fire to the entrance to the regional branch of state television in the central city of Isfahan. It was not immediately possible to verify the images. Flames were also seen in the governor’s building in Shazand, the capital of the Markazi province in central Iran, after protesters gathered outside, other videos showed.” (01/09/26)
“At least four people have been killed in Kyiv after Russia launched a major offensive across Ukraine with drones and missiles. Alongside the attack on the capital, Russia struck critical infrastructure in the western city of Lviv using an Oreshnik hypersonic missile. A total of 278 missiles and drones were fired by Russia overnight, according to Ukraine’s military, which said it downed 244 of them in flight. … Russian drone strikes knocked out power to the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine, leaving more than 600,000 households without electricity in a cold snap, with temperatures in some parts of the country below freezing.” (01/09/26)
“Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 13 people, according to health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to announce his Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire. Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following several strikes there as well as east of Gaza City. Israel’s army said Friday that it struck Hamas infrastructure and fighters in southern and northern Gaza in response to a failed projectile launched by militants from the Gaza City area.” (01/09/26)
“Federal agents shot two people in Portland on Thursday during a traffic stop, a day after the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis stoked outrage over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. A Homeland Security Department spokeswoman said in a statement that U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting a ‘targeted vehicle stop,’ and that an agent fired a shot after the driver tried to run them over. The spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, described the agents’ target as an undocumented immigrant and member of Tren de Aragua, a gang with roots in a Venezuelan prison that has been a frequent target of President Trump. She provided no immediate evidence that the person who was targeted was affiliated with the gang.” (01/09/26)
“A federal judge said Thursday that John Sarcone, the top federal prosecutor in Albany, is serving unlawfully as acting U.S. attorney and cannot participate in an investigation into state Attorney General Letitia James. U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield quashed two subpoenas seeking records of James’[s] previous investigations into President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association. She said Sarcone wasn’t properly appointed to his position last year. ‘Mr. Sarcone’s service was and is unlawful because it bypassed the statutory requirements that govern who may exercise the powers of a U.S. attorney,’ Schofield wrote. ‘The subpoenas are quashed, and Mr. Sarcone is disqualified from further participation in the underlying investigations.'” (01/08/26)
“Five Senate Republicans voted Thursday to advance a bipartisan resolution on the War Powers Act to block President Trump from using military force against Venezuela, a proposal that if enacted would unravel the administration’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil exports. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the sponsor of the bipartisan measure, voted with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) to discharge the resolution out of committee and bring it to the floor. A vote to pass the resolution itself is expected next week — or possibly later Thursday, if there is bipartisan agreement to speed up its timing on the floor. The resolution still needs to pass the House — where a similar measure failed in a close vote last month — and it faces a certain veto from Trump.” [editor’s note: This is bass-ackward. Unless Trump gets affirmative permission in the form of a declaration of war, he has no authority to attack Venezuela – TLK] (01/08/26)
“Farmers in Greece escalated nationwide protests Thursday, launching a 48-hour blockade of major highways, junctions and toll stations over soaring production costs and a contentious European Union trade deal with South American nations. Tractors lined key routes across the country, halting all traffic except emergency vehicles. Police directed traffic to secondary routes when possible and did not intervene to counter the blockades. But the country’s conservative government has warned that it would not tolerate more extended blockades. The country’s main highway connecting Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki was shut in both directions at several points, as farmers demanded stronger state support and the rejection of the EU-Mercosur agreement.” (01/08/26)
“They’re officially ‘klosed’ for business. Quality ‘Learing’ Center — the shady Minnesota day care at the center of the state’s mushrooming fraud scandal — shuttered for good this week, according to records. The much-ridiculed day care, which operated under a misspelled sign until it was fixed last month amid national outrage, closed Tuesday after it requested a closure of its license, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The center found itself under the national spotlight after conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley featured the facility in a video highlighting day care centers in the state that were allegedly receiving public funds but were not providing any services.” (01/08/25)
“A spacewalk planned for Thursday outside the International Space Station was called off late Wednesday because of a ‘medical concern’ with an unidentified crew member, NASA said in a statement. An update shortly before midnight said the agency was exploring ‘all options, including the possibility of an earlier end to Crew 11’s mission.’ … Going into the new year, the crew expected to remain in space until their replacements arrive in mid-February. Crew 11’s return to Earth is expected around Feb. 20. That’s still the official plan.” (01/08/26)
